Monthly Archives: June 2023

Summertime! And the living is easy? (some thoughts and ramblings for the June 2023 edition of my not-a-newsletter newsletter)

Posted on June 30, 2023 | Comments Off on Summertime! And the living is easy? (some thoughts and ramblings for the June 2023 edition of my not-a-newsletter newsletter)

Summertime! We’ve moved on from late spring into the beginning of the summer season. For some folks, it’s the best of seasons. For me, not so much. But hey, there’s lots to love at least about this month. There’s nice weather (at least in June) and plenty of sunshine and flowers everywhere. I’ve been enjoying it myself so far.

I’m enjoying making this newsletter lately as well, though last June I wrote about giving it up. I’ve had a change of heart obviously. Some of that change had to do with positive feedback I’ve received. Plus I do enjoy going back and reading these newsletters. So you can expect more. Now let me see what was hot and what was not.

What’s was hot: well the forest fires raging out of control in parts of Canada were certainly hot. Though they burned in Alberta and Quebec and Nova Scotia, they impacted everyone, including yours truly. We had some bad days of smoky air, although nothing like what they had in New York. To see the extent of it, I recommend this photo essay in the Verge on how NYC was affected by the wildfire smoke pollution.

In Nova Scotia, they had more than smoke to deal with. People like my sister and her son were forced to mandatory evacuate their homes due to the fires. The fires were spread throughout Nova Scotia, and there was terrible stories of destruction here and here and here and here. It was bad.

The war in Ukraine is definitely hot. Ukrainians are going on the offensive and a quasi civil war erupted within Russia. There’s almost too many links to put here regarding that. I tend to keep abreast by going over the section the Times keeps on the Russia-Ukraine war.

The debt ceiling crisis in the US was also a hot topic for June. There was alot of ink spilled on who gave up more in the debt ceiling negotiations: Biden or the republicans. My take was Biden did well, but the whole thing should never have had to happen in the first place. For more on it, here’s a piece from the Times. More here and here. The Washington Post weighs in here.

Also hot in an almost radioactive way is Donald Trump. To keep up with all the indictments coming out against him I’ve signed up to indictment.fyi by Dan Sinker. You should too.

Would it be terrible if Trump became the next President of the US? Other than for him, yes. He needs to be president again to stay out of jail and to get richer. To see more about the latter, I recommend this: Trump’s real estate deal with Oman. Just off the charts levels of corruption.

Speaking of corrupt, it is interesting to follow the friendships of Supreme Court justices Alito and Thomas. That the two worst members of the Court are also seemingly in the pocket of billionaires is sadly not surprising.

Most of social media is not hot, with the exception being TikTok. And not in a good way.  So you have “titanic tiktok truthers“. You have influencers doing stupid things like promoting products like biore on the back of school shootings. In fact the whole thing about becoming a  tiktok influencer seems out of control. Perhaps they are looking at people like Mr Beast on YouTube and wishing that much influence and wealth. I dunno.

Due to the changes this year, I think baseball is hot again. This piece from the Upshot is worth checking out if you are interested on how the game is changing.

What’s was not: Well, the pandemic is no longer hot. In fact I’d say it’s dormant, if not dead. I’m still tracking COVID. So is the New York Times. As is Ontario Public Health. But otherwise, not so much.

In fact I’d give the Times lots of credit. They are still covering it, and still doing good pieces like this, on covid and lung damage. They also did this piece on what defined the pandemic that I thought was really good. Not so good was this piece on pandemic fraud waste (not the Times).

I used to associate these newsletters with the pandemic. Heck, it was born in the pandemic. Going forward, I am going to drop that association. I’ll still mention anything noteworthy on Covid though.

Inflation is also cooling, it seems. Good. On that topic, I thought these pieces on it were good: what caused the US pandemic era inflation; a comparison of costco vs loblaws food prices; a related piece on inflation, groceries  and Walmart.

Crypto is more ice cold than not hot, especially with the SEC out for one of the last standing exchanges, Binance. You can read about that here and here.

Pixar used to be hot, but not lately. CNN had a meltdown, so kinda hot, but also not.

As for social media, Twitter the company continues to circle the drain as their ad sales plummet. Not to mention them getting hit with a big music industry lawsuit. Fun. Over at that other company, Mark Zuckerberg explains the path forward for meta. Good luck with that, Mark. I mean, who needs the metaverse meet the people still living on second life? A valid question.

Could social media be better? Of course. Anil Dash explains how, here. Also, maybe we should just consider social media alternatives like going outside and touching grass?

In other news: Sports betting  is facing a backlash. Good. The US government continues to  mop up those that contributed to the events of January 6h in the US Capito. Also good.

Cormac McCarthy passed away. This is a fine piece on how unique and now impossible that was. Also this month the five people on the submarine Titan died when that vehicle imploded on the way to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. RIP.

Big companies like Google and Salesforce keep trying to get employees to return to office. On the flip side small tech companies are leveraging this by offering
remote work as a perk to get you to go work with them! Smart move. My expectation is that as leases start running out, remote work will become a hardened norm. Keep an eye out for that.

Enough about work. Summer is a time for relaxing. One way to do that is by reading. If you need something to read this season, the New York Times has your back with many recommendations. For lovers of pure beach reads, check out what indigo.ca has. If nothing else, a book will shade your face from the sun. 🙂

Enjoy the early summer! Thanks for read this too!

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Carbs! Pasta and rice and noodles as well (food links for food lovers, June 2023)

Posted on June 29, 2023 | Comments Off on Carbs! Pasta and rice and noodles as well (food links for food lovers, June 2023)


I know I know….it’s only recently that I posted about food here: Beef and chicken and pork, too. Or is that two? (Friday food for mid-June, 2023) But I’ve got so many great food links that I wanted to write some more on it. This time I am focusing on carbs!

Noodles: When we talk about noodles, we are really talking about non-pasta noodles, because really spaghetti is as much of a noodle as anything.

So we have this recipe for curry singapore vermicelli noodles that I want to try. Or maybe I will try to make this version of singapore noodles. It’s one of my favorite noodle dishes, but instead of making it, I just keep collecting recipes, like this one from Bon Appetit on how to make Singapore Noodles. I think I need to make making them a goal for 2023!

Another noodle dish I’m afraid of making is dan dan noodles. I have made this:  dan dan celeriac noodles. It’s not authentic, but it’s good. Maybe I should follow this version from Joanne Chang at Food & Wine. Or this version, from Martha.

Meanwhile I have made these peanut noodles with chicken several times and they were easy and delicious. (see above)

Speaking of easy and delicious, this recipe for curry sheet pan noodles could fill the bill. As could these spicy vegetable lo mein noodles. If you are fan of udon noodles, check out Martha’s udon noodles shiitake mushrooms ginger broth . Still wanting noodles? Here’s:  16 Easy Noodle Recipes for a Quick Meal Any Time of Day.

