how to install fontforge on os x lion

After losing the fight with a native build-from-source multiple times, my currently recommended method of installing fontforge on the Mac OS X Lion is:

brew install fontforge
sudo brew link fontforge

Update: 23 January 2012
Austin Sabel emailed, “I was having trouble getting an old cairo font document working in Lion. This saved me. However I ran into a few problems that it looks like some other users had too. The default compiler causes an error while installing fontforge on os x Lion 10.7.2. If you change the install command to the following command it will installed without throwing an error.”
brew install fontforge --use-gcc

What Color is Your Couch?

There are 2 couches in my house.

One is a dark chocolate brown and the other is a light beige-y/tan.

So, I found it interesting that I bumped into these 2 logos today.

Not that there’s any confusion between these two services. More an observation on the popularity of red couches.

My Tea Leaves Weren’t Completely Off

Three years ago (almost to the day) I declared that Apple’s relationship with AT&T was a hedge on Apple’s part – a way to get the iPhone to market while nationwide unlicensed spectrum becomes more stable.

While we have yet to see the large-scale benefits of our unlicensed spectrum, I’m relieved to read that – according to Wired – my tea leaves were correct.

“Jobs wanted to replace carriers completely instead using the unlicensed spectrum that Wi-Fi operates on for his phone.” – Christina Bonnington, Wired Gadget Lab

I’ve still a long bet on WiFi and unlicensed spectrum as our primary telephony channel.

Today, I see Republic Wireless‘s $19/mn unlimited everything plan as the major drive in mobile WiFi-telephony.

Dave’s Opt-out Improves the Opt-in

You may remember:

“I’m on vacation, and I’ve deleted your message — really” – Dave Thomas

Dave’s follow-up:

“Since I returned from vacation, the quality of email I receive has improved, and the quantity I receive has dropped. I still enjoy interacting with all the people I need to interact with, and I still get to answer all the questions that need answering. It just seems that my inbox is somehow more focussed.” – Dave Thomas

Sour Cider Mach II & Cranberry-Cyser

As part of the MN Homebrewers Club 2011 bulk cider buy, I picked up 10 gallons of un-pastuerized apple cider from Pine Tree Orchard (note – it’s not sold on their sales floor).

I split it into two 5 gallon batches.

1. Another take on my well received sour cider. Same yeast (dredges of 2 bottles of Orval).
Starting Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.005 (~6% ABV)

2. A Cranberry-Cyser with 5lbs of Ruby’s Bottled Sunshine Honey from Krosch Gardens, a pound of whole cranberries, and WYeast 4766 Cider yeast.
Starting Gravity: 1.076
Final Gravity: 1.005 (~9.5% ABV)

Easy, Amazon Prime is About Reducing Transaction Costs

“I’m not sure what free shipping has to do with free movies and now free books.” – David Pogue

Amazon Prime is slowly and steadily chipping away at every barrier to a sale Amazon has – first it reduced shipping costs (both in time & price) then it turned watching a movie into an impulse buy, now with the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library it’s turning reading a book into an impulse buy.

This just breathed new life into my Kindle and re-instated my Prime membership.

Interesting thought exercise: What if an Amazon Fire came free with annual Prime membership?