Town Hall #28: Noodle
Hey! It's been a while. I'm alive. Life is good.
If you want more frequent updates, consider following me on RSS, X, Bluesky, and Mastodon.
I moved to Seattle earlier this year! It's a wonderful (and severely underrated) city. So much moss! Great people, great vibes, great weather, great culture, great food, and great parks. Let me know if you're ever in the area. Let's hang!
Anyway, I recently read Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective. It's a dull book that started a tiny circus in my skull. Its central argument is something like "objectives are counterproductive for solving many creative problems". Suddenly, so many of giant dreams/goals/plans seem silly. I've given myself permission to noodle again. Less pressure. It feels good.
Let this be a little reminder that you may noodle too.
Appearances
| Exp. History | Blog Extravaganza '25 |
| Good Internet | My website is ugly because I made it |
| UNSOUND '24 | Towards Rigorous Responsibility (in Distributed Systems) |
| LIVE '24 | Scrapsheets: Async Programs in a Reactive 2D Environments |
| DDD Europe '24 | Timeless Way of Software |
| Kodsnack | Failure of ergonomics |
Projects
| lede.me | minimal og:image titles |
| pic.fish | og:image screenshots |
| diggit.dev | for architecture archaeologists |
Writings
- A stern letter to the drawbridge operator
- The Five-Week Solo Startup
- ★ God created men; Sam Altman made them equal.
- dreaming of smel shell
- Begrudgingly choosing CBOR over MessagePack
- Good Vibes: A Claude-Code Case-Study
- ★ Life GPA
- A Conversation Algorithm I Cribbed From Clinical Psychologists
- ★ You'll never be ready for anything that matters
- Friends with GPS Benefits
- "I'm the type of person who…"
- SI Base Units & Constants
- ★ 100,000,000 CROWPOWER and no horses on the moon
- Data demand some damn respect.
- Textbook Humor
- ERP Therapy Sucks
- The Finger and the Moon
- Limerick
- ★ Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?
- Alternatives to "sorry"
- Proposal for Emoji: Sad Money-Mouth Face
- Do Not Shred Your Fingers In An Actual Blender
- My Website Is Ugly Because I Made It
- ★ You'll never be ready for anything that matters
- An Invitation To Shit On My Ideas
- ★ Do Metaprojects
- ★ Be the node you want to see in the network
- The Curious Case of Flunking My Anthropic Interview (Again)
- I am not offering mentoring
- Napkin Math Tool
- Meetup.com in your calendar
- "Thanks. How do you want to help?"
Books
| ★★★★★ | The Road :: Cormac McCarthy |
| ★★★★★ | The Golden Compass :: Philip Pullman |
| ★★★★★ | Musashi :: Eiji Yoshikawa |
| ★★★★★ | Klara and the Sun :: Kazuo Ishiguro |
| ★★★★★ | Cadillac Desert :: Marc Reisner |
| ★★★★★ | A Naked Singularity :: Sergio de la Pava |
| ★★★★ | Wintersteel :: Will Wight |
| ★★★★ | Three Laws of Nature :: R. Stephen Berry |
| ★★★★ | Thinking with Type :: Ellen Lupton |
| ★★★★ | The Wisdom of Insecurity :: Alan Watts |
| ★★★★ | The Wager :: David Grann |
| ★★★★ | The Spider's War :: Daniel Abraham |
| ★★★★ | The King's Blood :: Daniel Abraham |
| ★★★★ | Steve Jobs :: Walter Isaacson |
| ★★★★ | Motivational Interviewing :: William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick |
| ★★★★ | How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk :: Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish |
| ★★★★ | How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia :: Mohsin Hamid |
| ★★★★ | Everything is Tuberculosis :: John Green |
| ★★★★ | Children of Time :: Adrian Tchaikovsky |
| ★★★★ | Characteristics of Games :: George Skaff Elias, Richard Garfield, and K. Robert Gutschera |
| ★★★★ | Bloodline :: Will Wight |
| ★★★★ | Black Rednecks and White Liberals :: Thomas Sowell |
| ★★★★ | Become What You Are :: Alan Watts |
