Bay Area – Craig Connects

Folks, many of you might know that I’ve got quite the community of birds right outside my office window. They’ve all got their own personalities and agendas (though, they all like to eat), but they really spruce up my home office.

I kinda like to give ’em personalities based on their expressions and their demeanor. It’s gotten easier the longer we’ve been neighbors. Feel free to chime in with your own captions, too.

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Good morning! part one (…and that hawk is still watching me work):

Good morning! part two (or, planning to raid the Squirrel-resistant Suet Palace):

A Golden-crowned Sparrow is very pleased to be a Golden-crowned Sparrow:

A Varied Thrush greets the birthday (startups, marriage, and other things I did after 35…):

A Cedar Waxwing who’s very pleased with his tail feathers:

A neighbor Hawk (red-tailed?) waits for lunch:

Downy Woodpecker, or, Hey, Honey!

(mutant) House Finch is not impressed (Normally bright red, this one’s kinda orange):

Do you have any visitors to your yard? I’d like to hear about ’em, and see some photos. Speaking of visitors, while it’s not a Bay Area bird, I do have a new neighbor who really chews up the scenery. Seriously, it gets digested…

(New neighbor even works in the rain… goats clear underbrush, working for the city. Bonus: we got goatherds!)

Folks, it seems I’ve won the Bay Area’s Most Influential Biz-Tech Figure… (clerical error?)

(you can see a bigger version of the image here…)
And, on that note…

I thought this photo seemed appropriate. Though, it’s a bit of a joke, I’m in a pedi-cab modeled after the Iron Throne in the Game of Thrones. In the Game of Thrones, you win, or, well, you don’t win. On the other hand, Mrs Newmark suggests that in the Turkey chair I look like a Turducken… Yes, the Throne kinda looks like Turkey wings, and I guess that makes it a TurNerden, the tech Turducken. Anyway, Winter is Coming.

Everyone, thanks for the very kind words you’ve sent my way, and please remember my reference to “clerical error.”

Craigbert, or a really accurate portrait

During my IBM and Charles Schwab years (1976-95) I lived La Vida Dilbert [dilbert.com], seriously hardcore.

Dilbert really captures the truth of much corporate life, and does so perfectly from the software worker’s perspective. It’s also a brilliant commentary on organizational behavior.

Personally, I have to always commit to the Dilbert attitude, that things can be better, and that can be very trying when I spend time in Washington or in the nonprofit world.

It’d be too easy to lose hope, and then to work the system much like Wally, or many of the lobbyists of K Street. (There are genuine public service lobbyists, but not a lot.)

Anyway, Scott Adams lives in the Bay Area, not far away, and I tremendously appreciate what he does. I read Dilbert each and every day, not only new strips, online, but on paper.

Scott, thanks!

Folks, it’s been a great year for wildlife at my “home office” as I’ve had lots of visitors. I thought the beginning of a new year was a great time to share some of my favorites, especially since I recently posted some tips about how to attract feathery friends (and squirrels, too) to your yard. These photos are all by the Mrs. and myself, and were pulled from the #Crileen (that’s Craig and Eileen) Birdography Spectacular. A Special thanks to Cornell Lab of Ornithology and eBird.org for helping out with some bird IDs, they do great work!

Hummingbird, Anna 2 — Anna’s Hummingbird

Goldfinch, Lesser — A pair of Lesser Goldfinches

Grosbeak, Rose-breasted, juvenile male (a vagrant from the East) — Rose-breasted Grosbeak, juvenile male (a vagrant from the East)

Hawk, Sharp-shinned (note blue-gray upperparts and long banded tail) — Sharp-shinned Hawk (note blue-gray upperparts and long banded tail)

Hummingbird, Anna 3 — Another Anna’s Hummingbird

Hummingbird, Anna — And one more Anna’s Hummingbird

Sparrow - House and Robin, American — American Sparrows – House and Robin

Sparrow, House, female, feeding a Cow Bird — Female House Sparrow feeding a Cow Bird

Brewer's Blackbird (AKA Swoops the bird.) — Brewer’s Blackbird (AKA “Swoops” the bird)

Warbler, Townsends — A pair of bathing Warbler Townsends

Woodpecker, Downy, male 2 — A busy Downy Woodpecker

Woodpecker, downy, male — And another busy Downy Woodpecker, male

I have a feeling that 2014’s going to be a busy year at the “home office” so make sure to stay tuned, and let me know what your local wildlife looks like. A nerd’s gotta do what a nerd’s gotta do.

Tag: Bay Area

The Birds Take on San Francisco

Bay Area’s Most Influential Biz-Tech Figure, Clerical Error?

La Vida Craigbert

20 Awesome Bird Photos