Blog

  • Excellent Programming Book: The Pragmatic Programmer, 2nd Edition

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    Delightful, practical book on a difficult subject. 20th Anniversary edition just came out in Sept 2019. I’m currently listening to the 10 hour audible.com edition, which is cheaper than the hardback book.

  • Worm to Butterfly

    Adi Da Meditation Cave
    Adi Da Meditation Cave

    It’s more of a

    “go into a cave for six months

    and hopefully

    get a job

    when you

    emerge”

    sort of thing.

    How to Break Into the Tech Industry, by Haseeb Qureshi

    So I think I’m going to meditate on my Guru and cocoon in tech.

  • Do Not Play Games with Sex

    Untitled, from The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss, page 29
    Untitled, from The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss, page 29

    A quote from the World-Teacher, Adi Da:

    Do not play games with sex. It is a very powerful deluding force, and a diversion from the Inherent Divine Self-Nature, Self-Condition, and Self-State of Reality Itself, into conditional (or cosmic) illusions.

    You do not even see the human body as it is. You see it through pictures, through mind. You put on a mummers’ show for one another. In the most common case, women are the “something”, the sexual “object” for men–and men are the same for women. It is a style. But it is also an illusion about you. It is a game….

    from “The Only Sorrowless Domain”, the Epilogue in Always Enact Fidelity To Me

    The image is Untitled, from The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss, page 29

  • Good Eats Review: Prescription Nutrition

    Prescription Nutrition: CuriosityStream Documentary Series (2017)

    Short and sweet, a delightful 4 part overview (about 20 minutes each) of diet and nutrition that got me up from watching multiple times to go into the kitchen and check ingredients and start cooking! You can probably watch them for free if you sign up for a trial subscription.

    In this exclusive, original CuriosityStream documentary series, doctors, chefs and nutritionists weigh in on how changes in diet can positively affect health and longevity.

    Part 1: Green Revolution
    Explores the extraordinary health benefits of plant-based diets and the amazing revolution taking place on how we approach our relationship with food. Dr. Greger (NutritionFacts.org) outlines how a diet comprised of whole, plant-based foods can dramatically improve well-being and longevity.

    Part 2: Grain of Truth
    Exposes how the industrial revolution opened the floodgates for highly-processed convenience foods that became “our daily bread.” But those pseudo-grains are known to contribute to chronic disease. Natural, whole grains support longevity and lower the risk of heart disease. Grain of Truth also explores the debate over gluten as a dietary evil.

    Part 3: Spilling the Beans
    Spotlights some of nature’s tiniest packages that deliver a powerful protein punch. Protein is an essential component of our diet, and for centuries, products of animal origin were thought to be one of the best sources. But, new evidence proves diets high in beans are one of the most important dietary predictors of survival for older people around the world.

    Part 4: Natures Candy
    Reveals the surprising impact sugar can have on our health. The added sugars in most packaged foods are one of the deadliest ingredients in our modern diet. But the naturally-occurring sugars, antioxidants and nutrients found in most fruits and berries make these sweet treats some of the healthiest foods on our planet.

  • 37,000 Tips for Jr. Software Developers

    Adapted from Sean Allen

    Just kidding, let’s start with 37! Mostly adapted.

    1. My recommendation: study software books from the top 100 list
    2. Learn how to learn: constant: learning
    3. Repetition is key
    4. Avoid tutorial trap: build projects
    5. Learn the Docs
    6. Cost benefit analysis: manage features to get job done on time
    7. How senior am i? irrelevant
    8. Find a mentor
    9. Be active on twitter: build networking relationships
    10. Go to meetups if you can
    11. Portfolio website: Visual showcase your work, pretty pics
    12. Create small porfolio projects, showcase lots of skills
    13. Create pretty ReadMe, visual / animated gifs
    14. Learn basic design skills
    15. Find the right fit in job, not first offer
    16. Lesser pay may be right fit
    17. Work in a tech hub: big city lots of tech, network effects
    18. Work full-time first before contracting
    19. Show initiative
    20. Learn to communicate
    21. Show that you care
    22. Do great work, your reputation will follow you
    23. You’re not too old
    24. Create content if you can: build online presence
    25. Be patient Padawan
    26. 90/90 rule: there’s the first 90%, then there’s the 2nd 90%
    27. Which language? Do what you enjoy. Learning 2nd language is not a problem
    28. Don’t use front door /apply : Build relationships first
    29. Complete hot-tub immersion when learning
    30. Listen to podcasts
    31. Network to get contracts
    32. Startup or big company: it depends on preference
    33. Study for months for job interview, that’s nuts
    34. Remote work can get old: fun for 6 months…
    35. Dev bootcamp worth it? no, force 8-10 hours a day, cooperating, yes. maybe
    36. It gets easier… after a while
    37. No need to memorize things