Sandstone Violin
@sandstoneviolin.bsky.social
linguist | medical editor | co-parenting father x3 | musician | poetry lover | eclectic in all things | ☸️ 🐀 | ex-ex-Slavist, ex-ex-academic Berkeley CA
I was noticing today how I still get ~1-2% of my editing work in .doc, not .docx, format, even nearly 20 years after the .docx format was released.
Kinda interesting re: technology obsolescence cycles, maybe especially for technologies that generally fly below our conscious radar screen
Kinda interesting re: technology obsolescence cycles, maybe especially for technologies that generally fly below our conscious radar screen
November 10, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I was noticing today how I still get ~1-2% of my editing work in .doc, not .docx, format, even nearly 20 years after the .docx format was released.
Kinda interesting re: technology obsolescence cycles, maybe especially for technologies that generally fly below our conscious radar screen
Kinda interesting re: technology obsolescence cycles, maybe especially for technologies that generally fly below our conscious radar screen
Introducing the 4th grader to some (recorded) late night talk shows:
"Is Stephen Colbert a bear? A cold bear?"
"Is Stephen Colbert a bear? A cold bear?"
October 28, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Introducing the 4th grader to some (recorded) late night talk shows:
"Is Stephen Colbert a bear? A cold bear?"
"Is Stephen Colbert a bear? A cold bear?"
Reposted by Sandstone Violin
This meso loop of #Melissa from CIRA is absolutely stunning at it makes its closes in on landfall in southwestern Jamaica.
rammb-data.cira.colostate.edu/tc_realtime/...
#hurricanemelissa
rammb-data.cira.colostate.edu/tc_realtime/...
#hurricanemelissa
October 28, 2025 at 12:52 PM
This meso loop of #Melissa from CIRA is absolutely stunning at it makes its closes in on landfall in southwestern Jamaica.
rammb-data.cira.colostate.edu/tc_realtime/...
#hurricanemelissa
rammb-data.cira.colostate.edu/tc_realtime/...
#hurricanemelissa
Ooh, another nice linguistic coinage tonight from the middle schooler — "more sneakily" is "sneakilier".
October 25, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Ooh, another nice linguistic coinage tonight from the middle schooler — "more sneakily" is "sneakilier".
Glad to see no "surge" this weekend, but also disgusted by the framing, on multiple levels.
www.berkeleyside.org/2025/10/23/t...
www.berkeleyside.org/2025/10/23/t...
Trump says federal agents 'will not surge San Francisco'
In a Truth Social post, the president said calls with San Francisco’s mayor and some tech titans convinced him to wait, for now.
www.berkeleyside.org
October 23, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Glad to see no "surge" this weekend, but also disgusted by the framing, on multiple levels.
www.berkeleyside.org/2025/10/23/t...
www.berkeleyside.org/2025/10/23/t...
Philosophical conversation with the 7 y/o today — why, indeed, ARE farts funny?
"They're just smelly things that have noises and come from your butt! And why are butts funny, bro? All they are is like an oval with a crack in it that shoots out poop [pause] that's kinda funny."
"They're just smelly things that have noises and come from your butt! And why are butts funny, bro? All they are is like an oval with a crack in it that shoots out poop [pause] that's kinda funny."
October 14, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Philosophical conversation with the 7 y/o today — why, indeed, ARE farts funny?
"They're just smelly things that have noises and come from your butt! And why are butts funny, bro? All they are is like an oval with a crack in it that shoots out poop [pause] that's kinda funny."
"They're just smelly things that have noises and come from your butt! And why are butts funny, bro? All they are is like an oval with a crack in it that shoots out poop [pause] that's kinda funny."
Interesting innovation in phrasal verb usage from the 9 y/o: "this make sures that..."
I've heard similar things from the 11 y/o too but have forgotten to jot them down.
I've heard similar things from the 11 y/o too but have forgotten to jot them down.
September 29, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Interesting innovation in phrasal verb usage from the 9 y/o: "this make sures that..."
I've heard similar things from the 11 y/o too but have forgotten to jot them down.
I've heard similar things from the 11 y/o too but have forgotten to jot them down.
