Best products from r/IAmA

I was trying to keep my comment brief so I realized it was going to sound much easier than it actually was. You are very correct, it took a ton of work and I was very motivated. I would love to elaborate a little more.

First when I committed to really take it serious I already knew how to program, but my skills where REALLY rough. My code was horrific, but it didn't matter because it was my own little hobby. So the first thing I knew I had to do was actually study the basics and good practices. I bought this Java book, http://amzn.com/0596009208, and I absolutely loved it. I just consumed it cover to cover.

My days were very busy. At my current job I typically worked 50-60 hours a week, so all my studying happened in the evening and late at time. It's hard to say how much time I put into studying, but it was all I did outside of work. I never really thought I was wasting my time. I had a unnatural belief that I would be able to turn these new skills into something useful.

After I finished that book I moved on to making my first Android app. It was a rewrite of one of the Python programs I created. I didn't buy and special books for this. The problem with the mobile field is that the technology was progressing so fast that books became outdated quickly. I did all my Android learning from Google searches and StackOverflow. I was in love with developing. At this point It was very common for me to work until 2-3am and I would be getting back up at 5am to get on the road for my current job. It's actually really crazy how you body can get use to this after you do it for an extended period of time. Of course I realize this wasn't healthy at all, but in my mind I would only be doing it until I could make it my profession. I never doubted myself that I wouldn't make this a reality.

After my first Android app I created another one that is the app that was for a niche market that I still work on to this day. Within three months this app had over 30k users and I was getting a ton of requests for an iOS version. I knew I didn't have time to teach myself iOS dev and continue to improve my Java/Android skills, so I kept pushing it off.

So now I really felt I had markable skills. I figure if I could do something that made someone else money, I'm hirable. But the problem was how do I convince someone that I could do this. I never went to College so you have to prove your worth in other ways. Luck have it there was a software development company in the small town I lived in, and I decided I wanted to work there, but how!. That is when I came up with the idea that I would pay them to make the iOS version of my successful Android app. My plan was simple, I would impress them with my Android app and what I didn't all on my own and during the development process I would be there as much as they would allow letting me work along side of them. I figured by the time they were finished they would want to hire me. Guess what...

They hired me! I successfully did it. I was so elated. I was making really good money doing what I currently did, so I took a 50% pay cut. This wasn't easy since I have multiple kids under the age of 5 at the time and my wife was stay at home. My wife was absolutely amazing during this change and I owe so much to her supporting me.

In all it took me about two years to get to this point. It took me about another 2 years to get to making what I was before the career switch. The rest of the story isn't probably as interesting as getting to this point. Basically I started teaching myself iOS development right away among other other types of development.

I'm just two months into my first real job for programming and have a few books I've been going through.

Clean Code is a book not just about writing code, but good code that is easily maintained and passed down to other people to understand.

Working Effectively with Legacy Code was a great read coming into company that has been around for 20 years and is on the third iteration of their product.

I am doing web development so You don't know JS, Javascript: the good parts and then Javascript The Definitive Guide have all been a great help.

If you aren't much a book person, Pluralsight.com is awesome for info on tons of different technologies and is well worth the monthly cost. Go follow every major name in your preferred technologies on twitter. They will tweet all sorts of cool things to learn about. Also, PODCASTS!!!. I don't even listen to music anymore. If I'm in the car alone I'll be listening to Dot Net Rocks or Javascript Jabber.

Lastly, there are subreddits for every tech imaginable. Go subscribe to them and hit everyone up for where they get all their info!

I'm going to be brutally honest here, and I'm probably going to get down-voted, but I'm not impressed with the underlying code for the project. I don't even know where to begin.

You're obviously passionate about Javascript, but runtime engines and best practices have changed dramatically in the last few years. Some things that stick out could easily be chocked up to coding style or preference, but when those preferences aren't well-adjusted to current-day standards, it leads to a perpetuation of those bad practices and hinders the growth and evolution of web development overall.

I'm posting this here, instead of on Github, because these aren't quite bug reports. I'd be more than happy to contribute though.

1. Syntax and readability are more important than shortcuts.
   
   Cutting corners in the interest of character count is useless. It's better to be able to read the code than to have to interpret it line-by-line.
   
