Berlin gentrifies faster than any other place I've been. Since Berlin in the center of much Internet Freedom activity, I come through there about twice a year. The first time I went, Prenzlaurberg was the hip place to be and Potsdammer Platz was the world's largest construction site (soon to be overtaken by...well...everything in China)--which made ( Read more... )

Every year I make my pilgrimage to DEFCON. I do some outreach for the Mysterious Workplace and maybe do a panel or give a talk or speak at BSides. I did both a panel and a talk this year, which was relatively low-key, since the panel required almost no preparation and the talk was in a small side room. For the first time in many years, I attended ( Read more... )

Sometimes when I am walking home from the Mysterious Workplace or the climbing gym, I will cross paths with some friend or acquaintance who will try to get my attention by yelling something ridiculous or honking their car or touching my shoulder. Sometimes, if they don't know me well, they are surprised to find that my eyes do not immediately light ( Read more... )