This post is a simple reference to https://grugbrain.dev/ I've rarely seen such a combination of wisdom and humor when it comes to programming, and so I want to contribute a modest link towards its page so that the crawlers of this world can elevate it in their search rankings.

There's often a reason to continue programming. Maybe we're intellectually engaged, maybe there's a looming deadline, or maybe things just got personal between you and that bug, and you won't go to bed until it's squashed. Most of us have experienced solving that problem within minutes of sitting down at the computer the next morning, yet in the moment, letting go and stepping away remains a challenge every time. I want to expand on this dynamic, because I sense that this decision point is criti

I recently finished reading Against the Grain, by James C Scott, a fascinating look back at the relationship between agriculture and states. Through the archaeological record, Scott offers perspective on what lies at the core of states — modern and ancient alike — and provides deeper insight into the true breadth of human experience. The prevailing narrative, which Scott wishes to resist, is that humanity followed a natural course of evolution leading us out of hunting and gathering, towards se

Just because I’ve been on hiatus from work doesn’t mean I don’t ever get an itch for coding! After building software and a physical labeling system to operate the SF Go Club’s library, I was approached with another problem to solve. The club needed to track attendance in order to know which week nights were the most popular, and to encourage regular goers to sign up as club members. There existed a couple of manual approaches: one was to ask club staffers to track how many people came to the clu

A year ago, I began to learn the game of go. I've since joined the San Francisco Go Club. Since COVID-19 has begun to dull in the Bay Area, the club has undergone a renaissance. Some very dedicated members helped find a new physical location for the club, a beautiful space in the Japan Center mall. The dojo is outfitted with many tables, go boards, go stones, and a library of books. A few weeks ago, one of our members asked how we could check out books in the library. It occurred to me and my f

In 2021, I started playing the ancient game of go. I've typically struggled seriously engaging with a hobby or a game, because I tended to see in it a reflection of my self-worth. I hadn't picked up a game in a long time, but I felt ready to work on this. Along the way, I kept noticing lessons in the game of go that could be extrapolated to life in general. After noticing enough of these, I made this list. A live version of this document can be found here. I welcome any contribution! Detachin

For most of my 20s and early 30s, I've experienced a community-shaped hole in my life. It's difficult not to look towards religion when one feels the need for community. Religious communities, especially those I've seen in America, are well organized and offer substantive benefits to their members. I just wasn't able to sincerely join such a group. The beliefs required upfront are just too difficult for me to subscribe to. During the pandemic, my partner and I decided that we wanted to join or