Mythical Men and Winter Women
The Mythical Man-Month, California Crossing, Katie Pederson, Chris Evert, Deteriorating Door
Welcome to my weekly newsletter. I hope you enjoy the picks and pics.
Fave Five 12: Mythical Men and Winter Women. Mythical Man-Month, California Crossing (Roadfood Restaurants), Pop Pianist (Katie Pederson), Top Tennis Talent (Chris Evert), and Rusty Relic (Deteriorating Door).
This past Sunday was the first night of Hanukkah and this coming Sunday is Christmas. There is mythology surrounding both holidays. Judah Maccabee, the Jewish guerrilla leader who defended his country from invasion and preserved the Jewish religion, is a historical Hanukkah hero. Saint Nicholas, a legendary figure in European folklore based on Nicholas of Myra, patron saint of children, is a critical Christmas character.
Today is the Winter Solstice. I am featuring three women whose birthdays were yesterday or today.
Book Best Bet
The Mythical Man-Month by Fred Brooks
Today is my friend Janet Johnson’s birthday. We met in 1975 (the same year this book was first published) working at the Biomedical Computer Lab of Washington University in St. Louis. Janet and I hit it off right away, partly due to our shared sense of humor, which led us to create a spoof course, Survey of Medical Techniques. We later worked together at St. Louis University School of Medicine and Digital Equipment Corporation.
Janet is my son Roger’s godmother. A very talented programmer and manager, she recently retired after a long career in the tech field. In a recent email, she wrote:
I just read Fred Brooks (The Mythical Man-Month) died. I really liked his writing. Any chance of him showing up in the Fav Five?
Thanks, Janet, that’s a good suggestion. I read his classic book years ago and included it in my reading list under Project Management.
From Amazon: Few books on software project management have been as influential and timeless as The Mythical Man-Month. With a blend of software engineering facts and thought-provoking opinions, Fred Brooks offers insight for anyone managing complex projects. These essays draw from his experience as project manager for the IBM System/360 computer family and then for OS/360, its massive software system. Now, 20 years after the initial publication of his book, Brooks has revisited his original ideas and added new thoughts and advice, both for readers already familiar with his work and for readers discovering it for the first time.
The added chapters contain:
A crisp condensation of all the propositions asserted in the original book, including Brooks’s central argument in The Mythical Man-Month: that large programming projects suffer management problems different from small ones due to the division of labor; that the conceptual integrity of the product is therefore critical; and that it is difficult but possible to achieve this unity
Brooks’s view of these propositions a generation later
A reprint of his classic 1986 paper “No Silver Bullet”
New thoughts on the 1986 assertion, “There will be no silver bullet within ten years”
Frederick P. Brooks Jr., Computer Design Innovator, Dies at 91
He was a lead designer of the computers that cemented IBM’s dominance for decades. He later wrote a book on software engineering that became a quirky classic.
From Wikipedia:
Frederick Phillips Brooks Jr. (April 19, 1931 – November 17, 2022) was an American computer architect, software engineer, and computer scientist, best known for managing the development of IBM's System/360 family of computers and the OS/360 software support package, then later writing candidly about the process in his seminal book The Mythical Man-Month.
In 1976, Brooks was elected as a member into the National Academy of Engineering for “contributions to computer system design and the development of academic programs in computer sciences.” Brooks received many awards, including the National Medal of Technology in 1985 and the Turing Award in 1999.
Restaurant Recommendations
Over four days and three nights, Barb and I drove from our home in Northville, Michigan to Santa Barbara, California, where our daughter Tracy lives with her husband and two sons. Wintering there allows us to escape the cold winter and spend time with our California family, including our daughter Kathy and my brother David.
We enjoyed three meals along the way. Here are our favorite restaurants from our road trip.
The Fishin’ Pig Catfish & BBQ 1518 S Broadway St, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
Our first stop for the night was Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where Barb visited the grave of her grandmother, Essie Mae (Walker) Hayes. We then dined at this popular local eatery.
I had One Half Smoked Chicken, one Rib, Vinegar Slaw, Cabbage, and BBQ Baked Beans. Barb ordered the Pulled Pork Plate, French Fries, Mac N Cheese, and Cole Slaw. The dark meat chicken, the rib, and all three of my sides were excellent.
