All my blog posts and articles
This is too funny. Here’s a taste, but you should read the whole article saying how an Israeli should adapt to living in the United States. For example, this is about the express line in the super market: > “The expres...
Read more →Last year when teaching REST concepts at Brandeis University I proved the truism that there’s no better way to learn about something than to try and teach it. We (all) wrapped ourselves around the axle trying to understand HTTP “PUT” versus HTTP “POST” and l...
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How to build authentication into Rails applications? Well, at least at RailsConf 2011, the buzz was around a new Authentication gem called Devise. I played with it a little (here in the airport) at it seems quite nice and straightforward. Check it out if you were looking for something like that. #railsconf
Another tidbit I came across at RailsConf is Hobo. I haven’t tried it myself but did just go through the screencast and tutorial. I think it’s worth a closer look. > “Hobo is a plugin for Ruby on Rails that brings a number of extensions—some small some large—t...
Read more →Why doesn’t every one love Rails? I am surprised when I run into someone (Pat?) who’s not so sure about Rails. Usually it’s about scalability. [I warned you this is a geeky post] When I am designing or building a system and am questioned about whether **writing it in Ruby or Rails is a good id...
Read more →One or two H’s? Don’t look it up!
Funny to read this: > “The story started in 2007, with the release of the first iPhone. Led by its enigmatic leader Steve Jobs, Apple gave developers their first real taste of independence from the carrier oligarchy. The iPhone’s [beauty was manifold, but first and foremost, it allowed developers...
Read more →Check this post Why Microsoft bought Skype from I, Cringely: > There is so much to write about but I’ll begin with Microsoft buying Skype for $8.5 billion. The pundits are debating whether this move by M...
Read more →Just reaching out you mac experts. I used to think I was one, but this one has me stumped. Using Safari, every so often, while I am doing something (what?) shrinks the fonts of the page being displayed. In other words, does the equivalent of a Command/- or Command/+. It seems to have something to do with dragging the mouse while doing something else. I know that a command-0 restores things normally. I also know that control-double-fingered-drag will enlarge the whole screen, that is, zoom in on the pixels. This is something else. I can’t figure it out and neither can google. Do you know?
This word “QUOTIDIAN” seems to have become popular suddenly. Did you notice? Or is it just me that is noticing it more because up to a minute ago I didn’t know what it meant? It’s so simple, once you know 🙂
No need to paraphrase or editorialize. Just read the whole thing, will ya? Lots of good advice that I wish I had gotten years ago. **[How to steal like an artist (and 9 other things nobody told me)](http://www.austinkleon.com/2011/03/30/how-to-steal-like-an-artist-and-9-other-things-nobody-told-me/...
Read more →Every time there’s an election it seems like someone brings up the odd fact that you are not asked for ID here in Massachusetts before being allowed to cast your ballot. It seems to me that this is especially surprising to people from other countries. Here’s a good [article that explores some of the...
Read more →Here’s how we make Garoza (Charoset) in Curaçao. 
Trust me, add a little horseradish, a couple of matzah, delicious!
This New York Times Op-Ed piece by Bob Herbert really hits home: > “The U.S. has not just misplaced its priorities. When the most powerful country ever to inhabit the earth finds it so easy to plunge into the horror of warfare but almost impossible to find adequate work for its people or to properly educate its young, it has lost its way entirely.” (from Losing Our Way) It’s called “Losing Our Way”. You should read it.
A really excellent interview/review of Christopher Hitchens and his memoir, “Hitch-22”: > “He could never have guessed how prescient those words would be. In June last year, while on a tou...
Read more →“Oh yeah, I’ve started 6 companies, and right now I have 3 startups going. I just love starting companies. I don’t know what’s wrong with me….” Have you ever heard statements like that? I hear them, fairly often, and I am never sure what to make of them. My immediate impulse is to call “Bullsh...
Read more →A good read if you are interested in fast iteration in user experience design and redesign: > “By the end of the iterations and tests, every single one of the users liked the new version better than the old, and we had a very good idea why.” (from Case Study: UX Design and Food on The Table)
It’s hard to believe, but here is what I got from Mint.com when I asked why my Bank of America info was not updating on Mint: > Hi Pito, Thank you for contacting Mint.com. According to our engineers, we can’t support Bank of America due to unsupported authentication and/or challenge que...
Read more →I know it’s a provocative title, and sadly I suspect that many of the ‘intended audience’ will agree with much of what he says, but then also feel like there’s nothing that can be done about it. I am a waning fan of the Sunday TV news shows. Nowadays it is so easy if you are inclined to kee...
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