Loud Thinking

Archive for December, 2013

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?

SIMON: No sir, I don’t have to, my Mom is a good cook.

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?

HAROLD: A teacher

TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn’t punish him?

LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand…

The child…poem read by Mandela at inauguration of parliament, 1994

This was written by the Afrikaans poet Ingrid Jonker after the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960 and read by Mandela at the inauguration of South Africa’s first democratic parliament in 1994.

THE CHILD

WHO WAS SHOT DEAD BY SOLDIERS IN NYANGA

The child is not dead

the child raises his fists against his mother

who screams Africa screams the smell

of freedom and heather

in the locations of the heart under siege

The child raises his fists against his father

in the march of the generations

who scream Africa scream the smell

of justice and blood

in the streets of his armed pride

The child is not dead

neither at Langa nor at Nyanga

nor at Orlando nor at Sharpeville

nor at the police station in Philippi

where he lies with a bullet in his head

The child is the shadow of the soldiers

on guard with guns saracens and batons

the child is present at all meetings and legislations

the child peeps through the windows of houses and into the hearts of mothers

the child who just wanted to play in the sun at Nyanga is everywhere

the child who became a man treks through all of Africa

the child who became a giant travels through the whole world

Without a pass

Nelson Mandela Olympic Games..!

International Olympic Committee (IOC), in recognition of the monumental services to the cause of sports, by the late Nelson Mandela, must honour him by designing the medals with the picture of Nelson Mandela, to be awarded during the next summer Olympics.

And as a befitting tribute to Nelson Mandela’s services for the sports, the next Olympics should also be named as “Nelson Mandela Olympic Games”.

In this regard, it will not be out of place to quote a statement of Nelson Mandela on sports. Quote. “Sport has the power to change the world…it has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.” Unquote.”

Latest news

India vs South Africa cricket series to continue uninterrupted, as per schedule.

“If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity, it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high. Look it squarely in the eye, and say, ‘I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.'”

— Ann Landers

Perseverance is persistence to continue, despite difficult obstacles.

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”

Nelson Mandela (born 1918);
Former president of South Africa

Simplicity Is Key to Both Managing People and Building Products

The technology industry was built on amazing products, but many principles of product development correlate to smart management principles. Successful product managers know that customers respond best to simplicity, when the only features available are ones they want. Otherwise, complexity will creep in and cloud your offering. For example, between 1984 and 2003, Microsoft Word went from 40 features to more than 1,500—and many overwhelmed users turned to simpler alternatives. Simplicity is also a feature of great management. Employees in flat organizations are empowered to gather insights and pursue ideas, but they’re also overwhelmed by choices: how to prioritize their days, whether to go to a particular meeting, which emails to read. To be a superior manager, simplify. Draw a clear mission for your team, articulate group goals, and get out of the way to enable your people to make day-to-day decisions.

Adapted by HBR from “Can Building Great Products Help You Build Great Teams?” by Deep Nishar