http://aperte.org Jeremy Handcock Wed, 08 Dec 2010 07:23:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 http://aperte.org/2008/11/21/beverages-for-tough-times/ http://aperte.org/2008/11/21/beverages-for-tough-times/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:57:18 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/?p=405 TechCrunch Layoff Tracker to get a glimpse of the carnage in the tech sector. As an anecdotal note, I've heard nothing but sad stories of layoffs from my friends in management consulting as well and we're not even at rock-bottom yet. Myself, I'm entering the job market after grad school at the worst of times. Interestingly, widespread personal blogging means that layoffs are communicated a little different relative to times past. As an attempt to better control the messaging, some companies are opting to announce pink slips to the public on the official company blog. Take this gracious message on the company blog from Redfin's President and CEO as an example. I was watching Anderson Cooper earlier and I heard an interesting perspective on the decline of Citigroup, which is the world's largest bank according to revenues: after its shares lost $9B in value today, Citigroup's market capitalization is less than that of Home Depot. If you're not familiar with market capitalization, essentially that means the largest bank in the world is worth less than Home Depot -- or at least investors see it that way. Amazing. Fortunately for us, quick thinking companies are monetizing the tough times with new booze brands: on a recent trip to New York, I was walking by a wine store when one of my friends spotted Recession Red, a wine conveniently priced under $7 for investment bankers to pick up while clutching their pink slips on the way home. Howe Sound Brewery in BC just launched Bailout Bitter: "bitter ale for bitter times." Grab a glass and pour heavy! Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2008/11/21/beverages-for-tough-times/feed/ 1 http://aperte.org/2008/02/11/something-fresh/ http://aperte.org/2008/02/11/something-fresh/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2008 04:56:41 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2008/02/11/something-fresh/ Wordpress theme Hemingway Reloaded, cut it up, and designed my own thing. You'll notice that my gnome has been replaced with a different but equally cool artifact from my living space. I'm going to use Lightbox to display photos within my posts, which should make for a bit nicer experience. Just try clicking on this photo... c'mon, click it! See, wasn't that awesome? Sure, you've seen it before elsewhere, but it has never been on such a cool web site. I've been wanting to give my web site a facelift for a long time now -- honestly, I've had it on my TODO list since I left Seattle -- but I had a conversation with Greg, Jorge, and some others last week about blogging that made me want to finish the job. The observation was that no one really blogs about what they're doing with their research, which limits a bunch of opportunities for discussing interesting things and connecting with interesting people. There are good arguments against openness but it seems there are many more for it. It would seem like a waste not to take advantage of this chance. After all, the opportunities for talking openly in industry are much more scarce. I'm also motivated to expand my online footprint after reading The Big Log Off in March's Walrus Magazine. Clearly, one must start with a fancy pants new web site. If I get hit by a bus, or more probably, expire during a particularly grueling session of hot yoga, aperte.org will at least have some lasting impressions of myself in addition to those scandalous emails sitting on my hard drive. So, hopefully this is the start of new good times here on aperte.org. Let me know what you think of the new design! Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2008/02/11/something-fresh/feed/ 4 http://aperte.org/2008/01/26/ski-challenge-08/ http://aperte.org/2008/01/26/ski-challenge-08/#comments Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:58:22 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2008/01/26/ski-challenge-08/ Ski Challenge '08 today while watching the men's downhill at Chamonix. It looks pretty awesome! I only wish it would run on my Mac... maybe I'll install Boot Camp tomorrow just so I can play it. I'm generally pretty bad at video games. I just didn't play them when I was growing up and I don't have the learned hand-eye coordination that comes along them. I've been honing my adult gamer skills in "Trauma Center: New Blood" on my Wii. Trust me: you never want me to be your surgeon. For Ski Challenge '08, however, I'm hoping that my real skills as a fierce racer will shine through in the virtual world. I kinda doubt it, but it will be fun. Anyone else want to play? Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2008/01/26/ski-challenge-08/feed/ 0 http://aperte.org/2007/12/11/almost-there/ http://aperte.org/2007/12/11/almost-there/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:54:48 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/12/11/almost-there/ a delicious capsule of coffee arrived from Thetis Island last week and it's keeping me fueled. My projects for the term are shaping up nicely so far. Much remains though. Somehow a bunch of people got invited to one of our demos on Friday so I hope we don't go down in flames. OK, I'm back to work. I have to slap together a crufty web application in the next three days so I better get to it. Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2007/12/11/almost-there/feed/ 1 http://aperte.org/2007/12/05/call-to-arms-for-late-risers/ http://aperte.org/2007/12/05/call-to-arms-for-late-risers/#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:02:18 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/12/05/call-to-arms-for-late-risers/ may be related to a gene. Fortunately for me, rolling in to the office at 10am is right on time in my line of work. Anything earlier and I'm on my own in an eerie sea of empty cubicles with the gentle hum of cheap Dell cooling fans. It seems that many aren't so lucky, however. My poor brother, for example, has to get all dressed up and be in the office by 8:30am. Me, I'll roll out of bed around the time that he's walking out the door, shower, and put on a hoody. I think us late riser geeks have it pretty good. (via Ryan, a fellow late riser) Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2007/12/05/call-to-arms-for-late-risers/feed/ 0 http://aperte.org/2007/11/23/a-good-year-for-canadian-racing/ http://aperte.org/2007/11/23/a-good-year-for-canadian-racing/#comments Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:10:46 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/11/23/a-good-year-for-canadian-racing/ placed in the top 15 during training runs at the Lake Louise World Cup downhill, including Jan Hudec, who led with the fastest time. Sweet! (anecdote: I vaguely remember Hudec training with our little Red Deer racing club a few times before being ushered off to Banff Academy for bigger, brighter things.) Things are looking up for Canadian racers! Erik Guay brought home a World Cup win last year and things are shaping up nicely for this year. Alas, I ended up a software engineer, but there are still opportunities for racing: I had an awesome time racing with CityLeague last year and hopefully I'll be able to get into some gates again once I get closer to a few mountains. Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2007/11/23/a-good-year-for-canadian-racing/feed/ 0 http://aperte.org/2007/07/02/creeping-on-facebook/ http://aperte.org/2007/07/02/creeping-on-facebook/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:09:22 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/07/02/creeping-on-facebook/ I've long been avoiding getting involved with all these various online networking things and am just now I'm starting to see their value. I'm on LinkedIn and I can see how it would be a sweet job search tool, you know, if I were actually looking for a job. MySpace has become the hub for musicians to advertise events and showcase their music, which I think is odd for creative types because MySpace is mostly an ugly piece of crap. Facebook seems to be the tool that I can use to keep in touch with people from past lives, apparently complete with random people from high school that I don't even know. I never know what to do with these types of friend requests. So far I've just ignored them. Facebook is especially fun for the "creeping"; this is what one of my friends calls it when she browses Facebook profiles to find interesting gossip or to casually stalk other people. I'm pretty sure that everyone on Facebook does this. You can tell a lot by creeping around in others' photos, walls, and friend lists. You can make stunning realizations like how attractive/unattractive people you used to know have become, who is dating whom, and what people are doing with their hair these days. It's all very addictive and all very useful, actually. My Facebook friend list is rather modest by some I've seen. I only have 36 friends so far, but somehow that seems like enough (right, Jill? ). I haven't done that auto-import from your address book thing though. Maybe that would pick up a few stragglers. Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2007/07/02/creeping-on-facebook/feed/ 2 http://aperte.org/2007/06/26/just-a-post-to/ http://aperte.org/2007/06/26/just-a-post-to/#comments Wed, 27 Jun 2007 07:38:37 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/06/26/just-a-post-to/

