Status-Q

If you find yourself in an airport departure lounge and want to confirm that you're in the right place for your intended destination, sometimes you can just check out the other passengers.

Good. Yup. San Francisco.

Anyone tried those shoes, by the way? I see more and more people wearing them, at least on the other side of the Atlantic. But even I, notoriously oblivious to my appearance, would have to be convinced they were very comfortable before turning myself into a kind of high-tech hobbit...

Ben Smither has created what must be the minimal Segway-type vehicle:

More info here.

He did admit that a fair amount of the cost and complexity of a commercial Segway comes from the numerous safety features they build in, which he didn't have to the same degree. He told me this after I'd tried it, of course...

Oh, and you should see what he's been up to at Anybots. Have a look at this and this.

Those who have joined the cult of David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology, of which I am but a humble and inexpert practitioner, might be interested in ThinkingRock. This is perhaps the best implementation of the concepts that I've come across so far. It's Java, so will work on Mac, Windows or Linux, and is free, though they welcome donations.

If you don't know GTD, it will be somewhat mysterious, until you've read the book or listened to the audiobook.

The last batch of images from the weekend. Views of Sausalito and San Francisco.

A couple more photos from Saturday.

It’s been a glorious day here – the kind of weather where it’s just warm enough to drive around with the windows wide open. California at its best.

I took lots of photos in the city, the Marin Headlands, and Sausalito. I’ll post some of them over the next few days.

A good way to reform criminals, they say, is to bring them face-to-face with the consequences of their actions. If you can't do that directly, you can at least employ the same psychology... I liked this sign, seen today in San Francisco.

Moshe Yudkowsky, in his eTel talk, used a wonderful quote from Agatha Christie, who apparently once said:

I never expected to be so poor that I couldn't afford a servant, or so rich that I could afford a motor car.

Visiting a friend's house last night, I discovered a level of gadgetry to which even I had not previously aspired. It's the latest thing from those dashed clever Japanese chaps, apparently.

I'm sorry the image is a little blurred. I can assure you I was neither oscillating nor pulsating at the time.

I didn't try it out, actually. I rather regret it now. Not sure when I'll get another chance and it would at least be an interesting experience, I imagine!