thursday Thursday Bram

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A new Tu Bishvat zine (yes, another!)

I’m happy to announce that Meli Sameh (of Weird Jewish Digest fame) are sharing a new zine today for Tu Bishvat. Hawnuh Lee of Closed Loop Cooking did the illustrations. “Guests on This Land: a pacific northwest tu bishvat” connects Tu Bishvat traditions to Indigenous knowledge of the lands we live on. We examine four...
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My favorite media of 2022

Want to know what media I especially enjoyed or learned a lot from in 2022? I’ve made a list! I’ve been making similar lists for the past several years, of course, but this year I’ve added a poetry section. Please note that while I read and watched these pieces in 2022, not all these works...
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This Saturday — the Jewish Makers Market

I’m excited to share that I’ll be vending at the Jewish Makers Market at Books with Pictures on Saturday, December 17 from 12 to 4 p.m. I’ll have my usual assortment of Jewish zines, with a few political zines mixed in because I can’t help myself. I’ve got a new project in progress, with the...
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Updates to my zines

I tabled at the Portland Zine Symposium earlier this month. The event went well, and also provided me with an excuse to update several of my zines. They’re listed below, as well as a two new zine I’ve made recently. One is based on an article I wrote a few years ago about unreinforced masonry...
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A Jewish zine pop-up in Portland — an after-event report

I enjoy making zines. I especially enjoy making zines about Jewish topics. When I saw that the Jewish Zine Archive was planning to hold a Jewish Zine Fest, I obviously got excited. I got so excited, in fact, that I signed up to host a pop-up event in Portland. Since this event is my first time hosting an...
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Talk — Supporting the George Floyd Protests in Portland: Demonstrations, Legal Support, and Django Apps

I gave a 25ish-minute talk at PyCascades 2022 covering a Django app that Jamey Sharp built and I supported for the Portland GDC. My script and slides are below. Please note that this is not an exact script; I had to cut some material from my talk during recording to get it closer to the...
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A short piece of fiction about the Python programming community

A few years back, I wrote a short story set at a Python conference. You can tell I wrote it in the before-times because it involves people hanging out in a convention center in person! That story, “Backwards Compatibility,” was originally published as part of Our Python, an anthology of Python fan works published as...
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PDX.Vote: Officially launching a news site covering Portland-area elections in 2022

I’ve launched a new project that I’m excited to share with all of you. TL;DR PDX.Vote rounds up news related to the 2022 elections taking place here in Portland, Oregon. It also publishes long-form articles about specific aspects of Portland’s politics. Please support this work financially. If you’re interested in my thoughts behind this site...
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Towards a new Tu B’Shvat (a new zine)

Content warnings: Discussions of death, genocide, state violence I made a short zine exploring new ways to observe Tu B’Shvat, which you can read on my Twitter or grab as a PDF. There are both print and screen-friendly copies of the PDF at that link. Please note that I wrote this recently enough that I...
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Upcoming talk at PyCascades 2022

I’m giving a talk at PyCascades 2022! I’ll be covering the technology the Portland General Defense Committee used to manage bail and legal support for hundreds of protestors during the George Floyd Uprising, including our custom Django app. The Portland GDC is continuing to support protestors as court cases proceed. PyCascades is virtual again this...
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The 20 Best Things I Read Last Year*

Here are 20 works I read in 2020 and 2021 that I am still thinking about. I’ve divided the list into fiction and nonfiction, but that’s the only organizing principle at work here. Please note that while I read these works in the last two years, not all were published during that time. I’m including...
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How to localize classic holiday stories for fun and fundraising

I ran a fundraiser with the Portland General Defense Committee to support protestors arrested in 2020 and 2021. The fundraiser ended December 31st and raised over $300 after payment processing fees. Providing legal, financial, and other support to protestors facing legal repression is important to me; I’ve volunteered with the GDC for years because I...
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A review of The Next Supper with a side of Portland context

Content notes: Discussions of deaths due to COVID-19, abusive behavior (including sexual abuse), racism I read The Next Supper by Corey Mintz recently and it’s been stuck in my brain. I tweeted about the book, hoping that someone would write a review of The Next Supper, contextualizing the information it contains for Portland, Oregon. And...
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​Formally ending The Portland Prospectus

Some of you may remember that in the before times, I ran an email list covering sponsorship opportunities around tech conferences and other events related to tech here in Portland. I haven’t updated it since 2019, given the large number of cancellations and postponements in the last two years. Both running and sponsoring events look...
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My election coverage, to date

I’m already working on some coverage of the 2022 primary and general elections. In the meanwhile, though, I wanted to collect the resources I’ve made over the past several years into one place. Prior to moving to Portland, I also wrote about elections (including a stint blogging professionally about the 2008 election). I don’t really...
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PyCon 2022 talk proposals (and 75 talk ideas you can use)

PyCon 2022’s call for speakers has a little more than a month left on it, so it’s probably a good time to note that one of my past proposals is one of the examples for how to pitch a tutorial (particularly if it’s not a technical tutorial). You can see my proposal here — it’s...
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A Hanukkah zine update, in time for Hanukkah

