Author: flipaoXIX

Master of Change

Today I attended a conference from the author of this book. I haven’t read so didnt have much background and didn’t pay full attention to the invitation too…

Some notes:

Change is the norm! Not the exception.

Change is just change (sometimes is good, sometimes is bad. Accept it)

The idea is to move to a mindset of “order -> change -> reorder” instead of trying to get things as they were before.

4 steps about Change: Accept, Embrace, Take proactive action, Move forwards to somewhere new.

The idea is to be “rugged and flexible” in three aspects

  • 1) Mindset:
  • – Develop a “being” instead of “having”: ie I am a good engineer vs I have a job.
  • – Set expectations + update accordingly
  • – accept the indeniability of change
  • 2) Identity:
  • – Diversity of sense of self: a.k.a Have a diverse portfolio of your personality. I liked the example of Nils Van der Poel. Before the Olympics he wasnt performing and and reason was he was scared…. He was only Nils the skater. He decided to have a live during the weekends… (not just the skater) and then at the Olympics, he smashed. He created different selfs so there wasnt just one. So it is easier to get scared if shit happens. Or it is like having a house with just one room, if something happens your are out. You need to look after those rooms though.
  • – Figure out your rugged boundaries: Your core values. Those should be:
  • — 3 or 5
  • — well-defined
  • — concrete them daily
  • 3) Action: 4 Ps: Pause (breath, label feelings), Process, Plan, Proceed. Action created motivation, not the other way around. So dont wait for the motivation, just do. Be patient. Compassion about self. And resilience = Social support + routine.

When change happens, you core values will keep you floating.

Good talk.

Ring Memory

Reading this news I was surprised by the mentioned paper where LLM can take up to millions of tokens. My knowledge of LLM infrastucture is very little (and the paper is a bit beyond me…) but I thought the implementation of this models followed kind of “chain/waterfall” where the output of some GPUs fed other GPUs.

Argentina

Patagonia: This page was amazing for organizing the treks in El Chalten. Included even the GPS maps that worked perfect with GPX.

And this is one of the best views in many years. It was hard to get through the snow without proper kit but that view…. I wish I could have stay a long time but the temperature and mainly the wind didn’t help. “Lo bueno, si es breve, dos veces bueno”

Buenos Aires Bakeries: Something that I was really surprised about BA was the insane amount of bakeries (confiterias) and butchers in the city. I followed this link to find some good ones. But you can find some gems in any borough.

This is a random bakery around “La Boca”. Really tempted to apply for a job there.

MediaLunas: It is kind of a small croissant. video, recipe

Empanadas de Acelga: I need to learn how to make them

Futbol: I went to a game of San Lorenzo. I was really impressed with the passion. San Lorenzo lost but the supporters didnt stop singing during the whole game, didnt repeat a song and never stop cheering their players. Not sure if that happens very often in EU. And a lot of families, and a lot of kids playing futbol inside the stadium.

Re-Read-1 and Classics

I re-read this book during holidays without remembering that I completed it over 1 year ago, and for the life of me, I didnt notice it. So doesnt leave me or my memory in a good place 🙂 Still I enjoyed (again) and it is something I wanted to do, re-read some good books.

And following the trend, I re-read this one (ebook) as I think I needed it. Again, really good read, it grounds me and put me in my place. And another reason was I tried to read an ebook from Kant and Seneca, and couldnt understand anything… It is annoying that I read a lot of references for them but then you go to the source, and I can’t digest them. Too overcomplicated language. Anyway, I will try other “classics” just in case.

How to make the world add up

This is another ebook I read during holidays. I reminded me to “Calling Bullshit” as it is about finding the “truth” among the noise.

The autor leads a radio program “More or less” in BBC. Unfortunately, I dont find time for listening radio or podcast.

The start was very interesting about how an expert of a famous Dutch painter failed to spot a fake picture because he was obsessed with one details from the painter. And how the fake painter exploited that weakness (and from the whole Netherlands….)

To be honest, I didnt take notes so I am not going to remember many things.

