Randal's Life Memories

23-and-me

23-and-me is a company in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

9-11 Victim Count Clarification

Clarifying the distinction between victims and hijackers in 9/11 commemorations.

Aarhus

Aarhus is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Abandoned at Bananarama in Roatan

A high-stakes personal Travel anecdote about being abandoned at a beach club during a cruise excursion.

Acquisition of First Canon DSLR

In September 2004, I took my very first digital snapshots with my brand-new Canon EOS 20D Digital SLR during a trip to Boston for Software Developm...

Adam West

Adam West (born William West Anderson, 1928–2017) was an iconic American actor, widely celebrated for his portrayal of Batman in the 1960s ABC seri...

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and was the location of the SAGE-AU 2001 conference, during which I created miniCPAN.

AI-Assisted Coding

AI-Assisted Coding refers to the use of artificial intelligence tools (such as GitHub Copilot, Gemini, or ChatGPT) to assist developers in writing,...

AI-Assisted Coding Leverage and Productivity

Reflecting on the productivity gains and workflow changes brought by AI coding assistants.

AI-Generated Obituary Grins

A humorous look at a highly flattering obituary written for me by Google's Bard (now Gemini) AI assistant.

Airplane Balance Upgrade

A short Travel anecdote about receiving a first-class upgrade for weight and balance reasons.

Airport Gate Change Exhaustion

While recovering from my recent major medical incident (my 2016 ICU stay and subsequent rehabilitation), I traveled through the airport without req...

Alaska

Alaska is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Alaska Inside Passage

Alaska Inside Passage is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier) is an American rock singer who legally adopted the name of his former band to perform as a solo artist.

Alice Cooper Band

The Alice Cooper Band was the original rock band formed in 1968, which released seven albums before disbanding in 1974.

Alice Cooper Band and Name Change Reunion Question

Reflecting on the history of the band Alice Cooper and its lead singer.

Allen Wirfs-Brock

Allen Wirfs-Brock is an American computer scientist and software engineer, recognized for his extensive work on Smalltalk environments and object-o...

Allison Smith

Allison Smith is a professional voice-over artist, widely known as the voice of the Asterisk open source PBX system.

Allison Smith Voice of Asterisk

Anecdote about Allison Smith, the voice of Asterisk, deterring callers with her voice.

Alpaca book

The "Alpaca Book," originally titled "Learning Perl Objects, References & Modules" and later updated/renamed to "Intermediate Perl," is a follow-up...

Alpaca Book Release Party with a Live Alpaca

During OSCON 2003 in Portland (the release year of the Alpaca book), we threw a legendary book release party that featured a live, real-life alpaca...

Amazon

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational technology company founded by Jeff Bezos.

American Heart Association Dietary Advice Critique

Critique of the AHA and ADA dietary guidelines in favor of ketogenic diets.

Anaheim, California

Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and home to the Disneyland Resort.

Anchorage

Anchorage is the largest city in the state of Alaska, USA.

Android

Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel, developed by Google.

Android Honeycomb and MySQL Open Core Licensing Debate

Reflecting on open source license compliance and developer community perceptions.

Andy Lopez

Andy Lopez is the friend who introduced Randal to the low-carb, moderate-protein, high-fat (LCHF) ketogenic diet, which catalyzed his health journey.

Anime

Anime is hand-drawn and computer-animated originating from Japan, characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters, and fantastical themes.

Anime Engaging Trope Search

Searching for anime series that balance humorous tropes with engaging narratives.

Antarctica

Antarctica is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Antarctica Excursion Cancellation

During one of the tech-themed Geek Cruises, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak signed up for a highly anticipated excursion to step foot on the frozen ...

Aphantasia

Aphantasia is the inability to voluntarily create mental images in one's mind.

Aphantasia Discovery

Finding out at age 18 that other people can literally visualize images in their minds.

API Security Rant on SSLv3 Handshake Failures

Expressing frustration with a vendor API that lacked modern TLS security.

Apple

Apple Inc. is a multinational Technology company known for consumer electronics, software, and services.

AppleScript

AppleScript is a scripting language created by Apple that facilitates control over scriptable macOS applications.

AppleScript Automation Struggle and Sal Soghoian

Spending 45 minutes on a simple AppleScript UI task.

Arctic Exposure Photo Cruise and Chris Campbell

The Arctic Exposure Geek Cruise (June 2003) to the Alaska Inside Passage on the MS Ryndam was one of the first dedicated digital photography cruises.

Arecibo Observatory

Arecibo Observatory is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

At Sea

At Sea is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Atari

Atari is an American video game and consumer electronics company founded in 1972, known for pioneering arcade games, home video game consoles, and ...

Atlanta

Atlanta is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Atlantis Submarine Deep Dive

Excursion in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, embarking on the Atlantis submarine for a deep dive exploring the vibrant coral reefs and abundant marine life.

Atrial Ablation Surgery

A major personal Health milestone where I underwent cardiac ablation surgery to treat atrial flutter.

Australia

Australia is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands.

Aviation

Aviation is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Aviation Scan Technique for Bartenders

Drawing a parallel between pilot instrument training and bar service.

Baby-Proofing Medicine Bottles and Getting Old

A humorous realization about aging and medicine packaging.

Backwards Hotel Shower Knob

A humorous and relatable Travel anecdote about a confusing hotel bathroom fixture.

Bahamas

Bahamas is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Baltic Sea Geek Cruise

In July 2005, I embarked on Geek Cruise #28 (aptly named the Baltic Blast) aboard the m.s. Westerdam for a 10-day voyage across the Baltic Sea. Thi...

Bamboo Polo and Travel Wardrobe Setup

Setting up shirts and optimizing travel gear for a three-week trip.

Bananarama Abandonment Forum Censorship Dispute

Calling out forum moderators for censoring a post describing being left behind in Roatan.

Barcelona

Barcelona is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Bartender Theft Moral Dilemma

Facing a moral dilemma after witnessing a bartender pocket a customer's payment.

Beaverton

Beaverton Skate World

A roller skating rink in Beaverton that operated as a sister facility to Hillsboro Skate World.

Bebo White

Bebo White is a distinguished computer scientist and physicist who worked at the SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) and is widely recognized...

Becoming a Dart and Flutter Google Developer Expert

After actively promoting Dart as a replacement for JavaScript and working with Polymer Dart and AngularDart, I wanted to pitch an AngularDart book ...

Becoming Debt Free After the 2009 Financial Storm

A major personal milestone of achieving debt-free status.

Before He Cheats Audience Observation

Observing the audience's intense reaction to Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats."

Belize

Belize is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Bert Monroy

Bert Monroy is an internationally acclaimed digital artist, illustrator, author, and teacher. Widely considered one of the "founding fathers" of di...

Bill Durrence

Bill Durrence is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Bill Harp

Met at Hillsboro Skate World in the 1980s during the roller disco era.

Bill Harp and the Stonehenge Parties

A personal recollection of my buddy Bill Harp and the legendary Stonehenge parties.

Bill Harps Passing and Funeral Message

On February 22, 2013, my dear friend and business partner Bill Harp passed away prematurely at the age of 45.

Billy Squier

Billy Squier is an American rock musician and singer, best known for his 1981 hit song "The Stroke".

Biological Eye Fixation Observation

A personal observation about lower-level visual processing and eye-coordination.

Birth of Perl

Larry Wall released Perl 1.0 on December 18, 1987.

Birth of Randal Schwartz

I was born on November 22, 1961.

Birthday Shouts Celebrity List

Wishing happy birthday to a list of celebrities born on February 11.

Birthday Statistics Paradox

Observing an unusual statistical anomaly in my large network of social media friends.

Birthday Statistics Zero Day Coincidence

Experiencing a day with zero birthdays among 3,000 online friends.

Blue Pixel

Blue Pixel was an elite digital photography consulting, training, and workflow design firm composed of a premier team of professional photojournali...

Blue Yeti Side-Address Microphone Mistake

Humorous correction regarding using a Blue Yeti microphone as side-address instead of top-address.

Bob Marley

Robert Nesta Marley was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and musician, widely considered one of the pioneers of reggae.

Boneless Wings Pricing Blunder

A humorous observation about a bar menu listing boneless wings for ".25 cents each".

Boston

Boston is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Brazil

Brazil is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Brendan Eich

Creator of JavaScript and co-founder of the Mozilla project.

Brendan Eich Semicolon Apology

A tech history anecdote featuring the creator of JavaScript.

Brick House

Brick House is a venue and workspace frequented by Randal for remote work and high-speed Wi-Fi access.

Bright Horizons 15 Science Cruise

Randal going off-grid to attend the Scientific American Bright Horizons 15 cruise to Greece, Israel, Turkey, and Italy.

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital city of Queensland, Australia, which I visited following the SAGE-AU 2007 conference in Sydney.

British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Bruce Perens

Bruce Perens is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Buffalo

Buffalo is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York, located at the eastern end of Lake Erie.

Burger Cooking Professional Joke

Retelling a witty restaurant response regarding burger preparation.