| ★★★★ | A General Theory of Oblivion :: José Eduardo Agualusa |
| ★★★ | Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned :: Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman |
| ★★★ | What Makes Sammy Run? :: Buddy Schulberg |
| ★★★ | Welcome to the Hyanam-dong Bookshop :: Hwang Bo-Reum |
| ★★★ | Waybound :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | Unsouled :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | Underlord :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | Uncrowned :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | The Widow's House :: Daniel Abraham |
| ★★★ | The Wealth of Humans :: Ryan Avent |
| ★★★ | The Tyrant's Law :: Daniel Abraham |
| ★★★ | The Mom Test :: Rob Fitzpatrick |
| ★★★ | The Impossible Man :: Patchen Barss |
| ★★★ | The Grid :: Gretchen Bakke |
| ★★★ | The Case Against Education :: Bryan Caplan |
| ★★★ | Supercommunicators :: Charles Duhill |
| ★★★ | Soulsmith :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | Sirens & Muses :: Antonia Angress |
| ★★★ | Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids :: Bryan Caplan |
| ★★★ | Radical Abundance :: K. Eric Drexler |
| ★★★ | Prisoners of Geography :: Tim Marshall |
| ★★★ | On Bullshit :: Harry G. Frankfurt |
| ★★★ | James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media :: James Acaster |
| ★★★ | Good Inside :: Dr. Becky Kennedy |
| ★★★ | Gideon the Ninth :: Tamsyn Muir |
| ★★★ | Ghostwater :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | Factfulness :: Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund |
| ★★★ | Fab :: Neil Gershenfeld |
| ★★★ | Dreadgod :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | Devil Take the Hindmost :: Edward Chancellor |
| ★★★ | Creation Lake :: Rachel Kushner |
| ★★★ | Complexity: A Guided Tour :: Melanie Mitchell |
| ★★★ | Blackflame :: Will Wight |
| ★★★ | An Elegant Puzzle :: Will Larson |
| ★★★ | An Absolutely Remarkable Thing :: Hank Green |
| ★★ | Zen and the Art of Happiness :: Chris Prentiss |
| ★★ | The The Prime Number Conspiracy :: Thomas Lin |
| ★★ | The Curse of the Mogul :: Jonathan Knee, Bruce Greenwald, and Ava Seave |
| ★★ | Soulhome :: Sarah Lin |
| ★★ | Skysworn :: Will Wight |
| ★★ | Reaper :: Will Wight |
| ★★ | Ministry of Time :: Kaliane Bradley |
| ★★ | How Innovation Works :: Matt Ridley |
| ★★ | How Evil Are Politicians :: Bryan Caplan |
| ★★ | Good to Great :: Jim C. Collins |
| ★★ | Give and Take :: Adam Grant |
| ★★ | Can't Hurt Me :: David Goggins |
Music
| ★★★★★ | Kendrick Lamar :: good kid, m.A.A.d city |
| ★★★★★ | João Gilberto & Stan Getz :: Getz/Gilberto |
| ★★★★★ | Bart Constant :: Tell Yourself Whatever You Have To |
| ★★★★ | Yoshihiro Kanno & アンサンブル・レニエ :: aspirazione e Sogni Di Firenze / Yoshihiro Kanno |
| ★★★★ | Yasuaki Shimizu :: Music for Commercials |
| ★★★★ | Windows 96 :: Empty Hiding World |
| ★★★★ | underscores :: Skin Purifying Treatment |
| ★★★★ | Two Door Cinema Club :: Tourist History |
| ★★★★ | The Evpatoria Report :: Golevka |
| ★★★★ | Tennyson :: With You - Single |
| ★★★★ | Tenebrae & Nigel Short :: Music of the Spheres: Part Songs of the British Isles |
| ★★★★ | Soul Glo :: Diaspora Problems |
| ★★★★ | Sally Shapiro :: My Guilty Pleasure |
| ★★★★ | ROSALÍA :: MOTOMAMI |
| ★★★★ | PM Today :: In Media Res |
| ★★★★ | Miranda Sex Garden :: Madra |
| ★★★★ | Metaroom :: Oxidized Archive |
| ★★★★ | Jyocho :: The Beautiful Cycle of Terminal |
| ★★★★ | Jerskin Fendrix :: Winterreise |
| ★★★★ | Hudson Mohawke :: Cry Sugar |
| ★★★★ | Dirty Projectors :: Swing Lo Magellan |
| ★★★★ | Deathbrain :: A Slice of Life |
| ★★★★ | Dash Berlin :: The New Daylight |
| ★★★★ | Clairo :: Charm |
| ★★★★ | Circa Survive :: On Letting Go |
| ★★★★ | Chuquimamani-Condori :: DJ E |
