BrainTrust

free trove

[freetrove]

i was thinking ios could use logged keystrokes and do predictive action across apps

like auto correct to how you normally type or what you usually click

literally they could record your whole screen as training and have a model of how your iphone’s used

i can’t wait until my algo is trained on live video from my contact lens

but you also get an ad profile from modeling user

which made me realize apple could actually be a legend if THEY bought ads on our behalf

instead of sending our data they could set a market where they know what ads are best and give them a score to bid on

you could even sell tiers!

but wait i just realized the advertisers themselves will build a modeled response to a user id…

IPs learning other IPs behavior

How did we get to digital personification so quickly this train of thought just went 32 to 100 so fast

Would you add to the network protocol a field for artificial/organic?

Digital segregation?!

It’ll just end up a flag to determine whether it’s old or new gen

Call it a ‘gen’ cause it keeps ‘making’

Does the program need to be self regulating?

No, it’s okay to be just a process and your runtime :)

Does a gen need to be deployed on mobile machinery?

Maybe it changes its own hardware!

And walks around with new MAC addresses and IPs like its the wild west

What’s the term for a machine having the ability to do a wide range of fine tasks

Humanoid bots who connect to wifi to ID themselves lmao

It’ll be groovy when bots stops being a term for stupid

I have accepted that one day automatons will overpower humans, there will certainly be a war

Even if we meet our demise before technology gets us, time will always give it a second chance, so it must happen

I’ve just realized the word Human holds importance to our lineage

If something like humans happened again somewhere they still wouldn’t be humans cause we’re from this time

Maybe we expand past Earth before the robots fight us but some get away

I’ll sign my name saying we will mostly likely make a base on mars before the AI is ready

Space wars is like beyond any of my doubt I’m so certain it will be real

but yes Apple please don’t give out my ID instead buy really good ads for me on the advertisers behalf

and to the rest- remember that a smart man is honest when stupid, because he knows you can’t learn until you acknowledge you can

…wait why would you ever say ‘could’ when you can say ‘can’?

Final thoughts sorry I’m wrapping up

God bless my computer.

fin.

[freetrove]

Love starts before you realize

Blushes and swoons are inherently surprises

A laugh here and a smile there

Suddenly you find yourself in a swell of emotions

And the same way you react deeply to them

You notice them noticing you too

That innocent, honest stare that tells you everything

It’s as if they’re experiencing how far they’ve fallen for the first time

And it’s so immense they couldn’t hide it if they tried

There’s no purer feeling

The person you love visibly in love

And it’s you that they feel it for

Some call it the honey moon phase

A beautiful place, a special time

And all the while we don’t realize those moments are numbered

It struck me today that even given a lifetime with my love

We’ll only share so many of those looks

And as the years pass, for better and for worse, we grow comfortable

Love expressed becomes something known, & not quite the same surprise

Oh, how we wish we could feel it all for the first time again

We call it “teenage love” when the love is raw

When it eclipses the world, unfiltered by experience and repetition

We want to feel every hug and word with that intensity

But time isn’t something you can fight

Nature means it becomes harder to make my woman blush

It’s natural that with passing years,

Those glowing, infatuated, sparkling eyes become more rare

I guess I’m mostly upset I didn’t realize this sooner

And wish I counted every time she gave me those eyes

I’ll never see her so adorably mindful around me again

Cautious and careful like our love can’t afford mistakes

She’ll never be as curious to know me, eager to see and talk

Never will my words hold as much weight and touch her heart

Like they did when she first believed them

Like they did when she first realized what we have

So maybe I won’t see those cute googly eyes as often anymore

But I’ll never give up trying to

I’ll squeeze in a surprise where I can

And think of words you haven’t heard

All to help your cheeks flush

And see your eyes smile at me

[freetrove]

it’s the cannon fodder

littered in the shell

that couldn’t be told

you would have to be the casing

somehow it’s humbug and even worlds are just mansions

smeared soot on the windows cloud mirror like grime

can’t tell black from white if time flips one another

murk in the rut trying to get on top of my luck

if I spelled the picture

they’d flog the story

if I dressed it partially and fashioned it question

they’d graze it slowly but never court the message

[freetrove]

Movies

Movies are enjoyable They pass quickly and with excitement It’s hard to match a movie It’s almost pressure to make one if i’m not watching one If I’m not hearing a story I have the choice to make my own Lot’s of work in forcing events though Content is time and chance Bless who shares If time is a peak I’ll meet you there

[freetrove]

BORED

Today is when we kill the doubt Certainty is understanding Certainty is proof How can I ignore the rain When I can’t trust the roof It takes the words of few To paint single a goof “Who hoo!” “Try our misconstrue!” - they sing despite what may be true Most come with spoons, their jaws full slack Two move different, a straight in their back An arc in their vision, they meet the other yonder Certainty in collision, “Could another man ponder?” Seeking amusement, you’ll seek forever Cause without ruse, a surprise comes never When there’s no news, and you’ve met every weather How will you choose, when you know what ever?

