Rick Brannan
@rickbrannan.com
Data Architect/Data Wrangler. Doer of ML/MT and AI thingies. Translator of Lexham Press' "Apostolic Fathers." Mastermind behind the "Lexham English Septuagint." Now working on Baylor Handbook for Shepherd of Hermas. He/Him.
web: https://rickbrannan.com
web: https://rickbrannan.com
As a card-carrying member of GenX, I can't help but think of Gordon Gecko when I see him.
November 25, 2025 at 6:53 PM
As a card-carrying member of GenX, I can't help but think of Gordon Gecko when I see him.
You will be visited by three spirits.
The three spirits.
The three spirits.
November 25, 2025 at 5:08 AM
You will be visited by three spirits.
The three spirits.
The three spirits.
Our tiny li'l Crystal, the "Queen of the House," has a large and growing tumor in her head, and we've reached that point.
She'll be crossing the river later this afternoon. Lift up all your good thoughts, esp. for our 18yo who loves the animals with all her being.
She'll be crossing the river later this afternoon. Lift up all your good thoughts, esp. for our 18yo who loves the animals with all her being.
November 17, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Our tiny li'l Crystal, the "Queen of the House," has a large and growing tumor in her head, and we've reached that point.
She'll be crossing the river later this afternoon. Lift up all your good thoughts, esp. for our 18yo who loves the animals with all her being.
She'll be crossing the river later this afternoon. Lift up all your good thoughts, esp. for our 18yo who loves the animals with all her being.
Following up: Everything worked *except* the canonical sorting. So I prepended the sort key (an eight-digit string for `BBCCCVVV`) to the label, and it was properly sorted. Then some Word "wildcard" schmaltz to remove the sort key. You need to open the doc, futz with stuff, then re-save, but:
November 15, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Following up: Everything worked *except* the canonical sorting. So I prepended the sort key (an eight-digit string for `BBCCCVVV`) to the label, and it was properly sorted. Then some Word "wildcard" schmaltz to remove the sort key. You need to open the doc, futz with stuff, then re-save, but:
After pretty much any nuanced and deeply technical/specific conversation with an AI chatbot (current case: nuances of Arabic and unicode for determining dictionary sorting and chunking), this is how I feel (where 'defense system' == 'chatbot').
Wargames was such a great movie.
Wargames was such a great movie.
November 13, 2025 at 5:20 PM
After pretty much any nuanced and deeply technical/specific conversation with an AI chatbot (current case: nuances of Arabic and unicode for determining dictionary sorting and chunking), this is how I feel (where 'defense system' == 'chatbot').
Wargames was such a great movie.
Wargames was such a great movie.
I mean it is SO CLOSE. Index entries in, page numbers, but sorted alphabetically. And no way to use a sort key or anything to re-sort the index.
November 12, 2025 at 1:19 AM
I mean it is SO CLOSE. Index entries in, page numbers, but sorted alphabetically. And no way to use a sort key or anything to re-sort the index.
Tuesday: Purchase 'portable' hot tub at Costco
Saturday: Purchase stuff to reinforce deck
Sunday: Reinforce deck
Tuesday: Put up 'portable' hot tub
Why? You'll do crazy stuff too when a loved one has chronic pain (arthritis, fibromyalgia) and being immersed in heat actually helps.
Saturday: Purchase stuff to reinforce deck
Sunday: Reinforce deck
Tuesday: Put up 'portable' hot tub
Why? You'll do crazy stuff too when a loved one has chronic pain (arthritis, fibromyalgia) and being immersed in heat actually helps.
November 12, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Tuesday: Purchase 'portable' hot tub at Costco
Saturday: Purchase stuff to reinforce deck
Sunday: Reinforce deck
Tuesday: Put up 'portable' hot tub
Why? You'll do crazy stuff too when a loved one has chronic pain (arthritis, fibromyalgia) and being immersed in heat actually helps.
Saturday: Purchase stuff to reinforce deck
Sunday: Reinforce deck
Tuesday: Put up 'portable' hot tub
Why? You'll do crazy stuff too when a loved one has chronic pain (arthritis, fibromyalgia) and being immersed in heat actually helps.
