You sound just like Hamas!

Unintentional compliment.

I just read this on redsails and it’s relevant.

[Bukharin’s educational materia]l reduces the task to asserting that one is a special person simply because they were born in the present time, and not in any one of past centuries. We might recall here the story of the French petit bourgeois who discovered the word “contemporary” and thought it made him sound fancy so he printed it on his business card. In every time there has been a past and a present, so “being of the present” is a boast only good for ridicule.

Her comment section attracts some strange characters. Get a load of this one:

Are you deliberately writing nonsense, focusing attention not on the true center of the empire, but on his right hand? Are you Jewish or just don’t want any trouble? The USA is one of the territories controlled by the Khazar Empire, whose political center is located in London City.

Now whitehouse.com is an election betting site. 😞

Something of the sort happened in the news not even a week ago.

KINGDOM OF CONSCIENCE

Moralists don’t really have beliefs. Sometimes they stumble on one, like on a child’s toy left on the carpet. The toy must be put away immediately. And the child reprimanded. Centrism isn’t change – not even incremental change. It is control. Over yourself and the world. Exercise it. Look up at the sky, at the dark shapes of Coalition airships hanging there. Ask yourself: is there something sinister in moralism? And then answer: no. God is in his heaven. Everything is normal on Earth.

Rust

Kinda sorta got day 5 done on time.

use std::cmp::Ordering;

use crate::utils::{bytes_to_num, read_lines};

pub fn solution1() {
    let mut lines = read_input();
    let rules = parse_rules(&mut lines);

    let middle_rules_sum = lines
        .filter_map(|line| {
            let line_nums = rule_line_to_list(&line);
            line_nums
                .is_sorted_by(|&a, &b| is_sorted(&rules, (a, b)))
                .then_some(line_nums[line_nums.len() / 2])
        })
        .sum::<usize>();

    println!("Sum of in-order middle rules = {middle_rules_sum}");
}

pub fn solution2() {
    let mut lines = read_input();
    let rules = parse_rules(&mut lines);

    let middle_rules_sum = lines
        .filter_map(|line| {
            let mut line_nums = rule_line_to_list(&line);

            (!line_nums.is_sorted_by(|&a, &b| is_sorted(&rules, (a, b)))).then(|| {
                line_nums.sort_by(|&a, &b| {
                    is_sorted(&rules, (a, b))
                        .then_some(Ordering::Less)
                        .unwrap_or(Ordering::Greater)
                });

                line_nums[line_nums.len() / 2]
            })
        })
        .sum::<usize>();

    println!("Sum of middle rules = {middle_rules_sum}");
}

fn read_input() -> impl Iterator<Item = String> {
    read_lines("src/day5/input.txt")
}

fn parse_rules(lines: &mut impl Iterator<Item = String>) -> Vec<(usize, usize)> {
    lines
        .take_while(|line| !line.is_empty())
        .fold(Vec::new(), |mut rules, line| {
            let (a, b) = line.as_bytes().split_at(2);
            let a = bytes_to_num(a);
            let b = bytes_to_num(&b[1..]);

            rules.push((a, b));

            rules
        })
}

fn rule_line_to_list(line: &str) -> Vec<usize> {
    line.split(',')
        .map(|s| bytes_to_num(s.as_bytes()))
        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
}

fn is_sorted(rules: &[(usize, usize)], tuple: (usize, usize)) -> bool {
    rules.iter().any(|&r| r == tuple)
}

Reusing my bytes_to_num function from day 3 feels nice. Pretty fun challenge.

Rust

I’m a day behind on this one due to a lot of work with my job and school.

use std::iter::zip;

use crate::utils::read_lines;

pub fn solution1() {
    let puzzle = read_puzzle();

    let horizontal_sum = puzzle
        .iter()
        .map(|line| {
            line.windows(4)
                .filter(|window| {
                    matches!(window, [b'X', b'M', b'A', b'S'] | [b'S', b'A', b'M', b'X'])
                })
                .count() as u32
        })
        .sum::<u32>();
    let vertical_and_diagonal_sum = puzzle
        .windows(4)
        .map(|window| {
            count_xmas(window, (0, 0, 0, 0))
                + count_xmas(window, (0, 1, 2, 3))
                + count_xmas(window, (3, 2, 1, 0))
        })
        .sum::<u32>();

    println!(
        "XMAS count = {}",
        horizontal_sum + vertical_and_diagonal_sum
    );
}

pub fn solution2() {
    let puzzle = read_puzzle();

