Brandon Rohrer
@brandonrohrer.com
Robotics and Reinforcement Learning tinkerer.
brandonrohrer.com
Wrangler of algorithms for Confluence @ Atlassian.
Eater of bread. Sipper of whisky.
Reports to a Shih Tzu.
brandonrohrer.com
Wrangler of algorithms for Confluence @ Atlassian.
Eater of bread. Sipper of whisky.
Reports to a Shih Tzu.
Pinned
Brandon Rohrer
@brandonrohrer.com
· May 28
Update from my long-running #ReinforcementLearning side project.
It uses a combination of new tools to control a simulated pendulum.
It uses a combination of new tools to control a simulated pendulum.
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
Modern Times vows to be free as long as ICE remains in Minneapolis
The diner, now known as “Post Modern Times” will run on donations instead of charging patrons, therefore removing the element of sales tax that would go to the government.
www.mprnews.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:40 AM
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
fyi: you can Venmo Modern Times directly at @moderntimescafe
January 28, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
We can all see with our own eyes what ICE is doing to our neighbors.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
We can all see with our own eyes what ICE is doing to our neighbors.
YouTube video by Senator Elizabeth Warren
youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 1:19 AM
We can all see with our own eyes what ICE is doing to our neighbors.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
It’s time for the Senate to step up and do the right thing. Stop this violence.
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
“But what deeply troubles me now is that for all the steps we've taken toward integration, I've come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house."
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
January 20, 2026 at 3:40 AM
“But what deeply troubles me now is that for all the steps we've taken toward integration, I've come to believe that we are integrating into a burning house."
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
Dr. King said this famous quote on March 27th, 1968, mere days before his murder. But the context around the quote is interesting...
The cool thing about starting with the lowest hanging fruit is that there will always be another piece of lowest hanging fruit.
January 19, 2026 at 12:43 PM
The cool thing about starting with the lowest hanging fruit is that there will always be another piece of lowest hanging fruit.
The answer to almost every programming question is “it depends” so it is remarkable that the answer to “when should I do this refactor?” is always “right now”. I’ve never regretted it.
January 18, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The answer to almost every programming question is “it depends” so it is remarkable that the answer to “when should I do this refactor?” is always “right now”. I’ve never regretted it.
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
ICE is out of control. Congress cannot keep bankrolling ICE's abuses.
ICE is out of control.
YouTube video by Senator Elizabeth Warren
youtube.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:14 PM
ICE is out of control. Congress cannot keep bankrolling ICE's abuses.
“but you haven’t tried the *latest * models”
@iris-meredith.bsky.social did, so you don’t have to. An open eyed snapshot of 2026 coding assistants.
@iris-meredith.bsky.social did, so you don’t have to. An open eyed snapshot of 2026 coding assistants.
In today's article, I write a summary of my experiences working with an LLM coding assistant for a week. Surprisingly, it's less negative than the article I expected to write. Unsurprisingly, it is still very, very…
My week with opencode
My week with opencode
My week with opencode | deadSimpleTech
In today's article, I write a summary of my experiences working with an LLM coding assistant for a week. Surprisingly, it's less negative than the article I expected to write. Unsurprisingly, it is still very, very negative and comes to the conclusion that LLM agents probably shouldn't be used for anything
deadsimpletech.com
January 13, 2026 at 11:49 AM
“but you haven’t tried the *latest * models”
@iris-meredith.bsky.social did, so you don’t have to. An open eyed snapshot of 2026 coding assistants.
@iris-meredith.bsky.social did, so you don’t have to. An open eyed snapshot of 2026 coding assistants.
I’m putting together a deep focus playlist. Any scifi / fantasy soundtracks you enjoyed?
Some favorites of mine are interstellar, arrival, and the assassin’s Creed game soundtracks
Some favorites of mine are interstellar, arrival, and the assassin’s Creed game soundtracks
January 6, 2026 at 5:48 PM
I’m putting together a deep focus playlist. Any scifi / fantasy soundtracks you enjoyed?
Some favorites of mine are interstellar, arrival, and the assassin’s Creed game soundtracks
Some favorites of mine are interstellar, arrival, and the assassin’s Creed game soundtracks
January 4, 2026 at 5:46 PM
It is surprisingly hard to get computers to do addition with decimals the way a third-grader can.
adding floats gives things like
0.1 + 0.2 = 0.30000000000000004
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_add...
adding floats gives things like
0.1 + 0.2 = 0.30000000000000004
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_add...
December 31, 2025 at 3:01 AM
It is surprisingly hard to get computers to do addition with decimals the way a third-grader can.
adding floats gives things like
0.1 + 0.2 = 0.30000000000000004
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_add...
adding floats gives things like
0.1 + 0.2 = 0.30000000000000004
graffitiwall.nexus/graffiti_add...
