Neil Blakey-Milner

Weeknotes: 2024-W46

Published: , updated:

Summary

First week back at work for a while and started looking for a new team to join, setting up an Obsidian vault for work to track that journey. Kept up the routine I established during my leave, and generally was quite energetic and productive.

Went to my first Seattle Rust User Group meeting, and wrote up a rough description of a fantasy fiction book concept, and a less rough description of a matching-based exploration game concept.

Slowly starting to improve my weekly review practice, including learning more about Obsidian’s capabilities (especially with DataviewJS blocks).

Photos

(Based more on time of processing than time of taking…)

Canadian Geese taking flight at Lake Washington North Marina

Pebble beach at Madrona Park

Dry seating courtesy of PPC Cement Laptop Bag from The Wren Design

Myrtle Spurge on Madrona walk

Enjoying

Newly discovered

Highlights

I have come to believe that by and large “best practices” are doing more harm than good. Not necessarily because they’re bad advice as such, but because they’re mostly pounded by either 1) various types of zealots, idiots, and assholes who abuse these kind of “best practices” as an argument from authority, or 2) inexperienced programmers who lack the ability to judge the applicability,

Everyone else just says “X is better because Y”. This is an actual argument that can be engaged with, and engaging with actual arguments is what discovers the best solution for the situation at hand.

– Against best practices by Martin Tournoij (arp242)

Weak managers let high performing reports do whatever they want. Even the best performers need structure and guidance - a coach. Without coaching, high performers can meet all sorts of suboptimal fates, like:

  • Not meeting their potential. Even a passive observer can help someone improve. But good coaches do more - they help high performers reach new levels.
  • Some high performers go unmanaged for so long that they work themselves into a role that has no real responsibility - they just float around and help people. There’s nothing sadder than a capable person with no real responsibility.

So if you’ve got a high performer - manage them! Make sure they drive the big wins. Identify places for improvement.

Most high performers go unmanaged either because their managers are intimidated or just don’t know how.

– Managing High Performers

Middle Aged Dad Jam Band

Islands in the Stream by Middle Aged Dad Jam Band w/ Kristen Bell

I’m a bit of a sucker for everything Kristen Bell (and, by extension, Dax Shepard) so this got my attention. Definitely some nostalgia with the Veronica Mars mentions (Ken Marino played the rival private investigator Vinnie Van Lowe in Veronica Mars) and it sure looks like they’re having some fun in the music video (admittedly, they’re actors…). There’s also a fun Turn the Beat Around vs. Rock the Casbah mashup worth listening to.

How to get to space (Space Engineers)

How to get to space (Space Engineers)

Space Engineers is one of those games I really enjoy playing if I’m in the mood, but really enjoy watching other people play, and Splitsie is my favourite “creator” for the game (and he’s near the top for Stationeers as well).