Yearly Archives: 2013

Friday Night – TEDx Delft 2013

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congratulations to all the organizers of TEDxDelft 2013. It was a very good day of talks and performances.. the logistics were flawless and the 1000 or so folks all seemed to really enjoy the day . . I want to add my thanks to Rob, Toine, Eveline, Roos, Karen,Brenda, Antoinette, Frode, Toi-Toi-Toi lady. Shiraz, . and all the other great folks that made the day work .  Thanks fo your help adnd calming energy.. it got me through the day 🙂

 

I had several work meetings during the morning an afternoon, but I was still able to see abou 6 of the days talks..There were some amazing talks on diverse topics as “the Joys of Failure” .. and zero energy air conditioning. THere were singers. a symphony.. a tram contest.. and grasshoppers to eat at the end.. (yum ?>) ..
I was sooooooooooooo nervous about my own talk.. which was the last in the day. Through a really odd coincidence.. my talks title was the same as the conference.. I thought it was on purpose.. but I’d named my talk based on a line I always use.. and they’d chosen the title long before inviting me.. very strange..

As I stepped out on stage my mind went TOTALLY blank.. an I couldn’t remember what to say.. but i managed to start talking.. and the next thing I know I was done. It was a great relief being done.. .. and I think I did ok. It was so great relaxing afterwards.. it was *almost* worth the angst of giving the talk Again the irony of stressing out over a talk on ‘play’ is pretty funny
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JCTED

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I talked ot this guy Neils  a bunch   He’s a social media consultant.. we neded up hanging out in the back of the room together during some of the afternoon talks.. .. his service dog was named stevie .. and made me miss my girls..

<Added Saturday .. he just sent me a link to (his and) Stevie’s story here)IMG_5131

 

Here’s my freind Rolf announcing the tram race. IMG_5133

 

the tram race was outside and it was a challenge of who could move these railroad trollys the fastest either by hand or engine. IMG_5136 IMG_5141 IMG_5146 IMG_5148 IMG_5153

 

lots of great energy in the talks.. like these musical twins IMG_5159

 

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and a whole 80 piece symphony on stage IMG_5164

 

they handed out boxes to each person and asked us not to open them.. then after my talk they asked us to open them.. each one had a dried grasshopper inside.. and they asked us to eat them .. sort of yummy !IMG_5167

 

Here Rob is thanking the staff.IMG_5171

 

then it was out for a party.. i got lots of pics with folks.. these are only a few.  IMG_5178 IMG_5179 IMG_5180 IMG_5181 IMG_5190 IMG_5201 IMG_5203 IMG_5205 IMG_5206 IMG_5210 IMG_5212 IMG_5213 IMG_5214 IMG_5216 IMG_5220 IMG_5224 IMG_5226 IMG_5231 IMG_5232 IMG_5234 IMG_5235

 

we got soem more grasshoppers to eat as well !IMG_5243 IMG_5244 IMG_5246 IMG_5248

 

finally things broke up.. I packed up my ton of stoff and Rolf and I walked back down town for a late snack and a beer.. I managed to miss a work call in doign that.. so rescheduled and just got off that call (1 AM)IMG_5252 IMG_5253 IMG_5255 IMG_5256

 

now back at the hotel and packing  (pictures on my walls here) IMG_5258 IMG_5259

 

crud.. cant find a 220 v adapter   to charge my ipad.. so I rigged one up colony style.. (thats why i always bring duct tape )IMG_5260

 

i need to catch an early mornign  train to shipo.. so I better sign off.. good week here..   Dank je wel Nederlands !

more tomorrow.

nite all, nite sam

-me

thursday night – toi toi toi

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the theme of ‘happy stress’ keeps coing up n my life . I’m nervous an excited abotu a talk i am going to give tomorrow. both emotions coesiting is strange and normal for me at the same time.

THe folks here at the TEDx conference are great at suppressing stress about the talks for minutes at a time.. other speakers are nervous too. which is fun and nerve wracking.. llife is full of such contradictions.. no ?

Went for a run early this morning in the beautiful streets of delft.

