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The 10 ‘Seinfeld’ Episodes to Watch If You’ve Never Seen It Before (Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That)

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Graphic: Elena Scotti (Photos: Getty Images)

More than 30 years ago, Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld brought an impressive innovation to the TV sitcom: Protagonists who are uniformly terrible people.

Sure, Married… with Children’s deplorable Bundys had been on air for a couple of years, but that series was on Fox—then a small upstart network—and an explicit parody of family sitcom tropes, while Seinfeld was, at least on the surface, a more traditionally structured show. It was also in the big leagues, airing on NBC, and the terribleness of its central characters was a lot more subtle: Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer made us love them while also reflecting some of our worst flaws, overreacting to small slights and petty annoyances in all the horrible ways we’d probably like to, if we thought we could get away with it.

After a rocky start in the ratings, it broke out in a big salad way, and was a ratings monsters through the remainder of its nine-season run. It has remained a favorite in reruns (and, more recently, on streaming services) ever since—thanks in no small part to an all-time great cast. Its even darker spiritual sequel, Curb Your Enthusiasm (which featured a whole season revolving around a fictional Seinfeld reunion special) is still going strong. Oh, and Seinfeld’s coming to Netflix starting Oct. 1—the streaming giant having paid some $500 million to grab the rights away from rival Hulu—so you’ll be able to while away your fall visiting or revisiting the gang.

Maybe you’ve never watched the show, and are feeling left out of this particular pop culture moment, or maybe it has just been a couple decades and you need a refresher. If you don’t want to immediately dig into 180 episodes, you can take a representative sample and totally get the gist (not hard when the show is about nothing, am I right?). Like a lot of TV, this show peaked somewhere in the middle seasons, and despite some minor plot continuity and a few running gags, there’s no need to start at the beginning.

This isn’t a “best of” list. Rather, these are 10 episodes that represent the things that Seinfeld did particularly well—including a couple with iconic punchlines and catchphrases that will get you in with the cool crowd, circa 1995.

Lifehacker

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How the Bark to Make Cork is Harvested from Cork Oak Trees

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Nearly every task you can perform on a tree, whether it’s cutting it down, de-limbing it or stripping the bark, can be done by a machine. Indeed they often require one.

However, one tree-borne task for a specific type of tree resists automation and can still only be performed by humans using hand tools . That task is stripping the bark from a cork oak tree, for the purpose of turning it into cork. The bark has to be removed cleanly, so as to avoid damaging the tree; the bark will regenerate, but it will be another nine years before one can harvest it again. If you’re too heavy with the axe, you risk leaving a gash in the tree beneath the bark, which then becomes an entrance for insects who will destroy the valuable cash crop.

Here’s a look at the process in Portugal, the world’s largest producer of cork. And while it might seem like fun to cleanly peel a tree, the work and conditions look absolutely grueling:

When I watch stuff like this, I can’t believe I ever just tossed a cork in the garbage.

Core77

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MySQL: Our MySQL in 2010, a hiring interview question

https://isotopp.github.io/uploads/2021/09/mysql-2010-1.jpg

I ranted about hiring interviews, and the canned questions that people have to answer.
One of the interviews we do is a systems design interview, where we want to see how (senior) people use components and patterns to design a system for reliability and scaleout.

A sample question (based on a Twitter thread in German):

It is 2010, and the company has a database structure where a fixed number front end machines form a cell.
Reads and writes are already split:
Writes go to the primary of a replication tree, and are being replicated to the read instance of the database in each cell.
Reads go to the database instance that is a fixed part of the cell.

Read and write handles are split in the application. Clients write to a primary MySQL database, which then replicates to a database instance that is fixed part of a cell. Clients from a cell read from this fixed replica.

Unfortunately, this is not very effective:
The data center has 10 cells, but when a cell overloads its database spare capacity from other cells cannot be utilized.
Also, the data center is not redundant.

We want to:

  1. Load balance database queries.
  2. Extend the architecture to more than a single data center (or AZ).
  3. Optionally be resilient against the loss of individual databases or a full AZ.

