2011.10.28 01:00 - The meeting in Berlin

Wol Euler was guardian for this session.

Alfred Kelberry: wow!
Alfred Kelberry: woly girl!
Alfred Kelberry: *purrs*
Alfred Kelberry: hi :)
Wol Euler: good morning
Wol Euler smiles.
Alfred Kelberry: mmm, woly the human :)
Wol Euler: heheheh
Wol Euler: it saddens me that so many people relatively dislike my furry and faun forms
Wol Euler: though I must admit that I like human too
Alfred Kelberry: well, they're less common :)
Wol Euler: non-humans are really hard to dress nicely
Wol Euler: because of the extra bits
Alfred Kelberry: i'd say the only thing i disliked were the hooves :)
Wol Euler: okay ::)
Alfred Kelberry: nice... um...
Wol Euler: um?
Alfred Kelberry: ah, braids :)
Wol Euler: ah :)
Wol Euler chuckles.
Wol Euler: thank you, it's a new style
Alfred Kelberry: yes, noted it the other day
Alfred Kelberry: um, yesterday that is
Wol Euler: was I here yesterday? man, the days are blending again :/
Alfred Kelberry: we had such a nice talk with pila and... gah, forgto the girl's name
Wol Euler: oh yes, naturesway?
Wol Euler: nature-something
Alfred Kelberry: um... yep. you were tired and declined my eagerly polite offer to join me at wok
Alfred Kelberry: nature! right
Wol Euler: sorry, really *too* tired
Alfred Kelberry: heh
Alfred Kelberry: i like pila-san. wish he'd come more often.
Wol Euler nods.

--BELL--

Alfred Kelberry: btw, do you feel a sudden surge of energy sometimes whne you're tired?
Wol Euler: yes, that happens sometimes
Wol Euler: usually with a high price the next day
Alfred Kelberry: gah, php code is so meh
Wol Euler: hehehehe
Alfred Kelberry: ouch, yes. high price.
Alfred Kelberry: it's funny how php devs try to mimic java
Wol Euler: building in comfort, perhaps?
Alfred Kelberry: want to be like "the big boys"
Wol Euler: reducing hte entry barrier
Wol Euler: which of these is the winning pitch? "Here's another entirely new language that nobody uses yet", or "It extends the language you already use"
Alfred Kelberry: um...
Wol Euler grins.
Alfred Kelberry: need more data :)
Wol Euler: nah, you have your own head. that is all the data you need
Wol Euler: WWYD
Alfred Kelberry: what?
Wol Euler: do you know WWJD?
Wol Euler: What Would Jesus Do?
Alfred Kelberry: ah
Wol Euler: this is similar: What Would You Do?
Alfred Kelberry: never heard
Wol Euler: lucky you :)
Alfred Kelberry: i do know nsfw :)
Wol Euler: funnily enough, it's mostly said by people who then follow with something that DIRECTLY contradicts what Jesus did say and do :)
Wol Euler: *did
Alfred Kelberry: well, i doubt he had experience with it :)
Alfred Kelberry: it also sucks that there's no a single woman god in a monotheistic religion
Wol Euler: start one :)
Wol Euler: but: yes, agreed
Alfred Kelberry: ok, i propose goddess woly :)
Wol Euler: ha
Alfred Kelberry: or eliza
Wol Euler: eliza fits better
Alfred Kelberry: heh
Alfred Kelberry: yes, she's more proper goddess :)
Wol Euler nods.
Alfred Kelberry: where is everyone?
Alfred Kelberry: wuff!
Wol Euler: asleep
Alfred Kelberry: hmm
Wol Euler: or already taken off for the holiday
Alfred Kelberry: oh yes
Wol Euler: (Tuesday is a holiday here, so most people take the Monday off too, so many will already be leaving at noon today)
Alfred Kelberry: but not you?
Wol Euler: nope
Alfred Kelberry: what a surprise
Alfred Kelberry: this is odd really
Wol Euler: well, the boss is away for a fortnight so we are on half-days anyway
Alfred Kelberry: how come you work so much?
Wol Euler: I'll have tuesday off
Wol Euler: and the weekend
Alfred Kelberry: neat
Wol Euler: basically because there's nobody else to do it
Alfred Kelberry: wait, you do the work of n people?
Wol Euler: yep
Wol Euler: where n > 1
Alfred Kelberry: and x n salary?
Wol Euler: yes, paid by the actual hour
Wol Euler: which in architecture is very unusual
Alfred Kelberry: cool
Alfred Kelberry: how long is your yacht?
Wol Euler: :-PPPPPP
Wol Euler: I have a pair of yellow rubber bath duckies, does that count?
Alfred Kelberry: aww, yes please :)

