Back Home......from Costa Rica

Just got back from Costa Rica late last night....and the trip was incredibly amazing!

I'm planning on detailing out my vacation in future posts, but I'm doing some laundry, cleaning up, and getting back into the swing of things. Some of the things that I'm going to talk about:

- 10 trips down the worst road in the world
- attack of the white faced monkeys
- repelling down a 250 foot waterfall
- Tropical Storm Alma
- lava flow
- the boldest driver in the world

tim - thanks for taking care of the blog while I was away. Good luck tomorrow!

hopefully more details, and some very incredible pictures in the near future

Random...but interesting....the failed Dot Com's of the 90s....

In today's random but interesting find, I saw an article talking about the failed dot com's of the 90s, reasons for their failures, and what the founders of each dot com are doing today. I am not going to go into a great amount of detail here because the article does a fairly decent job of laying out why each of them failed. However, my favorite reason listed for failure...

Webvan.com --> Greed.

Here's to the next internet bubble and cashing in before the burst!

Something cool to do with the tv show "Lost"...

I know how much of a huge fan Sharad is about the t.v. show - Lost. I admit that I have avoided watching the show because I don't want to get sucked into another series. I've heard lots of good things about the show though and may one day decide to watch it.

With this in mind, I was pleasantly surprised when a family friend emailed me a link to a USA Today article. Apparently, my brother who teaches physics at Illinois Wesleyan University was quoted twice in article.

I'll share the quotes (bolded) and give a link to the article.

From the article...

"Andrew Morrison, a Lost viewer who teaches physics at Illinois Wesleyan University, says the producers have so far avoided the physically impossible.

They "have seemingly not (yet) violated any laws of physics, although the technology for how the effects would be accomplished are way beyond present-day engineering capabilities." "

"The Casimir Effect is believed to demonstrate "negative energy," which would be considered necessary to stabilize a wormhole for safe travel", Morrison says."

Article Link...

If you are a fan of the show, this article is a good read.

Pretty cool to be quoted twice in a national newspaper.

Spurs vs Lakers - Game 4

Disclaimer: I am a Spurs fan and my comments below may reflect this opinion.

I wanted to quickly write up on the Spurs/Lakers Game4 that I just got done watching. Overall, it was a good game. However, I thought that the last shot of the game that Derek Fisher most definitely committed a foul on Brent Barry. From the replays, it was obvious there was a lot of contact and should have been called a foul. In my opinion, the "no-call" that the officials decided to do was a bad decision. Obviously, this is a big game for both teams and a must win game for the Spurs. With this in mind, the officials need to be on top of calling fouls even when the clock is winding down. The series is now 3-1 in the Lakers favor...I'm not sure if the Spurs can win this series or not. I know many in the NBA front office are dying for a Lakers vs Celtics final. I don't want to be too much of a conspiracy theorist here but this should have been called a foul!

What's your take on Game 4 and the final shot? Bad call? or Good "no-call" by the officials?

The next two blackberries...

As I said earlier, one of my favorite gadgets is my Blackberry Curve. I admit that ever since I've become a technology consultant, I've been addicted to the blackberry devices. I have owned the the blackberry pearl, blackberry 7290, and now the blackberry curve is my mobile device of choice. Who would have thought that we'd be able to have emails, text, picture , and video messages to coming to our cell phones in the year 2008. Now cell phone carriers like Verizon and Sprint are even delivering tv to their subscribers' phones! I can honestly say that in 1993-95 when the internet and "digital revolution" were just beginning that I was just happy to have an email address and be able to browse the web. Now we're in the year 2008 where the expectation is that your mobile device should be able to do everything that your laptop does with some minor limitations due to screen size and software. For the most part my blackberry delivers on this promise on being able to do most of the things my laptop does for me keeping in mind the limitations of screen size and software. This gets me to the reason that I am really excited for the next two blackberries...(I am more excited for the Bold than the Kickstart...more on that in a minute)

Introducing the Blackberry Bold (top picture) and Blackberry Kickstart (bottom picture)...

Now for the specs...

Kickstart:

- flip phone design (first of its kind for Blackberries)

- Quad band GSM / EDGE data service (No 3G, boo!)

- WiFi (at least 802.11b, probably 802.11g)

- 2MP camera

- internal LCD is 320x240, external is 160x128

- OS is version 4.6 (woohoo heard a lot of good things about this version)

- suretype keyboard

- Tmobile is the launch customer (I'd rather tmobile be the launch customer for the Bold!)

