John A Cairns

Advent of Code 2025

2025-12-27T00:00:00-06:00

I am not committing to the Advent of Code 2025 this year. I'm working on too many side projects checksmix, snipren, emomtimer. In fact I don't even have time to write this blog. On the other hand, I used some holiday downtime to work through Day 1 Part 1 in MMIX.

Day 1 is about a safe dial with 100 increments. The dial starts at 50, then processes a stream of rotations such as L68 or R48. Each instruction moves the dial left or right by the given amount, wrapping modulo 100. The idea is that directional, left or right, rotations are applied to the dial pointer using mod math. The trick is that, while mod addition is no big deal, it will be obviously positive, modullo subtraction is a bit more complicated because the pointer could take a negative value. In that case the pointer needs to be reset from the back (end - pointer) to determine the pointed value.

Consider the following:

RemEuclid  DIV     $2, $0, $1        % q = trunc(a/m)
           MUL     $3, $2, $1        % q*m
           SUB     $0, $0, $3        % r = a - q*m  (can be negative)
           BNN     $0, RemDone       % if r >= 0, we're done
           ADD     $0, $0, $1        % r += m
RemDone    POP     1,0

Note that after the branch, BNN, instruction a correction is applied to add the remainder to the max number of increments, in this case 100 to determine the correct offset, aka, Euclidean remainder.

Here is my implementation of safe dial pointer in MMIX - I got my ⭐️.

Approach

Parse the input as a null-terminated string containing L/R tokens separated by newlines.
Convert each token into a signed direction (-1 for L, +1 for R) and a magnitude.
Update the dial position by adding the signed delta and applying Euclidean remainder with divisor 100 to keep the value in [0, 99].
Record a hit whenever the dial value becomes zero.

InputPtr is a global register used as a moving pointer into the input string. ParseRotations reads one token and returns the direction in $2 and the magnitude in $3. HandleRotation computes the signed move, updates the dial in $10, wraps it with RemEuclid, and increments the hit counter $12 when the dial reaches zero. The loop continues until a null terminator is encountered.

RemEuclid is a small helper that mirrors Rust's rem_euclid to avoid negative results after subtraction. The helper keeps the remainder non-negative by adding the divisor when needed; it uses $2 and $3 as scratch registers.

Complexity is linear in the number of tokens. The program keeps all state in registers and a single input buffer in the data segment; no heap or I/O is involved beyond the initial static input.

Input and code are embedded together below. The input matches the sample I used to validate the counting logic: the dial hits zero whenever a rotation lands exactly on that position after wrapping.

DIAL_INCREMENTS IS 100

        LOC #100
% Entry point
        GREG    @
InputPtr GREG   0               % global register for input pointer

Main    LDA    InputPtr,MyInput   % initialize pointer
        SETI    $10,50         % dial setting - current dial pointer (starts at 50)
        SETI    $11,0          % count number of operations handled
        SETI    $12,0          % hit count - how many times the dial got set to 0

TokenLoop
        LDBI    $1,InputPtr,0   % check if at end BEFORE parsing
        BZ      $1,Done         % null terminator, done
        PUSHJ   $0,ParseRotations
        PUSHJ   $0,HandleRotation
        ADDUI   $11,$11,1       % increment operations processed
        JMP     TokenLoop


% ----------------------------------------------------
% HandleRotation
% ----------------------------------------------------
HandleRotation
        % operation = direction * magnitude
        MUL     $5,$2,$3        % apply direction to value 
        % temp = dial + operation
        ADD     $0,$10,$5       % move dial in direction of vector
        % temp = temp.mod_euclid(DIAL_INCREMENTS)
        SETI    $1,DIAL_INCREMENTS
        PUSHJ   $4,RemEuclid
        % dial = temp
        SET     $10,$0
        % if dial == 0?
        BNZ     $10,SkipCount
        % if dial is zero increment the number of hits
        ADDI     $12,$12,1
SkipCount
        POP     0,0


% ------------------------------------------------------------
% RemEuclid: $0 := ($0 rem_euclid $1), with $1 > 0
% Input: $0 = dividend, $1 = divisor (must be > 0)
% Output: $0 = remainder in range [0, $1)
% Uses: $2, $3
% ------------------------------------------------------------
RemEuclid  DIV     $2, $0, $1        % q = trunc(a/m)
           MUL     $3, $2, $1        % q*m
           SUB     $0, $0, $3        % r = a - q*m  (can be negative)
           BNN     $0, RemDone       % if r >= 0, we're done
           ADD     $0, $0, $1        % r += m
RemDone    POP     1,0

% ----------------------------------------------------
% ParseRotations - Parse ONE rotation from input string
% Input: InputPtr = pointer to current position in string (global)
% Returns: $2 = direction (-1 or +1), $3 = value, InputPtr = updated pointer
% Uses: $1 = current char, $5/$6 = digit scratch
ParseRotations
        LDBI    $1,InputPtr,0   % load first char
        BZ      $1,ParseEnd     % null terminator
        CMPI    $2,$1,'L'       % check if 'L'
        BZ      $2,ParseL
        CMPI    $2,$1,'R'
        BZ      $2,ParseR
        ADDUI   InputPtr,InputPtr,1  % skip unknown char
        POP     0,0             % return early

ParseL  SETI    $2,-1           % direction = -1 for left
        JMP     ParseNumber
ParseR  SETI    $2,1            % direction = +1 for right

ParseNumber
        ADDUI   InputPtr,InputPtr,1  % skip L/R char
        SETI    $3,0            % value accumulator
DigitLoop
        LDBI    $1,InputPtr,0   % load next char
        SUBI    $5,$1,'0'       % convert to digit
        BN      $5,EndNumber    % < '0'
        CMPI    $6,$5,10
        BNN     $6,EndNumber    % >= 10
        MULI    $3,$3,10        % value *= 10
        ADD     $3,$3,$5        % value += digit
        ADDUI   InputPtr,InputPtr,1
        JMP     DigitLoop

EndNumber
        ADDUI   InputPtr,InputPtr,1  % skip newline/delimiter

ParseEnd
        POP     0,0

Done    TRAP    0,Halt,0

        LOC     Data_Segment

MyInput   BYTE    "L68", '\n', "L30", '\n', "R48", '\n'
          BYTE    "L5", '\n', "R60", '\n'
          BYTE    "L55", '\n', "L1", '\n', "L99", '\n'
          BYTE    "R14", '\n', "L82", '\n', 0

The this example input the program processes 10 operations, finishes at dial position 32, and records 3 zero hits in $12.

Checksmix - Blazing Fast MMIX

2025-12-26T00:00:00-06:00

Blazing Fast MMIX Emulator

I like learning computer architectures by running code. MIX is good fun, but it’s dated and awkward for writing anything beyond small examples. MMIX, on the other hand, is a complete computer architecture—much closer to machines that were genuinely pleasant to program, like MIPS or DEC Alpha.

For a while I was deeply obsessed with Alpha. Someone even gave me a Decstation 5000 that was headed to the dumpster to mess around with. I wanted to convert it from VMS to Unix but the tapes were prohibitively expensive. Digital didn't seem to understand the idea of scavenged hardware and wouldn't take pity on a poor college kid. I eventually switched to something designed in California—which, to be fair, is also expensive, but comes with better price for performance characteristics. But that doesn't mean I still can't write code in a model RISC computer.

Out of that latent interest came checksmix: a Rust-based MMIX assembler and emulator that lets you assemble or execute .mms source modules (or existing .mmo objects). Legacy MIX is still partially supported, though it hasn’t been the focus in my last round of changes.

Removing Friction from MMIX Experiments

The goal was simple: make MMIX feel accessible.

That meant:

An assembler (mmixasm) that emits .mmo in a simple and obvious way.
An emulator (checksmix) that can take raw .mms and just run it via the assembler in memory.
Clear register and memory dumps before and after execution so you can see exactly what changed.
Enough TRAP support (notably Halt and Fputs) to print output and exit while experimenting with control flow and data structures.