I liked a lot the personal details about John Maynard Keynes life that I didnt know (I tried to read one of his books in the past and I failed miserably):

When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir? (JMK)

The ten rules from the book:

1- Search your feelings (Johannes Vermeer fake paint and Nazis)

2- Ponder your personal experience (London trains are not busy….)

3- Avoid premature enumeration

4- Step back and enjoy the view

5- Get the back story

6- Ask who is missing:

The power to NOT collect data is one of the most important and little-understood sources of power that governments have… By refusing to amass knowledge in the first pace, decision-makers exert power over the rest of us. (Anna Powell-Smith)

7- Demand transparency when the computes says no: Google’s quest to find flu outbreaks via searches.

8- Don’t take statistical bedrock for granted: The need of an independent Statistics body for the country to help the governments with decisions. Examples in USA (Wilbur Mills, then Congressional Budget Office aka CBO), UK (Office for Budget Responsibility – OBR) and Greece (Andreas Gerogiou troubles)/Argentina (Graciela Bevacqua troubles).

9- Remember that misinformation can be beautiful too (Florence Nightingale)

10- Keep an open mind (John Maynard Keynes)

Summary:

Be curious.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant

This is the first ebook I finished while on holidays. I have read recommendations about Naval before but I didnt know what to expect. In general I liked it, many things resonate with me and i would like to read it again at some point. It is something I need to do, be able to re-read books and drop books that are not “worth” it. That’s something Naval does/says.

The books is about wealth (and not just money) in all senses. But at the end of the day, I wonder if this is for everybody. Can everybody have equity? be its own boss? But again, there are many nice things you can take from the book. I would like to have in paper so could take more notes. So this is kind of the thinks I noted:

  • Equity
  • Do things for its own sake
  • You are never going to get rich renting out your time
  • Leverage: min input, max output
  • Deathbed: the hard things you did
  • Ego
  • Time To Think!
  • Relaxation is who you are
  • Fuck yeah or default no (Need to learn this)
  • Short term pain, long term gain
  • Calm mind, fit body, house full of love. It is earned, not bought. (amen)
  • Economy basics: Adam Smith
  • Fundamental delusion: there is something out there that will make me happy (I feel this…)
  • Desire is a contract with yourself to be unhappy until you get it…
  • Jealousy (I feel this…)
  • Death: Enjoy the moment
  • Take responsibility
  • Physical health, diet, sugar. Vegs and a bit of meat
  • Mental health, meditation, breathing, cold shower.
  • Most of our suffering comes from avoidance.
  • Meditate in bed. Noting. GRATEFUL!
  • Drugs, addictions, thrills, etc: People trying to get away from the voice of their minds -> overdeveloped sense of self
  • Habits
  • Reading habits: Re-read good books, dont need to read full books and be able to drop a book it is not good.

Taste (book) Recipes:

Pasta con Aglio e Olio:

  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g spaghetti
  • <->
  • Saute the garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned
  • Boil spaghetti until al dente
  • Drain pasta and toss with oil and garlic mix.
  • Add salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

Eggs with tomate:

  • 50ml olive oil
  • 1 medium/large onion, thinly sliced
  • 200g whole plum tomates can
  • 4 large eggs
  • <->
  • Warm the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  • Add onions, cook until soft.
  • Add tomatoes, crush them with the spoon. Cook for 20 minutes aprox.
  • Break the eggs into the pan and cover it. Decrease heat at medium-low.
  • Cook until the whites are opaque and the yolks are firm. 5 minutes aprox.
  • Add salt/peper.

Book: Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi

Spaghetti with lentils

  • 1/2 carrot finely chopped
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 stalk of celery chopped
  • 1/2 garlic clove sliced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 165g dried brown lentils, rinsed
  • 250g spaghetti
  • 350g marinara sauce
  • <–>
  • In a large saucepan, saute’ the carrots, onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.
  • In another medium saucepan, fill it with the lentils, add water until cover them over 1 finger. Simmer and cook until tender. 20 mintes aprox. Remove from heat and set aside
  • Break the spaghetti into pieces using a dish towel. Then cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente.
  • Drain the lentils and add them to the vegetables.
  • Add the marinata sauce. Bring to simmer, cover and cook until the lentils have blended with the sauce. 10 min aprox.
  • Add drained pasta with 1/2 cup of pasta water.
  • Season with salt/pepper
  • Simmer all for 3-5 minutes to combine flavours.

