I’ve created a new project called mrmp3 that encodes MP3 chapters. The repository is here: https://github.com/rich1126/mrmp3.
Continue reading “New Coding Project: mrmp3”The Gold Standard for Math Typesetting on the Internet
Through a wonderful little game called TeXnique, I became aware of the online typesetting system KaTeX. Unlike MathJax, which is immensely finicky, slow, and has limited support for proper LaTeX, the KaTeX system supports scaling of rendered images, automatically detects the text color of my site and adapts as necessary, and has a fuller implementation of LaTeX commands.
Continue reading “The Gold Standard for Math Typesetting on the Internet”Some Links RE: Protests and BLM
I don’t feel equipped to write more about this right now, but there have been others whose words I would be happy to share; they are not directly from those affected, but instead are from those of similar backgrounds as me. They are mainly from technology podcasts, which I think others are unlikely to share around. Just listen to the introductions of each, and they provide good viewpoints and resources in their show notes.
Accidental Tech Podcast, Episode 381
Listen to the intro by John Siracusa for a wonderful explanation of why we know police brutality is an issue, and Marco Arment for an impassioned, appropriate response to everything going on.
Connected, Episode 297 and Upgrade, Episode 300
Both provide straightforward introductions addressing everything going on.
Most of the episode discusses the events going on, with equal parts clarity and disbelief. It was cathartic listening for me, and helped guide a lot of my thoughts. Listen particularly for the “circles of complaining” idea: those more affected than you shouldn’t be burdened with helping you, try to reach further outside for help.
Related to this episode, you can read a brief, well-written post by Casey Liss.
I’m still young, and don’t feel like I know how to process all of this right now, similar to Myke’s reflections on the London Riots you can hear in Analog(ue). I’ll keep trying to go clean up Minneapolis, and support in whatever way I can. Black lives matter, and this country, this world, can do so much better.
George Floyd, Minneapolis, and Processing
It’s hard to form any words that describe the thoughts swirling in my head with regards to the situation in Minneapolis. I can’t deny the selfish thoughts in my head: A week after I come back to Minnesota to be with family for the summer, this all happens. There’s also the privilege I hold that allows me to sit here and process everything from the safety of my home (or even potentially ignore it if I had a mind to.)
There is also the open question of what those protesting are specifically protesting against. It’s difficult to protest against an idea, when the action to be taken is all of society changing. This doesn’t put them in the wrong; people have protested for less, and they have the right to do so. Seeing people marching in the streets is inspiring; I think some people want to ignore it, to demonize them, to believe that somehow the world is past the need for such actions. However, the state of the world, and our country, is despicable and tensions just keep rising.
This is difficult. I can’t begin to effectively pour my heart out to those affected and those actively participating. The words I have are broken and ineffective. Yet, I need to address it directly, even if the address is short and insufficient. On the day this is published, I plan to go down to Minneapolis with a couple friends and help clean up what is leftover from the riots. There are many ways to help the community and to show kindness. It’s something I can do.
Update: Animal Crossing Takes Hold
This is a quick update, as I’ll be traveling over the weekend and don’t have much time to write a longer post.
In short, Animal Crossing has captured my mind. It’s a cleverly simple game that lets you focus on whatever grabs your attention. While my initial weeding endeavors have fizzled out, I’m very much invested in trying to obtain every fish and bug I can over time. Fashion and interior decoration don’t excite me overly much (I probably only have about 7 things in my house), but I’m playing the game to get to the point where I can have free reign over the island.
It’s a fun game, and I get it now.
Animal Crossing: Weed Yourself to Victory
I was finally convinced to start playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I’d been hesitant to give it a try for a few reasons. First, Nintendo games are expensive. Second, I wasn’t sure I’d actually enjoy it. And third, if I did enjoy it, I wasn’t sure I’d want to sink time into it.
Having played it for a few hours today and successfully paid off my initial expenses to Tom Nook, I totally get the appeal. No, it will never be thrilling. But it’s a simple “life simulator” that you can enjoy to whatever detail you prefer. For me, I’m not necessarily interested in the things I can get. I’m currently motivated by the Nook Miles achievements. I’ll be a big bug-catcher and fish-fisher. The first thing I did was clear my island of weeds, and I intend to do so tomorrow. I found out quickly that if I just suspend my own judgement and allow myself to appreciate the straightforward charm of the game, it’s a relaxing way to pass the time.
Of course, these are all first impressions. I have no idea what staying power it will have in my life, but there’s a large catalog of fish and bugs to find, so that will almost certainly keep me going back every so often. I think the best aspect of the game is that it isn’t any sort of survival or sociology simulator; I don’t need to eat or drink, as best I can tell I’m unlikely to upset my island neighbors. I can focus on myself, do what needs to be done, and that’s it. It’s a game that simplifies activities that can already be considered calming and rewarding. Plus, they buy weeds. I’m going to fund my house using weeds and conch shells, or at least that’s my plan right now.
Tommyball Princess
I really enjoy the Unmade Podcast with Brady Haran and Tim Hein. They generate some wonderful ideas, and the fact that it’s two old friends hanging out reminds me of the conversations (and podcasts) I have with my own friends.
One particular bit that has been ongoing in special episodes is Tommyball. It’s a fictional sport with no clear rules (it’s essentially Calvinball), and in these special episodes it’s Brady interviewing Tim, who plays the role of a conceited former player, and current commentator, of Tommyball. The most recent episode has Tim reading the audiobook of his recently released autobiography.
Tickled by this general idea, I decided I would write my own few chapters of a biography for Tim. It was a fun evening making it, and I figured it would be good to post here. You can download the PDF below.
A Shift in Focus
I’ve moved to a new position at work recently, going from a Curriculum Developer to a Curriculum Project Manager. My main role is no longer creating products that will directly go off to students (although I’ll still be doing a bit of that). Instead, my job is to create the processes and structures for my fellow curriculum developers to make sure they have clear goals in a project, and a set of tasks that allows them to effectively get their work done. The entire goal is to remove the planning and scheduling cruft that our team was doing (poorly) on our own, since we could each only give a little bit of time to thinking about it.
It’s an interesting change in personal focus. I still love creating things directly for students, and I love sharing my passion for math. That will never change, and I’ll still pull to do that a bit at work, as well as on my own. Yet it’s exciting to get this adjustment to my perspective. It provides me with a chance to handle larger responsibility, and lets me build whatever I would like as a curriculum developer to help make projects run more smoothly. I’m still finding my bearings and determining the boundaries of this position, but it’s an exciting time. I hope it gives me more bandwidth to do some of the more creative work in my free time as well.