Assemble or Run Directly

Run MMIX assembly without producing an object file:

checksmix examples/hello_world.mms

If you prefer to keep artifacts around, assemble first and then emulate:

mmixasm examples/linked_list.mms list.mmo
checksmix list.mmo

For debugging, add:

RUST_LOG=checksmix=debug

This enables instruction decoding traces and TRAP handling logs.

A Minimal Program (Hello, MMIX)

        LOC     Data_Segment
        GREG    @
Text    BYTE    "Hello world!",10,0

        LOC     #100
Main    LDA     $0,Text
        TRAP    0,Fputs,StdOut
        TRAP    0,Halt,0

Run it with checksmix and you’ll see register state before and after execution, along with the printed string via TRAP 0,Fputs,StdOut.

Under the Hood

256 general-purpose registers, 32 special registers, sparse 64-bit address space.
.mms parsing, encoding, and in-memory loading; .mmo decoding with entry-point PC setup.
TRAP handling for Halt and Fputs, so programs can print without extra tooling.
Legacy MIX .mix / .mixal parsing if you want to compare architectures side by side.

Technical Discussion: From Grammar to Run Loop

The grammar in mmixal.pest is intentionally literal. Tokens, expressions, directives, and opcodes map closely to Knuth’s notation—there is no “friendly” abstraction layer hiding the architecture. Pest gives byte spans, but we store source line and column on every error to keep diagnostics in the familiar file:line:col: message format. The tradeoff is a slightly heavier parse path, but much better ergonomics while iterating.

mmixal.rs implements a two-pass assembler over the pest pairs. Labels are resolved, expressions folded, and instructions lowered into MMixInstruction enums. Encoding happens exactly once. In checksmix, the encoded bytes are dropped straight into memory; in mmixasm, the same stream is wrapped with the MMO postamble and entry PC. Keeping this representation unified avoids two subtly different assemblers drifting apart over time.

MmoDecoder performs the inverse operation: it reads MMO sections and sparsely maps them into memory, returning the entry PC. Sparse loading via offsets keeps relocation handling honest without materializing gigabytes of zeroes. Malformed section headers are rejected early so an MMO can’t scribble over arbitrary addresses.

The emulator core in mmix.rs is table-driven. It fetches 4-byte words, splits opcode and operands, and dispatches through small macros covering arithmetic, logic, branches, and floating-point instructions. General-purpose and special registers live in fixed arrays for speed; memory is a hash map, so uninitialized addresses read as zero and we avoid allocating a 2⁶⁴-byte address space. The cost is extra lookups, but the REPL-style loop stays responsive without complex memory machinery.

TRAP support is intentionally minimal. TRAP 0,Halt,0 exits; TRAP 0,Fputs,StdOut walks a null-terminated string from $0 and writes it to stdout or stderr. Unknown traps simply advance the PC and continue. For exploratory work and porting snippets from richer simulators, this is usually more helpful than halting or panicking.

Debugging relies on logs rather than a bespoke UI. With RUST_LOG=checksmix=debug, you get decode and execute traces, PC movement, and TRAP calls. The binaries also dump registers before and after execution so you can diff machine state across runs. It’s a pragmatic compromise: enough visibility to reason about correctness without freezing the design around a particular debugger interface.

What You Get

Fast feedback: Edit → run → inspect registers and memory in seconds.
Confidence: Deterministic load and execution with debug logging when needed.
Lower friction: More time spent thinking about your code

Project Links

Repository: https://github.com/jac18281828/checksmix
Crate: https://crates.io/crates/checksmix

Run the machine, watch the registers move, and make MMIX feel connected.

Simple Example

% ----------------------------------------------------
% Fibonacci Sequence
% ----------------------------------------------------
        LOC     #100
% Entry point
Main    SETI    $1,20            % compute fib(20)
        PUSHJ   $0,Fibonacci     % call Fibonacci
        JMP     Done

% ----------------------------------------------------
% Registers used:
%   $0 = result
%   $1 = n (input)
%   $2 = fib(n-2)
%   $3 = fib(n-1)
%   $4 = counter
%   $5 = temp
% ----------------------------------------------------

% calculate fib($1) and return result in $0
Fibonacci
        CMPI    $5,$1,2
        BN      $5,TwoOrLess
        SETI    $2,0
        SETI    $3,1
        SETI    $4,2
AddLoop
        CMP     $5,$4,$1
        BP      $5,FibEnd
        ADDU    $5,$2,$3
        SET     $2,$3
        SET     $3,$5
        ADDUI   $4,$4,1
        JMP     AddLoop
FibEnd
        SET     $0,$3
        POP     0,0             % return to caller (rJ)
TwoOrLess
        SET     $0,$1
        POP     0,0             % return to caller (rJ)

Done
        TRAP    0,Halt,0

Rename the Way You Mean To

2025-12-22T00:00:00-06:00

I rename a lot of files. So do you.

I respect the Unix way — mv file1 file2 — but in practice, file1 and file2 are usually the same name failing by one to three characters. Re-typing 97% of a filename feels ceremonial rather than intentional, especially when what I want is something like:

mv server_log.log server_log.bak

That friction is persistent throughout your work day.

I created a small rust utility to make renaming mean what it looks like it means.

The Idea: Renaming as Expansion

Instead of explicitly naming the source file, the tool infers it from the destination name using one constrained rule:

The destination must be a strict expansion of the source.

In other words, the new filename must contain the old filename intact, with extra characters added somewhere in the middle or at the edges — but never altered.

This gives us two important properties:

Intentionality: you only specify what changed
Determinism: there is either exactly one valid source, or the command fails

So instead of writing:

mv server_log.log server_log.bak

You write:

rn server_log.bak

And the tool figures out the rest — or refuses to guess.

The Core Algorithm: A Two-Pointer “Vice”

At the heart of the tool is a simple string-matching rule implemented as a two-pointer squeeze from both ends. Think of it as a vice that compresses inward until it proves the old name is fully contained in the new one.

Here is the core function:

pub fn matches_expansion(old: &str, new: &str) -> bool {
    let o: Vec<char> = old.chars().collect();
    let n: Vec<char> = new.chars().collect();

    // consume common prefix
    let mut i1 = 0;
    let mut i2 = 0;
    while i1 < o.len() && i2 < n.len() && o[i1] == n[i2] {
        i1 += 1;
        i2 += 1;
    }

    // consume common suffix without crossing prefix
    let mut j1 = o.len();
    let mut j2 = n.len();
    while j1 > i1 && j2 > i2 && o[j1 - 1] == n[j2 - 1] {
        j1 -= 1;
        j2 -= 1;
    }

    // valid iff the old name is fully consumed
    i1 == j1 && i1 > 0
}

What matters is the invariant at the end:

If the “vice” can fully consume the old name → it’s a valid expansion
If it can’t → it’s not a match
If multiple files match → the tool errors and exits

No ambiguity.

Why This Matters

For a rename tool, correctness isn’t optional — it’s the entire product.

This approach guarantees:

No silent ambiguity
No accidental mass renames
No guessing when intent is unclear

If the rename is obvious, it works.
If it isn’t, it fails.

That’s the behavior I want from my work environment.

In a small way, this fixes a long-standing Unix papercut: renaming files should express change, not repetition.

Project Links

Repository: GitHub
Crate: crates.io

Rename the way you mean to.

rn server_log.bak

rustlang #cli #algorithms #dx

mastering mark in emacs

2025-11-22T00:00:00-06:00

C-x C-x is teleport for your mark.

C-x h is “select literally everything right now”!

Announcement rust:v1.91.1

2025-11-17T00:00:00-06:00

Rust Dev v1.91.1

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.91.1. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Rust Release

c-style for loop in bash

2025-11-14T00:00:00-06:00

How did i not know that you can make a c-style for loop in bash

$ for (( i=0; i<5; i++ ))
  do
      echo $i
  done

Every Light Meter Tutorial on YouTube Is Wrong

2025-11-14T00:00:00-06:00

How to use a lightmeter with your digital camera in 2025!

