Russ Olsen
@russolsen.bsky.social
Engineer, reader, believer in numbers, author of Eloquent Ruby, Getting Clojure, Design Patterns in Ruby and Overdrive.
He, him
He, him
In 1994 a comet hit Jupiter. And we got to see it happen. Originally a single giant dirty snowball, the comet broke up as it screamed in.
This picture was taken by a telescope in Hawaii and is in the near-infrared. The line of bright dots at the bottom are where bits of the comet hit.
This picture was taken by a telescope in Hawaii and is in the near-infrared. The line of bright dots at the bottom are where bits of the comet hit.
December 19, 2025 at 3:31 PM
In 1994 a comet hit Jupiter. And we got to see it happen. Originally a single giant dirty snowball, the comet broke up as it screamed in.
This picture was taken by a telescope in Hawaii and is in the near-infrared. The line of bright dots at the bottom are where bits of the comet hit.
This picture was taken by a telescope in Hawaii and is in the near-infrared. The line of bright dots at the bottom are where bits of the comet hit.
And it looks like the paperback version of my novel *Overdrive* will be available from Amazon on Dec 24th!
Kobo version coming as soon as it gets through the quality checks.
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
Kobo version coming as soon as it gets through the quality checks.
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
December 18, 2025 at 3:09 PM
And it looks like the paperback version of my novel *Overdrive* will be available from Amazon on Dec 24th!
Kobo version coming as soon as it gets through the quality checks.
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
Kobo version coming as soon as it gets through the quality checks.
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
After many false starts and missed dates*, the paperback edition of my novel Overdrive will be ready in the next few days!
* It's almost like a software project!
* It's almost like a software project!
December 17, 2025 at 4:43 PM
After many false starts and missed dates*, the paperback edition of my novel Overdrive will be ready in the next few days!
* It's almost like a software project!
* It's almost like a software project!
For all of you who have purchased the beta copy of Eloquent Ruby, Second Edition, there is an updated version coming soon. The new version includes a ton of corrections and a newly rewritten chapter on Ruby implementations.
If you haven't gotten your copy yet, then now's the time
eloquentruby.com
If you haven't gotten your copy yet, then now's the time
eloquentruby.com
Eloquent Ruby, Second Edition
eloquentruby.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
For all of you who have purchased the beta copy of Eloquent Ruby, Second Edition, there is an updated version coming soon. The new version includes a ton of corrections and a newly rewritten chapter on Ruby implementations.
If you haven't gotten your copy yet, then now's the time
eloquentruby.com
If you haven't gotten your copy yet, then now's the time
eloquentruby.com
This is a navigation photo taken by Voyager 1 as it passed by Io, a moon of Jupiter. Engineer Linda Morabito wondered just what the the heck the round thing on the left was? Another moon behind Io?
It turned out to be a 300 km hi plume from the first active volcano ever seen outside of Earth.
It turned out to be a 300 km hi plume from the first active volcano ever seen outside of Earth.
December 15, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This is a navigation photo taken by Voyager 1 as it passed by Io, a moon of Jupiter. Engineer Linda Morabito wondered just what the the heck the round thing on the left was? Another moon behind Io?
It turned out to be a 300 km hi plume from the first active volcano ever seen outside of Earth.
It turned out to be a 300 km hi plume from the first active volcano ever seen outside of Earth.
This is the Gemini 7 spaceship, photographed from Gemini 6. There were two people in Gemini 6 and two in Gemini 7, so four people total.
At the time (1965) that was the record for most people in space at the same time. Four.
At the time (1965) that was the record for most people in space at the same time. Four.
December 11, 2025 at 1:33 AM
This is the Gemini 7 spaceship, photographed from Gemini 6. There were two people in Gemini 6 and two in Gemini 7, so four people total.
At the time (1965) that was the record for most people in space at the same time. Four.
At the time (1965) that was the record for most people in space at the same time. Four.
This is Gene Cernan just back in the ship after walking on the Moon. Notice that he is more or less filthy.
I've read a lot of classic (pre Moon landing) sci fi, but I'm not sure anyone predicted that moon dust would be sticky.
I've read a lot of classic (pre Moon landing) sci fi, but I'm not sure anyone predicted that moon dust would be sticky.
December 2, 2025 at 7:17 PM
This is Gene Cernan just back in the ship after walking on the Moon. Notice that he is more or less filthy.
I've read a lot of classic (pre Moon landing) sci fi, but I'm not sure anyone predicted that moon dust would be sticky.
