Randy J. Ray

Werd Nerd-ery

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:26:50 GMT

I am historically bad at instigating memes. And I mean historically bad, both in the sense that in my history I've been bad at it, and my bad-ness is on a historical scale. But, something mactavish linked to on Twitter today inspired me to have another go at trying to coax sheep-like following out of others. So, without further weak analogy, I give you...

The Twitter Pangram Challenge!

It all started with mactavish linking to this from her Twitter-stream. That prompted me to respond with this. And that got me to thinking, which is rarely a good thing. So here's the challenge:

Familiarize yourself with pangrams, if you aren't already. And forget about using the "quick brown fox" one, this is about original thought.
Write one of your own. It needs to be a complete sentence, with clear thought. And grammatically correct, please. Dropping articles is annoying. And for goodness' sake, none of that silly text-speak, even if you do normally use it for Twitter.
If the sentence doesn't use the word "pangram", make a follow-up tweet that refers to it by its perma-link URL.
Whichever one actually contains "pangram", preface it with a "#", like "#pangram". This is known as a "hashtag" in Twitter-ese, and using it makes it easy for others to track people who are giving this a go. (See also, http://hashtags.org/.)
The goal is to be as short as possible within the normal 140-character Twitter text-box limitation. All punctuation counts, of course, except for the hash-tag if your pangram sentence itself contains "#pangram" (err, that is, the word counts, but not the hash). The pangram mactavish linked to was 141 characters. Mine was 118 (I'll be re-tweeting it with the hash-tag when I finish writing this).
Bonus consideration for referring to either or both of "Twitter" and/or "pangram".
Multiple and or revised entries encouraged.
I have no real prize to offer. I'm not even employed right now. But it's Friday and I have oodles of spare time on my hands.

Go forth now and pangram like there's no tomorrow. Or something. Feel free to respond here if I don't already follow you on Twitter (but I will be using the watch feature to keep an eye on them). And by all means, spread this far and wide, here on LJ, on your own Twitter stream, etc.

Happy B-Day to Me

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:37:24 GMT

Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes, whether here, in email or via cutesy e-cards. It's been a pretty good day overall... started with a good on-site interview with a company that is a mere 10-minute walk from my front door. Two other phone interviews that went well, and three more scheduled for tomorrow. One on Wednesday, and an on-site interview in Berkeley on Friday. I don't think I was this busy when I was actually employed...

Ending the day with a nice IM chat with someone new that I've met, with a sleeping cat to either side of me. Yeah, overall a pretty nice day.

WTF?

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:31:03 GMT

F-ing Comcast P.O.S. DVR didn't f-ing record the f-ing Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles f-ing season finale. I actually liked that show, and now I have to wait for it to show up on BitTorrent sites.

From the Fail Blog

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:53:09 GMT

Two Tech Tidbits

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:08:35 GMT

I seem to have chosen the wrong side on the high-def DVD conflict. It was bad-enough when more and more major studios announced they would only produce hi-def content in Blu Ray format, now Netflix announced they will only carry Blu Ray and will phase out their HD DVD stock. Guess which format I (foolishly) chose?

(I was also going to grouse that I had to learn about this via my news feeds, rather than Netflix being considerate-enough to inform me. But as I was writing this, I got the note from Netflix.)

In other news, some Muslims are signing an online petition demanding that Wikipedia remove images that depict the prophet Mohammed. My reaction to this is, I admit, colored by my atheism, but nonetheless: get over it. First of all, online petitions are lame and ineffective. Not only can signatories not be verified, as I understand it a large number of the signers are anonymous out of concern for backlash or something. This rather defeats your purpose. Secondly, and much more importantly, you do not have the right to dictate terms to Wikipedia. Or anyone else who isn't Muslim, for that matter. You believe that pictures of Muhammed are blasphemy. Christians consider willful suicide (especially that which kills non-military bystanders) to be pretty offensive, too. How about focusing on the renegade elements within your own house, before offering interior decoration advice to others? Some have said that it shows insensitivity to Muslims, but Wikipedia also features detailed, politcally-neutral (well, in theory at least) articles on the rise of Germany's Third Reich in the years prior to World War II. Would you have those articles censored of any images of the swastika, out of concern for the feelings of Jews who are either survivors of the holocaust, or related to survivors? Simply put, every religion has something they consider so offensive it should be hidden away and never allowed to see the light of day. You aren't special. You are being treated just as equally and fairly as any other faith on Wikipedia. My opinion on this is not because I particularly dislike Islam, at least not any more or less than I feel towards most organized religions.