Parsm - an Everything Parser

2025-06-29T00:00:00-05:00

Introducing Parsm: A Universal Structured Text Parser

When scientists and engineers created the UNIX system, they built utilities that each performed a specific task exceptionally well. Commands such as grep, awk, and sed have become the atoms of text and data processing workflows. However, today's computing landscape is dominated by structured data formats like JSON, YAML, CSV, and TOML. In that context, many of these powerful utilities are less important.

Recognizing this, I've developed parsm: a parser specifically designed for the structured-data-rich era we inhabit today. Parsm is better at understanding structured text than grep or sed while providing a more straightforward domain specific language with field selection than awk.

What is Parsm?

Parsm is an "everything parser," a robust command-line utility explicitly engineered to handle multiple structured text formats seamlessly. Unlike traditional tools (grep, awk, sed), which primarily handle line-based text, parsm inherently understands structured data—automatically parsing JSON, YAML, TOML, CSV, and logfmt formats. Parsm can even parse words from sentences.

Why Parsm?

Parsm simplifies workflows dramatically by intelligently detecting input formats and providing intuitive filtering and templating functionalities. Parsm also works great in traditional UNIX style pipelined data streams.

For example, here's how easily you can use parsm:

Parsing and filtering JSON data:

$ echo '[{"name": "Alice", "age": 30},{"name": "Bob"}]' | parsm 'name'
Alice
Bob

Filtering CSV data:

$ echo Alice,30,Engineer | parsm 'field_0 ^= "A" {$field_0 is an $field_2}'
Alice is an Engineer

Extracting from logfmt:

$ echo 'level=info msg="Service started"' | parsm 'msg'
Service started

Key Features

Automatic format detection: Recognizes data formats instantly, minimizing setup.
Unified syntax: One intuitive syntax across all supported formats.
Powerful templating and filtering: Effortlessly extract, filter, transform, and format data.

Getting Started

Install parsm easily using Cargo:

cargo install parsm

Explore and contribute to the project:

GitHub Repository

Crates IO

Closing Thoughts

Parsm isn't about reinventing Unix utilities—it's about evolving them. With a nod to structured data and its main workflow, field selection, Parsm provides powerful and efficient way to interact with modern data. It's the Unix way adapted for your needs today.

History: Jesuit

2025-04-20T00:00:00-05:00

1491- The Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, was founded by a Spanish nobleman, Ignatius of Loyola, 1491- 1556. Loyola was in many ways the antithesis of Martin Luther. Though he believed in Luther's fundamental interpretation of church theology, his means to attain salvation was born out of absolute adherence to church doctrine. The Jesuits preferred a highly disciplined devotion to scripture rather than the relaxed 'acceptance' doctrine espoused by the Lutherans. The Jesuits believed in strict papal supremacy, see Act of Supremacy.

History: CounterReformation

2025-04-13T00:00:00-05:00

1555- Though many reforms had occurred in the Catholic church there were those who tried to impose a structure based on past ideals. Pope Paul IV, 1555- 1559

was considered to be a counter-reformation pope because of his traditional interpretations of religious doctrine. Paul IV created the Papal Index and also vastly increased the power of the Inquisition, a move which threatened even the most powerful dissenters with torture or death. Though, Christian unity was a goal for some, the counter-reformation and the Council of Trent served to permanently solidify the divisions that had formed in the church.

History: Papal Index

2025-04-06T00:00:00-05:00

Pope Paul IV, see Counter Reformation , set about to revert some of the changes of the various religious reformations and in so doing created a Papal Index of Forbidden Books. This Index listed books that Catholics were forbidden from reading. These books included Protestant works as well as works considered to be "unwholesome."

History: Act of Supremacy

2025-03-30T00:00:00-05:00

The Jesuit movement borrowed from Lutheranism in spirit, but fundamentally turned Martin~Luther's conclusions upside down. The Jesuits declared strict allegiance to the Pope. The Jesuits' absolute obedience became an organized extension of the popes authority.

History: Predestination

2025-03-23T00:00:00-05:00

Predestination is the idea that God has predetermined the destiny of all souls, whether they be saved or damned, since God is all knowing and can foresee the future. This idea is usually associated with John Calvin, 1509- 1564.

History: Anabaptists

2025-03-16T00:00:00-05:00

1525- Following the path paved by the Protestant Reforms the Anabaptists pushed for further reformation of church doctrine. Anabaptists tended to be peasants and working poor. The Anabaptists believed in adult baptism, rather than infant baptism, taking the approach that all believers were baptized into the church of their own accord and thus were conferred with the same rights and privileges. The Anabaptists attempted to live in accordance with early villages described in the New Testament, they organized democratic communities where each and every believer was seen as sharing the same rights. Further, the Anabaptists believed in secular government, they refused to hold political office or bear arms.

History: Peace of Augsburg

2025-03-09T00:00:00-06:00

1555- The Protestant Reformation instigated a spate of religious turmoil and warfare throughout Europe, since few states and officials could agree on the fate of the two intertwined yet conflicting ecclesiastical disciplines. Wars between Italy, Spain, Germany and the Turks marked the period until the Peace of Augsburg. The Peace of Augsburg granted Lutherans the same legal rights as Catholics and settled the disputes between the Lutheran Germans and other non-Lutherans. The Peace of Augsburg also cemented the independence of the German Princes who had eschewed the will of the Holy Roman Emperor and triumphed.

History: Edict of Worms

2025-03-02T00:00:00-06:00

1520

In response to Martin Luther's strong condemnation of church doctrine, Holy Roman Emperor Charles~V, 1519- 1556 convened a meeting to force Luther to recant his heretical stance. Undaunted, Luther stood fast, and proclaimed that [paraphrase] he had arrived at his beliefs based on the word of God, and only the word of God would dissuade him. The Emperor, not being one to withstand such a rebuff, quickly issued the Edict of Worms, making Luther an outlaw and required Luther to be captured and his works to be burned.

History: justification by faith

2025-02-23T00:00:00-06:00

The justification by faith was the principal doctrine of the Protestant Reformation. The justification by faith says that humans can not achieve salvation through good deeds but by the grace of God, and that this was achieved through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Programing like NASA, the Power of Ten

2025-02-21T00:00:00-06:00

Should you program like NASA?

Programming is a discipline that requires both speed and integrity. The best developers balance rapid iteration with careful checking, ensuring that their code is robust, maintainable, and adaptable over time. That’s where structured coding principles—like those found in the Power of Ten—may help.

Originally developed for safety-critical systems, the Power of Ten outlines constraints that slow down the creation of code to help prevent issues or to allow static code analysis to find issues programmers don't.

However, arbitrary restrictions often do not make sense. While some guidelines improve clarity and prevent common pitfalls, others can be overly pedantic, adding unnecessary friction without tangible benefits. In this video, I review how to pick and choose from the Power of Ten, adopting what helps while rejecting constraints that impose needless headaches.

History: Pluralism

2025-02-16T00:00:00-06:00

Pluralism became a problem in the late middle ages, 1500. Many officials held two or more positions within the church at the same time, this allowed a single individual to reap the rewards of multiple positions while still performing the service of one.

History: Indulgences

2025-02-09T00:00:00-06:00

Indulgences were a common practice of Catholic church from before the middle ages through the sixteenth century. In particular, Pope Leo X granted a special jubilee indulgence to finance Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. However, religious reformers such as Martin Luther openly criticized the practice of paying for penance. Indulgences became a motivational force for religious reform, as they tended to underscore hypocrisy in the Catholic church.

History: Martin Luther

2025-02-02T00:00:00-06:00

1483- 1546 - Martin Luther was an educated man who dedicated himself to monastic life at the age of twenty-two. Luther became obsessed with a simple question: What is the minimum one must do to attain salvation? Luther believed that church doctrine set an impossible task before anyone wishing to attain salvation, and resolved to find a new interpretation of church doctrine that resolved the question. Luther's answer, known as the Protestant Reformation revolutionized the Christian religion and created a new church doctrine that was rapidly adopted. However, Luther's view was not accepted by all. The catholic church excommunicated him, and the Holy Roman Emperor made him an outlaw. Nonetheless, Luther's view had caught hold of the people, and attempts to stifle Luther couldn't stop the rapidly advancing religious reform.

