Infinite State Automaton

Part of the requirements specification toolkit that I am building has a nifty little tool called 'BADGER'. The original version of it exists in another program called Tiger Pro, which you can find over here.

BADGER is an acronym that stands for 'Built-in Agent using Deterministic Grammar for the Engineering of Requirements'. TIGER itself stands for 'Tool to Ingest and Elucidate Requirements'. The theme at my company is to try to name projects after animals; so we are hoping to swap out SRET (Slim Requirements Engineering Toolkit) to something more appropriate.

One exec suggested 'LION' which fits in well with the Kenya theme of my office, but we're struggling to come up with an appropriate justification for the letters. I'm still hoping for CITA (pronounced "Cheetah") which stands of Chris Is Totally Awesome, but again, no luck in actually putting a proper meaning behind it.

Today the Badger tool is about done. You can put words in it and by some arcane magic, the words are assembled in to a requirement and plugged in to the specification. The second part of Badger is for the program to take all the words and using the rules for English grammar, automatically assemble the words in to the correct grammatical sense.

Since this requires my program to do lexical, syntactical and finally semantic analysis of the English language, and I didn't learn about nouns/adjectives/verbs etc at school, this is proving difficult.

These last few weeks have been surprisingly busy. My evenings have been action packed with various sporting things, and I am starting to really miss having evenings at home to unwind. On the other hand, the sense of achievement and actually getting things done despite (or perhaps because of) being so busy is quite refreshing.

I've recently gotten in to the MegaTokyo Mafia game, and some of the players have been scoping out my blog so I can't really talk about the current game here (since if I talk about too much it can be used as evidence to get me killed in the game). I normally avoid the MegaTokyo forums like the plague, but this is a fun little game that I can check every hour or so and see if my character is about to be killed off.

Monday - panic for Tuesday night
Tuesday - give lecture on requirements specification and SRET to the QAA. Only three people showed up, and one of them was another presenter.
Wednesday - tennis. 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 -> defeat!
Thursday - Golden Key New Members welcome. Used my awesome powers of charisma to form a big knot of people to talk to. Met these people:
David - ex flight lieutenant, currently retired, working in aeronautical engineering.
Terry - not actually a Golden Key member, not sure of his relationship to the current chapter president, Stacey, not sure what he is doing, but he sure is handy to have around.
Erin - studying marketting, working at HJ's. Did not get a good chance to talk to her due to the really annoying chair designs and ever expanding circle of people.
Sonya - Very interesting young lady; working two jobs and has a part time gig on the local radio. Studying something to do with publicity and the media. Has a pet golden labrador puppy.
Amanda - very active, sporting girl, plays tennis, volleyball, netball, AFL football, rugby, cricket, and anything she can do. Studying physiotherapy. Surprisingly talkative, I mistook her for the quiet shy type that wanted to hide in the corner of the room, once she got in the group she took over it.
Steph - studying to be a primary school teacher. Didn't find out much else.
Mysterious Girl X - was friends with Steff and Amanda but I never found out her name, what she did, or their history.
Julia and Shelly - I got their names but that was it. By the time they joined, the circle was so big, I couldn't even talk to them.
Pere - South African guy studying nursing, looking for accomodation. Anybody live near the Royal Adelaide Hospital and looking for a tenant?
Aysia - Another South African guy, but I didn't catch his study.


So the goal here was not to assemble all the cute girls into one circle around me, but to get the people talking with each other so they were enjoying themselves. So periodically I would walk around and spot people who seemed uninvolved or being wallflowers or looking for something to do, grab them, introduce them to some other person in the same situation. So I met a few other people this way too, but unfortunately I could not remember everybodies name.

Only two current executive people could make it, which was an odd thing, there was a lot more at the induction ceremony. Where did they go? So I did feel some sympathy for Stacey when so many came to the meeting - she had only had 11 RSVP, but then around fifty showed up so they had to move to another room. The main purpose of the informal meeting was to get people talking with each other and to ask questions about the Society to the executive, unfortunately with only two there they were quickly overwhelmed. I did have some previous experience as president so that is why I got the people into a big group; they then naturally split out and started talking amongst themselves and stayed rather than drifting off quietly in ones or twos. The second purpose was for Stacy to talk about what she needed in the new executive, and to tkae registrations of interest - it looked like almost everybody signed up, which is really positive. The AGM is on the 25th.

Stacy asked me what I wanted to do. I explained that this was her show now, I was keen to help out but - the main value for her as president was to lead and make decisions on her own. Similarly, I would not stand in the way of any new member who wanted a role on the exec; I had been on the exec before, it would be more valuable to a new person for that individual and also our chapter. So I said, find out who is interested in what, and if there are any gaps that need to be filled, I will go there.

Friday night - maybe playing warcraft at work with da ladz.

