Category Archives: bio

Home Update

Today Ikea delivered a queen-sized memory foam mattress and “support” (Ikea’s version of a box spring). I also bought additional wooden legs to raise it up a bit (hoping to be able to stash suitcases underneath), but couldn’t put them on myself. Well, I could, but it will require two people to flip the support onto the legs once they’re attached. Eventually I’ll get help with that. In the meantime, the new mattress seems comfortable and at least I’m higher up off the floor.

This meant that I could move the single mattress I’d been sleeping on into the living room and onto a support of its own so that it can function as a daybed/sofa. But the wooden legs apparently can’t be attached to this kind of support frame. Oh, well, back to Ikea to return them – I need to go anyway to buy a few more things: two more small bookshelves for the bedroom (especially since one has been repurposed into a bedside table), a couple of small tables for the living area, maybe a big cozy armchair if I can find something I like at a price I want to pay right now.

home in SF

In both photos you can see all the “cushion forms” that arrived in an close-to-exploding box the other day, now filling out all the cushion covers I bought on various trips to India. The red cover, bolster covers, and square cushions on the daybed are a silk gaddi (throne) set I bought in Bangalore a couple of years ago and hadn’t used til now.I’m going to have to find some way to keep the bedcover tidy, though – it bunches and wrinkles as soon as you sit on it.

And, yes, I have now become one of those annoying people whose bed is littered with cushions which will all end up on the floor at night. I have no idea why, except that they go with the bedspread!

Also note the twinkle lights on the window. I like them, they make me happy, so there.

Home Update

This wall of my bedroom is pretty much done, with a cheap-but-capacious dresser from Ikea, Elfquest prints, decorative bark balls bought on the street in Porto Alegre, and the etched mirror bought at Tribal Route during my recent visit to Mumbai. The merino sheep is from last summer’s trip to New Zealand, but he’d been stashed away til now because I was afraid my Colorado roommate’s dogs would think he was a toy for them and summarily dismember him (as they do with all their toys). And he’s way too cute for that dismal fate.

Looking out into the living room, you can see the poster of Lakshmi that Yuti and I bought on the street in Mumbai. I had said to her: “I’d like to buy some god posters,” and we ran into an ambulatory poster vendor as soon as the words were out of my mouth. Yuti was amazed; there are plenty of street vendors in India, but she had not ever seen someone walking around selling posters until I apparently summoned him with the mere thought.

The rubber tube “frame” came with the poster, the whole thing cost about $2.50. I could probably frame these in glass and sell them for hundreds of dollars each at a trendy shop in San Francisco.