1466- 1536 - Desiderius Erasmus was one of the most important Christian humanists. Erasmus was determined to reconcile faith and reason through the common themes of classical ethics and Christian morality. He published a book known as Handbook of the Christian Knight, in 1503.

Erasmus' book espoused a 'philosophy of Christ' over restrictive church doctrine. Erasmus also published a revised and edited edition of the Bible in 1516. Though Erasmus' reforms did not become widely accepted, it is thought that these reforms paved the way for the Protestant Reformation.

History: Protestant Reformation

2025-01-26T00:00:00-06:00

1513- Spearheaded by Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation set about to answer the question about what one must do to attain salvation. Luther believed that church theology which included the seven sacraments set an impossible task before good people who might deserve salvation. Luther's idea was that the "justice of God" was not a punitive recounting of ones individual folly, but a merciful acceptance wrought out of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The Reformation became very popular and spread rapidly, splintering the Catholic church into factions that exist to this day.

History: Julius II

2025-01-19T00:00:00-06:00

1503- 1513 - Julius II was a Renaissance Pope who was very involved in both war and politics. Julius is sometimes called the "warrior-pope," since he personally led armies. Many Christians criticized these activities.

History: Fall of Constantinople

2025-01-12T00:00:00-06:00

1453- The city of Constantinople fell to the Turks after being sieged for several months. This event and the rapid spread of the Turkish people throughout the east, allowed the Turks to exert considerable pressure on the western kingdoms.

History: Habsburgs

2025-01-05T00:00:00-06:00

1438- The Habsburg dynasty was the principal ruling dynasty in the "Holy Roman Empire" in the mid-fifteenth century. The Habsburgs were one of the largest land holders in the region. They cemented their success through a system of strategic marriages devised to maintain or increase power and influence over the region.

How to use ed - the original text editor

2025-01-03T00:00:00-06:00

How to use ed

ed file.txt
1,$p         # Print all lines.
3d           # Delete line 3.
$s/foo/bar/g # Replace "foo" with "bar" in all lines.
w            # Save changes.
q            # Quit the editor.
i            # insert previous line
a            # append next line

Beans Test Kitchen - Panettone Taste Test

2025-01-01T00:00:00-06:00

Beans Test Kitchen Panettone Blind Taste Test

Compared are * Tre Marie * Pisti - Il Panettone * Bauducco

History: Isabella and Ferdinand

2024-12-29T00:00:00-06:00

1480

The marriage of Isabella of Castile, 1474- 1504, and Ferdinand of Aragon, 1479- 1516, served to unify much of Christian and Muslim Spain. Though both kingdoms maintained separate governing institutions, the two rulers were able to strengthen the bond between the two kingdoms by strengthening their respective monarchies. Isabella and Ferdinand built a national military with the purpose of controlling the aristocracy. They arranged with the pope to be able to appoint the top position in the Spanish church, and made other changes which strengthened the monarchy as a whole.

History: Henry VII Tudor

2024-12-22T00:00:00-06:00

1485- 1509 - Henry VII defeated Richard III and established the Tudor dynasty. After the War of the Roses, much work was needed to unify the aristocracy, and Henry worked to quell dissension and build a strong monarchy. Henry eliminated the practice of wealthy families maintaining personal militaries. Henry also worked to improve the English economy by encouraging businesses. As a result of these improvements, Henry's legacy was a stable and prosperous nation.

History: War of the Roses

2024-12-15T00:00:00-06:00

1450- 1485 - The War of the Roses was a civil war that broke out between English ducal houses. The house of Lancaster, whose symbol was a red rose, and the house of York, adopting the white rose. In the 1450's many aristocratic families were pitted against one another. Later, in 1485, Henry Tudor defeated the Yorkist king, Richard III and established the dynasty known as the Tudors.

How to Debug Custom Errors in Ethereum Using Foundry and Forge

2024-12-13T00:00:00-06:00

Debugging custom errors in Ethereum smart contracts using Foundry and Forge involves guessing, intuition and trial and error. Custom errors can provide clarity and save gas compared to traditional require statements. However, debugging them requires perseverance.

History: School of Athens

2024-12-08T00:00:00-06:00

Raphael painted School of Athens after he arrived in Rome, 1510- 1511. The School of Athens depicts a gathering of ancient philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, and Pythagoras. This work illustrates the revival of classical thought, especially pertaining to harmony and order, during the Italian Renaissance.

Solana Anchor Build Setup Dockerfile

2024-12-07T00:00:00-06:00

Anchor Build on Visual Studio Code

Solana Anchor with Docker ensures a consistent development environment, making it easier to manage dependencies and build processes.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following installed on your machine:

Dockerfile

Below is a Dockerfile for setting up the Solana Anchor environment within Visual Studio Code or Docker:

Using Docker for your Solana Anchor project setup ensures that your development environment is consistent and reproducible. This setup can save you time and prevent issues related to dependency management. Happy coding!

History: Johanne Gutenberg

2024-12-01T00:00:00-06:00

1450

Gutenberg is the famous inventor of movable type machines. Around 1455 Gutenberg produced a practical and inexpensive copy of the Bible. In the next century the technology exploded across Europe, from 1 to 100, to 1000 printers across Europe. In the sixteenth century, Gutenberg's movable type apparatus, also coined "printing press," had been used to produce more than 10 million copies of 40,000 titles. Printing became one of the largest industries in Europe, and has had a monumental impact on Western Civilization.

const in rust - 3 essentials

2024-11-29T00:00:00-06:00

Unlock constants in Rust with these three essential tips! 🚀

1️⃣ Static from Const: Rust 1.83+ lets you reference a static from a const—simplify and optimize your code 2️⃣ Compile-Time Precomputation: Use const for values computed at compile time, boosting performance 3️⃣ Const Generics for Arrays: Initialize arrays with const parameters and even precompute sequences like Fibonacci—just remember, loops aren’t allowed in const Combine these techniques for clean, efficient, and precomputed logic in your Rust projects! 🦀

Advent of Code 2024

2024-11-25T00:00:00-06:00

2024 Advent of Code Repository

I have created a repository for the Advent of Code 2024 challenges. You can find the repository here.

This year I'll be coding in Rust.

I'm using the basic setup as described in How to set up Rust for Advent of Code by Chris Biscardi. Thanks Chris! Along with my Visual Studio Code Rust Remote Container here

Debugging Smart Contracts with Foundry

2024-11-24T00:00:00-06:00

Debugging in Foundry and Forge: Techniques for Solidity Developers

In this video, I walk through four essential debugging techniques in Foundry and Forge, as outlined in my YouTube video. These techniques include:

Verbose Test Output
Foundry Interactive Debugging
Printf Debugging
Event Logging

1. Verbose Test Output

Verbose test output is your first step in gaining visibility into what’s happening during your tests. Foundry’s forge command allows you to run tests with detailed output that includes stack traces, failing assertions, and function calls.

How to Use

Run the following command to enable verbose output:

$ forge test -vvvv

The -vvvv flag sets the verbosity level to maximum, providing comprehensive details about test execution. This helps you pinpoint the exact location and nature of a failure, especially in large test suites.

Benefits

•   Clear stack traces for failed tests.
•   Insight into contract calls and execution flow.
•   Quick identification of failing assertions.

Verbose output is a great starting point when a test doesn’t behave as expected.

2. Foundry Interactive Debugging

Foundry offers an interactive debugging mode that allows you to step through transactions and examine state changes. This feature is invaluable for complex debugging scenarios where simple test outputs aren’t enough.

How to Use

Enable debugging with:

$ forge test --debug

When a failing test is encountered, the debugger will pause execution, letting you: • Inspect variables and memory. • Step through execution one instruction at a time. • Evaluate expressions interactively.