Burning Man

Burning Man is an annual event focused on community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance, held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

Business Hours Listing Typo Discovery

Discovering a major typo in the online operating hours of a frequently tagged local venue.

C-Hacking Pirate Variable Pun

Sharing a humorous programming pun about pirates and C coding.

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas is a beautiful coastal resort city located at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico.

Cadbury Factory Tour in Hobart

In August 2003, during my third trip to Australia to attend and speak at the SAGE-AU conference, I visited Hobart, Tasmania, and took a public tour...

Caesar Salad Year End Tijuana Comparison

Enjoying a year-end salad and contrasting it with Caesar's Restaurant in Tijuana.

Cake Wrecks July 4th Fireworks Cake

Sharing a humorous reaction to a real, overly decadent cake from the Cake Wrecks blog.

California

California is a state in the Western United States.

Calling Office from Police Parking Lot

A short, ironic anecdote from the "random Irony department" regarding safe driving.

Camaro Z28

The Chevrolet Camaro Z28 is a sports car owned and driven by Randal, specifically his 2002 Camaro Z-28 model.

Cambridge

Cambridge is a historic university city in England, United Kingdom, and the location where I presented a keynote for the Genome Conference at Hinxt...

Camel book

The "Camel Book," officially titled "Programming Perl," is the definitive guide to the Perl programming language, co-authored by Larry Wall and me.

Camel Book troff Macros

The backstory of how my early typesetting macros were adopted by O'Reilly Media and how I rediscovered them when writing the Camel Book.

Canada

Canada is a country in North America.

Cane Garden Bay

Cane Garden Bay is a beautiful beach and bay located on the northern coast of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

Caracas

Caracas is the capital and largest city of Venezuela. I visited it in October 2006 to deliver a keynote and Perl course. See Venezuela Open Source ...

Caribbean

Caribbean is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Caribbean Click 2 Cruise

In January 2005, the 26th Geek Cruises voyage sailed through the Caribbean on the magnificent, newly launched Queen Mary 2, co-branded as "Caribbea...

Carl Sagan

Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, author, and science communicator.

Carmen Gilligan and Hamlet Association

Noting how television pop culture permanently altered the appreciation of opera music.

Catching Up with David Pogue on Land

I caught up with Technology author and columnist David Pogue at a book signing in Portland (featuring his Apple book/history).

Charlie Datin

Son of Richard Datin and friend of Randal Schwartz.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina.

Checkbook Reconciliation Evolution

A nostalgic observation about the death of manual checkbook reconciliation in the era of smartphone banking.

Chippewa Falls

Leinekeugals

Choosing DragonCon over Burning Man

Comparing the logistical differences between two major events.

Chris Campbell

Chris Campbell was an accomplished digital photographer and digital photography workshop instructor on multiple Geek Cruises and Insight Cruises vo...

Christopher Breen

Christopher Breen is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris is an American martial artist, actor, film producer, and screenwriter, famous for his action movies and internet meme facts.

Chuck Norris Birthday Fact Joke

Sharing a humorous Chuck Norris birthday fact joke.

Class Prototyped Javascript Inheritance Connection

Wishing a happy birthday to the author of the Class::Prototyped Perl module.

Clemson University

Clemson University is a public research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Its athletic teams are known as the Clemson Tigers.

Climate Change

Climate Change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, largely driven by human activities.

Climate Disruption Terminology Preference

Arguing for the term "Global Man-Made Climate Disruption" to clarify weather confusion.

Cloud Computing 43rd Floor Pun

Making a pun about cloud computing while inside a high-rise building.

Code and Commit Self-Documentation Philosophy

Explaining the difference between documenting the "what" and the "why" in programming.

Colombia

Colombia is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Colton

Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, forming the boundary between Oregon and W...

Commuting Without Headlights

An observation about drivers commuting in the dark without headlights on, ten minutes before official sunrise.

Conrad Janis

Conrad Janis was an American actor and jazz trombonist, best known for his role as Mindy's father, Otto Callek, on the sitcom Mork & Mindy.

CONSOL 2005 in Mexico City

In February 2005, I traveled to Mexico City to participate as a featured speaker at the CONSOL 2005 (Congreso Nacional de Software Libre) conference.

contents

## How to Use This

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Cozumel

Cozumel is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

CPAN

CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network) is a vast repository of software modules and their documentation for the Perl Programming language.

Cray

Cray Research (now part of Hewlett Packard Enterprise) was a legendary supercomputer manufacturer founded by Seymour Cray, with a major research an...

Credit Card Holding Wallet Location Reminder Trick

A simple life hack to prevent leaving my credit card or wallet behind at restaurants.

Credit Card Restaurant Hold Wallet Trick

Describing a mental trick to ensure a credit card is returned after dining out.

Cuba

Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean.

Culture

Culture is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Culver City Client Gitolite Migration

Managing concurrent work tasks involving podcasting, photography, and gitolite hosting.

Dad Napkin Designs

A fond personal memory of my father's habit of sketching mechanical designs at the dinner table.

Damian Conway

Damian Conway is an internationally renowned Perl programmer, author, and public speaker, famous for writing Perl Best Practices and creating numer...

Dancing Barefoot

Dancing Barefoot is a 2003 book written by actor and author Wil Wheaton. It is a collection of five autobiographical short stories chronicling his ...

Darcy Carlson

Darcy is my daughter.

Darcy Carlson Meets Her Cousins

A milestone family event where my newly discovered daughter met her cousins for the first time.

Dart

## Personal Notes

Dating

Dating is a stage of romantic relationships in humans whereby two people meet socially with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a ...

Daughter

Daughter is a topic in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

David Pogue

David Pogue is a prominent Technology writer, author, television presenter, and columnist. He was a frequent high-profile speaker and entertainer o...

Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time is the practice of advancing clocks during warmer months so that darkness falls at a later clock time.

Daylight Saving Time and Civil Time Adjustment Rant

Arguing against Daylight Saving Time in favor of adjusting event schedules to align with the sun.

Dead iPhone 8 Plus and the Cut-Short Tijuana Trip

A travel disruption caused by a sudden hardware failure of my iPhone 8 Plus.

Decimal Point Pricing Pet Peeve

A humorous critique of a retail sign displaying incorrect units for a decimal price.

Deke McClelland

Deke McClelland is an award-winning author, technical trainer, Photoshop Hall of Fame inductee, and one of the most prolific educators in the histo...

Deleted Sendmail Configuration Recovery

Recovering from an accidental sendmail.cf deletion on Ubuntu.

Delta Air Lines

A major American airline with which I reached the 2 million mile mark.

Delta Two Million Miler

A major Travel milestone representing decades of flight Travel.

Denmark

Denmark is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Der Untergang Movie Viewing

Loading the German historical film Der Untergang on an iPhone.

Developer Forum Joke Response Coincidence

A humorous coincidence from replying with a mock line number on a help forum.

Dietary Advice from Nonagenarians

Sharing a physician's quote on longevity and healthy nonagenarian diets.

Dimensional Analysis Book Recall

Randal searching for a book on dimensional analysis he read during his youth that explained the physical logic of E=mc².

Directing Videos and the Batman Camera Angle

A professional anecdote from my video directing days involving a visual shorthand.

Discovering Dart and Transitioning to Flutter

Shortly after Google announced the Dart Programming language in October 2011, I started using it because of my strong dislike for JavaScript, recog...

Disneyland Fireworks from the Condo Window

A nostalgic view of nightly firework displays.

Double Tiger Mascot Championship

A humorous observation about the college football championship game where both competing teams shared the same mascot.

Dr. Hook

Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (shortened to Dr. Hook) was an American rock band famous for hit singles like "The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'."

DragonCon

DragonCon is a multi-genre pop culture convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia over the Labor Day weekend.

DragonCon 2011

The 2011 iteration of DragonCon pop culture convention, attended by Randal Schwartz.

DragonCon Departure Storm in Atlanta

Observing the recurring severe weather that strikes Atlanta whenever leaving DragonCon.

DragonCon Guest Streak

In September 2004, I attended DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia as an official guest.

DragonCon vs Burning Man Showers Comparison

Explaining the preference for DragonCon over Burning Man based on shower availability.

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland, situated on a bay on the east coast.

Eagle Creek Fire and Columbia River Gorge

Randal's reflection on the devastating 2017 wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge.

Earl Pickett

Earl Pickett was Randal's uncle who passed away in late 2008.

Early Facebook Navigation and UI Frustrations

Criticking the navigational layout and design choices of early Facebook.

Early Programming and Step Expression

Reflections on starting programming early at age 9 and the joy of breaking down steps.

Ecuador

Ecuador is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia, Peru, and the Pacific Ocean.

Ed Tuthill

Ed Tuthill is a close friend of mine who shared a unique living arrangement with me at my apartment in Tijuana.

El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco is an American restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken.

Elon Musk

Elon Reeve Musk is a businessman and investor, founder and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla.

Equator Museum Real Position

Discovering the actual geographic equator lies 50 meters north of the equatorial museum.

