Linkage ~ "Dreams"

My initial plan for Linkage was to link to a string of like-minded content. Nothing revolutionary, in fact it's old-school weblogging in my book. So I loved the way in which these three pieces fell together, but their discovery is not mine. Even still, I couldn't not link to the content and of course I'll give credit where it's due. These links were wrapped together in a nice little package at Ain'tItCoolNews (here), but why would you risk visiting that site given how horribly designed it is? It's an offense to the senses. :P

First thing up is a talk/lecture given at Carnegie Mellon University by Computer Science professor Randy Pausch who is currently fighting pancreatic cancer. This talk is a part of a long going series of Last Lectures and you really needn't know more than that to appreciate this brilliantly constructed and poignant presentation covering the whole of the professor's life. His exuberance and enthusiasm is of the most infectious order and one of the main reasons I enjoyed this video so much. It's a whopper, clocking in at well over an hour... but you just gotta give it a chance; you won't be disappointed. If you're feeling antsy, you should know that Randy's lecture doesn't begin until the 8:26 mark. Enjoy:







Next up, is another presentation from a very exuberant and enthusiastic man, J.J. Abrams. Abrams (of Alias and Lost fame) gave this talk at TED in March of last year in which he delved into his inner motivations for the work he's currently involved in. I never tire of an artist sharing their thoughts on their work, their process, their inspiration, etc. and Abrams definitely delivers in this regard. An entertaining musing on the concept of mystery. This is much shorter than the previous video, clocking in under 20 minutes. Enjoy, again:







Finally, bridging the two, is this awesome little blog post by Randy Pausch... I won't spoil the best of it, but here's an e-mail Randy received from J.J. Abrams to pique your curiosity:

JJ Abrams wrote:
> Dear Randy --
>
> Hi there -- I'm JJ Abrams, director of the new Star Trek movie.
>
> I read about you and your condition, and ALSO your affinity for things
> Trek.
>
> So, I just wanted to put the invitation out there -- that if you had
> any desire to be in the film (can't promise you role as CAPTAIN,
> but... we could do SOMETHING!), it would be my honor and pleasure.
>
> The last thing I want to do is intrude, so feel free not to reply --
> but I wanted to make sure you knew that, if you are willing and able,
> the door is wide open.
>
> I hope that your treatments are going well and that we get to meet one
> day.
>
> Best,
>
> JJ

You can check out the full post at Randy's blog, here. Unfortunately it's not the slickest platform so you'll have to scroll down to view it. It's titled Star Trek!!! and appears in between the December 1st and November 29th posts. Enjoy, yet again. ;)


DS333, inspired.