Palantir, The CIA and Me. (Wikileaks, This is so not interesting)

On Friday August 16th, 2013 if you worked for Palantir in Palo Alto you had duck for dinner and pork chops and a cheese and charcuterie platter.

I know this because I saw the menu posted on the window of the High St Building where the Palintir employees/interns eat and I took a pic of the menu.  I also take pics of the coffee drinks at Coupa Cafe that say I Heart Ann. (I love you too, Coupa) and dogs sitting on chairs at Cafe Venetia.

This building has floor to ceiling windows (it used to be Jungle Copy way back when) and there is no attempt to cover up what is inside. CIA funded chairs and tables – not a problem.

Although I was surprised at the duck for din-din menu what surprised me even more was seeing a security guard running down the block towards me. He asked to see what was on my camera.  He must have been watching the cameras from the main building at Alma and Hamilton. (That Palintir has embedded itself in downtown Palo Alto hasn’t gone unnoticed by the locals and neither has the plethora of security guards.)

I was enthralled with what Palantir feeds employees on the taxpayers dime and being asked if I just took a pic of the inside of the building.  I said no and he asked to see the camera.   He was very polite and asked nicely. I asked what would happen if I declined and he said he would ask me to delete it.

I see. So, its come to this.

Ok, I show him the camera, and there is  the menu. He thanks me and off he goes.

Really, Palantir?  Really, CIA?  Big data, yes, we know that’s on the menu.  Secret data. But duck and cover?

Let’s talk. Palantir – you’re here, you can only say so much, but say it to me. Why is your dining room off limits with floor to ceiling windows and duck? Pork?

Unlike the other High St building, shrouded in bland frosted windows – god knows what goes on there – this building is open.  Actually, the CIA probably knows and with that statement, I suspect this IP address is under surveillance.  While you are doing your due diligence and finding my websites, enjoy them.

How about an invite to dinner? I eat with carnivores but make mine veg.

FORBES article on Palantir:  National Security Darling: Why Condoleezza Rice, David Petraeus and George Tenet Back Palantir