Category: Random

“The least you can do …”

paschmann

During a recent Diwali event at SAP, a speaker shared an intriguing story about Lucila Takjerad, an Algerian who was fortunate enough to be the recipient of someone’s help, and later graduated from Harvard. Below is the speech she gave at her commencement.

Lucila Takjerad
“The Least You Can Do”
Lucila Takjerad
English Graduate Commencement Speech
May 20th, 2019
The Least You Can Do

As Harvard graduates, you will be asked to go into the world and do the most you
can do. I am here to ask you to do the least.

I was born in Algeria. Every Friday, my sister and I had our weekly shower at the
public baths. We didn’t have running water at home. On winter nights, we cuddled against the cold because our heat was cut off. And, on some days, we hid our hunger in order not to worry our parents.

When I was seven years old, my country plunged into a bloody civil war. Every night, I prayed to God that tomorrow, there would not be an empty seat at our dinner table. read more

Chat … GPT

paschmann

From all our interactions, what is one thing you can tell about myself, that I may not already know about myself?

ChatGPT said:

One thing I notice about you is your passion for creating tools and apps that make life more efficient and enjoyable, whether for work or personal interests. You’re deeply engaged in improving processes, building apps that solve practical problems for people—from tracking sewer installations to celebrating colleagues’ milestones. You also balance this focus on productivity with personal connections, like attending friends’ weddings or sharing thoughtful moments with family. This mix of efficiency and meaningful relationships seems to drive much of what you do. It shows a unique blend of technical skill and empathy. Does this resonate with you? read more

The quiet art of attention

paschmann

Source: https://billwear.github.io/art-of-attention.html

There comes a moment in life, often in the quietest of hours, when one realizes that the world will continue on its wayward course, indifferent to our desires or frustrations. And it is then, perhaps, that a subtle truth begins to emerge: the only thing we truly possess, the only thing we might, with enough care, exert some mastery over, is our mind. It is not a realization of resignation, but rather of liberation. For if the mind can be ordered, if it can be made still in the midst of this restless life, then we have already discovered the key to a deeper kind of freedom.

But how does one begin? It is not with grand declarations or bold, sweeping changes. That would miss the point entirely. Rather, it is with a gentle attention to the present, a deliberate shift in the way we move through the world. We begin by paying attention to what our mind does—its wanderings, its anxieties, its compulsions. It is a garden untended, overgrown with concerns that may not even be our own. And the first step is simply to watch, to observe how the mind moves, without judgment, without rush. read more

Looking back: Swimming Technique

paschmann

Sometimes it fun to zoom out, and take a look back to where my swim journey started. Here is a Reddit post asking for some advice on how to improve my technique. Since posting this, I have swum about 400 miles over the past 2 years, and got my comfortable pace down to ~ 1:30 min/100 yards.

Freestyle form improvement tips – Triathlete – Multiple videos/Angles
byu/paschmann_ inSwimming

Hi All,

I started swimming more frequently last year preparing for a half distance triathlon (Augusta, GA, USA), and have another race planned for October this year (Beach to Battleship, NC, USA). I am looking for some form/suggestions/ideas/advice based on the videos I have included below.

While speed is important, with the race being 1.2 miles / 2000 yards / 1.9km, its not the most important aspect (maybe I am wrong?). read more

The “Third place”?

paschmann

In sociology, the third place refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”). Examples of third places include churches, cafes, bars, clubs, libraries, gyms, bookstores, hackerspaces, stoops, parks, theaters, among others.

Right now statistically speaking, my “Second place” would be the gym to swim. Although I only have “One place” … I would love my third to be a library. Where is your third place?

The Great Good Place (book) – WikipediaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia