Tag Archives: bio

The Twitter Diaries: Oct 14-30, 2010


YouTube video: When did you choose to be straight? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJtjqLUHYoY #
@ATTJenn Thanks, the confusion was mine, tho it’s puzzling why AT&T wd send a disconnect notice to tenant from 6 mos ago #
@NomdeB The problem isn’t lack of ideas, but lack of energy to carry them out. #
@NomdeB Both are the assumed default options. 😉 #
@italylogue I’ve gotten so used to seeing an orange Milan tram on the streets of San Francisco that it’s now confusing to see one in Milan. #
@italylogue Entire Italian families used to go on road trip summer vacations in those. #italy #
SAGE Reps Ruth Brodeen and Nathan Scott will be visiting East Coast Oct 16 – 24 for India Beyond the Classroom #
Is someone doing a twitter marketing push for country music? I do listen to it, but that’s not obvious anywhere in my online life. #
Living in the moment. #
RT @ericmortensen: I want this photo to be made into a movie.  – Saw 14, Revenge of the Lumberjack #
Pumpkin pie for breakfast – yum. #
RT @NomdeB: Atheists debate how much to speak up > Didn’t realize there was an atheists’ closet. Guess I’m well out #
@ebertchicago Seems like Christians who say God loves you even if you don’t believe in Him – kindly meant, but somewhat condescending. #
RT @NomdeB: near Mussoorie in the Himalayas – this is a shameless shoutout for friend’s quaint new hotel: http://bit.ly/d3nQOA #
RT @ninapaley: Happy Dussehra! Ram’s victory over Ravana begins at 1:13 in this clip. #


Learn Italian in Song: Sei la Fine del Mondo #
@jasonh Oops. Was just considering repurposing my older-generation iPhone as a baby toy. Now seems wiser than letting him play w new one. #
an Italian poem dimly remembered from childhood – can anyone help? see comments here #
971 followers. By a fine old Twitter tradition, I should beg you all to get your friends to get me to 1000. Nah. Quality, not quantity. #
DTrace and Performance with Oracle Solaris 11 Express – BoF at LISA 10 (Brendan’s also giving a talk at LISA) #
Is deep bench a sports term? What does it mean? I wish speakers wd realize that much of the world knows zilch about US sports. #
@shawnferry So… a very important concept was lost in translation, I wonder to how many people besides me? Gah! #
@zaps and @wanderingitaly are, according adjacent tweets in my tweet stream, both in Istanbul at this moment. Are you aware of each other? #
RT @msgilligan: Serving Cocoa with Grails! – Should that be cocoa in grails? As opposed to mugs? #
RT @b6n: I have an idea. – Or is it a cunning plan? #
RT @ProfOrganizer: @NomdeB In other words, smart is sexy? 😉 – Absolutely! #
Learn Italian in Song: Ti Amo #
Hoegaarden beer goes well with pumpkin pie. #
Got thru yesterday with only Tylenol, hopeful that I can resume normal life soon. Or whatever passes therefor. #
my new eye doc, Dr. Bert, also does this: Tibet Vision Project – like! #
RT @OTN_Garage: Solaris Summit all day Tuesday, Nov 9, at LISA 10 in ballrooms A4-A5 of the San Jose Conv Ctr  #
@thomasvsteele It’s officially Oracle Solaris, I don’t think that will change. #
Eyes dilated for checkup, can’t read text very well. Video works much better for me in this moment. #
@MissExpatria Yes. Look at the ticket prices. #
You’re telling me that’s in the First Amendment? #
@MissExpatria 12 vs 400, no. #
@dboyll This photo’s a little scary, but I do like the beard on you. #sfgiants #playoffbeard #
@TalentSynch @nilofer I’m still learning, and don’t plan to stop even at 80. Don’t plan to die then, either. #bobaubrey #foti2015 #
Oracle Solaris Summit at LISA conference 2010 – full details  #
Work being done in the apt below sounds like dentistry. My teeth hurt in sympathy. #
Learn Italian in Song: Porta Portese #
How do Democrats run against this?  – I’d like to think that being sane would be a good start… too optimistic? #
I’m you, except with bigger…  #


Young people saw religion as intolerant, hypocritical, judgmental and homophobic. …not for them.  #
Koch Industries and Network of Republican Donors Plan Ahead – NYTimes.com  #
RT @stevenbjohnson: I will be doing my own small part in Keeping Austin Weird at BookPeople at 7PM. Come out and talk #goodideas! #
Wondered why this page getting ^ hits this week. Keyword searches on Bangladesh (and other countries) 犋ⶺ�  – huh? #
Oh joy – new kinds of nose torture. #
Thank you, tweeple, for making me laugh. As you so often do. #
@b6n Define influenced. Has most impact, whether I like it or not? In today’s America, that’s probably the Bible, bcuz of others’ beliefs. #
The nose – it hurts. #
@thepartycow umm… where? #
is pumpkin pie a cure for insomnia? #
@llcrowe What? There’s another game?!? #
2 drs highly recom’d on Yelp, both turn out to donate much time & expertise. Coincidence that they’re also great with patients? I think not! #
@bubbva I’m quite fond of my nose, thanks, and trying hard to keep it in place and the same shape it’s been all along! #
@llcrowe So would you prefer them to win the next one and be done, or keep it going/drag it out? 😉 #
RT @NomdeB: Three tough American truck drivers drive in India:  I’ve been on many such roads – too many memories 4 me! #
RT @llcrowe: Republicans recently set a record number of filibusters. Vote to get things done this Nov.  (@jpcaponigro) #
@dboyll Thanks for the LOL. How do you manage to have the same scary expression every time? #sfgiants #playoffbeard #
Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to problems that upset you…  #


@angelcamacho It’s the airport jog, the airlines’ way to help us get in shape. So we can fit their tiny little seats better. #
@NomdeB this is not a recent photo, is it? #
My ex was right about one thing: when you read news stories about something you know well, you realize how ignorant and lazy the press is. #
My new theme song  #


Learn Italian in Song: Io Vagabondo #
@vdotw Yes, technically brilliant. Also resonates for me for both historical and present reasons. That was the soundtrack of my HS days. #
@bubbva @gtirloni The plan is to film it (I don’t miss this kind of opportunity!), maybe stream if we have the bandwidth. #
RT @fabianenardon: GlobalCode has a special code for getting 10 discount at JavaOne Brazil. Deadline: Oct.30. Enjoy! http://bit.ly/clL0WG #
@wcpreston Or OpenOffice for 0 #
Goodnight and Thank You  #


Moscone being readied for some new event. I feel sorry for those guys on the scaffolding in the rain. #
Drinking Maker’s Mark, making pasta sauce, singing along to Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues #
End of File: Mike Shapiro leaves Oracle #
oh, that’s what the big X on Moscone center is for… #
@webmink This is where you not following me is a problem. #
@ZackFord If I were within reach, I’d hug you (I could use it, too). #
What a day. And i wasn’t even supposed to be at work. #
Today is Worldwide Woodstock Day, so here’s background on this extraordinary international school in India’s Himalayas #
RT @psycho_lady Can’t believe I ever thought it would be cute and clever to marry a European. It’s expensive as hell is what it is. [snort] #
Brendan Greggs’ invited talk at #LISA10 will be on Thursday, November 11  – at 9 am?!? #
@sogrady and writing. #
@Penguin Whoa. What? Congratulations! #
Not up to going to either of the Woodstock Day events in the Bay Area, but enjoying the monsoon-like rain on my windows. #
@adamsbaldwin Who is Joe the Plumber that thou art mindful of him? #deem #
@kbeninato At least she wants to know. Which is more than I can say for my mom, who does not have Alzheimer’s. #
@kbeninato Ours is a family saga worthy of a Tennessee Williams play. <wry smile> I’m glad your mom still realizes what she’s got! #
Good thing last night’s pasta sauce (made for 2 visiting colleagues) turned out well – having it again for dinner tonight. #
@Danjite Sadly, prices going up and service levels dropping. People don’t use it enough. Or something. #
THE PERIPATETIC PARENT | More Intelligent Life  #
working on a video that several of you have asked for, but between compression and upload times it won’t be available til tomorrow #
Learn Italian in Song: Agnese #
@sogrady Amen to that. Thought giant margaritas that you can walk around on the street with alleviate much pain. #
@jimgris It’ll be great to see you! #
RT @themayorpete: The city just had a giant fucking sportsgasm – LOL. Judging from the sounds I can hear outside, it’s still going on. #
@yesthattom That sure puts a lot on the shoulders of the Giants. Are they up to it? 😉 #
US vice-consul seeking Italian lessons for a 4 year old, in Italy, next year. Can anyone help? See the comments on  #
Glad I don’t have to go anywhere, but can just enjoy the rain pelting my windows. #
Dammit, this was supposed to be 16:9. Did I forget something about using blip.tv? #
Murphy’s law of automatec thumbnails: they will always make your subject look as weird, dorky, or unreliable as possible. How do they do it? #
NEW: How to Build Better Applications with Oracle Solaris DTrace – Oracle Solaris Video  #
RT @hudsonette: a-u-t-u-m-n – why is there an n at the end anyway? – because the adjective autummal would sound weird. #
oldie but goodie on my site (with videos): A Travelling Show of Italian Classic I Promessi Sposi #
I hope the #PayPalX organizers are grateful to the guys out on scaffolding in pouring rain putting your sign up on Moscone West. #
.@adamsbaldwin UN not the best example, but perhaps if we all considered ourselves global citizens, we’d spend less time killing each other. #
.@adamsbaldwin …and here’s an example of global citizenship that works a good deal better than the UN #
@bubbva @alecmuffett Mulled wine? Perfect idea for a rainy, windy day in San Francisco! Now to find a recipe… #
RT @bmangh: Chart: National Debt Goes Up under GOP Presidents, Down Under Democrats #
NEW: Introduction to the DTrace Book – Oracle Solaris Video  #
@cote In SF they’re kinda schizo – same day I’ll see women wearing books, heels, sandals, flip flops… #
RT @NomdeB The most saintly non-believer doesn’t stand a chance of winning office in much of America.That’s sickening.  #
@JoyceSolano The dryness of Denver made me feel the cold far less, but I was thirsty and had dry skin all the time. Prefer the humidity. #
was going to make mulled wine, but got distracted by this instead: Hot Buttered Bourbon and Cider #
@drostova I left out the sugar – cider is sweet enough – and half the butter (just because) and it’s yummy! #
@vdotw On the scale of secrets parents keep from kids, Cocoa Puffs is pretty innocuous. 😉 #
RT @GodlessAtheist: Jack Black shows how Glenn Beck works.  #glennbeckn – Bethany’ had a bright future, hope not w Fox! #


@Gundryggia Haven’t actually tried any yet, made the cider and bourbon instead. #
G’Day and Goodbye : Brendan Gregg #
@NomdeB What? Did hell freeze over or something? You decided to get a Mac?!? #
NEW What’s in the DTrace Book? – Brendan Gregg and Jim Mauro give a detailed overview of the contents.  #
Saturday was miserable, Sunday pretty good, waiting to see what today brings in sinus-land. #
@lindseyfowler Thanks, I’ve heard that, tho in this particular case there was a specific bacterium involved. #
@NomdeB @PeterKretzman He could also learn a lot of other Italian on my site. 😉 #
@StopBeck Next they’ll probably get after you for being a disloyal Italian-American #
@corey_latislaw Not sure what CSA stands for but know the concept. How do I get one? #
@monkchips With me, it keeps suggesting I am like or should follow people I’m already following. #
Hate it when FB tells me about others’ birthdays. Feel like I’m cheating if I then say happy birthday, like a heel if I don’t. #
@vdotw Good! If you’re open with them, they’re more likely to be open with you when it really counts. #
@amyrrich We may have to wake him up first. Not famously a morning person. #lisa10 #
@hudsonette Beautiful, and explains much. Korean/Indian marriage very unusual, even more so then! They had courage. #
@hudsonette Only ? is – your sibs don’t already read your blog? Not surprised, but it’s ironic: my family doesn’t read my stuff, either. #
Had the notion to privately diarize everything that has happened this year to date. Only in mid-March and I’m already exhausted remembering. #
@hudsonette I see we share at least some musical tastes – but this one seems more appropriate now #musicmonday #


I was never much for material possessions. When I have money, I spend it on people and experiences, not things. Things just weigh me down. #
@bklein34 Thanks, though I wouldn’t go so far as to compare myself to Thoreau. Just the legacy of a lifetime of moving around,.. #
@bklein34 …tends to pare life down to essentials. I’ve lost many things, but can choose not to care about that. Hurts more to lose people. #
Supremely Bad Judgment – NYTimes.com http://nyti.ms/aeRN9U #
@italylogue Bring back lots – Pocket Coffee was always very popular among my engineering buddies #italy #
Please welcome @brendangregg to Twitter! #
Home Improvements #
Want! Ganesh Doll | Ganesh Mall – also love the fact that there’s a Ganesh mall #
Italy below Rwanda and above Georgia in rankings of perceived corruption in the public sector.  #
Fiat would do better if it could ditch Italy #
Feeling… seditious. #
@bklein34 Perhaps I’m weird, but this actually sounds interesting to me. #
Comments have become forum for people trying to translate their immigrant grandparents’ Italian idiom – need help! #
@PeterKretzman Acronyms aren’t the only problem. Many non-American or non-sports types have trouble with sports jargon. Meaning gets lost. #
@lowbit I like the way your kid thinks! #
RT @StopBeck: Well, my ability to process just shut down. Glenn Beck: I am not afraid to be caught in a lie. – Kinda stating the obvious #
Friendly Atheist Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Disparages Atheists #
@adamsbaldwin Unclear: do you mean that the statists’ faith in mankind is disturbing, or that they live by disturbing it? #
@markwilliams Picturing you in lingerie and hiking boots… umm, no, let’s not go there. #
@markwilliams The Victoria’s Secret models don’t seem like camping types. #
@MrSimonTaylor Try being named Deirdré #
@StopBeck the page seems to be there (I can see it), but the wall posts are gone #
Watching Visioning Tibet – High incidence of cataracts due to high altitude UV exposure. SF drs train local surgeons #
@StopBeck Haven’t seen it yet – no TV and no cable. #
Forced solitude is REALLY not good for me. I’d had enough of that in my life already. #
@pennjillette Ben Stein? Ooh, wish I could watch. Surely you will take him apart? #
this one’s for JT: Learn Italian in Song: La Fisarmonica #
What wd be the decline in twitter usage if there was no tv and no sports? #
Time for more torture. No, not #sfgiants – nasal. #
The enemy approacheth [bad photo of the Rangers’ family bus going to the stadium] #
Ah, apropriate pathetic fallacy weather here in SF. #
A question about Italian streets that are named after dates – can anyone help? (I know they are historic events). #
Mailed in my ballot yesterday. So can everyone stop calling and emailing to remind me to vote? Thanks. #
RT @camanpour: What message is the Tea Party sending the rest of the world? how different countries view the Tea Party.  #
I wish the doctor would quit poking around in my nose. It seems to make things worse a day or two later. Owies. #
voters think taxes have gone up under Obama, when in fact, Obama cut taxes by 240 billion since taking office.  #
Finally, a use for all the parsley on my balcony: made Piemontese salsa verde http://bit.ly/b48rd8 to go with the bollito. Yum. #
RT @davidpaulyoung: Did I say Go #Rangers! – Very quietly, we hope. 😉 #
RT @MythicTechno: Brendan Gregg is now at Joyent – . leave some for the rest of us… LOL! #
I might even have the energy to do something for Halloween. SF suggestions, anyone? #
Y’know, this week has pretty much majorly sucked. I wish I could just sleep all weekend. Back to work (from home) on Monday! #
@bubbva I’ve never really learned to use parsley, so thanks for the tips. Took a lot of washing to get all the aphids off yesterday… #
@rosso I’ve got beef stock from yesterday’s bollito; it will become onion soup. #
@rosso Yum! In Italy, I used scamorza affumicata for the croutons in the soup. Here, it’ll be gruyere. #
No matter how hard people pray, other people keep behaving like, well, people.  #

