The heartless arson attack on one of the studios at Kyoto Animation must not be tolerated. _Anime_ is a form of artistic expression, and such attacks on artistic expression must be prevented at all costs.
This arson attack is a catastrophe. Kyoto Animation has produced some of the most interesting _anime_ series during the past decade, and this heartless attack has essentially gutted one of its main production studios.
This attack is a major blow on the Japanese _anime_ industry.
According to the article,
"Several people have been killed after an apparent arson attack gutted a building at Kyoto Animation, one of Japan’s most renowned anime studios. NHK reports that 33 people are confirmed de... moreThis arson attack is a catastrophe. Kyoto Animation has produced some of the most interesting _anime_ series during the past decade, and this heartless attack has essentially gutted one of its main production studios.
This attack is a major blow on the Japanese _anime_ industry.
According to the article,
"Several people have been killed after an apparent arson attack gutted a building at Kyoto Animation, one of Japan’s most renowned anime studios. NHK reports that 33 people are confirmed dead and many more have been injured.
"An explosion was heard around the studio at around 10.30AM local time. Police are questioning a man in his 40s who was seen spreading and lighting a gasoline-like liquid in the 1st Studio building, which is said to be where most of Kyoto Animation’s mainline production takes place. The _Mainichi Shinbun_ newspaper reports that the man said he started the fire.
"Kyoto Animation, commonly known as KyoAni, was founded by Yoko and Hideaki Hatta in 1981 in the Kyoto prefectural city of Uji, just outside the city of Kyoto itself. It’s best known for series like _K-On!_ and _The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya_, and released standalone feature _A Silent Voice_ in 2016 to widespread acclaim. Netflix picked up the streaming rights to KyoAni’s _Violet Evergarden_ series and made it available worldwide last year.
"KyoAni has developed a reputation for high quality animation with a distinctive visual style, and it’s considered one of the more hospitable places to work in Japan’s famously high-pressure anime industry. Unlike most other studios, KyoAni hires animators as salaried employees who aren’t paid per frame.
"'As long as the studio’s formula lets it operate on a different basis from the rest of the Japanese animation industry, it has the opportunity to produce distinctive, memorable features, capable of playing to international audiences,' _The Verge_’s Michael Moore wrote in 2017 upon _A Silent Voice_’s limited US release. '_A Silent Voice_ clearly shows that if KyoAni keeps on its present track, it has the potential to be spoken of in the same way we talk about Studio Ghibli — as a source of outstanding work, telling stories in ways no one else can tell them.'"
Tonight, I might have some difficulty in going to sleep. Although I have an extremely good sense of hearing and can usually even hear the sound of a cockroach chewing on tatami from over 6 feet away (this is how I usually detect and find most insects and arthropods), this does not mean that I feel comfortable after having seen a large _Scolopendra subspinipes_ centipede.
While most spiders tend to be shy and stay put, _Scolopendra subspinipes_ centipedes are aggressive and tend to keep foragin... moreTonight, I might have some difficulty in going to sleep. Although I have an extremely good sense of hearing and can usually even hear the sound of a cockroach chewing on tatami from over 6 feet away (this is how I usually detect and find most insects and arthropods), this does not mean that I feel comfortable after having seen a large _Scolopendra subspinipes_ centipede.
While most spiders tend to be shy and stay put, _Scolopendra subspinipes_ centipedes are aggressive and tend to keep foraging for prey until they go to sleep during the daytime.
The only fortunate aspect in my case is that, just like _Scolopendra subspinipes_ centipedes, I am chiefly nocturnal. This means that I am awake when they are awake, and sleep when they sleep. Therefore, they are highly unlikely to catch me when I am asleep. Also, I have extremely good hearing, and can hear them walking from several feet away (I can even hear a cockroach chewing on a tatami mat from 6 feet away).
The hinokitiol centipede-repellent mats are scheduled to arrive tomorrow evening. They will be deployed immediately upon arrival, and are reportedly extremely effective at warding off the arthropods.
Unfortunately, I had the misfortune of encountering a specimen of a very large centipede, _Scolopendra subspinipes_, approximately an hour or so earlier in my apartment. The specimen had a body length of approximately 10 centimeters, and was approximately 2 meters away, rummaging through some cardboard boxes, when I saw it. Prior to seeing it, I heard some noises, and initially thought that a large cockroach was nearby. When I first saw this creature, I saw only a portion of it, and only iden... moreUnfortunately, I had the misfortune of encountering a specimen of a very large centipede, _Scolopendra subspinipes_, approximately an hour or so earlier in my apartment. The specimen had a body length of approximately 10 centimeters, and was approximately 2 meters away, rummaging through some cardboard boxes, when I saw it. Prior to seeing it, I heard some noises, and initially thought that a large cockroach was nearby. When I first saw this creature, I saw only a portion of it, and only identified it as a centipede after spraying it with some insecticide.
