Category Archives: projects

XSLTD Alpha: Almost There

The code is almost complete for the alpha version of XSLTD written in Scala. It’s not the prettiest bit of code, but it’s already accepting memcached protocol commands for XSL/XML storage and retrieval. I’m fighting with my HashMap right not to get the data in/out for those values, but it’s coming along nicely. If I stick around again tonight and fight through it, I should have something ready to test and maybe even some stats up. Stay tuned…

Update: Halloween Costume: Raptor Jesus

Two nights ago, I posted about my costume, Raptor Jesus. Since then, I’ve painted the full head and gone to work with the costume. I used the female ends of zip ties for teeth, which ended up looking pretty good for the costume. I’m glad I thought of that.

At work, I won funniest costume! With the prize ($100 gift card) I broke even on the cost of the costume. Pretty cool to be able to have fun for free. Pictures below.

Halloween Costume: Raptor Jesus

I’ve been hard at work on my Halloween costume: Raptor Jesus. I’m going into this knowing that very few people will actually get my costume. At least for them, it will be fantastic.

I started last night on the different parts that make up the head.

Tonight, I pieced them together to make the full head.

Can’t wait to paint this sucker tomorrow. Paint will be what makes or breaks this project. Wish me luck…

Embedded Electronics with Arduino

I’ve recently been thinking about how I could get into embedded electronics and came across a cool open-source project called Arduino.

“Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It’s intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.”

– http://arduino.cc

That blurb pretty much sums it up. I’ve decided to commit some time and effort into this project, so I’ve set up a new desk and set of drawers in my bedroom specifically for breadboarding and Arduino programming. I’ve also purchased a kit and a book on Arduino from sparkfun.com.