Possible topics or annotations from a candidate:

  • What kind of strategies are available for load balancing database connections?
    • DNS, Anycast or L2 techniques
    • Proxy (but not a web proxy)
    • Zookeeper or another consensus system with modified clients
  • What are the advantages or disadvantages of this?
    • L2. Huh. Don’t do that.
    • DNS updates are slow and complicated. It can be made to work, but you will always have very little control over what is balanced why and how. DNS is better used for a global load balancing of http requests, and not as a database load balancer.
    • Zookeeper could be used to do this with modified clients, but we would have to discuss how exactly that works. That’s an interesting subquestion of its own.
    • MySQL Router or ProxySQL are made for that, but have a lot of interesting subquestions of their own. See below.
  • What else may be different when load balancing database connections instead of http?
    • Webproxies are not good database proxies. The database protocol is not http, and it is a stateful protocol. This requires extra care when load balancing.
    • Database connections can be long lived. A load balancing action to a different client only ever happens on connect. If you disconnect and reconnect only every 100 web actions or so, it is possible for the system to rebalance slowly. On the other hand, if you are using TLS’ed connections, connection setup cost can be high, so longer lived connections amortize better.
    • Database connections have a highly variable result set size size. A single select may return a single value of a single row, or an entire 35 TB table. If the proxy tries to be too intelligent and does things with the result as it passes through, it can die from out of memory.
    • Proxies can become bottlenecks. Imagine 50 frontends talking to 10 databases via a single proxy on a typical 2010-box with a single (or two) 1 GBit/s network interface, and results contain BLOBs.
  • What else there is to know?
    • Replication scales only reads. As this is a shared nothing architecture, each instance eventually sees all writes. To scale writes, we have to split or shard the database. That is out of scope for this question.
    • In our specific scenario, the number of writes is not actually a problem. We can assume a few hundred writes per second.
  • Can we extend that to more than one AZ?
    • Yes, we can create an intermediate primary in each AZ, which takes the writes from the origin AZ into each sub-AZ. It then fans out to the local replicas. This saves on long distance data transfer. It also creates mildly interesting problems for measuring replication delay.
    • Because the replication tree is deeper, writes take longer to reach the leaves. Most applications should be able to accomodate that.
    • The alternative would be something with full Two-Phase-Commit, but that would be even slower, and would have scaling limits in the number of systems that participate in the 2PC.

This is usually how far we get in a single interview session, and only with touching only on some of these points.
To find all is completely unrealistic, even for experienced people.
We would now reach a point where we discuss failure scenarios.

But it would be highly unusual to get this far, and that is not actually the goal in an interview.
I do in fact hardly care about the solution we end up with.
My goal is to have a useful discussion about databases, scaleout and resiliency, and about stateful systems and their limits.
When there are remarks such as “Our environment is smaller, but for us … works” or “We tried this: … but observed that often …” that’s actual gold in an interview.

Even things such as “In HTTP one would do … but I can imagine that with stateful systems that does not work because …” is already old, because it shows a level of reflection and insight that is rare.

The objective is not to reinvent our 2021 setup. The objective is to use this clearly limited setup as a base for a common conversation about database probems.

“Database Reliability Engineer” is the hardest position to hire for in my environment, because it is an H-shaped qualification

The concept of H-shaped people is a metaphor used in job recruitment to describe the abilities of individuals in (or outside) the workforce. The vertical bars on the letter H represent the depth of related skills and expertise in a single field or discipline, whereas the horizontal bar is the ability to combine those two disciplines to create value in a way that was hitherto unknown.

The objective is to find a person that “Understands MySQL” and “Understands Python or Go” (“Understands any database” and “Understands a useful programming language”), so that I can throw them at our existing codebase and have them useful within 3-6 months – ugh.

If I can find one person per year, I am very lucky.

Planet MySQL

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How Thermacell Keeps Hunters From Being Hunted by Mosquitoes

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Nothing ruins a hunt like becoming the hunted. Thermacell wants to protect you from the buzz (and bites) of mosquitoes so you can focus on the details of your hunt.

A Portable Mosquito Repeller by Thermacell can alleviate the pains of early-season hunts by creating a zone of protection around you.

Part of hunting is staying still in a stand so wildlife doesn’t detect you. That’s hard to do while mosquitoes are swarming you. Even if they’re not biting, they’re buzzing around you, which can range from distracting to making you wait until the first freeze to hunt.

If whitetail hunting takes you into the woods where summer-like conditions persist, like fighting off mosquitoes, perhaps it’s time for a new approach.

Shop the MR300Shop the MR450

mosqutio repellent MR300F
(Photo/Thermacell)

Thermacell: No-Contact Mosquito Repellent

There are a few ways that Thermacell stands out from other mosquito and insect repellents.

First, there’s the way it works. Unlike general bug-repellent lotions and sprays, Thermacell repellent isn’t applied to your skin and thus doesn’t need reapplication midday.

