Hippy van and the giant orb

I was lucky enough to catch a picture of this Hippy Love Van outside of work this morning. I wish I could have spoken with the occupants, if for no other reason than to find out what the heck that thing strapped to the luggage rack was. Maybe I'll get lucky and see them tomorrow. If they're cool I'll see if they'll give me a tour of their van.

One can hope

When two titans with egos try to join forces things are bound to get a little hairy. Apple claims Cingular made concessions just for them. Cingular came back and said they "bent" Apple. Who's telling the truth? Who cares? The most we can hope for is relationships break down and by the time the blasted device is released the partnership has dissolved and Apple releases it unlocked along with new, less expensive versions.

At least we're doing something about it

What we're doing about it.

Riding the train again

After last night's experience on the train I decided to people watch again and see what I'd see.

I saw two women who worked at Wells Fargo. I knew this because they wore shirts with the bank logo on them. The amusing thing was that if someone had introduced these women to me as working in a bank I would have said, "Oh yeah. I can see that." They just had that look.

My favorite person from tonight was a black woman I saw reading a Bible. Wearing mostly denim, she was standing up while simultaneously hunched over her book with a black pen in one hand, circling passages as she read. Between the scarf wrapped up to her nose and the bandanna pulled low she peered out intently at the words.

Most other people on the train were tired. At best, they were slouched in their seats, absently staring out the windows. Others even attempted to sleep despite the bumpy ride. In contrast, this woman was awake and focused.

The Bible wasn't a new acquisition. It was well studied and the hours of attention were apparent by the worn cover and faded red edges. A bill envelope and a few notes scribbled on pieces of paper jutted out past the edges of pages. Other things appeared to be stuffed inside, although I couldn't tell what exactly.

It was apparent the book served as more than just a source of personal study and inspiration: it was always with her. Much like some people carry a planner or cell phone, this woman had her Bible. It was used. It was lived in. It was the center of who she was and how she functioned.

There's something to be learned from that.

Eventually her stop came. She looked up from between her scarf and bandanna, closed her Bible, gathered her things and walked off into the snow.

It arrived.

The long-awaited iPhone was announced today. In a word: wow. It does everything you could possibly want such a small device to do. It really is remarkable and revolutionary.

However, my overall feeling about Macworld: disappointment. Perhaps it's the jaded former Apple fanboy in me but with a half hour left in the keynote I was wondering, "When are they going to talk about Leopard?" Not to mention they've partnered with Cingular who, based on my experience and perusings 'round the Internets, is universally despised. Asking me to sign a two-year contract with Cingular and fork over $600 is just too much.

I wanted an iPhone to be an iPod and a phone. Instead, the iPhone is beyond my, and I think most people's, wildest dreams and therefore just as unattainable as it was before it was announced. I would have rather heard more about Leopard...something I'm actually going to buy.

This article reflects my thoughts pretty well.

P.S. Kevin Rose, what the heck were you talking about?? Are you a liar or just incompetent?

It's begun

Fetchers.

Riding the train

On the train on the way home from work tonight I decided to stand at the end of the car I was in instead of sitting. This gave me a fantastic view of the other passengers. It was absolutely wonderful. I was enthralled with the variety of people riding the train with me. A few of them stood out in particular.

To my left was a girl about my age. She was staring at a baby near her, seemingly lost in thought. What was she thinking about? Was she wanting to be a mother herself? Was she in a relationship and wondering if it was right? Did she have a little brother or sister, niece or nephew she was worried about? At one point she opened up her purse and revealed a small, stuffed teddy bear with what looked like a pair of hospital scrubs on. Had she been visiting someone in the hospital? Did she just get out herself? Who was sick? Would they get better? What was their relationship?

There were a couple of guys who looked like they belonged in a coffee shop: faded jeans, styled hair, thick-rimmed glasses. One of them was even sipping a latte through a very thin straw.

My favorite though was an old woman sitting by herself. In stark contrast to the people around her she was done up in the way you would think an older lady would dress up to go out: a brown wool coat buttoned up all the way with a broach at the top. A green scarf made several trips around her neck and a pink, somewhat fuzzy hat sat carefully on her hair. I could easily picture her riding the bus somewhere 30 years ago, staring silently out the window as the world rolled by. She had a great face. You could tell by looking at her that she was quite proper, but had a spunky side and wouldn't think twice about putting you in your place if occasion called for it. I wish I'd had my camera.