Hardware Design Principles to Live By

Our company has always been striving to remain ahead of the technology curve. We believe we have found the solution to our problems...

If its worked for thousands of years, then by golly, its gotta work for us....

don't take your loved ones for granted

I found out today that a former co-worker tragically took his own life over the weekend. Although we weren't close on a personal level, he was very well respected and admired by his colleagues (including myself) for his tireless work ethic and super friendly personality. I don't think i ever saw the guy without a smile on his face. Knowing the kind of guy he was, i would never have imagined his life meeting such a tragic end. My heart sank as i thought of what his family and close friends are going through. I'm sure there are a ton of "What if" and "How..." questions going through their minds. Feelings of guilt, sadness, maybe even anger.... Life has its ups and downs. And certainly this is a reminder that even the most seemingly resilient and strong people you know, can be completely overwhelmed during those down times in life -- when nothing is going their way. And while their loved ones can't always solve their problems, just knowing they have their unconditional support can make a huge difference. So think about your friends. Think about your family. And if you know someone close who might be going through a tough time in their life, just let them know you're there for them, and that you have them in your prayers.

doin' the grind

Recently, officials in the North Shore have been warning people to be prepared when doin' the Grouse Grind, and encouraging people to not take small kids. Well this morning, on my (somewhat) regular Saturday morning Grouse Grind i watched the people a little more closely. First of all, it was pretty crowded..much like a slow moving line at an amusement park during some sections. Occasionally, I'd be trudging my way up with my head down for a few seconds, then look up to find my nose about 6 inches away from someone elses butt (i hope people don't eat beans before heading up!!). I passed several old folk doin the grind wearing nothing more than jeans, a t-shirt and loafers. They didn't look prepared, and they weren't carrying any water. One particular lady who was dressed as if she just came from the mall, was literally using the ropes on some steep section to pull her way up the trail. I also saw one lady, pulling her son by the hand....the boy looked no older than 5 years old! Interestingly enough, the people who looked the least prepared to go up were Asian...i don't know what that means....but that's what i noticed.

Anyways...despite the crowd, i managed to finish the grind in 52min 14sec. Oh, and the nice thing about doing the grind, is that you can enjoy most of the mountain-top activities for free (well, i did pay $5 for the download, but compare that to $27 for general admission at the base)!! So i took advantage, and took the Screaming Eagle gondola chair for a nice view of the city. If i had stuck around a little longer, i could have seen the Lumberjack Show and Grizzly exhibit for the Nth time. Oh well...maybe next Saturday.