{"@attributes":{"version":"2.0"},"channel":{"title":"Of Chaos and Order - Plants","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/","description":"These are all my Evergreen notes. You may peruse them as a list, but they\u2019re best understood through the links and backlinks that connect them.","generator":"Hugo -- gohugo.io","language":"en-us","webMaster":"Alex Bilson (acbilson@gmail.com)","copyright":"2020","lastBuildDate":"Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:41:07 +0000","item":[{"title":"The creative process","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-creative-process\/","pubDate":"Tue, 22 Apr 2025 15:41:07 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-creative-process\/","description":"Jerome Berryman illuminates the creative process in his book, “Godly Play: An Imaginative Approach to Religious Education”. There are so many parallels to a good DBS group and the creative process (see discovery stories.\nThe Creative Process (pg. 94)   Opening: the disruption of one’s circle of meaning\nA disruption may be caused by a hard or soft opening. A hard opening might be a tragic event or painfully sudden change which forces the person to re-evaluate."},{"title":"How to offer bible lessons","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/how-to-offer-bible-lessons\/","pubDate":"Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:59:41 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/how-to-offer-bible-lessons\/","description":"I’ve been so intimidated at the prospect of teaching my children about Jesus and the Bible. There are so many facets to consider: age-relevant methods, following their interests, not overloading them with instruction, choosing a topic, where to learn together, etc. One of the resources I’ve borrowed from a friend (thanks Natalie!) called Godly Play: An Imaginative Approach to Religious Education by Jerome Berryman has been a useful tool to organize my priorities and envision how a lesson might play out."},{"title":"Development patterns with ai","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/development-patterns-with-ai\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Apr 2024 08:04:43 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/development-patterns-with-ai\/","description":"In Hrishi Olickel’s LLM Hacker Guide he describes some of the ways his thoughts about the development process have changed since working closely with Large Language Models (LLMs).\nDevelopment Process Hrishi explores the ways that the development process has changed. He offers two other in-between processes, but below is the traditional and the new AI methodology.\n flowchart LR Write -- Compile -- Run   flowchart LR Chat -- Play -- Loop -- Nest  Traditional development is about writing code, compiling it, and running it."},{"title":"A sense of belonging","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/a-sense-of-belonging\/","pubDate":"Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:45:59 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/a-sense-of-belonging\/","description":"Your sense of belonging within a community is affected by the interplay between identity, perception, and reciprocity.\nBelonging, at least as an emotional experience, is never static. You move through networks of communities on a daily basis, with each community supporting a range of belonging that fluctuates based on the three factors I’ve listed and likely more. Here I’ll explore how these factors influence one’s sense of belonging in a single community and the consequences thereof."},{"title":"Writing with ai","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/writing-with-ai\/","pubDate":"Thu, 14 Mar 2024 14:44:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/writing-with-ai\/","description":"Inspired by Ethan Mollick’s newsletter today (I Cyborg, Using Co-Intelligence), I attempted a co-intelligence writing test of my own. I’d jotted some thoughts about belonging in my Bullet Journal that I thought could become an article, but I felt some hesitancy to tackle it lest I get stuck on such a broad topic.\nFirst, I dictated my scribbles into a digital note. Then I shared the results with an LLM and asked for a short summary, suggested resources on my main topics, and a revised version of my writing."},{"title":"The 500th post","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/the-500th-post\/","pubDate":"Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/the-500th-post\/","description":"This is my 500th post! Let’s celebrate…\nWriting Diversity Tags show broad categories that I’ve written more about than others. It won’t expose everything, but here are some of my most prolific tags. The first number is the count of unique posts I’ve written and the second is the count of quotes from others.\n apostolic(3\/19) business(33\/0) children(15\/3) cli(21\/0) communication(17\/2) culture(22\/0) design(13\/1) discipleship(4\/8) entrepreneurship(48\/0) evangelism(13\/1) faith(9\/8) fear(3\/11) formation(17\/18) identity(6\/9) interpretation(11\/1) javascript(21\/0) justice(11\/3) kingdom(13\/8) leadership(42\/5) love(4\/8) prayer(7\/11) scripture(12\/4) snippet(20\/0) software(14\/1) trust(9\/8) wisdom(7\/6) writing(12\/3)  (note to self: it’d be really cool to graph these on a timeline to show how my interests have pivoted over time."},{"title":"Deconstruction with Larry Wall","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/deconstruction-with-larry-wall\/","pubDate":"Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/deconstruction-with-larry-wall\/","description":"Below is the full response from Larry Wall, the creator of the Perl programming language, to a question about faith in God. I’ve taken it wholesale from butnotlost.blogspot since ya never know when it’ll disappear. I’ve put italics around my favorite parts.\nQ: I remember reading at some point that you are a Christian, and there have been suggestions that some of your early missionary impulses (a desire to do good, help others) are perhaps part of the zeal you have put into Perl over the years."},{"title":"What I love about the symphony","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-love-about-the-symphony\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-love-about-the-symphony\/","description":"Thought I’d collect these thoughts from my logs of last night’s symphony.\nFor me, the symphony is nostalgic. Many of my best memories as a young person were in the symphonic and marching band. I feel the trepidation and excitement when the xylophone rings out, cutting through the whole orchestra. I remember the joy of harmony. I recall marveling at the range and power of each instrument from the backstage view of the percussion section."},{"title":"Motivation management","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/motivation-management\/","pubDate":"Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/motivation-management\/","description":"Having a conversation with ChatGPT 4.0 about setting 2024 goals yielded this article about motivation. A couple points stand out.\nFirst, that motivation is highest at the beginning and end of a goal. This matches exactly with my 2023 exercise and memorization goals. I sustained motivation for the first three months until I was sidelined with a bout of sickness and the scheduling challenges of regular summer visitors. As the summer has waned and our visitors slow, my desire to return to these habits has increased."},{"title":"Thoughts on AI","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/thoughts-on-ai\/","pubDate":"Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/thoughts-on-ai\/","description":"In Software Development James Somers writes a thoughful piece about the effect that models like ChatGPT are having on his work and perception of future programming. He delves into the fears associated with this “tsunami” change but ends with a hopeful note by comparing the effect of LLMs on chess."},{"title":"Monastic rule of life","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/monastic-rule-of-life\/","pubDate":"Tue, 07 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/monastic-rule-of-life\/","description":"The Order of the Common Life has four rhythms and twelve commitments that comprise their Rule of Life.\n I still have my reservations. Yes, I think these are good things, but I’m not sure that this expression of spiritual disciplines is right for me. It feels like something could be missing, and a few of these are values that I’m not likely to follow through with, like lectio divina or shared work."},{"title":"Conversation about the Bible","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/conversation-about-the-bible\/","pubDate":"Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/conversation-about-the-bible\/","description":"What follows is a thread copied from a lovely Mastodon conversation across the past two days between my account @acbilson, @corbden, and @Shobeck).\nVisit the start of the thread here to read in full.\n@acbilson One rejection of the #bible I’ve witnessed is that it contains horrendous evil, even evil in which God’s actions get enmeshed.\nCase in point: Abraham’s nephew, Lot, offers his virgin daughters to be gang raped by his neighbors to protect his male guests."},{"title":"What I must say","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-must-say\/","pubDate":"Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-must-say\/","description":"There’s a fear which keeps surfacing in my psyche. It’s the fear that I will be taken away from my children by a society increasingly free to exercise violence towards nonconformity. This fear arises most often when I read articles about the narrow edge our society balances upon with the upcoming presidential election.\nOn a political level, I do not care whether one votes for a Republican or a Democratic candidate."},{"title":"Prompt engineering for developers","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/prompt-engineering-for-developers\/","pubDate":"Wed, 20 Sep 2023 09:18:18 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/prompt-engineering-for-developers\/","description":"(these notes originate from Jeff Mitchell’s presentation at Performance Trust).\nPrompt Engineering Tips  use delimiters to instruct the model which text to work upon (and which to ignore). request structured output (JSON, CSV, Markdown, etc). offer a way out if the input does not meet certain criteria. give the model more context and supply steps. Reduces errors, especially in deductive reasoning. Specify how the output should look. request that the model complete the solution before supplying an answer."},{"title":"How to pray for my family","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-to-pray-for-my-family\/","pubDate":"Wed, 07 Jun 2023 13:22:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-to-pray-for-my-family\/","description":"It’s my sense that many Christians in the United States are confused about our social location. We believe that we’re living in Israel. As Israel’s prophets confronted the kings of Judah with a call for Torah living, so we are convinced that the American Church’s role is to call for a national return to Torah.\nWe’re mistaken. We do not live in Israel, we live in Babylon. We are not Isaiah, we are Esther."},{"title":"Meditate day and night","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/meditate-day-and-night\/","pubDate":"Mon, 24 Apr 2023 15:56:10 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/meditate-day-and-night\/","description":"Psalm 1 describes the ideal, flourishing human in this way:\n [H]is delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  I feel inadequate to the task whenever I read this song. The ancients had the entire Torah memorized and their culture infused with Yahweh’s instruction. My culture, even at home, is infused with much besides the words of Yahweh and my brain is not up to that monumental task (and I’m better equipped for mass memorization than most)."},{"title":"What is a modern apostle","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-a-modern-apostle\/","pubDate":"Wed, 19 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-a-modern-apostle\/","description":"I want to more deeply investigate the gift and identity of the apostle. For examples I have Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others. But I don’t know where to begin, so here’s an outline:\n Apostles and Entrepreneurs (partially written) Apostles and Priorities Apostles and the other gifts (why no one is apostle-only, and what the other gifts mean for it)  "},{"title":"Practice embryonic breathing","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/practice-embryonic-breathing\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Apr 2023 08:38:41 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/practice-embryonic-breathing\/","description":"Embryonic breathing is a Qigong practice: Qi (chi\/energy) and gong (kung\/practice which takes great energy and time to master). Was originally two characters translated \u201cno heat\u201d and \u201cwater rice\u201d because first \u201cno heat\u201d describes peace (where to have heat was to be out-of-balance) and second \u201cwater rice\u201d describes the sources of energy to the human body.\nThe practice of Taiji (Tai Chi) and Qigong have similar aims. While Qigong can span from intense physical activity to motionless meditation, it typically falls in the middle, as does Taiji."},{"title":"Send files safely to anyone in the world","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/send-files-safely-to-anyone-in-the-world\/","pubDate":"Wed, 05 Apr 2023 11:27:58 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/send-files-safely-to-anyone-in-the-world\/","description":"What if you need to send sensitive information to a person on the other side of the planet? What if they need to send something to you? Here we’ll explore a simple options available to you.\nEmail Many email providers, such as Outlook and Gmail, encrypt sent email traffic by default. If both the sender and receiver email providers support TLS (Transport-Level Security), such as when one Outlook account emails another, then your message cannot be read if intercepted in-transit."},{"title":"How to make an apple pie","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/how-to-make-an-apple-pie\/","pubDate":"Mon, 03 Apr 2023 15:38:22 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/how-to-make-an-apple-pie\/","description":"In distress that I might have lost this recipe trifecta I’m publishing our apple pie recipe. It’s the loving combination of many recipes over the years, all combined into one incredible, deep-dish masterpiece. It’s my birthday pie.\nDeep Dish Apple Pie This recipe is a combination of three recipes. The pie crust is from Hoosier Mama in Evanston, IL, the crumb topping source has been lost to posterity, and the filling instructions are Amie and I’s mutual invention."},{"title":"Offer local user comment interaction","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/offer-local-user-comment-interaction\/","pubDate":"Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:30:18 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/offer-local-user-comment-interaction\/","description":"I’m wondering if it would be nice for users to take comments on my pages? Or for myself even? Here’s a self-contained example of a simple page that lets the user highlight a bit of text, make a short comment, and append it to the page. I’m not interested in wiring this up to a service or anything, but it’s pretty cool just to have this kind of local interaction with the content."},{"title":"Memorize the book of hebrews","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/memorize-the-book-of-hebrews\/","pubDate":"Fri, 17 Mar 2023 08:10:43 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/memorize-the-book-of-hebrews\/","description":"Below is a ChatGPT prompt response to help with my memorization (with a little formatting). I was five prompts deep into training ChatGPT to help me scaffold my memorization of the book of Hebrews. It explained space repetition and mind palaces fairly accurately, but it wasn’t personally helpful until I started asking for examples. For creative exploration, it’s great. I needed the motivation to tackle this project, and applying ChatGPT is helping to keep me going."},{"title":"Use the default tools","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/use-the-default-tools\/","pubDate":"Thu, 16 Mar 2023 11:58:02 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/use-the-default-tools\/","description":"I know this will be controversial, but it’s best to learn and use the most basic tool for a given task. I’m thinking specifically of technology. Let me give you some examples:\n In web development, learn to write websites in HTML\/CSS with only a text editor. In sysadmin work, use systemd and crontab from a terminal CLI.  Here are a few reasons why:\nUbiquity TODO: add more\nKnowledge is Power TODO: add more"},{"title":"Human motivation is a moving continuum","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/human-motivation-is-a-moving-continuum\/","pubDate":"Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:33:46 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/human-motivation-is-a-moving-continuum\/","description":"A question on every parent’s mind is, “how do I motivate my child to do what is good?”\nSelf-Determination Theory, or SDT, uses scientific methods to explore factors that both enhance and detract from human motivation.\nIntrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation Many parents have heard about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but let’s define them.\nIntrinsic motivation is when a person wants to do a task purely for the pleasure of it. The reward is in the doing, so to speak, and not tied to anything outside the person’s own curiosity and interest."},{"title":"What is a latent growth model","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/what-is-a-latent-growth-model\/","pubDate":"Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:24:16 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/what-is-a-latent-growth-model\/","description":"Quasi-Simplex Pattern I received the following answer from ChatGPT:\nExplain quasi-simplex patterns in latent growth models to an amateur.\n C-3PO: You flea-bitten furball! Only an overgrown mop-head like you would be stupid enough\u2026\nProcessing (whirr\u2026)\nIn the context of latent growth modeling, a quasi-simplex pattern refers to a specific type of change over time that is characterized by a relatively linear increase or decrease followed by a plateau or leveling off in the later stages of the observed time period."},{"title":"Web development is both imperative and declarative","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/web-development-is-both-imperative-and-declarative\/","pubDate":"Mon, 06 Mar 2023 13:11:49 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/web-development-is-both-imperative-and-declarative\/","description":"Jeremy Keith explores Imperative\/Declarative web development and how team culture defines the paradigm a project chooses more than the language itself in this Youtube Video. It’s insightful and short: only 22 minutes.\nJeremy defines imperative programming in terms of control.\n  Imperative programs stipulate each step (instantiate this array, iterate over this collection, put items that meet this criteria into the instantiated array). Side-effects are minimized, but the code must also describe everything that must be accomplished."},{"title":"Dotnet snippets in justfile","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/dotnet-snippets-in-justfile\/","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/dotnet-snippets-in-justfile\/","description":"In a recent project there were a few dotnet and Docker snippets that I wrapped into Justfile commands which saved me many headaches.\n\u2139\ufe0f\n All of these commands are executed in PowerShell. You'll need to add this line to the top of your Justfile for it to use PowerShell as its default interpreter.\nset windows-powershell := true \n The first runs the project locally. Nothing special. But it also runs a pre-requisite check function which ensures that another service that my project depends on is running."},{"title":"Visualizations inspire united prayer","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/visualizations-inspire-united-prayer\/","pubDate":"Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:44:33 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/visualizations-inspire-united-prayer\/","description":"In what ways can an individual mobilize prayer among his friends and neighbors for their community?\nOne powerful means are visualizations. A simple map opens the mind to the shape of one’s community and inspires creative ways to engage within the boundaries of a neighborhood. It can easily be shared and further layers can be added to track any number of topics you may be praying towards.\n The blue markers are neighbors with whom I've had at least one conversation and know their names."},{"title":"Surrender is an act of defiance","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/surrender-is-an-act-of-defiance\/","pubDate":"Wed, 01 Mar 2023 13:21:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/surrender-is-an-act-of-defiance\/","description":"I tend to be allergic to the word “surrender.” I don’t think I’ve ever joined in singing that old hymn “I Surrender All.” It’s my own hang-up\u2013whatever\u2013but I’ve been meditating on Jesus' victory over the powers of darkness through his surrender unto death and it occurred to me that surrender isn’t always a passive thing. Perhaps sometimes it’s passive, but it’s also sometimes militant.\nSurrender of myself to the Lord is an act of defiance."},{"title":"Slim your dotnet dockerfile","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/slim-your-dotnet-dockerfile\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/slim-your-dotnet-dockerfile\/","description":"After discovering ways to shrink your python dockerfile, I immediately cringed when I saw my baseline dotnet Docker image was about 200MB. How can this be slimmed? Thanks to Brandon Atkinson for the ideas.\nThe base Microsoft runtime image is a startling 190MB, so the first thing we’ll need to do is replace this image with something a bit more slim. Alpine Linux anyone? Let’s look at the minimum setup you’ll need to produce a single executable for an Alpine distro."},{"title":"Test a dotnet web service","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/test-a-dotnet-web-service\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/test-a-dotnet-web-service\/","description":"Here are the basic steps to configure a service that uses HttpClient to make HTTP calls which can be unit tested.\n\u26a0\ufe0f\n This was developed for a dotnet 7 console app. You may find that your code is more\/less verbose.  The Service Under Test First, here’s a basic template for a dependency-injected service. You can use these examples to refactor an existing service to inject an IHttpClientFactory so we have an interface to mock in our tests."},{"title":"Seeking a job change","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/seeking-a-job-change\/","pubDate":"Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/seeking-a-job-change\/","description":"The Fear That Won’t Let Me Sleep I’ve been sick all week, but that’s not why I can’t sleep. Fear keeps my mind running long past my body’s need for rest.\nI fear losing my job. Many technology companies, from Microsoft to Google, have laid off thousands of employees. Speculation is rampant, ranging from poor management to union busting to recession planning. But whether blame is laid on the economy or the CEO, the effect on my own security is the same."},{"title":"Do not mix truth and beauty","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/do-not-mix-truth-and-beauty\/","pubDate":"Fri, 27 Jan 2023 11:24:16 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/do-not-mix-truth-and-beauty\/","description":"We humans are tempted to equate beauty with truth. If something is beautiful, we reason, then it’s more than likely true, right? Wrong.\nDr. Sollereder makes a solid argument that beauty is not a reliable indicator for truth. She writes,\n\ud83d\udcac\n Historically, many beautiful, simple, and elegant ideas in science were wrong. Johannes Kepler thought the orbital distance of the six (known) planets were related to the Platonic solids. It is a lovely, attractive idea, but wrong."},{"title":"List of systemic evils","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/list-of-systemic-evils\/","pubDate":"Mon, 23 Jan 2023 10:03:38 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/list-of-systemic-evils\/","description":"I’ve run into so many examples of systemic evil in the last couple years, from racism to poverty, that I don’t want to forget. So this is where I’ll store them.\nFinancial Inequality Tax Evasion - Trusts \ud83d\udcac\n Thanks to Janklow, Citibank and other major companies came to South Dakota to dodge the restrictions imposed by the other 49 states. And so followed the explosion in consumer finance that has transformed the US and the world."},{"title":"Choose your analogy carefully","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choose-your-analogy-carefully\/","pubDate":"Mon, 23 Jan 2023 09:34:49 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choose-your-analogy-carefully\/","description":"The analogies one uses to describe their work disclose important aspects about how they view one’s craft. These analogies then shape the tools which are created and dangle on one’s toolbelt.\nTwo of my favorite analogies, teaching and pottery share the same goal of undermining the development-as-bricklaying mindset around which many development tools have organized.\nThe brick-laying analogy (and the managerial mindset that software is “built”) has created tools which don’t fit the work."},{"title":"Prayer from 2022","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/prayer-from-2022\/","pubDate":"Mon, 23 Jan 2023 09:12:17 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/prayer-from-2022\/","description":"\u2139\ufe0f\n On rare occasions I'll write out a prayer, such as when it's hard to figure out my own heart. This was one of those times, here recorded in memoriam. \n Jesus,\nI feel dead inside. The passions that sometimes take me are like that quote, “all sound and fury, signifying nothing.” There are stories of pastors and businesspeople who burnt out and discovered something better, but I haven’t even done anything yet."},{"title":"What is electromagnetic energy?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/what-is-electromagnetic-energy\/","pubDate":"Fri, 20 Jan 2023 14:16:10 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/what-is-electromagnetic-energy\/","description":"I had not considered that heat radiance, such as that put forth by my space heater, is a form of energy in exactly the same way as light and Wi-Fi. I seem to have the same view of the world which existed before the 1980’s.\n\ud83d\udcac\n For a long time, people were confused about just what type of energy was circulating in our bodies. Many people believed that it was heat, others considered it to be electricity, and many others assumed it was a mixture of heat, electricity, and light."},{"title":"Words for spirit across cultures","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/words-for-spirit-across-cultures\/","pubDate":"Fri, 20 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/words-for-spirit-across-cultures\/","description":"Much of what is true has its echo in many cultures. It’s been an ageless wonder that, despite the struggles to identify the origins of various people groups, nearly every one shares a story of a devastating flood (e.g. Noah’s flood).\nThe subject of spirit in other cultures is one which I am wholly ignorant. Thankfully, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming has helpfully connected words across a few major cultures.\n\ud83d\udcac\n You should understand that this natural Qi has not only been studied by the Chinese spiritual Qigong practitioners but also by other human cultures."},{"title":"Restoration demands both justice and purification","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/restoration-demands-both-justice-and-purification\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Jan 2023 15:59:13 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/restoration-demands-both-justice-and-purification\/","description":"It didn’t occur to me until reading Matt Webb’s musings, but sometimes direct restitution is insufficient for true justice.\nWebb quotes a 1917 paper by Walter W. Hyde called The Prosecution of Lifeless Things and Animals in Greek Law: Part I to make his case that Greeks felt that, even if the perpetrator of a crime could not be brougt to justice, the community still required purification from the offense."},{"title":"Personhood is a spectrum","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/personhood-is-a-spectrum\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Jan 2023 15:35:43 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/personhood-is-a-spectrum\/","description":"Thanks to the musings of Matt Webb I discovered a February 14th, 2022 study with the awesome name of Corporate Insecthood. As Matt suggests, the chart on page 6 is of particular interest.\nIt’s an intuitive idea, that personhood is on a spectrum. I notice every time I meet a person who would treat their dog or cat more human-ly than I would (or, sometimes, even more human-ly than other humans)."},{"title":"Trade is not swapping fixed value objects","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/trade-is-not-swapping-fixed-value-objects\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Jan 2023 15:35:43 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/trade-is-not-swapping-fixed-value-objects\/","description":"TODO: find a good definition for what trade IS, then rename this post.\n\ud83d\udcac\n the classic cognitive error of imagining that trade is about swapping fixed-value objects, rather than creating new value from a confluence of one\u2019s needs and the other\u2019s affordances. It\u2019s only in the imaginary zero-sum world that you can generally replace trade with stealing the other party\u2019s stuff, if the other party is weak enough. Katja Grace"},{"title":"How to be an adult","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/how-to-be-an-adult\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Jan 2023 14:58:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/how-to-be-an-adult\/","description":"Artur Piszek describes the situation of many adults in the United States,\n\ud83d\udcac\n We are all sure everybody else has [adulting] figured out while being too ashamed to admit we could use a few pointers ourselves. Artur Piszek\n Are We Cursed By Specialization? His heading, “Modernity Likes the Helpless You” is partly true but, while I admit that “greas[ing] the wheels of commerce” is a factor, the modern shift to specialization is driven by more than capitalism."},{"title":"Artifacts from my single life","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/artifacts-from-my-single-life\/","pubDate":"Wed, 04 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/artifacts-from-my-single-life\/","description":"Inspired by Joshua Steele’s review of the exercises in What Color Is Your Parachute?, I dug up some ancient artifacts from my own exercises when I was a single man.\n\u26a0\ufe0f\n These documents were written a LONG time ago. I was single and had almost zero responsibilities. My life has changed in so, so many ways since I wrote all this down, but these documents were guides and regular exercises for a number of years."},{"title":"Becoming a father","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/becoming-a-father\/","pubDate":"Mon, 12 Dec 2022 09:27:59 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/becoming-a-father\/","description":"The process of becoming a father is more lonely and ambiguous than I anticipated.\nIn the early days of fatherhood I believed, if I could apply some universal parenting principles, adjust for blind spots in our sociey, and add a few father-specific principles, I’d be a great dad.\nHowever, the daily practice of being a father is only marginally informed by principles. It’s much, much more informed by the traits of my own parents."},{"title":"The loneliness of the parent","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/the-loneliness-of-the-parent\/","pubDate":"Mon, 12 Dec 2022 09:27:59 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/the-loneliness-of-the-parent\/","description":"Parenting can be lonely. Despite our best efforts to understand and support one another, Amie and I still cannot fully grasp the experience of the other. I suspect this is common, just the process of becoming a father can be lonely.\nWhen Royal trips and hurts himself, it’s right for a parent to comfort him. But he will only accept comfort from Amie. Even if she is not at home and I’m right before him, he will wait as long as it takes for Amie to return and violently reject empathy and comfort from anyone else."},{"title":"Quotes without context invite misunderstanding","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/quotes-without-context-invite-misunderstanding\/","pubDate":"Tue, 06 Dec 2022 11:19:07 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/quotes-without-context-invite-misunderstanding\/","description":"Out-of-context quoting is a practice weaponized to deface people, but I don’t want to address that here. Instead, I will consider the practice of well-meaning Christians to publish Bible verses to a mass audience.\nSome Christians like to publish verses on social media, or put verses on their windows, binders, walls, etc for others to see. The intent is good\u2013to share the words that give you life\u2013but the consequences aren’t."},{"title":"When to build your own software","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/when-to-build-your-own-software\/","pubDate":"Tue, 06 Dec 2022 11:13:07 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/when-to-build-your-own-software\/","description":"Mike outlines the transition between a custom-build workflow using proprietary software and the building of custom software. He calls it The Spreadsheet Gap.\nThis is exactly the same gap I\u2019ve witnessed where I currently work; a financial services firm. My customers request Excel features be built into our non-Excel website. Sometimes this is simple, but more frequently there is disappointment when they find that a \u201csimple\u201d Excel feature translates into months of development time."},{"title":"Interpreting the sermon on the mount","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/interpreting-the-sermon-on-the-mount\/","pubDate":"Tue, 06 Dec 2022 10:47:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/interpreting-the-sermon-on-the-mount\/","description":"Interpretation of the Bible can vary widely. Joshua Steele quotes NINE approaches to interpreting Matthew 5:1-7:29, commonly called Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.\nThis passage starts and ends with two nearly identical bookends.\n\ud83d\udcac\n And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23 (ESV)\n (A long stretch of teachings, followed by numerous stories)"},{"title":"Prefer Light DOM to Shadow DOM","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/prefer-light-dom-to-shadow-dom\/","pubDate":"Tue, 06 Dec 2022 10:12:12 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/prefer-light-dom-to-shadow-dom\/","description":"While there are legitimate uses for Shadow DOM, light DOM ought to be preferred until it is absolutely necessary to place your component’s element tree outside the main document.\nOne common use-case which does not require shadow DOM is a custom element that does something special with events.\nLight DOM Use-Case Let’s say you have a custom element called <chaos-filter>. It has a form with a <select> dropdown and a filter <button> which applies the selected option to a list of children."},{"title":"Implement an oath2 authorization flow","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/implement-an-oath2-authorization-flow\/","pubDate":"Sat, 03 Dec 2022 15:00:47 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/implement-an-oath2-authorization-flow\/","description":"TODO: finish this article\nAdd disclaimer about my example: may not need private server, etc.\nSteps  GET authorization route from service with redirect to current page open route in new window (snippet, link to article about enabling popups on iOS) gather code from redirected url on same page send code to origin window and close new window. (snippet) send code to my server\u2019s token endpoint server requests token with code."},{"title":"Stage hunks in git","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/stage-hunks-in-git\/","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/stage-hunks-in-git\/","description":"Like Pawel I’ve been tethered to source control GUIs because I didn’t know how to stage code hunks in the same file into different commits. But no longer!\nThe answer is so simple I can’t believe I didn’t search for it earlier.\ngit add -p name_of_file.txt How easy is that?"},{"title":"The suffering and the patience","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-suffering-and-the-patience\/","pubDate":"Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:38:27 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-suffering-and-the-patience\/","description":"Current favorite Greek words? \u03b8\u03bb\u1fd6\u03c8\u03b9\u03c2 and \u1f51\u03c0\u03bf\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03ae\nThe first is translated “tribulation” in the KJV, but that translation doesn’t do much good for me who, after all these years, still can’t get the claws of dispensationalism totally out of my head. Seeing the word “tribulation”, I still envision either some future period of intense suffering or an exceptionally intense personal struggle.\nWhat I am discovering; however, is that the etymology of the word is a metaphor taken from intense pressure, as in the pressing of grapes to produce wine."},{"title":"Christmas wish list","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/christmas-wish-list\/","pubDate":"Tue, 22 Nov 2022 10:58:10 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/christmas-wish-list\/","description":"Graham & Royal Graham and Royal’s lists are easiest to manage on Amazon, but you don’t have to buy them from Amazon.\n Graham Amazon Wish List Royal Amazon Wish List  Amie  Poster by Charles Mackesy Baking Rack Set No Drama Discipline by Daniel Siegel Influence is Your Superpower by Zoe Chance Beeswax Hand Cream Beeswax Body Butter Wingspan Board Game  Alex  Posters and\/or cards from The Thinking Shop."},{"title":"Inject web component dependencies","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/inject-web-component-dependencies\/","pubDate":"Mon, 21 Nov 2022 14:14:02 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/inject-web-component-dependencies\/","description":"If you’re transitioning from a framework like Angular to native web components it feel natural to inject services into your components. When you discover it’s not possible via the constructor, you may give up and use a framework after all. Or you might engineer your own dependency injection decorators. But there’s another lightweight option. Let me show you.\n\u2139\ufe0f\n These instructions are perfect for small, private use-cases. If you're building dozens of services with interlocking dependencies, there's no decent option besides a framework."},{"title":"Test web components with playwright","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/test-web-components-with-playwright\/","pubDate":"Thu, 17 Nov 2022 12:39:27 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/test-web-components-with-playwright\/","description":"So you’ve created a native web component or two. How do you test them in popular browsers?\nPackages There are a few tools to install.\nFirst, test-runner to find and execute our tests. It comes with the Mocha test framework by default, and we won’t change it. Might as well install chai too for test assertions and expectations.\nSecond, the browser runner Playwright plugin. Playwright integrates headless browser testing into the mix, allowing us to run our code inside a browser context for every one of the major browser binaries (chromium, firefox, webkit)."},{"title":"Build web components for forms","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/build-web-components-for-forms\/","pubDate":"Wed, 09 Nov 2022 15:00:23 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/build-web-components-for-forms\/","description":"Forms are an obvious web component, but there are a few gotchas. Stephen solves a common problem when writing my own web components: How to communicate with a form tag. I’m curious to try his approach for myself.\nI recently took a different approach: don’t use the shadow DOM at all. Then the browser has no trouble connecting the input tags with the form. See my chaos-filter, which is used on this page."},{"title":"What is sin","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-sin\/","pubDate":"Tue, 08 Nov 2022 11:55:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-sin\/","description":"I’ve heard that the common definition of sin is “to miss the mark.” There’s a target, a perfect legal standard, and when we fail to live up to the standard we’ve committed sin. But is that accurate?\nThere are two strikes against this definition. First, the word is introduced in Genesis 4:7, not as a legal requirement, but on analogy to a wild animal crouching before Cain, ready to pounce and kill him."},{"title":"Humanity is created in the image of god","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/humanity-is-created-in-the-image-of-god\/","pubDate":"Wed, 02 Nov 2022 10:16:40 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/humanity-is-created-in-the-image-of-god\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, \"Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.\"  Humanity is created in God’s image."},{"title":"Writing reminders","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/writing-reminders\/","pubDate":"Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:56:03 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/writing-reminders\/","description":"Sometimes I just need a few words of encouragement to keep writing online. Here’s my collection.\nDuplication is welcome; there’s plenty of room \ud83d\udcac\n The internet isn't like a crowded room. When you're saying something, it's not like you're talking over someone else. There is actually room for everyone to say however much they want. Sam Borick\n Don’t repeat yourself, write it down and share it It’s part of unix philosophy to write a function once and share it across the project instead of duplicating it."},{"title":"Stick to the basics","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/stick-to-the-basics\/","pubDate":"Wed, 02 Nov 2022 09:19:51 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/stick-to-the-basics\/","description":"To write consistently, you must remove obstacles to putting words down. Most of those barriers will be internal, but don’t let the writing tools get in your way. The best writing tools of the Internet age bring the simplicity of a pencil and paper to the screen.\nMacWright recommends that you never change the technology. His recommendation stems from a danger many technologist face; spending our time tinkering instead of writing (guilty \u270b)."},{"title":"Biblical movements in the Torah","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/biblical-movements-in-the-torah\/","pubDate":"Thu, 20 Oct 2022 13:20:38 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/biblical-movements-in-the-torah\/","description":"Thanks to The Bible Project I’ve gotten a better feel for the shape of the Torah. Here’s the general outline by movement, as Tim and Jon would put it. There is also sub-structures which I hope to fill in.\nGenesis - Four Movements\n Adam to Noah 1:1-11:26 Abraham 11:27-25:18 Isaac and Jacob 25:19-37:1 Jacob’s Sons 37:2-50:26  Exodus - Three Movements\n The Exodus from Egypt 1:1-13:16 Israel at Mount Sinai 13:17-24:18 The Tabernacle Constructed 25:1-40:38  Leviticus - Three Movements"},{"title":"Test your namecheap API","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/test-your-namecheap-api\/","pubDate":"Wed, 19 Oct 2022 15:02:12 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/test-your-namecheap-api\/","description":"My Let’s Encrypt SSL cert was accidentally expired. It’d been updated, but certbot created a new cert instead of updating the existing one. I don’t know why. Anyways. This led me to explore how I might automate this and viola, trwnh has done it!\nBefore you plug in trwnh’s Python script, however, maybe you just want to check out the API for yourself? Here’s a fish script to do it."},{"title":"Document your API","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/document-your-api\/","pubDate":"Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:14:03 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/document-your-api\/","description":"Turns out that the UK has great advice for Documenting APIs."