Certainly not as bad as being found by searching on “shmuck“, but I got a interesting Google referral today – “designer+think+about+pagelayout“. My site come up as the top hit for that search (at least it does right now). The question is – did the searcher start with that search, or was that a refinement? I know sometimes when I Google, I come up with some strange search strings as I try to weed out the irrelevant deadwood. The joys of full text search…

For me personally, it had been quite an exciting week for Science and Technology. Internal Microsoft conference, hearing Ray Kurzweil speak, dinner with other webloggers – I was pumped. But like every else this morning, I am deeply saddened by the news of the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The TV just reported that a senior US official has confirmed that there is no hope for the survival of the crew.

I have two immediate reactions beyond the sadness. First, I am in awe of the people who risk their lives in the pursuit of Science. So many of us reap the benefits of the risk and sacrifice of these heroes. It gives me a new perspective since the biggest risk of my job is carpal tunnel syndrome and my biggest sacrifice is time away from my family. Second, several reporters on the TV this morning are asking questions about the future of the Space program. Dan Rather pointed out that there are only 3 shuttles left and that the most recent one was built more than 10 years ago. In my opinion, the only tragedy bigger than the loss of the crew would be the loss of the space program itself. In the wake of a tragedy, there will be an inevitable slowdown. But tragedies like this mean more needs to be done, not less. How far has technology come in just the 10 years since the last shuttle was built? How much better and safer could we an orbiter built today be? From modeling to simulation to on-board instrumentation, Moore’s law tells us that computers are 1000 times faster today than they were when the Columbia was built 20 years ago. Let’s take that knowledge and put it to use.

Training for 8 work days + pregnant wife = much less time for blogging. But I did make it out to Sam Ruby‘s Weblog Gathering. Full list of attendee’s is available at Anita Rowland’s weblog (no RSS feed 😢). Had a great time.

Highlight for me was meeting Miguel de Icaza of the Mono project. He showed of Mono on his laptop plus took the time to explain why they chose the licenses they did. But the coolest part was first meeting him. When I realized who he was, I introduced myself and expressed how impressed I was regarding Mono’s progress. His response: “You guys have built a great platform.” I wish all interactions between commercial & non-commercial software advocates could be so respectful. (no flames please – I realize my employer has been equally at fault for not being respectful. Hopefully, we’re changing that.)

My wife and I moved to Seattle from Los Angeles about 18 months ago. Of all the things we miss, friends are first on the list. One of those friends from USC (Fight On!) is Keri Johnson. Haven’t seen him in a while – don’t get back to LA as often as I’d like to – but I just got email from his band Urban Family Dog. Keri’s got a voice like you wouldn’t believe and the band is awesome. If you like funk and/or horns and are in LA, you’ve got to check them out Feb 1st at the Key Club in Hollywood with one of their main influences: FishBone! They have a new album + lots of MP3′s online. Check them out!

UPDATE: The show has moved Feb 8th. Same time, same place, just a different day.

And then there is Julie, Harry’s wife. Every now and then I go over to their place for an incredible dinner. She is a fantastic cook, and I am sure I could maintain a decent weight if I eat reasonable portions, but its sooooo good, I can’t just have one portion. They keep saying I can come over more often, but thankfully I am in Bellevue, and they are up by the future MS campus in Issaquah. This means that, although the drive is only 10-20 minutes, I have to actively make an effort to go. But when I do go, it is often the highlight of the week. [Matt Williams Technovangelist]

Thanks Matt! As you can imagine, I share Matt’s one portion dilemma. The worst is chicken enchiladas – my wife’s chicken enchiladas are like crack. I look my empty plate and think “I could eat one more” even though I’ve polished off six already.

I also share his resolution to lose weight. Julie does too, but since she’s 8 months pregnant, losing weight now would be a bad thing. 😄