Saturday - hopefully nothing all day.
I need to buy: New set of shelves from Ikea, plus one more tray that I somehow missed.
Ironing board!!!!! I went to iron my shirt for the talk on Tuesday. Up until now I always made a habit of buying shirts that didn't really need to be ironed. But I wore a really nice shirt for the talk (because I thought I would be in front of around three hundred industry specialists, not three guys who rocked up in a tshirt and track pants...I should have known. This is computer science. These people...never see the sun...) and holy cow, it needed to be ironed. So I tried to iron it on the table. I don't know. I think it came out MORE wrinkled. And it smelt kind of funny. At least it felt nice to put on.
Oh one more thing - I need to buy a new front right tyre. I went to go to work the other day and I couldn't help but notice one of my tyres had exploded overnight. It is inexplicably worn down and crappy looking, while the others all look clean and happy. So I don't know, perhaps it was on low pressure and I had been driving it around and killed it dead, then during the night the changing temperature caused it to...hell, I don't know. Chemistry is scary. Anyway, the result is I need to buy a new tyre. Fortunately I had a spare so it's not a real tragedgy, just a small annoyance.

Sunday - dodgeball, then practicing dodgeball. Cat said to me that my throwing is all over the place - we know I can't throw or catch very well, so I said that I was interested in practicing. Well she took me up on it and now we will be practicing with James after the game. James had a hair cut - he used to have a tremendous affro, but without the hair he has transformed from a laid back hippie guy into some kind of assault marine of death. It's like, the hair was just holding him back, kind of the opposite of Sampson. He's faster, meaner, more angry, and he throws real damn hard, accurate, and he's jumping all over the place like a frog on a hot plate. He went from the laziest guy on the whole damn team to some kind of sport playing octopus. Now he's making me look bad, so I'd better learn how to at least throw straight.

Monday - I'm going fencing.

I said the following three things all on Mothers day:

1 - "I need a linen cupboard"
2 - "I had a great time shopping with you, mum"
3 - "I need to get some pom-poms for my cheerleading outfit"

I am still a boy, right?

Context.

Ok, so. Towels and sheets and those kind of things take up a lot of room in the cupboard. I don't have room for any more clothes. I need to get another Ikea frame (I'll grab it this weekend - I am on a budget, remember? ^_^) and then I should be able to finally hide everything out of sight. I would also like to get a block of pine to put across the top of one of the frames, kind of like a roof, so that I can stash all my warhammer junk there, and a block of wood on the other frame to put my shoes on. Then all I need to do is continue to throw rubbish out faster than it enters my room and my base should at least appear clean.

Sheets and stuff - up until now I only had one sheet and one quilt cover. THis meant that changing my sheet was a big deal, as I had to put it up in the morning, hope it didn't rain, then change it in the evening. Cleaning my cupboard out and suddenly I've discovered, actually I have three sheets and two quilt covers and oodles of pillow slips. I've also reclaimed a lot of old favourite clothes that I forgot about, like my Golden Key t-shirt, my Games Workshop bomber jacket, and those comfy black track pants that everybody hates because they have holes in the groin area. Indoor pants only, I'm afraid.

Oh, I went to Golden Key induction ceremony the other day. Well...I am not sure what Debbie was complaining about. They had a very slick operation going on. I was very nervous because as I walked in, the very first people I encountered were the two people who I was most afraid to meet, the president who replaced me and her partner. I didn't know what to do. My heart was beating so fast I just casually said "Howdy" and walked past in to meet the new president and see what I could do to help.

I don't know what I was expecting. I had been told that these people had been saying nasty things about me behind my back. I didn't expect to be pointed out during the induction ceremony and personally thanked by Lucy for being president previously. I didn't expect them to be so welcome and friendly, and thankful for me being there to help - even though they really didn't need my help. It made me feel silly and just a little bit ashamed that I hadn't gone back earlier.

When we talked about it, I said that, I wasn't sure if I would be welcomed back. Those two had kept my grandmothers tapestry instead of auctioning it off. They'd always hoped I'd rejoin them.

So, I think that's what I'll do.

Mothers day - the day started with waffles covered in maple syrup and cream. It's hard to top that kind of day off. Actually, the whole day was really fun. I went shopping with Shane and my mum to buy a photo frame, and on the way we managed to fit in a sword fight, punching statues of women in the stomach, wearing power ranger masks, warning young children to "Don't be like us" before irresponsible behaviour in the shop, looking with our fingers, blaming each other, discoveries for science, helping our mother choose pantyhose, discussing the benefits of wearing flourescent pink underwear, and repeatedly beating my brother over the head with a roll of cellophane. THAT makes for an awesome day. To top it off we went to Fresh Choices and I ate my body weight in roast beef ^_^

Cheerleading - well, Sunday afternoon was dodgeball. There was a New Challenger! Actually, all this time I have been filling in for Lance, who had a back injury and couldn't play. Suddenly he was healthy and wanted to play. Awkward, since the team was full. So I made Cat's life easier and said I would hop out and cheerlead. Afterwards, she had a private conversation with me and explained that for a variety of reasons, they still want me to play, but I will be sharing time with Lance. So I am playing this week and next week, then alternating from then on.

During the game, I ran up and down the sidelines grooving my thing and occasionally calling out helpful tips ("Boom! Headshot!", "Cat - 50% German! 50% Japanese! 100% Awesome!") when some of the players commented that I danced like a girl. Uh...