},{"title":"A prayer for my children","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/a-prayer-for-my-children\/","pubDate":"Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:04:14 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/a-prayer-for-my-children\/","description":"If my boys live to old age, they will see the dawn of 2100. What will they need?\nAbove all, they\u2019ll need the same that I need - Jesus.\nBut how can I transmit to them all the anguish, the rage, the weeping and groaning that has driven me towards the cloud of fire and smoke? Or the joy, the beauty, the longing and the passion that has beckoned me into the courts of Yahweh?"},{"title":"Crisis demands shared leadership","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/crisis-demands-shared-leadership\/","pubDate":"Thu, 13 Oct 2022 12:02:41 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/crisis-demands-shared-leadership\/","description":"The shape of our two primary political party\u2019s response to COVID demonstrates the great need we have for multiple dominant parties.\nIn the early stages of the pandemic, it was the Democratic party\u2019s response that proved most human. Most Democrats were swift to listen to scientific guidance and protect the vulnerable, to release funds and organize a coherent response. The Republican party, in contrast, quibbled with the scientific community, claimed moral superiority in upholding freedom at the expense of the vulnerable, and balked at even modest capital expenditure."},{"title":"Evidence based decisions reduce stress","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/evidence-based-decisions-reduce-stress\/","pubDate":"Thu, 13 Oct 2022 11:44:15 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/evidence-based-decisions-reduce-stress\/","description":"Every parent knows the overwhelming feeling of making a decision that could affect the health of their baby. One of the first such experiences is about where they sleep.\nBefore you leave the hospital with your newborn you’re likely to be warned about SIDS. Horrifying images of walking up to your baby’s bed to find they’re not breathing will terrify you into doing whatever the doctor says. But usually there’s a cost, and the doctor doesn’t tell you."},{"title":"Run CLI commands in python","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/run-cli-commands-in-python\/","pubDate":"Thu, 13 Oct 2022 10:31:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/run-cli-commands-in-python\/","description":"Python is a great language. Sometimes, however, you need to interact directly with the operating system. Like in this case, when I needed to run a few Git commands, or if I’d written a Rustlang CLI. Turns out, a pretty simple problem to solve.\ndef try_run_cmd(cmds: List[str], cwd: str) -> Tuple[str, str]: output = None try: output = subprocess.run(cmds, capture_output=True, check=True, cwd=cwd) except CalledProcessError as e: return None, f"{e} : {e."},{"title":"Conditional and union types are better","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/conditional-and-union-types-are-better\/","pubDate":"Thu, 13 Oct 2022 09:54:17 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/conditional-and-union-types-are-better\/","description":"Elsewhere I advocate for that developers use http response objects. TypeScript has a couple nifty improvements that can really make these response objects simple: Union and Conditional types.\nLet’s say you have an Author object returned from your API. Now you want to add response properties. Type Union to the rescue!\nexport interface Response { success: boolean; message?: string; } export interface Author { id: number; name: string; age: number; } \/\/ the union is an ampersand type AuthorResponse = Author & Response; \/\/ and a typed example const x = <AuthorResponse>{ success: true, name: 'Alex', age: 34 }; That worked great for your \/artist GET request, but now you need an \/artist PUT."},{"title":"Choose a static site host","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choose-a-static-site-host\/","pubDate":"Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:54:22 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choose-a-static-site-host\/","description":"Kev Q has written a detailed Comparison of Static Site Hosts."},{"title":"Recurse tree nodes","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/recurse-tree-nodes\/","pubDate":"Wed, 12 Oct 2022 14:30:31 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/recurse-tree-nodes\/","description":"Reasons to build recursive functions happen infrequently enough that I often forget how to do it. Here’s an example I wrote recently to retrieve a flat array of nodes in a tree which meet a certain requirement. Essentially it’s a recursive filter. It’s been made generic so that any object which implements the Node interface can use it.\nexport interface Node { public parent?: Node; public children?: Node[]; } export function getNodesBy<T>(propFunc: (Node) => boolean, tree: Node[]): T[] { const getNodes = (items: Node[]) => { const matches = items."},{"title":"40 questions for the year","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/40-questions-for-the-year\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Oct 2022 13:20:49 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/40-questions-for-the-year\/","description":"Inspired by Stephan, here’s an in-progress list of questions to answer once per year. I don’t know that I’ll ever hit forty of them, but who knows?\n What did you do this year that you\u2019d never done before? Did anyone close to you give birth? Die? What was your biggest achievement of the year? What was your biggest failure? What hardships did you face? What help did you receive? What was the best thing you spent money on?"},{"title":"Hilarious Bilson family quotes","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/hilarious-bilson-family-quotes\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Oct 2022 13:20:49 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/hilarious-bilson-family-quotes\/","description":"This is a tear-inducing, hilarious list of quotes and circumstances with our boys Graham and Royal. Enjoy!\nSept 25, 2021 \nGraham: "Sorry mama." (in regards to some very minor infraction).\nAmie: "It's ok Graham, I forgive you."\nGraham: "I forgive you too."\nAmie: "Oh, what do you forgive me for?"\nGraham: (turns and starts playing with his trucks, and quietly under his breath) "So much...so so much."\n\n Sept 26, 2021"},{"title":"How to write a thesis","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/how-to-write-a-thesis\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Oct 2022 10:17:22 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/how-to-write-a-thesis\/","description":"Umberto Eco wrote a seminal book on the subject, How to Writa a Thesis. In it he offers the benefits of writing a doctoral thesis and also the criteria for a doctoral thesis."},{"title":"Capitalism may encourage poverty","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/capitalism-may-encourage-poverty\/","pubDate":"Wed, 05 Oct 2022 22:11:22 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/capitalism-may-encourage-poverty\/","description":"This paper written about Capitalism and Extreme Poverty shows that a common narrative, that one of Capitalism’s greatest achievements has been to raise people out of poverty, is patently false. It’s very detailed, but the abstract is easy enough to read and the charts help a lot."},{"title":"From solitude through surrender to compassion","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/from-solitude-through-surrender-to-compassion\/","pubDate":"Tue, 04 Oct 2022 13:26:34 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/from-solitude-through-surrender-to-compassion\/","description":"The Desert Fathers and Mothers of the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. exited common Roman society to live in the Egyptian desert. According to Henri Nouwen,\n\ud83d\udcac\n They escaped from the sinking ship [of Roman society] and swam for their lives. And the place of salvation is called desert, the place of solitude. Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart, pg. 7\n Nouwen’s premise is that, without transformation, Christians are conformed to the mores of their society like passengers sailing ignorantly aboard a sinking ship (metaphor from Merton)."},{"title":"Generosity evidences faith in God's provision","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/generosity-evidences-faith-in-gods-provision\/","pubDate":"Mon, 03 Oct 2022 15:27:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/generosity-evidences-faith-in-gods-provision\/","description":"Those who place their trust in Jesus to pardon them on the day of judgment must place that same trust in him to provide for their basic needs today. It won’t do to say, “Jesus will rescue me from future judgment,” while one’s current attitude is “I must rescue myself from poverty and need.” Might it be possible that those who will not rely upon Jesus to save them in the present age demonstrate that they have no real faith in Jesus' salvation at the judgment?"},{"title":"How to be hot or cold","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-to-be-hot-or-cold\/","pubDate":"Mon, 03 Oct 2022 13:32:48 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-to-be-hot-or-cold\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n \u2018I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-17 (ESV)\n This excerpt starts Jesus' rebuke of the Laodicieans. On its surface, it’s a vivid rebuke of a church community that has lost its way. But what does this mean, “cold or hot”?"},{"title":"The desert fathers arose when persecution ended","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-desert-fathers-arose-when-persecution-ended\/","pubDate":"Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:57:24 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-desert-fathers-arose-when-persecution-ended\/","description":"According to Henri Nouwen, the Desert Mothers and Fathers came into being as a response to the end of physical persecution. They sought a new form of witness in a world where it was no longer dangerous to claim the name of Christ. And they sought to separate themselves from a society that they felt was poisonous to Christian faith and practice.\n\ud83d\udcac\n But if the world was no longer the enemy of the Christian, then the Christian had to become the enemy of the dark world."},{"title":"Corporations can oppress millions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corporations-can-oppress-millions\/","pubDate":"Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:25:38 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corporations-can-oppress-millions\/","description":"While I lean towards a positive view of business, I don’t need to look far to discover countless ways that corporations oppress humans. For every piece of software that improves human life there are ten that degrade it. A visit to the grocery store is a weekly reminder that most grocery stores are dehumanizing.\nAmericans have an odd relationship to this reality. Our history textbooks generally associate corporations with progress, innovation, and growth, while most of the negative features: slavery, colonialism, and war, are associated with governments, often just a leader."},{"title":"Most grocery stores are dehumanizing","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/most-grocery-stores-are-dehumanizing\/","pubDate":"Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:54:47 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/most-grocery-stores-are-dehumanizing\/","description":"One of the worst experiences I have on a weekly basis is buying food at the local Safeway.\nA gloomy pall sits on everyone inside. From the staff to the customers, no one wants to be there. But neither is there an alternative.\nThe first weeks at an unfamiliar grocery store I’m condemned to re-walking re-walking corridors of boxes and cans in search of a few items I can’t seem to find."},{"title":"Create developer setups with tmux and justfile","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/create-developer-setups-with-tmux-and-justfile\/","pubDate":"Thu, 29 Sep 2022 15:06:19 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/create-developer-setups-with-tmux-and-justfile\/","description":"After learning how to save and restore a tmux session, I began to wonder if I couldn’t leverage tmux for a more project-specific use. To my joyful surprise, that’s even simpler than using the plugin.\nAll the pieces of a tmux session can be generated from the command line, complete with options to configure them just so. To organize the command list I use my favorite command runner, Justfile. Here’s an example taken from my chaos-theme repository:"},{"title":"Publish npm package to local repository","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/publish-npm-package-to-local-repository\/","pubDate":"Wed, 14 Sep 2022 15:08:59 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/publish-npm-package-to-local-repository\/","description":"I wanted to share a set of authentication web components from chaos-auth so I could use them in my website\u2019s static build. Keeping these components close to the authentication server lets me keep the responsibilities close, since these components will be heavily tied to my authentication implementation.\nStep 1: Publish Locally To publish a package you\u2019ll simply need a name and version value in your package.json file. Here\u2019s a paired-down example:"},{"title":"Save and restore a tmux session","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/save-and-restore-a-tmux-session\/","pubDate":"Wed, 14 Sep 2022 08:49:34 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/save-and-restore-a-tmux-session\/","description":"As the number of running commands has increased from one to four, I’ve needed a better way to manage all the running terminals. I’ve always wanted to give tmux a try, and this was the perfect opportunity. But it takes a little time to run all the commands across different Git repositories so that my entire environment is ready for local development. What I needed was a way to save my session, and that’s exactly what the tmux-resurrect plugin does."},{"title":"Embed web components into static HTML","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/embed-web-components-into-static-html\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Sep 2022 14:07:24 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/embed-web-components-into-static-html\/","description":"I’ve successfully published hundreds of articles using only a static site generator. Sometimes though, I itch to create reactive elements like I build at work with Angular. What is a developer to do?\nMy needs are tiny, so here is a tiny way to get started.\n\u2139\ufe0f\n My intended goal is to supply a small number of custom web components for most pages on my website that I can inject via Hugo shortcodes."},{"title":"The verge of new parenthood","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/the-verge-of-new-parenthood\/","pubDate":"Mon, 29 Aug 2022 13:36:07 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/the-verge-of-new-parenthood\/","description":"I’ve enjoyed reading Ben’s work for more than a year now, and his recent thoughts on the verge of parenthood have particularly resonated with me since it was only five years ago that I searched for answer to similar questions. As a means to reflect on my own experience and to give Ben another perspective, here are my responses to his ten questions. Do go read his own answers here, they’re enlightening."},{"title":"Embed a onedrive video","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/embed-a-onedrive-video\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:49:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/embed-a-onedrive-video\/","description":"To embed a OneDrive video I follow these steps:\nStep 1: Convert If it is a MOV file (almost certainly), I’ll need to convert it to MP4.\n Download it to my laptop. Convert the file to an MP4 with ffmpeg.  ffmpeg -i video.mov video.mp4 TODO: May be worth considering compression options. Videos are humongous.\nStep 2: Upload Upload the MP4 version to the Videos folder.\nStep 3: Embed Thanks to Omar I was able to figure out how to instruct the browser to download and play the video."},{"title":"Move to Rapid City","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/move-to-rapid-city\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Aug 2022 06:45:12 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/move-to-rapid-city\/","description":"When we vacationed in Rapid City last summer, I didn’t expect we’d be living in Rapid City the next year. But that’s what has happened.\n Let's go to Rapid City!  The Preparation The trip began a day earlier for Amie and the boys. Amie picked up her mom at O’Hare around 1:00 p.m. and they immediately drove to the Wisconsin Dells. I’d meet them there the following evening."},{"title":"Teach the computer with tests","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/teach-the-computer-with-tests\/","pubDate":"Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:02:58 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/teach-the-computer-with-tests\/","description":"Thanks to Mikel Evins' post Programming as teaching I realized that my favored programming style is at odds with common practice. I knew something was off from the kinds of conflict I’d have with other developers, but Mikel made the difference stand out to me.\nEarly in my corporate programming career I became enamoured with testing. Unit tests, integration tests, component tests, you name it.\nIt was strange to me at that time that I hadn’t cared much about testing until I joined a corporation."},{"title":"Configure fish shell for python","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/configure-fish-shell-for-python\/","pubDate":"Wed, 20 Jul 2022 09:52:47 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/configure-fish-shell-for-python\/","description":"In software tools I gravitate towards simplicity, then ubiquity. The fish shell has those priorities in the perfect order. But if you use it for working with Python virtualenvs, you’ll find it’s not ready. This is probably because virtualenv has poor support for anything but bash, but I don’t know for sure.\nThe problem lies in the activation script. While you’re average shell can just run venv\/bin\/activate and you’re in, fish has two obstacles."},{"title":"Manage your dotfiles","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/manage-your-dotfiles\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jul 2022 10:31:39 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/manage-your-dotfiles\/","description":"Thanks to Evan Hahn for his Decade of Dotfiles, I was inspired to clean up my own dotfiles. His suggestion for stow was particularly helpful. You can review my dotfile configurations here."},{"title":"Benchmark your web service with ab","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/benchmark-your-web-service-with-ab\/","pubDate":"Fri, 03 Jun 2022 10:40:03 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/benchmark-your-web-service-with-ab\/","description":"Time to test your web service with more than a single request? Let’s use ab!\nHere’s a silly example.\nab -n 1000 -c 100 localhost:3000\/healthcheck This runs 1,000 requests at a rate of approx. 100 at a time. It runs on a single thread so it’s not technically 100 at the same time, but rather in bursts of 100.\nYou’ll get a nifty breakdown of requests success\/failure and the distribution of response times in milliseconds."},{"title":"Note taking answers three questions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/note-taking-answers-three-questions\/","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:07:27 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/note-taking-answers-three-questions\/","description":"Baldur sees note-taking as answering one of three questions:\n How do I manage my creativity?  Generate ideas in a structured way through research and sketching. Preserve those ideas. Explore the ideas until they have gelled into a cohesive plan or solved a problem.   How do I manage my knowledge?  Extend your memory to help you keep track of useful information (client data, meeting notes, references). Connect that information to your current tasks or projects so that you can find it when you need it."},{"title":"Notes are a means to an end","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/notes-are-a-means-to-an-end\/","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 18:07:27 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/notes-are-a-means-to-an-end\/","description":"Notes are a means to an end, or telos. The ‘end’ might be visualized by either a concrete object or a formative experience.\nConcrete Telos Most note-taking is for the purpose of a deliverable. A thesis perhaps, or some other concrete project. Note-taking that has no end in mind lacks a context and is in danger of what Baldur calls “an intimidating database of opaque words and alien ideas” (The Different Kinds of Notes)."},{"title":"Note taking process towards an end","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/note-taking-process-towards-an-end\/","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 11:57:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/note-taking-process-towards-an-end\/","description":"Purpose is one perspective you might take when researching note-taking and the tools at your disposal. Another is process.\nBaldur reduces all note-taking into three steps: Collect, Contextualize, and Map.\nCollect The first step is simply to get the note into your repository. Whether it’s a cardboard box or a digital Kanban board, the priority is speed and reference.\nContextualize This step will have different needs depending on the writer’s purpose."},{"title":"Note taking tools and strategies","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/note-taking-tools-and-strategies\/","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 11:57:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/note-taking-tools-and-strategies\/","description":"A broad review of note-taking strategies for long-form writing was conducted by Baldur Bjarnason in a three-part series as part of his Colophon Cards project.\nBefore reading Baldur’s excellent research, you should know that notes are a means to an end. Much of note-taking is a form of idea-hoarding, but Baldur’s research is sourced from writers who use note-taking for something, whether a thesis, a book, or some other project."},{"title":"Notes as maps or boxes","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/notes-as-maps-or-boxes\/","pubDate":"Thu, 02 Jun 2022 11:57:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/notes-as-maps-or-boxes\/","description":"In The Different Kinds of Notes, Baldur concludes that there are essentially two organizational strategies, Boxes and Maps. Baldur deduces the two strategies differ only in what must be internalized.\nBoxes A box is a context-external organizational unit. A cardboard box, a digital folder, a binder and a desk drawer might all qualify. Anything which matches the context label of the box can be found inside. In my system, tags are a type of box."},{"title":"Understand kubernetes","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/understand-kubernetes\/","pubDate":"Tue, 31 May 2022 15:24:30 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/understand-kubernetes\/","description":"Because I often do research into the subject of containerization and Kubernetes, maybe it’s time to collect my notes here.\n Kubernetes Resources Learn Kubernetes with Ivan  "},{"title":"Learning Methodologies","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/learning-methodologies\/","pubDate":"Tue, 31 May 2022 15:19:32 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/learning-methodologies\/","description":"Influenced by my own interests and the needs of my two boys, learning methodologies are becoming an important subject. Not sure where this’ll lead, but it’s a start.\n Note-taking Research  "},{"title":"Advice for my children","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/advice-for-my-children\/","pubDate":"Tue, 31 May 2022 15:11:13 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/advice-for-my-children\/","description":"Honestly, not sure whether this’ll take off or not, but it’s a fun idea I discovered from Kevin Kelly, 103 Bits of Advice."},{"title":"Host a social site","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/host-a-social-site\/","pubDate":"Tue, 31 May 2022 15:05:54 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/host-a-social-site\/","description":"As my desire to form multi-cultural, local\/international communities grows, tutorials like Run Your Own Social Site are increasingly appealing."},{"title":"Get published today feed","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/get-published-today-feed\/","pubDate":"Fri, 20 May 2022 20:55:54 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/get-published-today-feed\/","description":"This JavaScript snippet reads multiple RSS\/XML feeds on my site and adds a list of the items published on this day to the bottom of my page. I may use this in future to add a “Published On This Day” feed to my site, kind of like how OneDrive will pop up a picture from last year.\nconst parser = new DOMParser(); const today = new Date(); const lastYear = new Date(today."},{"title":"Read logs with journalctl","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/read-logs-with-journalctl\/","pubDate":"Fri, 20 May 2022 12:37:04 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/read-logs-with-journalctl\/","description":"journalctl is one of the best tools I’ve learned to use often when debugging my set of chaos services running Podman via systemd on my Raspberry Pi. Lots still to learn, but here are a few tidbits.\nFind out what your options are If you print out the journalctl results with no filters it can be way overwhelming. But figuring out what field to filter can seem impossible. For example, specific services will include their own fields."},{"title":"Backup vps preparations","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/backup-vps-preparations\/","pubDate":"Thu, 19 May 2022 14:26:51 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/backup-vps-preparations\/","description":"Before I can run my Ansible scripts on a backup server there are a few preparations to get it ready to connect.\nStep 1: Add a user I’ll add a user for Ansible to use. This command will prompt for a name and password.\nadduser abilson My user will need sudo permissions so Ansible can run root privileged commands like chown.\necho 'abilson ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL' > \/etc\/sudoers.d\/010_abilson_nopasswd The user should also be given an ssh key."},{"title":"Reduce development friction","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/reduce-development-friction\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 May 2022 15:20:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/reduce-development-friction\/","description":"Victoria Drake has a must-read article about Technical Ergonomics."},{"title":"Eternal life is deliverance from spacetime","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/eternal-life-is-deliverance-from-spacetime\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 May 2022 09:59:24 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/eternal-life-is-deliverance-from-spacetime\/","description":"This image is encouraging to me at this time because I\u2019ve also been meditating on eternal life.\nWhile we live in this temporal life, friendship and camaraderie are haunted by fear of loss. The older I become, the more friendships I enjoy, the more barbs of sadness I seem to carry in the friendships that have grown dim by distance and time. But humans aren\u2019t meant to be pincushions of sadness and loss."},{"title":"We find our true selves via death","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/we-find-our-true-selves-via-death\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 May 2022 09:59:24 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/we-find-our-true-selves-via-death\/","description":"Merton speaks of a true self that only God knows, a self formed by the person and God in union together. But (every one of us is shadowed by a false self), masks we wear that can\u2019t be real for God does not recognize them. That’s why Merton claims that if i am true to the thought of him i shall find him everywhere in myself.\nHowever, the presence of God is fearful to us because, as a consuming fire, he burns up false selves and leaves only what\u2019s true."},{"title":"Write systemd unit files","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/write-systemd-unit-files\/","pubDate":"Thu, 12 May 2022 11:10:31 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/write-systemd-unit-files\/","description":"I don’t fully understand it’s history, but there was a wave of conflict when Debian choose to standardize service initialization on systemd. I’m not here to argue for or against it; only to suggest that, if you’re running a Linux machine that uses this as its core initialization, you’ll benefit from using the same. Don’t tack on another service manager if you can help it because, as I argue elsewhere, it’s best to use the default tools."},{"title":"Pick a software language for your project","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/pick-a-software-language-for-your-project\/","pubDate":"Thu, 12 May 2022 08:25:34 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/pick-a-software-language-for-your-project\/","description":"I’ve read many articles from software developers about the value of learning multiple software languages. It may not be for everyone, but that’s been a good path for me. I enjoy the challenge of learning new idioms, solving challenges in new ways, and reading the codebases of my favorite tools.\nOne problem these suggestions don’t address is how to make choices after you’ve learned a half-dozen languages. If your employer runs a MSSQL\/."},{"title":"Deploy nonroot containers","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/deploy-nonroot-containers\/","pubDate":"Thu, 12 May 2022 08:05:34 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/deploy-nonroot-containers\/","description":"One of the advantages touted by the Podman team over Docker is that you can choose to run containers as a user other than root. This is a security feature since, if a container were compromised by a malicious user and broke out of its container process, they would not have root privileges.\nActually running containers as non-root users, however, adds a surprising complexity. Most container images, including those I’ve created myself, were drafted in Docker."},{"title":"Set remote fish prompt","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/set-remote-fish-prompt\/","pubDate":"Fri, 06 May 2022 08:12:29 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/set-remote-fish-prompt\/","description":"I enjoy using the fish prompt, and fish_config is brilliant. But if I want to swap my remote terminal to another prompt but don’t want to open a hole in my firewall to run the config web page, it’s not obvious how I can do that. So, for posterity, here’s what you do.\nAll the starter prompts are located at the following path. Execute them as a script and, boom, now your prompt will be set to that default."},{"title":"Build your own CI\/CD pipeline","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/build-your-own-ci-cd-pipeline\/","pubDate":"Thu, 05 May 2022 08:52:40 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/build-your-own-ci-cd-pipeline\/","description":"The Journey Ends My journey towards a self-hosted devops pipeline began a few years ago with steps to architect a personal devops pipeline. The system grew into the Podman era when I wrote how to host your services with podman.\nInspired by Christian \u015etef\u0103nescu’s brilliant design for a Tiny CI System and motivated by the need to redeploy my entire web stack to a cloud server while we move, I’ve crafted my own minimal deployment system that may be the last step in my devops saga for a while."},{"title":"Disable startup programs with launchctl","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/disable-startup-programs-with-launchctl\/","pubDate":"Tue, 19 Apr 2022 07:24:56 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/disable-startup-programs-with-launchctl\/","description":"From time to time on MacOS I end up with a program that decides it’s so important that it deserves to open a GUI every time I log in. Annoying. These programs seem to deliberately enjoy keeping their settings out of the normal setup so that I cannot uncheck “Open at Login” in the right-click menu and disable it. But there’s a CLI for that.\nTo see all the programs (and there’s a lot), you can run the launchctl tool."},{"title":"Hike the centennial trail","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/hike-the-centennial-trail\/","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/hike-the-centennial-trail\/","description":"To hike the Colorado Trail, 486 miles across the entire Rocky Mountain range, has been my aspiration from childhood. I vividly remember as a child daydreaming on our drives along I-70 of crossing the entire Rockies with nothing more than a pack mule.\nBut I’m out of shape. Badly. So maybe let’s aim for a more achievable goal first? The Centennial Trail, a 124 mile trip through the Black Hills of South Dakota."},{"title":"Read books across domains","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/read-books-across-domains\/","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/read-books-across-domains\/","description":"Found this book list from a university in Naperville, IL. There are recommendations in many subjects, most of which I know little about, but the authors are recognizable."},{"title":"Vscode tips","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/vscode-tips\/","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/vscode-tips\/","description":"\u2139\ufe0f\n Use `CTRL-SHIFT-SPACE` to show constructor arguments while creating a class. Extremely useful when your trying to wire properties to the correct argument. \n "},{"title":"Reply to others","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/reply-to-others\/","pubDate":"Wed, 30 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/reply-to-others\/","description":"I’d really like to write responses to the most interesting articles that I read. Maybe in agreement, maybe in dissent. Until that project takes off, here’s a list I’ll build.\nGrandpa Has Different Rules.\nA short business insight related to customer service from this quote:\n\ud83d\udcac\n Jean-Louis Gass\u00e9e, who used to run Apple France, describes this situation as the choice of the two tokens. When you deal with people who have trouble, you can either choose to taken the token that says \u201cit\u2019s no big deal\u201d or the token that says \u201cit\u2019s the end of the world\u201d."},{"title":"Parent with a plan","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/parent-with-a-plan\/","pubDate":"Mon, 28 Mar 2022 14:45:37 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/parent-with-a-plan\/","description":"Amie, my grandmother and I watched the story of Richard Williams a couple evenings ago and I haven’t been able to get my mind off of it.\nRichard pulled two approaches together I didn’t think could be merged. First, he had a thorough, specific and overarching plan for his daughter’s lives. Second, he sought to build into them the independence and skill to choose their own path.\nHis 85-page plan for his daughters might have provoked resentment had he pressured his daughters to achieve without the family’s investment."},{"title":"The now and not yet","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-now-and-not-yet\/","pubDate":"Mon, 21 Mar 2022 21:01:37 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-now-and-not-yet\/","description":"Life in the now-and-not-yet-kingdom can be an emotional teeter-totter between the “now” and the “not yet.”\nWhen I review world history from the past 2,000 years, there’s little evidence for a triumphalist view of the Kingdom’s spread throughout the earth. Cycles of violence and oppression continue without abatement from the days of Noah to the hour of Ukraine’s invasion. The United State’s self-image of type of Promised Land is unmistakably stained with the blood of Native Americans and Africans alike."},{"title":"Choosing a tech stack","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choosing-a-tech-stack\/","pubDate":"Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choosing-a-tech-stack\/","description":"Software projects often get postponed while I decide on the tech stack. What kind of data storage? What programming language? Which framework, if any? My abundant choices sometimes paralyze me from actual building.\nThere are many stories one might approach software development, but one that I might benefit from goes, “code is cheap. Build it with what you know and, if it needs to be improved, rebuild it.” Julia Evan’s three points from Ines Sombra explores this in the reverse; what motivates a system change:"},{"title":"Front end development checklist","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/front-end-development-checklist\/","pubDate":"Thu, 17 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/front-end-development-checklist\/","description":"In other fields than software development, checklists ensure a series of complex steps are correctly completed. I wonder why that hasn’t caught on in my domain? Anyways, here’s my first attempt at a front-end pull request checklist.\n Code is descriptively named or commented   A few useful logs are added.   Unused import statements and console logs are removed.   Memory leaks are resolved. Examples include: hanging subscriptions, etc."},{"title":"Files are loosely coupled interfaces","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/files-are-loosely-coupled-interfaces\/","pubDate":"Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:30:37 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/files-are-loosely-coupled-interfaces\/","description":"How does one build an interoperable ecosystem of personal (or communal) applications? Impressed by Linus Lee’s enormous ecosystem, I emailed him with my own questions about underlying data structures. He pointed me to an invaluable article by Gordon Brander, if headers did not exist, it would be necessary to invent them. Linus summarizes:\n\ud83d\udcac\n The basic idea is that documents and entities are key-value pairs, with a few \"blessed\" keys that are universal and an open space for other keys to become used by specific use cases."},{"title":"Chaos suite architecture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/chaos-suite-architecture\/","pubDate":"Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/chaos-suite-architecture\/","description":"Re-inspired by Linus Lee, I’m thinking about what’s left to fill out the chaos architecture.\nAuthentication First, I require infrastructure to authenticate parts of my chaos services, preferably without implementing authentication for each individually. I am inspired by Vouch Proxy, but I have not presently been able to install it on a 32-bit ARM architecture. However, implementing the Auth Request Module interface doesn’t seem impossibly hard; here is an example in Golang."},{"title":"Why specialize as a software developer","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/why-specialize-as-a-software-developer\/","pubDate":"Fri, 04 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/why-specialize-as-a-software-developer\/","description":"Specialization for role advancement Listening to my colleagues chat about a recent interviewee, I came to a realization about obtaining the ‘senior’ bit of ‘senior software engineer.’ Longevity in the domain or breadth of knowledge will never achieve a promotion because ‘senior’ means someone who is exceptionally well versed at [pick your language or framework]. Sure, a senior needs to have high-quality communication skills, but that won’t get them hired if they can’t demonstrate an esoteric level of knowledge in [pick your language or framework]."},{"title":"Stages of faith development","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/stages-of-faith-development\/","pubDate":"Thu, 03 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/stages-of-faith-development\/","description":"How does a person’s faith develop over the course of their lives? In broad categories, what distinct stages might a person move through in their development? These are the kinds of questions that Faith Development Theory tries to answer.\nJessie Cruickshank offers a three-part video series (Part 1 here) where she explains the six stages of faith development. She does a ton of work making James W. Fowler’s research coherent and applicable to disciple-making."},{"title":"What is the five fold ministry","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-the-five-fold-ministry\/","pubDate":"Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-the-five-fold-ministry\/","description":"The acronym APEST describes five spiritual gifts that Christ embodied and distributed to humanity. It’s not the only list of spiritual gifts, but it’s the one that seems most to describe the architecture of a church community, since these are given for the building up of the Church. But what are they exactly?\n5Q Central describes the five gifts by the question, “What would this gift do with a bar of chocolate?"},{"title":"Apostles co-create with God","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/apostles-co-create-with-god\/","pubDate":"Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/apostles-co-create-with-god\/","description":"When I ponder the spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians, APEST, I think about function. What does an apostle do? How is it different\/similar to the evangelist’s gift? Rarely do I consider the experience of using the gift with God.\nJessie Cruickshank offers a beautiful homily on the parental feeling inherent in giving birth to God’s kingdom in the world. She meditates on Mary's experience as the God-bearer, the prophets of the LORD, and the artisans of the Tabernacle."},{"title":"Use the minimum number of machines","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/use-the-minimum-number-of-machines\/","pubDate":"Fri, 28 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/use-the-minimum-number-of-machines\/","description":"Whether hosting a personal web service or launching entrepreneurial software, use the least number of machines to achieve your goal.\nBecause of the prevalence of cluster software like Kubernetes, you may conclude that the way of the future for any software is to run inside a geographically dispersed, distributed set of Kubernetes clusters. Talk of the power of microservices and the incredible feats of engineering that Google, Facebook, and Amazon have achieved with these power tools builds a lot of FOMO in our industry."},{"title":"Maintenance requires a single owner","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/maintenance-requires-a-single-owner\/","pubDate":"Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/maintenance-requires-a-single-owner\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n If two men feed a horse, it will lose weight; if two men keep a boat, it will soon leak. Church Plantology by Peyton Jones, pg. 79\n TODO: Use household maintenance as an example."},{"title":"Humans find meaning in community","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/humans-find-meaning-in-community\/","pubDate":"Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/humans-find-meaning-in-community\/","description":"TODO: Refer to hosting friends over the weekend. Talk about how covid affects meaning.\nI wonder what I might learn from Linus' thinking about communities? Much of what he explores fits with my present quandry in finding a place, not only to write, but also to engage others. It’s not that I want to build a community per se, but I do want to interact with others via some means other than Twitter and Facebook."},{"title":"Tools for building community","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/tools-for-building-community\/","pubDate":"Wed, 19 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/tools-for-building-community\/","description":"Linus Lee laments that tools aren’t built to assist community leaders in the formation of lively communities and suggests that we have a long ways to go. Here are a few tools I’ve found that might help.\n\ud83d\udcac\n I think there\u2019s a wide-open space for us to build much, much better tools for community leaders. A community leader\u2019s most important job is to be the model community member and contributor \u2013 all other concerns should fade into the background of their work, and we are far from it today."},{"title":"Birmingham epistle","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/birmingham-epistle\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/birmingham-epistle\/","description":"Letter From Jail is a beautifully typeset rendition of Martin Luther King Jr’s epistle from Birmingham jail, with a crucial and timeless analysis of justice, oppression, love and race. It is also a stunning example of a modern day epistle in the same vein as Galatians."