Scree

noun : an accumulation of loose stones or rocky debris lying on a slope or at the base of a hill or cliff.

Deconstructing the CAP theorem →

Published January 31, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 31

In computing, the so-called CAP theorem (1999-2002) has become both an icon and a bone of contention in the world of databases — a supposed truth about distributed systems. A lot has been written about it since it was formulated, especially around the recent debates on `SQL/noSQL’, but its many hearsay formulations are beset with a number of problems.

~ Mark Burgess from, Deconstructing the `CAP theorem’ for CM and DevOps

Elsewhere, this is 4umabo3. — slipbox

If you work with databases, reading this might be wise.

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A person should be strong →

Published January 28, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 28  ·  ,

This entry is part 11 of 72 in the series My Journey

It suggests that a person should aim to be strong, but not just in a physical sense. They should aim to be resilient, free thinking, confident and yet remain humble. They should learn to be self-sufficient and useful to their loved ones and they should be aiming to always progress in some way.

~ Chris Rowat, from «http://www.parkourgenerations.com/node/9399»

Written to have 5 parts, plus the introduction, he’s only completed two parts so far. But if parkour/art d’déplacement/free running you love, read this you must.

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What if there is no spending problem? →

Published January 27, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 27

Summing up: Liberals and conservatives agree that we have a long-term problem, but they argue about what kind of problem: a government spending problem or a healthcare cost problem.

Recently I ran into a potentially game-changing question: What if there is no problem? In other words, instead of being trapped in the dismal liberal/conservative argument about which apocalypse we’re headed towards, what if we’re actually not headed towards an apocalypse at all?

~ Doug Muder, from What if there’s no spending problem?

Elsewhere, this is 4uwewa2. — slipbox

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Abandon all hope →

Published January 26, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 26  ·  

Less well known is Prometheus’ second gift. In Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound,” the chained Titan is pitilessly interrogated by the chorus. They ask him whether he gave human beings anything else. Yes, he says, “I stopped mortals from foreseeing doom.” How did you do that, they ask? His response is revealing: “I sowed in them blind hopes.”

~ Simon Critchley, from Abandon (Nearly) All Hope

Elsewhere, this is 4unyaa1. — slipbox

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The distress of the privileged →

Published January 25, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 25  ·  

If you are one of the newly-visible others, this all sounds whiny compared to the problems you face every day. It’s tempting to blast through such privileged resistance with anger and insult.

Tempting, but also, I think, a mistake. The privileged are still privileged enough to foment a counter-revolution, if their frustrated sense of entitlement hardens.

So I think it’s worthwhile to spend a minute or two looking at the world from George Parker’s point of view: He’s a good 1950s TV father. He never set out to be the bad guy. He never meant to stifle his wife’s humanity or enforce a dull conformity on his kids. Nobody ever asked him whether the world should be black-and-white; it just was.

~ Doug Muder, from The Distress of the Privileged

Elsewhere, this is 4uwete2. — slipbox

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Are we there yet? →

Published January 22, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 22  ·  

Ever since I started running a website about health and fitness, I’ve noticed a key difference between people who find long-term success with getting healthy and those who don’t. When dealing with people who will NOT find success, I feel like a parent on a road trip.

~ Steve Kamb, from «http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/02/20/are-we-there-yet/»

Elsewhere, this is 4unebo14. — slipbox

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What’s lost as handwriting fades →

Published January 21, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 21

Cursive or not, the benefits of writing by hand extend beyond childhood. For adults, typing may be a fast and efficient alternative to longhand, but that very efficiency may diminish our ability to process new information. Not only do we learn letters better when we commit them to memory through writing, memory and learning ability in general may benefit.

~ Maria Konnikova from, What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades

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The real American discipline problem →

Published January 20, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 20  ·  

I agree that America faces a major discipline problem, but I see the lack of discipline at the top: the bankers, the billionaires, the CEOs. Like Mike Rice, they’re out of control and need to face the consequences of their actions.

The Rice video was seen by Rutgers officials months ago, and their response was a wrist-slap: Rice was suspended for three games and told not to do it again. Isn’t that typical of how things go in America?

~ Doug Muder, from Mike Rice, Sean Hannity, and the Real American Discipline Problem

Elsewhere, this is 4uwemi1. — slipbox

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How to be polite →

Published January 19, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 19  ·  , ,

The practice of politeness is a collection of habits of mind and expression you do on a daily basis. You learn to say “thank you” because you are honestly grateful and “I’m sorry” because you honestly don’t want to contribute to the pain of the world. You learn to say “it’s ok” because you’re honestly forgiving and letting go of small things other people do wrong. This practice makes the rate of unproductive and acrimonious conversations go down, and the enemies you make are usually only the unavoidably unpleasant.

~ Quinn Norton, from How to be Polite… for Geeks

Elsewhere, this is 4umeme1. — slipbox

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What if secretaries became programmers →

Published January 17, 2015  ·  All posts on Jan 17

But why do women make less? Is it for reasons we can all live with, or is the pay gap an injustice that needs fixing? Several reasons are frequently offered, together with explanations why we can live with those reasons. (Never forget that those are two separate conversations. Even if the whole pay gap could be boiled down to something as simple as “Girls don’t like math”, we’d still need to discuss whether that’s a problem we can or should fix.)

~ Doug Muder, from 77 cents, part II

Elsewhere, this is 4uwece1. — slipbox

VERY interesting gender/salary math.

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