Archive for January 2006

You can call me Leroy

It’s nearly 6am in Paris and I’ve been listening to the news on the radio in my hotel room, trying to improve my French comprehension.

We spent yesterday shivering in the gardens at Versailles with Guy, Sophie and friends (pictures).

I didn’t know Versailles had a huge petting zoo, with sheep and donkeys and rams that rear up into the air and smash horns right in front of you. There was one four-horned ram. He looked like a mythical creature.

In an hour I’m flying to Nuremberg to spend the day with colleagues at SUSE. I’ll be back here Tuesday and Wednesday for LinuxSolutions. Wednesday afternoon I’m giving a demo of Beagle, F-Spot, Banshee, Xgl and several other projects at the forefront of the Linux desktop, all of which will be showing up in Novell’s next Linux desktop product.

They tell me that 1600 people have signed up for the talk already, so if you’re in town I recommend you show up early and to check it out.

And remember the policy: No applause, just throw money.

East Cambridge

The Buddha was a brain hacker

Seven days of meditation and being peaceful at Deer Park Monastery: a superb way to begin 2006.

Waking at 5am, walking slowly, eating in silence, chewing each bite 30 times, noticing at the skin on my nose that my in breath is cold and dry and my out breath warm and moist.

Returning to Boston to see everyone’s insecurities and fears written plainly across their faces. Sad.

Buddhism wasn’t much like what I expected it to be. The Buddha was a brain hacker who worked out a system to end suffering. Worthy of study. Becoming a monk has a certain appeal.

Oh, and I seem to be (temporarily?) vegetarian.