   For hinting, I recommend JSHint. It'll be nicer than JSLint, but it'll still likely hurt your feelings.
   
   Here are some JSHint errors/warnings that popped up:
   
   > The body of a for in should be wrapped in an if statement to filter unwanted properties from the prototype.
   
   > Expected an identifier and instead saw 'arguments' (a reserved word).
   
   > Expected a 'break' statement before 'case'.
   
   A lot of syntax errors can be solved by linting or hinting, and following a style guide. Here's Google's Javascript Style Guide. You'll find that most projects on Github follow the same code conventions, and for very good reason. When you make your code consistent and readable, other developers will be more likely to like you and contribute to your projects.
   
   
2. Read Douglas Crockford's Javascript: The Good Parts and Nicholas Zakas' Maintainable Javascript.
   
   
3. Use an AMD-style, modular system like Require.js or Yahoo Module Pattern because Global variables are evil. The basic idea behind a modular system is that every piece of functionality is broken down to its basic form, and no less. It helps to keep things organized. Even if you choose not to use a framework, following a trusted organizational pattern is a good idea. Consistency is key.
   
   
4. Check out Backbone.js or Underscore for data manipulation.
   
   I really like the project, but the code is unwieldy and confusing.

Here are 4 things that I think will allow you to cook about 90% of everything you see on the internet.

A decent 8" kitchen knife. The Victorinox is a heavy lifter without breaking the bank.

A solid dutch oven. Here I recommend a Lodge, but Le Cruset is fantastic as well. A dutch oven allows you to do tons of one pot meals, braising, frying, soups, sauces, baking bread etc..

A 12" fry pan. This is for proteins, sauteing, all kinds of breakfast applications (eggs, homefries, shakshuka, etc).

A 3 qrt saucier. This one is pretty pricey, but you can get other good, cheaper options if you do a little research. This can double as a pot to boil water, make sauces, curries, and candy. A sauciers smooth sides are much easier to clean and can serve as a good compromise between a saucepan and a saute pan.

I've listed them in order of importance. A knife and a dutch oven can do a ton by themselves. I'd also recommend a pair of kitchen tongs, a handheld fine mesh strainer, and am immersion blender. In fact, I'd try to get those before the fry pan and the saucier, they open a lot of doors for you.

Hopefully you can find some helpful answers, guidance, or a starting point in these responses.


From OP:

>The exact four books I read are:

>Learning Obj-C

>Learning Java

>iOS Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide

>Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide

>However, I would now recommend learning Swift instead of Obj-C. At the time when I was looking into iOS books, good books on Swift were few and far between.

From u/AlCapwn351 in regards to other sources to learn from:

>www.codeacademy.com is a great site for beginners (and it's free). It's very interactive. W3schools is good for learning stuff like JavaScript and HTML among other things.

>When you get stuck www.stackoverflow.com will be a lifesaver. Other than that, YouTube videos help and so do books. Oh and don't be afraid to google the shit out of anything and everything. I feel like an early programmers job is 90% google 10% coding.

>Edit:

>It's also good to look at other peoples code on GitHub so you can see how things work.

Well here's the book

https://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Method-John-McCone/dp/1367673720

Actually it seems if you google: John McCone philosophy

The book listing on Amazon comes up first and then the link to this Reddit site.

If you're interested in further discussion, I'm also a volunteer ambassador for the Seasteading Institute

http://www.seasteading.org/ambassadors/canada/

I'm more into redistribution than a lot of other people there but then if you read the book you should get a clear idea of exactly what my political positions are.

Despite the fact that I have a more socialist leaning than most seasteaders. I'm a champion for jurisdictional choice and local autonomy, only by creating a start up sector in jurisdictional governance can we get creative and have the space to pursue and test new innovative political solutions that actually work.

In this sense the seasteading institute is a political movement like no other, where space exists for out-of-the-box blue skies thinking rather than in standard political parties where everyone is expected to tow the party line with only the slightest incremental changes being tolerated.

