Never believe a German when he tells you he can drink you under the table. Yesterday morning at the Open Source Business Conference at the Palace Hotel in SF, the appropriately named Conference Fonzerelli noticed the wunderbar German head of Sun-ified MySQL wasn't there in time for his first talk. Fortunately, it was a panel affair, and even the world's second space tourist landed in time to make it (Mark Shuttleworth). Marten Mickos, however, was evidently too hung over to make an appearance. You'd be hung over too, if you'd just landed in a country where your wallet's contents is increasing in value at a rate of 10 cents a minute!

Poor Marten must have realized too late that American beer is every bit as strong as German beer. Sometimes stronger. As for Shuttleworth and Updegrove and Zachary and Wasserman and Microsoft's legal council Brad Smith... They all mingled amongst bagged lunches and Zimbra-lovers. Bonus points to SteelEye's James Bottomley, who sported the nifty bow tie and Harpo hair ensemble.