Eric S Raymond

Eric Steven Raymond (known as ESR) is an American software developer, author of The Cathedral and the Bazaar, and co-founder of the Open Source Ini...

Estonia

Estonia is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

EV Charging Drive-In Restaurant Concept

Proposing a modern revival of drive-in restaurants paired with electric vehicle chargers.

Every Other Night High School Fight Song

Randal's humorous critique of the literal wording of his high school's fight song.

Everyday Photo and ScottEVest Size Drop

A personal Health milestone during my weight loss journey.

eWorld and the Clear Newton

A quick vintage tech anecdote regarding Apple's short-lived online service and a rare piece of hardware.

Ex Machina Movie Review and Ending Disappointment

Reviewing the sci-fi film Ex Machina and expressing frustration with its ending.

Exchange Rate on Kids

A humorous observation about the LoungeBuddy access price terms for an airline lounge.

FAA Pilot Certificate ID Paradox

A humorous observation about the security paradox of the FAA-issued pilot certificate.

Fafnir

Fafnir is a historic American bearing manufacturer known for high-precision ball bearings.

Fake Facebook Friendship Requests

Calling out a typical social media bot pattern on Facebook.

Ferrara

Ferrara is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. I visited it in October 2004 to speak at the Italian Code Jam. See Italian Code J...

Finland

Finland is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

First Big Arena Concert Emerson Lake and Palmer

Remembering my first big arena rock concert: Emerson, Lake & Palmer at the Portland Memorial Coliseum in 1977.

First Free Software Foundation Award

Larry Wall received the first Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software in 1998.

First Phone Call with Darcy Carlson

I spoke to my daughter Darcy for the first time by phone on her 40th birthday.

First Trip to Australia and Creation of miniCPAN

In July 2001, I made my first trip to Australia to attend and speak at the SAGE-AU 2001 conference in Adelaide, followed by a brief stop in Sydney.

First Unix Experience in 1977

Recalling the beginning of my journey with the Unix operating system.

FISL

FISL (Fórum Internacional Software Livre) is an international free software conference held annually in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Flickr Migration Project

Flickr Migration Project is a event in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Florence

Florence is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

FLOSS Weekly

FLOSS Weekly is a show in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Flutter

## Personal Notes

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Founding of New York Perl Mongers

The first Perl Monger group, NY.pm, was founded in October 1997. This led to the creation of the global Perl Mongers organization.

Founding of Stonehenge Consulting Services

Since 1985, I have been the owner and operator of Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc..

Foursquare

Foursquare is a technology company known for its location-based social networking platform and check-in services.

Foursquare 21-Week Bar Streak and the Cuba Interruption

A humorous achievement on Foursquare/Swarm that was interrupted by international travel.

Fr. Robert Ballecer

Catholic priest (Jesuit) and Technology podcaster.

Free Software Festival 2005 in Puerto Vallarta

In September 2005, I was a featured speaker at the Festival de GNU/Linux y Software Libre ("Desarrollo e investigación… libera tu creatividad"), or...

FreeBSD Upgrades and Linux Fund Board Call

Balancing server administration, podcast recording, and board meetings.

Frequent Traveler Blessing Paradox

Explaining the frequent traveler's preference for boring, uneventful journeys.

FriendFeed

FriendFeed was a real-time feed aggregator that consolidated updates from social media networks, blogs, and RSS feeds, founded by former Google emp...

From Aztec Ruins to Buffalo Snowstorms

In late February 2005, I experienced one of the most extreme weather, cultural, and environmental swings of my entire life—traveling directly from ...

Front-Facing Camera 51st Birthday Portrait

Sharing a self-portrait on my 51st birthday celebrating weight loss.

Geek Cruises

Geek Cruises was a pioneering travel company founded by Neil Bauman that organized educational, Technology-themed cruise vacations (such as MacMani...

Gemini Video Analysis of Friends Intro Scene Cuts

Utilizing Gemini Pro 2.5 to automatically segment and analyze video cuts from the Friends opening credits.

GemStone

GemStone Systems (originally ServioLogic) is an American software company known for its pioneering object-oriented database management system, GemS...

George Takei

George Takei is a legendary American actor, author, and activist, internationally renowned for his iconic portrayal of Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the...

Germany

Germany is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Git

Git is a distributed version control system designed by Linus Torvalds in 2005 for tracking changes in source code during software development.

Gladstone

Gladstone and Colton School Days

Personal childhood memories of attending grade school in Gladstone and completing high school in Colton, Oregon.

Glee Stole Baby Got Back Arrangement

The story behind my performance of "Baby Got Back" at Karaoke and the TV show Glee's unauthorized use of the arrangement.

Google

Google is a company in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Google I_O 2024

Google I/O 2024 was Google's annual developer conference held in Mountain View, California, which Randal planned to attend after recovering from hi...

Google Tech Talk on Git

Six months after Linus Torvalds gave his famous May 2007 Google Tech Talk on the origins of Git (which focused heavily on what Git is not and roast...

Gotland

Gotland is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Great Step Grandpa Milestone

A personal milestone marking the rapid expansion of my family generations.

Guatemala

Guatemala is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Guesting on Coding 101 Episode 10

Guested on Episode 10 of Coding 101, titled "Randal Schwartz's 'Perls of Wisdom'".

Guido van Rossum

Guido van Rossum is a Dutch programmer best known as the creator of the Python Programming language. He served as the "Benevolent Dictator for Life...

Guinness in Dublin Exception to LCHF

Making a single craft beer exception on a low-carb diet to drink Guinness in Dublin.

Half Moon Cay

Half Moon Cay (known officially as Little San Salvador Island in the Bahamas) is Holland America Line's private island resort, famous for its two-m...

Handicap Parking Aisle Violation Rant

Pointing out the illegality of parking in the striped aisles next to handicap spaces.

Haptic Feedback and Pinball Knockers

A nostalgic comparison between modern haptic feedback and the physical sensation of classic pinball matching.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is an American actor known for his iconic roles in film franchises including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Blade Runner, as well as b...

Harrison Ford Golf Course Plane Crash

Sharing a joke about the coincidental timing of Harrison Ford's plane crash.

Hawaii

Hawaii is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Health

Health is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Helicopter Seating Layout Correction on IMDb

Submitting a correction regarding helicopter pilot layout to the Internet Movie Database.

Helping a Blind Man to the Bus Stop

A small, positive gesture of helping a visually impaired pedestrian in October 2015.

Helsinki

Helsinki is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Hillsboro Skate World

A roller skating rink in Hillsboro, Oregon, where I spent double-sessions nearly every Friday and Saturday night for many years, spanning the entir...

Hip Replacement and Chronic Pain Relief

A personal medical story about my hip replacement surgery and its unexpected positive effect on my blood pressure.

History of Owned Vehicles

A chronological list of the motorcycles and cars I have owned throughout my life.

Hobart

Hobart is the capital city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. It was the host city for the SAGE-AU 2003 conference and the linux.conf.au 2...

Hosting FLOSS Weekly

During the MacMania cruise in 2004, I met Leo Laporte. At first, he didn't recognize me and assumed I was just a dude helping Neil Bauman out with ...

Hot Tub Weight Metric Conversion Discrepancy OCD

Noticing an incorrect metric unit conversion in an educational YouTube video.

Hotel Minibar Challenge

An account of Randal accepting a minibar challenge where the room rate included daily replenishment of various alcohols and soft drinks.

HSV colorspace

A color model that represents colors in terms of Hue, Saturation, and Value.

Hubbard Glacier

Hubbard Glacier is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Hubbard Glacier Excursion

In June 2004, during the Arctic Exposure Geek Cruise inside-passage voyage through Alaska, we traveled to the majestic Hubbard Glacier to photograp...

Humor

Humor is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Iditarod and Shuttle Launch Travel Near-Misses

A Travel anecdote about missing major events by just hours due to tight scheduling.

Illiads Oddysea and Caribbean Click Cruise

In October 2003, the 19th Geek Cruises voyage sailed through the Caribbean, co-branded as "Illiad's Oddysea" and "Caribbean Click".

IMDb

IMDb (Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television programs, home videos, video games, and streaming ...

Improv Comedy at the Clinic

A short anecdote showing my improv comedy skills during a medical appointment.

Incremental Git Commits

A developer workflow tip on the power of frequent commits and squashing before pushing.

Inside Job Plane Viewing Reflection

Watching the financial crisis documentary Inside Job and reflecting on its injustice.

Insight Cruises

Insight Cruises (formerly known as Geek Cruises) is an educational travel company founded by Neil Bauman and Charlie Datin.

Insight Cruises FreeBSD Patches Song Association

Upgrading operating systems and experiencing humorous musical associations.

Instinctive Pilot Phonetic Alphabet

A humorous personal anecdote about using the Aviation phonetic alphabet at a drive-through.

Intel

Multination technology corporation and Randal's former consulting client.

Intel Job Recommendation Irony

I received an automated job recommendation email from ZipRecruiter for a system assembly and configuration role at Intel in Oregon.