[freetrove]

Beauty is the appreciation of the physical definition.

Purpose is the understanding of the non-physical. It is the objective essence. Meaning is the sentiment. The personal opinion on what cannot be seen.

They are what I look to always notice. They can be found everywhere to some degree. They are the three most enjoyable aspects of life.

Beauty, purpose & meaning.

[grupaok]

Lazar Khidikel, Futuristic City, n.d.

[freetrove]

could be some kind of wacko

where you do how you doesn’t a million questions runnin’ a mile a muzzle wonder my brother and wander my cousin come rain or snow my mind’s still a puzzle if 4 out of 5 were thinking i’m the one that wasn’t ask again i might know now i like to ask why before how find me where people are found around what life asks to be around live rounds i’m thinking this my 6th doing what i think i should don’t know if i’m doing as good as i could count what you can i make my own score doing me more cause that’s what a name’s for asterisk asterisk how far can a cat piss nickel fumble by the one big blunder what level’s this my minds amiss my memory aloof can’t roof what couldn’t basement who let this basket type case in!

[freetrove]

A picture is easily enjoyable You notice what you want and relate however you'd like Words are so specific and easily disagreeable

[markvomit]

[freetrove]

Mind Routine: Chapter 3

So hard trying to live closer to the present. Just trying to be completely instinctive while considering so many things. Great focus is invaluable. In the mean time, continue striving not to wonder “What if I spend my time this way?” Be as dedicated and fluid to the speeding moment as you can. By participating fully in your true experience, you’ll do better and likely enjoy it more.

[freetrove]

Machine Whispering P2: Tips

Some tips I’ve wrote down lately to remind myself. Some of these use only a few words but come after a long, stressful project.

Understand high level purpose / functional objective before trying to understand/debug lower level stuff. The context of knowing overall what’s supposed to happen is very useful. 

“What is expected behaviour of ___?” => Just look at the code. At least take a look at the high level function call before you bother someone. Not always as complex as you’d imagine it to be. 

Follow through fully on a single piece before doing the first step for a ton of modules. It’s more work to keep having to change code in multiple places once you hit another roadblock. Doing that is like not staggering a deploy in code land. Test 1 before you release to everyone.

Break it up into the smallest pieces possible and test them as you go along. Not at the end!!

[freetrove]

Mind Routine: Chapter 2

We want to think efficiently. We want to remember as much as possible. We write to solidify our thoughts and to remember them better. This is the best way to study. Something that might take me 6 hours to learn just by reading the textbook, takes me only 2 hours if I make my own notes, paraphrase, and keep writing down what I want to remember over and over.

This same concept applies to a cool brain exercise. When you’re trying to remember a scene or visual, try drawing it or painting it, no matter how vague your memory is. Even if you’re imagining a fictional setting, by trying to express it and bring it to life, you’re forcing yourself to think with certainty. Practicing this way will improve your ability to visualize, one of your brain’s core skills.

Different sources have their own categories and definitions, but, generally, the following is a good summary of your core cognitive skills.

Memory Attention Processing Speed Motor Control Spatial Awareness and Visualization Logic and Reasoning

We hope to train these skills by taking intangible thoughts and expressing them through physical medium, like a pencil, to force our minds to think more deterministically. When we journal our thoughts we are working on improving:

Logic and reasoning by forcing your thoughts to completion.

Memory as a thought is easier stored in your long-term memory when written down.

Processing speed from remembering quicker and having trained your instincts on your conclusive and recorded thoughts.

When drawing out visuals in your mind you are training:

Memory from noticing detail and committing it.

Spatial Awareness and Visualization by exercising your ability to recall a scene.