},{"title":"Install firacode font","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/install-firacode-font\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/install-firacode-font\/","description":"Every once in a while I discover a visual tweak to my software programming work that makes me wonder how I ever lived without it. For example, Victoria’s post on technical ergonomics is a great source for delightful tools.\nIn the same vein, the FiraCode font is an aesthetic masterpiece. While it’s hard to measure, my sense is that the intuitive gliphs have reduced my mistakes by making my code easier to read."},{"title":"Render essential content server side","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/render-essential-content-server-side\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/render-essential-content-server-side\/","description":"Modern Angular and React SPAs compose entire websites from the client. Components construct the HTML, fetch all the data, and render the site from a bare HTML page and a JavaScript bundle. It’s efficient for the programmer, but can be unnecessary or even harmful.\nOne of the stalwart benefits of the Internet is the ability to share what you’ve discovered. After all, URL stands for “Universal Resource Locator.” But 100% client-side rendering collapses all states into a single resource location."},{"title":"Hide nodes by sum of attribute","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/hide-nodes-by-sum-of-attribute\/","pubDate":"Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:46:02 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/hide-nodes-by-sum-of-attribute\/","description":"My tags list has 195 tags with a single entry. One of the primary purposes for tags is to compare writing with the same tag to discover similarities, so these entries achieve little.\nA simple button to the tags list with the following JavaScript will hide all tags with a plant and stone sum of less than two.\ndocument.querySelectorAll("div.terms-page__terms>div").forEach((el) => { var txt = el.childNodes[0].childNodes[1].innerText; var txtSum = txt.slice(1,-1).split('\/').reduce((p,c) => Number(p) + Number(c)); if (txtSum < 2) { el."},{"title":"The vaccine mandate is illogical and illegal","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/the-vaccine-mandate-is-illogical-and-illegal\/","pubDate":"Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/the-vaccine-mandate-is-illogical-and-illegal\/","description":".indented { margin-left: 24px; }  This is an open letter for Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and Evanston DHHS Director Ike C. Ogbo.\nDear Mayor Biss and Director Ogbo,\nI am writing to you today to ask that you recall today’s Vaccination Mandate Public Health Order.\nToday’s Evanston DHHS Vaccination Mandate public health order is illegal. It is also incoherent with published health facts.\nBefore we consult our U."},{"title":"Evangelism is making disciples","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-is-making-disciples\/","pubDate":"Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-is-making-disciples\/","description":"In our attempts to define evangelism, sometimes we can make it so narrow that it’s no longer connected with the holistic mission of the Church. Overnarrowing has affected both evangelists and “regulars”.\nEvangelists have decided that their sole focus is to scatter seeds of the gospel far-and-wide but leave discipleship to whatever church community an interested person happens to walk into. Much of their work is misspent because they don’t get close enough to their hearers to understand their pain or misconceptions."},{"title":"Look everywhere for the spiritually open","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/look-everywhere-for-the-spiritually-open\/","pubDate":"Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/look-everywhere-for-the-spiritually-open\/","description":"When we think of evangelism, it’s often stuck in some particular venue or approach. While our sense to get out and look is spot-on, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to a single place in our search to find the peaceful people.\nWhen jesus modeled taking the gospel to the people, he didn’t limit the message to any venue. He was ready to tell people about himself in the streets and on trial, alongside a well and in the synagogue."},{"title":"We give more than we have","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/we-give-more-than-we-have\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/we-give-more-than-we-have\/","description":"Strict adherence to the adage that we can give others only what we have - a Biblical concept (see Matthew 12:35) - has overpowered two equal realities.\nFirst, our treasure is external to us. His words and presence are not limited by the vessel\u2019s spiritual vitality. We are not batteries that must be charged in order to emit light. Though spiritual practices are essential to all disciples, mission is not contingent or subsequent to our personal growth."},{"title":"The good news begins with the back story","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-good-news-begins-with-the-back-story\/","pubDate":"Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:05:24 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-good-news-begins-with-the-back-story\/","description":"Christopher Wright notes that nearly all Christmas renditions skip Matthew’s first sixteen verses; the geneaology of Jesus the Messiah. Maybe we’re missing something since Matthew wants to start with the geneaology?\nMatthew uploads the whole backstory of the Hebrew scriptures with a crafted geneaology that spans three covenantal arcs: from Abram to David, from David to the Exile, and from the Exile to Jesus. We’re supposed to have the promise to Abram that he would be the father of many nations in our mind, and that through him all the families of the world would be blessed."},{"title":"Sabbath is a social imperative","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/sabbath-is-a-social-imperative\/","pubDate":"Tue, 07 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/sabbath-is-a-social-imperative\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. Exodus 20:8-10 (ESV)\n The Sabbath commandment in Exodus is corporate."},{"title":"Ornament memorial","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/ornament-memorial\/","pubDate":"Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/ornament-memorial\/","description":"This is a family memorial represented in the ornaments adorning our Christmas tree.\n This ornament is a gift from Bronson Weston and Alexis Hruby. The Spirit enriched our lives in first year of the coronavirus pandemic with their fellowship and the joy of introducing them to Mark's gospel about Jesus. My heart overflows with gratitude every time I remember them for the joy of their obedience to our Lord and faithful God."},{"title":"Integrity is more valuable than competency","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/integrity-is-more-valuable-than-competency\/","pubDate":"Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/integrity-is-more-valuable-than-competency\/","description":"While applicants are assessed for competency, employees prefer integrity over skill in their colleagues.\nThis insight is evident from personal experience, but research into the use of challenging and supportive voice conducted at Binghampton University may shed more light.\nChallenging voice - communication that challenges the status quo and focuses on new ideas and efficiency.\nSupportive voice - communication that strengthens social ties and trust and builds the friendly cohesion of a team."},{"title":"Shrink your python dockerfile","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/shrink-your-python-dockerfile\/","pubDate":"Mon, 06 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/shrink-your-python-dockerfile\/","description":"A discovery I made when moving services to Docker containers was the sheer size of a Python container! If you only pull down the latest Python base image and install your dependencies, your image can be upwards of 200Mb. Fortunately, there’s at least one multi-stage Dockerfile build tip that can save you lots of space.\nLocal Package Install The command pip install -r requirements installs your package dependencies under the root python library."},{"title":"Where I see myself in 2024","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/where-i-see-myself-in-2024\/","pubDate":"Fri, 03 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/where-i-see-myself-in-2024\/","description":"Mike, my manager, asked me to produce a three-year-plan and a five-year-plan as a means for him to understand the trajectory of my career and know how he can help me arrive. Thoughtful question, even if it does feel a little like homework coming from my boss.\nThe past few years we’ve barely managed to make yearly goals. The chaos of early childhood has given me a renewed sense of how little is truly under my control."},{"title":"Reasons to migrate to a digital garden","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/reasons-to-migrate-to-a-digital-garden\/","pubDate":"Tue, 30 Nov 2021 19:58:24 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/reasons-to-migrate-to-a-digital-garden\/","description":"In December I will make a change to the structure of my website that will break nearly every existing link. Here’s why.\nMy website has evolved out of my own emerging needs. By now it’s become a small ecosystem of web pages and services, only a portion of which are used by my Internet buddies.\nIt began in 2019 for two purposes: an outlet to continue a writing habit started in my MBA program, and a place to share our family’s experiences for posterity."},{"title":"Freedom from spiritual enslavers","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/freedom-from-spiritual-enslavers\/","pubDate":"Sat, 20 Nov 2021 21:54:37 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/freedom-from-spiritual-enslavers\/","description":"In both the Exodus story and Jesus' resurrection there was a defeat of the spirit powers; the gods of Egypt and the prince of this world. Jesus' victory changes no geopolitical boundaries and produces no visible earthly dominion, but it is on analogy with Israel’s flight from Egypt as the ultimate redemption from oppression.\nOne implication of this news is that the invisible powers are the truest enslavers and root source of humanity’s failure to live as image bearers (not that we bear no responsibility, but as those who are coerced, not “free agents”)."},{"title":"Javascript build tooling is a mess","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/javascript-build-tooling-is-a-mess\/","pubDate":"Thu, 18 Nov 2021 15:38:37 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/javascript-build-tooling-is-a-mess\/","description":"It’s refreshing to read Julia’s article about esbuild. I’ve found the JavaScript build tooling to be an obtuse, obscure mess ever since I first began to use it years ago. When that’s all a person knows, like many front-end developers I’ve met, then it’s taken for granted that this is a necessary evil. But when you’ve used clean, simple back-end CLI’s like dotnet or scaffolded your project’s pipeline with a Makefile, the wreckage that is JavaScript bundling and transpiling feels gross."},{"title":"Learn WebAssembly with Blazor","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/learn-webassembly-with-blazor\/","pubDate":"Wed, 17 Nov 2021 19:01:16 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/learn-webassembly-with-blazor\/","description":"My manager asked me today what technology I’d like to explore. Could be anything, just have to bring back something for my team to learn. The first topic that came to mind was browser-native web components, but he suggested I look into WebAssembly. Since wasm has greater implications for my day-to-day work, I agreed to take it on.\nThese are my scratch notes and I learn how it’s done by building a POC called fire-tables."},{"title":"The horse 35","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-horse-35\/","pubDate":"Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-horse-35\/","description":"For a season of my childhood there were horses. Chief among them was Thirty-five, the ancient dappled-grey mare whose size and demeanor frightened me least of the three. She was purchased with the name ‘Thirty-five’ but no explanation for the numerical designation. We inferred that Thirty-five must have been the count of circles she’d turn if you attempted to ride out beyond the barn alone. She was a pack animal and no more, comfortable in the world only if behind another."},{"title":"Define fluid and stable content","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/define-fluid-and-stable-content\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/define-fluid-and-stable-content\/","description":"There are two elemental types of content in any digital garden: fluid and stable. Gardeners will make their own distinctions about the two, but a distinction is necessary because of the differing approaches one might take with entry and upkeep. To merge these types into the same workflow invites confusion.\nFluid content is in-progress. It’s unpolished, uncategorized raw material. It might comprise a bookmark to an online article, a wild thought jotted down while walking, a journal entry, or a project status update."},{"title":"Gardens as networks of private insight","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/gardens-as-networks-of-private-insight\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/gardens-as-networks-of-private-insight\/","description":"Andy’s site, referred to as “working notes”, construct a “thinking environment” that Andy uses to generate his own content About these notes. He does encorporate external resources, but these are secondary to his own writing and typically consist of links rather than unique objects. Subjects are explores in sections, marked with a ‘\u00a7’.\nThe way Andy organizes these into collections is by section (or MOC). The relationships become a network, not by accidental inclusion into the same tag group, but by deliberate referencing and backreferencing."},{"title":"Define fluid and stable content","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/define-fluid-and-stable-content\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/define-fluid-and-stable-content\/","description":"There are two elemental types of content in any digital garden: fluid and stable. Gardeners will make their own distinctions about the two, but a distinction is necessary because of the differing approaches one might take with entry and upkeep. To merge these types into the same workflow invites confusion.\nFluid content is in-progress. It’s unpolished, uncategorized raw material. It might comprise a bookmark to an online article, a wild thought jotted down while walking, a journal entry, or a project status update."},{"title":"Gardens As museums of other's content","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/gardens-as-museums-of-others-content\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/gardens-as-museums-of-others-content\/","description":"Nick Trombly organizes his content by tag and author. There are nuances, but a typical page shows all the content he’s collected on the subject, such as anxiety. By contrast, Andy Matuschak organizes his notes by hyperlink reference. The typical page shows a single note, with the option to display references to and references from side-by-side, such as Evergreen notes.\nNick’s site, identified as a commonplace book, contains little of his own writing."},{"title":"Leadership failures","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/leadership-failures\/","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Nov 2021 17:39:13 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/leadership-failures\/","description":"Since having my own run-in with a notably horrific manager I’ve made new discoveries about the nature of my manager’s faults. Let’s catalog them here, starting with this link:\nDisrespectful Employee"},{"title":"God favors mercy over judgment","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-favors-mercy-over-judgment\/","pubDate":"Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-favors-mercy-over-judgment\/","description":"Even in the midst of judgment the LORD shows mercy to individuals who repent. Joshua’s conquest begins with the story of a Canaanite woman, Rahab, who’s faith gave Israel courage and delivered, not only her own life, but the life of her father, mother, and all her siblings (see rahab preserves israelite spies). This stands in juxtaposition to the Canaanite kings who, upon hearing of Israel’s military victories, banned together to destroy them."},{"title":"God is slow to judge but swift to execute","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-is-slow-to-judge-but-swift-to-execute\/","pubDate":"Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-is-slow-to-judge-but-swift-to-execute\/","description":"It’s a pattern in the LORD’s judgment to be long in coming but swift and complete in execution. The wickedness of those dwelling in Canaan did not bring destruction upon their heads for over four centuries, but when it was full, retribution was like the days of Noah or Sodom and Gomorrah. He offers each generation, from the time Abram walked the land until Joshua began to deliver cities over to destruction, the opportunity to repent."},{"title":"God promises humans deliver retribution","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-promises-humans-deliver-retribution\/","pubDate":"Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-promises-humans-deliver-retribution\/","description":"Israel’s destruction of the nations who inhabit Canaan matches the pattern of the flood narrative as a consequence for filling the land with violence, but I’ve wondered why, this time, it was Israel who delivered the consequence. I mean, Noah was a passive observer when God let creation collapse upon his generation.\nIt didn’t bother me too much that the LORD uses people to deliver retribution since the LORD uses Babylon later to do the same thing to Israel, but recently I realized that’s what the LORD had promised to do."},{"title":"God wants more humans","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-wants-more-humans\/","pubDate":"Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-wants-more-humans\/","description":"Sometimes it’s thought that the Hebrew Bible is more judgment-focused while the Greek Bible is grace-focused, but it just takes more pondering to see it in the first 3\/4 of the Bible. For example, in the Noah story, the LORD reflects on the human condition and determines that humans from Noah’s generation will be no better than those wiped out in the flood for filling the earth with violence. Nevertheless, He promises to never again destroy all living things with a deluge."},{"title":"The bible is for wisdom and pleasure","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-bible-is-for-wisdom-and-pleasure\/","pubDate":"Thu, 28 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-bible-is-for-wisdom-and-pleasure\/","description":"While reflecting on one of the Psalms, I thought, “Wow, this song is so generic; I’m not getting anything out of it.” Then I noticed in the textual notes that the Psalm and the one to follow were an acrostic, and the Holy Spirit reminded me of a verse out of Genesis. God’s words both supply nourishment and delight.\n\ud83d\udcac\n And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food."},{"title":"Technology pendulum observation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/technology-pendulum-observation\/","pubDate":"Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:36:01 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/technology-pendulum-observation\/","description":"There’s a pendulum I’ve observed in the world of technology. It may be a law that extends beyond software developers, but it’s evident from individual technologies in software development. I suspect it’s a broad business principal that is more easily observed in technology because of the rapid pace of innovation.\nThe general shape of the pendulum is this. First, a pressing need forces software developers to implement a non-standard fix. The fix becomes so ubiquitous that soon there are libraries, sometimes even frameworks, devoted to solving that need for a mass audience."},{"title":"Interpretive replacements sometimes erase context","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/interpretive-replacements-sometimes-erase-context\/","pubDate":"Fri, 15 Oct 2021 12:39:15 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/interpretive-replacements-sometimes-erase-context\/","description":"There’s a practice I’ve encountered in Biblical interpretation which often leaves me with some unease. Not because I haven’t done it myself, I have. Maybe it’s because the practice feels too close to interpretation by mystic symbology.\nThe practice is finding a term or phrase in the New Testament that gets applied to Jesus, then interpreting that term as a pseudonym for Jesus in the Old Testament. The example I run into most regularly is the transformation of “Angel of the LORD” to “Jesus pre-incarnate”."},{"title":"Replace facebook","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/replace-facebook\/","pubDate":"Thu, 14 Oct 2021 18:43:40 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/replace-facebook\/","description":"While I appreciate Heather Kelly’s piece, Apps To Use If Leaving Facebook, for her suggestion that it might be possible to find alternatives by transitioning to multiple services, it doesn’t go far enough. It’s a major step forward when a single corporation doesn’t entirely rule one’s online use, but Kelly’s alternatives aren’t appreciably different than Facebook. Each offers free service by progressively converting users into products. The only reason her alternatives don’t receive our disdain is that they’re not popular enough to turn the public’s critical eye."},{"title":"How does the holy spirit change humanity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-does-the-holy-spirit-change-humanity\/","pubDate":"Wed, 13 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-does-the-holy-spirit-change-humanity\/","description":"The first two-thirds of the Bible’s storyline is waiting breathlessly for the human who will finally be the true image of God, defeat the serpent and deal with the wake of destruction caused by human failure and foolishness. But after Jesus, the story’s culminating point, the wait for a new human is over. However, the new humanity inaugurated by Jesus has many mysteries. One of these mysteries is how it will be any better than its forebears."},{"title":"Learning to trust authority again","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/learning-to-trust-authority-again\/","pubDate":"Sat, 02 Oct 2021 18:59:14 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/learning-to-trust-authority-again\/","description":"I was once honest and vulnerable at work. But at a company I’d rather forget, I was hated for my vulnerability, which is my strength, and my honesty was shaped into a dagger and plunged into my exposed heart. Will I ever be safe to entrust myself to anyone with authority over my livelihood? Or am I consigned to live forever behind a partial mask among those who have power to hurt me?"},{"title":"Short stories are modern parables","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/short-stories-are-modern-parables\/","pubDate":"Tue, 28 Sep 2021 15:14:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/short-stories-are-modern-parables\/","description":"While reading The Space Traders by Derrick Bell it struck me that short stories are the modern world’s parables. The genre’s are different: parables are bare-bones and have one main point, while short stories can expand beyond a single point and include details which don’t develop the message directly.\nThis was a fascinating discovery, since I’ve been pondering what it’d be like to develop my own parables. Would it be possible, like Jesus, to craft a short message in a cryptic parable that I could share with friends and family that wouldn’t be immediately understood but might later produce a light-bulb moment."},{"title":"Mom's first Chicago visit","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/moms-first-chicago-visit\/","pubDate":"Tue, 28 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/moms-first-chicago-visit\/","description":"My mom, who will henceforth be called “Mema” in honor of her ol' grandma name, came to visit! Here are some pics; it was a lovely time.\nAt The Beach  Mema twirling Royal in Lake Michigan. She spun both Royal and Graham, then needed a break!  At The Shedd Aquarium  The tank's full of sting rays you can touch. Royal and Graham both managed to touch one, but Graham would have stayed all day while Royal was ready to move on in fifteen minutes."},{"title":"Jesus fulfills the roles and gifts","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/jesus-fulfills-the-roles-and-gifts\/","pubDate":"Sat, 25 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/jesus-fulfills-the-roles-and-gifts\/","description":"I’m often struck by the upside-down way that Jesus represents the roles of prophet, priest and king and the gifts: apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher (APEST).\nHe is a king, but he does not use his authority to wage war upon Rome as the insurrectionists planned or as King David did against the surrounding nations. Instead He used the kingly authority to deliver and serve. He is a prophet, and… well, actually, His prophetic acts seem identical to the prophets of old."},{"title":"Design patterns","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-patterns\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-patterns\/","description":"These are design patterns that I’ve either learned from the Bible Project or are developing on my own. These topics develop from Genesis to Revelation and find their culmination in Jesus.\nDesign Patterns  design pattern light design pattern tree of life design pattern judgment  Thoughts\/Questions There’s a complex thread of ideas around light, judgment, and life from the beginning of John’s Gospel to the end. I wonder if light, judgment, and life are intertwined because each refers to a design pattern around the Imago Dei?"},{"title":"Design Pattern: Judgment","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-pattern-judgment\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-pattern-judgment\/","description":"This is an overarching note that explores the theme of judgment as it exists from Genesis to Revelation.\nJudgment in John’s Gospel The first use of the word ‘judgment’ is in John 3:19, when the author says that people’s rejection of the light that has entered the world is their judgment.\nThen in John 5:22-24 Jesus says that the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son so that people honor him equally."},{"title":"Design Pattern: Light","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-pattern-light\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-pattern-light\/","description":"This is an overarching note that explores the theme of light as it exists from Genesis to Revelation.\nLight is a pattern that begins with the first page in Genesis in reference, first to spiritual beings (and by implication, the one God), but later to humans acting as image bearers (see Moses' glowing face and the high priest’s white garb). Light applies to all humans, to be sons of light, lights of the world, etc."},{"title":"Design Pattern: Tree of Life","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-pattern-tree-of-life\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/design-pattern-tree-of-life\/","description":"This is an overarching note that explores the theme of trees and life as they exist from Genesis to Revelation.\nLife is another pattern that begins in Genesis with the tree of life. Humans are mapped onto trees throughout the Bible, sometimes as trees of life (that is, those who transfer God’s own life) and also trees of knowing good and bad. Life is closely connected with light, such that Jesus can say that he is the light of life (John 8:12), probably because life emminates from the source of life, Yahweh."},{"title":"To listen and obey Jesus' word brings life","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/to-listen-and-obey-jesus-word-brings-life\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/to-listen-and-obey-jesus-word-brings-life\/","description":"In the story where jesus heals a crippled man near the sheep gate, Jesus sees a crippled man. He notes this man has been waiting many years for healing, thirty-eight years to be precise, and he asks the man if he wants to be made well. The man explains that there’s no means to heal him because no one will assist him into the healing pool. Jesus tells him to stand up, take his bed and walk."},{"title":"Launch a DMM","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/launch-a-dmm\/","pubDate":"Thu, 16 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/launch-a-dmm\/","description":"How does one launch a DMM? Or a MDM? Well, I don’t know the answer to that, but this is our approach.\nFirst, apparently it starts with seven years of failed attempts. Not gonna get into this, but we’ve been seeking this for the entirety of our time in Chicago, seven years, and perhaps am only beginning to see the idea spread.\nSecond, form a cadre of like-minded followers. We’re looking for a few individuals who, like the twelve disciples, are willing to live this out in community."},{"title":"Create animations with imagemagick","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/create-animations-with-imagemagick\/","pubDate":"Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/create-animations-with-imagemagick\/","description":"I’ve considered the tool imagemagick on multiple occasions (it does practically anything you could imagine with images), but finally downloaded and tested it out. Here’s how I created a useless gif animation.\nFirst, generate two gifs.\nconvert -pointsize 20 -page 50x20 label:Open -append open.gif; \\ convert -pointsize 20 -page 50x20 label:Close -append close.gif Next, combine them together into an animation.\nconvert -delay 100 -page 50x20 open.gif -page 50x20 close.gif -loop 0 animation."},{"title":"Distinguish series and one time observables","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/distinguish-series-and-one-time-observables\/","pubDate":"Fri, 03 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/distinguish-series-and-one-time-observables\/","description":"Observables are extremely helpful; however, the observable.subscribe() pattern hides whether the call is expected to return once or multiple times. It’s important to distinguish when there will be a single update and when there will be a series. Series observables usually belong in the onInit() method and drive component behavior when they receive dispatches. One-time observables are merely getting data. The methods to interact with each are different.\nFor example, one-time uses Ramda’s forkJoin to resolve all observables, but combineLatest when updates are expected."},{"title":"All biblical roles and gifts express imago dei","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/all-biblical-roles-and-gifts-express-imago-dei\/","pubDate":"Wed, 25 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/all-biblical-roles-and-gifts-express-imago-dei\/","description":"The three dominant roles in the Hebrew Bible, prophet, priest, and king, are fulfilled in Jesus. I had originally thought because the Hebrew Bible used these roles to point towards Him (which it does), but had not realized that these three roles are subsets of the original Image of God role from Genesis 1. That’s so helpful to realize that humans are created to reflect, not only simply one of these roles, but all three combined, and that each demonstrate, albeit incompletely, what we are as Icons of God."},{"title":"Parable and poetry hit harder than prose","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/parable-and-poetry-hit-harder-than-prose\/","pubDate":"Mon, 23 Aug 2021 19:39:48 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/parable-and-poetry-hit-harder-than-prose\/","description":"The lyrical imagery of poetry communicates more powerfully than any fact. Parables have a similar quality. Perhaps poetry shares the parable’s delay of the facts in favor of the story image. When the facts emerge, during or after the poem (or perhaps hours later), they hit the reader all at once. Prose tends to lay facts like bricks, one on top of the next, which distributes the truth’s weight over time; poetry piles all the bricks atop a board over the reader’s head, then removes the board at poem’s end to let them fall in a crushing cascade."},{"title":"Apostolic gifts focus on one mission in two directions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/apostolic-gifts-focus-on-one-mission-in-two-directions\/","pubDate":"Sat, 21 Aug 2021 19:25:08 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/apostolic-gifts-focus-on-one-mission-in-two-directions\/","description":"There are at least two flavors of apostle focus in Acts. The first mobilizes the existing faith community towards multiplicative disciple- making. The second catalyzes networks outside the faith community for the same purpose.\nJesus spends most of his life on earth on mission to Israel. He invests in 3-12-72 disciples, equipping them with everything they needed to go and do likewise.\nPeter follows his footsteps by staying in Jerusalem and mobilizing fellow Israelites in a disciple-making explosion that expands throughout the region."},{"title":"Models must be refreshed","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/models-must-be-refreshed\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/models-must-be-refreshed\/","description":"I was in Amman, Jordan at the launch of my MBA program when I first encountered the Business Model Canvas. Bob Goldmann had a revised version that added spiritual and environmental concerns to the canvas.\nTODO: insert canvas image here\nNot only did Bob manage to make it look more balanced than the original, he also established the necessity for entrepreneurs to customize their business tools to fit their priorities and circumstances."},{"title":"Embracing my polymath identity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/embracing-my-polymath-identity\/","pubDate":"Tue, 17 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/embracing-my-polymath-identity\/","description":"It’s a wearisome struggle to be myself. To be who I am requires that I must constantly fit my octagonal personality into the square holes the world affords. In the past year I’ve begun to reconcile that my path will not lead to expertise. I will never be an expert by any measurement, for I am incapable of remaining entirely in one field for 10,000 hours. Perhaps all my interests will converge in expertise across many domains around my eightieth birthday, but not before."},{"title":"What is a vaccine?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/what-is-a-vaccine\/","pubDate":"Tue, 10 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/science\/what-is-a-vaccine\/","description":"There are numerous resources on the subject of vaccinology, but I learn best when I write it down for myself. Constructive criticism welcome; I’m figuring this out as I go!\nWhat is a Virus Before we look at vaccines, let’s consider the problem: viruses. What is a virus? No virus has received more recent attention than SARS-CoV-2, so let’s focus on it.\n A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism."},{"title":"Favorite CLI Tools","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/favorite-cli-tools\/","pubDate":"Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/favorite-cli-tools\/","description":"Inspired by Ibraheem Ahmed’s modern Unix commands, here’s a list of my favorite CLI tools. There’s a lot of cross-over with Ibraheem’s list.\nBat While navigating the file system I often want to look at the contents of a file but don’t need to open it in an editor. The traditional tool cat achieves this by printing the contents to the console. bat improves the experience with line numbers, spacing, syntax highlighting and even git symbols."},{"title":"Install a friendly terminal shell","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/install-a-friendly-terminal-shell\/","pubDate":"Thu, 29 Jul 2021 16:52:25 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/install-a-friendly-terminal-shell\/","description":"If you’re unfamiliar with a terminal command line or tired of using bash, you’ll benefit from installing another shell. There are a number of options, but the fish shell is the simplest to install and use. Simple doesn’t mean basic - it’s elegant and wonderful.\nInstall Fish First, install fish. On MacOs the command is:\nbrew install fish \u2139\ufe0f\n For an exhaustive install manual, see this cookbook. Jorge's cookbook"},{"title":"How to enforce obedience","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/how-to-enforce-obedience\/","pubDate":"Wed, 28 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/how-to-enforce-obedience\/","description":"I received this thoughtful question in response to a log about obedience and independence.\n\ud83d\udcac\n Since God places such a high value on children learning to be obedient to their parents, why would parents, especially Christian parents, want to deprive their kids of this in their upbringing? The idea that this will somehow stunt a child's development into adulthood would mean that God doesn't know what's best for kids. Anonymous"},{"title":"Verify your RSS feed","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/verify-your-rss-feed\/","pubDate":"Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:04:15 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/verify-your-rss-feed\/","description":"If you have an RSS feed, you can use this snippet as a starting place to review the output. I’m printing the titles of each RSS item to the console, but go as deep as necessary to ensure the right information ends up in your feed.\nfetch('https:\/\/my-url-here.com') .then(res => res.text()) .then(text => { const domParser = new DOMParser(); const doc = domParser.parseFromString(text, 'text\/html'); var feedURL = doc.querySelector('link[type="application\/rss+xml"]'); return fetch(feedURL.href); }) ."},{"title":"Actions in human wisdom lead to death","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/actions-in-human-wisdom-lead-to-death\/","pubDate":"Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/actions-in-human-wisdom-lead-to-death\/","description":"The first time Abram is given a chance to rely upon God’s promise instead of his own wisdom, he leaves the promised land and sojourns in egypt.\nDespite the LORD’s promise to make him a great nation, Abram leaves the land he’d been promised when a famine makes staying hard. When he approached Egypt, he ignored God’s promise to protect his family and used deception to protect himself. He achieved his own protection at the price of Sarai; the very woman through which God was going to fulfill His promise!"},{"title":"The church must learn new forms","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-church-must-learn-new-forms\/","pubDate":"Tue, 27 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/the-church-must-learn-new-forms\/","description":"The American Church is not growing. The new people in the pews are almost exclusively either transplants from another church or people returning after a period of separation.\nWhen churches close their doors in your neighborhood, it’s too late. Closures are the inevitable result of our failure to add any unchurched people to our community for many years, not just the past one or two. As with business, danger signals are outside customer base."},{"title":"Replace text across all content","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/replace-text-across-all-content\/","pubDate":"Fri, 23 Jul 2021 12:49:13 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/replace-text-across-all-content\/","description":"As my content grows, so does my need to make adjustments across dozens of files. I’m familiar with grep and it’s successor, ripgrep, and I’m familiar with sed, but I can never quite remember how to make replacements in-place. Here’s how:\nrg -il '< backref' | xargs sed -i "" -e 's\/backref "\\(.*\\)"\/backref src="\\1"\/g' First, you retrieve the relative file path of the files you want to change. Technically, you could run the command against every file and it would only operate on content that matches, but there’s no reason to be so inefficient."},{"title":"God shares the sustaining of creation with others","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-shares-the-sustaining-of-creation-with-others\/","pubDate":"Wed, 21 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-shares-the-sustaining-of-creation-with-others\/","description":"When god creates the heavens and the earth, He separates the light from the darkness on the first day of creation but, on day four, He delegates this task to the heavenly lights. It’s assumed that these creative acts are not once-and-for-all events but also need to be sustained, and that God wishes to share the responsibility of sustaining creation with others.\nIf it happened a single time, it might be coincidence but later God grants authority over all creatures to humanity."},{"title":"Epistemic notes reveal growth","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/epistemic-notes-reveal-growth\/","pubDate":"Wed, 21 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/meta\/epistemic-notes-reveal-growth\/","description":"Of the many cool features of Maggie Appleton’s personal site, one of my favorite is the use of plants as epistemological indicators. I’ve adopted my own slightly modified version. Here’s how it works:\nIf my content is new, it gets a \ud83c\udf31 (seedling). This communicates that, not only is the content unfinished, it’s also not fully conceived. It could grow into a substantial idea, I may prune the note entirely, or I may later contradict the core idea."},{"title":"Choosing a CMS","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choosing-a-cms\/","pubDate":"Wed, 21 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/choosing-a-cms\/","description":"How hard is it to choose a CMS? Turns out, nigh impossible.\nI have a client who wants to write content on the Internet. My client values ownership of their writing and videos but doesn’t want to get lost in the jungle of technology and never actually publish their work. The software plumbing should be hidden from view because it’s overwhelming; there should be an easy way to write, edit, and publish."},{"title":"Spiritual rituals","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/spiritual-rituals\/","pubDate":"Mon, 19 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/spiritual-rituals\/","description":"Elsewhere these are referred to as practices, but we prefer the term ‘ritual’. It better matches the concept of family life, like a ritual of prayer before a meal, where practices feels more like individual work. Everyone doesn’t hear it this way, but it’s helpful for us.\nBridgeport Church breaks their rituals into three headings. These don’t encompass everything they’ve published on the spiritual life, but nearly all.\n Be With Jesus Become Like Jesus Do What Jesus Did  These notes are taken verbatim from Bridgeport’s subsidiary website, Practicing the Way, on July 19th, 2021."},{"title":"What I love about Jesus","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-love-about-jesus\/","pubDate":"Fri, 16 Jul 2021 19:55:03 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-love-about-jesus\/","description":"There’s so much to love about Jesus. Here’s my endlessly growing list of loves, along with curiosities, questions, and otherwise.\nLoves  He meets us anywhere, anytime because he’s in the past, present, and future. Actually there, not just by memory. See prayer transcends spacetime obedience is not jesus first priority Jesus has such an unexpected way of fulfilling the roles and gifts. See jesus fulfills the roles and gifts. Jesus' leadership upends the authority structures the world prefers."},{"title":"Evangelism models","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-models\/","pubDate":"Fri, 16 Jul 2021 17:35:58 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-models\/","description":"Healing Prayer Many people’s first introduction to Jesus was news about the people who were healed by him. The leper who approaches Jesus saying that, if he is willing, Jesus can make him clean is a classic example (Mark 1:40-44).\nWhen I see a person in distress because of an illness, I remember that Jesus heals and wonder if he might heal this person. But uncertainty usually takes hold of me."},{"title":"Bible discoveries","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/bible-discoveries\/","pubDate":"Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/bible-discoveries\/","description":"TODO: organize this garden into broad categories (bible-meta, imago dei, God, etc.) In hopes that themes will emerge and understanding deepen, here is all the content from discoveries I’ve made in the Bible.\nIdol creation and worship was forbidden because we’re God’s icons. catholic devotion to the blessed virgin has this reality in mind when it elevates Mary’s godliness.