Brent's Place

Information systems professional and lifelong student, Brent enjoys cooking, curry, the Ukulele, and his wonderful family.

[brentjanderson]

I’m a boring programmer (and proud of it) — Signal v. Noise

I have a confession to make — I’m not a rock star programmer. Nor am I a hacker. I don’t know ninjutsu. Nobody has ever …

Thank goodness for boring programmers. They get stuff done!

[brentjanderson]

Docker, Meteor, and the Future

In a rapid turn of events, I'm getting into using Docker to manage applications running on my servers. It's a pretty nifty tool! I certailny appreciate the speed it operates at. That said, there have been a few gotchas that I think are worth documenting, if only for my own benefit down the road:

boot2docker runs in a VM. Therefore, you have to get the address of the VM if you want to connect to anything you're publicly exposing. This is easy enough in shell by running boot2docker ip

Meteor requires MongoDB to support oplog tailing, which is disabled by default when running a vanilla flavored mongod server. Instead you have to run it with an oplog set, and then initiate the set. https://github.com/inlight-media/docker-mongodb-replica-set provides all this in one place, since it's setting up a replica set as a whole. Thus far I haven't worked on authenticating oplog access, which is worrisome, but it's working out alright otherwise.

Although it took several hours to get down, I think I've figured out most of how docker fits together for deploying containers. Next stop: Core OS!

[brentjanderson]

I've thought this to myself before, but seeing Paul Graham write about it is very confirming. We are the accumulation of our experiences, even though we fail to remember most things we accumulate consciously. Recall is not, therefore, as valuable a measure of experience or capability. Rather, these points should be measured directly.

At the very least, I feel better about school after reading this article.

[brentjanderson]

I first started using Meteor in the spring of 2012, and I've been hooked ever since. It's had a number of ups and downs on the road to 1.0, but it's reached a stable 1.0 API today, and I couldn't be more thrilled as a developer. Meteor provides a complete stack for application development, and a set of practices that enable complex, sophisticated application development on the client, server, and mobile. It's highly modular, meaning that individual pieces of the project can be used in isolation or ported to other platforms, and it's through these technologies that I've found some of the best success as a programmer.

There's a lot more to Meteor than just javascript. Take a look at it and run it for a spin, you will likely be impressed.

[brentjanderson]

Why Inequality Matters

I've heard the good, the bad, and the ugly about this book, more bad and ugly than earth-shatteringly good. I do think that Gates is better-equipped than most to evaluate a book about wealth and inequality in our present day, and his treatment of the text helps to clear a bit of the air about what is going on with this book. I need to read Piketty to get a more informed opinion, but Gates makes a highly compelling argument about consumption being a necessary factor when evaluating economic inequality.

It seems that the fundamental issue here revolves around opportunity - do those on the lower end of the wealth spectrum have equal opportunities to succeed? Efforts that set out to balance equal opportunities regardless of economic background at least help support the fundamental ideal that "All men are created equal." As to how to go about supporting that ideal, that is a fair question.

A friend recently suggested that those with very high income or wealth concentration could move the needle significantly by donating "surplus" or "excess" wealth voluntarily. This would not be a mandate or a forced transfer of wealth, but more in the same vein as Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates committing to donate 50% of their wealth to charity over time. It's an interesting idea, and it requires or demands paradigm shifts from individuals concerning life and sharing. Bill gates really nailed this when he talked about how useless surplus wealth is when it's attached to an individual. It's one thing to invest money in new ventures to make even higher returns. It's another thing to take absurd amounts of money and drop them on top of very large, very serious social problems that are very hard, but very solvable - like vaccinations or clean energy. This is part of what I love about Elon Musk's ventures (which are a more for-profit approach to this idea, but still undergirded by the ideals of saving the planet from disaster (SpaceX) and cleaning the air and reducing dependence for oil-based fuels (Tesla)), not to mention the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. Here's hoping that those absurd concentrations of wealth go to truly making the world better.