Bold:

- Has 802.11a/b/g

- GPS which is enhanced and assisted, and the handset has better map rendering

- 480 x 320 resolution screen with 65,000 colors

- 624MHz Intel PXA270/Marvell Tavor PXA930 processor

- OS version 4.6

- weighs 4.7oz

- Side-loading MicroSD/SDHC slot for up to 16GB additional

- 2MP camera with flash

- Talk time of 5 hours, with standby of 13 days

- MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4 and WMV3 codec support

- 3.5mm headphone jack

- 128MB of flash plus 1GB of onboard memory (with encryption)

- Rumors on Pricing: $300 to $500 ( most likely 300-400)

- 3G (highspeed data support for AT&T and Tmobile bands)

As you can see much more is known at this time about the Bold than the Kickstart...mainly because this information is publicly available on blackberry.com/blackberrybold. I am excited because this device is truly what I feel is a giant step forward for blackberry. Many people on the internet have called it the iPhone killer. Actually blackberry is working on another device that will feature only four buttons and be completely touch screen. That will be the "iPhone killer". I am not really a huge iPhone fan because of Apple's lock-in to their platform and their insistence on controlling what can run on the iPhone - Blackberry is a much more OPEN device platform and thus has many more applications.

Finally, both of these devices support OS 4.6 which brings about huge improvements in the speed of the blackberry browser and support for things like HTML email - (you'd be surprised how many emails these days have HTML code imbedded in them).

I will probably pickup the Bold if the price is right and Tmobile has 3G coverage rolled out in Minneapolis. Tmobile is the last major GSM carrier in the US to roll out 3G coverage, mainly because they just obtained licenses for the 1700Mhz frequency within the past 18 months. Unfortunately, this has meant that their customers have needed to be more patient than AT&T's consumers, however, I counter with the fact that Tmobile customer service still kicks the crap out of AT&T's. (I just hope I don't get desperate and find the "need" to switch to AT&T to try out the Bold.)

Expected release for the Bold - July 2008 (AT&T with 3 month exclusive)

Expected release for Kickstart - July/August 2008 (Tmobile with 3 month exclusive)

I certainly look forward to each of these device releases and will bide my time trying to figure out how to be more productive with my Curve.

7 days to 26.2

Since I am only 7 days away from running the San Diego Rock'n'roll marathon, I thought I would discuss about the race and what I am thinking right now 7 days out....

The race is in one the nicest cities in the U.S. - San Diego, CA. The race is relatively flat and I expect the weather to be running friendly (60-75 degrees, not humid). One of the cool things about this race is that there is a band every mile along the course. I ran the Rock'n'Roll Phoenix Half marathon, which also had bands along the course, and really enjoyed this aspect of the Phoenix race. I hope after hitting mile 18 or 20 that the music will help provide me additional motivation and will power to finish the race. For those of you that have been to San Diego, I'm including a picture of the course map...


Yesterday, during my final long run of 10 miles, I started thinking about the last 5 months of training, crossing the finish line, and what it will mean to finish a marathon. Although I have run 3 half marathons, I am excited and nervous about running a marathon. Before every major race that I run, I always think about crossing the finish line. It helps to motivate and keep me going during the actual race. Right now, I don't have a goal time set, however, I think it will be between 4.5 and 5 hrs. Since this is my first and I'm not looking to "kill" (eg. qualify for Boston) myself, completing the race is the major goal :). After I have completed the race, I will post and let everyone know what I learned and how to improve for the next time.

Finally, completing this race will mean a lot to me on a personal level. Three years ago, I started running with the simple goal of losing weight - not to run marathons and half marathons. As I have continued to train for and run in races, I have always entertained the idea of running a full marathon. I made excuses like not having the time to train or not needing to prove that I can run a marathon, but I realized that eventually I wanted to run one just to prove that I could and say that I had done it. Hopefully, this does not become an addiction, I'd rather just train for half marathons instead.

While Sharad is on his vacation...

First, thanks to Sharad for the introduction. Since I know he is diligently packing right now, hopefully he has safe travels to Costa Rica and reports back some interesting stories from the trip. I am not as lucky to be spending my holiday somewhere other than where I live. So I've agreed to keep the blog going and hopefully the posts interesting.