Good luck with it, man. I've only had a handful of lucid dreams that lasted more than 10 seconds or so. They're a pretty amazing experience, and I imagine they could be useful if you could really develop your lucid dreaming skills, but it takes a pretty dedicated effort to get good at it.
This book is like the bible of lucid dreaming, and here's a pretty good forum that you can learn a lot from.

For whatever reason Robert's reply isn't showing. For those interested this is his [unedited] reply:

[robert_steele]

The subtitle of my new book, please buy it at Amazon, is: Transparency, Truth, & Trust. Below are five links, first four graphics and then the book link:

Graphic: Epoch B Swarm Leadership

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/07/2010/09/2008/08/graphic-epoch-b-swarm-leadership/

Graphic: Strategy for a Prosperous World at Peace

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/07/2010/09/2009/07/graphic-strategy-for-a-prosperous-world-at-peace/

Graphic: Intelligence Maturity Scale

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/07/2010/09/2010/01/graphic-intelligence-maturity-scale/

Graphic: Open Source Agency Broad Concept

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/08/graphic-open-source-agency-broad-concept/

You know what I really want to do, until such time as the public is ready to fund the Open Source Agency and put me in charge of it? I want to go around the country doing talks and encouraging people to demand electoral reform and open source everything. Now that Togather exists, people can self-organize to invite me, here is the URL for my Togather page:

http://www.togather.com/robert-steele

THE OPEN SOURCE EVERYTHING MANIFESTO: Transparency, Truth & Trust

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1583944435/ossnet-20

[/robert_steele]

>At 27 I still feel I am not ready but I want to know all I can about the process so I can make an informed decision down the road.

I'd suggest you get and read this book for starters: "Brothers and Sisters in Adoption"

Review/Description: Don t be fooled by the title! Yes, this book is about brothers and sisters but it is also a most comprehensive look at adoption. The title could just as easily be Realistic Expectations About Adoption, hearing the stories of all members of the family. It explores pre and post-adoption as well as the psychological time-line of moving from immobilization to mobilization, and it includes many resources that would benefit all members of the adoptive family. Being comprehensive, it explores strengths and weaknesses, joys and challenges, moms and dads, brothers and sisters. This book should be an important guide for assisting families in making their ongoing journey of adoption.

There are other books as well -- obviously every real life experience is unique (because every child AND parent is unique) -- and no one can ever be 100% prepared...

But, you can certainly gain a more realistic outlook (and dispel a lot of common "myths" and "artificial expectations") by doing some significant reading and research.

Also, there is a subReddit called /r/Fosterit that contains a lot more IAMA's and stories from foster and adoptive kids (and parents).

When I first started I learned from a book called Beginning iPhone Development, you can find the updated version of it here: http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-iOS-Development-Exploring-SDK/dp/1430236051

Java is a great language to start with. If you want to do Windows Phone than definitely learn C#; and if you want to make iPhone apps than definitely learn Objective-C. Other than that, I think you should just learn whatever language you need to accomplish what you want in the easiest way possible.

As for what it's like to have a startup, it's been an amazing experience so far, and I've loved every minute of it. It's great knowing that everything you did was your own, not something someone else told you to do, or that you were just a minor part of.

And I'm still "learning" to program. The world of computer science and programming is very fast paced and changes all the time, there's always something new to learn!

I don't know that I'd have enough to say on the topic to justify an AMA but I can tell you some books that I've found beneficial to my personal growth. Most aren't specific to self-hypnosis, learning that mostly came as a byproduct of my training, but they all contributed to my philosophies and daily practice (which I should mention is VERY informal for the most part).

I'd say the most important thing is to first learn what hypnosis really is because all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. A hypnotist merely guides a person into the state. For that I'd recommend, The Professional Hypnotism Manual by John Kappas.

As I said in my earlier post, a lot of what I personally do is very informally based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). CBT, in a nutshell, functions on the premise that changing your thoughts changes your behaviors. The best book I can think of for a lay person on that topic is Feeling Good By David M. Burns MD

Finally, I'd highly recommend learning the "Mental Bank" concept. There is a 2hr video on the subject and I'd suggest grabbing the book as well. (Interesting side note: They filmed that video the day I took the class on the Mental Bank. So, I'm somewhere in that crowd, though I'm not saying where. ;))

> How to you keep the smell under control?