[brentjanderson]

At the Far Ends of a New Universal Law

A potent theory has emerged explaining a mysterious statistical law that arises throughout physics and mathematics.

“Whenever you have a strongly coupled phase and a weakly coupled phase, Tracy-Widom is the connecting crossover function between the two phases,” Majumdar said.

This is really, really interesting stuff. I'm tucking this away for future reference, however it relates incredibly well to my present studies in applied statistics and normal distributions.

[brentjanderson]

Behavior Gap Newsletter: Playing Small Ball Investing

"By small and simple means great things come to pass"

[brentjanderson]

I've heard that many behavioral research studies are biased, since they tend to draw from pools of starving psych students looking to make $10 in the name of science. As it turns out, most of the world's population isn't made of psych students looking to make $10 in the name of science. Interesting idea that Mechanical Turk could be used to gather that information, although that immediately defines subjects as "people with access to internet that can read, etc." Better than psych students, but still biased.

[brentjanderson]

Why High School Matters

In recent months, I've noticed a surprising development in my thought process. Whereas pondering used to feel like an extended dive into the reservoir of my mind, I've come to notice that I'm not having to work as hard to articulate and form insightful opinions that hone in on exactly what I feel about a particular subject. Whether it's reasoning through some aspect of system design, politics and social issues, my feelings on a recent film, or whether I liked the lemonade at dinner, it feels as though my brain has laid down some tremendous connections that enable me to think rationally and communicate articulately with speed and efficiency. It's kind of fun, if you're into metacognitive "gee whiz" moments.

In reflecting on all this, I've realized that a disproportionate amount of the material I draw from is actually sourced from Jr. High and High School experiences. Books I read. Tangents from teachers (and not just the mathematical kind, either). Papers I wrote. Projects we accomplished. All of these things stitch together into a sort of mental tapestry that has become, in many respects, a key part of who I am as a person. Naturally, those elements of my individual identity serve as the basis for my thoughts and responses to the vicissitudes and opportunities of life. In other words, high school matters. Education matters, exposure to ideas that may be challenging or hard or controversial or that I downright disagree with matter. Otherwise, I'd be like a tree bending in a wind that blows one way. Hearing from differing positions and ideas and getting to choose where I stand is the purpose of a great education. I think some of the most interesting things I learned in economics involved Keynesian economics, although I probably have more in common with Adam Smith. George Orwell's novels are in many respects frightening, and sometimes even disgusting. Yet, with news about new surveillance initiatives not to mention all the old ones, we can see that some of his banned books were also highly prescient.

Investing in your mind at a young age is so vitally important, and taking care of it by abstaining from things and activities that would damage it will pay dividends for decades. As you lay down those new thoughts, it may not feel like you're getting very far (especially if the classes you take are rigorous and tough), but over time it will become your most trusted asset. The paradox is that most young people lack the faculties to see that far into the future and plan ahead that effectively. That's why, when people say "stay in school", what they just might mean is "stick it out - the system is painfully frustrating at times, and schools do embody the system. Stick it out anyway, take the tough classes that challenge more than just your GPA, and you will find yourself accelerated beyond your peers. Your brain will thank you."

I took a Junior english class in High School that was non-honors. I was taking a stack of AP and other honors classes, and it seemed wise to hold back in this one area. Sometimes that can be a good choice, but this time around it wasn't - and the honors classes were full by the time I changed my mind. In that class, we weren't treated as equals with the teacher. Sure, the student-teacher relationship and discipline are real things. But the learning environment is fundamentally different when your teacher is reasoning through things with you and not for you, or worse - avoiding reasoning altogether and just dishing up packets. Packets happened to be our bread and water in this english class. I think I lasted two days before I dropped the class and took an online course, using the spare time (and brain cycles) to study technology, information security, and current events. This was one of the best choices I made for my education. An even better choice was made when I loaded my schedule full of AP and honors classes to the hilt for my Senior year.

Challenge your brain at every age, but especially when you are young. These challenges keep us fresh and youthful, for what is youth if not the outward glow of discovery? It is only more obvious with young people, since theirs is a world full of discoveries to be made rather than lessons already learned. But we have all met those older and wiser folks who still have that youthful glow that comes because they never cease to discover, or to wonder in amazement at the world around them.

[brentjanderson]

Earth's Water is Older Than the Sun

From Discover Magazine:

A new model of the chemistry of the early solar system finds that up to half the water now on Earth was inherited from an abundant supply of interstellar ice as our sun formed.

I think this stands on its own, and the possible outcomes identified in the article include the potential for other celestial bodies to have water, a critical component in sustaining life. This isn't the only connection for me, though:

Genesis 1:9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

...

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

I rarely comment on religious points on this blog, but I must note that this research is in line with something that was a bit of a curiosity to me. Organizing the waters is specifically mentioned, and it comes before the establishment of "the lights in the firmament of the heaven." It seemed to me that the organization of the solar system would have included the formation of a star, and the planets would have followed suit. This research seems to indicate, however, that planets began forming without a gravitational center to the solar system. That's wonderful to me.

[brentjanderson]

Billion Dollar Idea: Interpretive Stock Market Dance Figurine

Haptic feedback is a popular feature of smartphones and other handheld devices, which help provide tight feedback to users when they tap the screen or use the controls of their device. A tap generates a quick buzz, telling you that your tap was a success.

Unfortunately, some industries and activities lack such a tightly coupled feedback loop. A glaring example is tracking stocks. Checking up on index values can be tedious, what with reading text and analyzing implications. Wouldn't it be great if there was a haptic feedback mechanism for something like stocks?

Enter - the Interpretive Dancing Dashboard Robot. This robot wirelessly tracks metrics like the stock index values, and performs interpretive dance to reflect whether the metric is improving or declining, with full customization of attitude, sense of taste and style, and expression. If your portfolio is underperforming, the dashbot will move into a slower, more morose portrayal of its internal sense of conflict. If, however, things are on the upswing and the forecast is bright, it will boogie down, clap its hands, and clearly illustrate its euphoric state of being, hopefully inspiring you to do a little dance as well.

Just remember to send me a couple shares when you IPO.

[brentjanderson]

Vigil

"Vigil, the eternal morally vigilant programming language."

If you need a good laugh, this is pretty good.

[brentjanderson]

Great film to explore the lives of people of faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. Request it in your area - go to this link and hit the big red button!

Had a chance to discuss this film with the director of media for the Church, they've poured a lot of love into capturing what it means to be a Mormon for the good people they followed.

[brentjanderson]

Terrific summary of hard drive performance from a company that meticulously tracks each drive. Seagate doesn't look so hot compared to Hitachi or even Western Digital.

[brentjanderson]

Writing 250 words a day

I've decided to write at least 250 words of prose each day, and not necessarily towards the same topic each day. The best talents develop through practice, including clear communication. I may publish some things here, depending on its relevance and applicability.

[brentjanderson]

Once in a lifetime opportunities

I recently completed my 25th trip around the sun, and in looking back on the landmark or turning-point moments that have truly defined my life's trajectory, I've realized something about so-called "once in a lifetime opportunities".

I think a lot of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed students have big dreams of changing the world and making a difference. Who wouldn't? Whenever we set out to grow and achieve something we inevitably have a vision of what it will be like when we arrive, whether in academics, relationships, professionally, or elsewhere.

As a new student, I remember my thoughts and objectives and how I intended to change the world. "Start companies. Make jobs. Build great stuff. Make lots of money. Invest." I kept my eyes open to the best opportunities that I could find, searching for the best and the brightest ideas and teams.

