Author Archive: Paul Epps

The Star Thrower

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As the old man walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up to the youth, he asked why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun. “But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish,” countered the other. “How can your effort make any difference?” The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and threw it to safety in the waves. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said. — Loren C. Eiseley, The Star Thrower Read more →

Monday Morning Sets the Tone for the Week

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L.A. Fitness at 5 a.m. I don’t like exercising in a crowded gym. I also don’t like to get up early, but not as much as I don’t like exercising in a crowded gym, and if you get in there at 5 a.m., the gym isn’t crowded. For 2011, I started doing different exercises every day of the week and changing up the entire workout every four weeks, instead of doing the same basic routine that I’d been doing since, like, forever. I’m taking all major muscle groups by surprise on a regular basis. They have no idea what’s coming next. If you’re not incorporating the element of surprise into your exercise regimen, you’re blowing a major opportunity. Read more →

The market for something to believe in is infinite. — Hugh MacLeod

Kanban and Scrum: Making the Most of Both

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Free download courtesy of Henrik Kniberg, Mattias Skarin and InfoQ.com. The book includes: Kanban and Scrum in a nutshell Comparison of Kanban and Scrum and other Agile methods Practical examples and pitfalls Cartoons and diagrams illustrating day-to-day work Detailed case study of a Kanban implementation within a Scrum organization Read more →

Riddles

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Q: What will you find in a prison library? A: Prose and cons. Q: What do you call a choice between cinnabar and galena? A: Either ore. Q: Where do Brahmans build their houses? A: Caste lots. Read more →

Quick Thinking

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My kid is in San Francisco with a Northwood High musical group. Among the chaperones is the school principal. We don’t like her. More on that later. “Avoid the temptation to push her in front of a cable car,” I advised the boy. “Why?” he asked. “Well . . .” Now I had to think of something. “Because her fat ass would derail the thing, costing innocent people their lives.” Read more →

Selling Typewriters

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“My son just finished college last year. He wants to write but he’s selling typewriters until he gets started,” his mother said . . . the woman across the aisle said in a loud voice, “Well that’s nice. Selling typewriters is close to writing. He can go right from one to the other.” — Flannery O’Connor, “Everything That Rises Must Converge” Read more →

Four Months Left

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We went to a Cal reception for incoming freshmen. Move-in day is mid-August. That’s four months from now. The reality of what’s happening here is starting to grab me by the throat . . . Read more →

Skittles

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I just noticed on Facebook that 16 million people like Skittles. I hate Skittles. Worst of all, they look like M&Ms, so you think you’re going to get some delicious M&Ms and it turns out what you’re really getting are Skittles. Read more →

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