I've read a lot of classic (pre Moon landing) sci fi, but I'm not sure anyone predicted that moon dust would be sticky.
If your current job isn't teaching you something new, or leaving you the time and energy to teach yourself something new, then you are the economic equivalent of an oil well: Valuable until you are exhausted and then worthless.
Don't be an oil well.
Don't be an oil well.
December 1, 2025 at 5:06 PM
If your current job isn't teaching you something new, or leaving you the time and energy to teach yourself something new, then you are the economic equivalent of an oil well: Valuable until you are exhausted and then worthless.
Don't be an oil well.
Don't be an oil well.
There is a story that the novelist Joseph Heller, when informed that some hedge fund manager made more money in one day than Heller's Catch-22 would earn in its whole history replied:
“Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.”
Today, I am thankful that I have enough.
“Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.”
Today, I am thankful that I have enough.
November 26, 2025 at 3:01 PM
There is a story that the novelist Joseph Heller, when informed that some hedge fund manager made more money in one day than Heller's Catch-22 would earn in its whole history replied:
“Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.”
Today, I am thankful that I have enough.
“Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.”
Today, I am thankful that I have enough.
Reposted by Russ Olsen
Spending hours with ChatGPT can save you minutes of reading the documentation.
November 18, 2024 at 12:45 PM
Spending hours with ChatGPT can save you minutes of reading the documentation.
This picture gets me every time. This is the Apollo 11 ascent module in the foreground with the Earth in the far distance. There are 2 guys in the ascent module and several billion people on the little blue dot.
That's absolutely everyone, except the guy taking the picture.
That's absolutely everyone, except the guy taking the picture.
November 23, 2025 at 1:59 AM
This picture gets me every time. This is the Apollo 11 ascent module in the foreground with the Earth in the far distance. There are 2 guys in the ascent module and several billion people on the little blue dot.
That's absolutely everyone, except the guy taking the picture.
That's absolutely everyone, except the guy taking the picture.
In working on the second edition of Eloquent Ruby, I decided to add a bit of coverage of Sonic-Pi, the wonderful live coding music generation tool built around Ruby. Of course I had to install it again and play around with it.
6 Hours Later
Well, not a lot of writing got done today.
6 Hours Later
Well, not a lot of writing got done today.
November 23, 2025 at 12:01 AM
In working on the second edition of Eloquent Ruby, I decided to add a bit of coverage of Sonic-Pi, the wonderful live coding music generation tool built around Ruby. Of course I had to install it again and play around with it.
6 Hours Later
Well, not a lot of writing got done today.
6 Hours Later
Well, not a lot of writing got done today.
The fine folks at the Pragmatic Press, publishers of both Getting Clojure and the (so far) beta version of Eloquent Ruby (along with many others) are running their annual 50% off sale. So hurry on over and use the coupon code save50 on the checkout page!
pragprog.com
pragprog.com
Pragmatic Bookshelf: By Developers, For Developers
We improve the lives of professional developers. We create timely, practical books on classic and cutting-edge topics to help you learn and practice your craft, and accelerate your career. Come learn ...
pragprog.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:32 AM
The fine folks at the Pragmatic Press, publishers of both Getting Clojure and the (so far) beta version of Eloquent Ruby (along with many others) are running their annual 50% off sale. So hurry on over and use the coupon code save50 on the checkout page!
pragprog.com
pragprog.com
In working on the Eloquent Ruby chapter on Ruby implementations, I came across this in wonderful bit of code in the MRI VM. I don't often laugh at a program for a full minute, but I made an exception here.
eloquentruby.com
eloquentruby.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:06 PM
In working on the Eloquent Ruby chapter on Ruby implementations, I came across this in wonderful bit of code in the MRI VM. I don't often laugh at a program for a full minute, but I made an exception here.
eloquentruby.com
eloquentruby.com
The key thing about reality is that it doesn't need a PR staff.
Rule of thumb: If a company, particularly a large company, spends a lot of time and money telling its employees that something is true, that is prima faca evidence that it's baloney.
Rule of thumb: If a company, particularly a large company, spends a lot of time and money telling its employees that something is true, that is prima faca evidence that it's baloney.
November 19, 2025 at 3:53 PM
The key thing about reality is that it doesn't need a PR staff.
Rule of thumb: If a company, particularly a large company, spends a lot of time and money telling its employees that something is true, that is prima faca evidence that it's baloney.
