Monthly Archives: November 2020

A Nineteenth Century Emacs

Posted on 2020-11-20 by jcs

One of the enduring memes in Emacsland is the picture of a huge pipe organ console labeled, “I finally got my Emacs set up the way I like it” or something similar. It keeps reappearing as n00bs discover it and … Continue reading →

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Sudo by Touch ID on Macs

Posted on 2020-11-19 by jcs

This post is just a quickie for those of you using a Mac with Touch ID. My latest MacBook Pro has Touch ID and I was surprised at how much I like and use it. It’s especially handy for 1Passowrd … Continue reading →

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Batteries Included

Posted on 2020-11-18 by jcs

One of the frequent complaints you hear about Emacs—generally from people who don’t know what they’re talking about—is that it’s unusable out of the box. I know that’s not true because when I started using Emacs about 13 years ago … Continue reading →

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Leanpub Publishing with Emacs

Posted on 2020-11-17 by jcs

I’ve written about publishing with Leanpub before. They have a very nice workflow that allows an author to upload and publish a book with minimum friction. You can learn some of the details here. Four and a half years after … Continue reading →

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Emacs Indentation

Posted on 2020-11-16 by jcs

One of the darker corners of Emacs that always seems to cause problems for n00bs and old-timers alike is indentation, tabs, and spaces. When I started, I somehow stumbled onto a configuration that worked for me and I haven’t touched … Continue reading →

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Asimov on Science and Superstition

Posted on 2020-11-15 by jcs

I recently came across an old video of Isaac Asimov being interviewed about his thoughts on science, rationality, and superstition. It’s from 1988 but, sadly, still relevant today. Much of Asimov’s discussion concerns his thoughts about religion but that’s not … Continue reading →

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The Biggest Problem with Org-mode

Posted on 2020-11-14 by jcs

Here’s a pithy, yet accurate, take on the primary downside to Org-mode: Honestly the biggest drawback of org-mode, is the fact that your collaborators might not be using it. #emacs #orgmode — Thomas Kobber Panum (@tpanum) November 13, 2020

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An Advantage of Emacs Centrism

Posted on 2020-11-13 by jcs

The technical side of the Internet is all atwitter about macOS suddenly refusing to launch non-Apple apps. The more excitable elements even suggested some dark plot on Apple’s part: Tim Cook: “We at Apple believe that privacy is a fundamental … Continue reading →

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Lean and the Mathematical Library of the Future

Posted on 2020-11-12 by jcs

Over at Quanta magazine, Kevin Hartnett has an interesting article about using computers in the service of Mathematics. That’s nothing new, of course, but this isn’t about numerical methods or LaTeX, it’s about using computers to help develop mathematical proofs. … Continue reading →

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Weather Alert

Posted on 2020-11-11 by jcs

Just a quick note that Hurricane Eta is in the area of the Irreal bunker and may interfere with posting. The current path calls for Eta to come ashore a bit north of Tampa as a tropical storm so we’re … Continue reading →

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