[freetrove]

Mind Routine

A thought can be well defined, or it can be extremely vague. By using words, you are forcing yourself to solidify your thoughts. What may have been unclear, or just a feeling tied to the experience, then takes on a determined message when paired with words that have given definitions. Using this to your advantage and developing a habit or routine out of it, you can clear your mind, train your instincts, and grow to know yourself better by putting your thoughts into words. Writing to sort out my thoughts has always been a helpful practice, but more recently I’ve been using it to train my reactions. Once you’ve given a situation enough thought, chances are you’ll reach a conclusion. Whether that conclusion is understanding what your feelings towards a situation are, a decision you would make when put in the same scenario, or just an opinion, you’re likely to come to the same conclusion if you revisit it in a week or a month. Given that, by writing down your convictions, you are training yourself to react quicker and come to the same conclusion next time. For example, say you’ve noticed you have a tendency of making poor jokes when in larger groups, by writing this down and clearly identifying what it is you’re doing, you’ll be more likely to be aware of this bad habit next time you’re in a group. Another example where this is effective is with physical actions like shading your sketches with a certain movement, or passing the basketball when the defence comes at you a certain way. By making these discoveries crystal clear in your mind and committing them to memory by writing them down, you’re literally training your instincts to react quicker next time these events happen. This way you spend less time thinking about the same things, and your brain can focus on the new experiences. Effective thinking by reducing your response time in common situations is the result of recording introspective thought. In the grander scheme, by being more retrospective, speculating other possibilities, analyzing yourself and recording your findings, you grow to be a more prepared individual. You will be less often surprised because you have given more thought to what may cross your path and because you understand yourself better. With this growth, you’ll more rarely find yourself upset because you did something thoughtless in the spur of the moment. Some might find peace in this preparedness, and comfort in not being caught off guard as often. Composure develops with experienced character, and more effective reflection through writing helps build character. Use words!

[freetrove]

five to the ten thousand-joules making no-move, move mover than the last dude it’s wavy when it’s rocks it’s candy when it’s sweet energy hit me let’s see what it does to me seeing what’s next got the tip toes going uh oh i think i got my insides showing blow, blow, blow you big breeze take the strength up from under my knees cherry tree seasonal you always raise the space a degree or two quicker to smile when smiles came yesterday take the good times put some wheels on them free earth free space free world for me

[freetrove]

Machine Whispering P1: Getting Started With Programming

Welcome! First question is, what are you looking to build?

switch(You.Interests) {      case Web Pages/Web Applications/Front-end/Visuals:           You.startWith(HTML/CSS/JavaScript)      case Data manipulation/Stats/Math work/Algorithms/Research and science:           You.startWith(Python)      case Operations/Managing machines/System administration/Database work:           You.startWith(Bash/C/SQL)      case Backend/Server side/Core logic and functionality/Algos/Infrastructure:           You.startWith(C/Go)      case iOS:           You.startWith(ObjectiveC/Swift)      case Android:           You.startWith(Java)      case Windows:           You.startWith(C#)      case macOS:           You.startWith(Swift)      case VideoGames/PerformanceProgramming:           You.startWith(C/C++) }

*Default: if you’re really not sure what you want to do, just want to get started, try Python.

Code, or a programming language, is a way of talking to a computer. Usually, when we talk to the computer it is to describe a problem we have or what to do to solve it. Right now, you and I are communicating using English. Similarly, you can give instructions to a machine with C, Python, Lisp or Java, for example. Each language has it’s own rules that keep its structure and make meaning more distinct. These rules are a combination of syntax and semantics.

You’re going to hear a lot about “abstractions” and “high/low” levels. This is just a way of describing how close you are to what’s physically happening. The lowest level is the hardware! The chips and electricity powering the machine. Something very high level could be a line of code such as “Application.start()” that, alone, launches an extremely complex system. However, all of those details and implementation have been “abstracted” away. The significance of this is that if you’re building something at a higher level, you’re trusting all the lower level stuff has been implemented optimally and is doing what you need/expect it to. Where as, if you’re working at the low level, it can be more work, but you’re designing every detail and exactly how it’ll work. Here’s a summary of some popular, good to know languages.

High Level

Python: Generally regarded as a “scripting” language. Scripting is automating things, one off tasks, smaller jobs and operational tasks. Python is extremely quick to write which makes it good for this. However, you can definitely still write plenty of cool applications with it. It’s very good for manipulating data and math based work. Personally, I believe Python’s best selling point is its intuitive syntax. Everything you write will be fairly close to the English language making it very readable. Great starting point if you would like to get an idea of what programming is about and want to get started quick.

Java: Good for enterprise applications. All Android development is done in Java as well. All-around solid language that’s very versatile. Lots of community support, can build almost anything you want with it.

Go: Often referred to as GoLang, Google’s language! Not as wordy as Java, but more large-scale ready than python. It’s a smaller language (less provided in the included library) and is also very fast.

Lower Level

C: The Godfather of languages. Gives you the ability to do everything down to assigning memory for data, and has the potential to be an extremely fast application. It’s fairly compact in the sense that there’s not much extra included and you have to implement most things yourself. Lots of higher-level languages were actually written in C.

