Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Jeopardy: The IBM Challenge

This is fascinating stuff... IBMs attempt at making an artificial Jeopardy Champ.

Part 1:


Part 2:

Monday, February 14, 2011

Valentine

I am not big on Valentines Day. The thought of a commercial holiday where I am to show my special someone I love her with presents and flowers seems shallow and forced.  I know my wife feels the same way.  So sorry Hallmark, you won't be making money off of me this year.

However I do have a special someone in this world, and since the world seems to think today is a good day to show their love to theirs, I will show my love to mine.  I share it here because what girl can resist showing off this romantic crap to her girlfriends? (am I right, fellas?) So here I sit waxing romantic in front of the whole universe of my blog readers (all 4 of em) and share my love with you Dave style.  Sorry about that, but when I leaned in and called you a sucker right after our wedding vows it was - well -  it was cause you have to deal with stuff like this.  hehe.. sucker.

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My dearest wife,

My wife.  Ain't she a beauty?
The day I met you was the day I became yours.

I didn't know it then of course, but when I look back,  I can't help but think that the moment I first laid eyes on you outside that movie theatre in Burlington Ontario I knew I was in for something special (we saw Zorro so I know *that* wasn't it).  It took a month for me to hold your hand for the first time, and only a few months more to know I would never be able to let it go again (except of course to wash the dishes and do the laundry).

Sweetheart, hold up your left hand.  Look at your third finger.  See the diamond ring?  That ring is, with out a doubt, the best thing I have ever purchased (and I've bought some cool stuff - have you seen my bike?).  Putting it on your finger was the easiest decision and the smartest move I ever made.   The fact that you let me put it there amazes me to this day.  I don't know what I did to sucker you into agreeing to spend your life with me - God must like me or something - but it has been the greatest gift I have ever known (seriously, what Valentines Day heart shaped box of chocolates is ever going to top that one? Suck on it Hallmark - I got my top prize already).

I don't know where I would be if God didn't put me into your life. All I know is that every time I look into your eyes I know that I don't want to be anywhere else but where I am.  In your life, by your side, holding your hand, sharing your world.

So Happy Valentines Day, my dearest wife. I love you.

P.S.  You cook up a pretty good kid too :)
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Saturday, February 12, 2011

A Zeke At Play

This one is for the grandparents...

Today we took Zeke to Mulberry Park to play on the playground.  Behold the pics of your grandkid.  Prepare your oooh and aaah machines... here we go:



... and a good time was had by all.

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Check In with Google Latitude

As outlined in this blog entry,  Google Latitude is useful for keeping track of your friends locations, and is making awesome improvements.

I've personally used Latitude to keep track of co-workers on trips to California and is indeed a useful tool.  If you haven't checked it out yet, read the blog post and get cracking.

On a personal note one of the folks working on Latitude, and the author of the above blog post,  I have known since I started working at Google almost 6 years ago.  Joe worked in a different office, but we shared the same managers, worked beside each other in the same datacenters from time to time, and even travelled to Asia together for work.  It is awesome to see how his career has grown... going from a hardware tech to writing code for a very useful public service.  Go Joe!