Still trying to really grasp the concept of VPCs and route table. This diagram, which contains actual clouds really brought everything together for me. Also, it was pretty relaxing drawing everything out and then coloring everything in. I think I’m going to draw out a few more of these diagrams.
I keep reading that VPCs (Virtual private Cloud) is such a huge chunk of the AWS Solutions Architect Exam. I’ve always with been the most shaky on this particular AWS service. I feel like I’ve just figured out how to properly set one up, so I really need to focus on this area. I have to do a presentation on AWS to my class next week, so this is a great opportunity for to really go over everything with in detail.
I made these slides to help me get the difference between Security Groups and Network ACLs. I set them up as if they were sworn enemies and there can only be one. I’m pretty sure Network ACLs would win in a fight. They just seem like a safe bet. I’m not sure my class will appreciate the super hero homage, but listen, we all have our learning aids.
I’ve had Bose Wave Radio in my kitchen for close to ten years now. My aging Mother, who doesn’t see very well gave up on tv years ago and so her sole entertainment was this Bose radio. We would NPR on constantly and the various hosts kept her company throughout the day.
One day a few months ago, the Bose Wave just stopped working. I was a bit confused because even though we had it for close to a decade, I thought those things were supposed to last forever. I’m still working on getting the Wave fixed but I wanted an affordable replacement in the meantime.
I decided to get an Amazon Echo Dot. It cost just under $50 and I was intrigued by the Dot’s AI function Alexa.
I thought it would be helpful to be able to ask Alexa the time, weather, and what time the train would arrive. Alexa is capable of SO MUCH MORE! I can not only listen to my Spotify playlist and my favorite podcasts, but I can also listen to and play interactive stories all hands-free while I’m doing the dishes. Check out The Wayne Investigation…so much fun!
Anyway, Alexa has countless skills that you can enable to do all sorts of fun stuff! Amazon has been pretty open with the developer’s platform and they’ve made it super easy peasy to build your own skill. One of my favorite learning platforms A Cloud Guru has a free introductory Alexa course. It walks you through how to build three different skills for the Echo.
I decided to build a Flash Card skill to help me study for my AWS Solutions Architect exam. It sounded intimidating at first, but it’s actually easy peasy lemon squeezy.
So the first thing you need to do is head over to the Alexa Skills Github repository. Amazon has been pretty generous and have provided the source codes for TEN different skills all packed up nice and cute.
I downloaded all the skill files so I can eventually play around with all of them. I used ReindeerGames as the basis for my Flash Cards skill. Be sure to log into your AWS account AND the Alexa Developer Portal so you can create your skill. You need to make sure that all the accounts are the same and/or linked. Your AWS account, your Alexa App, and your Alexa Developer Portal must all be the same username.
In your AWS console, select the Lambda service.
You can see where I’ve created my Flash Card skill. Hit the blue button to create a new Lambda function.
Select this Alexa skill kit as your blueprint.
Select Alexa Skills Kit as your trigger and then hit next.
You’re now going to name your skill and add your code. You can just copy and paste the ReindeerGames source code you saved from Github. In the source folder of that file, there should be an index.js file. Open it with your fave text editor (mine is TextWrangler) and then edit the code to add the questions you want to be asked.
After you’ve added your desired code create your Lambda function! Be sure to copy the ARN that will be created at this point. You’ll need that for the developer portal.
Head over to the developer portal and under the Alexa Skills Kit select ‘get started.’
You’ll then select ‘add a new skill’ you’ll then have to add your invocation name, your utterances and custom slot types. I’m planning to make another skill so I’ll do a full walkthrough of the developer portal then. I’m not able to upload my snippet of me being quizzed by Alexa. I need to do more studying, but I had fun making my very own skill!
I’ve found my new favorite book. Hidden Figures is the story of a group of black women who worked as computers for NASA. They worked as computers! Like human computers. They did the math computations for some of NASAs earliest space missions. They did it all by hand during a time when gender equality and civil rights were more punch-lines than reality. I’m so happy this book was published in time for my own STEM journey. Despite all the setbacks, failures and second-guessing that I face, its nothing compared to the odds stacked against these women. There were so many lines and paragraphs I wanted to highlight in the book. I couldn’t, its a library copy and I’m a good patron. I hope Santa brings me my very own copy for Christmas. Every time my code doesn’t work, every time I spend hours working on a lab only for it to not work — I’ll be thinking of these pioneering women who blazed such an amazing trail. This book has given me a renewed sense of determination and I cannot wait to see this movie on the big screen.
