Everywhere Vanishing Bean Curvature
@nrr.corvidae.org
Mennonite-raised. I get told "no" a lot. I'm finishing a math degree I started 20 years ago. I pretend to be a maned wolf-shaped tree on the Internet. You've used stuff I've worked on.
Trans rights are human rights.
I'm @nrr1.618033989 on Signal.
Trans rights are human rights.
I'm @nrr1.618033989 on Signal.
I appreciate how NT feels both a step up and a step down from Unix.
It's had a systemd-alike since at least 3.51 in services.exe, but to run something like emacsclient with a persistent server process that starts at boot, you still need to use schtasks.exe's equivalent of cron's @reboot directive.
It's had a systemd-alike since at least 3.51 in services.exe, but to run something like emacsclient with a persistent server process that starts at boot, you still need to use schtasks.exe's equivalent of cron's @reboot directive.
February 14, 2026 at 11:06 PM
I appreciate how NT feels both a step up and a step down from Unix.
It's had a systemd-alike since at least 3.51 in services.exe, but to run something like emacsclient with a persistent server process that starts at boot, you still need to use schtasks.exe's equivalent of cron's @reboot directive.
It's had a systemd-alike since at least 3.51 in services.exe, but to run something like emacsclient with a persistent server process that starts at boot, you still need to use schtasks.exe's equivalent of cron's @reboot directive.
Oh, no, no. Don't mistake me for a creature with physical hands!
What I have are narrative hands. They're the kind that you read about.
What I have are narrative hands. They're the kind that you read about.
February 14, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Oh, no, no. Don't mistake me for a creature with physical hands!
What I have are narrative hands. They're the kind that you read about.
What I have are narrative hands. They're the kind that you read about.
You have as many birthdays as St. Valentine's days, but while you grow older without working at it, the same can't be said about growing more loved.
February 14, 2026 at 4:22 PM
You have as many birthdays as St. Valentine's days, but while you grow older without working at it, the same can't be said about growing more loved.
Another thing I've been glad to see less of is pushing the scalar triple product to compute volumes of parallelepipeds.
Just use a determinant. It's easier to use, and doing it this way saves a few steps. You wind up needing a determinant for the cross product anyway.
Just use a determinant. It's easier to use, and doing it this way saves a few steps. You wind up needing a determinant for the cross product anyway.
IMO, treating the Jacobian as something mechanical first and then going over changes of coordinates into polar, cylindrical, and spherical to motivate it would be a neater approach.
Otherwise, the $r$ and $\rho^2\sin\varphi$ scaling factors risk feeling arbitrary.
"Sigh, more shit to memorize?"
Otherwise, the $r$ and $\rho^2\sin\varphi$ scaling factors risk feeling arbitrary.
"Sigh, more shit to memorize?"
February 14, 2026 at 8:13 AM
Another thing I've been glad to see less of is pushing the scalar triple product to compute volumes of parallelepipeds.
Just use a determinant. It's easier to use, and doing it this way saves a few steps. You wind up needing a determinant for the cross product anyway.
Just use a determinant. It's easier to use, and doing it this way saves a few steps. You wind up needing a determinant for the cross product anyway.
Oh, hey, this is a recent innovation in calculus pedagogy.
The Jacobian is a thing that doesn't get pushed back until vector calculus now, and I can't sing the praises nearly enough.
It's just that, uh, it isn't brought forward before going into iterated integration over non-rectangular regions.
The Jacobian is a thing that doesn't get pushed back until vector calculus now, and I can't sing the praises nearly enough.
It's just that, uh, it isn't brought forward before going into iterated integration over non-rectangular regions.
February 14, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Oh, hey, this is a recent innovation in calculus pedagogy.
The Jacobian is a thing that doesn't get pushed back until vector calculus now, and I can't sing the praises nearly enough.
It's just that, uh, it isn't brought forward before going into iterated integration over non-rectangular regions.
The Jacobian is a thing that doesn't get pushed back until vector calculus now, and I can't sing the praises nearly enough.
It's just that, uh, it isn't brought forward before going into iterated integration over non-rectangular regions.
Charles Callet's "Goblin Spirit" was basically his take on Gershon Kingsley's "Pop Corn," made a hit in 1972 by Hot Butter (who spelled it "Popcorn").
One showcases the Yamaha OPL3*. The other showcases the Moog modular synthesizer.
One showcases the Yamaha OPL3*. The other showcases the Moog modular synthesizer.
