I owe my exciting research opportunities to many people, not the least of whom is a librarian friend of mine who introduced me to the wonders of social bookmarking. I'd _seen_ del.icio.us and other services before, but Clair Ching was the one who really showed me their potential and use.

Ay, Clair. I'd seen her around our high school before, but I hadn't really known her other than as a friend of a friend. Blogs brought us together. Protesting the Digital Pinay IT role model search whose application form included bust measurements, I found that I wasn't alone. Clair not only coordinated with other outspoken Filipinas, but also went to press conferences, gathered all the articles and blog posts related to the controversy, and posted strong opinions on her blog. The contest's sponsors backed out, and the contest was cancelled. Hooray!

Since then, she's gone from Linux newbie to PLUG board member, from shy librarian to happy problogger. Geek _and_ girl to the core (just ask her about happy socks or dangling earrings!), Clair's just _amazing._

And she's a fantastic, fantastic friend. She's seen me cry. She's seen me laugh. She's seen me flail madly in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do. And she ate the results anyway! Wow.

So here's to Clair:

(animate-string "Happy Birthday, Clair!" 1)

On Technorati: barkada

The US Airways commuter flight to Toronto is over three hours delayed. That's okay, because you can just _hear_ the smile in the announcer's voice. You know he's having fun!

Heard on the P.A. system:

"If you're going to Detroit or Toronto, please don't come down yet, or we'll send you to a destination of our own choosing."

"Once again, the plane for Toronto will be delayed until 3:52. 3:52. You have time for a snack or coffee. Use it wisely."

"Good news for Columbia, Columbia, the plane is nearly here. In fact, I can almost see it out the window."

"Once again, the flight to Toronto has been delayed to 4:45, 4:50. Now is a good time to have lunch or dinner. If you want to leave the area, just be back by 4. I'll keep you posted."

"And remember, if you're bringing knapsacks, garment bags, strollers, they're not going to fit. The bins are small. Pick up a yellow tag. They're complimentary. They're recyclable. Try them, you'll like them. They're on the counter."

"Last call for Rowley(?). Rowley's about a 7-hour drive tonight. Don't miss your flight!"

I asked a flight attendant where I could get a customer feedback form so that I could write something about this guy. She laughed and said that Wally over at 35A has a Polish name, but "Wally" should be fine. Apparently, he's like that, day in and day out. The flight attendant said that the jokes get a bit old if you work there, but hey, every announcement of his was greeted with smiles and chuckles by the rest of us infrequent travellers. =)

Totally awesome. I might just write a handwritten note to the customer service address once I get back to Canada. =) Here's to little things done with great love!