If you have a look at the homebox diagrams you'll see that all air is pulled through whatever type of fan you have attached to the vent at the top. Attach a scrubber to an inline fan and you win.

> Do you use a cloning system?

No, but if I were interested in producing a shit ton I certainly would. I've toyed with setting up a veg room and a flower room to serve this purpose, but I never have.

> I'd like to do this in a way that I'd be able to produce about a ounce a month.

There are some excellent books and resources out there to help you get to that "perpetual harvest" you're talking about. Grasscity is absolutely amazing - full of grow journals, howtos, etc. Also I'd reccomend picking up Jorge Cervantes' Marijuana horticulture, it's got some excellent how-tos.

The subtitle of my new book, please buy it at Amazon, is: Transparency, Truth, & Trust. Below are five links, first four graphics and then the book link:

Graphic: Epoch B Swarm Leadership

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/07/2010/09/2008/08/graphic-epoch-b-swarm-leadership/

Graphic: Strategy for a Prosperous World at Peace

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/07/2010/09/2009/07/graphic-strategy-for-a-prosperous-world-at-peace/

Graphic: Intelligence Maturity Scale

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/07/2010/09/2010/01/graphic-intelligence-maturity-scale/

Graphic: Open Source Agency Broad Concept

http://www.phibetaiota.net/2011/08/graphic-open-source-agency-broad-concept/

You know what I really want to do, until such time as the public is ready to fund the Open Source Agency and put me in charge of it? I want to go around the country doing talks and encouraging people to demand electoral reform and open source everything. Now that Togather exists, people can self-organize to invite me, here is the URL for my Togather page:

http://www.togather.com/robert-steele

THE OPEN SOURCE EVERYTHING MANIFESTO: Transparency, Truth & Trust

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1583944435/ossnet-20

1. I probably shouldn't say too much about the engagement out of curtesy, because we are still friends, but yes it is romantically over between us. I think that if I'm going to be completely honest with myself I would say that my dad had something to do with it, he is a lot to deal with for someone who is just kind of thrust into that situation. Ultimately, It probably worked out for the best. I should also add that her name is Jess, and my dad heard the word fiancé and has been latched onto it ever since.
   
   
2. (EDIT: Sweet Barbara) is not actually my mother, but I think that any account of that by my dad would be very, very skewed. That's probably all I should say about it because I know he'll be reading this.
   
   
3. Haha, oh my god the calves. I don't know what to tell you, I do a lot of calf rasies.
   
   
4. You don't want it. He actually published it in his Guide to Romance, but with all of that fish sauce let's just say its an aquired taste. I prefer to make his spaghetti for him.

Your thesis seems to be that the voice is chemical, and therefore a feeling and not a thought, and therefore it controls your behavior directly.

However, thoughts, in turn, control feelings, and this can be demonstrated easily. Ever read something that made you happy or angry or sad? I'm pretty sure you can't transmit psychotropic medicines through the Internet. It's because your brain decoded the words into thoughts, and those thoughts triggered an emotional response, possibly by inspiring another train of thought.

And you can change your thinking habits over time. The best way is to write down what the "voices" are saying, so they can't hide from scrutiny. Then pick out the distortions in each of them, and write down a rational rebuttal that you can actually believe. This is pretty much the entire basis of cognitive-behavioral therapy, which Drs. David Burns and Albert Ellis have written about. According to them, you just have to do it once a day, and after enough time, your thinking habits change. Paperbacks tl;dr? Then read about it on about.com.

Good luck; I hope these tools are useful.

Ya motivation can be easy to lose sometimes, I understand. For me, it's such a mindset. Which is a good thing though, because we have control over our mindset and making change! If you are looking for inspiration I would recommend my new book which I created for that purpose, to inspire :)

https://www.amazon.com/How-Stunt-Hollywood-Insight-Professionals-ebook/dp/B07D4BN46P/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527369447&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+stunt+in+hollywood

Also, I have a series called "Hero Training" where I train with stunt professionals, mma fighters and more that might help you get inspired to train again!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqNDrKmXEK4&list=PLeQ-joH9Fq81-bS0oKCCLhxHbrD953A8W&index=4

If you want an introduction to computer science:

Introduction to CS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/this-is-cs50-2012./id624655973.
Stanford's iOS course: https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/coding-together-developing/id593208016 - This can be challenging for beginners as it assumes prior computer programming experience. That said the course is incredibly comprehensive and does an amazing job of teaching iOS.

