My Rambling Thoughts

My mind wanders, I am trying to get it to take me along.

[jamesramblingbrain]

On the surface, the world of agile software development is bright, since it is now mainstream. But the reality is troubling, because much of what is done is faux-agile, disregarding agile's values and principles. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

Whenever you feel like you’re not getting enough done, you probably always turn to the same solution: working harder. Yet, you’ve probably heard the saying that you should “work smarter, not harder” which sounds great, but how do you actually work smarter? via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

Everybody knows that agile is not only the way to beat competition, or to deal with the faster evolution of IT, it is also about the changing society. Society is changing, Enterprises are changing, and then architecture will and should also change. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

As I described in Under pressure, a way to avoid stressing yourself, your management, your team, and your resources is to stay flexible, and only make promises when necessary (typically, when obligated by a partner or customer). via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

“Science Finds–Industry Applies–Man Conforms.” That was the motto of the Chicago 1933 International Exposition. I used it as the epigraph of my 1993 book, Things That Make Us Smart, suggesting that it be flipped to read “People Propose, Technology Conforms. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

There’s a part of Navy SEAL training called “drown-proofing” where they bind your hands behind your back, tie your feet together, and dump you into a 9-foot-deep pool. Your job is to survive for five minutes. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

She was like a character out of a storybook. The scary witch. Her hair disheveled and she always wore black and smelled like cigarettes. When I asked her for feedback on the fifth draft of my thesis, she said that I couldn’t use one of the books I’d chosen. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

The first time Nick Mullins entered Deep Mine 26, a coal mine in southwestern Virginia, the irony hit him hard. Once, his ancestors had owned the coal-seamed cavern that he was now descending into, his trainee miner hard-hat secure. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

This summer, Elon Musk spoke to the National Governors Association and told them that “AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization.” Doomsayers have been issuing similar warnings for some time, but never before have they commanded so much visibility. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

One of the hardest things in life is to know when to keep going and when to move on. On the one hand, perseverance and grit are key to achieving success in any field. Anyone who masters their craft will face moments of doubt and somehow find the inner resolve to keep going. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

In the temperate and tropical regions where it appears that hominids evolved into human beings, the principal food of the species was vegetable. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

Almost 4,000 years ago, King Hammurabi of Babylon, Mesopotamia, laid out one of the first sets of laws. Hammurabi’s Code is among the oldest translatable writings. It consists of 282 laws, most concerning punishment. Each law takes into account the perpetrator’s status. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

When I was young, any time my family got a new VCR or stereo, I would press every button, plug and unplug every cord and cable, just to see what everything did. With time, I learned how it all worked. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

There were six hours during the night of April 10, 2014, when the entire population of Washington State had no 911 service. People who called for help got a busy signal. One Seattle woman dialed 911 at least 37 times while a stranger was trying to break into her house. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit is persistence in practice.” — Octavia Butler Nothing will change your future trajectory like habits. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

Comedian Louis C.K. does a great skit showing how oblivious we can be when complaining about our lives. We get frustrated when our cell phone reception goes out for 30 seconds without realizing how amazing cell phone technology is. "Can you give it a second?" Louis asks. "It's going to space. via Pocket

[jamesramblingbrain]

William Baumol — an economist who just died at the age of 95 — had a famous idea, commonly known as Baumol’s cost disease, that explains a lot about our modern world. via Pocket