WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:18.191 The Weekly Thing, issue 86. Dec 29, twenty eighteen. Published December 29, twenty eighteen. By Jamie Thingelstad. In this issue: Hyperlink to the Stream, government blocking on Twitter, Yoda of Silicon Valley, Facebook-free business, circuit breakers or retries, must-have iOS apps. 00:00:18.791 --> 00:00:45.879 Welcome to the final Weekly Thing of twenty eighteen! We had a great Christmas. One of my favorite traditions is each family member getting a project that we do over Christmas break. The kids each got big Lego projects: a Ferris Wheel and an Old Fishing Store. Tammy got an Earth Puzzle that was much harder than I expected. I'm assembling a UGears Steam Locomotive! Each person has their work area and gets plenty of time to get their project done. 00:00:47.279 --> 00:00:49.175 Now, the My Blog Posts section. 00:00:49.775 --> 00:00:51.385 Book: When Breath Becomes Air. 00:00:51.885 --> 00:00:58.995 I’ve had “When Breath Becomes Air” sitting at our cabin for a while, but decided to pick it up and read it on winter break. 00:01:00.395 --> 00:01:02.435 That's the end of My Blog Posts. 00:01:03.835 --> 00:01:05.733 Now, the Featured Links section. 00:01:06.333 --> 00:01:14.870 Link one. From the Hyperlink to the Stream: Hossein Derakshan’s Critique of the Internet in the Age of Social Media, Study Hacks, Cal Newport. 00:01:15.370 --> 00:01:35.410 I really like this metaphor and insight. I went back and read the original post that Newport is highlighting as well. The "web" versus "stream" thought deserves further consideration. Organic webs of links feel very much like our brain, very human, even organic. A stream of stuff is very robotic, very mechanical, not human. 00:01:36.310 --> 00:01:43.026 Link two. Can the Government Block Me on Twitter?: twenty eighteen Year in Review, Electronic Frontier Foundation. 00:01:43.526 --> 00:02:26.534 I continue to find this topic interesting, and I wish it would be taken a level higher. Why is it okay for government to use a service like Facebook to share information with citizens? Facebook and Twitter require you to create an account and be surveilled. Why is it okay for a government elected by citizens to choose a medium that requires creating an account with a for profit entity and then being surveilled to get information. Email doesn't suffer this problem, and works just fine. And, I don't think a government we elect should be allowed to block us. That takes it to the extreme of requiring surveillance to get the information, and then blocking citizens from even seeing the information. 00:02:27.934 --> 00:02:29.782 That's the end of Featured Links. 00:02:31.182 --> 00:02:33.096 Now, the My Weekly Photo section. 00:02:33.696 --> 00:02:40.390 Christmas figurines at the ready. December 27, twenty eighteen at 1:58 PM Cannon Lake, Minnesota. 00:02:41.790 --> 00:02:43.847 That's the end of My Weekly Photo. 00:02:45.247 --> 00:02:47.095 Now, the Notable Links section. 00:02:47.695 --> 00:02:51.154 Link one. The Yoda of Silicon Valley, The New York Times. 00:02:51.654 --> 00:03:13.898 I love that Knuth got such an expansive writeup in the New York Times. He's a pioneer and someone that all of us in the computing field should admire. I have the first three volumes of The Art of Computer Programming. I'll admit I've not read them, but I love that it is titled Art, as that is what programmers should strive to create. Link from my friend Michael Rock. 00:03:14.798 --> 00:03:21.060 Link two. How to Write a Novel With Ulysses, Part I: Organization and the Writing Process, Ulysses Blog. 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:39.151 Interesting insight into how Gemmel organizes his books in Ulysses. Independent of the writing part, just technically authoring and structuring a book must be difficult. This is an interesting model. I have thoughts of someday writing a book, will file this away for reference later. 