Pasta: like many people, I love pasta. One reason I do is because it is easy. For example, this one pot pasta with ricotta and lemon recipe. Or this one pot macaroni pasta meal. And you can’t beat Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce with onion and butter when it comes to easy and delicious. It’s one of my favorites. (More on Marcella Hazan and the 30th anniversary of her masterpiece, “Essentials of iItalian Cooking).

Speaking of Italian classics, here’s: Calabrian Carbonara Recipe from Andrew Carmellini at Food & Wine. More carbonara there.


For fans of  bolognese, we have that from Budget Bytes (shown above) and this: bolognese meat sauce from Food & Wine. It may not be traditional, but this sounds good: Pappardelle with White Bolognese.

More Italian classics: Pasta alla Gricia, and Bucatini all’Amatriciana and Spaghetti Aglio e Olio. And let’s not forget arrabiata! Here’s Ina’s version if you like your pasta hot and spicy. Speaking of hot and spicy, here’s two takes on puttanesca, here and here (which for some reason Nigella calls Slattern’s Spaghetti).

Moving on from Italians, let’s talk about American pasta and people like Alison Roman and her pantry pasta. Or a classic Italian American pasta: Pasta Fazool This is very American: Easy BLT Pasta As are these two from Bon Appetit: How Chris Morocco Makes Pantry Pasta in the Time It Takes the Noodles to Boil and Macaroni and Peas Is the Desperation Meal That Always Satisfies

Pasta and greens go great together. If you agree, check out this garlicky spaghetti with mixed greens. Or pasta with garlicky broccoli rabe from smitten kitchen.  This has greens and beans: creamy chickpea pasta with spinach and rosemary. So does this: linguine with chickpeas broccoli and ricotta. And this chile crisp fettuccine alfredo with spinach sounds different but delicious.

And why not try this cheesy baked pasta? Or use up some sage with: Penne with Asparagus Sage and Peas. In a rush? Make: Fast and Easy Pasta With Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce or this pasta sausage basil and mustard here 

For gnocchi lovers, turn up the oven for this four cheese gnocchi bake. If you like that, try this: Easy Baked Gnocchi. Or this  sheet pan gnocchi. How about: creamy tuscan sausage gnocchi?

Finally, here’s some advice on how to make polenta. And here’s a list of things to try using that pasta that looks like rice: 15 Favorite Orzo Recipes.

Rice: speaking of that other great carb, let me start with some Italian rice recipes. Like this lemon risotto. Or this Italian Wedding risotto. There’s this  sweet corn risotto too. And after you have risotto, you take your leftovers and go make Michael Symon’s Arancini Recipe perhaps.

Italian rice recipes are great, but so too are these ones from the Americas. For instance, this one pot cuban chicken rice and beans is one of my favorites (seen below). Try making pollo asado with black beans and rice or southwest chicken and rice. You’ll be happy and full in no time!


Happy cooking!

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Three cool watches: present, past and future

Posted on June 28, 2023 | 2 comments

I’m not a watch guy, but Timex’s Reclaimed Ocean Plastic watch (above) got my attention. According to uncrate.com:

Its lightweight 40 mm case is made from upcycled, ocean-bound plastic collected from the coastlines by fishermen. The waste is then washed, shredded, and shipped to Switzerland on carbon-neutral transportation, where it’s repurposed. The material gives the piece a speckled texture and is complemented by a matte black dial with contrasting white handers and numerals.

Given that “at least 14 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year”, this sounds like a smart use of materials by  Timex.


If you want something more classic, here’s a story on the Hamilton eatch featured in the latest Indiana Jones film. I had one like it: it’s a fine timepiece.

Finally, if you are an Apple Watch owner like myself and want to go with an aeronautic theme, consider the MobyFox NASA Apple watch bands, seen below:

 

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Silicon Valley is full of not serious people and it’s time to treat them accordingly

Posted on June 27, 2023 | 2 comments

I really like this piece by Dave Karpf on how not enough people are making fun of Balaji Srinivasan right now. While he goes on the skewer Srinivasan for a stupid bet/stunt he did recently, he touches on a broader topic:

2023 is shaping up to be a big year for recognizing that the titans of Silicon Valley actually have very little clue how the financial system works. That’s essentially what capsized Silicon Valley Bank: the venture capitalist crowd was long on self-confidence and short on basic-understanding-of-how-things-work.

At some point with characters like Balaji, you have to ask yourself whether he’s putting on a show or whether he really is a fool. There are a lot of guys at the heights of Silicon Valley who put on a similar performance. (*cough* David Sacks *coughcough* Jason Calcanis.) They have money, and they speak with such confidence. For years, they’ve been taken them seriously. This ought to be the year when that presumption of omnicompetence withers away.

I think that quote  of how 2023 is going to be “a big year for recognizing that the titans of Silicon Valley actually have very little clue how the financial system works” really can apply to anything, not just the financial system. As Karpf notes, all these leaders in Silicon Valley “have money, and they speak with such confidence” and people take them seriously.

So when Marc Andreessen bloviates on how AI will save the world and how it’s the best technology EVAH, no one says he’s full of crap. They don’t look at how he went long on crypto when others were getting out, for example, and say “yeah maybe he’s not the best guy to listen to on this stuff”.

And that’s too bad. I think we should mock these people more often. We should mock the vapidity of Bill Gates’s recent commencement speech. We should cheer when companies like Hindenburg Research go after Jack Dorsey and block for what a crappy company it is. We should recognize how fraudulent people like Tony Hsieh or Elizabeth Holmes are. We should recognize that these people do not deserve our attention. And if they get it, they should be scrutinized and at the very least, mocked. I mean Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are talking about fighting in a cage match.

These are not serious people. We should stop acting like they are.

P.S. The fraudster  Elizabeth Holmes finally went to prison after trying in vain to convince people she should not. Did silicon Valley learn anything from this? Not much, if this story on how recently the company Grail told 400 patients incorrectly that  they may have cancer.

As for Tony Hsieh, you can read here how he used companies like ResultSource to make his book Delivering Happiness into a “best seller” (not to mention giving it away). Just another form of fraud. Here’s a good takedown of Tony Hsieh and the emptiness of the tech mogul.

Finally the New York Times has a rundown of the recent high tech phonies and the trouble they are in.

 

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On RFK Jr and the people that are supporting him

Posted on June 26, 2023 | Comments Off on On RFK Jr and the people that are supporting him

RFK Jr is in the news a lot recently. One obvious reason is that he is trying to run for President. The other reason is because some of the worst of people are jumping on his bandwagon and amplifying his campaign.

If you are unsure about him, then I recommend this piece on RFK Jr for several reasons. First, it sums up how I think I now think about RFK Jr:

His noxious views on vaccines, the origin of AIDS, the alleged dangers of wi-fi and other forms of junk science deserve no wide hearing. Polls showing he’s favored by 20 percent of likely Democratic voters over President Biden are almost as laughable as Kennedy’s views. It’s early; he’s got iconic American name recognition; and there’s almost always an appetite, among Democrats anyway, for anybody but the incumbent.

