Why I started “Purveyor of Curiosities”
I was inspired by Tom Macwright’s “Recently” posts, where he periodically shares a collection of things he read, listened, and watched. However, I want to keep these posts separate from my main blog, for I prefer the latter to be more intentional. I want my blog to be a synthesis of my curiosities.
Nevertheless, I find these random trinkets to be interesting in and of themselves, hence this newsletter. In addition, I’ll also put some meta-commentary on my recently published blog posts, just to give you an insight on my thought-process — think of it as an extended marginalia. As a sample, check out my finds this May!
So, grab yourself a cup of coffee and feel free to look around!
About the purveyor
I am Lj Miranda, I love building things and writing about stuff. I work in the field of technology, particularly in machine learning and software. Some of my popular posts from the blog are:
How to improve software engineering skills as a researcher: a guide for data scientists and researchers to level-up their software engineering skills.
Understanding softmax and the negative log-likelihood: a concise explanation on one of the most commonly-used functions in machine learning.
Distill: Why do we need Flask, Celery, and Redis? (with Mcdonalds in Between): a fun and comic explanation on how these key technologies solve a particular problem.
Automate Python workflow using pre-commits: black and flake8: increase your Python dev workflow by incorporating pre-commits, auto-formatters, and checks!
How to use Jupyter Notebooks in 2020: a three-part series that explores the Jupyter notebook landscape, with some predictions on the future.
On the side, I make pixel art, feed cats, and create games for fun! I got the name of the newsletter from one of my favorite indie dev groups.
Frequently asked questions
What will you write about? In general, two things: (1) meta-commentary on my recent blog posts, and (2) recent wonders and trinkets I’ve been reading, listening, and watching from the interwebs. The former looks back to what I’ve written, the latter serves as raw materials for what I may write in the future.
Why ‘Purveyor of Curiosities?’ I’ve been fascinated with nostalgia shops since college. Some highlights of my early years include UVLA & Studio Soup in Cubao Expo and the flea markets in Lille. I relish the idea of discovery and serendipitous encounters— and I’d like to share that experience with you!
Will you migrate your content to Substack? Nope! I love the homegrown feel of my blog so I will always keep my content free and open source. I tried Mailchimp but it’s complicated. I checked tinyletter but it’s not being updated. Substack is simple and clean. I’ll only use Substack as a newsletter, and I’ll still keep writing original content in my blog.
So I am just going to hear from you monthly, right? Yes! I’d like to keep the pace slow for a bit so that I can give you high-quality content. In the event that I decided to increase the frequency (i.e., monthly to biweekly), then I’ll let you know so you can decide to keep your subscription.