Corey Snipes

Software/Systems Engineer, and all-around Good Chap 

Locust Tree Thorns

Locust trees look like something from space. The thorns are believed to have evolved to protect the trees from browsing Pleistocene megafauna (mammoths, giant deer, etc) [1]. (Wiregrass Lake Metropark, Toledo OH USA)

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Should I Get a Tankless Water Heater?

The Short Answer: Tanks all day. We needed to replace our aging hot water tank in 2020, so I discussed the tankless option with several plumbing professionals and homeowners. Over the last few years, I have experienced the transition from tank to tankless at my in-laws home. We confidently decided the tank was better. Tankless solves a problem we don't have (unlimited hot water) and creates two new problems: 1) Slightly longer delay in getting hot water at the taps,…

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Canal Road Warehouse

I love this building on Canal Road, below the Carnegie bridge and the Guardians of Transportation. Four floors of gently curved industrial brick facing the tracks. A long-disused loading dock hints at a bustle of warehouse activity and freight logistics. The building is just steps from Tower City, Progressive Field, and Collision Bend on the Cuyahoga River, but hardly a car to be seen and no foot traffic at all. (Cleveland, OH, USA - December 2020)

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Political Compass

The Political Compass has been around on the internet since 2001. Their essential point is that Right and Left politically are mostly a measure of economics, and that people's politics is better measured by adding a second dimension (Authoritarian vs. Libertarian). https://www.politicalcompass.org One of my friends from college nudged me to do this via Facebook message. Distinct from the garbage heap of "how do you score on this quiz" that swirls around Facebook, this is well-crafted, timeless, and supported by…

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RadioLab Shows About Plants and Trees

I love WNYC's RadioLab. The hosts are great, the topics are compelling, and the production of the show is just great. I really like the way they use sound and incorporate off-script words and phrases throughout the show and credits. Here are three RadioLab shows about plants doing unexpected things (communicating, learning, sharing, etc). As with every RadioLab show, they're fascinating.

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How to Market Yourself as a New Software Developer

You're fresh out of college or code school, and you want to market your tech skills. How exactly do you get those first gigs? Here are some tips based on my experience in the field. Be honest about your capabilities. Some people will say "fake it till you make it" but that doesn't work for me and I'm no good at it anyway. I'd rather work with someone who knows their limitations than someone who thinks they know everything, and…

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Spice Up Your Next Web Demo with Bats

I decided to add a little spice to a web demo that happens to fall on Halloween. Thanks to Eric Grange over at DelphiTools, it was super easy. I updated his script slightly, to allow control over when the bats appear (and how many there are). You can include my js file directly, or download here, or clone from the github repo. To use it, follow these steps: First - Include the script in your header. This line uses my…

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Bridges

My Facebook feed is on fire this week. The anti-Trump posts, ever present, seem to have reached a boiling point. Several people I know wrote posts requesting that any Trump supporters in their network defriend them immediately, be they acquaintance or blood relative. Lots of calls for Nazi punching. Normally I get a giggle out of the funny or ironic posts, but the stuff I'm seeing this week is alarming. America isn't getting less divided. It's going the other way…

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