The Specification is Dead; Long Live the Specification In the olden days, most people followed a waterfall method. It involved writing “complete” specifications on exactly what had to be built, how it would be built, how it would work, look, etc. You’d have the “complete” package of documentation up-front and then you’d start coding. Seems like eons ago… Then we were introduced to agile development, which encouraged us to throw away big specifications and go with user stories, or to eliminate documentation entirely and just start coding, building things iteratively. I’m greatly simplifying the evolution of software development into a couple paragraphs, but you know the drill — specifications went from being necessities to being outlawed. I’d say the same holds true for specifications. I like to write. My specifications often include descriptions of things we may (or will likely) build in the future. I don’t see specifications as ultra-descriptive product roadmaps. Specifications aren’t writ in stone.
Freud's *The Interpretation of Dreams* Chapter 1, Section D Back to Psych Web Home Page Back to The Interpretation of Dreams Table of Contents D. Why Dreams Are Forgotten After Waking That a dream fades away in the morning is proverbial. The forgetting of dreams is treated in the most detailed manner by Strumpell. In the first place, all those factors which induce forgetfulness in the waking state determine also the forgetting of dreams. * Periodically recurrent dreams have been observed repeatedly. According to Strumpell, other factors, deriving from the relation of the dream to the waking state, are even more effective in causing us to forget our dreams. Finally, we should remember that the fact that most people take but little interest in their dreams is conducive to the forgetting of dreams. It is therefore all the more remarkable, as Strumpell himself observes, that, in spite of all these reasons for forgetting the dream, so many dreams are retained in the memory. Jessen (p. 547) expresses himself in very decided terms: The observations of V.
Lateral Thinking Lateral thinking puzzles that challenge your preconceptions. 1. You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus: 1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die. 2. Knowing that there can only be one passenger in your car, whom would you choose? Hint: You can make everyone happy. Solution: The old lady of course! 2. Hint: The police only know two things, that the criminal's name is John and that he is in a particular house. Solution: The fireman is the only man in the room. 3. Hint: He is very proud, so refuses to ever ask for help. Solution: The man is a dwarf. 4. Hint: It does not matter what the baby lands on, and it has nothing to do with luck. Solution: The baby fell out of a ground floor window. 5. Hint: His mother was an odd woman. Solution: When Bad Boy Bubby opened the cellar door he saw the living room and, through its windows, the garden. 6. 7.
The Getting Things Done (GTD) FAQ | zen habits Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter. I get a lot of email about Getting Things Done (GTD), mostly from people just starting out who have various questions about implementation, starting out, or sticking to the system. I thought I’d start a FAQ to help those with similar questions. Now, let me first say that this is not a complete FAQ, but I’ve taken some of the most common questions. Let me also say that I am not the absolute authority on GTD — I am but one blogger, one practitioner, and I am just sharing what I’ve learned from experience and reading other sites. Overview What is GTD? GTD embodies an easy, step-by-step and highly efficient method for achieving this relaxed , productive state. Also see the Wikipedia entry on GTD. How do I start? How long will it take to start? Now, although this sounds like a big commitment (and it is), I have to say that it is worth it. Is there an easier way to start? Just start with capture. Is GTD a cult? Tools What tools do I need? Help!
Resilient people more satisfied with life Public release date: 23-May-2012 [ Print | E-mail Share ] [ Close Window ] Contact: Joaquín T LimoneroJoaquin.limonero@uab.cat Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona When confronted with adverse situations such as the loss of a loved one, some people never fully recover from the pain. Others, the majority, pull through and experiment how the intensity of negative emotions (e.g. anxiety, depression) grows dimmer with time until they adapt to the new situation. Researchers at the Basic Psychology Unit at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona analysed the responses of 254 students from the Faculty of Psychology in different questionnaires. Research data shows that students who are more resilient, 20% of those surveyed, are more satisfied with their lives and are also those who believe they have control over their emotions and their state of mind. "Some of the characteristics of being resilient can be worked on and improved, such as self-esteem and being able to regulate one's emotions.
How I Can Afford My Life Of Constant Travel I’m confused. I’m simply confused as to how it’s possible that I have so far failed to properly explain how I’ve managed to travel/live/work abroad nonstop for 12 years straight (and counting). The questions are still pouring in every single day: How do you do it? How is it possible to travel for so long? And while I thoroughly enjoy communicating with readers (I’m being completely serious and encourage you all to continue sending your emails to me as often as you wish), the fact that these very questions are on the minds of so many of you out there has led me to believe that I need to do a better job at providing the answers. While it’s true that I’ve already written plenty of posts on the matter, clearly all of these posts, even as one collective entity, still fall well short of proving that a life of travel is not some crazy fantasy but a perfectly reasonable and easily attainable lifestyle option instead. So what am I to do? December 25, 1999: March 2000 October 2000 January 2001 April 2003
The Web’s third frontier Everyone realizes that the web is entering a new phase in its development. One indication of this transition is the proliferation of attempts to explain the changes that are occurring. Functional explanations emphasize the real time web, collaborative systems and location-based services. Although these explanations are both pertinent and intriguing, none of them offers an analytical matrix for assessing the developments that are now underway. In contrast, other explanations are far too broad to serve any useful purpose. How can the web’s development be understood? The web represents a compendium of technical resources, functionalities and usage practices, and it cannot be reduced to just one of these dimensions. The development of the web thus does not arise from technologies, products or usage patterns alone. In fact, it is the decentralized nature of the web and the infinite diversity of the projects developing on it that allow us to answer this question. The founding principles
One Sentence - True stories, told in one sentence. 50 Ways To Be AWESOME by Meg RulliFebruary 18, 2013 Sharebar Tony and I just completed our trip around the world and as we are reconnecting with friends and family from home, I keep getting asked the same question: “Did travel change you?” In short: Nope! I am still the whacky girl that left on a jet plane last January to explore the world with my equally whacky husband. And it’s never too late to put yourself first and live life on your terms. Make yourself a priority in life Set both big and small goals for yourselfActually stick to your goals! Your turn: What awesome tips would you add to this list?
Tisseron Cambridge English YLE : un test diplômant spécialement adapté aux enfants Une cinquantaine de centres d’examens en France proposent de passer les diplômes de Cambridge English Language assessment qui permettent de certifier un niveau d’anglais. Parmi eux, une vingtaine offre le Cambridge English Young Learners (YLE), une série de trois tests amusants spécialement conçus pour les enfants de 7 à 12 ans. Cette année, plus de 4000 enfants en France ont passé ce test, dont 155 en Lorraine par l’intermédiaire de l’association Pop English, dont les animateurs enseignent dans les locaux de l’association et dans les écoles primaires. « Un petit examen d’anglais nous semble essentiel pour encourager l’enfant dans son apprentissage dès son jeune âge. Et de poursuivre, au sujet des dernières études sur l’apprentissage des langues chez les jeunes enfants : « Il faut profiter de l’âge de l’école primaire pour rendre l’anglais familier de nos enfants. lu : 1339 fois
5 Psych Experiments That Sounded Fun (Until They Started) So you see an ad in the paper from a lab looking for test subjects. They say they want to study the effects of getting high, or eating too much, or having sex. Oh, and they'll pay you to do all of those things. Preposterous, right? The Have Sex For Money Experiment Wanted: a healthy, sexually functional male to have sex with a woman. Yes, that happened, and yes, it was legal. No, he needed to study the humping first hand. For the subjects, it offered all of the benefits of prostitution without the constant threat of genital sores and being locked in a rape dungeon that normally goes along with it. The Harsh Reality First, you found out that these people would be watching you the whole time: That's Masters and Johnson. Putting the "strange" in "sex with a total stranger," partners were matched randomly (if you still think that sounds awesome, the next time you're in line at Burger King, imagine getting randomly matched up for sex with any one of the people around you). This won't help.
Video Showing the Huge Gap Between Super Rich and Everyone Else Goes Viral For much of the past decade, policymakers and analysts have decried America's incredibly low savings rate, noting that U.S. households save a fraction of the money of the rest of the world. Citing a myriad of causes -- from cheap credit to exploitative bank practices -- they've noted that the average family puts away less than 4 percent of its income. "Wealth Inequality in America," a six-minute video produced by a YouTube user named "Politizane," casts an interesting angle on the plummeting savings rate. Set to depressing piano music and packed with crystal-clear animations, it gives a powerful snapshot of the American economic landscape. Noting that "The top 1 percent own nearly half the country's stocks, bonds, and mutual funds," the video goes on to contrast those impressive holdings with the rest of the country. It isn't hard to see why there is such a yawning gap between the richest Americans and the rest of us. 9 Ways Sequestration Will Affect You Share Facebook Twitter Google+ Email