Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with script

All the todo's that's fit to email

monocultured — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:46:15 -0800

I use Piratapad (An Etherpad clone) as a todo list for our printshop with 100+ members, and would like to once a month copy all active issues from the list and email it out to our members. What would be the simplest way to go about this? The page contains other things except what I'd like to email out (solved topics, general announcements, instructions for using the page) so I'd have to use regex or somesuch to copy the relevant bits from the page. (bracketing the list with TODOLISTSTARTSNOW / ENDSNOW should suffice)

I have an almost-always-on Mac Mini at home which could run this periodically, or perhaps I could have my webserver run it if my host allows.

Piratepad: http://piratepad.net

So one part of the problem is copying the text, the other to send it out to 100+ email addresses. Suggestions and pointers most appreciated.

How to transform daily emailed data into a web–accessible chart?

borborygmi — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:47:31 -0800

I get reports emails every morning with simple, TSV data in the message body - and am trying to do something pretty with them, automatically. I'd like to forward these emails ... somewhere... and have them transformed into charts that are viewable on a password-protected site, or something like Panic's Status Board app.

Are there any tools that can help me get this job done? The simpler, and cheaper, the better. I looked at sites like StaHat.com but still felt like I was missing a few steps.

I don't have access to BusinessObjects or CrystalReports. but I do have FTP access to a server and some coding skills in HTML, C and python. Also pretty good with excel, if that helps.

~30

Akeem — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:00:44 -0800

Which script / language is this tattoo? What does it mean?

Yet another font identification question

bricoleur — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 13:02:17 -0800

I tried this on both WhatTheFont and Identifont, but I've only got the three letters to go on so I wasn't surprised when neither had an answer. But maybe the designers of MetaFilter can help! Please ID this font.

Fiction help: Name something a math genius could do to improve a bar.

Cool Papa Bell — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:32:31 -0800

Writing a script, need a few believable, throwaway lines for a character. A guy running a TGI.Friday's-like bar praises his bartender, a math genius, for giving him an idea that saves money and improves the business overall. An example of outside-of-the-box thinking that enforces that our math-genius-in-disguise really is a genius. Bonus points if the idea skirts the line of legality -- something funky with accounting, maybe? I'll give you an example. In the movie Phenomenon, John Travolta's character gives a bar owner a sketch showing a way he can restripe the building's parking lot to add extra spaces and make the lot safer at the same time.

Excel spreadsheet to pretty clips report?

klangklangston — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:18:46 -0800

I have an Excel spreadsheet with couple hundred rows: URLs, a few fields of identifying information (outlet, etc.), for media hits on the organization I work for. I need to make this into a pretty (or at least semi-legible to the computer illiterate) document that I can give to board members, senior staff, etc. What I would like is to use some form of scripting to automate this. Bonus points if the script can somehow open the URL and take a screenshot of the story so that I don't have to. I have a Mac, and both the Adobe and Microsoft suites. How do I not spend tedious hours manually doing this? Especially since I have to do it each month and quarter.

Can you use a custom CSS script in Google Chrome?

jcdill — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 14:34:01 -0800

I have a custom CSS script in a special directory on my computer, for Firefox to read and parse. See: http://floppymoose.com/ Is there a way to do this in Google Chrome, and if so where is the directory to put the CSS script? I've tried searching but it's really hard to suss out the info between all the results about how to do CSS scripts on web servers.

Rom coms where the love interest is introduced later?

allnamesaretaken — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:39:28 -0800

The standard format for a romantic comedy has both key characters introduced very early in the script/movie -- say, in the first ten pages/minutes. I'm looking for examples of romantic comedies where one of the romantic leads is introduced later in the movie. I'm looking for examples of romantic comedies along the following lines:

(1) Examples of romantic comedies where one character is introduced early, and the other romantic partner is introduced later ... say, in the last half of the movie?

(2) Examples of romcoms where a love interest is not introduced in the first ten minutes/pages, and is still introduced somewhat later but not as late as the last half.

Thanks!

She wrote her first action scene using alphabetti spaghetti

urbanwhaleshark — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:17:59 -0800

Who is the youngest person to have ever written or co-written a script for a film that has been produced? In this post on the blue Terry Zwigoff mentions a script written by a 12-year old and, failing finding out who that was and what the script was called, I'm wondering who might have been the youngest ever produced script-writer. For instance, I know Nikki Reed co-wrote Thirteen when she was around 14/15 years old.

Is there anybody else?

Name! That! Font!

Bella Sebastian — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:48:02 -0800

It's time for another edition of Name That Font! I have two examples--I'm not sure if they're the exact same font, but they're a similar style, and I would be happy with anything that's close to these examples (example 1, example 2). What the Font isn't helping because the letters are connected so it can't recognize individual letters. And....go!

Selling Screenplays to Disney and Pixar

Muirwylde — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:02:08 -0800

If someone had completed a spec script that they felt was suitable for Disney / Pixar development -- which of the independent management companies or agencies should they approach for coverage or consideration? Preferably you can recommend ones that are known to routinely feed material / stories / scripts to those organizations.

Generic calendar --> Date-pegged calendar

yellowcandy — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:23:48 -0800

Calendar scripting to create a generic Week 1-10 structure and then mapping the generic to actual calendar dates. What tools can I use for this? The scenario is this: I'm creating a 10-week generic course calendar (like a syllabus, for example) where there are always things that occur at the same points in certain weeks (assignments, tests, deadlines). But because the course start- and end-dates are always different, there are no actual dates attached--all assignments, for example, are listed as 'Week 4, Day 4' or 'Week 6.'

So what tools can I use to create generic calendars and then input a start date and have the generic calendar (with all the mileposts, deadlines, etc. in the generic calendar) map onto a real calendar with actual dates? I also want to be able to save the generic calendars so I can redo this process later when the course runs again.

What Font is this?

soymilk — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 23:24:37 -0800

Does anyone know what the font (or close to this) is used in this illustration? Ive searched retro script fonts but with no luck...

Use vim for everything

curuinor — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 15:12:37 -0800

Software methodologies for writing? There's been much ink spilled about writing software, and the methodologies for writing software. There's also been much ink spilled about writing, and the methodologies for writing. Now, I know some people use version control for their English and Matt Might uses shell scripts to improve his writing, but are there any other good examples of people using the methods of software engineering to improve their English writing?

what is a "Flavor Shot" in a video script?

I, Credulous — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:39:09 -0800

I was just handed a script template in two-column video format, with a large space for a "Screen Shot/Flavor Shot" over a few lines with fields for other info like: Segment:, Timing:, Description of Action/Visual:, Script:. I've seen this format around the web in template repositories.

Two questions:
1) is this a standard format that everyone will understand
2) what the hell is a "Flavor Shot"?

thanks.

Screenwriting for fun and not profit.

TheSecretDecoderRing — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 22:18:48 -0800

I have no aspirations of being a screenwriter; I'd just like to write a screenplay. I've been jotting down and scrawling ideas, on and off, for the longest time. How do I connect 1 to 2a to 2b to 3? Everyone's got at least one good idea for a story, and I'd really like to get mine on paper. The extent of my writing history has been in comic strips, and short satirical fanfic. I feel like once I just got something down, I'd do much better at the revision part of things.

I've read a handful of books, including "Save the Cat," the similar but less grating "My Story Can Beat Up Your Story," "20 Master Plots," Syd Field, and McKee's dense but informative "Story." And I can read more screenplays (and keep watching more movies), but that feels akin to being asked to coach and train a sports team after just being a spectator.

I have a very broad sequence of events in mind, and a somewhat more defined set of characters and backstories. There's a list of favorite movies whose "feel" I'd like to capture (Hitchcock in particular, like Lady Vanishes and North by Northwest).

Where do I go from here to connect the dots and put meat on the bones just to get the basic outline part done? Whenever I try to take some serious steps into this, it gets a bit overwhelming.

I think one part of the problem is finding a story path and sticking with it, rather than constantly considering each and every alternative (eg, who lives/dies, who meets whom when). Another is figuring out the logistics of the world the movie takes place in ("What exactly would a cop do in this situation?")

What's worked for you if this isn't something you devoted your whole life to doing? And if it is, what's a good simple approach to make some serious progress?

Movable Type text replacement script?

mark7570 — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:36:44 -0800

Any Movable Type experts out there know of a script, or add-on, to make a simple, blog-wide text replacement? When I originally set up my Movable Type blog, all the files were in the root directory of my Web server. Now that I've moved everything into a blog/ directory, the blog mostly works fine (clicking around the categories, making new posts, etc.), but there's a problem with the text inside the posts.

Specifically, for all the old posts that embedded an image, the HTML references the image in its old location, in the root directory. I need to go through Movable Type to change all those references to refer to the images in the new place - just adding a "blog/" to the URL in the right place. Not making this fix will result in many broken images when we remove the old files from the root (non-blog/) dir.

This would be an easy search-and-replace for a python script, but it's not text files I need to traverse here - it's the movable type database itself, where all the posts are stored. So - any MT experts out there know of a way to do it, with an MT script or some MT plugin?

Thanks!

Simple PHP download script!

ascetic — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:50:18 -0800

I need a simple PHP script to force download a file. Something like download.php?file=/path/to/file or download.php?id=43. Can someone help me out? I've searched long and hard on the internet for something, and despite how simple it is, it seems I cannot find what I am looking for! I run a music blog and occasionally get free downloads from artists/labels and I want to make d/ling the files easier for my guests.