The Twitter Diaries to 2010-04-15: SF, CO, UK, India, Las Vegas

Being on the bleeding edge, I spend a lot of time justifying what I’m doing. I look forward to video being so obvious that no one asks. #
@glynnfoster See you here! #
Not watching the Oscars. Spent the afternoon /making/ film. Maybe not Oscar caliber, but it’ll be big stuff in my corner of the world. #
The more tired I am, the more banal and annoying everyone else’s conversations seem. Can I just whine and scream like a two year old? #
reached home at 2 am. Maybe I’ll manage to sleep til 8 or 9 this morning. #
If you find my videos useful, now would be a very good time to drop a comment saying so on http://blogs.sun.com/video/ – thanks! #
RT @PizzoC: Proposed ballot initiative seeks forced relocationfinal solutionof queer Utahns (via @fruhwirth) http://bit.ly/9P9ZgY #
Happy international women’s day; here’s a virtual mimosa blossom for all women: http://bit.ly/dswJTg #
oh, it’s going to be one of those days, is it? #
We used to hustle over the border for health care in Canada, Palin said http://bit.ly/973to4 – can I just vomit over the hypocrisy? #
@Doxees I’m relieved to know that even Utahns are not that crazy #
I finished some very cool video today. Yes, you’ll all get to see some of it pretty soon. #
@vdotw Unfortunately, can’t make it – need to sec’y the OGB meeting at that time. #
the screaming headache I’ve had all day has not been conducive to completing any of the forty bazillion tasks on my plate #
Ah, the Twitterverse. 2 of my peeps on opposite sides of the US continent write about Up within mins – 99% sure they don’t know each other #
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: Passpack Password Manager is a life-saving app that I use every day http://bit.ly/cHViI2 #
@vdotw love to, I’m in BRM5 rm 3125. Free from 1 to 4 pm (today is my crazy meeting day) #
Brand new video! George Wilson on ZFS Dedup – Oracle Solaris Video http://bit.ly/b5MMpn #
And another brand-new video: ZFS Dynamic LUN Expansion – Oracle Solaris Video http://bit.ly/cwwCZl #
2010 OGB Election Now Open http://bit.ly/9HfBve – if you’re a Core Contributor to OpenSolaris, you need to vote! #
Brendan’s back: How to survive as an Aussie Kernel Engineer http://bit.ly/cuDZfY #
@ben glad you like it. We be branded. #
RT @DElyMyth: Sciopero 12 marzo: orari per mezzi ATM, Ferrovie Nord e Trenitalia… so glad I no longer have to deal with Italy’s strikes #
…members of [a]Church, whose members have a lengthy history of child deaths from lack of medical care. http://bit.ly/br3PYb – GAAAAHHH #
RT @chhandomay: Inquirer tells how to get free upgrade to Office 2010. But why hassels? #OpenOffice is always free. http://bit.ly/bYqGry #
@jlb13 I resemble that hashtag #omgcanipleezhazsomesleepzsometime #
unexpectedly have a weekend off in SF coming up, what will I do with all that free time? #
Roch is back: Performance of the Hybrid Storage Pool – Oracle Solaris Video http://bit.ly/bYNtLZ #
filming. This one’s for internal use only, sorry. But you’ve still got George: Oracle Solaris Video http://bit.ly/19B0bm #
really must pay more attention to my own website; it’s a hot property in its own small way, and gets me interesting offers from time to time #
the connected world! Got a comment on Aggiungi un Posto a Tavola http://bit.ly/90RwCA from the author of the original book it was based on. #
RT @samharrisorg: Vatican’s chief exorcist says Satan is inside the Vatican… http://bit.ly/cYpihs -so they don’t have to blame themselves #
@montemagno you find out that at least half of them got there before you? #
@missbhavens that’s common in some parts of the world e.g. Italy #
argh! who ordered snow? #
RT @openstorage: Fishworks – Sun Storage 7000 2010.Q1.0.0 Release: A new major software update, known as … http://bit.ly/dhHBm0 #
@OrganizeFISH uh oh. You lot together looks like trouble! 😉 #
damn, is EVERYONE at #sxsw but me? Where were you people when I was there last year? #
@bubbva @Radu43 there’s an app called TaxiMagic but it may only work in SF, and apparently only calls one company. #
RT @AshleyGurd: … for you not to believe in God you must accept there is a God – No, I don’t. Do you accept green men on Mars? #
RT @JustinHaggerty: At the Sun Oracle welcome event in Reston, VA. http://twitpic.com/17wl54 – cool. Live Tweet? #
Lessig speaks at Italy’s = Capitol Hill on The Internet and Freedom. Tough crowd for that concept. They need to hear it; will they listen? #
Rough night, bad coffee (made it myself). This will be a great day fr mandatory corp training. (Learn how to sexually harass my colleagues.) #
@AshleyGurd – Greta Christina, as usual, puts it very well: Atheism is Not Faith http://bit.ly/beXHhj #
Master Your Sysadmin One-Liners – BigAdmin http://bit.ly/buzXEe #
@vdotw tip from LifeHacker: walk into any big hotel, say you checked out and forgot your charger. They have boxes of ’em behind the desk #
@ebertchicago Hmm… have you lived your life with the aim of pleasing your grandmother? #
I think I survived my first O expense report. App looks much the same, but works better. Scanning receipts on our copiers = tricky. #
survived two expense reports. Now for [gritting teeth] Ethics training. #
1-hr massage and I still have a headache. Probably not a good sign. #
feeling jittery. Surely there’s something I could do that would get me out of the office for a bit. Don’t particularly feel like going home. #
RT Italy’s plan to force 6,000 Roma people into camps condemned by Amnesty http://bit.ly/9UU2Zo #
no, Tweetdeck, you may not use that sound to alert me. It sounds very confusingly like something else. #
this training says click on Jane, but the photo is confusing: I don’t know any women of Indian descent named Jane. #
@acworkma the photos in our trainings were even less realistic, we must admit #
@bklein34 What? You dare admit that every second of motherhood isn’t the most fulfilling thing you’ll ever do in your life? </sarcasm> #
Twitter needs a feature like FB to show me mutual friends. That would make some follows more comprehensible. #
Fox turning reality on its head its repetition of its uber-lie: The American people do not want health-care reform. http://bit.ly/b8lnYw #
Christoph is back, and better than ever – now with slides! Protecting Services with Built-In Solaris Security Features http://bit.ly/9mKwRD #
@PizzoC they would have to have started from better books. #
Phone mtg w colleague while he was at SFO and I was en route to DIA. Ah, the glamorous life. #
RT @msleal: ZFS Book: http://bit.ly/ap7htb Hope you enjoy! (in Brazilian Portoguese) #
flight delayed 1.5 hrs. I’m very grateful that DIA has free wifi. Hanging out on the floor near a handy electrical outlet and working. #
The modern mantra is that you shd do what you’re passionate about. Why, then, is passion viewed with suspicion & suspected of bias? #
Yes, I’m emotionally invested in what I do. That’s part of what makes it good. #
Arr sfo. Spent the flight enjoyably, editing. #
I guess I score myself by that most fundamental rating: audience. Am I giving them what they want? The numbers seem to say I do. #
Oh just effing great. BA is going on strike the day i’m supposed to arrive in London. #
@dogcow I’ve never had a problem til now with BA or the much-maligned Heathrow, but this may be my turn. I never fly Alitalia, tho. #
@bubbva Yes. Sun.com has enormous Googlejuice and will drive a lot of traffic. #
this week has been… well… but the weekend includes a show Sat night and a Bollywood movie Sunday! #
@jeffreytaylor Sounds like a cozy domestic scene to me. 😉 #
wondering how early is too early to call my kid, who has apparently been partying all night on Bondi Beach. #
@ben she was, in fact, awake, though… recovering. #
@423Comm Wow, first time? Umm… don’t wet yourself laughing? #
references to laws of nature & nature’s God to a section in U.S. history [on] explain major political ideas. http://bit.ly/aESVcQ – WTF? #
RT @bloatedlesbian: OK srsly this #SXSW is out of hand. IF everyone ther is tweeting, & everyone tweeting is there, why tweet? #
@willbldrco She’s been working with horses, so she wakes up at 6 even if she hasn’t gone to sleep yet. #
@bicyclemark Ah, but healthcare isn’t cool. #
I have not only stayed in this hotel before, I think I’ve stayed in this very same room before. #
But what else could I do with all that? I can tell about it or I can bury it. In the end, we’ll all become stories. Margaret Atwood #
feeling blah and snarky. Time to go have a glass of wine and get over myself. #
oh,right – there’s a video game conf in town. So wine hour in the lobby is crammed with people who already know each other. #
But it must be interesting to have a job that involves speaking at conferences in a top hat, army boots, and bustier. #
wrily amused by all the declutter your life goods & svcs. I’m moving again, with what I can ship in boxes (not much) & what fits in my car #
@NomdeB well, my books are mostly still in Italy. #
Ironically, AT&T is writing to tell me I’ll have better coverage in Arvada, just as I’m moving to San Francisco. #
What a week. Just… what a week. #
You can tell me you love me to put off my blues, but What do you do when it quits bein’ news? http://bit.ly/9MmoD2 #
Don’t start the car if you ain’t gonna drive, leave the pony in the barn if you aint’ gonna ride… Coleman, Potvin, & Foley #
Out shooting the st patricks day paradeIn sf #
One marching band played Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk – don’t say that you love me, just tell me that you want me. #
If there’s not more live music this parade will officially be lame. #
@hemantmehta a really bad geeky joke about HeLa cells? #
is magazine food always round? #


