Randy Au
@randyau.com
Hobby consultant, 💎🪚🎮🖥️🎙️🎹🎧👨🍳📷🪛➕
Quant UX Researcher @ [Home] (posts are my own)
Writes a data newsletter: https://www.counting-stuff.com/
https://linktr.ee/randy_au
Languages: EN/JP/CN
Quant UX Researcher @ [Home] (posts are my own)
Writes a data newsletter: https://www.counting-stuff.com/
https://linktr.ee/randy_au
Languages: EN/JP/CN
Pinned
Randy Au
@randyau.com
· Oct 30
Counting Stuff
A weekly newsletter about the important, mundane, parts of being a data scientist, UX researcher. With some extra fun about tech and hobbies.
www.counting-stuff.com
So on here I talk about hobbies and crack snarky data jokes. But once a week I also write a very long form data science newsletter. at www.counting-stuff.com
#DataBS
Here's a thread of old posts that people liked [ugh no thread writing interface] (1/n)
#DataBS
Here's a thread of old posts that people liked [ugh no thread writing interface] (1/n)
Oh. The recipe on the bag says 4 TABLESPOONS to 1 cup of boiling water to make iced tea and it's complete madness and I get away with like 1 tablespoon for 2 cups and it's fine for our home tastes
So, fans of Thai iced tea at restaurants? I didn't realize this until recently but this mix here by Pantai brand that looks quite plain and says "Thai tea mix"? It is literally the stuff used in restaurants and tastes identical, and it's like $17/lb and just steep and add milk+sugar omfg
February 15, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Oh. The recipe on the bag says 4 TABLESPOONS to 1 cup of boiling water to make iced tea and it's complete madness and I get away with like 1 tablespoon for 2 cups and it's fine for our home tastes
So, fans of Thai iced tea at restaurants? I didn't realize this until recently but this mix here by Pantai brand that looks quite plain and says "Thai tea mix"? It is literally the stuff used in restaurants and tastes identical, and it's like $17/lb and just steep and add milk+sugar omfg
February 15, 2026 at 11:25 PM
So, fans of Thai iced tea at restaurants? I didn't realize this until recently but this mix here by Pantai brand that looks quite plain and says "Thai tea mix"? It is literally the stuff used in restaurants and tastes identical, and it's like $17/lb and just steep and add milk+sugar omfg
Telling stories by the light of a burning gpu: See these scars, kid? That's from when I thought "how hard could it be?"
The point of building is not just to throw the finished product over the line; if you’re doing it right, the process shapes the creator, too.
February 15, 2026 at 11:16 PM
Telling stories by the light of a burning gpu: See these scars, kid? That's from when I thought "how hard could it be?"
It's weird being at that stage of kitchen equipment where I have all the pots and pans I actually need to do everything I can imagine, so getting or replacing a piece is An Occasion now
February 15, 2026 at 11:14 PM
It's weird being at that stage of kitchen equipment where I have all the pots and pans I actually need to do everything I can imagine, so getting or replacing a piece is An Occasion now
Went shopping today and we finally got a stock pot to replace the beat up one my mom gave me over 15 years ago when I moved out on my own. Enamel on carbon steel apparently. Will see how it lasts
February 15, 2026 at 11:07 PM
Went shopping today and we finally got a stock pot to replace the beat up one my mom gave me over 15 years ago when I moved out on my own. Enamel on carbon steel apparently. Will see how it lasts
asian parents: don't study history because you can't get a job
me: don't study history because you'll just feel like Cassandra regardless of your job
me: don't study history because you'll just feel like Cassandra regardless of your job
February 15, 2026 at 3:15 PM
asian parents: don't study history because you can't get a job
me: don't study history because you'll just feel like Cassandra regardless of your job
me: don't study history because you'll just feel like Cassandra regardless of your job
=__= a $9 dollar toilet flap that needed repairing was um.. dumping maybe $25 of water down the drain a day *sigh
February 15, 2026 at 12:40 AM
=__= a $9 dollar toilet flap that needed repairing was um.. dumping maybe $25 of water down the drain a day *sigh
One underrated cooking skill is an internal clock that ticks accurately enough to remind you to go check on something for doneness before it burns to a crisp
February 13, 2026 at 11:57 PM
One underrated cooking skill is an internal clock that ticks accurately enough to remind you to go check on something for doneness before it burns to a crisp
ok, took a moment to take out the dial indicator to check on the runout of the spindle and it's fine and well less than the ~0.1mm resolution I bothered setting up for
February 12, 2026 at 4:17 PM
ok, took a moment to take out the dial indicator to check on the runout of the spindle and it's fine and well less than the ~0.1mm resolution I bothered setting up for
YAY so in the past month or so, I've been working off and on on this project! It's a machine that takes a CNC spindle + power supply, mounts it to 3d printed casing, and lets you run the motor. From there you can attach various things to the collect to use!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
February 12, 2026 at 1:15 AM
YAY so in the past month or so, I've been working off and on on this project! It's a machine that takes a CNC spindle + power supply, mounts it to 3d printed casing, and lets you run the motor. From there you can attach various things to the collect to use!
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
apparently my A1's Y-axis belt might need retensioning since there's huge ringing artifacts along the Y axis while everything is dead nuts on point along X
February 11, 2026 at 4:43 AM
apparently my A1's Y-axis belt might need retensioning since there's huge ringing artifacts along the Y axis while everything is dead nuts on point along X
slowly plotting what my 3d printer upgrade at black friday will be... I primarily want a full enclosure because my room is drafty and even PETG has warping issues let alone more complex stuff... main question is whether I want dual extruders so I can use different materials for support or not...