\nBiblical sacrifice isn’t only about cost A better definition of biblical sacrifice is so helpful when thinking about the relationship between the Old Testament sacrifices and references to sacrifice in the New Testament."},{"title":"Liken digital privacy to physical","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/liken-digital-privacy-to-physical\/","pubDate":"Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/liken-digital-privacy-to-physical\/","description":"It’s notoriously difficult to grasp what’s at stake in digital privacy. Most Americans have no concept of the ways they’re being monitored and monetized unless it impedes on their freedom.\nOne way I’ve made sense of the loss is to liken the actions of online companies to a physical model. How would I feel if a stranger followed me everywhere I went, taking notes of my position at every stop and publishing the results for his friends to review?"},{"title":"Organize subscription chains with pipes","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/organize-subscription-chains-with-pipes\/","pubDate":"Mon, 12 Jul 2021 21:06:30 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/organize-subscription-chains-with-pipes\/","description":"Often, two or more observables depend upon one another for execution. This can lead to chained subscriptions. Take this real-world example:\nthis.openInvalidPeriodDialog$(dialog).subscribe(dialog => { dialog.afterClosed().subscribe(jumpToLatestPeriod => { if (jumpToLatestPeriod) { this.periodService.getLatestPeriod().subscribe(latestPeriod => { this.analysisService.getPreliminaryPeriodId$(federalReserveId, analysisId, latestPeriod.id) .subscribe(periodId => this.sessionService.setQualitativePeriod(periodId ?? latestPeriod.id)) }); } }); }); The multiple subscribes() might be written in a more descriptive chain with a pipe and use of switchMap() and filter().\nthis.openInvalidPeriodDialog$(rejectionDialog) .pipe( switchMap(invalidPeriodDialog => invalidPeriodDialog.afterClosed()), filter(jumpToLatestPeriod => jumpToLatestPeriod), switchMap(() => this."},{"title":"Summer vacation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/summer-vacation\/","pubDate":"Mon, 12 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/summer-vacation\/","description":"With the arrival of our second child, Amie and I began to consider whether Christmas is still the best time to visit family. Four plane tickets, crowded airports, and weather delays were a few reasons why summertime was beginning to be a more attractive option. So we purchased a cross-country-travel-friendly vehicle, packed up our bags and kids, and headed to South Dakota at the end of June.\nThe Drive To Rapid City We spaced the 16-hour drive from Evanston, IL to Rapid City, SD over three days in hopes of surviving our children."},{"title":"Simplify loop with iterator swap","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/simplify-loop-with-iterator-swap\/","pubDate":"Wed, 23 Jun 2021 21:06:30 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/simplify-loop-with-iterator-swap\/","description":"When operating on two or more collections you may encounter loops that filter one collection by another.\nSay we have a collection of dinners and a collection of ingredients. We want to find out, given our ingredients, which dinners are using at least one ingredient. We might write our filter like this:\nconst dinners = this.getDinnerRecipes(); const ingredients = this.getIngredients(); const dinnerIds = ingredients.map(i => i.dinnerId); const dinnerOptions = dinners.filter(dinner => { if (dinnerIds."},{"title":"Navigate source backlinks in vim","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/navigate-source-backlinks-in-vim\/","pubDate":"Fri, 18 Jun 2021 19:32:11 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/navigate-source-backlinks-in-vim\/","description":"If you’ve begun to use backlinks on your static site and you also use Vim as your primary text editor then you’ll appreciate how cool it is to configure Vim’s gf command to navigate via backlinks.\nMy files aren’t referenced relative to my current directory so I need to take more steps to configure gf, but if the files are sourced relative to one another then you won’t even need these steps."},{"title":"Save unfinished notes in local storage","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/save-unfinished-notes-in-local-storage\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 21:19:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/save-unfinished-notes-in-local-storage\/","description":"When I publish content to my site I sometimes get nervous that the work I’ve written into the publish form will be lost. Jan-Lukas has written a straightforward Javascript snippet to store my work locally so it will not be lost. Thanks!\nSimply cache form fields in localStorage"},{"title":"Display backlink preview on hover","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/display-backlink-preview-on-hover\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:43:55 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/display-backlink-preview-on-hover\/","description":"The combination of microformat2 h-entry and backlinks is potent. Each note page that’s marked up with a e-content microformat2 property can be retrieved via fetch() and displayed as a preview elsewhere on the site. No database required; the website is the API. With these two snippets you can implement dynamic backlink functionality on pretty much any webpage. With a little standardization (mostly complete by the microformat2 standard), one could support backlinks across websites."},{"title":"Add snippets to your text input","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/add-snippets-to-your-text-input\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:05:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/add-snippets-to-your-text-input\/","description":"If you have a textarea where you enter content on a regular basis and want to implement snippets to help with certain constructs, this JavaScript example might be just your style. I may use it in my publishing service so I can easily enter Hugo shortcodes I’ve developed for my site.\ndocument.querySelector('textarea.content').addEventListener('keyup', (event) => { var txt = event.target.value; if (txt.length < 7) { return; } var lastWord = txt.split(' ')?"},{"title":"Create a search engine with sqlite","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/create-a-search-engine-with-sqlite\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:05:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/create-a-search-engine-with-sqlite\/","description":"When I was searching for a search engine I might integrate into my website, most options felt enormously heavy. I didn’t want to run a database-and-service sidecar to my site just so that I could find things. Eventually, I discovered Lunr from Victoria Drake and had search on my website in an afternoon!\nIf all I needed was to search the ~500 posts on my website, Lunr would still be a perfect fit."},{"title":"Custom container queries with resize observer","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/custom-container-queries-with-resize-observer\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:05:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/custom-container-queries-with-resize-observer\/","description":"Until CSS container queries are baked into every browser, ResizeObserver fills the gap. Here’s an example of an observer that switches the CSS Flex from row to column based on the container’s width. This is used on my Plants and Stones pages.\n\u2139\ufe0f\n I use a Store object to share observable state across my application. This vastly simplifies communication between components; in this case, with my filter component. When my filter results change, I want to re-calculate the possible list width."},{"title":"Legal dangers of self hosted services","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/legal-dangers-of-self-hosted-services\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:05:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/legal-dangers-of-self-hosted-services\/","description":"Denise has a very thorough review of the liability pitfalls for running a Mastodon instance."},{"title":"One subscription per resource","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/one-subscription-per-resource\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:05:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/one-subscription-per-resource\/","description":"Here’s my subscription progression for the qrm-category-container root component. Let me know if this is headed in the right direction.\nStage One - Current Code The root container creates a subscription in onInit() that fires whenever fedId or QRM periodId changes, like so:\ncombineLatest([this.sessionQuery.federalReserveId$, this.sessionQuery.qualitativePeriodId$]) .subscribe(([fedId, qualitativePeriodId]) => { this.qualitativePeriodId = qualitativePeriodId; this.refreshViewModel(fedId, qualitativePeriodId, this.viewCustomerData, this.categoryId); }); That’s not too bad, right? Consider what happens in refreshViewModel()…\nrefreshViewModel(federalReserveId: number, periodId: number, viewCustomerData: boolean, categoryId): void { this."},{"title":"Smart components observe state over input","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/smart-components-observe-state-over-input\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 20:05:50 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/smart-components-observe-state-over-input\/","description":"In component design there are two buckets, smart and dumb components. Smart components are keepers of data models and reactive to changes. Dumb components render explicit data models to views.\nDumb components benefit from the explicit interface created by a clear set of inputs. Smart components, however, can get into a lot of trouble if they depend on mutable inputs for their data models. While it seems easy to add an onChanges() function to child smart components to re-render based on changes to their inputs, this dependency can have unexpected consequences."},{"title":"Keep the sabbath remix","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/keep-the-sabbath-remix\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 16:27:53 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/keep-the-sabbath-remix\/","description":"The first renewed concept of the Sabbath for the present day came from a sermon I’d heard in Turkey from a pastor in Minnesota. He talked about drinking craft beer and cooking dinner for friends because these things brought him joy and rest. He referred to Isaiah 58:13 and called out that the Sabbath isn’t only a rule about not working; it’s a delight.\n\ud83d\udcac\n If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and **call the Sabbath a delight** and the holy day of the LORD honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; Isaiah 58:13 (ESV)"},{"title":"Raising independent adults","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/raising-independent-adults\/","pubDate":"Fri, 11 Jun 2021 16:04:51 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/raising-independent-adults\/","description":"Our approach to raising children has closely aligned with the traditional Montessori value for children’s independence. We’ve been shaped by working with Graham’s Montessori teachers, by reading Cline and Fay’s Love & Logic, and by our own desperation to reduce fear and incessant help.\nI’m still wrestling with the emphasis on independence on a philosophical level, even as I’m convinced of its practical importance.\nI believe healthy humans are never independent."},{"title":"Definition of biblical sacrifice","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/definition-of-biblical-sacrifice\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 16:41:22 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/definition-of-biblical-sacrifice\/","description":"Many Christians associate the value of a sacrifice with its cost. An act or decision isn’t a real sacrifice unless it’s painfully costly. But is that how the Bible treats the word?\nThe dissonance I’ve felt equating sacrifice with cost is that it doesn’t match the Levitical sacrifices. The LORD’s directions about sacrifice seem to prioritize participation and significance over price. Some sacrifices have alternatives for the poor. I have not found a reference to sacrifice as a painful, costly decision anywhere."},{"title":"Catholic devotion to the blessed virgin","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/catholic-devotion-to-the-blessed-virgin\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 15:07:06 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/catholic-devotion-to-the-blessed-virgin\/","description":"Protestants are uncomfortable about several doctrines of the Catholic Church and even willing to renounce the entire organization as heretical. The way that Mary, and to a lesser extent any saint, is spoken of has been most uncomfortable in my experience. The language used for the Blessed Virgin often matches biblical language used to describe Jesus. The sum result is that most Protestants believe the Catholic Church holds Mary in equal standing with Jesus, as though they’re two divinely equal beings."},{"title":"Evangelism is a team sport","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-is-a-team-sport\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:02:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-is-a-team-sport\/","description":"Evangelism isn’t done by yourself. Jesus sent folks out by pairs. It’s not enough to say we’re doing it together just because the entire congregation has a commitment to evangelism; we actually need to do evangelism together.\n a strong team will mitigate nearly every disaster that can befall a planter train your team for your absence by taking them everywhere discipleship done biblically is always in community  "},{"title":"Evangelism is not a winners game","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-is-not-a-winners-game\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:02:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/evangelism-is-not-a-winners-game\/","description":"Some Christian circles say the goal of evangelism is to “win” people to Jesus. There are two concepts floating below this word.\nFirst, the evangelism usage of “win” refers to persuasion. It’s related to the adjective “winsome,” which describes a person who excels at convincing others. In this way, “win” is a sales term. You might hear the term used in the same way in your local sales department who are “winning” customers\/contracts."},{"title":"Find the peaceful people","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/find-the-peaceful-people\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:02:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/find-the-peaceful-people\/","description":"There’s a subtle mantra that underlies sharing Jesus. It goes something like, “If you love someone, you won’t stop trying until they trust in Jesus.”\nJoy in Jesus is a gift worth sharing, and you’re love for others will produce sadness when they disregard the chance to share your joy. But more often this mantra bears guilt that you haven’t done enough.\n Enough sharing the gospel; “Do they understand my message?"},{"title":"Lone converts are a liability","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/lone-converts-are-a-liability\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:02:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/lone-converts-are-a-liability\/","description":"The mission to share with individuals reflects our cultural value for autonomy, but this is a weakness. To be introduced to Jesus, even to be swayed enough to give some allegiance to Him, then to leave the individual to figure out the rest is wrong. Better evangelists follow up with interested folks and may meet with them or take them to a church, but they tend to see their work as complete once the person professes faith in Jesus."},{"title":"Allegiance to Jesus is communal","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/allegiance-to-jesus-is-communal\/","pubDate":"Thu, 10 Jun 2021 09:02:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/allegiance-to-jesus-is-communal\/","description":"Christians, even those in a highly individualistic culture, recognize the communal nature of our allegiance to Jesus when we advocate for church attendance.\nWhen we don’t see a friend in church for a month, we become concerned for their faith. We understand that intentionally meeting together strengthens our allegiance and the loss of community weakens us.\nBut individualistic cultures like the United States underrepresent how crucial community is to our allegiance to Jesus."},{"title":"Angular maxims","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/angular-maxims\/","pubDate":"Wed, 09 Jun 2021 21:06:30 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/angular-maxims\/","description":"This is an incomplete list of maxims I’ve gleaned while working on Angular\/RxJS development.\n favor identifier over index simplify loop with iterator swap smart components observe state over input organize subscription chains with pipes one subscription per resource distinguish series and one time observables  \ud83d\udcac\n RxJS has a reputation for being complex, hard to understand, and hard to use. A deserved reputation, to be honest. I\u2019ve used RxJS in a project to great effect, it made an impossible problem possible, but getting your head around it isn\u2019t trivial."},{"title":"Favor identifier over index","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/favor-identifier-over-index\/","pubDate":"Wed, 09 Jun 2021 21:06:30 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/favor-identifier-over-index\/","description":"If there are several arrays of data retrieved from different service calls it can be tempting to iterate over them all by index.\nconst columnsFirst = this.dataService.getFirstData(); const columnsSecond = this.dataService.getSecondData(); columnsTotal = []; for (var i = 0; i < columnsFirst.length(); i++) { const total = columnsFirst[i].value + columnsSecond[i].value; columnsTotal.append(total); } return columnsTotal; Iteration by index is prone to many errors, however. The order of each column array must match, their lengths must equal (although this can be overcome with a null check), and it’s not clear to other developers why there’s a hard dependency between these arrays without further investigation."},{"title":"Becoming a christian is a process","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/becoming-a-christian-is-a-process\/","pubDate":"Tue, 08 Jun 2021 02:37:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/becoming-a-christian-is-a-process\/","description":"Gospel-tract evangelism is a typical example of a single-event approach to sharing one’s faith. Get the basics of the message out, maybe ask for a response, and you’re done. Case closed.\nBut is that how you changed your mind about Jesus? Or was it a process of engagement with one or more Christians, the Bible, maybe direct prayer with God, before you took any concrete action that might qualify as a conversion?"},{"title":"Aversions to the word 'Evangelism'","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/aversions-to-the-word-evangelism\/","pubDate":"Tue, 08 Jun 2021 02:37:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/aversions-to-the-word-evangelism\/","description":"There is a range of aversions to the word “evangelism,” and it’s not only among Christians.\nSome hear the term and remember an embarrassing moment. Perhaps they had been pressured into telling a stranger about Jesus and were ridiculed. Or they’d observed another Christian awkwardly share their faith in public and hoped no one asked what they thought.\nOthers equate evangelism with military crusades, forced conversions, and abusive persuasion tactics. The term is abhorrent and relegated to a pre-Enlightement mindset."},{"title":"What is the Gospel?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-the-gospel\/","pubDate":"Tue, 08 Jun 2021 02:37:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-the-gospel\/","description":"It’s common American practice to reduce complex concepts into byte-sized marketing messages. Many Christians think of a verse or two written by Paul when they hear the word “gospel.” A few hear gospel hallelujahs. Even fewer think of the first four books in the New Testament.\nThe word “gospel” translates the Greek word \u03b5\u1f50\u03b1\u03b3\u03b3\u03b5\u03bb\u03af\u03bf\u03c5. Transliterate the Greek and you get the English word “evangel”; the root of “evangelist” and “evangelism”. Literally the word translates “good news."},{"title":"When are they converted?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/when-are-they-converted\/","pubDate":"Tue, 08 Jun 2021 02:37:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/when-are-they-converted\/","description":"Certain theological systems define conversion at a single point in an individual’s life when they were saved. Identifying this moment is a crucial piece of a person’s testimony. The moment is marked by inward experience in some traditions, or an outward ritual in others. Depending on the system, the authenticity of this moment can be brought into question if the converted’s life exhibits little or temporary change. In these cases, the conversion moment is nullified and must actually happen in order to truly be saved."},{"title":"Thoughts on online note taking","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/thoughts-on-online-note-taking\/","pubDate":"Sat, 05 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/thoughts-on-online-note-taking\/","description":"There’s a magic in Andy Matuschak’s Digital Garden. The glory of it’s deeply-linked organization is greatly aided by his custom viewport. Navigation happens like this:\nTo browse the contents of a linked note, hover over for a snapshot. To review the full note, click the link and it’ll appear to the right as though it’s been added to a stack of notecards. One can follow links down a thought-path, viewing the last note and the present note side-by-side, or peruse several nodes off the same note without ever using the browser’s Back button."},{"title":"Ruminations on existence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/ruminations-on-existence\/","pubDate":"Mon, 24 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/ruminations-on-existence\/","description":"In prayerful meditation over my lunch walk, the Spirit and I ruminated over Thomas Merton’s words in the opening fifty pages of New Seeds of Contemplation. The waters are very deep and I am at great risk of misinterpretation, but this is what light I seem to have gained:\nThe eternal I AM, who is no “thing” but creates all things and therefore defines reality, sustains all. Yet “sustain” is poor language, for it isn’t that He made it and then keeps it going."},{"title":"Relativity inspirational talk","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/relativity-inspirational-talk\/","pubDate":"Fri, 21 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/relativity-inspirational-talk\/","description":"(This was a paper written as an example of a speech meant to inspire action) I propose we make available our core product, Relativity, as a resource to obtain justice, not only to those who can afford our software, but to those who will never afford it.\nBefore we look at my proposal, let’s spend a couple minutes reviewing current pro bono work and its relation to electronic discovery so we can grasp the weight of this opportunity."},{"title":"Recommend: The Seven Storey Mountain","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/merton-seven-storey-mountain\/","pubDate":"Fri, 21 May 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/merton-seven-storey-mountain\/","description":"It’s an uncomfortable, wonderful experience to read an author who views the world in stark contrast to my perspective. That’s been my experience with The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton.\nThere’s much to discover in Merton’s autobiography. I hadn’t realized that Dante’s Inferno, from which Merton took his book’s title, doesn’t end with the circles of hell, but with a climb up purgatory. I also learned the names of prayer times; for example, nighttime prayer is called Compline (pronounced complin)."},{"title":"What is the daily office?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-the-daily-office\/","pubDate":"Wed, 19 May 2021 17:30:07 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/what-is-the-daily-office\/","description":"I’m trying to keep the daily office, at least portions set aside by the Anglican Church. There are multiple online sources, but I find this one the most useful for its simplified “family” version. This is all inspired by Thomas Merton’s references to “little hours” and the “breviary” in The Seven Storey Mountain.\nThe best definition I’ve discovered for the daily office resides here."},{"title":"Most software oppresses humans","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/most-software-oppresses-humans\/","pubDate":"Mon, 10 May 2021 18:00:30 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/most-software-oppresses-humans\/","description":"Aral Balkan summarizes what I’ve discovered myself after years in technology and business - the prevailing system for generating software in the last decade or so is engineered to create human-oppressing products. As with many of the systemic problems of our society, those with the power to change the system are also those who profit most. The likelihood of real change in the natural order is nil; prayer is essential."},{"title":"Light in the cosmos","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/light-in-the-cosmos\/","pubDate":"Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/light-in-the-cosmos\/","description":"I’ve been journeying with Madeleine L’Engle among the stars, trying to grasp the majesty of the heavens and yet hold confidently to God’s intimacy with humanity. Listening to Silicone Boone has given lyrics to much of my own experience. I’m enjoying these today:\n Charged and luring where you fly Are you the flicker of a sign and wonder Or just some great misfire - (Silicone Boone, Diamond)\n The stars have long been a portal into the wonder of God’s power and majesty, but the mysteries we’ve uncovered from their light complicate our notions of God’s handiwork."},{"title":"Make your container accessible to the public network","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/make-your-container-accessible-to-the-public-network\/","pubDate":"Fri, 19 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/make-your-container-accessible-to-the-public-network\/","description":"From what I’ve gathered, these are the steps one must go through to allow a Podman container, such as a traefik proxy, to be accessible from the public network.\nThe challenge lies with the network interface. Podman creates its own cni virtual network interface, but it’s the host’s default network interface that’s usually configured for intranet access. My ufw firewall blocks cross-interface traffic by default, with iptables in the backend to control access."},{"title":"Architect a personal devops pipeline","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/architect-a-personal-devops-pipeline\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/architect-a-personal-devops-pipeline\/","description":"The Journey Begins When my raspberry pi arrived two years ago, I opened it with excited trepidation. Will I overcome the hurdles to self-hosting on an unfamiliar architecture and operating system? How performant will it be? What tools will I learn, or give up, to achieve my goals?\nOnce I worked through the steps to self hosting, I felt confident hosting my own static blog. But it wasn’t long before I began to dream of more."},{"title":"Host your services with podman","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/host-your-services-with-podman\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/host-your-services-with-podman\/","description":"Recollecting the Journey My earlier foray into self-hosting a devops pipeline was little more than an Nginx proxy serving up Hugo-generated HTML files. As needs arose I began to add web services. Automated deployments with a webhook server and mobile publishing with a custom publishing service were two of the first. At the time I wrote this post, I was also running a data-publishing service called datasette, deploying server updates with Ansible, and managing all processes with supervisord."},{"title":"A day in the life","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/a-day-in-the-life\/","pubDate":"Sat, 27 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/a-day-in-the-life\/","description":"Inspired by Colin Devroe’s post, here’s an average day. Any given Wednesday in fact.\n 5:45 - My phone alarm wakes me. I believe this to be true, though I have no recollection of the event. 6:00 - One of our children starts to scream, usually our ten-month-old Royal. Graham, our toddler, wakes and walks over to our bed to snuggle with Mama. This replaces my alarm clock as an effective, and memorable wake-up call."},{"title":"Obedience is not Jesus' first priority","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/obedience-is-not-jesus-first-priority\/","pubDate":"Sun, 21 Feb 2021 01:24:57 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/obedience-is-not-jesus-first-priority\/","description":"This note was taken in exasperation with my children as I reflected on the passage, “Unless you become like this little child, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”\n When Jesus said the kingdom belongs to those who are like children, he didn\u2019t mean obedience. I mean, have you tried to get a child to obey you? In fact, obedience seems low on God\u2019s priority list."},{"title":"Use HTTP response objects","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/use-http-response-objects\/","pubDate":"Wed, 10 Feb 2021 15:54:31 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/use-http-response-objects\/","description":"As Victoria mentions in her post, the type of code you’re writing affects how you’ll handle errors. Her example matches code that integrates with other systems on the same machine (and probably other cases).\nThe code I’m writing these days, when it’s not JavaScript, is for back-end services. I’ve discovered that services delivered over HTTP\/S are best implemented to capture exceptions in the service and return response objects. I’ll usually do something like this:"},{"title":"Baby food open letter","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/baby-food-open-letter\/","pubDate":"Tue, 09 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/baby-food-open-letter\/","description":"This is an open letter written to the Congressional Oversight Committee in response to their report on baby food published February 4th, 2021. The report is scandalous and included numbers which, taken at face value, suggest that the companies represented poison our children with astronomically high levels of inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury. Please, read the report for yourself, but here’s a little context.\n\u2139\ufe0f\n If you're frantic for practical steps, the Healthy Babies, Bright Futures' Baby Food Report, buried in the report's footnotes, is outstanding."},{"title":"How to get started writing online","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/how-to-get-started-writing-online\/","pubDate":"Fri, 05 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/how-to-get-started-writing-online\/","description":"You’re ready to publish your own content online but not sure how to start? If you contact me, this is what you can expect me to say.\nWriting Obstacles You might have a few obstacles (I know I did). Here are a few you don’t need to worry about.\n  The final medium is irrelevant. Record audio snippets, write in a bound journal, stencil papyrus sheets; it doesn’t matter. Anything can be moved into digital ink."},{"title":"Discoveries in web proxy logs","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/discoveries-in-web-proxy-logs\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/discoveries-in-web-proxy-logs\/","description":"h2+ul { font-size: 12px !important; line-height: unset; list-style: none; }  Below is a list of the top 100 IP addresses that have made requests to my website since the beginning of November. It’s a fascinating list, no?\nThe List  5.39.30.12:\tRoubaix, Hauts-de-France FR AS16276 OVH SAS 5.39.40.74:\tRoubaix, Hauts-de-France FR AS16276 OVH SAS 5.39.40.75:\tRoubaix, Hauts-de-France FR AS16276 OVH SAS 5.39.46.84:\tRoubaix, Hauts-de-France FR AS16276 OVH SAS 5."},{"title":"Encompass complex thought with diagrams","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/encompass-complex-thought-with-diagrams\/","pubDate":"Wed, 06 Jan 2021 11:25:26 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/encompass-complex-thought-with-diagrams\/","description":"The software project I\u2019ve been building has grown to the point that it\u2019s no longer simple enough that I can reason about it without the assistance of a diagramming tool. To my surprise, there are a proliferation of such tools, but few open source versions I could spin up today. Then I discovered PlantUML!\nI was a little turned off by the simplistic website, but once I began to use the tool I was thoroughly impressed."},{"title":"How to change culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-to-change-culture\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/how-to-change-culture\/","description":"“To Change the World” is a composition of three of James Hunter’s essays, so this review is a composite of three interrelated but separate essays.\nEssay 1: Christianity and World-Changing Hunter begins this essay by claiming all American Christian institutions have a mission to change culture, but they have not met their goal. He blames their lack of success on a misunderstanding of the means for cultural change. He highlights two prevalent, and mistaken, models:"},{"title":"Recommend: Divergent series","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/roth-divergent-series\/","pubDate":"Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/roth-divergent-series\/","description":"Well, I’ve done it. In the space of four days I’ve finished the entire Divergent series. Yes, all 1215 pages. Don’t look at me like that.\nWhat does this say about me? Besides that I can read and comprehend really fast? Well, it says that determination, normally a strength, has its dark points. It’s been difficult to do or think anything outside the Divergent world since Monday evening. Also, that I easily replace emotional struggles with distractions, and books are potent distractions."},{"title":"Genetic repair in the new creation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/genetic-repair-in-the-new-creation\/","pubDate":"Wed, 16 Dec 2020 22:00:04 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/genetic-repair-in-the-new-creation\/","description":"What if the righting of the world in Jesus' return is related to genetic repair? If present in our DNA are the fragments of our ancestors, and some ancestors enjoy features which we have since lost, what would humanity be like if all or most positive features were transfused into a single body? What if a human had the smell of a bloodhound, the hearing of a dolphin, and the vision of an octopus?"},{"title":"Why was Jesus angry at the Pharisees?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/why-was-jesus-angry-at-the-pharisees\/","pubDate":"Wed, 16 Dec 2020 22:00:04 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/why-was-jesus-angry-at-the-pharisees\/","description":"What if Jesus' anger at religious authorities was not primarily that they were teaching false information, but that the outcome of their flawed teaching was an unjust society? What if Jesus cared more about the shape of society than theological accuracy, but recognized that one flows into the other?"},{"title":"Ways to define the Bible","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/ways-to-define-the-bible\/","pubDate":"Thu, 03 Dec 2020 01:55:11 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/ways-to-define-the-bible\/","description":"The return of my understanding of the Bible as Story began with The Bible Project, and this book gives fresh appreciation for the subtle but crucial importance of the Story vs the many other approaches one might take to the Book. For posterity, I\u2019ll list the others:\n  Morsels of Law. To learn how to behave and to think. The Bible as foremost a book to learn how to submit and obey, and to spot rebellion and disobedience."},{"title":"Kingdom manifesto","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/kingdom-manifesto\/","pubDate":"Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/kingdom-manifesto\/","description":"How does Jesus' Kingdom community organize? Is the Sunday gathering primary? What are ‘micro’ groups? These are the sort of questions that keep me up into the wee hours of the morning. Will you join me in an exercise to loosely structure a Kingdom community?\nDefinitions First, what the heck is ‘Kingdom community’? Don’t you just mean church?\nCertain words have baggage from long practice. Church attendees agree that the church building !"},{"title":"Choose leaders over companies","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/choose-leaders-over-companies\/","pubDate":"Wed, 11 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/choose-leaders-over-companies\/","description":"You may have heard the adage, “people leave managers, not businesses.” If this is true, what does it mean for your next job? Through a story with two endings, I’ll demonstrate that this adage means more about your job hunt than your exit strategy.\nAt the beginning of my career I believed, if I honed my skills and lengthened my resume, eventually I’d be hired at one of the star tech companies of my generation."},{"title":"Visualize open source data","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/visualize-open-source-data\/","pubDate":"Thu, 05 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/visualize-open-source-data\/","description":"img.tall-chart { display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 50%; }  Did you know that datasette is a mature tool to display and inspect sqlite databases via your browser?\nAnd did you know that Open Data Inception collects thousands of data sets published across the globe?\nLet’s see what we can do with this information. We’re going to use datasette, Vega, and a subset of open source data published by the Cook County Medical Examiner COVID-19 Related Deaths to grasp how COVID-19 has affected Cook County, Illinois."},{"title":"Direct application hinders discovery","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/direct-application-hinders-discovery\/","pubDate":"Wed, 04 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/direct-application-hinders-discovery\/","description":"Well-meaning interpreters will sometimes make a mistake in their application of the Bible. Out of conviction in the Bible’s authority, an interpreter will anchor a contemporary topic on a verse that appears to directly address the topic. By so doing, the interpreter both assures their audience of the Bible’s relevance to the topic and suppliments their own authority with the Biblical author’s. The interpreter also communicates an interpretive assumption that short-circuits the audience’s discovery."},{"title":"Tend his vineyard","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/tend-his-vineyard\/","pubDate":"Wed, 14 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/tend-his-vineyard\/","description":"The unrighteousness of my family in broken relationships.\n mom and grandma brother and mom brother and uncle uncle, aunt and mom  I have been assigned this vineyard to labor for the fruit of right relationships. God chose the right man for the job.\n restoration between me and my mom right relationship between Graham and Royal right relationship between me and Amie  A family network diagram could be helpful to illustrate a the unrighteous network and what a righteous network could be."},{"title":"Self documenting makefile","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/self-documenting-makefile\/","pubDate":"Thu, 08 Oct 2020 21:06:02 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/self-documenting-makefile\/","description":"My favorite build tool is make. It’s ironic that I’ve written little clang code given that the tool was created to manage building all those C libraries with header and source files. But whenever I see a Makefile I get excited.\nThe tool doesn’t do much, at least for my use-case. It explicitly defines build dependencies and codifies the available commands in a Git repository. Do I need more from a build tool?"},{"title":"Culture shapes arguments","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/culture-shapes-arguments\/","pubDate":"Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/culture-shapes-arguments\/","description":"Of the facets which comprise a person’s culture, the philosophy of knowledge most shapes the style of argument likely to influence that person. English citizens were comprehensively shaped by the modernization of Aristotle’s “application-first” thinking by the English philosophers of the 13th and 16th centuries (Meyer, pg. 97). Across the English channel, Descartes instituted an opposing philosophy of thought characterized by “principles-first” thinking which reigns among European nations to this day."},{"title":"Debug a program with strace","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/debug-a-program-with-strace\/","pubDate":"Sat, 03 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/debug-a-program-with-strace\/","description":"Here’s a fun little debugging story.\nI’d begun to use keychain to manage ssh keys across processes. Before keychain, ssh-agent processes would multiply because each script that needed access to an ssh key would spawn its own ssh-agent process.\nBut then I found this error. When I ran eval `\/usr\/bin\/keychain –agents ssh –eval my_rsa`while logged into my shell, the keychain process correctly applied the ssh key to my user’s ssh-agent process."},{"title":"Read webpage as API","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/read-webpage-as-api\/","pubDate":"Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:45:33 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/read-webpage-as-api\/","description":"One of the Indieweb mindsets is to treat HTML content as its own API.\nHTML-only content is eminently sharable Content that sits in a database is sharable, but not eminently so. Databases are queried via an API that’s usually not publicly available and documented. While the user may comfortably use the API to render content to their site, my interface is the site itself rather than the underlying API. Lazy-load data via JavaScript and, well, it’s not eminently sharable."},{"title":"The apostolic gift","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-apostolic-gift\/","pubDate":"Sun, 27 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-apostolic-gift\/","description":"What I’m about to share with you makes me extremely uncomfortable.\nI am apostolically gifted. (cringe) Let me explain.\nMy deepest desire is to form communities of people who love Jesus and do what he says in places where these communities don’t exist… yet.\nSpreading the good news about Jesus is important to me, but I’m not an evangelist. I resonate with the evangelist’s hunger to witness and their disappointment at the Church’s weak outreach, but my communal view of Jesus communities keeps me fighting to light a fire in the church instead of running to the streets."},{"title":"Host a webhook server","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/host-a-webhook-server\/","pubDate":"Wed, 23 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/host-a-webhook-server\/","description":"If you’ve followed the steps to self hosting, you’ve got a static site you can build and deploy to your local server. The process is simple and entirely within your control, but it does limit how you add posts to your website. If you just want to put a quick note up on your site, you’ve got to access the laptop from which you’ve built the website, write a new post, publish the update, and pull the update on our local server."},{"title":"Oppressed Americans are like Pharaoh's slaves","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/opressed-americans-are-like-pharaohs-slaves\/","pubDate":"Wed, 09 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/opressed-americans-are-like-pharaohs-slaves\/","description":"Have you watched this?\n Your browser does not support the video tag.    I’m glad you have now. Ms. Jones is right - we should be thankful that the Black community rarely seeks revenge for their oppression. If you’re in a position of privilege, as I am, you should be afraid. But not of the Black community.\nThe Holy Bible illustrates a story of one people, descended from Abraham, who were routinely oppressed by their neighbors."},{"title":"Biblical interpretation is cyclical","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/biblical-interpretation-is-cyclical\/","pubDate":"Wed, 02 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/biblical-interpretation-is-cyclical\/","description":"As I’ve matured, one of the ambiguities I\u2019ve learned to accept is the journey of interpretation.