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Updated 2018 December 16

Civilization

An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Strength of Nations

Philosophy of civilization, at www.strengthofnations.org.

Exemplifying one of the themes discussed therein, from Reagan's Brandenburg Gate speech, that freedom makes societies prosper and oppression makes them fail, also see my documentary photo album on Facebook Freedom Wins on the prosperity following marijuana legalization in Colorado, Washington State, and now several others.

Missives

Petitions for policy reform

Political System Design

Economics & Ecology

Human Rights

Math

"Nuts and Bolts"

"The Running Equation"

Quantitative description of the tradeoff between running or swimming faster vs. farther: Performance = ln(1 + distance) * (distance / time) (2012 0813)

Great Books in Math

John P. D'Angelo and Douglas West, Mathematical Thinking: Problem Solving and Proofs

This book is an accessible but thorough introduction to "higher" math.

Starting with the basics of logical reasoning like implications and contrapositives, and introducing various branches of mathematics all the way up to continuous mathematics and complex numbers, this book is a "one-stop shop" for anyone who wants to learn math. Attorneys and present and future law students can also benefit from the exposition of logical reasoning.

Buy on Amazon

Edwin Thompson Jaynes, Probability Theory: The Logic of Science.

This is one of those works that once you read it your mind is never the same and is forever improved. Jaynes, brilliant physicist, mathematician, and information theorist, develops quantitative probability theory from Boolean Algebra and a few "common-sense" qualitative first principles, for example the idea that if you get new information about a situation or proposition, your estimation of the probabilities ought to change (otherwise you are ignoring the information, which is irrational, or else it did not really tell you anything, which would mean it wasn't information).

Even if (like for me) the mathematical details are a little pithy for your current level of skill, the related qualitative reasoning is lucid and easy to follow.

Jaynes finishes what Aristotle started, by elucidating the themes and linkages unifying common sense thinking, logical argument in natural language, formal logic, and (quantitative) scientific understanding of nature. For this reason it is one of the most underappreciated works, and Jaynes one of the most underappreciated intellects, of our time.

You can buy a hardcover on Amazon or preview a pre-publication version that is missing some material

Computing

My Github page: michael-redman

Music

Popularity

Music shuffler that weights the probabilities of songs based on yur requests and skips. Free for personal use or as a paid service for coffee shops, bars, etc. www.popularity.life

Awesome Songs

Understanding Music

A modern primer in music theory, work in progress, free download here

About

Michael Redman was born in the United States and works as a freelance information technologist in Linux and web application programming, Linux administration, and IP network engineering.

Quotations

"If you're gonna pray, don't worry, and if you're gonna worry, don't pray" -Alfred Ivy

"Some things are hard, and some things are right, and some things are both." -Tim Cook

"I finish things, that's what I do." -Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski, Gran Torino

""When I begin, I will also make an end." -GOD, 1 Samuel 3:12

"What it took Nature millions of years to make, man does not hesitate to destroy in a short time."

"It's usually three times as expensive to do it the 'cheap' way."

"God sees what you do." Qu'ran 2:110, 2:233, 2:265, 3:156, 8:72, 48:24, 49:18, 57:4, 60:3, 64:2.

"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking." -Henry Ford

"You are worthy." -Bishop Briggs, to the crowd, recounting after being promoted to the main stage at a major ampitheatre, her determination to pursue music despite discouragement and adversity, 2018 Q101 PIQNIQ

"When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes." -Erasmus

"We all come into this world not knowing shit."

Favorite Poem

(typeset as I first saw it engraved):

WE SAW NOT CLEARLY NOR VNDERSTOOD
BVT YIELDING OVRSELVES TO THE MASTERHAND
EACH IN HIS PART AS BEST HE COVLD
WE PLAYED IT THROVGH AS THE AVTHOR PLANNED.

-ALAN SEEGER

from "The Hosts".

Contact

Email: michael.redman.4@gmail.com


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Copyright 2015-2018 Michael Redman.

IN GOD WE TRVST.