Xmas in NYC, Day 5
Sorry for missing Day 4, folks, but we were having a bit too much fun to go anywhere near a computer to blog about it. Nyah, nyah, nyah. Yes, we’ve been busy. And been having fun. I mean, what else are you gonna do in …
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Xmas in NYC, Day 3 (aka Christmas Day)
Merry Ho Ho, everyone! Today, of course, is Christmas Day. We started our morning with a waltz down to breakfast in the hotel’s restaurants in our PJs. (Well, I wore clothes. I wouldn’t be allowed into most places with …
Xmas in NYC, Day 2
My dogs are barkin’. It’s been a day on my feet. A good day, to be sure, but a lot of walking, and a lot of standing. The same was true for Alex, and it would be for Mi Pequeña Niña if she hadn’t slept for a solid hour …
Xmas in NYC, Day 1, Part 2
Alex found Barnes and Noble without difficulty. Choosing what to buy? Now that’s difficult. Upon her return, Mi Pequeña Niña and I suited up for our little excursion — the “other” major toy store in …
Xmas in NYC, Day 1
Our first family Christmas away from Canada has ended up being colder than we expected it to be a mere couple of months ago. Back then, we were expecting to be in Costa Rica. But due to certain unforeseen circumstances, …
A Hangar Christmas
Although we’re still trying to figure out how to get the most basic things (like reliable phone service), we did manage to throw together a halfways-decent Christmas Party this year. I can take no credit for this …
We had another earthquake last night
As I was falling alseep, the windows rattled. The bed shook. A few other things skittered. ‘T weren’t no wind — we had another earthquake. I have no idea where this one came from, but it definitely woke me up. I think …
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No guarantees on going back
I hate to say it, but I saw this coming. When I signed the contract that put me down here in Costa Rica, there was a part of me that was yelling: “But what about when we come back?” Well, Jason just answered …
Holy upgrades, Batman!
I saw an interesting Tweet this morning from Mathew Ingram, a columnist for the Globe and Mail. He had just used the WordPress Automatic Upgrade plugin to update his install to version 2.7. Being a couple versions behind …
Spaghetti with Santa
We’re a little slow on the draw ’round here, folks — sorry about that! It’s been a little busy as of late, and trying to stay on top of news is more than a little challenging. Needless to say, gonna keep this one short. …
The Christmas season in Costa Rica
It’s now December. Any of you who have been following my Twitter feed know that Costa Rica not only started preparing for Christmas back in September, but that I’ve had a few problems comprehending that it’s actually the …
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Does the world need traffic lights?
This morning, as Mark and I drove to work (we carpool — there is no need for us to have separate cars when our apartments are barely 300 metres apart), we got caught in traffic (again) at this one particular intersection …
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We're fine
Yep, there was an earthquake here last night. Apparently 6.2 on the Richter scale. We slept through it, if that’s any indication. We were more worried about the strong winds this morning… [Update!] Okay, so after …
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My first coffee
Yes, you read that right. I drank coffee. Not a coffee-flavoured beverage, not something with Kahlua. Coffee. Real. Honest. Caffeinated. Those of you who know me are probably all thinking the same thing: Uh oh. I offer …
Sowrey's Law
Your firewall will explode once your (formerly poor) internet connection is stablised. (Tip o’ the hat to Ginger.)
Is the world really dying to see results from the US election?
Maybe not the entire world, but certainly the wired world — the people online. All day, ever since I logged on, I’ve seen Tweets, blog posts, momentiles, and the like about people who are absolutely dying to see the …
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Halloween in Costa Rica
…doesn’t really exist. Not in the way we gringos are used to seeing it, that is. Where we come from, decorations can rise to the level of an artform, and the single evening has evolved to the point where the only …
Blog or Die
There’s been a lot of talk lately about people saying you shouldn’t blog anymore. The arguments seem to break into two categories: Don’t blog because you probably have nothing interesting to say and no-one will read it …
The Network Connection
With all the problems we’ve been having down here, you eventually start to become inspired to find an outlet, a way of bringing forth all your frustrations and desires into a singular vision. For some, it is art, for …
I swear I'm going to kill my vendors
I don’t care what the excuse is, the reality is that I’m not getting service I expect from a vendor. I’ve been told that it’s just something I have to adapt to. That it’s the way things are done. That it’s a cultural …
My evolving job
When it was first proposed that I would come to Costa Rica and start up a new office, there were a lot of questions about how all this would be done. Starting a new office means running without the infrastructure that …
Canada, you can blame Calgary
Sigh. Well, thanks to the residents of Calgary Centre-North, Canada is now stuck with Jim Prentice again. And I’m just too darned tired to rant. Wasted effort at this point. But I reserve my right to call “I told …
Just say "no" to Prentice!
