Zinibu

Procrastination and the Art of Getting Things Done

Alexis Bellido — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:34:00 -0500

Procrastination is commonly perceived as wasting time on useless activities. I don’t see it that way. The Latin origin of the word and its modern definition agree—procrastination is moving something forward from one day until the next. There’s no mention of what you do today.

The Death of Sarcasm

Alexis Bellido — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 18:40:00 -0500

Recently, I’ve been reading comments like this on way too many online discussions: “if any one company knows what’s best for humankind, that’s Weyland-Yutani.” /s.

Dockerizing Django

Alexis Bellido — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 10:14:00 -0500

I plan on writing more about automation for web applications, but as I just finished with my first attempt at dockerizing a Django stack, I wanted to share my progress.

Amazon Web Services Documentation on Your Kindle

Alexis Bellido — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:11:00 -0400

This may have been there for a while but I just noticed it today while looking up a few details about EBS volumes and snapshots: Amazon Web Services now offers Kindle and PDF versions of its documentation.

New York City’s Summer of Hell: Time for a Revolution

Alexis Bellido — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 20:06:00 -0400

On Monday, July 10, 2017, New York City woke up to what Governor Andrew Cuomo had described as “summer of hell.” An eight-week period of train track repairs at Penn Station in Manhattan, expected to cause reduced service across the Tri-State Area.

I couldn’t think of a worse way to start the season or a better excuse to discuss remote work so I turned to the New York Times to have a better gauge of the situation.

Let’s see.

The Era of Automation and the Lone Orchestrator Has Begun

Alexis Bellido — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 10:14:00 -0400

Let me tell you how I did this website thing in the old days—that’s the mid-1990s, kids.

I cooked a bunch of HTML files, with plenty of hard-coded URLs sprinkled in, and seasoned the mix with a bloated style sheet; launched an FTP client, preferably one with buttons to click on; and then uploaded my beautiful goop to a directory on a web server—that was all I needed and could afford.

Then the web hosting company performed some black magic rituals and the universe—OK, just me—marveled at my creation.

You can still play that game, that is, if your name is Timmy and the website belongs to your cat, Lassie, but if you intend to run a website where other adults do, you know, important stuff, as loyal Tank would say: “Timmy, that is loco.”

Photography and the Writing Process

Alexis Bellido — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 12:14:00 -0400

As a reader, I enjoy finding an article with a photo that makes me wonder: “Is that eel laughing at me? What’s she trying to tell me?” Whatever my answer is, it may not be what the author—or the eel—originally tried to convey. And I suppose that’s all right, if just a couple of neurons spark inside my skull, the photo’s job is done and the stage is set for the words to follow. I’ll probably keep my mind’s eye on that eel’s smile as I read.

But I’ve always wondered: How do you deal with photography if you are the writer?

The Genius of Imperfection

Alexis Bellido — Tue, 07 Nov 2017 21:45:00 -0500

There’s a scene in Kill Bill: Volume 2 in which Budd’s boss says to a young, lady employee, “take a hit, be somebody, baby.” I love that scene.

Many a doubtful souls among us may find the idea of being somebody, whatever that means, enticing, so I’d like to start with the obvious public service announcement: a line of cocaine isn’t the way to go. That’s just Tarantino messing with the weaklings.

So which way then? Why, of course, be the best at whatever you do, right? That’s a fair assumption—be the smartest and be the fastest, because only by being perfect and creating perfection you’ll guarantee success. Right again, aren’t I? (And I expect you to be high-fiving the screen by now.)

The end? See you in the next article?

Hold it there.

I have my doubts about this perfection business; in fact, I…admire imperfection.

I’m not going to get into the topic of success today—I’ll get back to it in future pieces—but I’d like to talk about the relationship between perfection and the road to expertise. And to help me illustrate my point, ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles.

Feed Me Your Human Children

Alexis Bellido — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 18:40:00 -0500

When I was seventeen, I only cared about devouring 1950s science fiction books, strumming an old, out-of-tune guitar, and tinkering with computers. I hadn’t envisioned my great plan for life yet. Three decades later, I still haven’t. Life isn’t that simple.

Like most youngsters, I didn’t know better and just went with the flow, so I applied to a university (this was in Peru, where there’s no distinction between colleges and universities) to pursue a traditional education.

You may have gone through the same, or are about to, and in most cases it’s your safest bet: When you go to college, a university, or a trade school you expect to be told what to do and how to do it. If you care to ask, they might even explain why.

Institutions are supposed to give you structure and a set of rules to follow; provide you with the knowledge and skills to become a productive member of society (whatever that means); and hand you a diploma to demonstrate that you are equipped for the wild world.

That’s exactly what I was hoping for in the early days of September, 1990. Go ahead, you can chuckle now.

Catching Up With a Sinking Sun

Alexis Bellido — Thu, 13 Feb 2020 18:40:00 -0500

In Pink Floyd’s “Time”, Roger Waters writes, “Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time.” It’s a statement that hits you harder if you are over thirty but still relevant to everybody at every age.

Waters wasn’t just commenting on the apathy of the English society in the 1970s. He knew that all around the world, beyond England, people were “hanging on in quiet desperation” all the same. He was warning us about letting time slip before it’s too late, before it’s all gone.

Infinitely Scarce Buckets of Time

Alexis Bellido — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 18:40:00 -0500

The year was 1866 and the American Civil War was just a few months in the past when a group of emigrants from Germany gathered in a tavern to talk about the needs of their new home—a broken but still nascent country—and to engage in horological discussion. They were watchmakers who shared a love for their craft and wanted to create an organization to represent them and their fellow men.

They originally called it the German Watchmakers Society, but sixty-four years later, as members from other nationalities joined, changed the name to the Horological Society of New York.