Benefits

•   Detailed view of the EVM state during execution.
•   Fine-grained control over the debugging process.
•   Ideal for deep dives into unexpected behavior.

Interactive debugging provides an advanced level of insight, making it perfect for diagnosing subtle issues.

3. Printf Debugging

Printf debugging is a simple yet effective approach where you insert logging statements into your contracts. Foundry supports emitting logs during test execution, which can help you trace execution flow and variable values.

How to Use

Add the following to your Solidity code:

emit log_named_uint("Variable Name", variable); emit log_named_address("Address", userAddress);

Run your tests with:

$ forge test -vvv

The output will include your custom logs, helping you trace what’s happening in your contract.

Benefits

•   Quick to implement and easy to understand.
•   Effective for tracing specific values.
•   Can be combined with other debugging techniques.

This method is great for quick checks when you suspect an issue with specific variables or functions.

4. Event Logging

Event logging leverages Solidity events to record significant occurrences in your contracts. Unlike printf debugging, events are a core feature of Solidity and can be used for debugging and production purposes.

How to Use

Define events in your contract:

event DebugEvent(string message, uint256 value);

function someFunction(uint256 value) public { emit DebugEvent("Value passed to function", value); }

Run your tests as usual, and the emitted events will appear in the output.

Benefits

•   Provides structured logs for both debugging and production monitoring.
•   Easier to analyze than raw logs, especially in larger systems.
•   Useful for identifying patterns and anomalies in your contract’s behavior.

Events are a robust solution for debugging and monitoring deployed contracts.

Conclusion

Debugging smart contracts is a critical skill, and Foundry and Forge provide a rich set of tools to help you identify and resolve issues efficiently. Whether you start with verbose test output or dive deep with interactive debugging, mastering these techniques will make you a more effective Solidity developer.

If you’d like a more detailed walkthrough, check out my YouTube video where I demonstrate these techniques in action.

What are your go-to debugging strategies in Solidity? Let me know in the comments or reach out on social media!

History: Machiavelli

2024-11-24T00:00:00-06:00

1469- 1527 - Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian politician who's ideas have come to embody an ideal of political power. Machiavelli served as a secretary to the Florentine Council of Ten, and as a diplomat. When the Medici regained control of Florence in 1512, Machiavelli was forced into exile where his political ambition shifted from participation to writing. In his master work, The Prince, Machiavelli explains techniques for achieving and expanding political power.

History: Civic humanism

2024-11-17T00:00:00-06:00

Civic humanism was an ideal that emerged in the Italian Renaissance, 1400.Many people believed that the only way to truly mature as an individual was to participate in the life of the state. They believed that the study of humanities could be used to ensure the overall wellbeing of the state.

History: Petrarch

2024-11-10T00:00:00-06:00

1304- 1374 - Petrarch was a Florentine, though he primarily lived outside of Florence. Petrarch is attributed in the revival of the classics, and the foundation of Italian Renaissance humanism. He is considered one of the greatest lyric poets of the time, and many of his sonnets are inspired by his love for Laura, a married woman whom he met in 1327.

History: House of Medici

2024-11-03T00:00:00-05:00

At it's height, in the fifteenth century the House of Medici was the most prominent banking family in Europe. Originally a cloth producer, the Medicis gained great power in commerce, real estate and finance that spread throughout northern Italy, France, and even into England. The Medici family's power declined after a series of bad leaders and failed loans resulted in significant losses.

History: Hanseatic League

2024-10-27T00:00:00-05:00

The Hanseatic League was formed in the thirteenth century. Several German coastal towns, including L"ubeck, Hamburg, and Bremen formed a commercial and military league to obtain commercial breaks and to protect themselves from pirates. The League grew rapidly and by 1500 it had grown to as many as eighty cities. The Hanseatic League maintained a monopoly on trade of vital goods in northern Europe for centuries.

EMOM Timer - Rust + WebAssembly in Action

2024-10-20T00:00:00-05:00

EMOM Timer - A Rust and Yew Application

Introduction

For those who are new to EMOM workouts, EMOM stands for "Every Minute on the Minute." It's a type of interval workout that pushes your limits by requiring you to complete an exercise at the start of each minute. The leftover time in each minute is your recovery period. To make these workouts seamless, I built an EMOM Timer using Rust and WebAssembly (Wasm), combining the performance of Rust with the portability of web technologies.

In this post, I'll share updates to the EMOM Timer project, highlighting the benefits of Rust and Wasm for this type of application.

Why Rust and Wasm?

Rust is known for its memory safety, performance, and concurrency support, all without a garbage collector. When combined with Wasm, you can run Rust code efficiently in a browser, creating a highly performant and portable web application. This EMOM timer leverages both, providing near-native performance for a smooth user experience.

You can view the source code on GitHub here.

Recent Updates

In this version, I've made several enhancements to the timer:

Improved Timer Logic
The core timer logic has been reworked to ensure more precise synchronization with real-time intervals. This was done by implementing an optimized loop that works seamlessly with Rust’s multithreading model. Thanks to Rust's robust control over concurrency, the timer now handles overlapping instructions more effectively, reducing the jitter during transitions between exercises and rest periods.
WebAssembly Bindgen Integration
To further streamline the interaction between Rust and JavaScript in the browser, I improved the use of wasm-bindgen. This allowed me to directly call Rust functions from JavaScript and manipulate the DOM without performance penalties. This means smoother UI transitions and more precise control over elements like the timer countdown and start/pause functionality.
Customizable Workout Configurations
Users can now fully customize their EMOM workouts. You can input the number of intervals, workout and rest durations, and even switch between time modes like stopwatch or countdown. This feature is made possible by Rust’s type system, which ensures that user inputs are validated, preventing errors during workout setup.
Responsive UI with WebAssembly
While the previous version was more of a functional demo, I’ve now added a responsive design using wasm-bindgen to manipulate CSS directly from Rust. The app adjusts seamlessly between mobile and desktop views, making it easier to use whether you’re at the gym with your phone or at home on your laptop.

Learning Points

Throughout this project, I've learned a lot about combining the strengths of Rust with Wasm, especially when it comes to performance-critical applications like timers. Here are a few takeaways:

Concurrency Management in Rust: Rust's ownership model makes managing concurrent tasks (like UI updates and timing functions) much safer and easier to debug compared to JavaScript's event loop model.
Performance Gains: Moving the heavy lifting (like timer calculations) to Rust results in noticeable performance improvements over traditional JavaScript timers, especially when run on lower-power devices.
Wasm as a Future-Proofing Tool: WebAssembly isn't just a tool for today; it’s part of a future where high-performance apps can be built in languages like Rust and run across different platforms with minimal overhead.

Conclusion

The combination of Rust and WebAssembly has allowed me to create a powerful, efficient, and customizable EMOM timer that outperforms similar JavaScript-only implementations. I’m excited to keep refining this project, and I hope you find it useful for your own fitness routines.

You can check out the latest version of the EMOM Timer on GitHub here, and feel free to try it out in your browser!

History: Dante

2024-10-20T00:00:00-05:00

1265- 1321 - Dante was a Florentine noble who was exiled from his political office. Dante is well known for his work the Divine Comedy which he wrote between 1313- 1321, while in exile. Dante's work depicts the progression of a soul through the process of salvation.

History: Great Schism

2024-10-13T00:00:00-05:00

1377- After determining that a decline in papal authority was due, at least in part, to an Avignon Papacy , Pope Gregory XI returned the seat of papal power to Rome. Unfortunately, in 1378 Gregory died, resulting in a new struggle for papal power. Many Roman cardinals feared that the powerful enclave of French cardinals would elect another French pope who would reestablish the Avignon Papacy. The Roman Cardinals threatened the French cardinals with death if they did so, and the Italian archbishop of Bari was elected and anointed Pope Urban~VI. However, the victory was temporary since five months later the French cardinals declared the election improper. The French cardinals elected Clement VII, a Frenchman to resume the Avignon Papacy and the resulting power struggle is known as the Great Schism. The division of the Papacy caused great turbulence in the Catholic church, damaged the faith of the believers, and resulted in increased taxes and corruption. Eventually the Papacy returned to Rome, but not before much damage was done to the church.