Second, it also has a list of articles at the beginning that debunk RFK Jr’s ridiculous claims. And if that’s not enough, here’s more on RFK Jr from the New York Times and People Magazine.

As for the people jumping on his bandwagon and amplifying him, here’s a break down on the horrible harassment of  Dr Peter Hotez by Joe Rogen, Elon Musk and others. As for why you don’t want to debate science on a podcast, here’s a good piece on what it’s like to go on  Joe Rogan and debate anything 

Here’s hoping RFK Jr and the cranks he attracts fade into the background soon.

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Revisiting McCartney after watching Get Back

Posted on June 25, 2023 | Comments Off on Revisiting McCartney after watching Get Back

For a long time I held the common view that there was two Paul McCartneys: the Beatles one and the solo one. This view also states that once he went solo, he went from making great music to making bad music. Sure there were exceptions (Maybe I’m Amazed, Band on the Run), but that was the view.

That view was supported by many people, starting with John Lennon and many of the music press writing in the 70s and 80s. How could it be wrong? Even a fan of Paul like me often thought so.

Well it was wrong and I was wrong too. I came to that conclusion after watching Get Back. Watching Get Back, I was struck by the continuum of the Beatles and their music.  In the documentary you hear snippets of songs that wouldn’t come into their own until later albums. You hear them play old songs as they try and finish the new songs. It’s all sonically fluid and connected. Paul’s music –before and after the breakup — is very much of that continuum. There is no switch that suddenly deprives him if his talent. He does lose the feedback and the guidance of the others, especially John’s, and no doubt that hurt him. But his ability to write a song and perform a song remains strong.

I thought of that some more after spending time relistening to songs from McCartney I.  Songs I had dismissed as bad I gave a relisten to. Listened to the music of the guy who performed so well on Get Back, the music of the guy who  went on to record Abbey Road. The talent is strong and steady on those solo records, despite some ups and downs. 

I’ve often contended that if you combined the best of the Beatles solo work from the 70s and just kept the best and put in on 3 or 4 recordings, you would have music as good as anything they made in the 60s. In some cases even better.

The talent was still there.  The music was still good. For all them. Including Paul.

 

 

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Art direction! Art inspiration! And other art links

Posted on June 24, 2023 | Comments Off on Art direction! Art inspiration! And other art links

 

Austin Kleon explains how you can find energy in the gap pictured above. I like the idea of using the gap for your benefit.

I’ve been interested in drawing with ink lately, so here’s some good links on how to ink a drawing and how to make pen and ink drawings here. Two good videos on drawing with ink are here:  Draw with ink and Also draw with ink.

This may be  one of the best guides I have ever come across regarding thumbnail sketching from an instructor at RISD.

I’m a big fan of the artist who draws the Metropolitan Diary drawings, so I enjoyed this piece on what the Metropolitan Diary taught its illustrator about New York.

Here’s a clip I saved of  Peter Falk from Wings of Desire when he talks about the and the happiness with the simple things in life, like drawing. Speaking of Falk, here’s a story on his own art work, here.

I’ve always been inspired by Jim Jarmusch’s Collages and wished I did more. So I was happy when I found this piece on collage art ideas. Really good stuff.

I have always found these Scribbled Portraits of Brooding Figures by Adam Riches inspiring. It reminds me of some of the great drawings my brother Ed used to do.

More links: If you want to take up drawing cartoons; if you want to learn how to Draw a Self-Portrait; if you need more advice on how to draw, How to Draw in Six Steps;  here’s a quick beginner’s guide to drawing.

Finally, here’s some good things to consider:

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On the Bloor Cinema and the other rep theatres listed in Festival magazine

Posted on June 23, 2023 | Comments Off on On the Bloor Cinema and the other rep theatres listed in Festival magazine

Some one on Twitter posted some pages from Festival Magazine from the 80s, and looking at them, I was filled with so many memories. Among them I recall how I would go to the nearby Bloor Cinema and grab a copy from the newspaper box. I’d head over to Dooneys or some other coffee shop or maybe just head home to Brunswick Avenue and plan out my movie viewing for the next few weeks.

While I sometimes went to the other rep cinemas like the Revue or the Kingsway, I mainly went to the Bloor. This page below captures what the programming was like for it at the time.

There was often a special festival or a run of films like the new Chinese films shown above. Then there were films that had just finished running through the new theatres like Cineplex’s and were now getting a second chance to be seen. And then there were fan favorites, like Stop Making Sense. (If Stop Making Sense or a Blade Runner was in, I was there.) Most of all what I loved about the Bloor was this eclectic mix of programming.

The Revue’s programming was more straightforward. It pretty much showed films that had just finished their run in main theatres. Did I still like going there? For sure. (Except the time in winter when the theatre was showing a film without any heat!)

I loved looking at those pages. I loved seeing all the great films that came out in the 80s listed again. I really loved seeing the ad for The Other Cafe! (I went there often too.) It’s all so good.

Seeing movies was different back then. You might eventually see them on TV, but if you missed a good film when it was first out, you still had a chance of seeing it in the rep theatres. Not to mention classics and fan favorites. It was a good time at the cinema, for sure.

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What are the best potato chips, you ask?

Posted on June 22, 2023 | Comments Off on What are the best potato chips, you ask?

Eric Vellend knows his chips. So if he says these are the best chips:

  • Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle
  • Ruffles Lightly Salted
  • Ruffles Double Crunch Jalapeño Cheddar
  • Brets Jura Cheese
  • Lays Magic Masala

I believe him. Take this list with you for your next visit to the grocer. You’ll be glad you did.

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Cool and colorful furniture

Posted on June 21, 2023 | Comments Off on Cool and colorful furniture


The colorful can be found here, IKEA Nytillverkad Collection Delves Into the Archives in Colorful Fashion at the site Design Milk, while the cool can be found here: top ten minimal furniture design at Yanko.

If you want to jazz up your place, then that collection from IKEA will do it. On the other hand, if you yearn from simple pieces like this below, then head over to that link on Yanko.

Two very different sets of home furnishings, but both being well done.

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On the mega long YouTube phenomena

Posted on June 20, 2023 | Comments Off on On the mega long YouTube phenomena

Would you watch a youtube video that is 24 hours of a blank screen? Can you guess how many do? Would you guess over 40 million people? If that intrigues you, then I recommend you read this. It’s about the makers of extra long YouTube videos and it’s quite good.

3 thoughts:

  1. I’ve watched several of them, including those for fireplaces, beaches, and aquariums. They’re great! I draw the line at blank screens though. 🙂
  2. They reminded me of Andy Warhol’s “Empire” film that was over 8 hours long. You can read about that, here. Once more he was ahead of his time.
  3. It’s easy to take Youtube for granted, but it can be a platform for the creation of media not possible in the 20th century.

