When you don't know how to make something work in code, the old time suggestion was to RTFM. It meant read the fucking manual.

Of course, back in the RTFM days, you wouldn't ask somebody how to do something unless you were into it. And, if you were "into it" you'd...

Who doesn't want a fill-in the blanks recipe for quickly getting your writing started? 

Well, there's a lot to writing, but to start, you'll need a concept. The concept is the overarching idea you want to discuss. 

J.K. Rowling's concept was a boy who becomes a powerful wizard. House of Cards on...

"Weekend! Let's take a break."

It seems that weekends are a time to zoom out and take your focus off the work at hand. It's a time to relax, stay up a little later and do things you don't have time for during the week. It's a great time to take...

$100 for a simple script to sync files from one server to another - said a craigslist post.

It was a Friday, I wanted to verify my developer skills, so I reached out with a quick text message - only later seeing that all inquiries should have come through email.

As a...

You have an idea. You try to convey it to other people, they listen and nod.

How do you feel?

Did they understand it? Is it just a lack of personal interest in the idea? Maybe they were just thinking about something else and are acknowledging you so they can get back...

The point is not driving drunk, the point is the world is being overtaken by software.

Python / Ruby / JavaScript

You've seen these programming languages thrown around - but you've heard it's hard to learn.

True.

But, it's oh so satisfying. ( way more fun than Mandarin Chinese )

But the Impostors! ( all...

It's 10pm at night. My new habit is to stream a little each day to get familiar with OBS and Twitch.

The bigger goal is to practice the skills of putting myself out there and be available as a communicator to the world. I have minor skills and sometimes enthusiasm. Sitting...

Code is comprised of simple rules that move values around the memory in a computer. Software, on the other hand, is often complex because of the required interactions with humans. If a software function is always called by another piece of software, it's more predictable and easier to code correctly,...

A mobile-phone salesman got me to pull the trigger on one of those mobile hotspots by making a simple promise: 

"Hey, if it doesn't work out, you can bring it back within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked."

I was experienced enough with 'closing tactics' to get him saying...

"You're up!" I said, as I got up off my hands and knees from a well-practiced fall.

"That was awesome" - my friend said as he quickly grabbed the unicycle off the ground and marked the new distance with the toe of his sneaker.

In a few days, it might have been...