Announcement tsdev:v22.9.0

2024-10-08T00:00:00-05:00

tsdev 22.9.0

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 22.9.0. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download TS Dev Release

History: Avignon Papacy

2024-10-06T00:00:00-05:00

1305- 1377 - Continuing his bid to quell papal power, Philip IV pressured French cardinals to elect a French pope in the wake of the death of Bonifice VIII. Clement~V, 1305- 1314 was elected and moved the seat of the Papacy to Avignon, southern France, citing political turmoil in Rome as the principal reason. The Avignon Papacy resulted in a decline in papal authority, essentially subordinating the Pope to the King of France.

Announcement solana:v1.18.25

2024-10-04T00:00:00-05:00

Solana 1.18.25

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.18.15. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Solana Dev Release

History: Unam Sanctam

2024-09-29T00:00:00-05:00

1302 -- The Unam Sanctam was letter or "papal bull" written by Boniface~VIII to assert his authority to control taxation of the clergy. Boniface wrote that "if earthly power errs, it shall be judged by spiritual power," with the obvious implication that Popes supersede kings in all matters.

History: Bonifice VIII

2024-09-22T00:00:00-05:00

1294- 1303 - Pope Bonifice VIII was a controversial fourteenth century pope. When Philip IV intended to tax the clergy, Bonifice responded that clergy could not pay taxes in any state without papal consent. The power struggle underscored the inherent tension between the powerful European monarchs and the supreme papal authority. Bonifice wrote a series of letters to solidify his argument. One of them was the Unam Sanctam , see below, which he wrote in 1302. Bonifice intended to excommunicate Phillip, however Philip conspired to have the pope brought on charges of heresy. Eventually the pope was captured, freed again, and then killed by conspirators who were incited to the action by Philip.

History: Joan of Arc

2024-09-15T00:00:00-05:00

1412- 1431 - Joan of Arc was the daughter of peasants from the village of Domr'emy in Champagne. Joan was deeply religious and is known to have experienced visions. She believed that several saints commanded her to free France and to return rule to the dauphin, or rightful heir. Joan of Arc persuaded Charles, the dauphin, to allow her to accompany a French army to Orl'eans. The French armies seemed inspired by Joan of Arc's confidence and liberated Orl'eans. Soon the Loire valley was free and Charles was able to claim the monarchy in 1429.

Unfortunately, Joan of Arc was captured shortly thereafter by the Burgundians, who were allies of England. Joan was turned over to the Inquisition on charges of witchcraft, because her visions were deemed to be satanic. The church condemned her as a witch and burned her at the stake. Ironically, Joan was sainted by the Roman Catholic church in 1920, about 500 years too late.

History: Agincourt

2024-09-08T00:00:00-05:00

1415 - Henry V, of England, renewed the Hundred Years' War at Agincourt. The French resistance at Agincourt was decimated and more than 1500 nobles were killed. Henry V was able to reconquer Normandy and gain the allegiance of the Duke of Burgundy.

Announcement solc:v0.8.27

2024-09-04T00:00:00-05:00

Solc 0.8.27

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 0.8.27. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download SOLC Release

History: Poitiers

2024-09-01T00:00:00-05:00

1356 - During the Hundred Years' War King John II was captured at the Battle of Poitiers. This event largely signified the end of the first phase of the War. The English demanded a large ransom and territorial concession for John's release. In return, the English agreed to forsake any claim to the French throne.

History: Crecy

2024-08-25T00:00:00-05:00

1346 - The first decisive battle of the Hundred Years' War was at Crecy in northern France. Edward III of England soundly defeated Philip VI of France.

History: Hundred Years War

2024-08-18T00:00:00-05:00

1337- 1461

- Growing tensions between the King of England, Edward III, and Philip VI of France resulted in a Hundred Years' War. Edward III was duke of Gascony, which meant he must swear allegiance as a vassal of the King of France, however, tensions between the two and political disagreements over the fate of the territory of Gascony caused Edward to refuse allegiance and declare war on Phillip. The disputes waged on and off for more than one hundred years, until Joan of Arc intervened. Charles the dauphin, heir to the French Throne, was established as monarch in 1429 and though the war waged on for two more decades, the tone for the conflict had been established and England was forced out of French territory by 1461.

History: Jacquerie

2024-08-11T00:00:00-05:00

The Jacquerie was a French peasant revolt which broke out in 1358. The peasants were frustrated with the turmoil that resulted from the Black Death and the Hundred Years' War. The peasants were persecuted by both Merchants, who lived off of peasant lands as they traveled, and the military who had deliberate policies to lay waste to peasant lands. Revolution was the natural result, however, the peasants were quickly quelled as the nobles exerted their power and authority, massacring and disbanding the rebels.

History: EstatesGeneral

2024-08-04T00:00:00-05:00

The Estates-General or French Parliament was a political organization in the fourteenth century. The Estates-General was made up of representatives from clergy, nobility and the common people. The Estates-General did not hold significant power, and was mostly subordinate to the rule of the king. Since the burden of taxation weighted heavily on the French people, the Estates-General made a deal with the monarchy when an emergency increase in taxes was required to ransom King John II. The Estates-General acquiesced to the taxes, on condition that once the dauphin, John's son Charles, gained power, all taxation must be approved by the Estates-General. Though it was a valiant attempt, the political coalition eventually collapsed under the weight of the powerful monarch, Charles V.

History: Flagellant

2024-07-28T00:00:00-05:00

1348- The Flagellant movement emerged as a result of the Black Death. The Flagellants believed that the Black Death was a punishment meted out by God to force atonement for the evils and sins of the European people. The Flagellant were especially popular in Germany. They wandered from town to town beating themselves with whips to win the forgiveness of God.

History: Black Death

2024-07-21T00:00:00-05:00

The Black Death, 1350, was a devastating illness that spread rapidly through Europe resulting in millions of dead. The Black Death is estimated to have eliminated 25 to 50 percent of the European population. The natural result was a economic, social, political and cultural calamity.

History: Alexander Nevsky

2024-07-14T00:00:00-05:00

1220- 1263 - Russian prince of Novgorod, Alexander Nevsky, defeated a German invading army at Lake Peipus in northwestern Russia, 1242. Nevsky forged a political alliance with the Mongols and denounced his brother. The khan rewarded Nevsky by making him Grand Prince, later his descendants became the princes of Moscow and it's rulers.

History: Kievan Rus State

2024-07-07T00:00:00-05:00

The Kievan Rus state became formally Christian in 987 and prospered afterward. The Kievan society was dominated by a noble class of landowners. The noble population was made up of the Scandinavians, also known as the Rus, and the chiefs of the old Slavic Tribes. The Kievan Rus were free, however as in other regions, the peasant class had to endure hard labor and long hours.

History: Teutonic Knights

2024-06-30T00:00:00-05:00

The Teutonic Knights were established in the end of the twelfth century to protect the Christian Holy Land. These knights later used their military power to gain wealth by raiding and pillaging the Slavic nations in eastern Europe. The Teutonic Knights waged war on the Slavic peoples for thirty years, until, by the end of the thirteenth century, most of the people of Prussia had been converted, killed or driven out by the knights.

Announcement collectivexyz/foundry:v1.0.4

2024-06-28T00:00:00-05:00

Collective Foundry v1.0.4

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.0.4. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Foundry Release

History: Magna Carta

2024-06-23T00:00:00-05:00

1215

The Magna Carta was a great charter of feudal liberties. The Magna Carta was supported by the English nobility because it limited the power of the English monarchy. Much of the Magna Carta was aimed at preventing wrongful imprisonment, and to prevent the king from conducting executions or taking land, without sufficient reason. Some of these precepts survive to this day in modern constitutional law, including Amendment~4 in the United~States Constitution.