The Twitter Diaries: Sept 29-Oct 14, 2010

a new 3.4 billion-pixel image of the painting allows for an amazingly detailed look at an old master’s work #
Its a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with.  – words from a true American hero #
Here’s a final word for those who went to #ghc10:  #

wasn’t Dilma Rousseff that woman I filmed on the FISL show floor with Lula? Minister of Ed or something at the time? #
one of the nice things about being an adult: if you want to have a cupcake and ice cream for dinner – you can. #
@ebertchicago FlashGot is your friend. #
two new followers with almost identical tag lines in one day? I think NOT. #
I don’t see how FB can be a threat to Google’s ad-based business when FB is so very bad at targeting ads. Has anyone seen anything relevant? #
@tpenta FB makes a lot of assumptions simply based on me being female. Dumb ones. #
Experiences in the last year have given me far more empathy with my parents. Unfortunately, that hasn’t improved communications any. #
@NomdeB classic dog in the manger! #
@seancarlos You two work together now? Cool! #
@melanierenzulli I wore a purple raincoat because it really upset everyone on the Milan metro. With yellow rain boots. #insidejoke #
Subscription-Based Firefighters Watch As Family Home Burns Down #
@craigmorgan This is new and unusual – and worrying – in the US. I believe Terry Pratchett took this to its logical conclusion in Discworld. #
When you hit rock bottom, you’ve got 2 ways to go: straight up, or sideways.  #


Oh, Fleet Week starts Thurs. Should be able to see the Blue Angels from my balcony, post-surgery. #
@NomdeB I never did track down that National Geographic centerfold of Joe… bet it was worth pinning up. 😉 #
@melanierenzulli Caution: the Air is fragile. Apple fixed mine out of warranty, hinge broke spectacularly. Avoiding class action suit? #
As for the MRI, for now assuming that no news is good news. Oh, and: god bless modern pharmacology. #
@NomdeB no she’s more on FB, I did point her o one of their posts. #
RT @OTN_Garage: Updated feature article: enabling boot from SATA DVD on SPARC systems running Solaris 8/07 or 5/08 #
Coping Strategies for the Hidden Immigrant Countries Beginning with I  #
wish I cd find Kindle editions of Camilleri and Fruttero & Lucentini in lingua originale #
RT @zaps: Berlusconi usa l’iPad – e pensare che Apple non permette le apps pornografiche #
ok, there is officially nothing wrong in my brain. At least nothing that can be seen on an MRI. 😉 #
@riccardo_iommi So am I, believe me! Now just another 2 days of pain management until… more pain! But maybe the end is in sight. #
I can now resume my normal brand of crazy. Thanks, everyone. #
RT @michaelverdi: Last day in NYC – heading home tomorrow but not before a stop at B&H this evening 🙂 – oh I love that place. Esp conveyors #
@melanierenzulli Before & during Buenos Aires-Auckland last yr, witnessed an entire fling: beginning, makeout, airport goodbye… Wild. #
@davetong Not even sure I need a first one, may give up entirely when lease is over. #
Is it time for drugs yet? #
@craigmorgan We know what’s wrong (sinuses), just needed to make sure there wasn’t something else (besides stress). On to surgery Thursday. #
It’s easy to lose weight when your appetite is completely screwed up. However, I don’t recommend it as a diet method. #
aka: if any of my American colleagues are wondering why I’m such a weirdo: Coping Strategies for the Hidden Immigrant #
@bubbva @leapingwoman There was a shortage? <big grin> #
@craigmorgan It’s amazing how much trouble these empty places in the skull can cause. #
Twitterpated – now there’s a word that needs reviving. #
@sogrady one of the best presos I ever saw was all photos, by Jim Grisanzio #
Even when I’m too ill to leave my damned apartment, I can still help people via social networks. Gladwell is just flat wrong. #
RT @jscarp: I’m a survivor! #fb – Damn right! #
I’m voting Republican because… #


Every life deserves a dramatic soundtrack, so here’s what’s running thru my mind – (having surgery, not a revolution) #


RT @Zee: Unlogo What happens when you remove logos from everywhere? – love it! #
@melanierenzulli True because United boards from the windows in rather than by rows. On others, sit in the back to ensure overhead space. #
If someone wd just grab me by the ears and slowly twist my head off… that would probably feel better than what I actually feel right now. #
@craigmorgan LOL. They tell me I cd use VirtualBox to fix that, but so far I’ve managed to get by. #
@miglsd I’m taking painkillers, but don’t like the side effects, not allowed booze because of antibiotics. Sucks to be me. 😉 #
@miglsd I don’t think these painkillers actually make the pain go away, they just make me not care that I’m in pain. Or anything else. #
@lskrocki It would be seriously disturbing if they did! #
Is there a day, week or month of the year that HASN’T been declared Official Something-or-Other Day ? We should celebrate that one. #
Vote for me, because I’m you. Huh?  #
BTW my daughter showed me something pretty effing amazing she made yesterday, but I can’t show you yet. #
Tiziano Ferro: the first Italian pop star to come out as homosexual.  #
People mag in waiting room claimed George Clooney needed translation to understand his maybe future in-laws. After all these yrs in Italy? #
RT @llcrowe: You just can’t have a campaign ad where you state, I am not a witch. You. Just. Can’t. (via @SuzyWelch) – ah, but she does! #
RT @GarlandGrey: What do you call a case of Champagne? I know there is a word for it. – A party. #
to take my mind off things, looking at photos of home – Mussoorie. I was so lucky to grow up in such beauty. #
@Flipbooks As if those employers were paragons of good behavior themselves. Oh, the hypocrisy… #socialmedia #
Need a word for obsessive imaginings which are not happy. Fantasy has too-cheerful connotations. #
RT @StopBeck: For those that don’t know: @GoToMyPC/@GoToMeeting returned to Glenn Beck. Odd decision, no? – Very. #
@NomdeB Yup, it’s today. #
I am not hungry. And I do NOT need coffee. I don’t even need water. This had better be true, because I’m not getting any of those things. #
I am not yet dead. #
The Blue Angels are in town. #
@NomdeB Too early to tell if I can smell more, but everything went fine. Now just need drugs and cupcakes for a few days (being provided). #
I guess they must have stuck a tube in me, roof of mouth and back of throat are sore. #
I have two kids, I’m not so sure I’d want them looking at these images – yr priorities are seriously screwed, lady. #
adult members of any culture are capable of deciding what they want to assimilate from a foreign culture #
An old but sadly still relevant post of mine: In America, high school is hell.  #
@vdotw Chuckle. I’m on drugs, what’s your excuse? 😉 #
@elizadushku You wear heels to assemble furniture? Not sure if that’s admirable or scary. #
@standaloneSA Why not just make a videocast, live via UStream and recorded for later? #
@standaloneSA ps do NOT rely on UStream for your video capture – crap quality on recordings. #
Drugs and cupcakes are on their way. For which I am very, very thankful. #
@lbridenne76 Hmm, how can you be sure? Maybe someone has access to my Twitter account. 😉 #
@standaloneSA Don’t sell yrself short. I’ve filmed lots engrs who think they aren’t videogenic, but are. Expressions, gestures convey much #
@ProfOrganizer This makes my brain hurt. #
@creepyed you pack an amazing amount into one night! But I shouldn’t be surprised – you’re an amazingly energetic person. #
@ProfOrganizer Hallowchrstmas #
In Italy, there’s no wind. Everything is stopped.  #
@riccardo_iommi I gave Italy 17 years, some of which I was very lucky (working for Adaptec, remotely). Finally had to give up & come home #
@Sumazi How they can help/be useful to each other #goodintros #
Daughter never heard of the Blue Angels. When I tweeted about them yesterday, she called – concerned that I was hallucinating. #
America will never reach the greatness it aspired to at its founding until it provides health care to its people. #
Made it through the day without any painkillers, for the first time in how many weeks? Don’t remember. So something’s working, tho I’m tired #
@jimpick That book just hasn’t been written – yet. #
How will I learn how the game ends? Will I hear it first from the crowd on the street, someone on Twitter, or Google? #
@myinnervoice read it many yaers ago, after seeing the film. #
Doodled around in Google maps y’day, comparing satellite pics of Australian (Newcastle) vs Italian (Adriatic) beaches. Population density… #
there must be a shortcut to get interesting blog posts onto a Kindle without paying Amazon for free content. #
@c_bright @NomdeB hmm, yes Instapaper might be it, thanks. Experimenting. Now just need a way to auto-sync over wifi w/out paying Amazon #
Actual sailors in actual sailor suits! #
Sat on the balcony to enjoy the sun. None of the birds would come near except the hummingbirds, fearless and curious as always. #
Reminder to self: you are NOT well yet. REST, dammit. #
Okay, I get why Google is showing Nexenta ads on my site. But Taiwanese egg donors??? #
Some Lesser-Known Places to Visit in Italy #
India Vlog: Jaipur Amber Fort #
Been uploading years & years of photos to smugmug. Now it will take years to get them captioned and organized… #
Post-op, the doctor said I’d tell you to take it easy, but I know that’s not in your nature. Well, I am /trying/… #
One of my favorite video postcards – India Vlog: Jantr Mantr astronomical observatory in Jaipur #
@Boh had a 2nd sinus surgery Thursday, will still take some time to resolve the mess inside my skull #
SFGMC: Rockaria #
a video postcard from Villa Monastero: Varenna, Lake Como #
Why do they come here? she asked. What do they get here that they cant get at home? #
RT @WinnieWongSF: When I think of forever, I get upset. – Don’t worry about it, there’s no such thing. #
experimenting with Calbre’s download news feature. Seems to work well enough, obviates need to pay Kindle subscriptions. #
strange to reflect that, 6 years ago at this time, I was moving house in Italy, dealing with the attendant bureaycracy  #
@TheInDecider I believe this is what you’re looking for: Christopher Columbo Song #
Using downtime to work on blog, but afraid I don’t have the concentration to do some of the trickier stuff. Someone wanna come hold my hand? #
@TheRedElm @marlitah Interesting discussion: Cultural Hegemony – Thanks, would love to see yr thoughts in the comments #
Ross wanted her juvenilia moved off her site in prep for something new, so her India Diary is back with me:  #
video: The Blue Angels Over San Francisco #
Day 4 without painkillers, though not entirely without pain. #
Seems like there oughta be an option to buy a discounted Kindle copy of a paper book you own, at least the ones bought from Amazon! #
Learn Italian in Song: Luci-Ah #T6CM #
All the knowledge and expertise I developed about Italy, what good is it now? Seems odd to have invested so much and not even miss it. #
@glynnfoster I’d have to practice to make pizza dough, but, yes, I make excellent pasta. Useful because good Italian food is expensive here #
@cote Hey, we’re Americans, these are American priorities. 😉 #
For a change, Google advertising on my site for something I actually use: kayak.com #
@timfoster needs a photo of David Korn actually wearing it. #
RT @grantimahara: Your IP address or mine? #geekpickuplines – static or dynamic? 😉 #
Caved, took a painkiller. Yes, for pain. Now not liking the stoned feeling, but it is marginally better than the pain feeling. Choices… #
@willbldrco Thanks, it did – hence the stoned. Which I don’t like. I am an absolute failure as a druggie. #
RT @wma01606 SNIA tutorials at snw standing room for virtualization. 3 more days of tutorials. Over 40 in total. Download at www.snwusa.com #
RT @Zee: Huge. The iPad is officially the best-selling gadget of all time http://tnw.to/16tJs – Dang, why doesn’t someone buy me one? 😉 #
Gonna be hot again here today, need to think of something that gets me out of my hot apt without tiring me. Yesterday it was mani-pedi. #
Hmm, judging by my twitter followers, I’ve joined the cloud crowd. #
@NomdeB Funny to me is how different SF’s weather is from everywhere else. It’ll be hot here today, after coldest summer in 25 yrs #
Trying not to worry about the things I cannot change. It’s hard. #
I have never used a pseudonym in MANY years online. WYSIWYG, and if you don’t like what you see, I probably wouldn’t like working for you. #
RT @yesthattom: USENIX first LISA ’10 Ustream chat with Matt Simmons (@StandaloneSA) at 1pm (PDT) http://www.ustream.tv/channel/usenix #
Someday there will be a political movement that is willing to say this but not that. http://nyti.ms/aEa7vs #
I’ll bet those miners have been better taken care of while trapped and in the public eye than at any other time in their careers or lives. #
videoblogger cred: I attended Vloggercon 2005 #
RT @macsun: #snwusa Join Mark Carlson, at 3:05pm in TX Ballroom 4 as he discusses Interoperable Cloud Storage w/ the #CDMI standard #
@bubbva both, of course #
RT @italylogue: On the tram, en route to see @seancarlos @rosso & @newsfromitaly & drink margaritas. – Salutami tutti! #
Learn Italian in Song: Brava! #
@ZackFord Maybe paranoid straight guys think they need training to resist all those gay advances they’ll be getting… #DADT #
@ZackFord Need to show them this #
@nico_mar Heh, I coulda done that. #iPods #
Apparently what I do in my downtime nowadays is edit other people’s writing. Which is fine. More mad skillz to revive, along with web stuff. #
trying to dress both for the heat and for possibly having something messy done to me by the doctor. No, you don’t want to know. #
For the record: ow. #
Dr says all is well. What I’m feeling now is expected after effects of him driving a bulldozer thru my head. #
Near Indianapolis? You can see The Road Home, a beautiful short film shot where I grew up in India’s Himalayas  #
@vdotw Yay for glimmers of hope! #
@marchamilton This is great new, congratulations! #
I swear I’m a friggin’ human rolodex. With a most bizarre and diverse network. Storage industry? Gotcha. Bollywood? Yup. Anything else? #
You’ll get out of high school and you’ll never have to deal with those jerks again if you don’t want to. #

@myinnervoice I am /connected/ to many people & can connect them to each other, don’t claim friendship w all. See wikipedia also #
RT @deirdresm: Great blog post on bullying (justifiable profanity, imho) – completely justifiable. #
RT @lushbucket: Love how Canadian TV reports Chilean miner rescue as feat of engineering and American TV calls it a miracle – I hate it #
RT @ruchikabhalla: Someone please give this guy a Bhangra record deal #

Apt complex water will be off 11-6 for repairs. So now I discover that my bucket leaks. Filled the tub and a large pot instead. Prepared! #
Umm, folks, if you want me to follow somebody, give me a reason besides so they can reach n followers. I don’t long to be in that number. #
Italian speakers – can anyone help Rose translate her Nana’s mysterious word? comment on Italian Slang and Swearwords  #
@myinnervoice I am fortunate to have both. Indeed, I am very rich in my friends, and happy and grateful for that. #
.@nonstick I later learned that some bullies grow up to be messed-up, unhappy people – but still manipulative and dangerous. #
Sinus Update #
@shawnferry Not as yet; I had to use the web interface. I haven’t been in the office for a while, so it hasn’t been an issue. #
@cote OpenWorld was a green conf, had an app you cd use to scan QR codes at booth into your iPhone & be directed to materials online. #
@craigmorgan Thanks, feeling mostly positive. And I really had no choices left, except continued extreme misery. #
RT @JustinHaggerty: @davidu: How not to do it:  wow – Sysadmin horror! #
I would like there to be a steady, linear progression from sicker to weller, but the facts appear otherwise. #
Replacing my classic lit (Austen, Dickens, Dumas…) with free ebooks instead of rebuying or shipping will more than cover cost of Kindle. #
…and I’ll have less paper in my home to gather allergy-inducing dust. #
Hmm. Just looking current Kindle freebies, the line between romance novels, erotica, and pornography has pretty much vanished. #
@c0t0d0s0 Maybe I should open-source my sinus treatment? 😉 #
Hyperventilating over this YouTube video of the same surgery I had. Now I get why it still hurts. #
@planspark This is a bit old, but may help: on DVD region codes #
@deirdresm This is why I don’t watch horror movies – too squeamish. And knowing it was done to my own personal nose… #
@llcrowe I think 3 times about what I even put in DMs. Or in writing anywhere. Way too many slips have occurred. #
@whitehouse Obama administration asks judge to stay ruling blocking don’t ask, don’t tell – CNN  – WtFUCK?!? #
@willbldrco I’d ask you to marry me, but I would put on 100 lbs within six months… #
sigh #
And the three men I admire most:The father, son, and the holy ghost,They caught the last train for the coast…  #


@ZackFord All I can figure is they think entire military will be instantly infected with teh gay and dissolve into nonstop orgy #DADT #LGBT #
RT @ZackFord: @DeirdreS I’ve been infected for years and I haven’t had any orgies (yet). – Slacker. 😉 #
@bubbva There are many steps to take before surgery, and I guess I tried them all. It may not be the worst option, tho #
@NomdeB @madhuri567 what do you need? I happen to know and have photographed some photogenic engineers #
@pfuetz Heh. Showing your true colors, eh? 😉 #
@bubbva If thre’s too much irritation and swelling, the rinse can’t get anywhere to do you any good. FWIW I strong recommend my sinus doc #
WTF? Postcard from AT&T says we have received your request to cancel your internet service – I MADE NO SUCH REQUEST. #
Now I’m on hold because online account management is not available for this type of account. Is there no company that gets service right? #
and if you spell out your UNUSABLE URL one more time I am going to scream in the ear of whoever does finally answer the damned phone #
Ah, it was to the previous occupant. This is what happens when I’m too ill to pay attention to details. #
@bubbva ‘fraid not. #
@Zee I found a bunch of floppy disks in Sun office moves, using them as drinks coasters now. #
RT @melanierenzulli: Eurochocolate, Italy”s top chocolate festival, starts October 15 in Perugia, a … http://ht.ly/19sie0 #
Bored, bored, bored… #

Sinus Update

…for those who are terribly concerned about the state of my head. 😉

Thanks to all who wrote or called with support and encouragement. Though I’ve had in-person support when it counted most through this ordeal, I have spent a lot of time alone in my apartment, not feeling well enough to go out for company or anything else. So “virtual” company has been more important than ever.

When we last saw our heroine (me), I was awaiting the results of another culture on the gunk in my sinuses. Pseudomonas did not show up on this one, which could mean that they simply didn’t catch it (or anything else) this time around, or that we’d finally got rid of the pseudomonas but I now had some other infection, possibly with anaerobic bacteria (which are difficult to culture). I certainly still had sinus infection symptoms (pressure, pain, fatigue). Anaerobic bacteria are easy to treat, at least, so the doctor switched me to augmentin, a milder antibiotic than the cipro I’d been taking again (with more nasty side effects) for the pseudomonas. If this worked, I might even avoid surgery.

In the meantime, I was trying to keep up a full workload including Oracle OpenWorld, my employer’s huge annual conference, which had taken over San Francisco. I managed to accomplish the tasks that no one else could do in my place: filming unconference sessions about various Solaris technologies. But it was physically punishing, especially as these were taking place about a mile from my home and I had little choice but to haul myself and equipment over there on foot. Having a full-blown migraine (which I very rarely get) on one of those days (all 24 hours) did not help.

This was followed by more, if slightly less severe, headaches which didn’t seem to be in the right place to be caused by sinus pressure. Dr. Johnson sent me for an MRI “just to make sure we’ll be cutting in the right place.”

That was a new experience. The first step was about 12 minutes of “just” imaging. If you haven’t done an MRI before, it’s like being stuck inside a car alarm: you’re in a tube with  very loud electronic noises whirling around you. Then the technician slid me out of the tube and stuck an IV into my arm to put the contrast solution – gadolinium – into me. I felt the “pinch” of the needle (why do they all call it a pinch? do they think I’ll be offended if they use the correct term, a prick?) but not much else, and he kept asking if I felt it burning going in. Nope.

He slid my head back into the machine and started it up again. Then my arm started to hurt like a sonofabitch – oh, yes, that burned. And I wasn’t supposed to move my head at all, so I couldn’t yell or swear. At some point during the three minutes of contrast imaging I was thinking: “I would rather just go ahead and die than go through any more painful procedures.” Okay, I’m a drama queen. But it really did hurt.

I later asked my friend John, who unfortunately has had a lot of experience with MRIs lately, and he confirmed that what I was feeling was the pull of the machine’s magnets on the metal in my veins. I was lucky to feel it only in my arm, and lucky that the contrast imaging didn’t take long.

The worst part was the anxious several days’ wait for results, but, as expected, these showed that there is nothing wrong (structurally, anyway) with my brain.

Meanwhile, the augmentin wasn’t doing much: the infection felt at least as bad as before, and grew steadily worse with more pressure and pain in my jaws, upper teeth, and ear, and more severe headaches (which were likely caused in part by stress).

The following week I agreed with my boss that it was time to go on medical leave. Illness is not made any easier by having to deal with scary and confusing bureaucracy, but I think we’ve finally go that sorted and, so far at least, I still have a job and a paycheck. Though the official corporate paperwork that came in the mail was careful to state that my job was guaranteed “unless your position is eliminated or there is a reduction in force.” Nothing like fear of losing your employment to aid the healing process…

I had the sinus surgery (endoscopic maxillary antrostomy) on October 7th. Normally this would be a minor procedure, but Dr. Johnson recommended that, because I was starting from a baseline of so much illness and trauma, I should take two weeks’ leave afterwards to recover. I can see now that he had a point.

I spent the night before the surgery imagining every possible worst-case scenario. It was done under general anesthesia which, as the anesthesiologist explained, differed from what I had last time only in the amount of the medication he gave me – it was the same stuff, and I hadn’t had any problems with it before, so nothing to worry about.

I remember walking to and lying down on the table in the (very cold) operating room and being bundled up with blankets and pressure pads around my legs. Next thing I knew, I was in the post-op recovery room with faces around me, but it took some time to coordinate my head and mouth to speak.

General anesthesia was different in ways I didn’t know to anticipate. It took me longer to clear my head and feel fully alert (then they put painkillers into me through the IV, so I don’t know where one effect left off and the next began). I remember people talking to me during that post-op recovery period (however long it was), but don’t remember everything that was said, and apparently I was already talking before I remember being conscious. Fortunately, I had a witness there to remind me later about the important stuff that was said to me.

I do remember Dr. Johnson saying that they found fungus inside my sinuses this time around – gross! But not unexpected when I’d been on antibiotics for so long; it’s only a wonder that I haven’t had a yeast infection yet. They’re culturing again to try to figure out what else may still be in my nose.

I guess under general anesthesia they have to intubate you, but I didn’t know about it coming or going, and had to infer it from the soreness in the roof of my mouth and my throat later on. My throat was particularly sore the next day, but this appears to be a common after-effect of surgery.

As for the procedure, there’s at least one video on YouTube, but for the moment I can’t watch it. It involves enlarging or re-opening the natural holes between the sinuses and the nose. This was done with an endoscope inserted through the nostrils, so no cutting through my mouth or face (the old-fashioned method, which I’m glad I missed out on). Still, there was cutting, and there are raw surfaces still bleeding in there. I guess in that dank, moist environment it’s harder for wounds to dry and heal. Blood only actually dripped out of my nose for a few hours after the surgery, but it’s still bleeding inside so I’m coughing and snorting it out from time to time – gently.

Once the openings were made, Dr. Johnson irrigated and flushed out the sinuses. I’m glad I was asleep through that this time.

I went home, had one strong painkiller in the evening after the IV stuff wore off, and then managed not to take any more pain medication for four days – a huge improvement.  I’ve probably been avoiding medication more than I should, as I’ve still got quite a lot of pain and, from that, fatigue. Clearly recovery will take some time yet – I tire extremely quickly.

Saw Dr. Johnson for a post-op visit yesterday, and we’re still in wait-and-see mode. The cultures haven’t shown anything, but it may still be growing. I’m off all antibiotics for the moment; it may be that the gunk left in there by the time I got to surgery was old, dead stuff that had already been killed by the antibiotics but couldn’t get out of my poor, battered nose.

Perhaps my biggest problem at the moment is boredom; I’m very sick of being cooped up in my apartment, spending way too much time alone in my own head. However, I don’t have energy to do much and, being on medical leave, I’m probably not supposed to be out having fun anyway. Dr. Johnson did say after the surgery: “I’d tell you to take it easy, but I know that’s not in your nature.” Well, my body is telling me – in no uncertain terms – that this is a time when I must take it easy. So, more or less, I am.

