I’m Jamie Thingelstad, and you (in theory) signed up for this weekly letter from me sharing things that I have found notable and engaging for the week.
This week was a blur with a busy Labor Day holiday weekend and then the kids starting school. Our school district is all remote but we still made sure to do all of our regular first day of school traditions, including the pictures outside, but then we just came back in the house! So far everything is going really well. As if on cue, the weather has turned decidedly cold and fall. It is officially backyard fire and s’mores season! 🔥
Must Read
The Subtle Power of Changing Your Identity - zen habits zen habits
I think this is an important article. It is hard at times to even enumerate what we think of as our identity. And that identity, sometimes adopted without intention, informs our actions and decisions, and many things that follow from that. Changing your identity can introduce an identity crisis. It can result in friends, less often family, questioning your new identity and what you are doing.
I often think about this in relation to stuff and “things”. Sometimes if you feel really torn about getting rid of something you have that you don’t use, ask yourself if it’s use is informing your identity? I have had a telescope for years and years. It is a hobby that got the best of me. It was too difficult and I’ve never gotten comfortable with it. When deciding if I should get rid of it I always struggled. Yet I never used it. I realized when I looked closer, that it was really a desire of mine that astronomy be part of my identity. To be clear, it isn’t as I’m not even capable, but in this case it was just a desire to have something associated with my identity.
I suspect identity is a big deal, and changing it an even bigger deal. Being conscious of your identity is probably a good thing to do.
Currently
Watching: Season 1 of Great British Baking Show. The whole family enjoyed watching this and seeing all the interesting creations the bakers made. Why is British reality TV so much nicer than ours?
Deleting: Netflix, because we have decided we just have more video content than we could ever watch.
Photog
I found this rose bush with it’s message to the dogs funny.
Sep 10, 2020
Lake of the Isles Park
2011 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy
Minneapolis MN 55405
Improve deliverability? 🤔
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Recommended Links
Opinion | I Need You to Care That Our Country Is on Fire - The New York Times
The wildfires on the west coast are tragic. The pictures coming from the area paint a bleak scene. Check out The Apocalyptic Red Western Skies Caused by Climate Change-Fueled Wildfires for more photos. I don’t understand why this isn’t getting more national attention.
Introducing IFTTT Pro - IFTTT
So we finally get to see how IFTTT plans to make money. They are taking the path that Zapier has had since they launched. I wish both of these services offered some form of hobbyist pricing. They both jump a little higher than I think they should for their initial offering. Oh, and buried in here is that free accounts can now only run 3 automations.
A robot wrote this entire article. Are you scared yet, human? | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian
GPT-3, OpenAI’s language generator, wrote this article. It was given a prompt and some phrases. It did the rest.
Optimize Onboarding · Stay SaaSy
Focusing on your team onboarding is very important. I like the concepts here. I would add that I’ve seen some teams create project templates, and put it in JIRA or whatever tool that the team uses for their regular work, as a way to create a whole set of onboarding activities. It works really well.
7 Tips for Effective 1:1 Meetings with Direct Reports - Doodle Blog
Yes this is a listicle, but I like that the advice is more about mindset and approach. Less tactics, more framing. I particularly like the reminder about active listening and making sure that you are focused and present.
Meet The New Peloton Bike+ And The New Peloton Tread | The Output
New products from Peloton make a lot of sense. The bike is even more high-end, and the treadmill is a much more affordable one than the current tread. The bike isn’t all that compelling to me. Having resistance adjust automatically could be really cool. And the treadmill is much more affordable, but it’s also a significantly lower quality treadmill.
Please stop using this UPSERT anti-pattern - SQLPerformance.com
I have seen the pain and suffering caused by this anti-pattern. Good to heed the advice here.
U.S. court: Mass surveillance program exposed by Snowden was illegal - Reuters
Does this mean that Snowden should be pardoned? I suspect that his actions will be vindicated even more over time.
Opinion | Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Is the Most Powerful Unelected Man in America - The New York Times
It is hard to disagree with the headline. Zuckerberg changed how ads can be run around the election. That is his decision and his alone. Of course it is all of the users of Facebook that give him this power. If you don’t think one person should have that much control, delete your account today.
My Son the Superhero | LinkedIn
Beautiful introduction from Paul Birkbeck, one of #TeamSPS, to his son the superhero who has a very rare chromosomal mutation. Get an Iced Chai Tea Latte, Trenta, to drink while you read it. Enjoy, Happy.