Interesting Dashboard Odometer Number

Capturing an interesting numerical odometer reading while parking.

Interesting Day of Travel Encounters

Meeting fascinating strangers during a day of travel.

Interesting Travel Conversations and the Travel Part

Diverse conversations during a day of travel.

iPhone Fling Game Concept

Proposing a humorous and risky game concept to increase iPhone sales.

Iridium Flare Sighting

Catching a sighting of a rare Iridium satellite flare.

Irony

Irony is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Italian Code Jam 2004 in Ferrara

On October 9, 2004, I participated as a featured guest speaker at the Italian Code Jam 2004, held at the University of Ferrara, Italy.

Italy

Italy is a sovereign country in Southern Europe.

Jack Davis

Jack Davis is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Janet Hill

Janet Hill is an Apple executive and spouse of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Janina Lamb

Janina Lamb was a key contractor for Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc..

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia, located in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

Japanese Camel Book Translation Puns

How English puns in the Camel Book were translated into Japanese humor.

JAPH

JAPH is an acronym for "Just another Perl hacker," a phrase I created and popularized. It originated as a signature in Usenet posts and evolved int...

Jason Penney

Jason Penney is an American software engineer who worked at ServioLogic / GemStone on early object-oriented database architectures.

JD Frazer

JD Frazer, widely known by his pen name Illiad, is a Canadian cartoonist and writer best known as the creator of the webcomic User Friendly.

Jeff Bezos

Jeffrey Preston Bezos is an American entrepreneur, media proprietor, and investor, founder and executive chairman of Amazon.

Jim Croce

James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter who released five studio albums and numerous hit singles before his untimely dea...

Jim Croce Operator Karaoke Performance

Singing Jim Croce's classic song Operator during a live-streamed karaoke session.

JoCo Cruise

JoCo Cruise (originally called JoCo Cruise Crazy) is an annual cruise vacation and music festival chartered by independent musician Jonathan Coulto...

JoCo Cruise Crazy Alaska Cabins Price Joke

Making a wordplay joke about the pricing of an Alaska cruise.

Joe Pruett

Joe Pruett is a systems administrator and Unix expert who worked with Randal in the early Unix era.

John Stevenson

John Stevenson is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Jon Hall

Jon "maddog" Hall is the Executive Director of Linux International and a foundational open-source community leader.

Jon Irwin

Jon Irwin is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Jonathan Coulton

Jonathan Coulton (widely known as JoCo) is a highly popular American independent singer-songwriter and internet celebrity, famous for his clever, h...

Juneau

Juneau is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Just a Geek

Just a Geek is a 2004 memoir written by actor and author Wil Wheaton.

Karaoke

Karaoke has been a major social and performative outlet throughout my life.

Karaoke with Jonathan Coulton on JoCo Cruise 2

On the second JoCo Cruise in February 2012 (which was produced by my good friend Neil Bauman), I managed to pull off a legendary coup: I tricked Jo...

Keith Packard

Keith Packard is a legendary software developer best known for his foundational work on the X Window System (X11), including fontconfig, Xft, cairo...

Keto Health Journey

The story of my life-saving transition to a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) ketogenic lifestyle in 2012.

Ketogenic Weight Loss Retrospective and Andy Lopez

Reflecting on my successful weight loss journey and the friend who started it.

Kevin Gilbert

Kevin Gilbert is an award-winning photojournalist, television still photographer, and pioneer of the professional digital photography transition. H...

Key West

Key West is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

La Grande, Oregon

La Grande is a city in Union County, Oregon, located in the Grande Ronde Valley east of the Blue Mountains.

Language Preferences Perl Smalltalk Dart

A reflection on my professional, recreational, and future programming languages.

Larry Christiansen

Larry Christiansen is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Larry Wall

Larry Wall is a computer programmer, linguist, and author, best known as the creator of the Perl Programming language.

Lasik Longevity and Driving Glasses

Resolving a gradual decay in night vision after fourteen years of glasses-free life post-Lasik.

LASIK Vision Sharpness Retrospective

Retrospective on sharp vision 19 years after undergoing LASIK surgery.

Learner Permit to Kill James Bond Joke

Sharing a humorous riddle about James Bond's license to kill during a Christmas party.

Learning Perl Anchors Away Joke

A favorite classroom teaching joke I used to tell during regular expressions training.

Legacy Fax Requirement Frustration

Chuckling at an old-school client's requirement to use a fax machine.

Leinekeugals

Represents the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company (commonly known as "Leine's"), a historic brewery based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

Leo Laporte

Leo Laporte is a Technology broadcaster, author, and founder of the TWiT (This Week in Tech) podcast network.

Level 42 Lost Song Mystery

Struggling to locate an obscure 1980s pop song on modern streaming services.

License Plate Database Keys

A funny technical anecdote about how vanity license plates caused database errors at a car maintenance shop, linking to my history of vehicle owner...

Life Timeline

Linksys

Linksys is an American brand of data networking hardware products mainly targeted at home users and small businesses.

Linksys as the Travel ISP of the Early Wifi Era

Nostalgia for the early, unsecured days of wireless internet travel.

Linus Torvalds

Linus Torvalds is a Finnish-American software engineer who is the creator and principal developer of the Linux kernel and the creator of the distri...

Linux

Linux is a topic in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Linux Fund

Linux Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial support and services to open source software projects and the developer co...

Linux Lunacy III Cruise

In September 2003, I participated as a featured Perl speaker on Linux Lunacy III, the 18th Technology-themed voyage organized by Geek Cruises.

linux.conf.au 2009 in Hobart

In January 2009, I made my fifth trip to Australia to speak at the prestigious linux.conf.au 2009 (LCA 2009) conference in Hobart, Tasmania.

LISA 2001 and the Hot Wings Promotion

In December 2001, I attended the Large Installation System Administration (LISA) conference in San Diego, California.

Llama book

The "Llama Book," officially titled "Learning Perl," is the classic introductory tutorial for the Perl Programming language, co-authored by me, Tom...

Llama Release and My Conviction Day

November 1st, 1993, is a date I will remember for the rest of my life. It was the official release day of my book Llama book (Learning Perl).

Locohost Hostname Typo

The origin story behind Randal's long-standing tradition of naming his computer hostnames and mobile devices "locohost" and "loco" variants.

London

London is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, and has been a frequent destination for my travels and developer meetups.

London and Stonehenge Visit 2013

In July 2013, I returned to the United Kingdom, staying at the Crowne Plaza London St. James.

London Heathrow Airport

London Heathrow Airport is the main international airport serving London, England.

London Heathrow Clothing Clear Sign Pun

Making a play on words regarding an escalator warning sign at Heathrow.

Loreto Dockside Translation

During the Geek Cruises Oracle Odyssey 2002 Voyage, I visited Loreto, Mexico, located along the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula inside ...

Loreto, Mexico

Loreto, Mexico is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California, known as the center of the nation's film and television industry.

LoungeBuddy

LoungeBuddy is a digital platform and mobile app that allows travelers to discover, book, and access airport lounges around the world.

LSU

Louisiana State University (LSU) is a public research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Its athletic teams are known as the LSU Tigers.

MacBook Pro USB-C Port Discovery

After upgrading to my 2021 Apple MacBook Pro, I spent three months juggling cables (for my media hub, backup disk, and iPhone) between only two USB...

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Machu Picchu Adventure with Woz

One of the most unforgettable highlights of my global travels was exploring the breathtaking 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu alongside Ap...

MacMania 4 Cruise

MacMania 4 Cruise is a event in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

MacMania 4.5 Cruise

In June of 2006, the Geek Cruises voyage "MacMania 4.5" set sail through the beautiful Western Mediterranean.

macOS Sierra Upgrade and Vendor Pricing Frustrations

Upgrading macOS and facing paid software upgrade costs for legacy apps.

Magic Act Stooge on a Cruise

A humorous cruise story involving stage magic and a misunderstanding.

Mariel Hemingway

Mariel Hemingway is an American actress, author, and mental Health advocate. She is known for her roles in films such as Manhattan, Lipstick, and S...

Marta Kirsten

Marta Kirsten is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Maturín

Maturín is the capital city of the Venezuelan state of Monagas, which I visited in October 2006 to speak at an open-source conference hosted by PDV...

Meeting a Costa Concordia Survivor

In 2012, on a cruise shortly after the infamous Costa Concordia grounding off Isola del Giglio (which occurred in January 2012), I had an unforgett...

Meeting George Takei on a Geek Cruise

The story of meeting legendary actor George Takei on a cruise.

Meeting Mariel Hemingway

A heartwarming personal milestone where I met actress Mariel Hemingway, whom I jokingly refer to as my celebrity "twin" sister.

Meeting Marta Kirsten at DragonCon

During one of my guest years at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia, I heard that Marta Kirsten (who played Judy Robinson in the original Lost in Space s...

Meeting Powell's Employee at Karaoke

A fun local anecdote highlighting Portland's small-world tech connections.

