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November 30, 2005

"Nobody Bikes In L.A."

I've been behind on my podcasts, but as it turns out the Slate Daily Podcast ran a great piece on Monday's episode ("Nobody Bikes In L.A.", MP3 Available) where columnist Andy Bowers tries riding his bicycle to and from work in Los Angeles:

Instead of the major thoroughfares I use when driving, I cycled quiet back streets - the kind that infuriate me in a car because of all the stop signs and the impossibility of crossing major streets without a signal. I found my commute so easy that I soon started looking for other short trips I could make on the bike - picking up a few groceries, going to the gym, returning library books - then longer ones. I plotted new stealth routes no driver would ever take.

The article really touched a nerve with me, because Bowers's experiences with L.A. on his bicycle are so similar to mine as I walk around Seattle. It's such a great thing to get out of your car, off the main drag, and around your local community. It's invigorating, educational, and, in many cases, much more rewarding than you might think.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 30, 2005 12:59 PM.
Posted to Transit. Permalink for this entry.

Two Days Of MLR

I'm in day-long MLR sessions for both today and tomorrow, holed up here in Building 31 with my classmates.

MLR is shifting gears, and kicking off the team projects today. Our teams were assigned to us via e-mail last week, and we were presented with a list of initiatives that our teams will be allowed to bid on. In some ways, this works a lot like the UW BCN stuff, in that you have 'student teams' that are putting points toward 'consulting projects'; the high bidders get the prize.

I've said before that MLR is a lot like "Business School, Year 3", and I gotta tell ya - today is really driving that home. There was a fair amount of reading that we were asked to do before coming to class, so there I was, sitting in my office yesterday, feet up on the desk, going through the 1/2" stack of double-sided materials with an orange highlighter ... and suddenly was hit with this monster b-school flashback.

Be warned: you can run from the Harvard cases, but you can't hide.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 30, 2005 8:25 AM.
Posted to MSFT. Permalink for this entry.

November 27, 2005

"The End Of Suburbia"

I recommend that you add "The End Of Suburbia" to your NetFlix queue. (And thanks to Richard for the tip!)

In the vein of pop-documentaries like "Super Size Me" and "The Corporation", "The End Of Suburbia" talks about what the end of inexpensive, plentiful oil is going to do the American economy and way of life. One of the things it does quite well is make the case that the suburbs, as we have known (and come to revere) them, are in real danger of being depopulated as transportation costs begin rising.

It's a quickie, 90-minute flick, and the interviews are with some pretty heavyweight folks. There's not a lot of "new news" in it (after all, most rational folks would recognize that people commuting 50 or 100 miles from their jobs is a totally untenable, unsustainable activity). As the world hits peak oil production and the economies of China and India come online, we Americans are going to find ourselves paying ever-higher prices for ever-dwindling supplies of irreplaceable fuels - and our lifestyles will need to adapt in a hurry.

It's sobering and eye-opening. Not a "date movie", but watch it anyhow.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 27, 2005 5:45 PM.
Posted to Entertainment | Transit. Permalink for this entry.

Alweg Monorail: Hosed

One other, marathon-related fact: the historic Alweg Monorail that connects downtown and Seattle Center is totally out of action as of last night. The two cars smashed in to one another yesterday evening, thus fusing the two together and causing the blue one to list. Marathon participants (who were staying at the Westin, about 1 mile from the start line) were originally planning to use the monorail to get to the start.

The photo you're seeing was taken by Yours Truly as I walked down 5th Avenue this morning.

The Times has a bit on it ("Monorail trains collide") with some of the facts:

The crash at about 7:10 p.m. sent glass flying to the street. It took nearly an hour to evacuate the 84 passengers on board the two trains. Firefighters escorted them individually down fire-truck ladders extended to the trains about 25 feet above the sidewalk.

There were no serious injuries, but two people were taken to the hospital to be checked out, said Helen Fitzpatrick, spokeswoman for Seattle Fire Department.

(Boy, when we say "no monorail" in this town, the universe listens, huh?)

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 27, 2005 5:36 PM.
Posted to Politics | Transit. Permalink for this entry.

A Walk To Remember

Wallking all 13.1 miles of the Seattle Half Marathon took Elaine and me 3 hours, 30 minutes, and 28 seconds. And it was a total blast.

Knowing that traffic would be insane down at Memorial Stadium (and it was), we elected to walk from my place on Cap Hill, leaving around 6:30. Even with the Starbucks stop on 15th, we were at the start line around 7:15.

The Half Marathon started at 7:30; the Half Marathon Walk began 15 minutes later. Surprisingly, I ran in to a handful of friends while milling around (shouts out to Tara and Tarun). We watched our running brethren launch into the cold morning, and then we were off, too.

Th weather was perfect - moist, not rainy, with sunshine developing as the morning wore on. Given that we were walking, there was no particular hurry, so we enjoyed the view and the novelties (e.g., walking along the express lanes of I-90, or marveling at the traffic-free streets, given the road closures), stopping to cheer others along the way.

Big props to my friend Jeff Lechtanski, who rocked the house today with his first-ever full marathon (that's Jeff and his wife Barb in the picture). Jeff beat my time from Portland by a good five minutes (you rule!).

Walking a half is a much, much different experience from doing the full run. For starters, attire is much easier: I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and fleece, as opposed to technical clothing. Plus, I was packing a backpack for 'eventualities' (e.g., CLIF bars, umbrella, baseball cap, shorts, Kleenex, digital camera, cell phone, you name it). This made things far more relaxed, casual, and fun.

