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jabv

135 karma · joined June 9, 2015

Email: jvisovatti at gmail dot com
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jabv··on The Air Force of the Knights Hospitaller
My friend's dad is a Knight of Malta. I think he helps to build hospitals and assists with pilgrimages to Lourdes.

There is some recent controversy surrounding Malta in the Catholic world. To dive into that rabbit hole: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-note-on-sovereig...

jabv··on Name one thing in this photo
I think you meant... crappy content aggregator -> crappy content aggregator -> crappy content aggregator -> crappy content aggregator -> acceptable content aggregator
jabv··on What is the easiest barrier to entry as a self-taught programmer?
And in a fun twist, what you mention is 99% of the reason for 99% of degree requirements on a position (yes, some positions truly do require years of specific background education) -- it's the best evidence a company has on an inexperienced person that the person can persevere.
jabv··on Ask HN: What do you look for in a software engineering candidate?
My company is hiring; email me and I'll look at your stuff and make a decision about recommending you.
jabv··on The ‘Terms and Conditions’ Reckoning Is Coming
This perspective on the bible and Latin is not a good analogy. Most people could not read any language long ago, and priests in general serve several other purposes before reading/expounding upon the bible. From the standpoint of a believer, the bible was not expanded by human decision as laws are (canonical vs. apocryphal discussions aside). The bible was compiled in Latin by Jerome because it was the common ('vulgar') language of the people.

Of course, there's plenty to discuss and argue about in all of the above, but your comparison makes it seem like a done deal.

jabv··on Ask HN: Best way to find an apprenticeship?
8th Light offers an apprenticeship (multiple months of paid learning): https://8thlight.com/apprenticeship/

So does Pillar Technology: https://pillartechnology.com/dist/assets/careers/pillar-appr...

jabv··on Ask HN: What books do you keep on your desk?
I am probably even less worthy of offering a summary of the book than you are, but I'll take a stab as well.

The author is interested in how meaning can arise from meaningless components. For example, any one cell in the brain doesn't seem to have awareness, intelligence, etc. -- so why is it that a brain's worth does seem to have these abilities? To take it further, one could consider the constituent atoms and such.

There are analogies with music, visual art, and more subjects. How is it that a single musical note conveys so little, yet certain arrangements convey so much?

The author has a rough idea about how this happens. He thinks this event (meaning arising from meaningless parts) is the core scientific-philosophical question for developing strong AI.

jabv··on Au Revoir
I'm sorry, is your argument based on the current year? I presume you mean otherwise, but that's how it's written.
jabv··on Launch HN: Pathrise (YC W18) – Career accelerator for students, free until hired
As an aside, I don't think "the most predatory thing" about student loans is the fixed cost regardless of profit. The same could be said of any business or real estate loan. The most predatory thing about student loans is that there's barely any rational qualification of the loan recipient.
jabv··on Launch HN: Pathrise (YC W18) – Career accelerator for students, free until hired
Hmm, so would a flat tax rate actually be progressive? ;)
jabv··on Ask HN: How to deal with having a high EQ?
One way of thinking about EQ includes self-awareness and self-management as components of your overall EQ (which may also include understanding others, for example).

So, being aware of this is good. Being aware that you are causing the issues you face is great.

However, you seem to have the attitude (from this limited sample) that this is a concrete fact of life (that's my understanding from your post).

If you're aware that some aspect of your "over friendly nature" takes away from your ability to lead your team effectively, and you don't adjust, you're not practicing sound self-management, which is an important aspect of EQ (just like some folks need to be aware that they become angered easily and adjust accordingly).

My advice is to pretend like you came to yourself for advice with your current situation. Using your ability to understand others, what would you advise? What practices should change? You may find that this exercise will give you more "next steps" than will other folks taking stabs in the dark online.

A final thought is this. You care about your team being effective and satisfied with their leadership. Currently, you aren't providing what they need. You're actually not displaying excellent EQ in this way. How can you put aside your natural tendencies to offer your team what they need?

jabv··on Ask HN: Is it possible to train oneself to be calmer/kinder?
Sorry for the late reply, but most resources I know about would get more specific about particular morality of the religion. If that's what you're looking for, you should get plenty of results searching for "Catholic examination of conscience."
jabv··on Ask HN: Is it possible to train oneself to be calmer/kinder?
In Catholicism (and probably in some other religions), there is a practice of an "examination of conscience." It has helped me to make improvements of the kind you refer to.

Basically, the essence is to take 5 minutes at the very end of the day to think back through each hour of the day, perhaps with a couple of focus questions (eg "did I become angry, even internally"). You use your will to sincerely regret anything that you think was wrong, and maybe use a bit of problem solving to see how it could have gone differently.

Five minutes at the end of the day (maybe it stays on your mind as you sleep? but that's just my bro-science) every day for a month should help you make some small steps.

jabv··on Former Facebook exec says social media is ripping apart society
I don't intend to mock you -- I am sure there is much more relevant context to your life decisions, and they're your own, anyway.

However, I have observed friends seemingly get caught in a pattern: go to a top school, so you can have a high-paying job, so you can afford to send kids to a top school, so they can get high-paying jobs, so that...