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Bernie’s Rule of Business Predictions and Time Frames

Posted on June 19, 2023 | 2 comments

There are generally four time frames used when business people are making predictions:

  • in a year
  • next 1-2 years
  • next 3-5 years
  • next 5-10 years

If you see a business person making such a prediction, this is what they mean:

  • in a year: the prediction will happen
  • next 1-2 years: the prediction should happen
  • next 3-5 years: the prediction could happen, but not soon
  • next 5-10 years: they have no idea!

For any business prediction, the time frame determines the probability. If they say in a year, they either are doing it themselves or someone they know is. If it is 1-2 years, it won’t happen this year, but someone is working on it. If they say 3-5 years, then it’s likely not in progress, but there is talk of working on it.

The only prediction that is useless is 5-10 years. If someone says 5-10 years, they are saying something like “I don’t want to say it will NEVER happen, but it is not even close to coming to fruition, so I will predict 5-10 because who is even going to come back and ask me about it in a decade from now?” 🙂

Something to bear in mind the next time you hear a business prediction.

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85 or so interesting things I wanted to write about and maybe will some day

Posted on June 18, 2023 | Comments Off on 85 or so interesting things I wanted to write about and maybe will some day


Many times I find things I would like to write about but never do. I think people should check out these links though. So I am including them all in this Sunday post to read at your leisure.

Start with this one on mapping data visualisations from Victorian London to today. Or this, on the film Unforgiven and the line, “deserves got nothing to do with it”. I am fascinating by ex-Royals haunting Europe, like Ferdinand Habsburg, who occupies his time racecar driving, so I recommend that. I also loved the story of  Jenny Nguyen and the sports bar she opened just for women’s sports, The Sports Bra.

This is good: how to help your kids find happiness.

Are these the best movies ever made? Possibly. Do I know why old man Robert de Niro is having a 7th kid? Nope.

I wanted to say something/something more about  Ted Lasso, The_Blues_Brothers, bad artists, David_Shrigley, or ska, but I could not. I don’t even have anything clever to say about the Wakefield amazonian love god statue, other than you should check it out. (Seen above.)

I recommend you also check out this amazing Maine home, this Manual Coffeemaker (seen below) and this piece on the Amazon Halo Rise. Even this desk lamp, which is the visual motivation youll need to start your day. Or this cool utility shelf , or this Concept TV, or even these linen sheets.

If you need some advice, read about the move out method of organizing or read this for anxiety reduction. I do believe writing make you healthier. This can tell you how to retire when you have basically nothing saved. Consider this more radical and practical than stoicism (shugendo).

When it comes to health and fitness, here’s a good piece on Kipchoge’s boston marathon pace. It’s VERY Fast. This guy is not fast but he is a cheat: Joasia Zakrzewski at the ultramarathon. A different form of cheating:  how one man ate cheat meals which helped him lose weight. I was going to write about the mediterranean diet and Kettlebell exercises and how kettlebell workouts burn 20 calories / minute, but didn’t. I didn’t know what to say about this article that was a grim reflection on a life of drinking. Nor did I know what to write on how depression rates are reaching new highs.

This is an interesting story about Carmelite nuns abandoning their nest in Brooklyn. A good piece on  riding  the New York subway in the 70s. Speaking of the craziness of the 70s, here’s a story on cocaine and cooking at Chez Panisse. All worthy of a post some day.

I once wanted to write about the red shoes of Pope Benedict XVI and their many hidden meanings but I passed. Related in a fashion sense, here’s something on GQ’s outfit of the week. And from a religious POV, I’ve always been fascinated by the story of France’s eminence grise. Not to mention forgotten masses like Childermas!

Here’s some LISS links I never could make anything of: What Makes Fascism Fascist? – by John Ganz, how Nazis are not socialists, and Why Paul Ehrlich got everything wrong. Then this is this piece on who will sell the books. Plus Horizontal History on Wait But Why this? A cautionary tale: The Dangerous Decline of the Historical Profession. Quasi-historical: on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Strangely historical: It’s not a darning tool it’s a very naughty toy – Roman dildo found.

Some clippings from out east where I come from: on the East Coast Kitchen. Here’s 2 things on the international student housing crisis in Cape Breton, including how medical residents moving to cape breton are struggling to find housing. The famous nscad university is moving to the Halifax seaport. Also worthy of fame, Kate Beaton’s affecting ducks dives into the lonely life of labour in Alberta’s oil sands. Lastly, Food truck diner experience helped relaunch Zellers brand.

I didn’t know what to do about  Linda McCartney’s photos, or why art installations make people angry, or this piece on Vermont and the law and art and slavery, but they are all interesting. Go check them out.

For some time I was going to write a defence on consultants after reading this and this and this and this and this. Even this and this. Most of them insinuating that consultants are all powerful and manipulative and evil, like this: Opinion: The Trudeau government seems awfully cozy with McKinsey. In the end I didn’t have the energy or the interest.

I thought this piece, you can’t say that in the 1930s which relates to this, Agatha Christie novels reworked to remove potentially offensive language was worthwhile. Likewise, this, on Black Panther 2’s Namor casting and how it opens up a Latino colorism debate.

I found these social media leaks disturbing and a caution as to what to share and not share: alcohol counseling patient data leak and discord document leak tiktok.

Here’s two things on Samuel Alito, whom I find especially terrible: here and here. Also terrible, those doing child labor lobbying in the USA.

Last, I was going to write something on the bystander effect, on some blogging myths, on happy warriors, on Maiden Lane Transactions, on the CBC Massey lectures archives, on driving a Lyft, and on college and students and success. Someday, perhaps.


As always, thanks for reading this blog. I deeply appreciate it. I hope you found a link or two above worthwhile.

 

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On Sylvia Plath and other fine visual artists

Posted on June 17, 2023 | Comments Off on On Sylvia Plath and other fine visual artists

I knew, of course, that Sylvia Plath was a great writer. But she is also a strong visual artist. This substack post delves into her talent in that regard. (That’s her work, above.)

Not an artist, but their enemy: here’s the obit for the Gray Ghost, famous for painting over graffiti in New Orleans, including Banksy! A fascinating man. Also fascinating is museum met guard Greg Kwiatek and how working there for 25 years helped him make his own art. A third person who is fascinating is  architect Yasmeen Lari.


Check out these Qualeasha Wood tapestries (above) at that link. They are amazing. I didn’t know of her work, but I am impressed.

Of course I know of the work of these two, David Hockney and Anselm Kiefer, both of whom have new work out.

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Reading as a defence against those that would ban and burn books

Posted on June 16, 2023 | Comments Off on Reading as a defence against those that would ban and burn books

I’ve been thinking a lot about libraries recently. This started when I read about The Empty Library, shown above. As Wikipedia explains:

The Empty Library (1995), also known as Bibliothek or simply Library, is a public memorial by Israeli sculptor Micha Ullman dedicated to the remembrance of the Nazi book burnings that took place in the Bebelplatz in Berlin, Germany on May 10, 1933. The memorial is set into the cobblestones of the plaza and contains a collection of empty subterranean bookcases.