Except, maybe, for the Scientologists. But they're just nuts, and you really don't want to be associated with them even accidentally or in passing.

Following Like Any Other Sheep

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 01:47:15 GMT

I suppose it's this meme or the usual Valentine's stuff like 021408 or Valentinr (which I did last year, and it bombed spectacularly for me). By the way, having filled this out twice for others I am happy to accept a link to your answers in someone else's journal, with the 5-6 host-specific questions (10, 13, 17, 18, etc.) tacked on after.

YOU'RE READING MY JOURNAL, I want to know 36 things about you. I don't care if we never talk, or if we already know everything about each other. Short and sweet is fine ... You're here, so I want to know you better!

BE HONEST! COPY FROM HERE THEN SEND DIRECTLY TO ME IN A COMMENT THEN, REPOST THE EMPTY QUESTIONS.
1) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
A.
2) What was your dream growing up?
A.
3) What talent do you wish you had?
A.
4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
A.
5) Favorite vegetable?
A.
6) What was the last book you read?
A.
7) What zodiac sign are you?
A.
8) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
A.
9) Worst Habit?
A.
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
A.
11) What is your favorite sport?
A.
12) Do you have a Negative or Optimistic attitude?
A.
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
A.
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
A.
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
A.
16) Do you have any pets?
A.
17) What if i showed up at your house unexpectedly?
A.
18) What was your first impression of me? (hmmm...careful!)
A.
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
A.
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
A.
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
A.
22) What color eyes do you have?
A.
23) Ever been arrested?
A.
24) Bottle or can soda?
A.
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
A.
27) What's your favorite place to hang at?
A.
28) Do you believe in ghosts?
A.
29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
A.
30) Do you swear a lot?
A.
31) Biggest pet peeve?
A.
32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
A.
33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
A.
35) Do you believe in God?
A.
36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?
A.

Firefly Geekery

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:41:01 GMT

Steven Brust has written and released a Firefly-themed e-book under a Creative Commons license.

Best Advertising Copy I've Read in a While

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:22:07 GMT

For the "Peggy" LED pegboard display kit being sold by Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories:

This is an easy way to drive a lot of LEDs-- up to 625-- in a big matrix. You can make an LED sign for your window, a geeky valentine for your sweetie, one bad-ass birthday card, or freak the holy bejesus out of Boston. Your call.

Never forget.

Especially for britgeekgirl

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:31:09 GMT

Mark Ronson feat. Lily Allen, "Oh My God"

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:06:14 GMT

I'm still deciding if I prefer this version to the Kaiser Chiefs in terms of musicality, but the video kicks ass. If only Lily Allen actually had that much junk in the trunk IRL:

(Hat tip to bonniegrrl for the video, as the versions I found searching YouTube had embedding disabled...)

Heckuva Job, Karz-y

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:10:20 GMT

Welcome to the Afghanistan we've helped create:

Sentenced to death: Afghan who dared to read about women's rights

Quoting:

A young man, a student of journalism, is sentenced to death by an Islamic court for downloading a report from the internet. The sentence is then upheld by the country's rulers. This is Afghanistan – not in Taliban times but six years after "liberation" and under the democratic rule of the West's ally Hamid Karzai.

The fate of Sayed Pervez Kambaksh has led to domestic and international protests, and deepening concern about erosion of civil liberties in Afghanistan. He was accused of blasphemy after he downloaded a report from a Farsi website which stated that Muslim fundamentalists who claimed the Koran justified the oppression of women had misrepresented the views of the prophet Mohamed.

To be fair, it's not as though Karzai himself has approved this. But this was supposedly the sort of thing that was supposed to stop after getting rid of the Taliban (who, it should be noted, is on the comeback trail as well).

Movie Review: Teeth

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 03:20:47 GMT

Teeth is a tender little indie film about a teen-age girl's blossoming into womanhood. Except that something goes terribly wrong.

