things I've learned (in no particular order..) sometime before April 28, 1999 (as amended)
relax, and be patient - some things take time to mature
know yourself - know what you need and want, what you like and love
love yourself, and believe in, and show commitment to, what you say and do
communicate clearly, and be obviously willing to compromise
it's your life, look after it - make sure you at least get what you need
have vision, and while working toward it, be firm but polite, patient but persistent, and positive but realistic
explore your environment - if you follow your nose, you will find unusual things
cherish and share, gratuitously - it creates good karma
without bounds, there can be no freedom
fill your life with things that complement it - including friends and employers
a second wasted is a second lost
embrace diversity - constantly readapt your approach to suit your environment
knowledge reduces risk
just because you can, doesn't mean you should
anonymous sources prove nothing
things cannot be saved from themselves
he who swears first loses
contradiction in language indicates contradiction in logic
a ready smile is your portable sunbeam
never stop optimising - the savings and experience will always be handy elsewhere
the meaning of any word depends on two things: who is saying it, and who is listening
sophisticated machinery with a dumb interface is a waste of time
a worn, poorly fitted, or badly adjusted tool does a bad job
if you make a mistake doing a job you're good at, that means it's time for a coffee break
efficiency is beauty
do something until it's not fun anymore -- and then do something else
at the bottom of every can of worms is a carcass, awaiting a full and decent burial
take a friend whenever you are negotiating anything
before important negotations, think through the likely positions the other parties will take, your responses to those positions, and their likely responses to your responses - like chess - think ahead and anticipate gameplay
if negotiating with a dunce, keep it simple
when someone says "I can't ...", they usually mean, "I can't be bothered to ..."
refuse to be goaded; your negative energy will be used against you
when the other party shows signs of stress, show negating signs of release
"say nothing about it, do nothing about it" is a valid course of action; the information vacuum this creates can be very powerful
trust your nose - if it smells bad, it probably is
the best revenge is a happy life
love does not use violence - ever - and only rarely intervenes
run your work past someone else before you do much with it
the road to enlightenment is paved with dead ideologies
one man's genius is another man's fool
for every critic, there is a fan
leopards can change their spots - but it can take a very long time
it's OK to end an odyssey without completing it - some things are better off over with, while other things never end
some tunes aren't writ for playin'
a prepared surface is a labour halved
the numbers are like the seas - ignore them at your peril
make hay while the sun shines (and work on something else when it doesn't)
ideal solutions are almost never implemented
it may be wrong to expect, but it is reasonable to wish
it's difficult to be certain about much
if I have 3 or more good reasons to do something, then I should do it - UNLESS I can think of least 1 good reason not to
in the end, it's not the disaster, it's the management of the disaster that counts
you can always lose another 10%
just as the strength of a chain is limited to the strength of its weakest link, so too is the capacity of a channel limited to the capacity of its narrowest point
a large percentage of a small number is still a small number; a small percentage of a large number is still a large number
don't waste time with people you don't like - they probably don't like you either
work in a field that is synergistic with your interests
employment: learn while working for less, and save while learning little
you do not need to like the people you do business with - but it's nice
lack of organisation on their part does not constitute a state of emergency on mine
invest on credit; save for expenses
only bet on a sure thing
denial is a path well-worn by vested interests
when today is goodbye, tomorrow is hello - but it's never quite the same
it's a bad sign when the contractor starts swearing
never lend anything to a selfish person, and think extremely carefully before lending anything irreplaceable to anyone; but otherwise, lend everything to everyone, making copies if necessary
good food, decent sleep and plenty of water yield better code.
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