\nWhen I was younger, I expected that a full and complete grasp of the Bible was a matter of time and effort. Now that I\u2019m a little wiser, I realize that I am on a journey of discovery that has no final end nor milestones to mark progress. The best I can claim is that I understand a part of the whole and part of any one page, and that\u2019s true for every person I\u2019ve met."},{"title":"Cabin vacation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/cabin-vacation\/","pubDate":"Wed, 12 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/cabin-vacation\/","description":"For parents with small children, vacation has two distinct definitions: a parent vacation or a child vacation. These never mix, at least while the kids take all-consuming attention, so parents must decide which kind of vacation they want. The vacation can be restful and adventurous for the parents, or the children. I\u2019ll let you decide which we chose.\nBefore We Left Vacation preparation can be arduous, but ours isn’t so bad."},{"title":"Prayer transcends spacetime","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/prayer-transcends-spacetime\/","pubDate":"Wed, 05 Aug 2020 13:21:17 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/prayer-transcends-spacetime\/","description":"What if it\u2019s true that prayer moves forwards and backwards in time?\nIntercessory prayer changes the future.\nDirect prayer changes the present.\nEmmanuel prayer changes the past.\nMadeleine L\u2019Engle\u2019s exploration of spacetime in her Wrinkle in Time series leads to trippy ideas. Like folding space to travel without using time. Or folding time to travel without moving in space. Or prayer that transcends spacetime."},{"title":"Discovery stories","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/discovery-stories\/","pubDate":"Wed, 05 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/discovery-stories\/","description":"This is not, in fact, a discovery group. It's my birthday party. But DBS looks just like this (though often on typical furniture).  Powerful innovation happens when an innovator takes a concept developed from one discipline and transfers its principles to another domain. By studying a broad range of subjects, the innovator utilizes the powerful discoveries in one discipline to solve challenges in another. The biochemist may not realize how her chemical innovation might revolutionize space travel because she doesn’t know the challenges of that domain."},{"title":"Epistles are real correspondence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/epistles-are-real-correspondence\/","pubDate":"Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:08:24 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/epistles-are-real-correspondence\/","description":"The New Testament letters have fit into my mental model as a synopsis of the whole Bible, and the Old Testament primarily as historical background. If the Bible were written as I imagine, the letters would be the treatise, and the Old Testament would be an appendix.\nThe claim that the letters are real correspondence rooted in the circumstances of the Roman Empire is scandalous. This means that the central content of the Bible is actually the Old Testament and the Gospel accounts, and the letters are nearer to practical footnotes on how to understand and apply the core than a synopsis of it."},{"title":"Deploy a web service with ansible","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/deploy-a-web-service-with-ansible\/","pubDate":"Wed, 29 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/deploy-a-web-service-with-ansible\/","description":"I\u2019ve been self-hosting my blog for nearly six months, and it\u2019s become such a fun outlet that I want to be sure I could replicate it were something to happen. The source code is easy to store with tools like git, but I\u2019ve felt increasingly uncertain that I\u2019ll remember all my server configurations if I needed to deploy my site to a fresh box. At last, a real-world reason to learn an infrastructure-as-code tool!"},{"title":"Overwork is a response to lower value production","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/overwork-is-a-response-to-lower-value-production\/","pubDate":"Tue, 28 Jul 2020 13:26:45 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/overwork-is-a-response-to-lower-value-production\/","description":"Tim\u2019s thoughts on the breakdown of value production as a source of American overwork are novel. He uses many well-trodden arguments, but I think there\u2019s something to be said for the \u201carms race\u201d that exists in white collar professions. My work at Relativity met this description; even though we were firmly ensconced as the number one e-discovery software company, serving a community notorious for its reticence to change, we worked like Cold War arms dealers to stay ahead."},{"title":"Future of remote work","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/future-of-remote-work\/","pubDate":"Mon, 27 Jul 2020 01:09:08 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/future-of-remote-work\/","description":"My personality leans towards the \u201cdon\u2019t bother me, I\u2019m getting **** done\u201d at times, but Sean makes clear a few hard truths about a remote work future:\n  Wage depression. If my software engineer job can be done by anyone on the earth with my skills, why should I be paid $100,000 when the Malay will do it for $75,000?\n  Forgotten. I witnessed this months after taking a remote worker in at Relativity."},{"title":"SSG is a developer tool","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/ssg-is-a-developer-tool\/","pubDate":"Sat, 25 Jul 2020 18:49:39 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/ssg-is-a-developer-tool\/","description":"While I agree with much of Florens\u2019 critique, I think the static site concept has a different purpose than he suggests.\nI think static site generators (SSGs) are a response by the developer community to the complications that have arisen from client-heavy websites. If non-developer users find them difficult to use, it\u2019s not really a critique since they aren\u2019t the intended audience.\nAt its best, an SSG should be one step in a development pipeline; more like a developer tool than an all-in-one website builder."},{"title":"Afghan poem","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/afghan-poem\/","pubDate":"Fri, 24 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/afghan-poem\/","description":"After my deployment to Afghanistan in the U.S. Navy, I had a lot to process. Poetry was the result.\n\u2139\ufe0f\n My interpretation of what happened in Afghanistan has deepened since I wrote this poetry. Don't assume you understand my current theology because you've found misunderstanding in a poem I penned in 2011. \n Beginning  Swift sailing through the sea of life Weather diverse but He is near Spirit close calms every fear ---   Waves crash vain upon my bow Shall circumstances rock my hold Upon the Lord of grace foretold?"},{"title":"Connect peer containers with SSH keys","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/connect-peer-containers-with-ssh-keys\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/connect-peer-containers-with-ssh-keys\/","description":"For the complete, working example, check out the code: connected-containers. Introduction Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you remember that you’ve solved this problem before but you don’t remember where you stashed the solution? And the sense of frustration searching for it, especially when it doesn’t turn up in your usual places? Yea, that’s why I’m writing this down where I can find it.\nI love the concept of sandboxed environments that can be provisioned and destroyed at whim, which is why I love Docker."},{"title":"Attributes of God","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/attributes-of-god\/","pubDate":"Tue, 21 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/attributes-of-god\/","description":"When I was a new Christian, I compiled a link list of God’s attributes from books I had access to, like A.W. Tozer’s Knowledge of the Holy. It’s not an exhaustive list, nor do I necessarily agree now with every implicit theological leaning it represents, but I think it’s a helpful catalog.\nGod is One [Deu 6:4; 1 Ti 1:17; Rev 15:4; 1 Cr 1:25; Job 15:15; Mar 12:29-30; Luk 8:23; Isa 40:12,28; Col 1:17; Act 17:25; Col 2:9; Gen 1:2; Heb 4:13; Isa 45:5-6; Deu 4:39; Isa 43:10b; Isa 46:9; Ps 90:2; 1 Jn 3:2; Jn 14:6]"},{"title":"Tithe goes to the levites","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/tithe-goes-to-the-levites\/","pubDate":"Fri, 17 Jul 2020 03:28:56 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/tithe-goes-to-the-levites\/","description":"Everything belongs to the LORD. To eleven of Israel\u2019s tribes, the LORD gives an inheritance of land and its fruits. To the Levite, 10% of the land\u2019s produce is given as an inheritance. The Levite receives no land because his work is not farming, but the tabernacle ministry.\nGiven that the Levite might pay for upkeep of the instruments needed to fulfill his work, just as a farmer pays for his plow, the 10% is still his inheritance to allocate as he desires."},{"title":"Marriage covenant extends many generations","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/marriage-covenant-extends-many-generations\/","pubDate":"Sun, 12 Jul 2020 13:49:03 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/marriage-covenant-extends-many-generations\/","description":"It was invaluable to learn six years ago that Amie and I would change so much it\u2019d be like marrying a different person. But when I committed myself to Amie on July 12, 2014, I didn\u2019t realize I was binding myself to her and also to all who come after. The marriage covenant is more like the LORD\u2019s covenant with Abraham than I realized. It extends to all generations."},{"title":"First anniversary","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/first-anniversary\/","pubDate":"Sun, 12 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/first-anniversary\/","description":"To celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary (woot!) I thought it’d be fun to recount our first from a journal entry I’d written two days after, with a few comments.\n14 July 2015 It’s the first day back from Amie and I’s 1st wedding anniversary celebration.\nWe drove to Manistee National Forest in Michigan to spend two nights at a B&B cabin. Staying with a couple we’d never met was strange at first, like paying to visit someone else’s family, but our first morning we were able to get to know them over the delicious breakfast they cooked us."},{"title":"Store secret text in the cloud","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/store-secret-text-in-the-cloud\/","pubDate":"Wed, 08 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/store-secret-text-in-the-cloud\/","description":"I was updating my resume the other day when something creepy happened. Dropbox, where my resume sits, showed me an advertisement for resume assistance.\nIf it’s not clear why this creeped me out, consider:\n to know the file was a resume, Dropbox needs to scan the entire document. It wasn’t called ‘resume’. the scan is sophisticated enough to accurately determine the contents of what I’ve written. at least some of this data is shared with the owner of the advertisement."},{"title":"What I love about Amie","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-love-about-amie\/","pubDate":"Sun, 05 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/what-i-love-about-amie\/","description":"You’ll say I’m biased, but Amie is one of the most empathetic, feisty, tenacious, faithful, sassy women on planet Earth. If you don’t believe me, consider a few of my favorite facts:\n  Amie accepted an invitation to an Arizona internship simply because Jesus asked her “why not?” early the next morning. #faithful\n  Amie was sent home from the emergency room after a doctor concluded her case couldn’t possibly be severe or she’d be screaming."},{"title":"Detect file changes with entr","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/detect-file-changes-with-entr\/","pubDate":"Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:30:13 +0100","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/detect-file-changes-with-entr\/","description":"How have I never heard of entr? This amazing CLI makes it possible to run my custom build scripts on file change, just like many of my favorite tools. Thanks for sharing Julia!\nI organize various commands with a Makefile that executes Bash scripts. Some tasks, like running a test suite, should be run every time I make a change. If you have a similar configuration as I do, you can simply run the following in your terminal and it’ll execute your test suite on every change!"},{"title":"The year of the virus","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-year-of-the-virus\/","pubDate":"Wed, 01 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/the-year-of-the-virus\/","description":"Dear son, have a seat. Let me tell you about the great pandemic of 2020.\nYou’ve read in your history books about COVID-19; or coronavirus as it was colloquially named. You know it began in Wuhan province, China, and that it spread across the globe in weeks. At the time, we believed this pandemic would alter our society forever. Did it? Let me share how it affected our little family."},{"title":"Write a rust service dockerfile","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/write-a-rust-service-dockerfile\/","pubDate":"Wed, 24 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/write-a-rust-service-dockerfile\/","description":"I began learning Rust in late 2019 because of it’s popularity on StackOverflow. When I realized that the language exposed the internals of programming languages while being easier than my foray into Assembly, I was hooked.\nI fell in love with Docker using my SPR Consulting Windows machine. I missed the simplicity of Linux and loved how I could destroy the entire environment when I finished working in my Docker container."},{"title":"Spiritual formation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/spiritual-formation\/","pubDate":"Wed, 17 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/spiritual-formation\/","description":"If you’ve read my writing about Jesus' prayer, “your kingdom come”, you have a glimpse into what transformation could look like. Jesus' teaching transforms individual lives when put into action. When allegiance to his teaching spreads through a community, it produces transformation on a societal scale.\nWhat tenents should a team who yearns for community transformation follow to witness fruit? This is the question I propose, and to which I shall attempt to enumerate an answer."},{"title":"American racism","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/american-racism\/","pubDate":"Fri, 29 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/american-racism\/","description":"Dear Son,\nHistory, as you\u2019ll learn in school, is infected with human injustice. You are right to be horrified by the fires of Auschwitz and enraged at the bombings of the Twin Towers. These are unimaginable and public evils that scar the fabric of our society for generations; eternal monuments to the brutality of humans who cast off their humanity and descend into beastly chaos. In the shadow of these tragedies, a person may overlook the numerous smaller memorials to unrighteousness which litter the graveyard of American history."},{"title":"Biblical principles need wise interpretation in business applications","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/biblical-principles-need-wise-interpretation-in-business-applications\/","pubDate":"Wed, 27 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/biblical-principles-need-wise-interpretation-in-business-applications\/","description":"Employees want to receive a fair wage, to work in a safe environment, and to be respected. Employers want their employees to work towards the benefit of the business efficiently and consistently. The dramatic examples where this does not occur only reinforce the rule. Burkett’s descriptions, if followed as rigidly as they’re written, would not produce the results employees and employers want.\nAn employer who, in the name of his Christian faith, enforces a structure of morality that requires his employees to abide by the teachings of Jesus will create two problems."},{"title":"Your kingdom come","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/your-kingdom-come\/","pubDate":"Tue, 12 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/your-kingdom-come\/","description":"What does it mean to pray, “[let] your Kingdom come?”\nThese famous words, couched in the most repeated prayer in history, come from Jesus' answer to his disciples' request, “Teach us to pray.”\n Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.  One of the central requests Jesus taught his disciples to pray is “your Kingdom come."},{"title":"Police impersonation scam","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/police-impersonation-scam\/","pubDate":"Wed, 06 May 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/police-impersonation-scam\/","description":"The frequency and sophistication of malicious scams are on the rise. Victims are left financially and emotionally devastated by these attacks. In technology parlance, a scam that exploits a person is called “social engineering.”\nThe most sophisticated scam I’ve encountered occurred while writing my MBA thesis for a Chicago counseling center. It cost the targeted therapist $3,000 with no possibility of recourse.\nHere’s the excerpt:\n\ud83d\udcac\n In late 2019, a person impersonating a Chicago police officer left a voice mail for a therapist indicating that one of their clients was involved in a court case and that the therapist should call back immediately."},{"title":"Privilege: practical steps","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/privilege-practical\/","pubDate":"Wed, 29 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/privilege-practical\/","description":"This is part three in a series on the subject of privilege. Review my first post, privilege definition, and second post,  for context. In the American tech workplace, women and minorities are often marginalized. As a member of the technology marketplace, it’s my responsibility to advocate for the fair treatment of my colleagues. As a privileged person, I don’t have to overcome many of the obstacles that my colleagues face, but I can help tear those obstacles down."},{"title":"Double entry accounting with ledger CLI","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/double-entry-accounting-with-ledger-cli\/","pubDate":"Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/double-entry-accounting-with-ledger-cli\/","description":"If you’d asked me at the start of my MBA program what courses I’d enjoy most, accounting would not have made the top five. This book and an engaged professor (thank you Clarke!) launched accounting to my top three.\nFrampton and Robilliard’s Color Accounting revolutionized the way I conceive of the flow of capital. Their imagery and definitions exposed me to the fascinating business story that the movement of capital tells and how double-entry accounting documents that story with precision and simplicity."},{"title":"Privilege: an advocate for the vulnerable","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/privilege-advocate-vulnerable\/","pubDate":"Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/privilege-advocate-vulnerable\/","description":"This is part two in a series on the subject of privilege. Review my first post, privilege definition, for context. I’d made little progress digesting the numerous privileges given me until I learned more about justice. Thanks to the invaluable efforts of The Bible Project and their Justice Series episodes), a link between the call for justice in the Bible and the responsibility of the privileged has begun to form in my consciousness."},{"title":"Visualize your time with a budget","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/visualize-your-time-with-a-budget\/","pubDate":"Wed, 08 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/visualize-your-time-with-a-budget\/","description":"I was recently inspired by Sharon Ello’s Quarantine Question of the Dayto update my time budget, and it occurred to me that others might benefit from this tool. Many have lost their daily structure under the executive stay-at-home order and could use a visual aid to wrangle their schedules back into order.\nI have many priorities to cram into a week. It happens that, if I don’t plan chunks of time to meet these priorities, the quietest priorities are pushed out by the loudest."},{"title":"Privilege: what is it?","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/privilege-definition\/","pubDate":"Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/privilege-definition\/","description":"Privilege is a common theme in the liberal-leaning city of Chicago, and exposure pressures me to consider my privilege and responsibility than if I lived elsewhere. I’m thankful for the pressure, though the subject is uncomfortable. Let’s begin with a definition.\nPrivilege is a property of an individual that offers the person unearned benefits in society. It is often connected with other personal attributes, such as race, religion, and gender. The benefits conferred by privilege must be earned by those without its influence."},{"title":"Return of the potty","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/return-of-the-potty\/","pubDate":"Wed, 25 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/return-of-the-potty\/","description":"This is the final installment in a series about potty training. To start from the beginning, go to potty training. We were less than one week from potty training graduation and the event gave me mixed feelings. I knew there might be temporary regressions, but I thought it’d happen at a later transition; perhaps the birth of his younger brother. Then one night, just before Graham’s bedtime routine was over, a traumatic incident set him back to the early days."},{"title":"Stakeholder communication is crucial","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/stakeholder-communication-is-crucial\/","pubDate":"Wed, 18 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/stakeholder-communication-is-crucial\/","description":"Project managers (PMs) are detail-oriented people. They live in a world of statistics, charts, graphs, timelines, and schedules. With the success of the project on their shoulders, they put all their effort towards managing an on-time, on-budget project. When in this mindset, PMs can minimize stakeholder reports, which seem irrelevant to the project’s completion (Campbell C. and Campbell M., pg. 15). Yet stakeholders will ultimately decide the project\u2019s success or failure and can halt the project or add resources."},{"title":"Why not giftcards","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/why-not-giftcards\/","pubDate":"Wed, 18 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/why-not-giftcards\/","description":"There’s misinformation swirling as the COVID-19 pandemic escalates. This is my small way to combat the spread with a topic I know something about.\nGift cards won’t help restaurants with the impact COVID-19 has on their income today. If you want to support restaurants, buy takeout or send them a check. Here’s why.\nIn accounting records, a gift card isn’t registered as income. This is because double-entry accounting will not register income for a service until the service has been performed."},{"title":"Potty training aftermath","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/potty-training-aftermath\/","pubDate":"Wed, 04 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/potty-training-aftermath\/","description":"This is part two in a series about potty training. To start from the beginning, go to potty training. Two weeks have passed since we launched Graham’s potty training program. The first three days were horrific, but we’ve settled into a routine everyone can live with. Here are four discoveries we made along the way.\nThe first three days are hell. By the end of day three, I was ready to give up."},{"title":"Infertility for men","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/infertility-for-men\/","pubDate":"Wed, 26 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/identity\/infertility-for-men\/","description":"Amie Bilson interviewed me about fears I’d experienced in our infertility journey. In the interview I explore three fears I’d faced when we began IVF and what helped me endure.\nInterview In my last blog, I shared about my experience with infertility and some of the things that helped me along the journey. I wanted to write a second blog for men. Much attention is directed towards women and infertility, but men have their own set of unique challenges when infertility gets in the way of a desire for children."},{"title":"Child resources","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/child-resources\/","pubDate":"Thu, 20 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/child-resources\/","description":"Many have undertaken to compile a list of baby resources, and it seemed fitting that we too should offer the list of online baby resources as we are analysts and take a unique approach.\n0 - 3 Months Analysts don’t want to be told which baby item is the “best” - we want to gauge what’s best for our situation on a list of criteria. For the analyst’s baby item research, nothing beats Baby Gear Lab."},{"title":"Potty training","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/potty-training\/","pubDate":"Sat, 15 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/potty-training\/","description":"Today marks round five in a six-day potty training plan. It’s been rough.\nLittle Ones saved our sanity when training Graham to nap, so we’re 100% on-board with their potty training program. Broken into three sets of two days, we’ve nearly completed the round.\nOn days one and two, Graham went pantless and we follow him around, poised at any moment to catch him peeing. When he does, we immediately direct him to the nearby potty and celebrate like mad if the tiniest bit of pee lands in the pot."},{"title":"Grocery shopping with computer vision","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/grocery-shopping-with-computer-vision\/","pubDate":"Mon, 10 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/grocery-shopping-with-computer-vision\/","description":"My wife and I share a grocery list so that either of us could pick up the week\u2019s groceries. For common items, we get into a routine: pick up milk, bread, eggs. But when our needs deviate and we need a specific type of bread or a specific brand of cornbread, there\u2019s a lot more information needed to choose the correct items. For instance, we need to specify the store where the item is sold, what brand, what type, and what quantity."},{"title":"Sunscreen is most crucial in childhood","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/sunscreen-is-most-crucial-in-childhood\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/sunscreen-is-most-crucial-in-childhood\/","description":"You’ve seen the kid with enough sunscreen on their body to mistake them for a sickly ghost. Since evidence based decisions reduce stress, how can we come to a settled conclusion about the use, or overuse, of the creamy slime?\nTODO: find the original research and posit some conclusions.\nIs Sunscreen the New Margarine?"},{"title":"A parent's relationship to sickness","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/a-parents-relationship-to-sickness\/","pubDate":"Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/parenting\/a-parents-relationship-to-sickness\/","description":"If I was sick more than once a year, I don’t remember it. Excluding periods of childhood and the occasional hospitalization, for over a decade I’d never been sick more than once per year; the kind of sick where I’d think, “I should stay home and recover from this.” All that changed with Graham.\nThe inability to recover. When I’d get sick, even with a fever, one full day’s rest was all I needed to recover."},{"title":"Why do I write","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/why-do-i-write\/","pubDate":"Wed, 29 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/writing\/why-do-i-write\/","description":"After nearly three years of writing business insights for my MBA program, I’ve developed the writing habit. I’ve also passed from my twenties to my thirties and feel, perhaps for the first time, that I may have something to contribute to “the world”. Writing to a global audience would paralyze me, so I’ve narrowed my purpose to a select few. If you find my posts helpful but aren’t my target audience, what an encouraging side benefit."},{"title":"All communication benefits from eloquence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/all-communication-benefits-from-eloquence\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/all-communication-benefits-from-eloquence\/","description":"Although the title suggests sales pitches are the only target, McGowan’s book “Pitch Perfect” applies to a wide range of communication types. Presentations and interviews are listed, but so are speeches, business meetings, one-on-one conversations, and Q&A sessions. His seven principles of eloquence shape both impromptu speeches and carefully executed announcements (Mcgowan).\nDue to the universal need for eloquence, each principle may be honed any number of ways. From tomorrow’s morning stand-up to an answer to your wife’s “How was your day?"},{"title":"Customer knowledge affects sales strategy","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-knowledge-affects-sales-strategy\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-knowledge-affects-sales-strategy\/","description":"One of the chief suspicions aroused in a customer when he’s sold to is, “What do they know that I don’t?” If the item is a bargain, it must have a defect. If it’s more costly, the seller’s trying to rip him off. With greater complexity and a higher cost comes higher suspicion. A car sale is more suspicious than a rummage sale. Companies have adopted ways to encourage customers to take the risk by offering money-back guarantees, warranties, and test drives, and."},{"title":"Good business depends on theology","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/good-business-depends-on-theology\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/good-business-depends-on-theology\/","description":"Christian business people need theologians.\nPeriods of hope in human enterprise are followed by times of unprecedented greed and sufferings inflicted on the weak. For every corporate advance in civil rights there’s a business who makes its fortune on the backs of indentured servants. For every green company there’s an oil spill. The business world is fraught with sin, and the potential for a company to inflict harm or share good rivals the power of nations."},{"title":"Culture is a series of concentric circles","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/culture-is-a-series-of-concentric-circles\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/culture-is-a-series-of-concentric-circles\/","description":"Distinction between the mix of cultural, familial, and individual characteristics helps entrepreneurs avoid mistakes and stereotypes.\nEvery individual is a combination of culture, family, and personality. Upon meeting your first Hindu, you may come to a number of conclusions that must be sorted into at least these categories to be accurate. You may learn she is a vegetarian and assume no Hindu eats meat. This is only partly true; it’s likely a familial decision that has its roots in a religious culture."},{"title":"Language is integral to culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/language-is-integral-to-culture\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/language-is-integral-to-culture\/","description":"Language holds the keys to culture.\nMuch of a culture’s distinctiveness exists in its language. The ways individuals and groups are represented happens through language. “My Computer” is a natural icon on the desktop of a member of an individualistic culture, but it’s a faux pas to a collectivist. An Eskimo lives in constantly snowy atmospheres and has dozens of ways to differentiate types of snow in their language, while a Pacific Islander has one word for snow but several for tides and currents (Livermore, pg."},{"title":"Not every sales prospect deserves equal time","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/not-every-sales-prospect-deserves-equal-time\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/not-every-sales-prospect-deserves-equal-time\/","description":"Not every prospect deserves equal time.\nNot every prospective customer deserves equal time. Some, despite their apparent interest and enthusiasm are destined to be thorns in your side for hours before finally leaving you empty-handed. Sambucci calls two common types “Vampires” and “Gatekeepers” (Sambucci, pg. 68).\nVampires are intent to draw value (blood) from your time and business (veins). Generally they have a low view of your time and a high view of their own, they don’t have the authority to authorize payment for your services, and the truly Draculean know what internal buttons to press in order to cajole or demand further free service."},{"title":"Pitch script example","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/pitch-script-example\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/pitch-script-example\/","description":"Pitch Script Senior citizens in Arkansas must move to Colorado, before it’s too late.\nArkansas' senior citizens want to grow old in their homes, to remain an active part of society and stay interconnected with their community. None desire to languish in a nursing home. Yet only one in nine state tax dollars are invested in home and community support. The remaining eight sustain nursing homes, where every fifth resident could have stayed at home with some assistance."},{"title":"Prepare pitches or pay the price","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/prepare-pitches-or-pay-the-price\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/prepare-pitches-or-pay-the-price\/","description":"If you don’t prepare what you mean to say, you’ll say what you don’t mean.\nNo actor steps onto the stage without memorizing his lines. Entrepreneurs fare no better than an ad-lib actor when they fail to prepare for critical communications. As Bill McGowan says, “Spontaneity is another word for regret (Mcgowan, pg. 174).”\nJodie Foster’s acceptance speech at the 2013 Golden Globe awards began well. She’d prepared her presentation, rehearsed it, and executed it before thousands."},{"title":"Sales calls trump email","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/sales-calls-trump-email\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/sales-calls-trump-email\/","description":"Direct phone calls trump responsive email.\nEvery sales representative gets buried under floods of email. The effort to decipher what customer’s mean, what they need, what their angle is, etc. can easily take one’s entire day. What appears a simple request can lead into a rabbit trail of well-meaning but unanswered questions, misunderstandings, and rising discontent. To mitigate this, Sambucci’s constant rule is to “PICK UP THE PHONE (Sambucci, pg. 17)."},{"title":"Supernatural discernment is an entrepreneurial advantage","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/supernatural-discernment-is-an-entrepreneurial-advantage\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/supernatural-discernment-is-an-entrepreneurial-advantage\/","description":"Entrepreneurs accurately discern actions and events because of Jesus' enlightenment.\nJesus said to his disciples, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life (ESV, John 8:12).” Because he follows his Father, he knows where he has come from and where he is going. He has come from the Father and he is returning to the Father (John 13:3)."},{"title":"Leaders develop towards their ideal","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-develop-towards-their-ideal\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-develop-towards-their-ideal\/","description":"It’s important to know where you’re headed and why.\nAccording to Boyatzis, the first step towards a self-directed approach to learning is the discovery of what you desire to be and what you currently are (Boyatzis, pg. 19). Coined the ‘ideal self’, the vision of what you want to become in the future. Daniel Goleman applies this research to the efforts of executives and senior managers who have lost the motivation to develop their leadership skills further in their current position or their ‘current self’."},{"title":"Leaders form healthy team norms","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-form-healthy-team-norms\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-form-healthy-team-norms\/","description":"Leaders uncover the norms of their teams and of individuals.\nThe combination of individual values, personality, and the surrounding culture influences the team’s norms from their first day together. Some norms have a positive influence on the team, but not all. One of the leader’s roles is to read the team’s norms, to expose the negative norms that impact everyone and to strengthen the positive norms through repetition and awareness. Norms encompass the habits of the team, such as the “angel’s advocate” to protect new ideas (Goleman, pg."},{"title":"Neither charisma nor experience replaces practice","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/neither-charisma-nor-experience-replaces-practice\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/neither-charisma-nor-experience-replaces-practice\/","description":"Neither skill nor experience can ever replace practice.\nBarack Obama’s personality is warm and engaging. But when faced with his first debate of the 2012 presidential campaign, he trusted his personality, not deliberate practice, to win the night.\nThe week prior to the debate, Obama’s chief advisor expressed concern that the presidential candidate wasn’t putting his best effort into preparation. Instead of careful hours of practice and review to hone his message and anticipate his opponent’s moves, Obama decided to go sightseeing and gave a lackadaisical effort in rehearsal."},{"title":"Attunement, buoyancy, and clarity are crucial sales skills","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/attunement-buoyancy-and-clarity-are-crucial-sales-skills\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/attunement-buoyancy-and-clarity-are-crucial-sales-skills\/","description":"Those who sell must be emotionally aware, able to rebound, and clear in their goals, presentation, and next steps. If you’re in sales\u2013Pink would argue almost everyone\u2013you’ll need to develop three skills: Attunement, Buoyancy, and Clarity (Pink, pg. 66).\nAttunement simply means awareness. A salesman must be ‘in tune’ with those he sells to; to see the world from the customer’s perspective. The better a salesman is able to understand the customer in front of him, the better he can find their problems and, if he has a solution, offer them what they didn’t know they were looking for."},{"title":"Don't do discount deception","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/dont-do-discount-deception\/","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Nov 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/dont-do-discount-deception\/","description":"Discounts are everyday practice at storefronts across America. Every window is plastered with the sale inside, as though it’s only purpose was to announce this fact. Consumers who weren’t looking for a product may buy it when they believe it’s a steal. This is commonplace, but is it right? Two case studies:\nFirst, a 10% men’s clothing discount at Kohl’s. A shirt which the month before was advertised at $15 is now only $13."},{"title":"Foster innovation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/foster-innovation\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/foster-innovation\/","description":"During the Industrial Revolution, business execution was the defining quality of successful large businesses. Frederick Taylor’s scientific methods summarize the time’s emphasis on efficiency and output as the key ingredients for a growing business to maintain its competitive edge. When efficient mass-production had become commonplace, a resurgence of efficiency with an emphasis on quality control was sparked in Japan under the influence of W. Edwards Deming. In our current Information Age, while execution and quality remain non-negotiables, the defining characteristic of successful large businesses is innovation."},{"title":"Intelligencia product design critique","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/intelligencia-product-design-critique\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/intelligencia-product-design-critique\/","description":"##Product Description\nAn Intelligencia coffee bag is an individual work of art. From its bright red color to the quality of the bag itself, every detail has been architected towards the founder’s vision, “Illuminating Coffee.”\nThe structure of the bag is strong. The seals hold, and the bag’s opening is a Ziploc hidden behind a pull tab rather than the traditional twist-tie. Because of the quality, it begs to be recycled rather than trashed."},{"title":"Keep the vision steady","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/keep-the-vision-steady\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/keep-the-vision-steady\/","description":"People follow a leader in part because of his life’s direction. When he’s going where the people want to go, and they believe the leader can help get them there, they’ll follow him to the end ({maxwell-minutes}, pg. 235). Thousands were willing to follow Gideon into battle against the occupying armies of the Midianites, although they had feared them for years (ESV, Judges 7).\nIf a leader loses focus on the vision or switches to another vision, his followers may disband."},{"title":"Value proposition alternative","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/value-proposition-alternative\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/value-proposition-alternative\/","description":"Value Proposition Alternatives The Construction Site makes technical business interactions between U.S. and Omani companies successful by framing the business representative’s visit with on-site cultural mentorship and preventative health measures. The local community is reinforced with short-term trauma assistance and employment opportunities for part-time local business owners.\nAd-Lib #1: Our preventative health packages helps U.S.-based business representatives who’ve traveled to Oman for stays longer than two weeks who want to remain mentally, spiritually, and emotionally healthy by smoothing the effects of culture shock and clarifying communication between them and their sending company."},{"title":"Four pillars of cultural intelligence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/four-pillars-of-cultural-intelligence\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/four-pillars-of-cultural-intelligence\/","description":"Four questions guide any leader in their approach to a cross-cultural encounter.\nLivermore lists four questions to summarize the four pillars of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and help leaders navigate cross-cultural situations. The questions are:\n What’s it going to take to motivate you? What do you need to know? What’s your plan? What behaviors should you adapt?  (Livermore, pg. 31) The first hints at why you care about another’s cultural differences."},{"title":"Persevere in cultural intelligence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/persevere-in-cultural-intelligence\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/persevere-in-cultural-intelligence\/","description":"Motivation, or drive, is necessary for the improvement of cultural intelligence (CQ).\nThe intangibles of cultural intelligence (CQ) are equally important as a leader develops their intercultural skills. Before knowledge becomes useful or intuition kicks in, a leader must have the motivation to take the often more challenging route to understand and accommodate another culture. Influence may be a leader’s reason, for a culturally adept person stands out in the new economy more than ever."},{"title":"Companies with bold views stand out","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/companies-with-bold-views-stand-out\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/companies-with-bold-views-stand-out\/","description":"A company with no stance doesn’t stand out.\nThere’s a fear in marketing that if the brand messaging doesn’t allow for everyone’s opinion, the customer portion who disagree will be alienated by the company’s stance. There’s some truth to this; any company whose brand stance maintains that white people are superior to black people will lose customers in Chicago. However, many of the ways a company’s values stand out would generate dialogue, not distress (Miller)."