Working through a course on “International Security Studies”, I got absorbed in some reading about methods of analyzing international relations. I dove into a rabbit hole and am now able to put my own beliefs and worldview on this into concrete terms.
… Read more »I haven’t made ribs since 2018, apparently. Let’s do ribs again! And a pork butt later. I have been wanting ribs for a while, but haven’t done em. The wife isn’t a fan of ribs. And - last time I did them it didn’t go so great. But I have learned from that time. This time I only bought one package of ribs from Costco, 3 racks. St Louis style, 11.41 lbs, $2.89 per pound. I’ll smoke them at 250℉ until they hit 203℉. I might have smoked them at 225℉ but I have a time limit today…
… Read more »Turkey Day!
22 lbs turkey (that’s crazy). I spatchcocked it then took out the breastbone so it’s fully split in half. I brined each half in a gallon of water with a cup of salt and 3/4 cup brown sugar.
My herb butter was very roughly inspired by this site. My cooking plan was inspired by this site.
27 Nov 1930 - turkey is in the brine. I struggled to get this to cool down because it didn’t fit in the fridge, so I had it in the garage in a bucket surrounded by ice. Hours later everything cooled below 39℉. It makes me nervous, but we’ll cook it until it’s fully done.
… Read more »16 lbs brisket, 4 tbsp salt, 4 tbsp pepper, 2 tbsp garlic powder.
15 Nov 2200 - started the brisket at 225℉.
16 Nov 1220 - brisket is at about 180℉, turned it up to 260℉.
1220 - fish is drying after brining overnight.
1520 - brisket point is done at 208℉ (oops) so I took it off. Flat is only at 192℉, so I upped the temp to 275℉.
… Read more »I’m annoyed by Google’s Analytics. It works great, but it’s heavy and overkill for my needs. Not to mention that it’s very privacy-intrusive. It’s not like I don’t give Google all my data already, but perhaps you don’t make that same choice, and you shouldn’t be forced into it simply by visiting my website.
I’ve been looking for a solution that lets me see what content folks are looking at and where they’re coming from, while being extremely cheap, and easy to maintain. All while reducing the privacy impact. I toyed with building something, but got lost in the “what is the cheapest way I can leverage AWS for this” trade-space.
… Read more »“Disruption” is commonly thought of as a bad thing…
Disruption: disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity or process.
But to teams that yearn for change to their status-quo, like many in the 90th, disruptive innovation can be welcome.
Disruption: radical change to an existing industry or market due to technological innovation.
Disruptive innovation is something that many would not expect to exist inside the government, much less the Department of Defense. While we may occasionally drive innovative technological disruptions through investments, purchasing, or policy, it’s generally industry that is doing the innovative disruption.
… Read more »This post documents some thoughts I have about accountability within my organization, and how I plan to speak to the team about accountability.
Accountability is vital in an organization. Within an organization members must be able to work together with trust. Trust often manifests as the belief that individuals will operate within a set of expectations. When behaviors deviate from those expectations, trust within a team is broken. When behavior deviates from expectations, accountability can bring team trust back into balance.
Almost everybody experienced the dreaded “team project” during high school. When the teacher picked the team members and you divvied up work you almost certainly had that one member, “Skip”, who did not pull their weight. Your team assigned them an entire section of writing, but the night before the project was due they didn’t turn anything in. They didn’t pick up their phone. They didn’t respond to email. You may have spent an all-nighter fixing the problem they caused just so your grade wouldn’t suffer.
… Read more »I am fortunate enough to lead the 90th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, a unit that delivers software to enable cyberspace operations for combatant commands and the military services. Testing is a vital part of delivering software successfully, but there are many philosophies around how to do so. Our needs around testing are somewhat unique. This post describes how we need to shape our thinking for the future.
Today we are in a fortunate position regarding test. We’ve got a history of delivering excellent capabilities that meet warfighter needs. We deliver them more quickly than anybody else, and our connections to operators mean they’re on target.
… Read more »Some friends are coming over around veteran’s day… Time for some pulled pork. 17.3 lbs pork butt from Costco for $2.29 per lb. Using 1.75 cups of Memphis dust, and .5 tsp salt per pound (2.75 Tbsp).
2200 11 Nov: pork is on at 225℉, apple wood chips, red probe on top blue on bottom.
1020 12 Nov: top is at 175℉, bottom at 165℉.
1240: 180℉ top, 171℉ bottom. Bumping temperature to 275℉.
… Read more »Brisket. 13.6 lbs, $3.79 per lb (Costco).
3.5 Tbsp salt 3.5 Tbsp pepper 1.75 Tbsp garlic powder
Around 2300 3 June: brisket on the smoker at 225.
Around 0900 4 June: turned the smoker up to 275.
1230: both slabs of brisket are over 202, time to come off!
1250: putting the fish on, now at 120.
… Read more »