From the "I always forget how to do this, so here's a reminder for next time" files: Installing PIL with JPEG support on OS X - but without using Fink.
All the PIL documentation just says to install libjpeg using Fink. I'm not really into Fink, so I always flounder around for how to do it when installing libjpeg from source. The secret is that after you install libjpeg, also do:
sudo make install-lib
(where I found it this time)
I just launched a new site to help groups decide where to go to lunch. Ironically, I don't work in an office where this is a daily issue anymore, so I won't be getting as much use out of it as I would have a couple of months ago. Oh well, at least the rest of the world can use it.
You can check it out at http://whatsforlun.ch?.
Today is my last day working at SignOnSanDiego. I started at SignOn on January 3rd, 2006, so this closes a two and a half year chapter of my life which I thoroughly enjoyed. I learned a lot and got to work with some great people, on some great projects.
I wish everyone still at SignOn the best of luck in the future, I know you're going to do some cool stuff.
And so, onward to the next opportunity, whatever it may be. Stay tuned.
I just went out to look at my dirt, and there are green things poking out! The package said 7-14 days until they sprouted. I planted them in the afternoon on the 12th, so by my count these are early genius sprouts.

First zucchini sprout!
I'm assuming this was the first one to sprout since it's slightly larger than the other one.

Second zucchini sprout
Here's the wide angle for size reference.

Sprout 1 is on the left, sprout 2 on the right.
I'm not sure what got into me, but I stopped by Home Depot today and picked up some stuff to start a little balcony garden.

Laying out my supplies. What are the odds that this actually works?
So there's all my stuff. Somehow I don't think those poor little seeds stand a chance. Oh well, just their bad luck I guess. I picked out a couple of veggies that I eat a lot of, sugar snap peas, and zucchini (which I just realized I'm going to have to learn to spell consistently). After hours of backbreaking labor, I had some of the dirt in the planters, and some seeds in the dirt. The woman at Home Depot told me to "throw a lot of seeds in there". Apparently she got a good look at me and realized that this wasn't a high percentage venture. I didn't go crazy, and I still have several seeds of each type left over, but I went a bit beyond what the package recommends. We'll see how that turns out. For those of you keeping score at home, that's the zucchini closest to the railing, and the sugar snap peas closest to the camera.

Those are sugar snap peas closest to the camera, and zucchini closest to the railing.
So here we go, Day 1 of the great garden adventure. Of course at this point the plan is to take pictures from the same spot every day and document the growth with cool time-lapse photography. But come on, who are we kidding? I'm way too lazy to commit to that. I'll snap pictures when I can.

Day 1 (day 0?). No growth to report. I'll check back in a few hours....