I re-deployed 8 Red Squares, a site that allows you to play through the 8 Queens Puzzle on different sized boards. Future enhancements I’d like to add are Timer (for each segment), and total running time until the users solves n=8. Better mobile support (board size 9 and 10 don’t handle small screens well). Foundational solutions checklist, e.g., if a user wants to find all possible arrangements (excluding symmetries and rotations). ...
I recently bought the Kensington Slimblade Trackball to replace the Logitech MX Master mouse that I have been using for the last year. This is the first time that I’ve used a trackball. A couple of thoughts worth noting that are either omitted from or in conflict with other reviews: The device is too large for me. It takes up almost an entire mousepad, and it is wide enough to force frequent movement between the trackball and the keyboard (I use a Glove80). I blame this partially on the desk, as it requires a roll-out keyboard holder that was not made to accommodate the split keyboard and the trackball. But for a trackball with “Slim” in the name, I expected it to be smaller. ...
a) improve communication skills by forcing myself to formalize an opinion. Feedback from anonymous readers may either point out an error I made while translating what I think to a written document or a flaw in the argument itself. Of course, I need to be willing to be wrong, and reminding myself that I am excited about learning is an powerful way to cope with finding errors in my work. Writing online is a low-barrier opportunity to become comfortable with this. ...
These are some thoughts about using a Wacom Intuos Wireless Pen and Tablet to complement a mouse and keyboard over the past few weeks. I made this purchase in an effort to decrease forearm and finger pain from overuse working at a desk. Previously, I’ve been using the Logitech MX Master 3 For Business mouse, and I was hoping that switching to a pen and tablet would limit some of the forearm rotation that was causing me pain. While I put the mouse to the side, I am still using a Glove80 keyboard, as well as Windows Voice Access. ...
These were my answers to the application essay questions for UChicago’s MSCAPP program back from the 2018 round. Only piece of advice - make sure you know what skills or knowledge you want to get out of any MS program - which means work for a bit prior to attending. Why is a combined program between policy and computer science a good match for your career goals? (max 300 words) With a M.S. in Computational Analysis and Public Policy, I can support the shift from Michigan nonprofits solely serving constituents to leading communities. My primary career goal is to increase volunteerism through developing the technical expertise of the nonprofit sector. By applying data science techniques, I will provide organizations with evidence of successful interventions and expand their capacity to deliver services. To accomplish this, I need intensive direction to develop my quantitative analysis skills through computer science and statistics courses. ...
I recently went on a weekend trip, where I counted each time that I interacted with a person who was a citizen of the country I was visiting. I did not include any interactions with individuals at the airport prior to landing at the destination, nor once I reached the airport to return. Non-verbal interactions were not considered, e.g., making room for someone on the sidewalk, or gesturing for a car to go first at an intersection. ...
I took about 70 classes over a one-year unlimited class subscription with Babbel Live for Spanish from mid-2022 to 2023. My level was beginner to low intermediate over the course of the year, and I only took classes in the A1, A2, and B1 range. Prior to the classes, I was working with Anki flashcards and Duolingo lessons. What follows are some thoughts I had wrote down while taking the courses. Some aspects of the course may have changed since I took them. ...
The choices to make origami sunflowers are few. I adapted the simple Lotus Blossom design from Origami-Instructions.com with an additional small square of brown paper, allowing for a very simple sunflower design that holds up against other designs that have more complicated multi-sheet folding, are hexagon-based, or require glue. Instructions With the Blintz base, place a sheet of brown paper within the corner folds into the center. ...
Some people are very into keyboards. They build them, they buy many of them, they review them. They know a lot about the software and hardware, and can describe the pros and cons of each component. When they look for a keyboard, they can use their prior experience to decide what features they care about, and can identify potential issues. I am not one of these people. But given recent wrist and forearm pain, I decided to switch impulsively to a split keyboard. I did some not-comprehensive-at-all research - I didn’t really know what I was looking at, or how to compare different brands, or what attributes to consider that would be right for me. I ended up buying the MoErgo Glove80 Split Wireless Keyboard, largely because the curved design, tenting system, and my perception of the company as a start-up that had a large passionate community behind the product. It also looked reasonably professional, minimal, and like it would fit on my desk. ...
227 vehicles have passed by us in the last hour. We are parked on the side of the road, in a car that is leaking oil. At least the hood has stopped smoking. Our two friends left in a taxi to Taluca, the closest town, to see a mechanic and have a grua tow us either to the town, or back all the way to Mexico City. We had gone to the park to see the monarch butterflies before they begin their migration north; we arrived too late, the mariposas had left three days prior, but the trail was still open at a discount, and many bodies of the butterflies that died were still littered on the edges of the walking paths, the ticket takers told us. We had driven about 2 hours out of the city to see them; we were three days and two hours too late. ...