Rule of thumb: If a company, particularly a large company, spends a lot of time and money telling its employees that something is true, that is prima faca evidence that it's baloney.
I'm working on the Eloquent Ruby chapter that discusses the various Ruby implementations. Which means that I'm digging into the source code for MRI for the first time in about a decade. I think last time I looked it was version 1.9.something. Now it's 3.4+.
November 13, 2025 at 12:57 PM
I'm working on the Eloquent Ruby chapter that discusses the various Ruby implementations. Which means that I'm digging into the source code for MRI for the first time in about a decade. I think last time I looked it was version 1.9.something. Now it's 3.4+.
Reposted by Russ Olsen
I am so excited for this book, it's so great!
Putting the finishing touches on the beta release of 2nd edition of Eloquent Ruby, which should be available sometime in the next couple of weeks.
This has been a long, long journey but the finish line is at least out there on the horizon. I mean, who writes a book with 746 separate code examples?
This has been a long, long journey but the finish line is at least out there on the horizon. I mean, who writes a book with 746 separate code examples?
November 1, 2025 at 3:26 PM
I am so excited for this book, it's so great!
Reposted by Russ Olsen
This was the book that really made me understand idiomatic Ruby looks like early in my career. Looking forward to reading the new edition.
It's official! The beta release of Eloquent Ruby, 2nd edition is now on sale!
pragprog.com/titles/eruby...
pragprog.com/titles/eruby...
Eloquent Ruby, Second Edition
Write elegant Ruby code--not just correct, but idiomatic. Go beyond the vocabulary and syntax and learn to express yourself with eloquence.
pragprog.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:46 AM
This was the book that really made me understand idiomatic Ruby looks like early in my career. Looking forward to reading the new edition.
Reposted by Russ Olsen
I don't normally get angry about the media, who are doing a difficult job in a difficult environment. But if you see a story where one scientist says one thing, and literally everyone else says another, and you decide to write it up, well, Jed, I don't even want to know you.
October 31, 2025 at 3:53 PM
I don't normally get angry about the media, who are doing a difficult job in a difficult environment. But if you see a story where one scientist says one thing, and literally everyone else says another, and you decide to write it up, well, Jed, I don't even want to know you.
It's official! The beta release of Eloquent Ruby, 2nd edition is now on sale!
pragprog.com/titles/eruby...
pragprog.com/titles/eruby...
Eloquent Ruby, Second Edition
Write elegant Ruby code--not just correct, but idiomatic. Go beyond the vocabulary and syntax and learn to express yourself with eloquence.
pragprog.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:44 PM
It's official! The beta release of Eloquent Ruby, 2nd edition is now on sale!
pragprog.com/titles/eruby...
pragprog.com/titles/eruby...
Putting the finishing touches on the beta release of 2nd edition of Eloquent Ruby, which should be available sometime in the next couple of weeks.
This has been a long, long journey but the finish line is at least out there on the horizon. I mean, who writes a book with 746 separate code examples?
This has been a long, long journey but the finish line is at least out there on the horizon. I mean, who writes a book with 746 separate code examples?
October 28, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Putting the finishing touches on the beta release of 2nd edition of Eloquent Ruby, which should be available sometime in the next couple of weeks.
This has been a long, long journey but the finish line is at least out there on the horizon. I mean, who writes a book with 746 separate code examples?
This has been a long, long journey but the finish line is at least out there on the horizon. I mean, who writes a book with 746 separate code examples?
There are things that everyone knows. These are the things that nobody talks about. Which is why not everyone knows what "everyone knows."
You know?
You know?
October 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
There are things that everyone knows. These are the things that nobody talks about. Which is why not everyone knows what "everyone knows."
You know?
You know?
In other news, the print version of my novel Overdrive is almost ready. And it has a different cover!
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
October 16, 2025 at 8:26 PM
In other news, the print version of my novel Overdrive is almost ready. And it has a different cover!
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
www.amazon.com/Overdrive-Li...
The 2nd edition of Eloquent Ruby has a cover!
October 14, 2025 at 1:45 PM
The 2nd edition of Eloquent Ruby has a cover!
Eloquent Ruby update: We are edging towards a beta release, probably early to mid Nov.
One. Page. At. A. Time.
One. Page. At. A. Time.
October 1, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Eloquent Ruby update: We are edging towards a beta release, probably early to mid Nov.
One. Page. At. A. Time.
One. Page. At. A. Time.