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Art of Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS)
We, humans that is, love to complicate things and it seems to come naturally without too much effort. The longer we work with a given project, the more complex it becomes. I am not just talking about software engineering, but pretty much anything we undertake. Yet how does this seem to happen? The short answer is that we slowly turn up the heat on ourselves, each little turn feeling like a natural and necessary evolution. The more we get into something, the less input we take from the outside, feeding on our shared enthusiasm and excitement to create something beautiful.…
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A day in the AI life of a CTO
Let me take you through a typical day in the life of a Chief Technology Officer in the age of AI and how it has woven itself into every aspect.
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Open Source Means Never Being Stuck
Reflecting on the advantages of open source software in development, using a recent experience with the libvips library as an example. Faced with limitations I adapted and improved the library, significantly enhancing performance. Open source provides autonomy and opportunities for contributions, embodying freedom and progress.
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Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
This period of cinema was a golden age for a young boy growing up who was fascinated with cars and the first ever social network, the good old CB radio. How many of you like me, pretended to be the Bandit or the Rubber Duck when out on their bikes? I even had a CB radio in my bedroom and would talk to the truckers doing the Ireland-Europe…
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Titanic (1997)
James Cameron takes on the infamous Titanic story, the greatest maritime disaster of its time and one that still holds a fascination for the public, even though, by today’s standards, we’ve had bigger ships. Part of the mystic around this particular sinking, is the hubris of man, and the claim that the ship was unsinkable. The story starts off with a treasure hunting salvage crew attempting to locate a…
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About Time (2013)
Richard Curtis strikes gold once again with his time traveling romantic comedy. In the same vein as Love Actually / Noting Hill / Four Weddings, About Time stands shoulder to shoulder with Curtis’s other outings. This one however does not star Hugh Grant, though, the lead, Domhnall Gleeson (son of Brendan) does his best Hugh Grant impression throughout, so his spirit is still there. The time traveling aspect isn’t ironically the central…
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In the Loop (2009)
How do you describe Malcolm Tucker to the world? How do you describe a fowl mouth, intimidating, shouty Scottish government spin doctor in a way that properly articulates the side splitting humor? In the Loop, is a movie derived from the very popular BBC TV series, The Thick of It, from Armando Iannucci (he who is behind the HBO series VEEP). Peter Capaldi (yes, Doctor Who) is Malcolm Tucker, who finds…
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A Few Good Men (1992)
Aaron Sorkin proves his wordsmith skill with this excellent US Navy court room drama, starting a very height weight cast, including Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon and of course the one and only Jack Nicholson. The premise of the movie is whether or not a ‘code red’, an unofficial disciplinary action, was authorized by the highest ranked officer on the base, in this case Nicholson playing Col. Jessup. …
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Trainwreck (2015)
I will confess to not running towards this movie with any great speed. I had seen the trailers and it wasn’t turning me towards it. But I was recommended to watch it by a friend, so threw it on, with very low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. The lead Amy Schumer is a name I was unfamiliar with and I definitely didn’t know she was a stand up comedian. The movie…
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Music and Lyrics (2007)
Full confession, I am a big Hugh Grant fan. Ever since he bumbled onto our screens in Four Weddings (I know he had roles before that hit), he has been a natural lead in the romantic comedy genre. Here we have him playing opposite Drew Barrymore. The story is a clever setup .. Grant is playing an aging 1980s popstar who has had his best days behind him, making a living…
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Spectre (2015)
Bond, James Bond is on his 24th outing after scoring extremely well with his previous Skyfall escapades. With Daniel Craig back with Sam Mendes can this duo strike gold twice? The anticipation for this Bond was fever pitch, especially when the trailer dropped with a wonderful Christoph Waltz as our Bond baddie, Blofeld, and of course a brand spanking, custom designed Aston Martin, the DB10. Throw in a great theme sung by…
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
I was really looking forward to this Guy Ritchie remake of the 1960′s TV series of the same name. I caught this movie in preview back when it was released before I was to depart on a plane to Scotland the next morning. I then went back to it, watching it with others, to see if my first impression was right or wrong. The Cold War setting, we have an…
the legend that is, Alan Williamson
For over 24 years, I’ve shared my thoughts here on this blog whenever the muse strikes.
It’s unpredictable, honest, unedited, and occasionally witty. I’m living the best years of my life, working harder than ever, learning each day and enjoying every second.