The Twitter Diaries: Sept 11-29, 2010

All in all… #
@alanc Thanks; a nice evening of good French wine would help, and I can probably arrange that even here in SF, and very soon… #
@pfuetz Thanks! #
@davest @alanc Love to! Always like to learn wines w local experts. Had a long hymn to Oregon pinots at GHC last year from a fellow attendee #
RT @SunBlogs: Optimizing Legacy and Modern Application Environments with Oracle Solaris Containers at OOW2010 #
At OOW? Join Brendan Gregg and friends Monday at 4 for an Unconference session on the Sun Storage 7000 appliance #
@missbhavens the one you wanted? #
Hope today’s torture will have set me up to go to a really cool party tomorrow night, as well as to do my many tasks at #oow starting Sunday #
@koberoi wow, whose is that? I have a pic of zfsguy, but I know who that is. #sun #
@openstorage Yes, I will be filming it. 😉 #
Amusingly, one of the colleagues I hope to see during #oow week, I’ve known since age 14 at boarding school. #
@myinnervoice Really? That’s what happens when I need distraction. I hope at least some of them were enjoyable! #
@gbrunett In the Solaris demo booth Mon-Tues am, Solaris unconference sessions otherwise – I think I’m filming you, no? Looking forward! #
If you’re coming to #oow, stop by the Solaris demo booth and let me scan your badge. I think I get points or something. 😉 #
@ItalianoWJodina L’avevo dimenticato; spiega molto di quello che e’ successo oggi. #
@StopBeck O’Donnell actually has contemplated enjoying the naked body of a putative future husband? Gasp! That’s lust! #
@myinnervoice Shh! They’re watching. 😉 #
@LusciousPear Not up to it tonight, but definitely want to meet you. Coming to #oow? #
@thinguy Actually, correct vodka sauce actually does involve vodka, and is YUMMY. Will have to make that, haven’t in ages… #
@KatieS I thought tweeting while intoxicated was the whole point of twitter. 😉 #phoenix #
@thinguy The actual alcohol probably cooks off anyway, but maybe some kids would find the idea of eating vodka sauce cool. #
The Mother of All Sinus Infections Countries Beginning with I  #
@NomdeB I think you’ve been through at least as much, but I fully understand if you don’t want to read about any more! #
#
@ #PHB: Bryan Fischer: Christians must control the govt or atheists and pagans will take over – go atheists and pagans! #
@GodlessAtheist Good point – I don’t want pagans in power any more than any other believers. #
@hemantmehta Travelling while brown… #United #
Ian McKellan’s shirt on the anti-Pope march: I’m Gandalf and Magneto Get over it Excellent!!! http://twitpic.com/2pq44x (via @SpaceAvian) #
It is one of the greatest lessons in humanity learning empathy and understanding for what does not touch you personally #
@Roam2Rome those are the days you can only wear black or white scrubs #
FB advertising is irrelevant, offensive, or just plain dumb. Just because I’m female doesn’t mean I’m always in the market for appliances. #
Americana: Blogs about how to collect random stuff. Then about how to display it. Then how to organize it. Then how to manage debt? #
@jimpick I’ve been paid in (excellent) wine for re-translating an Italian winery’s website, which needed it badly. #
@apperceptions hmm, will it grow on a balcony? #
@oraclenerd I suspect they’re feeling a bit overrun by DBAs #
@missbhavens I think Cole Porter wrote a song like that, but you’ve got the lyric slightly wrong. #
@oraclenerd Keep in mind this year’s OOW is sandwiched between Talk Like a Pirate Day and the Folsom St Fair. Make of that what you will. #
@oraclenerd Wouldn’t it be great if Larry did his keynote in Pirate? #
@missbhavens Being ladylike is overrated. #
Contemplating the follow-nomics of a TwitChange bid. But it was more fun to pick a fight, er, have a debate with @adamsbaldwin 😉 #
@Roam2Rome It’s like a black and white ball, only in the hospital. 😉 #
@avinash It’s an awesome joke, who cares if it’s photoshopped? #
Once a year or so I buy packaged mac&cheese, out of some vague childhood nostalgia. But it never tastes good. Must just make my own. #
Ask yourself: who paid for this ad? – Especially if it involves demon sheep. #
@avinash True, both are good. And pithier than Wizards and evil geniuses for equality! #
So many people seem to identify themselves primarily as parents. Does this place a psychic burden on the kids? #
…or am I overinterpreting the people who mention they are proud parents of and/or use their kids’ photos in their profiles? #
@italofileblog yes, lusingare means to flatter @italofileblog #
I’m getting close to a nice, round 1000 Twitter followers. Which is meaningless: probably half are bots or dead accounts. #
…it is sweet of Stephen Fry to still be following me, though surely he doesn’t read his 53k followers. #
I wish Twitter would clean out every account that hasn’t been touched in over a year; lots of warped numbers based on these. #
@sergiusens Which, clearly, I’m not – just spent half an hour cleaning out followers who had been inactive for >6 mos #
At some point I will have to figure out what I’m going to wear this afternoon, and (shudder) iron it. I really look better in jeans. #
@DeepakChopra What does that mean? How does a person turn into love? You become some sort of disembodied love spirit? #
@glynnfoster True, I did see a lot of people in jeans on opening day last year. Will you back me up to the boss on that? 😉 #
@bubbva You can read my longish follow up to a comment on this on FB (scattered conversations are a problem…). #
@bubbva Interesting book. But celebrities aren’t the only narcissists; ordinary narcissists =ly damaging in their own families, at least. #
@timminchin Plead a migraine. #
@bubbva Would be good to have you there; I’ll be filming, too. #
Rahul Gandotra’s short film The Road Home will be playing in Chicago on Oct 28th – highly recommend! #
@glynnfoster I thought he /wrote/ that wiki. 😉 I’ll take his word for it – save me ironing. Thanks! #
@BrentSpiner Don’t tell me you’re coming for Oracle Open World too? #
Who among my tweets has press/blogger credentails for #oow? #
RT @feliciaday: Saw Eat, Pray, Love. (aka First, World, Problems.) – Beyond first world, comfortable elite problems! #
@KeithBurtis Whom? #
@jeffhuber Buy. Now. Or be subjected to more cute banter with Gwyneth Paltrow. #oow10 #
@jeffhuber You misunderstand. You don’t get to do banter with Gwyneth, you just have to listen to it. 😉 #
@dboyll He could wear the suit AND talk like a pirate! #Oracle #oow10 #javaone10 #
@pelegri I could have helped with that… way more t-shirt experience than anyone needs. #glassfish #
Just the place for a Snark! I have said it thrice: What i tell you three times is true.  #
Granny, Get Your Gun – there’s no hope left for Grandpa #sadmusicals #
That’s the way they like us in the United States, dark, boisterous, uninhibited #
NB: People usually look a little more excited than that to get free t-shirts. #
@KeithBurtis in response to Just need to execute – whom? #
RT @melanierenzulli: I hereby anoint thee lol RT @Z_Everson: Pop culture tip: There is no Lord Gaga. – Maybe there’s a Gaga Consort #
RT @DarylOrts: #oow10. 41,000 attendees: 36,236 are currently asleep. Thanks #hp. – and the rest are tweeting their discontent #
RT @arungupta: YAAAAWWWWN …. ZZZZZZZ #oow10 wake me up when Larry is on the stage! – I’m sure there will be plenty to wake you up shortly #
Umm, let me guess… Larry fell asleep, too? #
judging by the tweets, video stream is running a minute or so behind reality #
RT @ORCL_Linux: Customers can run #Linux on the new #Exalogic Elastic Cloud #oow10 – and Solaris #
RT @Mrgareth: By far the fastest computer for running Java, Larry says the secret sauce in Exalogic is #Oracle Coherence. #OOW10 #
RT @Radu43: Oracle Now mobile application now available on the Android platform.  #oracle #oow10 #javaone10 #develop10 #
Yup, absolutely my kind of town. #
@SoLoKeii: No offense but all agnostics and atheists are going to hell. <– Our thoughts towards you are far more Christian, my dear. #
New followers: if you want news about Oracle Solaris, yes, I supply that because it’s part of my life. But I also tweet about other things. #
At the ZFS demo W079 Moscone North #
Huh. Avid is advertising on my personal website (The Videoblogging Manual Countries Beginning with I  #
Heading up to the Parc 55 to film three Solaris Unconference Sessions #oow – DTrace, Containers, 7000 Series Appliance #
Waiting at a street light in SF, I see a familiar figure draped in a Brazilian flag… #
No coffee even for speakers?!? #
Brendan and Roch on DTrace #

