For some reason, you've stumbled upon my web site.

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here

You have reached Walter's Web, a world filled with weirdness and fun. Should you wish to retain your sanity and basic cognitive skills, depart immediately!

What's Up with this Place?

Various people go through this site with expectations of finding content. They shall be sorely disappointed.

First off, you might want to get to know who I am. It's nothing terribly remarkable.

If you are hiring, I can be bought. See my resume [PDF].

There are several things here that might be worth seeing.

If you like musicals, this site is the home of the now-infamous CS212 Musical and CS314 Musical. These were fun classes while I was at Cornell, and their story is now immortalized in song and dance. Also of interest is the collaborative effortThe Cornell Computer Science Songbook.

For the more theatrically oriented, there are edited transcripts of virtual performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothing by the AOL Shakespeare Company. You can also read a fragment from The Tragik Historie of William Gates, Lord of Redmond. There is also Monty Python and the Battle of the Hornburg. All this stuff and more is here.

For more visually oriented people, there are pictures of various things. The most popular series of photos is the one on duct tape, but the rest is also worth seeing.

Fine wine is a favorite hobby, and I have made available some amount of information on wine basics and the various wine regions of the world. This particular subsection seems to be a very popular destination according to the feedback I get, so check it out.

On the more technical side of things, you can read about my academic background. There is also general geeking, mostly about Linux and laptops.

Lastly, if you feel like inhaling the totality of the content of this site, you can start from the site index. You can also learn a bit about how this page was made.

Finding Walter

The easiest way to reach me is email at walter@cs.utexas.edu. If you need to find me physically, your best bet is to drop by my desk in the ACES Building on the University of Texas campus (3SEo3F on the third floor southeast corner, look for the little tower by the computer). For everything else, see my resume.

Phone (work)
512-232-7434
Address (work mail)
Department of Computer Science, ACES 3SEo3F
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station, #C0500
Austin, TX 78712

Recent Changes

12 Dec 2007

Added Castillo Perelada Costa Brava Reserva '00, Herzog Brouilly '02, Torres Sangre de Toro 2004, Michele Chiarlo Barbers d'Asti Superiore '02, Oro Penedes Hill Muscat-Xarel.lo '04, GranRojo Garnacha '05, Abrazo Garnacha '05, Chateau d'Arcins Haut-Medoc '03, Hermann Wiemer Late Harvest Riesling '03, Camille Giroud Santenay '04, Los Vascos Cabernet '05, Dalton Cabernet '02.

Some corrections and clarifications about kosher wines courtesy of Rabbi Goldin.

WineBat does blind wine tastings in the Austin area. I've met Damon and I like his concept and idea. Check it out!

24 Sept 2007

Added Jackson-Triggs Proprietor's Reserve Vidal Icewine '02, Cruz de Piedra Garnacha '05, Tapena Garnacha '05, Carmen Carmenere '03, Rashi Moscato d'Asti '05, Arnaldo Caprai Grecante Grechetto '06.

13 Aug 2007

Added Les Trois Domaines Guerrouane Rouge '03, Taylor Fladgate 20 Year Tawny Port, Joh Jos Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese '03, Casa Viva Pinot Noir '02, JP Azetao Terras do Sado '04, Barkan Petit Syrah '04, Brezovo Mavrud '04, San Silvestro Dulcis Moscato '06, Mirassou Merlot '02, Domaine de Coyeux Muscat Beaumes de Venise '01, Georges Duboeuf Chiroubles '05, Bartenura Moscato '06, Casas del Bosque Cabernet '01, Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva '00, Wild Horse Cabernet '01, Chateau Belles-Cimes '01, Barton and Gustier Vouvray '05, Gonzalez Byass Nectar PX Sherry, Oops Cabernet Franc Carmenere '06, Abarbanel Riesling '04.

More minor edits in kosher wine.

29 Nov 2006

Added Ravenswood Amador County Old Vine Zinfandel '01, Becker Fume Blanc '02, Chateau Bernadotte '00, Texas Hills Newsome Vineyard Orange Moscato '03, Casas del Bosque Reserve Pinot Noir '03, Yarden White Riesling '03, Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages '05, Urbane Shiraz '03, Proshyan "Pomegranate" Semi-Sweet Red, BH Silvaner Eiswein '97.

Put up some new information on kosher wines. Thanks to all the rabbis and other Jews who have helped to fill in the gaps for me.

I have upgraded my laptop to Ubuntu 6.06 LTS (Dapper Drake). Learn about Ubuntu on the Thinkpad T40. The old page about Mandrake on Thinkpad will still remain up for posterity.

14 June 2006

Added Riscal Tempranillo '01, Estancia Keys Canyon Cabernet '02, Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha '03, Saint-M Riesling '03, Schmitt-Sohne Zeller Schwarze Katz '02, Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet '01.

Mandrake Linux changed names to Mandriva a while back, and now the old links have finally stopped working. I should update everything to reflect the current distribution.

I really should update this site more often, especially the bits about me. Plus, there's plenty of cleanup and new content to be added.

7 October 2005

Added Decemberween 2004 pictures to Chaos Ranch. Reorganized a bunch of files and fixed typos.