Frittata

  • 5-6 large eggs
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch chopped parsley
  • pinch grated parmigiano-reggiano
  • salt/pepper
  • <–>
  • Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork.
  • In a frying pan, heat the olive oil up.
  • Season the eggs and add parsly
  • Once hot, add the eggs to the pan.
  • Scramble the eggs with a spatula, tipping and moving the pan continuously to make sure the eggs dont stick.
  • Add cheese and flip the frittata. Cook for 1 minute until golden.

Carbonara

  • Guanciale: cured pork cheek
  • eggs
  • pecorino cheese
  • dried pasta
  • <–>
  • Saute fatty, peppery strips of guanciale in a deep saucepan
  • Cook pasta al dente.
  • Add pasta to the guanciale.
  • Turn off heat, add mixed eggs. Toss
  • Add cheese and some pasta water.
  • Toss all together.

Pizzoccheri a la Valtellina

  • 1 medium Savoy cabbage
  • 2 handfuls of grated Parmigiano
  • 1 Big slab of valtellina cheese or fontina
  • 3 large yellow potatoes
  • 200g butter (1 block)
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 500g pizzoccheri pasta
  • Olive oil + Salt
  • <–>
  • Remove tough outer layers from the cabbage. Chop in long pieces
  • Slice the fontina cheese. And grate another 200g
  • Preheat oven at 160C
  • Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil until cooked but still firm – 15m aprox
  • Half way of boiling the potatoes, add the cabbage.
  • Once potatoes and cabbage are cooked. Drain and set aside.
  • In a deep frying pan, at low heat, melt the butter and add the crushed garlic. Cook until the garlic is soft.
  • Boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve two cups of the water after cooking the pasta.
  • Use a bit of the garlic butter to grease a baking dish.
  • Layering: first pasta, then cabbage, then potatoes, then both cheeses, drizzle a bit of the garlic butter after each layer. Add a bit of the pasta water too (you dont have to use the two cups…). Top the final layer with a drizzle of olive oil and more grated cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 15m aprox. Remove foil and return to oven until the top is crisp.

Ragout alla Bolognese

  • 1 tbs chopped onions
  • 1 tbs chopped carrots
  • 1 tbs chopped celery
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 25g mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc) chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 50g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 225g ground beef
  • 25g tomate paste
  • 3 tbs white wine
  • 3 tbs fresh orange juice
  • 1 tbs salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 700ml chicken stock
  • 550ml beef stock
  • 300g fettuccine pasta
  • 25g butter
  • 25g 36% fat whipping cream (optional)
  • 35g Grana Padano grated
  • <–>
  • In a large saucepan over medium heat, sweat the vegetables in olive oil with herbs and porcini.
  • Add the meat and cook until brown.
  • Add tomate paste, wine and orange juice. Let them evaporate
  • Add salt, pepper and stocks. Let simmer for 90m or so.
  • Boil the pasta until al dente.
  • Add butter and cream to the ragout.
  • Add the pasta to the ragout and sprinkle the grated cheese.

Martini

  • Ice
  • Dry vermouth
  • Gin or Vodka
  • Olives or a lemon twist for garnish
  • <–>
  • Fill the glass beaker with ice
  • Pour in half shot of vermouth
  • Stir for 15 sec
  • Let it sit for 30 sec
  • Stir it again.
  • Strain out the vermouth.
  • Pour in 3 or 4 shots of vodka or gin.
  • Stir for 30 sec
  • Let it sit for 30 sec
  • Stir for 30 sec
  • Let it sit for 30 sec
  • Stir it quickly
  • Strain it into a chilled glass
  • Garnish with 1 or 3 olives, or lemon twist.
  • Drink it

Chimichurri

  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 jalapeno: deseed and diced
  • 10 springs oregano
  • 10 springs parsley
  • 2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 tsp pepper
  • <–>
  • In chopping board, chop oregano, parsley, cloves and jalapeno together.
  • Put all in a bowl and mix.
  • Then you can rub the chimichurri in any meat.

Spaghetti with Zucchine

  • Sunflower oil for deep frying
  • 8 or 10 small zucchine (courgettes)
  • 75g chopped fresh basil
  • Sea salt
  • Olive oil
  • 500g spaguetti
  • 200g grated Parmigiano
  • <–>
  • Deep fry the courgettes until golden brown
  • Set aside and dry with kitchen paper
  • Sprinkle basil and salt on top of them
  • Then transfer to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
  • Boil pasta until al dente.
  • Drain and reserve one cup of pasta water for later
  • Put the pasta in large pan at low heat and add the courgettes.
  • Combine gently and a bit of pasta water to create a creamy texture.
  • Add grated cheese. Stirring and toasing.
  • Once the mix has creamy texture, it is ready.

Pasta a la Norna

  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • Olive oil
  • 2 large aubergines, diced
  • Sea salt
  • 1 litre marinara sauce
  • 500g pasta
  • 1 handful of basil, chopped
  • 1 handful of grated ricotta or pecorino
  • <->
  • In a frying pan, fry the garlic with the olive at low heat.
  • Add aubergines, at medium heat, and cook for 15m or sligthly golden.
  • Add marinara sauce and cook for 5 minutes
  • Cook the pasta and drain. Reserve one cup of pasta water
  • Add the water to the marinara. Add the basil. Stir.
  • Take 3/4 of the sauce and pour it in a serving bowl
  • Add the pasta to the rest of the sauce. Stir and add the grated cheese.
  • Ready to serve with the sauce aside.

Pasta Fagioli

  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves halved
  • 1/2 bunch cavolo nero roughly chopped
  • 3x400g cans of cannellini beans
  • 750ml chichen stock
  • 500g marinada sauce
  • 500g small pasta
  • Salt, Pepper
  • Parmigiano grated
  • <–>
  • In a frying pan at medium low heat, saute the onion and garlic.
  • Boil the cavolo nero in salted water
  • Add beans, stock and marinada to the pan with onion and garlic
  • Cook at low heat
  • Once cavolo is ready, strain, and add it to the bean mix.
  • Cook at low simmer with lid for 15m.
  • Cook the pasta in salted water. Then drain and save one cup of pasta water.
  • Add the cup of water to the bean mix.
  • Add two cups of the bean mix to the pasta and a bit of olive oil.
  • Serve the pasta with beans and add fresh pepper and cheese.

FAQ me

I finished this book last night. It was a recommendation from a friend and I downloaded it some time ago into my kindle. I dont read very often in kindle as i prefer the paper touch but I didnt have anything else at hand so I gave it a go.

I didnt have a clue what was all about, I didnt know the person. And I only checked his history this morning.

In summary, the book is interesting, I liked to read about his personality and treats. Every person is different and it was good to read about his weakness, errors, fears, etc. As he says several times, you have to “bleed” in your writing.

Something that is repeated in the book is the daily practice and his four bodies theory:

  • Physical
  • Emotional: get rid of negative influences, surround yourself with positive ones
  • Mental: write ideas
  • Spiritual: be grateful for what you have, focus on the present, surrender.

He talks about everything and anything. From dating, something important to me, he is clear that there is no magic bullet, you have to go meet people (he insists in tango and cooking classes :), and use all tools available. So there is no short cut.

He talks about being an idea-generating machine. And that takes practice. Write ten ideas, tomorrow another ten, etc. Analyze them, cross them, redefine them, etc.

He is very clear that working for enterprise in the corporate America is the worse you can do, he pushes to be en entrepreneur. And he recommends these books about economics.

I should have taken more notes though. Interesting read, although checking his blog, he hasnt written for a couple of years but he does youtube now.

Anyway, I think it was worth reading it.

LLM: hardware connection

Good article about LLM from the hardware/networks perspective. I liked it wasnt a show-off from Juniper products, as I haven’t seen any mention of Juniper kit in deployments of LLM in cloud providers, hyperscalers, etc. The points about Infiniband (the comment at the end about the misconceptions of IB is funny) and ethernet were not new but I liked the VOQ reference.

Still as a network engineer, I feel I am missing something about how to make the best network deployment for training LLM.