If you're so inclined to do one of these things, I heartily recommend it. (And if you're interested, you can check my Flickrstream here.)

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 27, 2005 5:29 PM.
Posted to Fitness. Permalink for this entry.

Out For A Stroll

OK, I'm off to do the Seattle Half Marathon Walk! It should take a little more than three hours to do the course, and I've even got company: Elaine's decided to come along.

More details (and, hopefully, great pictures) later.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 27, 2005 6:29 AM.
Posted to Fitness. Permalink for this entry.

November 26, 2005

Upgrade To 3.2

I've just upgraded the blog to run on top of Movable Type 3.2 (and hoo boy, is the new admin console nice!). If anyone notices any odd behavior, please let me know.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 26, 2005 4:26 PM.
Posted to Geek. Permalink for this entry.

"Getting In: The Social Logic Of Ivy League Admissions"

The incomparable Malcolm Gladwell ("The Tipping Point", "Blink") has done it again with a wonderful piece in The New Yorker about admissions, admissions policies, and the politics of exclusion in Ivy League universities:

At the heart of the American obsession with the Ivy League is the belief that schools like Harvard provide the social and intellectual equivalent of Marine Corps basic training—that being taught by all those brilliant professors and meeting all those other motivated students and getting a degree with that powerful name on it will confer advantages that no local state university can provide.

After talking about the pressures of getting in (and the meritocracy, or lack thereof, involved in the admissions cycle), Gladwell drops this little gem about the supposed "income halo" that surrounds Ivy League schools :

To assess the effect of the Ivies, it makes more sense to compare the student who got into a top school with the student who got into that same school but chose to go to a less selective one. Three years ago, the economists Alan Krueger and Stacy Dale published just such a study. And they found that when you compare apples and apples the income bonus from selective schools disappears [boldface mine].

This jibes with my personal experience. I've met lots and lots of people who have gone through MBA programs at Ivies and at state schools, and you know what? People are people. The biggest difference I've noticed between the Ivy/non-Ivy crowds is that (speaking veeeeeery generally, here) a) Ivy-educated students often really want you to know they're Ivy-educated, and b) non-Ivy-educated students have a mild inferiority complex about their non-Ivy-ness.

Which is crazy, on both counts, if you think about it.

Anne Turchi (UW MBA, Class of '07) is writing for BusinessWeek; in her latest column, she says:

I chose to attend the University of Washington for a few reasons. First, I knew that any school that would try to fit me into an "MBA track," even a "non-profit MBA track" type of education would not be a good fit for my uncommon goals. ... Second, since my raison d'MBA is to apply my skills to the non-profit sector, I ruled out schools that would put me in so much debt that the act of getting an MBA would prohibit me from using it for my intended purpose: accepting a (lower-paying) position at a non-profit. UW's reasonable tuition made this possible. Third, this program oozes academic support. There is an overwhelming feeling among my classmates that "we're all in this together." I doubt many other MBA students are as lucky.

And there you have it. Choose your program based on your goals, your finances, and the vibe you get. If that's an Ivy, awesome. If not, awesome. But the Gladwell piece should, I think, put to rest the notion that scholastic "brand" is the be-all, end-all Badge Of Honor (or dishonor, depending) you need to succeed.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 26, 2005 2:00 PM.
Posted to Cool. Permalink for this entry.

Metro Wi-FI, My Ass

Seattle really needs to get its WiFi act together.

I've blogged before about the Seattle Municipal WiFi system on the Ave, and how it doesn't work very well (spotty coverage, poor performance). Richard's experienced similar problems, as has everyone I know who's experimented with it.

So imagine my delight when the 194 pulled up at the airport yesterday, and the billboard on the side of the bus said, "This bus has WiFi!"

Cool!

I've heard about these bus-based WiFi systems before - Google uses one for its employee shuttles, and SoundTransit has (allegedly) equipped some of the 545's with it. But I've never actually tried the service myself. Seemed like a perfect test, right?

So I opened my laptop, and, sho' 'nuff, there's a WiFi SSID there. So I connect, and it does the negotiating handshake, and then ... nothing. No route off the bus to the Internet. I play with it a bit, try this and that, and finally close the PowerBook in frustration.

What is it with these efforts? WiFi is a wonderful, wonderful thing, and ubiquitous connectivity has big promises for all manner of new services. Yet there's something about our efforts around here that wind up with these half-assed, unreliable systems. Spokane has a 100-block WiFi system in their downtown core, and it works great. Are we short of tech talent around here, or what?

UPDATE, August 5, 2007: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 26, 2005 9:10 AM.
Posted to Geek. Permalink for this entry.

Pirates Rehab Is A Go!

An entry in yesterday's Disney Blog says that the green light has been given to upgrade the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" rides, as per the earlier rumors from Al Lutz :

First, the planned overlay of Disneyland and Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean attractions looks to be going forward. Scenes from the three movies will be squeezed in to dead areas of the ride leaving the existing scenes mostly untouched.

I think is is great, and part of an exciting trend of designing rides such that they have a lot of flexibility and variety - think of the Tower Of Terror randomized drop sequences, or the Space Mountain/Rock It Mountain "night" mode. One of the reasons I was thinking about getting the Annual Pass is that so much is going on with the parks right now: the Monsters, Inc. ride at DCA, the "Finding Nemo" overlay on the subs, Rock It Mountain, you name it.

Disneyland and DCA are going to be a lot of fun, with lots of new stuff to see, well into 2007.