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Met my work friends Djeevan, Bram, Wing and Roeland  for an impromptu meeting on the green of the university.. met new colleague Roeland who’s awesome. IMG_5069

 

After a few hours of work meetings and a talk rehearsal, all tomorrows speakers headed to ikea for dinner… I got to hang out with some of the volunteers for the conference .. and they were so nice.. and so interesting.. Alll of then were volunteers that just believed in the TED concept..

We had a good dinner then headed to the hotel bar for a drink and more collective fretting 🙂

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i got soem good advise tonight about tomorrow.. i have soemthign I want to say.. and I’ll say it.  thats what counts.. hoope it goes ok..

wish me lock.. ot /toi, toi, toi as they say here..

 

nite all, nite sam,

-me

Wednesday night – twelve below

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It’s twelve below zero here.. and I don’t mean temperature.. I learned today in one of my meetings that parts of the city of delft are as much as 12 meters below sea level. Many parts of this country are built on land reclaimed from the sea. They call it Polder.. they surround soem of the sea with dykes, pump out the water and then plant and build on it. You just have to keep pumping. The water engineering in this country is amazing.. and water is everywhere. It’s really beautiful

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Even the toilets are amazing.. they have little golf courses in them to um.. help one aim..

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I took a short walk around town tonight with my friend Toine from TU Delft.. it’s   such a nice place.. IMG_5042

 

this is right in front of my hotel IMG_5044

 

my room opens on to this road.. IMG_5046

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Toine and I had  a really great conversation over Indonesian reistafel.. It was seriously one of the best restaurant  meals  i’ve had in many  months  (cant say the best meals overall because Diane sets a really high bar with her cooking 🙂 IMG_5051

 

THe woan who cooked htere gave me soem of her home made sambal to take back to the hotel.. yum !IMG_5052

 

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OK.. time for a few more calls, then bed.. more tomorrow

nite all, nite sam

-me

Tuesday night – Dr. Hut

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Im in the Netherlands now for my work with the Water Authority of Netherlands and several other partners . I absolutely love this project.. Its challenging .. and it brings in all the elements of things I love, Internet of things. Open Data, Hacking spiriti.. I just have so much to learn though..

One of my responsibilities (and pleasures) on this trip was to serve on the PhD committee of my friend Rolf.. He defended his thesis today.. and did very well.I’ve been on quite a few PhD committees.. .. though this one was the most fun based on content and ceremony. We all had to wear robes and hats as we put Rolf through his paces.. His topic is near and dear to my heart.. its’ about using the hacker/maker spirit in pursuit of instrumentation for managing water.

 

It was great ‘suiting up’ as a member of the committee. the other members were great to get to know.. a really interesting array of specialties and experiences… They included my Friend Nick, a Prof here in at TU Delft in Hydrology and John who’s (coincidentally)  the brother of my freind Ted, a retired IBM Fellow..It truly is a small planet.

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THe examination took an hour.. and Rolf did very well. he defended his work and his Point of View beautifully IMG_5004

 

I suck in a picture of ROlf getting his degree… hope no one notices.. IMG_5008

 

After wards there was handshakes all around IMG_5013

 

Rolfs family was duly proud. IMG_5015

 

Then i gave one of hte three seminars for Rolfs family and freinds.. .. 3 45 mintue sessions to about 10 folks each on crazy science. IMG_5018

 

I even managed to get a fair bit of work done today..   as the profs here are my partner on the deal i’m working on.. no foul in mixing busienss and pleasure.. it ook home much to think on..

 

We all took a van to Haaarlem to a resturaunt/ brew pub that used ot be a church…   and had a great meal  with Rolf and his family and friends. IMG_5022

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I left on the early side to get to a bunch of work meetings., practive my friday talk.. . and (hopefully)   get soem sleep.. but not before I showed Rolf the secret PhD . handshake !.IMG_5029

 

Nick John and I had a good talk on the walk back to the train station and the hour long ride back to Delft. IMG_5030

 

Now time for sleep..

 

BTW… i leave for 2 days and you guys let the . gov shut down again ?.. I can’t leave you guys alone for a minute !

 

night all, nite sam

-me

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