--BELL--

Alfred Kelberry: do you write any code?
Wol Euler: not really, unless you count LSL script
Wol Euler: not in a long while
Alfred Kelberry: aww
Alfred Kelberry: that's too bad
Wol Euler: I nearly invented Linux, you know :)
Alfred Kelberry: wait, when?
Wol Euler: back in the late 80s, early 90s, I wrote some unix routines for my PC
Wol Euler: cpio, tar, head, tail, same, diff
Alfred Kelberry: ah, implemeting posix standard?
Wol Euler: copying functionality from the unix computers I used to draw with
Alfred Kelberry: neat
Wol Euler: there was no posix then, at least I didn't know the name
Wol Euler: yeah, but it got frustrating so I let it go
Wol Euler: which is of course what separates people like Linus from people like me :)
Alfred Kelberry: sadly, no wolix today
Wol Euler: yep
Alfred Kelberry: determination is hard
Wol Euler: I get frustrated and quit, they get frustrated and knuckle down

Russian literature, reading and how schools spoil it for kids.

Alfred Kelberry: have you read just for fun?
Wol Euler: read what?
Alfred Kelberry: the book by linus
Wol Euler: oh, I see, no. didn't know it
Alfred Kelberry: well, about him really
Alfred Kelberry: quite entertaining
Alfred Kelberry: you'll like it if you started the same path
Alfred Kelberry: that's the kind of novels i like :)
Wol Euler: erm, that's not a novel :)
Wol Euler: at least not in the english sense of the word
Wol Euler: "Most 31-year olds can't boast of being the instigator of a revolution. But then again, the world's leading promoter of open source software and creator of the operating system Linux does humbly call himself an accidental revolutionary--accidental being the operative word here. Just for Fun is the quirky story of how Linus Torvalds went from being a penniless, introverted code writer in Helsinki in the early 1990s to being the unwitting (and rather less than penniless) leader of a radical shift in computer programming by the end of the decade." Amazon.com
Alfred Kelberry: well, the closest that i get :)
Wol Euler: oh, how sad
Wol Euler: so you don't read just for fun :(
Alfred Kelberry: huh?
Wol Euler: you don't read "useless things" like true novels
Wol Euler: invented fiction?
Alfred Kelberry: nope, cause 1. it's boring, 2. no time (too much yummy non-fiction stuff)
Wol Euler: O.O
Wol Euler: boring?
Wol Euler: dear god
Wol Euler: what did you read, taht made you think reading is boring?
Alfred Kelberry: i struggled in school through tolstoy and alike :)
Wol Euler: oh, well
Wol Euler: that explains a lot
Alfred Kelberry: explains what?
Wol Euler: why do schools insist on giving little children books that many *adults* find hard?
Wol Euler: foolishness!
Wol Euler: and counterproductive, as you showed
Alfred Kelberry: hmm
Alfred Kelberry: well, many girls liked it
Wol Euler ponders this statement.
Alfred Kelberry: but they mature faster :)
Wol Euler: perhaps he's easier to understand in Russian...
Alfred Kelberry: um... maybe
Alfred Kelberry: i sure prefer poems in russian :)
Alfred Kelberry: pushkin is awesome. that fiction is one of a few that i actually enjoyed.
Alfred Kelberry: lermontov, esenin. those folks.
Wol Euler: hmmm :)
Wol Euler: I've heard of Lermontov, may even have read a little Pushkin
Alfred Kelberry: i'm glad russian poetry wasn't taken by the western modernist crowd :)
Wol Euler smiles.
Alfred Kelberry: even russian modernist stayed true to the form!
Wol Euler: didn't Stalin have them sent to the Bering Straits if they didn't?
Alfred Kelberry: wait, "a little" pushkin?! he's like the most famous poet! :)
Wol Euler: not in English :)
Alfred Kelberry: the real master of words
Wol Euler: I recognize his greatness, and admit that my lack of knowledge is a deficit
Alfred Kelberry: well, fair enough. but then tolstoy is famous.
Wol Euler: yep
Wol Euler: tolstoy had a great impact on english literature and literary criticism

--BELL--

Wol Euler: "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" are the only pre-modern Russian novels that you can count on an english person having read
Alfred Kelberry: hmm, yep
Wol Euler: in translatoin, obviuosly, with all that implies
Alfred Kelberry: re: stalin. um... not sure about that. but even hardcore social realism poets were cool :) like mayakovsky :)
Wol Euler: yep
Wol Euler: another name that I know, but none of his works
Wol Euler sighs
Wol Euler: so many books, so little time
Alfred Kelberry: very creative folks. many good artists.
Alfred Kelberry: heh, true
Alfred Kelberry: oh! i lied a bit about novels
Wol Euler: mm?
Alfred Kelberry: there are a few that i liked (but they're called realistic novels) by beigbeder
Alfred Kelberry: 99 francs, recall? :)
Alfred Kelberry: it was the first one from him that i read
Wol Euler: don't know that
Alfred Kelberry: then on 9/11
Alfred Kelberry: imaginative story
Alfred Kelberry: of actual reality
Alfred Kelberry: i like his bold elegance
Alfred Kelberry: sort of like woly :)
Wol Euler: heheheheheh
Wol Euler: you flatterer
Alfred Kelberry: *purrs*

Here begins the meat of the session, about a possible meeting in Berlin.