RT @zappos: Fundamentally trust is cheaper than control. –@leebryant (via @monstro) #
I think the waitress just tipped me. #
@jwillie Bares repeating? Yes, that would be memorable. #BlogMoney #sxswi #
Oh, yes, now I get it: this complete dopiness is allargies. It’s springtime already in California. #
RT @davest: King of the Geeks: http://wp.me/pkZF7-4U – there is no replacement for being face to face for getting stuff done – amen! #
Got some help translating Neapolitan in Learn Italian in Song: Tu Vuo Fa LAmericano http://bit.ly/dslziP – Thanks, Marco! #
St Patrick’s Day parade in San Francisco:

– I wonder if the real Irish wear silly hats for their parades? #
got power strip so I cd plug in the ext HD & let my Mac grind away compressing video rest of wkd But that is ALL the work I’m going to do! #
In life, what you want, what you need, what you deserve, and what you actually get are often four vastly different propositions. #
@anitaborg_org And for talking about ourselves & our accomplishments to the same degree and in the same tones as men #moregirlsintech #sxswi #
RT @almightygod: Some religions are so silly: #potatoism http://is.gd/ayif9 #
RT @MikeLaSpina: The SUN S7000 NAS ak software rel. 2010.02 now supports dedup, FC targets and many more features http://bit.ly/93Ggc4 #
Hey! I’m in the credits of this movie! Because I donated years ago to the making of Sita Sings the Blues. #
@jeffhuber You have just ruined the life of every first-slot speaker tomorrow. 😉 #sxsw #fallforwardspringback #
RT @PizzoC: France’s best-kept secret. Our eyes are up here. (via Todd) http://j.mp/co34o5 #
women must still deal with a well-entrenched double standard when it comes to gender-acceptable behavior. http://nyti.ms/arEBdS #
lunching af Coppola’s restaurant (below) – could we be any more touristy? #


@bklein34 wish I was there (was there for my 47th birthday dinner). #
Visit and chat with J&J always good to calm my twitching nerves. Glad they can deal with me running at the mouth. #
Going to see a Bollywood movie at the Castro #
@jmspool I started a blog called Usability Bitch, but my attention/career turned elsewhere. #
went to see Love Aaj Kal http://bit.ly/cireJl – funny to see a Bollywood film shot in SF. I cried. As usual. Great soundtrack,too. #
Brazilian model Giselli Monteiro becomes a Bollywood actress http://bit.ly/dzYZei #
RT @deirdresm: xkcd on pr0n. Woman after my own heart. I’ve even had this conversation recently. http://xkcd.com/714/ (NSFW) #
@deirdresm although, I have to say, the book is funny. #
@nancygandhi never lock eyes with a rhesus. They consider it aggression and may attack. Seriously. #
trying to speak with (Sun) travel agent about my BA flight on Friday, just in time for the strike. On hold, and hold, and hold… #
trying to run my normal business life in the midst of shifting to new systems adds a layer of complexity I could do without right now. #
@oraclenerd overheard #
@hypatiadotca please elaborate? 140 chars not enough in this case. #
BA cabin crew on strike during my flights to & from India. Apparently we will be served by hastily-trained BA office staff. BYOB. #
all set up and ready to film, now awaiting my three wise men (aka performance experts). #
how I spent this afternoon [filming performance experts Jim Mauro, Brendan Gregg, and Roch Bourbonnais] #


