Tuesday, July 28, 2015

2015-30 - One in a million...

Back when I was a wee young lad, fresh from college, I thought I knew everything there was to know.

One of my best memories happened very early on, back when I was working on DOS 4. We ran into some kind of problem... I was looking into the bug with Gordon Letwin, the architect for DOS 4. I looked at the code and commented "Maybe this is what was happening? But if that were the case, it'd take a one in a million chance for it to happen".

Gordon's response was simple, "In our business, one in a million is next Tuesday".

He then went on to comment that at the speeds which modern computers operate (4.77 MHz remember), things happened so quickly that something with a one in a million chance of occurrence is likely to happen in the next day or so.

I'm not sure I've ever received better advice in my career.

It has also stood the test of time – no matter how small the chance of something happening, with modern computers and modern operating systems, essentially every possible race condition or deadlock will be found within a reasonable period of time.

So nowadays, whenever anyone comments on how unlikely it is for some event to occur, my answer is simply: "One in a million is next Tuesday".

~ Larry Osterman

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"If nature has taught us anything it is that the impossible is probable.”


~ Ilyas Kassam
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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

2015-29 - Energy

Energy can be an unpredictable source of power. Sometimes you've got it - sometimes you don't. Sometimes your engine is revving full throttle; sometimes your battery's shot. Sometimes you feel you can take on the world. Sometimes you can barely get out of bed. When it comes to energy, it seems you either have it or you don't.

Is that really the case?

For a moment, I want you to picture yourself mired in the middle of a ho-hum day. A day where you are not the least bit interested in what you're doing or where you're going. It's one of "those" days where you feel woefully listless, drained and ready to go back home. For whatever reason, you just don't have it today.

Got the picture?

What if, in the blink of an eye, opportunity swooped in out of nowhere and you suddenly had a chance to do something you absolutely LOVE to do?

What would you do?

Would you blow it off because you are too tired? Or would you spring into action and seize opportunity with both hands?

I'd put my money on the latter.

"Energy is never a problem when you are doing something you WANT to do."

~ G. L. Hickman

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"We can bring positive energy into our daily lives by smiling more, talking to strangers in line, replacing handshakes with hugs, and calling our friends just to tell them we love them.”


~ Brandon Jenner
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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

2015-28 - Our Happiness...

Once a group of 50 people was attending a seminar.

Suddenly the speaker stopped and gave each person a balloon. Each one was asked to write their name on it using a marker pen. All the balloons were then collected and put in another room.

Now these delegates were let in that room and asked to find the balloon with their name, within 5 minutes.

Everyone was frantically searching for their name, pushing, colliding with each other, and there was utter chaos in the room… At the end of 5 minutes, no one could find their own balloon.

Now each one was asked to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon!

The speaker began: This is exactly what is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness, you will get your own happiness.

And this is the purpose of human life.

~ Author unknown

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"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”


~ Thich Nhat Hanh

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Tuesday, July 7, 2015

2015-27 - One Night…



A man came to our house and told me, “There is a family with eight children. They have not eaten for days.”

I took some food and I went. When I finally came to the family, I saw the faces of those little children disfigured by hunger. There was no sorrow or sadness in their faces, just the deep pain of hunger. I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it in two, and went out, carrying half the rice with her.

When she came back, I asked her, “Where did you go?”

She gave me this simple answer, “To my neighbours - they are hungry also.”

I was not surprised that she gave - because poor people are generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we are suffering, we are so focused on ourselves we have no time for others.

~ Mother Teresa

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"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

~ Mother Teresa
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