Essential Pacific Northwest November grilling gear.
November 6, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Essential Pacific Northwest November grilling gear.
Gee, can't quite figure out why this passage has been in my mind the past few weeks.
November 3, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Gee, can't quite figure out why this passage has been in my mind the past few weeks.
Well, we'll have four middle schoolers (our 13yo & 3 friends) in the house. I made a big batch of chili because, you know, Sonic the Hedgehog's favorite meal is chili dogs.
Plus trick-or-treating and tons of sugar.
As they say in the Dog Man books: "What could possibly go wrong?"
Plus trick-or-treating and tons of sugar.
As they say in the Dog Man books: "What could possibly go wrong?"
October 31, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Well, we'll have four middle schoolers (our 13yo & 3 friends) in the house. I made a big batch of chili because, you know, Sonic the Hedgehog's favorite meal is chili dogs.
Plus trick-or-treating and tons of sugar.
As they say in the Dog Man books: "What could possibly go wrong?"
Plus trick-or-treating and tons of sugar.
As they say in the Dog Man books: "What could possibly go wrong?"
Pumpkins done. Phew. Top right to bottom left: Eggman, Sly Kitty, Minecraft Creeper.
October 30, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Pumpkins done. Phew. Top right to bottom left: Eggman, Sly Kitty, Minecraft Creeper.
Dunno what to tell anyone, but since 2014 it's been "Coast Salish Day" here in Bellingham.
October 13, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Dunno what to tell anyone, but since 2014 it's been "Coast Salish Day" here in Bellingham.
Happy birthday to me!
October 9, 2025 at 5:42 AM
Happy birthday to me!
We're in "works on my computer and phone" status of this project while nameserver changes propagate the interwebs. Yes, there's still more that can be done, but basic goal of "one page for each book, one page for each series" has been met, so that's a win for me. appianwaypress.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:57 PM
We're in "works on my computer and phone" status of this project while nameserver changes propagate the interwebs. Yes, there's still more that can be done, but basic goal of "one page for each book, one page for each series" has been met, so that's a win for me. appianwaypress.com
It's actually more like vibe-PM'ing my way to a book catalog site.
It isn't horrible, it isn't perfect.
But stuff got made, probably faster than it would've been had I just banged it out myself. Lots of tweaking on my part. (2/6)
It isn't horrible, it isn't perfect.
But stuff got made, probably faster than it would've been had I just banged it out myself. Lots of tweaking on my part. (2/6)
October 8, 2025 at 2:36 PM
It's actually more like vibe-PM'ing my way to a book catalog site.
It isn't horrible, it isn't perfect.
But stuff got made, probably faster than it would've been had I just banged it out myself. Lots of tweaking on my part. (2/6)
It isn't horrible, it isn't perfect.
But stuff got made, probably faster than it would've been had I just banged it out myself. Lots of tweaking on my part. (2/6)
Time to clean and drain the pool. Official end of summer.
September 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Time to clean and drain the pool. Official end of summer.
Inside you are two wolves.
September 19, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Inside you are two wolves.
Scene from earlier today.
September 17, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Scene from earlier today.
September 12, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Answers come with the top 5 sources, like the below. Admittedly I'm using a form of the data that isn't published (same stuff, just easier for me to access and chunk) but still. Pretty sweet.
September 8, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Answers come with the top 5 sources, like the below. Admittedly I'm using a form of the data that isn't published (same stuff, just easier for me to access and chunk) but still. Pretty sweet.
I posted earlier today about a whole bunch of ePubs and diglots of early Christian writings that are available from github.com/AppianWayPress. Now that it is in semblance of order, I can use it to fuel a simple RAG system to answer questions based on early Christian writings. Like this:
September 8, 2025 at 3:47 AM
I posted earlier today about a whole bunch of ePubs and diglots of early Christian writings that are available from github.com/AppianWayPress. Now that it is in semblance of order, I can use it to fuel a simple RAG system to answer questions based on early Christian writings. Like this: