Introducing Google eBooks (Video)

via youtube.com

I'm excited for the eBooks launch (formerly called "Editions"). My friend Brittany, with whom we we bonded for several months in Ann Arbor, MI while we worked in the AdWords dept, worked hard on this launch. Bravo! :D

Choice is a good thing!

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

Lots of Laughter With Lauren

I had a lovely Thursday working from Mountain View. It's nice working from that campus every so often because I get to see a lot of people who I used to work with on a daily basis but don't get to see often anymore.

Well, I happened to run into Lauren in CL2. Boy did we get to catch up. It's hilarious. Every time I'm with her I can't help but smile and laugh... a lot.

We chatted a bit about recent travels. She spent some time in Europe recently and we started to talk about Germany. She was like "Will... Have you heard of this place called 'Berghain'?" My mouth dropped. I didn't think many people knew about that club. I also didn't know getting in was such a big deal. Looking back, it now makes a lot more sense.

We got to swap stories and Lauren's were hilarious. We're gonna hang out next week to catch up even more because I'm sure we coulda talked for hours and hours.

On Friday, she emailed me the best picture ever. Let's just say she knows how to work it and she should be very proud. ;)

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

Why I (Still) Love Working For Google: It loves the LGBTQ Community!

Sometimes you need those small reminders to keep you in check as to why you love something or someone.

Having been at Google for nearly 5 years (in January 2011!), I love how supportive Google employees and its founders/executive staff are toward LGBTQ causes. Small touches such as:

• An employee resource group (Gayglers, Gaytubers) and discussing them during Noogler (New Googler) orientation
• Sponsoring local organizations, tables at LGBTQ events
• The founders donating huge amounts against Prop 8
• Sponsoring Pride Floats in Local Pride Parades
• Teaming up with orgs like HRC, GLAAD, etc.

Well, the Gayglers finally have a YouTube Channel Up @ BetterInTech. They've created the following video for the "It Gets Better Project."

I'll be adding one of my own to the mix, soon enough. Everyone has a story to tell, including me.

P.S. - My roomie already created one:

 

Eddie, Ty, Alan & Will | From SF Pride 2008 - Sunday Parade

Posted via email from sunset to SUNRISE

Lunch Visit with Adrian

Adrian came down from Foster City to have lunch with Ty and I in Mountain View. I spent the first half of the day in San Bruno for my first day of training for YouTube.

We had some some good convo, gave him a tour and he got to see just how different Google culture is in comparison to Visa and Goldman Sachs.

The really funny moment was the ending. As we took Adrian to his car, we were approached by a man with an accent. Oh yes... an accent from Holland! Why you ask? He flew from Europe to hand in his resume to Tech Companies in hopes of landing an internship to get US working experience.

Ty was really nice about it and offered to pass it to HR. He felt he had to represent the company in a Googley way without overpromissing him anything. In reality, he probably should have just applied at google.com/jobs.

Fall begins

Thanks GOOG for reminding me why I love the fall. It's about change... and I smell it in the air...

2 is a magical number

I started working at Google on January 3rd, 2006. It seems like a billion years ago. So much has changed, but I won't even begin to compile that list.

My official start date after I converted from temp-to-full-hire and took vacation time was July 10th, 2006... so it means today is my official 2 year Googleversary!

I didn't really celebrate. My cohort who started with me on that day, Tinwin, left for Dublin earlier this week. But we'll celebrate when she gets back. Also, my old manager, Megan, started with me on that day back in July, too.

Analyzing TGIF for Organizational Behavior

So there's a cool thing Google does on a weekly basis called TGIF. According to 'The Great Place to Work Institute':

TGIF is a weekly, company-wide get-together started by Google co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. While it is used as a time to welcome new employees and for senior leaders to present news about Google and Google-related events that have transpired over the previous week, the highlight of TGIF is the Question and Answer section. This section reflects the leaders' belief that employees should feel comfortable asking even the most senior members of the management team any question and that the executives should talk with employees as openly as possible. No question is off-limits. Questions from past sessions include "What are Google's growth rate projections?" and "When is Google relocating to Mars?" TGIFs are webcast to Google offices around the globe and archived for those who cannot make the meeting due to time zone or other scheduling challenges.

I'm currently winding down my Organizational Behavior MBA class. My team decided to write our final paper analyzing the cultural significance of TGIF at a variety of Google Offices in the US and abroad.

I'm really finding Organizational Behavior really interesting. It really helped to have an awesome professor like Holly Schroth from Berkeley. It's basically the psychological and sociological perspective on how corporations operate.

This class is one of the few things I've looked forward to consistently on a weekly basis. Org Behavior is something I would consider studying more in depth if I were to go back to school.

Super Phat Tuesday

Um. Today was awesome.

It was all about...

• Fat Tuesday. Go Cajun Food.
  
• Super Tuesday. Go Hillary!
• A day at Disneyland and California Adventure with friends and co-workers.
• Getting buzzed on alcohol I didn't pay for.
• Not about counting calories! (Wow! Weird, right?)
• Picture Taking!
• All about the Guy in the Blue Hat!
• Loads of walking around.
• Boyscoping.
• Forgetting that Valentine's Day is less than 2 Weeks away and the fact I was dumped this past weekend. Thus the getting drunk!
  

Okay. That is all. It has been a nice 2 days in So-Cal. Back to Nor Cal Tomorrow...

Authors@Google: Armistead Maupin

Google's really good about bringing in fabulous and interesting people for their Authors@Google series. I feel like I never take advantage of it though. I get so consumed by work sometimes. I'm going to make it a point to carve out some time to go to more of them, or at least watch the YouTube videos of the talks.

Today, I did take advantage of it. Armistead Maupin, a writer famous for his 'Tales of the City' series, stopped by Google today. And the 'City' he writes about is San Francisco, in case you were curious. I actually didn't know who Armistead Maupin was, until maybe 6 weeks ago.

A Quick Anecdote:

In Mid December I made it to Washington DC to visit my friends Brent and James. A bit of the time I had to keep myself occupied. One thing I did is go to Kramerbooks and Afterwords, a famous bookstore in Dupont Circle, the historically gay district in the beltway. I was wondering around the bookstore aimlessly. I read a bit in the 'dating books' section. Then I roamed around and picked up this book called 'Micheal Tolliver Lives.' The cover was so attractive to me. I found an instant connection somehow, even though you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. So I read a bit and find it pretty witty. I also read the flap, to get to know the author a bit better.

I didn't by the book, but it's been in my mind ever since. The artwork is so distinctive and I could tell that I would actually love reading the book. I will pick up the book and the rest of the books in the 'Tales of the City' series. I am sad though, that I didn't show up in time to get a free copy. It would have been nice to get his autograph.

It's just funny that it was that one book that I was drawn to, in a massive bookshop, you know? And who knew the author would be visiting Google shortly?

It's nice not to travel for a change

I really need this weekend for recovery. I feel like I've been traveling so much lately. I'm usually in an airport, car or train station on the weekend it seems.

Yesterday was the Ann Arbor version of Google's Holiday party. I had a blast. It was nice to be in a small venue at St. John's Inn and know almost everyone. Part of me wanted to be in Mountain View, but I'm going to be in Ann Arbor and live it up, dammit! It was fairly depressing because everyone brought their significant others, but I still have fun with the singles.

It was nice to hang out with Ray, Heather and Ariel -- who came in this week from Mountain View for the Holiday Party as well. I have pictures that I'll upload later.

I booked a room with John as a crash pad so we didn't have to drive home after the party. It was one of the nicest hotel rooms I've stayed in in a long time. :)

After we woke up, I thought about buying Spice Girls tickets, but I'm still unsure if I want to go in Detroit, Chicago or DC. I'm leaning toward DC.

After we got back, John and I stopped by Ann Arbor's world-renowned Deli, Zingerman's. It was amazing. Read my review on Yelp!

Let it snow!

Today was the first day I saw a bit of snow, even though it didn't stick. It was just cold enough that flakes would fall from the sky above. It was magical. You know. I've come to realize that it's nice to have snow. Sure it's cold... in the low 30's, but it's something different.

Once I saw the flakes coming down kinda hard, I ran outside with Dina to take a picture. My manager kinda thought I was crazy, but whatever. :P


Snow in front of the A2 GOOG Office

Dinner at Cafe Zola

I went out to one of my occasional 'sit down' meals in Ann Arbor last night. Dina, a policy specialist based out of Mountain View, has been in town for the week. We decided to celebrate at Cafe Zola, one of the swankier places in town.

The food was good, although a bit overpriced for carbs (pasta's, etc). I had to add protein ($7) to my dish because it was basically pasta and a lemon sauce for $18. Don't get me wrong, it was tasty... but throw in some meat for that, bitches.

Here is a group picture:


Foreground: Dina, Me, and Sarah
Background: John, Jane & Britt

Ann Arbor: Work , Live and Play

Where I Work

I currently work at Google's Ann Arbor, Michigan office. I've been here for about 3 weeks. I'm normally headquartered in Mountain View, CA, but I've taken on an assignment here to help with the growing office. I'll be here until the end of December. So if you're in town, swing by and say 'Hi'! I've already seen 5 or so people from Mountain View swing by. It seems to be a popular stop. ;)

I'm not missing too much that the headquarters offers (other than the AMAZING people). I do miss being at the *hub* of it all, but It's also great to be at a regional office. On occasion I think about eating lunch at 5ive or Pure Ingredients Cafe, but the catering there have here is top notch (and healthy!).

Ann Arbor has its own flavor. It's young, vibrant, and refreshing. The people are very friendly, down to earth, and approachable. If they haven't met you before, they'll introduce themselves right away. The receptionist, Kim, knows everyone by name. The weather has been okay so far, but talk to me in a few weeks when it gets cold. The leaves are just changing colors and It's very beautiful. The rumors are true. Most people are married or in a long term relationship. But that doesn't mean they don't like to play. They have so many clubs, events, and groups at the office. There is something to participate in virtually every night of the week, if you want.

I arrived with 2 other Mountain View expats, Brittany and John. Brittany specializes in Quality Control (as do I) and John is a master optimizer for client's advertising accounts. Both have a wealth of experience.

Me, Brittany & John

Where I Live

I live in the more suburban part of southern Ann Arbor. The great thing is that there are plenty of places to shop, eat, and relax. All of my favorites are nearby --- Whole Foods, Target, Panera Bread... just to name a few. I also live right next to the local mall, Briarwood. The mall isn't that great, but if you want the basics, it's cool. You have to venture off to Troy for more upscale stores at Somerset Collection. If you want something more upbeat, Downtown in only a short 8-10 minute drive. My office is located Downtown. So I can walk to loads of shops, bars, and restaurants. That's a nice change of pace.

I live with a fellow Googler, Kevin. He's from Google's Dublin office. He's originally from Cork, so don't call him a Dubliner. Haha. It's great to live someone from another country. You get to learn things from a different perspective, but at the same time, see how we're very similar. Our weekly thing is watching Depserate Housewives together on Sunday nights. I found another trashy TV lover! Yay! He's a very funny guy. He reminds me of my Mountain View Cubemate, Ziv.

Kevin & Will

Where I Play

It's been really nice living in the Midwest. Ann Arbor is a very liberal college town, so it's a nice place to live. I go out to bars, restaurants, parks and shops all the time. I even ventured out to a gay film festival put on by the Triangle Foundation & Reel Pride Michigan last week in Royal Oak, a swanky suburb north of Detroit. I went a few A2 gayglers and saw a movie called, 'The Bubble,' A modern take on Romeo and Juliet, but with two men in the Middle East.

Some of the Bars, Restaurants, Clubs, Attractions, etc. I've been to:

• Bar Louie (Ann Arbor Bar)
  
• Zanzibar (Ann Arbor Restaurant)
  
• Arbor Brewing Company (Ann Arbor Bar)
  