Along the way, I learned to value certain things more than others (Like execution more than ideas, the value of a great team, and to have tremendous confidence in the ability to grow with others to meet whatever challenges we face). Most of these lessons were learned from tough experiences that, in isolation and under a critical lens, were riddled with flaws, many originating from myself. Even so, each failure taught me something terrific that I have built on directly. Some of the best value I've created for myself takes the form of advice I can share with others - this semester in particular has been full of examples of the power of a great network of people and experiences. Being well-connected and a value-generating individual (not just someone who passes the buck or, even worse, simply draws on the system) is an incredible combination.

It's with all that in mind that I say one thing emphatically about so-called "once in a lifetime opportunities".

They happen every day.

As students, professionals, people, or whatever role one happens to fill, once in a lifetime opportunities happen each day. I think it takes the oft-quoted aphorism from The Dead Poet's Society a step further. It's not enough to simply say "What will your verse be?" but, instead, we must consider what will my verse be today. What opportunity will I seize this day?

Inevitably, the best opportunities are those that positively impact individuals. I am convinced that heaven will have little to do with computers and business, and everything to do with people and music. Having faith that once in a lifetime opportunities happen every day gives us the confidence to select the best opportunity when it comes. There are relationships to be built, people to meet and learn from, works of art to create, teams to organize, conflicts to resolve, gaps to span, and bridges to build. Each day there is at least one opportunity that will pass this way but once. As a young student, I idealized the thought of finding that one big hit idea, that one big opportunity. In retrospect, I've discovered that these principles govern the truly successful endeavors:

There will always be other opportunities

We can't choose them all

People are most important

"By small and simple things are great things brought to pass"

This last point is worthy of its own writeup, but suffice it to say that no great effort happens with a flash in the pan. The greatest efforts of life happen one day at a time, one step at a time, one minute at a time. The best programs and technologies are built one line at a time, one test at a time, one failed build at a time, one moment at a time. Great things are not composed solely of ever-increasing crescendos or big, bold, broad strokes. Instead, the individual details work together to form the greater whole of what is coming. Therefore, when choosing a once in a lifetime opportunity, we must employ the same technique: taking small and simple steps, one handshake at a time, one thought at a time, one moment at a time. In between the broad vistas are the plodding hikes, and that is where the greatest growth and achievement truly happens.

Which once in a lifetime opportunity will you choose today?

[brentjanderson]

How I prep for school

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the beginning of school? Deadlines, new assignments, syllabi, friends, groups, homework, projects, pencils, and everything in between can be rather confusing. Here's the general breakdown of how I handle the first few days of school:

I never buy books until after the first lecture

This sometimes has drawbacks (like when they expect to use the book within the first week of class), but I believe the benefits tremendously outweigh the drawbacks. For starters, most professors will recommend certain things about the books - which editions are suitable, whether or not you need access codes or discs with the book, or if the book is available digitally and you can rent it on Kindle or get a copy just for searching for key phrases quickly. This has saved me far more than the couple of days I don't have the book - really.

I study the syllabus in great detail

The syllabus is often set aside by students as an unnecessary detail. Although much of the syllabus is boilerplate (looking at you, Title IX and disabilities clauses - both important, but both the same on every document), the professor is very likely to give you the lowdown of the course up front and in great detail. Which brings me to..

I plug every assignment into Asana immediately

Asana is a task management system. I use it extensively at work and school, and it does a tremendous job keeping me organized. Their extensive keyboard shortcuts are easily my favorite feature. I'm able to keep my eyes on the syllabus while I type out the assignments, set the due dates, and assign them to myself. Although it takes about 15 minutes to thoroughly process some assignment schedules, it's worth its weight in gold - I can see all my homework assignments from one spot, due dates, other notes if needed, and I can invite group members into the list if I need to. It's perfect.

This year I'm planning on leaving my laptop off when note taking, as I've learned that it really doesn't help me that much. I'm sure others find it very helpful, but it's essentially a distraction to me.

There are other things that typically rank highly on study strategies (Get a study group, visit TA and Office hours, get to know the professor, allocate fixed time slots for study, etc.), but the above things take care of most of what I need in a semester. The rest is easy, right?