Posts

#364 - The Engineering Binder (Working Title)

Image
Motto: Free the Beast

I want to write a book. 

I don't to write a book so that I can "I'm a guy who's written a book", but because I have something have I wanted to create since 2011, right before I graduated college. I've have vague and specific ideas about this thing I want to write. 8 years ago I started a Word doc to get some thoughts down. I've sat down many evenings since then and added to it. Right now it's a 57 pages... of mostly just outlines for content to come.

The struggle I'm having is how to describe what I want the book to be.

I want to write a study guide for every test I've ever taken. 
I want to make a reference book that also teaches fundamental concepts. 
I want to explain the concepts I learned in school how I wish they'd have been explained to me.
I want to be funny.
I want to be serious.
I want to have something to give my son that teaches him what I've learned over the past 30 years.

I want to cover everything I've …
Post a Comment
Read more

#363 - Time & Date

Image
Motto: This Column was Meant to be about Many Topics

I have been thinking some about how stupid our conventions are for times and dates. I wonder if I could come up with something better. This Column is basically a thought experiment, as it progresses.

The year is (roughly) 365 and 1/4 days long. We break that up into 52 weeks, each 7 days long. 

52 x 7 = 364

So inherently we've got a flaw there. 

The prime factorization of 365 is 73 x 5. So we COULD do 73 weeks, each 5 days long. Of course, then our structure for "weekday" and "weekend" would be all messed up. People would either have to work 4 days a week (8.6% more than a standard work week now) or 3 days a week (11.4% less). Also any sort of social structure that's set up to operate "every other day" would have a weird time dealing with weekends.

BUT! A year isn't 5 x 73 days long, either. It's more like 5 x 73 + 0.2422 days long.

So, no set number of days would make a year whole without hav…
Post a Comment
Read more

#362 - Things I like. Things I don't.

Image
Motto: Do You Have Any Apple Fritters?

I read an article (like this one) about a psychology study in which the takeaway was: telling somebody you were going to achieve a goal, made you less likely to achieve that goal. I thought "I should stop telling people I'm going to do things before I do them!" Then I promptly pulled open my messaging app and typed a message to my wife saying: 
"I think I'm going to stop telling you about things I want to do to better myself befo"...

Then I realized the irony of the message, and pressed 'delete' instead of 'send'.

I say it here because I thought it was funny.

You ever make a table like this?


If you haven't, maybe think about doing it. 

Or don't. I expected it to be more enlightening than it was.

I have a Podcast. It's got a website in case you're not interested in Podcast apps... it's nothing fancy. Just a thing we do for fun.

Top 5: Things I Learned About Communication at Work
5. ... I only …
Post a Comment
Read more

#361 - In which Aaron Complains about Routine

Image
Motto: OH BOO HOO

You ever fall out of your groove? It's funny how doing one little thing can start a domino effect. 

I didn't feel like cooking, so we ate out for dinner.
Because we ate out, I don't have leftovers.
Because I don't have leftovers, I have to buy my lunch.
Because I have to buy my lunch, I don't get home as early as I would like to.
Because I don't get home as early as I would like to, I don't have time to make dinner.
Because I didn't make dinner, I don't have leftovers...

...or another real-world loop...

Because I haven't worked out, I've gotten lethargic.
Because I've gotten lethargic, I haven't wanted to clean.
Because I haven't wanted to clean, the place is dirty.
Because the place is dirty, I misplaced my keys.
Because I misplaced my keys, I waste 20 minutes looking for them.
Because I wasted 20 minutes, I leave during the morning rush.
Because I leave during the morning rush, my commute takes an extra 10 minu…
Post a Comment
Read more

#360 - Tech Ecosystem Mixing & "Okay Google"

Image
Motto: Oh Boo-Hoo

I've been first-world struggling lately.

Five and one-third years ago I wrote a Column about technological ecosystems. This is that table, updated for today:
Post a Comment
Read more