Tag: Random
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Ningami’s Big Adventure
Exactly 10 years ago, we got a red foot tortoise as a pet. Ningami was a friendly creature who liked to have his shell rubbed and would do a little dance when he was happy. He roamed around my floor and patio eating lettuce and hiding in cardboard boxes. He was a good tortoise. Now…
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Bravia 9 2024 with Quad sound system
I don’t smoke or drink or go on fancy vacations. I do have one expensive vice though. Once every 8 years or so I will purchase the latest greatest television experience. I bought a 250 lbs 55” HDTV monster in 1998 before HD content was even available. In 2013, I bought the SONY Acquos 70”…
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Predictions and Consequences
Whenever I see people disagree about anything, I look for the differing predictions baked into their points of view. I blogged previously about why people disagree. Last Thursday, Biden and Trump had a debate. Objectively, it was a bad night for Trump and a horrific night for Biden. Trump lied nonstop, and Biden looked really…
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Every generation is the same
We have all these names of people born at different times. We make generalizations about every generation from their preferences, their work ethic, their morality, fashion, and more. Personally, I think every generation is exactly the same as the previous one. For definition sake here is a wikipedia chart. Recently there was a study of…
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Review: Brats 2024
I just watched the documentary Brats on Hulu produced by Andrew McCarthy. I really, really wanted to like this because these movies really meant alot to me growing up. Unfortunately, I hated the whole thing, nearly every second of it. For those of you who don’t know, I’ll give an ultra short timeline in the…
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Servant Leadership
There is a philosophy of management I believe in called Servant Leadership. The easiest way to think about it is that the goal of a leader is to help those around them succeed rather than focus on themselves and their own aspirations. Notice, I didn’t say manager. Anyone can be a leader, even the most…
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Don’t Optimize for Happiness
It’s weird advice, I know. This comes from a person who has (mostly) been working for 35 years straight. There were several moments in my career when I optimized for happiness, and I regret almost all of those decisions. Ill explain my logic. Financial Independence The reality is that life is very expensive. Housing, health…
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Ode to Jim Henson
I just watched Jim Henson, Idea Man on Disney+. I feel like he needs no introduction, but if don’t know who he is, you can certainly read about him or watch the documentary. To me, Jim Henson has been my Patron Saint and idol since I was a child. I first experienced Jim’s creations on…
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The Art of Asking Questions
Curiosity is the hallmark of a great teammate. When I am recruiting people, I will often look for signs of an inquisitive mind. Do they ask questions? More importantly, How do they ask questions? A person who is truly interested in a topic will ask questions in good faith. One of the worst things about…
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Tesla FSD Trial
I received this email from Tesla. This came a total surprise to me. They price this package at about $10,000 per car. They also have a month-to-month subscription for it. Needless to say, I had to try it out. I drove to Berkeley and back using complete FSD. Supervision The best way to describe it…
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Gratitude
Two business representatives for a sneaker company went to a third world country and saw everyone wore sandals. One came back and said, “It’s no good, no one has sneakers.” The other said, “What do you mean?? This is great! No one has sneakers!” The difference between glass half full and half empty is all…
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Luck and Timing
Most people at the beginning of their careers have no idea how much luck and timing will play a role in their lives. Talk to anyone middle aged or older and they will point to numerous moments that were completely random and provided a turning point for their lives. For myself, I can think of…
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Customizing WordPress Twenty Twenty Four
I have a particular look and feel that I want on my blog. Every time there is a new theme, I try to recreate the same look and feel in the new theme. I suppose I believe that the new theme will be faster and better than the previous. However, my customizations are not always…
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“Choose your own adventure” Portfolios
Imagine a product designer portfolio that didn’t say “Hi! i’m <insert name>!” Imagine a portfolio that didn’t have long scrolling case studies and looked like everyone else’s. What if the Home Screen of the portfolio had two linked that said… What do you want to see? Let’s assume you use Hotjar or equivalent and get…