Having been inspired by jahg's use of actual piece titles in some pieces' preview images, I've decided to create individual preview images for all my pieces.

They were created using The GIMP, using the Luxi Sans font. I had two templates, one each for one-line and two-line titles. It's simply a matter of edit, export, edit, export, &c.; very straightforward.

Uploading these images by hand would be a lot of work (you'd basically have to click each piece, then Edit, Preview, then pick the right file). This isn't my idea of fun, so I wrote a shell script to upload them en masse:

#!/bin/bash
if [ "$#" = 0 ]; then
    echo >&2 "usage: $0 session-id [image.png ...]"
    exit 1
fi
url="http://www.lemonfingers.com/v1/users/portfolio /pieceimageupdate.php"
sessid="$1"
shift
for file; do
    curl -b PHPSESSID="$sessid" -F p="${file%.png}" -F pieceimage="@$file;type=image/png" "${url// }"
done

(Lemon Fingers looks like it could do with a verbatim tag or something, just to avoid having to make put all those hacky tags in the middle of the URL just to prevent it from being mangled. The "${url// }" thing hacks around Lemon Fingers' insertion of arbitrary spaces into long strings. Aren't you glad to be using bash? )

It requires you to name the image files by the piece ID; so, for Into the fire, the file would be named 500223.png. The script assumes that you use PNG format images, although it would be a trivial change to use another format.

The first argument needs to be the session ID of a session logged in as you. Check your browser's cookie list for that.

Obviously, the heavy-lifting is done using curl. If you don't use bash and/or curl, I might be inclined to write a Perl version (using LWP) if you want it and have Perl installed. Otherwise, tough luck.

The script is public domain. Use it however you want.

I wrote this for Litteratura, with many happy wishes for her and Brett. (I would have initally said written for…, but Kat doesn't like passive voice. )


I'm an INFP: like most INFPs, I'm a perfectionist, and I go to obsessive lengths to achieve this.

People often tell me that a perfectionist's work is never done, that things will never be perfect. They talk about the need for compromise. Perhaps they are right, but perhaps not. INFPs are not particularly apt to accept others' opinions uncritically.

Although I am dissatisfied with most things I see with myself, there are some things that I can unreservedly say that I am truly happy with, that no compromise was involved. Perfection is achievable: it's just a matter of definition, of prioritising what you value.

My current Personal Best, Into the fire, would be one such. A lot of people have said good things about it, but they didn't influence my opinion any; I was satisfied with it when I finished writing it, and I know it doesn't suck. (If you're not an INFP, the notes for Making me beautiful—a piece that I do think does suck, by the way—may give you an idea of what it means to suck.)

But this article isn't about self promotion, and there's a point to which I'm trying to lead. Many INFPs talk about “the perfect relationship”. You can bet I'm obsessed with this too: after all, I'm a cupid.


In this, I'm equally uncompromising. For the first 25 years of my life (I have lived that long, even if I always tell people I'm 24.18 years old), I've done without any relationships. Not because I didn't want one, but because I've never in that time found anyone for whom I didn't have to compromise on any of the things I cared about.

That is what perfection is, to me: not budging on one's own standards. People often tell me that I'm destined to be single forever, with the standards I hold, but I disagree. Lately I have found someone who I do believe is “totally right”—I wouldn't have said yes to them otherwise—so it's just down to whether I'm also “totally right” for them—also an INFP perfectionist. I sincerely believe it can happen, and devote just as much hope that it will. (And if you're that someone, please don't be reading this…it's hard enough for me to say as it is. )


And to every person I've set up, or to whom I've offered relationship wishes and/or poetry or just lent an open ear in loveless times: I have every wish for your discovery of your “totally right” someone. To me, and maybe to you too, it's (as I said to Tiara) in the depths of our idealist hearts, what it [means] to live and be alive.

Please never give up; I truly believe in its worth, and hope you do too. What, me, a romantic? Surely you jest.