Meeting Steve and Jon

Accidentally picked up HP2000 IO Processor manual at Byte Shop

Meeting Thomas Dolby

A brief record of the time I met musician and composer Thomas Dolby.

Meeting Wil Wheaton on PerlWhirl Cruise

During the March 2003 PerlWhirl / MacMania cruise on the Norwegian Star through the Hawaiian Islands, I met actor and writer Wil Wheaton.

MemPalace

MemPalace is a high-fidelity semantic memory-vault and graph-traversal personal knowledge base.

Mexico

Mexico is a country in North America, sharing its northern border with the United States. It has been a frequent destination for my technology conf...

Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico.

Michael Widenius

Michael "Monty" Widenius is the main creator of the open-source MySQL and MariaDB databases.

Mill Valley, California

Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, located about 14 miles north of San Francisco.

Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich (born 1975) is a world-renowned Ukrainian-born American actress, model, and musician, famous for starring roles in The Fifth Element...

Milton Red Stapler for Tom Pickett

A lighthearted and generous gesture involving an iconic office prop for my housemate and cousin.

Mixed Drink Mixer Fee Happy Hour Rant

Ranting about a local establishment charging extra fees for mixers on well drinks.

Mobile App Password Complexity and Correct Horse Battery Staple

Advising mobile app developers on password requirements using the correct horse battery staple concept.

MOG

MOG was an online music service and blog network founded in 2005, which launched a subscription music streaming service in 2009 and was later acqui...

MOG Streaming and Pat Benatar Reflection

Listening to classic Pat Benatar tracks and reflecting on popular song rotation changes.

Monaco

Monaco is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Moon Bloodgood

Moon Bloodgood is an American actress and model, known for her roles in films such as Terminator Salvation and the TV series Falling Skies.

Moon Bloodgood Name Pronunciation and Phonetics

Analyzing the phonetic complexity of the actress Moon Bloodgood's name.

Morning flight

A humorous personal Travel anecdote involving me on an Alaska Airlines morning flight flying out of Portland (PDX) bound for Silicon Valley or Los ...

Mount St Helens Ash Jar

A nostalgic recollection of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption and a tangible piece of ash kept as a souvenir.

Mount St. Helens

An active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Mountain View

Mountain View is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Muscat and Oman Flag Art Project

A childhood story demonstrating my practical "work smarter, not harder" philosophy.

Music Man Ya Got Trouble Performance Goal

Setting a fun personal performance goal to memorize and perform a complex musical number.

Mutant Karaoke Comfortably Numb Outro

Singing a bizarrely short version of a classic song at karaoke.

My Brazil Adventures and Christ the Redeemer

Across multiple years, I made several unforgettable journeys to Brazil to speak at major open-source conferences (specifically FISL and YAPC::Brasi...

My Childhood Computing and the IMSAI 8080

At age 9, I made the conscious decision to choose computer Programming as my lifelong career.

My Mesoamerican Archaeological Adventures

Over my years of cruising through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, I took full advantage of the shore excursions to fulfill a deep personal passio...

My Pilot Training and Aviation Days

One of the most challenging and deeply rewarding chapters of my life was taking to the skies as a licensed pilot.

My Summer Temp Job at Tektronix and Learning to Write

At age 15, I was already doing professional contract coding, making $30 an hour (equivalent to roughly $120/hr today).

MySQL

MySQL is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

MySQL CLI Grant Command Frustration

Expressing frustration with the lack of database administration shortcuts in MySQL.

Name Pronunciation Tautology on Social Sites

Sharing a humorous hack for name pronunciation fields on social media.

Naples

Naples is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Neil Bauman

Neil Bauman is the founder of Geek Cruises (later rebranded as Insight Cruises), an innovative Travel education company that pioneered tech-themed ...

New Orleans

New Orleans is a major United States port-city and the largest city in the state of Louisiana, known for its unique music, Creole cuisine, and annu...

New Orleans Bourbon Street Musician

A classic personal anecdote illustrating my "Forrest Gump of Tech" encounters.

New York

New York is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Nina Teicholz

Nina Teicholz is an American investigative journalist and author of The Big Fat Surprise, which challenges established dietary guidelines on satura...

No Bun Italian Sandwich Ingredients Confusion

A humorous restaurant misunderstanding when ordering a sandwich without a bun.

O'Reilly Media

A major technical publisher founded by Tim O'Reilly.

Oaks Park Rink

A roller skating rink located at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon.

Object-Oriented Programming

Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming paradigm based on the concept of "objects", which can contain data and code.

OLCC

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (formerly the Oregon Liquor Control Commission) is the state government agency responsible for regulating...

Old Man Park Bench Yelling Realization

Humorous self-reflection about getting older and yelling at kids from a park bench.

Olympia, Washington

Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington.

Omega Male Attraction and Dating Paradox

Reflecting on a recurring dating paradox where women praise my qualities but decline to date me.

One Wilshire Dark Fiber Speedtest

Fast fiber bandwidth setup at One Wilshire in Los Angeles.

Online Shopping During Yankees Game

Shopping online for pants, socks, shoes, and a Fitbit band during a Yankees baseball game.

OOCL

Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) is a major container shipping and logistics service company, famous in the database world for using GemStone ...

Oracle Odyssey 2002 Voyage

Oracle Odyssey 2002 Voyage is a event in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Oregon

Born in Oregon City

Oregon City

Oregon Coast

The Oregon Coast is a geographical region of the U.S. state of Oregon, stretching along the Pacific Ocean.

Oregon Flag State Form Blunder

A humorous anecdote about a poorly designed web form that split Oregon into two separate states.

Oregon State Fair

Oregon State Fair is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Origin of Geek Cruises and Karaoke with Neil

The entire phenomenon of Geek Cruises—which eventually brought together thousands of developers and tech pioneers on legendary global voyages—actua...

OSCON

OSCON (O'Reilly Open Source Convention) was a significant event in the open-source community that ran from 1999 to 2019. It grew out of The Perl Co...

OSCON 2013

OSCON 2013 is a event in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

OSCON Laptop Battery Scare

A funny personal anecdote about a laptop battery panic during a major tech conference.

Outdoor Cheeseburger Hornet Encounter

Having a happy hour cheeseburger outdoor meal cut short by a hornet.

Owning the Tropidera Bar with Bill Harp

A nostalgic look back at the period when I co-owned the Tropidera Bar with my close friend.

Palermo

Palermo is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Panama

Panama is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a historic and world-renowned 82 km artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.

Parallel Parking 4-Runner SUV vs Camaro Z28

Comparing parallel parking techniques between my former SUV and my Z28 sports car.

Parents 64th Anniversary and Sixty Four at Karaoke

A personal milestone connecting my parents' wedding anniversary on Valentine's Day to a classic Beatles song performance.

Passing of Ray Schwartz on Christmas Day

Mourning the loss of my father during the holidays in 2008.

Passing of Russ Schwartz

The passing of my brother, Russ Schwartz (Russell "Shady Fox" Schwartz), at age 53.

Paul Vixie

Paul Vixie is an American Internet pioneer, author of several RFCs, and creator of the Vixie cron daemon and BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain).

Paul Vixie Birthday Joke

Sharing a humorous birthday message sent to internet pioneer Paul Vixie.

PDX Airport Coming or Going Confusion

Experiencing travel disorientation at Portland International Airport.

Peak Life Expectancy Delta Speculation

Speculating on the peak gain in life expectancy for each day survived.

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Pearl Harbor Tour

In June 2003, as part of the Perl Whirl / MacMania Geek Cruise, we went on a comprehensive tour of the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin submari...

People

Bill Harp

Perl

## Personal Notes

Perl Mongers

Perl Mongers is a global, grassroots organization of user groups for people who use the Perl Programming language. The groups provide a space for P...

Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI is an AI-powered conversational search engine.

Perplexity Oregon Bar Food Confusion

I tested the AI search assistant Perplexity AI by asking: "Does a bar in Oregon need to serve food?"

Personal Homepage

My long-standing personal homepage and professional archive (known online as merlyn), hosted at http://www.stonehenge.com/merlyn/ since the mid-1990s.

Peru

Peru is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

PGE Power Disconnection Threat After Move

Threat of power shut-off on a terminated address service.

Photoshop Fling 3 Cruise

In February 2005, the 27th Geek Cruises voyage sailed the Caribbean on the m/s Veendam, co-branded as "Photoshop Fling 3".

Physical Therapy Progress and Cane Height Adjustment

Tracking recovery and posture adjustments during physical therapy.

Pilot Certificate Expiration Paradox

I pointed out a common media misconception regarding pilot licenses, responding to a headline about John David Duggar allowing his pilot license to...

Pinball

Pinball is an arcade game where players use flippers to score points by directing one or more steel balls inside a glass-covered cabinet.

Pioneer Courthouse Square Statue Umbrella Irony

Highlighting the irony of an umbrella-holding statue in a city of hooded coat wearers.

Pisa

Pisa is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Pool and Go-Karts with Linus

During one of my famous Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc. parties at OSCON, I invited Linus Torvalds to attend.

Pool Hustler Minimal Energy Rule

A lesson in pool strategy learned from an expert table hustler about the importance of minimal energy and control.

Portland

Portland General Electric

Portland General Electric is a Fortune 1000 electric utility company based in Portland, Oregon.

Portland International Airport

Portland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon.

Portland Well Drink Pricing

I shared observations on the cultural differences in how bars charge for well drinks:

Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

PostgreSQL and MySQL Pronunciation Guide

Correcting the pronunciations of PostgreSQL and MySQL.

Powell's Books

Powell's Books is a legendary bookstore in Portland, Oregon, known as the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world.

Pre-Karaoke Reuben Sandwich Meal

Having a corned beef Reuben on marbled rye before going to karaoke.

Profile Picture Identification Rant

Ranting about social media profile pictures that feature multiple people.

Programming

Programming is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Promptlish LLM Dialect

Coining a name for the emerging dialect used to communicate with large language models.

Protein Bars Meal Reassurance

Humorous reassurance to friends about eating protein bars instead of a cooked meal.

Public Bathrooms and the Pocket Paper Towel Strategy

A practical life hack and pet peeve regarding public restrooms during pandemic times.

Publication of the Camel Book

"Programming Perl" (the Camel book) was first published in 1990, co-authored by Larry Wall and me.

Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta is a resort town on Mexico's Pacific coast in the state of Jalisco. I visited it for a GNU/Linux and Free Software festival in Sept...

Punctuation Pet Peeves and Kids Matter Physics Joke

Making a physics-themed joke about a grammatical typo on a car window.

Pyzano's Hot Summer Karaoke Livestream

Braving extreme heat to perform and livestream karaoke at Pyzano's.

Raked Classic Pinball Machines Rant

A critique of venues that alter the physical leveling of pinball tables.

Randal Schwartz

I, widely known as "merlyn", am a pioneering software developer, prolific author, system administrator, and prominent member of the open-source com...

Randal Schwartz Wikipedia Page

My official public profile on Wikipedia, documenting my career, contributions to Perl, books, and legal history.

Ray Sawyer

Ray Sawyer was the eye-patch wearing lead singer of the 1970s rock band Dr. Hook.

Ray Sawyer and Rolling Stone Magazine for His Mom

Verifying the story of a rock musician buying magazines for his mother.

Ray Schwartz

Father of me, Ron Schwartz, and Russ Schwartz

Reconciling Checkbooks and the Shift to Online Banking

Reflecting on how modern technology eliminated the chore of checkbook reconciliation.

Reflections on Dating History and the Omega-Male Perspective

Introspective thoughts on my approach to dating and personal relationships.

Retha Schwartz

Mother of me, Ron Schwartz, and Russ Schwartz

Returning to Beaverton

My return to my home base in Beaverton, Oregon, ending a period of temporary displacement.

Richard Datin

Model maker and builder of the original 11-foot filming model of the Star Trek Starship Enterprise.

Richard Hipp

Dwayne Richard Hipp is an American software developer, best known as the primary author and creator of the SQLite database engine.

Richard Stallman

Richard Matthew Stallman (known as RMS) is a software freedom activist and programmer who founded the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation ...

Riedell

Riedell (Riedell Shoes) is an American manufacturer of ice skates, roller skates, and specialty athletic footwear, founded in 1945.

Right Hip Replacement Three-Month Followup

Celebrating perfect x-rays at my three-month hip replacement checkup.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Roatan

Roatan is an island in the Caribbean, off the coast of Honduras, known for its coral reefs, diving, and cruise ship ports.

Rob Galbraith

Rob Galbraith is a legendary Canadian photojournalist, writer, educator, and digital photography workflow pioneer. He is widely celebrated as one o...

Rob Griffiths

Rob Griffiths is a prominent Mac technologist, founder of the famous Mac OS X Hints website, and senior editor/writer for Macworld.

Roller Disco Era

A summary of Randal's peak roller skating days in the 1980s, his precision gear rig, developing his signature moves, and the rinks where he skated.

Roller Skating

Roller skating (particularly roller disco) was one of my first major performative physical activities and a key social outlet during the 1980s.

Roller Skating Recovery Thoughts and Legacy Skates

Contemplating a return to roller skating as a milestone in hip replacement surgery recovery.

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture.

Rome

Rome is the capital and largest city of Italy.

Ron Schwartz

Ron Schwartz is my brother.

Rooftop Bar Laptop Bag Ban

Facing a bag check restriction preventing laptops at a hotel's rooftop lounge.

Roommate Shadyfox Moves Out

Reflecting on changes in living arrangements as brother Russ moves out.

Rosetta Code

Rosetta Code is a programming chrestomathy wiki-based website that presents solutions to the same programming tasks in many different programming l...

Rosetta Code Rosetta Stone Identification

Seeking the name of the wiki showing code examples in different programming languages.

Rostock

Rostock is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Rube Goldberg iCal Reminders Sync

Inspired by a feature on FLOSS Weekly episode 199 about the Remind utility, I wanted to use it with my Mac laptop to import my reminders into macOS...

Russ Schwartz

Russ Schwartz was my brother, known online and in virtual communities as Shady Fox.

Russell Brown

Russell Preston Brown is the legendary Senior Creative Director at Adobe Systems and one of the original, foundational pioneers who launched Adobe ...

Russia

Russia is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

SAGE-AU 2007 and Brisbane Travel

In July 2007, I returned to Australia for the national SAGE-AU 2007 conference held at the Carlton Crest Parramatta Hotel in Sydney, followed by a ...

SAGE-AU Hobart Talks and the Tazzy Accent

In August 2003, during my technical presentations at the SAGE-AU conference held in Hobart, Tasmania, I experienced a hilarious language barrier.

Sal Soghoian

Sal Soghoian was Apple's Product Manager of Automation Technologies (including AppleScript, Automator, Services, and Dictation Commands) from 1997 ...

Salt Lake City Sky Club Upgrade

Enjoying airport lounge amenities and receiving a complimentary first-class upgrade.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Utah.

Same Day Family Birthdays

A short personal anecdote about a unique family chronological coincidence.

San Diego

San Diego is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

San Francisco

San Francisco is a major city in northern California, known for its steep hills, the Golden Gate Bridge, and its proximity to Silicon Valley.

Santa Monica

Santa Monica is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Santa Monica Sales Tax Quirk

An observation about a restaurant in Santa Monica applying sales tax to drinks only if food was also ordered.

Satirical Journalism and The Onion Reflection

Reflecting on how reality has caught up with satirical headlines.

Saturated Fats and Cardiovascular Health Research

Highlight research finding no link between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular mortality.

Schwartzian Transform

An efficient algorithm and Programming idiom used in Perl and other languages to optimize sorting a list of elements based on an expensive key-calc...

Scientific American

Scientific American is an American popular science magazine founded in 1845. They also operate "Bright Horizons" science-themed cruises.

SCOTTeVEST

SCOTTeVEST is an American clothing company that designs and sells apparel featuring specialized, high-capacity utility pockets and wire-routing con...

ScottEVest Plaid Shirt Fashion Inquiry

Querying friends for fashion advice regarding SCOTTeVEST plaid shirts.

Scottevest Transformer Jacket Test Run

Acquiring and testing out a new multi-pocket tech jacket.

Scrooged Movie Review and Streaming Services Abundance

Reviewing holiday movies and reflecting on the number of active streaming subscriptions.

SEA Skyclub Lacey Coincidence

A short Travel anecdote about a bizarre and friendly coincidence at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

Seattle

Seattle is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Seattle No Parking North of Here Sign Rant

Complaining about the unique parking signs in Seattle that require knowing cardinal directions.

Second Life

Second Life is an online multimedia platform and virtual world launched in 2003 by Linden Lab. It allows users to create an avatar and interact in ...

Second Life Shady Fox Happy Fun Place

Randal's reflection on curating and raising funds for the "Shady Fox Happy Fun Place" land in Second Life to honor his late brother Russ.

Self Censoring Radio Edit Song

Randal singing Jonathan Coulton's "Chiron Beta Prime" at karaoke, reminding him of a song from the 80s/90s that explicitly sings the words "radio e...

ServioLogic

ServioLogic (later Servio Corp, and eventually GemStone Systems) was a software company founded in Oregon, known for developing the GemStone object...

Setting Up First HDTV and Squeak News

Recording podcast segments, setting up a new TV, and singing karaoke.

Shannon Morse

Online media host, producer, and cybersecurity educator.

Shattered Cockpit Window Flight Diversion

A Travel anecdote about an emergency flight diversion caused by a shattered cockpit window.

Shutterstock

Shutterstock is an American provider of stock photography, stock footage, stock music, and editing tools.

Singing Mexican Radio in Tijuana

A travel and karaoke anecdote about Randal singing Wall of Voodoo's "Mexican Radio" after crossing the border into Tijuana with his laptop.

Singular Parenthesis Grammar and Paren Abbreviation

Explaining the correct singular form of parentheses and classroom abbreviations.

