J. B. Rainsberger (he)

@jbrains
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1.3K Posts
Pro 5-pin bowler who consults for software companies to pay for bowling. en/fr/sv/es/ro https://experience.jbrains.ca https://blog.jbrains.ca
Question?https://ask.jbrains.ca
Mentoringhttps://experience.jbrains.ca
Read Morehttps://www.jbrains.ca
J. B. Rainsberger (he)2d ago

Reduce the pain and suffering associated with waiting for other people to get out of your way. You have a task to finish!!

https://blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/power-of-gtd-open-loops/

Remaining Calm, Even When Blocked By Others — The jbrains Blog

Getting Things Done calls them open loops: unresolved tasks where you're blocked because you are waiting for someone else. Open Loops are a common source of significant, painful stress and worry. Fortunately, the advice in GTD trains us not only to manage these Open Loops, but also to feel downright _placid_, even when we're waiting for others, and even when they might be a bit unreliable.

J. B. Rainsberger (he)May 19

Two weekends. Two tournaments. 40 qualifying games. Zero playoff appearances.

Still, for the first time, scoring 10001 for 40 consecutive tournament games, averaging 250.025. Round numbers aren't so important, but a milestone is a milestone. #5pinbowling

J. B. Rainsberger (he)May 19

Today's foolishness could be summarized as "Invert the dependency, dumbass!"

Fun.

J. B. Rainsberger (he)May 5

When interactions "go wrong", the very thing you are most likely to complain about and try to change is the very thing that most people find hardest and most painful to change about themselves. Result? Merry chaos. I propose an alternative that might actually work.

https://blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/the-fundamental-irony-of-human-interaction/

The Fundamental Irony of Human Interaction — The jbrains Blog

When interactions "go wrong", the very thing you are most likely to complain about and try to change is the very thing that most people find hardest and most painful to change about themselves. Result? Merry chaos. I propose an alternative that might actually work.

J. B. Rainsberger (he)May 4

RE: https://vmst.io/@DanMorgan/116516129181127637

See you again on July 8!

J. B. Rainsberger (he)May 2

Strategy: Say things so egregious and obviously stupid that the listener is stunned into inaction and can only :shrug:.

Example: "All women love ballrooms."

I would call it "genius" if I thought it were intentional.

J. B. Rainsberger (he)May 1

Getting Things Done is only about making lists and setting reminders on the surface. There are greater powers in there and it might help you to know what they are...

https://blog.jbrains.ca/permalink/an-alternative-formulation-of-getting-things-done/

An Alternative Formulation of Getting Things Done — The jbrains Blog

Describing the transformative benefits of _Getting Things Done_ sometimes sounds like cult indoctrination. Describing the concrete steps of getting started with GTD risks making it sound like pointless busywork. I propose another way to think about GTD that, I hope, makes it sound more compelling, both to get started and to stick with it.

J. B. Rainsberger (he)Apr 29

My webcam image is all... red?!

https://jb.rainsberger.ca/permalink/why-my-webcam-image-is-so-damn-red

Why My Webcam Image Is So Damn Red!

Missing Documentation: Help Pages I wish they'd written

J. B. Rainsberger (he)Apr 26
joep schuurkesApr 5

Blogged: On the acceptance of GenAI

https://smallsheds.garden/blog/2026/on-the-acceptance-of-genai/

On the acceptance of GenAI

Ethics is the worst.

Joep Schuurkes
J. B. Rainsberger (he)Apr 26

I ended up having two long consultations with clients, both free of charge. I really enjoyed the work. I also really hope to continue to do great work by being paid for it. #devoxxgr

https://experience.jbrains.ca

The jbrains Experience: Affordable personal mentoring to help you start getting unstuck.

You need help, but you can't justify the expense of a full-time coach. Maybe you're not yet sure about buying one-on-one coaching sessions. You're struggling to convince your employer to pay for the mentoring you need. You need more than what the world offers you for free, but your budget doesn't have room for enterprise-level consulting. I would like to help you.

jbrains.ca