Why am I telling you of these mustachioed, hat-wearing gents? Well, I already shared some ideas on how to avoid wasting your days and hours, now I want to explore how people from different cultures perceive time.

They May Take Our Hours, But They’ll Never Take Our Freedom

Alexis Bellido — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 12:31:00 -0500

Welcome to life in the twenty-first century, my fellow responsible adult, where you have to toil your way through hoping that, with the right mix of skills and fortune, you’ll earn enough pennies to afford the necessaries of life. Terrific, innit?

What’s that? You don’t like your job? Want some time for yourself? What for? Have you even considered that every second you waste on that life of yours is hurting the economy? Our economy! No, you wouldn’t dare. We’re all together on this so stop whining and get on with the plan.

That’s one of the favorite arguments of those utilizing you as a pawn to extract labor from. The rest—the sheep resigned to the grind—can’t even conceive what a good life is and will just abide. “That’s how it’s always been, what else can you do?”

What else? Well, you can start by facing reality and how you feel about it. I don’t pretend to announce a step-by-step plan in this short piece—I’m sure it wouldn’t apply to you anyway—but if it induces you to start sketching your own I shall be more than content.

And you, lucky bastard who already made a victorious exit, tag along and enjoy the well-deserved schadenfreude.

How Not to Get a Job

Alexis Bellido — Mon, 31 May 2021 12:31:00 -0400

As millions of fellow grubs in 2020, I had the fortune of losing a full-time job in the midst of what we hope will be a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic (betcha it won’t), and a couple of minutes later, after having entertained going back to freelancing and remembering how much I abhor chasing clients, I did what most domesticated adults would do: ignominiously hit the job boards for what I expected would be my last time.

I had wished that the sudden, forced embrace of remote work would uncover new and unique ways of collaborating, that both puppets and puppeteers would finally realize that there’s opportunity beyond the glass partition, and that a threatening virus would bring out the best in us. A man can dream—none of that happened, of course. We’re talking humans here, remember?

I hadn’t been on the hunt for a new master in a while and didn’t enjoy a single second of it, but at least the ordeal inspired me to jot down my thoughts, revive an old draft from my antiwork folder—yep, I have one—and compile my suggestions for how not to get a job in tech, that lazy label pundits attach to anything involving software, Internet, hustle, and billions with a b.

What follows is painfully inspired by the more than two decades I’ve spent solving other people’s problems and sprinkled with extra findings from the myriad of job interviews I endured during the COVID-19 era. So heed the advice of this idiot and I guarantee that you won’t be getting sophisticated, respectable-by-the-masses wage employment anytime soon, but instead you’ll reap something much more valuable and important—a good life.

Finally Out

Alexis Bellido — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 10:27:00 -0400

I did it. After a decade of being on a payroll I quit what most chumps would consider a comfortable tech job.

I was sick of wearing the obedient employee masquerade in exchange for cold money while life passed me by. I’ve got better places to wander around, nicer people to be with, and plenty of ideas to shape, so here’s where I start anew.

Got a Favorite Day of the Week, Go Figure

Alexis Bellido — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 09:13:00 -0400

For most of my adult, salaried life I’ve distrusted Friday. You know why: they are sneaky, they are a mirage, they make you think that you’ve got your life back. But just for a speck of time.

You can tell there’s something fishy about the Fri when the company men and women putting the monies to buy your forty hours of abject servitude—if you are lucky—start inviting you to ridiculously named events: happy hour, fun Friday, bring your lizard to work day. “Oh, boy!” chortles the resident sycophant. “Do I love fun Friday!”

Most of these occurrences are a mixture of empty conversations, boring games, alcohol, cookies and—sometimes—ice cream.

Ice cream? Fucking love ice cream!

Beware, what comes next is something I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy—Saturday.

That’s it, stop smirking, you know where this is going.

Bootstrapping in a Pandemic

Alexis Bellido — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 14:35:00 -0500

It’s been only five months since I regained my independence but it feels like years. I’ve been setting up the foundation for a little project of mine, partaking in online communities, and enjoying the thrill of working at my own pace and having a purpose. I’ve got plenty to do and no intentions of going back to the stale world of normalcy.

Fancy a vicarious peek? Here’s what I’ve been up to.

Fear Not the Age of the Blockchain

Alexis Bellido — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:11:00 -0500

The Man is scared. The machine that pushes commuters into the guts of blocky edifices every morning and every day is marshaling its hordes to oppose a revolution that has no face, no headquarters, and no intentions of stopping.

The soldiers of the system are doing what they usually do best with their limited reasoning skills and abundant numbers: parrot whatever their commanders utter. Will it continue to work?

“So it is like magic money?” “a rock, the actor?, a drawing of a rock for a million?” “a bubble, it’s a bubble!”

And their favorite these days: the environment. Of course, Mr. Big Oil and Bank, you’ve always worried about that, haven’t you?

No. This goes beyond magic, rocks and bubbles. This is about who’s in control, this is about us and them.

The age of the blockchain has only just begun.

Of Pelicans and Clouds

Alexis Bellido — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 12:35:00 -0500

My monthly hosting bill for running this website has hovered around $0.52 for the past couple of years. The way I do it is an example of how I’m trying to survive without a conventional job while keeping my people and the cats fed. Especially the cats.

This is a short one but it contains a couple of tips for the shrewd ones and may save you some green.

Faces on the Blockchain

Alexis Bellido — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 15:15:00 -0500

I’ve been collecting art, land, monsters and many other objects and creatures as NFTs on multiple blockchains for about a year now so it was about time for a first attempt at launching a project. I’d like to introduce you to such a project, a lovely collaboration that started at home.