Sitting Next to Adam West in First Class

During a first-class flight from Newark (EWR) to Salt Lake City (SLC) on my way home to Portland from working in Manhattan, I sat directly next to ...

Sky Club Stairs Credentials Hack

A travel anecdote about walking up the stairs to bypass credentials check at an airport Delta Sky Club.

Skylab Reentry

The orbital decay and reentry of the Skylab space station in July 1979.

Skylab Reentry Parody Song

A humorous songwriting memory from the 1979 Skylab reentry, written to the tune of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

Skynet Conspiracy Board Image Prompt

Drafting an image prompt visualizing the connection between current AI progress and Skynet.

SLAC

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (originally Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory op...

Smalltalk

Smalltalk is an object-oriented, dynamically typed reflective programming language, originally developed in the 1970s at Xerox PARC. It has been a ...

Snyder

Snyder is an American manufacturer of high-performance roller skate plates.

Social Media Feed Import Loop and FriendFeed

Troubleshooting a feed import loop between Facebook and FriendFeed.

Software Design Rant on Numbered Variables

A technical design guideline and warning about numbered fields in schemas.

Solving a WiFi Password Puzzle

Deciphering a confusing handwriting notation to connect to wireless internet.

Sony

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and a major player in consumer electronics and cameras.

Sony NEX-7 Camera Delivery

Celebrating the delivery of a new Sony NEX-7 camera with a line from The Music Man.

South Miami Beach, Florida

South Miami Beach, Florida is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Space Debris Concerns and LEO Satellite Constellations

Expressing concern over space debris and low Earth orbit satellite networks.

SpaceX

SpaceX is an American aerospace manufacturer, space transportation services, and communications corporation founded by Elon Musk in 2002.

SpaceX Tour with Neil Bauman

A memorable tour of the SpaceX rocket manufacturing facilities.

Spanish Pronunciation Karaoke Amarillo and Pollo Loco

Humorous observation about phonetic incongruities at karaoke and in fast food.

Spaten Lager Foreign Beer Appreciation

Contrasting German lagers with mass-produced American beers.

Spherical Robot Physics Joke

Making a physics joke about assuming a spherical robot.

SQL Pronunciation Rant

I expressed frustration over how technical screencasters and developers mispronounce database names:

SQLite

SQLite is a widely used software library that provides a lightweight, serverless, self-contained, SQL database engine.

SQLite and Richard Hipp Appreciation

Highlighting SQLite's status as the world's most widely installed database.

Squirt Zero Sugar Grapefruit Discovery

Finding a new favorite sugar-free beverage option during a local lunch outing.

St. Kitts

St. Kitts is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is a major city in Missouri, USA, located near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers.

St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Standing Up and Bob Marley Soundtrack in Head

Getting Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up" stuck in my head when rising from a chair.

Star Trek Cruise and Insight Cruises Origin

The family connection behind the Smithsonian's Star Trek Enterprise model and the origin of thematic Geek Cruises.

Star Wars

Star Wars is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film.

Star Wars Opening Day Boycott

Deciding to skip a Star Wars theatrical release for the first time in over three decades.

StarShipSofa

StarShipSofa is a Hugo Award-winning science fiction podcast.

State of Oregon v. Randal Schwartz

Overview: In late July 1995, Randal was convicted of three felony counts under Oregon's Computer Crime Law. The charges stemmed from security audit...

Steering GemStone Toward Sanity

An account of Randal's early career at ServioLogic, where a crucial architecture meeting question pivoted the database system from a custom "Smallt...

Steve Roberts

Steve Roberts is an author, designer, and pioneer of "nomadic computing" who built custom computer-integrated human-powered vehicles and vessels (l...

Steve Salta

Steve Salta is a person in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Steve Wozniak

Steve Wozniak is a legendary computer engineer, co-founder of Apple, and tech philanthropist.

Steve Wozniak Cruise Ship Steering

Giving Steve Wozniak a tour of the bridge on a cruise around Cape Horn.

Steve Wozniak Meets Janet Hill

During one of the tech-themed Geek Cruises (specifically a MacMania voyage), Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak met his future wife, Janet Hill.

Steven Wright Breakfast Renaissance Joke

Sharing a favorite Steven Wright joke about ordering breakfast.

Stockholm

Stockholm is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Stolen iPhone in a Restaurant

A travel inconvenience caused by the theft of my iPhone in June 2012.

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Stonehenge Booth LISA 2004 Cash Swag

During the Large Installation System Administration (LISA) conference in Atlanta in November 2004, my company Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc. ...

Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc.

## History and Operations

Stonehenge courses

Stonehenge Consulting Services, Inc. offered a range of expert-led Perl training courses, developed and taught by the authors of the corresponding ...

Stonehenge Visit and Forrest Gump Moments

In August of 2001, I made my first trip to the United Kingdom to be the keynote speaker at the Genome Conference at The Wellcome Trust Genome Cente...

Stonehenge Wednesday Blowout Parties

Starting in 2000 at TPC4/OSCON2 in Monterey, Bill Harp and I launched a long-standing tradition of throwing massive Stonehenge parties during confe...

Strange Conversation Starters and Owning a Bar

Reflecting on unusual life events that serve as unique conversation starters.

Supernova

A supernova is a powerful and luminous stellar explosion that occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star, dispersing heavy elemen...

Sweden

Sweden is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Sydney

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. Famous for its iconic harbor, the Sydney Opera House, and t...

Tallinn

Tallinn is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Tandem Computers

Tandem Computers was a dominant computer manufacturer known for pioneering fault-tolerant computer systems, which were widely adopted by banks, ATM...

Technology

Technology is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Tek Labs

Tek Labs (Tektronix Laboratories) was the research and development division of Tektronix in Beaverton, Oregon, which was a hotbed for early Smallta...

Tektronix

Tektronix (historically known as Tek) is an American company best known for manufacturing test and measurement devices such as oscilloscopes and lo...

Teleport

Teleport (Teleport Internet Services) was an early pioneering local dial-up and broadband Internet Service Provider (ISP) based in Portland, Oregon...

Thanksgiving Travel and Olympia Brother Meetup

Meeting up with my brothers before flying to Europe for Thanksgiving.

The 2012 Health Resolution

The turning point and commitment to a healthier lifestyle that sparked my weight loss journey.

The Am I Hoot-er-not Parody and the Forget-me-not Column

The humorous history behind Web Techniques Column 59, featuring deep-linking legalities, reverse-engineered calendars, Bill Harp's franchise dreams...

The Broken Blender Bartending Rule

A short anecdote about my time operating a bar and the classic rule of bartending.

The Day I Decided Never to Learn Python

During the 3rd Alaska Geek Cruises voyage ("ScriptScape"), I attended a private, small-group one-hour OO spreadsheet design session led by Python c...

The End of the Oregon Trail Museum Error

Spotting a historical geography error at a museum in St. Louis.

The Gecko Book and Compuserve Chat

In August 1997, O'Reilly published Learning Perl on Win32 Systems, commonly referred to as the "Gecko" book.

The GNU Linux Headlock

During a party on one of the Geek Cruises with Linus Torvalds (likely during a Linux Lunacy Cruise in the early 2000s), I walked up to Linus and pl...

The Great Shouting Match

During the 4th Linux Lunacy Geek Cruises voyage, a spontaneous, high-decibel yelling match erupted between Richard Stallman (RMS) and Eric S Raymon...

The Legendary Juneau Pub Crawls

Over the course of many Alaskan Geek Cruises (such as the Linux Lunacy and Arctic Exposure series), the annual Juneau Pub Crawl became a legendary ...

The Mint Karaoke Club Meetup

A fun Karaoke meetup with FLOSS Weekly listeners at The Mint in San Francisco.

The Onion

The Onion is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local n...

The Perl Foundation

The Power of the Y Adaptor

A practical travel tip about how carrying a simple electrical Y-adaptor makes people happy by sharing outlets.

The Rise and Fall of The Perl Institute

Following the runaway success and royalties of my books, I wanted to take some of my "runaway money" and find a way to give back to the Perl commun...

The Speck KFC in Portland

The regional history of "The Speck," Portland's local name for Kentucky Fried Chicken.

The Standard Hotel

The Standard Hotels is a brand of boutique hotels founded in 1999 by André Balazs, featuring properties in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.

The Veggie Omelette of Three Meats

A humorous breakfast order exchange with a bartender during the Christmas holidays.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas Dolby (born Thomas Morgan Robertson) is an English musician, producer, composer, and teacher, known for his hit single "She Blinded Me with ...

Tijuana

Tijuana is a major city in Baja California, Mexico, located directly on the border with San Diego, California.

Tim O'Reilly

Tim O'Reilly is the founder of O'Reilly Media and a key promoter of the open-source and Web 2.0 movements.

TinTin Movie Outing with Mom and Russ

A Christmas Eve cinema outing with family to watch The Adventures of Tintin.

