Published in Geek Culture·Feb 25Abstraction in ProgrammingA few months ago I was going through some code with a couple of colleagues. I was handing over components to some junior co-workers, and we were discussing the code and the functionality. The code itself was in pretty bad shape. It had been handed from developer to developer without…Programming6 min read
Published in The Writing Cooperative·Oct 28, 2021A Practical Guide to Writing a NovelHow I completed my first novel and what I learned in the process — Those of you who read my article Unto the breach once more know that I recently made a serious effort at becoming a published writer. If you didn’t, here’s a short recap: I’ve been writing since I was about twelve. Essays, short stories, even a few attempts at a novel…Writing10 min read
Oct 26, 2021Review: Dream Theater — A View From the Top of the WorldSo, it has finally landed, the latest Dream Theater album. “A View From the Top of the World”, released on October 22nd, is the fifteenth studio album from prog metal giants Dream Theater, marking two years since their last studio release — Distance over Time — and the fifth album…Music4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Aug 25, 2021Multitasking — useful tool or necessary evil?According to popular belief, multitasking is something men are incapable of and women excel at. Countless are the stories of the hapless husband forced to do housework for a day and failing miserably at the first hurdle. But by that logic I must be a woman, seeing how I’m a…Multitasking5 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Aug 6, 2021The Art of Affecting ChangeThere’s an interesting duality in us humans when it comes to change. Our ability to adapt to changing environments and circumstances has arguably made us the most successful species on this planet. …Change5 min read
Published in Writers’ Blokke·May 16, 2021Unto The Breach Once More — or How I Decided To Become A WriterI remember vividly the first time I realized I wanted to become a writer. It was 1986, I was 12 years old, and I had just bought my very own first computer. …Writing5 min read
Published in Geek Culture·May 7, 2021The Virtue of LazinessWhat makes a good software developer? Problem-solving ability? Technical skills? A logical mindset? I would contend it’s laziness. This may sound weird, perhaps even offensive, but bear with me. Something I’ve come to realize is that what separates good developers from the bad is not necessarily their skills or knowledge…Software Development6 min read
Published in Writers’ Blokke·Apr 25, 2021Snowbound“Yes,” I said, “I understand, not much we can do about it I guess.” “Yes, I’m really sorry about this, Dean,” said Mr. Petersen, my boss now for the past year. “We’re doing all we can to get someone out there, but the snow’s piling up by the foot. …Flash Fiction4 min read
Published in Writers’ Blokke·Apr 18, 2021A matter of life and deathArisha was in the zone. This was it. The moment she had worked for all her life was finally here. Soon she would step into the arena and do battle, to become Dominion Earth Champion. Only minutes now. “For you, mother, sister, brother,” she whispered. …Flash Fiction4 min read
Published in Geek Culture·Apr 18, 2021The Importance of Refactoring“If it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it” the old adage goes, but when it comes to software engineering at least, this is poor advice — at best. Anyone who has worked more than a few years in software development knows that one of the hardest sells is convincing…Software Development6 min read
