Terminology (from xkcd)

I like this thought from xkcd:

Back on Facebook (but not Twitter)

Ok, I don't want to miss the boat.  So I have reactivated my Facebook account.  I'm still not very convinced of its value, but I am talking to a few folks with whom I had lost touch.  And there is a certain voyeuristic thrill in reading what other people put on there (even if they want you to read them).

But still no Twitter.  I refuse to use it or look at it.  The site went down yesterday - again.  It's very common, apparently.

I liked this article from over a year ago:  Twitter is Down: 15 Alternative Things to Do.  The list is good (well, at least number 15 is good):

1. Talk about Twitter being down on FriendFeed
2. Talk about Twitter being down onFacebook
3. Talk about Twitter being down over IM
4. Leave a comment on a blog post about Twitter being down (preferably this one)
5. Talk about Twitter being down via text message
6. Talk about Twitter being down over email
7. Tip TechCrunch that Twitter is down
8. Write your own blog post about Twitter being down (for an example, see this blog post)
9. Talk about Twitter being down on Pownce Plurk
10. Talk about Twitter being down on Identi.ca
11. Talk about Twitter being down internally on Yammer
12. Think about Twitter being down
13. Call an actual friend to talk about Twitter being down
14. Invite an actual friend over to talk about Twitter being down
15. Go outside

A good day in the courts

Yesterday U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker issued a 136-page decision striking down California's Prop. 8, which had outlawed same-sex marriage in the state.  The decision, available here, concludes that there is no moral or legal reason to ban same-sex marriage and that doing so violates the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution.

This is a true victory for equal rights, akin to decisions like Brown v. Board of Education.  The legal process is just beginning, but it is beginning in the right way.

Sleepy dog

We have noticed something very interesting about Daisy.  She is a bit sleepy, like most dogs.  But we have found the real way to get her to go to bed.

During the hockey season, we watch a lot of Sharks games.  The two announcers, Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda, are an excellent broadcasting team.  Similarly, during the baseball season, we watch a lot of Giants games, and we love the broadcasts by Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow.

But whenever either one of those types of games come on, and the familiar tones of Randy and Drew or Kruk and Kuip come out of the tv, Daisy falls asleep.

I like to think it is a comfort level, not that the games are boring.

Half Moon Bay - perfect weather

We went down to Half Moon Bay over the weekend.  The weather was gorgeous, so we took our convertible and headed down the coast.

Here's a look from one side of the beautiful Ritz-Carlton hotel:

Here's a view from the other side, looking at the 18th hole of the Old Course:

And here's one of my favorite (non) golfers:

She did make a really nice 30-foot putt, though, so there is still hope.

Happy Birthday Susan!

My lovely sister-in-law Susan is celebrating a birthday today.  She has had a tough year, so I hope she has a really wonderful day today with her family.

We love you, Susan, and we are thinking of you all the time.  Happy birthday!

Watches - No. 2

This watch is from the 1996 Olympics that were held in Atlanta.  It honors Edwin Moses, the great hurdler:

The band has a series of photos of him in sequence jumping hurdles, and the face has a "WR" for world record, which he set four times:

Here's a look at the back, which has his signature and reference to the gold medals he won at the 1976 and 1984 Olympics.  It notes that from 1977 to 1987, he never lost a race, winning 122 in a row:

My favorite part is, however, is on the bottom of the strap, where it says "I don't really see the hurdles. I sense them like a memory."

One of my favorite watches.