brian's blog

So I somehow managed to bring porn up on my computer at work today. It really wasn't my fault.

No, really!

There's some sort of bug within the Microsoft corporate network that causes random Blogspot blog X to be served when I request blog Y within Firefox. (Yes, I use Firefox. It's got tabs.) So I requested Leo's blog, but instead was served a blog chock full of porn.

I've heard stories about how Microsoft IT is very good at tracking down people who bring up porn (even accidentally, such as when one does an unfiltered Google Image search for, say, a famous actress). So I preemptively told my boss. He just laughed at me.

In the end, I never heard from IT. Also, none of my coworkers seemed to believe that it was accidental.

From the NY Times, Is It Better to Buy or Rent?:

For new home buyers, prices in New York would need to rise roughly another 13 percent over the next five years for the average buyer to do better than the average renter over that span. In Northern California, where the gap between house prices and rents is largest, home values would need to go up about 19 percent by 2010.

I've been hoping to buy a house sometime within the next five years, but maybe it's not such a good idea after all. (Then again, 13 to 19 percent over five years doesn't seem like too unreasonable unless the market really tanks.)

The recruiting trip to Waterloo was a blast. On Saturday Markus, Daniel, Wolfgang, and I went out to dinner in downtown Toronto, then to the Second City to see the incredibly funny (currently untitled) 57th revue. I wish I had known about Second City earlier. Following the show, we hung out at Wolfgang's until an obscene hour in the morning.

Sunday was lunch with my uncle, then a dinner with about 10 ex-Microsoft co-ops at Solé. Monday were the info sessions, which went very well, especially with the help of the Ed Helms video. It was a very strange feeling to be on the other side of the fence, taking resumes, giving the presentation, etc.

Waterloo seemed mostly the same, with a few exceptions:

• There seems to be construction everywhere, especially on University Ave (which now has bike lanes in both directions)
• The students seem seem really, really young (which I'm sure is more a reflection of my own age). Geezers Arda Ocal and Heramb also noted the same thing in their latest Imprint columns.
• These "One Waterloo" posters were up everywhere around campus:

The parody above from MC shows a much more realistic picture of what Waterloo diversity is really like:

(Yes, I'm trying out inlining larger images. 'veryone else is doing it.)

So I'm flying back to Waterloo this weekend to help with recruiting. I'm very excited to help trick naive Waterloo co-ops and grads into a life of slavery. My schedule's packed:

• Saturday - Fly into Toronto, hang out with the Wolski bros
• Sunday - Lunch with my uncle in T.O., then a recruiting dinner in Waterloo
• Monday - Info Sessions
• 12:00pm - Tatham Centre 2218 A and B
• 7:00pm - DC 1302
• Tuesday - Take care of some errands and fly back to Seattle

Heather and I are planning to come back for a much more social visit in November.

So Microsoft debuted a short joke film at PDC starring Bill Gates and Jon Heder (from Napoleon Dynamite, replaying his role). Gates mans an empty booth at Jon's high school career fair, Jon and Gates get into a slapping match, and more. It's mildly funny; there's a bootleg out there somewhere, though I can't find a link at the moment.

Glad to see Microsoft can poke fun of itself. Even better, though, is the Ed Helms recruiting video. Ed Helms comes to campus for a Daily Show-esque expose into life at Microsoft. I'll be showing it at Waterloo on Monday.

From the Seattle PI, Transit services adding Wi-Fi to buses:

Sound Transit plans later this fall to offer Wi-Fi on 545 buses, five of which travel from downtown Seattle to Redmond.

Very cool. Since being on email, IM, etc basically means I'm fully able to work, I'll be in the office almost from the moment I leave the door to the moment I get home (ignoring the bike ride).

Don't laugh at me, but I have crazy fantasies that this means I'll be able to spend less time at work.

Yes, I'm still alive. No, I'm not on drugs. I've had some other priorities recently, and it seems so petty to describe the most recent weekend adventure or share snapped photos when such a huge tragedy has taken place in the world. And even writing that sounds hypocritical given the other tragedies taking place that are so easy to ignore.

Sorry. I'll stop being a downer now.