Fleece Update

To those who have been badgering me about this for the best part of a week (they know who they are), it’s time for more information about this year’s Oracle ACE OOW gift.

(Jacket by OTN, T-Shirt Model’s Own, Photography Alex Gorbachev, Camera Frits Hoogland)

It’s not right.

First of all, it’s sophisticated black. What was wrong with emergency flare red?

Second, it’s not even a fleece but a Stormtech waterproof! All of the chaps at work will have to revise their fleece jokes and they just won’t sound right any more. In fact, one or two of the cyclists were worryingly interested in it, but there ain’t no Oracle ACEs round there, so they’d have to get busy with a thread unpicker.

Third, have you seen how small that ACE symbol is? How on earth are snipers or stone-throwers supposed to aim at that?

I suppose I’ve only got myself to blame after taking the mickey out of last year’s fleece, but I’m starting to miss it now. I’m not sure the rest of Edinburgh will, though.

Still, this version is much more sober than the version that the true technorati, the ACE Directors, get. If you check out Mogens’ in this blog entry, you’ll see they have a dinky little crown on their ACE Symbol. *That’s* more like it! Much more embarassing!

As usual, I’m only kidding. Justin, Vikki, Emily and all those at OTN know what I’m like and I do appreciate all the organisation they put into everything. The OTN lounge and ACE dinner are two of the better features of OOW (although I hope the latter might be a bit more stand-up-and-mingle in future years).

Oh, and finally, the DUDE was showing disdain for the ACE program to Marco and I prior to the conference because of my red fleece. He’s a black-only guy. We tried to explain to him how cool the fleece that you are sent is so, just for the DUDE …

In your dreams, man!

P.S. My other half *hates* me making that gesture when I’m having my photo taken (that’s what it’s for – to discourage photograhpers) but she wasn’t there, so it was the ideal opportunity. For more of the same, including some pictures of me being a little drunk at times and Alex G dancing with abandon, see here)