GEO-LEO-Starlink

From this blog, I could read an interesting presentation about network performance using satellite services. I guess there are many blogs about the performance of Starlink but this was the first time I read something about it. I was surprised the results were not that good even with the latest version of Startlink (that I didnt know neither)

Falcon

I checked out this blog note from Google about Falcon. To be honest, I dont really understand the “implementation”. Is it purely software? Does it interact with merchant Ethernet silicon ASICs? There is so much happening trying to get Ethernet similar to Infiniband that I am wonder how this fits outside Google infra. At the end of the day, Ethernet has been successful because everybody could use it for nearly anything. Just my opinion.

Duolingo

I watched this video yesterday by coincidence . I was keen to know about making learning addictive. And honestly, I liked the video, it was funny and informative. And it is interesting that you can turn evil manipulations into positive ones. I didnt know the presenter was the founder of duolingo and he was from Guatemala. I use duolingo to learn languages, I am not sure if you can really learn a language this way (at least I am not that smart) but it helps to practice a little, and then the compound interest should get you to some decent level. This remind me to brilliant. It is something I wanted to use, but at the end of the day, I dont have time for all things I would like to do. I need to focus in the things I really need to do.

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.