Explicitly and without apology a marketing vehicle MaryMaryQuiteContrary

hey everybody!

happy Friday! i am so looking forward to the weekend. it's already started for me because yours truly is taking the day off today! yippee! i'll also be out next friday, in case you want to make a note of that ;-)

i couldn't figure out how to turn on vacation mail so you won't be getting a bounce-back if you send me mail (first.last@sun.com but i don't want to give it to you exactly because i heard some porn guys steal my email address or something like that). if anybody knows how to do this in mozilla, i'd appreciate getting clued in. seems i'm the only one in the universe that can't figure this out. 

we've got a lot to cover today... JavaOne Scoop, Friday Free Stuff and I've got to tell you what I'm going to do with my day off and big weekend plans...

let's start with the good stuff first...

JavaOne Scoop

you'll recall we kicked off this brand-spanking-new feature of the MaryMaryQuiteContrary blog yesterday. man, do i have some serious scoop for you. the flood gates have opened, people. some of my scoop i'm getting from the engineering teams and they could care less whether PR said it's OK to talk about this publically or not. but since i care (as failing to could have adverse affects on my gainful employment) it's going to take me some time to clear this stuff before talking about it.

meanwhile here's a really cryptic one for you: I am soon going to introduce you to Jack and you're going to love him.

and here's another one: choo choo

and here's a third (you can thank Simon Phipps for giving me the courage to go out on this limb): you're going to get to cross-pollinate at Moscone.

just don't go telling my boss that you heard it here, people, ok?

what's that? you're tired of me talking in code. you want me to put the cards on the table; shoot from the hip; tell it like it is... ok, ok.... geez...

get out your calendars people.

Tuesday, June 29
6-8 p.m.
The Mezzanine

it's a P-A-R-T-Y!

Sun Java Studio Creator -- ttfna RAVE -- party! (which you'll recall is my personal ticket to becoming a Java developer and architect Robert (i get to call him Bob) Brewin just happens to be in the elite group of techno celebs who are my personal friends)

get this... i've got the menu for you (do i work it or what??):

Also, at JavaOne, authors Gail and Paul Anderson (they're married; i asked) will sign their new book, Sun Java Studio Creator Field Guide, along with members of the Java Studio Creator team.

Yours truly has secured (the promise of) a signed copy that we will be giving away during Friday Free Stuff post-JavaOne. That bird is still in the bush people so let's not get too excited.

bookmark this to stay up-to-date on all the stuff the Java Studio Creator team has planned for JavaOne.

but wait, there's more...

but you know what... today's my day off and this is just taking too long to write so you're going to have to wait until Monday to get more JavaOne Scoop.

now, let's go on to the Mary's plans for her day off and the weekend (don't you just love it how i force you to scroll all the way down to get to Friday Free Stuff. i have zero expectation that you're actually reading this... i just like making you scroll down)

i have the day off today. which means my nanny - and i am loathe to call her that because she's much more than just a nanny, she's my business partner - is also off. let me share a little tid-bit with you here ladies.. you want to kick ass at work -- get yourself an awesome nanny and keep her by using the same tactics your employer uses with you to retain your services... that means paid vacation, spot bonuses, employer-paid cell phone... anything you can think of to increase switching costs. you can thank me later for that one.

anyway... so it's me and the kids today. we're going to go to the pet store because i have to buy MORE stuff to keep that stupid gold fish alive. the fish cost $1 and i have spent at least $150 on that stupid thing. people: don't give in to your children's plea for pets. don't do it. you'll seriously regret it. after the pet store we're going to come home and finger paint. Then maybe we'll go to the park and have a picnic there. then we'll goof off all afternoon. Then maybe we'll have dinner out tonight. The weekend will be more of the same. Only thing of note happening is that it's the last soccer game of the season and number 1 gets a trophy. so that will be quite the event. remind me i have to take post-game snack, OK?

OK... now... it's what you've been waiting for...

FRIDAY FREE STUFF

Today we've got a collector's item! This exclusive offering was made available only to Sun employees who got travel approved to go to SunNetwork Shanghai and staff the Pavilion there. So there was no way to get this shirt, people unless 1. you are on Sun's payroll and 2. you got a VP to sign-off on travel for you to Shanghai.

but as a gesture of love and good will (and in the spirit of the Olympiad), I am offering it to you.

BRAND NWT!!!

And it goes to the person who answers this question:

Why is it that if you tell people the Universe is filled with bizarre objects such as Quasars, black holes, gamma ray bursts, and Supernovae they will believe you without further proof but if you hang a sign on a park bench that says "Fresh Paint" they need to touch it just to make sure?

Get the shirt! you can email me by using the following formula: first.last@sun.com. my first name is mary. my last name is smaragdis. (i'm trying to outsmart those scraper guys or whatever they are.)

i'll publish the winning entry if it's tasteful. you don't have to be tasteful to win the shirt though, just clever or funny.

remember: Friday Free Stuff is not a contest. It's me giving away something that I personally own to somebody that I choose. I pay for shipping. Sun employees are not eligible.

happy friday my lovelies!

mary