Experiments, observations, and ideas: tech tools, AI, books, media, daily systems
Wanted to share Smelter, a self-contained binary for running Lisp scripts without the usual setup overhead. It started as a Coalton runner, but 0.2 adds native Common Lisp mode. Generally meant to solve "just running CL" (i.e. without SBCL images, or configuring Quicklisp).…
I built my daughter an AI tutor that runs on our own infrastructure, uses our own API key, and stores every conversation in a database I control. Open-sourcing it today.…
Worth re-posting from James Clear's newsletter, since it's the only real way to to change: I. "New goals don't deliver new results. New lifestyles do. And a lifestyle is a process,…
Pattern matching isn't just syntax sugar ... it's the compiler asking "have you thought about this?" Learn how Coalton's match expression ensures you handle every case, with no silent nil or missing branches.…
(a different frame for UAPs) I was watching The Age of Disclosure the other night and got stuck at the point where they break down the "five observables": instant acceleration, no sonic boo…
(being an exploration of structural computation) The Premise I've been thinking about how we learn to process collections. In most languages, we reach for loops first – for, while, the familiar…
Pure functions are the foundation of everything in Coalton. They're predictable, composable, and safe by default. The type signatures aren't red tape: they're guardrails that let you move fast without breaking things.…
This is the core benefit Coalton brings to Lisp: structured correctness with minimal friction.…
(Or, how the "Solitude Curve" actually works) The solitude curve describes the pattern: AI assistance lets you work independently for longer stretches before needing human intervention. But…
Whether we're in 1957 looking at the first compiler, or 2025 looking at AI assistants, the dynamic is similar: automation that extends how long you can work productively without external dependencies.…
Over the past couple weeks, I built "Firefly": a walled-garden AI companion designed specifically for kids. Here's what it looks like in action:…
... maybe ... we're watching the end of the era where you could meaningfully opt out of big tech platforms while remaining professionally competitive. Maybe AI integration requirements make that stance unsustainable for anyone who wants to participate fully in modern work.…