February 11, 2026 at 4:08 AM
slowly plotting what my 3d printer upgrade at black friday will be... I primarily want a full enclosure because my room is drafty and even PETG has warping issues let alone more complex stuff... main question is whether I want dual extruders so I can use different materials for support or not...
More last minute tool purchases. The cheapest gear puller I could find to pull a fan off the spindle shaft.... And a circlip plier because I'm sick of having to use needle nose pliers to get those damn things off
February 11, 2026 at 2:19 AM
More last minute tool purchases. The cheapest gear puller I could find to pull a fan off the spindle shaft.... And a circlip plier because I'm sick of having to use needle nose pliers to get those damn things off
Reposted by Randy Au
This week on Counting Stuff, LLMs made code "cheap and disposable" which has all sorts of implications, but for me, someone that mostly writes throwaway code, it means new and exciting ways to get more data that used to be too hard to get
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
Data work in the fast fashion code era
There's probably more upsides for us than SWEs
www.counting-stuff.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:31 PM
This week on Counting Stuff, LLMs made code "cheap and disposable" which has all sorts of implications, but for me, someone that mostly writes throwaway code, it means new and exciting ways to get more data that used to be too hard to get
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
This week on Counting Stuff, LLMs made code "cheap and disposable" which has all sorts of implications, but for me, someone that mostly writes throwaway code, it means new and exciting ways to get more data that used to be too hard to get
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
Data work in the fast fashion code era
There's probably more upsides for us than SWEs
www.counting-stuff.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:31 PM
This week on Counting Stuff, LLMs made code "cheap and disposable" which has all sorts of implications, but for me, someone that mostly writes throwaway code, it means new and exciting ways to get more data that used to be too hard to get
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
#dataBS
www.counting-stuff.com/data-work-in...
Whelp, spindle mount is done in two-tone end of filament spool of shame 🤪
Still getting some warping on the PETG when the fan engages to seal the inner wall, even after I raised it from 5mm to 10mm thickness and tweaked temps, used brims. But it's sorta minimal
Still getting some warping on the PETG when the fan engages to seal the inner wall, even after I raised it from 5mm to 10mm thickness and tweaked temps, used brims. But it's sorta minimal
February 10, 2026 at 4:49 AM
Whelp, spindle mount is done in two-tone end of filament spool of shame 🤪
Still getting some warping on the PETG when the fan engages to seal the inner wall, even after I raised it from 5mm to 10mm thickness and tweaked temps, used brims. But it's sorta minimal
Still getting some warping on the PETG when the fan engages to seal the inner wall, even after I raised it from 5mm to 10mm thickness and tweaked temps, used brims. But it's sorta minimal
Ran out of the grey PETG mid print for the spindle mount and so going to have to make due with the two-color print of shame
February 10, 2026 at 2:10 AM
Ran out of the grey PETG mid print for the spindle mount and so going to have to make due with the two-color print of shame
Watching the squirrels I. The frozen snowy back yard and I'm positive they're created a network of tunnels in the snow
February 9, 2026 at 9:20 PM
Watching the squirrels I. The frozen snowy back yard and I'm positive they're created a network of tunnels in the snow
fuckit, back to IRC it is
All users will be put into a "teen-appropriate experience" by default unless they prove that they are adults.
Discord to roll out age verification next month for full access to its platform | TechCrunch
All users will be put into a "teen-appropriate experience" by default unless they prove that they are adults.
techcrunch.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:05 PM
fuckit, back to IRC it is
I'm an adult and I can make a big pan of sweetened steamed rice cake just eat a bunch of it after a bit of pan searing
February 9, 2026 at 1:11 AM
I'm an adult and I can make a big pan of sweetened steamed rice cake just eat a bunch of it after a bit of pan searing
Pro tip, I keep my soy sauces in glass bottles with pourers, but initially used normal metal ones.. except guess what, metal does not like super salt liquids. Corroded one to pieces before realizing and switching to rubber plastic
February 8, 2026 at 11:41 PM
Pro tip, I keep my soy sauces in glass bottles with pourers, but initially used normal metal ones.. except guess what, metal does not like super salt liquids. Corroded one to pieces before realizing and switching to rubber plastic
Soooo I sorta want to play with a 3d printed violin because the 6yo is learning violin and while I learned for a year in my teens I haven't tried in 30 years and don't feel like getting a full sized violin until the kid grows up and actually needs a nice one but...
February 8, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Soooo I sorta want to play with a 3d printed violin because the 6yo is learning violin and while I learned for a year in my teens I haven't tried in 30 years and don't feel like getting a full sized violin until the kid grows up and actually needs a nice one but...
hrm... from surprising amount of work i'm getting out of the A1... I should probably replace the 3d printer w/ an enclosed printer next black friday to expand the filaments I can work with, and also deal with the drafty room once and for all
February 8, 2026 at 3:38 AM
hrm... from surprising amount of work i'm getting out of the A1... I should probably replace the 3d printer w/ an enclosed printer next black friday to expand the filaments I can work with, and also deal with the drafty room once and for all
at this point I think the absolute laziest food I make for myself is just... take white rice from the cooker or leftover and microwaved to temp... then crack a raw egg into it + some salt or soy sauce...
February 8, 2026 at 3:01 AM
at this point I think the absolute laziest food I make for myself is just... take white rice from the cooker or leftover and microwaved to temp... then crack a raw egg into it + some salt or soy sauce...
so today in the city it was like.. 10F give or take.. but omfg the wind gusts were brutal...
February 8, 2026 at 2:00 AM
so today in the city it was like.. 10F give or take.. but omfg the wind gusts were brutal...