07.28.08
Posted in Sunday Times Columns at 9:42 pm by Sarah
We have sown the seeds with Cuil and will tend to it carefully, nurturing its index, fine tuning the ranking, hope for fine weather and ward off predators. As we wait for the crop to mature, fortunately I came home to find that our mange tout has provided more instant gratification.
When we planted those little peas and leaves popped out a few days later, I thought “ooh that’s quick and cute!”. Then they got taller and taller and were falling over and we stuck in a few twigs and then they got taller than the twigs and kept going! Betty said they’d never do as we hadn’t minded them properly at all. Too late we did some research and found out that peas grow really high! and you’re supposed to have all kinds of grids or tall twiggy supports. I did an emergency run to the hardware shop and bought sticks.
And suddenly! hundreds of ‘em!. M has been blanching and freezing and doling out mange tout to grateful family members. They are practically free (cost us the seed and the batons), didn’t come from Kenya, are HUGE and tasty and we are delighted.
Here’s for those interested in my ongoing horticultural project,
our lettuce:
and a closer shot of the raised bed:
I have to say, the raised bed was well worth the trouble (an 18month gestation while we figured out how much wood to buy, got Feargal to build it and looked for top soil). With minimal fencing it kept out the rabbits and deterred the slugs (we only had a few) and no insect pests for some mystery reason. Made it all very easy to maintain too. No digging and only a little bending.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 7:24 am by Sarah
Well folks I am back home and my little Silicon Valley project is out of stealth.
At 9pm PST, 5am our time, Cuil was unleashed upon the world. So now when you are going mad rephrasing search queries on Google, you can try Cuil instead.
It has a huge index, 120 billion pages; it ranks based on content; it displays results magazine style in columns and with images so you can see more and my favourite; it offers you up categories and subject drilldown to help you explore a topic especially when you don’t know much about a topic and don’t know the “right query” to enter. Try searching for Ireland as an example and check out the tabs on the top and then the “drilldown” on the right. Then go to the bottom of the page and click “add to firefox”!!
And for privacy advocates – Cuil doesn’t log users’ search activities. Your search history is safe.
One note: this blog, I discovered, had a redirect on its robot.txt files which made it tricky to crawl. If your blog is not showing up it might have the same issue. So either stop any robot redirects (if that makes sense!) or email crawler@cuil.com and ask Jim to make sure you are crawled.
Some early coverage
LA Times
Financial Times
New York Times
CNET
Venture Beat
AP
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07.25.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:15 pm by Sarah
On the cover!
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Posted in Uncategorized at 6:17 pm by Sarah
I get from this blog.
Godwin’s Law has been invoked on Economy CA.
I am going home tomorrow. Can’t wait! But to ease the stress of these last 24 hours I am meeting Gerry and Ben tonight. I said “meat and spuds”. No more Italian food or seafood salads.
A note on multiculturalism vs integration.
This company has 30 employees who come from
Ireland
England
India
Brazil
Columbia
France
Serbia
Hungary
Peru
Pakistan
Poland
and yes, America.
They have some things in common, mainly the fact that they are computer scientists BUT their ideologies are similar – liberal, environmentally friendly, family-friendly, clean-living, well-educated, and interested in world-affairs. There’s only one real republican. I have no idea what religion any of them follow. The only ones that talk about religion are me and the other Irish guy.
I think the point is that they moved from all around the world to this spot because they were interested in computer science but also because they wanted to live in California. So, they made the shift in their minds before they got here. They moved to a country where they felt the lifestyle and the world view would match theirs. It contrasts strongly with people who moved to a new country without making, or even wanting to make that adjustment – they want to live in the country – but hold onto their native country’s world view. And in fact, want the new country to adjust to them. That’s the source of a lot of problems (not all – I’m not arguing its this simplistic) but its certainly a major factor.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 5:35 am by Sarah
I know its a cliche but god they are so aggressively anti-Democrat.
This evening on a show Frank Luntz was being interviewed talking about Obama’s speech and how’s he’s popular in Europe.
So Sean Hannity the host says, “well maybe Europeans like him because they share his contempt for America”.
??????????
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07.21.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:06 pm by Sarah
Just so you don’t think its all about the shopping I also went to see this.
Amazing.
Although the hazards of a female travelling alone were exposed yet again -its obviously a tactic of men to target museums and chat up women. Howard from Nevada made a good try but jeez I had to practically sneak out of the MOMA. He interrupted my contemplation of the most beautiful Rothko.
oh well!
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07.20.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:46 am by Sarah
1. You can’t get an iPhone. The Apple stores get in a few each day. There are QUEUES and people booking them. Bastards won’t sell me one to take home and hack. Grrr.
2. Macy’s in Union Square very busy today. Train packed on the way in. I did major damage and could’ve done more. Ooooh that lovely BCBG blouse ($189) and the Anne Klein pretty dress (only $159) but stuck with safe, simple, Ralph Lauren executive wear. BORING. But wearable.
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07.19.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 1:35 pm by Sarah
Some pointers:
Unemployment figures were announced yesterday – 6% – a 5 year high
The equivalent of the IAVI is running ads on telly showing happy families moving into houses and saying “buying a house is based on your family’s needs, not market conditions. If you want to buy one of the thousands of homes that will be sold this year contact your local realtor”
The Stanford Shopping Center is usually pretty quiet but Nordstrum started their “Anniversary Sale” yesterday which is a great sale they have on their “fall lines”. It was really busy. Of course, I bought a coat that was one of the few not in the sale. Typical.
There was a huge traffic jam on 880 yesterday. The road was built in the 1940’s and expanded in 1955 and 1961. It’s literally falling apart now. A lump of concrete patching a previous huge pothole fell out of an overpass and left this big hole in the road. They had to close 2 lanes and it caused major delays. Think M50 on a really really bad day. The decision was made to rebuild the road in 2006 but it has taken them this long to agree the contracts. The work won’t even start this year – could be another year. SO, you know, in comparison, we’re not so bad really with our new fancy motorways and by-passes.
Obama is going on a tour to Europe and the East. McCain is so pissed off and I am sorry but his whole head and shoulders problem is making him look weirder every day.
For 3 days there’s been a row because Whoopi Goldberg said Nigger on The View – a show where 4 or 5 women sit at a table and debate things (the same show that Joan Rivers was physically taken off the set for saying Russell Crowe was a shit, or fucking shit, or something). Anyway, the row is splitting along the lines of black people who say its ok for them to say nigger and white people who say no way should it ever be used. After the Obama tour, this is the biggest story on the news.
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07.18.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:17 pm by Sarah
Ooooooh sneaky sneaky
Just read about this scam on Justin’s blog.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 5:10 pm by Sarah
I checked out the Aer Lingus Gold Circle lounge and though am still a self-conscious international executive traveller, am now qualified to make certain observations and comparisons with other lounges, particularly the ones in SFO.
You have to pay for WifI. How mean. And the refreshments are meagre. In the Virgin lounge in SFO there is waitress service and lovely food. In Dublin its awful tea or coffee from a machine and salty snacks. I left and went to Butler’s Cafe.
I mean, really. It’s just not good enough 
Oh thanks to Gavin AGAIN who suggested that I unplug a certain plugin in Wordpress and Justin who kindly confirmed for me that the inappropriate smiley is no more. Thanks to those who alerted me…
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