#garfield Logs

Dec 27 2023

06:46 PM rue_mohr: you made one tho
07:28 PM rue_mohr: https://jorengarenar.github.io/blog/less-known-c
07:41 PM Tom_L: how many did you know?
07:51 PM rue_mohr: about 1/3
07:52 PM rue_mohr: those other bits are pretty cool
08:18 PM aandrew: a lot of these fall into what I consider "slick" programming -- things which don't actually make code easy to read or follow, and thus are things I tend to actively avoid. Others (comma operator, designated initializer, multi-char constants, compile-time checking, etc) I use a LOT because they make things significantly clearer
08:22 PM aandrew: they're missing the macro tricks I used in my menuing system though. That was a bit of fun to work through the first few times
08:24 PM aandrew: the macro overloading example touches on it
08:25 PM rue_mohr: mh
08:25 PM aandrew: actually I guess they call it "x-macros" now
08:25 PM aandrew: yep. "X-Macros uses the preprocessor to force the compiler to compile the same piece of text more than once."
08:26 PM rue_mohr: I think I bumped into a fancy macro trick like that once
08:27 PM aandrew: I have to restore my redmine install from the attack back in february still, it's buried in there
08:27 PM aandrew: just no real time to work on that stuff
08:28 PM rue_mohr: hows paying US bills working out?
08:28 PM aandrew: hm? well I'm at about 50% of my usual income, and now have two houses to pay for. it's damn tight
08:28 PM rue_mohr: hmm
08:29 PM rue_mohr: your not renting out the old house?
08:29 PM aandrew: no, we're selling
08:29 PM rue_mohr: sounds like thats not working out
08:29 PM aandrew: haven't put it up for sale yet. Springtime
08:29 PM rue_mohr: aren't sale prices falling?
08:31 PM rue_mohr: here were starting to see the run down shacks for less than $1M
08:32 PM rue_mohr: and a 300 square foot apartment is almost down to $1000/mo
08:32 PM aandrew: they are, but I think we'll still be in good shape
08:32 PM aandrew: the higher end stuff hasn't moved a whole lot
08:32 PM rue_mohr: k
08:33 PM aandrew: not as volatile as the more normal houses which went absolutely crazy
08:34 PM rue_mohr: I like how aliexpress just gives you random results when it cant find what you ask for
08:38 PM aandrew: yeah "like"
08:38 PM aandrew: amazon "who needs search terms" .com does the same thing
08:39 PM rue_mohr: aliexpress.com/item/1005004697282576.html
08:40 PM rue_mohr: I was pretty annoyed when I got a spool of the wrong plastic cause amazon threw out my 3rd+ search term
08:40 PM rue_mohr: aliexpress.com/item/1005005410565386.html
08:40 PM rue_mohr: (drool drool)
08:43 PM rue_mohr: maybe I'd better close aliexpress...
08:43 PM aandrew: heh, you're into LCD experiments these days?
08:43 PM aandrew: yeah I am working hard to NOT peruse ali/amazon
08:43 PM aandrew: trying to keep the budget tight
08:43 PM rue_mohr: I dont know why the endorphins are generated....
08:43 PM aandrew: I'm back in Ontario since Dec 16 for Christmas, packing and so on
08:44 PM rue_mohr: oh
08:44 PM aandrew: I have three banana boxes full of my SMT components that I want to ship to California
08:44 PM rue_mohr: well , you dont have to declare them..
08:44 PM aandrew: each box is about 20lbs, and Canada Post or UPS is about $130 per box with $1000 insurance
08:44 PM rue_mohr: would $1k cover it?
08:44 PM aandrew: I'm nervous as hell thinking about shipping them but that's by far the cheapest way to do it
08:44 PM rue_mohr: carry on
08:45 PM aandrew: well the most important box I'd insure for $1000, it's got all the semiconductors/ICs in it
08:45 PM rue_mohr: "excuse me sir, are we of the understanding that you have 82lbs of carry on luggage?"
08:45 PM aandrew: the RCL box I wouldn't insure, price drops to about $78 for that
08:46 PM aandrew: and I have another box (not quite banana box sized, it's bigger) with a lot of my ferrites and stuff in it, that I haven't decided how to ship just yet
08:46 PM aandrew: actually
08:46 PM rue_mohr: well throw a GPS trackable phone in the ICs and do it carryon, ship the other
08:46 PM aandrew: if I took that stuff out of the plastic boxes and put them in freezer bags like I did with the other stuff it'd all fit into another banana box about 20lbs
08:48 PM aandrew: and that would take care of most of my inventory. I'd still have my fasteners/hardware to ship but that's heavy, might just be worthwhile starting a new collection there. 608 bearings are cheap, and between Harbor Freight and McMaster-Carr, the fasteners would be cheap to get there rather than ship it
08:49 PM aandrew: I was thinking of putting some of this in carry on or checked luggage but I really don't want to hear the snap of the rubber gloves or have to put up with hassles at the airport
08:49 PM aandrew: I'm already conerned that they'll want me to have whatever those HSSI shipping codes are for tarriffs, I was just gonna say "electronic parts for repair" and chance it
08:50 PM aandrew: canada post/usps I would think would be riskier than UPS, but amazingbly both are almost identical in terms of cost
08:51 PM aandrew: I was thinking of putting my modules in checked luggage (rpi/arduino modules)
08:51 PM rue_mohr: and have a plan if they decide to tell you that you cant take it with you
08:53 PM rue_mohr: amazon.ca/Q-camera-Security-Varifocal-Vandal-Proof-Surveillance/dp/B07RXWSDDY/ref=sr_1_14
08:53 PM aandrew: well that's why I'd check them; they generally don't care and I was going to leave a note in there saying I run a maker class for kids and these are the modules we use to build robots etc
08:53 PM rue_mohr: why are they calling that 5MP, if you downscale the image to 2pixels it doesn't count
08:53 PM aandrew: I'll just say they all came from the US anyway so there shouldn't be any tolls/taxes on it
08:53 PM aandrew: that's all they care about
08:53 PM rue_mohr: ah
08:54 PM aandrew: probably because it' a 5MP sensor but analog output
08:54 PM rue_mohr: https://www.amazon.ca/WiTi-Security-Surveillance-Microphone-Detection/dp/B092CXXGXB/ref=sr_1_34 Hmmmm
08:55 PM rue_mohr: I'm poking around for a new "where did I just put that down" shop camera
08:58 PM rue_mohr: amazon.ca/VEEZOOM-Detection-Supports-Security-WS-N151HZ/dp/B0BPC79CL2/ref=sr_1_38
08:58 PM rue_mohr: that looks ok
08:59 PM rue_mohr: https://www.amazon.ca/VEEZOOM-Detection-Supports-Security-WS-N151HZ/dp/B0BPC79CL2/ref=sr_1_38
09:00 PM rue_mohr: built in storage would be nice
09:05 PM rue_mohr: nobody makes indoor cameras anymore?
10:04 PM VanUnamed: hey rue_mohr how u doing