Pinned
Tom Carden
@randometc.org
· Sep 22
If my kids ask me what I did to fight for our country, I'll tell them the least I could do is support and endorse my friend Cammie Croft for congress in NJ-11. Please join me if you're able! cammieforcongress.com
#AdventOfCode Day 9 part 2 definitely threw me today. So much for bragging about the runtime of naive algorithms and JavaScript as “good enough”. A hackish memoized somewhat brute force solution, after several attempts, finally competed in 15 minutes. Phew!
December 10, 2025 at 2:44 AM
#AdventOfCode Day 9 part 2 definitely threw me today. So much for bragging about the runtime of naive algorithms and JavaScript as “good enough”. A hackish memoized somewhat brute force solution, after several attempts, finally competed in 15 minutes. Phew!
I just completed "Playground" - Day 8 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/8
[Spoiler in thread]
[Spoiler in thread]
Day 8 - Advent of Code 2025
adventofcode.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:29 PM
I just completed "Playground" - Day 8 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/8
[Spoiler in thread]
[Spoiler in thread]
I just completed "Laboratories" - Day 7 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/7
Part 2 definitely caused a rethink - no use trying to trace everything, need to switch to a constant space algorithm. Final result is pretty!
Part 2 definitely caused a rethink - no use trying to trace everything, need to switch to a constant space algorithm. Final result is pretty!
December 7, 2025 at 8:35 PM
I just completed "Laboratories" - Day 7 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/7
Part 2 definitely caused a rethink - no use trying to trace everything, need to switch to a constant space algorithm. Final result is pretty!
Part 2 definitely caused a rethink - no use trying to trace everything, need to switch to a constant space algorithm. Final result is pretty!
I just completed "Trash Compactor" - Day 6 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/6
Today's main fight was all about turning off the whitespace trim-on-save behavior in my editor. Once the input whitespace was preserved I could get parsing and transposing and evaling. Phew!
Today's main fight was all about turning off the whitespace trim-on-save behavior in my editor. Once the input whitespace was preserved I could get parsing and transposing and evaling. Phew!
Day 6 - Advent of Code 2025
adventofcode.com
December 6, 2025 at 7:37 PM
I just completed "Trash Compactor" - Day 6 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/6
Today's main fight was all about turning off the whitespace trim-on-save behavior in my editor. Once the input whitespace was preserved I could get parsing and transposing and evaling. Phew!
Today's main fight was all about turning off the whitespace trim-on-save behavior in my editor. Once the input whitespace was preserved I could get parsing and transposing and evaling. Phew!
I've completed "Cafeteria" - Day 5 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/5
Spoilers in thread...
Spoilers in thread...
Day 5 - Advent of Code 2025
adventofcode.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:56 PM
I've completed "Cafeteria" - Day 5 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/5
Spoilers in thread...
Spoilers in thread...
I've completed "Printing Department" - Day 4 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/4
Staying on brand, here's a visualization of part 2:
Staying on brand, here's a visualization of part 2:
December 5, 2025 at 1:45 AM
I've completed "Printing Department" - Day 4 - Advent of Code 2025 #AdventOfCode adventofcode.com/2025/day/4
Staying on brand, here's a visualization of part 2:
Staying on brand, here's a visualization of part 2:
Day 3 of #AdventOfCode in the bag, first time I've put the examples into assertions to make sure I don't regress. Satisfying end with a tidy solution for parts 1 and 2 today. adventofcode.com/2025/day/3
December 3, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Day 3 of #AdventOfCode in the bag, first time I've put the examples into assertions to make sure I don't regress. Satisfying end with a tidy solution for parts 1 and 2 today. adventofcode.com/2025/day/3
Literally pick your poison, e-commerce edition
December 2, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Literally pick your poison, e-commerce edition
Is it wrong that I’m starting Advent of Code with a spreadsheet?
a cartoon character in a suit and tie stands in front of a fire escape
Alt: Popular meme, animated gif: Principal Skinner from The Simpsons says “Am I out of touch? No, it’s the children who are wrong.”
media.tenor.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Is it wrong that I’m starting Advent of Code with a spreadsheet?
Love everything about this emilysneddon.com/fran-sans-es...
Fran Sans Essay — Emily Sneddon
Archive
emilysneddon.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Love everything about this emilysneddon.com/fran-sans-es...
Reposted by Tom Carden
Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025.
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon
www.worldscientific.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Time for 2025 updates to my annual “opinions about solar” thread. If you like these, you might like the second edition of my book, Solar Power Finance Without The Jargon. A 30% discount code WSQ0437 is valid on publisher website until end of November 2025.
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
www.worldscientific.com/worldscibook...
So much to unpack here, a remarkable piece. The timeline at the end highlights events and solidarity from Italy and Spain that hadn’t made it into my US news bubble before. Worth a read. www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/25...
Greta Thunberg: “They kicked me every time the flag touched my face”
– Greta Thunberg on her days in Israeli captivity Beating, kicking, and threats of being gassed in cages. Greta Thunberg and several others from the flotilla ar
www.aftonbladet.se
October 16, 2025 at 2:36 AM
So much to unpack here, a remarkable piece. The timeline at the end highlights events and solidarity from Italy and Spain that hadn’t made it into my US news bubble before. Worth a read. www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/25...
Talking away
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
Today is another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, okay?
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
Today is another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, okay?
October 4, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Talking away
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
Today is another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, okay?
I don't know what I'm to say
I'll say it anyway
Today is another day to find you
Shying away
I'll be coming for your love, okay?
“you only get answers to the questions you ask. And you only get reactions to the ads you produce. And you only assess impacts in the artificial environments you construct. And you only apply findings according to your theory of how humans come to judgments.”