• Free Online Tutorials -
  Ray Wenderlich : http://www.raywenderlich.com.
  Mobile Tuts : http://mobile.tutsplus.com/category/tutorials/iphone/ - Less quality control then Ray Wenderlich in my opinion but greater variety.
  
  
• Recommended Books -
  Big Nerd Ranch: http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0321942051. Amazing series where you build projects out while learning objective-C along the way. My only gripe is that this is for iOS 5 and iOS 7 is right around the corner I would love to see an update.
  Stephen Kochan: http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/032188728X - Some say this is the go to for learning objective-C. I really like that they include detailed examples for each concept. I would recommend this as a reference when you run into major issues.

I second the kitchen knife. It's a game changer and makes meal prep fun, which kind of pays for itself. Victorinox makes a great 8 inch chef's knife in that price range; I personally opted for the Frosts by Mora of Sweden which was around $50 as well.

Edit:

Highly rated Victorinox 8" chef's knife for less than $40

Same knife with nicer Rosewood handle for $42

Swedish made Frosts by Mora that I opted for based on previous experience with Mora and am very happy with

Edit 2: Here is a pretty good article with some basic care instructions for your quality knives.

Erin here. Thanks for the question u/paracardigan & u/tolpec. Dr. Steven Hinshaw’s award winning book “Another Kind of Madness: A Journey Through the Stigma and Hope of Mental Illness” first comes to mind.

Our friends at the International Bipolar Foundation (IBF) also recommends their book - Healthy Living with Bipolar Disorder. It is a great resource that can be received for free at http://www.ibpf.org. IBF also suggests other books like - The Bipolar Disorder Surivival Guide (Miklowitz), Owning Bipolar (Pipich), Loving Someone with Bipolar Disorder (Fast).

First off, I FUCKIN LOVE TPB! It's more real than you might now. http://www.amazon.com/Marijuana-Horticulture-Outdoor-Medical-Growers/dp/187882323X/ref=la_B002BM1OFU_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346345079&sr=1-1 this is a good book, but ive read about 10 and watched countless youtube videos and talked for hours with other growers.

It took at least a year and 3 runs to really get it down.

I eat lots of burgers and steak, also love mexican and thia.

I love to listen to any classic rock, i love 90's west coast hip hop. death row is in the house but ill listen to anything but pop.

Don't set an agenda for your emotions. FYI, depression is an indicator of infidelity. Truth. My father and I are proof of this. As soon as I quit drinking, and especially after I started anti-depressants, the urge left entirely.

Stay with your therapy, but pick up this book. Recommended to me by my therapist, it changed my life for the better, and fairly quickly. It sounds like it may be just what you need in these circumstances. Good luck.

Wow! Hey, thank you so much.

Feel free to share your honest opinion on the Amazon page under 'customer reviews', so other people can know whether it's a good buy or not.

Alternatively, feel free to tell me what you thought by mailing DaltonJackson@schooledbook.com.

Luckily, JavaScript is a pretty easy language to pick up. Personally, I'm partial to O'Reilly's "JavaScript: The Good Parts." It's a very good summary of the language :).

Glad to hear of the improvement. Some of these afflictions fade of their own, due to changing biochemistry, others can be affected by attitude, as you seem to have done. Please allow me to suggest reading this book. Check out the reviews, see if it sounds like something that could help you.

I am a congenital anxiety sufferer, and know the Hell that anxiety in all its forms can cause. Best of luck, keep smiling. It'll make everyone wonder what you've been up to. ;-)

Hello! It looks like this post is somewhat active so I'll ask my question here. I've been looking for a vacuum to replace our $50 Eureka and am currently eyeing a couple of different Miele vacuums on Amazon.

