Tootfinder

(De)composing Craft: An Elementary Grammar for Sharing Expertise in Craft Workflows
Ritik Batra, Lydia Kim, Ilan Mandel, Amritansh Kwatra, Jane L. E., Steven J. Jackson, Thijs Roumen
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10891

(De)composing Craft: An Elementary Grammar for Sharing Expertise in Craft Workflows
Craft practices rely on evolving archives of skill and knowledge, developed through generations of craftspeople experimenting with designs, materials, and techniques. Better documentation of these practices enables the sharing of knowledge and expertise between sites and generations. However, most documentation focuses solely on the linear steps leading to final artifacts, neglecting the tacit knowledge necessary to improvise, or adapt workflows to meet the unique demands of each craft project.…

Just finished "To a Darker Shore" by Leanne Schwartz. It's a blend of fantasy (a genre I enjoyed a lot when younger but which I now feel is hit-or-miss depending on the politics of the author) and romance (a genre I'm currently a bit obsessed with) and I enjoyed it very much. The element of an #OwnVoices autistic perspective was interesting, and the mythology was pretty cool. Even though I felt as though monstrousness could have been explored from an even better angle, the complexity in this book was comfortable, and it to my mind successfully-enough avoided the veneer of racism that runs through the mainstream fantasy tradition.
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Two-Stage Bidirectional Inverter Equivalent Circuit Model for Distribution Grid Steady-State Analysis and Optimization
Emmanuel O. Badmus, Amritanshu Pandey
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.03430

Two-Stage Bidirectional Inverter Equivalent Circuit Model for Distribution Grid Steady-State Analysis and Optimization
This paper presents a \textit{physics-based} steady-state equivalent circuit model of a two-stage bidirectional inverter. These inverters connect distributed energy resources (DERs), such as photovoltaic (PV) and battery systems, to distribution grids. Existing inverter models have technical gaps on three fronts: i) inadequate modeling of inverter losses, ii) use of mathematical abstractions for bidirectional flow of power, and iii) inability to integrate different control modes into nonlinear …

I've never written a novel or any other intensely-plotted work of fiction, but anyone who has read or watched it played a lot of stories can probably also recognize that some authors just aren't good at endings. They're great at setting things in motion, at keeping the twists and turns coming, at the soap opera style of drama. But they just don't have the craft necessary to tie things together into a satisfying conclusion. I imagine it's much harder than the process of getting things going out keeping them moving, since you both have to wind down all the various threads you've spun up and balance satisfaction with believability.
I just finished Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi, and it has a bad ending. The beginning is fine, the middle has plenty of drama to keep you wanting to see what happens, but the ending is murky, unsatisfying, and manages neither veracity nor satisfaction (even discounting the biggest next step that might reasonably have been left there to make room for a sequel).
Given the other issues with the book, from poor politics, to inauthentic characters, to a techno-optimism that feels as bitter in this moment as it is far from the mark in its predictions, I can't recommended it, despite having read through to the end.
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