Okay Calgary, here’s your last reminder. It’s the big day. Make sure the Conservatives get the message: don’t ram bad laws on Canadians and expect that they won’t notice or remember. Don’t re-elect Prentice. Or I’ll be …
Thanksgiving in Costa Rica
It was always a foregone conclusion that we’d end up spending various holidays and celebrations doing things differently here. The ubiquitous summer long weekends (every month except June) are one thing, but when it …
Calgary - Vote "no" for Prentice!
Hi folks, it’s your friendly (but still pissed-off) Ex-Pat reminding you that with tomorrow’s federal election, you can send the message to Ottawa that poor legislation that places handcuffs on all Canadians will not be …
Hangin' out in Panama
I’m sitting near the edge of the illuminated blue-green pool, laptop burning a hole through my lap (as usual, the laptop is too wam to actually keep on a lap), spending some time outside while Mi Pequeña Niña is …
San José Airport is no fun after 8pm
Well, we’re here waiting at the airport for our flight to Panama. A flight that I’m not really looking forward to, only because I’d rather not to go Panama this weekend (would rather do this intentionally than being …
Actually, make that 18 things
Last week, barely hours after Independence Day here was over, the stores started switching over their wares from Mother’s Day (in August) to … Christmas decorations. Santa Claus is already in the aisles. This is …
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17 things I hate about Costa Rica
I don’t mean to have a longer “hate” list than I do a “love” list, but when you come to a new country, you have to expect a number of things to bug you. Sadly, I’ve ended up with a few more than …
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14 things I love about Costa Rica
Well, I’ve been in Costa for nearly two straight months now — this is the longest continuous time I’ve ever spent outside of Canada — and I think it’s high time to answer the two most often-asked questions that I get: …
Calgary, throw Jim Prentice out of office!
Dear Calgary, my former home, I have a reminder and a request for you. First, please remember that Jim Prentice, one of several MPs up for re-election in Calgary, will be running again in the October election. Second, …
Retraction - WordPress 2.6.2 did not break my site
I have to chalk this one up to network oddities, which is about the only thing I can think of. Everything seems fine now, and I’m humming away as usual. Still, odd.
Dear Canada, I'm going to break the law
Well, it would appear that short of an Act of God (or, heaven forbid, some actual common sense runs through Parliament), Bill C-61 will forever handcuff Canadians and prevent long-term technological evolution. It’s one …
WordPress 2.6.2 broke my blog
Gah. Did the upgrade. Images busted. Things broken. Admin panel might be toast. Gonna be a bit weird for a while. Sorry, folks.
Weekend at Tabacon
When Alex and I first came to Costa Rica 3.5 years ago, we went on a little packaged tour. The tour included a two-night (possible three-night — Alex and I are struggling to remember which it was) stay in the Arenal …
Steve Jobs blows it. Again.
Sigh. There’s nothing more frustrating than watching Apple come so close to finally tying the knot, only to leave threads dangling. I speak, of course, of yesterday’s Let’s Rock event where the apparently-not-dead (but …
Kids' music kinda sucks, but there is good stuff out there!
I remember kids music when I was young. A lot of it was Disney (or published by Disney), available on vinyl 45s that we played on our Mickey Mouse record player — you remember, the one where Mickey’s arm is the arm for …
Conservatives win the next Canadian federal election!
This isn’t a predictive headline, folks. This is truth. The Conservatives will win the election in October. I, as an Expat, can’t vote in it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t take at least a sense of interest in it. Or …
Butterflies and getting lost
You can only stay around Santa Ana for so long before you start to feel a little caged in. And given that Alex and Mi Pequeña Niña are here all day, every day, there was a distinct need to explore a bit beyond our …
I (heart) Google Chrome
Not 45 minutes ago, Google released their latest contribution to the internet: Chrome. This effectively ended years of speculation that Google was writing a browser, that it would throw its hat into the ring and kick off …
That's one small step for a baby...
Today is Alex’s and my third anniversary. Three years ago, I had no idea that I would one day be living in a different country, with a beautiful daughter, experiencing a totally different way of life. That is one of the …
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Happy first birthday, my daughter!