History: English parliament

2024-06-16T00:00:00-05:00

The English parliament established, 1300, was one of the primarily democratizing influences in the English monarchy. Originally parliament was used to refer to the meeting of the kings council, however, Edward I invited two knights from every county and two representatives from each city and town to meet and consent to new taxes.

What if you get RIFed?

2024-06-10T00:00:00-05:00

What to Do if You Get Terminated: Updated 2024

Facing termination can be one of the most challenging moments in your professional career. It's essential to approach this situation strategically and proactively to navigate your way to a new job successfully. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what to do if you find yourself terminated, specifically in the 2024 job market.

Do Everything

Don't wait. Get out there!

Update Your CV

The first step is to update your CV. Ensure that it reflects your most recent experience, skills, and accomplishments. Tailor it to highlight the qualifications and expertise relevant to the jobs you're targeting.

Finalize Details with Your Previous Employer

Before moving forward, finalize all details with your previous employer: - Signed Agreements: Make sure all agreements, such as severance packages, are signed and documented. - Expenses and Hardware: Clear any outstanding expenses and return any company hardware or equipment. - Share Once Finalized: Wait until all details are finalized before sharing your departure with your network.

Invest in Yourself

Use this time to invest in your personal and professional growth: - Learn New Skills: Platforms like YouTube offer countless tutorials. Consider learning a new programming language or enhancing your current skill set. - Study and Cram: Deepen your knowledge of the languages and skills you already possess. This will help you during technical interviews.

Take Every Meeting

It's essential to attend every interview and meeting: - Practice Makes Perfect: Understand that you won’t get every job. However, each interview is a learning opportunity. - Gain Experience: The more interviews you attend, the better you become at presenting yourself and your skills.

Be in it for the Long Haul

Job hunting can be a marathon. Maybe it's even an ultra-marathon. Be prepared for numerous interviews and applications before you secure the right position.

Clean Up Your Profiles

Your online presence matters: - GitHub: Ensure your GitHub profile is up-to-date with your latest projects and contributions. - LinkedIn: Update your LinkedIn profile to reflect your most recent experiences and skills.

Apply Directly to Employers You Want

Identify companies that align with your career goals and apply directly to them. Tailor your applications to demonstrate how you fit their specific needs.

Leverage AI for Custom Cover Letters

Use AI tools to create customized cover letters for each role you apply to. Tailor your CV to match the job descriptions and highlight relevant experience.

Work LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for job seekers: - Daily Login: Log in every day to stay updated and engaged. - Engage: Comment on posts and provide positive feedback to others in your network.

Work GitHub

Active participation on GitHub can enhance your visibility: - Open Source Projects: Create small open source projects to showcase your skills. - Contributions: Contribute to existing open source projects to demonstrate your expertise and collaborative abilities.

Talk to Good Recruiters

Good recruiters can be invaluable: - Market Insight: They have in-depth knowledge of the current job market and available opportunities. - Industry Knowledge: Leverage their expertise to gain intel on job openings and industry trends.

Conclusion

Getting terminated is a challenging experience, but it can also be a turning point in your career. By taking a comprehensive and proactive approach, updating your skills, leveraging your network, and staying persistent, you can navigate this period effectively and find new opportunities. Remember, it's about the long haul, so stay focused and motivated on your journey to your next role.

History: Frederick Barbarossa

2024-06-09T00:00:00-05:00

1152- 1190 - Frederick Barbarossa, known as Fredrick I, was a powerful lord who was elected king in Central Europe. Frederick wanted to further incorporate Italy into the German kingdom to form a Holy Empire or Holy Roman Empire. The papal states and northern Italian cities resisted and Fredrick was defeated at Legnano in 1176.

History: Thomas Becket

2024-06-02T00:00:00-05:00

1160

Thomas Becket was archbishop of Canterbury in the twelfth century. Becket was England's highest ranking cleric when he became embroiled in a political controversy. The powerful king, Henry II, 1154- 1189, wanted the right to punish clergy in the royal court. However, Becket resisted claiming that only the church should have the right to punish clergy. Failing at compromise, the two officials struggled openly until Henry plead for someone to rid him of the archbishop. Four knights consented and assassinated Becket, resulting in a resolution to the controversy.

History: Domesday Book

2024-05-26T00:00:00-05:00

1086- The Domesday book listed the exact holdings of individual English families. The Domesday book allowed William of Normandy to take taxes based on each individuals wealth.

History: William of Normandy

2024-05-19T00:00:00-05:00

1066- 1087 - William of Normandy defeated the English king Harold Godwinson at Hastings, October 14, 1066. William was crowned king of England, and proceeded to take control of the nation. William annexed large tracts of land on behalf of the Normans and became one of the largest holders of English land. William commissioned a work known as the Domesday Book in 1086.

History: troubadours

2024-05-12T00:00:00-05:00

A troubadour was a strolling minstrel or lyric poet. Troubadours were French, Italian and Spanish composers who sang and wrote about courtly love.

Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals are typified by two distinct types of architecture. The Romanesque cathedral was usually a rectangular basilica style similar to a fortress or castle. The Romanesque cathedral was limited in size because of the weaknesses of its rectangular, monolithic, construction. Gothic cathedrals superseded the limitations of the Romanesque cathedrals and could be built much taller. The Gothic cathedral is typified by spires, arched or domed ceilings and the architectural feature known as 'flying buttresses.' Flying buttresses supported the walls of the tallest cathedrals and allowed the cathedral to be built taller with thinner walls.

History: universitas

2024-05-05T00:00:00-05:00

Universitas is a Latin word which refereed to a corporation or guild of students or teachers. The univseritas evolved into our modern notion of the University. Universities developed in the middle ages, and several were established by the eleventh and twelve centuries.

History: scholasticism

2024-04-28T00:00:00-05:00

Scholasticism is the philosophical and theological system used in medieval schools. Scholasticism developed in the eleventh and twelfth centuries along with the university. One of the primary tenants of scholasticism was an attempt to reconcile faith and reason.

Announcement collectivexyz/foundry:v1.0.2

2024-04-25T00:00:00-05:00

Collective Foundry v1.0.2

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.0.2. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Foundry Release

History: burghers

2024-04-21T00:00:00-05:00

A burgher is a member of the middle class in a European city, especially during the high middle ages, . The burgher class was principally composed of merchants and trades people.

When should we heed warnings?

2024-04-15T00:00:00-05:00

I believe Captain Smith should have heeded warnings about ice in the North Atlantic and slowed down or stopped the Titanic. Don't you?

Announcement collectivexyz/foundry:v1.0.1

2024-04-14T00:00:00-05:00

Collective Foundry v1.0.1

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.0.1. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Foundry Release

History: guilds

2024-04-14T00:00:00-05:00

Craft guilds played a key role in the production of material goods in the middle ages, . Craft guilds established standards for production of goods and labor practices. Craft guilds also established fixed prices for the sale of goods. The guild process involved a training hierarchy where a person would start as an apprentice, later advance to become a journeyman, and finally finish a master work to become a master of their craft.

History: Charters of Liberties

2024-04-07T00:00:00-05:00

Charters of liberties were legal documents which illustrated the relative freedoms of individuals. The Magna Carta is known as one of the greatest feudal charters of liberties.

History: Fairs of Champagne

2024-03-31T00:00:00-05:00

1100

The trading fairs of Champagne were the largest marketplaces in western Europe. Champagne hosted fairs annually as part of a French program to increase trade. Merchants were promised protection from harm and reduced taxes, while the state enjoyed increased commercial activity.

History: Saladin

2024-03-24T00:00:00-05:00

1169- Saladin lead Sunni Muslims of Syria in an invasion of Egypt and ended the Fatimid caliphate. Saladin's forces also invaded Jerusalem, Palestine and Tripoli. The fall of Jerusalem led to a 'third crusade.'