February 14, 2026 at 6:28 AM
Charles Callet's "Goblin Spirit" was basically his take on Gershon Kingsley's "Pop Corn," made a hit in 1972 by Hot Butter (who spelled it "Popcorn").
One showcases the Yamaha OPL3*. The other showcases the Moog modular synthesizer.
One showcases the Yamaha OPL3*. The other showcases the Moog modular synthesizer.
Current catus
Laureline has discovered her new favorite stim toy.
Cue the Donnie Darko "I made a new friend" meme.
"Is it a new stim toy or another door?"
"Another door."
Laureline has discovered her new favorite stim toy.
Cue the Donnie Darko "I made a new friend" meme.
"Is it a new stim toy or another door?"
"Another door."
February 14, 2026 at 3:40 AM
Current catus
Laureline has discovered her new favorite stim toy.
Cue the Donnie Darko "I made a new friend" meme.
"Is it a new stim toy or another door?"
"Another door."
Laureline has discovered her new favorite stim toy.
Cue the Donnie Darko "I made a new friend" meme.
"Is it a new stim toy or another door?"
"Another door."
Wait.
Pylons on bridges have ragdoll physics in Cities: Skylines?
Pylons on bridges have ragdoll physics in Cities: Skylines?
February 13, 2026 at 5:04 AM
Wait.
Pylons on bridges have ragdoll physics in Cities: Skylines?
Pylons on bridges have ragdoll physics in Cities: Skylines?
Current catus
Did you know that, if you have a cat who enjoys butt bongos, you can just play your rhythm drills on them?
Set a metronome and play a game of how many measures you can get away with before you get bit, even playfully.
Did you know that, if you have a cat who enjoys butt bongos, you can just play your rhythm drills on them?
Set a metronome and play a game of how many measures you can get away with before you get bit, even playfully.
February 13, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Current catus
Did you know that, if you have a cat who enjoys butt bongos, you can just play your rhythm drills on them?
Set a metronome and play a game of how many measures you can get away with before you get bit, even playfully.
Did you know that, if you have a cat who enjoys butt bongos, you can just play your rhythm drills on them?
Set a metronome and play a game of how many measures you can get away with before you get bit, even playfully.
Random intrusive thought: Walkmen Without Hats
February 12, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Random intrusive thought: Walkmen Without Hats
I've had headhunters trying to get a hold of me for the last fortnight for SRE work, and I'm really afraid that ship sailed a long time ago.
The voicemails are so incredibly desperate.
The voicemails are so incredibly desperate.
February 12, 2026 at 4:50 AM
I've had headhunters trying to get a hold of me for the last fortnight for SRE work, and I'm really afraid that ship sailed a long time ago.
The voicemails are so incredibly desperate.
The voicemails are so incredibly desperate.
I can't tell you, after having moved to Georgia, how disappointed I was to learn that there was a town named Cumming and a county named Butts and that they were not coterminal.
February 11, 2026 at 7:09 PM
I can't tell you, after having moved to Georgia, how disappointed I was to learn that there was a town named Cumming and a county named Butts and that they were not coterminal.
I come at this from a "work through the mechanical parts for a couple hours a day" perspective, like playing rhythm and scale drills.
What I find perplexing is that Stewart was also an accomplished musician, but he writes his exercises strictly as if they're the recitals themselves.
What I find perplexing is that Stewart was also an accomplished musician, but he writes his exercises strictly as if they're the recitals themselves.
I think the deepest conceit of Stewart's exercises is that they try to do too much all at the same time.
I've noticed that a striking number of them are keen to snarl you in algebraic manipulation or trig trickery hell, and I'm just over it.
Please, just let me exercise the calculus.
I've noticed that a striking number of them are keen to snarl you in algebraic manipulation or trig trickery hell, and I'm just over it.
Please, just let me exercise the calculus.
February 10, 2026 at 8:47 PM
I come at this from a "work through the mechanical parts for a couple hours a day" perspective, like playing rhythm and scale drills.
What I find perplexing is that Stewart was also an accomplished musician, but he writes his exercises strictly as if they're the recitals themselves.
What I find perplexing is that Stewart was also an accomplished musician, but he writes his exercises strictly as if they're the recitals themselves.
I've taught the kids how to do cool S chains, and they're now utterly unstoppable.
February 10, 2026 at 4:36 PM
I've taught the kids how to do cool S chains, and they're now utterly unstoppable.
Current catus
For some reason, when it comes time to feed them, they don't talk anymore.
The boy used to chirp at me.
He chirps a lot at me otherwise! Just, like, not when he's keen on getting fed.