#
Sysadmins are all artists. #
So many people I enjoy spending time with are in town; very frustrating to be so ill and tired. #
Oracle Solaris 11 Outlined (Oracle Solaris)  #
fingers crossed – may not need more sinus surgery after all. A few days on a different antibiotic should tell. #
Not really sure what HDR is, but I think I like it. #
photo gallery: Sept 11 Walk in San Francisco Countries Beginning with I  #
My appetite is so weirded out, I have to eat whatever seems appealing. Afternoon snack was an entire avocado with balsamic, & tortilla chips #
RT @SAGEProgram: Fastweb is offering a 2000 Study Abroad Scholarship!!! It expires tonight so enter your name in the drawing NOW!!! ht … #
RT @riccardo_iommi: Officials investigating #Vatican Bank in money laundering probe http://on.cnn.com/bd6l2i << this was lost news locally #
Evaluating the inside-my-head sitch. Books to take over for the ZFS hands-on lab, then Mason St tent for live DTrace Tech Cast at 1:30 #
Now watching: Oracle Technology Network Live #
Live now: Dave Miner on Deploying Solaris 11 – Oracle Technology Network Live  #
If you’re at #oow, you can talk to Dave in person at the Unconference today at 3, Parc 55 Mason Rm (#OTNLIVE live at http://ustre.am/dv4c ) #
RT @Schlomo: @sogrady As previous owner of HoS, just want to say thanks for always being good to us. New yuppie HoS will open soon – yay! #
@plsleet nothing else is being live webcast afaik, don’t know how much is recorded for future viewing #
Coming up at 1:30 Brendan Gregg on DTrace – Oracle Technology Network Live  #
Filming under very poor conditions. I apologize in advance for how bad this will look. #
@dave_miner speakers good as always, hotel lighting terrible. #
What you get when you pay for professional filming. Plus the filming, of course.  #


@tpenta I must think so – I keep putting him in front of the camera. 😉 #
Kindle: wifi only or wifi+3G? Which do you own and why? #
@davest Athletic Wednesday joins Causal Friday? #
Video Romance Countries Beginning with I http://t.co/tSPiFCb via @DeirdreS #
RT @SAGEProgram: Congrats to Kodaikanal International & Woodstock School – once again ranked #1 & #2 India’s Top… http://fb.me/HtTZYNRB #
I’ve been confused about what day of the week it is all week, probably because my work week started on Sunday. #
@italylogue Found reverse expectations prob with Italian families who went to EuroDisney, were bored. But didn’t actually go on any rides. #
@vupine I Watussi always works. #
Down, Boojum down I say! #
DTrace book coming soon : Brendan Gregg #
What I thought I’d be filming didn’t come off, so I turned it into something other, possibly better. That’s the value of guerrilla video. #
#
Weird collection of headlines all featuring Mom – murdered mom, murdering mom, miracle mom. Umm… it’s hard being a mother? #
This was a really bad week in which to still be pretty desperately ill, but am beginning to have hope that I’ll be well soon. #
@timfoster Sorry I missed you. I’m not going regularly to SCA – the commute is awful and co. shuttle non-functional til it changes Oct 1. #
Who’s Next? #
@StephenAtHome You won’t be any more fictional than a lot of the characters who have testified before Congress. #
@oracletechnet how about the TechCast of Brendan Gregg that couldn’t be streamed live? #
@oracletechnet Thanks, not there yet. #
did find another familiar Aussie, though:  Jake Carroll of Queensland Brain Institute #
@tpenta ooh, I didn’t know you were a musician. I love great guitar, and you’re delivering! #
Uh oh, new tweet hack? I’m pretty sure these two people would not be tweeting about making money by uploading files. #
I have a few ?s for those disappointed enough to crave a reversal of course after <2 years of different tactics… http://huff.to/bWyWxg #
Just generated a #TweetCloud, my top words are: oracle, solaris, video – http://w33.us/85s6 (http://twitpic.com/2rv4zy) #
Just generated a #TweetCloud, my top words are: oracle, solaris, video – http://w33.us/86il (http://twitpic.com/2rxsha) #
saw a guy with a t-shirt Slavonic Heathen Metal. Oddly specific. #
Daughter in 2nd round of interview process today; fingers crossed that she’ll soon be happily – and literally – embarked. Well, emplaned. #
@vdotw That is bad. My pattern lately is to wake up (for no reason) at 4 am and then have trouble getting back to sleep. #
@vdotw Yeah. I’m used to waking up a lot at night, the big question is always whether I’ll be able to get back to sleep easily. #
P. W -Q #
RT @richburridge: Need to improve my lizard wrangling skills. – Huh? #
Spent the weekend quietly – didn’t really have a choice. But enjoyed it. #
@jlb13 I loathe nights like that. Fortunately, for me, last night was not one of them. #
Apparently even birds find me relaxing to hang out with – two mourning doves are dozing on my balcony rail, just mellowin’. #
Pain is very selfish. It really doesn’t want you to think about anything else. #
@sogrady Pet gecko? #
@melanierenzulli I have a boilerplate web page I send them to, which explains why they can have a link – for a price. #
The domestic land lobster under its cushion reef  #


@lskrocki @willsnow Oh, THAT terminal. You have to go about halfway back to the main terminal to get to the wifi. Then it’s fine. #
Margaret H, whose family owned a printing co, gave me something I have long coveted #


@xiehicks Interesting idea, thanks, tho the one I have wouldn’t lend itself to that. #
Damn, damn, damn. #
just for a change from techie stuff: Customs and Etiquette When Dining Out in Italy Countries Beginning with I  #
my apt is infernally hot this afternoon, but I’m too tired to go out in search of A/C. The solution? Home made lassi. #
@urbanturbanguy Sorry, drank it all! Now I need some soda to make fresh lime soda. #
@scrabb_ly what do I do when I’m boxed in and can’t play any further? #
By and large, I could have done without today. #
http://scrabb.ly/ is fun, though a bit slow at times, and maybe runs better on Safari than Firefox. #
I always think I’m fine, I should be doing x,y,z when this is very much wishful thinking and I should be RESTING. #
I’ve always tried to ignore illness, work in spite of it (otherwise I get bored). Problem is, then no one believes me when it’s serious. #
waiting for my Kindle to arrive. #
Antibiotic, painkiller, and ginger beer: breakfast of champions? (Yes, I did actually have food earlier.) #
Damn, damn, damn, damn… #
So of course the first book I bought for my new Kindle was Terry Pratchett’s latest. #
@tomcoates There is no such thing as too may Legos. #
@corey_latislaw I’ve been using it since I learned that you are not forced to share every location update, in fact I share very few. #ghc10 #
Leaving Oracle : Bill Pijewski’s Blog #
Balcony tomato harvest #


@digitalsista All I can think is They must have rented those sofas from the same place Oracle got them. #womenintech #tcdisrupt #
Some very kind friends came over last night, cooked me dinner, and provided company. Big help for the cabin fever I would otherwise suffer. #
@NomdeB So far I like it, comfortable for reading and I can load all sorts of stuff on it, tho a pdf to kzw tool would be good. #
Dunno if the dr will want to torture me again today, might almost welcome it, if it would relieve the current pain/pressure. #
Thanks to everyone tweeting from #ghc10 – very useful (and some consolation) for those of us who can’t be there #
SAGE Program alumna Weezie Yancey-Siegel speaks at TEDx on youth, philanthropy, and creating change  #
RT @SethGreen: Utah rules accidental miscarriage= Criminal homicide? – being a fertile woman in UT is dangerous #

The Mother of All Sinus Infections

Note: If you are squeamish about surgical procedures and pain, there are parts of this you really don’t want to know about.

Part 1: early-mid July, 2010

I’ve been suffering from sinus infections for at least 25 years, perhaps s a result of living much of my life in very polluted environments (Bangkok, Pittsburgh, Milan). Chronic sinus problems are so common that I’m sure many of you can empathize. But this latest bout is probably the worst I’ve ever experienced.

It’s not so much the pain. There is pain, but not the screaming headaches and “bend over, and feel like someone stabbed you in the face” pain I’ve experienced in the past. Maybe I’m not getting the pain of stuff sloshing around because my sinuses are so full of gunk that there’s nowhere for it to slosh. I’ve seen the CT scan, so know this to be true.

But I can feel this in my upper teeth on the right side, and the hinge of the jaw. I’ve had TMJ for years as well, figured this was more of that (grinding my teeth lately, for unrelated reasons), but it also seems to be a symptom of the infection.

And there’s a horrible smell that I can sense, not exactly in my nose, but inside my head somewhere (maybe the vomeronasal organ?), like something died and is rotting in there. Getting this gunk out will probably be a disgusting process, but I’ll be glad when it’s gone.

This pain isn’t even really manifesting as pain. It somehow gets translated into “I feel so awful I want to cry,” and shattering fatigue. Tylenol with codeine dissipates the feeling, whether because it is in fact relieving pain, or because the codeine is enough of a high to take the edge off the mood. (Yeah, I’m a big-time druggie if codeine can do that to me.)