Actually, Teeth is a low-budget horror flick in which the only tenderness is the tenderizing that gets brought upon the would-be rapists and other no-good'ers. Jess Weixler plays Dawn, a high school virgin who's a popular spokesperson for the "Promise" abstinence movement, which teaches other teens that their virginity is a gift to be shared with their spouse, not a hand-out to everyone who comes along. After a presentation, she meets Tobey, a new boy at her school and red-plastic-costume-jewelry-ring-wearing Promise pledge holder. She's so smitten she catches herself becoming aroused at the fantasy of the two of them... getting married. But Tobey isn't as nice as he seems, and tries to force himself on her only to learn her terrible secret. Her own horror turns to cold acceptance as she learns what potential this has for generally improving the world as a whole.

The movie itself has a fairly modest budget, and the only actor I recognized from any previous work was John Hensley (who plays on "Nip/Tuck", and here portrays Dawn's tattooed, inconsiderate, weed-smoking stepbrother). There is plenty of allegory and no small amount of intentional (and maybe some unintentional) sexual imagery in the shapes found in nature and in buildings. There are swipes taken at the embarrassing state of sex-education in schools these days and at the "body as a gift" mentality. And possibly the grossest on-screen act performed by a dog outside of underground porn films. The last few minutes before the credits roll, the last look Dawn gives the camera, say all that needs to be said about women understanding and embracing the power of their own sexuality.

Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. Joe Bob says "Check it out!"

Note: I saw this at the CinéArts Palo Alto, where they got two reels swapped accidentally. This shouldn't be a problem for anyone else, but the impression I got from the theater manager (who graciously gave me a refund) was that the reels are/were mis-labeled. If so, and if no one tells the management at a given theater, this could go unchecked. Just a heads-up in case you decide to go see this...

A Brief Distraction

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:36:38 GMT

From a picture posted by warrenellis:

Apartment Rent Hikes: Is This In Fact Par?

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:40:44 GMT

Got home this eve to find a note from my management reminding me that my current lease runs only until the end of March. Not a big deal. What is unnerving, though, is that they plan to raise the rent nearly 10% in one jump (roughly 9.1%, to be specific). The last apartment I had, when I lived in Campbell, never went up more than 4-5% at once. So, is this actually the norm, and I was just lucky back then? Or should I wonder if they're "encouraging" me to look elsewhere. I'm not terribly thrilled here, to be honest. But it's a good location as far as commuting to work and visiting many of my friends. Plus I just loathe packing and moving...

Too Good Not to Share

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:00:27 GMT

By way of flemco, I found: 100 Greatest Quotes from Fundamentalist Christian Chatrooms.

I honestly don't have words for some of the scary that's to be had there. I mean, I grew up in fucking Oklahoma, in a Pentecostal church, no less. And 90% of these are worse than anything I ever heard growing up. I guess the safe anonymity of chatrooms brings out the most Christian of traits.

Personal favorites:

"There are a lot of things I have concluded to be wrong, without studying them in-depth. Evolution is one of them. The fact that I don't know that much about it does not bother me in the least."

" I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie"

"What does a functioning brain have to do with the Bible?"

"Make sure your answer uses Scripture, not logic."

"My qualification is I'm a God-fearing college dropout redneck hick landlord who goes after darwinism with freaking vengeance....and I just happen to have the truth on my side."

I could keep listing quotes. Many are funny, some are just plain stoopid. But I think the URL is getting around enough now that it's responding slowly. Go forth and contribute to the over-taxing of their server...

Recent Reads in Review

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:45:57 GMT

I'm not sure at what point it was that actually reading books for pleasure (as opposed to technical books) became so elusive. But I've recently finished a few books that were quite good, so I thought I'd share. No telling how long it'll take before I finish any more...

First up (in order of completion) is Medicus, a murder-mystery set in the Roman empire. Written by Ruth Downie, the book is the first in a series planned around the central character of Gaius Petreius Ruso, a doctor with the XX Legion stationed in the northern part of Roman-occupied Britannia. Hadrian has just become emperor and Ruso has just become an unenthusiastic slave-owner to a local woman who ignores his every effort to talk or heal her broken arm. To make things worse, on one of his shifts the body of a woman is brought in to the hospital, and he can't quite accept the thought that her death was accidental. After another body is found, he finds himself the only person showing any concern over what links the two, why it happened, and how to keep more bodies from accumulating.

This is the debut book from this author, and it isn't too shabby. I give it 4 out of 5, mostly because I found some of the key characters to be a little too wooden. Also, while the plot-twists aren't quite telegraphed, I did figure out the ultimate culprit several chapters before the big reveal. I'm not usually a reader of mysteries, so I don't have a lot of practice at puzzling them out. If I saw it that early, more-seasoned mystery fans will likely figure out even sooner than I did. Still, the story is compelling (after a bit of a slow start), and Downie's attention to detail is fantastic. The book was a gift from a friend in Denver who knew how much I had enjoyed the HBO series "Rome". I'm looking forward to the next in the series scheduled for release this coming March.

Next up is Crooked Little Vein, the first novel from Warren Ellis. I'm a slavish fan of Ellis' comics work, so I was going to buy this and read it even if all the reviews had been brutal. Instead, the reviews were glowing. Heck, how can you argue with a back-cover blurb from Kinky Friedman that describes it as, "funny-enough to make you shit standing"? It's actually a fairly small book, both in physical size and in length. It tells the story of a burned-out private investigator named Michael McGill, who is hired by a senior staffer to the president to recover the real Constitution of the United States, the fall-back document drawn up by the founding fathers in case the "known" Constitution proved not up to the task of keeping Americans under control. With a fat expense allowance, a spur-of-the-moment sidekick and a growing sense of unease, he sets off from one U.S. city to another, trying to figure out who currently has the book.

I give this one a 5 out of 5 if I'm not being cheesy with decimal ratings. If I am, I give it more of a 4.75/5, largely because it needed a little better editing. Ellis is English, and there are a couple of places where English-isms survived the editing process, such as referring to renting a car as "hiring a car". It's clear from the context what is meant, but a American PI wouldn't say "hire" unless he meant a chauffeur. That, and there are frequent tangents of a paragraph or two, where Ellis takes a stream-of-consciousness thread and teases it out. Many of these are derived from (or just direct copies of) 50-100-word bits he's posted to different Internet forums (including warrenelliscom). Some of these are quite entertaining, but a few seem to go on too long and don't really contribute to the story. All said, this is a fine book and one that I recommend highly. I'd only just barely finished it when I promptly loaned it to someone, so as to share the Ellis-y goodness.

Lastly for now, is World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks. I picked this up on a lark; I had just gotten back from London, where I saw the musical "Wicked" on a whim. While at the Borders Books near my apartment, I saw that the original book that the musical was based on was on a table with a sign reading, "Buy One Get One Half Off". After sifting around, I settled on this book. And wow, what a book. This is hands-down the best of the three reviewed here (much as it pains me to rank it above Ellis). A solid 5 out of 5, if I were rating on a 10-point scale it would easily go to 11. I read this book in just a few days, as I could barely stand to put it down just to sleep at night.

The book is structured as a series of interviews by a journalist, as he pieces together a time-line of the spread of a mystery infection that led to a decimation of the world's population. Infected dead reanimate and pursue the uninfected with unflinching persistence. The story is divided into eight parts, starting with the first signs of infection and ending with the interview subjects reflecting on how they're adjusting to the post-war world. The writing is sharp, very smart and very engrossing. Every interview leaves you with almost as many new questions as are answered. From the Chinese doctor who finds the first (documented) cases, to a soldier who witnessed a crushing military defeat in Yonkers, and on through characters from all continents and backgrounds, tension mounts and the threats seem very real. The characters are all very well-developed, with even the shortest interview segments revealing something about the person. Putting the narration of the story as that of a journalist who, aside from a brief introduction, never directly speaks to the reader keeps the feel of the story intense and vital. I expect to be loaning this book out a lot, as it is probably the best thing I've read since Neil Gaiman's "American Gods".

2007: A Looking-Back Meme

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:10:48 GMT

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?

Actually see real money from stock options. An old company (Tellme) was bought out by Microsoft. Thanks to M$, I have furniture that wasn't bought second-hand.

2. Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make any last year. Not sure if I'll make any this year or not.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My best friend and her husband had their first child, a son, at the end of October. They'll be awesome parents.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Not close to me, no. Some friend lost close ones, though.

5. What countries did you visit?

England. I really can't get enough of the place. Some people were born in the wrong bodies, I was born in the wrong ethnicity.

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?

The ability to create. I've been unable to write code effectively or paint for several years. I need to break out of this.

