Blog
A collection of musings on deeply technical topics distilled through the lens of contemporary cultural analogies
“I’ma let you finish but. . .” – Hunting Down System Interrupts
“Taylor Swift, I’ma let you finish but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” Kanye West (2009 MTV Video Music Awards) Up til that point, the musical performances and award presentations had been proceeding without a hitch.
5-level vs 4-level Page Tables: Does It Matter?
Ever tipped a mediocre waiter 20% only to discover later that you *tremendously* over-tipped since 18% had been already included? Or installed software that changed your default search engine to Bing before you realized? Or purchased a gift from an
Debunking 5 Stubborn Systems Performance Myths
Few things are as persistent as a myth. Some myths were once true, while others seem to come outta nowhere. An example of the former is the one that claims it’s best to inject medicine directly into someone’s heart in
Google Benchmark w/o PMU Counters? Congratulations, you played yourself!
DJ Khaled, the internationally famous Hip Hop DJ, record executive, and music producer, is the Tony Robbins of Rap. He’s almost as famous for his motivational catchphrases as he is for his chart-topping hits. Who from Gen X to Gen
IPC is to CPU% What Milk is to Cinnamon Toast Crunch
I can’t be in the same room with a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I’ll devour an entire box in one sitting. This wasn’t always the case. I hadn’t had a bowl of cereal since childhood. . . until the
Memory Access Patterns and New Year’s Resolutions
“This is it – this is the year when I’m finally gonna do it!”, millions of optimists vowed while preening in front of a bathroom mirror on the morning of Jan. 1st. Yes, many of us use this time of
Festivus Airing of Grievances: My Performance Pet Peeves
“Welcome, newcomers. The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you’re gonna hear about it!” Frank Costanza from SEINFELD Holiday season is finally upon us! A time
How to Deter or Disarm TLB Shootdowns
This month marks the 140th Anniversary of the “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” between the Earps and the Cowboys. Legend has it this conflict started from the outlaws’ violation of a city ordinance to hand over firearms while inside city