How to Spot Toxic Software Jobs From Their Descriptions | by Michael Vinh Xuan Thanh | The Startup | Medium
Given how important hiring is job postings should be so much better. This is a good read to be aware of certain wording and concepts and what they can mean. To be honest, I think that people often don’t really think that hard about these postings and just list a bunch of stuff. So maybe read them not completely literal as well.
Stream
First Day of School
Today was the first day of school. First day of school during a pandemic. First day of school via distance learning.
We still kept tradition. I made chocolate chip pancakes and fresh whipped cream for breakfast. We went out front for all the traditional first day of school photos.
But then things were different. Instead of going off to school, we went back in the house.
Mazie and Tyler each have a space setup to attend school. We made sure they were ready. Last minute I realized they needed extension cords. Then I went upstairs to my office and got to work. They all connected via Google Classrooms for their classes. And we were off!
Tammy helped with anything that wasn’t working. Both kids had a good first day. Mazie had one teacher that couldn’t figure out some technical issues. Tyler’s class seemed to go really smooth. They both were uploading videos they took to Flipgrid to share with their classes.
Overall I would say first day of school via distance learning was a success!
Mulan via Disney+
We watched Mulan tonight on Disney+ with Premier Access. The movie was great. None of us had seen the animated version so the story was all new and hooked us right away.
The film itself was impressive and the action was phenomenal. Watching it at home was just fine. We don’t have a full home theatre but it was still a great experience. We forgot to make popcorn though. 🍿
It would be a welcome change to be able to see movies right away on digital platforms.
Lucky got shaved down at the groomer today. She had too many mats in her fur. She looks way different! An okay look, but we’ll let her fur grow out again. 💈🐩
Family movie tonight, National Treasure. Tyler’s pick. Fun story. 🍿
Nice lunch today at Keepsake Cidery outside of Northfield. They have a great selection of ciders, sandwiches, and snacks. Worth the drive and they have a great outdoor space. Dogs welcome too. 🍎
Some serious weather rolling through Cannon Lake tonight. Constant lightning. Heavy rain and thunder. Multiple waves of hail. Wind is only thing missing. Also learned we have a window with a leak. 😬⛈💧
Stopped by Mighty Fine Coffee today to check out the newest coffee option in Faribault. Met the two owners and brought home a bag of freshly roasted beans. They are just getting started and I like where they are going! ☕️
Good night for s’mores! 🔥
FYI
Using QR Codes in printed books.
I found this interesting since I have an idea someday to publish my links in a book each year and having a QR code next to each one would be an obvious thing to do.
Implementing Shape Up
The cadence of this and the cycle reminds me a bit of Essential SAFe Program Increments.
Big-Ass-Data-Broker-Opt-Out-List
Extensive list of opt-out processes. Good resource. Another case of a Github repo being used where a wiki makes more sense. 😏
Five Essentials to Land Your First Corporate Board Seat - Navigate Forward
Good guidance for those thinking about joining a corporate board.
E-Bikers Ride Much Farther and More Frequently Than Regular Bikers
The debate on e-bikes are “cheating” is just plain silly. Micromobility is an important trend, and one that I sure hope grows as it would benefit our cities, people, and the environment!
Local
Minnesota nonprofits plead for more help as hunger crisis surges - StarTribune.com
Many people are struggling and need help, all around us. The bold highlight is mine.
Second Harvest Heartland now distributes three times the amount of food a day, boosted the number of pop-up grocery distributions and unveiled last week a first-ever ad campaign aimed at eliminating the stigma of seeking food assistance. Up to 40% of visitors are getting food assistance for the first time.
If you are in a position to offer assistance, donate to Second Harvest now! 💚
Leadpages taps Jeanette Dorazio, a software veteran, as new CEO | Star Tribune
Jeanette and I worked together at 8thBridge. Awesome to see her taking over at Leadpages! Congratulations! 🙌
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Fortune
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You are wise, witty, and wonderful.
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About
The Weekly Thing highlights helpful, engaging, or insightful articles from the week. I am a voracious reader of technology, culture, leadership, privacy, and many other topics as my interests roam. Each item I share is framed with personal commentary combining my decades of experiences. My goal is to positively impact your journey with knowledge and insight.
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Recent Issues
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