},{"title":"Minimum viable product example","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/minimum-viable-product-example\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/minimum-viable-product-example\/","description":"Business Description A business book written by budding entrepreneurs with insight into the integration of open Christian faith and daily business. Published for Kindle first and, if the buyers back it up, printed in bulk.\nStep 1: Determine Your Target Customer A young (20-40’s) entrepreneur or business leader with a spiritual desire to effect lasting and sustainable change among their peers and in their community through a holistic spiritual lifestyle. He’s read a number of business and leadership books already but hasn’t found a book which deals honestly in the area he considers most important - spiritual openness."},{"title":"Most customers are not ready to buy today","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/most-customers-are-not-ready-to-buy-today\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/most-customers-are-not-ready-to-buy-today\/","description":"A fraction of the total market is ready to purchase, but the rest may be primed.\nNo matter how desirable a company’s product is, only a tiny percentage of the market will take notice of it at any given time. About three percent in fact. Only another seven percent are even looking for a solution, of which your company may be but one in many available options. Though you blast the remaining 90% with marketing ads, sales pitches, and free samples, they are simply not in the market."},{"title":"New presentation new insight","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/new-presentation-new-insight\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/new-presentation-new-insight\/","description":"The way common data is presented changes the way it’s understood and applied.\nTim Brown introduces his book with two ways to approach the information within. For the traditional, he maintains a regular table of contents, a sequential order of the chapters that provides a broad overview of its linear structure. For readers who desire to see the connections between his ideas, he also provides a mind map (Brown, loc 171)."},{"title":"Sticky branding plan","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/sticky-branding-plan\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/sticky-branding-plan\/","description":"##Principle 1: Simple Clarity\nThe Construction Site makes technical business interactions between U.S. and Omani companies successful by framing the traveler’s visit with culturally sound supports. Cultural roadblocks are identified and detoured with short and powerful consultations from local business people. Readable signs guide on-site negotiators from their introduction to the parting handshake. Bridges are built across the table, the ocean, and the world.\n##Principle 2: Tilt The Odds\nThe Construction Site offers a custom-built experience for U."},{"title":"A leaders primary service is connection","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/a-leaders-primary-service-is-connection\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/a-leaders-primary-service-is-connection\/","description":"Leadership opportunities come to those who connect with others.\nMaxwell spends three-quarters of every day connecting with people because, the stronger the connection, the more opportunity to lead (Maxwell, pg. 166).\nWhen Absalom stole the kingdom from his father David, he did so by connecting one-on-one with the nation (2Sa15). Although his desire was corrupt, the pains he took to ingratiate himself with individuals shows how powerful connection can be. So, though it took forty years, Absalom was able to steal the hearts of all the Israelite people, and he did it under one of Israel’s greatest kings!"},{"title":"Attraction between leaders and followers is mutual","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/attraction-between-leaders-and-followers-is-mutual\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/attraction-between-leaders-and-followers-is-mutual\/","description":"Attraction between leaders and followers is mutual.\nPeople who follow a leader don’t do so because it’s against their best interests, they do so because they expect that good will come to them as a result. Likewise, leaders don’t accept followers merely because they show up, but because they see the value they add to their team. When the leader shares his vision, the people who follow are those who want to go there or who value that path."},{"title":"Bring others to the summit","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/bring-others-to-the-summit\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/bring-others-to-the-summit\/","description":"Leaders shouldn’t be alone at the top of the mountain, but they must be intentional to bring others with them.\nThere’s a common saying, “It’s lonely at the top.” When a leader strives to become the best he can often fail to take anyone else with him, leaving him standing on the peak with himself and a few weak thanks for the people who helped him get there. Maxwell pokes a hole in this saying by urging us that “it’s lonely at the top, so you’d better take someone with you (Maxwell, pg."},{"title":"Cultural intelligence is crucial for todays leaders","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/cultural-intelligence-is-crucial-for-todays-leaders\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/cultural-intelligence-is-crucial-for-todays-leaders\/","description":"Cultural intelligence (CI) may be the deciding factor in 21st-century leadership.\n“Nearly 90 percent of leading executives from sixty-eight countries named cross-cultural leadership as the top management challenge for the next century (Livermore, pg. 14).” Livermore’s research, which aggregates this surprising statistic, indicates that the leaders who can navigate the intercultural landscape will be the most valuable asset to any company in the 21st century.\nCharisma and efficiency may top the charts on most U."},{"title":"Empowerment is relational","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/empowerment-is-relational\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/empowerment-is-relational\/","description":"Empowerment is relational.\nThe word ‘empowerment’ conjures the image of a father handing his truck’s keys over to his son. It means autonomy and authority for the empowered. Merriam-Webster lists as synonyms commission, authorize, enable, and invest (empower).\nSpreitzer’s study discovered four conditions that foster empowerment in an organization. The conditions may be summarized vision, teamwork, roles, trust (security), and, from Maxwell’s definitions, I infer clarity (pg. 202-203).\nGalvanizing vision. “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave-owner will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood (King Jr."},{"title":"Leaders are assisted by intuition","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-are-assisted-by-intuition\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-are-assisted-by-intuition\/","description":"Intuition is like spiritual gifts in that it only assists a person but doesn’t define them.\nIntuition is a word with an ambiguous definition. We know it exists because others aren’t the same as we are. Little Jimmy could play the piano before he could walk, and we couldn’t carry a tune after graduating high school. Nevertheless, the knowledge that there’s a leadership intuition does little to change one’s perspective on leadership (although it may change one’s perspective on themselves)."},{"title":"Leaders with vision and no compromise fail","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-with-vision-and-no-compromise-fail\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-with-vision-and-no-compromise-fail\/","description":"Leaders with a holy vision and no compromise fail.\nEarly in the rise of Lincoln’s political career his party was at a crossroads. They sought to elect a new Illinois politician, but could not decide upon the man. Abolitionists cried for a candidate with a bold public stance against slavery. Unionists urged for a moderate voice to subdue the rising discontent between North and South. Each had their candidate; each vilified the other’s."},{"title":"Personal connection improves performance","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/personal-connection-improves-performance\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/personal-connection-improves-performance\/","description":"Short interpersonal connections make work a better place to be.\nAlthough the man who spent 27 years alone in the wilderness may not agree, (Finkel) humans were made to connect with one another. Cultures vary widely on the relevance of this fact, from those who require personal connections prior to business transactions to those single-minded in getting the job done. Nevertheless, every culture recognizes a need for a connection with others when conducting business."},{"title":"Serve a better leader","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/serve-a-better-leader\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/serve-a-better-leader\/","description":"Serving a better leader is a price to become a great leader.\nA person who desires leadership may take whatever opportunity that awaits him. Time spent in the presence of another leader is educational, but a green leader wants to get started now! He can’t wait to arrive at the pinnacle of leadership and so departs from his preparation before he’s ready (Maxwell).\nElisha waited years before his leadership had a chance to shine."},{"title":"Customer discovery plan","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-discovery-plan\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-discovery-plan\/","description":"Deliver preventative counseling to overseas workers in Central Asian cities.\nBusiness Description: To improve the quality of life and lengthen the staying power of committed workers in Central Asian cities, this business will offer three preventative health packages: 1) online, 2) retreat 3) on-site. The online package will be client-focused online coaching on stress management and communication skills. The retreat package will be a resort with freedom to relax, opportunities to collaborate with others, and unintrusive assessments of health and wellbeing."},{"title":"Debt can ruin a business","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/debt-can-ruin-a-business\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/debt-can-ruin-a-business\/","description":"Although the Bible never draws a hard line against indebting one’s self to another, Proverbs is full of admonitions about the foolishness of this practice. “The borrower is the slave of the lender” (ESV, Proverbs 22:7) is one of the most vivid examples. Temporary borrowing may allow a business to capture an opportunity that wouldn’t be possible if it had to wait until the funds were generated, but if a business regularly needs these type of capital injections it’s likely a symptom of poor management than amazing opportunity."},{"title":"Emotional intelligence defines the organization","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/emotional-intelligence-defines-the-organization\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/emotional-intelligence-defines-the-organization\/","description":"When a CEO needs to change their organization, they must direct their attention to transforming management. Those few who manage the company, both the C-suite and the general managers, set the mood and either help or hinder change. And it is the top leader, the CEO, who helps them change.\nJoan’s story capitalizes the effect a top manager can have on her direct reports. Joan didn’t begin an inspection of the business to identify what was wrong, she spent time with her leaders."},{"title":"Europe is split into three cultures","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/europe-is-split-into-three-cultures\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/europe-is-split-into-three-cultures\/","description":"With the exception of America, the melting pot of the earth, one may consider cultures to spread across the globe in a predictable manner; pools of culture that ebb and flow like the ocean. Natural boundaries act as the ocean’s shores, eroded by influence or violent action over the years but generally unchanged. A review of the European continent, when taken from this perspective, would lead the spectator to assume the entire small continent, stretching from Portugal to Ukraine, would share the same cultural distinctions."},{"title":"Finances expose faith more than words","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/finances-expose-faith-more-than-words\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/finances-expose-faith-more-than-words\/","description":"Jesus taught often on finances, and his examples and parables often used money to make his point. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (ESV, Mat 6:21) he summarized after teaching about where your wages are stored for safe-keeping. Upon witnessing a poor woman donate a penny to the temple, he remarked, “[she] has put in more than all” (ESV, Mat 12:43).\nAny person with an income tells others what they believe by the way they spend it."},{"title":"Indescriminate pay harms employees","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/indescriminate-pay-harms-employees\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/indescriminate-pay-harms-employees\/","description":"Equality for all is often cited as the golden standard, but in the world of employee wages this mantra causes trouble. This is because, while discrimination on the basis of gender, age, race, or religion is often a harmful stereotype, discrimination on the basis of performance - at least where the performance is equally measured and applied - is a benefit to the productive worker and a cure for the lazy (Burkett)."},{"title":"Keep product development close to customers","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/keep-product-development-close-to-customers\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/keep-product-development-close-to-customers\/","description":"I’ve noticed a trend at kCura. As the company has grown, the departments have drifted into their own separate and siloed operations. Product managers advocate for further separation of the Engineering teams from the customers, claiming that they need heads-down time to finish product features (which they do. Despite following an iterative approach, we have years of work on our plates). Customer Support managers advocate for a customer separation from the engineers because they don’t know how to talk to customers."},{"title":"Kingdom values may cause business setbacks","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/kingdom-values-may-cause-business-setbacks\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/kingdom-values-may-cause-business-setbacks\/","description":"The business world values profit over principle, and circumstances rarely align such that the higher road and the wealthy road merge. The business person who lacks integrity often gets the upper hand of the honest dealer, the deceitful regularly overtake the good. The Psalms are filled with exhortations against the wicked, “from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me” (ESV, Ps 43:1b).\nOne may wonder, as David did in Psalm 73, what profit there is in the way of righeousness when the wicked competition prospers?"},{"title":"The bible is not a business rulebook","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/the-bible-is-not-a-business-rulebook\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/the-bible-is-not-a-business-rulebook\/","description":"Employees want to receive a fair wage, to work in a safe environment, and to have the freedom to possess differences of viewpoint when those opinions don’t relate to the work being done (or, to be respected). Employers want their employees to work towards the benefit of the business in an efficient and consistent manner. The dramatic examples where this does not occur only reinforce the rule. Burkett’s descriptions, if followed as rigidly as they’re written, would not produce the results employees and employers want."},{"title":"Wise business needs holy spirit help","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/wise-business-needs-holy-spirit-help\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/wise-business-needs-holy-spirit-help\/","description":"The Bible is full of wisdom for life and business. The narratives give examples to emulate and to avoid; the proverbs are sound instruction. At 1044 pages in the printed Bible I use, there’s a lot to glean. How will any business person apply with any confidence this collection of vital literature?\nThe ambitious Christian scholar sets out to systematize the Scriptures in order to absorb what he must understand and obey about business."},{"title":"Behavior is comprehensible only within culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/behavior-is-comprehensible-only-within-culture\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/behavior-is-comprehensible-only-within-culture\/","description":"The reasons for a nation’s cultural distinctions are not always decipherable from the actions of its people.\nFrom a Western perspective, Eastern culture is formal and backward. Children in China defer to their parents, even as adults, at a level that most children in the United States would compare to slavery. Obedience to one’s government is a standard in China, but in the United States there are rallies and protests against political leaders."},{"title":"Cultural understanding cannot replace relational insight","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/cultural-understanding-cannot-replace-relational-insight\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/cultural-understanding-cannot-replace-relational-insight\/","description":"Cultural preparation is ephemeral, individual relationship is concrete.\nAt the conclusion of Livermore’s extensive research of ten global cultural clusters, he reminds us that individuals have unique mixes of cultural and sub-cultural values. Cultural preparation, no matter the quantity, is useful for general predictions only and one should “move as quickly as possible beyond broad cultural stereotypes” (Livermore, pg. 89).\nFor example, the hippie movement of the 1960’s was a collectivist, cooperative movement in a culture renown for individualism and competitive spirit."},{"title":"Brand name ideas","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/brand-name-ideas\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/brand-name-ideas\/","description":"Business Idea: Deliver preventative counseling to overseas workers in Central Asian cities.\nBusiness Description: To improve the quality of life and lengthen the staying power of committed workers in Central Asian cities, this business will offer three preventative health packages: 1) online, 2) retreat 3) on-site. The online package will be client-focused online coaching on stress management and communication skills. The retreat package will be a resort with freedom to relax, opportunities to collaborate with others, and unintrusive assessments of health and wellbeing."},{"title":"Common barriers to product adoption","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/common-barriers-to-product-adoption\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/common-barriers-to-product-adoption\/","description":"Entrepreneurs may overlook the complexity of constraints customers face.\nAs the inventor of a brilliant new solution, a microwave we’ll say, it’s common to think others will be ecstatic to learn of my solution and use it immediately. “They just don’t know this amazing machine would save them hours!” I might say to myself as I drive to my first sale. When my customer says it’s too hard to learn, I may be tempted to blow them off."},{"title":"Focus on one fruitful channel","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/focus-on-one-fruitful-channel\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/focus-on-one-fruitful-channel\/","description":"To gain the initial growth necessary for sustainable business, an entrepreneur is best served by mastering a single, fruitful channel.\nTo gain the critical number of customers to break even and to receive the customer feedback, a company needs to iterate on a single channel. This is because entering a channel is like drilling a hole into the bottom of a bucket full of beads where the number of beads in the bucket represents the number of customers who will be reached by this channel in the market."},{"title":"Fruitful channels may surprise","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/fruitful-channels-may-surprise\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/fruitful-channels-may-surprise\/","description":"The most effective channel for a business to begin may not be the obvious one.\nAlthough there are at least nineteen different channels a startup can discover customers through, a few often get priority because of the number of potential viewers or the ease of use. Online methods, in particular, are easy to get started (at least for the tech generations) and have billions of potential viewers. Even so, exploring all of the channel opportunities may reveal others that would yield more customers at this stage in your businesses growth."},{"title":"Value proposition canvas","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/value-proposition-canvas\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/value-proposition-canvas\/","description":"Deliver post-MBA graduates consulting experience in their dream field.\nBusiness Description: MBA graduates who desire to integrate their studies with the daily practice of a startup find it a challenge to connect with entrepreneurs who will pay for their consulting services. These graduates may face ‘imposter syndrome’ - the sense their education belies their ability - and desire a testing ground for the concepts they have learned. A consultant who acts as a middleman between the fresh MBA student and a selection of businesses, who will connect the student with a personalized business tailored to their MBA experience and will benefit the business by identifying talented managers, partners, and consultants available for hire."},{"title":"Leadership style depends on circumstance","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leadership-style-depends-on-circumstance\/","pubDate":"Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leadership-style-depends-on-circumstance\/","description":"Leadership styles can be developed and applied based on the circumstance.\nThere are a range of leadership styles, many of which you may have encountered. A leader who regularly made decisions based on the group’s consensus? You’ve seen a leader use the democratic style. A leader who energized you with a compelling idea of the company’s purpose and inspired you to join it? You’ve experienced a visionary style. A leader who shouted orders to you in a crisis situation, giving you clear direction when fear threatened to immobilize you?"},{"title":"Embedded youtube videos attach google ads","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/embedded-youtube-videos-attach-google-ads\/","pubDate":"Sat, 25 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/embedded-youtube-videos-attach-google-ads\/","description":"I know that I shouldn’t be surprised at this point, but adding Matthew’s video to my ship’s log also inadvertently added a Google Ad tracker to my website (pun intended). It’s in Matthew’s best interest that I leave the video on my site, but maybe there’s a way I can embed it that doesn’t send my visitor’s information to Google?"},{"title":"Emotional presence affects followers","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/emotional-presence-affects-followers\/","pubDate":"Wed, 01 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/emotional-presence-affects-followers\/","description":"The emotional presence of a leader has a wide-ranging impact on all business functions.\nAll functions of a business are relational. The salesperson and the customer relate in the sale. The engineer collaborates with his co-workers and his manager to build a product. We live and work in a web of relationships, and the emotional states of others effects us. This is because our emotional wiring, called the limbic system, is created as an ‘open-loop’ ((Goleman, pg."},{"title":"Remote work supports global entrepreneurship","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/remote-work-supports-global-entrepreneurship\/","pubDate":"Sun, 15 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/remote-work-supports-global-entrepreneurship\/","description":"Knowledge work is branching from the busy metropolis to bedrooms and coffee shops across the globe.\n “In health insurance, Fortune 100 provider Aetna has nearly half of its 35,000 U.S. employees working from home. In accounting, Deloitte, which has about the same number of employees, has a staggering 86 percent working remotely at least 20 percent of the time. At Intel, 82 percent of their people regularly work remotely” (Fried, pg."},{"title":"Remote workers blame themselves first","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/remote-workers-blame-themselves-first\/","pubDate":"Sun, 15 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/remote-workers-blame-themselves-first\/","description":"“I’m such a slacker!”, “What’s wrong with me?”, “I always procrastinate; I hate it” are common thoughts when a person lacks motivation. When one’s motivation has dropped so low it takes “a week to do a day’s work” (Fried, pg. 222), the common response is to blame ones' self for the problem. Other factors may be overlooked when one’s focus doesn’t leave their lack of motivation. Two common factors in a lack of motivation are:"},{"title":"Leaders initiate relationships","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-initiate-relationships\/","pubDate":"Sun, 15 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-initiate-relationships\/","description":"Leaders initiate connections with their people.\nMaxwell’s analogy about the locomotive expresses a key point about leadership - the leader must initiate a connection with his followers. The leader who sits in his office will never build the relationship necessary with his people to inspire trust and respect in his people. “Great leaders don’t expect their people to move forward and latch on to them. Instead, they reach out to people, no matter where they are, and work to make a connection."},{"title":"Empathy exposes cultural bias","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/empathy-exposes-cultural-bias\/","pubDate":"Fri, 13 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/empathy-exposes-cultural-bias\/","description":"Understanding one’s own cultural values from the perspective of an outsider helps to accept differences in other cultures.\nSo often exposure to other cultures is immediately followed by judgment. Differences are strange at best, and evil at worst. For example, when an Anglo, who values personal space, is exposed to an Arab, who values close proximity, there’s a tendency to condemn their practice as barbarian, or to pity them (Livermore)."},{"title":"Unteachable leaders are doomed","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/unteachable-leaders-are-doomed\/","pubDate":"Fri, 13 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/unteachable-leaders-are-doomed\/","description":"A leader who can’t be taught is doomed.\nEvery leader makes mistakes. The most inspiring leaders in the Old Testament all make terrible decisions at some point. Moses murdered an Egyptian, David slept with Bathsheba, and Joseph provoked his brothers to jealousy. The New Testament’s leaders share their own failures. What distinguishes the inspiring leaders from those used as case studies of what not to do is their teachability. In their stories, even if their mistake is dramatic, it does not end their leadership."},{"title":"Leadership determines corporate size","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/leadership-determines-corporate-size\/","pubDate":"Wed, 11 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/leadership-determines-corporate-size\/","description":"Not all leaders operate at the same level of influence. Those who garner more respect on account of their character and skill operate at a higher level of influence. The strongest leader draws others of equal or weaker skill and character to themselves like a magnet. This has a cumulative effect; the strongest leader draws those who respect him, and they draw others, etc. This creates a pyramid of sorts, where the best leaders are followed by above average leaders, who are followed by average or new leaders."},{"title":"Favor respect over positional authority","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/favor-respect-over-positional-authority\/","pubDate":"Wed, 11 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/favor-respect-over-positional-authority\/","description":"Leaders who grow don’t depend on the same motivations for others to follow them.\nOften when a leader starts off in an organization, his only claim is title. He was hired as a manager, he was selected as a senior so-and-so, etc. People follow him because of his title or out of respect for another’s selection, but only because they must. If no other reason develops besides position, the people will stop following."},{"title":"Educate to make better servants","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/educate-to-make-better-servants\/","pubDate":"Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/educate-to-make-better-servants\/","description":"The purpose of education is to equip the student to better serve others. Whether business or health, science or philosophy, the goal of education is to make the person a more effective servant of others. A business person learns how to write lean canvases and design validation tests to help guide others towards a profitable business model. A surgeon learns the human anatomy so he’s able to heal the person. A philosopher thinks deeply about the issues plaguing his society in order to find solutions that will benefit all (Maxwell)."},{"title":"Innovate by model combination","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/innovate-by-model-combination\/","pubDate":"Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/innovate-by-model-combination\/","description":"The number of business models are limitless, and can be implemented as brand new offerings, existing offerings with limited innovations, or combinations of both.\nThere is no end to the combinations of business models that could be created. One may refocus an existing model to differentiate one’s self in a new market like Nintendo accomplished with it’s low-cost, widely accessible Wii console (Osterwalder, pg. 83). Another may the ‘unbundle’ three common models in the same company to clarify each bundles' value proposition (Osterwalder, pg."},{"title":"Models make complex ideas sharable","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/models-make-complex-ideas-sharable\/","pubDate":"Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/models-make-complex-ideas-sharable\/","description":"Business models encapsulate complex ideas into simple and sharable patterns.\nIn software design there is a concept called design patterns. Design patterns are commonly defined as “a general reusable solution to a commonly occurring problem within a given context” (Wikipedia). Software developers who apply these patterns in their appropriate circumstances benefit from proven solutions to problems others have experienced in the software space. This also gives developers a common vocabulary to explore designs for large systems without the precise details of implementation."},{"title":"We need global leaders","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/we-need-global-leaders\/","pubDate":"Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/we-need-global-leaders\/","description":"There is pressing need for global leaders, for we live in a pivotal moment in world history.\nThe effects of globalization have manifested themselves in economies world-wide, and a wave of protectionism threatens in its wake. American voters have reacted to the loss of jobs caused in part by international trade and the uncertainty of an economy that reacts to forces beyond its borders (Williams). This sentiment is not restrained to America alone; a BBC poll in 2008 estimates “only 5 percent of the global public believes that the economic benefits and burdens of globalization are being shared ‘very fairly’” (Cabrera, loc."},{"title":"Model validation can be part time","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/model-validation-can-be-part-time\/","pubDate":"Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/model-validation-can-be-part-time\/","description":"Validating a business model can be part-time work.\nIt doesn’t take seventy hours a week to validate a business model. In Maurya’s example from the writing of his book Running Lean, he tests and confirms the book could produce value in the spare time he had while running another business. It took him seventeen months of scaled effort to validate and create the book his blog readers were asking for. In the process he tested several assumptions that, if proven false, would have saved him countless hours of work writing a book no one would read."},{"title":"Startups produce models over solutions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/startups-produce-models-over-solutions\/","pubDate":"Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/startups-produce-models-over-solutions\/","description":"The product of a startup is a business model, not a solution.\nIt is common to think in terms of problem and solution when dreaming up a startup idea. If one can find a problem and solve it, one reasons, then one has a viable business. This over-simplification hides crucial assumptions that must be answered in order to build a viable business.\nThe business modeling tool Maurya illustrates includes only one small box for the solution (Maurya, pg."},{"title":"Leaders develop over decades","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-develop-over-decades\/","pubDate":"Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-develop-over-decades\/","description":"Growth in leadership is a multi-decade investment with a clear direction.\nA leader is recognized as such only after the labor of leadership development has born fruit. Or to use a boxing analogy, “Champions don’t become champions in the ring–they are merely recognized there” (Maxwell, pg. 30). The period before the championship moment is measured in decades, not days. To arrive at the level of influence of recognized leaders, an individual must take intentional steps on a regular basis towards that goal."},{"title":"Accounting describes measurable value","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/accounting-describes-measurable-value\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/accounting-describes-measurable-value\/","description":"If an asset may be measured reliably, it belongs to Accounting. The dollar amount in the bank is accountable, for it has an exact value at any point in time. Property value is accountable, for the market estimate of its value may be reliably calculated. The right to be reimbursed for services is accountable, for the value of those services may be measured.\nThere are some assets which cannot be reliably measured and therefore do not belong to Accounting."},{"title":"Accounting is both story and science","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/accounting-is-both-story-and-science\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/accounting-is-both-story-and-science\/","description":"Accounting standards are published internationally under IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), and in the U.S. under GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). These standards comprise thousands of pages outlining every accounting scenario imaginable. Because of the incredible breadth of content, accountants often specialize in one area of IFRS, such as asset depreciation. An outsider may conclude that a business which follows these standards is mathematically perfect in the way it’s represented on paper - pure science."},{"title":"Accrual accounting is the most accurate","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/accrual-accounting-is-the-most-accurate\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/accrual-accounting-is-the-most-accurate\/","description":"Two major types of accounting exist: accrual and cash accounting. One might say there’s really only one type, with cash accounting being a simplified version of accrual. Accrual accounting attempts to describe the financial story of a business at every point in time; not only when cash is received or expended, but when assets of all kind are affected. A payment for a future service is simply listed as income in cash accounting; only cash is recognized."},{"title":"Analysis of articles of incorporation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/analysis-of-articles-of-incorporation\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/analysis-of-articles-of-incorporation\/","description":"This is a comparison of the articles of incorporation for an LLC published by the United States and by India.\nSimilarities The foremost similarity between the Indian and American articles of incorporation for a limited liability corporation (LLC) is the concept of business members and business managers or directors. Membership in the Indian articles is closely tied to ownership of shares (3.ii), and the American articles also tie membership with business share ownership (2."},{"title":"Benefits attract employees","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/benefits-attract-employees\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/benefits-attract-employees\/","description":"When I think of the benefits of a job, the first is pay. A steady income may be the most enticing benefit to workers everywhere. It’s the only reason high school students want a job. But a U.S. employer has many optional, and some mandatory, benefits beyond pay. While the employer may feel these benefits are expensive - and a few are demonstrably so - a wise employer will view benefits as a means to attract and quality employees and strengthen their business."},{"title":"Bible meditation offers the highest business wisdom","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/bible-meditation-offers-the-highest-business-wisdom\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/bible-meditation-offers-the-highest-business-wisdom\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey your word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me."},{"title":"Blessing is contingent on generosity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/blessing-is-contingent-on-generosity\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/blessing-is-contingent-on-generosity\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n\nAt the end of every three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in the same year and lay it up within your towns. And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do."},{"title":"Business is responsible for most tax collection","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/business-is-responsible-for-most-tax-collection\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/business-is-responsible-for-most-tax-collection\/","description":"Many nations use business as the principal means of tax collection. Two reasons exist for this.\nFirst, the effect of most taxation does not depend on who collects it. In economic terms, incidence refers to the impact of taxes on a segment of the economy. Split into “formal” and “effective,” the study of incidence seeks to determine who actually pays for taxes. What economists have discovered is that, while the party formally responsible for tax may differ, the effective responsibility rests upon the same economic segment."},{"title":"Compensating feedback happens when the root problem is not addressed","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/compensating-feedback-happens-when-the-root-problem-is-not-addressed\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/compensating-feedback-happens-when-the-root-problem-is-not-addressed\/","description":"How often does our first response to a problem result in more work for ourselves in the long run? We see a problem and apply the first patch that comes to mind. Meanwhile, the origin of the problem goes untouched and, in due time, a new problem springs up. If the problems multiply, we add more effort until we burn out or finally discover our fixes haven’t touched the root problem."},{"title":"Contracts are the arteries of business","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/contracts-are-the-arteries-of-business\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/contracts-are-the-arteries-of-business\/","description":"If accounting is the life blood of business, contracts are the arteries. Contracts, whether oral or written, bind parties by agreements through which assets flow. There are vena cava contracts which supply the business with its essential funds, such as a property loan to a restaurant. Others are minor capillary contracts which perform limited support, such as an oral contract to sell a sofa at a 5% discount if it’s paid in cash."},{"title":"Corruption threatens international investment","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corruption-threatens-international-investment\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corruption-threatens-international-investment\/","description":"The story of Bill Browder is not a pleasant one. He moved to Russia in 1996 with $25 million dollars to invest in the Russian oil and gas industry. After revealing corruption in many Russian corporations he was at last kicked out of Russia in November, 2005. His company was seized and used to obtain $230 million in fraudulent tax rebates. One of his Russian employees, Sergei Magnitsky, refused to flee and was detained in prison for over a year."},{"title":"Customer contact builds empathy","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-contact-builds-empathy\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-contact-builds-empathy\/","description":"To be efficient, company’s specialize the work their employees accomplish. Customer Service Representatives speak to clients all day long, they don’t organize financial reports or manage people. Likewise, those who manage Service Representatives aren’t likely to interact with a customer unless a problem arises. One step above them and customer interaction has been removed entirely - they are entirely isolated from the customers they serve.\nThe same happens on the product side of business."},{"title":"Customer facing roles need higher cultural intelligence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-facing-roles-need-higher-cultural-intelligence\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/customer-facing-roles-need-higher-cultural-intelligence\/","description":"Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is applicable in every interaction because each individual is a unique blend of cultural values, even in a homogeneous setting. Whether meeting with a friend one’s known for years or asking directions of a stranger, one’s success rate rises where he applies CQ. Nevertheless, not every interaction requires the same level of motivation, preparation, or focus.\nIn the same way, every role in a company benefits from CQ, but there are some roles for which CQ is a deciding factor to success."},{"title":"Employee engagement definition","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employee-engagement-definition\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employee-engagement-definition\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to the organization and its goals. Kruse, pg. 8\n As an employee, feeling engaged at work is a better way to live. It’s wonderful to have open, two-way communication with your leaders, to have opportunities to grow and learn, to receive recognition for work well done, and to trust your leaders and know they trust you. One might say that every employee longs for engagement."},{"title":"Employees have no privacy","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employees-have-no-privacy\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employees-have-no-privacy\/","description":"The laws that govern employee privacy are limited to discriminatory acts and invasive practices. Those records which would not be acceptable to base a hiring decision on, such as medical records, remain protected unless the employer has reason to request them; i.e. to ascertain the fitness of the employee to perform a specific task. Invasive practices go beyond workplace security into the off-site life of the employee. THis includes monitoring the employee’s off-hours location and activities and reading the employee’s personal mail if it’s routed to the workplace."},{"title":"Employees want their work to have impact","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employees-want-their-work-to-have-impact\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employees-want-their-work-to-have-impact\/","description":"Employees want their work to matter and their workplace to have a positive impact in the world ((Kruse)). How do leaders give their employees the conviction that their work matters? More effective than affirmation, a leader who gives clear priorities to his employees motivates them that the business is moving forward.