Miele S2121 Delphi

Miele S2121 Capri

I currently have enough credit to cover either of the vacuums, and want to make the best purchase I can. Any other specific models I should be considering? Our apartment has medium carpet, hardwood floors, and concrete, with the potential for pets in the future.

Also, is there any downside to buying a Miele on Amazon instead of with a local dealer?

EDIT: I've been combing through your comments on other questions, and have been looking more specifically at s6 and s8 models. S6 is probably more within my reach. Model recommendations?

Check out Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming. I'm fairly certain there is a chapter on the topic. Real world practice is considered one of the major productive benefits of lucid dreaming. That book is the most vital, and should have a fair amount of information in there that isn't commonly discussed. Just reading about it and engaging your mind with the subject can only help.

I'm not a professional. However, in my opinion you have textbook case of severe depression. Have a look at /r/Depression. Not that there's any easy help, but most people find solace in realizing they're not alone.

I'd highly recommend Feeling Good by David Burns. It also includes a scale for depression and I'm guessing you're scoring high. (Feeling worthless, motivating yourself to do anything is hard, sucidal...). You can cough, cough find it as a pdf on the internet if you're not able to get your hands on a physical copy.

Do me, and yourself, a favor and read the book. You have little to lose and much to gain. There are ways of dealing with this.

This goes without saying, but obiviously, anyone with sucidal thoughts should seek professional help immediately and not simply rely on a book.

i think very good starting point would be to listen to the dang podcast actually because then you have tinglers getting read to you and that seems easy as cake! so i would say look up POUNDED IN THE BUTT BY MY OWN PODCAST and subscribe to this way and then it will be easy to understand. but also if you would like to learn about the tingleverse all GUIDES are a good place to start maybe Guide To The Void or Guide To Romance

1. Objective-C because there were no good books on Swift at the time, and I wanted to learn to code for iOS first.
   
   
2. I'm best with Obj-C, rather than Java and PHP, likely because I learned it first. I'm not sure if everyone falls in love with the first language they learn but I sure did.
   
   
3. I mentioned this elsewhere, but I'll paste that comment below (note: I may have linked the wrong version for one of the books).
   
   
4. Up!
   >
   > The exact four books I read are:
   >
   > Learning Obj-C
   >
   > Learning Java
   >
   > iOS Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
   >
   > Android Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide
   >
   > However, I would now recommend learning Swift instead of Obj-C. At the time when I was looking into iOS books, good books on Swift were few and far between.

I most definitely would. But if you'd like to spread the word, you can get the book on amazon for a great price!


http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Closet-Timothy-Kurek-ebook/dp/B00REQVNRM/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1427576218&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cross+in+the+closet

I bought a Miele S2121 Capri Canister Vacuum Cleaner almost 4 years ago (Amazon link) and think it's pretty great!


However, it has an incredibly strong smell whenever I turn it on - I'm assuming it's the motor. I've tried replacing the bag and filter on it, but get the same smell, and it lingers in whatever room I'm vacuuming for quite a while. Any suggestions on what to clean or if there is something to replace that I'm not thinking about?

This is very common, and I was super disappointed when this would happen to me. One solution that might work is closing your eyes and spinning in place... sometimes you end up in a different setting, and otherwise it seems to take your mind off of getting too excited/distracted.

I really recommend Stephen LaBerge's book, there are a variety of techniques to help induce them and heaps of interesting studies into lucid dreaming.

for people interested in everyday life in NK: I just read a fantastic book by an American journalist following the lives of (I think) 6 defectors while also providing some good historical and cultural background.

It's called Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick. Highly recommended.

Whoops

The Capri has a "Turbo Plus" powerhead, is that an air powered - like the dyson Animal? The Delphi does have an electric powerhead.

Capri

Delphi

Thanks again :)

Great AMA. I suggest that anyone who would like to do this begin here: http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-World-Dreaming-Stephen-Laberge/dp/034537410X

I believe that anyone can lucid dream, just follow the book's guidance. It tells you everything you need to know.

There are lots of ebooks and free websites, but mostly it's just practice. Once I got to a moderate level, I found this book to be very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/JavaScript-Good-Parts-Douglas-Crockford/dp/0596517742

Yeah, parent is entirely untrue. In fact, many of their TVs are Chinese and Japanese, which are then modified by the telecommunications bureau to only receive government stations. As you might expect, hacking them back to full functionality is a time-honored pastime.

