Headed to Los Angeles

We finally got ready and in the car. Our trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles will take about six hours! Instead of getting an early start, we hung out blogging, getting frustrated with a printer, watching the first fifteen minutes of Cloverfield and eating sushi.

FINALLY we take off, but it's like 6:00pm.

We start out through the city but after the Bay Bridge we run through a wind farm and a lot of desolate flat land.

 

We end up stopping a few times to get some drinks, jerky, etc, and end up at David's grandmother's house after 1:30am!

We spent most of the time reading about the SIGGRAPH conference schedule and I end up getting tired, delirious and inserting random words into the descriptions. I need a nap!

Technorati Tags: SIGGRAPH,San Francisco

San Francisco and The Clone Wars, episode 2

After lunch we walked through a few rooms of exhibits of concept art, maquettes and video, much of which was marked No Photos Please. There were a few photo opportunities, though.






The facilities are in the Presidio, which is a park open to the public. I took a quick panoramic shot outside the building, and a few other shots.

San Francisco and The Clone Wars, episode 1

Boom! I'm in San Francisco, taxi to the Marina and wait for Dave to get out of work. We dumped my stuff, had a few beers and then Dave showed me "the REAL San Francisco" - we went to what may be the gayest dance club in the city. I mean, DAY-UMM! The good part was he and I got really good drink service at the bar.

Saturday we went to see the premiere of The Clone Wars. We were issued a movie ticket, a "Lunchbox" ticket and a badge.






We saw the show at the Metreon, and then cabbed over to Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio for the rest of the events.



There were tables set up with stacks of metal lunchboxes, as well as drinks for the over-21 crowd.




Tell you more about this lunchbox? No problem. The sticker on the front denoted vegetarian or regular, with the regular containing chicken strips, corn on the cob, potato salad, cherry tomatoes with mozzarella in pesto, and chocolate cake...all of which were good.




Luckily I was able to score an additional lunchbox so I don't return home causing a battle royale with my two boys over one lunchbox!

I also managed to catch a glimpse of George Lucas mingling with some people. It's still pretty surreal to actually see someone in person that I have only seen on TV.

SIGGRAPH 2008...finally!

I'm going back to SIGGRAPH, after a loooooong absence of...six or seven years?



I have been out of the workstation and graphics markets for a while, and I'm starting to get involved once again. My main reasons for going are to take the classes and some work projects.

I've been tasked with generating usage models for various lines of businesses, basically figuring out how do users actually "use" our machines and develop some processes for either making the experience better, faster, both, etc. Almost like developing benchmarks based on actual customer usage. I'll be dabbling in everything from ultramobile to workstations.

I'm also working on a graphics benchmark that scales with graphics power, as some of our current benchmarks represent the 3D load with strictly cpu-based rendering, ie no benefit of mega-uber-graphics over integrated graphics.

This isn't just a work trip, though! I'm going early back to San Fran to meet with my friend Dave to catch some Star Wars action that I'm not sure I can mention yet (correct me if I'm wrong!), and then we'll be driving down to LA for SIGGRAPH.

This should be a great trip, great experience, and hopefully the return of my regular attendance to SIGGRAPH!

San Francisco, Wrapping it up

Next to the last day. We woke up and I had an omelet and a mocha at a place called Squat and Gobble.





We were headed to ILM for a tour but we took the long way and walked down to the Exploratorium. A lot of cool stuff that we didn't have time to see.



We continued to the bay to check out the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. I usually don't smile when I take self portraits, but I decided to buck my own system here.



Now this is a tailgate party! Wine, cheese, tablecloths?!? These Californians are really putting it to it! I have to assume that they are here watching the sailboat race and not gathering in my honor.



Now we are at ILM. I saw some pretty amazing concept art, incredibly detailed props and miniatures and Pee Wee Herman and Buzz Lightyear doing some truly awful things to each other. Unfortunately a lot of this stuff was in no-camera zones, but take my word for it - it was awesome.



After ILM we went across the Golden Gate Bridge through San Rafeal to try to get in to Big Rock Ranch, the Lucas animation company. Unfortunately there was some mix up, and while we could go in and have lunch in the common cafeteria, we couldn't really get a tour.



Some random Rolls Royce.



The terrain was really rugged and mountainous, and we were driving pretty sportily on a winding road great for spirited driving.



Lunch at Big Rock Ranch. We just barely made lunchtime, so I think they heaped our plates with what was left.







After Big Rock Ranch we drove around to Skywalker Sound, which was nestled in a secluded forest bowl surrounded by mountains and land that George Lucas owned. Seriously - he bought everything that you could see.

This should show both, with landmarks like Lake Ewok, etc.

So we get back to the Marina. It's not yet dinnertime, yet we need something to eat. What's a pair of hetero dudes to do that is both snacky AND hip?

Cupcakes!





I had my first car bomb that night, and we had some midnight pizza at our second choice. The first choice, Pizza Orgasmica, was so packed we couldn't get close to the door.

More pictures here.

I had a great time, did a little work and got to see some stuff that I may never have had a chance to see otherwise. Thanks Dave!

San Francisco, Day 5

Is this thing on? Finally an update!

Day 5, my last day in the hotel and all work business is done. I had until noon to check out, so walked down to another local place, Tart to Tart, for breakfast, again checking out the mocha.



I got everything packed, held my bags at the hotel and walked down to the Metreon again to check out the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. It was okay, but I should have read this review first. Goodbye, $20!



Lunch saw me at Sanraku again, but this time more miso soup, California rolls and Teriyaki chicken, which was great.


So I've got some time to kill, and I need to get closer to the Presidio. Cab? No way! I walked, after checking with the concierge about some places to check out. He suggested a route that took me through Chinatown, Little Italy (is it really called that?) and some parks.

Little did I know my route was going to be 3.7 miles, while carrying a stuffed backpack and my suitcase, which the airport told me weighed 40 pounds. Hopefully that took care of that breakfast's mocha! Here's what I walked. I wish I could show an interactive Google Map, but I'm getting no love from the pathfinding AI - it's making me look like I took all these weird side streets.


Here is the entrance gate to Chinatown. If I weren't so encumbered with my baggage I would have stepped into some stores. Plenty of samurai swords, by the way.


This is the Stinking Rose, which I walked by accidentally. I've eaten there once before when I worked at a different company, and it is AWESOME...if you like garlic. I LOVE garlic.


Street poles like this made sure I knew I was in the Italian district.


I'm on a little beach at the coast now, with Ghirardelli Square behind me, the Golden Gate Bridge to my left and Alcatraz to my right.




I finally meet up with David and we have dinner at a meat skewering place, Asqew Grill, where they actually call the non-meat items on the menu "Starches."



After dinner we head down to ILM, and outside one of the entrances is this Yoda Fountain.


We caught a screening of 3:10 to Yuma in a theater for Academy members to screen movies for consideration (Dave, correct me if I'm wrong), and it didn't disappoint. Picture and sound were top notch, and I really liked the movie as well.



More pictures here.