i've started reading my third christopher alexander novel, a new theory of urban design, and thought this passage did a nice job of describingg why enterprise software is boring, and start ups are awesome:

...the most fundamental question of all: What is it? What is going to be there?

In today's development, this question is asked, and answered, almost exclusively in economic terms. ...

Of course the products which are built, in answer to this question, and after the necessary consumer surveys, are machinelike, abstract, lifeless. They are uninteresting, not vivid. They are incapable of exciting us, or moving us, because they are not human in their quality.

i would love to hear his thoughts on house flipping.

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was the last time i went to the track really seven weeks ago? anyway, since boston's in four weeks, i figure i should get back with the training, injuries or no injuries. i decided to slum it and go back to the "intermediate" training program, so today was only six 800s (vs. twelve).

1. 2:55
2. 2:55
3. 2:55
4. 3:01
5. 3:00
6. 3:00

if sunday's long run goes well, i'll feel pretty comfortable that i could do a 3:30, which is good enough, given the past month.

going to ride tam with toshok in two hours; wonder if any pizza places deliver this early...

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he wasn't pulling punches today:

REP. DON MANZULLO: Half the people have lost half their retirement or most have lost half of their retirement, and not one of you three can give me a "yes" on that answer or "no."

BEN BERNANKE: Because it's a poorly posed question.

so stunned i can't even think of a witty post-quip.

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