00:03:40.051 --> 00:03:44.470 Link three. TED Talk on Getting Things Done for Teens, Getting Things Done. 00:03:44.970 --> 00:04:15.968 This talk doesn't actually identify itself as GTD for Teens, but it is given by one of the authors of the book. As a Twin Cities resident I was also surprised that I had no idea there was a TEDxEdina event just a few miles from my house. I also didn’t know that Mark Wallace, one of the GTD for Teens authors and a speaker at this event lived in the Twin Cities! I watched this talk with my teenage daughter and it sort of interested her, but not enough for me to light a shared spark of GTD-ness yet. 00:04:16.868 --> 00:04:21.844 Link four. 8 Powerful Evening Habits That Will Prepare You For a Better Tomorrow. 00:04:22.344 --> 00:04:30.270 A lot of people write about creating powerful "morning routines". It strikes me an evening routine might be even more important though. 00:04:31.170 --> 00:04:35.991 Link five. Designing resilient systems: Circuit Breakers or Retries? (Part 1). 00:04:36.491 --> 00:04:40.462 A deeper dive into how Hystrix implements the circuit breaker pattern. 00:04:41.362 --> 00:04:43.258 Link six. Istio versus Hystrix. 00:04:43.758 --> 00:04:49.570 Good introduction to the circuit breaker design pattern and how to implement it in two different platforms. 00:04:50.470 --> 00:04:54.054 Link seven. Become A Facebook-Free Business, Signal v. Noise. 00:04:54.554 --> 00:05:05.238 This is an interesting idea. I wonder if a broader push like this might be successful. Companies could proclaim how they respect your privacy as part of their value proposition. 00:05:06.138 --> 00:05:10.242 Link eight. My Must-Have Mac Apps, twenty eighteen Edition, MacStories. 00:05:10.742 --> 00:05:12.926 Great inventory of apps for macOS. 00:05:13.826 --> 00:05:18.050 Link nine. My Must-Have iOS Apps, twenty eighteen Edition, MacStories. 00:05:18.550 --> 00:05:31.579 Viticci knows iPad productivity better than anyone else I know. HIs list of apps that he's using is a great place to find new tools. I follow his writing pretty closely and still found three or four new apps in this list. 00:05:32.479 --> 00:05:40.307 Link ten. Timing twenty eighteen.4: Calendar Integration, "Weekend Mode", Project Colors, and More! Timing Time Management Blog. 00:05:40.807 --> 00:06:00.576 I continue to believe that there is hidden insights locked away in our calendars, and software should help us get more from it. Timing has now added calendar integration. I still don't like using Timing or Rescue Time. Knowing that I have software watching me feels creepy, even when it’s software I’m using to watch myself. 00:06:01.476 --> 00:06:06.034 Link eleven. Ethical Hypocrisy and Social Networks, Leah Cunningham, Medium. 00:06:06.534 --> 00:06:11.776 My friend Leah Cunningham has decided she's done with Facebook properties, and shares why. 00:06:12.676 --> 00:06:18.337 Link twelve. Away from Keyboard #10: Maria Boland Ploessl found her home in technology. 00:06:18.837 --> 00:06:25.746 Fun interview with the ED of Minnestar, Maria Boland Ploessl about minnestar and her transition into parenthood. 00:06:27.146 --> 00:06:29.042 That's the end of Notable Links. 00:06:30.442 --> 00:06:32.000 Now, the Give Back section. 00:06:32.600 --> 00:07:02.335 Let's Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority, run for the public’s benefit. All connections to web servers should be encrypted! The biggest challenge with encrypting the web historically has been the cost and hassle of getting an SSL certificate. Let's Encrypt has changed that entirely by being a free certificate authority. Let's Encrypt is possibly one of the most important things to happen on the web in recent years. Donate to Let's Encrypt today! 