I thought I'd give a preview of some topics that I will likely write about over the next 5-6 days and the websites that I frequently read. Sharad did a good job of guessing many of the topics I will be talking about - running, travel, and gadgets. This happens to be a pretty good breakdown of my personal hobbies and passions.

Travel:
Because I am such a travel junky and like my miles and points, I frequent popular travel forums. I like to find the best deals on flights and figure out how to earn the most miles and points. This addiction can get time consuming, but is very fun for me to do.

I currently visit the following travel related sites:

FlyerTalk


Airliners.net


If you ever wonder about how you can get extra miles or talk about airplanes, check out those sites. Some of the travel related ideas I want to talk about include fare and fee increases by airlines, the price of gas and oil, and airline mergers.

Running:

I am currently training for my first marathon which happens to be on June 1,2008. In the past three years, I have run 3 half marathons, a 15KM, and a 10KM. Some people would call me insane and I completely agree. There will probably be a post on the race I am preparing for - The San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon. More on this in a few days...in the mean time feel free to check out the race website.

Gadgets:

As Sharad said in the intro post, I am a technology consultant. Naturally, I have an obsession for gadgets. My favorite gadget right now is my Blackberry Curve. I am pretty excited for the upcoming blackberry releases as there are significant feature enhancements and hardware upgrades from current models.

Some of the sites I like to check out include:

Boy Genius Report

Engadget

Wired Magazine

I am also looking forward to discussing random interesting things that I see out on the internet and current topics in the news. Hopefully this post has not driven anyone away and will give you a good idea of what to expect over the next few days until Sharad returns. :-)

Introducing......Tim

As I'm off galavanting in the Pacific Ocean and the Costa Rican rain forest, my friend Tim has graciously offered to continue posting on this blog...

Just a little background on Tim. He works as a Technology Consultant in Minneapolis...and is up on all the gadgets. Without knowing what he's going to write about, I can guess that he will discuss Technology, Running, and Travel. Of course, he is much more disciplined in his writing approach....so it will provide a welcome contrast from my style of posting random drivel.

While I'm off...I hope you guys enjoy Tim and his thoughts....and I hope that you guys still around. I'll be posting pictures when I return :)

Thanks Tim!

100 days til the football season kicks off!

Just 100 days until Wolverine nation's anxiety, nervousness, and optimism is put to the test...Rich Rodriquez will finally take the field as the next coach of the Michigan Wolverines.

While there are many lingering questions remain (quarterback? offensive line? do we even have a scholarship QB on the roster?), I'm still very excited.

RR has been saying the right things, not screwing up too much, and has brought back some excitement to the program....

I'm excited...and I'm ready for the team to take the field against Utah (on August 30)....

who's with me!

What's wrong with Stuart Scott's eyebrows?

Too much botox on his forehead?

I was watching the Pistons / Celtics game, and during halftime, he was really creeping me out in HD.

His eyebrows were an odd mixture of white, brown, and black hair, and he looked very botoxed up.....

i clearly have too much time on my hands....


[edit] just did some googling, and learned that he has been undergoing chemotherapy....my bad, my bad [/edit]

Decision making.....at business schools?

So I've got a friend that is started at the Kellogg School of Management this fall. He's extremely capable....we were classmates at Ross (Michigan), and both currently work as Consultants at Big 4 accounting firms.

While I was partying in Chicago, he spent his summers at Notre Dame, earning a Masters in Accounting, and becoming an accredited CPA.

So, it wasn't surprising that while I didn't get into Business School, he did. Not just any business school, but a very reputable Top 5 school....

However, before he enters Kellogg, there's a program called Kwest...basically, a pre-term week long excursion to bond with your future classmates. Most of the trips have some service component, some beach/jungle component, and some drinking components.

So for the last 3 months, he has been agonizing over this decision. The trips are pretty amazing, and he can't make a wrong decision. but yet, he struggles to sign on the dotted line.

While his future is incredibly bright, maybe business school will help him develop his decision making capabilities. Unlike President Bush, I don't claim to be "the Decider". but still....a trip to Costa Rica vs. a trip to Honduras sounds pretty similar...make a choice, and enjoy the ride!

[edit] he asked me not to name him...so if you'd like to refer to him in the comments, call him "NP" [/edit]

Costa Rica Dreaming......

Just 2 days away...and I'll be hiking near Arenal, ziplining my way through the Manuel Antonio Forest, and hanging on the beach in Quepos....

while I'm off, putting my fancy new DSLR to use, taking pictures, and hopefully using this R&R time to come up with new stories for my business school essays...I'm semi-concerned what will happen to this little spot on the web.