• Monterrey Cantina (Royal Oak Mexican Restaurant)
• Pronto! (Royal Oak Gay Bar/Restaurant)
• Necto - Friday Night 'Pride' (Ann Arbor Gay Club Night)
• Royal Oak Main Art Theatre (Royal Oak)
• University of Michigan, Football Stadium (Ann Arbor)
• Cosi (Ann Arbor Sandwiches)
• Borders #1 (Ann Arbor Bookstore)
• The Chop House (Ann Arbor Steak House)
• Leopold Bros. Brewery (Ann Arbor Bar)
• Aut Bar (Ann Arbor Gay Bar / Brunch Place)
• Kerrytown Shops (Ann Arbor Shopping)
• Menjos (Detroit Gay Club)
• Somerset Collection (Troy Shopping)
• La Dolce Vita (Ann Arbor Dessert/Wine/Cigar Place)
• Stucchi's (Ann Arbor Fro Yo / Ice Cream)
• Briarwood Mall (Ann Arbor Shopping)
• Whole Foods (Grocery Store Staple)
• Potbelly's (Ann Arbor Sandwiches)
• BD's Mongolian BBQ (Ann Arbor Restaurant)
  

I have a load of other places to check out. Woot!

All is Well in A2

So I arrived in the state of Michigan on Monday afternoon. I made a pit stop in Salt Lake City, Utah, before I got into Michigan. That town looks lovely, too. I finally got to see what that lake actually looks like. Some of it looks like swamp land.

I picked up my rental car. They hooked me up with a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix. It's a fucking boat, but it's classy inside and drives well. My apartment is pretty swanky too. We even have weekly maid service, but I kinda find it annoying cause things get placed in awkward areas.

My roommate, Kevin, is from our Dublin, Ireland office. It's like getting to go on a free European Vacation, but without having to deal with the flight. We've bonded over trashy American and UK television. He's originally from Cork, so his accent is a bit thicker than a typical Irish one.

I also think I like working in a small(er) regional office. Although, it's hard to tell after only a week. It's like the difference between going to a small liberal arts school or going to some huge state school. Would you rather be noticed or don't really care because you're just a face in the crowd? It's nice interacting with the managers in this office too. They're all very approachable and down to earth. Also, the director, Grady is a wonderful guy. Very personable, down to earth, and genuinely friendly.

I'm so glad I'm getting to see more of America. I'm trying to remove this 'California is the only place in the universe that is livable' mentality from my head. I mean, I see myself living the vast majority of my life in California, but I also want to experience every place I can.

Part of me is still shocked I decided to leave for Ann Arbor, Michigan. But I know I made the right choice. I feel so much less stress. There is no pollution, no traffic, no road rage, and this overwhelming sense of friendliness in the Midwest. It's like if you're not friendly, you'll stand out like a deer in headlights.

But there is some observations from my first week here:

• There are no toilet seat covers anywhere. It's a bit weird.
• People are surprisingly trusting. For example, my first floor apartment back door goes into open grass and the street. But I still feel safe.
• Guys don't make an effort to dress here, probably because it's a college town.
• The town is very liberal. Although the college kids seem to be into Ron Paul.
• It's still okay to smoke in bars and restaurants here. Blah.

Big News, Big Move

I know this seems REALLY random.

I'm moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan.


Google's Ann Arbor Sales Office.

So it's not long term. But it will definitely be a change in my life. I'm moving for the entire 4th quarter (Oct. to Dec.). The opportunity popped up this week and I was lucky enough to be accepted. I'm excited, a bit nervous, but ultimately it will be a major refresh in my career.

More later...

Crap TV Night

I got out of work kinda late because I decided to work out with Nai. Dinner was slim 'pic'in's (referencing the new cafe on my Campus 'PIC' -> Pure Ingredients Cafe) on Crittenden (Googleplex #2) this evening. So after the workout, Nai and Audrey (Nai's GF) went to main (Google lingo for 'main campus') and I met them there. Now didn't you like that lesson in Google Lingo 101?

I'm thinking about getting a personal trainer sometime soon. Since the new gym on our campus opened, trainers are giving out some trial sessions to get some clients on their plate. Now that I'm about 15-20 pounds from my 2nd weight goal... I need to Step It Up!

After work, working out and dinner, I ventured home and watched a load of crap TV. Somewhere in the middle of watching all the crap below, I chatted with Norm. Awww.

TV Consumed:

• SYTYCD -> I Watch Yesterday and Today's episodes. I'm glad Dominic stayed but I was sad to see Hok's old partner go. And Mia Michael's was nominated for an Emmy? Weird. Mary Murphy is as crazy as ever. And what's with having to watch the same dance 10 times? Kinda boring. And my cubemate extraordinaire brought up the point that if Cat Deeley didn't have a British accent, she'd be super boring to watch. Vickie thinks that Cat has a tendency to add r's to the end of words randomly. Haha.
  
• Two Episodes of 'True Life' on MTV -> 'True Life: I'm celibate' and 'True Life: I'm moving back in with my parents.' Both were relatively entertaining. I never knew there could be 3 different reasons for being celibate: (1) Finding Jesus after a car accident, (2) As Revenge for being Cheated on, and (3) To Prove you aren't a whore when you once were. Go Fig. I don't want to knock the other episode of 'True Life' because who knows... one day I might move back home. Yikes!
• Big Brother 8 -> The results of Thursday's episode was good. Dick's probably squirming a bit.
• Welcome to the Parker -> Episode 1 on BRAVO was rather entertaining. My favorite part was the quality control aspect of the show. It's pretty much my daily life at Google. Quality Quality Quality! Who knew they threw random 'room service' tests like that to their staff. I just realized that if I were to move into quality control in any other industry, It would be rather difficult. Oh... and this just reaffirmed my loathing of stupid drunk straight men when they're not around women. They need to be bitch slapped!
  
• Sex in the City -> I caught a random episode on KRON 4 in the Bay Area. The topic? Sexpectations. Why is it always something?
  

Whew... I'm spent. Nighty!

Weekly Recap: 7/9 to 7/15

• Hit my 1 year anniversary at Google. Yay for more perks!
• Lunch on Monday with Tin and Megan to celebrate our 1 year. We went to my favorite Cafe- 5ive. Always solid, simple, and elegant food. We talked about boys boys boys. Yes!
• I visited one of only 12 7-Eleven turned Kwik-E-Mart's. This one happens to be by my work in Mountain View, CA. Very cool indeed. It even has Yelp reviews. Lol. More pictures on Flickr.
• On Tuesday night, I headed to dinner to celebrate the re-arrival of two of my favorite guys- Calvin and Roy. They both returned from being ambassadors in different Google offices abroad. Calvin went to India and Roy went to China. We had a great meal at this Mexican place right next to my apartment called Casa Lupe. It's a nice family run restaurant with solid food. We had a fun convo- mostly consisting of trash talking. But who doesn't love doing that on occasion? We were the last ones in the restaurant and they didn't kick us out. Haha. We then suffered a minimal amount of PLS (Parking Lot Syndrome.)
• This week I tried the equipment at the new gym on my part of the Google Campus. It's pretty big- although not as large as the main campus' gym. However, we have some cool tricked out gym equipment. It has super high tech vibramachines, quadmills and arc trainers. Love it! This will help add a little bit of flavor to my workout routines. Not to mention it's in the building next door- which makes a quick cardio workout a lunch totally do-able.
• Friday night I headed to SF with Mike. We went out to dinner at McCormick's and Kuleto's in Ghirardelli Square. Yes... a seafood restaurant. I ate Grilled Halibut, which I've grown fond of over the past year. We then ate a bit of dessert at Ghirardelli's next door. We tried this new Dark Chocolate Raspberry Sundae. I only had a few bites and let him do most of the eating. Haha. But it was super yummy. We then headed to the 'stro to dance at Badlands. I was happy to see Tommy back as the Bouncer. YEA! The music kinda blew, so we headed to Dragon in SoMA around Midnight. It was 'Flip The Dragon' night. That meant the music on the dancefloors flipped. Hip Hop was on the bottom floor and the dance music was on top. That just made the first floor super crazy. It was nice to see Ty and the gang, though.
• Saturday was super chill. I had a lazy afternoon and eventually added some spice to it. I met up with some Chris M. and James S. at this dive bar in Portola Valley called the Alpine Inn. We sat in outside in vast back patio area. The weather was great to just sit back and have a beer. The weather in the South Bay has been fab. Nothing like a Fat Tire with some straighties. After that, I headed to Palo Alto for some grub at the Counter, my favorite burger place.

• The rest of my weekend consisted of watching trashy TV and making a new music mixes. I totally have fallen in love with this new TV show on A&E called 'Confessions of a Matchmaker.' I also made time for some laundry and working out. Yay!