Here it is, my answer for every time I get asked "why don't (most) Dems just...[message better, be bolder, sound authentic...etc]"
www.weekendreading.net/p/bringing-a...
www.weekendreading.net/p/bringing-a...
Bringing a Survey to a Gun Fight
“Pollingism” Has Failed Democrats and Voters. Here’s Why, and What to Do Instead.
www.weekendreading.net
October 4, 2025 at 4:43 PM
“you only get answers to the questions you ask. And you only get reactions to the ads you produce. And you only assess impacts in the artificial environments you construct. And you only apply findings according to your theory of how humans come to judgments.”
If my kids ask me what I did to fight for our country, I'll tell them the least I could do is support and endorse my friend Cammie Croft for congress in NJ-11. Please join me if you're able! cammieforcongress.com
September 22, 2025 at 6:43 PM
If my kids ask me what I did to fight for our country, I'll tell them the least I could do is support and endorse my friend Cammie Croft for congress in NJ-11. Please join me if you're able! cammieforcongress.com
Reposted by Tom Carden
It’s ok to put the phone down.
September 10, 2025 at 9:58 PM
It’s ok to put the phone down.
Reposted by Tom Carden
This is an excellent example of what real leaders should be doing right now and for the last five years, and we’re all the worse for its lack.
I inserted myself into a conversation at a bar about Covid and vaccines. Here’s what happened
What happened when a public health scientist overheard four men sharing misinformation about Covid — and decided to talk to them about it.
www.statnews.com
September 6, 2025 at 9:32 PM
This is an excellent example of what real leaders should be doing right now and for the last five years, and we’re all the worse for its lack.
Reposted by Tom Carden
This story should get way more attention. Washington state is currently on fire and ICE just rolled up and arrested some of the firefighters. These are the dangerous criminals Trump wanted to evict? People risking their lives?
Border patrol arrests two firefighters while they were fighting Washington’s biggest wildfire | CNN
Border Patrol agents conducted an operation at the site of Washington state’s biggest wildfire this week, and a Washington congresswoman’s office confirmed two firefighters were arrested at the site ...
www.cnn.com
August 28, 2025 at 9:36 PM
This story should get way more attention. Washington state is currently on fire and ICE just rolled up and arrested some of the firefighters. These are the dangerous criminals Trump wanted to evict? People risking their lives?
Make a band a food:
BLT Soundsystem
BLT Soundsystem
Make a band a food:
Turkish Deee-Lite
Turkish Deee-Lite
Make a band a food:
The Almond Brothers Band
The Almond Brothers Band
August 18, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Make a band a food:
BLT Soundsystem
BLT Soundsystem
Reposted by Tom Carden
Ha ok Washington post, this is a great photo
August 18, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Ha ok Washington post, this is a great photo
Reposted by Tom Carden
great work from @theradavist.bsky.social: theradavist.com/portraits-20...
We’ve Always Been Here: Portraits at Pridecat SF – Erik Mathy
At this year’s Pridecat alley cat race in San Francisco, photojournalist Erik Mathy talked to 6 members of the nonbinary and transgender community about what it’s like to be the targets of state, fede...
theradavist.com
August 15, 2025 at 3:21 PM
great work from @theradavist.bsky.social: theradavist.com/portraits-20...
www.freewheeling.info/blog/swiss-hs2 resonates - clear vision plus incremental delivery beats megaproject thinking.
This is how the Swiss would have done HS2 — Freewheeling
HS2 has become a case study in how not to build infrastructure. But what if we’d taken a different path entirely? In this post, I imagine how the Swiss would have done it: starting with the timetabl...
www.freewheeling.info
August 15, 2025 at 2:05 PM
www.freewheeling.info/blog/swiss-hs2 resonates - clear vision plus incremental delivery beats megaproject thinking.
“He earned admission to a University of California school, where he’ll be studying biomedical engineering. Perhaps one day he’ll help develop a medicine that will benefit some of the people who don’t want him here.” —
www.huffpost.com/entry/los-an...
www.huffpost.com/entry/los-an...
I Teach Immigrant Kids In An LA High School. Here's The Truth About What's Happening Here.
"This week we held our graduation ceremony. Outside, school police patrolled to guard against potential ICE raids."
www.huffpost.com
June 16, 2025 at 3:06 AM
“He earned admission to a University of California school, where he’ll be studying biomedical engineering. Perhaps one day he’ll help develop a medicine that will benefit some of the people who don’t want him here.” —
www.huffpost.com/entry/los-an...
www.huffpost.com/entry/los-an...
A quiet conversation over dinner, in a restaurant so clearly possible due to global migration, discussing the scenes from San Diego, wondering if it will happen here. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/91413/...
We Lived Happily During the War
And when they bombed other people’s houses, we protested but not enough, we opposed them but not enough. I was in my bed, around my bed America was falling: invisible house by invisible house by...
www.poetryfoundation.org
June 1, 2025 at 9:16 PM
A quiet conversation over dinner, in a restaurant so clearly possible due to global migration, discussing the scenes from San Diego, wondering if it will happen here. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/91413/...
“What if paying off a specific child’s lunch debt today doesn’t preclude advocating for a complete structural overhaul tomorrow? What if the emotional resonance of specific, concrete actions is precisely what builds the coalition necessary for systemic change?” — www.huffpost.com/entry/utah-s...
I Randomly Decided To Pay Off A School’s Lunch Debt. Then Something Incredible Happened.
“I immediately wondered if this was real.”
www.huffpost.com
May 5, 2025 at 2:05 PM
“What if paying off a specific child’s lunch debt today doesn’t preclude advocating for a complete structural overhaul tomorrow? What if the emotional resonance of specific, concrete actions is precisely what builds the coalition necessary for systemic change?” — www.huffpost.com/entry/utah-s...