History: Peasants Crusade

2024-03-17T00:00:00-05:00

After Pope Urban II called the people to arms against Infidels, Peter the Hermit, a man who had holy visions, incited a large mob to take up a crusade in eastern Europe. The mob was made up largely of the poor and thus was referred to as a "Peasant's Crusade …

History: Seljuk Turks

2024-03-10T00:00:00-06:00

Central Asia- The Seljuk turks were a people who converted to Islam. The Seljuk Turks were persecuted by Pope Urban II in a crusade. In the eleventh century the Seljuk turks took over the eastern provinces of the Abbasid empire. In 1055 a Turkish leader captured Baghdad.

Announcement cpp:v1.0.18

2024-03-05T00:00:00-06:00

C++ Dev v1.0.18

cppdev is now simply cpp

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.0.18. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download C++ Dev Release

History: Pope Urban II

2024-03-03T00:00:00-06:00

1088- 1099 - At the Council of Clermont, Urban II urged Christians to take up weapons against infidels and to create a holy war against the Seljuk Turks.

Hash It! - unix utilities that should exist

2024-03-01T00:00:00-06:00

Introducing hashit: A Command-Line Utility for Hashing Text Columns

I'm excited to announce a new command line utility. I was thinking of tools that should be part of unix but aren't already. This lead me to thinking about hash functions and how to create hashes on lists of strings easily, thus: hashit.

What is hashit?

hashit is a command-line utility designed to process columns of text into hash values, supporting both SHA3 and SHA256 algorithms. Developed with versatility and ease of use in mind, hashit offers an easy way to transform columns of data into columns of hashes.

hash columns of text using sha3 (default) or sha256

Usage: hashit [OPTIONS]

Options:
      --sha256   
  -v, --verbose  
  -h, --help     Print help
  -V, --version  Print version

Whether you're working on securing application data, verifying integrity, or simply need a quick way to hash information, hashit provides a robust toolset to meet your needs. It is developed fully in Rust, therefore it has natural security and performance advantages.

Key Features

Support for SHA3 and SHA256: Choose the hashing algorithm that best fits your requirements.
Command-Line Efficiency: Process large volumes of text quickly and efficiently directly from your terminal.
Easy Installation: With Rust as its backbone, installing hashit is as simple as cloning the repository and using Cargo.

Getting Started with hashit

To get started with hashit, visit our GitHub repository at https://github.com/jac18281828/hashit. Here, you'll find all the information needed to install, build, and start using hashit in your projects.

Installation is easy if you have Rust installed on your machine. If not, follow the instructions on the official Rust website to get set up. Once Rust is ready, clone the hashit repository, and you're just a few steps away from hashing your text data.

How Can You Contribute?

hashit is open to contributions! If you're interested in improving the tool, fixing bugs, adding features, or enhancing documentation, your contributions are welcome. We believe in the power of community-driven development to create more robust and versatile tools. Check out the contributing section in our repository for guidelines on how to make your mark on hashit.

License

hashit is released under the BSD-3-Clause, promoting open usage and contribution.

Why hashit?

In the creation of hashit, my goal was to provide a simple, yet powerful tool that could be easily integrated into various workflows. In particular, it supports pipelines as are common in unix environments. By offering support for popular hashing algorithms and ensuring a user-friendly experience, I'm confident that hashit will become a valueable command line tool

I'm excited to see how hashit will be used and look forward to engaging with our users to continue improving and expanding its capabilities. Your feedback and contributions are what will make hashit truly great.

Why wait? Head over to our GitHub repository, give hashit a try, and start hashing it today!

trimtrain - unix utilities that should exist

2024-03-01T00:00:00-06:00

Introducing trimtrain: An Efficient Tool for Space Normalization

trimtrain allows you to clean and normalize a dataset so that all data is separated by single spaces for further text processing.

Key Features

Simplicity: trimtrain is designed with simplicity in mind. It does one thing and does it well - normalizing data columns.
Flexibility: Whether you're working with text files that have spaces or tabs as separators, trimtrain seamlessly handles both, making your data uniformly spaced. The output separator is configurable for different workflows.
Efficiency: Optimized for performance, trimtrain can process large files quickly, making it a highly useful tool in your data processing toolkit.

Getting Started with trimtrain

Getting trimtrain up and running is straightforward. The utility is written in C++ and can be compiled and installed on any system with a few simple commands. Here's how to get started:

Clone the repository: First, clone the trimtrain repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/jac18281828/trimtrain.git
cd trimtrain

Build trimtrain: Compile the source code using the make command:

mkdir -p build
cmake -H. -Bbuild -DPROJECT_NAME=trimtrain -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RELEASE -DCMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE=on -Wno-dev "-GUnix Makefiles"
make -j

Install: Finally, install trimtrain into your system's standard executable path:

sudo make install

Once installed, using trimtrain is as simple as piping input into it. For more detailed usage instructions, refer to the README file in the GitHub repository.

Contributing to trimtrain

trimtrain is open-source and community-driven. Contributions are not only welcome but also encouraged. Whether you're interested in fixing bugs, suggesting enhancements, or adding new features, your input is valuable.

Conclusion

trimtrain is a simple yet powerful utility for normalizing space separated data.

Announcement collectivexyz/foundry:v1.0.0

2024-02-26T00:00:00-06:00

Collective Foundry v1.0.0

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.0.0. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Foundry Release

Create and Edit Hyperlinks in Emacs Org Mode

2024-02-26T00:00:00-06:00

Create and edit hyperlinks in Emacs Org Mode

Announcement rust:v1.76.0_1

2024-02-26T00:00:00-06:00

Rust Dev v1.76.0

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.76.0. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Rust Release

History: Albignesians

2024-02-25T00:00:00-06:00

The Albignesians were labeled heretics by Pope Innocent III in 1209. This began a bloody persecution of the people including the destruction of entire cities. Many Albignesian leaders were stripped of their land, and their people were sacrificed by Christian crusaders.

History: Dominicans

2024-02-18T00:00:00-06:00

1215- The Spanish priest, Dominic de Guzm'an, 1170- 1221, established the order of the Dominicans. Dominic believed that monks should be educated to defend against the many heresies of the middle ages.

History: Frances of Assisi

2024-02-11T00:00:00-06:00

1182- 1226 - Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian man who abandoned his wealth and worldly possessions to preach in poverty. Frances' charm attracted many followers who took vows of poverty. Pope Innocent III established the group as the order of Franciscan Friars.

monks, dynasty, people?

Announcement rustdev:v1.76.0

2024-02-09T00:00:00-06:00

Rust Dev v1.76.0

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 1.76.0. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download Rust Dev Release

Announcement solc:v0.8.24

2024-02-09T00:00:00-06:00

Solc 0.8.24

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 0.8.24. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download SOLC Release

Announcement tsdev:v20.11.0

2024-02-09T00:00:00-06:00

tsdev 20.11.0

Dear valued customers,

We are pleased to announce the release of our new container version 18.17.1. This new version includes several new features and improvements that will make your container experience even better.

Some of the new features include:

Improved security
Better performance
Enhanced reliability

We have also made several improvements to the user interface, making it easier to use and more intuitive.

We hope you enjoy using our new container release. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Best regards, jac18281828

Download TS Dev Release

History: excommunicationinterdict

2024-02-04T00:00:00-06:00

Excommunication is the formal process of banning someone from attending church. Excommunication was seen as one of the severest penalties in the middle ages. Persons could be excommunicated for committing any of a number of sins, after which, a church official would formally forbid them from returning to the church. Interdict was a form of punishment for a people or nation. The people subject to interdict could not partake in several important sacraments. In accord with the common belief system, this would hold serious consequences in the afterlife.

History: seven sacraments

2024-01-28T00:00:00-06:00

The seven sacraments are important worldly symbols of ones faith and devotion to the Catholic church. The seven sacraments include baptism, marriage, and penance for ones sins.

History: Indulgences in the Middle Ages

2024-01-21T00:00:00-06:00

Indulgences were granted to persons who committed sins against the Catholic church. Indulgences were granted to allow an individual penance from their sins. All or a portion of the punishment the person would have received in the afterlife is waived in exchange for church contributions or good deeds. The practice of granting indulgences became very popular in the high middle ages, .