I just finished reading Death March, an analysis of when software projects (in a company) are likely to fail due to inadequate time/resources and everybody knows it. The book tackles a number of aspects of such situations, including how to maximise one's chances of delivering, surviving, and the like. The two most important bits of advice are based on the right people being willing to push or cheat -- tell management above that the project is likely doomed and resources/requirements need to be revised, and avoid company standards that hurt productivity, by hook or crook. These are, I think, good bits of advice in any workplace -- doing what one's told may be a good guideline for basic behaviour, but when rules don't make sense and hurt the people who would follow them or the company as a whole, ignoring them (in a way that's not illegal and ideally won't get one fired) can make a lot of sense. Subordination is considerably worse than insubordination. Anyhow, the book is worth reading -- anyone local is welcome to borrow it.
I was thinking how confusing it must be for my cats to be around me -- I imagine they may think of me as a big, strange cat with some strange characteristics and behaviours:
- My whiskers are very deficient
- I can't purr, but am much better at other vocal noises
- I'm comparitively slow
- I'm huge!
- I can stand on my hind legs for much longer than even Beefalo, and can even move around on them. I only move on all fours rarely
- I can open and close doors much more easily
- I can use my hands to pet them, rather than rubbing with my head or tongue
- I eat better food, and can leave their universe (by opening doors they can't)
- I can carry them