| ★★★★ | Between the Buried and Me :: The Parallax II: Future Sequence |
| ★★★ | Yung Bae :: Bae2 |
| ★★★ | Windows 96 :: Glass Prism |
| ★★★ | WILLOW :: <COPINGMECHANISM\> |
| ★★★ | Tigran Hamasyan, Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset & Jan Bang :: Atmosphères |
| ★★★ | The Fearless Flyers :: The Fearless Flyers - EP |
| ★★★ | The Contortionist :: Clairvoyant |
| ★★★ | Supernaive :: Dazed & Confused |
| ★★★ | STAYC :: YOUNG_LUV.COM - EP |
| ★★★ | Spangle Call Lilli Line :: New Season |
| ★★★ | she :: Chroma |
| ★★★ | saoirse dream :: Everything✱ |
| ★★★ | R3LL :: Fantasy - EP |
| ★★★ | Polyphia :: Renaissance |
| ★★★ | My Epic :: Broken Voice |
| ★★★ | Moe Shop :: Pure Pure - EP |
| ★★★ | Metá Metá :: MetaL MetaL |
| ★★★ | Master Musicians of Bukkake :: Totem One |
| ★★★ | Malte Marten & Yatao :: Meditation Compilation #1 |
| ★★★ | Macross 82-99 :: Sailorwave |
| ★★★ | Lennie Tristano & Warne Marsh :: Intuition |
| ★★★ | Kaskade :: Dynasty |
| ★★★ | Hole Dweller :: Flies the Coop |
| ★★★ | Hammock :: Raising Your Voice…Trying to Stop an Echo |
| ★★★ | FLOOR BABA :: Bombs - Ball |
| ★★★ | Eric Dolphy :: Out to Lunch! |
| ★★★ | English Teacher :: This Could Be Texas |
| ★★★ | Elephant Gym :: Angle |
| ★★★ | Eatmewhileimhot! :: Mushroom |
| ★★★ | Eartheater :: Irisiri |
| ★★★ | Duo 505 :: Late |
| ★★★ | Dorena :: Holofon |
| ★★★ | DJ Seinfeld :: Mirrors |
| ★★★ | Deb Talan :: A Bird Flies Out |
| ★★★ | Deas Vail :: White Lights - EP |
| ★★★ | Cryptic :: Mono/Poly |
| ★★★ | Chanco En Piedra :: La Dieta del Lagarto |
| ★★★ | Ben Rosett :: Mellow Hype |
| ★★★ | Ben Howard :: Is It? |
| ★★★ | ATTLAS :: Out Here With You |
| ★★ | Yellowcard :: Ocean Avenue |
| ★★ | Wolf & Bear :: Everything is Going Grey |
| ★★ | THE NOVEMBERS :: Elegance - EP |
| ★★ | The Daysleepers :: Hide Your Eyes (EP) |
| ★★ | Tenue :: Arcos, bóvedas, pórticos |
| ★★ | Tenebrae :: Rachmaninoff Vespers: All-Night Vigil |
| ★★ | strxwberrymilk :: Eloise |
| ★★ | Son Lux :: Stranger Forms |
| ★★ | Silverstein :: I Am Alive In Everything I Touch |
| ★★ | Samantha James :: Rise |
| ★★ | Real Estate :: Real Estate |
| ★★ | POLIÇA :: Madness |
| ★★ | Owls :: Owls |
| ★★ | Osamu Sato :: Objectless |
| ★★ | MSWHITE :: Squares |
| ★★ | Mrkryl & Sorsari :: Story LP |
| ★★ | MONO :: My Story, The Buraku Story |
| ★★ | Malfet :: Alban Arthan |
| ★★ | Laurel Halo :: Atlas |
| ★★ | Itoki Hana :: Void |
| ★★ | Intervals :: A Voice Within |
| ★★ | Hammock :: Longest Year (2020) |
| ★★ | Go Motion :: Kill the Love |
| ★★ | Frank Sinatra :: Ring-A-Ding-Ding! |
| ★★ | Fearofdark :: Exit Plan |
| ★★ | FaltyDL :: Hardcourage |
| ★★ | Ellen Allien & Apparat :: Orchestra of Bubbles |
| ★★ | e.s.t. :: Seven Days of Falling |
| ★★ | dungeontroll :: Tales from the Northern Chamber - EP |
| ★★ | DJ Kuroneko :: Neko Garage 3 |
| ★★ | desert sand feels warm at night :: သေမင်းတမန် |
| ★★ | Danny Paul Grody :: Sketch for Winter VI: Other States |
| ★★ | Daniel Deluxe :: Corruptor |
| ★★ | Dance With the Dead :: Send the Signal |
| ★★ | Charles Mingus :: Pithecanthropus Erectus |
| ★★ | CHANCE デラソウル :: Goodbye Future Funk |
| ★★ | CHANCE デラソウル :: All Together Now |
| ★★ | Anaïs Mitchell :: Xoa |
| ★★ | Aminé :: Good For You |
| ★ | webcage :: Heatwave |
| ★ | Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin :: Ali |
| ★ | The Acid :: Liminal |
| ★ | Tanaka Yuri :: City Lights 2nd Season |
| ★ | Slikback :: Tomo - EP |
| ★ | Midbooze :: Experience |
| ★ | Kinoko Teikoku :: Time Lapse |
| ★ | Home Is Where :: Our Mouths to Smile - EP |
| ★ | Hannah Blaylock :: Bandit Queen |
| ★ | Frazey Ford :: Indian Ocean |
| ★ | Evil Needle :: Cirrostratus |
| ★ | DZA :: Software |
| ★ | Death In The Park :: Death In The Park - EP |
| ★ | Cyro y los Persas :: 27 |