Interesting Gen Alpha linguistic usage from the middle-schooler today. Apparently "AFK" can apply to being absorbed in work for a couple hours—even if that work is *at a laptop*, literally *at a keyboard*.
September 10, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Interesting Gen Alpha linguistic usage from the middle-schooler today. Apparently "AFK" can apply to being absorbed in work for a couple hours—even if that work is *at a laptop*, literally *at a keyboard*.
Very interesting interactive map of indigenous territories, treaties, and languages:
native-land.ca. The choices of what to include in Asia, Africa, and Europe are quite interesting. I wonder if future versions will have more Siberian representation (e.g., Tungusic?)
native-land.ca. The choices of what to include in Asia, Africa, and Europe are quite interesting. I wonder if future versions will have more Siberian representation (e.g., Tungusic?)
Native-Land.ca | Our home on native land
Native Land is a resource to learn more about Indigenous territories, languages, lands, and ways of life. We welcome you to our site.
native-land.ca
September 5, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Very interesting interactive map of indigenous territories, treaties, and languages:
native-land.ca. The choices of what to include in Asia, Africa, and Europe are quite interesting. I wonder if future versions will have more Siberian representation (e.g., Tungusic?)
native-land.ca. The choices of what to include in Asia, Africa, and Europe are quite interesting. I wonder if future versions will have more Siberian representation (e.g., Tungusic?)
I started learning Turkish many years ago with high-minded ideas about using it in my research.
15+ years later, I'm rocking out to this fun ditty about partying with Dracula, hooking up with Frankenstein's wife, and becoming a vampire.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGD...
15+ years later, I'm rocking out to this fun ditty about partying with Dracula, hooking up with Frankenstein's wife, and becoming a vampire.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGD...
Drakula'nın Daveti
YouTube video by Sokak Köpekleri - Topic
www.youtube.com
August 25, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I started learning Turkish many years ago with high-minded ideas about using it in my research.
15+ years later, I'm rocking out to this fun ditty about partying with Dracula, hooking up with Frankenstein's wife, and becoming a vampire.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGD...
15+ years later, I'm rocking out to this fun ditty about partying with Dracula, hooking up with Frankenstein's wife, and becoming a vampire.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOGD...
By far the best part of watching Oakland A's games now is listening to the back-and-forth between the announcers, esp. how Dallas Braden tries to politely conceal what seems to be genuine dislike and WTF responses toward Chris Caray's random comments.
August 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
By far the best part of watching Oakland A's games now is listening to the back-and-forth between the announcers, esp. how Dallas Braden tries to politely conceal what seems to be genuine dislike and WTF responses toward Chris Caray's random comments.
Reposted by Sandstone Violin
Feel like one political party kidnapping an opponent should be bigger news
NEW:
“I’ve had enough…I’m refusing to back down.”
Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier speaks to MSNBC from the Texas State Capitol. She is stuck there after the Texas GOP required police surveillance as condition for release. She is refusing to sign a waiver for the law enforcement escort.
“I’ve had enough…I’m refusing to back down.”
Texas state Rep. Nicole Collier speaks to MSNBC from the Texas State Capitol. She is stuck there after the Texas GOP required police surveillance as condition for release. She is refusing to sign a waiver for the law enforcement escort.
August 19, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Feel like one political party kidnapping an opponent should be bigger news
Thoroughly enjoyed
@mastroianni.bsky.social's post on the woeful state of academic psychology, esp. the critique of "pick a noun and study it" (I often edit research along those lines, in nursing). Not sure I share the optimism re: boredom's effects, though.
tinyurl.com/5akw8b3h
@mastroianni.bsky.social's post on the woeful state of academic psychology, esp. the critique of "pick a noun and study it" (I often edit research along those lines, in nursing). Not sure I share the optimism re: boredom's effects, though.
tinyurl.com/5akw8b3h
I’m so sorry for psychology’s loss, whatever it is
The plane crashed and nobody checked the bodies
www.experimental-history.com
August 19, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Thoroughly enjoyed
@mastroianni.bsky.social's post on the woeful state of academic psychology, esp. the critique of "pick a noun and study it" (I often edit research along those lines, in nursing). Not sure I share the optimism re: boredom's effects, though.
tinyurl.com/5akw8b3h
@mastroianni.bsky.social's post on the woeful state of academic psychology, esp. the critique of "pick a noun and study it" (I often edit research along those lines, in nursing). Not sure I share the optimism re: boredom's effects, though.
tinyurl.com/5akw8b3h
Watching Jurassic Park with the 9 y/o, and I had never noticed before the thread of "whether to have kids" discourse, or remembered that the cool, black-leather chaos theory guy apparently has 3 kids and is a big fan of both kids and divorce 😂.
