Events

Yesterday, Chicago got up to 15°C, not a record but also not what one would expect in December. Our forecast for the next week has the temperature drifting just below freezing Sunday night but otherwise staying above 0°C, which feels a lot more like late March than New Year's Eve. It's a little unnerving. Don't forget, warm winter means warm lake means warm summer—even without the driving force of El Niño, which may not dissipate before June. Not that I'm complaining. I'm just...nervous.

Too many things showed up in my RSS feeds this morning. Fortunately, I've got a few days off this weekend and next. Jerry Seinfeld got some time with President Obama Catfish are cleaning up the Chicago River Book early to take advantage of airline schedule changes What you should ask about every new job Apollo got a pretty good review All blue-eyed people apparently have one common European ancestor And now, a conference call.

People just starting out in software often ask me what they should learn. I submit for discussion the contents of my desk: Some of these books are more valuable than others. I leave the ranking of those books as an exercise for the reader. Actually, that's not true. Anyone who wants to be a professional software developer (as loaded a phrase as has ever appeared on this blog) needs to read all of these books. Every one of them.

Duke University business professor Jordan Etkin found evidence they might: "In general, tracking activity can increase how much people do," Etkin said. "But at the same time, measurement has these pernicious effects. Enjoyable activities can became almost like a job, by focusing on the outcomes of things that used to be fun." In another study, researchers had 310 participants read for eight minutes. One group read additional text that described reading as fun an enjoyable; for another group it was...

The Apollo Chorus performed Händel's Messiah yesterday and Saturday both, which explains the radio silence here. This is my second year with the Chorus. Though last year's performances were really good, this year's were better. Here's the view from the stage to our sold-out crowd yesterday afternoon: And those who have followed The Daily Parker for a while know that I have had a troubled relationship with bow ties. For this weekend's performances, I might have gotten it right: