Back (Briefly)

So, my life in Hawaii is actually quite close to what I wanted it to be, but someone thought I am a good CTO and invited me for an interview back to the Bay Area. Cool company, lots of problems in the product but nothing a good team couldn’t fix – and the money to do it, all of it. I am flying out tomorrow morning, returning on Wednesday. Of course, Friday will see me flying out again – to Honolulu, to get a complete check-up at the Kaiser clinic after my doctor here is afraid I might have had angina, precursors to a heart attack. Continue reading

Daughter of Fortune (I. Allende)

There is always something magical about South-American writers. They seem not to have forgotten how to write a novel – that it takes a story, then some chuzpa telling it, and a pinch of mystique in the presentation. All those things together make a compelling world in which you can get lost no matter where your physical self is. The young Marquez had the gift, as the gigantic Isabel Allende. When you read their stories, they sound a lot alike: full of characters that are always described with humor in the mind; redolent with thoughtful and thoroughly researched descriptions of worlds the author does not know; filled with tension that finds its release on time, and slowdowns that never last too long. Continue reading

One Week in Hilo

{moszoomimglink:Hilo side}A week at HauOli Mau and there is barely any visible change. Granted, I have spent a lot of time with my friends D and J, who came to visit over the long weekend, but I was hoping for more progress. Well, stay tuned!

2007-05-27 Visit

Imported Photo Album Continue reading

One Way

Et in Arcadia ego. How odd it was to buy a one-way ticket to Hilo, how odd it is to sit at the Starbucks and not have to check email or anything else. The morning was gorgeous, as if to make up for the short night. The plane was crowded, and getting out took forever, especially since this time around I had to check-in luggage – how else was I going to get the cherry jam to Paul and Charlie? Continue reading

San Francisco to Woodside and Back

My friend Stephen and I decided to spend the Friday zipping down the peninsula, scorning the more common Marin ride. S. was about to embark on a week-long trip to the Caribbean and needed a boost of workout before languishing lazily at the pool, checking out the Caribbean belles. We met at Peet’s on Market (which meant I had to log my sorry butt over the hills of San Francisco) and went from there. Continue reading

Comments by jellomizer@slashdot

Great but now can we learn from our past mistakes of the 1990’s? Mistake 1: Thinking IT is on top of the food chain. No we are not IT is on the bottom of the food chain we need to service everyone. You may get paid more then the other guy and you may be more skilled but who ever you are doing work for is your boss. Mistake 2: Not being professional. Continue reading

Mark Twain said…

A solemn, unsmiling, sanctimonious old iceberg who looked like he was waiting for a vacancy in the Trinity.

Autonomous Surveillance Camera

An interesting project for the house in Hawaii – something totally exciting because it’s easy to use, yet very marketable. Something I would need myself, and something I absolutely know how to build. It’s the perfect project for the time after I quit, hopefully tomorrow. My frustration with surveillance of my place in Ninole is growing. I never have the slightest idea in what state the house is, and it’s something I’d really like to know. Continue reading

Open Source Phone Network

Granted, this is not originally my idea, but I cannot find where I read about it, so please get in touch with me if you know the source. My frustration with mobile phone networks is growing. My own provider does a few nasty things: Voice mail setup is idiotic: you have to enter your password even if the call dropped and you get in again; you have to listen through the introductory message even though you know the menu options Contracts are bizarre: if you like the two year option, you’ll be happy, but why? Continue reading