Random Thoughts

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Faro Simulator as a stand-alone Windows executable

Someone asked me if I could code the faro simulator as a stand-alone windows app, so they could use it without being on-line. So I did 🙂

You can download a zip file containing the file faroSetup.exe at http://robertjwallace.com/faro/faroSetup.zip

Download the zip and unzip the file to get the installer. Run the installer. It should work, but use it at your own risk. It doesn’t access anything on your computer or track anything. Note that when you run the installer you may get a “Windows protected your PC” message. That is just telling you that Microsoft sees me as an unknown publisher. If you get the message, click the more info link and then click the run anyway button.

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A wall mounted control panel for home assistant

While not the most glamorous, or largest, or most expensive control panel, this meets my needs perfectly. I wanted a small control panel, using Home Assistant, mounted by my front door that I could use for controlling my garage door, to turn off all the lights, etc. I wasn’t interested in spending any money for a tablet to mount or a touch screen. My solution was to re-purpose an old Android phone I had laying around. By having this right by the door I don’t have to pull my phone out of my pocket and start up Home Assistant to do the set of things I want to do leaving or entering the house.

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Bottom Run Up – Riffle Stack

I am still exploring the topic of riffle stacks. I came across this one in Ed Marlo’s “The Cardist,” Vol. 4. It builds the stack at the bottom of the deck during the shuffles as opposed to building the stack at the top of the deck. The problem with many of the riffle stack techniques that build at the top is that unless you are super-humanly good you will end up slowing down the shuffle as you near the top of the riffle so you can insure that you have the correct number of cards controlled by your thumbs. This change of speed occurs at the point in the shuffle where other players attention is the sharpest.

Not to mention how difficult it is to accomplish. As Marlo says:

JEAN HUGARD in one of his card books has described run-ups
from the top of the deck, in which it is necessary to hold
back a certain number of cards with each thumb in making the
riffle shuffle, at the finish of the riffle…I found this
very difficult of accomplishment at that time with any speed
or regularity in the riffle…FRANKLY, I STILL DO years later,

The Cardist, Vol 4
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