I’m exhausted, ill, and my phone doesn’t work in this hotel room. Probably a good time to hide from the world and sleep. #
I love to travel, esp to see my dad and to go to India. But the idea of getting on a trans-Atlantic flight on Friday… maybe I’ll sleep! #
She’s got a ticket to ride… – just bought my ticket from Hyderabad to Mumbai, will spend the weekend with old school chums. Yay! #
our biggest problems are a consequence of an interconnected world being run by people beholden to tribal interests. http://bit.ly/d03tij #
our biggest problems are a consequence of an interconnected world being run by people beholden to tribal interests. http://bit.ly/d03tij #
@willbldrco have to figure out how to tweet from India; haven’t done that before. Now finding a corner of my braint to get happy about this! #
@willbldrco have to figure out how to tweet from India; haven’t done that before. Now finding a corner of my braint to get happy about this! #
hmm. Is it mango season yet in India? If so, I’ll eat myself sick (no, India doesn’t usually get to me otherwise). #
RT But I, despite expert advice, Keep doing things I think are nice, And though to good I never come- Inseparable my nose and thumb! #
RT @vdotw: One of our machines will EOL tomw. Uptime? 999 days. It’s only appropriate to let it tick over to 1000. #SolarisOperatingSystem #
Tweet silent because I’m in 3 days of team meetings. #
need fuel. My brain is tired. #
If you’re an OpenSolaris core contributor, you need to CONTRIBUTE right now – get out and VOTE! http://bit.ly/blVcRs #
Strong ties in Italian families are often at the root of the problem: at age 29, 70 of Italian men live at home… http://bit.ly/a01Yny #
the madness begins: team mtg all day, fly to DIA tonight, pack, go to office tomw am, fly to London tomw night, Hyderabad Monday. Sleep? Nah #
New! Virtualizing Your Applications – Oracle Solaris Video http://bit.ly/cyq0bt #
RT @ogb: vote totals are only up to 259 out of 428 core contributors! Please spread the word! http://poll.opensolaris.org/ #
This kind of voice from the ceiling preso does not engage. #
Just great… Flying into snow in Denver, predicted 4-8 ins for tomorrow when I have to drive back to the airport. #
Sobering to realize that no one would immediately notice if I skid off the road and don’t make it home tonight. #
Phew. Not snowing yet. With any luck it’ll have been the weather folks making a fuss over nothing #
Having known in advance that this period in my life would be difficult is not actually a whit of help in living through it. #
turns out I should have worried more about driving conditions today. Fun 1-hour commute on a hilly country road, still have to get to DIA. #
RT @lisabarone Women hating women in tech & how we can stop it http://outspokenmedia.com/9gnn #
RT @nonstick There is no such thing as work-life balance. If no one dies or gets institutionalized, you have balance. #
RT @oracletechnet: When exactly did sleepwear become the standard airport dresscode? #really – I’ve been wondering that for years. #
snowing harder, wondering what E-470 to DIA will be like. Anyone? #
RT @bubbva: Know what is irritating? Someone that doesn’t understand what a community is and denigrates my work for the last year 🙁 – sigh #
@macsun thanks@! Gotta love Twitter for up to the minute info #
it shouldn’t take long to get to DIA, is therefore way too early to leave. OTOH I’m so tired I should get the drive over with. #
@ericmortensen which begs the question: how do you decide what to feature? #
DIA seems to handle snow well; so far my flight is running only 10 mins late, & might arrive at LHR early. Dear family friend picking me up. #
Thankful that BA ground staff not on strike, didn’t have to wait long. #
Finally getting some real food. That will either improve my energy level or put me into a digestive coma #
@NathanFillion You’re currently single?!? #
Perhaps strange, but typical: 3 of the people I just spent 3 days in a room with in Menlo Park, I’ll be seeing next wk in Hyderabad. #
like 100s of others, arr’d 3 hrs before intl flight as told. Now we’re all sitting around, clogging DIA’s wifi, another hour til boarding #
When I can give in to it, I actually LOVE jet lag – it means I can and will most definitely sleep. Just not necessarily at the right time. #
When I can give in to it, I actually LOVE jet lag – it means I can and will most definitely sleep. Just not necessarily at the right time. #
didn’t bring my 110 V white noise machine on this trip; RainyMood.com http://bit.ly/9AAb3a saves the night! #
@willbldrco maybe they only work at the company store #
the thing I dislike about jetlag is being hungry at weird times (often when I’ve recently eaten) but too tired to locate food. #
thanks to Skype, I can be a good ear to my friends (and be heard in turn) even when traveling. #
@423Comm Powell’s books, preceded or followed by FOOD #inpdx #
RT @423Comm: What’s the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Portland, OR? #inpdx – @italylogue can help as ca @cbright #
wrong bright, dammit. What happened to Tweetdeck’s fill in the blank feature for names? #
I have jetlag, so I must get out of a nice warm bed at 2 am to eat. Otherwise I will eat the mattress. #
@423Comm there’s a Thai restaurant called Tuk Tuk that I didn’t get to, did go to its very excellent sister restaurant whose name I can’t… #
the birds wake up early in England, but I’m going to try to go to sleep #
@trine There were some confused birds singing around 3 am, while it was very definitely still dark out. #
Spilled coffee in my keyboard. #
is what happens when I try to pretend I’m awake. #
the down side of jet lag: I’m awake because I should be, but my body really, really doesn’t want to be. #
@rbanffy found it, thanks! #
hmm. It was about 20 C when I left Colorado, will be 104 C the day I arrive in Hyderabad. Guess which I thrive in? #
just realized my earlier temperature references were in C, should have been F. 80-degree difference, anyway. #
thanks to @NomdeB for the suggestion – got a white noise app for my iPhone! tho sleeping to RainyMood last night also worked well #
RT @Cdash: I work with a bunch of fantastic engineers. – Ditto. I don’t have to manage ’em, but do love ’em #
RT @ebertchicago: Not ONE Republican will depart from the Party Line. Suicidal. Out of touch with America, which WANTS this bill. #
RT @dboyll: RT @bodiegroup: every time you make a #powerpoint #Tufte kills a kitten http://bit.ly/9soC67 #microsoft #
@mjasay we may be ships (planes?) passing in the night – I leave LHR Terminal 5 for Hyderabad tomorrow. #
in spite of almost no sleep since 7:30 pm last night, have stayed awake until now (8:49 pm). What time is it where I’m going? 2 am. Bedtime! #
RT @c_bright: pay for own health ins w a high deductible and have watched rates increase 26 and 19 in consecutive yrs. I’m ready for #HCR. #
RT @HumanityCritic: Jonathan Cohn: BREAKING: An Ugly Scene – http://tinyurl.com/yb3zlz3 #
ah, the rhetoric of politics. how does being a former Army Ranger qualify a rep any more than anyone else to opine on health care? #
expats often end up returning home to be close to ageing parents. As usual, I have screwed it up and got it backwards. #
RT @NomdeB:IMHO very few, if any, politicians are qualified to opine on any subject. Worked on legislation years ago. Horrifying experience. #
@giovanni hard to wipe your butt when you can’t afford toilet paper. #HCR #
We will all be very hungry for tonight’s dinner: biryani, the local specialty. Followed by paan ( yes, I’ve had paan, US colleagues haven’t) #
RT @angelcamacho: For full agenda of #TechDays2010 follow the link: http://bit.ly/cug9QI #
Familiar Faces – Un Posto al Sole http://bit.ly/dzOkGL #
@Zee not at all. Many of my friends are in non-US time zones. #
Countries Beginning with I Gallery: Tech Days 2010 Hyderabad http://bit.ly/92K0Iu #
Met young woman here for 1 yr for work who said: It’s a good experience, but I couldn’t live here. She lives at the Hyatt, not in India. #
The judges pointed out that even Lord Krishna and Radha, were co-habiting lovers rather than man and wife. http://bit.ly/aIrDk6 #
Today’s program includes massage w lots of oil (pre-flight hydration), lunch w friends, more shopping, taxi at 11 pm, 2:30 am flight to LHR #
@angelcamacho all hers?!? #
today’s shopping results: a lovely white and gold bedspread, coordinating sheer curtains & silk cushion covers, silk scarves, linen kurta… #
In India, anything you want/need can be delivered to your home. Nice to come home from a hard day’s shopping and have a foot massage! #
Pope Benedict condemns ‘petty gossip’ over child sexual abuse scandal http://bit.ly/9q7wGw – you’ve got to be effing kidding, Ratzi. #
reminiscences from an earlier trip to Mumbai: http://bit.ly/9pHggM #
fascinating discussion on Indian talk show, Happily Unmarried. Changes to Indian society in the last 30 years are ASTOUNDING. #
last night of this short trip to India, watching cricket on TV. Sort of watching. Forgot everything I learned about the game last summer. #
@NomdeB cricket is WAY more complicated than baseball – I know that much! #
staying awake until my 2:30 am flight is going to be tough. #
off to the airport… #
you’d think a hotel charging this much for day use of a room could at least throw in free Internet. #
a bathrobe would also be nice… hell, a much cheaper place I’ve stayed in SF gives bathrobes. #
Countries Beginning with I Mehndi Progression http://bit.ly/982yPf #
The let the baby cry itself to sleep school of parenting is incompatible with air travel. #
Squally baby nearby, teen with restless leg syndrome behind, this has been a hellish flight. #