I am constantly second guessing myself. Can I really learn AWS and pass the certification exam? Can I handle working in tech and deal with real clients? Did I put one teaspoon or two teaspoons of baking powder in this cookie batter? Will these cookies taste like cardboard??
The point is oftentimes I feel like I’m not good enough. This feeling never comes from professors, or mentors, or toddlers (who can be particularly cruel). It comes from me. I am my biggest and worst critic.
It was refreshing to see my favorite internet young person tackle this feeling in his latest video.
It’s so easy to get caught up in your shortcomings that you forget that you (we, me all of us) are works in progress. There are going to be growing pains. In order to get good at something, we have to push through the discomfort of being a novice until we can reach expert level.
This Medium article really gave me some perspective on not feeling good enough.
“Turn down the volume of your negative inner voice and create a nurturing inner voice to take it’s place. When you make a mistake, forgive yourself, learn from it, and move on instead of obsessing about it. Equally important, don’t allow anyone else to dwell on your mistakes or shortcomings or to expect perfection from you.” ― Beverly Engel
The writer Thomas Oppong says that the best way to shut down your inner critic, is to basically dare yourself be better than your inner shortcomings. don’t be afraid to fail, or get things wrong and don’t stop until you prove that inner voice wrong. This dials back to a post I wrote about an Ira Glass quote a few months back. The gist of that quote and the essence of Nathan’s video is to make some trash everyday, until you get better. Fail at some things everyday until your and expert and then your inner voice will have to shut up. No one can argue with an expert. Right?!?!
While organizing some files on my computer, I found the very first website I built from scratch. It’s right here and it’s actually kind of cute. I should expand on it at some point.
I was super excited to find out that my sort of doppelgänger, Lunella Lafayette was the smartest super hero in the Marvel Universe. Then I found out that the latest incarnation of Iron Man, was going to be a 15 year old MIT genius named Riri Williams. Riri is a black girl with giant afro. This made my heart sing.
Inclusion is such a blessing and its nice to see a monolith like Marvel jumping into the diversity pool. This NPR article from a few months back made me fall deeply and madly in love with Marvel again. They are planning special edition covers to promote girls in STEAM fields. The covers will feature the fly girls of Marvel, Riri, Lunella and Gwenpool. I’m gonna be spending a lot of money on comic books.
When I first started my AWS journey, I wanted some additional learning resources. I initially subscribed to Cloud Academy because of their bomb student discount. I loved most of the content, particularly the labs and most of the lectures. I liked how all the content was categorized and you could choose your learning path. Some of the lectures were confusing and the quizzes left me feeling super lost. I was already looking for another resource but one day I logged on and quite a bit of the content had been labeled outdated.
I came across A Cloud Guru in one of the AWS sub-reddits and decided to give it a try. They were offering the complete Solutions Architect course for $29, so I went ahead and bought it. I pretty happy with it so far. I’m not sure if the information is easier to digest because I’m familiar with it or if the course content is just explained better. Either way, the lessons and labs are easy for me to follow and I’m really feeling like my knowledge is progressing.
I’ve been neglecting my AWS studies a bit. I got sidetracked with other hobbies and the start of the new semester. My cloud computing class with the ITEM has started again also, and everything makes sense this time around. Like, so much more sense. The things that I’d been struggling with have gotten a lot easier.
I can now create and connect to an instance with my eyes closed. Not really, but you what I’m saying. I’m finally feeling confident about using the command line. Knowing my key paths and directories and just how to navigate them, definitely a major key.
Speaking of keys, I opened up my inbox and saw this article from Quincy Larson.
Upgrading to macOS Sierra will break your SSH keys and lock you out of your own servers.
-Quincy Larson
I was like 0.0
Not only had a JUST upgraded to Sierra, but I had just started to understand the keys now now they would be all jacked up and my breakthrough would have been for nothing. Luckily, I took a deep breath and followed Quincy’s mini tutorial to make sure my keys were all good.
Also, Amazon has finally published an official AWS Solutions Architect study guide. It seems a little overpriced to me, $57 for the paperback $60 for the kindle version. I’m getting a copy for sure and will probably do a review here. It won’t be released until October 17, so I’m wondering if the price will drop after that. I guess we’ll see…
So I finally did it. I was able to complete my Magic Mirror!
I ended up having to get a new (used from eBay) monitor.
I added the patterned tape around the edges to give it some flavor.
Add your favorite plants and its actually a pretty fly addition to any meditation space.
cloudthirtyone 