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Plucky Tree

It’s the plucky ones that surprise you most

Exam for contractors

Exam for contractors

2019-05-04

I’m working on an exam that contractors can take to become licensed. I’m open to suggestions.

To set this up, let’s say the exam is Monday at noon to 2pm. You fail the exam if:

  • You arrive before Tuesday
  • You call and let those running the exam that you will be late
  • You clean up any mess you may have made
  • You take less than 72 hours to complete the exam
  • You kill only one plant walking from your car to the exam
  • You have a vacuum, broom, or level in your car
  • You discard any of your trash into the correct bin when leaving
  • You write down any important things you are told
Why do stocks go up and down?

Why do stocks go up and down?

2019-01-25

Note that I later wrote an article called Are we in a bubble? Is it going to pop? that is closely tied to this one.

I was motivated to major in Economics because I wanted to understand human behavior and how the world works. Especially things that don’t make any sense.…

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The last time I saw Steve Jobs

The last time I saw Steve Jobs

2019-01-12

I wrote this little anecdote shortly after Steve Jobs passed away. Despite it happening more than 7 years ago, it still is imprinted on my brain and does a great job of illustrating the person I felt he was.

I was leaving the main building on the Apple campus. Just ahead of me was Steve.…

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Fleeing Tumblr

Fleeing Tumblr

2019-01-11

Even though I never published “objectionable” content on my Tumblr blog, their censorship is so offensive I decided to move my blog under my own control at pluckytree.org

What Tumblr’s Porn Ban Really Means

New tennis face for 2018

New tennis face for 2018

2018-02-01

Not since my 2016 pick of Alexander Zverev (now in the top 10!) have I been this excited by a new player. This year it’s Alex de Minaur. Currently ranked 208 in the world, this is definitely my biggest longshot of a pick ever.

He has a long list of things going for him:

  • He’s got a great attitude.
…

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New tennis face for 2017

New tennis face for 2017

2017-01-01

Denis Shapavalov is my pick for promising new player of the year. A very aggressive lefty, scrappy, and an excellent volleyer. Lots of positive energy although a bit too much temper.

Someone to watch in 2017. Currently ranked over 100 in the world.

Other predictions:

New tennis face for 2018
New tennis face for 2016
New tennis faces for 2011

Just eat real food

Just eat real food

2016-01-23

I still hear most people demonize fat (especially saturated fat), salt, and cholesterol (especially eggs) despite a significant amount of research that says otherwise. Perhaps many decades of having it pounded into everyone will take some undoing.

I thought I’d collect some references to recent research that covers these maligned nutrients.…

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New tennis face for 2016

New tennis face for 2016

2016-01-01

I did this for 2011 but I thought it would be fun to put my pick or picks for the next hot player in writing and see how I do.

I was watching a match on Court 5 at the US Open in 2015, which shares seating with Court 4 so you can watch two matches at once.…

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10 things I learned by visiting Costa Rica

10 things I learned by visiting Costa Rica

2012-11-29
  1. Hanging things on a clothes line is not for drying them; it’s for conducting mildew and mold growing experiments. 
  2. Wearing seat belts while driving on rough gravel roads can cause more injury than not wearing them.
  3. Too warm? Underwear is optional.
  4. Stop signs are for aesthetic purposes only. Who doesn’t love a splash of red?
…

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Shop small, shop local, shop normal

Shop small, shop local, shop normal

2011-11-29

You know a store is too big when you need Google Maps to navigate it:

Some of the big-box stores such as IKEA, Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Home Depot have already been mapped, but not Target. Not Wal-Mart. And not nearly as many malls as you’d like to see, especially in this holiday season.

…

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About Me


I’ve been a bird breeder, a bicycle mechanic, bookseller, and a Software Engineer at Apple for 20 years.

Friends tell me I have interesting things to say.

You be the judge.

My Other Blogs

  • Free Range Parrots
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