francesca noli's blog

Another test

Well, another test...Burn Notice

Remington Steele - Best episode ever

Remington Steele - Best episode ever

Well, while this is my favorite TV series of all times, this is really a test of their clip functionality...

Mami Wata

Amazing painting . I saw it on Friday on the NYT and I have been obsessed with this image ever since. Really stunning. It mixes perfectly together many elements I love: water, fish, motherhood and it adds the colors I love most: blue and yellow. I need to find a poster of it.

My favorite TV series of all times...

Favorite TV Series

Sunset at Fort Mason

One day it will just become normal but until then sunsets in SF are simply magical to me every single day!

Shining City

Great play now playing in San Francisco at the SF Playhouse. here.

This play by Conor McPherson is really great. Set in modern-day Dublin, it is basically a collection of monologues where each character does not talk to the audience directly but to an intermediary. This adds a layer of complexity and translation and fuels the audience feeling that they are introducing illegitimately into someone's life.
The main character is played beautifully and it explores some really uncomfortable material about marriage, intimacy, fear, aging all while keeping it incredibly entertaining.

Last week I went to see a terrible play (to remain unnamed) and just when I had feared that all the people that condemn the cultural scene in SF were right, I came across this production and I was restored in my faith that I can have a stimulating theater experience in San Francisco. Of course it is often at the SF Playhouse...

The evolution of Hope from 1999 to 2008

Yesterday the NY Times had an interesting article on Silicon Valley. Apparently, we are getting ready for the economic crisis. Click here to see it. I beg to differ. and I would love to rest my case with a picture:

Anchor and hope

I have been seeing all the bad signs I saw in 1999/2000 again this year. I just had another moment of truth while having lunch at "Ancor and Hope" with almost 100 VCs, lawyers and web 2.0 leaders (AKA ex .comers). We were all busy lunching over oysters, crab, lobster, etc... ah, and just around the corner you can find another 100 eating at "Salt House".
Yes, I can see we are much more concerned that the .comers were about the future of innovation in the valley and surviving the credit crunch. Which is why we talk about it obsessively while eating a selection of oysters.

Brunello

Drink this wine: La Poderina, Brunello di Montalcino, 2002.

CIMG0144

We asked the owner of the restaurant if he had any 1997 left. He said that he had two bottles left, available for 500 euros each but only if you asked nicely. The 2002 was still very good.

Funny enough, you can buy the 1997 for less than $100 in the U.S. weird...

Are you a manager who needs support?

Support group

Orvieto

Later this summer, I am going to Orvieto to visit my family.
Orvieto is one of the most beautiful towns in Italy and probably in Europe.
View of Orvieto

What is exciting is that for a full eight days I will be living in a town whose citizens are normal, modern people living in a place architecturally trapped in the middle age. It helps it was also a famous place in the middle age so that the art is amazing and all over the place.

Orvieto is the town my family comes from. It is hard to imagine a cooler place to be from...ah and did I mention the wine? good wine. oh, and the food? Best food I ever had was in Orvieto. Good vacation coming up! I need to blog separately about the wine. Totally worth it.