Just one of the many evil acts by the Nazis repudiated by others.

One way to defeat those who would commit such evil acts is to read more. One way to read more is by doing what Austin Kleon is pushing us to do here and take on a summer reading assignment. Do what he says: go to the library, get a card, check out some books. Read anything and everything the library can provide. Read recklessly. Read at whim. Read however you prefer. Read for pleasure. Read knowing that you stand against those who would prevent it if they could.

Book banning is not just something that happened in the past in Germany. It’s happening now in America and elsewhere. Push back when and where you can. One book at the time.

P.S. The story of the artwork, The Empty Library, is fascinating. I highly recommend it.

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How to rate Hannah Gadsby’s Pablo-Matic show at The Brooklyn Museum?

Posted on June 15, 2023 | Comments Off on How to rate Hannah Gadsby’s Pablo-Matic show at The Brooklyn Museum?


How to rate Pablo-Matic? Badly, if you are New York Times critic Jason Farago. Ohoh. Meanwhile this piece in hyperallergic argues the show is not great but not terrible. Ok so so-so. Then there is this other piece in hyperallergic that urges you to go because they think the show is good. Hmmm….

I’ve read lots on the show, including how the museum feels (they dismiss the negative reviews). My two takeaways from all that I read are:

  • everyone, no matter how they feel about the show, have valid thoughts and opinions on it. They all come to different conclusions, but the ideas they bring up are worth reading. If you love the show, read the pieces by those who didn’t, and vice versa.
  • the Brooklyn museum can’t lose here. Regardless of what you think, I haven’t read so much about a show in quite some time. Most shows get an objective thumbs up with very little passion. Not this show: people are passionate about how they feel about it. It’s exciting!

I wish more shows were controversial like this. Not controversial in a gimmicky way, but in a thoughtful way. It got me thinking about art and artists in a deeper way than I might have if I went to a non-controversial show.

Finally, I also admire the courage of the curators. It’s like night vs day when I think of other controversial shows like the recent Philip Guston exhibit. We need more courage from people in the world of visual arts. I am glad the folks at the Brooklyn Museum have that.

 

 

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AI AI AI AI: here’s some good, bad and scary stuff on AI

Posted on June 14, 2023 | Comments Off on AI AI AI AI: here’s some good, bad and scary stuff on AI


I am glad that Apple released a new device last week. It was a refreshing change from what most IT discussions are about recently. And what’s topic is most discussed? AI, of course.

And for good reason! There’s lots and lots happening in this space. New AI technology is coming out. New uses for AI are developed. It’s an exciting space. Like many, I am having a hard time keeping it with it all. But try and keep up I must. And as I do, I have found some interesting links for me (and you) to read:

Clive Thompson has a grim take on the boring apocalypse of today’s AI 

Also grim is this story in WiReD about  tessa, the eating disorder chatbot, and why it had to be suspended. Don’t leave your AI unattended!

Grimly funny: what happens when a lawyer misuses ChatGPT? Hijinx insue!

Not grim, but clever:  A Vienna museum turned to AI and cats — yes AI and cats — to lure visitors.

Also in WiReD is this thoughtful piece on how  non english languages are being left out of the AI revolution, at least for now. I see this changing really fast.

A good New York Times piece on how training chatbots on smaller language datasets could make them better.

Fascinating to see how much AI is listed in Zapier’s app tips here.

Also fascinating: Google didn’t talk about any of their old AI while discussing their new AI during their I/O 2023 event recently. I wonder why. I wonder if they’re missing an opportunity.

AI junk: Spotify has reportedly removed tens of thousands of ai generated songs. Also junk, in a way: AI interior design. Still more garbage AI uses, this time in the form of  spam books written using ChatGPT.

This seems like an interesting technology:  liquid neural networks.

What is falcon 40b? Only “the best open-source model currently available. Falcon-40B outperforms LLaMA, StableLM, RedPajama, MPT, etc. ” Worth a visit.

Here’s a how-to on using AI for photo editing. Also, here’s some advice on writing better ChatGPT prompts.

This is a good use of AI: accurately diagnosing tomato leaf diseases.

For those that care: deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton quit Google.

Meanwhile Sam Altman is urging the US congress to regulate AI. In the same time period, he threatens to withdraw from Europe if there is too much regulation, only to back down. It seems like he is playing people here. Writers like Naomi Klein are rightly critical. Related is this piece: Inside the fight to reclaim AI from Big Tech’s control | MIT Technology Review.

Here’s another breathless piece on the AI start up scence in San Francisco. Yawn. Here’s a piece on a new startup with a new AI called Character.ai that lets you talk to famous people. I guess….

Here’s some things my company is doing with AI: Watsonx. But also: IBM to pause hiring for back office jobs that ai could kill. Let’s see about that.

Finally, this story from BlogTO on how “Josh Shiaman, a senior feature producer at TSN, set out to create a Jays ad using text-to-video AI generation, admitting that the results “did not go well.”” Not go well is an understatement! It’s the stuff of nightmares! 🙂 Go here and see.

In some ways, maybe that video is a good metaphor for AI: starts off dreamy and then turns horrific.

Or maybe not.

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Reflecting on the Apple Watch while reading how the Apple VisionPro might flop

Posted on June 13, 2023 | 3 comments

How is the Apple Watch doing, you might wonder? Well according to this piece, pretty pretty pretty good. Check out these stats:

Pretty much on every measure it is a big success, especially on the annual sales side.

Looking at those numbers, you might find it hard to believe that when the Apple Watch first came out, it was…a dud. As the same piece shows:

(The) First Apple Watch, announced on September 9th, 2014, and released on April 24th, 2015, was initially a flop, with an 85.7% drop in sales from April 2015 to July 2015. The reason was that the Apple Watch Series 0 simply wasn’t good enough. It was neither fashionable nor performed well as a fitness watch. Apple, later on, shifted to focus on fitness features instead of simply making their watch look good. By the time Apple released Watch Series 3, people were already hooked.

Yep. I was hopeful for the Watch back then, but many people were dismissive. It was too complicated, too big, too expensive, etc.

I was reminded of all this as I was reading some “nervous nellie” reaction from Yanko Design and the New York Times about the Vision Pro. They hedge their bets (and they should), but the focus is on how it could fail.

And it could fail! Or more likely, it could be a dud. It could be like the Homepod or Apple TV. Remember TVOS? I thought people would jump on that and start developing apps for it. Well other than Apple, I don’t see too much happening with that device. Both those devices are…fine, but not game changers.

That said, I think the Apple Vision devices will be game changers. I suspect Apple will play the long game, just like they did with the Apple Watch. Watch this blog as we track it’s progress. 🙂

P.S. More on the Apple Watch written by me, here. More on the history of the Apple Watch from others here and here.

 

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On spatial computing and VisionOS

Posted on June 12, 2023 | Comments Off on On spatial computing and VisionOS

While people talked a lot about the hardware of Apple’s new Vision Pro device launched last week, I’ve thought a lot about Apple’s emphasis on spatial computing. What’s that all about, you might ask? I am going to turn to this piece at Yanko Design to explain:

“Vision Pro is a new kind of Computer,” says Tim Cook as he reveals the mixed reality headset for the very first time. “It’s the first Apple product you look through, and not at,” he adds, marking Apple’s shift to Spatial Computing. What’s Spatial Computing, you ask? Well, the desktop was touted as the world’s first Personal Computer, or PC as we so ubiquitously call it today. The laptop shrank the desktop to a portable format, and the phone shrank it further… all the way down to the watch, that put your personal computer on your wrist. Spatial Computing marks Apple’s first shift away from Personal Computing, in the sense that you’re now no longer limited by a display – big or small. “Instead, your surroundings become a canvas,” Tim summarizes, as he hands the stage to VP of Design, Alan Dye. Spatial Computing marks a new era of computing where the four corners of a traditional display don’t pose any constraints to your working environment. Instead, your real environment becomes your working environment, and just like you’ve got folders, windows, and widgets on a screen, the Vision Pro lets you create folders, windows, and widgets in your 3D space. Dye explains that in Spatial Computing, you don’t have to minimize a window to open a new one. Just simply drag one window to the side and open another one. Apple’s VisionOS turns your room and your visual periphery into an OS, letting you create multiple screens/windows wherever you want, move them around, and resize them. Think Minority Report or Tony Stark’s holographic computer… but with a better, classier interface.

Spatial computing is something bigger than the new hardware from Apple. It’s talking about changing the way we do computing.

You see, since the 1980s we’ve been stuck with the WIMP paradigm in computing: windows, icon, menus, pointer. We have it for so long we don’t even think about it anymore. Even when we went from desktop computing to smartphones and tablets, we more or less kept this paradigm.

With spatial computing, we can think out of the box. Get away from the desktop. You are no longer looking AT a computer: you are IN a computer.

Apple is still kinda stuck with the WIMP in some of the demos they have for Vision Pro. I get that: it’s going to take some time for all of us to make the shift. Even Apple. But the shift will come.

The shift may not even come primarily from Apple the software company. I believe one of the reasons Apple launched the device the way it did — limited and at WWCD — is to get developers excited about it. Already some big name software companies have signed on. And if I read this piece correctly, then there could be a rush of developers from everywhere to come out with software for the device. Perhaps much of that could be non-WIMP software.

Much of this will depend on Vision OS and what it is capable of supporting. But from everything I read, it sound like it provides spatial computing flawlessly with the Vision Pro.

And perhaps spatial computing is not just for the Vision Pro. Currently Apple allows you to do handoffs from one device to another. I could see that happening with the Vision Pro, your Mac, and your phone. You might be working on something on your Mac that you want to take a break from, so you put on your Vision Pro to play a game. Then you get an idea, so you work on it in the Vision Pro, rather than taking off your goggles. Likewise, you may need to take a break from the Vision Pro, so you do a handoff to your Mac or your Apple TV to watch the rest of a movie from that device.

I can also see bits of VisionOS creeping into MacOS and iOS and even WatchOS. If VisionOS breaks the WIMP paradigm virtually, perhaps it could do the same thing physically. All of Apple’s devices could be spatial computing devices.

Spatial computing promises to be a new big thing in computing. I’m excited for this. I hope Apple and others can bring it to fruition. (Pun intended.)

P.S. For more on how impressive the Vision Pro is, I recommend this: Every Single Sensor inside the Apple Vision Pro and What It’s Individually Designed To Do – Yanko Design

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Beige is a great colour, especially for summer clothing.

Posted on June 11, 2023 | Comments Off on Beige is a great colour, especially for summer clothing.

Beige has a bad reputation. Which is why you get advice like this: 9 Non-Boring Ways to Wear Beige Now. If you think poorly of beige too, then I’m here to convince you it is a great, non-boring color.

Let me backup a bit by dealing with the question: what even IS beige? According to Wikipedia, “Beige is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow.” Geez, when you put it that way, no wonder people think poorly of it. But also: “It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached or dyed, hence also the color of natural wool. It has come to be used to describe a variety of light tints chosen for their neutral or pale warm appearance.” That’s better. But still, you can see why people think lowly of it.

To use it and get around it’s bad rep, stylists will use synonyms for it. Instead of saying something is Beige, they’ll use: Cream, Buff, Sand, Ecru, even Khaki. Khaki pants or a ecru colored dress sounds better than a beige dress or beige slacks.

Part of the beige’s problem also is around the overuse of it. It seemed there was a lot of it in the 80s especially, from Armani clothing to office space. That was partially a reaction to the explosion of color that came from the 70s. Nonetheless, people moved on from it and were reluctant to return to it.

I would ask you to return to it, at least in terms of clothing. Beige is something you should use more often, especially with the warmer weather coming. To look sharp in beige — i.e. not be boring — use it as your main color but add some contrast, the way the man in the photo above does. The light blue shirt and dark red tie go wonderfully with beige.

Give it go this summer. You won’t be sorry.

(Image from: Where To Shop For a Suit — Die, Workwear!)

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How to study Yeats “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” and other good things you missed in high school

Posted on June 10, 2023 | Comments Off on How to study Yeats “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” and other good things you missed in high school

If you want to study that poem and think about poetry in general, I recommend you check this out. It really breaks down the poem, almost like you’re getting a lecture on it.

I recommend that whole site. There’s lot of study guides on things you may have studied in high school, or may not have. It’s never too late to read Yeats, or Shakespeare, or Eliot. If anything, it is better to study it later in life.

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Beef and chicken and pork, too. Or is that two? (Friday food for mid-June, 2023)

Posted on June 9, 2023 | Comments Off on Beef and chicken and pork, too. Or is that two? (Friday food for mid-June, 2023)


Last year I wrote a post: Beef and chicken and pork, oh my. (My cooking interests for December to May, 2022). And now I am back with another post featuring that trio of meats. Hence the funny post title. Unlike that post, this should be briefer, but just as good.

Beef: I made this recently and loved it: mississippi pot roast. I’d love to make this: corned beef and cabbage. Some day. I am due to make this: braciole (update: made it!) And this: crock pot short ribs with potatoes. I could make this, but I’d rather go to England and have someone else do it: Classic London Broil with Rosemary and Thyme.

Some other things I want to try is this nice slow cooker recipe for cuban skirt steak. I want to get some rice and put this over it: mongolian beef.

Of all the beef we eat at my place, most of it comes in the form of steak. If you love steak too, why not try a  balsamic marinated steak? Or a classic steak au poivre ? We know skirt steak is good. And steak cooked in cast iron is great. Speaking of advice, here’s some steak advice for you: Reverse Sear Steak .

Meatloaf fans, I have not forgotten you: meatloaf wellington. For sundried tomato fans, of which I am: Chatelaine Bistro beef with sun dried tomatoes 

And here’s two more beefy meals: beef and tomato rice bowl and beef and broccoli.

