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On Gray Words

"Need" is a black-and-white word. "Want" is a gray word.

Good words are worth much, and cost little.* George Herbert Whenever I read the word it sends a small twinge up my spine. My mind editorializes. It highlights, bolds, and underlines need whenever I see it. Phrases like “we need…

On Nightstands

Jared Porcenaluk, looking concerned, surrounded by books.

The man who does not read good books is no better than the man who can’t.* Mark Twain ­I didn’t read very much for a long time. I felt guilty about it, feeling that reading was part of my DNA…

The Big Move

We are leaving the United States!

Life can be unexpected and full of difficult decisions, but this was one of the easiest decisions I have made so far even though it feels like it will be the biggest change I have made in my life. My…

Book Review: Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits

There are many things I want to do in life, all the time, all at once. The more that I want to do, the less satisfied I am with progress. From reading The Power of Habit, I know that habits…

“The Torque Shifter”

I’ve long been obsessed with EVs, ever since getting a remote control Traxxas Rustler. It was 2WD and had oodles of torque, at least for about ten minutes before the NiCAD batteries wore out. It could do wheelies. Wheelies! That…

1,000-Year-Old Software Redux

Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. I’m not one for mystics, but I have to admit that my own foresight has given me a bit of a shiver last night. Of course, I didn’t attempt to be the next…

Assessments

Showing The Assessments I Have Taken

Is This Cheating? After clicking through the second LinkedIn assessment, I realized that what I was really assessing was how fast I could eliminate answers by searching for terms I was unfamiliar with on Google. A long time ago, after…

Become A DateTime Master

Clocks

Dates are about the worst thing ever, and I’m not talking about eating pasta with a stranger. I’m happily married, and my dates with my wife typically go pretty well every time. I’m talking about dates in programming. It’s no…