Hey kiddo! I know you’re not reading this on your first birthday — you can’t quite walk on your own right now, let alone read anything. So I have no idea how old you are now that you’re reading this. You could be 4, 14, …
Ole Ole Ole Ole Ticos Ticos
Last night, we were originally to be in Panama, having completed meetings with our client, discussing the next steps and planning out strategies. Over bottles of Panama Lager, of course. But as is well-known in the …
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A revenge-free Montezuma
Mother’s Day in Costa Rica doth not come in May, like we’re used to in North America. Here, it’s 15 August. This is the day (so I’ve read) that the Virgin Mary ascended to Heaven, and given that this is a very Roman …
U-turns are illegal in Costa Rica
Yesterday, just after noon, I went into the nearby ATH (A Todo Hora, which is the Costa Rican version of “ATM”) to check my Scotiabank balance. Lo and behold, after two weeks of wrangling account, Swift, …
Why the right tools matter
A few years ago, I went off to Japan to visit my friend Chris. I took along my (at the time) fancy digital camera: a Canon Pro 90 IS. Fancy in that it was big mega-pixels (for the time) and had an image stabiliser …
The IOC is living in a dream world
As I was skipping through my various feeds this morning, I came across the following quote from Jacques Rogge, President of the IOC: Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said the Games …
My new 1998-era Nokia TDMA cell phone
Note today’s date: 8 August 2008. That’s (almost) two months since we first came to Costa Rica. Two months ago, we tried to start getting things like cars, bank accounts, work visas (a fairly significant need), and cell …
The phones I ordered finally showed up
Augh. I called it yesterday, when I got my new cell phone. A month ago, we ordered phones over the internet. They were shipped US Postal Service. They entered Costa Rica on 8 July. And then sat in customs. When I got my …
My Canon Rebel XT doesn't work
It’s weird. I’m not sure what it is. When I was in Panama a few weeks ago, I was out happily snapping pictures when, for reasons I simply don’t understand, the auto-focus stopped working. My first thought was …
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Weekend in Punta Leona
I had promised Alex that the second weekend we were in Costa Rica would be spent away from our apartment. I just had to find the right place to go. So I spent a fair bit of time working out the location, time to get to …
Walking and Talking
There’s a whole host of milestones that parents go through. When children are young — such as newborns and infants — you sometimes have to look for the little things that mark growth and progress. (This is something, …
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Finally got my box!
Way back in June — the 13th, to be specific (I guess that should have been a first sign, eh?) — I packed up a whack of things on my desk to bring down to Costa Rica. TeamMG (Mary and Morgan) arranged for this to be …
RIP, Sean Lineham
Today, I arrived back in Costa Rica with my family in tow. Little did I know that my “other” family — my friends and colleagues back in Calgary, were facing quite the tragedy. I found out no sooner than I …
In Hazy Burlington
Our last day in Calgary — yesterday — was filled mostly by me repacking all of our bags so we could fly out, and then the actual travel here to Burlington, Ontario. We’re here to visit with family (today is Alex’s family …
All packed up with somewhere to go
Well, so much for an easy day. I suppose I was asking for that, eh? We left the hotel a little later than planned, and the movers (three guys in their 20s) and the two cleaners were already at our front door engaged in …
A Moving Birthday
When we started planning this crazy little excursion to Costa Rica oh-so-many months ago, there was always the need for me to leave in advance of my family, and then come back to get them. The logistics of making …
Buying a car in Costa Rica
We tried to survive without cars. Really. We took taxis everywhere, and suffered due to the language barrier and an unfamiliar taxi system. (We’ve been unable to get taxis when we need them — baffling, when you see them …
One week to go
I’ve been in Costa Rica for over three weeks now. Three weeks away from Alex and Mi Pequeña Niña. Each day has been a challenge being so far away from them. The longest I’d ever been away before was six days. Six short …
Cost of living in Costa Rica
I’ve had a few people tell me about how great it is to be living in Costa Rica, and how much cheaper it is to live here. Some people know from a little bit of experience, but others are making the assumption — it’s not …
Where you should go on your next vacation
So you’ve been around a bit. You’ve been to Costa Rica, Honduras, Belize, Hawaii. You’ve seen a lot, but are finding the same problem again and again and again — everyone else has already been there. They’ve done it, so …
Misconceptions on learning Spanish
I remember when I was back in university. As part of my English degree, I was told that I had to take two languages. Literally, different languages, not just something that was culturally different (a couple of friends …
Where I've been for the last few days
I’m in Panama. Been here since Tuesday afternoon. Been really, really busy. So far, the biggest problem I’ve had here (aside from the aforementioned busy-ness and subsequent inability to talk to my family), is that I’ve …
Second weekend in Costa Rica
You might be wondering: Gee, Geoff, where are all the posts you had for Costa Rica? Well, it’s not that I don’t want them up, it’s an issue of timing. I can’t really go into that right now, but let’s just say that this …
First weekend in Costa Rica
Last week was a rough one. It’s almost hard to believe we’ve only been here a week now. (A week ago right now, I was in the lobby of our hotel, chatting with Jason and Javier, waiting for our realtors to come and whisk …
It's Mañana Time!
We’re slowly getting ourselves up-to-speed down here. But the reality is that things are not happening at anywhere near the speed we’re used to. This was something we were warned about — you need to relax and allow …
Setting up the office
Getting everything going here is a bit of a challenge. There’s a lot to do, and we’re starting from scratch. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. There’s currently four people down here working on all this, and only one of them is …
Starting life in Costa Rica
Think of when you went to university / college. You pack your things into a few bags, move to a new place you don’t know, into a place you think is far too expensive for what you’re getting, and then have to go out and …
How to bring a pet into Costa Rica, Simplified
Okay, so a while back I was having kittens (pun intended) about bringing Asia into Costa Rica. Mostly because I simply could not seem to get a straight answer from anyone about the proper process. It was driving me …
Alive and sick in Costa Rica
As you might have seen on my Tweets this morning, I’m alive in Costa Rica. But I’m not “well”. My daughter gave me a parting gift — a nasty head cold. Fortunately, it didn’t kick in until I arrived here, …
Enroute with the cat
Well, we’re on our way. I was up until almost midnight last night packing. Was originally thinking three bags, but went down to two. Which is good, because apparently I’d have been denied the third bag. As it stands, the …
Farewell, dear Mini
I am a broken man. For I have sold my Mini. This is, truly, a sad day. It had to happen. It was just a matter of when. The moment Alex got pregnant, the ticker started on time left with my beloved 2002 Mini Cooper. …
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Lastday. Gemini 13s. Year of the Company 2008. Carousel begins.
I’ve been with Critical Mass (Canada) for 8 years. Eight years, two months, and 9 days. Today is my last day. Sorta. On Sunday, I leave for Costa Rica. Although I am working for another company, I’m still technically …
An open letter to Jim Prentice
Dear “Honourable” Jim Prentice, Allow me to express my sincerest feelings when I say you are responsible for fucking over the Canadian people. This bill you are introducing this morning — likely as I write …
One last lunch with the team
For all intents and purposes, I’m off the Rolex team. I’m still on their resource sheet, but the reality is that I haven’t done sqwat with the Rolex account for over a couple of weeks now. It’s all been transferred to …
T minus 5 days
I’m beginning to know what a shuttle launch must feel like. Anxiety about what could go wrong, the knowledge that once the launch happens that there is little to do but hang on, that when you’re in orbit you’re pretty …
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Basement renovation almost complete
Sigh. Just in time for us to leave the house, too. Oh well, at least it’ll improve the overall value of the place, right? Here are the before/after pictures. Because it’s important to know what we’ve done here. We …
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On Cats, Wire Transfers, Death, and Taxes
This moving thing is no fun. Not at all. Yes, Costa Rica is a nice country, with nice people, and we’re arranging a very nice place to live, but the act of getting there is far more work than I could have imagined. We …
Web Analytics Porn
So this morning, I’m scanning through my Twitter feeds on Twhirl, and I came across a rather interesting note by Dave Fleet, which said: @cspenn planning to install it tonight. Waiting for the confirmation email. …
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Renovations nearing completion!
It’s been a long, hard slog since all this began a year ago. Demolition, plumbing, heating, framing, electrical, gas, contractor nightmares, self-realisation, and now the end of the tunnel is fully lit. This weekend, …
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Getting my Birth Certificate shouldn't be this hard
One part of moving to any other country is the act of applying for a work visa. It’s pretty much a requirement where treaties (e.g. the European Union) aren’t there to ease the situation. A necessary evil, if you will. …
Is America ready for Obama + Clinton?
I love American politics. It’s my form of WWE — all the cheers and jeers with all the spectacle to go along with it. One day, I think the American presidency will go the way of the President of the Galaxy from …
Bringing my cat into Costa Rica
We’re bringing Asia with us. Not the continent; she’s our cat. We don’t want to part with her. She’s a wonderful pet and truly part of the family. She was our first baby before Mi Niña Pequeña came along. Giving her up …
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I finally got a new watch!
I had said I wanted a Rolex. I still do, really. I love the GMT Master II, the Submariner, and the Milgauss. But here’s the sad reality: I can’t afford one. I tried. I really did, but the finances weren’t working in my …
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T minus 14 days to Costa Rica
Yeah, I’m back in Calgary, but this is only for the last bit before moving down (semi-)permanently. We have a place to live. That’s important, because it’s a place to go to. That would make this move even harder. But …
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Costa Rican Interviews, Day 1
A tropical depression in the north of the country has created our weather woes of the last few days, and a heck of a downpour this morning. Following our usual breakfast run, Joaquin arrived to pick the three of us up at …
Finding a Costa Rican Casa, Day 3
Yesterday, I was pretty convinced that I was hooped — there was no way that I was going home to Canada with a place all squared away. The task just seemed close to impossible. It’s amazing what 24 hours can do, though. …
Finding a Costa Rican Casa, Day 2
I knew today was going to be awkward when I woke up. Based on the conversation I’d had with Alex last night, none of the houses we’d seen on Day 1 were at all suitable. Either way too large, in not-so-nice areas (e.g. …
Funny things in emails
I got into a fairly typical email exchange with Paul, one of our Release Engineers. Since I’m no longer on Rolex, I wanted to be taken off the email lists. This was how it went down: Me: Hey Paul, Now that Torin’s …
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Finding a Costa Rican Casa, Day 1
Oy. It’s been a really long day. Didn’t sleep great last night (long travels tend to do that to me if I’m not traversing a dozen or so timezones, in which case passing out is a snap). Got up early thanks to the engine …
Back in Costa Rica
Years ago, I used to think business travel was glamourous. You got to go to far-flung places, see different things, and engage in activities you just don’t do at home. Then I started going on business trips. I learned …
There's nothing quite like a good ego boost
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been approached by a number of organisations looking for “talent”. (I use the term loosely, mostly because I don’t really see myself as “talented”. I like to …
ScribbleLive - Live Blogging Done Right!
Late last month, I had the chance to go to the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco. On behalf of my co-workers, I blogged notes from the event to make sure that they had the benefit of getting the information in as much detail …
It's the end of the world as we know it...
…and I feel, well, okay. Maybe not necessarily “fine”. Critical Mass has done a bit of a reorganisation. I emphasise “a bit”. Mostly because this is not the radical shifts we’ve seen in the …
The beginning of the end?
Allard pulled me aside this afternoon. Big changes are coming. It’s not the first time we’ve seen big changes at Critical Mass. We’ve seen them before, as they’ve needed to take place. They’ve usually been for the better …
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No, I'm not going to be working on a beach
It’s funny the number of people who now ask me if they can come with us to Costa Rica. They congratulate me and make it sound like it’s going to be fun, sand, and cervesa all the time. News flash, folks — we ain’t …
I'm leaving Critical Mass
I’ve been at Critical Mass for 8 years, 1 month, and 5 days. That’s a long time to be a one place. I never thought I’d be here that long. Two years, max, and I’d move on. (Heck, I was originally supposed to go with Chris …
What have you done with Spock's brain?
One of the hard parts about leaving any group is passing your legacy off to someone else. It doesn’t matter if it’s a short-term thing (e.g. vacation) or a long-term thing (e.g. leaving the company). It still has to …
Things to do before moving
Moving within a city is a snap. It’s a lot of work, yes, but logistically it’s not a big deal. You disconnect some services, sign them up at a new location, move your phone numbers, arrange your mail, and then move your …
Thundercats are go!