Randy’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Q 408 N McCoy Blvd, New Boston, TX 75570
On the second day, we saw a highway exit sign showing a smokehouse and followed it to have lunch in New Boston, Texas. I was hoping for great Texas brisket, and I got it.
Barb had a small Burnt End Sandwich (Cowboy Cut), Baked Beans, and Potato Salad. I had a large Brisket Sandwich (Sliced). The brisket and baked beans were outstanding.
BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs 5118 S 12th Ave, Tucson, AZ 85706
We spent our third night in Tucson, Arizona. Our friend Michael Stern of Roadfood recommended two similar restaurants just down the street from one another for Sonoran style hot dogs. I chose BK Carne Asada & Hot Dogs because its name tells you what it does best.
I had a Sonoran Hot Dog and two tacos: Carne Asada (mesquite-grilled steak) and Adobada (mesquite-grilled marinated pork). Their award-winning Sonoran Style Hot Dog is wrapped in bacon in a bun specially baked daily for them. It includes whole pinto beans, grilled and fresh onions, fresh diced tomato, mayonnaise, a dash of mustard, and a secret jalapeño sauce, served with a side of a plump grilled yellow pepper. Barb had a Caramelo, a unique fusion of carne asada with melted mozzarella cheese combined between two fresh handmade flour tortillas.
The hot dog and tacos were delicious, and Barb loved the Caramelo. We sat right next to the salsa bar, which at times became a feeding frenzy. It offered guacamole with cottage cheese, pico de gallo, green salsa (mild), red salsa (hot), limes, cilantro, pickled onions, grilled onions, and cucumbers. They had to keep replenishing it, especially the guacamole, which seemed to disappear in seconds.
Marvelous Musician
Yesterday was Katie’s birthday. I discovered her through my friend John Bommarito in August 2019, when I saw her perform at Leon Loft in Ann Arbor and at Zou Zou's Cafe & Coffee Bar in Chelsea, Michigan. Katie will perform at Garfield House Concerts on Friday, June 28, 2024.
From her website: Katie is a Nashville-based singer and songwriter from Ann Arbor. Surrounded by melodies played on her grandfather's Steinway and harmonies sung by her mom, Katie found a love for song at a very young age. Inspired by artists such as Sara Bareilles, Ben Folds, and Elton John, she began writing music in high school, combining raw, vulnerable lyricism with catchy melodies and pop-piano sounds.
Acoustic Alternatives Podcast with John Bommarito
M-22 (a scenic highway in Northern Michigan)
My Playlist
Sports Star
Today is Chris’s 68th birthday. I admire her great tennis career and enjoy her expert commentary on ESPN.
From Wikipedia:
Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida), known as Chris Evert Lloyd from 1979 to 1987, is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. Evert won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Open titles and a joint-record six US Open titles (tied with Serena Williams). She was ranked world Number 1 for 260 weeks and was the year-end world No. 1 singles player seven times (1974–78, 1980, 1981). Alongside Martina Navratilova, her greatest rival, Evert dominated women's tennis in the 1970s and 1980s.
Evert reached 34 major singles finals, the most in history. In singles, Evert reached the semifinals or better in 52 of the 56 majors she played, including at 34 consecutive majors entered from the 1971 US Open through the 1983 French Open. She never lost in the first or second round of a major and lost in the third round only twice. She holds the record of most consecutive years (13) of winning at least one major title. Evert's career winning percentage in singles matches of 89.97% (1309–146) is the second highest in the Open Era, for men or women. On clay courts, her career winning percentage in singles matches of 94.55% (382–22) remains a WTA Tour record. She also won three major doubles titles.
Evert served as president of the Women's Tennis Association for eleven years, 1975–76 and 1983–91. She was awarded the Philippe Chatrier award and inducted into the Hall of Fame. In later life, Evert was a coach, is now an analyst for ESPN, and has a line of tennis and active apparel.
Picture Pun
I was going to slap on a whole new coat of paint, but I am a bit rusty at that.
+1 on The Mythical Man-month