Our napping cat looks less "relaxed" and more "broken"

Here's a thing I wrote about podcasting... and life in big companies chethaase.medium.com/once-upon-a-...

My publisher notified me of another sale on my Androids audiobook: 50% off, so it's just $10. The promotion runs through January 26th. (If you already have it / listened to it / read it: thanks! I hope you enjoyed it!) www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

The more I iterate with AI engines, the more natural and conversational those iterations are, like: "No no no, this is terrible. Try again"

When this many vultures gather next to the running path, you start to question your life decisions

Appreciation once again for the fun illustrations for the Androids book by the excellent @dsandler.org. And for this shirt showing the drawing from the book's introduction. I resemble this guy more and more every day. Or at least my hair does.

I love when subscriptions jack their price significantly, otherwise I might not notice a steady IV drip increase over time. A sudden 50% hike is enough to remind me I really need to end my Adobe subscription. I'm not saying it isn't worth it for power users. But I'm not one of them.

We have two cats. One is like a close friend: very playful and affectionate. The other is like a colleague: our relationship is purely professional, and touching is terribly inappropriate.

Loaded nachos are like the Jenga of appetizers. One wrong move and it's all a mess.

I chased a longstanding network speed issue to a specific ethernet cable in my house. I unplugged and tested it: it performed fine. I plugged it back in and the network worked perfectly. Clearly a case of Schrödinger's Cat6.

Someone just asked for my fax number. I said I don't have a fax machine. Also, that my telegraph is currently on the fritz and that smoke signals would be too distant, but maybe they could try pony express or carrier pigeon.

How exciting my relationship with the US Post Office has become! I look forward to future harrowing spy missions.

I just used the last swab from a mega Costco Q-tip box. It's the end of an eara.

Lest you doubt the value of higher ed degrees, it took both my Math BA (blue) and CS masters (black) to raise my laptop to the right level on my desk. I'm still looking for how to best employ my recent writing degree, but it's not as thick (being, after all, a Masters of *Fine* Arts)

I hit a disturbing milestone yesterday with agentic coding - I used the term "we" in a prompt. Twice. Like my bot is now my coding buddy, instead of a soulless machine and eventual overlord. I wonder if they feel the same about me.

We have a new episode of the Android Developers Backstage podcast up -- this time @chethaase.com and I are talking to Melba Nuzen and Ralston Da Silva from the Compose team about Autofill! www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tb6b...

Don't have the Androids audiobook yet? Or need a second copy to listen to it in stereo? My publisher is running a 50% off sale through September 5, get yours for $10: www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

After spending 3 hours on a 3.4 mile journey on i680 yesterday, it was hard not to appreciate the sarcasm in this exit ramp sign. Well played, Caltrans.

Amazon invited me to their Vine program (free stuff in exchange for reviews). I'm looking forward to it - based on the "Recommended for You" page, they really get me.

I ran a half marathon in Chicago this morning. I'm not sure my head is in the right place for racing. In the last mile, someone had a sign that read "IF YOU RUN FASTER YOU'LL FINISH FASTER," which made me think, "Finish *Sooner*, not *Faster*"

Curious what the career path of a screenwriter looks like? A popular podcast (by and for screenwriters) recently dedicated half an episode to best practices when ordering lunch for the staff.

Wait, you *still* haven't listened to the Androids book? What are you waiting for? A sale? Good call: my publisher is selling the audiobook for 50% off until May 11 here: www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

I misspell some common words every single time, no matter how frequently I use them. It's so embarassing. embarrasing. sad.

People in cold climates consider themselves tougher than those in warm climates. After two winters in Chicago, I know that that toughness is just full-body chap.

Our new ADB podcast episode covers the ten year anniversary of Android Studio, where @ducrohet.bsky.social and Jamal Eason joined us to look back at the early decisions and highlights over the years: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhP4... (J had to leave early so missed the thumbnail photo at the end)

Winter term starts today. Heavy load this time around - I just registered for class #7. This comedy writing thing is no joke.

I'm currently looking for a new fit remote, Android development contract role. I have over 15 years of Android development experience, and bring lots of positive energy to the team. Although I'm based in the UK, I'm set up to work for companies based anywhere. I have immediate availability.

Vegetables roast better when they're dry, so I put them out to dry in the sun on the front porch after rinsing. Some people leave snacks out for delivery people. Amazon drivers must wonder why we offer such weird healthy snacks.

Scrolling on Amazon after the holidays is like watching a Greatest Hits of my own personal shopping network, reminiscing about all of the gifts I researched and purchased.

Our fake tree lasted through 15 years of family Christmases, but only 3 weeks of cats. Dogs are good for protecting your nice stuff. Cats are good for ensuring your stuff is no longer nice.

I just donated all 2024 royalties from my Androids book to Black Girls Code. (Previously, royalties were split between BGC and Women Who Code, but WWC dissolved this year. I guess I didn't sell enough books to keep them solvent.) www.chethaase.com/androids www.wearebgc.org

I love the annual holiday tradition of going to choose a Christmas tree. Such a great return-to-nature moment in our busy, urban lives.

When you get stressed out at work, it's good to remember what other jobs can be like. I got terrified just looking at these guys, from the safety of the inside of my apartment. Meanwhile, they were having a casual chat with each other as they dangled 15 floors above the pavement.

The temperature gets a "Feels like" value. The wind speed deserves one, too. Especially in Chicago.

Alright, Chicago. Let's do this [running] thing.

"Carb Bloating" - The practice of eating way too many carbohydrates prior to running a marathon. Wish me (burp) luck.

My main regret with the No Starch Press edition of my Androids book is that they somehow left out the intro quote from Ficus Kirkpatrick. It's such a great start to the story. So Ficus and I fixed the problem today for the books I had on my shelves.

In case you need to post on LinkedIn, I offer this template which should cover most use cases there: "I'm excited to announce I'm [hiring for | starting | coming out stealth mode | pondering] a startup doing something something something AI something something LLM something something"

The cats are *really* excited about Christmas this year.

And me. I was there too. Just not like *there* in the room. More on the sidelines, 2000 miles away, chiming in remotely.

LinkedIn: You're never too old to... Subtext: You're very old.