08 May 2026 #mondaylinks
Hey there.
Here are 4 links I thought were worth sharing this week:
#1. Coding sucks (9min) It’s not like building a house, but like jumping into a ship, nobody knows where it goes…And no, AI didn’t take our jobs. It was something else.
#2. Isaac Asimov created three laws for robots to interact with humans. If you’ve watched I Robot, you already know them. And here are three inverse laws for humans to interact with AI (9min).
#3. Did you know that Chrome installs a 4GB AI model (30min) without asking you?…And if you delete it, it installs it again. Surprise!
#4. I already knew about robots.txt, but there’s a whole folder to host those files (2min).
And in case you missed it, I wrote on my blog about why Star Wars is the best saga (3min) and 7 interesting but random ideas I found (2min).
(Bzzz…Radio voice) This email was brought to you by… Street-Smart Coding, 30 lessons to help you code like a pro. From Googling to clear communication, it shares the lessons to help you stand out in the age of AI.
May the Force be with you,
Cesar
07 May 2026 #selfgrowth
#1. Buy a domain and choose a professional handle. And no, a hacker-like handle isn’t cool.
#2. Start that blog. Seriously! Write anywhere. You’re going to like it.
#3. Open a brokerage account and start investing. Go with a broad market index fund and don’t worry about ups and downs.
#4. Take care of your body. Go to bed early. Exercise. Eat the right food, in the right amount.
#5. Don’t try to fit in. If you feel alone, there’s nothing wrong with you. Build a place where you fit in.
#6. Don’t force people into your life. That applies to friends and relationships.
#7. Ask for help. Figuring out things on your own is satisfying. But with help, you’ll get results faster.
#8. You can’t fix the world or people around you. And that’s OK. Often, they don’t want to be saved.
#9. Be present for your family. And being around and providing for them isn’t enough.
#10. If something feels off about work and life, you’re most likely right. Come up with your plan or work on somebody else’s plan—you’re not going to like it.
If any of my lessons resonated, check out these 10 ideas that changed my life and could change yours.
06 May 2026 #books
Search for “Zettelkasten” and you’ll drown in endless breakdowns of note types and apps.
But the Zettelkasten method isn’t complicated.
How to Make Notes and Write by Dan Allosso shows a simple way to adopt it.
Here are five lessons I’ve learned from reading it:
#1. Avoid the mere-exposure effect.
Seeing a concept frequently doesn’t mean you understand it.
You truly understand something when you write about it.
Writing makes you think.
#2. Read with a project in mind.
Don’t extract everything from a book in one pass.
Record what’s useful for your current project.
You can always reread.
“What’s the best plugin for Obsidian?”
“When should I use this note type?”
Arrggg!
Forget about tweaking fancy tools.
Niklas Luhmann, the Zettelkasten godfather, didn’t even have a computer.
He only used pen and paper—and a typewriter.
The process is rather simple:
- Highlight or underline.
- Record data as you find it.
- Interpret and make it relevant for your projects.
#4. Use only two types of notes.
Use Source notes to record data.
Quotations, definitions, ideas, concepts.
Source notes collect evidence of what you find.
Use Point notes to write conclusions.
Anything you want to turn into knowledge counts as a note.
Point reminds you to write a single observation in a note.
How to Take Smart Notes calls them literature and permanent notes.
But they’re the same thing.
#5. Originality is also finding new connections.
Without connections, notes are just a collection of trivia.
That’s why my first Zettelkasten attempt didn’t work.
05 May 2026 #writing
Telling readers you don’t want to waste their time is already wasting it.
Last week in a grocery line, I picked up a self-help book from the nearby shelves. In the introduction, the author said he liked getting straight to the point without wasting time.
Then today I started a note-taking book. After listing two well-known note takers, the author gave the same disclaimer. Arrggg!
What if, instead of opening your book or post with a disclaimer, you went directly to the point? That’s how you don’t waste people’s time.
That’s the main lesson from Smart Brevity and that’s the whole point behind mini books.
04 May 2026 #misc
To warm up my idea muscles and celebrate May 4th, here’s why Star Wars is the best saga:
#1. A proven story. A constant fight between good and evil, light and darkness, bright side and dark side. We see that in almost all religions.
#2. Full of action, alien species, locations, futuristic weapons. You’d never imagine how diverse life is in a galaxy far, far away.
3. A story for all family members. It’s a war saga, but no matter the battles, treason, and plots, there’s no blood or sex on screen.
#4. Well-known cast. I only imagine our moms and aunts’ generation going crazy seeing Harrison Ford on the screen in the original trilogy. Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Liam Neesson…
#5. Legendary quotes that became part of the pop culture. “May the Force be with you,” “Do or do not. There’s no try.” Even I’ve adopted one Star Wars line as a mantra…and couldn’t help but include some references in my books.
#6. Reflection of human nature. With the right or wrong motivations, we could become what we fight. The fear of losing a loved one turned Anakin into a cruel being. I mean, executing Order 66 without hesitation?!
#7. The best and cruelest of all villains. Even if you haven’t seen the movies, you know about Darth Vader.
His mysterious suit, his breathing sound, his tone of voice, his motivations, his ruthless methods make him terrifying. “Be careful not to choke on your own aspirations…“ right after choking someone? The best villain.
By the way, here’s what I’d write if I were Darth Vader brand strategist.
#8. The most iconic plot twist in the history of cinema. “No…I am your father.” Toy Story made a parody and The Simpsons made fun of that scene.
#9. More than a trilogy. It’s such a great story that has given birth to prequels, sequels, spin-offs, videogames, animated movies, comics. If you’re a fan, you’ll never get bored of Star Wars.
#10. Grogu and Mando. Whoever came up with the idea of a cute, baby Yoda is a genius. I bet they should already have a good raise or stock package. Mandalorian has brought new fans to the saga. “This is the way!”