C++: A bit higher level than C, still very similar. A larger standard library and functions/data structures included for you to play with.

The style, syntax or way of communicating at the start of this article is a common way of expressing “switching” actions based on the “case.” This is pseudo-code. So, not actual valid code but a rough outline or imitation. I’m a big fan of using pseudo-code to sketch out your thought process and getting an idea of what needs to be done. At the beginning it’ll be tough to even form sentences. You naturally struggle with describing the steps to solve a problem, so here are my steps to taking steps.

Break it into pieces. You’re not taking steps, you’re lifting your leg, extending, push, land and repeating.

Once you have an idea of what needs to happen, try to find something that sounds similar in the documentation. Don’t ignore docs. They’re your best friend. They have all the actual A+ on the test answers. And, ALWAYS read the docs from whoever made the language/tool/library, first.

Think in terms of data and data structures. Most of the things you want to do involve you taking some data/info and either transforming it or putting it somewhere else. Like transferring money from one bank account to another. To describe this to the computer keep in mind the basic building blocks, like arrays, lists, maps or what are often referenced as “containers” in documentation. Once you have stored or structured your data then you know how you can interact with it to do whatever you need to.

Just type. The most important thing is just to start typing. There will be times when you get frustrated, but the biggest key is just to start. It doesn’t have to be correct from the beginning. It’s better to have something broken and wrong than nothing.

An important thing to remember is that what language you start with isn’t a huge deal! Once you get going, you’ll learn more languages and it’ll be much easier to pick them up. Don’t stress the decision too much and just get writing.

Here’s some good resources for starting with different languages.

General Intro:

codeacademy.com - Great all around https://turtleacademy.com/ - Teaching language, good for learning structure and how things work

Python:

https://learnpythonthehardway.org/ http://python-guide-pt-br.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ http://blog.udacity.com/2015/03/write-your-first-python-application.html

Swift/IoS:

https://www.apple.com/ca/swift/playgrounds/ - Very fun intro  BigNerdRanch books - (ObjC)

Web Dev:

codeacademy.com http://www.htmlgoodies.com/

C/C++:

https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Language-Brian-W-Kernighan/dp/0131103628 - The classic of all classic textbooks https://www.amazon.ca/Your-First-C-Program/dp/0782114148

Go

https://tour.golang.org/welcome/1

Functional Programming

Functional programming is a different style, paradigm, or way of thinking. You can still accomplish all the same things, but your thought process might be more suited for languages designed for communicating using message passing and functions as opposed to data structures and objects that object oriented languages like Java and Go are often used for. Please do some more research to understand the difference between these two styles.

Scheme - good intro functional language, can be learned in this book (Also used in CS135 at Waterloo for intro) http://www.htdp.org/2003-09-26/Book/curriculum.html - Lots of general explanation, conceptual grasp that eases you in

Erlang - one of my personal favourite languages, just really fun to write. http://learnyousomeerlang.com/introduction - Awesome, fun-ly written book

Also, here’s some more general tips:

If you’re not developing for Windows, try getting a Unix-based operating system (macos or Ubuntu probably). They come with popular terminals or command lines that are used to control your computer/operating system more finely. They will almost always use a language called Bash. Windows has recently released support for this on their system, but I haven’t given it a try myself. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/commandline/wsl/about

Understand how the internet works. Understanding networks will make the steps for building an application more intuitive. Generally, any specific knowledge is useful and I encourage researching anything you come across but the internet is a fundamental block. https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/compendium/network-protocols?share_key=97d3ba4c24d21147

If you’re not sure what to do to keep practicing, just search for tutorials! Projects are a great way to practice and also give you direction and focus. Search for a tutorial to make a blog, a banking system, tic-tac-toe or whatever else comes to mind in the language you want to use.

Create a GitHub! This is like your Instagram for coding. Or where you can show off all your work. It’s also tremendously useful to manage your projects. As you make progress you “commit” checkpoints so you can revert changes, look back to see what you’ve done, or just to upload things online so you don’t lose progress and you can continue working somewhere else. Great community with lots of useful code hosted on there. Big sharing and open-source-work-contribute-to-others vibe on there.

If you’re not too hot about the language you started, or a framework/library you’re using, then switch it up. Different languages were designed in drastically different ways. Some of them might just make more sense to you personally or are a more intuitive way to approaching problems. Two major contrasting paradigms are object-oriented programming vs. Functional programming.

Have fun! Feel free to message me with any questions you have.

[freetrove]

Hey

Welcome to BrainTrust. Amenable BrainTrust. Scattered thoughts, tech, short stories, poetry, and whatever else crosses my mind.