In some folks' lives, the value of the "top school" seems to have a circular definition (not true for all folks, of course). It's a little sad, because by breaking out of that pattern, many more possibilities open up (like working in important and fascinating science for lower pay).

jabv··on Meeting with a mentor tomorrow. What to ask?
"What one practice, if removed from your day/week, would hurt you the most?" (be ready with a follow up question if he just says "eat" or "sleep" or whatever - "do you approach that in an intentional way? have you had to tune how you do that?")

"Is there anything I should be asking, but I'm not?" - has occasionally yielded interesting responses for me.

jabv··on Unemployment Is So 2009: Labor Shortage Gives Workers an Edge
A friend was talking to a young girl in a school in WV.

  Friend: What would you like to do when you grow up?
  Girl: I wanna draw, like my daddy.
  Friend: Wonderful, is your daddy an artist?
  Girl: Naw, he draws a check every month.
(ie, her dad receives some type of welfare check every month (perhaps disability, unemployment, etc.), and this is what she aspires to do)
jabv··on Harvey Didn't Come Out of the Blue. Now Is the Time to Talk about Climate Change
I appreciate your call to take a cause seriously by making changes in one's personal life.

That said, every time I read someone advise "stop having babies" to combat climate change, I am reminded of the South Park episode wherein the overzealous hunters claim that deer overpopulation will cause some deer to die, so they need to kill the deer to prevent overpopulation and future deer deaths.

jabv··on Maybe today’s Navy is just not very good at driving ships
I think the "second military" you describe is more of a "minimal readiness for SHTF situation" group.

Because no politician wants to go down in history books as the person who let the military shrink and lose readiness for a WW3. Sure, maybe the American military has indeed lost readiness, but it's more nuanced and can't be pinned on one person. So just like other parts of this thread suggest, it's a giant CYA operation.

jabv··on Text Is Keeping Kids from Coding
Maybe playing the instrument isn't actually the hardest part for a pianist, but for us string players... ;)
jabv··on The Culture Wars Have Come to Silicon Valley
I think you may have raised a good point - was this the appropriate forum/channel/whatever to offer his observations, questions, and criticisms?

He suggests that Google has a culture of sharing pretty openly and of offering criticism and even commentary on important issues. It would be good to have additional evidence of this to evaluate whether his statement was indeed matched to the appropriate environment.

(I am not and have not been a Google employee, so IDK for sure. I know that at my company, there are indeed particular fora in which this sort of thing could be raised. I can imagine at some companies this would not be possible, so you raise a great question. Thanks!)

jabv··on The Culture Wars Have Come to Silicon Valley
I did ctrl-f for "iq" at diversitymemo.com and only came up with a reference to a comparison Damore made about types of scientific evidence the left or right tend to ignore.

The comment in question was not referring to IQ of males or females in any way.

So I am not sure where your accusations regarding IQ come from.

jabv··on The Culture Wars Have Come to Silicon Valley
Serious: do you see that your response is exactly what the memo was about? He's claiming that the pre-judgment that the topic is toxic is harmful. To argue against him by re-asserting that which he questions will not be persuasive.
jabv··on The Most Common Error in Media Coverage of the Google Memo
So there's no need to evaluate the argument, only to parse for key signals in the rhetoric?

Thanks for saving me time in my future critical reading!

jabv··on Ask HN: How does HN earn money to keep going?
I don't think this is intended as a dig on YC-funded companies, but it would work very well as such.
jabv··on Content isn't king
Just to offer counter-perspective on your estimation that there's a "large" opportunity as you describe - I have never heard of any of my friends or family holding or attending a "watch party" for anything other than a few American football games each year.

It seems to me that this does happen, but for all I know, maybe FB considered your idea, and the idea failed market validation.

Or maybe you're dead on! (shruggie emoticon)

jabv··on European Commission fines Google €2.42B for abusing dominance
Thanks for the response.

I disagree with Rand on many important issues.

I think your reply is tantamount to an ad hominem fallacy.

jabv··on European Commission fines Google €2.42B for abusing dominance
Thanks for the response.

I use Google fairly heavily through work and my personal email, but IDK about "fully sucked into" - I have no smartphone, don't use GCal, etc.

Rather than lauding Google, I meant to criticize the idea that the public has a right to a private service.

jabv··on The Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity
I think your balance (incorporating a deeper mode of thought and appreciation of memorization without abandoning modern information processing) is unusual and extremely admirable. Thanks for sharing your experience.
jabv··on European Commission fines Google €2.42B for abusing dominance
"It is generally conceded in our age that a critically strategic producer has an obligation to the public for the sake of the common good."

And what happens if Google says, "f* it, we're not providing a utility, we're not taking traffic from European IPs anymore"?

I am no anarcho-capitalist, but I really think more folks should read Atlas Shrugged.

jabv··on Ask HN: Are there any courses/course materials that teach oop concepts well?
Hi - I am certainly a novice (or lower) programmer, but I have not even a clue about how to begin in the manner you describe. Any preview you would like to offer?
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