Matt Mack

Hard-of-hearing neurospicy chronically online mathematician, cellist with a giant backlog of games & books. [email protected];

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Today's Small Win: Was dreading going into audiologist today because the last appointment indicated I'd need to pay $150 just for tweaking my hearing aid settings. She only charged me $65 and I walked out with more knowledge and an additional tweak I didn't know I wanted.

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Which pasta shapes would be favoured here?

This confirmed for me that spaghetti and other noodle-esque pairings work with meatballs here.
3/3

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Asked ChatGPT: I've made meatballs to go into a pasta bolognese. Is there any specific reason that the spaghetti pasta shape ideally goes with meatballs or is it just the most commonplace pairing?
1/3

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Answer commented mostly on shape of pasta & how it holds sauce and recommended other pasta options. I wasn't satisfied.

Follow up prompt: Comment on the physicality of a fork spearing a meatball, and then scooping up pasta (or twirling in the sense of spaghetti.
2/3

[Matt Mack @matthras]

@regisaltare Silver lining is that if they don't have a plan, you get to make your own. You got this leader 🫡

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Looks like I should go work on something super interesting & top secret if I want my forever-single streak to be broken by a Chinese spy 🙃

(Thankfully my natural tendency is in the opposite direction - best way to win a game is not to play it!)

[Matt Mack @matthras]

@guru_xd @NrkZatta Yep. The "old" crowd of JP-EN localisers I used to follow here have all moved to bluer pastures.

[Matt Mack @matthras]

I'm randomly recalling a maths teacher I had in high school who, after I was no longer his student, still occasionally checked in with me about my father who was ill. Just looked him up, passed away about 10 years ago. A good man 🫡🫡🫡

https://t.co/HTwBvQj5P2

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Getting and playing an electric cello is still many $$$s away for me but hearing Brett (of the no-longer TwoSetViolin) talk about the comparison between electric + wooden violin sounds like what my sentiments would be.

10min vid: https://t.co/xtZ63w4TmA

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Oh you're kidding me, you mean the reason my hearing aid phone app was borked the last two weeks was because of a cybersecurity incident?!

https://t.co/eSuddrVIno

[Matt Mack @matthras]

I've spent the past hour trying to convert random phrases into pseudo-mathematical expressions and it's like "How the F did people come up with rebus puzzles in the first place, such creativity 🤯"

[Matt Mack @matthras]

...quinoa first, then pearl barley. Both seem like achievable experiments! Also, can you imagine me annoying a dietitian/nutritionist with these oddly specific questions 😂
3/3

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Asked ChatGPT: "Currently as part of my regular meal prep (in addition to veggies and protein) I have equal parts white rice, brown rice, and chickpeas. What can I add to this combination that doesn't over-weigh the nutritional profile in favour of any of the three?...
1/3

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Narrow down the list to those that can also be made in a rice cooker along with the above in one go. I already pre-soak the brown rice and chickpeas, so pre-soaking can also be done if needed."

ChatGPT recommended...
2/3

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Today's Small Win: Jeans button/tack on my blue jeans shorts is broken - the top had randomly come off. Managed to pull the rest apart with pliers.

Now to wait for the new ones to come in the mail, hopefully I can use the extras for some craft project 🤔

[Matt Mack @matthras]

@CHaesemeyer @wartsandbrawls It's made me really sad, because for me being hard-of-hearing the lecture recordings help when I can't necessarily catch everything live. At the same time I couldn't have anticipated this happening when I was much more naive in advocating for accessibility.

[Matt Mack @matthras]

I've started reading a book on dyscalculia (by Butterworth, cogsci approach), only 2 chapters in and honestly, my mind is blown at how much stuff I've taken for granted 🤯

(For those who don't know me, I fit the 'good at maths Asian' stereotype)

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Wondered about and asked ChatGPT this morning:

- Mathematical transformations + distance formula between e.g. RGB & DMC thread colours, other colour spaces
- Mantis shrimps' additional colour cones & colour perception and how to think about it from a human perception

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Writing/conversational dialogue is a bit odd. Character personalities are clear, but interactions between them are a bit stiff. Conversation segments can definitely be enhanced with body movement/gestures.
2/2

[Matt Mack @matthras]

Been playing a lot of Marvel's Midnight Suns lately, it's scratching my XCOM itch but I was keen to bump up the difficulty ASAP. Worldbuilding + doing normal human things outside of the superhero fighting is actually pretty cool, made me think about a few things.
1/2