I sprayed it with 3 different types of insecticides, which had little effect on the creature. This lack of effect forced me to resort to a spray specifically designed to kill centipedes, which finally weakened the creature enough to stop its movement. Then I used a pair of chopsticks to pick up the still-struggling creature and deposit it outside my front door.
In hindsight, it seems to have appeared in response to an increase in room humidity caused by not closing the shower room while running the shower to wash my arms earlier. This species seems to prefer rooms with a high humidity, and apparently, does not usually appear if the humidity is kept low.
Immediately, I ordered a new can of anti-centipede spray, some anti-centipede-bite ointment (in case I ever get bitten), and some anti-centipede mats containing natural centipede-repellent, hinokitiol (β-thujaplicin) (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinokitiol).
Although _Scolopendra subspinipes_ does not move very fast, it makes a lot of noise when moving (this noise initially alerted me to its presence), is rather heavy, and because of its size, reddish-brown-with-orange-legs coloring, and resistance to insect spray, it is extremely frightening.
Fortunately, reportedly the centipede-repellent that I purchased is extremely effective at warding off this species, which has been reported never to appear in a room in which the centipede-repellent is placed.
According to the aforementioned related article for hinokitiol,
"The name originates from the fact it was originally isolated in Taiwanese hinoki in 1936. It is actually almost absent in Japanese hinoki while it is contained in high concentration (about 0.04% of heartwood mass) in _Juniperus cedrus_, Hiba cedar wood (_Thujopsis dolabrata_) and Western red cedar (_Thuja plicata_). It can be readily extracted from the cedarwood with solvent and ultrasonication."
Does anyone know how to turn off emoticons? They make copy-pasting of trivial code snippets unnecessarily troublesome by forcing the user to insert unnecessary spaces before and after parentheses in such function definitions as the following:
def fib( n )
In the aforementioned example, failing to insert spaces before and after the 'n' in the function definition for "fib" causes the list of parameters to the function to change into an emoticon.
One of my main purposes in posting articles on s... moreDoes anyone know how to turn off emoticons? They make copy-pasting of trivial code snippets unnecessarily troublesome by forcing the user to insert unnecessary spaces before and after parentheses in such function definitions as the following:
def fib( n )
In the aforementioned example, failing to insert spaces before and after the 'n' in the function definition for "fib" causes the list of parameters to the function to change into an emoticon.
One of my main purposes in posting articles on social network services such as Youme.social is to prove to (former) Professor Drew V. McDermott (and to myself) that the substance of his claim, "I don't think that you're cut out for computer science," is false. That requires demonstrating that I can understand code, which requires posting code and showing that I understand the code.
(Besides, I feel much more intelligent when I write code than when I don't because writing code forces me to think, instead of merely to think that I am thinking. Writing code is so mentally taxing that it causes any other intellectual task (except for, perhaps, proving theorems in linear/abstract algebra) to seem trivial by comparison.)
Apparently, I need to be careful when using the Crystal programming language because although it is often much faster than Ruby, because it does not check for overflow at every operation, Crystal can return an incorrect result if overflow occurs.
Even worse, simply replacing the default Int32 type with Bignum in Crystal to ensure a correct result can result in code that actually runs 4 to 5 times _slower_ than the equivalent Ruby code (for versions of Ruby lower than 2.4) because Ruby only repl... moreApparently, I need to be careful when using the Crystal programming language because although it is often much faster than Ruby, because it does not check for overflow at every operation, Crystal can return an incorrect result if overflow occurs.
Even worse, simply replacing the default Int32 type with Bignum in Crystal to ensure a correct result can result in code that actually runs 4 to 5 times _slower_ than the equivalent Ruby code (for versions of Ruby lower than 2.4) because Ruby only replaces Fixnum with Bignum when necessary (although in Ruby 2.4, apparently the two types have been unified into a single Integer class).
Just now, I chanced upon a rather interesting article on certain differences in how Ruby and Crystal perform computation.
Specifically, although Crystal often vastly outperforms Ruby in terms of speed, it does so at a price: It does not check for overflow at every operation, and as a result, Crystal can sometimes give an incorrect result when Ruby gives the correct result.
For example, consider the following code, which is common to both Ruby and Crystal, to compute the Fibonacci series:
# f... moreJust now, I chanced upon a rather interesting article on certain differences in how Ruby and Crystal perform computation.