    let sum = puzzle
        .windows(3)
        .map(|window| {
            zip(
                window[0].windows(3),
                zip(window[1].windows(3), window[2].windows(3)),
            )
            .map(|(a, (b, c))| (a, b, c))
            .filter(|tuple| {
                matches!(
                    tuple,
                    ([b'M', _, b'M'], [_, b'A', _], [b'S', _, b'S'])
                        | ([b'S', _, b'M'], [_, b'A', _], [b'S', _, b'M'])
                        | ([b'M', _, b'S'], [_, b'A', _], [b'M', _, b'S'])
                        | ([b'S', _, b'S'], [_, b'A', _], [b'M', _, b'M'])
                )
            })
            .count() as u32
        })
        .sum::<u32>();

    println!("X-MAS count = {sum}");
}

fn count_xmas(
    window: &[Vec<u8>],
    (skip0, skip1, skip2, skip3): (usize, usize, usize, usize),
) -> u32 {
    zip(
        window[0].iter().skip(skip0),
        zip(
            window[1].iter().skip(skip1),
            zip(window[2].iter().skip(skip2), window[3].iter().skip(skip3)),
        ),
    )
    .map(|(a, (b, (c, d)))| (a, b, c, d))
    .filter(|tup| matches!(tup, (b'X', b'M', b'A', b'S') | (b'S', b'A', b'M', b'X')))
    .count() as u32
}

fn read_puzzle() -> Vec<Vec<u8>> {
    read_lines("src/day4/input.txt")
        .map(|line| line.into_bytes())
        .collect()
}

The standard library windows method and pattern matching have been carrying me this year so far.

Rust

use crate::utils::read_lines;

pub fn solution1() {
    let lines = read_lines("src/day3/input.txt");
    let sum = lines
        .map(|line| {
            let mut sum = 0;
            let mut command_bytes = Vec::new();
            for byte in line.bytes() {
                match (byte, command_bytes.as_slice()) {
                    (b')', [.., b'0'..=b'9']) => {
                        handle_mul(&mut command_bytes, &mut sum);
                    }
                    _ if matches_mul(byte, &command_bytes) => {
                        command_bytes.push(byte);
                    }
                    _ => {
                        command_bytes.clear();
                    }
                }
            }

            sum
        })
        .sum::<usize>();

    println!("Sum of multiplication results = {sum}");
}

pub fn solution2() {
    let lines = read_lines("src/day3/input.txt");

    let mut can_mul = true;
    let sum = lines
        .map(|line| {
            let mut sum = 0;
            let mut command_bytes = Vec::new();
            for byte in line.bytes() {
                match (byte, command_bytes.as_slice()) {
                    (b')', [.., b'0'..=b'9']) if can_mul => {
                        handle_mul(&mut command_bytes, &mut sum);
                    }
                    (b')', [b'd', b'o', b'(']) => {
                        can_mul = true;
                        command_bytes.clear();
                    }
                    (b')', [.., b't', b'(']) => {
                        can_mul = false;
                        command_bytes.clear();
                    }
                    _ if matches_do_or_dont(byte, &command_bytes)
                        || matches_mul(byte, &command_bytes) =>
                    {
                        command_bytes.push(byte);
                    }
                    _ => {
                        command_bytes.clear();
                    }
                }
            }

            sum
        })
        .sum::<usize>();

    println!("Sum of enabled multiplication results = {sum}");
}

fn matches_mul(byte: u8, command_bytes: &[u8]) -> bool {
    matches!(
        (byte, command_bytes),
        (b'm', [])
            | (b'u', [.., b'm'])
            | (b'l', [.., b'u'])
            | (b'(', [.., b'l'])
            | (b'0'..=b'9', [.., b'(' | b'0'..=b'9' | b','])
            | (b',', [.., b'0'..=b'9'])
    )
}

fn matches_do_or_dont(byte: u8, command_bytes: &[u8]) -> bool {
    matches!(
        (byte, command_bytes),
        (b'd', [])
            | (b'o', [.., b'd'])
            | (b'n', [.., b'o'])
            | (b'\'', [.., b'n'])
            | (b'(', [.., b'o' | b't'])
            | (b't', [.., b'\''])
    )
}

fn handle_mul(command_bytes: &mut Vec<u8>, sum: &mut usize) {
    let first_num_index = command_bytes
        .iter()
        .position(u8::is_ascii_digit)
        .expect("Guarunteed to be there");
    let comma_index = command_bytes
        .iter()
        .position(|&c| c == b',')
        .expect("Guarunteed to be there.");

    let num1 = bytes_to_num(&command_bytes[first_num_index..comma_index]);
    let num2 = bytes_to_num(&command_bytes[comma_index + 1..]);

    *sum += num1 * num2;
    command_bytes.clear();
}

fn bytes_to_num(bytes: &[u8]) -> usize {
    bytes
        .iter()
        .rev()
        .enumerate()
        .map(|(i, digit)| (*digit - b'0') as usize * 10usize.pow(i as u32))
        .sum::<usize>()
}

Definitely not my prettiest code ever. It would probably look nicer if I used regex or some parsing library, but I took on the self-imposed challenge of not using third party libraries. Also, this is already further than I made it last year!

https://typeset.io/

Much as I dislike praising AI, I must admit I got some good results using an AI powered search engine for academic articles to find sources for a term paper I’m writing for a seminar class I’m taking for my masters degree.

