It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. –Seneca # The definition for “value” that I recently started using is “what guides us when we have to make a hard decision.” http://tinyurl.com/chzkqp # @tweetmeme @smashingmag Reading ‘Designing Drop-Down Menus: Examples and Best Practices’ http://tinyurl.com/dnzeyh # Love the Weinerschnitzel vs Carls Jr 2 for $3 chili dog battle. The customer is the true winner! # RT @BonnieLowe: Reading “Thirsty plants cn twttr 4 water w/ new device.” nxt it’ll be yr cat tweeting 4 snacks. http://tinyurl.com/dfh8dk # RT @KathySierra: Choosing a dog based on breed name is ridiculous, but the coder in me is geekily drawn to: http://tinyurl.com/d3gmkc # At Uni High 4 Irvine Band Festival # Read more →
Author Archive: Paul Epps
Tweets on 2009-03-25
Supporting the best idea, regardless of source, however much I hope an even better idea may l8r arise… # …and when I have no superior alternative idea: http://tinyurl.com/5z2rg6 # Read more →
Tweets on 2009-03-24
Mega Drop-Down Navigation Menus Work Well: http://tinyurl.com/cgbup8 # Expression Web SuperPreview makes cross-browser testing like moist delicious cake: http://tinyurl.com/djbbem # No one in our office wears a tie. I’m wearing one today to see what happens. # A lesson in free-market capitalism from the Swedes: “The Swedish state is not prepared to own car factories.” http://tinyurl.com/cxjdk6 # Declining to offer and refusing to accept incoherent emotional transmissions: http://tinyurl.com/5z2rg6 # Why Would You Use Agile for Offshore Development? http://tinyurl.com/djyf5y # Read more →
Why Would You Use Agile for Offshore Development?
More of my customers have been asking me how to use agile processes, particularly Scrum, to help them manage offshore development. Since offshore development undercuts many of the practices that promote agile productivity, I ask them why they don’t just increase the productivity of their teams by thoroughly introducing agility? It seems that offshore development, with its potential for lower unit costs (dollars per programmer day), offers management hope that their losses can be reduced. Since the project is probably going to fail anyway, let’s minimize our losses by lowering our investment by using lower priced resources. A more optimistic, agile, way of looking at this problem is to fix the problem at home and increase the probability of success. — Ken Schwaber Read more →
The Beauty of Cultural Diversity
My son’s one-eighth Japanese on his mom’s side and the student body at his school is about 40 percent Korean, so when he comes into my room yelling, “YES! I am going to shove it” — punctuated with a fist pump — “at those Koreans tomorrow,” it doesn’t take long to figure out that Japan must have won the World Baseball Classic . . . Read more →
Crucial Conversations
I know my son had a history test today, and that history is a make-or-break class for him. I want to ask him about the test but we’re having a delicious family meal at Olive Garden and I don’t want to break up the festive mood in the event the news turns out to be bad. I decide to ease into it with some small talk . . . “So, how was recess today?” o_O (BLANK STARE) I continue, “I know you had a history test today but rather than get right into that, I thought we could start with some small talk about recess.” He says, “I haven’t had recess since 6th grade.” “Oh. In that case, how was the history test?” Read more →
Tweets on 2009-03-23
Ah! Vanitas Vanitatum! which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied? # A woman just sent me a doc on web hits in which she uses the phrase “extraneous back-end activity.” What would Freud make of that? # Read more →
Tweets on 2009-03-22
GOP takes lead in generic ballot.That didn’t take long. http://tinyurl.com/ctudrb # Read more →
Tweets on 2009-03-20
RT @VJnator: The only time Obama is not using the teleprompter is when he uses the word “Look” beginning his sentence.That is the indicator. # Forgot my sunglasses, had to drive 2 work w/out them. Turns out to be overcast, no sun. It’s a good day… # Buy Ichiro’s house – $1.75 million: http://tinyurl.com/ddvkqj # @VJnator He does…it’s an arrogant way to start a sentence. in reply to VJnator # RT @PeteCarroll: Best of luck to Coach Floyd and the Trojans in Minneapolis! Beat the eagles!! # My brother’s visiting from the Pentagon. Not on official business. Nephew’s wedding this weekend. # Building credibility by admitting that you don’t know the answer: http://tinyurl.com/ctyq6s # Read more →
Building Credibility
Many people worry that not knowing something is a sign of weakness, and that if a leader seems not to have all the answers they will lose the confidence of their team. Such people try to pretend they have the answer in every situation, making things up if necessary and never admitting mistakes. However, this approach ultimately backfires. Sooner or later people learn the truth and figure out that the person never admits when they don’t know. When this happens the person loses all credibility: no-one can tell whether the person is speaking from authority or making something up, so it isn’t safe to trust anything they say. On the other hand, if you admit that you don’t know the answer, or that you made a mistake, you build credibility. People are more likely to trust you when you say that you do have the answer, because they have seen… Read more →
An MVP-Caliber Performance
He said it was “an AYSO 10-and-under caliber trophy.” He doesn’t really care though. He doesn’t display the trophies he already has. He had a great season though, and a great game in the finals. The coach asked him to play defenseman this season — which he’s never played — because they had too many forwards. He made a few mistakes but it turned out to be a great coaching move because he’s probably the strongest skater in the league and the best forwards on other teams got frustrated when they couldn’t just skate around him like they could with all the other defensemen. He’d get my MVP vote, if I had an MVP vote, and if the league had an MVP award, which it doesn’t . . . Read more →
IHF Champions
Northwood won their IHF final game against El Dorado, the number one seed, 5-2. I saw this team at the beginning of the season and said to my son, “You guys are going to lose every game.” He said, “I think we’re going to go undefeated.” It turns out he was closer to being right than I was . . . Read more →
Tweets on 2009-03-19
Really looking forward 2 my 1st ski lesson this weekend! Wait, WHAT?! http://tinyurl.com/cx97xu # RT @THE_REAL_SHAQ: Best Dunk ever? http://tinyurl.com/d68vr5 # Embracing elegant solutions w/ a philosophy of doing far more w/ much less. # How have U changed the way U perform your work in the last week? http://tinyurl.com/cpuuru # F’ing gerunds… # Dashboard inspiration w/ sparklines: http://tinyurl.com/cdry8t # At the rink for IHF finals # Read more →
Good News
My wife runs an insurance agency. She handles all the customer service calls herself and as a result, a) she gets to know her customers very well; and b) she hears a lot of bad news. Today she sent me this email: One of my best clients just passed away yesterday. He is 65 years old and had a heart attack. One of these days I’d like to hear good news sometimes. You and Casey are my good news. Probably I don’t say enough good things about her . . . Read more →
Clearly and Simply
Anyone who cannot speak clearly and simply should say nothing and continue to work until he can do so. — Sir Karl Popper HT: Clearly and Simply Read more →
The Art of Ingenuity
Don’t expect big rewards. Don’t expect anyone to beat a path to your door to embrace your ideas. Don’t expect anyone to help or support you. Do it so you can look at yourself in the mirror every day with pride. That’s the biggest and best payoff. Whatever your work, make it your art. All sorts of good things happen when you do. How have you changed the way you perform your work in the last week? — Matthew May, “Elegant Solutions” Read more →
Daily Twitter for 2009-03-18
red beans & rice w/ a fried egg on top. im in heaven… # I just used the word “therein” in a sentence. # Read more →
Daily Twitter for 2009-03-17
RT @BonnieLowe: Chris Brogan’s “If I Started Today” post about social media/networking: http://tinyurl.com/6o5lx3 # eating a green bagel. i m 1/2 irish myself frm okeefes & flynns on my moms side # Read more →
Shot the Monkey
Daily Twitter for 2009-03-16
RT @presentationzen: So what is the good life anyway? http://snipurl.com/dx3od [Mark Albion’s animated movie – worth your 3 minutes] # John Wooden on failures and mistakes: http://tinyurl.com/d2keaf # Haiku on The Myth of Sisyphus: Master of his days / Could Sisyphus be happy? / Camus says he is. # Read more →