The contract is signed. It’s as official as it gets until my feet stand on Costa Rican soil. Most everything was already 99% assured, but until my name appeared on a legal document, there were still a whack of questions. …
Letting the toucan out of the coffee sack
Finally, after many, many weeks of discussion (and far more email than I’d care to think about), it’s semi-official. (Hey, it’s better than “still in the works”.) The fact that I’m moving to Costa Rica has …
Privatize Calgary Transit
I was recently out in the United Kingdom on vacation. If you know my travel habits, you know I rarely stay in one place for long — I like to move around. (Yes, this often fuels or is fueled by my mild obsession with …
Renovations Update
Since we went off world-hopping, a lot has happened. That’s not to say the basement is done yet. Sadly, we had hoped for completion by May. A couple of starting delays, and then a labour disruption with our contractor …
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Web 2.0 Expo - Casual Privacy
Last session of the conference. And yes, another Schill recommendation. But this one I wanted to go to as well. We always have this problem — how to let people know something is private without the fear of …
Web 2.0 Expo - Capacity Planning for Web Operations
Schill suggested I go to this one as well. Again, mostly because Schill knows the guy, but given how this is perennial problem for us as well, it couldn’t hurt to see how Flickr handles the problem. Presenter: John …
Web 2.0 Expo - Even Faster Web Sites
Hanging out with Schill today, and he’s giving me some really great suggestions on what to see. Although the CM team did suggest something different, he’s saying we should see this one. Naturally, Schill knows the guy, …
Web 2.0 Expo - Bling Bling, Marketing and Monetizing through Social Applications
The name partly disinterested me, but I wanted to attend this one because of the needs for social marketing that we haven’t really nailed down yet. Presenter: Ro Choy, rockyou! RockYou! has successfully deployed several …
Web 2.0 Expo - Widgets Growing Up
Not much to report here. It’s a panel, and not a particularly interesting one, sadly. On the bright side, this room has great connectivity!
Web 2.0 Expo - Ontologies for the Internet
Definitely not my strong point. But I wanted to go to this given all the working in tagging as of late. Presenter: Duane Nickull folksonomies became powerful quickly because people got tired of waiting for the so-called …
Web 2.0 Expo - Friday Keynote
Maybe it’s just me, but running keynotes every single day of a conference seems really silly, and waters down the value of the concept of a keynote. But I digress. Either way, this morning features Tim O’Reilly (again), …
Web 2.0 Expo - Creating a Coherent Social Strategy for Buiness
Oy. I can’t seem to get a decent connection to anything anymore. Too many people with wireless connections. They’ve got big-ass routers, but it ain’t helping. Gonna stay offline for reliability. Presenters: Charlene Li …
Web 2.0 Expo - The Dark Side of Ajax
Room is huge and darn near packed. I get the feeling this is gonna be a good one. I think I’m going to have to type quickly for this one. Presenter: Jacob West (Fortify Software) Jacob runs the security research group …
Web 2.0 Expo - Website Psychology
Debated between this one and learnings from Twitter. Felt that maybe this one might be more … insightful. Gotta learn to stop listening to my gut instinct. Presenter: Gavin Bell Gavin’s background is cognitive …
Web 2.0 Expo - Adding "Where" to Mobile and Web Applications
Last session before lunch. Freaking hungry (no boiled eggs at breakie this morning). Might take off a bit early to get a jump on lunch and battery charging. Presenter: Ryan Sarver Context is about location — what’s …
Web 2.0 Expo - Designing for a Web of Data
Only session of the morning. We break for lunch, then more sessions this afternoon. Sorry for all the delays in getting these posted. It seems that while the wireless strength to connect is pretty good (there are hubs …
Web 2.0 Expo - Wednesday morning keynotes
Unlike other conferences I’ve been to, they seem to have a lot of keynotes. Strikes me as a little odd. The only real person who do a “true” keynote would be O’Reilly, since he coined this term in the first …
South Park pub crawl
Well, wasn’t much of a “crawl”, at least for me. Met up with Jim at the Expo hall, about 20 minutes before they closed the floor. (What’s with closing the Expo hall at 4, anyway?) Skipped the keynote. Went to …
I'm on Twitter
Sigh. I gave in. Communicating at this conference seems to require it.