UPDATE, September 4, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 26, 2005 8:58 AM.
Posted to Disney. Permalink for this entry.

November 25, 2005

Disneyland Trip Report (At Last)

My family trip to Disneyland on the 4th was a total blast.(I know I've taken my own sweet time getting this post up, and for that I apologize.)

The four of us (dad, stepmom, Richard, and me) arrived on Friday afternoon, and flew back at around the same time on Sunday. That gave us a quick-run-around-and-do-fun-stuff Friday night, one entire, leisurely day in the parks (Saturday), with a catch-anything-else-if-we-feel-like-it Sunday morning to boot.

People often ask me why I'm so enamored of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It's true that I find a lot of Disney product cheesy or tepid (those direct-to-video sequels of the classic films, for example, were clearly art-directed by some soulless MBA, and have the smell of evil money on them), but I think the parks are special, existing as these fantastic, amazing environments where every single thing you're seeing and experiencing was consciously designed, sculpted, built, and maintained by creative folks. In that way, the parks are art. And I love them.

What am I talking about? Well, let's compare a Disney park with a typical amusement park like Six Flags.

At a Six Flags, the ride is king. The experience of riding a given ride - the acceleration, the drop, the G-forces, whatever - is the point of the park. The typical Six Flags ride is a coaster, which is all about the bigger/faster/longer value proposition. The more extreme the coaster, the better - go from 0 to 105 mph in 4 seconds! Zoom through four loops instead of two! Shoot 420 feet straight up! Pull some serious G's!

Apart from the appeal of the bigger/faster/longer, Six Flags parks don't offer much. The rides themselves are painted, but not themed; the mechanical underpinnings of the rides (chains, brakes, levers, cables, oil) are out in the breeze, for all to see. In some cases, such as the Wild Thing coaster at Enchanted Village, this is taken to an aggressive, odious extreme - the obnoxious green paint job aside, Wild Thing is surrounded by unadorned chain-link fence; the ground beneath the ride is nothing more that patches of grass, crushed rock, and weeds, spotted with nice patches of oil and grease. "The point of this ride is the corkscrew loops," it seems to be saying, "and you better like it, because we're not spending a nickel on anything else."

In comparison to monster Six Flags rides, Disney park rides are physically tame. A good example is one of my favorite Disneyland rides: Space Mountain. Space Mountain is a roller coaster that's been enclosed inside a building. The ride isn't particularly fast - about 40mph at its peak - and it lacks loops, mag-lev takeoff, high G-forces, or anything that might make it attractive to the Six Flags jet set.

So what's the attraction?

Well, Space Mountain, like most Disney rides, carries a big aspect of make-believe. The gimmick is that you're a "space traveller" about to launch on a galactic journey. As such, the entire ride is designed around this storyline: the building, the paint job, the props, the video clips you watch while waiting in line, and the experience of riding the ride all come together to create, if not a compelling illusion (it's still a roller coaster in the dark, and everyone knows it), then at least the sensation that the ride is more than the sum of its parts.

In other words, I'll take a slow-moving, loop-free roller coster in the dark as long as there's a good reason, something to believe in. Six Flags is about the ride; Disney is about the story.

This "about the story" piece manifests itself throughout the parks. The themeing inside Disneyland is outrageously good - Frontierland is much different than Tomorrowland, which is itself much different than New Orleans Square. This level of detail and imagination becomes, in effect, the attraction of the park, and, if you're in to that sort of thing (which I clearly am), you'll quickly find yourself paying attention to the puns, the inside jokes, the flourishes. You see something new every time. Heck, there's a whole series of "Hidden Mickeys" that are designed into the topiary, the buildings, the pathways, you name it. (And if you ever go to Disney World, take the "Backstage Magic" tour. Your eyes will pop.)

So. The family had a fabulous time. The park wasn't too crowded, and we breezed through lines. We hooked up with friends - Tony, Heidi, Chris and Todd - joking and laughing all night. Saw fireworks, rode the monorail, snapped photos. (And I almost bought an annual pass, but decided that I'd better stick with one season pass at a time.)

If you've not been to Disneyland in a while, go. If you've got kids, four years old or better seems to be a good number (and check the height requirements for the rides before you pony up for the admission). And when you're there, pay attention to the details - you won't be disappointed.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 25, 2005 5:48 PM.
Posted to Disney | Travel. Permalink for this entry.

One More Thing To Do On The Bus

I've blogged before about the many, many distractions I enjoy while commuting on the bus, from magazines to podcasts to Rocketboom. Well, I've added another item to the list: cell phone games.

When I switched to Cingular and upgraded my phone, I initially focused on the basic stuff: good reception and battery life, iSync compatibility, Bluetooth. I didn't give much thought to the "other" stuff like text messaging, Web browsing, e-mail, camera (although the 551 has one), or custom ringtones.

Recently, however, I found myself spelunking the innards of the phone, playing with this and that option, and decided to give the 'ol "Games" folder a look-see. The 551 ships with a demo of "Bejeweled", and so I gave it a try.

And, dammit, I got hooked. So I bought the full version through the Cingular game store (not a bad experience; could be better), downloaded it to my phone, and now, well, there's one more thing I can do on the bus.

Bejeweled isn't exactly the fastest, sexiest game out there - it's a Tetris knockoff - but it's fun and almost totally mindless ... mental floss, if you will. And the really nice thing about it is that you can play it with a single thumb on either hand, which means it's ideal for busses; you can stand on an overfull 545, hanging on to the overhead rail with one hand, chimpanzee-like, while playing the game with the other.

I am finding that cell phone games are perfect for those 3-to-10-minute windows when you're waiting for something: the bus to arrive, the next bank teller, an open kiosk at the airport, the "please turn off all electronic devices" warning, you name it. Games are terrific little distractions ... especially when you're traveling for the holidays. Not that, you know, that's relevant this time of year.

Thumbs-up.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 25, 2005 4:54 PM.
Posted to Geek | Transit. Permalink for this entry.

Back In Seattle

After too much food, plenty of sleep, and lots of laughs, we're back in the Emerald City.

I ran a few errands after getting dropped downtown by the 194, picking up my Half Marathon packet, a copy of "The Search" from the library, and my annual holiday cards. Now I'm back in my apartment, scrounging leftovers in the fridge and planning on a fun night of relaxation.

Happy holidays, everybody!

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 25, 2005 4:46 PM.
Posted to Travel. Permalink for this entry.

November 23, 2005

Off To Spokane

I'm up early and out the door this morning for Spokane, where I'll be chillin' with the family for Thanksgiving. I'll blog when I can.

Have a safe and happy holiday, everybody!

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 23, 2005 5:24 AM.
Posted to Travel. Permalink for this entry.

November 22, 2005

Three Months!

Today is my three-month anniversary with Microsoft.

Crazy, huh?

It feels longer than three months, that's for sure. And yet, it also feels like no time at all has passed since I got here.

OK, so it breaks down like this: the job is fun. And, as a fun job, each individual day tends to fly by ("Is it already 4:30? How'd that happen?"). This makes weeks fly by ("Friday already?"), and, by extension, months ("November already?"). So here I am, looking at my shiny, laminated wall calendar with the "2006" on top, shaking my head.

On the other hand, I'm new. Like, eager-puppy-dog, gosh-I-hope-he's-housetrained new. I'm still doing Rookie Stuff(tm), but have also picked up a lot about the job and what's going on with it (e.g., figuring out which end of the stick is pointy). That process is accelerating. So three months feels like a drop in the bucket, career-wise. And it is.

And finally, the job has an odd, timeless quality to it, such that I often feel like I've been here for years. Part of that comes from having a full plate (BCN, Visio, etc.), and part of it comes from how friendly, and non-status-y everyone is around here. When you can strike up conversations with people fairly easily, it shaves down the sense of being "the new guy" and helps you feel like part of the club.

(Fun fact: as of today I've spent more time here as a full-timer than I did as an intern.)

Boo-yah!

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 22, 2005 11:36 AM.
Posted to MSFT. Permalink for this entry.

November 21, 2005

Death To Clutter!

A November 4 SF Gate column by Mark Morford ("Why Do You Have So Much Junk?") has been making the rounds, and I found its sentiment to be oddly synchronized to both my life outlook and my weekend activities:

Have you seen that riot of old towels and curtain rods and board games you haven't looked at in three years? The old guitar and five pairs of mangy boots and a pile of old T-shirts and two disposable Epson printers and a teetering stack of empty Amazon boxes and four dumbbells and ancient college papers and a power drill and a bunch of old coats and classic porn VHS tapes and an underused Mesa Boogie guitar amp and assorted wrapping paper collected since the Clinton administration? Oh wait, maybe that's my closet.

This is what you do: You throw stuff out. You go through your closets and you fill up garbage bags and you even grab stuff you've clung to for years for no apparent reason, and you haul it all down to Goodwill or Salvation Army or (in the case of San Francisco) leave the usable stuff out in the street overnight and let the urban recycling phenomenon work its magic, as some lucky passerby scores your old futon and the three grungy frying pans you haven't used since 1987.

People who know me know that I'm a minimalist. I hate clutter. Hate, hate, hate. (In fact, if I really thought about it, I might realize I'm mildly O/C about it.) Richard's running joke is that my furniture is "a bundle of twigs in the corner"; he's not too far wrong.

My basic rule is simple: if I'm using it, and I love it, then I'll keep it. Everything else goes. And if it's got dust on it from not being touched in a year, then that thing's on eBay or at the Goodwill, no questions asked.

I spent a chunk of my weekend going through old files - bank statements, insurance paperwork, the works - and doin' some shredding. If you're not acquainted with this particular pleasure, let me tell you: Morford's right. It's a great feeling.

So. Step one: look around your place, spot the knickknacks (you know the ones you like; I'm not talking about those), and put 'em in a box. Step two: write "June 1, 2006" on box and put box in closet. Step three: On June 1, 2006, if you have not used any of the items in box, take box to Goodwill (do not pass go, do not collect $200).

Trust me. It feels great.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 21, 2005 1:14 PM.
Posted to Misc. Permalink for this entry.

"The Rules of Distraction"

Another Monday, another Slate Daily Podcast - this one covering the out-of-control use of WiFi in college classrooms, and how it's distracting from learning:

But now that 42 percent of American college classrooms have wireless access - and more and more students are using Wi-Fi-enabled laptops each year - administrators and professors are having second thoughts. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal noted that administrators at UVa, UCLA, Stanford, the University of Houston, and others have considered "devices to block wireless access in the classroom after faculty complaints of out-of-control Web surfing." An October news feature in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sympathized with college instructors across Georgia who "are trying to figure out how to get students to log off their computers long enough to listen."