\nConsider two employees, Fred and Sally. Both hold the same sales position at their company, but they have different managers."},{"title":"Favor generosity over profit margin","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/favor-generosity-over-profit-margin\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/favor-generosity-over-profit-margin\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n\nTake care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, \u2018The seventh year, the year of release is near,\u2019 and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the LORD against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake."},{"title":"Financial analysis raises operational questions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/financial-analysis-raises-operational-questions\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/financial-analysis-raises-operational-questions\/","description":"Financial analysis has fantastic potential to raise questions about the operations of a business, but alone it can conclude little. A glance at assets may reveal an imbalance in current assets vs current liabilities, but it cannot tell the story of how this came to be or what decisions brought this about. Another step deeper into the individual transactions may supply more light, but even then educated guesses are all that’s possible; it takes questions posed to the actors before answers can be fully complete."},{"title":"Flowcharts expose waste","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/flowcharts-expose-waste\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/flowcharts-expose-waste\/","description":"My first insight, that process maps are primarily to make processes more efficient and not to document them leads naturally into this - flowcharts which identify all non-value-adding activity are most valuable in illuminating inefficiencies.\nAn initial draft of a flowchart that describes one’s own work process is likely to miss waste. Users don’t naturally think of a wait they’re familiar with as a non-value-adding activity that might be removed or shortened."},{"title":"Greed undermines a business","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/greed-undermines-a-business\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/greed-undermines-a-business\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n\nYou shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.\n The LORD ends his Decalogue with a command against envious desire of another person’s possessions, material or immaterial. In my own words it would read: Do not enviously desire the name and legacy of another."},{"title":"Indirect taxes tend to be regressive","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/indirect-taxes-tend-to-be-regressive\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/indirect-taxes-tend-to-be-regressive\/","description":"When calculating the impact of taxes on a nation’s population, an economist looks for the distributional incidence among segments. While every nation differs in the way their taxes are gained - some receive a majority via direct income tax while others through an indirect sales tax - in general, direct taxes are progressive and indirect taxes are regressive. What this means for a distribution of the nation’s population is that the poorest population are less impacted than the richest in a progressive tax scheme, while the inverse is true in a regressive tax scheme."},{"title":"Interview for swift culling","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/interview-for-swift-culling\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/interview-for-swift-culling\/","description":"Recruiters are hired to get people in the door, but the decision to hire is always in the hands of business managers. Managers often have little more to review about their candidate than a single page resume, maybe a cover letter, and what they can find on social media. When a candidate passes those preliminary checks, a manager must decide what sort of interview to begin with. Phone interview? Written assessment?"},{"title":"Job titles have unexpected consequences","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/job-titles-have-unexpected-consequences\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/job-titles-have-unexpected-consequences\/","description":"What’s in a job title? Is it only a placeholder to pin to a job board? Does it matter whether a tech opening is called “software engineer” or “junior software developer?” Why would you append “senior” or “junior” to a title? There’s more in a job title than you may expect.\nFirst, consider the addition of levels to a business' job titles; designations such as “junior” or “senior”. A business may choose levels to insert gradation in skill and experience with the intention to outline career progression."},{"title":"Leadership books are not created equal","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/leadership-books-are-not-created-equal\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/leadership-books-are-not-created-equal\/","description":"Bradberry and Greaves' leadership book promises “a new way to understand great leadership and an innovative method for any leader to become great (loc. 66).” What it supplies is a research compendium of distinct, pithy paragraphs and examples of the positive and negative feedback from which the paragraphs were drawn. Perhaps in an attempt to validate the research effort expended, the authors resort to detached, directive explanations and tacked-on snippets of feedback stripped of context."},{"title":"Only assets generate value","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/only-assets-generate-value\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/only-assets-generate-value\/","description":"The structure of accounting around the world rests upon five fundamental categories: assets, liabilities, equity, income, and expense. Every possible financial iteration may be represented by a transfer from one of these categories to another. Take out a $10,000 loan? Your assets increase by $10,000, and your liability to the bank increases by the same amount. Pay $1,000 off the loan? Your liabilities decrease to $9,000 and your equity grows by the same amount."},{"title":"Organizational injustice is systemic","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/organizational-injustice-is-systemic\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/organizational-injustice-is-systemic\/","description":"In my excavation of Bradberry and Greaves' book Leadership 2.0, trying to dig up an insight, I unearthed a jarring discontinuity. Bold claims are made in the first choppy pages of the chapter on organizational justice, but the actions fall short of the vision for organizational justice.\n“The ability to get what we deserve from the tremendous effort that we put into our work,” “the feeling that your efforts are respected and valued,” “[feeling] empowered” and “feeling satisfied with how you spent your time” are all given as definitions for organizational justice (pg."},{"title":"Pay taxes and honor the government","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/pay-taxes-and-honor-the-government\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/pay-taxes-and-honor-the-government\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, \u201cWe have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king...\u201d Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, \u201cYou brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion."},{"title":"Pride strikes at the pinnacle of success","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/pride-strikes-at-the-pinnacle-of-success\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/pride-strikes-at-the-pinnacle-of-success\/","description":"If pride were a snake, it would live on the mountaintop. When you receive a generous promotion, make a major sale, garner work accolades for a critical project; these are times when pride comes near to kill. There’s little time to bask in one’s self-sufficiency on the climb up. Pitfalls hide on both sides, the peak is still distant, the possibility of success tentative. At the exhilarating finish, the temptation to rely on yourself and to boast in your achievement is high, and there is little protection from your environment."},{"title":"Process maps are tools for change","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/process-maps-are-tools-for-change\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/process-maps-are-tools-for-change\/","description":"The clarity of a process map may lead management to believe that an updated flowchart is an excellent tool for on-boarding instruction. “Each step of the process is painstakingly accounted for,” a manager might reason, “so why don’t we give this chart to new hires so they know how to do their jobs?” There’s enough truth in this sentiment to make it attractive to those who aren’t familiar with the process in question, but those who actually perform the work incorporate other influences outside the flowchart’s context."},{"title":"Retention depends on management growth","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/retention-depends-on-management-growth\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/retention-depends-on-management-growth\/","description":"To retain top talent, a business must take more steps than simply hiring them. Exemplary employees want performance feedback, assistance with their career aspirations, recognition and awards, and an emotionally safe work environment. What position holds the greatest influence in a business to realize or thwart these requirements? Managers.\nMazin and Smith recite the maxim, “people do not leave their jobs, they leave their bosses ((Smith, pg. 76)).” The opposite holds true, that employees will remain in any job with a great boss."},{"title":"Reward managerial innovation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/reward-managerial-innovation\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/reward-managerial-innovation\/","description":"Opportunities to simplify communication and processes are most prevalent at the base of a company where the product is made and client interactions occur. The people best equipped to innovate with customers are also at this level, since they are the most familiar with the current processes and can elicit direct feedback from customers about changes they have made or intend to make. Nevertheless, an inverse relationship often happens in a company: the top leaders are the most innovative and the lowest managers are the least."},{"title":"Scheduled priorities are kept priorities","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/scheduled-priorities-are-kept-priorities\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/scheduled-priorities-are-kept-priorities\/","description":"Scheduled priorities are kept priorities.\nIt takes great effort to keep one’s priorities uppermost. Invariably, urgent needs crowd the mind until decision fatigue sets in. No priority can thrive under constant stress. The trouble is exacerbated by the reality that many priorities are important but not urgent. They rarely press upon one’s mind for a response, unlike lesser demands, and will quietly avoid attention until long after the opportunity has past."},{"title":"Secure managers share their own tools","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/secure-managers-share-their-own-tools\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/secure-managers-share-their-own-tools\/","description":"Managers can be in a world of their own. While common employees do the work assigned them, managers are huddled in rooms making important decisions. Managers have all-day ‘off-site’ meetings to shape the future of the company; common employees meet to plan their week. Common employees are at their desks all day; managers are away from their desks, meeting with one another, reporting to their supervisors, and performing one-on-one meetings with their direct reports."},{"title":"Simplicity is empathetic","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/simplicity-is-empathetic\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/simplicity-is-empathetic\/","description":"If you reduce communication to its barest forms, does it mean you’ve simplified it? In the groundbreaking book 1984, the main character, Winston, converses with a friend who is drafting a new dictionary. His friend’s response describes a style of simplicity:\n\ud83d\udcac\n You think, I dare say, that our chief job is inventing new words. But not a bit of it! We're destroying words-scores of them, hundreds of them, every day."},{"title":"Spider followers need an extra push","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/spider-followers-need-an-extra-push\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/spider-followers-need-an-extra-push\/","description":"A spider organization, first coined by Ori Brafman in The Spider and the Starfish, is an organization where a tiny group holds authority over the entire organization’s power and decision-making. The test of the spider organization is, if your top leaders were to disappear (the head), what would happen to the rest (the body)?\nA “spider follower” is someone who has spent enough of their lives in spider organizations that their behavior has been shaped by the system."},{"title":"Vanity metrics obscure true performance","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/vanity-metrics-obscure-true-performance\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/vanity-metrics-obscure-true-performance\/","description":"‘Vanity metrics’ are any statistic that makes the business sound successful but do not inform stakeholders about actual performance or give insight into areas of growth (Ries, pg 143).\n Sold 3,000 widgets last month alone! That’s a 112% increase over last month! Over 4 million users! Up 1 million since 2010! In six countries on two continents! Our global presence is expanding!  Excessive exclamation aside, these are examples of metrics which may be effective for the marketing team but give little insight into business operations."},{"title":"Assessments are made from the lense of your culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/assessments-are-made-from-the-lense-of-your-culture\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/assessments-are-made-from-the-lense-of-your-culture\/","description":"Cultural Insight: Assessments of other cultures are made from one’s own culture as the baseline, but this can lead to contradictory results.\nA French person may accuse an American of unfeeling bluntness because the French generally contextualize their speech in subtle nonverbal cues. Before you say, “Well, that’s just the way the French are,” consider that a Chinese person would make the same accusation of the French. ((Meyer, pg. 22))"},{"title":"Clever programs cant change culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/clever-programs-cant-change-culture\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/clever-programs-cant-change-culture\/","description":"Clever programs can’t change culture.\nCustomers screech in your ear each week with the same message, “Your service sucks!” You’ve dedicated endless hours searching for the magic customer service model and asked your entire HR department to craft a series of seminars, activities, and meetings to instruct your service representatives and energize them with a vision of exceptional customer care. Invitations are sent, buzz is generated, but the handful of service representatives who show up are late, glossy-eyed, and pessimistic."},{"title":"Communicate at the lowest cultural context","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/communicate-at-the-lowest-cultural-context\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/communicate-at-the-lowest-cultural-context\/","description":"Multicultural teams must communicate in the lowest context for the cultures in that group.\nPeople in the United States tend to have the lowest communication context of any cultural cluster in the world. On the polar opposite, those in Japan communicate with the highest context ((Meyer, pg. 40)). What explains this?\nThe history of the United States is a short story of migrants from all cultures and backgrounds trying to live together under one government."},{"title":"Culture shapes effective inquiry","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/culture-shapes-effective-inquiry\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/culture-shapes-effective-inquiry\/","description":"To acquire an answer to your questions, you must change the question to fit the culture.\nAmericans want “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (Origin of the Oath)”. Avoidance of direct answers is not the virtue of those who care for the honor of others-it’s an obstruction of justice. Therefore, each American learns to ask direct questions if they want direct answers, and those who won’t answer in the way we expect are suspect of having something to hide."},{"title":"High context culture is sometimes direct","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/high-context-culture-is-sometimes-direct\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/high-context-culture-is-sometimes-direct\/","description":"Some high-context cultures are direct with critical feedback.\nAmerica is the lowest-context culture in the world, yet when an American gives criticism it’s often couched in praises. It should come as no surprise that other cultures with high-context communication may be dramatically direct when criticizing.\nIsraeli culture has a higher context than most of Europe, yet when an Israeli must give negative feedback they do nothing to soften the blow. Since their regular conversation is laced with indirect meaning you may assume that criticism would also be discrete, while open, direct criticism would be shameful."},{"title":"Philosophy affects what arguments are persuasive","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/philosophy-affects-what-arguments-are-persuasive\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/philosophy-affects-what-arguments-are-persuasive\/","description":"A person’s intellectual background shapes what arguments persuade them.\nOf the facets which comprise a person’s culture, the philosophy of knowledge most shapes the style of argument likely to influence that person. English citizens were comprehensively shaped by the modernization of Aristotle’s “application-first” thinking by the English philosophers of the 13th and 16th centuries ((Meyer, pg. 97)). Across the English channel, Descartes instituted an opposing philosophy of thought characterized by “principles-first” thinking which reigns among European nations to this day."},{"title":"Adopt financial models with caution","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/adopt-financial-models-with-caution\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/adopt-financial-models-with-caution\/","description":"Adopt the financial models of your industry peers, but don’t blindly accept that their accounts breakdown measures your business' true value. Few businesses have revolutionary financial models. Most are a slight variation on an existing financial model, or even an exact replica for a different market. A manufacturing business need not reinvent how it will record materials costs because it’s already standard practice to record these under COGS (cost of goods sold)."},{"title":"Both investors and entrepreneurs need equal motivation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/both-investors-and-entrepreneurs-need-equal-motivation\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/both-investors-and-entrepreneurs-need-equal-motivation\/","description":"The economic clauses on the term sheet have long-term implications to the motivation both of investors and of owners.\nWhat motivates an entrepreneur to seek investment in their business model? The prevailing motivation is pride of ownership. To see one’s idea made a reality and to witness others enjoy the fruit of one’s idea. To have created something new in the world. These are the prevailing motivations. Closely tied to pride of ownership is capital ownership, or the realization of one’s effort in financial gain."},{"title":"Business discovery is uncomfortable","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/business-discovery-is-uncomfortable\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/business-discovery-is-uncomfortable\/","description":"It’s more comfortable to scale to big business than stay in the customer discovery cycle until there’s a repeatable, scalable business model.\nThe majority of the world’s business people know how to operate an established business. Everyone can give a summary of departmental structure (Marketing, Sales, Product Development). The language is the same, the tasks are similar.\nNow take a startup. Depending on the market it’s attempting to reach, the structure of the company may be entirely different."},{"title":"Choose a corporate identity carefully","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/choose-a-corporate-identity-carefully\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/choose-a-corporate-identity-carefully\/","description":"Choose the corporate identity that makes legal and tax sense for your circumstances.\nIn the United States, five legal entities are typical among businesses: sole proprietorship, partnership, C corporation, S corporation, and LLC. Each has its tax benefits and hindrances depending on the circumstances of the business.\nSole proprietorships are simple to stand up and easy to incorporate into a person’s existing tax documents. Instead of separate tax preparation, a sole proprietorship adds a Schedule C form to their 1040 ((Clydebank, pg."},{"title":"Choose insurance with both analysis and imagination","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/choose-insurance-with-both-analysis-and-imagination\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/choose-insurance-with-both-analysis-and-imagination\/","description":"Sound insurance calculations require a vivid imagination and a calculating mind.\nIf any question existed in the minds of American people about the varieties of insurance coverage possible, the latest celebrity gossip demonstrates how insurance is limited only by one’s imagination. If celebrities require imagination to protect the limited scope of their earning potential, how much more creative an entrepreneur must be with their business?\nThere are insurance options for anything you can imagine."},{"title":"Companies need both innovation and maintenance","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/companies-need-both-innovation-and-maintenance\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/companies-need-both-innovation-and-maintenance\/","description":"Leadership Insight: A business requires both managers who invest and managers who maintain.\nManagers primarily seek to maintain the status quo. The typical manager runs the daily operations for her team, equips her team to accomplish the company’s goals, and aspires to be a senior manager by skill and seniority. For this reason, managers prefer to lead those who have no aspiration of leadership, because those who aspire to more can be disruptive, opinionated, and possibly competition for the senior management slots."},{"title":"Consider sole proprietorship for a lean startup","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/consider-sole-proprietorship-for-a-lean-startup\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/consider-sole-proprietorship-for-a-lean-startup\/","description":"Consider a sole proprietorship with liability insurance over a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for a lean startup.\nWhen an entrepreneur first sits down to consider how to incorporate a business, the technical details may bore her to tears. That is, until she reads about liability and begins to imagine what horror stories may apply to her. Lean startup entrepreneurs want runway to iterate on their business model until a product\/market fit is achieved."},{"title":"Customers want curation but ask for features","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/customers-want-curation-but-ask-for-features\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/customers-want-curation-but-ask-for-features\/","description":"People’s first impulse is to request more features, but they’re more satisfied with curated choices.\nHow much can your smartphone do? Browse the web? Take pictures and video? Store your to-do list? Find you a nearby coffee shop? Book a hotel room? Make a phone call? Perhaps a better question is, what can’t your smartphone do?\nPeople are first inclined to choose the product with more features. “I don’t know what that button does,” the consumer says to himself, “but what if I need it?"},{"title":"Employment contract pitfalls","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/employment-contract-pitfalls\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/employment-contract-pitfalls\/","description":"Business owners must take care when signing an employment contract.\nThe most common condition of employment in the United States is “at will” employment. This means that both parties, employer and employee, are under no obligation to work together any longer than desired. If the employee wants to leave the business for any reason, he may do so without penalty. Likewise, if an employer wishes to fire an employee, she may do so."},{"title":"Entrepreneurs will be judged first","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/entrepreneurs-will-be-judged-first\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/entrepreneurs-will-be-judged-first\/","description":"The corruption of justice is abhorrent to the LORD.\n “[Jehoshaphat] appointed judges in the land in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges, ‘Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the LORD our God, or partiality or taking bribes’ (ESV, 2 Chronicles 19:5-7)."},{"title":"Every venture needs a strong leader","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/every-venture-needs-a-strong-leader\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/every-venture-needs-a-strong-leader\/","description":"Though any venture requires sets of skills not usually found in one person, if one person does not have leadership ability there will be no team.\nThere are many business functions necessary to a successful business startup. There’s the development of ideas, the testing of those ideas, the execution, the refinement. It’s rare for one person to possess the skills necessary to do all functions well. Therefore a team of people with diverse strengths can increase the likelihood a venture will manage itself well."},{"title":"Globalize your business name","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/globalize-your-business-name\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/globalize-your-business-name\/","description":"Globalization and the Internet influence local small business in unexpected ways.\nBusiness names are an afterthought in small towns. Sally’s Drug may be the only drug store in town, and Stan’s Sporting Goods the only woodsman’s warehouse. Most are sole proprietorships who use their own name to distinguish the business in their county or, if the owner is ambitious, in the state registry. The danger that a similarly-named sporting goods store will contest Stan’s Sporting Goods is imperceptible, and so local businesses rarely compare the name of their business or products with state trademark and service mark registries–even less federal registries."},{"title":"Include worse case in the contract","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/include-worse-case-in-the-contract\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/include-worse-case-in-the-contract\/","description":"In a contract, don’t forget to negotiate the worst-case too.\nLet’s say a business owner wants her website remodeled. She shops around, finds a software developer who does contract work, asks for a bid, and likes the price. Technology makes her nervous, and the price seems reasonable, so she negotiates a deal with the software developer for an April 30th deadline, three weeks away, for $2,000. She turns her attention to running the business, confident she’ll have a new website soon."},{"title":"Investors are partners long after the contract is signed","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/investors-are-partners-long-after-the-contract-is-signed\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/investors-are-partners-long-after-the-contract-is-signed\/","description":"Treat the term sheet negotiation as only a part of the total deal.\nMany entrepreneurs may falsely conclude that, since the term sheet sets the rules of the investment contract, it is therefore the only important negotiation. Their efforts are isolated to a search for a VC who will offer a term sheet, then to gain a few term sheets to play off one another, and finally to negotiate every relevant section of the term sheet until they’re happy with the results."},{"title":"Launch your business with an exit plan","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/launch-your-business-with-an-exit-plan\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/launch-your-business-with-an-exit-plan\/","description":"Have an exit strategy in mind.\nAs Steingold poignantly asserts, “a new business doesn’t come with a guarantee (pg. 359).” Whether you ascribe to the optimist’s can-do attitude or the pessimist’s arguments for low success rates, all agree that entrepreneurship isn’t the path of those who wish for structure and security. This reality shapes the way entrepreneurs must think about entering into their venture. An individual who accepts a salaried position at a local business need not plan an exit strategy to protect herself from losing her life’s savings, but every entrepreneur ought to."},{"title":"Lean means efficient not alone","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-means-efficient-not-alone\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-means-efficient-not-alone\/","description":"Lean startup entrepreneurs must weigh the cost of doing everything themselves.\nToday, if you were required to submit U.S. tax documentation for five employees you’ve hired over the year, would you know how? Would you feel confident an external audit would find no mistakes? Chances are, probably not. The effort it would take an entrepreneur to adequately understand and comply by the U.S. tax codes, the much less the regulations for employee wages, could be compared to a four-year accounting degree."},{"title":"Lean startups fit uncertain markets","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-startups-fit-uncertain-markets\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-startups-fit-uncertain-markets\/","description":"Build - Measure - Learn is a model and mindset valuable for businesses in uncertain circumstances.\nThe core process in Ries' lean startup is Build-Measure-Learn. This cycle is reversed when planning: first one determines the hypothesis (what to learn), then selects the metrics that will validate that hypothesis (what to measure), and finally creates the minimum viable product (MVP) to complete the experiment. The speed at which a company is able to iterate over these steps correlates to the speed they’re able to innovate."},{"title":"Lean startups leverage tax deductions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-startups-leverage-tax-deductions\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-startups-leverage-tax-deductions\/","description":"Tax deductions are crucial to the launch of a lean startup.\nSecond only to a profitable business model in financial importance, tax deductions are crucial to a lean startup. Business taxes can absorb a business' profit for months - Clydebank estimates that it takes a full quarter for a small business to generate enough profit to exceed their tax responsibilities (loc. 576). For a startup with limited fund runway, taxes can quickly shorten the duration an entrepreneur has to iterate on their business model."},{"title":"Lean startups live by the agile manifesto","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-startups-live-by-the-agile-manifesto\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/lean-startups-live-by-the-agile-manifesto\/","description":"Lean startups may take the Agile Manifesto principles for their own.\nThe Agile Manifesto principles ((Tycho Press, pg. 93-97)) are as follows:\n Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan  With a slight modification to the second bullet to match industries other than software, these principles match the needs of a lean startup."},{"title":"Love protects a business from employment violations","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/love-protects-a-business-from-employment-violations\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/love-protects-a-business-from-employment-violations\/","description":"Love protects from a host of employment law violations.\nOne of the fastest routes to a headache is to read the reams of employment laws. Discrimination based on gender? Check. Age? Check. Race, religion, disability? Triple-check. Even genetic information such as an employee’s mother’s heart condition could be grounds for a discrimination suit. Mazin, Rebecca, and Smith explain that “one of the most challenging tasks you will face in human resources management is complying with employment-related laws ({smith-hr}, pg."},{"title":"Offer equity and power with utmost caution","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/offer-equity-and-power-with-utmost-caution\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/offer-equity-and-power-with-utmost-caution\/","description":"Hoard equity like gold and protect it accordingly.\nWhen a business begins, all it may have is equity and a little startup capital. When a venture capitalist offers professional support and a sizable financial boost for a marginal 3% ownership share, many entrepreneurs feel honored by the attention given to their fledgling business and measure the 3% only by what they have in the bank - not much. The entrepreneur may think, “I have 97%, and the venture capitalist has 3%."},{"title":"Owners must prepare for crisis","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/owners-must-prepare-for-crisis\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/owners-must-prepare-for-crisis\/","description":"Leaders must mitigate the effect of crisis on their businesses by moving from reactive to proactive engagement quickly.\nWhen a crisis affects a business, four leadership reactions often happen. If nothing is done to transform the reactions into proactive effort, the crisis may spell the end of the business, or at least of the leader.\nFirst, leaders become paralyzed. Struck by the shock of crisis, like a turtle a leader hides in their shell waiting for the crisis to go away."},{"title":"Partner with a venture capital firm with care","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/partner-with-a-venture-capital-firm-with-care\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/partner-with-a-venture-capital-firm-with-care\/","description":"Selecting a healthy VC firm is a critical step in raising venture capital.\nVenture capital (VC) firms aren’t simple corporations. Within a single firm’s structure there are competing goals and priorities that can tear the firm apart. The fractures that can end a VC firm may not complete the work for years because of the lengthy time each fund’s investment time lasts. Feld and Mendelson estimate it takes ten years for a firm to die (pg."},{"title":"Read the term sheet control clause carefully","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/read-the-term-sheet-control-clause-carefully\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/read-the-term-sheet-control-clause-carefully\/","description":"The control clauses on the term sheet can reorient the power of investors or owners regardless of share percentage.\nInvestors and entrepreneurs share a common financial motivation in their company. The entrepreneur grows the value of her shares when the company performs well, and the investor maintains good prospects for a multiplied return on investment. When both parties think wisely about the long-term effect on the company, they will negotiate economic terms that offer mutual motivation to see the company succeed."},{"title":"Understand how financial accounts are related","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/understand-how-financial-accounts-are-related\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/understand-how-financial-accounts-are-related\/","description":"Quality financial analysis depends on the analyst’s grasp of the interrelationship between accounts.\nA good financial analyst will look line by line through a business' balance sheet and find changes that prompt further inquiry. An example may be the amount of cash on hand. If cash on hand drops 80% this year, questions arise about where they cash went. Again, a marginal change in profit this year may warrant further investigation."},{"title":"Use agile in uncertain environments","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/use-agile-in-uncertain-environments\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/use-agile-in-uncertain-environments\/","description":"Projects with uncertain requirements and volatile environments benefit from Agile methods.\nWith the rise of mass-production after the Industrial Revolution and the onset of scientific management by Frederick Winslow Taylor, the predominant project methodology was rooted in excruciatingly detailed plans for well-understood problems. Once a Ford automobile had been painstakingly designed, no question remained about the features or the manufacturing implementation. To build efficiency, document the entire process and ensure rigorous conformity to your perfect standard."},{"title":"Use the balance sheet to monitor health","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/use-the-balance-sheet-to-monitor-health\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/use-the-balance-sheet-to-monitor-health\/","description":"The balance sheet shows a business' financial state at a point in time, while the income statement shows the operation of your business over a period of time.\nThe two financial documents most widely used are the balance sheet and the income statement. The balance sheet lists the assets, liabilities, and equity of an entity at whatever snapshot in time it’s written for. The income statement shows how the assets were used over a defined period."},{"title":"Use the income statement to refine value creation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/use-the-income-statement-to-refine-value-creation\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/use-the-income-statement-to-refine-value-creation\/","description":"The balance sheet shows a business' financial state at a point in time, while the income statement shows the operation of your business over a period of time.\nThe two financial documents most widely used are the balance sheet and the income statement. The balance sheet lists the assets, liabilities, and equity of an entity at whatever snapshot in time it’s written for. The income statement shows how the assets were used over a defined period."},{"title":"Apostles and entrepreneurs share characteristics","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/apostles-and-entrepreneurs-share-characteristics\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/apostles-and-entrepreneurs-share-characteristics\/","description":"The description of an entrepreneur shares many of the characteristics of the apostolic gift (Eph 4:11).\nBlank describes entrepreneurs as “comfortable with change, chaos, and learning from failure and are at ease working in risky, unstable situations without a roadmap” (Blank, pg. 13).\nSinclair describes apostles as “[used] in a variety of ministries… the kind who tend to make things happen. Oftentimes they are good at making something out of nothing, ministry-wise, successfully starting new works from scratch…they thrive on doing things that are challenging and risky” (Sinclair, pg."},{"title":"Freedom from comparison produces humility","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/freedom-from-comparison-produces-humility\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/freedom-from-comparison-produces-humility\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:25-26 (ESV)\n Paul writes vigorously before these two verses to persuade the Galatians to disown the teachers of the Law that have been diverting their attention away from Paul’s core teachings. Instead of a life of freedom in the Spirit as Paul taught, the Law teachers were focusing the Galatians' attention on obedience to the Law apart from faith."},{"title":"Generosity builds kingdom equity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/generosity-builds-kingdom-equity\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/generosity-builds-kingdom-equity\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n\nSomeone in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.' But he said to him, 'Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?' And he said to them, 'Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.' And he told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, \""},{"title":"God judges corporations","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-judges-corporations\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-judges-corporations\/","description":"How does God approach corporations? Does the Lord treat corporations as single entities, as we do in our American law code, or does he only deal with the individuals who make up the corporation? The judgment of God against nations indicates the former.\nWhen the southern kingdom of Judah was sent into Babylonian captivity, it was not because every individual had turned from God. After all, the prophets who wrote about Judah’s last days also went into captivity!"},{"title":"Holiness starts in the heart","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/holiness-starts-in-the-heart\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/holiness-starts-in-the-heart\/","description":"Holiness comes from heart resolve, not specific actions.\nDaniel was a potential skilled leader in the king of Babylon’s retinue. Chosen from a young age to eat from the king’s table and train in all the ways of the Babylonians, he and his companions would receive an expert education as a means to absorb them into the culture and build the kingdom of Babylon. Daniel lost his home, his family, and even his name - for their overseer renamed Daniel, “Belteshazzar."},{"title":"Judgment of others is aroused by shared behavior","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/judgment-of-others-is-aroused-by-shared-behavior\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/judgment-of-others-is-aroused-by-shared-behavior\/","description":"The behavior I judge in others usually exists unnoticed and unrepented of in myself. My judgment of others is aroused when their sin resembles my own. The teenager addicted to heroin draws no judgment from my heart, for I do not share the teen’s addiction. But watch how fast ire arises when I see a proud man! His pride is a vivid reminder of my own and, seeing it from outside, his preening attitude not only makes him look foolish, it exposes how ridiculous I appear when I act with pride."},{"title":"Justice is more than absence of harm","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/justice-is-more-than-absence-of-harm\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/justice-is-more-than-absence-of-harm\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:17-18 (ESV)\n As I reviewed the many passages about justice for the fatherless and the widow, so many refer to defense and the absence of oppression that it might appear a righteous person is one who doesn’t directly harm the poor."},{"title":"Money is a cruel master","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/money-is-a-cruel-master\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/money-is-a-cruel-master\/","description":"\ud83d\udcac\n He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 (ESV)"},{"title":"Ask individuals for feedback not groups","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ask-individuals-for-feedback-not-groups\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ask-individuals-for-feedback-not-groups\/","description":"It’s not enough to ask the room what it thinks. A leader must ask individuals. Imagine you’re one of a dozen presidential aids gathered to assist Kennedy in the growing Cuban crisis. You’ve had a week to consider current events and chart potential results from the available presidential responses. Earlier, in conversation with other aids, you discover the most popular approach is an invasion trained and funded in secret by American forces."},{"title":"Ask questions from a humble heart","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ask-questions-from-a-humble-heart\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ask-questions-from-a-humble-heart\/","description":"Questions are powerful when asked with the right heart.