[conspire] You are cordially invited, despite being unworthy

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Paul Zander (paulz at ieee.org):

> All top 10 cities on the list are either west of the Mississippi.   Well New Orleans is just barely west, flood walls still holding.
> Anyone know the HQ of the company that made the survey?

Cafe Valet's parent company, Courtesy Products, is in St. Louis, MO.

> For a while, I have been developing the opinion that there is a big
> difference between people from Silicon Valley and New York. 

Gee, ya think?  ;->

> In Silicon Valley a lot of folks go about their job of creating
> amazing new products.  

Or being a figurehead for a firm where other people do.  (See that guy
from Intel in the LWCE 1999 keynote video, the fellow with the patent on
bland.)

> There are few Walmarts in the South Bay.

Mountain View, Santa Clara, seven in San Jose, Milpitas, two in Fremont.

> I have grown zucchini and tomatoes in the front yard, not to show off,
> but because I like fresh vegetables and the front yard gets more sun.

Yay!

> The only reaction I have had has been friendly chats with neighbors on
> their walks.

Here in the figurative Danube between the Budapest-like twin capitals of
pretentiousness[1], if I'm out in the garden working, passers-by seem to
speak only to Cheryl if she's out with me, and never with me.  It took
me a while to figure this out:  It's because, since I'm working with a
shovel or doing stoop labour, they assume I must be the paid help --
because we're literally the only house in this now-overpriced
neighbourhood where the homeowner does the gardening.  Everyone else
without exception has professional gardeners and landscapers do it.

> Now to think aoout what to bring to Cabal.

I'll be barbecuing meat much like before, and in addtion to fresh
sourdough bread I bought some nice local hummus.  FYI.

[1] Well, that might be a bit of a strained metaphor.  It helps to know 
that Hungary's capital is two cities, Buda and Pest, separated by the
Danube River, which is crossed by seven bridges.