Thread by @QuinnyPig

So this #reinvent eve, I want to talk about "The Mug: A thread featuring this glorious bastard."

I've gotten a few questions to the tune of "what's @awscloud Hambone," "what's this mug you keep talking about" and "what the hell is wrong with you?"

That last one is from my parents, so we'll disregard it.

For #reinvent, AWS is "particular about slides" in the same sense as "an exploding sun is slightly warm." They send out a standardized PowerPoint slide deck template that all speakers are to use. It's usually fairly zany. This year's featured a rando line art drawing of a ham.

It also figured this drawing as well, but you don't make friends with salad.

So I labeled it "AWS Hambone," slapped it on a shirt and wore it for my keynote rebuttal, as one does.

I also inflicted this upon my child, likewise as one does.

I also used it as the logo for requinnvent.com

And then everyone started asking to buy one. So I threw it up for sale as a fundraiser to benefit @826National, since I really like what they do. customink.com/fundraising/aw…

But this was done in a slapdash way. I didn't offer a bunch of sizing options, there was only one "unisex" cut which is apparently shorthand for "dude," and it wasn't exactly well planned.

And some things are certain. Death. Taxes. The tides. And eventually @abbyfuller asking if I have one in black.

I wished, just once, to avoid the latter. But there is more to the story.

I had the art done, and I could slap it on basically anything. But I've been meaning to do a lowkey online conference for a while in which I make with the funny in a smaller scale setting.

And I needed a new coffee mug.

So this mug acts as a ticket to the online event, to be held early next year under the Chatham House Rule; you can talk about what you hear or learn there, but not who said it or where they work. I'm still working out the content flow.

Further, there are *NOT* servers in Serverless. They were all decommissioned. These mugs are made from the steel corpses of these fallen heroes. I'm sure @timallenwagner was somehow involved.

They are *indestructible*.

All proceeds from The Mug also benefit @826National because I can self-fund this private online event.

So there you have it: the tale of the mug, and "AWS Hambone."

Sidebar: When I picked the name weeks ago I thought it was safely out of the way of anything @awscloud could possibly announce at #reinvent, but since "AWS Trainium" I'm starting to actively worry.

I will now answer your questions about AWS Hambone, the mug, #reinvent, or anything else you'd like. Go!