I went to the English Beat concert at the Del Mar racetrack last night with some pals. It was all free (I didn't even have to pay for parking) and it was a blast.
Labels: events
Labels: events
Defcon was good. I was just there for a few hours on Sat night and Sunday morning, but I had a good time at the IO Active-sponsored party, which was a Freakshow circus theme.
And yes, since so many of my readers sent me snarky, quizzical emails on the topic... I will concede that it is a male-dominated uber-geek-fest. But that's why it is awesome! Really. If you've never partied with geeks, you probably have no idea what I mean. I have partied with both "cool kids" and geeks and I think the geeks are almost always more fun when there is a large group and a lot of alcohol. There's just less self consciousness with the geeks. I don't mean to perpetuate stereotypes, but it seems to me that rather than the alcohol having the effect of inducing fighting and agression (as it does with the jocks) it tends to induce dancing in the geeks.
I would have liked to have seen more of the presentations... I caught a few minutes of some of the talks on Sunday, but I didn't have a badge so things were a little difficult. Most of the presentations were completely above my head from a technical perspective, but I grasped some and would be interested in learning more.
I would have liked to have seen some of the more "hands on" demos. Not that I ever want to learn how to perpetrate one of these crimes. Instead, I look at it as research to better understand the scenarios so that we can protect against them. It also gives me some insight into the mind of the anarchical hacker. Too bad the Subway Hackers got blocked. The ideas and information is still out there -- the court injunction was completely worthless as far as trying to stop the information
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I went with my friend Bruce to the Northwest Music Festival today. There were several different types of folk music, lots of busking, and lots of patchouli in the air. Let's just put it this way: this is not my scene. I was forced into folk music as a kid, and I have very few warm and fuzzy feelings about hammered dulcimer-based music. Still, it was fun hanging out and people watching. It takes all kinds!
After the folk music fiasco, I went to see the touring broadway production of High School Musical. It was fantastic: so heartwarming! There was a totally fun vibe in the theatre: lots of happy tweener girls playing hand-clapping games during intermission. It seemed like the most of the audience was dressed in pink; really cute.
For Labor Day, MAS and I went over to Bainbridge island, which is a short ferry ride from Seattle. If you take your car on the ferry, it costs about $35 to cross and return. Though it was definitely still summer, the day was a bit overcast. We went for a couple of short walks at a few of the island's many parks.
I hosted our going away party on Saturday. If we had waited for someone else to host a party, there may not have been one. This is not because we're terminally un-cool... it is because there are very few people who seem to enjoy hosting others. But I love it; I find it exhilarating and invigorating. I enjoy bringing people together.
Looking back, I think that we've had very successful, and very interesting parties in San Diego. This is undoubtedly due to the very interesting people with whom we came in contact during our tenure here. In fact, our parties are known for being the meeting place of the an eclectic group of people.
This party was no different. There are older people, younger people, people from different backgrounds with different viewpoints, there was also an early shift and a late shift. And there's very little overlap from party to party. I can count on one hand the overlap folks who have attended multiple, and/or successive parties. It is both their loss and my gain -- since we get the benefit of new blood at each party, and that enriches our conversations and experiences.
I wonder how long it will be before I have enough friends and acquaintances in Seattle to throw a party in the new apartment! I am looking forward to the possibilities.
Went to the Opening Day of the Del Mar Races this year. Opening day is Hat Day, so lots of people show off their fabulous hats.
Here's the link to my photo gallery.
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MAS and I went to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) 2007 trade show. This is the largest coffee-related trade show in the United States.
Michael received some props from a San Diego home roaster, Joe Be More Behmor who won the best new product award.
We saw some beautifully crafted and shiny coffee equipment. I took a few photos, even though people are really discouraged from photography (due to the pre-retail release nature of certain products.) Here's a link to my small photo gallery.
Labels: events