Today's soundtrack is Slayer: Reign in Blood, an album which needs no introduction and will go down in history as one of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time. This evening, I'm starting Unit 6 of my Precalculus 11 course, "Trigonometry." I'll be working on the first chapter in the unit, "Angles in Standard … Continue reading 01.09.2019: One Lesson of Math – Angles in Standard Position in Quadrant 1, Part 1
01.08.2018: One Chapter of Nonfiction
Today's soundtrack is Johnny Cash: American V, an introspective, heavy album. Its glimmers of hope sparkle in the midst of the darkness like the morning's light reflected by dewdrops on the little flowers beside the cemetery's path. This evening, I'll be reading The Essential Jung. Today's reading is the first section, "Psychoanalysis and Neurosis," of … Continue reading 01.08.2018: One Chapter of Nonfiction
01.07.2018: One Lesson of Math – Test Day!
Today's soundtrack is Necrophagist: Epitaph, a technical death metal album that features riffs more difficult than most guitar solos. I still wonder why we never heard anything more from them after this album. I'm going to keep today's post short and sweet: after work, I went in to write my Unit 5 test, which was … Continue reading 01.07.2018: One Lesson of Math – Test Day!
01.06.2019: One Lesson of Math – Unit 5 Review, Part 2
Today's soundtrack is Linkin Park: Hybrid Theory, an album that brings me back to Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2, gel in my hair, baggy jeans, and skater shoes. It was a time of learning to play the guitar, of learning to drive, of writing love songs instead of breakup songs... This morning, I'm continuing my … Continue reading 01.06.2019: One Lesson of Math – Unit 5 Review, Part 2
01.05.2019: One Lesson of Math – Unit 5 Review, Part 1
Today's soundtrack is Blind Guardian: Follow the Blind, one heck of a "banger," as those pesky avocado-eating millennials say. It's a speed metal album that was released in 1989 with Tolkienesque themes and virtuosic instrumentation. The majority of the songs on the album are the most aggressive of any found in Blind Guardian's discography, with … Continue reading 01.05.2019: One Lesson of Math – Unit 5 Review, Part 1
01.04.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 4
Today's soundtrack is Mortiis - Født Til Å Herske, a haunting darkwave album released in 1993. I added it to my music collection approximately a decade after its release, and I still enjoy it today. I wasn't able to finish all the questions in my assignment yesterday due to my body losing its battle to … Continue reading 01.04.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 4
01.03.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 3
Today's soundtrack is Bob Boilen: "Take It to Bed: Music for Clouds," a lush, meditative, ambient solo album by the founder and co-host of NPR's All Songs Considered, my favourite music podcast. I'm continuing to work on the assignment portion of the lesson I did on solving systems of equations algebraically. Links to previous sections: … Continue reading 01.03.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 3
01.02.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 2
Today's soundtrack is Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell, an epic rock opera that sounds like it would make an incredible musical theatre production. It's been a great day so far; my wife had some errands to run, and she took our youngest with her, so I took my kids out to get cheeseburgers, and … Continue reading 01.02.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 2
1.1.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 1
Today's soundtrack is dc Talk: Supernatural, the album that got me into the band in the first place. I remember being blown away by the variety of styles throughout the album, and by the raw vocal talent of the three singers. There are so many great songs on this album; it's hard-hitting at times, contemplative … Continue reading 1.1.2019: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Algebraically, Part 1
12.31.2018: Looking Back on the Last Day of 2018
Today's soundtrack is Polarboy: Back from Nowhere. Though I prefer their album 4008 for purely sentimental reasons, this is a solid album in its own right; it's clean acoustic rock, a bit folksy in places, and sometimes reminiscent of the Matthew Good Band. The album has aged incredibly well, considering the fact that it was … Continue reading 12.31.2018: Looking Back on the Last Day of 2018
12.30.2018: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Graphically
Today's soundtrack is Alcest: Le Secret, an absolutely brilliant piece of work. It's a blackgaze (black metal crossed with shoegaze) masterpiece that runs a gamut of emotions and moods: triumphant, chaotic, thoughtful, melodious... It was re-recorded recently, though I think (as is probably abundantly clear at this point) that the original EP from 2005 stands … Continue reading 12.30.2018: One Lesson of Math – Solving Systems of Equations Graphically
12.29.2018: 30 Minutes of Songwriting – Special Edition: "Fly So High"
Today's soundtrack is MxPx: Secret Weapon, a fun pop-punk album that was obviously influenced by Blink 182 and Green Day. This afternoon, I learned how to use the free TAL Vocorder, then put the finishing touches on a song that's been percolating in my brain for the last four years. I like the result. The … Continue reading 12.29.2018: 30 Minutes of Songwriting – Special Edition: "Fly So High"
Steven Mills 