GlowWords

> Stop Buying Yaks - Sep 25, 2026

In software development "Yak Shaving" is the process of going down a winding road of tasks seemingly unrelated to the goal you started with. It is well illustrated by a scene in Malcolm in the Middle where Hal discovers a light bulb is out. He goes to the cupboard to find a new bulb but the shelf is a little wobbly. He goes to get a screwdriver from the drawer, but the drawer is squeaky. So it is out to the garage for a can of lubricant, but the can is empty. Time to head to the store...

> AST-GREP Learning experience - Jun 11, 2026

I've been digging into ast-grep, a tool for searching and re-writing code that takes advantage of the code's syntax. Here's a problem I've been working through and lessons I've learned along the way. My Problem When writing unit tests I often end up with very long parameter lists. The AutoFixture framework for C# uses attributes which makes parameters with often long types even longer. Add that to long test method names following unit testing conventions and you get some very long method...

> Escaping an Oppressive Life - Sep 7, 2025

I recently re-listened to Professor Brian Moriarty's 2011 talk, An Apology for Roger Ebert. The late film critic had waded into the discussion of whether video games can be art, receiving tremendous backlash. Moriarty makes a defense of Ebert, discussing whether video games can ever be "sublime art" or will always just be kitsch, emotional baiting, or cash cow entertainment. But something else caught my attention as I listened. In discussing a painting by James Northcote, he drops in a...

> Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Feb 4, 2025

It's the start of Black History Month and I'm reminded of a conversation I had in grad school. My work supervisor invited me to lunch with of few of his friends. The conversation of affirmative action came up, and the comment was made "I wouldn't want a doctor who got in on affirmative action operating on me." The table seemed in general agreement. I responded "Even if they got into school on affirmative action, it doesn't get them through the training. They still have to make it...