Tell me how to ask for much more

rainydayfilms — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 18:44:54 -0800

What are the words I should use in my salary negotiation? I know what I want and my alternatives, etc. However, I'm going to be asking for a significant percentage increase over the initial offer, and it feels uncomfortable. Give me a script! There are a lot of questions about negotiation on Ask, and I have perused every one.

This is more specifically about HOW I can ask for what I want. What are the best words to use? How do I phrase my request when I speak with HR?

Context:

I've been given a job offer that is definitely of interest, however the initial offer from the company would be an effective pay cut from my current salary (with change in cost of living factored in).

I'm fine with declining this offer if they can't meet my salary requirements. My best alternative to taking this job is keeping my current job, and I'm very happy with the company and I believe there is plenty of room for me to progress in terms of titles, responsibility and money in my current situation. To move companies would require a significant bump for me.

I plan to call HR tomorrow or the next day to ask for much more. My target base salary is a 25% increase over the first offer, so I believe I need to ask for about 50% more than the initial offer in my counter. This seems daunting. I know a lot about negotiation professionally and am good at it - just bad at doing it for myself (I'm female).

How would you suggest framing the conversation and potentially asking for a much higher number?

I want to write right!

fearnothing — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:31:21 -0800

I want beautiful handwriting. My handwriting at the moment is perfectly functional, very readable and only slightly messy. However, I'm intensely jealous of the fantastic, flowing hand I find in letters penned by my grandmother, and by my sister's ability with a calligraphy pen.

What I want to develop is a smooth, elegant hand that remains very readable. Flourishes and embellishments are off the menu. I am prepared to practice, but the less I have to spend, the better. Please direct me to online and inexpensive offline resources.

Intricate Gmail Exporting Question

milestogo — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:39:54 -0800

I need a .txt file that contains the text of all the messages in my gmail account with a particular label, from a particular email address. What is the best way to make this happen? Ideally, the .txt file would contain just the words that the sender wrote, with none of the html junk that exporting email usually comes with.

What is a fast, safe and cheap way to do this?

I'm not sure how threading will complicate things: in any particular thread (with the given label), I want only the messages that come from a particular email address.

Any ideas?

I DID NOT PUT IN THAT BREAK TAG. PLEASE TO MAKE IT STOP.

Medieval Maven — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 15:01:34 -0800

Wordpress is adding a secret break tag to my Google Button code, and it's driving me batty. No one on the Google forums helped with FIXING the problem, and the one suggestion I got on Facebook from a friend was bupkis. I turn to the hive mind so that I can fix this stupid problem. OK, so I use the HTML editor - NOT THE VISUAL EDITOR - when I'm making posts to our blogsite webhome thingy. The page in question is here.

What I posted on the Google Help Forum is here, since I don't think I can post code on here? Regardless, long story short is that there is a break tag in the view source that does not show up in the editor. It's forcing the dollar sign to be on a different line than everything else, and it looks completely stupid. We're about to do a Kickstarter and I'd deeply prefer to not have some stupid amateur crap like this out in public. HALP.

Addendum - someone suggested editing the CSS in the theme - and I suppose we could do that - but I'd like to avoid changing the whole damn theme for just this ONE instance - an inline edit that we can apply on a case by case basis in posts or pages would be fine with me. I realize this isn't the best practice, probably. Thanks for your help.

Is there a way to get Twitter search results back into Google search results?

aerotive — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:12:41 -0800

Is there a way to get Twitter search results back into Google search results? Sometime last year Twitter got removed from Google results. I found, in succession, a Greasemonkey script, a Stylish script, and an add-on that put the results back, more or less. All of them eventually stopped working.

So, anyone know of a script, addon, or other browser thingamajig that would put the results back? Something that gets updated would be also be nice.

It would have to work with Firefox.

Lost in Transiliteration

bad grammar — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:34:03 -0800

Help my package not get lost in transliteration! How do I address (Roman or Cyrillic) a package to Moscow? I've handled preparing USPS international packages before (to Prague), and know about the customs forms and how expensive this can get. It's a small package, 1 lb., but too large for the USPS Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Box and probably too small for the Medium. I am using my own box.

I don't know any Russian and I have never shipped to Russia before. This is an eBay sale and the buyer gives her address in Roman script. Should I address the package in Roman script or use Cyrillic script? Should I put both versions on the package? I've found Cyrillic converters and Google Translate online.

What about the customs form -- Roman or Cyrillic?

I live near Washington, DC. Is there a particular branch post office that you would go to for with this? (e.g. near the Department of State or Embassy Row or similar)

Help identify Oriental vase (Satsuma?)

wrm — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:45:50 -0800

Please help me identify a vase my MIL bought. She was told it's Satsuma. It doesn't say "Japan" anywhere, which suggests it might be original, but it also doesn't have the cross-in-circle on the bottom, and I don't think we're quite at the point where I can search for the signature on the bottom.

I've uploaded pictures of the vase and the signature.