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Nothing, really.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

None, really. See #6.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Pretty much most of 2007.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

I've been gradually falling apart, so you could count that I suppose. This year it's really come to a head though.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

50" HD TV, bought with the ill-gotten gains from the Microsoft buy-out.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

My friend Pasha's son, Christian, graduated high school this year. He's had a difficult life, with some powerful learning challenges to overcome. That he made it (when multiple child-psychologists said he never would) is worth celebration alone. On top of that, he finished with a good GPA and was an active member of his school's robotics club all 4 years.

(And as an aside, where was cool shit like robotics club when *I* was in school?)

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

I quit being surprised by Bush and his administration, but I was foolish-enough to think that the newly-in-majority Democrats in both houses of Congress would at least try to hold to the tenants that (theoretically) separate them from Republicans. But instead they folded like so many lawn chairs.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Probably the single biggest chunk of money in one place went to the IRS for 2006 taxes.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

A new website project for my hobby. However, my... problems... have all but killed it thus far.

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?

"The Day After Tomorrow" by Tom Waits. It wasn't released this year, but I heard it for the first time on the Daily Show this year. It may be the best anti-way song written since the days of Bob Dylan.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
-happier or sadder?

Considerably sadder.

-thinner or fatter?

Thinner by about 25lbs.

-richer or poorer?

Richer, thanks to M$.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Anything, really. I barely did anything this year.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Sitting, staring at a computer screen, unable to do anything.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Christmas was in Oklahoma with my dad, as I do every year. But I did see something funny when out for Chinese with friends later that day.

21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?

Well, it's now post-NYE. Last year, I spent NYE alone largely because none of my friends knew I was back-- I was driving a U-Haul full of my junk back from Denver and got here on the 31st. Everyone was expecting me on the 1st, so no-one invited me to things. This year, well, either there wasn't anything going on or I just wasn't invited (I know some people who were going to semi-formal events, those don't count).

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?

Sort of. Too complicated to explain.

23. How many one-night stands?

Not interested in elaborating.

24. What was your favourite TV program?

I'd say the surprise hit of the year for me was "Pushing Daisies". Very smartly-written, lightning-sharp dialog, and a recurring guest role featuring Paul Reubens.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Not unless you count my growing animosity towards Michael Savage, Bill O'Reilly and similar turds.

26. What was the best book you read?

Crooked Little Vein: A Novel, by Warren Ellis

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Blonde Redhead. Not new this year of course, but I just heard of them this year.

28. What did you want and get?

To go to London for a vacation.

29. What did you want and not get?

To meet someone specific, who's writing I really admire.

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

Most of the movies I saw this year were weak at best, or outright disappointing. I'm almost tempted to name Transformers, just because the visuals were stunning and the expressiveness in the faces of the Autobots was so well done. But probably No Country For Old Men would be the best, followed closely by Death At a Funeral.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

Turned 39, and spent it with palecur, amywithani, ronebofh, 2wanda and one of her kids at La Fondue in Saratoga. Damn, but that was a hell of a meal.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

To have been able to break this mental blockage.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?

Essentially the same as it was last year. And the year before. And the year before...

34. What kept you sane?

Nothing, actually. I'm pretty sure I'm thoroughly fucked up at this point.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don't get into celebs like I used to. That said, Angelina Jolie is aging nicely, and keeps getting cooler and cooler with her efforts to raise awareness of world issues.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The ongoing clusterfuck in Iraq, the gov't continuing to pretend the Saudi Arabia is on our side in the quest for democracy, the U.S. Attorney firings issue. Oh, and the whole Valerie Plame investigation yielding nothing but one pasty-white patsy who got his sentence commuted anyway.

37. Who did you miss?

I managed to see the people I wanted to. I could have done with seeing some of them more often, but that's always the case.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Probably a neat person I met from Twitter conversations. I doubt that person reads this journal, but if they do they'll know who I'm talking about. I did sort of "re-meet" a lovely woman whom I'd been introduced to many years ago. For all intents and purposes, you could say we met this year. And I'll guess that she'll know who she is when she reads this :-).

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:

Whatever it is I'm trying to do to get my life in order, it isn't working.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Anything I'd quote here would be trite. I'm not going to give in to that. Not today.

F-ing Furries

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:34:38 GMT

When did crap like this get to be mainstream-enough to be an advertising gimmick?

More or less work-safe, unless you're eating...