Alfred Kelberry: sad we can't meet in germany
Wol Euler: sure we can
Wol Euler: arrange it
Wol Euler: tell me where to be and when
Alfred Kelberry: huh? you can come?
Wol Euler: just because *I* cannot arrange something, doesn't mean it can never happen
Wol Euler: just do it
Wol Euler: depends when and where
Alfred Kelberry: heh
Wol Euler: but with enough notice, sure
Alfred Kelberry: berlin or some midpoint
Alfred Kelberry: it'd be cool if yaku could join us too
Wol Euler: well, make it a weekend retreat
Alfred Kelberry: he's a bit closer
Wol Euler: bert could probably come too, with satia
Wol Euler: get moving :)
Alfred Kelberry: dec 9-10?
Wol Euler: should be ok
Alfred Kelberry: oh, cool
Alfred Kelberry: satia moving?
Wol Euler: dunno
Alfred Kelberry: she isn't in germany?
Wol Euler: ??????
Wol Euler: I'm not sure what you are inferring
Alfred Kelberry: i'm confused :)
Alfred Kelberry: you said with satia get moving
Wol Euler: ah :)
Wol Euler: no, YOU get moving :)
Wol Euler: organize
Alfred Kelberry: ah
Alfred Kelberry: right
Alfred Kelberry: xiri is on
Alfred Kelberry: odd, i can walk by clicking
Wol Euler: yep :)
Wol Euler: "go to"
Wol Euler: every language has that :)
Alfred Kelberry: so, yes for berlin?
Wol Euler: generally speaking, probably yes
Alfred Kelberry: other contenders?
Wol Euler: get it organized
Wol Euler: pick dates, find places, get a firm estimate of the cost
Alfred Kelberry: wait, you do mean the local retreat? :)
Wol Euler: I mean the meeting = retreat probably in berlin probably in december, which you are orgainzing
Alfred Kelberry: um
Alfred Kelberry: ok :)
Wol Euler: http://wiki.playasbeing.org/Retreats/About_Retreats

--BELL--

Wol Euler: some tips there
Alfred Kelberry: i'd like it to be a lax retreat :) in the city, coffee shops and alike :)
Wol Euler: organize that :)
Wol Euler: it's your retreat, you organize it. Make a package, put it together, and sell it to us :)
Wol Euler: sell = persuade
Alfred Kelberry: wait, you should want it in the first place :)
Wol Euler: perhaps I do
Wol Euler: that is always the thing about organizing, you don't know who will really come and who won't
Wol Euler: if the places you choose look dirty and unpleasant, then people won't want to go
Alfred Kelberry: you make it too formal
Wol Euler: if they are too expensive, then people won't want to go
Wol Euler: boxy, dearest, it is formal
Alfred Kelberry: just name a place and time and let people come
Wol Euler: that does not work in the real world, not for grown-ups

That line embarrasses me now, I find it insulting and wish I had expressed myself better. Ah well, live and learn.

Wol Euler: I cannot just go to berlin and *hope* that I will find a hotel somewhere
Alfred Kelberry: why hope? get online and book one :)
Wol Euler: because the time I spend looking for it is time I do not spend with the group
Wol Euler shakes her head. You misunderstand the word "organize" :)
Alfred Kelberry: it's not a formal retreat if at all
Wol Euler: okay, perhaps the misunderstanding is .... yes
Wol Euler: I am suggesting that it could be :)
Alfred Kelberry: we don't have to bunk in one place
Alfred Kelberry: hey, we could go to caputh :)
Alfred Kelberry: if it's not closed at this time...
Alfred Kelberry: there's also a sinatra dev living in potsdam
Wol Euler laughs.
Wol Euler: geekery
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Alfred Kelberry: yes, it's probably not common to go visit lhc on your spring vacation :)
Alfred Kelberry: but a lot of fun
Wol Euler smiles.

Holidays past, passed and future.

Alfred Kelberry: grr, i'm still (sort of) beating myself up for missing out on nepal when i could go :/
Wol Euler: why didn't you?
Alfred Kelberry: with experienced folks and all
Wol Euler: (is it past? could you still?)
Alfred Kelberry: for a month
Wol Euler: when?
Alfred Kelberry: in the past, sadly
Wol Euler: ah
Alfred Kelberry: the mountain guy was my colleague at work
Wol Euler: :)
Alfred Kelberry: i remember asking him: what if you won't get one month vacation? i'll quit, he replied.
Alfred Kelberry: he was like that
Wol Euler: :))
Alfred Kelberry: wish i could have his courage
Alfred Kelberry: but!
Alfred Kelberry: antarctica is still on my calendar somewhere :)

--BELL--

Alfred Kelberry: *ponders on the spare $25k*
Wol Euler: back, sorry
Alfred Kelberry: *purrs*
Wol Euler: antarctica is on many people's life lists :)
Alfred Kelberry: really?
Wol Euler: yep :)
Alfred Kelberry: to my astonishment, i haven't met many
Wol Euler winks,
Wol Euler: you know at least one
Alfred Kelberry: mind you, i was shocked when for the first time i met a person who *did not* want to travel
Alfred Kelberry: then i sort of got used to it
Alfred Kelberry: so, do you have spare $25k? :)
Wol Euler checks in her pockets.
Wol Euler: doesn't seem so
Alfred Kelberry: check your stocks :)
Wol Euler: heh
Alfred Kelberry: and shares :)
Wol Euler: hah
Alfred Kelberry: there. the awesomeness: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/200...ntarctica.html
Wol Euler: wow
Alfred Kelberry: the earth is f*cking beautiful
Alfred Kelberry: you can strip it from the record :)
Alfred Kelberry: but then the intensity will be gone
Wol Euler: what/why?
Alfred Kelberry: re: log
Wol Euler: strip what, why?
Alfred Kelberry: um... nevermind :)

Back to Berlin and the vexed question of organization.

Alfred Kelberry: how about a concert in berlin?
Wol Euler: sure, organize it
Wol Euler: it's your event, you plan it
Alfred Kelberry: meh :)
Wol Euler grins.
Alfred Kelberry: http://www.last.fm/events/+place/Germany/Berlin
Wol Euler: http://www.lastfm.de/events/+place/G...ate=2011-12-09
Wol Euler: ooh, leningrad cowboys!
Wol Euler: heheheh
Alfred Kelberry: err
Alfred Kelberry: btw, you have an advantage. you all speak german.
Wol Euler: mmhmm
Alfred Kelberry: i'd love to listen to the frames
Wol Euler: ((looking at the photos, it occurs to me that "northern" is absolutely useless as an indicator of direction in Antarctica :)
Wol Euler: if you are the south pole then EVERYTHING is north, everywhere
Alfred Kelberry: heh

--BELL--

Alfred Kelberry: are you cashing out on groupon?
Wol Euler: no idea. I was never in it
Alfred Kelberry: is it not in germany?
Wol Euler: I believe it exists here
Alfred Kelberry: http://groupon.ru/moscow/spacockteil
Alfred Kelberry: nom!
Alfred Kelberry: um, some of the pics look... odd :)
Wol Euler: chocolate?
Wol Euler: I hope it is
Alfred Kelberry: yep
Alfred Kelberry: heh
Alfred Kelberry: i wonder how they clean it up
Alfred Kelberry: um...
Wol Euler grins.
Alfred Kelberry: :)
Wol Euler: they probably offer various options :)
Alfred Kelberry: yay!
Alfred Kelberry: "woly's option" :)
Wol Euler: how much is 1690 rubles in euro?
Wol Euler: it#s about 100 to 1, yes?
Alfred Kelberry: you should learn google rates conversion
Wol Euler: I remember huge great big chocolate bars that cost 200 rubles, tehy would have been about 2 euros
Alfred Kelberry: type this: 1690 rub in eur
Alfred Kelberry: 40 euro
Wol Euler: O.O
Wol Euler: WOW.
Wol Euler: thank you!
Wol Euler: 42 :1
Alfred Kelberry: meh, never liked red caviar
Wol Euler: so, are you set to do the organizing?
Wol Euler: don't leave it too late:)
Alfred Kelberry: i think it will be dec 3-4
Wol Euler: given enough notice, that also works
Wol Euler: start organizing :)
Wol Euler: don't leave it too late
Alfred Kelberry: there. you have the notice :)
Wol Euler: I'm sorry, that is not enough :)
Alfred Kelberry: i'll pick a nice 5 star hostel for you :)
Wol Euler: it's not about 5 star, it's about being orgainzed
Wol Euler: I don't have time to do this
Alfred Kelberry: hmm?
Wol Euler: if I had time to organize myself I could organize the whole thing
Wol Euler: I don't
Wol Euler: so somebody else must

--BELL--

Wol Euler: it's time. I have some errands to run, then I have to work this afternoon
Wol Euler: thanks for coming by, boxy, it was nice to talk to you at length
Wol Euler: bye for now!
Alfred Kelberry: :)