My Magnificent Adding Machine app has gotten a glow up.
graffitiwall.nexus
- no floating point weirdness
- a bit of amateur web design
- timing info
- a beefy database behind it
I won't say unbreakable, but harder to accidentally break.
graffitiwall.nexus
- no floating point weirdness
- a bit of amateur web design
- timing info
- a beefy database behind it
I won't say unbreakable, but harder to accidentally break.
December 28, 2025 at 3:01 AM
My Magnificent Adding Machine app has gotten a glow up.
graffitiwall.nexus
- no floating point weirdness
- a bit of amateur web design
- timing info
- a beefy database behind it
I won't say unbreakable, but harder to accidentally break.
graffitiwall.nexus
- no floating point weirdness
- a bit of amateur web design
- timing info
- a beefy database behind it
I won't say unbreakable, but harder to accidentally break.
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
my book comes out in precisely a month!
it's a practical guide to how to use AI for those who hate the way it's being shoved down everyone's throats but who also know that, every once in a while, it's handy
it's a practical guide to how to use AI for those who hate the way it's being shoved down everyone's throats but who also know that, every once in a while, it's handy
A Skeptic's Guide to AI
I wrote "How to AI" both for everyone who is dabbling in AI, or wants to avoid it and know what they're up against.
It's as much about where AI isn't appropriate as where it is.
Out 1/27. Updates and newsletter here:
mimsical.beehiiv.com/p/a-skeptic-...
I wrote "How to AI" both for everyone who is dabbling in AI, or wants to avoid it and know what they're up against.
It's as much about where AI isn't appropriate as where it is.
Out 1/27. Updates and newsletter here:
mimsical.beehiiv.com/p/a-skeptic-...
A skeptic's guide to AI
Introducing the one book you might want to read about AI -- even, or perhaps especially, if you're not a fan
mimsical.beehiiv.com
December 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
my book comes out in precisely a month!
it's a practical guide to how to use AI for those who hate the way it's being shoved down everyone's throats but who also know that, every once in a while, it's handy
it's a practical guide to how to use AI for those who hate the way it's being shoved down everyone's throats but who also know that, every once in a while, it's handy
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
SQL for Data Scientists | author's book companion website
sqlfordatascientists.com
December 26, 2025 at 10:54 PM
I’ve been intimidated by Postgres for a long time, but now that I’ve got it working I feel kind of silly. It's powerful so I expected to have a painful installation---building from source and modifying env variables---but it turns out Postgres is built to be used.
brandonrohrer.com/postgres_int...
brandonrohrer.com/postgres_int...
brandonrohrer.com
December 23, 2025 at 6:41 PM
I’ve been intimidated by Postgres for a long time, but now that I’ve got it working I feel kind of silly. It's powerful so I expected to have a painful installation---building from source and modifying env variables---but it turns out Postgres is built to be used.
brandonrohrer.com/postgres_int...
brandonrohrer.com/postgres_int...
A long time SQLite user, I’m using my own Postgres server for the first time and having a real “I know kung fu” moment
December 22, 2025 at 10:31 PM
A long time SQLite user, I’m using my own Postgres server for the first time and having a real “I know kung fu” moment
me: no need for code hygiene or documentation. I’m the only one who’s ever going to see it.
3- days-from-now-me: what asshole wrote this
3- days-from-now-me: what asshole wrote this
December 21, 2025 at 8:14 PM
me: no need for code hygiene or documentation. I’m the only one who’s ever going to see it.
3- days-from-now-me: what asshole wrote this
3- days-from-now-me: what asshole wrote this
seeking database opinions
It's a wild swing, but does anyone have experience with a database that
1. handles concurrency well
2. is a columnar store
3. is open source
Here is list of 2 with 3, but doesn't help with 1.
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
It's a wild swing, but does anyone have experience with a database that
1. handles concurrency well
2. is a columnar store
3. is open source
Here is list of 2 with 3, but doesn't help with 1.
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
List of column-oriented DBMSes - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
December 20, 2025 at 1:06 PM
seeking database opinions
It's a wild swing, but does anyone have experience with a database that
1. handles concurrency well
2. is a columnar store
3. is open source
Here is list of 2 with 3, but doesn't help with 1.
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
It's a wild swing, but does anyone have experience with a database that
1. handles concurrency well
2. is a columnar store
3. is open source
Here is list of 2 with 3, but doesn't help with 1.
en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...
Post those buns!
oh are we bun-posting?
December 19, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Post those buns!
Live with the confidence of someone who starts their version numbering at 1.0
December 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Live with the confidence of someone who starts their version numbering at 1.0
Reposted by Brandon Rohrer
Which LLM is backing this?! It was able to crack 17!
December 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Which LLM is backing this?! It was able to crack 17!
I'm unironically proud to show off my web app graffitiwall.nexus
It will add two numbers for you. Whatever numbers you want.
It will add two numbers for you. Whatever numbers you want.
December 14, 2025 at 11:39 PM
I'm unironically proud to show off my web app graffitiwall.nexus
It will add two numbers for you. Whatever numbers you want.
It will add two numbers for you. Whatever numbers you want.