• I checked out some Teched slides explaining VS2005 and VS Team Services. This includes an in-built test tool (like nunit), MS Project integration, task allocation in VS, a psuedo-UML class modeller, MS Build integration, project portal / reporting generation, and a host of other useful stuff. Looks cool.
• My Masters degree literature review is pretty much in the can, and will probably be finished by the end of the week. The next frontier is extending Visual Studio to support concern mapping and aop-like separation of concerns. I've only heard scary stuff about doing this on the current VS, even from developers on the right side of the fence, but apparently Whidbey is much better. Here's hoping.
• I am going to see french band Phoenix on Saturday. Their new album Alphabetical is not as good as their debut United. Hopefully they will play some old stuff.
• I missed seeing Anton Chekov at the Union Square Barnes and Noble in New York. I am usually down on this kind of thing, but this is too funny.
• I have only had an iPod for a couple of weeks, but I can't remember what I did without it. I am considering rescinding my comments about Apple being a toaster company.
• Full credit to sandwich maker Ixxy's Bagels - I just purchased a salmon and cream cheese bagel, and the label clearly states that the product contains sawdust.

Got into NYC on Monday evening after 24hours+ from Brisbane to Auckland to LA and then New York. On Tuesday we checked out the flatiron bulding and got some snaps, and then went to the Guggenheim, did some shopping (perhaps in the East Village?) and had lunch underneath the Prada store, at a place called canteen. Dinner was awesome Japanese (no idea where), and we ended up at some cool bar in the Bowery (Moby turned up at about 2am - at which time I thought it prudent to leave in case they played any of his music).

After very little sleep, did some shopping on Wednesday morning, and then went to Wall Street. The street was smaller and less interesting than I expected - Bud Fox was not around. The WTC site was very difficult to see because of all the construction going on down there, so we didn't hang around long there. Went to Lombardi's for dinner, and then to the Kabin Klub.

A quick rundown on my visit to Australia:

I've spent the last week at PLAS, catching up with my supervisor, presenting to the PLAS colloquium, and soaking up the research atmosphere. I was also lucky enough to meet my associate supervisor John Gough, author of Compiling for the .Net Common Language Runtime.

A few observations on PLAS:

1. Coffee parochialism - All dialogue has broken down between the rival "coffee coffee coffee" and "zaraffas" factions.
2. New languages, extensions - I am well and truly on my own when I bad mouth language extension.
3. Poor pizza - I applaud the PLASers communal dining, but deplore there choice of pizza supplier (Pizza Hut? I am repressing the memory).

The last couple of days have been whiled away on the beach and in a hammock, except for a quick trip to Officeworks today to buy some anti-virus software. I blame the QUT network for giving me the sasser virus! My wife helpfully suggested I buy a mac like her: nobody writes software for the mac, let alone viruses.

I went to see the 5678s at the Zoo this evening. They have cool stage outfits! They turn it up to 11! They really rock!