I live in Los Angeles

Working for Microsoft in its Santa Monica office has its weird aspects. For instance, yesterday I left the office, laptop backpack in tow (REAL programmers carry their laptops in backpacks specially made for the purpose), and boarded an elevator with three other people coming down from an upper floor. Now, the Microsoft office in Santa Monica shares space with MTV, Lion's Gate Films, and EMI music, so I see many strange and beautiful people walking around yammering into trendy-looking cell phones, or jetting off to buy more cars and expensive clothing...you know, typical LA pastimes.

Anyway, I boarded the elevator, and noticed that the people inside were wearing what looked to be expensive leather jackets. Why'd they look expensive? Heck if I know. I just know they looked a lot more expensive than the leather jacket I bought at Sam's Warehouse. Yes, I had to LEARN to buy shirts at nice stores to offset the pants I buy at Target. As I said, I AM a programmer.

So, I looked up, and noticed people around me looked...familiar. Then a name popped into my head: "Lance Bass."

Omigod, I'm sure you're all saying, you ran into Lance Bass, former member of the band N'Sync and the guy who ALMOST became the first rock star to ride a rocket ship into outer space? Yes, indeed. Frankly, I have no idea why I remembered his name. I must have been a teenage girl in a past life, which makes no sense, because his attempt to orbit the earth couldn't have been more than four years ago, and I don't remember being a teenage girl then, but I was in Europe at that time, so anything's possible.

Goatee-man was also on the elevator with me. I don't know Goatee-man's name, but I seem to recall that there was a guy in N'Sync with a goatee, and his face was familiar. Standing next to goatee-man was a large man who had taken the goatee thing to exciting new levels, as his was as long as my forearm. Okay, perhaps I exaggerate, but it made me want to grab it and treat his head like a Venetian Carnevale mask, which would probably be a rude thing to do to a (possible) member of N'Sync.

All good things must come to an end, and we reached the ground floor, where they promptly left to do important things, such as eat, leaving me with the realization that seeing famous people is a bit like having Bugs Bunny burst out of your TV set and offer you a carrot. Cartoons aren't supposed to do that, and neither are the people who live on MTV.

What does this have to do with technology? Ummm...it happened in the building where Microsoft has its offices. Read my previous blog for a serious and sober discussion of issues related to South Korea's recent decision in its antitrust investigation of Microsoft.