The is_sorted_by is a really nice approach. I originally tried using that function thinking that |a, b| a > b or |a, b| a < b would cut it but it didn’t end up working. I never thought to handle the check for the step being between 1 and 3 in the callback closure for that though.

Rust

use crate::utils::read_lines;

pub fn solution1() {
    let reports = get_reports();
    let safe_reports = reports
        .filter(|report| report.windows(3).all(window_is_valid))
        .count();

    println!("Number of safe reports = {safe_reports}");
}

pub fn solution2() {
    let reports = get_reports();
    let safe_reports = reports
        .filter(|report| {
            (0..report.len()).any(|i| {
                [&report[0..i], &report[i + 1..]]
                    .concat()
                    .windows(3)
                    .all(window_is_valid)
            })
        })
        .count();

    println!("Number of safe reports = {safe_reports}");
}

fn window_is_valid(window: &[usize]) -> bool {
    matches!(window[0].abs_diff(window[1]), 1..=3)
        && matches!(window[1].abs_diff(window[2]), 1..=3)
        && ((window[0] > window[1] && window[1] > window[2])
            || (window[0] < window[1] && window[1] < window[2]))
}

fn get_reports() -> impl Iterator<Item = Vec<usize>> {
    read_lines("src/day2/input.txt").map(|line| {
        line.split_ascii_whitespace()
            .map(|level| {
                level
                    .parse()
                    .expect("Reactor level is always valid integer")
            })
            .collect()
    })
}

Definitely trickier than yesterday’s. I feel like the windows solution isn’t the best, but it was what came to mind and ended up working for me.

I’ve heard dog people say the most unhinged shit about hurting cats.

Rust

I’m doing it in Rust again this year. I stopped keeping up with it after day 3 last year, so let’s hope I last longer this time around.

use std::collections::HashMap;

use crate::utils::read_lines;

pub fn solution1() {
    let (mut id_list1, mut id_list2) = get_id_lists();

    id_list1.sort();
    id_list2.sort();

    let total_distance = id_list1
        .into_iter()
        .zip(id_list2)
        .map(|(left, right)| (left - right).abs())
        .sum::<i32>();

    println!("Total distance = {total_distance}");
}

pub fn solution2() {
    let (id_list1, id_list2) = get_id_lists();

    let id_count_map = id_list2
        .into_iter()
        .fold(HashMap::<_, i32>::new(), |mut map, id| {
            *map.entry(id).or_default() += 1i32;

            map
        });

    let similarity_score = id_list1
        .into_iter()
        .map(|id| id * id_count_map.get(&id).copied().unwrap_or_default())
        .sum::<i32>();

    println!("Similarity score = {similarity_score}");
}

fn get_id_lists() -> (Vec<i32>, Vec<i32>) {
    read_lines("src/day1/input.txt")
        .map(|line| {
            let mut ids = line.split_whitespace().map(|id| {
                id.parse::<i32>()
                    .expect("Ids from input must be valid integers")
            });

            (
                ids.next().expect("First Id on line must be present"),
                ids.next().expect("Second Id on line must be present"),
            )
        })
        .unzip()
}

I’m keeping my solutions up on GitHub.

Is this the super smug guy?

Peterson is speaking (validly) about abstracted archetypal concepts. These are a part of human psychology, mythology and religion, although not necessarily in that order. The problem with materialists like Dawkins is their denial of the existence of anything other than the material and in order to do this they have to inhabit a dishonest duality that denies fundamental parts of their own selves, not least their own sentience. At least Peterson isn’t lying to himself at an existential level.

🤓

I’m lucky that my family doesn’t talk politics much, but I still saw the occasional brainworm. Apparently someone in my family adopted kids from somewhere in Africa and one of my uncles made a comment about how they must have such a better life in America since they don’t need to “hunt baboons” for sustenance. The conversation moved to how when I was a kid a bunch of white people they knew adopted Chinese kids and the same uncle said something to the effect that the Chinese would’ve killed all of those children.

Another of my uncles is convinced private corporations and the government are hiding the existence of aliens who live under the ocean because of some docuseries he watched on a streaming service.

I rarely have access to one.