\nWhat about questions is more powerful than answers? Questions lead the person questioned on a journey to find an answer ((Marquardt, pg. 84)). The questioner holds the power to send the person questioned on a fruitful journey, or they may send him on a fruitless journey. The questioner may inject their own pathway into the question itself. If the questioner does so, he limits the person questioned from finding his own way and may result in no new destination at all."},{"title":"Decide who makes the final decision","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/decide-who-makes-the-final-decision\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/decide-who-makes-the-final-decision\/","description":"Specify when a decision is final or temporary.\nAmong the many differentiating factors between cultures, the individual or group who holds the power of decision-making is one factor that affects cross-cultural business transactions regularly.\nOn average, cultures with a high power distance centralize decision making at the top, while egalitarian cultures decide by consensus. Swedes fit the latter category; Saudis the former. Were a Swedish company to attempt a trade agreement with a Saudi company; however, distrust may derail the agreement because of the way each perceives the other’s decision-making."},{"title":"Define your team culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/define-your-team-culture\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/define-your-team-culture\/","description":"Define your team culture with tools like the Culture Map.\nEmpirical research demonstrates the positive effect cultural diversity has on a business' bottom line. But when you, an American business person, schedules three meetings with your Ethiopian team mate and he shows up twenty minutes late to every meeting, you don’t think, “Look at all the diversity we have. This is great!” No, you think, “What’s his problem? This is crazy; how are we supposed to get any work done waiting a third of our time for others to catch up?"},{"title":"Distribute mentorship among everyone","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/distribute-mentorship-among-everyone\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/distribute-mentorship-among-everyone\/","description":"When it comes to mentorship, everyone gets to play.\nBradberry and Greaves assess “too many leaders assume that developing your people is a manager\u2019s responsibility (pg. 68).” Their assessment falls short of reality; however, for not only leaders, but all members of an organization assume managers are solely responsible for the development of their direct reports. There is some truth the member’s assumption, for no manager worth their pay neglects the development of their team, and management by definition is “the art of getting things done through people (Clegg, Kornberger & Pitsis, cited in Ideas on Management, emphasis added)."},{"title":"Ease into leading with questions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ease-into-leading-with-questions\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ease-into-leading-with-questions\/","description":"If a leader hasn’t led with questions, they need to ease into the practice.\nWhat happens when the leader with all the answers suddenly begins to ask questions instead? Employees are likely to be uneasy by the sudden transition, and the leader’s efforts, even when made with clean motives, seen with suspicion. Some employees may have depended upon the leader to give them answers and have ceased thinking of solutions to problems they face."},{"title":"Empathetic leadership follows the golden rule","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/empathetic-leadership-follows-the-golden-rule\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/empathetic-leadership-follows-the-golden-rule\/","description":"Leaders select their style by the rule, “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them (ESV, Matthew 7:12)”.\nNo one wants to be treated the same forever. A child is closely monitored and given explicit direction for almost every task, but a teenager balks whenever their independence is threatened. Onlookers pity the adult who is treated as though they are a six-year-old, and question the parents who allow their ten-year-old privileges typically reserved for adults."},{"title":"Foster trust with both performance and vulnerability","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/foster-trust-with-both-performance-and-vulnerability\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/foster-trust-with-both-performance-and-vulnerability\/","description":"Both cognitive and affective trust are required to make business relationships thrive.\n“What events led you to trust [your colleagues and friends]?” writes Meyer (pg. 167). For an American, the answer depends on the person.\nFriendships in the United States are established in affective trust, built slowly over shared interests as each party lets their guard down and shares their true feelings, negative or positive. Business relationships; however, are another story."},{"title":"Know and share your story","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/know-and-share-your-story\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/know-and-share-your-story\/","description":"Effective entrepreneurs know and share their stories.\nNothing engages an audience like storytelling. The story’s hero is inspiring, the villain is recognizable, and everyone cheers when the hero wins the day. Stories not only capture the audience’s attention, they cause emotions in the hearers that coincide with the speaker’s own response to the story ((Gallo, pg. 50)).\nStories shape our perceptions of life and history. Who remembers the details of the Spanish-American war?"},{"title":"Know when to mimick the host culture","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/know-when-to-mimick-the-host-culture\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/know-when-to-mimick-the-host-culture\/","description":"Culturally intelligent leaders modify their actions to better fit the culture of those they interact with, without mimicking the other culture entirely.\nLeaders who grow in Cultural Intelligence (CQ) constantly develop their cultural skills. They read insightful books about other cultures. They observe how people around them act, and reflect on other’s responses. Before an expected cultural encounter, they prepare themselves to be culturally sensitive and watchful. When a high CQ leader does interact, what does it look like?"},{"title":"Leaders ask profound questions","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-ask-profound-questions\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-ask-profound-questions\/","description":"Quality questions are pivotal for a strong organizational culture.\nQuestions are the life-blood of a healthy organizational culture. A culture of questions flips the corporate hierarchy on its head by empowering subordinates to add their expertise to conversations at the top. Such a culture makes it possible for leaders to investigate the reasons behind events and processes without raising the hackles of their direct reports. Leaders, far from being thought incompetent, prove their competence by asking good questions."},{"title":"Leaders embody their core values","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-embody-their-core-values\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-embody-their-core-values\/","description":"Leaders pay careful attention to develop their company culture.\nWhat constitutes a company’s culture? Anderson proposes five pillars of a company culture:\n Core Values Mission Performance Standards Core Competencies People (pg. 156)  This list calls out many facets of a company’s culture, but in reality they’re all subsets of the first, core values. The mission is no better than a vision statement to drive company culture. A mission guides decisions across the organization, but it will not shape culture."},{"title":"Leaders face pivotal moments that define their purpose on earth","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-face-pivotal-moments-that-define-their-purpose-on-earth\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-face-pivotal-moments-that-define-their-purpose-on-earth\/","description":"Leaders face pivotal moments that define their purpose on earth.\nThree years of traveling ministry and Jesus was championed by many in Israel as the long-awaited messiah. At his final entrance to Jerusalem, the people greeted him outside with shouts and palm branches. So great was the commotion that Jesus' opponents complained the “Look, the world has gone after him (ESV, John 12:19).” This seemed the pivotal moment in Jesus' life, when he would finally overthrow the Roman government and establish God’s kingdom in Israel."},{"title":"Leaders hire at or below their own character","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-hire-at-or-below-their-own-character\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-hire-at-or-below-their-own-character\/","description":"Leaders hire at or below their own character.\nThe cost to develop skills in a person with sterling character and energizing passion is minimal compared with the drain from a skilled worker with flawed character and little passion. Even were this common knowledge among hiring managers, the information alone is insufficient to change hiring strategies. This is because people don’t hire character that goes beyond their own attainments.\nMany potential reasons for this exist."},{"title":"Leaders win by continually dying","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-win-by-continually-dying\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-win-by-continually-dying\/","description":"Leaders give up more and more of what they have to succeed.\nTo become a leader takes sacrifice. But many believe the sacrifice is a one-time cost and the privilege of leadership worth the price. For some, the cost is a graduate-level degree program. To others, it’s extra hours on the clock to become a star employee who deserves promotion. Others see the cost as family vs. career and choose to forgo a family for a while in order to be a leader in their industry."},{"title":"Leadership begins and ends at home","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leadership-begins-and-ends-at-home\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leadership-begins-and-ends-at-home\/","description":"Leadership begins and ends at home.\nThe place where one’s influence is fully tried, and where the effects of one’s leadership are most clearly seen, is in one’s own family. A leader with influence in the home will be obeyed by his children and respected by his wife. When Paul tells Timothy how to select good leaders for the local church in Ephesus, one key place he says to look is the leader’s family life:"},{"title":"Leadership growth requires vulnerability","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leadership-growth-requires-vulnerability\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leadership-growth-requires-vulnerability\/","description":"A leader must withhold no area from growth, no matter how they wished it didn’t exist or wouldn’t be exposed, if they are to raise the ‘lid’ of their leadership.\nA leader who reads Maxwell’s admission that he is below average in some leadership laws with any degree of humility must conclude there’s work to be done to become a better leader. To ‘raise the lid’ as Maxwell puts it (Laws)."},{"title":"Learn to lead now","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/learn-to-lead-now\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/learn-to-lead-now\/","description":"Future leaders serve as though they were already in their future role.\n“So, you want to be a leader?” the manager says to his subordinate.\n“Yes,” the subordinate replies, “I’ve been working here for five years now, I’m the best at what I do, and I think it’s about time I should be given a promotion.”\n“A promotion?” the manager responds. “You’re a dependable programmer, I’ll give you that. And you have worked here five years."},{"title":"Ownership encourages engagement","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ownership-encourages-engagement\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/ownership-encourages-engagement\/","description":"Ownership encourages engagement.\nThe word “ownership” makes some people squirm. The word elicits expectations of judgment for every mistake, of unreasonable deadlines and strict consequences. For those dispassionate in the project’s stated objective, ownership of the project is like a noose around their neck. To those who resonate with the mission, however, ownership is the necessary and desired way to hold themselves and their colleagues responsible for the completion of the project."},{"title":"Pivots demand more forceful response to disobedience","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/pivots-demand-more-forceful-response-to-disobedience\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/pivots-demand-more-forceful-response-to-disobedience\/","description":"Character flaws at pivotal moments deserve immediate, extreme feedback.\nScattered throughout the Scriptures are stories of forceful response to sin that shocks the reader. In the Old Testament, Achan and his whole family are destroyed for hiding valuable idols. In the New, Peter is called Satan for rebuking Jesus, and Ananias drops dead for lying about the price of land he sold. Intermixed with stories of shocking mercy, it’s a challenge to understand how these dramatic events could come from the same merciful God."},{"title":"Set high standards and show grace","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/set-high-standards-and-show-grace\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/set-high-standards-and-show-grace\/","description":"It is easier to show grace under high standards then to raise the expectation of low standards.\nThe standards of behavior Jesus expects of his followers are matchless. “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (ESV, Matthew 5:48)” is his summary of an exposition on the behavior of those in his kingdom. Even if you take the word “'“mature” rather than “perfect,” as other translations use, you are left with a command to be like God."},{"title":"Set personal goals in public","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/set-personal-goals-in-public\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/set-personal-goals-in-public\/","description":"Set personal goals in public.\nNew employees long for feedback. Information from their leaders gives the employee confidence in which areas they excel and where effort can make them a more valuable member of their team. The best employees keep seeking feedback even after their contributions are clear and meaningful. Managers also appreciate feedback as a way to improve their teams. Quality feedback contributes to their team’s success on projects and working alongside others in the business."},{"title":"Situational leadership applies to individuals and teams","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/situational-leadership-applies-to-individuals-and-teams\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/situational-leadership-applies-to-individuals-and-teams\/","description":"Situational leaders select the right leadership style for the person and their goal.\nLeaders have different styles, and those styles are more effective when the follower’s culture is considered ((Goleman)). A directive style is expected in cultures with a high power distance, while a coaching style fits with a collaborative culture. This information might cause a leader to think of leadership styles only in the context of teams. Identify the team’s culture, select the leadership style that best fits the culture, and all will be well."},{"title":"To be natural practice incessantly","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/to-be-natural-practice-incessantly\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/to-be-natural-practice-incessantly\/","description":"To be natural, practice incessantly.\n“Just act naturally,” you think before taking the stage. “Be yourself,” your mentor told you last week. Doesn’t that sound simple, common sense even? What does preparation have to do with acting natural?\nGallo points out, “authenticity doesn’t happen naturally ((Gallo, pg. 76)).” Not just a couple tries in front of a bathroom mirror beforehand; his illustrative story is from a woman who spent four months in preparation and received feedback from over one hundred people, all for an eighteen minute speech ( (Gallo, pg."},{"title":"Balance is journey, not destination","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/balance-is-journey-not-destination\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/balance-is-journey-not-destination\/","description":"Each individual has four core areas they must balance: spirituality, emotions, relationships, and body. Let one decline for any length of time and stress rises. Each influence one another, so that where there is balance in three the lop-sided area is easier to re-center, while the stress and influence of more than one can be life-altering.\nTake me for example. When I am listening for God’s voice and ingesting his words my emotions find expression in prayer, that I have more to offer others, and my body is less tense."},{"title":"Don't underpay your employees","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/dont-underpay-your-employees\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/dont-underpay-your-employees\/","description":"When the number of wage options is first listed to a crooked business owner, he may see many opportunities to take advantage of his workforce. Does he have a job which often exceeds forty hours per week? Make it a salaried position and cap the pay no matter the hours! Does he regularly need to pay overtime hours on Fridays to a subset of his business? Change the payday to Thursday and cut their hours short on Wednesday so they don’t exceed forty hours!"},{"title":"Employees need communication, growth, recognition and trust","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employees-need-communication-growth-recognition-and-trust\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/employees-need-communication-growth-recognition-and-trust\/","description":"What makes employees feel engaged at work? Answers range from the complex to the simple, but Kruze believes engagement can be distilled into four categories: Communication, Growth, Recognition, and Trust ((Kruse, pg. 23)). Employees typically favor one category over the other three, although some have the advantage to equally value two or more. The category an employee favors is the most important factor to the employee’s feeling of engagement in the workplace and, while all four should be present, this factor makes the greatest difference."},{"title":"Managers review goals, give praise, and offer redirects","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/managers-review-goals-give-praise-and-offer-redirects\/","pubDate":"Sun, 01 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/managers-review-goals-give-praise-and-offer-redirects\/","description":"Think of traditional management. What comes to mind? Perhaps you remember the person in your company who tells you what to do next. Or a performance review given to you by a previous manager that outlined every mistake you made that year? Or the time you made a mistake and the manager’s angry response? Is this the role of a manager, to tell employees what to do, to let them know how poorly they did it, and to punish them for mistakes?"},{"title":"Business perspective affects the poor","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/business-perspective-affects-the-poor\/","pubDate":"Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/business-perspective-affects-the-poor\/","description":"As one walks from Ogilvie transportation center, just blocks away from the bustling center of downtown Chicago, one witnesses the heights of wealth and the depths of poverty. At every other corner sits a homeless person, begging for their day’s money. Above one’s head soar skyscapers of dizzying height, and people in suits and ties rush importantly through the corridors between. What might one think when a wealthy businessman strolls past the destitute woman begging for food?"},{"title":"Societal views on business are cyclical","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/societal-views-on-business-are-cyclical\/","pubDate":"Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/societal-views-on-business-are-cyclical\/","description":"Prior to the 1970s, the American spot-light was on the successful, stable company and the loyal managers who supervised them. To work as a manager at Sears or General Motors was the dream job. You were the grease which made the machine go, and without which the engine would grind to a halt. There was meaning, stability, and certainty you’d retire well off as a long-standing employee of one of these stable firms (Micklethwait)."},{"title":"Teams excel the best entrepreneur","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/teams-excel-the-best-entrepreneur\/","pubDate":"Mon, 11 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/teams-excel-the-best-entrepreneur\/","description":"Teamwork is more efficient than gaining all the skills an entrepreneur needs.\nToday is my company’s yearly user conference, where over 1,800 people from every law background come to hear the future direction of our software, interact with your team, and party till 3:00 a.m. I attended an event where the outside developers that build software on top of ours were given a roadmap of how kCura would work with them to build even better software moving forward."},{"title":"Danger signals are outside customer base","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/danger-signals-are-outside-customer-base\/","pubDate":"Sat, 09 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/danger-signals-are-outside-customer-base\/","description":"When a corporation starts, its members rush to find customers, to meet their needs, to iterate, to create, to re-invent. As the business grows, they search for more customers with the problem their product\/service solves. As their customer base expands, they tailor their solution to their customers needs. If their customers' needs change, they modify their product to match. One might think this cycle would continue forever. The slow, business-killing changes happen, not among one’s own customer base, but with those who are not even customers - the ‘noncustomer’ (Drucker, referenced by Krames, pg."},{"title":"Debt is sometimes wise","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/debt-is-sometimes-wise\/","pubDate":"Sat, 09 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/debt-is-sometimes-wise\/","description":"Lending money at interest is not inherently abhorrent to God. For example, Jesus tells a parable about a man who leaves money with his servants while he takes a journey. When the man returns from his journey, he berates the one servant who hid the money, telling him that he ought to have at least lent the money to the bank so he would receive interest. Conversely this means borrowing money at interest is not inherently wicked in God’s sight."},{"title":"Compelling vision unites employees","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/compelling-vision-unites-employees\/","pubDate":"Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/compelling-vision-unites-employees\/","description":"There’s an image that’s regularly referenced at my work. It is a large, hollow arrow with many smaller arrows inside. The arrows all point in different directions. Some are large, some thin; others are filled in; other colors, etc. This represents a business where the direction is unclear, and everyone pursues the direction they think is important. The large arrow isn’t likely to move far with all those internal directions pressing in disparate directions."},{"title":"Vision leads to profit","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/vision-leads-to-profit\/","pubDate":"Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/vision-leads-to-profit\/","description":"Owners that pursue vision beyond profit may find themselves profitable anyways.\nThere’s a quote on our refrigerator about happiness. “Happiness is like a butterfly, the more you seek it, the more it flies away. But if you are still, if you seek something else, happiness may just rest upon your shoulder.” There’s a principle there that applies to business. The “Profit Paradox” (Williams, pg. 109) is an example. When companies pursue goals beyond profitablility, they often outperform other companies that placed all their vision in making money for their shareholders."},{"title":"Convergence is a startup opportunity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/convergence-is-a-startup-opportunity\/","pubDate":"Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/convergence-is-a-startup-opportunity\/","description":"Convergence is the first opportunity a cross-cultural entrepreneur is likely to spot.\nRamen Noodles-who hasn’t enjoyed them? Jokingly referred to as the student’s staple diet, they are a fantastic example of entrepreneurial convergence.\nInvented in 1958 in Japan, the noodle aquired it’s name from the Chinese, Within a decade it had expanded to many of its neighboring countries, to include: China, Korea, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. There’s some diversity represented there, don’t you agree?"},{"title":"God has mercy for many methods","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-has-mercy-for-many-methods\/","pubDate":"Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/god-has-mercy-for-many-methods\/","description":"God’s mercy encompasses a multitude of business perspectives and models.\nI am acquainted with Wayne Grudem from his Systematic Theology, and am thankful for his Bible-saturated insight into business topics. This week’s chapter on inequality of possessions was particularly fascinating, as inequality is a dynamic I was aware of in the Bible but have rarely heard practical application come from it. Without further explanation the chapter heading “Inequality of Possessions” would be pretty controversial in liberal Chicago (Grudem)!"},{"title":"Owners must listen to help the poor","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/owners-must-listen-to-help-the-poor\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/owners-must-listen-to-help-the-poor\/","description":"Several approaches have been taken to alleviate poverty. Medical backgrounds say if there was affordable healthcare the poor would be healthy enough to improve their standard of living. Psychology backgrounds say if there was access to mental health treatment the poor would overcome their debilitating fears, anxieties and depressions that hinder them from advancing beyond sustenance. Yet Polak and Warwick have a good point; are we assuming we know what the poor need, or are we actually asking them?"},{"title":"Profitable business serves the poor","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/profitable-business-serves-the-poor\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/profitable-business-serves-the-poor\/","description":"In 2012 the World Bank estimated There are approximately 2.7 billion people below the poverty line (World Bank, referenced by Polak, pg. 36). This number is not equitably distributed across the earth, but is concentrated in certain areas of the earth: Africa, the Caucasus, and India. Neither is poverty a one-time problem that, once solved, need never come back. War, disease and natural disasters can all impact poverty across entire regions."},{"title":"Transactions create value","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/transactions-create-value\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/transactions-create-value\/","description":"When a tailor makes a hand-made dress, she spends time and effort to make it special. The cost of the materials added to the cost of her time and expertise determine what the value of the dress is. Prior to the tailor’s labor, there were only raw materials, able to be sold at the same value as they were purchased. Yet the price she sells the dress for reflects not only the sum of the materials and labor that went into it, but also a margin for profit."},{"title":"Pseudo cultural experience does not build cultural intelligence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/pseudo-cultural-experience-does-not-build-cultural-intelligence\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/pseudo-cultural-experience-does-not-build-cultural-intelligence\/","description":"Pseudo-cultural experiences do not build cultural intelligence, and may give a false sense of assurance.\nAs I meet people in Chicago I’m amazed how many have foreign travel experience. Europe, South America, Asia and more - I used to think world traveler was a unique title of mine. With international travel comes cultural experience, or so I thought. I was wrong.\nA trip to Cancun offers a poignant example. I had hopes of interacting with Yucatan people, eating local street food, and maybe even getting lost for a bit."},{"title":"Non profits can easily explore new markets","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/non-profits-can-easily-explore-new-markets\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/non-profits-can-easily-explore-new-markets\/","description":"Non-profit organizations may be an underestimated entrepreneurial incubator.\nBuilding off my first entrepreneurial insight, the first two of Elkington and Hartigan’s models serves another niche in society - the creation of new markets.\nNew markets are described as ‘emerging,’ which generates the image of an animal hiding in a dark hole. One may guess the size or type of the creature from the characteristics of the hole and surroundings, but certainty only comes after it has ‘emerged."},{"title":"Non profits have unique markets","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/non-profits-have-unique-markets\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/non-profits-have-unique-markets\/","description":"There are some markets only non-profits can reach.\nIn my quest to discover ways to build a for-profit business with a quadruple bottom line, it can be easy to disdain the influence of non-profit organizations. Why would anyone run a non-profit organization when they might accomplish as much with a for-profit company, and retain more flexible control? To me, a non-profit organization is like a for-profit except that it has more financial restrictions and only a two or three point bottom line, i."},{"title":"Humility excels confidence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/humility-excels-confidence\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/humility-excels-confidence\/","description":"The long road of humility is better than the proud confidence our society esteems.\nWho doesn’t want to be confident? To never doubt that one has made the right choices; focused on the highest priorities. To be self-assured in one’s own ability; to face all problems with certainty of success. Confidence is heralded as a very great virtue; in business, sports, government and society the confident are highly esteemed. “They are confident because they are equipped, they are prepared, they are ready for challenges."},{"title":"Corporate growth disperses spiritual foundations","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corporate-growth-disperses-spiritual-foundations\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corporate-growth-disperses-spiritual-foundations\/","description":"The title of the book this week is Soul at Work, but it’s definition of ‘soul’ is vague beyond application (Benefiel). The stories I can appreciate, but their business selections are too typical. A non-profit organization for the homeless with a heart in spirituality and non-violence? It’s more surprising to find a secular environment with the same purposes. The author’s most recognized selection, Southwest Airlines, is also notable for it’s lack of spiritual motive."},{"title":"Heavenly reward makes better workers","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/heavenly-reward-makes-better-workers\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/heavenly-reward-makes-better-workers\/","description":"There is a surprising absence of writing about the saint’s heavenly activity. At times we catch a glimpse through the eyes of a shocked prophet so riveted on God he sees little else. However, a fascinating description of our heavenly activity is referenced in Jesus' parable about the faithful steward. There he promises an increase in responsibility for anyone who has been faithful on earth. And what constitutes this responsibility? “You shall have authority over ten cities."},{"title":"Leaders focus on strengths","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-focus-on-strengths\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/leaders-focus-on-strengths\/","description":"Humble leaders spend considerable time observing and considering their people’s strengths.\nThere is constant temptation to hide one’s weaknesses, and all the more as a leader. We want to bury our weaknesses until we can make them better; until we no longer feel incompetent around others who excel. The more important we view ourselves, the more pressing the need to be perfect in every area. This is in direct conflict with the beautiful and necessary characteristic of humility in leadership."},{"title":"Perceived motivation affects social programs","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/perceived-motivation-affects-social-programs\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/perceived-motivation-affects-social-programs\/","description":"Due to the concentration of capital, experience and expertise in the corporation, it is uniquely suited to effect positive change among the people it serves. And so a broad-hearted owner may choose to funnel some of his company’s wealth into the common good. The British-owned Cadbury enriched the town where its factory was built with the construction of parks and the allotment of a garden to every employee (Micklethwait, loc 1407)."},{"title":"Dominant culture affects corporate design","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/dominant-culture-affects-corporate-design\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/dominant-culture-affects-corporate-design\/","description":"\u2139\ufe0f\n The idea of the corporation is a seed which grows different flowers in diverse soils, and the wise entrepreneur will ask questions and temper expectations accordingly. \n Ride a rickshaw through any Indian city and you will discover, possibly with fear, that ‘commute’ means something different than in the United States. Jump on a subway in London and you’ll politely be asked to ‘mind the gap’. These are surface-level differences, but a host culture, like unique soil, will also sprout corporate expressions as different in their character and makeup as the nation itself differs from its neighbors."},{"title":"A stunted view of god limits imitation","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/a-stunted-view-of-god-limits-imitation\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/a-stunted-view-of-god-limits-imitation\/","description":"A stunted view of God’s character limits our imitation of him.\n“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did” - John 8:39\nFrom history class to daily news we are bombarded by messages of corporate abuse. Robber barons warn against the corruption of business ownership. The faceless brokers and investors who fueled the housing craze that deceived hundreds of thousands of lower income families into impossible mortgages give pause that our entire economy is rotten."},{"title":"Jesus identity was formed by the hebrew scriptures","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/jesus-identity-was-formed-by-the-hebrew-scriptures\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/jesus-identity-was-formed-by-the-hebrew-scriptures\/","description":"Jesus identity was formed by the Hebrew Scriptures Find a quote in Christopher Wright’s book."},{"title":"Globalization demands leadership integrity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/globalization-demands-leadership-integrity\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/leadership\/globalization-demands-leadership-integrity\/","description":"The complexity of global economics emphasizes the need for business leaders of character.\nThe world of business is rapidly becoming too complex to manage. The history of nation-states influence the rise and fall of economies in ways never before connected. Cabrera and Unruh mention the effect on the European Union’s (EU) currency by one of the EU’s smallest members ({cabrera-global}, loc. 279). Might global effects also be surmised from the chaos within Libya or the Syrian civil war?"},{"title":"Cultural collaboration needs insiders","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/cultural-collaboration-needs-insiders\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/cultural-collaboration-needs-insiders\/","description":"Globalized business demands more cultural wisdom than ever before, and the wise businessperson will seek the help of cultural insiders to negotiate effectively.\nEvery culture views decisions differently. Collectivist cultures make decisions as a group, while Individualistic cultures make decisions alone, perhaps with input from others. When the two cultures come together, there can be miscommunication.\nErin Meyer makes clear in her diagram that cultures can view decisions between two parties in opposing ways (Getting to Si, Ja, Oui, Hai, and Da."},{"title":"Entrepreneurship happens in existing companies too","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/entrepreneurship-happens-in-existing-companies-too\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/entrepreneurship-happens-in-existing-companies-too\/","description":"An entrepreneur finds opportunity and captures what value he can, even if he\u2019s working for an employer.\nThe entrepreneur must take advantage of his present situation, looking for opportunities and capturing value as he can in the circumstances he finds himself. If he waits for the perfect opportunity, for a time when his time is entirely free for the task, he will wait forever.\nStories of people who drop everything to pursue a million-to-one chance are a favorite of Americans."},{"title":"Ventures need committed partners","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/ventures-need-committed-partners\/","pubDate":"Tue, 05 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/ventures-need-committed-partners\/","description":"Any venture that will capture value must have motivated, committed partners.\nWhen an entrepreneur spots an opportunity and has a burning motivation to implement a solution, that would seem to be all he would need. This is not so, for no one can be a one-man solution. At some point, all ventures need partners.\nWhat he does with this requirement may define his company for years to come. Choose investors who have money but lack your vision, and you may find them powerful resisters to the direction you want to go."},{"title":"Corporation definition","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corporation-definition\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/corporation-definition\/","description":"Corporation: a collection of individuals dedicated to a common profitable goal.\nThe profitable corporation is relatively new in human history. The first, East India Company, was notorious both as a new invention and as a powerful entity distinct from the nation state. With the combined capital and influence of a quarter million people at its peak, it had the political power of a wealthy country. Its existence started and was maintained by one goal - to profit from controlled trade between India and Europe (The New Internationalist)."},{"title":"Loss of social meaning drives overwork","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/loss-of-social-meaning-drives-overwork\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/loss-of-social-meaning-drives-overwork\/","description":"There is an unprecedented loss of meaning in our culture. Family had been a source of meaning, but now people rarely live near their families, which are often both physically and emotionally distant. Religious identification has also suffered a decline, with religion identified with institutions and devoid of meaning. Even living in close proximity to other people no longer supplies a sense of meaning, as the life of one\u2019s neighbor is as distant as the walls are close."},{"title":"Outsiders are advantaged in cultural intelligence","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/outsiders-are-advantaged-in-cultural-intelligence\/","pubDate":"Sun, 03 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/culture\/outsiders-are-advantaged-in-cultural-intelligence\/","description":"The counter-cultural lifestyle is an advantage to one\u2019s development of cultural intelligence.\nThe navigation of cultural differences is a growing factor in today\u2019s marketplace. Even cities, which have historically been centers of cultural diversity in America, now see every tier of business diversifying. Where leaders were once primarily white males, now recognized leaders come in every ethnicity and gender. Companies have overseas branches, and their business networks reach every nation."},{"title":"Ease suspicion with direct contact","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/ease-suspicion-with-direct-contact\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/business\/ease-suspicion-with-direct-contact\/","description":"Suspicion is a barrier to cross-cultural entrepreneurship. Many will not trust an outside venture until they hear reports from others in their own culture that it holds value for them. Even when some benefit from the business venture, interest will often build slowly. The entrepreneur, knowing acceptance of his business venture will take time, may choose to market his business to the whole population in hope that for some his business venture may be recognized as valuable."},{"title":"Entrepreneurial ability is more than creativity","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/entrepreneurial-ability-is-more-than-creativity\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/entrepreneurial-ability-is-more-than-creativity\/","description":"Entrepreneurial success cannot be predicted on the basis of the entrepreneur\u2019s creativity.\nInventiveness is not a certain indication of entrepreneurial ability. Many of the well-known inventors: Da Vinci, Newton, Einstein, were able to see what no one else could. They designed machines or proposed ideas ahead of their time, ideas that would later become billion dollar enterprises. Yet they would not be the ones to create value for their communities from the ideas they generated, neither would they capture any of the benefit for themselves."},{"title":"Felt needs are startup opportunities","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/felt-needs-are-startup-opportunities\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/entrepreneurship\/felt-needs-are-startup-opportunities\/","description":"For a venture to be entrepreneurial, it must meet a felt need within a population.\nMany start-up companies are congratulated for their entrepreneurial spirit, and yet the majority of them never supply a good or service that meets a felt need. Sometimes this is because they have an idea that few if any feel is necessary; other times it\u2019s due to a failure to execute the delivery of the idea to the people who need it."},{"title":"Expect divine strength and miracles","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/expect-divine-strength-and-miracles\/","pubDate":"Fri, 01 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/faith\/expect-divine-strength-and-miracles\/","description":"Christians in business may expect divine strength and miracles to accompany their work.\nFor many Christians there is a level of expectation that God\u2019s presence and power will accompany their church services, evangelistic crusades, or prayer gatherings. Stories of God\u2019s activity often begin with the words, \u201cAt church last Sunday,\u201d or \u201cat last week\u2019s conference.\u201d But when Monday comes, the average Christian appears to leave their God at home. When preachers address this disconnect between action and belief, they often exhort Christians to be a light in the darkness by adhering to a standard of moral perfection."},{"title":"Software optimization spectrum","link":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/software-optimization-spectrum\/","pubDate":"Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000","author":"Alex Bilson","guid":"https:\/\/alexbilson.dev\/plants\/technology\/software-optimization-spectrum\/","description":"As Jan summarizes so beautifully, optimization is a spectrum. +++ author = “Alex Bilson” date = “2022-12-05 08:48:29” lastmod = “2022-12-05 08:49:04” epistemic = “plant” tags = [“optimization”,“clarity”,“efficiency”,“paradigm”] +++\nAt one end of the spectrum, the greatest value of optimization is first-time clarity. A solution which can be read and understood with common industry knowledge fits into this category. Most developers know right away what the getData method will do:"}]}}