Chicken: I’ve made this chicken in vinegar from Laura Calder a number of times and its always come out delicious. Likewise  Martha’s braised chicken potatoes olives and lemon.

Speaking of Martha, I highly recommend this to anyone looking to cut up a whole chicken over at her Martha Stewart web site. Relatedly: How to Cut Up a Whole Chicken. Unleash your inner butcher. As for other advice, here’s: The Best Way to Cook Chicken Thighs.

I was going through websites pulling out good poultry recipes lately. Here’s a bunch I found at Saveur Tavuk Kebabi (Mint & Aleppo Pepper Marinated Chicken Kebab, their Best Chicken Cacciatore Recipe, and the classic chicken cordon bleu. Saveur also had the recipe for Raos famous lemon chicken, and great duck leg and andouille sausage gumbo recipe, and a hearty vegetable stew duck confit cabbage recipe. And while not Saveur, if you love duck, I recommend this: pan seared duck breast.

Of course the New York Times has lots of great chicken recipes. Here’s their chile butter chicken with vinegared potatoes recipe. Something I want to try really soon:  skillet chicken with mushrooms and caramelized onions. Something basic but good: chicken and potatoes. Something fancy and good: roast tarragon cognac chicken. And well, here’s a whole list of one pot chicken dinners.

I would be remiss without including these gems from Food and Wine. Here’s a classic: Chicken Diane. For people who have time: lazy-chicken-and-sausage-cassoulet. For rosemary lovers (me): Rosemary-Roasted Chicken with Artichokes and Potatoes Recipe. For marjoram lovers (also me): Wine-Baked Chicken Legs with Marjoram Recipe – Marcia Kiesel. And finally this is for fans of chicken legs (an underrated cut).

Slow cooker chicken is always great. If you agree, make this: slow cooker rotisserie dinner. I do…often. Pair it with some Swiss Chalet dipping sauce. If you want something a bit spicer, go with slow cooker harissa chicken. Also spicy, but not in a slow cooker: Buffalo Chicken Calzones.

Let’s close off with some oldies but goodies: chicken milanese. Another classic is  zuni roast chicken. Or this: Chicken Breasts with White Wine Pan Sauce. Finally, from Cup of Jo, this: chicken and white beans.

Pork:  I love the other white meat. And so do the dairy farmers of Canada. Over on their web site they have a TON of pork recipes. You can find out how to make braised pork chops cabbage and dried apricots and chorizo two berry compote stuffed pork tenderloin parsley cream sauce and pork chop green bell pepper and tomato sauce, too. For fans of pork and fruit, there’s this pork tenderloin feta dried fruit dish and this pork tenderloin medallions mango curry cream. Mint lovers, try prosciutto and mint pork tenderloin wraps. If you want it spicy, make this spicy pork tenderloin in a coffee cream sauce. Or this tuscan herb and tomato pork tenderloin.

They certainly have a lot of pork tenderloin recipes. It’s a great cut, but easy to overcook. You want to read this: How to how to cook pork tenderloin in oven 3 marinades.

Martha also loves pork. So on her site you can learn how to make  pork pears and parsnip mash plus a pork and soba noodle salad and chili lime pork corn salad. You can also start making your own homemade sausage patties.

Food and Wine is another site that likes tenderloin: Pesto Pork Tenderloin Recipe and stuffed pork tenderloins bacon and apple riesling sauce. It also has something fancy:  Pork Chop au Poivre with Red Wine Shallot Sauce. And some oldies but goodies, like this  Pork Schnitzel with Warm Potato Salad Recipe from Wolfgang Puck, or this  Italian Sausage with Onions and Peppers, or even this: blackened skillet pork chops beans and spinach. Finally, here’s all their pork chop recipes in one place.

Fans of spicy (and Alison Roman) will want to make harissa rubbed pork with white beans. Fans of non spicy, try this  Pork bulgogi.

Pork chop fans, try these Orange Molasses Pork Chops from Budget Bytes. Or these boursin pork chops (trust me it’s good). Here’s how to make breaded fried pork chops.

For fans of pork stew, Saveur has a wonderfully looking spanish pork rib stew. It’s an acquired taste, but here’s the recipe for Jacques Pepin’s pork neck stew.

Last but not least, here’s a guide to making a baked ham with brown sugar glaze here. Love that. Here’s how to make slow cooker Carolina pulled pork sliders.

Ribs! They can be pork, they can be beef, they are always delicious. I’ve blogged about ribs before (those, from Mark Bittman, are great). I want to try these soon: Grilled Korean Style Short Ribs.

I make these often: slow cooker cheater barbecue ribs. For fans of tasty,com: Slow Cooker Ribs.

Not a recipe, but rib related:  The McRib is back but possibly for the last time McDonald’s hints.

Thanks for reading. Happy cooking!

(Top image: New York Times; Middle image: Cup of Jo)

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On the changes to the Twitter API in 2023 and why I’m not using it

Posted on June 8, 2023 | Comments Off on On the changes to the Twitter API in 2023 and why I’m not using it

Looks like Elmo (Elon Musk) and team have finally gotten around to making big changes to the twitter API, which you can read about here.

There is a free tier if you just want to tweet. But if you want to do what I do, which is read tweets via the API, the price starts at $100/month. Yeah, no to that.

I’ve been using the Twitter API for years. At first you could programmatically interface with Twitter simply using the cURL command. That was easy to use and likely easy to abuse. Eventually Twitter did a proper set of APIs and I’ve written several programs over the years — first using Perl and then using Python — to post tweets and to read them.

My last project was  tracking a group of users to see if Twitter usage was declining and twitter was dying. As of sometime in May, I did not see any decline in use. But who knows going forward. I am not going to pay $100 a month to find out.

It’s too bad: the new API code looks good and the tech people at twitter — not Elmo — have done a good job with the documentation, sample code at github, etc. Perhaps they will surprise me and they will get lots of people to use it and throw money at them. Or maybe it will be as unsuccessful as the Twitter blue checkmark program.

 

 

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Who doesn’t need advice on how to better run your kitchen?

Posted on June 7, 2023 | Comments Off on Who doesn’t need advice on how to better run your kitchen?

Other than rich people, who doesn’t need advice on how to better run your kitchen? Right? So here’s a piece containing some really good tips for those of you that have a small kitchen. Or a big kitchen! Regardless of the size of your kitchen, it’s worth applying them.

Once your have your kitchen organized, read this  ingenious piece on 7 Ways to Use Grease Pencils in the Kitchen that will keep that room running optimally. Smart!

 

 

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Very cool: a map of the night trains of Europe

Posted on June 6, 2023 | Comments Off on Very cool: a map of the night trains of Europe

The map above looks much better if you go to the site that has it fullscale: night train map.

I love the design of the map. I love the idea of taking night trains around Europe. I even love that you can get a poster of it. I love it.

Go check it out.

