Amsterdam

It’s interesting how self-context can change a city.

Last time I visited Amsterdam, I was in a terrible relationship, living in South Bay and I got robbed leaving Schiphol. Three years later, I’m single living in San Francisco and am a tiny bit wiser.

This time, for instance, I found out that Amsterdam smells a lot like San Francisco.

(Back then, I thought Patchouli was pot, so what did I know?)

[Amsterdam women after the jump]Continue reading

Advertising in social networking

Because I work in social networking, people often ask me about advertising in social networks. For some reason, they don’t buy the obvious excuse that I’m an engineer, not a business person or entrepreneur. What do I know?

[The problem of advertising in social networking]Continue reading

Bernadette

I first met Bernadette at the Reddit Party last year. (Coincidentally, there is another Reddit party in San Francisco tonight.) She was hiding in the corner and caught me taking her photo so I introduced myself “to not make it seem as creepy as it is.”

She recently started blogging so read her blog! (Now if only Mager can get her on twitter—whoops, scratch that.)

Every so often since that party, she’ll say something just to get a rise out of me followed by a disarming smile or a laugh. Luckily I can’t hear it over the party noise, so my reaction makes me seem all cool and “mysterious” when really my hearing is just going.

A lot of people seem to think the stuff I write is fiction—that this is some made up character or persona I craft for myself. Or I’m just a very talented liar with a good memory. But no, this stuff really happens. I don’t have that good of an imagination.

Luckily, my friends do. I count Bernie as one of them.

B.B.

Goodbyes and hellos

I just get back from Amsterdam and two of our engineers are leaving Tagged and we have a lot of job openings.

One of the departing wrote an interesting e-mail on leaving which I’ll quote below and maybe it’ll give you an idea what it’s like working here. But first, some open job reqs…

[Tagged Jobs Reqs and farewell after the jump. Read on! It’s worth it.]Continue reading

Features I wish the iPhone had

Yesterday, after the iPhone 3G announcement, someone at work made a comment, “For $200, there is no reason not to get an iPhone.”

I thought that shows we engineers have a serious lack of imagination.

The reasons I gave at the time to him are no different that this Gizmodo article.

Still shows a serious lack of imagination.

On my way to work, between swigs from my water bottle and wondering why God turned up the brightness and volume on the world today, I decided that the deal-killing feature the iPhone 3G was missing is a free “booty call” feature.

iPhone 3G

I wish phones came with that.

iPhoneDevCamp

Last night I met Dom of iPhoneDevCamp. He mentioned that a lot of people are registering for iPhoneDevCamp 2 (August 1-3 in San Francisco) and will likely be filled up before the event. So register now.

Hangovers

At least you made it home alive, Terry.

Last night I prayed at the porcelain altar.

The Long Tail of the Ballmer Peak should never be experimentally determined.

I remembered that I spent most of my time in college, between problem sets, in a dynamic equilibrium consisting of an elevated state of inebriation and wishing I was dead.

…or maybe theoreticians like you should stay out of the lab.

Like one time, we decided to carol all of Caltech with the main verse of “Terriers are My Favorite Animal.

This is why you cultivate an abusively low tolerance for alcohol, Terry

After about two dorms it became, “Terry is my favorite animal. Terry weighs about 20lbs…”

Just make it end.

And by the time we finished at Ruddock House, it had pretty much become a solo: “I weigh about 20lbs. I help the aged…”

Please, please, I promise I won’t do this again.

That’s when J— got the idea that we had to protect all the eggs in the house.

What comes after bargaining?

We raided the place for all the “safe sex” condoms.

I shouldn’t have eaten anything.

Then we into every refrigerator and proceeded to individually condom every egg we found in there.

Was that just my liver that came out?

Yeah, I know it sounds hilarious.

Uh oh. This is the part where parts of your body haven’t been told there is nothing left to eject.

But imagine you lived in Ruddock House and needed a hangover breakfast and found all your eggs individually condomed.

Note to self: Alcohol is the devil.

I’m glad I lived in Page House.

I wish I was dead.

Update: