Learning reactive programming and rxjava

Learning reactive programming and rxjava

As part of a project for work, I needed to design an architecture for a system that could handle an infinite stream of asynchronous "events" (basically, actions triggered by end-users that my system needed to respond to).  Since we were anticipating a high volume of events, it was important that the system be able to operate in a multi-threaded environment.  Additionally, we wanted the system to be modular and extensible so that as functionality was added or modified (for example, adding a new consumer of events, or replacing an existing persistent storage mechanism with another one), the architecture would remain unchanged...

What I learned from teaching

What I learned from teaching

As Jim Anchower would say, "Hola amigos.  It's been a long time since I rapped at ya..."  I knew one of the risks in publishing a blog online was the high likelihood that I would go prolonged periods without updating it.  Sure enough, it's been almost six months since my last post.  I think I have a fairly decent excuse though -- a new endeavor that took up a substantial amount of my free time...

The promise of science - follow up

The promise of science - follow up

I recently shared my most recent blog post on the promise of science with my good friend Adam, who happens to be one of the sharpest guys I know.  I find his way of thinking to be very precise, methodical, and lucid, which appeals to my engineering-oriented mind.  He also happens to have a law degree from Harvard, so you really need to stay on your toes and know your sh*t if you want to debate him...

The promise of science

The promise of science

As an engineer, I tend to take what I think is a pretty rational view of the world.  When making an argument, I prefer to rely on established fact, rather than appealing to emotion.  Thus, it probably comes as no surprise that I fall squarely in the "pro-science" camp.  I believe science is unrivaled in its ability to inform our understanding of the world around us.

But lately I've been paying attention to a worrying trend that I think has been playing out in public discourse, especially political discourse...

The Columbus Idea Foundry kicks ass

The Columbus Idea Foundry kicks ass

After building my first coffee table, my mom not-so-subtly hinted that she would be interested in one as a birthday gift.  I reluctantly shot the idea down for two reasons: 1) I couldn't have made the first one without the help of my incredibly talented jack-of-all-trades friend and neighbor Joe, and 2) I couldn't have made one without access to a workshop and tools that Joe had graciously lent.  My mom understood, but I was bummed because I'd enjoyed being able to work with my hands, but knew that I couldn't keep asking Joe to lend me his tools and work space...