00:07:03.735 --> 00:07:05.223 That's the end of Give Back. 00:07:06.623 --> 00:07:07.535 Now, more links. 00:07:08.135 --> 00:07:17.823 First, the Hidden Struggle to Save the Coffee Industry From Disaster medium.com It turns out coffee is a giant monoculture, susceptible to many bad things. 00:07:18.323 --> 00:07:28.276 Second, [Python gets a new governance model [LWN.net]]( lwn.net An interesting read to see how the Python language will be governed now that the BDFL has stepped aside. 00:07:28.776 --> 00:07:38.479 Third, 16 (x4) Books We Read Winter twenty eighteen – Andreessen Horowitz a16z.com Expansive book list. I find these fun to browse for inspiration. 00:07:38.979 --> 00:07:54.198 Fourth, minnesota United FC on Twitter: "DING DONG DING DONG SOUND ON … " twitter.com I really don't like linking to Twitter, but this video is fun and I can’t find it on the open web. I can’t wait to see games in twenty nineteen at Allianz Field! 00:07:55.598 --> 00:07:57.159 That's the end of More Links. 00:07:58.559 --> 00:08:00.196 Now, the Microposts section. 00:08:00.796 --> 00:08:02.443 Thursday @ 1:21 PM. 00:08:02.943 --> 00:08:07.501 We all really enjoyed My Neighbor Totoro on Christmas. Great Studio Ghibli film. 00:08:08.401 --> 00:08:10.140 Wednesday @ 2:05 PM. 00:08:10.640 --> 00:08:19.036 We played Photosynthesis for the first time and had a great time. Recommended game with a lot of strategy, but still playable by younger kids. 00:08:19.936 --> 00:08:21.568 Monday @ 5:32 PM. 00:08:22.068 --> 00:08:32.229 Time for traditional Christmas Eve dinner off the grill! First, have to “bottom start” the Big Green Egg to unfreeze the lid! Always leave charcoal in your Egg in the winter! 00:08:33.129 --> 00:08:34.761 Sunday @ 8:14 PM. 00:08:35.261 --> 00:08:41.282 Surprised the kids with a Home Free concert tonight, the last show on their Christmas Tour, at Treasure Island. 00:08:42.182 --> 00:08:43.814 Sunday @ 6:03 PM. 00:08:44.314 --> 00:09:00.402 Went to King’s Bar in Miesville. Burger Flight: Homerun (Ham, Swiss Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo), Dugout (Peanut Butter, Lettuce, Mayo), Slider (Fried Egg, American Cheese, Bacon), and Bases Loaded (Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Pepper Jack, Jalapeños, Sour Cream, Salsa). 00:09:01.302 --> 00:09:03.174 Sunday @ 11:54 AM. 00:09:03.674 --> 00:09:08.857 Tyler’s teaching me to play Pokémon and we figured poker chips work to track damage. 00:09:09.757 --> 00:09:11.486 Saturday @ 9:58 PM. 00:09:11.986 --> 00:09:13.857 One of my favorite places to be. 00:09:14.757 --> 00:09:16.468 Saturday @ 9:57 PM. 00:09:16.968 --> 00:09:23.445 We watched The Christmas Chronicles tonight and really enjoyed it. It would be a great movie for Christmas Eve! 00:09:24.345 --> 00:09:26.097 Saturday @ 8:54 AM. 00:09:26.597 --> 00:09:30.074 We saw Instant Family last night. Fun, family-focused movie. 00:09:30.974 --> 00:09:32.564 Friday @ 4:05 PM. 00:09:33.064 --> 00:09:45.231 I’m going to give Agenda a solid workout to see if it’s a better solution for tracking work related notes and activities. Keep looking for something that works with the way I work, and this might be it. 00:09:46.631 --> 00:09:48.328 That's the end of Microposts. 00:09:49.728 --> 00:09:51.120 Now, the Fortune section. 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:55.513 You've made it all the way to the end! Here is your fortune for this week. 00:09:56.013 --> 00:09:57.808 Someone is speaking well of you. 00:09:58.308 --> 00:10:00.714 Thank you for subscribing to the Weekly Thing! 00:10:02.114 --> 00:10:08.617 That brings us to the end of the Weekly Thing, issue 86. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you next time.