inessential by Brent Simmons

Nordic Paul Bunyan

Nat Irons: “I learned that Brent Simmons is not a giant blond man. Based on zero evidence, I had always envisioned him as sort of a Nordic Paul Bunyan. It’s always jarring to meet someone in person and give up my whimsical mental pictures. However, he does have very precise diction.”

That reminds me of when I was a new UserLand employee. The night before I first met Doug Baron, Dave Winer and I were going to Buck’s for some dinner, and Dave asked me what I thought Doug looked like. I though he’d be tall and blond. After all, the name Doug is a very blond name, and the last name Baron suggests aristocracy.

Was I right? Nope. Wrong on both counts.