Looking for a cat?

Weird happenings in Noe Valley, this morning. Walking down the sidewalk, my husband spotted someone fiddling underneath his old 4-runner, which was parked down the street. When the guy realized he'd been spotted, he ran off.

What on earth was he doing? He was trying to steal the catalytic converter, so that he could sell it for scrap metal. The police said that it's getting more and more common, and that older vehicles are the target because of the metals in their converters.

The story, as told by my 4-year old:

"There was a person under the car! He was looking for a cat, I think. and then papa put on his angry face and said "get out from there!" And the man ran away. He had a screwdriver in his belt!"

When it's time to take a break

Ugh! Staring at the same code for too long can lead to stupid mistakes. Mistakes like

var a = 0;

if(a == 0){
    a == 1;
} else {
    a == 0;
}

That's when it's time to step away and do something completely different for a while.

Catching up at Flash conferences

I guess I might as well give up any idea of taking a year off from Flash conferences.

Some time ago, I was asked to join the judging team for the Flashforward awards. Sure is a different way to participate, and it was interesting to see such an overview of what the community is producing right now.

In the fall, I'll be making the long trek from San Francisco to Brighton, England for Flash On The Beach. I'm looking forward to enjoying the conference, without the pressure of speaking.

If you see me at one of these conferences, be sure to say hi. If I'm a little distracted, it just means I'm on social overload. Find me later in the conference and be sure to follow up with an email. If your hoping to talk biz, setting up a meeting ahead of time is also a good idea.

FlashForward, Single Track, and Networking

I can't help but wonder how the new "single track" idea will shape the social and networking opportunities during the upcoming Flash Forward. If everyone is in the same lecture hall, all day, every day, what will get them moving around and talking to each other. Won't there be a tendency to stake out a seat, and not budge?

While the sessions are important, the networking is even more important. On a personal level, I really enjoy catching up with friends and colleagues.

The venue for the welcome party is interesting...but will we be segregated into skaters and bowlers? Will they have the outside areas blocked off to the public, for the party? That would be nice, since I'm not good on the ice.

Bottom line, I'm not sure what to expect from this year's Flash Forward conference. But I am indeed looking forward to it.

The Engine Room

If I ever need branding, for a tangible product, I want these guys on the job: The Engine Room. Their clean, elegant, and yet warm designs are very appealing. They also seem to be picky about their clients...as if they want to make sure the product inside lives up to the expectations they generate with their packaging design.

I first noticed their designs for a local gourmet popcorn company...which I'm completely addicted to, by the way. I haven't tasted all of the flavors, but my current favorite from 479Popcorn is their ginger sesame caramel. On the cyber side, I like the website. It's not overcomplicated at all, in terms of visual design, although I didn't view source. I'm curious to see how they implement online ordering, and how they'll approach an interactive user experience.