Fish -n- Chips in Wolverhampton

Just now, I'm riding on the Virgin Train from Wolverhampton to London's Euston station. For some reason, it feels like the future. I'm online via my phone's cellular data connection, which works (albeit slowly) going above 100 mph along to English countryside.

That means, dear readers, that I just passed a field full of Sheep (Which I think uk citizens have to, by the Queen's decree, call "mutton" or something) I was in Wolverhampton to speak at Lug Radio Live. It was pretty fun, but Wolverhampton was a bit depressed, as far as towns go.

As a frequent traveler and speaker, I rarely go to areas that are not at the top of their form, economically speaking. Conference traffic is rarely to smallish towns in economic depression. To sum up one aspect of the town one of the other conference goers, upon seeing the shut down and closed up Wolverhampton University, pondered its sale details on eBay, saying ,"One university, unused, for sale, comes with prominent police presence"

Also, the comic book store closed too early for Nat Friedman, Joe Shaw and I to partake of its wares. Too bad, as I think there is a new Powers anthology out.

Sleep and I have been having our regular back and forth. I slept about 7 hours last night, then another 3 , which sounds like the right amount, or even more so, but this is after 26+ hours up with minimal trip-napping. I'm a bit ragged because of it, but I should be fairly well centered by tomorrow morning.

Had some tasty Fish and Chips though.

Airplanes are not Clothing Optional

So here's a tip for my readers who fly a fair amount. It is -not- cool, and I'd very much appreciate it if you would pass this on to other people, to , when shimmying past your seat mate, to zip up your fly while you're in front of me. The fellow next to me kept on unbuttoning upon sitting, and rebuttoning upon standing. He was an older dude, with weird stained white lips, imagine if your mentat friend drank bleach stuff instead of that intelligence enhancing red wine they drink.

There was no mistaking that this dude was in rough shape. I felt for him, but still, button and zip before you're in front of me, it's impolite. Luckily nothing waggled out at me.

Also, when there is something pretty outside, I really don't want to chat about it. I wear my fabulous noise blocking outing earphones for a reason.

Oh, and try not to smell that bad on the plane next time, cool? Thanks.

Narita, Sakura Lounge, nursing a pokemon wound

Sometimes, Japan is everything you need it to be. I'm only here for 3 hours, waiting on my flight to Guangzhou, but it has already infused my brain with the Japanness. It's not the mini akihabara that is the duty free, nor is it the odd lack of a Cinnabon. No, it's the kid who flung a pokemon at me.

Well, okay, not at me, but sort of near me.

I choose you pikachu. Man, I'm sleepy.

Synergy, I wub you.

Synergy is an amazing little utility that allows you to share your mouse and keyboard (and to a lesser degree your clipboard) from machine to machine, independent of OS. So, for instance, at work I have a Linux desktop and a windows (with virtual machines) laptop. Google provides a handy dock and such, so when I get to my desk, I pop her in the dock and run the synergy client. Then the keyboard and mouse on my desk simply move from one screen to another as if they are made of sparkley magic. All hail synergy, the best little utility ever.

Overheard at work....

My pal Todd, who runs the no-name cafe in building 43 responding to Jeremy Allison's profession of culinary love and admiration of the peach soup:

"That's funny you say that. That was a very polarizing soup"