Blogging woes will delay postings
Just in case you’re following the threads from Web 2.0 Expo, they’re gonna be a little delayed today, folks. First of all, I had my Firefox suddenly kak out and took all my notes from the first session with it. Furious …
Web 2.0 Expo - Community Building - Good, Bad, and Ugly
And the fun continues. Another morning at the conference, and another day of hard-core typing. I’m also up on Twitter now (le sigh), so you can get some notes as I go along. Presenters: Dawn Foster (Jive Software), …
Some observations on the Web 2.0 Expo
Being here solo, you can’t help but notice things that go on around you. (Hey, you gotta keep yourself interested/occupied somehow, right?) First off, it’s pretty easy to see who is actually working in the Web 2.0 world …
Web 2.0 Expo - Building Next Generation Web 2.0 Applications
In the afternoon session today, I’m going to learn what it’ll take to build the next generation of apps. I’m curious to see what they’ve got to say. Presenter: Dion Hinchcliffe Room is about 90% full, compared to …
The Obligatory Vacation Recap
In the few minutes I have before I dive back into another conference session, figured I’d cover some of the items of our last vacation. This was a 2.5 week excursion mostly to Scotland, with a few days in England. Alex …
Web 2.0 Expo - Cross-Cultural User-Experience Design
Notes from the Web 2.0 Expo. This is on the Cross-Cultural presentation. Presenter: Aaron Marcus (Aaron Marcus and Associates) Waiting for presentation, have heard several languages besides English (in a hands-up poll, …
At the Web 2.0 Expo
Despite the sobering realisation that I’d forgot to actually register for this conference before coming (this is what happens when you try to do do much before going on a 2.5 week vacation, only to return for one day …
Ah, snow, my old friend
Late arriving in San Francisco, no thanks to an incoming snowstorm in Calgary. The deicing truck broke down mid-hose, and we had to wait 30 minutes for another one. But it gave me more time to have an interesting chat …
On the way to San Fran
I haven’t even been in Calgary for 48 hours and I’m already on my way out again. It’s been a long day at the office, and the day ain’t over. To point: Every time I go on vacation, fit hits the shan. Makes me regret …
Last full day on Iona
I’m back at the St. Columba Hotel again — the only place on the island with an internet connection, it seems — enjoying my last day here on Iona. The weather over the last few days has improved considerably, even though …
Life on Iona
Well, we’re into Day 2 on our Iona Community experience. Thus far it’s been … well, chilly. The weather here is reminiscent of something we tried to leave back home. Only windier with the sea dampness to add to …
Back in cloudy London-town
Will keep this short. Really bad terminal. Flight went well though not much sleep. got bags but BA damaged stroller. head to oban tomorrow.
WordPress 2.5 + K2 RC4 = Bad News
Le sigh. I had this problem [[WordPress 2.2.1 broke my site!|when I updated my WordPress to 2.2.1]]: WordPress and K2 stopped talking. Sort of like a bad relationship. Given, the two products are made by entirely …
I have a steak hangover
Last night I had the opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time — eat at Ruth’s Chris Steak House. We got one in Calgary a few months ago. It’s built into the base of the Calgary Tower, on the …
Anyone going to Web 2.0 Expo?
Yep, one of my “favourite” buzzwords, Web 2.0, now has a conference thanks to O’Reilly — the same folks who came up with the buzzword in the first place. This is the Expo, not the Summit, which although …
Anyone know what Terminal 4 at Heathrow is like right now?
We leave for Scotland via London Wednesday evening, on BA 102. We arrive, according to British Airways’ information, at Terminal 4. I consider this a good thing, given that Terminal 5 is a living nightmare right now. …
Why I pick on Microsoft
You’ve probably noticed a few posts about Microsoft on this site. Most of them are rants. And, indeed, there are those who’ve noticed me picking on Microsoft on Experience Matters as well. (Certainly, Neil‘s noticed it …
I hate going on vacation
I get four weeks of vacation a year. It’s not a lot, especially now that I have a family that I want to spend lots of time with. But you make do with what you have, right? My problem isn’t so much the lack of time I have …
How much of the internet is a waste of time?
So the other day, one of my coworkers starts laughing about how there’s this video out there, two somewhat-scantily clad women with tinfoil-wrapped boxes on their heads, doing a choreographed “dance” to Daft …
Renovations renewed
Well, as you already know, I’ve accepted the fact that I cannot renovate my own home. I’m neither skilled enough, nor have the time to handle it. (As it stands, there is considerable discussion that I’m not spending …
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On my way home
Well, the wedding’s done, Tamara and Dan are wed, and pretty much everyone is pooped. The bridal party was out late the night before, the groom’s group was fairly tired, and I’m just beat from all the running around. My …
Back in Vegas
It’s been nearly a dozen years since I was last (and first) in Las Vegas. It’s been a long time, and this city has changed a lot since I was here last. And not all for the good, I should say. If you’ve watched CSI, …
There was an election?
Yep, believe it or not, there was an election in Alberta yesterday. Provincial. New MLAs, new premier (in theory), all that jazz. In most provinces, it’s usually time of actual change — old regimes are voted out, new …
CMMYs 2008 (in review)
Last night was our annual awards show: the CMMYs. I have no idea what the last “MY” stand for, if anything at all. I know it’s meant to sound like the “Emmys”, just without all the pomp and …
To Mac or not to Mac?
