The Duct-Tape Programmer Discovers Process
I have never really thought of myself as a software developer in the formal sense. I’m a duct-tape programmer. I learned to program in…
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Psychology
Working With Jon: Notes From an AI Programming Assistant
I often get asked if someone can contribute a “Guest Post” to my blog. Today I’m allowing someone to, but in full disclosure, I…
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Make the Coffee Cake: A Christmas Morning Memory
On Christmas 2021, I chose to make my grandmother's coffee cake with my mom instead of going for my usual walk. This spontaneous decision…
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Finding Gratitude in Others’ Lack of Trauma: A Holiday Reflection
In the midst of holiday gatherings, it can be tough when we realize that some of our closest friends or family just don’t quite…
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Stepping Off the Stress Treadmill: Learning to Break the Cycle
Sometimes stress doesn’t hit all at once — it lingers. After months of running in “treadmill mode,” I realized my brain had forgotten how…
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Using A.I. in Dr. Westfall’s Classes: A Thoughtful Approach
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is changing the way we do things inside and outside of our classrooms. Tools like ChatGPT and other generative A.I. platforms…
Read essayDisney World, the Workplace
One of the things I love about Disney is thinking about the “backstage” aspects of it. The fact that it’s a workplace that exists…
Read essayThe Lie Destroying America: If It’s Important, They’ll Call
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about the power of a telephone call. I live in a region where many people still believe that…
Read essayAbout Your Instructor
Our learning management system asks us to write an “About your Instructor” page for our students. Here’s Fall 2023’s – I think I’ve reached…
Read essayDr. Westfall’s Writing Pet Peeves (a.k.a. How to Write a Paper I Won’t Hate)
We’re at the end of the Summer II term, and I’m reading term papers. It has made me think about the biggest issues I…
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