the frig blig

The very first article I every got published in a programming magazine — the venerable but long-dead Windows Developer Journal — was about writing an NT console utility to modify the screen buffer size. This was probably around 1993 or so.

My code and article have been lost in the mists of time, however I recently realized that I still could use such a utility. So I rewrote it. Still in C, so it’s pretty speedy. And because I’ve written hundreds of thousands of lines of Win32 code since the original, I knocked this version out in about an hour and a half.

I’m calling it from a .cmd script which starts new instances of cmd.exe which, mysteriously, do not pick up my registry setting for screen buffer size. I reached the point of diminishing returns troubleshooting this script, so just recoded the darn utility and now I am back in control.

If anyone cares, you can download the .exe from the Bamboo Utilities page or this link: chCmdBuf

Just a brief note to announce that I posted a minor update of my android app SFD Mobile to the Android Marketplace. Version 1.1 updates the fire stations listing and fixes a minor display bug [which I blame on Socrata, but who knows?].

Search the Marketplace for SFD to find it.

Q: How much coconut is in a package of Coconut M&Ms?
A: Would you believe, none?

That’s right, none. Zero. Zilch. The ingredient that the product is named after does not exist in the product.

I found this rather shocking. After all, peanut M&Ms contain peanuts. Almond M&Ms contain almonds. Peanut-butter M&Ms contain peanut-butter. So I got a little teed-off when the ingredients list on coconut M&Ms did not list coconut.

Here is the actual list of ingredients as printed on the package:

Ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavors), sugar, cornstarch, less than 1% - corn syrup, dextrin, coloring (includes yellow 5 lake, red 40 l ake, blue 2 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5, blue 1, red 40, yellow 6, blue 1 lake, blue 2), artificial flavor, gum acacia.

Screwing up my eyes and looking closer at the front of the package, I saw the fine print: Artificial Flavor.

Is coconut really so prohibitively expensive that Mars Inc. can’t afford to put even 1 percent coconut into their coconut flavored product? Or does including actual coconut do strange things to M&Ms, like make them melt prematurely or mottle their pretty shell colors?

Only their kitchen and/or lab knows for sure. Me, I’m never buying coconut M&Ms again.

Mingling within the crushing yet friendly crowds of San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass concert in Golden Gate Park the weekend before last, I managed to see a baker’s dozen of bands. I could have seen more given stricter organization, a keener sense of direction, and less sleep. However I can still claim to have had a great time.

Watched over by pines of loving grace

For those keeping score, the acts I saw in chronological order were: John Prine, The Band of Heathens, Ruthie Foster, Kris Kristofferson & Merle Haggard, Irma Thomas, Buckethead, Conspiracy of Beards, Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands, Bela Fleck w Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer, Bob Mould, Ollabelle, Justin Townes Earle, and last but not least The Jayhawks.

Heathens

Approximately half of those bands were new to me. The quality was overall outstanding, although there were pros and cons, likes and dislikes.

Nazi tarp plan

Best Overall Transcendent Music award goes to Bela Fleck Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer. Best Hitherto Unknown Band award [aka Frog’s Latest Discovery] goes to The Band of Heathens. Most Robotic Metal award goes to Buckethead [although the wafting strains from Broken Social Scene while I was at an adjacent stage were quite intriguing]. Most Fearless Performer award goes to battle-worn Bob Mould who performed solo without backup. Most Interesting Arrangements award goes to Ollabelle. Best GD Cover award goes to Band of Heathens’ rendition of Broke-Down Palace.

L-R: mystery Indian flute playe, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain

I had been looking forward to seeing The Jayhawks, my only familiarity being the occasional broadcasts of homie radio station KEXP. They could be described as roots-rock, alternative country, somewhat REM-influenced. With doses of god, which turned little old atheist me off.

My biggest regret was missing the Punch Brothers. Maybe they’ll schedule a gig in the PNW?

Finally, a big shout out of appreciation to fellow travelers Sandy, Peter, Nancy and Bob for all they did to make our SF weekend a great time!

printf("Goodbye, Dennis\n");