I admit glad I won’t be getting on a plane (tho I will be travelling) for the next two weeks. #
@CiaoLaura way too many. Just back from a brief business trip to India #
A few more crowded days in CO, April 1 we start driving to CA #
got home about 8 pm, have been packing ever since. I have more stuff in here than I’d realized. Now to sleep. #
slept from midnight to 4 am, packed some more, now wondering whether to try to sleep more or give up and declare it day #
I really, really hate it when I explain things multiple times and post pages full of information and they are still getting it WRONG. #
also hate when people send condescending emails based on their own erroneous assumptions. Trust me, I’ve been doing this stuff a while. #
Eating breakfast at BRM cafeteria for the 1st & prob last time. Up since 4 and all I’ve eaten since 24 hrs agoSandwich is cold cereal #
added video to Countries Beginning with I Mehndi Progression http://bit.ly/982yPf #
okay. blip.tv, I’ve paid for a pro account. Now show me what you’ve got. 😉 #
okay, #comcastcares, already not impressed. How is a prospective new customer supposed to reach you? Your phone tree offers no option #
just so I can be frustrated in two ways at the same time: where the hell are UK pounds in our expense currencies options? #
@ComcastMelissa thanks, but realized the svc wouldn’t work for me anyway – I don’t want TV, and comcast will charge me a lot not to have it #
@bubbva @jscarp Bloodsucking Fiends is great, tremendously funny. As are author’s other books (jetlag brain death – can’t remember name) #
@bubbva @jscarp ps I’ve read a lot of vampire books, at least the good ones. Have no time for Twilight et al. #
@bubbva @jscarp ps I’ve read a lot of vampire books, at least the good ones. Have no time for Twilight et al. #
@ComcastMelissa thanks in any case for the quick response – much appreciated. #
@vdotw found it, thanks. Too fogged by jetlag to think Great Britain Pound. #
I’ll be on the road from Thurs am to Saturday, very probably on my own. On the upside, this saves me most of the next wave of iPad hysteria. #
@Padmasree I would totally wear those! #
car packed, having to give away a few things I’d rather have kept. Good thing I didn’t plan to start driving today – worn out already! #
good going, AmEx. Canceled the wrong card just before a 1200 mile trip, and now you’ve got me on hold to the replacement people. NOT happy. #
AmEx reps having trouble with the fact that the card in my wallet did NOT need to be canceled; all they need to do is reactivate it.Gah! #
AmEx can’t reinstitute the card they wrongly invalidated. Want me to wait til 11 tomw to rec replacement. Nope, got a lot of driving to do. #
the very staticy sound on their boring hold music is not improving my temper any, either #
they broke it, they can’t fix it. Way to go, AmEx. #
RT @creepyed: For updates about the Colorado Front Range Girl Geek Dinners, follow @COGGD #
My first day as an employee at Sun’s Broomfield CO office was Apr 1 2008. Today I leave to go work for Oracle in CA. #
In spite of bad weather, made it to Grand Junction in <5 hrs. Now having lunch. Every retiree in the town must be at this Appkebee’s. #
@davegraham which begs the question: why? #
@NomdeB staying southerly – hit enough snow and sleet already. Made it as far ad Cedar City, Utah. Enough for today #
@llcrowe seems an odd place to retire #
Had a tense half hour fearing I wd run out of gas nowhere in the Utah mtns, but made it to v expensive stn in Salina. Fuel efficiency down #
the least relevant FB ad ever: Are you a missionary? I can think of a million rude responses to that one… #
@ptribble who did you sacrifice? #
Christians, as good citizens, respect the law and do what is just and good. http://bit.ly/cm3HLW – Practice what you preach, Ratzi. #
@NomdeB yes, I’ve realized that topping up more often is a good idea. Still not used to how empty so much of the US can be, after Italy. #
@NomdeB Steve Jobs is affecting your dreams? Poor you! #
Bad coffee and hotel tv tuned to Fox news – yup, I’m in Utah. #
@NomdeB when I really need/want the world to know where I am, out of cell coverage. #
@briansolis Pre-announcing your own tweet as significant? #
@ptribble oh dear, no. You just wake up those Windows admins and hustle them down to the chopping block. /You/ are far too valuable. #
Oh, yes, Good Friday. Will honor my ritual of listening to Jesus Christ Superstar. Right after I finish this Terry Pratchett audiobook. #
Please, bad coffee, at least prove yourself to have contained some caffeine. Long day ahead of me. #
At a rest stop in the Mojave. Won’t make it to SF tonight, prob tomorrow noonish. #
Isn’t there a movie about these gray-haired dudes in Harley leathers? #
The romance of the desert is muted by the lady admonishing her little dog Go potty! Go potty! #
@davewiner he has become predictable. #
Lunch at burger king, where at least I’m not expecting much #
Eating at mike’sroadhouse cafe in kettleman city ca, which has an amazing collection of antique ride-on toys – cars, planes, boats… #
Tomorrow is a big day for me. Nothing to do with, you know, that thing everyone else is obsessing about. #
@lewellyn you also have me arriving tomorrow. 😉 in SF, I mean #
some people I am connected to on FB are connected to people who frighten me. Cannot believe people smart enough to use FB can be so ignorant #
@ebertchicago who is he? #
Maybe some of the cadre of soi-disant social media gurus should offer to help the Catholic Church, which obviously needs PR assistance. #
today near Mojave, CA, passed a huge parking lot of planes – 747s and so on. Anyone know what that is? #
@lewellyn point taken. It’s scary that anyone even remotely literate can be that ignorant? #
@llcrowe no, Edwards was elsewhere #
@llcrowe a several folks have said and sent links to, it’s the Mojave Air and Space Port #
530 miles today, 209 miles now stand between me and my new home. This is far and away the most driving I’ve ever done in my life. #
Why do people pretend to their own parents and children that they do not drink, swear, etc.? If you can’t be honest with your own family…? #
At least one in three youngsters in Italy is unemployed http://bit.ly/bFo0s4 – interesting that this is reported in an Indian paper! #
Most Indians welcome the ID cards, saying they will … make it easier to receive government benefits and services. http://bit.ly/ddfIZy #
Countries Beginning with I Deirdr, Defined http://bit.ly/al07jL #
@lewellyn apparently it does. #
@trine congrats to the about to be reunited family! #
Sense of humor deficiency: take someone else’s great line and explain it to death. #
@stoweboyd might be better not to give the whackos any extra PR #
@stoweboyd I’m more worried about people who actually believe in a devil than who they pin the label on #
time to hit the road for the last leg of this trip. #
Arrived #
New apt top floor great view tons of sun. Life does not suck. 😉 #
Bedroom has no overhead light. So of course the lamps were in the very last box I looked in. #
From my bed (currently a mattress on the floor), I have a huge view of a skyful of swiirling clouds. #
people give their wifi the strangest names. Is x loves y on your router the modern equivalent of tattooing someone’s name on you? #
realizing I am flat-out physically exhausted. Staying in bed most of the day seems like a very good idea. #
Today’s Christian, pagan, and commercial rituals are all passing me by. But I am deeply happy, and will find my own ways to celebrate. #
@acworkma these young people today… No commitment! #
@italylogue Parks’ other Italy stuff is good. #
Enjoying the rain pelting on my windows. I actually love the Induan monsoon, missed it in CO. Thunderstorms will be spectacularIn this apt. #
Rain means I’ll be able to put plants on the balcony and they won’t die when I travel. Tho that nay not be such an issue from now on… #
@italylogue neighbors yes, Education I feared wd depress me too much given our own probs with Italian ed system. #
Btw, friends & family, if I won’t be traveling so much, it’s time for your return visits to beautiful San Francisco! #
Actually did spend a lot of today in bed, with interruptions for groceries, dinner at the Chaat Cafe across the street (yum). More bed now. #
debating whether I’m still too tired to tackle going in to the office today. The answer is likely yes/ #
leeching neighbor’s painfully slow wifi to check my calendar. AT&T should turn on my own internet tonight. #
Are we so ignorant, so uncivilized in America? so bratty, so scared and dull? turning into bands of gun-toting fools http://bit.ly/bl9lh3 #
If I’m so tired it hurts, can I take a sick day? #
@lskrocki Aww, be charitable. Maybe he’s got a really, really uncomfortable rash. #
dragged my carcase down to set up monthly parking, and that’s all the further I go today. Good thing I have good leftovers in the fridge. #
AT&T DSL registration requires me to create an email acocunt with them which I don’t want and don’t need. Not pleased. #
hate how tech support phone reps assume stupidity. You know how to configure your own modem? Are you sure you don’t want Netgear’s number? #
Still completely drained today. Considering I got back from India only a week ago, then packed, drove 1300 miles, unpacked… I need rest! #
AT&T dsl does not appear to be working as promised, but I’m too tired to wrestle with it tonight. #
@MissExpatria spend money on travel, not on fripperies #
On my way to MPK, first time as a normal commuter (ie paying my own train tix) #
RT @jeffhuber: RT @mjasay People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware http://bit.ly/czEgLp #
