Spank My Wookie

How would you classify a bar as a neighborhood hangout?
Is it the faded blue door draped with clear vinyl, which opens half way?
Could it be the odd ramblings between the guys outside the door, taking long drags from the Marlboro Reds, bantering about why the tree they are standing under still exists?
Could it be the writings and comments strewn across the wall; written on paper placemats you'd only find at cheap chinese resturants?
Could it be the pool table warning stating a 50cent fine for knocking any balls over the edge?
Is it the fair weather bar counter; glasses half full with coaster on top; announcing that the seat is taken?
Big red letters strung up across the back of the bar; wishing the bartender happy birthday as she parades around smiling at all the patrons there to make her night easier?
Big platters of appetizers served as a party favor for that annual b-day celebration?
What about helping with bringing out the beer cans and bottles for recycling?
How about havning that rotary phone ring and yelling across the room for one of the ladies hustling at pool?
Could you find a jukebox that plays jazz, blues, some stoner music by Willie Nelson, or just some old style rock and roll?
Could it be the looks you get when you first walk in because they've never seen you before?
I just wonder...........

Posted by Baldwin at 11:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sunny afternoon, light onshore breeze, fading swell.
Two crowded peaks, with head high + and some closeout rights
Nice lefts rolling through.
Escaped to the south where the boats park.
5 surfers to share the waist high peelers
Bailed on one. Bailed on two.
Finally caught a warm-up righty. Can't outrun the white wash.
Paddle back out. Swing into another one. Shared the wave.
Next wave I swing for, nice long peeling right, playful shoulder, sweet spot even sweeter.
Nice kickout and garnered a thumbs up from a familiar face.
Got more waves. Shoulder high, late takeoff, but survive the drop.
Cross-stepped on one wave. Wobbly at best. Need more practice.
Said hi to another familiar face. Shared a wave with her. Slipped at the end. Needed more wax on the tail.
Shutdown commenced. Non-breaking shoulders roll to the beach.
Determined for that last wave.
Found a nice sizer coming through. Guy on the outside let it go.
I swing and made an angled entry. Cranked a right hand turn and surfed the top part of the wave.
Kicked out and called it a day!
Surf Surf and more Surf!

Posted by Baldwin at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Microsoft has delayed the release of its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system to 2007.

In typical Microsoft fashion:
1. Make the Announcement
2. Get everyone excited
3. Decide you can deliver
4. Rebulk the announcement
5. Then re-release, still with tons of bugs

This reminds me of how a lot of software projects are ran. Scope creep, unclear project specs, sales people promising too much to clients and a whole shebang of excuses to pull from.

Needless to say, delivering an on-time, quality software project is something any project manager should master. Shield developers from politics, manage scope and get involved with the sales cycle. Oh, and make sure the PM is technical enough to drive the project; not just point and click in Excel.

Why am I rambling about this? I dunno. Cuz I setup Digg to post to my blog directly. Thought I'd give this a shot.

read more | digg story

Posted by Baldwin at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If a car doesn't cost at least $440,000, don't expect to see it here. From Forbes.com.

I want one of these cars!

read more | digg story

Posted by Baldwin at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

DSC00431.JPG
Originally uploaded by spankmywookie.

Posted by Baldwin at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I surfed again! Finally, after three weeks. I went out and got some of the best suckage I can find. 3 foot windblown closeouts! I didn't care. I was happy to ride two of them and then just tried my hand at body surfing.

Sunny day, sunny beach, horrible wind slop, stiff sideshore winds, and I didn't forget how to surf.

Posted by Baldwin at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm sitting at an Infoworld conference about SOA. For those who don't know, it's Service Oriented Architecture. In other words, a more glorified word for web services. SOAP, UDDI, WSDL. These are all forms of data exchange in a distributed platform independent fashion. I don't know why I'm writing about it, but just wanted to pretend to be blogging about it.

I only went to one discussion, but it was about revision control and how to manage users. Ideas include setting up Wiki for end user discussions. UDDI repository for services. ebay was here and the guy was really adament of not using UDDI because they are the defacto in auction and payment systems. Pretty arrogant guy, but it is true.

There's a lot of talk about how to apply architectural patterns so consumers can apply the same interface to the publisher. Re-use was a big theme.

Check out these pictures:

Posted by Baldwin at 03:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oh great surf gods...
it's been an eternity since i've gotten wet...
actually, it's only been a week and a half...
but still, surf gods, grant something semi decent...
make these miserable bumpy, choppy, ungroomed raw energy magically transform into a picture perfect day.
send those kamchatka systems that are born off the coast of japan...
have mother nature freight train them into northern california...
send those big basin highs that produce slight offshore winds and sunny days,
which grooms the sea so line after line of 15 second energy can wrap around points, light up beaches...and makes the nor cal reefs produce barrel after barrel...
send those head high peelers so that loggers can drive off the bottom and make a trip to the nose, only to outrun the wave, cutback and set the board in a trim spot and just cruise..
send picture perfect a-frames to those deserving beaches, where a regular foot and a goofy footer can both take off, hoot and holler each other into barrels...
grant the opportunity to surf at breaks that only break once a year...
surf gods...make the afternoons pleasant again, so drives along the coast searching for wedges and nuggets possible
light up the points with 7 set waves so everyone in the lineup can rotate for some killer mackers...
lets have one day where everyone can find one of those memory waves, where you can look back and say its one of the best days of the season, where novice surfers can feel like they are getting somewhere...where hardcore surfers can find stand up barrels, where beginners can catch that one wave to draw them into this experience we call surfing...

Posted by Baldwin at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It can be a Blah day.
The food was Blah.
The day at the mall was Blah.
Work was Blah.
The television show was Blah.
Listening to the radio on the way to work was blah.
The song on the radio was blah.
You are blah.
I am blah.
Lunch can be Blah.
Dinner can be super blah if you head to a BJs who serves Blah food because it comes out cold.
Going to the movies can be Blah.
The last episode of lost was Blah.
The tasks at work are blah.
The surf on a junky windswell onshore day can be blah.
blah.blah.blah.blah.
Everything can be described with the word Blah.

Posted by Baldwin at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)