I live in the mountains and in the mountains you need a chainsaw. Strangely, the time of year it’s the least fun to be outside is when I use the chainsaw the most. This is a result of holiday vacation, trees conveniently falling during winter storms, and short windows of time the county of Santa… more
Coffee approach pattern Delta was in play today. This unlisted approach pattern is a stop in Los Gatos to hit one of two decent coffee shops, The Great Bear or the Los Gatos Coffee Roasting company. Neither shop can compete with Peet, but Los Gatos has other attractions. Namely, the soon-to-be-completed Apple Store: Store errata:… more
It is both professionally and personally satisfying to randomly discover that an Apple store is being opened in your home town. This store is 2 doors down from the coffee shop where I’m written most of the significant letters in my life. It is also 25 doors down from the dive bar which serves the… more
I ran cross country for many years in jr. high and highschool. A daily longish run became part of the regular routine. I was unable to sleep well unless I’d chewed up some nearby trail. Upon arrival at UC Santa Cruz, I found a gorgeous loop trail near the East Field House that I’d hit… more
All you needed to do this winter to figure out that we screwed up the planet is stare out the living room window. This here is day number four of snow that stuck up here at fourteen hundred feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. We get a smattering snow ever so often, but… more
I have a thing for addiction. Based off the number of hits, the articles on my weblog which have touched the most folks deal with forms of technology addiction. The consistent theme I read in articles which refer to NADD and RII is, “Whew, there are others out there like me.” The articles themselves attempt… more
There’s a never ending battle going on in your software development team right now. It’s the battle between the Organic Engineers and the Mechanical Engineers and it sounds like this: Organics: “Software is art!” Mechanics: “Software is logic! It’s fact! And it’s a lot of work.” Organics: “You’re right! It’s work but it’s artful work.”… more
California housing prices blow, our Governor has been taking it on his industrial-sized chin, and there’s a good chance that we’ve fucked up the planet permanently. Still, the early morning view from the new house does not suck… 20 minute commute to the Silicon Valley or 15 minutes to the beach. Can’t really beat California.… more
I was yelling at the stereo in the car this morning. It’s Peet’s Coffee, you see. My commute is just long enough for that large cup of black coffee to kick in which means as I near Cupertino, my mind is racing with a million caffeinated thoughts. This morning’s thought, “I hate all the music… more
I’ve been spending a good part of the past six months considering a move back to the mountains. Right now, I’m heading into my sixth year in Suburbia and, well, I can’t complain. The Burbs are like fast food… everything you want… conveniently located… and at a sensible price. Why screw with a good thing,… more