RT @jlb13: Holla RT @dnsvm Apparently 3am is the new party time for babies. – nothing new there, babies have always been all-night partiers #
@bklein34 ah the glamourous life of the working mother. 😉 #
@nonstick good indeed. Ran into some weather on i70 the first day, pretty much clear skies after Grand Junction. Pretty scenery, too #
@MissExpatria hotel buffets in India are great-3-4 diff cuisines for breakfast! I always try what’s local. #
Caltrain is a good time/place to edit video. #
I now return to my regularly-scheduled life. (Yeah, right.) #
glad I hung my suit in the car instead of packing it. Going to need it unwrinkled and don’t own an ironing board yet! #
first day in the MPK office, also first time in a while to sit at a desk and figure stuff out. Way too much to do, but that’s not new. #
@comay @dudulima I am exiled to marketing, so squatting in MPK 18 room 2164. Moved into apt in downtown SF this weekend. Happy! #
@thinguy yeah, tell me about it… #
still jet-lagged or something – woke up at 4:30 am, brain gears spinning about everything I need to do. Which means I’m now very, very tired #
@bsousapt very much alive. I make a point of avoiding death. But, this weekend, won’t be able to avoid taxes. #
anyone have an old-fashioned landline phone they don’t need? Weirdly, I need one. Any old thing will do. #
its a test for America a test of our moral consciousness. http://nyti.ms/a4hUYC – Honestly, the ROW finds this kind of posturing absurd #
@om is it possible to track the location of the curry truck? #
Sleeping much better these days, despite a 2:30 am call from Ross in Aus (confused as to /my/ location). I must be more relaxed. Sorta. #
Why the sudden spate of inspirational people following me? I am only inspiring as a by-product (if at all). #
And the Italy lovers should be aware that I lost my rose-colored glasses about Italy a LONG time ago. Love the people, weep for the country. #
Where’d the Solaris 10 Applications Library Go? – BigAdmin http://bit.ly/adVen5 #
AMU professor suspended for being homosexual dies – http://bit.ly/deml6R – Sad. India leaps ahead in many ways, needs work in others. #
@smattoon Obviously, because terrorists cannot afford first class tickets. </sarcasm> #
I have chairs! And dishes. And a lot of screwing to do. (You know – Ikea furniture!) #
@italylogue you mean you get paid to watch hot guys running around getting sweaty? Hmmmmm…. #WC2010 #
RT @chrismevans: Sun/Oracle adverts with Iron Man 2. – Um. Well, that certainly is a change of style for us. But, y’know, Iron Man is RED. #
RT @Joanmarie: When I am in charge of the multiverse, the mere mention of an iPad will result in the mentioner being impaled by a unicorn. #
FT: Servers soaring – major upgrades taking place in servers and high-performance computing (HPC) this year. http://bit.ly/d0UYWr #
Guess I’m still in a recovery phase – the day’s activities should not have worn me out this much (only one piece of furniture put together!) #
@italylogue #italy #food – ooh, thanks for the recipe! And I have just the balsamico to make it with: http://bit.ly/97pfJI #
Well, if I leave home at 6:40 am, it takes <40 mins to drive to Menlo Park. Don’t think I’ll do this every day, but I am an early bird. #
email reminder to do the corporate sexual harassment course. are they concerned that I need it? #
http://bit.ly/cqH14n tech guide for developers & admins 2 use Oracle Solaris for scalability, performance, reliability… on Xeon processors #
I should know better than to get into discussions with people who I KNOW will just make me want to slap them. #
don’t know whether this sleepiness is because I’m still just plain tired, or an effect of allergies. Or both. #
@NomdeB having been raised in the tropics, I was sadly puzzled by annual plants that died after a season. Was convinced I’d killed them. #
@NomdeB hmm. Raat ki rani might do well here in SF. How does it like full sun? My balcony faces west. #
I hope yesterday was my last day of moving big loads of stuff into and out of the car. Probably not, though. Still lack a bed. #
@trine You don’t have any blackmail material you can embarass him back with? #
@bubbva The Wabash Cannonball? I have ~150 versions of that song. Seriously. #
of course all the cushion covers I got in India are in sizes Ikea does not stock. Anyone know a good source of cheap, plain throw cushions? #
the reach of social networks can be disconcerting at times. #
I should just call it a week. This morning’s brief interlude of productivity wore off, my body just refuses to do anything else. #
@bklein34 thanks! I’ll just tell my boss you said so. 😉 so when are you coming out to the left coast? #
@SaraD Congrats! #
@CommunispaceCEO I’m frequently amazed at the torture shoes I see women traveling in. Office, maybe, but airports??? #
really quite deliriously happy #
@Joanmarie I’m in the right place at the right time. #
He admitted molesting many children and said he tried to molest every child that sat on his lap, http://bit.ly/9SekMa #
just saw a cluster of 5 bright balloons escaping into a cloudless blue sky #
didn’t feel like cooking, but multi-grain crackers, herbed chevre, olives, and red wine made a perfectly acceptable dinner. #
@italylogue Vegas’ idea of homage wd be an insult in some quarters. What does the Bellagio hotel have to do with the real thing? #parislv #
@reiger LOL. Be careful. Friends don’t let friends tweet drunk. #
@jimgris ? typeface looks wrong. Is that an older logo or something? #
@jimgris there was a bedsheet-looking thing on the big sign outside MPK last wk, but now replaced w smaller signs on the gateposts #
feeling awful, hope another day and a half of rest sets me up to leave for Vegas early Monday morning. #
found a place online that sells blank cushions, turns out they’re called pillow inserts. #
f@ck! I know I requested Qwest to turn off my internet, they even said I’d get a partial refund, but they’ve turned around and charged me #
@Zee yes and no #
@TalkToQwest thanks, how do I DM you details? #
When I hear explosions, fireworks are not the first thing that come to mind. Sorry, it’s the way I was raised… #
Bishop emeritus of Grosseto defines media attacks on the Church as a zionist campaign (in Italian) http://bit.ly/9JKsms #
not sick enough to tell what’s going on, but definitely not well either. Will I feel better in Vegas? #
Countries Beginning with I My New View http://bit.ly/byZf9J #
From crusaders & crusades, from every sacred scripture From the faithful obsessed of every type Free us, O Lord! http://bit.ly/ccxj4E #
RT @macsun: SNIA Tutorial on CMDI at #SNWusa tomorrow (Add to Calendar http://bit.ly/cwfUPd) – preview here: http://sniacloud.com/?p=12 #
@NomdeB thanks – I’m very happy for me, too! #
@NomdeB I’ve eaten there, but Udupi Palace, very nearby, is better. And looks much more like our beloved dosa shop. #
@NomdeB only a hop on th Bart to the Mission district here, I think they’re all part of a chain #
sun coming out and I’ve finished my taxes. Remarkably pain-free with Turbo Tax, tho suspicious that Fed owed = CO refund exactly… #
oops, there goes the sun again. Damn. Must say, tho, this place heats up /instantly/ when the sun comes out. #
ok, have to get used to being in this time zone. It’s probably too late to call my friend in Boston. #
RT @izzyvideo: I read today that NAB will have 80,000 attendees and 1,500 exhibitors. Umm…that’s big! – oh, dear. This will be… tiring #
@lskrocki sadly, not the one I want to call – I know she’s doing early bedtimes lately. I could call @ditucci instead. 😉 #
had a nice talk with the kid, who is relaxing in Bondi for a week before heading to Wellington. Kiwis, take note! #
@lskrocki the swearing part is easy, in at least 3 languages. Baseball… nope, ain’t happenin’. BTW, why is Sunday night grumbly for you? #
@lskrocki every week? wow. Looks as if my own travel schedule will be quiet after this week, but I have SF and the Bay Area to explore! #
@shawnferry I thought It’s a Fine Life was from Oliver ? #
@lskrocki yes, very happy and more relaxed than I can remember being in ages. Even sleeping without too much trouble. #
@izzyvideo care to share? I haven’t had time to do any planning… #
Thought I had as usual been overcautious in estimating transit time. Til I saw the security line at SFO. #
mature man traveling in a George Thoroughgood t shirt. Wife in madras plaid Bermudas. Daughter w sorority shirt. Yeah it all fits. #
Traveling light for a change: 1 small, light backpack, 1 large purse. So I’d better not have to fight for bin space. #
RT @GeorgeTrujillo: Two fantastic database user conferences MySQL http://en.oreilly.com/mysql2010/ and Oracle www.ioug.org. #
But of course the flight is late and oversold. #
Vegas overwhelming as usual, NAB even more so #
Learning a lot; my brain is spinning. #
Upgraded to a suite at Planet Hollywood, I get to sleep with many relics of Harrison Ford. Which is a bit creepy. Pix tomorrow #
Sean Connery also overlooking my bed tonight. Could make for interesting dreams. #
Hello, world. I feel awful. How are you? #
@NomdeB you’re the exact opposite of me on the Bond scale #
Heading to the convention ctr, feeling a little better after breakfast and coffee, bit will get thru the day on cough drops #
@bsousapt cold, general run downness. Probably good if this is my last trip for a while #
@vdotw I couldn’t get that to work. I’m told wd need to be v careful not to put anything personal on Corp card, hotel bill #
@vdotw I never found guidelines either but the trigger points seem to be the same #
Told you this was creepy! #