6 October 2005

Not too many wine reviews lately due to severe allergies. I can't drink wine if I'm too stuffed up to taste it. Added reviews for Famega Vinho Verde bottled 2004, Lindemans Reserve Merlot '01, Peregrine Hill Merlot '01, Frattina Pinot Grigio '02, Messina Hof Pinot Grigio '03, Becker Claret '03, Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz '03, Araucano Cabernet '03, Noblio Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc '04, Matua Sauvignon Blanc '04, Fonterutoli Foggio alla Badiola Toscana '02.

Get software for using the iPod Shuffle with Linux. Short answer: it works.

I've upgraded to Mandriva LE 2005; read about it at Linux on the IBM Thinkpad T40.

More Linux tips: postscript merging, time zones and dual-booting.

18 December 2004

Added reviews for Piping Shrike Shiraz '00, Rosemount Orange Vineyard Shiraz '00, Twin Springs Sweet Red, Chateau Grand Bourdieu '98, Black Swan Shiraz-Merlot'03, Penfolds "Koonuga Hill" Shiraz-Cabernet '02, Fall Creek "Granite Reserve" Cabernet '03, Los Vascos Cabernet Reserve '01, Fall Creek Johannisberg Riesling NV, Casalfarneto Fontevecchia Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore '02, Louis Bernard Cotes du Rhone Villages '03, Mommessin "Old Vines Chardonnay" Macon-Villages '02, Rene Junot Dry White Table Wine, Banfi Principessa Gavia '03, Woodbridge Mondavi Chardonnay '02, Penfolds Koonunga Hill Chardonnay '02, Little Penguin Merlot '03, Domaine du Vissoux Beaujolais Primeur '04, Salcheto Chianti Colli Senesi '00.

The Rosemount Orange Vineyard Shiraz 2000 is a new favorite.

Texas now deserves its own section under wines.

I've upgraded to Mandrake 10.1 Official; read about my experiences with Linux on the IBM Thinkpad T40.

About me, I suppose I'm a third-year PhD student now. Sigh.

You know you're in Texas when you see these pictures.

Corrected error in trips pictures.

9 August 2004

For the first time in years, pictures are being added. Read about the All Day Buffet, the Chaos Ranch, water fun, get-togethers, graduation.

Added reviews for KWV Steen '03, Fall Creek Chenin Blanc '03, Michele Chiarlo "Nivole" Moscato d'Asti '03, Egri Bikaver '01, Domecq Medium Dry Amontillado, Aldegheri "Le Pietre" Santambrogio '99, Messina Hof "Angel" Late Harvest Johannisberg Riesling '02, Schloss Lieser Riesling '01, JJ Prum Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spatlese '01, Rosemount Pinot Noir '01, Martin Weirich "Allegro" Moscato '03, Edna Valley "Paragon" Pinot Noir '01, Vampire Pinot Noir '02, Elk Cove Pinot Noir '01, Duboeuf Beaujolais-Villages '02, MacMurray Pinot Noir '02, Trinity Hill Sauvignon Blanc '02, Lambert Bridge Chardonnay '99, Peter Lehmann Barossa Botrytis Semillon '99, Beckman Sauvignon Blanc '02, Bartenura Moscato d'Asti '03, Weingut Allram Gruner Veltliner '02, Theo Minges Fleminger Bischofskreuz Riesling Halbtrocken '03, Sister Creek Pinot Noir '99, Pieropan Soave Classico '02.

Added some verbiage on finding wines to Wine Basics.

The Features page is really redundant, as all the information is here. It has been removed.

It occurs to me that my contact information is nowhere to be found. This has been corrected.

Added a research blurb, if you want to know what I do.

Added Monty Python and the Battle of the Hornburg

Made layout for pictures less sucktastic.

Fixed typos. None worth mentioning except the one about the scroll button in Linux on T22. Added a Linux tip on Flash in Mozilla.

19 May 2004

Given that it is probably the most popular section, Wine really should have its own top-level menu entry.

Fixed a whole slew of broken links. Minor tweaks not worth mentioning.

17 May 2004

Made ugly CSS site design less ugly.

Added reviews for Castle Rock Pinot Noir '02, Warre's Warrior Port, Tommasi Valpolicella '00, Boutari "Dionysos in Winter" '01, Montecillo Rioja Crianza '00, Marques del Puerto Rioja Reserva '96, Podere il Palazzino Chianto Classico '00, Alamosa Sangiovese '00, Penfolds "Rawson's Retreat" Merlot '03, Chateau d'Arcins '00, Chateau Kefraya '00, Rex Goliath Merlot NV, Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Cabernet '03, Asti "Cellar No. 8" Cabernet '01.

Updated About this Page.

Added mouse tapping tips, browser hotkeys, and general comments to Linux on T40. Updated status on wifi and LED. Added region-free DVD and FAT32 tips to Linux Tips. Fixed links in Linux on T22.

Minor editing not worth mentioning.

7 March 2004

There's so much content on this site now that I'd be deluding myself into thinking that it isn't actually complete, so I'm declaring it to be presentable. Besides, I finally updated my resume.