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What I find interesting in Mainframes and CI/CD (tech update June 2023)

Posted on June 5, 2023 | Comments Off on What I find interesting in Mainframes and CI/CD (tech update June 2023)

I’ve so many good pieces on IT, I’ve got to break them down into subcategories. Last month I’ve shared things on cloud tech. This month the focus is on mainframes and CI/CD (things I’ve been working on over the last year or more).

Mainframes: I’ve been doing work on mainframe modernization, which has me focusing on tools around that, among other things.

z/D&T is one of those tools. Here’s a good overview of it. Here’s a piece on deploying IBM mainframe z/OS application on AWS with IBM z/D&T. This is a good IBM zDT Guide and Reference. More on zD&T there. I like it.

DBB is another tool in use. Here’s an intro. Here’s something on using it to migrate data sets.

Not all these tools are IBM related. Endevor is another tool to study. Here’s something on how Endevor software ‘s change manager bridges enterprise git. Here’s something on mapping strategies using endevor bridge for git. How to create a package in Endevor and how to review and approve a package in Endevor review approve package. Also something on on Endevor pricing and setup.

Linux is kinda a tool (I guess?) on mainframes. This is a good explainer on Linux on IBM Z. More on IBM z linux here.

Finally, here’s a good article on mainframe modernization patterns. More on mainframe application modernization beyond banking from IBM. Still more on mainframe modernation. Also: using collaboration not migration to modernize your mainframe applications with the cloud.

CI/CD: I’ve also been focusing on work around CI/CD. So there’s been lots of work using Jenkins. Here’s a piece on how to create a ci/cd pipeline with kubernetes and jenkins. Also a tutorial for installing jenkins on IBM Cloud. Check out this tutorial on setting up a ci/cd pipeline with jenkins to deploy multi arch image on ocp on linuxone and x86. That was especially good.  Here’s something on  blue/green deployment with docker github and jenkins.

Here’s a side by side of github actions vs jenkins which should you consider. This helps if you want to know if you should use a jenkinsfile or not. Check out this good jenkins ci/cd review. More on Configuring a jenkins agent on openshift.  Here’s how to add z/OS to your jenkins build farm. This was a  good jenkins groovy tutorial.

Related to the Jenkins work is work around IBM’s Urbancode Deploy (UCD). Here’s A tutorial on ibm urbancode deploy. Another tutorial on how to build a pipeline with jenkins dependency based build on UCD. Something on how to integrate UCD with jenkins for continuous integration is here.

Lastly, here’s some things to consider re installing UCD. More on how integrate UCD and jenkins for ci/cd. Here’s what’s needed in terms of system requirements for UCD.

Finally, here’s some more on continuous testing in devops. More on ci/cd pipelines. And last, another mainframe tool for CI/CD:  Workflow.

 

 

 

 

 

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The odd third season of Ted Lasso, and other thoughts on TV, June 2023

Posted on June 4, 2023 | Comments Off on The odd third season of Ted Lasso, and other thoughts on TV, June 2023


I loved the series, Ted Lasso, and I was sad to see it end. The last season, it’s third, was a bit of a head scratcher though.

The first season was the one people really loved. But I felt that Jason Sudeikis wanted to make the Ted character more than a 3D Ned Flanders in that season. That explained what happened with Ted in season 2 and to some degree in season 3. However I think people became frustrated with that: they wanted the Ted of season 1, even though the character became less of that as time went on.

Indeed in season 3 I just saw Ted fade away. He was barely in the last of the show. All the other character become the focal point and many of them had their own series within the series.

Of course this made sense in the end. Ted Lasso the series became like Ted Lasso the character. Just like the character, who believed that coach took a backseat to the players and the fans, the show became more about the other actors and less about Ted.

Will there be a season 4? I’m not sure. Like the character, Sudeikis doesn’t seem to have his heart in it. Maybe there could be a new season about the football club AFC Richmond. They certainly set it up that way. Let’s see.

For more on Ted Lasso, here’s a good write up in the Atlantic.
Here’s an absolutely cranky write up in The Guardian about how Ted Lasso, the nice comedy, became utterly dreadful television. As Ted might say, “Ouch”.

“Succession” also ended its series. So many people loved it and I can see why: it sounds really well done. As for me, I can’t watch shows featuring despicable characters. Succession was filled with that. Here two pieces, one in the  Washington Post and one in the  New York Times that align with my view of the show. But hey, to each their own.

Besides Ted, the other show the ended this month was “Somebody, Somewhere”. Unlike Ted, it has been renewed for a third season. Yay! Here is a piece on how it is the warmest comedy on TV. More praise for the show from the New Yorker. I can’t wait to see what the show does next.

 

 

 

 

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Pull up a chair. Make it into a sofa. Make it comfy, even.

Posted on June 3, 2023 | Comments Off on Pull up a chair. Make it into a sofa. Make it comfy, even.

I love me some Yanko Design. But I have looked at these five different chairs for unwinding after a long day at work and I have to say, I dunno. I mean, these chairs are cool:

But I would have to sit in them before deciding it was comfy.

As for this:

Well, it looks great. But comfy? I can’t imagine.

Let’s check out Design Milk and this easy chair that can turn into a bed or a sofa:

Yep, it looks more comfy. Good colors too.

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Friday night cocktail: sbagliato madness

Posted on June 2, 2023 | 1 comment

I am not sure what caused this, but for whatever reason bartenders have decided to go nuts on one of the best drinks of all time: the negroni. I am fine with a boulevardier if you must mess about somewhat. But now we have Saveur and others with the negroni sbagliato (broken negroni). Not content with that, we now have negroni sbagliato sangria! I mean, no.

Joking aside, a sbagliato is a fine drink (I can’t speak for the sangria version). But I suspect both cocktails are better suited for warmer weather.

You know what else is good in all kinds of weather? That’s right: a negroni. 🙂

 

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Who’s a good robot? Who’s a good robot?? You are!

Posted on June 1, 2023 | Comments Off on Who’s a good robot? Who’s a good robot?? You are!


Ok, robots aren’t as good as dogs — even if they sometimes resemble them — but here are some good ones I’d like to highlight.

First up: almost everyone likes trash robot who helps with the trash. And pretty much everyone likes a good robot vacuum. There’s even a piece on which is the best robot vacuum. And robots aren’t just good due to cleaning. In Italy robots are helping take care of older people. Likewise, this spherical robot is your smart home guard and your family companion. Robots can do alot. Elsewhere around the home we have robots installing roof shingles and we even have robotic furniture.

Cars now are kinda robots, what with all the AI built into them. But take note: future Fords could repossess themselves and drive away if you miss payments. Yikes!

What else are robots up to? Well, we’ve got artistic robots. Like this robot band. And these robot dogs that were among 100 artists to be unleashed on melbourne for 2023 ngv triennial. Ok sure fine.

Of course, not all robots are harmless. Here’s a story on how war in ukraine becomes latest chapter in the rise of the killer robots.

 

 

 

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