So recently, I went on a little experiment. I’m an Apple fan-boy, I admit it. I love Apple stuff. I want a Mac. I want to be one of those cool people. I have a Dell. It’s very business-oriented. It’s not fancy. It has no …
80th Oscars
Well, the annual Oscars show has come and gone again. And I almost missed it this time! It was by mere fluke that I happened to come across the E-Talk Red Carpet pre-show tonight. If I hadn’t caught it during a brief …
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This ain't no man-cold
When I woke up yesterday, I felt fine. By noon, the sniffles had set in. At 15:00, I had that queasy feeling telling me a cold was coming on. When I got home, I was congested and achy. That was just the start. Didn’t …
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Tech Summit, Day 2
Day 2 got off to a lousy start. I was sick. Nastily so. At first, I thought it was a hangover (I might have had — perhaps — one beer too many last night). But I realised very quickly that this was not, in fact, a …
Tech Summit, Day 1
Tech Summits are dicey things. Sort of like trying to catch a greased pig. You can see it, you can describe it, but it’s a pain to pin down and hold still. It has a life of its own and just as soon as you get your head …
In Chicago
Well, I’m back in Chicago again. Currently in the “Missile Command” meeting room (all the meeting rooms here are named after video games). We’re staying at the Hard Rock Hotel (pretty much right across the …
Solids and Teeth
About two weeks or so ago, I witnessed my first semi-solid poop. Yes, believe it or not, as a parent this is big news. You talk about poop a lot. Too much, really, but it’s because it’s one of the best ways to identify …
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Wireless photography rocks!
I’ll keep this one quick (mostly ‘cuz I gotta run home ASAP), but I finally got my shipment from B&H Photo today, which included my new Lumix FX-30 (yes, I intentionally chose an older model) and an Eye-Fi card. The …
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Read this book
Are you getting into digital photography? Wish that your pictures looked better? I know I do. Every time I see one of those pro shots — especially if they were taken in a place I’ve taken a picture — I wonder how they …
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Minus Forty Eight
That’s the temperature right now. With the wind chill. My knees are numb. My thighs are pink blocks of frozen flesh. I think my eyeballs fogged over when I walked in the office. Going home is going to be about as much …
Up-coming travel
I love travelling — I honestly believe that I don’t do enough of it. Always makes me feel more energised, and sitting on my duff all day long really makes me pine for it. So I’m lucky to be getting around a bit in the …
My father, I am not
Sorry, Dad, but there are some things that I will not be able to live up to. Some things that I realise I cannot do. Some things that I cannot be. Today, I had my ego carved out of me with a dull spoon and splayed out on …
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Do you know the way to San Jose?
I love challenge. I love adventure. And I love to travel. If you’ve been reading this blog, you already know that. Critical Mass is giving me an opportunity to do all three. It’s going to shake up my life a lot (not to …
How to get good portability
Yesterday, I drooled over the MacBook Air. At least until I found out that it has an integrated battery. Then I sulked in a corner. I still have the fundamental problem: How do I get good portability? The answer still …
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Sleepy
Slowly, I’m beginning to understand what Alex goes through in a given day. Yes, I am a father and I do try to take an active part of my child’s life. But reality is, I’m at work most of the wee one’s waking day. Two to …
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Top 25 Trains
The Society of International Railway Travelers just released their list of the Top 25 Trains in the world. I really gotta remember to join this group. Anyway, they put the following: North America Canadian (Canada) Royal …
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The word is "ba"
Vocalisation comes at a young age. Mostly it’s inarticulate vowel sounds. Every so often, you’ll get a glottal sound mixed in there, but the cooing is rarely little more than “ayooooeeiioaaaaaaauuuueeee” in …
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A bullet train in Calgary?
I just came across a rather … well, odd article on CBC.ca. It’s a blueprint for 2018. Apparently, the Calgary City council thinks that there should be a bullet train from here to Fort McMurray. Someone’s been …
Hello, unlimited wireless data in Canada!
Until today — 12:42 MT, to be exact — I had a particularly negative view of the Canadian mobile market. Generally, I expected the Big 3 telcos to basically keep screwing over us little folk, and continue to treat Canada …
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Timetracker is dead!
Critical Mass is a service company. We don’t produce anything physical that we can sell — it’s all time. We build websites, yes, but it’s the time it takes us to make them that counts. Shortly before I started at …
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2008 Predictions - History Repeating
This was originally posted at http://experiencematters.criticalmass.com/. The site is no longer active. The word is about, there’s something evolving Whatever may come, the world keeps revolving They say the next big …
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2007, A Year in Review
I just realised — after I’d already posted this year’s review — that this is the 10th one I’ve done. Ten years already! Man… I’ve been doing this longer than I’d thought! It’s that time of the year again — to look …
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