Now Reading
Planned books:
None
Current books:
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Mathematics for the Digital Age and Programming in Python by Maria Litvin and Gary Litvin
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Statistics In Plain English by Timothy C. Urdan
Recent books:
- Practical Machine Learning in R by Fred Nwanganga, Mike Chapple
- Statistical Inference via Data Science: A ModernDive into R and the Tidyverse by Chester Ismay and Albert Y. Kim
- The Nature of Code by Daniel Shiffman
- Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
- The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature by Matt Ridley
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Author Archives: Robert S. Robbins
How Amazon’s Recommendation Engine May Shape Your Destiny
I have recently discovered that Amazon’s recommendation engine is powered by an open source artificial intelligence framework called Deep Scalable Sparse Tensor Network Engine (DSSTNE), pronounced “destiny”. I have tried to figure out how the Deep Scalable Sparse Tensor Network … Continue reading
Brooklyn Heights – Mapping The Territory
Yesterday I made my first bus trip for 2017 to New York City. My goal was to explore more neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Although I only intended to explore Brooklyn Heights, I had time to wander around Dumbo too. Exploring new … Continue reading
Posted in General, Travel, Writing
Tagged Brooklyn Borough Hall, Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Brooklyn Historical Society, DUMBO, Heights Cafe, Henry Ward Beecher Monument, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Merilu Pizza Al Metro, MetroTech Center, New York Transit Museum, New York University Tandon School of Engineering, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Sentinel Apartment, St. Ann's Warehouse, The Heights Players
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CAST’s The Boatwright by Bo Wilson
On Saturday afternoon I saw the play The Boatwright by Bo Wilson. I haven’t been writing reviews of the local productions I’ve seen, but there are a few aspects of this event that I should preserve for future reference. For … Continue reading
Posted in General, Theater, Writing
Tagged CAST, Community Theatre League, RiverStage Community Theatre, The Boatwright
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Production As Validation
Recently I made the observation that playwrights should not be using a production as validation because that is too discouraging. I would like to elaborate on this point. The reason production should not be considered validation is that it sets … Continue reading
Posted in General, Theater, Writing
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Cultural Consumers Vs Creators
There are two types of people in a culture, creators and consumers. Consuming cultural products is a passive activity. Creating cultural products is an active activity. The reader is a consumer and the writer is a creator. I have made … Continue reading
The Playwright As Shaman
I’ve been sharing a lot of my thoughts on the Internet lately but none of it has made it to my blog. So I think it is time to share some of my insights on my own platform instead of … Continue reading
Posted in Theater, Writing
Tagged Archetype Of Initiation, James Hillman, Jungian psychology, Mythology, playwriting, Shakespeare, shamanism, The Bacchae
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Don’t Rush A Web Developer
I like to work very slowly. This can be frustrating for a client but there are good reasons to work at a slower pace. Programming is not something that should be done in a rush. One of the biggest problems … Continue reading
Posted in Programming, Web, Web Design
Tagged documentation, hurry, programming, rush, software development, web development, work pace
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Thanksgiving In New York City
Yesterday I spent Thanksgiving In New York City. This posed some special challenges because everything was closed for the holiday but I still managed to explore the city. I went on this trip courtesy of my older brother who bought … Continue reading
Posted in General, Travel
Tagged Bushwick, Central Park, Lincoln Center, Macy's Parade, Thanksgiving, Troutman Street
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Sony Pictures Studio Tour
I spent my final day in Los Angeles doing the Sony Pictures Studio Tour. Sony Studios is in Culver City, another city incorporated into Los Angeles. I left my hotel earlier than usual, around 7:30 a.m., and took the Metro … Continue reading
Warner Brothers Studio Tour
On Thursday I moved on to my next studio tour at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank. Burbank is to the east of North Hollywood. I took the Metro Bus Line 501 to Burbank California. This is a new bus service … Continue reading
Paramount Studios Tour
My final three days in Los Angeles were devoted to studio tours. On Wednesday I had a tour reservation for the Paramount Studios Tour. Paramount Studios is the only film studio still located in Hollywood. So I took the Metro … Continue reading
Los Angeles County Museum of Art and La Brea Tar Pits
I began my final week in Los Angeles on a mission to visit the Miracle Mile where several more museums are located. I took the Metro Red Line to the Hollywood / Vine Station. I think I saw the mayor … Continue reading
The Getty Center
On Sunday my goal was to visit the Getty Center, one of the major art museums in Los Angeles. Getting to the Getty Center was a challenge since it is located far to the west in Brentwood, Los Angeles along … Continue reading
Griffith Observatory
For Saturday my goal was to visit the Griffith Observatory. This had to occur on a weekend because the LADOT Observatory Shuttle only runs on the weekends. I took the Metro Red Line to the Vermont / Sunset Station. There … Continue reading
Exploring Little Tokyo
On Friday my goal was to explore the Little Tokyo historic district in Downtown Los Angeles. I took the Metro Red Line to the Union Station. From there I took the Metro Gold Line to Little Tokyo / Arts District … Continue reading
Universal Studios Hollywood
On my fifth day in Los Angeles I spent the entire day at Universal Studios Hollywood. This theme park was a lot of fun and I can understand how somebody might come to Los Angeles just for this. It was … Continue reading
Exploring Downtown Los Angeles
On Tuesday I spent the day exploring downtown Los Angeles. I took the Metro Red Line to the Civic Center Station. This took 42 minutes according to my photo timestamps. I quickly located the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Walt Disney … Continue reading
Posted in General, Travel
Tagged Bradbury Building, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park, Grand Central Market, Last Bookstore, Mark Taper Forum, Olvera Street, Pershing Square Station, REDCAT, The Broad, Union Station, Walt Disney Concert Hall
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Los Angeles Book Stores
On my first weekday in Los Angeles I mostly did a little shopping. I also got a little more familiar with the public transportation system. First I took the Metro Red Line to the Hollywood Highland Station. I located the … Continue reading