InfoWorld has declined to post my review of "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" because it is unrelated to open source. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Having run a ten marathons, countless half-marathons and a few 100+ mile cycling days, I am sometimes asked what the appeal is of long distance running or cycling. Despite he fact that I have been running for more than 30 years, it's not easy to explain. Mostly I think you either get it, or you don't and no attempt to dissect the experience will make much sense. But luckily, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami has penned a short book of essays called "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
I expect that this winter I'll run another marathon somewhere in the world. And I'm sure come next summer I'll be out in another traithlon somewhere, giving it my best shot. Thus the seasons come and go, and the years pass by. I'll age one more year, and probably finish another novel. One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the same time taking a long-range view, scanning the scenery as far ahead as I can. I am, after all, a long-distance runner.
My time, the rank I attain, my outward appearance --all of these are secondary. For a runner like me, what's really important is reaching the goal I set myself, under my own power. I give it everything I have, endure what needs enduring, amd am able, in my own way, to be satisfied. From out of the failures and joys I always try to come away having grasped a concrete lesson...
And I hope that, over time, as one race follows another, in the end I'll reach a place I'm content with. Or maybe just catch a gimpse of it...
Some day, if I have a gravestone and I'm able to pick out what is carved on it, I'd like it to say this:
Haruki Murakami
1949-20**
Writer (and Runner)
At Least He Never Walked
If you're a runner, or want to understand someone who is, this is a great read. It's short, inspiring in a modest way, and you'll finish it in less time than it takes to get from Athens to Marathon.
(Or the perils of working at home too much)
I was out of town for Marten's going away party so I decide to put together a brief video recalling what it was like to work with Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL for the last 5+ years. Inspired by Joaquin Phoenix, or perhaps it was the Unambomber, it came out a bit weird. But what the heck.
Marten, it just won't be the same without you. Thank you for your leadership and the confidence you bestowed in those who worked for you. Confidence enough to pay tribute to you in MySQL boxer shorts. There's also a slightly more professional "Toast to Marten" video that I created at the OSBC conference.
My good friend and open source-loving, running, beer-drinking community ambassador and MySQL VP Kaj Arnö (top row middle) has named me (bottom left) in the "7 useless facts" meme. I don't mind. I'd mentally prepared myself for this semi-fun semi-useless task when I saw Jay Pipes do this a few weeks ago. I figured Kaj would fall soon and he would spread the virus, er fun, to me.
Here are the rules:
Ok, so here are seven semi-useless facts. I am not sure if they are suitably "random" or "weird" or both. They are not completely useless because they all have links to somewhere more interesting. (Or at least that's my goal.)
Ok, I hope that was moderately useless information. And now I nominate the following good fellows to carry on this semi-useless factually quest. (Sorry guys! Feel free to just make stuff up. I'm pretty sure that's what Kaj did.)
Today marks the one year anniversary of Sun acquiring MySQL, which had the codename "Heineken." So we had a little reception over at our offices at Sun's Menlo Park campus. We also opened up a beer called "Sandels" which was the codename for our IPO project.
No doubt there will be more drinking this evening.
Matt Asay over at CNet reported a fine article from the NY Times on Ubuntu by Ashlee Vance, a former writer from The Register. The article is entitled "A Software Populist Who Doesn't Do Windows" and despite the awkard title, it's well worth reading.
But reading this closing quote with Mark Shuttleworth, I couldn't help but think that if the story was filed at The Register, the headline would have been much more sensational.
“I want to find out what it’s like to have a gigabit connection to the home,” he said. “It is not because I need to watch porn in high-definition but because I want to see what you do differently.”
That's a real quote from Shuttleworth. But of course, I'm joking about the headline.
While travelling through Sonoma, I chanced upon presidential candidate Barack Obama. He is definitely the quiet type. Really did not have too much to say about the Wall Street bailout, the economy or stopping the war. In fact, he didn't have much to say about anything at all. He seemed pretty two-dimensional to me. And we couldn't get him out for a beer to talk about cycling either.
That's me on the left.
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