In 2016, Facebook announced they would shut down the BaaS company Parse, which they acquired less than 3 years earlier for $85 million. At the time that just did not make sense. In light of Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony to Congress, that decision seems obvious. It was the death blow to our app right at the time of finalizing development. Mark stated that they do not share user data with app developers. This was absolutely not the case in the days of Parse, when they had an API to do just that. To be clear, not aggregate data, but rather specific…
Last night I watched a movie that I find myself still thinking about it a day later. Shot Caller. Two compelling aspects of this movie. One, the device used of non-linear storytelling. Second, is the metamorphosis of the main character who has a drastic Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde while maintaining who he really is throughout. The Non Linear Story I am sure a lot of people would try to correct me and say non-linear storytelling is pretty common. Make a list. But exclude time travel movies. That is something else. And exclude movies that bookend another time or event…
I just finished listening to episode 63, “Through The Valley: My Captivity in Vietnam” with Colonel William Reeder on The Jocko Podcast. Not ashamed to say that is not the first of Jocko’s podcasts that made me cry. These podcasts have become increasingly more important to me and I wanted to say why. In part as a thank you. In part to share with friends and family why I think they are worth listening to. And in part to hear myself say it to strengthen the resolve to make changes in my life that seem to be reiterated time and…
Below is my response to this letter from Pete Sessions. Keep in mind, he is up for re-election next March. Thank you for your response. Although you made some good points, I do not agree with the direction you and other members of congress are taking in regard to Net Neutrality and protecting the FCC. Furthermore, I am extremely unhappy with the service AT&T and other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide and wanted to elaborate on that. Additionally, Ajit Pai’s recommendation is one sided and is beneficial only to ISPs, not the consumer. I feel it is your duty, as…
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding net neutrality. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this important issue. The Internet has revolutionized how we learn, shop, communicate, innovate, and do business. Small businesses across Texas thrive off a free and open Internet. But since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a drastic step during the closing days of the Obama Administration to apply a 1930s-era ‘Title II’ regulation to the Internet, costs for consumers skyrocketed, innovation was hindered and broadband deployment decreased significantly, particularly in rural America. Simply put, these…
The best trick I ever saw was my freshman year of college. A card shark wanted to show how old riverboat gamblers cheated at cards. The thing was, I didn’t know the real trick until last night about 25 years later. An Austin director made a documentary on that man, Richard Turner. BUT WAIT! Don’t watch the preview just yet! It wasn’t until I watched the preview that the true magic was revealed. When I saw this man perform at Baylor, they put a picture of it in the paper with my name, so I kept it. He said he…
My grandfather, Paul Bunnell, passed away last in February of last year. A few of his effects were passed on to me including this old pocket watch. The watch does not seem to work, but I have been told it is fixable. You can see details about this and other pocket watches on this site. It seems to have a cool history and I wish he told me how it came into his possession. The watch was model 1857 and estimated to be produced in 1859 or 1860. So about 160 years old. The total production of this particular watch…
I just finished the book Moonwalking With Einstein – The Art And Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. I enjoyed the book, but would only give it 3 out of 5 stars. Unlike other non-fiction books like The Code Book, I felt this book did little to actually show you how to do a lot of the things discussed in the book, which was what I really wanted. This was really little more than a man talking about his experience with learning how to improve memory. I wanted to briefly describe the methods mentioned in the book but also…
A few years ago I saw a really interesting documentary on Netflix called Who Killed The Electric Car that discussed General Motor’s fully electric car called EV1, the fanatical owners that owned them, and how GM quickly forced the owners to return them. It is one of those stories that makes you shake your head in disbelief. The California Air Resource Board mandated in 1990s that the big car manufactures make an electric car or lose the right to continue selling gas cars in California. It is one of those mandates Texas hates. It is anti-business. It is a tree-hugging…
From time to time, there is an incredibly tragic accident where people are killed with guns and this always tends to lead to a gun control debate. I understand and agree with the sentiment. If we could save one life, wouldn’t giving up guns be worth it? Do we really need guns? So let’s legislate away gun violence! Thinking you can control deaths by gun control is as unrealistic as saying you can legislate away depression. Or legislate away violence. Or legislate away stupidity. I think when you consider gun deaths by segment, understanding the flaw in gun control becomes…
