I won’t pretend to know much  of Mr Jobs as a person, I had the chance to meet him once while working at NeXT, and that encounter at best serves to give credence to the lauding of both his aesthetic and attention to detail. As someone who works in the tech industry, what does amaze me is the string of game changing products he and Apple have managed to produce over the years, having participated in product development for both successful, and not so successful products. What is amazing to me is the execution. What people don’t see is how fraught with mis-steps product development can be, yet if managed well, can still yield some pretty amazing stuff

As much as people have gone on about how he and Apple have changed things. More profound to me is that there is a wife, some kids, and other family who have lost a husband and a father and relative. As I get older, I see more and more of the tech world as at best an industry which produces things which have potential to help people live. Emphasis on potential.

While donations are welcome, they are by no means required. Who knows, you might even learn something.

here’s a link to the film “Strange Fruit”, also this month on the 19th and the 26th the following events:

February 19th Panel Discussion/Conversation which will explore issues of straight and lgbti allies in the black community

February 26th: Free screening of the film “Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen”, Film maker Kortney Ziegler,will be on hand to discuss his film

http://www.brighthub.com/mobile/iphone/reviews/66760.aspx

I just found this, it reminds me I have to get by drive fixed as that’s where a few years of digital photos reside

About two months ago we took Natascha, our 6 year old daughter to the East Bay (in Berkeley) Vivarium. I have been to the vivarium countless times in the past and cool as it has been, this particular day was special in that there 3 feedings we manage to witness. Two Monitor lizards feeding on a chick and a small mouse respectively, and then a Burmese Python feeding on a rabbit. What was truly amazing was that Natascha watched all three feedings with rapt attention.

The python feeding was fairly sterile except for the fact that the one of the rabbit’s eye popped out as it was being constricted. Then there was the smaller of the two monitors who effectively bit the chick in half as my daughter was watching, and finally the mouse who was pretty much chewed and swallowed as well.

This all caught me by surprise as I was sure Nat would be a bit squeamish. Go figure.

Ok, finally, done…. so now I can rest a little easier.
Raising a daughter is truly amazing

So, what next for me ? I don’t know. There are some back burner (or at least former back burner) projects including finishing up my film; a history of black surfers, extending my Dreamweaver skills, and maybe getting a little more consistent in making entries in this blog. That and going surfing more now that I have some free time.

Cheers, and I hope to update this more frequently

I don’t intend on writing much about this beyond that it is a shame. Instead, here are a couple of links to some podcasts, the first, from WHYY’s Fresh Air with Terry gross, the interview is with Michael Greenberger, from Univ of Maryland I believe. Here is a link to it, Fresh Air, April 3 Show, the second is from the NPR show which aired July 18th, its easiest to go to the NPR site and search it out, but it is worthwhile as this show in addition to documenting some current state on the mortgage crisis, also includes a pretty good conversation with William Grieder of the The Nation.

That’s all for now, btw, we are all back in Oakland, our true home. Its nice to be back

Peace

Paul Richardson