{"id":73,"date":"2012-12-27T19:31:46","date_gmt":"2012-12-28T00:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/?p=73"},"modified":"2013-11-17T19:35:28","modified_gmt":"2013-11-18T00:35:28","slug":"my-best-of-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/my-best-of-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"My best of 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here are the best things I&#8217;ve discovered, learned, read, wrote, made, and accomplished in 2012. There&#8217;s no particular order and not everything on the list was\u00a0conceived\u00a0this year, even if they were a part of my life this year. Inspired by <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.fogus.me\/2012\/12\/26\/the-best-things-and-stuff-of-2012\/\">Fogus<\/a>.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>My favorite blog posts<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/worrydream.com\/LearnableProgramming\/\">Learnable Programming<\/a> by Bret Victor &#8211; <em>A fantastic look at learning how to code and the best way to learn\/teach programming<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/calnewport.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/26\/mastering-linear-algebra-in-10-days-astounding-experiments-in-ultra-learning\/\">Mastering Linear Algebra in 10 Days: Astounding Experiments in Ultra-Learning<\/a> by Scott Young &#8211; <em>The step-by-step guide about how to study and learn new things&#8230;that they never taught you<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.vice.com\/read\/the-secret-drinkers-handbook-0002456-v19n12\">The Secret Drinker&#8217;s Handbook<\/a>\u00a0by Clancy Martin &#8211; <em>A harrowing, enthralling, and masterfully funny(?) look into alcoholism and addiction<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.themorningnews.org\/article\/the-heretic\">The Heretic<\/a> by Tim Doody &#8211; <em>Amazingly, eye-opening, and interesting piece about psychedelics and LSD studies, and their potential \u00a0for therapy and exploring the mind<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cracked.com\/blog\/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person\/\">6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Person<\/a> by David Wong &#8211; <em>Spot-on insights from Cracked, yet again. There are two reactions you can have to the article: it&#8217;ll either make you think or make you argue every point. If your instincts are for the latter, try for the former.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Most viewed blog posts by me<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.iamdann.com\/2012\/10\/15\/10-tools-tips-and-tricks-to-hack-your-workflow\">Body Hacking: My Magnetic Implant<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Non-Developer\u2019s iPhone App: From Idea to App Store\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iamdann.com\/2012\/01\/27\/non-developers-iphone-app-from-idea-to-app-store\">Non-Developer\u2019s iPhone App: From Idea to App Store<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Getting Busy and Being Social for the Socially Awkward\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iamdann.com\/2012\/05\/29\/tips-for-using-a-calendar-to-build-a-social-life\">Getting Busy and Being Social for the Socially Awkward<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"10 Tools, Tips, and Tricks to Hack Your Workflow\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iamdann.com\/2012\/10\/15\/10-tools-tips-and-tricks-to-hack-your-workflow\">10 Tools, Tips, and Tricks to Hack Your Workflow<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"Move Your Brain Online, Get A Bigger Hard Drive\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iamdann.com\/2012\/04\/09\/move-your-brain-online-get-a-bigger-hard-drive\">Move Your Brain Online, Get A Bigger Hard Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Total number of blog posts written<\/h2>\n<p>One hundred, even<\/p>\n<h2>Number of books read<\/h2>\n<p>Sixteen &#8211;<em> I usually like this number to be higher, but many of the books I chose this year were long and\/or technical<\/em><i><br \/>\n<\/i><\/p>\n<h2>Favorite non-technical books<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0451210875\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0451210875\">Wizard and Glass<\/a> by Stephen King &#8211; <em>I&#8217;ve only read up to Wizard and Glass in the Dark Tower series, but this one was, by far, my favorite yet<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1591845297\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=1591845297\">The Launch Pad<\/a> by Randall Stross &#8211; <em>Fast and easy read with a great behind the scenes look at all the companies I&#8217;ve been reading about on HN<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0061122416\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0061122416\">The Alchemist<\/a> by Paulo Coelho &#8211; <em>Very inspirational tale and the style reminds me of one of my favorite books,<\/em>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0801864402\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=0801864402\">The Sand Child<\/a><em> by Tahar Ben Jelloun<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Favorite technical books<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B005DPIKPE\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B005DPIKPE\">How to Count<\/a> by Steven Frank &#8211;\u00a0<em>By learning how computers count, I was able to think about numbers and counting in an entirely different light<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B009YLIMCY\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B009YLIMCY\">Programming in Objective-C<\/a> by Steven Kochan &#8211;\u00a0<em>A programming book I was finally able to finish. This is the book that led me over the hump of not understanding to understanding what I don&#8217;t yet know<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Books still in progress<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B002K8Q9N2\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B002K8Q9N2\">Data Structures &amp; Algorithms in Java<\/a> by Robert Lafore &#8211;\u00a0<em>Read in companion with my Software Engineering at Scale class at <a href=\"http:\/\/generalassemb.ly\/\">General Assembly<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/020161622X\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=020161622X\">The Pragmatic Programmer<\/a> &#8211; by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas &#8211; <em>Really enjoying this book so far, but have shelved it momentarily to focus on my software engineering class<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Gadgets of choice<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>2011 13-inch Macbook Air &#8211; <em>It&#8217;s everything I could ever want in a notebook, and more<\/em><\/li>\n<li>iPhone 4S &#8211; <em>Skipping the 5, I&#8217;ll wait for the &#8216;5S&#8217;<\/em><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B007HCCNJU\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B007HCCNJU\">$69 Kindle with Special Offers<\/a> &#8211; <em>Why on earth would your book need a touch screen? Proper tech for proper usage, people<\/em><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 13px;\">iPad mini &#8211; <em>Even with the lower screen resolution, the iPad mini trumps every generation of the larger-sized iPads<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B0095PZHZE\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=iawr-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B0095PZHZE\">Fitbit Zip<\/a> &#8211; <em>Attach to keys in pocket and forget<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Number of books published<\/h2>\n<p>Zero<\/p>\n<h2>Number of books written<\/h2>\n<p>\u215b<\/p>\n<h2>Number of apps published<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/artist\/gimme-smoar\/id490841541\">Two<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Classes designed and taught<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.skillshare.com\/profile\/Dann-Berg\/1020068\">One<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Musicians played most<\/h2>\n<p>Sleigh Bells[<a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/sleighbells\/rill-rill\">\u266b<\/a>], Cold War Kids, The Faint, Bright Eyes, LCD Soundsystem, Thom Yorke,\u00a0Florence and the Machine<\/p>\n<h2>Favorite TV shows<\/h2>\n<p>30 Rock, Single Long, Shark Tank, Seinfeld<\/p>\n<h2>2011 plans for 2012<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Learn to code &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iamdann.com\/category\/code-journal\">in progress<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Start freelancing &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/dannbergwebdesign.com\">mild success<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Write a book &#8211; in progress<\/li>\n<li>Get out of retail &#8211; success<\/li>\n<li>Learn to cook and cook more &#8211; failure, more or less<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Plans for 2013<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Finish writing my book<\/li>\n<li>Develop and teach two new Skillshare classes<\/li>\n<li>Build and launch a functioning dynamic website with Ruby on Rails<\/li>\n<li>Code and release updates for my two iOS apps<\/li>\n<li>Say &#8216;no&#8217; more<\/li>\n<li>Start consulting in the mobile app space<\/li>\n<li>Meditate regularly<\/li>\n<li>Start doing yoga<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bring it on, 2013.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"display: block !important; margin:0 !important; padding: 0 !important\" id=\"wpp_popup_post_end_element\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here are the best things I&#8217;ve discovered, learned, read, wrote, made, and accomplished in 2012. There&#8217;s no particular order and not everything on the list was\u00a0conceived\u00a0this year, even if they were a part of my life this year. Inspired by Fogus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"My best of 2012","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[32],"tags":[33,36,35,37,34],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p46r0N-1b","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74,"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions\/74"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novicenolonger.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}