[Correction] Random Fun with Alberto 😂
Hi All!
Some good news! You can now read the past emails directly on my blog.
What I am reading 📚
Last week I created a SPAR! challenge to force myself to read a bit more. It has worked so far. I am slowly regaining my habit of reading at least an hour a day.
For the challenge I picked up a fiction book, the classic 1984 by George Orwell. I dived directly into it and couldn’t stop for a day or two until I finished it.
I knew, roughly, what the book was about: a dystopian society ruled by a dictatorial regime (sadly not so far from what our families are living in Venezuela). But, what I was not expecting was the plot, a love affair in the middle of such desperation and loneliness. It was the perfect way to tell the story and describe a not so imaginary society.
Nerd Corner (Code For Venezuela) 🤓
Speaking of 1984, as I write this, Venezuela has suffered another major blackout, possibly the worst yet. Not long ago, in such situations, I would worry and get angry at the thought that I couldn’t do anything to help. But, thanks to some friends, I realized that there’s always a way.
These friends had the same worries and the same thoughts so they came together and started Code For Venezuela, an organization with the only objective of helping Venezuela in any way possible. I eagerly joined them and, after one Hackathon and many meetups, there are now more than 5 ongoing projects!
Of all of them, I’ve been mostly involved in two:
MediTweet: This is a Twitter Bot that tries to match people donating or offering medicines with people needing them. We also keep track of medicines requests and work with Medicos Por La Salud.
NetBlocks and other sources to keep track of blackouts throughout the country. You can see the results here.
Please help us spread the word 🎙! The more people know about these projects, the more impact they will have and the more we can do to help!
Also interesting 🤯
I love data and statistics in general. This calculator helps you estimate how much free time you actually have!
If you know me, you know that for me a trip to Costco is like a trip to Disney World. Still, this presentation made me realize just how big and awesome the company is.
If you’ve ever wondered how a boring machine works (a machine to drill tunnels), this video is for you.
Feedback 🚀
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Until next week!