Design Patterns stands as an programming classic. Although the book is from the 90’s, I’d heard from gurus that this is a seminal work. I have had to strap the seatbelt in–it’s a difficult read. Probably one of the meatiest introductions ever written. Was this intended to scare away the uninitiated?

Languages used in examples include C++, SmallTalk, and Eiffel. At this point, I am not even looking for Design Patterns in other languages, native languages such as Visual Basic. The hope here is to be versed and to converse in the universal concepts and applications. Classes should be used, inherited in such a way as to make the most efficient systems possible.

It’s a steep learning climb. I’m compelled to take it and apply it in as much work as possible.

If you smell something burning, look in my general direction.

The link came a while back from my friend Doak:  To the video of this last lecture, taken from an Oprah Winfrey show.  The lecturer, Randy Pausch, inspired completely, and now this experience is expounded upon in the new book The Last Lecture.  I had not known of this custom among orators to perform such a lecture, but learning of it let me appreciate the group more.  What a hold the video has taken, millions of views.

One of my favorite performing songwriters, John Gorka, has a line in a song–”get your compass and your sharpest knife, because people love you when they know you’re leaving soon”, and the situation reminds me of this line, the truth of it.  Pausch admits that the dying has so much to do with the attention.  The self-help literature talks about how you’d like to end up, what would people say at your funeral.  This lecture relates to that, though somewhat in a reversal of roles.  People love you also, or they have to reiterate it, when they know they’re leaving soon.  Mortality is such a core part of our world.  I feel more alive seeing, hearing and reading this brave set of words.