@hemantmehta depends on your pain tbreshold #
Failed to sleep this aft but dragged my carcass out to dinner anyway to meet more film techies. I think. #
No matter what conference I’m at, I’m hangin with the geeks. In this case, film post-production geeks. #
These industries are way too small, and/or j know way too many people #
Tomorrow: field trip! #
One thing I’ll say for Vegas: they do service extremely well. Everyone is so damned nice! #
RT @cwarticki: Speaking at the Chicago Customer Svcs Day tomw #Oracle http://www.oracle.com/dm/10q3field/45925_ev_cust_serv_day_apr10.html #
@italylogue the idea of a Vegas hotel as home is really scary #
You can tell a lot about the target demo graphic by the ambient music. Bit worried that it’s all the rock I grew up with. #
@alaindebotton I prefer geeks, a category in which I include myself. #
Sitting down to watch a demo at The Foundry – because I love seeing how visual effects are done, and because I really need to sit down #
Do the alien invaders ever blow up the giant Jesus statue in Rio? #
We idolize actors, but they’re such a tiny part of the film, really… #
Landed SFO. And now this is home! Yay! #
have reached the cozy sanctuary of my own home. I may not leave again until Monday, unless I really need groceries. #
Will no longer bother to note the arrant nonsense, arrogance, & stupidity of Catholic Church hierarchy. Hoist ’em with their own petards. #
RT @alaindebotton: When it finally briefly happens, happiness can feel very worrying. – umm, no, if that’s the case, you’re doing it wrong. #
Happy to be home, and happy to contemplate staying here for a while. Still feeling horrible, but at least now I can do that in my own bed. #
trying to summon the energy to walk the 2 blocks to the nearest Walgreen’s and get some necessary supplies, then back to bed. #
Building High-Quality C/C++ Applications – Oracle Solaris Video http://bit.ly/aJ3ytf – Don Kretsch presents Tech Days, Brazil, Dec 2009. #
RT @giovanni: The crowd in the Rogue SEO session at #pubcon is very quiet and shady. 😉 – are they all wearing black hats? #
FYI, I’m home sick, but you can still expect a bunch of new videos in the next few days. ’cause that’s what I do. 😉 #
Countries Beginning with I Planet Hollywood, Planet Vegas http://bit.ly/9ztpJB #
@thepartycow …or else it’s a matter of taste. 😉 #
Sneezy, coughy, dopey, and now grumpy, but not yet sleepy enough… what dwarfs am I missing? #

