eastwikkers

Life imitates art

Friday morning I was on Skyline south of Page Mill on my way to see a client, when my cell phone rang. Normally, this is a non-occasion, but this time it was kind of weird.

I recently changed my ringtone to the one used by Chev Chelios (Jason Stratham) in the 2006 movie, Crank. In a variation (on several levels) on the movie Speed, Crank is about a hit-man who has been injected with a toxin that will kill him if his heartbeat drops below a certain rate. It's a great excuse for a movie that is end-to-end action, violence and drama in the streets of Los Angeles.

The first time Chelios' phone rings in the movie, which is partly filmed from his drug-induced perspective, it's unclear whether we're hearing his actual ringtone, or the way he might be hearing it as a result of the injection.

Friday, I felt a little like Chelios. I was recovering from a cold, so I was under the influence of Robitussin, which is sort of like a deadly toxin. I was driving in an early morning fog (literally and figuratively) and hearing this sound. It was totally surreal.

Grasshopper

Eastwick sponsored a table tonight at the Churchill Club, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary.  Guest speaker was Paul Otellini, CEO at Intel.   It was an excellent choice -- Paul is the latest in a short line of chiefs at a company that embodies some of the best values in Silicon Valley -- e.g., mentorship. 

As Andy Grove sat close to the stage, Otellini reminded us that his former boss now reports to him.  He joked that Grove will be getting "his first review in 20 years."   "Forty, " signed Grove (four, zero) , gently correcting his protege.