Specifically, although Crystal often vastly outperforms Ruby in terms of speed, it does so at a price: It does not check for overflow at every operation, and as a result, Crystal can sometimes give an incorrect result when Ruby gives the correct result.
For example, consider the following code, which is common to both Ruby and Crystal, to compute the Fibonacci series:
# fib.cr
def fib( n )
if n <= 1
1
else
fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2)
end
end
Now, here's a little code to use the aforementioned function to computer the 42nd value in the Fibonacci series, and to output the amount of time require to compute the result:
time = Time.now
puts fib(42)
puts Time.now - time
Here are the results in Ruby and Crystal upon running the aforementioned code:
Crystal seems overwhelmingly faster; however, to be precise, this is not a fair comparison, because the two languages are not using the same algorithm to compute the same function.
Specifically, in Crystal, the default type of an integer literal is Int32, which has a maximum value of (2 ** 31) - 1 == 2147483647. Although it is possible to use different types of integers, such as Int8 for signed numbers represented with 8 bits, Int32 for signed numbers represented with 32 bits, UInt64 for unsigned numbers represented with 64 bits, and so forth, such specification in Crystal must be done manually; it is not automatic. Because the 42nd value in the Fibonacci series is less than 2147483647, Crystal gives the correct result.
By contrast, in versions of Ruby lower than 2.4, the language has two integer types: Fixnum and Bignum (in Ruby 2.4, they are reportedly unified into a single Integer class). Ruby explicitly checks for overflow at every operation, preventing certain optimization, thus sacrificing speed for accuracy, and coerces the type of the integer to Bignum in case of overflow to ensure a correct result.
However, what happens when we increase the value to that of the 46th value in the Fibonacci series?
Because 2971215073 is greater than 2147483647, the operation in Crystal creates an overflow, returning an incorrect result. By contrast, because Ruby checks for overflow at every operation, it detects the overflow, coercing the type to Bignum, and then returning the correct result.
Interestingly, it turns out that if we explicitly ask Crystal to use a Bignum for the computation, Crystal actually winds up being 4 to 5 times _slower_ than Ruby. Here's the code to force Crystal to use a Bignum type:
require "big"
def fib( n )
if n <= 1
BigInt.new(1)
else
fib(n - 1) + fib(n - 2)
end
end
Now let's see what happens when we write a function to compute the 42nd value of the Fibonacci series:
time = Time.now
puts fib(BigInt.new(42))
puts Time.now - time
Now, let's see what happens when this code is run in Crystal:
This code actually runs 4 to 5 times _slower_ than the Ruby version!
It turns out that the reason that the Ruby version actually runs faster than the Crystal version is that the Ruby version does not use the Bignum type until it is needed, whereas the Crystal version uses it even when it is not needed.
Although it is possible to run Crystal code much faster than Ruby code by taking advantage of LLVM compiler optimizations, doing so requires more effort on the part of the programmer.
Ruby, by contrast, requires less effort, but because the Ruby checks for overflow at every operation, it sacrifices certain optimizations, thus sacrificing speed for accuracy.
Well, it seems that I finally have a workable hobbyist Linux cloud-based Crystal programming environment that runs continuously (even between browser sessions) in a browser on Windows 7 in Boot Camp on my Mac.
What's nice about this environment is that because it is Linux-based, it provides all the benefits of a Linux development environment, yet runs continuously between browser sessions in a browser on Windows 7, which provides all the applications that I need for my work and my _otaku_-relat... moreWell, it seems that I finally have a workable hobbyist Linux cloud-based Crystal programming environment that runs continuously (even between browser sessions) in a browser on Windows 7 in Boot Camp on my Mac.
What's nice about this environment is that because it is Linux-based, it provides all the benefits of a Linux development environment, yet runs continuously between browser sessions in a browser on Windows 7, which provides all the applications that I need for my work and my _otaku_-related hobbies.
For example, Attache Case is a file encryption/decryption Japanese application that has been used in the past for secure transmission of patent-related documents. It runs only in Windows.
Conversely, Crystal is a Ruby-like fast compiled programming language that supports static typing and metaprogramming. It allows me to write the types of programs that I want to write using a programming language that I would like to use. It does not run on Windows 7.
Furthermore, most of my hobby-related entertainment applications run only in Windows. Some of these applications must be kept running at all times in the background because of randomly-spawning events in a persistent world (such as certain randomly-arising city battlegrounds) that, if neglected, can result in losses with substantial persistent negative effects (e.g., loss of income over weeks).
Using this development environment, I can, for example, act out the following type of study-style:
1) Wake up in the morning. Fire up my Mac. Fire up Windows 7 in Boot Camp on my Mac.