August 9, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Watching Jurassic Park with the 9 y/o, and I had never noticed before the thread of "whether to have kids" discourse, or remembered that the cool, black-leather chaos theory guy apparently has 3 kids and is a big fan of both kids and divorce 😂.
This online presentation of the Genji poems is one of the coolest things I've seen in quite some time! Not just that the "poems are online", but so much thought and care has clearly gone into the presentation and interface. genjipoems.org
genjipoems.org
July 17, 2025 at 7:30 PM
This online presentation of the Genji poems is one of the coolest things I've seen in quite some time! Not just that the "poems are online", but so much thought and care has clearly gone into the presentation and interface. genjipoems.org
Today's work-related reminder that someone's always having a worse day (and of the importance of flared devices) — apparently there's at least one documented case of a heart attack resulting from the stress induced by a self-inserted glass bottle getting stuck in the rectum.
July 15, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Today's work-related reminder that someone's always having a worse day (and of the importance of flared devices) — apparently there's at least one documented case of a heart attack resulting from the stress induced by a self-inserted glass bottle getting stuck in the rectum.
Never imagined a word-for-word theatrical adaptation of a short story could be so good. I was stunned by Word for Word's adaptation of "Annunciation" www.zspace.org/annunciation.
One vividly played character in particular was a delightful reminder of someone from my past, too.
One vividly played character in particular was a delightful reminder of someone from my past, too.
Annunciation by Lauren Groff — Z Space
Word for Word and Z Space present: ANNUNCIATION BY LAUREN GROFF Directed by Joel Mullennix June 18 through July 13 in Z Below Award winning author, Lauren Groff, brings us a tale of a young w...
www.zspace.org
July 11, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Never imagined a word-for-word theatrical adaptation of a short story could be so good. I was stunned by Word for Word's adaptation of "Annunciation" www.zspace.org/annunciation.
One vividly played character in particular was a delightful reminder of someone from my past, too.
One vividly played character in particular was a delightful reminder of someone from my past, too.
Plans for bacterial-driven biomanufacturing on Mars!
Super cool. Back when I was a 30-year-old career-changing premed (before those plans fell through too), I low-key fell in love with microbiology, and this reminds me of why.
pioneerlabs.substack.com/p/our-first-...
Super cool. Back when I was a 30-year-old career-changing premed (before those plans fell through too), I low-key fell in love with microbiology, and this reminds me of why.
pioneerlabs.substack.com/p/our-first-...
Our first target microbe for Mars, and how we chose it 🏗️
Goal: push the limits of science AND be practically useful
pioneerlabs.substack.com
July 9, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Plans for bacterial-driven biomanufacturing on Mars!
Super cool. Back when I was a 30-year-old career-changing premed (before those plans fell through too), I low-key fell in love with microbiology, and this reminds me of why.
pioneerlabs.substack.com/p/our-first-...
Super cool. Back when I was a 30-year-old career-changing premed (before those plans fell through too), I low-key fell in love with microbiology, and this reminds me of why.
pioneerlabs.substack.com/p/our-first-...
A little bit of Goethe today, reflecting on how our entire built landscape is a sort of fossilization of human stories and passion. #poetry
July 8, 2025 at 10:40 PM
A little bit of Goethe today, reflecting on how our entire built landscape is a sort of fossilization of human stories and passion. #poetry
"Competitive authoritarianism" is a great phrase. Also an excellent point re: people's assumptions about transition states — there's never going to be a day where we wake up to the announcement, "NOW HEAR THIS, IT'S AUTHORITARIANISM TIME," and waiting for such an announcement is a fool's errand.
