Look out Microsoft. Here I come!

Well, I am just packing up and getting ready to head down to Redmond. Have been waiting a few months for this, but Microsoft has invited some kernelmode developers to the Microsoft campus to do interop testing against each others products. Nothing like spending an entire week looking in the kernel debugger (WinDbg) at registers and drawing truth tables to match against assembler instructions. I am not to worried about testing against Longhorn or 64bit processors, but do want to get some time deep in the Windows 2003 kernel with my IPS security driver and Symantec's Antivirus product. (Norton triggers a BSOD on NAV.exe at weird times on 2000, but never on 2003. I wanna know WHY.)

Ahhh, to be men at ring0; to watch a BSOD by simply flipping a register. Ain't it the life. *shudder*

Actually, it should be fun. I enjoy kernelmode development, and enjoy learning more from the kernel guys on Microsoft's campus. While most of you revel at sitting in .NET all day... something is satisfying when you work this close to the metal. Of course, if I had it my way no one would be allowed on the Internet unless they could telnet to port 25 to send a message. You know the days... when gopher was god and "mosaic" was a term used to describe tile in your bathroom!

Anyways, I have a couple of nights still open that are not set up with plans. Feel like hitting a Jazz club or two? Have an idea for something interesting to do in Seattle while I am down there next week? Drop me a line and let me know.

Robert has been kind enough to let me crash at his place again, so there will be wine and wireless for the picking. Actually Sunday I get to check out his tricked out XBox and play Halo2 before he gets back from Silly Valley (assuming of course I get to his place before he does). We will have to see if I got the Halo2 twitch out of me before he arrives. *lol*

Anyways, if you want to hook up let me know. I'll be on campus all week in Building 20.

P.S.

On an aside, I was listening to Adam's podcast today and heard about how Lee Wikins needs some help to get his dogs out of Delta Airlines kennels and sent back home to the UK. I threw a couple bucks to Lee for his Alfie and Benson Fund and suggest that if you have animals you care for and understand his predicament, do the same thing.