So.

Actually, this is true.

This is because a few years back, when Rachel was on her 'Fix up Chris' routine so that I would be an acceptable boyfriend that she could be seen in public with, I enrolled in a hip hop dancing class. I didn't know anything about music, I didn't know anything about dancing, shh.

Anyway, I enrolled in two different classes; one was an on-stage performance thing (that had a set routine that we were learning) and the other was more freestyle; the on-stage one turned out to be a group of around a hundred people with one instructor. I dropped out of it because I wasn't learning anything, but the other one I stayed in for a few months until the instructor moved interstate.

I had said to her that I was concerned that the moves I was learning were kind of, well...I don't have breasts or sexy girly hips so some of the moves that I learned kind of didn't, ah, look right. She said it was fine, having some kind of rhythm was important, and besides, you never know when it can come in handy to know how to pole dance. So. Yes, I dance like a girl.

Get me some leotards and pom poms and I'll be the best damn cheerleader Epic's ever gonna have.

1) Get one of the BIG shelves from Ikea.
2) Oh my God, so much washing. It has been stashed at the bottom of the cupboard for over a year. I had no idea I had so much linen. It's like one of those clown cars at the circus, where clowns just continue to pour out. I started pulling on an old town, and before I knew it, an unending steam of clothing vomited out all over me, my floor, my bed, and halfway up the bookshelf. 'Shelters of Stone' is the only thing visible.
3) Finish typing transcripts for Xuan-Linh. I have two more to go, and it requires about four hours to knock off one.
4) Work: Finish the program flow diagram for SRET/CITA.
5) Work: Hack up a parser for Encase by Friday.
6) Golden Key: I'm helping set up and pack up on Wednesday night. A good chance to meet the new executive and see what state it's in.
7) I'm giving a talk on writing requirements specification documents to the Adelaide University IT professors and a number of executive big wigs next Wednesday, rather ironic on account of not having drafted an accepted requirements specification document before.

I am starting to get the feeling I had back in 2005, when I first managed to shake out of the funk and make some progress. Things are happening. They are getting done. It's kind of exciting.

"Dunn - variants Dunne, O'Dunn, Dun. Meaning 'brown complexioned one'. This sept originated in county Leix and formed one of the principle families of Leinster, their chiefs being Lords of Iregan. The sept gets special mention in the 16th Century as being hostile and dangerous to the English cause. It is in that part of the country, that the Dunnes are now to be found in their greatest numbers. Nearly all who spelt their name Dunn are from Ulster. In the gallery of famous Irishmen is found Gillananoaomh O'Duinn (1102-1160), who was a great historian and poet and James O'Dunne, an active Jacobite (1700-1758), who was Bishop of Osorry."

--www.namehistories.com

Add Austin Dunn, my grandfather, to that list.

I know too little about this man. I remember walks in the small garden of their backyard, learning of the plants, the caterpillars, the birds and flowers. I remember barbecues and dinners and lunches. I remember going to the small Catholic church at St Kierans that, even now, still feels like home to me. I remember the many lessons and things that he taught me, and also the smiles, the glasses of sand, and the many mornings together.

I remember eating grapefruit and muesli without sugar. I remember the quiet room full of books, the many readers digests, the soft, gentle reverence in that house.

I remember walks on the beach, I remember walks in the park, I remember discovering and sharing the secret of the ant lions with him. I remember the beautiful view down Seebreeze street, I remember the annoying no-right-turn corner.

I remember using the lawn clippers to cut the wrong trees and getting in to trouble, and I remember how few times I visited.

The steep hill. Manly Vale. The wide, beautiful beach, with stranded blue bottles, shells, and stories. A thousand times a thousand footsteps, with him, my brothers, my family and cousins. I remember the mall, ice cream, easter, mornings.

My grandfather flew a Lancaster in the battle of Britain. He performed many rescue missions too. But he never spoke of this time to me, only to tell me what the strange machine that was pictured on his wall. Now it is too late to ask him, because last night he passed away.

The first person in my family to die that I remember was Auntie Moira. I was too young to appreciate the significance. I was sad, of course, I cried. Fifteen years have passed. I have been very, very fortunate to have my family members live for so long.

I should be sad. I should be crying. But, no tears will come. Partly, it's annoying to be a Christian because I believe - as he believed - that he's in a better place, and happier, and waiting for his wife to join him. (As an aside, saying to a grieving grandmother "I am sure you will see him again soon" may possibly not be comforting)

I didn't make the most of my opportunities to speak with him, so I am selfishly sad that he is gone before I could ask him more.

My grandparents story is an amazing romance. They met at a dance when their eyes happened to meet, and had been together ever since. I went home to Sydney only two years ago to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

I am sorry I didn't finish my degree fast enough for you to be glad to hear about it, Granddad Dunn. But I am very glad to share the ant-lions with you. I know you were very happy to see and play with such tiny creatures with me.

ah well, now I am crying.

Rest easy old friend. You had a life full of accomplishments and success. You finished well. I admire you.