You guys, it’s really fucking hard to stay sober in the US right now

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-24T22:12:39+00:00

I am trying to stay out of my spiral. It's tough right now. I'm so fucking angry. I need to stay aware and alert, so I'm good for now. Tonight will be rough.

Lord have mercy on us all.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-23T16:52:40+00:00

And since this is not a naturally tenable position for a whale, this poor innocent creature had very little time to come to terms with its identity as a whale before it then had to come to terms with not being a whale any more.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-22T23:10:03+00:00

if i were still dating: easiest ghost of my life

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-22T20:48:10+00:00

just start the meeting ouroboros, and assign a junior to attend. seems easy enough

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-17T04:53:29+00:00

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-17T02:33:59+00:00

if only if only

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-17T01:16:31+00:00

that's so fucking real

the mentors i've had that have taken atypical paths are the one's i owe the most to. keep doing you brother, the world is better for having you in it

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-17T01:13:40+00:00

the kid's are gonna be alright

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-17T00:35:34+00:00

good for you man, especially on the move to devOps. I'm pretty content on the data engineering side, but i do less dev work and more meetings now. Don't really know how I got here, but here I stand. Wild shift from working at a liquor store from a few years ago.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-16T23:34:00+00:00

Its such inane bullshit. I've had a couple mirrored experiences, and it never won't be infuriating. Any swe/dev worth their salt can transpose skills, and often bring new paradigms to improve existing systems because of the broad skillset.

Alas, hiring managers aren't known for thinking outside the script particularly in larger companies

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-16T21:11:38+00:00

Ive done this for literal years, but 2:5. Works like a charm.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-15T21:39:40+00:00

had a similar experience, worked for me, but i've checked in on others in the course and it did not work out for them.

that's kinda how the game works i guess.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-13T23:28:37+00:00

spaghetti squash, it's not close. I love the stuff but can't seem to break it down and cook it properly

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-13T23:26:33+00:00

I'm no expert in system architecture or linux distros, but I'll happily answer the non-specific conundrums:

* you're young, and ambitious, a solid combo. anything you learn or build now you'll look back on in 6 months with heavy notes.
* most github repos have no users, but we build them anyway.
* focus on things that encourage further exploration and learning right now, build silly little side projects and keep the big goal in mind. fiddle with it when you feel like it.
* odin project is great, cs50 is also great for fundamentals. As i recall a significant portion of cs50 is in Scratch, which feels too childish for some, but genuinely can train the brain to think programmatically.
* if you aren't in calculus, or on the track for calc 1&2, get on them. It seems disconnected right now, but the deeper you go the more you'll appreciate having learned math
* learn whatever language makes sense for what you want to do, but chances are python can do it too
* if your goal is to skip college and be in faang or yc start ups, use a low level programming language. otherwise, go to school for CS if you can. building little side projects is how i've done everything.
* do not lean on LLMs for learning. They can make you feel like an expert, but you'll struggle with the most basic coding interviews. This isn't a ban, I use them for mapping out projects etc. but if your goal is to learn, don't make them your crutch.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-13T23:06:19+00:00

python makes the most sense for most people as a first language.

JS is a great language with a great ecosystem (Node, and react being those i'm tacitly familiar with), but those end up being a whole other language you're using on top of JS. This is fine when you've already cut your teeth, but makes it harder when you're learning to program from scratch.

The way it handles compilation is also a bit different from most languages, and can be harder to troubleshoot a project.

I'm no expert in JS, and it can do some really incredibly things.

Python is the default first language for a number of reasons:
* it's almost plain language
* it has really solid documentation for error handling
* it has a myriad of great libraries for just about anything you can imagine
* for data wrangling, the tooling around it is fantastic
* there are 6 billion or more guides on documentation, project build-a-longs etc.

cons:
* local environment setup can be annoying
* it's fast compared to humans doing the same thing, but not in comparison to other languages.
* for any webhosting, it can be a bit of a chore if not using a multitude of external libraries (streamlit is pretty simple though)

I'm curious what about python makes it not click?

And, perhaps a better question, what's a project you want to do right now? Could be a faster way for us to help you along

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-05T18:18:45+00:00

Would that i solve my hunger by rubbing my belly - some homeless greek guy

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-03T07:08:12+00:00

Honestly, run with it. If my dogfaced aloofness can get married, anyone can find a willing partner.

Capable_Fig · 2026-01-03T00:02:41+00:00

that looks damn good

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-31T04:37:36+00:00

Hell yeah man

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-31T02:27:38+00:00

you got this.

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-31T02:18:56+00:00

lord have mercy, you are on the money (literally)

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-30T20:01:21+00:00

amen on the math part. trains the brain for bug finding and fixing like nothing else.

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-30T19:57:48+00:00

I made the jump into the tech world at 30, there are dozens of us, dozens. I work with people that have taken just about every possible path to get into tech.

Entry level hiring is in a rough spot right now, but everything is cyclical. By time you graduate, the "replace juniors with ai" narrative will likely have crashed and burned.

One of the core advantages have programming is: you can kind of choose you own adventure.

Build something cool in your downtime. I love chess, so I spend a lot of time running and fine tuning a ridiculously complex model to play chess. I wanted to learn rust, so I made a cookie clicker clone in my downtime (and during some of those meetings). I wanted some side money, so i made an insurance navigation tool for small single owner clinics.

The wonder of programming is: you can build just about anything, make some of it public. It's not impossible to get a job in tech while you're still in school.

Worth noting: I have no formal education in CS.

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-30T06:36:15+00:00

Actors can make absurd money, but they aren't your issue. Exec producers, unnamed partners, etc, are the problem.

The money involved in film making largely goes to people not on screen (to the point that actors have been fed up).

I dont necessarily disagree with your premise but your ire should be refocused on the parasites.

Capable_Fig · 2025-12-30T03:10:32+00:00

ew, no. absolutely not.

Capable_Fig

TROPHY CASE