Instead, the portable devices use a small, unscented mat that holds the repellent and, once heated, disperses a vapor around the device. Thermacell says the repellent creates a zone of mosquito protection up to 15 feet away. The activated mats can last up to 4 hours.

The active ingredient in the repellent mats is allethrin, a synthetic version of pyrethrin that’s found in plants like chrysanthemums — and data supporting this claim has been reviewed and accepted by the U.S. EPA.

The recent builds of these models have improved on the original designs with a quieter ignition. That’s something hunters will care about once they’re in the stand.

Hunting Companions

Thermacell makes two portable mosquito repellers for hunters to consider:

Thermacell MR300: Hunters take note — this portable repeller can be ordered in a deer camo print. The redesigned holster clips onto your belt and holds extra mats and fuel cartridge refills. (It can be ordered separately with the MR450.)

Thermacell MR450: This model adds a rubber over-mold to withstand some abuse, as well as a clip for wearing or mounting below you. It also has a zone-check indicator so you know when it is active.

person holding thermacell mr300 with camo on and a hunting bow
(Photo/Thermacell)

No Smell

We get it — you’ve got all kinds of unscented gear and cover sprays. But, if you’ve found yourself ending a hunt early because you became the hunted, perhaps it’s time to stop worrying about whether a slight odor may spook deer and try hunting in peace.

One of our reviewers wrote that Thermacell repellent is a must-carry for early-season turkey hunts. He placed it upwind and below him for the most coverage. And while he detected a slight odor, he decided it worked for early-season deer: “I put more emphasis on the wind direction and stand location, and I worry less about smelling like nothing.”

Thermacell says its fuel cartridges are scent-free, and the brand also sells Earth Scent refills.

If you’ve been using other mosquito repellents to prevent a hunt from becoming an all-day blood donation session, consider the Thermacell portable repellents as a mess-free alternative.

Portable mosquito repellent hunting
(Photo/Thermacell)

This post is sponsored by Thermacell. Learn more about the MR300 and other mosquito repellents.

man carrying antlers on a sitka gear backpack with a thermacell mr300 attached
Freedom From Mosquitoes: How Thermacell’s Portable MR300 Battles the Bugs

The Thermacell MR300 Portable Mosquito Repeller repels mosquitoes by creating a 15-foot zone of protection for your hunt, campsite, backyard, or adventure outings. Read more…

The post How Thermacell Keeps Hunters From Being Hunted by Mosquitoes appeared first on GearJunkie.

GearJunkie

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A Project Manager’s Top Tips

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Just as each workday is a little different, the same can be said about digital projects. Some digital projects are big and require large teams, months of collaboration, and brand new everything to bring them from beginning to end. Some come and go in a matter of weeks and may require a single developer and little oversight. And then there’s everything else left in between. Not to mention clients, partner agencies, the other projects your team is working on, bugs that are about as easy to catch as an actual fly, timelines that won’t slow down for a single second, and a hundred other things that pop up—unexpectedly and not—from the first kickoff meeting. So what’s a project manager to do?

1. Communicate!

You’ve heard it before. There’s no such thing as overcommunication. But what does that mean? Does it mean relaying every moment in your team’s working day? Nope. Does it mean answering client questions with monosyllabic answers? Also, nope. Does it mean staying in touch with intention, asking the right questions and using your experience to anticipate problems that are lying in wait? Most definitely! That means discussing your team’s milestones and whether you’re on track to hit them, relaying those questions (there’s no such thing as a bad one, by the way), and figuring out your work plan. Video, chat, email, carrier pigeon, whatever your mode of communication is, keep it open and keep it clear.

2. Plan!

If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? Of course it does. Squirrels have ears, after all. If a project doesn’t have clearly defined goals, can it possibly succeed? Luckily for us project managers, we can get started on setting concrete goals once contracts are signed and approved. At this early stage, we can take advantage of the client’s excitement (our team is about to start making their business vision a reality) while setting manageable expectations that are easy (enough) to shift as the project takes off. To do this, set your dial to the “direct” setting. For example, I’d suggest asking ‘What’s your number one goal for this project’? The answers to these questions will help you create a to-do list while building the foundation for success for all your team members. And that includes you!

The more those goals are defined with specifics, the easier it is to have a vantage point for all decision-making as the project evolves.

3. Prioritize!

Now that we have those oh-so-specific answers to our very direct questions, it’s time to prioritize them. Much like any thorough checklist, clients often come to the drawing board wanting EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE. This is when the art of managing expectations comes into play. To help set expectations throughout any project, it’s helpful to reach early alignment on the absolute top priorities. Don’t be afraid to dig deep and have hard conversations. This is not a “this or that” conversation but is establishing a baseline that we can add to later. This is when we stop being polite (well, not really) and start getting real by figuring out what stays on the to-do list and what moves to the backlog.

4. Take notes!

Let us never give a woeful sigh that says “I didn’t write it down.” Write. It. Down. It’s more than helpful to take notes during conversations with your team–with any client, it is a necessity. There’s just so much to forget in a moment’s time, much less an intense, hour-long conversation with anyone. As an added bonus, when you take good notes you can then share any action steps with the client after group discussion. That way, everyone has a frame of reference to point back to, and conversations never rely on a distant memory.

5. Have an opinion!

Sometimes (all the times?) it’s scary to disagree with a client, but at the end of the day, the client has hired you for your expertise; it’s important to express your opinion about how to best proceed and back up that opinion with your reasons as to why. It may be as simple as spreading the knowledge that QA should be done “early and often” to help ensure there aren’t big gaps left at the end of a project. Not only are you showing your bona fides, you’re making sure your team has a voice even when they’re not at the table.

6. Set agendas for meetings!

Not all coffee is tasty, and not all meetings are good. Understanding that is the first step to a successful meeting. The next step? Agendas. A written agenda for any meeting helps you keep the meeting focused on its goals, and helps those joining know what to expect and how to come best prepared. Nothing is worse than showing up to a meeting that could have been an email, or showing up to a meeting only to learn for the first time you are supposed to present. Yeah… Don’t surprise your colleagues and clients. Try instead to use meetings as an expected opportunity for dialogue and not a statement of facts. Outline topics of conversation in your agenda, share it beforehand, and if it’s helpful, give the topics time constraints.

For example, consider a scenario when you’re showing a demo of work to-date. Rather than just simply sharing all progress, you can build excitement by talking through only 1 or 2 key product features while setting time aside to discuss initial feedback and any concerns, and sending the rest of the work after the meeting. During the meeting, you might ask, “Is anything unclear from the user experience?” Or verify, “Should the call to action really go there?” The bottom line is that consistently providing written agendas that outline the main goals/topics of conversation helps everyone understand what to expect each time and sets everyone up for success.

7. Document!

While you’re busy making notes, always make sure to capture those project decisions along the way. Think of it as a mutual point of reference for you and the client. Right about now, you might think, “But, wait, Jeanne, how could anyone forget a decision that was made together?” To which I reply, “Without documentation, did it happen, like the tree falling in the forest?” Even the shortest projects have numerous meetings. Moreover, every day will have off-the-cuff convos, casual Slack exchanges, decisions relayed by other team members… well, you get the picture. Medium story short, the more we document these decisions in a single place that both you and the client can refer to, the less likely wires will get crossed down the line. This is where your handy project management software really earns its salt.

At Tighten, we often like to document decisions in a shared Slack channel with the client, so everyone on the team has the opportunity to provide input and stay up-to-date.

8. Be flexible!

We all learn differently, and the more flexible we can be for the client and each other, the greater opportunity we have to create conditions for a successful outcome where everyone wins. This might mean using different tooling on some days because the client’s team is more comfortable with it. Or it might be something as simple as remembering to keep an open mind as more, and new, information becomes available around project strategies. There is no one correct way, and the more empathy we give to one another, the better.

9. Leverage your team’s strengths!

Of course the team will work collaboratively, but one extra helpful thing is honing and elevating the many strengths of our team members. We all have different strengths, and the more we can lean on each other, the stronger the project will be. Those strengths could be familiarity: a problem someone has solved on numerous occasions. It might be someone who can speak with helpful authority on a particular development quirk. Or it could be as simple as a fresh perspective on a tricky problem. Whatever the case may be, lean into one of our overriding themes of the day: Just ask!

10. Celebrate along the way!

Active feedback and celebration are helpful to a project’s success, especially in remote environments where in-person interactions simply don’t take place. That said, don’t wait until the end of the project to celebrate successes. Don’t focus only on the big milestones. Mindfully appreciate all the work the team puts in each day and call out the small wins along the way. You’re all in this together.

11. But what about project management software!

At Tighten, we like simple, repeatable systems, and tools that support doing them well. We enjoy Trello, GitHub, and Slack, but this one is up to you! Do what works best for you and the team, understanding that more often than not there is no one single solution—no matter what the software advertisements tell you.

There you have it. 11 simple steps for successful digital project management of any size. If you have favorite tips or tricks, we’d love to hear them!

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