Some Musical Holiday Cheer

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:37:10 GMT

(Completely safe-for-work, in case anyone was worried.)

The Feet, They Hurt

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:04:21 GMT

I'm in the lobby of the hotel I've been staying at. I may say more about these guys in the future, but for now let me summarize by saying they are the best hotel I've been in, in 5 trips to the UK. They've been amazingly accommodating (including letting me hang out here for several hours after check-out time, continuing to l33ch their l337 wireless signal), they're very fairly-priced (especially considering you're less than 10 minutes' walk from the theaters on the West End, and Victoria station which is not just the underground, but also rail and bus). I'm coming back here on Sunday for the one night before my Monday flight home. And I will almost certainly stay here on any subsequent trips. They're called the Huttons Hotel, and their website is www.huttonshotel.com.

Meanwhile, capsule update of the last few days: I had several pints last night with London-area Perl hackers. Where I was mercilessly taunted for the free-falling dollar (one Scottish "comedian" waved a 20-pence piece at me, offering to buy "yuir family estate"), but also bought pints as well ("after all, you might not be able to afford them on your own"). Wednesday night I went on a whim and saw a musical, the London production of "Wicked". I watched the Changing of the Guard earlier that day (from which I have many photos, which will eventually make their way to Flickr).

Anyway, got to get a cab to Victoria Coach (bus) Station, and head up to Telford for the modeling show. More will be posted when I next have net access.

Oh, and postcards...

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:05:27 GMT

I've had one request for a postcard, which like a dork I had not even thought about postcards. I don't have anyone's address with me. So, if you'd like a postcard (understanding that I'll be back in the bay area long before the card itself will arrive) please leave a comment here with your mailing address. All comments are screened, and I'll delete them once I've noted the addresses.

-r

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:02:21 GMT

I've managed several museums so far, and even happened across a hobby shop. I'm debating the merits of taking today more slowly, as I'm a little stiff in the legs from all the walking. There's just so much to see and do-- this is part of why I was so interested in living here!

For now, share in my amusement at some of the street signs I've come across. Over here, they apparently have a very different way of referring to speed bumps on streets:

Also, if the street crossing is made up of alternating stripes, and has speed bumps?

Perhaps I'm not mature-enough for this city...

In England

Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:38:33 GMT

Due to a hotel snafu, I did not have any internet access for the first 24 hours here. Anyone who knows me will know what torture that was. I've changed hotels, so I should be a little more on the ball for the next few days. I expect to be mostly offline from the 9th to at least the 11th while I'm in Telford. Depending on where I stay the night of the 11th prior to my flight back on the 12th, I might reconnect.

So, anyone who was worried that I seemed to be oddly silent (as opposed to the usual not-odd level of silence), all is well in London-town. For now, at least...

The Day After Christmas

Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:30:08 GMT

While at Safeway this afternoon, picking up a prescription refill, a woman asked the pharmacist what the day's date was. After getting the answer (26th), the man behind her joked, "the day after Christmas". Actually, in a way, today was the day after Christmas for me.

See, yesterday I was laid off. Yay!

You might be wondering why I would consider something like that an early Christmas present. Well, it's simple. Unknown to them, I had already been in interviews and talks with Yahoo! for a variety of positions (once my resumé hit their HR dept's database, I had no fewer than six groups contact me). And I am waiting on paperwork for finish before being given a formal offer for one of the teams. Had my company waited just a week to do this, I might have resigned on my own.

Instead, I get a severance package that is quite generous given that I was only there barely over ten months. And if, for some odd reason, things go badly with the Y! offer, I'll have plenty of time to do the interview process with a more generally-spread net.

I honestly could not have planned this if I'd tried.

-R

For those following the fires

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:09:40 GMT

I don't normally go pimpin' my company's website so blatantly as I'm about to. It's not that I'm not pleased with the work and the content, it's just that I'm not a kool-aid drinker in that sense, and figure that most of my friends know where I work and what we do. That said...

We've put into place some quick hacks to make information on the SD fires more easily accessible. In our "skybox" (a section that is at the top of every news or forum page), we have links to a top-tier story that is getting updated on the wire, and has a growing collection of comments that people in the area are using to locate friends and exchange information. We've also created a thread in our San Diego forum for updated information and for community service pointers (animal sheltering, etc.).

Randy (who does have family in La Jolla who are still dreading the evac order)