Author Archive: Paul Epps

The Path of Trojan Dominance

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Steven B. Sample, president of the University of Southern California since 1991, announced on Nov. 2 that he will retire in August 2010. Sample is widely credited with bringing about an institutional rise at USC that is unparalleled in American higher education. — USC News I’m so proud of what USC’s been able to accomplish academically under the leadership of Dr. Sample. When I went to USC in the pre-Sample era, the conventional wisdom in Southern California was that the rich kids went to USC and the smart kids went to UCLA. (No one in my immediate family is or ever has been rich. I was able to attend USC on an academic scholarship, although it must be admitted that my wife and I both have rich but not overly bright cousins who also graduated as Trojans.) Since 1991 though, SAT scores at USC have gone up more than 300… Read more →

Jerry Weinberg

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Jerry Weinberg has been for almost 50 years the leader in considering software engineering not just as a technical practice but as a human activity. I’ve read seven of his books and with the exception of people I’ve actually worked with, I’ve learned more about IT from Jerry than from any other person. He’s recently been diagnosed with what doctors say is a fatal illness. He has a CaringBridge site where he can read messages. Read more →

Twitter: 2009-11-11

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RT @MOCAlosangeles: MOCA ? YOU! Complimentary Museum Admission | SUNDAY, NOV 15–FRIDAY, NOV 20 | more info at http://bit.ly/46urQb # If Jimmy cracks corn, and no one cares, why does he keep doing it? # No hell, no dignity, no hope. Have a great day! # My wife's in LA at the Thai markets. She'll bring back those little coconut pancakes. I love coconut pancakes! # Read more →

Disliking on Facebook

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I say to my son, “Now there’s a Firefox plugin so you can dislike stuff on Facebook. I disliked three things already.” “Cool,” he says, walking out of the room. “I gotta get that right now.” He comes back in with his laptop. “First I’ve got to download Firefox,” he says. “You’re downloading Firefox just so you can dislike stuff on Facebook?” “That’s right.” Read more →

A Chicken That Walked Backward

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When I was six I had a chicken that walked backward and was in the Pathé News. I was in it too with the chicken. I was just there to assist the chicken but it was the high point in my life. Everything since has been anticlimax. — Flannery O’Connor Read more →

I Went to Juice It Up for Lunch

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“I’ll have a Chai Tea smoothie with protein.” “Do you want vanilla or spicy?” the girl asked. “They both sound good. Can I do half and half?” “Uh, yeah. Nobody’s ever done that before.” “I’m pushing the envelope.” Read more →

Twitter: 2009-11-04

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To know what one really wants is not comparatively easy but one of the most difficult problems any human being has to solve. – Erich Fromm # RT @Aimee_B_Loved: Now that I have a job, I'm gonna make it DRIZZLE! *throws a stack of ones in the air*…can I please have those back now? # RT @capricecrane: Sean Penn's son was arrested at school for drugs. Chavez & Castro are reaching out to the principal for leniency. # Read more →

eBooks

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I can’t get interested in eBooks. My books are my friends. I also like the smell of books. When I finish reading a book, if I liked it, I give it a new home with my other book friends. If I didn’t like it, I hurl it in the garbage. Can’t do that with an eBook . . . Read more →

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