If you have no idea what AVX-2 and AVX-512 are, they are names for instruction sets, a combination of CPU design and language that help execute, in this case, math. AVX512 is a newer 512-bit instruction set promising faster performance. Since data science can sometimes be rather slow, faster math sounds very promising. Overall, the […]
AVX2 vs AVX512 + that iGPU for Data Science speed Read More »
Mini PCs are amazing! But most people will probably have difficulty getting too excited about them, because they are pretty much just small black boxes. TLDR: Mini PCs are probably the desktop of choice for most people these days. Mini PCs (sometimes referred to as Nuc Boxes) are what happens when you take components designed
The Mini PC Showdown Read More »
My mom and I both ordered rather more fruit trees than we really needed. In particular my mother ordered four Yellow Transparents, because she really wanted to make sure we had something like the old yellow apple which we love but is aging. I got quite a few more than four trees, but most were
Fruit Tree Planting 2021 Read More »
This book is science fiction, a space opera, and the follow up to the successful, Hugo-award-winning predecessor A Memory Called Empire. I found the sequel to be an easier read, as most of the world-building was accomplished in the previous book. The plot was predictable, but the world it runs through is full of brain
A Desolation Called Peace: A Review Read More »
Strength and honor! I have chanted this to myself tens of thousands of times over the years, day after day. It is a rallying cry, a reminder never to stop. To hold the line, no matter the cost. I share with you now the single great secret to success that I have learned, and seen
The Cult of Strength Read More »
The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price attempts the impossible, a synthesis of all there is to know about the Viking Age presented in a way that anyone could read. I found it to be a great success, and a parallel to SPQR by Mary Beard for the
The Children of Ash and Elm: a review and my love of Viking-age history Read More »
Mechanical keyboards tend to be massive affairs. This keyboard is much smaller, about the size of a standard laptop keyboard but with much better key travel. And well, it has RGB lighting. And it is wireless. I bought it for travel but I ended up loving how much of my desk it freed up, so
Keychron K3 Review – for minimalists and travelers who like a good keyboard Read More »
Lviv is a wonderful, friendly city. It sits on the far western edge of Ukraine, near the border with Poland. Indeed, the Polish were among the seven or so different political entities that controlled the city in the last 100 years or so, and Polish connections with the city, including tourists, appear to be pretty
Lviv – Reflections and a Review for Digital Nomads Read More »
Until I get around to writing something more interesting, I will share my most exciting purchase of the year: a Raspberry Pi tower cooler. It’s cool (literally). It’s also cute, a miniature of the huge coolers in an enthusiast desktop. It does RGB rainbow colors! For $20, this S2Pi Tower cooler can be yours from
The Overkill Pi Fan Read More »
2020… …was a hard year for many people.For me, it wasn’t too bad, although it definitely did not turn out as expected. The year started off with a really amazing trip to New Zealand. My second time there, I got to see a bunch of new sites I hadn’t seen before (Abel Tasman and Mt
