Constant Random Change

It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new.

- Niccolò Machiavelli, “The Prince”

Anyone who has tried to institute change in an organization would eventually have to deal with the scenario mentioned in the above quote. It does, however, get worse than that.

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• Encapsulate what varies.
• Favor composition over inheritance.
• Program to interfaces, not implementations.
• Strive for loosely couple designs between objects that interact.
• Classes should be open for extension but closed for modification.
• Depend on abstractions. Do not depend on concrete classes.
• Only talk to your friends.
• Don’t call us, we’ll call you.
• A class should only have one reason to change.

Continuing from the basics of OO, we now move on to its principles. The list above is taken from the wonderful book Head First Design Patterns and it enumerates some of the most important principles in OO. I’ll explain briefly what each principle means below the cut.

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A recent Time Magazine article explains why most people who go on exercise regimens don’t lose weight at all.

You’ve heard it for years: to lose weight, hit the gym. But while physical activity is crucial for good health, it doesn’t always melt pounds — in fact, it can add them. Here’s why.

It’s nothing new to someone who has taken fitness seriously. But given that a lot of people are not aware of the simple facts brought forward by the article, I think it’s still worth sharing.

Bottom line: if you want to lose weight, don’t feed yourself with more calories than you can handle, exercise or no exercise. When I was on the way to lose 20 pounds, not only did I perform regular cardio and strength training exercise, I also skipped the high-calorie snacks served at our company’s pantry and ate salt crackers (Skyflakes) instead.

Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin [via Time]