1 Year

Happy Google-versary to me!

1 year working for Google (officially).
1 year and 7 months working at Google.

I had lunch with Tinwin (Temp Buddy Extraordinaire) and Megan (My Previous Manager) at Cafe 5ive to celebrate. We all started on the same day. We dished about boys. It was fab.

Transformers: The Movie

I wasn't planning on seeing Transformers, let alone on opening night.

On Monday, I found out that the good 'ol GOOG got some tix for employees at the AMC Mercado in Santa Clara. Nai and I were lucky enough to snag a couple. We saw the 6:45 showing on Tuesday.

It was quite long for a summer flick. Running at ~2:15 mins, it most def could have been cut down a bit. But overall, this was a good film. Actually, I was going in with low expectations and was caught off guard. The humor in the movie was fantastic. It was a nice blend of Steven Spielberg's humor and Michael Bay's action.

I remember having some Transformers toys as a kid. I had a toy that transformed into a radio. That was pretty cool.

From a marketing standpoint, I was pretty astonished the number of product placements in the film. Off hand I could remember: Chevy, GM, Burger King, Apple, Mountain Dew, Ebay, Yahoo, Xbox, Nokia, and Panasonic. I notice these things... because, well I studied this in college.

My First SF Pride (Kinda)

I participated quite heavily is this years 2007 San Francisco Pride festivities. The theme was 'Pride Not Prejudice.' I went to the Pink Party last year, but this is the first time I've been to San Francisco's Pride Parade. It was most def the highlight of the weekend.

FRIDAY (6.23.2007) :

• Went to Dragon SF at Club Eight in SoMA. Met up with Nor Cal Friends and my So Cal Friends all in one venue. It was a bit strange seeing many familiar faces who would normally be at GAMeboi in Los Angeles. Pics can be viewed here.

SATURDAY (6.24.2007) :

• Met up with Googlers (mostly AdWords Folks) for our Monthly Pub Crawl. We ended up going to Pilsner Inn in the Castro. I brought Nai along. Pics can be viewed here.
• After the Pub Crawl, Nai and I headed over to the Pink Party in the heart of the Castro for Pride 2007. Before we went to the Pink Party, I stopped by the long line in front of The Cafe to say hello to Natalie and Deazell, a couple of my So-Cal friends. Sunday was Deazell's Birthday, so I wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday in Person. We then headed to the Pink Party to meet up with Ty and some of his friends. I also said made time to say hi to Norm and his buddies. Pics can be viewed here.
• Since it was super cold, Nai and I decided to get some hot drinks at Quickly to warm our chilled bodies. We then got some Pizza at Nizario's. I had a bit of a slice of The Castro Special... which was delicious at 1am. We then went to Twin Peaks (AKA - The Glass Coffin) to get out of the Cold. It just so happens that a bunch of the Googlers from the Pub Crawl were here. Nai and I ended up talking to Adam for a while. We then took him home and proceeded to make our way to park near the Pride Parade route.
• Yes... Nai and I slept in my car for a few hours. I had to wake up at 5:30 to help out with the Google Float.

SUNDAY (6.25.2007) :

• I woke up early to volunteer to help out with the Google Float for SF Pride. Arrived at Pier 27 at 6am. Got Breakfast with Ty and Eddie at a nearby Starbucks. We then had a photo shoot on the Embarcadero.
• George Takei, of Star Trek and Heroes fame, was the guest on our Gaygler Float. What a nice guy. So our Float had a Star Trek / Google Earth Theme. We had dancers, balloons, and loads of marchers. It was a bit nerdy, but all in good fun. It was one of the coolest things I've participated in. What other time do you get to run down Market St. in San Francisco to crowds of LGBT Friendly People? Oh and when I met George Takei, I gave him a huge hug instead of a handshake. He was a trooper. Pics can be viewed here.
  
• We then headed to the Civic Center Festivities. Good Food, Fun Times, and Loads of Sunshine and cute people. Pics can be viewed here.
• Thanks to Nai for being such a trooper Pride weekend. I wouldn't have had nearly as good of a time without him. He got no sleep and didn't bitch at me while getting sleep in my tiny car.