2) Fire up my browser. Check to see if any work is available. If not, check to see if any of my hobby-related applications have any randomly-spawning events that require immediate attention. If not, start coding something in Crystal.
3) 15 minutes later, take a short break. Check to see if any work is available. A sudden project! It will probably take 2 hours. Accept said project.
4) Every 30 minutes into the project, check to see if any of my hobby-related applications have any randomly-spawning events that require immediate attention. Discover a random battlefield, scheduled 3 hours from now!
5) Finish the work project before the battlefield. Submit work to employer by e-mail.
6) Without rebooting the computer, participate in the battlefield. Win battlefield. Acquire in-world reward and source of continuing in-world income.
7) Without rebooting the computer, return to Crystal. Figure out how to write Towers of Hanoi in Crystal. Post code on GitLab.
8) Say, "Guess what, Big Brother Microsoft! You're not getting any of my code because it's on GitLab, not GitHub!"
9) Say, "Here's my code in Crystal, Professor McDermott! Crystal supports metaprogramming and is not indentation-sensitive. You can't accuse me of using a a programming language with 'annoying indentation-sensitive syntax that lacks macros,' unlike with Pythonistas!"
10) Smile. I have worked in Windows 7, programmed in Crystal on Linux, and played a randomly-spawning event with potentially persistent aftereffects in my favorite online title, all without ever switching my operating system!
Just now, I signed up for a Basic Plan with the cloud-based development environment PaizaCloud™. Now I have a server that runs continuously, regardless of whether I have the browser running, and which can run and compile Crystal code whenever I feel like it.
Now I can finally write code in short spurts in-between my hobby-related sessions, which is how I did my homework in college.
Okay, (former) Professor Drew V. McDermott, now I finally have my favorite programming language that supports me... moreJust now, I signed up for a Basic Plan with the cloud-based development environment PaizaCloud™. Now I have a server that runs continuously, regardless of whether I have the browser running, and which can run and compile Crystal code whenever I feel like it.
Now I can finally write code in short spurts in-between my hobby-related sessions, which is how I did my homework in college.
Okay, (former) Professor Drew V. McDermott, now I finally have my favorite programming language that supports metaprogramming and isn't whitespace-sensitive! You program with macros in Common Lisp, and I can (potentially) program with macros in Crystal! No "annoying indentation-sensitive syntax" in my programming language, either!
What a relief! Now I can actually program in Crystal! This means that I am now entitled to the title of "Crystal programmer," and with my degree in computer science, I might call myself a "Sorcerer's Apprentice of Crystal."
My gosh! I actually was able to follow the instructions for creating the cloud-based server on PaizaCloud™ (see https://paiza.cloud/en/) and get the code to run! The entire process took approximately only 10 minutes!
Creating the server took approximately 6 seconds, not 3 (I have a mental clock that automatically keeps track of time, and is usually accurate to the second).
Here is the final output from my terminal session on the cloud-based server:
~$ crystal hello.cr
Hello world!
~$ crys... moreMy gosh! I actually was able to follow the instructions for creating the cloud-based server on PaizaCloud™ (see https://paiza.cloud/en/) and get the code to run! The entire process took approximately only 10 minutes!
Creating the server took approximately 6 seconds, not 3 (I have a mental clock that automatically keeps track of time, and is usually accurate to the second).
Here is the final output from my terminal session on the cloud-based server:
Apparently, now I'm a Crystal programmer (or "Crystal sorcerer's apprentice," to borrow a description of the image from the cover of the "wizard book" (_Structured Interpretation of Computer Programs_ (see https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/index.html)) used to each computer science at my alma mater) !
Finally. At last I seem to have discovered a simple way to install and run code in the Crystal programming language on a cloud-based server in a browser on Windows 7 in Boot Camp on my Mac.
Perhaps I might soon be able to create some simple Crystal code, create an account on GitLab free of Microsoft control, put my code there, and stop feeling like a complete idiot for a change.
Then one day, I might be able to write what I want to write using a language that I actually would like to use with... moreFinally. At last I seem to have discovered a simple way to install and run code in the Crystal programming language on a cloud-based server in a browser on Windows 7 in Boot Camp on my Mac.
Perhaps I might soon be able to create some simple Crystal code, create an account on GitLab free of Microsoft control, put my code there, and stop feeling like a complete idiot for a change.
Then one day, I might be able to write what I want to write using a language that I actually would like to use without risking having (former) Professor Drew V. McDermott complain that it "lacks macros and isn't suited for metaprogramming, unlike Common Lisp."
I see what you mean. At present they can only be switched off from the back end of the site and will impact everyone.
