Hello world! I’m Raf. This is going to be my blog where I post about computer topics I find interesting, my current work, and ramblings about solutions to save a dying world.

I graduated from Georgia Tech in 2014 with a degree in Computer Science. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been passionate about computers because I believe with the ever increasing complexity in the world, computers are the tool we need to help make sense of it all. I believe that if people are taught what computers can do and how to use them effectively, they stand a chance in this increasingly numerical world. All that to say that I think computing is about people first and machines second.

My other passion in life is electronic dance music. Occasionally I’ve been known to DJ and produce music. My favorite genres are house, techno, and trance. Of course I am a huge fan of glitchy, jazzy music too. Some might call it IDM, but I personally hate that name. I’m a fan of anything considered futurebeats, or anything bubbly. Really I have a wide taste in electronic music that’s hard to put into words. I’m generally a fan of anything that makes you groove, makes you feel, or stimulates your mind when you’re finally too tired to dance.

The world is a messed up place and it is on fire. I am terrified that collectively we’re just sitting around and watching it happen. I have no idea what to do about it, but rather than just mope about it I will start compiling information about what is going on and currently actionable ideas and solutions about how to change things. This is mostly for myself, and I’m sure there are people much smarter than me already ten steps ahead. But maybe whoever reads this blog can learn something too. It’s my belief that most people are aware of the slow motion train wreck that is our environment. However, in addition to being overworked and overwhelmed by their own lives, the problems we face are so massive in scale that it’s hard to grasp what we can do about it in the first place.

Make no mistake, the vast majority of the problems we face are are caused by a tiny minority of people and the companies they run. Perhaps the nonviolent solution is to figure out how to can opt out of the systems they have created if our governments won’t do anything about them.

Anyway, I’m going to work on some music to take the edge off. See you around.