]]> http://aperte.org/2007/06/26/just-a-post-to/feed/ 1 http://aperte.org/2007/04/03/giant-freaky-gulls/ http://aperte.org/2007/04/03/giant-freaky-gulls/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2007 06:23:44 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/04/03/giant-freaky-gulls/ See how scary they look? Especially with their eyes lit up in that photo. I had speculated that maybe it was sea gull mating season or something, but it seemed to be just these three that were upset about something. I think they want something from me. I'm definitely going to be watching my back while walking to work this week... Share:

]]> http://aperte.org/2007/04/03/giant-freaky-gulls/feed/ 0 http://aperte.org/2007/03/26/sunday-of-excess/ http://aperte.org/2007/03/26/sunday-of-excess/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2007 06:21:21 +0000 Jeremy Handcock http://aperte.org/2007/03/26/sunday-of-excess/ After Target I convinced Fruit Loops to come with me to my first Bikram yoga class. I wanted to sample the suffering after reading Nicholas' post. It was an excess of heat and sweating! I don't know how Nicholas managed to make it through without a towel (my towel was absolutely drenched when I finished). For a while near the end I didn't think I would make it: the instructor was talking really fast and the salt in my sweat kept stinging my eyes while I was fumbling through the poses. Some people in the class were doing a 30-day Bikram challenge (Bikram every day for 30 days straight). Me, I was happy to have survived one. In the end though I felt really good. I suppose it's the suffering that gives you the feeling of progress. It's always advised to replenish one's toxins after such a cleansing experience. Fruit Loops and I scarfed down a pepperoni pizza last night and I went out for a big fat burger and a beer after work today. So I'm all back to normal. Share:

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