No more teachers, no more books...

Now that I am officially done with coursework, I have now stepped from the mildly respectable position of student, to the slightly shunned position of unemployed. Don't worry too much about me, though, I'll be putting lots of thoughtful consideration into other things...

After much careful deliberation...


I emerge... Victorious!

Holy crosswalk

It's been awhile, but rest assured, J and I are still alive and kicking, despite the blatant discrimination against us at our local crosswalk. Clearly, the Swedes get pretty specific about which individuals are more righted-of-way than the others.

Monks crossing? Hmm...

Bikes by Stockholm, bike racks by Clear Channel

The city of Stockholm (rather unsurprisingly) maintains a fleet of bicycles, which are deployed during the warmer months for use by residents and visitors alike. In what seems to curious brand mismatch, the city has farmed out the operation of Stockholm City Bikes to... Clear Channel.

Wait. Did he just say "Clear Channel?" As in that media "company of conservative values" which has "expressed [those values] in very vocal ways, many times to the detriment of its public image?" Yup. That's the one. Stockholm's municipal bicycle service--which sounds downright socialist when you put it that way--is operated by a US-based "conservative values" corporation. Go figure.

None of this figures much in H's calculus for what's worth researching in Stockholm. She's already got the per-ride cost figured and her application filled out. Spring really is in the air.

Giddyup thar!

A Red Hat riddle

Winning second place is, as they say, like kissing your sister. Since I don't have any sisters, I've never really been able to verify this empirically... but I still get the point. So then here's a question for you: What's it like when you win second place, except the first place team gets disqualified due to an eligibility issue, so you get first place anyway? No, seriously. Look what I found in my inbox this morning:

Due to an eligibility issue, Red Hat has unfortunately had to disqualify the first place team in the Red Hat Challenge. As a result, your team has moved up one place in the overall competition rankings.

Drat! They want me to do math first thing in the morning?! Let's see here... second place plus one place equals third... No. That's not right. Um... second place up one place (yes, yes, up is a mathematical operation, but only in the morning) equals first place. Wait? First place? As in: GRAND PRIZE WINNER?! But wait! Don't pop the champagne yet! We're only winning because the first place winners were disqualified. So it's kind of like... kissing your sister... except that she's not your sister anymore since those other guys got disqualified. So... she's your... sister's friend. Yeah. That's it. Your sister's hot--no, really hot--friend. Who's got $20k and a ticket to the Red Hat Summit--with backstage passes. (JC, our Montreal-based team member, will attend the conference.)

While it could have been better--nothing's sweeter than an outright win--it's definitely worth savoring. Just wanted to share the news!

Friend opens gallery in SF Bay Area

If you're into Brazilian art--and you know who you are out there--you might be interested to know that a very good friend of mine, GK, has just announced the official opening of his new art gallery, Atelier do Brasil, situated in Forest Knolls, California (due west of San Rafael). Visits are by appointment only--check the website for contact details. Writes GK about the gallery:

Since returning from Brazil last summer, where my life was changed by my encounter with Brazilian art and culture, I have been working to create a venue to share the beauty of Bahian culture with Americans. Now, thank God, we have officially begun. We are starting out by presenting the work of two remarkable Brasilian artists- Chico Liberato and Gabriel Arcanjo- and myself. It is my hope that this work touches your heart.

These images are courtesy of Atelier do Brasil LLC. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

If you're feeling unlucky that you don't live in the Bay Area (and you should), there is a consolation prize. GK has graced the gallery with a blog as well, which of course anyone, anywhere can enjoy. So enjoy!