Various Bits and Pieces

A grab bag of stuff…

  • The Friends Zone celebrated it’s 10th Anniversary last February and this past weekend had a small gathering in Washington DC to celebrate this. It was a great deal of fun and I met people I’ve known for the better part of a decade who I had never met in person before. Go figure! So, that was much fun. And I got to take some fun pictures of DC by night.
  • I was served earlier this week. I’d never been subpoenaed before and the guy who served me looked like he would have fit in far more in a sleazy casino than standing outside my driveway in my little suburban cul-de-sac. He stood there complete with mesh tank-top, gold chains, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I can see the lawyer spared no expense on the process server! I hope he didn’t scare my neighbors. I probably shouldn’t say much about it except to say that it was related to some legal action a friend of mine was going through which, thankfully, was settled soon after. Which is good since we had planned a trip to Rhode Island for when they wanted to depose me. They had no flexibility in the schedule as they waited until the last possible minute to subpoena me. But it’s all moot now and I’m glad.
  • I’m enjoying a free month of T-Mobile Hotspot access so while on my trip, I am making liberal use of the Borders Cafe here in Cranston, RI. If you happen to frequent this Borders, say hi. So far, I’ve been the only mac user hanging out here. And my iTunes library is wide open. Enjoy some good music. Say hi via Bonjour/Rendezvous in iChat.
  • For the price of my townhouse in VA, I can buy a split-level, single family with more bedrooms, bathrooms and an actual yard? It’s true. Of course, it would be nice to have a job to pay for the mortgage. I’m working on that part.
  • It’s nearly 2:30 and I have now completed an 8 hour work day (I got up early). So, now begins a fun weekend. I told Ann that for Father’s Day, I wanted to travel around Rhode Island and visit the places I love. So on Sunday we’re off to Newport and my favorite bookstore, the Armchair Sailor, the beach, kite flying at Ocean Point, and Sakonnet Vineyard and lunch at the Provender, nearby. That’s such a long list that maybe we’ll get started on Saturday. Monday, I’m back at Borders and back to work (and not returning to DC for a deposition, thankfully!)
  • Finally, I have recently discovered Iron & Wine and highly recommend you check them out (favorite song: Woman King). Amazing.

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Mimicry

This is fascinating: Wired News: AI Seduces Stanford Students. In a test, a VR person pitching something was far more likely to be listened to and agreed with if that person mimicked the movements of the listener than not. The details are in the article and the implications are very interesting. I have to try this during my next job interview…

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