What? As Bukowski wrote: “…symbolizes everything that disgusts me: unoriginal, macho energy, obviousness…”. Or if you prefer, what she says.

Well, at least the first ad was smart.

Tara, Ashby, Roesevelt and I spent a long Thanksgiving weekend in Big Bear. We were surprised Saturday morning with several inches of snow and then more again on Sunday. Total accumulation was over a foot.

We stayed at the Cozy Hollow Lodge. I recommend it. Very clean. Also, they have a pleasant playground for the kids.

My Thanksgiving tweets in anti-chronological order:

Lol And canadians @jevon @davidcrow @jaygoldman @maggiefox @kangamono. Canadians r cool. #thanksgiving 5:51 PM Nov 26th  in reply to jevon

Oops meant to add #thanksgiving to last tweet. 5:46 PM Nov 26th

All the MindTouchers for being brilliant and hard working. Especially @honging and @wheatstraw for sticking with it thru early lean years. 5:45 PM Nov 26th

Lastly, my awesome biz partner @bjorg. #thanksgiving 5:24 PM Nov 26th

Roesevelt, my sturdy and reliable son. #thanksgiving 3:58 PM Nov 26th

My dynamic daughter. My favorite travel companion. #thanksgiving http://twitpic.com/r2vff 3:00 PM Nov 26th

My wife. An amazing mother, partner and great benefits too. Oh she’s hot too. #thanksgiving http://twitpic.com/r2v41 2:58 PM Nov 26th

I keep getting invited to Google Wave even though I’ve had an account for months. It seems others are inviting me with different email addresses than the one I have registered with Wave. I can’t add my other emails though and Wave is disconnected even from my Google profile. 😦 Lame.

I have been asked many times for my thoughts on Google Wave. Here are just a couple:

• IRC moved up stack. Google Wave is essentially no different from what we’ve been doing with IRC and TKL bots for a very very long time. This doesn’t diminish it. To the contrary.
• Google Wave is crappy email. Because there is hardly anyone using it.
• Google Wave is crappy instant messaging. See the last point. Also, it doesn’t notify users of a message other than through the web interface, which I rarely log into.

As Jevon wrote to me, in a Wave, “if [Google Wave] had email notifications it would be more useful”. Oh the irony.

Don’t get me wrong. Google Wave is interesting. Primarily because of the underlying protocol and architecture. I am certain that if Google throws enough money at Wave, and I suspect they will, they will develop it into an important and useful technology.

Ping me with your email address if you want a Google Wave invite. If you’re already on Wave feel free to add me. I am AaronRoe At GoogleWave Dot com

Each year the Komen San Diego Race for the Cure^® attracts more than 14,000 participants locally and over 1.5 million people participate in a Race for the Cure^® event worldwide. This family friendly 5K run/walk starts in beautiful Balboa Park.

 

I love that show: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. It makes a nice title for a blog post with some random photos from our recent family visit to Philly. It was indeed unseasonably warm and sunny while we were there. I had work in DC, but the family came along and the weekend before we visited friends who live outside Philadelphia. We took a “big bus” tour of the city. This is a double-decker bus that you can jump on and off at designated stops. It was great fun. We also visited the “Please Touch” museum for children. Philadelphia is a beautiful city. The flora brought back fond memories of of the three months I lived in Central PA when I was 18 years old and in transit across country. 

 

Tara performing a cartwheel in front of Independence Hall on the lawn of the Liberty Bell.

 

Yes, I made sure he had help.

Roy posted some recent search findings from Google:

After I commented on how I wish I too belonged to a persecuted minority group I did my own investigation into this phenomenon. My findings:

Damn. I would be angry if it weren’t so true. I do love Wayne Brady.

I have a favor to ask. Please donate a couple dollars and a few minutes. If each reader of my blog gives a couple bucks we can fund many of these projects. But let’s start with this one. Let me explain.

Several months ago I attended the Web 2.0 Summit Dinner. Good times. As a door prize, if you will, O’Reilly and Pahlka gave all of us in attendance a $100 gift card to DonorsChoose.org. Here’s the deal:

Here’s how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that makes your eye twinkle. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school.

You’ll get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent. If you give over $100, you’ll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. We call it citizen philanthropy.

via DonorsChoose.org

Thanks O’Reilly and Pahlka for turning me onto this. I’ve add this to my list of charities, which include: Plan USA, Kiva.org and EFF. Given the many years I invested in bridging the digital divide in under-served communities in NC and MN with the creation and support of several non-profits (three still in operation) I’m stoked on DonorsChoose for the slant on education. Through DonorsChoose I have donated to a several projects thus far.

Here is a summary of my first two projects:

The teacher letters are awesome!

My most recent project was discovered by my wife, Tara. You can dramatically impact a school and community. It will only take you a couple minutes and a few dollars. There is no minimum donation. As previously mentioned, if every reader of my blog donates a couple bucks we can fund many projects. Please help with this one.

There is a literacy project at C.C. Spaulding in Durham, NC that needs YOUR help. This is one of the at-risk inner city schools where my wife taught and I volunteered. Moreover, I launched a technology community center here, built the network and IT/IS infrastructure. I know first hand how much this population of student needs YOUR help.

Please donate. Even if only a couple dollars. There is no minimum and this will only take a minute and MindTouch will match every dollar donated. Just contact me via email or Twitter and we’ll match.

Thanks!