• What I Learned in 2018

    There is a ton of overlap in philosophy, religion, meditation, and general self-help. Drink lots of water (all the time, every day) to keep the kidney stone fairy away. Marcus Aurelius was surprisingly relatable. A proper old fashioned is far superior to the stuff they drink in Wisconsin. 43 is not too old to start…

  • Merry Christmas from the Ralians

    Maybe for Christmas somebody could get me a decent mic, because this sounds pretty weak. Props to Jonathan Coulton for writing one of my favorite Christmas songs.

  • Personal Mission Statement

    One of the better pieces of advice I’ve read is to write a personal mission statement. This came from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. I know it sounds hokey, and that’s because it is. But it’s important to be purposeful about your plans and choices in life or else…

  • Learning TypeScript: Part One

    What follows is a stream-of-consciousness replay of me messing around with TypeScript. It’s from the point of view of a vaguely competent JavaScript hacker. I’m including the warts and brain-farts in the hopes they’re either interesting or useful. > Google “getting started with TypeScript”, click to TypeScript in Five Minutes. OK, cool, so types are…

  • Five Parts of an Honest Apology

    An honest apology is a powerful tool that will serve you well throughout your life. It can ease your conscience and it can strengthen a relationship. It’s not easy, and some people never master this skill. Having the ability to make a heartfelt apology is a mark of emotional maturity. I believe you need five…

  • Management Responsibilities

    A few months ago I transitioned into a new role that is somewhat of a hybrid of division lead and team lead (independent division with a business-critical function, but only one large-ish team). Many of the responsibilities for these roles overlap, but I found it helpful to think through what I think is most important…

  • My Buddy and Me

    My buddy Matias and me, we’re the beeest friends that could be…. 🎶

  • Florence + The Machine + Pavlov + The Zombies

    A few years ago I read a review of a mobile app called Zombies, Run! It’s a neat idea, basically a narrative that you listen to while you go out in the real world and run. It’s kind of like a radio play, where the DJ is the “dispatcher” who has sent you, a runner, out…

  • Golden Slumbers – Ukulele

    Noodling around on this. Hope you enjoy it.

  • The Flag Doesn’t Need Your Allegiance

    Every morning in school, millions of children pledge their allegiance to the flag. But the flag itself is a piece of cloth with colored ink, probably made in China. It’s not imbued with divine powers. It doesn’t think and feel. And it doesn’t care about your allegiance. The flag is of course a powerful symbol.…