July 8, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"Competitive authoritarianism" is a great phrase. Also an excellent point re: people's assumptions about transition states — there's never going to be a day where we wake up to the announcement, "NOW HEAR THIS, IT'S AUTHORITARIANISM TIME," and waiting for such an announcement is a fool's errand.
A first in a paper I've edited: "Statistical analyses were conducted using ChatGPT 4o." 🤔🤔🤔🤔
July 7, 2025 at 5:02 PM
A first in a paper I've edited: "Statistical analyses were conducted using ChatGPT 4o." 🤔🤔🤔🤔
Mamdani & the impact of his campaign/election remind me a lot of Obama, maybe not least because I lived in Chicago (and was in my early 20s) when Obama became prominent. Multiple parallels come to mind, and I'm surprised I haven't seen more people note the similarity.
June 25, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Mamdani & the impact of his campaign/election remind me a lot of Obama, maybe not least because I lived in Chicago (and was in my early 20s) when Obama became prominent. Multiple parallels come to mind, and I'm surprised I haven't seen more people note the similarity.
This group doing 19th-century adaptations of major Russian rock songs is the most delightful thing I've found in ages:
"Городъ в огне как при Бонапартѣ..."
"Метаморфозъ, алчемъ метаморфозъ..."
Absolute genius.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTfH...
"Городъ в огне как при Бонапартѣ..."
"Метаморфозъ, алчемъ метаморфозъ..."
Absolute genius.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTfH...
Дореволюцiонный Совѣтчикъ - Метаморфозъ
YouTube video by Дореволюцiонный Совѣтчикъ
www.youtube.com
June 20, 2025 at 12:39 AM
This group doing 19th-century adaptations of major Russian rock songs is the most delightful thing I've found in ages:
"Городъ в огне как при Бонапартѣ..."
"Метаморфозъ, алчемъ метаморфозъ..."
Absolute genius.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTfH...
"Городъ в огне как при Бонапартѣ..."
"Метаморфозъ, алчемъ метаморфозъ..."
Absolute genius.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTfH...
Excellent thread about a fascinating paper. 🙏 to @philipcball.bsky.social for the post! The overwhelming mechanistic complexity of regulation should be better-known, especially when it comes to bio-futurist discourse.
It's an interesting phenomenon that some of the deepest questions about how life works have become what looks like impossibly obscure molecular biology stuck right at the back of Nature, which will never get covered by the science media. Like this. /1
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
DNA-guided transcription factor interactions extend human gene regulatory code - Nature
A large-scale analysis of DNA-bound transcription factors (TFs) shows how the presence of DNA markedly affects the landscape of TF interactions, and identifies composite motifs that are recognized by ...
www.nature.com
June 2, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Excellent thread about a fascinating paper. 🙏 to @philipcball.bsky.social for the post! The overwhelming mechanistic complexity of regulation should be better-known, especially when it comes to bio-futurist discourse.
The collision between "creation mindset" and "production mindset" was a difficult part of my transition from academia to industry (non-tech), and I've seen it be hard for others too.
Recently, I've had one foot in both academic & pro-AI Bay Area circles. V. little mutual understanding or curiosity.
Recently, I've had one foot in both academic & pro-AI Bay Area circles. V. little mutual understanding or curiosity.
Producing a simulacrum of human thought is a key phrase here, and the crux of the AI push. It is grounded in production (not creation) and simulacra, that is, the appearance of something real but not something real because the tech industry embraces, even celebrates, replica over origin.
AI is a wholly parasitic technology. It has hoovered up centuries of human cultural production and can reconfigure it in a split section to produce the simulacrum of original human thought, but it can never replace that. IMO, we'll miss the products of genuine human thought when it's gone.
June 2, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The collision between "creation mindset" and "production mindset" was a difficult part of my transition from academia to industry (non-tech), and I've seen it be hard for others too.
Recently, I've had one foot in both academic & pro-AI Bay Area circles. V. little mutual understanding or curiosity.
Recently, I've had one foot in both academic & pro-AI Bay Area circles. V. little mutual understanding or curiosity.