blogem
I came across this video on a football message board of all places. It's about a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor speaking at one of those "Last Lecture" talk series' where reknowned professors give a lecture as they would if it were their last. Except Randy Pausch has pancreatic cancer and doesn't expect to live for more than a few weeks.
I first put this on to listen to in the background while I studied but after a while I ended up just watching it straight through to the end. I then used up another good hour or so reading up on all I could about the man.
His talk is rather long (hour and a half w/ about a 10 minute standing ovation) but he's cheerful, funny and very inspirational. It's very touching, especially at the very end. I got watery-eyed more than once.
Maybe it's because I used to be computer science. Or because he's attacked his short life with the kind of energy and passion that I've never had, but wish for. Or that he's probably touched more lives than I ever will, without a medical degree.
His talk just really resonated with me and I wanted to document that. I want to be able to come back here in a few months, or years, when he's gone, and watch it again. Hopefully his message isn't lost on me.
"When you're screwing up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you."
"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls aren't there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want things."
"Find the best in everybody."
"Don't complain. Just work harder."
"Talk's not for you," he said. "It's for my kids."
...
Song of the Day - A Fine Frenzy - Hope for the Hopeless.mp3
I first put this on to listen to in the background while I studied but after a while I ended up just watching it straight through to the end. I then used up another good hour or so reading up on all I could about the man.
His talk is rather long (hour and a half w/ about a 10 minute standing ovation) but he's cheerful, funny and very inspirational. It's very touching, especially at the very end. I got watery-eyed more than once.
Maybe it's because I used to be computer science. Or because he's attacked his short life with the kind of energy and passion that I've never had, but wish for. Or that he's probably touched more lives than I ever will, without a medical degree.
His talk just really resonated with me and I wanted to document that. I want to be able to come back here in a few months, or years, when he's gone, and watch it again. Hopefully his message isn't lost on me.
"When you're screwing up and nobody's saying anything to you anymore, that means they've given up on you."
"Brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls aren't there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to show us how badly we want things."
"Find the best in everybody."
"Don't complain. Just work harder."
"Talk's not for you," he said. "It's for my kids."
...
Song of the Day - A Fine Frenzy - Hope for the Hopeless.mp3