Although the article takes a position that these new distractions aren't any worse than old distractions (passing notes, daydreaming, doodling), I must say that I've found goofing off on my laptop during lectures (and, for that matter, meetings) to be negatively correlated with my retention of anything that's being discussed. Deets, Jo and I used to blow through hours of evening marketing classes, snarkily typing to one another on IM about this or that - heck, the game was to see which one of us would start laughing first (and, sadly, I usually lost ... Dietzman is the Sphinx with stuff like that).

WiFi laptops are the new cell phones - we're not yet sure what's socially acceptable, and everyone's in this gray area. Should teachers request that students close their devices? Well, OK, but then you penalize those who are taking legitimate notes. Cut off WiFi in the room? Well, that robs people of the ability to look stuff up online that's relevant to the discussion (something I've done when I'm not joking with Deets and Jo).

My solution? If I'm a teacher or lecturer, I'll encourage students to have their laptops open and ready. But if I see you typing on your notebook while I'm talking, you have a big, red "X" mark on you for me to do the cold-call. After all, if you're taking notes the cold-call won't be a problem. And if you're checking sports scores at ESPN - well, let's just say the moment could get uncomfortable. A social problem needs a social solution, neh?

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 21, 2005 9:13 AM.
Posted to Misc. Permalink for this entry.

Rocketboom: All About The Blue Balls

The folks over at Rocketboom are out of control with the Blue Ball Machine.

So first, they show the machine itself on the show, and make funny snarky references to it for the next few episodes.

Then, they find out about the "tragedy" video, and run with that.

And now, as of Friday's show, they've taken Amanda out of the studio and created this bizarre, real-life, romantic-comedy-esque-, hey-let's-be-friends-and-play-in-the-park-together thing that is a) funny, b) mildly disturbing, and c) rather hypnotic.

Amanda will clearly do anything for this show. Look at some of the people in the background as she's crossing the street with the ball on her head, or eating with the thing at the restaurant. Priceless.

(And I don't know if you've seen this morning's installment, but the bit about the holiday lights (wait for the end of the show for the payoff) is excellent.)

I actually think Rocketboom is one of the best reasons to get a video iPod. Think about that one for a sec...

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 21, 2005 8:52 AM.
Posted to Entertainment. Permalink for this entry.

November 20, 2005

Evening At Adler

Back in October, a group of small Mac developers (including Delicious Monster's Wil Shipley and Rachero's Brent Simmons) got together in Chicago for a panel conversation about ... everything - the software business, Apple, Mac OS X (things we love, things we hate), the future of the Internet, blogging, and how to make it as a small software company. The session was hosted by noted Mac blogger DrunkenBatman, and, conveniently for the rest of us, videotaped. And it's now available for download as a H.264 video file.

The video is great, if you're in to this sort of thing (and I am); geeks nattering at one another may not be the most engaging thing for a mass audience, but I found the conversation interesting, lively, and engrossing. It's a long session - about two and a half hours - but well worth the time investment. Give it a look.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 20, 2005 2:29 PM.
Posted to Apple. Permalink for this entry.

Running Out Of Time

I've decided not to run the Seattle Half Marathon next weekend.

This makes me sad, but in the end, it was just too much running with too little time to train. I picked up the rather nasty cold that's been going 'round, which took me out of exercising last week (and out of work on Thursday and Friday). That, coupled with the shin-splint recovery, means I'm lucky to run 6 miles at a crack right now, let alone 13.1. I'll still be out on Sunday (wave if you see me), walking the course and cheering for my friends. My pal Jeff Lechtanski's doing the full marathon (his first - go, Jeff!) and Jeff Smith's on deck to do the half (also his first - go, Jeff!).

So. The balance of this month (and all of next) will be spent in intensive training to get my body back in shape. Lechtanski and I both put our names in the drawing for the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon next June. If we get in (the first drawing's on 12/15), that's going to be the Next Big Goal for me. I did Alcatraz in 2000, and would love to blow my old time out of the water.

UPDATE, December 2, 2007: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 20, 2005 12:07 PM.
Posted to Fitness. Permalink for this entry.

November 19, 2005

November "Web Doctor"

My latest Web Doctor column, "Small businesses can embrace online advertising" was in Friday's Puget Sound Business Journal. Assuming they post the article on their site (this issue was pretty packed, so they might not), I'll link to it come Monday.

UPDATE, November 23, 2005: Looks like the PSBJ isn't going to post their "PS Tech" section online, which means I can't hyperlink to the article. Pity.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 19, 2005 2:15 PM.
Posted to Web Doctor. Permalink for this entry.

November 18, 2005

Meet Tatsu!

Six Flags Magic Mountain (aka "Coaster Mecca") has announced the details of their latest, fastest, coolest roller coaster. Called "Tatsu", it opens in 2006.

Tatsu is a "flying coaster" - you lay prone, facing the ground, and the track runs above you. One of the cooler "flying coasters" out there is the one at Elitch Gardens in Denver. Tatsu makes that one look like a toy - you zoom around at 62 mph, with a 110-foot drop (out of the ride's 170 vertical feet) and more than 1/2 mile of track. They even throw in a 96-foot zero-G roll for good measure.

You can view a virtual tour of the ride by clicking here. (QuickTime required.)

The secret to a great experience at Magic Mountain is to go right after Labor Day - the park's deserted, and you don't have to wait in any lines. I suspect I'll be finding my way down to LA in September. Anyone wanna go?

UPDATE, April 1, 2007: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 18, 2005 2:37 PM.
Posted to Cool. Permalink for this entry.