My New View

^top: The 180-degree panorama from my 9th-floor balcony. Quite a change of scene from suburban Colorado!

I returned from India (Oracle Tech Days in Hyderabad, visit to friends in Bombay) to Denver the evening of March 29th, spent a lot of that night packing, was in the Broomfield office the 30th. The 31st I loaded the car while my portion of the house had its move-out clean, had a final massage from the ever-amazing Chris Downing (who also helped me load the big, floppy cartop carrier onto the car), drove to my boss’ house for an evening of good company and good food, and stayed the night there. Hit the road at 7 the next morning to drive to my new home, a one-bedroom apartment in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco.

The friend who had planned to make the drive with me had a last-minute work emergency, so I drove those 1300 miles alone. And it wasn’t bad, even with some weather the first morning, except for the hour or so in Middle-of-Nowhere, UT, when I feared I would run out of gas. I took it in fairly easy stages, 10 hours each of the first two days, which enabled me to arrive in the city by 11 am on Saturday. Did my move-in inspection, then Jeffrey Taylor (a long-time videoblogging buddy whom I got to know while he and John were living in Paris, they now live in SF) arrived to help me unload the car.

^ Here’s a corner of the living room the first day or so, after Jeffrey and I had got all the stuff moved in but nothing was set up yet.

It was a beautiful day, and the benefits of this top-floor apartment were immediately obvious: a view, and lots and lots of light.

I didn’t own much stuff in Colorado, so little that it would have cost more to rent a truck than it would to replace the few sticks of furniture I had. I gave away the king-sized futon (which had been a gift to me in the first place), the dresser, and the small shelves, brought only what I could ship in boxes, carry in suitcases, or load in the car. This included the twin memory foam mattress and the Shaker desk, which has now become a dining table.

^ For the moment I’ve “extended” the single mattress with a folded quilt, to have an idea how a queen-sized bed will fit in here, and to show off the new razai (cotton quilt) I bought in Bombay. Again: lots of light!

^ The opposite corner of the bedroom a few days later, after Jeffrey and I had been to Ikea and I’d unpacked all my boxes. I’ll need more shelving, the plan is to fill out this wall. Note the lovely etched-glass mirror, bought during the recent weekend-long shopping expedition in Bombay with Yuti. I don’t have (or want) a lot of stuff, but every piece carries memories. Also bought a new stainless steel masala (spice) box, but I’m using it for jewelry.

Aside from not wanting to spend a lot of money, I have no desire to fill this small place with big furniture. I’ll get a simple queen-sized bed for the bedroom, then the twin mattress will become a day/guest bed in the living room. Got some folding chairs for dining/sitting, a couple of wooden chairs and a table for the balcony (very nice place to enjoy a drink of an evening). I’ll keep an eye on Craigslist for other stuff, but there’s no hurry.

This is the first time in my life I’ve had a place entirely my own – no family or roommates, so I can do exactly what I want with it. I’m going to take my time and enjoy the process.

Oh, I’ve also ordered a dozen cushions to fill the cushion covers I bought on this trip to India – going back to my hippie roots, everyone can sit on cushions on the floor.