Day: 7 October 2024

It's a bit hard to perform close-up magic to an audience 40 metres deep, so I pre-recorded my favourite card trick! Then I talked over it, explaining to colleagues from my division why it's my favourite bit of slight-of-hand, and what great magic tricks have in common with great code.

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Dan, standing on a stage, holding up five fingers while a video screen behind him shows a close-up of his hands displaying five playing cards.

I feel like I'm likely to have to perform a lot more illusions at the bar later today!

It's 05:30 local time on the third day of my work meetup in Tulum, on the Caribbean Coast of Mexico, and I was just woken by incredibly heavy rain. I got up and stepped out until it, and was surprised to discover that it's almost as warm as the shower in my bathroom. In the distance, beyond the palm trees and over the hill, the booms of thunder are getting closer. Beautiful weather for a beautiful place.

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Tropical vegetation under stormy skies. Long exposure in pre-sunrise light.

Something I've long enjoyed about Automattic gatherings is the opportunity to meet some the most diverse characters you'll ever find in one place.

But today was the first time I've ever been at a beachside disco that was attended by a foraging racoon.

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A slender long-tailed racoon stands on wooden decking in front of lush tropical vegetation.