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Cake day: August 21st, 2019

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  • My novice take: the waveforms on the right are sufficient to recreate analog stereo.

    Digital audio signals are fundamentally represented by a series of numbers with a frequency corresponding to a fixed sample rate. For example: 16-bit unsigned integers at 44.1kHz. Each number is a sample and represents only a magnitude/intensity in time, forming a time domain waveform. Tones and pitches, and everything else one can hear are represented by these numbers in varying arrangements. Check out the waveform for a sine or triangle tone: the waveforms literally depict those shapes.

    The optical analog waveform is encoding the same information as the sampled digital one described above. I’m not sure of the mechanism by which an optical system translates the analog waveform into sound, however.



  • In my experience, making changes, even small ones, is hard but possible. I think it’s important to understand this at the beginning because you will struggle, and that’s ok as long as you don’t get down on yourself when you aren’t making progress. Struggle is basically a sign that you’re doing exactly what you need to do; try to frame struggle a thing that’s ok, or even positive, so long as you keep trying. It’s also important to remember that making change is hard so you can give yourself props and credit when you start seeing your change happen.

    Regarding lethargy: I recently started waking up earlier, and here’s how I did it. Set an alarm and try to limit yourself to one snooze. Make getting up easier on yourself by doing things like programming my coffee maker to have coffee ready when I’m supposed to be awake. Lay out my morning clothes at night so I don’t even have to think when I wake up. Program my thermostat to turn up the heat a little when I wake up (it’s not a fancy thermostat or anything, like $10 used on ebay). Basically think ahead and remove impediments.

    I used similar strategies for creating consistent meditation and exercise routines. I do both of those in the morning before work, and I frequently rationalize to myself that those things are for my benefit alone, and that it’s nice to do something for myself before going off to do wage labor; that sometimes helps me avoid talking myself out doing these things. Regarding exercise: I found an activity I can do while watching TV, so now I look forward to it bc I love watching old TNG episodes.

    Again, when you struggle, do not beat yourself up because that’s literally never productive (while this seems obvious, it took a therapist to convince me this is true); struggle means you’re doing exactly what you have to do, which is to keep trying. Would you criticize a kid learning to read or throw a ball? obviously not; you’d encourage them and make them feel good for trying–treat yourself the same way. When you succeed, legitimately thank yourself and be happy as though your friend or significant other made an accomplishment.