This book describes the phenomenon, and is generally excellent. It even describes what happened when an NKer got their hands on a copy of 1984!

I have to recommend this book, Nothing to Envy to anyone interested in the human side of North Korea. Daily life from Northern North Korea, not the showcase city of Pyongyang. I just finished it earlier this season, real page turner and its pretty understanding and sympathetic but also sensible, you really get emotionally invested in the characters.

I totally skipped the 2nd question you asked there, sorry about that. Find $32.48 in between the couch cushions, go to Amazon, and buy Programming in Objective-C by Stephen Kochan. Here is a link: http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Objective-C-Edition-Developers-Library/dp/0321967607 Read this book, work through it. Then do it again. This will give you a great base to build off of.

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick goes into this quite a bit, as well as just general life in the DPRK, if you're interested at all.

I don't think visiting a country who has a differing foreign policy is really comparable to visiting a country where an oppressive dictator has kept 23 million brainwashed people in utter poverty and starvation. Whatever money you spend in North Korea goes to those in power, and they certainly aren't using that money to feed their people. No, it's more like Hennessy and cigarettes.

Furthermore, anyone who suggests that the official tour that everyone who visits NK goes on is in any way a full and accurate depiction of day to day life in North Korea is kidding themselves. That tour is carefully crafted to only show what the propaganda arm of NK wants. You have two tour guides who are carefully selected from party loyalists, you're not allowed to leave their sight, you're not allowed to talk with anyone else, you're not allowed to take pictures they don't like. I'm not quite sure how you would bring a "glimpse of hope" to an average North Korean if you're not allowed to interact with them in any way.

If you're interested in learning about day to day life in NK, I would recommend reading North of the DMZ by Andrei Lankov, who studied in North Korea in the 80's, or Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick, who interviewed many defectors about their experiences in NK.

Tourism isn't going to do much for the average North Korean. For a start, I'd place my money on soap operas smuggled in from South Korea and pirate radio stations.

You might want to check out Stephen Laberges book on lucid dreaming for inspiration/technical stuff. It's very interesting to read.

Would these be good for dog hair?


http://www.amazon.com/Miele-S2121-Canister-Vacuum-Cleaner/dp/B003VVX5NE/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1413912310&sr=1-5&keywords=Miele

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006CO18RM

How true is the book "Nothing to Envy"

There's a really well written book too that recounts the stories of a few escapees. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385523912/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_DdgHxbTCXMMA6

Thanks OP - Your advice led me to this badboy: http://www.amazon.com/Miele-S2121-Canister-Vacuum-Cleaner/dp/B003VVX5NE/ref=sr_1_16?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1415212294&sr=1-16 and I haven't been happier!

Bro, I've been there. Cept I'm not a teacher. Anywho the Victorinox is for you. Its functional, durable, and easily replaceable. You can even spring for two, a poultry knife and an everything else knife.

the most complete book you'll find on the subject

The Victorinox Fibrox Chef's Knife is the quintessential, utilitarian knife that lots of professionals use and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I had one years ago and does everything that my Shun does, but just doesn't look as pretty.

For number 3, here are some good books that will go a long way to answering this question:

Nothing to Envy (stories of ordinary citizens who eventually fled)
http://www.amazon.ca/Nothing-Envy-Ordinary-Lives-North/dp/0385523912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383083638&sr=8-1&keywords=nothing+to+envy

Escape from Camp 14 (this one is about a prisoner camp inmate who escaped)

http://www.amazon.ca/Escape-Camp-14-Remarkable-Odyssey/dp/0670023329/ref=pd_sim_b_2


The short answer is that many people are starting to (illegally) cross between the border of North Korea and China to trade, as well as escaping permanently. There are smuggling businesses that you can hire to get you or a loved one out. If you have the money, this will involve a fake passport and even a plane flight all the way to South Korea. If you are poor, the trip is much more harrowing and dangerous.

The amount of people defecting seems to be growing by quite a bit each year.