Blue Ball "Tragedy"

First, if you missed the hypnotic "Blue Ball Machine" link from my post last week, check it out.

OK, got the music stuck in your head? Good. Now, visit this very funny (and slightly twisted) "tragedy" film involving some of the little men from the Blue Ball machine. (It's put out by the same folks that did the original).

I love the Internet. (But where do people find the time?)

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 18, 2005 2:28 PM.
Posted to Entertainment. Permalink for this entry.

We've Lost Francesca

Well, the newest team in the WNBA - the Chicago Sky - has claimed one of our own. Francesca Zara, new to the Storm as of last year, will be moving to the Windy City. This is a loss; Francesca's a great player, and always did well for us when we needed her. I'm sorry to see her go. (You can read the Storm take on this at WNBA.com.)

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 18, 2005 1:55 PM.
Posted to Seattle Storm. Permalink for this entry.

November 14, 2005

Visio Org Chart Hotness

As I've been spending some quality time with Visio, I've become increasingly enamored of what the product is capable of.

One of the common scenarios that Visio is used for is to create or lay out organization charts (e.g., Manager X has 3 subordinates, each of whom has 2 to 5 direct reports). Visio lets you create org charts manually, of course - just drag the shapes onto the canvas, and the system will builds the connecting lines automatically.

But that's not the cool part.

No, the cool part is that Visio offers some killer org-chart import tools, which allow you to point Visio at a data source and say, "go" ... and Visio then Does The Right thing by spidering the data and building your org chart for you. Good data sources include things like an Excel workbook, tab-separated text, a SQL database, or Microsoft Active Directory.

This is an awesome feature, because it shows off how valuable the visual display of information is relative to, say, a list of items. It's far more compelling to see the structure of Planning as lines and boxes than it is to see some flat, inert Excel spreadsheet. (And, plus, it's automated. Which rocks, because it means less work for users.)

If you want to play with this feature yourself, simply create an Organization Chart template in Visio. Go to the "Organization Chart" menu and pick "Import Organization Data..." The Wizard will walk you through the rest.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 14, 2005 11:20 AM.
Posted to MSFT. Permalink for this entry.

November 13, 2005

"MBAs Open Doors"

The Seattle Times has an article today, "MBAs Open Doors" that talks about the value of an MBA to people who want to change or improve their careers:

It's the MBA (master's in business administration), an advanced degree that for decades has been considered de rigueur for many business-management positions but has been criticized as being too focused on theory rather than the real world.

But local businesspeople already in the workforce say that returning to school for a master's degree polishes their career, both by enriching their knowledge of business and by unmatched opportunities to learn from fellow students in different industries.

I've written before about why I got my MBA, and I've (clearly) found it to be a wonderful, worthwhile investment. I'm bullish on business degrees in general, because I've seen a lot of folks come in to the UW with one set of skills, and leave with a career that enables them to go a completely different direction.

Anyhow - it's worth a read (or at least a scan).

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 13, 2005 2:28 PM.
Posted to UW MBA. Permalink for this entry.

Presentation Kung-Fu

Public presentations are fun. I enjoy doing them, and I enjoy watching others do them as well. The avowed masters of the art are one thing (Steve Jobs, anyone?), but I'm often more engaged and delighted by people who are just good in front of a room. Two that come to mind are Richard Tait of Cranium and Chris Capossela at Microsoft - both are loose, funny, and do a great job of knowing their audiences. (If either of these guys are speaking near you, go. Trust me.)

So when I was at Web 2.0 last month, I saw a lot of different presentations. Most were OK, some were bad, but one in particular stood out - Dick Hardt of SXIP (pronounced "skip").

It's wicked.

Hardt's style is really different - he uses a graphically-intensive, rapid-fire approach; the guy reads from a prepared text and then hits NEXT, NEXT, NEXT on PowerPoint to keep the image on the screen relevant to the words coming out of his mouth. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s an outstanding effect. The presentation screen becomes hypnotic; you barely notice Dick at the front of the room, delivering the presentation.

I came across a videotaped, earlier version of his Web 2 talk (this one delivered at the O'Reilly Open Source convention), and it holds up pretty well online. If you're looking for ideas on your next presentation, it's worth a watch.

UPDATE, March 12, 2006: One or more of the original hyperlinks on this page expired, and has been dereferenced. The hyperlinked text is now underlined.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 13, 2005 12:34 PM.
Posted to Cool. Permalink for this entry.

Starting Over

Hoo, boy, am I out of shape.

I'm finally back running again. And I'm pleased to report that, while my shin's fine (it feels great, actually), taking a month off from running has caused my overall conditioning to atrophy dramatically.

I started with a treadmill run on Tuesday (2.8 miles - a Greenlake lap), and that felt energizing and encouraging. But I got out for a 5-mile lap around my neighborhood yesterday afternoon, and it, well, didn't "kick my ass", exactly, but it certainly took it out of me. Part of that's explained by the hills, but a bigger portion simply comes back to my cardio system, which has plainly gotten used to kickin' it on the couch with a big bag of Doritos.

This morning, Jeff and I did Greenlake proper, and that was OK. Not great, but OK.

I've got 14 days until the Seattle Half. While I'm still planning to run, I'm seeing that it may be more of a run/walk thing to finish. Ack.

(Didn't I just do a full marathon? This is embarrassing.)

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 13, 2005 10:07 AM.
Posted to Fitness. Permalink for this entry.

November 10, 2005

Virtual Space Mountain

From the "people with too much free time department": someone used Roller Coaster Tycoon to model Disneyland's version of Space Mountain ... and then filmed the ride-through. They even paired the final video with the old Dick Dale soundtrack. Which means you can relive the fun of riding Space Mountain from your cube. (Yes, you. Right now.)

It's awesome. And, having ridden the ride four or five times this past weekend, it's eerily accurate.

Check it out (hosted on Google Video; Flash required).

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 10, 2005 1:23 PM.
Posted to Disney. Permalink for this entry.

Storm Season Tix!

Today is a happy one: season tickets have been secured for the 2006 Seattle Storm! I've even managed to get reasonably close to the floor, as well - row 6, section 121. It's the opposite end of the Key from where I usually sit, but, hey - change is good, yeah?

(You can take a look at the seating map if you're so inclined.)

In other Storm news, Chasing The Title turned me on to a report that Lauren's leg is getting better:

Though it was announced last week that Jackson would miss the remainder of her season with the Canberra Capitals in the Australian Women's National Basketball League because of stress fractures in her left leg, her status has been upgraded.

"They changed her diagnosis," Donovan said Friday from her home in Charlotte, N.C. "It wasn't as bad as initially thought - it looks like she will come back and play in December, though she will have to be reevaluated."

The season's still six months away. Let's hope she takes it easy.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 10, 2005 9:38 AM.
Posted to Seattle Storm. Permalink for this entry.

Speaking Of V/A/P/D

And, as long as I don't yet have a public ban on V/A/P/D links, I thought I might share this piece of chewy goodness. It's from yesterday's Rocketboom, it's hypnotic as hell, and you want your sound card turned on before you hit the link.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 10, 2005 7:48 AM.
Posted to Entertainment. Permalink for this entry.

Hey! Look At This!

Richard and I have been in something of a running debate lately about the "blogosphere pile-on", wherein Web Site "A" will feature a cool video, thought-provoking article, podcast, technology demo, etc., at which point this video/article/podcast/demo will be noticed and posted to some site like BoingBoing. From there, dozens or hundreds of blog entries will sprout up, all pointing to this V/A/P/D, saying, "Hey! Look at this!" ... thus clogging the blogosphere with the same meme, over and over and over again.

I certainly don't deny that this happens (I obviously do it, too), but I don't seem to think of it as The End Of Civilization the way Richard does. His argument is, effectively, that one's blog should be a vehicle for adding new comments, thoughts, and whatnot to the greater discourse. Simply saying, "Hey! Look at this!" doesn't pass that test. And it annoys him because his newsreader quickly fills with the same link ("Hey! Look at this!") across almost all the sites he's subscribed to.

For my part, I like sharing V/A/P/D that I think are particularly funny, thought-provoking, or relevant to my interests. It's no different than going to a cocktail party and starting a conversation with someone with, "So, did you see that op-ed piece in The Stranger on the monorail?"

But I confess that I might be off on this one. What do you say, dear readers - are "Hey! Look at this!" articles something you like, or something you'd rather do without?

I'm all about feedback, here. Bring it on.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 10, 2005 7:39 AM.
Posted to Misc. Permalink for this entry.

November 9, 2005

RIP, Monorail

The monorail has been killed:

After five citywide votes and countless hours of debates in taverns, public meetings and City Hall, Seattle residents finally called a halt to the embattled monorail project.

This was expected, but it's still a sad day. Our city transportation problems aren't over by a long shot; all we've done is kill one specific way of helping to solve them. (sigh)

At least the gas tax was upheld, which means we're not going to completely gut our infrastructure.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 9, 2005 6:46 AM.
Posted to Politics | Transit. Permalink for this entry.

November 3, 2005

Disneyland, Reloaded

I'm off to Disneyland. Again.

This time, it's for a three-day weekend with Richard, my dad, and my stepmom. We're flying out first thing tomorrow morning (did I mention that Microsoft has 'floating holidays' for employees? And that they rock?), and will be staying through Sunday. We're all booked into the Grand Californian, and will be spending a lot of time on Space Mountain, California Screamin', and all the rest.

Disneyland at the holidays is a special, special thing. The place is decorated with festive lights, some rides get amazing makeovers (e.g., "Haunted Mansion Holiday"), and the whole vibe of the park is very warm and happy. Put that together with the makeover for the 50th birthday, and this is going to be a great weekend.

I'll probably break Flickr with all the pictures I'm going to take, but I don't know if I'll be blogging. Disney tends to - how do I say this? - CHARGE FOR EVERYTHING, so if the hotel Internet access is $24.95 a day or something, I'll post when I get home.

Whee-ha!

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 3, 2005 10:20 PM.
Posted to Disney. Permalink for this entry.

Rocketboom!

Am I the last person on the Internet to find out about Rocketboom? It's an awesome, and awesomely funny five-minute "news of the day" video segment, breezily read by the destined-for-greatness Amanda Congdon. From their "About Us" page:

We differ from a regular TV program in many important ways. Instead of costing millions of dollars to produce, Rocketboom is created with a consumer-level video camera, a laptop, two lights and a map with no additional overhead or costs. Also, Rocketboom is distributed online, all around the world and on demand, and thus has a much larger potential audience than any TV broadcast. However, we spend $0 on promotion, relying entirely on word-of-mouth, and close to $0 on distribution because bandwidth costs and space are so inexpensive.

You can visit the site, or subscribe to a video Podcast is through iTunes (ready to rock and roll for the Video iPod, natch).

Big thanks to Richard, who addicted me with this episode.

Wow, one more thing to do on the bus. I may have to find a longer commute.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 3, 2005 9:48 PM.
Posted to Entertainment. Permalink for this entry.

Keyboard Shuffle

I have to say: computer keyboards don't get the respect they deserve. I think most people look at 'em and say, "oh, keyboard" as if the thing is some uber-interchangeable hunk o' plastic that just happens to sit on the desk.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, I find the keyboard to be one of the most critical factors relating to my satisfaction with using a computer. Sit me down in front of a machine with a foreign keyboard (small keys, keys that stick, "ergonomic" warping, whatever) and I'm instantly transformed from a power user into someone who's all left-handed thumbs. It's terrible.

All of this is a rather long-winded way of warming up for my real topic, which is to say that I've fallen in love with my standard-issue keyboard at work. Really. It's this flat, fast, super-tactile, easy-to-type-on, God-let-those-fingers-fly-when-you're-in-the-zone jobbie, and, after about 30 seconds of using it, I knew it was going to be love.

(Product Placement: It's a Microsoft Digital Media Pro. In case you're curious.)

In fact, I've fallen for the work keyboard so hard that I swung by the Microsoft Company Store this week and bought one for my personal use, at home ... on my PowerBook. My former favorite, the Apple Pro Keyboard, is now in the closet. And good thing, too - I've been CRANKING on my e-mail tonight, and the new 'board is making all the difference.

What's it like having a Windows keyboard plugged in to the Mac? Easy. Everything Just Worked, including little things like the volume keys. It's a mite odd to use the "Windows" key as the "Apple" key (there's symbolism there, I just know it...), and "Alt" as "option" - but that's it. It's flawless, otherwise.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 3, 2005 9:39 PM.
Posted to Geek. Permalink for this entry.

BCN: The 'Job Fair'

One of the commitments I've taken on here in Planning involves MBA students/consultants from the University of Washington. Last night, I attended a sort of "job fair" at the UW to answer questions and help student teams understand what they're in for if they throw down with us. It's looking to be a lot of fun.

The project is coordinated through the Business Consulting Network, which is a student-run club at the b-school. For local businesses (of which Microsoft would be one), the value of BCN is compelling: a team of 3 or 4 MBA students working on a project of our choice for 10 weeks, for $700. BCN attracts larger companies, of course - Alaska Airlines and Getty Images were there last night - but I tend to think that small firms are often the ones with the most to gain, if only because they're getting some inexpensive, educated labor.

For students, this is a great chance to get some real-world experience doing a hands-on project that applies what you've been learning in class. It's also a great way to build your resume, and to help create some talking points when you start the internship interviewing cycle.

(I participated in BCN as a first-year MBA student - and no, my project wasn't for Microsoft - so standing on the other side of that table last night was a bit trippy ... kind of a classic "alumni moment" when you realize the baton's been passed to the next generation.)

This project is pretty dang cool and interesting. We're going to have the students do a field study for Planning, observing grad and undergrad students in order to understand how they work and accomplish certain kinds of tasks. Our MBAs will be responsible for recruiting participants, establishing relationships and working with them, conducting interviews (and even doing a bit of ethnography), and then summarizing their findings into a report/presentation to be delivered in early March.

Something I'm especially proud of is how smoothly this thing looks to go. Microsoft is very big on "setting people up for success" before engaging them on projects (my 2004 summer internship was very much designed this way). This means that project owners (in this case, me) are expected to do the right kind of advance thinking and documentation to make sure that the students know what success looks like, and how we want them to get there. It may seem like common sense, but it's a helpful planning tool nonetheless: for example, we've scoped this research to be appropriate to the student skill level (these are first-year students, so they've not yet taken the full range of MBA coursework), available time (they have midterms, holidays, finals, and a study tour to contend with), and the expectations of my team.

Now that the "job fair" is over, the student teams will bid on the projects they're interested in; BCN's leadership handles the assignments. The big kickoff dinner is the 17th.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 3, 2005 2:11 PM.
Posted to MSFT. Permalink for this entry.

November 2, 2005

"The Word We Love To Hate - Literally"

Chalk another one up for the Slate Daily Podcast. This morning's installment is on the word "literally" - and how a growing number of people are incensed that it's often used as a substitute for "figuratively."

When I introduce myself as a dictionary editor to a stranger, I can usually count on a few things. The stranger will say, "Oh, I'll have to watch how I talk in front of you." The stranger will ask me about why some word like bling was put into The Dictionary (as though there's only one). And then the stranger will complain about a pet usage peeve, some error perpetrated by members of a disliked group - sportscasters, say, or teenagers, or Americans.

The punchline is that "literally" has never really meant what these annoyed people think it means.

You can listen to the podcast (3.3 MB MP3), or read the source article.

(Incidentally, this literal-as-figurative business used to annoy the holy living hell out of Mary, so I started laughing out loud - literally! - when I heard the topic on my way out the door this morning.)

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 2, 2005 8:27 AM.
Posted to Cool. Permalink for this entry.

November 1, 2005

"WNBA Draft To Double As Bachelorette Auction"

The Onion takes on the WNBA in this week's issue:

The WNBA is billing the event as a showcase of talented, interesting, and fun women who would be great catches for a team in need of some offense or anyone who's free next Saturday night.

A little harsh, a lot funny. Give it a read.

Posted by Gavin Shearer. Last updated November 1, 2005 8:58 PM.
Posted to Entertainment | Seattle Storm. Permalink for this entry.