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I've renamed my blog. Since I am one of those people who work from home (full-time), it only seems fitting to title my blog "The Pajama Hacker". The stereotype of the work-from-home person who sits around in their pajamas (or sweat pants, as I prefer) all day is pretty accurate in my case. My daily routine usually doesn't involve getting dressed until after lunch sometime. Why bother, right ? I get my best work done in the morning's just after my wife goes to work and my son is off to school. Because I am on the east coast (Wash DC area) and most of my co-workers are on the west coast, I don't get many phone calls until at least 11 or 12, which means I have several hours of uninterrupted quality work time. "Pajamas" is not accurate, though, I prefer old sweat pants or shorts (in the summer).

So, welcome to my new blog, same as the old blog. The Pajama Hacker.

I changed my theme to celebrate the new blogging interface. I think there are some kinks to work out, but overall its going to be an improved blogging experience for readers and posters.

Happy Holidays!

I have some more GMail invites to give out. First come, first serve. Email me at my gmail address: wyllys _at_ gmail ... (you know the rest).

I considered making a "top 10" list, but then I was worried I wouldn't come up with 10 good thoughts :) So, in the spirit of blogging, here are some of my favorite things about 2004 (in no particular order).

• Solaris 10 - It's redundant in this forum to keep gushing about our latest release, but I can't help but sing the praises of our new baby. 4 years ago when I started at Sun, I was given an old laptop to use when travelling. My first thought was to try and put Solaris 8 (x86) on it. Big mistake. Video drivers didn't work right, PCMCIA support was non-existent (or very difficult to get working correctly), which meant that I couldn't use my NIC card (and definitely couldn't use my wireless card). I gave up after a few days of teeth gnashing and went with some Linux distro. Fast forward to 2004 and its a completely different story - Solaris 10 installs smoothly, it has all of the key features I need (video support, PCMCIA support for many NIC cards, CD/DVD RW support) and its F-A-S-T. I love opening it up at a conference or in front of customers and seeing the look of disbelief when I say "No, it's not Linux, this is Solaris 10.". 2005 should be a great year as the rest of the world will see what we've been up to for the past 3 years.
• My iPOD - I got a 10GB iPOD last year for Christmas and its been my #1 gadget ever since. My preferred use is to plug it into my car (cassette adapter) and use it on road trips - nothing like having 1000 or more of your favorite songs right there in a tight little package. Why would anyone get one of those bulky car CD changers these days??
• Netflix - Fantastic idea, wish I'd thought of it first (and had the money to make it happen). I can't see any reason why I would ever visit a traditional video store again.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers 13-1 BABY! What a great season. I was at 2 games this year, the opener against the Raiders and the Halloween game against the Patriots. Whipping the Patriots and Eagles back-to-back made my year. Now they gotta take care of business and keep it going to the very end.
• Music - Lots of great music came out this year, but I seem to be stuck in the early 1990's in my own tastes. My favorites this year were:
  • U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - Vertigo is sort of everywhere right now, but I still dig the opening riffs.
  • Pearl Jam - Live at Benaroya Hall - Pearl Jam is often overlooked in the ugly homogenized world of commercial radio, but they still have a really solid fan base and are still cranking out great music. This album really showcases what great musicians they are and what a great voice Eddie Vedder still has.
• blogging - blogging was influential throughout the presidential election cycle, and its now growing into all kinds of new areas. I am not a particularly prolific blogger (its been months since my last post), but I enjoy reading others. I especially enjoy photoblogging which is a cool way to exhibit your own personal favorite photos for others to comment on. My Photo Blog .