Tom Bihn

Tom Bihn is an American luggage and bag design/manufacturing company founded in 1972, known for its high-quality, durable backpacks, duffels, and T...

Tom Bihn Bag Travel Companion

A testament to the luggage system that enabled my lifestyle of traveling 45 weeks out of the year.

Tom Christiansen

A major figure in the Perl community, known for co-authoring foundational books like "Programming Perl" (the Camel book) and the "Perl Cookbook."

Tom Pickett

Tom Pickett is a friend of Randal Schwartz.

Toyota 4Runner

The Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) formerly owned and driven by Randal.

Travel

Travel is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Travel Packing Temperature Mismatch Blunder

Realizing an over-packing mistake involving heavy shirts for a warm-weather business trip.

Travel Restrictions to Canada and Australia

A personal reflection on the long-term Travel impacts of my historical felony conviction, despite its official expungement.

Trip to Seattle to see Damian Conway

In July 2002, I took a trip to Seattle to attend an event featuring Perl legend Damian Conway. Before the event, I enjoyed a scenic ferry ride acro...

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is an online Travel company and platform offering user-generated reviews, comparisons, and bookings.

TripAdvisor Travel Stats

On September 16, 2023, I exported my travel history records from TripAdvisor using Bing Chat AI, obtaining a breakdown of distinct countries and U....

Triple Almost Twin Birthday Coincidence

Sharing a statistical birthday coincidence with a brother and a famous friend.

Trolling the Salzenberg

Chip Salzenberg was the release "pumpking" for Perl 5.004, and he was remarkably adept at fixing bugs. There was a running joke in the community ab...

Trolling Usenet to Spread Perl

During the late 1980s, I spent a lot of time "trolling" Usenet groups like comp.unix.questions and comp.unix.shell to spread the word about the bra...

Tropidera Bar

The Tropidera Bar was a major establishment located in La Grande, Oregon. It was purchased and operated by me and my close friend and business part...

TSA Pat-Down and Fertilizer

A funny Travel anecdote about getting flagged by airport security at PDX.

Tunisia

Tunisia is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Turning 50 and the Grey Beard Decision

My milestone decision to stop shaving and grow a beard for the first time in my life as I turned 50.

TV Remote Control Overengineering

A humorous story about overengineering a solution for remote control interference at a bar.

Twenty Five Years of Free Conferences

Randal reflecting on a 25-year milestone of attending major tech and fandom conferences as a speaker or press member without paying retail admission.

Twitter

Twitter (subsequently rebranded to X) is a microblogging and social networking service.

UCLA Medical Center Seizure and Head Trauma

A serious medical scare that landed me in emergency care in September 2014.

UN Bank

A prominent banking institution associated with the United Nations or international development (such as the World Bank Group) headquartered in Was...

Unexpected Karaoke Venue Closure Pretzels

Adapting to an unexpected karaoke venue closure with pretzels and cheese.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a sovereign country in northwest Europe, which contains Wiltshire (where the historical Stonehenge monument is located) and m...

United States

United States is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

USB-C and RS-232C Cabling Frustrations

Comparing USB-C to classic RS-232C cabling frustrations and diagnostic breakout boxes.

Usenet

A worldwide distributed discussion system established in 1979.

Usenet Already Seen Crosspost Sadness

A comparison between the elegant crosspost handling in Usenet and the annoying multiposting common in modern chat systems.

Vallco Fashion Mall

Vallco Fashion Mall (later known as Cupertino Square) was a major shopping mall located in Cupertino, California.

Vasquez Rocks

Vasquez Rocks is a 932-acre park located in Agua Dulce, California, famous for its spectacular, slanted sandstone rock formations formed by rapid e...

VAX VMS Emulation Job Posting

I received a job posting from a headhunter looking for a "Virtual Memory System – Senior Server Specialist" to support a legacy VMS environment.

VAX___VMS

VAX/VMS is a concept in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Venezuela

Venezuela is a country on the northern coast of South America.

Venezuela Open Source and Perl Conference 2006

In October 2006, I traveled to Venezuela to present at a national open-source and Perl conference. I was invited as a special guest of the state-ow...

Veracruz

Veracruz is a major port city on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz, which I visited for a tech conference in November 2004.

Veracruz Conference and Richard Stallman

In late November 2004, I traveled to Veracruz, Mexico, to present at a Technology conference. It was my first time flying into Mexico, and my first...

Veracruz Tech Conference 2004

In November 2004, I traveled to Veracruz, Mexico, to speak at a technology and free software conference.

Video Editing Evolution

A look back at my history with video editing Technology, comparing late-1980s analog setups to modern digital suites.

Video Editing Experience LinkedIn Response

Responding to a LinkedIn solicitation by highlighting decades of video editing experience.

Virtual Friendships and Legacy Contemplations

Reflecting on virtual connections and personal legacy after the passing of online friends.

Visby

Visby is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Visit to Arecibo Observatory

Over my years coordinating and speaking on Geek Cruises, I had the rare privilege of visiting the historic and world-renowned Arecibo Observatory i...

Wagon App and HSV Colorspace

Building a personal sobriety tracking app and the engineering challenge of creating a smooth rainbow background.

Waiting for Plumber Late-Night Snack

Having a late-night snack of hot dogs and chips while waiting for plumbing repairs.

Walking Record at LAX

Randal hitting a new daily walking step record by pacing the south side of LAX twice before Delta's terminal move.

Walking the Sydney Harbour Bridge

During my second trip to Australia in August 2002 to attend and speak at the annual SAGE-AU conference, I walked across the iconic Sydney Harbour B...

Wallet Recovery at the Rehab Facility

A bureaucratic scare and fortunate recovery of my wallet during post-surgery rehabilitation.

Washington

Washington is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Watermarked Presentation Image Critique

Criticizing a fellow author for using watermarked stock images in a presentation.

Waymo SF Ride

A personal Travel anecdote about my first experience riding in a Waymo driverless car.

We Are Star Stuff Supernova Reflection

Discussing the cosmic origin of heavy elements in the human body.

Web Services Cruise of May 2004

In May 2004, the 21st Geek Cruises voyage sailed from New York City on the Carnival Legend, representing our first Geek Cruise on a Carnival ship. ...

Web2000 International and Bill Harps Clown Costume Party

In October 2000, Bill Harp and I attended the Web2000 International (Web2K) conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Weight Management Post Travel and Buffalo Trip

Regaining weight targets by strict keto eating after a business trip.

Weird Al Yankovic Concert

In August 1999, my family and I went to see "Weird Al" Yankovic perform at the Oregon State Fair. It was a spectacular show featuring 20 costume ch...

Welcome to Portland Lunch and the Non-Linux Portability of Git

Shortly after creating Git in April 2005 to replace BitKeeper for Linux kernel development, Linus Torvalds arrived in Portland, Oregon.

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is an American multinational financial services company.

Western Mediterranean

Western Mediterranean is a place in the Randal Schwartz life graph.

Western Oregon Road Trip with Mom

A detailed 1,125-mile personal road trip taken with my mom, Retha Schwartz, to celebrate her 75th birthday.

Wi-Fi Camping and High-Speed Internet at Brick House

Finding a friendly environment for remote work on the road.

Widmer Hefeweizen in Anchorage

A humorous Travel anecdote from the 1990s involving Portland's famous craft beer.

WikiLinks

This page is a placeholder for the concept of "WikiLinks" in Logseq.

Wikipedia Notability Debate

Defending my historical role in Perl's growth and Wikipedia notability.

Wil Wheaton

Wil Wheaton (born 1972) is an American actor, blogger, and author. He is widely known for his roles as Wesley Crusher in the television series Star...

Wil Wheaton Dancing Barefoot Booksigning

In August 2003, during O'Reilly's Open Source Convention (OSCON) in Portland, Oregon, Wil Wheaton held a milestone book signing for his self-publis...

Wisdom Tree Video and the Atari Store

A memory of Randal's late brother, Russ Schwartz, working at the Wisdom Tree / Club Video store and later at the Atari Store in Beaverton.

Witnessing Parents Remarriage

A unique family milestone where I signed as the legal witness for my own parents' remarriage.

Wm Leler

Wm Leler is a computer scientist and software engineer, known for his work in computer graphics, constraint languages, and developer advocacy.

Wuala

Wuala was a secure cloud storage service developed by LaCie that utilized client-side encryption and a decentralized peer-to-peer storage network.

Wuala Cloud Storage and Client-Side Encryption Recommendation

Sharing recommendation for Wuala cloud storage due to zero-knowledge encryption and storage donation features.

Xochicalco

Xochicalco is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in the western part of Morelos, Mexico, famous for its fortified ruins and the Temple of the Feat...

YAPC

YAPC (Yet Another Perl Conference) is a series of regional conferences dedicated to the discussion of the Perl programming language.

YAPC::Brasil

YAPC::Brasil (Yet Another Perl Conference Brasil) is a regional open-source conference focused on the Perl programming language, held in various ci...

Yvonne Craig Batgirl Birthday Reflection

Wondering about Batgirl's constant distress in the classic Batman TV series.