For some reason, when it comes time to feed them, they don't talk anymore.
The boy used to chirp at me.
He chirps a lot at me otherwise! Just, like, not when he's keen on getting fed.
February 10, 2026 at 7:49 AM
Current catus
For some reason, when it comes time to feed them, they don't talk anymore.
The boy used to chirp at me.
He chirps a lot at me otherwise! Just, like, not when he's keen on getting fed.
For some reason, when it comes time to feed them, they don't talk anymore.
The boy used to chirp at me.
He chirps a lot at me otherwise! Just, like, not when he's keen on getting fed.
Oh, hey. Marco Brambilla's 1993 directorial debut Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes, is available for free on YouTube.
February 10, 2026 at 4:49 AM
Oh, hey. Marco Brambilla's 1993 directorial debut Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes, is available for free on YouTube.
I think the deepest conceit of Stewart's exercises is that they try to do too much all at the same time.
I've noticed that a striking number of them are keen to snarl you in algebraic manipulation or trig trickery hell, and I'm just over it.
Please, just let me exercise the calculus.
I've noticed that a striking number of them are keen to snarl you in algebraic manipulation or trig trickery hell, and I'm just over it.
Please, just let me exercise the calculus.
February 10, 2026 at 2:57 AM
I think the deepest conceit of Stewart's exercises is that they try to do too much all at the same time.
I've noticed that a striking number of them are keen to snarl you in algebraic manipulation or trig trickery hell, and I'm just over it.
Please, just let me exercise the calculus.
I've noticed that a striking number of them are keen to snarl you in algebraic manipulation or trig trickery hell, and I'm just over it.
Please, just let me exercise the calculus.
I had to explain the genres of the Entwicklungsroman and the Bildungsroman today, and this week's workshop prompt involves strange coming-of-age rituals.
February 9, 2026 at 8:09 AM
I had to explain the genres of the Entwicklungsroman and the Bildungsroman today, and this week's workshop prompt involves strange coming-of-age rituals.
My only regret is not taking screenshots while I did it.
I finally did it.
I uninstalled Twitter.
I uninstalled Twitter.
February 8, 2026 at 7:04 PM
My only regret is not taking screenshots while I did it.
Canvas's annotation tools are actually pretty alright. They're a little clunky in some ways, but they're alright.
February 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Canvas's annotation tools are actually pretty alright. They're a little clunky in some ways, but they're alright.
I somehow keep forgetting that Icelandic is syllable-timed, which is odd among the Germanic languages.
February 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM
I somehow keep forgetting that Icelandic is syllable-timed, which is odd among the Germanic languages.
I finally did it.
I uninstalled Twitter.
I uninstalled Twitter.
February 8, 2026 at 1:40 AM
I finally did it.
I uninstalled Twitter.
I uninstalled Twitter.
One thing I've been really appreciative of our AI-all-the-things future for having given us is better battery life.
My iPhone 16 lasts two days on a single charge.
My iPhone 16 lasts two days on a single charge.
February 7, 2026 at 9:23 AM
One thing I've been really appreciative of our AI-all-the-things future for having given us is better battery life.
My iPhone 16 lasts two days on a single charge.
My iPhone 16 lasts two days on a single charge.
The guy busking with his saxophone on Murphy Ave has been endlessly playing Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" for the past hour.
If he keeps it up, I may decide to run home to fetch the bass and amp to play accompaniment for him. I happen to know the chord changes (don't ask).
If he keeps it up, I may decide to run home to fetch the bass and amp to play accompaniment for him. I happen to know the chord changes (don't ask).
February 7, 2026 at 4:04 AM
The guy busking with his saxophone on Murphy Ave has been endlessly playing Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" for the past hour.
If he keeps it up, I may decide to run home to fetch the bass and amp to play accompaniment for him. I happen to know the chord changes (don't ask).
If he keeps it up, I may decide to run home to fetch the bass and amp to play accompaniment for him. I happen to know the chord changes (don't ask).
Oops. Classmate who's doing peer review on my essay wasn't aware that I'm using a bibliography tool and wound up spending time reformatting my bibliography instead of merely redlining it.
I guess I need to find a way to reward the practice? This is awkward.
I guess I need to find a way to reward the practice? This is awkward.
February 6, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Oops. Classmate who's doing peer review on my essay wasn't aware that I'm using a bibliography tool and wound up spending time reformatting my bibliography instead of merely redlining it.
I guess I need to find a way to reward the practice? This is awkward.
I guess I need to find a way to reward the practice? This is awkward.