For years I have resisted the idea of sinus surgery. People I know who’ve had it report that it works for a while, then doesn’t. My sinus doctor in Colorado wanted to operate, but, as far as I could tell, he just liked doing surgery. He never did anything to convince me that it would be effective.

—————–

Part 2

I don’t remember exactly when the above was drafted; between severe illness, and tumult in other parts of my life, much of this summer went by in a blur. I had taken antibiotics for an acute sinus infection back in February, as, indeed, I have done at least annually for many years. That round of medication calmed things down, but I never felt fully cured. I had suspected for years that a colony of something had taken up permanent residence in my sinuses, and over time had become resistant to various antibiotics. I could tell a new doctor, “No, that antibiotic probably won’t work” – and I was always right. You’d think that would be a clue, no?

By Memorial Day weekend (end of May) I was feeling bad enough to seek a doctor here in my new home in San Francisco. My friend Jeffrey suggested using Yelp to get a recommendation, and he was the one to find San Francisco Otolaryngology. I called just before the holiday weekend but, not surprisingly, it was impossible to get an appointment anytime soon, especially with the strongly-recommended Dr. Jacob Johnson. So I didn’t make one. I treated myself as best I could with nasal rinses (neti pot), and got through the immediate crisis.

By the July 4th holiday weekend, I just couldn’t go on any longer. I called again, and was able to see Dr. Brian Schindler in the same practice. He rinsed out my nose (squirting saline up one nostril, siphoning it out the other) and collected samples for culturing (he got charmingly excited over snot). This was a big “Well, duh!” moment for me. Why, in 25 years of infections, had no doctor ever thought to culture the stuff? Why had I never suggested it? From my adolescent experiences with having third-world diseases in Bangladesh and India, I was used to the idea that you take samples, find out what’s growing in you, and treat accordingly, rather than prescribing random medicines in hopes that something will work.

I saw Dr. Schindler on a Thursday or Friday; the culture wouldn’t be done til the following week. But my condition by then was so awful that he wanted to start me right away on Augmentin (antibiotic). “I don’t think that’ll work,” I said. “Maybe not, but it’s less toxic than some of the alternatives. Once we get the culture back, we’ll change it if we need to.”

I got an almost frantic call on Monday: “Go to the pharmacy right away and pick up a prescription for Ciprofloxacin, come in and see the doctor again ASAP.” The bug in there was pseudomonas, a bacterium which doesn’t respond to any other antibiotic. I’d taken cipro before and didn’t like it, but there wasn’t any other option. Sometime around then they did a CT scan: yup, looks pretty gummed up in there.

After two weeks on cipro I wasn’t any better. Dr. Schindler said he could “tap” the sinus to flush it out more vigorously, but he was afraid that the natural openings the stuff needed to drain out of might be so swollen by infection that not much could come out. He suggested balloon sinuplasty, a new procedure analogous to angioplasty: a catheter is inserted and a balloon inflated, to widen the natural sinus-to-nose openings.

Although I’d never had anything remotely surgical done to me before, I was by then so miserable that I would have agreed to anything. The upside was that this made me a patient of Dr. Johnson, who turned out to be just as wonderful as everyone on Yelp had said (though I liked Dr. Schindler, too).

We scheduled the surgery in a hurry; it was performed on July 29th at the San Francisco Surgical Center, in the same building as SF Otolaryngology. I hadn’t been aware of this new trend in American medicine: small surgical centers can be quicker and cheaper for outpatient surgery than hospitals.

It is possible to do balloon sinuplasty under local anesthesia (in fact, if I’d been able to wait a few weeks, I might have participated in a study to do it right in the doctor’s office). Since I didn’t know how I would react to other kinds of anesthesia, I initially opted for local. But I did expect to be given Valium or some such to help me face it more calmly (I’d never done anything like this, remember?). Somehow that was overlooked during the admissions procedures, so, when they finally came to take me into the operating room, I was stark, trembling terrified. (As well as exhausted – hadn’t slept from nerves and pain – and very ill.) We mutually decided to do anesthesia after all.

It was the best sleep I’d had in months. Unfortunately, when Dr. Johnson had finished enlarging the hole into my left maxillary sinus and was ready to start flushing water through it, they woke me up, so that I wouldn’t breathe the stuff into my lungs. I suppose to prove I was conscious, I had to hold the dentist-style aspirator. This was all very nasty and painful.

Then he did the balloon thing on the right side. Also painful. But I was still anesthetized to some extent, so I guess it could have been worse.

When everything was done and my brain was beginning to work again, I finally asked the doctor a question that had been on my mind for some time: how did someone who was clearly of south Indian origin come to be named Johnson? Turns out it’s not uncommon among south Indian Christians (I’ve spent a lot of time in north India, not much in the south).

I was given Vicodin, got home (yes, accompanied), spent the rest of the day tweeting and sleeping in a haze of pain. The next day I started working again (from home), and was soon back in the office a few days a week, working from home the others. I was even doing vigorous physical exercise, moving boxes of stuff around Sun’s Menlo Park campus to prepare for a major office move. I probably should have been resting and recovering.

Because it wasn’t over. During a first post-surgery visit, Dr. Johnson squirted water up my nostrils and aspirated it out so hard that the cartilage in my nose flattened under pressure. This is not usual; all we could figure was that it had been softened by years of nose-blowing. It sprang back immediately, but I felt bruised the next day. The flushing showed that there was still gunk in there (which I already knew).

I had been on the cipro for six weeks. I was feeling physically somewhat better, but emotionally a mess. Having plenty of reasons to be under stress, I didn’t think much about this. But, after spending one night crying and thinking about cutting myself, I looked up the side effects of ciprofloxacin. Sure enough, they include depression. I stopped taking it immediately.

In any case, it wasn’t working very well, if at all, on the pseudomonas. The next option was to “tap” into the sinus. This means driving a large needle and catheter (picture below) from the inside of your nose into the sinus cavity, then pushing saline through that and out the natural opening to flush out the sinus.

The first time, this took several hours of preparation (mental, for me) and gradual local anesthesia, which was unpleasant in itself: it involved shoving a sharp spike wrapped in cotton with anesthetic on it deeper and deeper into my tissues, then me sitting there with a large metal whisker hanging out of my nose while it took effect. Dr. Johnson does that three times, to numb the soft tissues. It doesn’t anesthetize the bone.

Then he held the side of my head while he shoved a large metal spike through the bone into the sinus cavity. (He told me to close my eyes so I wouldn’t freak out over the size of it going in.) “This is going to hurt,” he said, and he was correct. Hearing something crunch and squeak through your own bone is also uniquely creepy.

He then attached a tube to the metal catheter and flushed saline through it. This, too, was painful and, for the right sinus, was like pushing mud through a straw. Everything (saline, blood, pus) drained out my nose into a kidney tray. It had the same horrible odor I’d been living with inside my head for months, which is the characteristic smell of pseudomonas.

The left side was more painful to get the catheter into, but less painful to flush, and the stuff that came out was mostly clean. So at least we wouldn’t have to worry about that side anymore.

I went home, took a painkiller, and whimpered a lot. There was some improvement over the next few days, but soon the gunk was back.

A week later we did it again, but this time only the right sinus. The procedure hurt horribly again, but seemed to be more effective: the next day (Sept 11) I felt so much better that I took a long walk in the city. However, by Wednesday the bacteria were clearly back in full production. We did the tap again Friday (yesterday), only to try to tame the beasts long enough for me to get through my duties at Oracle OpenWorld next week; neither of us expect this to resolve the problem. This time was the worst because the catheter slipped out and he had to punch it in again. I may never forget what that felt like.

Unfortunately, all this pain has in a sense been for nothing: something’s still living in there (he took a culture again just to make sure it’s still the original pseudomonas), and we have to get it out.

The next step is more-invasive surgery. Whereas the sinuplasty ballooned open the natural opening without cutting, this time he’ll cut, to enlarge the natural opening from the sinus into the nose. When you use a neti pot, you don’t actually get much fluid into the sinus: the negative pressure of water streaming past the small sinus opening pulls some of the gunk out, rather than it washing out. With a larger hole, I can squirt or pour fluids into the sinus to attack the beasts directly. Then it will be up to me, I guess, to self-medicate as much as needed.

So… I’m scheduled for more surgery. Fun.