A couple of years ago, I made a collection of zines for Hanukkah as a way to talk about what the holiday commemorates and how it fits into the American winter holiday season. Those zines are available on Gumroad (embedded below the post) as printable files for whatever price you’re able to pay. Miranda Sullivan,...
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The Portland Charter Review Process: A Resource Roundup

I’ve been following the Portland Charter Review process closely since it started in 2020 and have done what I can to make the process a little more understandable. Those efforts have included Twitter threads, explainers, and even ideas for folks interested in submitting public comments. I’m collecting all the materials I’ve made here and will...
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Writing *about* Python: a style guide

Given how much I write about Python, creating a style guide for writing about Python was probably inevitable. With the support of The Recompiler, I’m pleased to present a new supplement for The Responsible Communication Style Guide: The Python Style Supplement. We’re also working on a supplement covering Age. The Python Style Supplement includes: How...
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Our Python, available for a donation to PyLadies

I’m so pleased to announce that the Python fan anthology Nic James and I have been working on is now available! To get a copy, make a donation to the PSF earmarked for PyLadies here and then forward your donation receipt to pythonofourown [at] gmail.com. You’ll receive a copy of the anthology as a PDF....
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19 Reads I Recommend from 2019

Here are 19 works I read in 2019 that I am still thinking about. I’ve divided the list into fiction and nonfiction, but that’s the only organizing principle at work here. Please note that while I read these works in 2019, not all were published in 2019. Fiction Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir —...
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Writing about Python (even when you hate writing)

During PyCon, I gave a tutorial on writing about Python. I’ve included my script below. You can also watch the full talk on YouTube, but be aware that it’s over 3 hours long if you don’t skip the exercises. In this workshop, we’re going to learn how to effectively write ABOUT Python. We’re going to...
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The Whys and Hows of “A Haggadah of Our Own”

TL;DR I’m excited to present A Haggadah of Our Own, along with an accompanying Host’s Guide. I’m making it available to download. You’re welcome to download it for free here. If you’re inclined to support the project monetarily, you can pay whatever you feel comfortable with. This is the culmination of close to six months...
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Download my Hanukkah zines here

I shared 8 zines on Twitter, one each day of Hanukkah. I’ve gotten around to scanning and posting. So here they are as a PDF. Hanukkah Zines PDF Feel free to print and share these zines for personal use, but please talk to me if you’re interested in selling copies of any or all of...
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Disambiguation, In-Jokes, and Name Collisions: What You Need to Know When Naming a Python Project

Content notes: codes of conduct, colonization, natural disasters, ageism, racism, interpersonal violence, actual snakes I gave this talk at North Bay Python. I’ve included the text of the talk below, as well as the video. Names matter. Names set expectations: a conference with a location name in its title  is probably in that location and...
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What they don’t tell you about creating style guides

This text was the basis of my recent talk at Write the Docs NA 2018, mostly about the glory and greatness of creating your own style guides from scratch. It highlights some of the major lessons I’ve learned about writing style guides, because I really like style guides — like, a lot. I make style guides...
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Styling for inclusion: how shaping a style guide shapes our discussions

This talk was given at AlterConf PDX. You can see a video of the talk here: I want to talk to you about the word “literally” for a moment. When I tell you that I am literally freezing, you know I’m cold. But am I actually literally experiencing a concerning drop in my core temperature?...
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Announcing the Portland Prospectus

I help with sponsorship at a lot of tech conferences here in Portland. Last week, someone even tried to give me money for a conference I’m not helping with because they assumed (correctly) that I knew how sponsorship worked for that conference. Apparently, I have a reputation. I’ve had my own little cheat sheet on...
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Glitter, Radical Protests, and Tee Ball on the South Lawn.

Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals The whole book is a useful read, albeit a bit dated — it was published by a professional organizer in 1971. But Alinsky’s rules remain widely applicable: Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have. Never go outside the expertise of your people. Whenever...
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Download My In-House Style Guide Template to Use However You Want

I’m excited to share the template I use for creating in-house style guides, as a reward for The Responsible Communication Style Guide Kickstarter reaching $10,000 in backing. Want to really improve your company’s communications? Back the Kickstarter today! TL;DR: Here’s the link to download my in-house style guide template: the style guide as a .docx! Keep...
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A Partial List of Style Guides Everyone Should Read

Before deciding to create The Responsible Communication Style Guide, I spent years looking for a style guide that filled that niche. I didn’t find one style guide that covered topics like race and gender and health all in one place. Instead, I found dozens of style guides, covering a huge range of topics. I compiled this list...
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The Responsible Communication Style Guide: A Kickstarter and an Explanation

I’m working on The Responsible Communication Style Guide with Recompiler Media. This project is something I’ve been thinking about for years and I wanted to write up how I got to this place. Our Kickstarter is here — backing at the $15 level is the fastest way to get a copy of The Responsible Communication Style Guide to use in your...
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The Responsible Communication Style Guide: A Kickstarter and an Explanation

TL;DR I’m working on The Responsible Communication Style Guide with Recompiler Media. This project is something I’ve been thinking about for years and I wanted to write up how I got to this place. Our Kickstarter is here — backing at the $15 level is the fastest way to get a copy of The Responsible...
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A Technical Blogging Tutorial Just for Python Programmers

Here’s the video from my PyCon AU tutorial on technical blogging. Fair warning: it’s a long talk!...
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Put Your Damn Money Where Your Mouth Is

Diversity is important to tech, right? We want the makeup of our company to reflect the vast range of people who use Twitter. Doing so will help us build a product to better serve people around the world. — Twitter Intel is committed to setting the industry standard for a diverse and inclusive workplace culture. — Intel...
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PyCon, by the Zines

I spent last week at PyCon NA (in Portland this year — how convenient!). I made a zine to hand out explaining the Python community in Portland, along with suggesting some events for out-of-towners. Here’s a PDF you can download if you want to check it out. Even better, I wasn’t the only zine maker...
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What Writing Fiction Will Teach You About Writing Documentation

I gave this talk at Write the Docs this morning and wanted to share my slides. They’re embedded below, but you can grab a PDF here and a link to a video of the talk here....
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The Discussion We Need to Have at #APIStrat

While APIstrat is an interesting conference (I’m always up for learning about amazing technical advances) I feel like a tsunami is approaching. I can sense it and I’m just waiting to hear the sirens go off. But most of the other folks at APIStrat seem to feel like they’ve caught the edge of the big wave...
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The PyDX Post-Mortem

Because I'm the sort of person that takes pics: #PyDX pic.twitter.com/VbbKFY80s0 — social interaction (@brianwisti) October 10, 2015 We spent over a year planning PyDX. From my perspective, the result was worth every bit of stress. I’ve been thinking about what I want to say about the conference now that it’s over. I’ve stopped and...
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A Preview of the Conference I’ve Been Planning for the Last Year

I’ve been working on PyDX for over a year. So have my phenomenal co-organizers, Rachel Kelly, Georgia Reh, Melissa Chavez, and Christopher Swenson. This weekend — October 10th and 11th — all of that hard work is going to pay off. PyDX, by the way, is a community conference for Python programmers in the Pacific...
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Seriously, How is Spec Work Still a Thing?

Speculative work is a bad bet, both from the point of view of a creative and from that of an entrepreneur. Asking people to do free work (or doing that work yourself) is rarely the most effective way to move a project forward — and yet I keep seeing calls for spec work. I would...
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One Weekend, One App

Over the weekend, my husband and I put together FriendshipAPI.com. He did all the coding, while I wrote copy, designed a logo, and did a little bit of marketing. Christopher wrote up the technical side of launching an app in one weekend, so I figured a rundown of how I spent my time would be...
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My Template for Technical Resumes

Offline, I spend a lot of time helping friends with their resumes. I’ve even given a couple of workshops about technical resumes. This is the template I use in helping someone get started in creating a technical resume: You can also access the document here. You may notice a lot of comments in this particular...
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A Brief Review of PyCon 2015, Based Entirely on Swag

Last week, I flew up to Montreal for PyCon. I’m now home, without any new international incidents to add to my record. It was my first PyCon, but it won’t be my last. If Python (or open source development in general) is your thing, all of the talks from this weekend appear to already be...
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Investors Always Want to Be The Coolest Kids in the Room

Investing in an amazing startup is like buying the hot new gadget that’s just come on the market. Just being able to lay down your cash, either for an investment or a gadget is a good social signal, telling the rest of the herd that you’re cool. But sometimes you get the iPod and sometimes...
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A New Use for Hemingway: Ghostwriting

I’ve been finding Hemingway surprisingly useful when working on ghost-writing projects lately. It’s a useful sort of a writing hack to get some quick insights when you’re trying to mimic someone else’s writing style. Of course, Hemingway is fundamentally intended to help writers sound more like the man himself. But it does that by highlighting...
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HTML is the New Latin

Latin is a strange language. No one speaks it as their first language and few people speak it regularly outside of Vatican City. Yet many schools still offer Latin classes and most of us know a few words (even if we aren’t always aware that we do). We still use Latin roots for forming new...
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Community-Run Conferences: The Most Bang for Your Conference Buck

I recently had the pleasure of attending Open Source Bridge and noticed several factors that made it an incredibly useful and enjoyable conference to attend. Open Source Bridge is an annual conference that takes place in Portland, Oregon (just like OSCON). It covers a variety of topics related to open source software, also similarly to...
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A Bug With A Logo?

We all know that we need to take our online security seriously, but we rarely do anything to improve our own situations. Even when we hear about data breaches, the odds that we’ll go and change passwords are relatively slim. We might get occasional emails and updates from the sites we log into about our...
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A Pioneer Nation Follow Up

I spent a few days at Pioneer Nation, a small conference geared towards entrepreneurs here in Portland. I heard a few comments over and over again, to the point that I wanted to bring them to your attention: It’s so amazing to talk to people who get what I’m going through. My family just doesn’t...
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