Feline Follies

And now for something completely different: a stupid script trick ... once upon a time, i worked with two software developers who had just started their careers. after giving them a script, one of them complained that it didn't support the --help option. the script was about ten lines including its shebang, without conditional expressions or complexity of any kind. i defended its informality by noting that scripts are text files, so developers can easily discover how to use them. my response had no effect, but i still think scripts written for members of the same development team may be less formal/helpful than usual. since then, i did change my mind about one thing: for a long time, i used Python whenever statements were conditionally executed. i use the Bourne shell more often now.

Homemade cake and coffee, because one without the other is worse. the cake is homemade so the day begins on a personal note. i started with Elizabeth David's shooting cake ( English Bread and Yeast Cookery ), and gradually added others. my favorite is a cocoa cake i developed from a recipe published by PJ Hamel . Conceptualize this cake is versatile, so it's important to consider how it will be served. Hamel's suggestion (vanilla ice cream, pecans, chocolate ganache, and whipped cream) is downright direct. i think i would prefer a fruit sauce, but am too lazy to make one. instead, i see this cake as a grown-up version of a chocolate candy bar. not a fluffy/light candy bar, more interesting than plain chocolate ... dark, dense, and serious. if you add nuts...