Since I started this place in early April, its slowly picked up some momentum...and now can boast of 4 RSS feed subscribers, 1 email subscriber, and a very very dedicated reader located somewhere in New Jersey. Thanks a ton guys....I was skeptical about starting this up, but you guys have given me the confidence to keep posting my random thoughts!

So this brings me to my main point....while I am away on the beach, without internet access, completely secluded from the world....does anybody want to try blogging? Since I have set the bar very low, want to post on here while I'm away???

drop me a note if you are interested.....

Minnesota Timberwolves....what could have been?

Look at the impact that the 2002-2005 Timberwolves roster has had on this year's Eastern Conference playoffs...

Flip Saunders - Piston Coach
Kevin Garnett - Boston Forward
Chancey Billips - Detroit PG
Sam Cassell - Boston PG
Wally Szerbiack - Cleveland Guard
Joe Smith - Cleveland Forward
Eddie House - Boston Forward

Good thing Kevin McCale still has a job....I mean, that's a fantastic lineup...and nothing?

Ted Kennedy has a tumor?

On my way to the LA Times crossword (it rocks, its addictive, don't try it because you will get hooked), I caught the headlines that Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) has been diagnosed with a malignant glioma over the weekend in Boston.

While you or I may disagree with the man's politics, being diagnosed with a brain tumor is no easy task. I should know, I was diagnosed with one 8 years ago.

My tumor was an Oligodendroglioma, an apparently very rare (source - Brain Tumor Society) tumor that typically invades the cerebral hemisphere. While that time of my life was incredibly scary, and filled with nervousness and anxiety, I was lucky, my tumor was benign. I put my life and my faith in the hands of my incredibly skilled neurosurgeon, and he extracted the tumor. Its taken me a long time to recover, but I did recover....

...I hope that Ted Kennedy has an outcome like I did.

My heart and my well wishes go out to Sen. Kennedy. Good luck...and God bless...

Amazon discussion forums = wtf?

A random sample of hot topics at the amazon.com discussion forums....please keep in mind that I didn't search for the weirdest topics, these came from searches of the current books that I'm reading....weird shit indeed

from a search for "Crime and Punishment"


from a search for "Theodore Rex"


and finally, from a search for "The Global Brain"



its days like this that make me weep for the future.....

Coffee vs. Diet Soda....which is healthier?

I'm a caffeine junkie. I need my morning coffee, and I also need my afternoon coffee. Hell, if I have a team dinner after work, then I need a diet coke to get me through it. Since I was spending way too much time and energy staying juiced up, not to mention the cost, I decided to cut back.

So, for the past few months, I created and then refined a spreadsheet to track my caffeine intake. Most of the raw data came from "The Caffeine Database" at energyfiend.com....

This approach has worked well.... I've totally eliminated the evening soda, and switched to decaf green tea for the afternoon. But I'm still struggling to get rid of my morning fix. Which brings me to the following dilemma...which is better for me?

I've read about the nasty chemicals and brain tumors that diet sodas are known to cause....but they have way less caffeine than a small coffee from Starbucks (again, citing the energyfiend.com). So do I take the risk of ingesting these chemicals on a daily basis again, or do I start being that weird guy that orders 3/4 caf, and then 1/2 caff, and then 1/4 caff at Starbucks?

Don't Break the Chain

For the past month, I have turned to an incredibly odd place to stay on track with my goals....Jerry Seinfeld.

In his heyday, Seinfeld turned a simple calendar into a goal tracker. He wanted to keep writing jokes, and his idea was simple. For everyday that he wrote a joke, he would put a large X on the calendar. On days that he didn't write a joke, the calendar would stay empty. He turned this into a game...where he tried to create "chains", by write jokes every day for multiple days, and it became a motivational factor for him.

Since he's made a billion dollars, vacations on islands that only rich white folks know about, and hangs with Jack Donagy, I figured that while goofy, I might as well try it out.

So, head over to Don't Break the Chain!and get started. I set up calendars for my odd goals:

- Tracking my caffeine intake (I'm trying to quit drinking coffee)
- Flossing (my dentist loves me, I paid for her last BMW)
- Making my bed (my room is a mess, and this is a good place to start)
- Daily pushups
- Taking my vitamins
- Updating my blog

The site even has a widget that I put on my iGoogle homepage....its simple, motivational, and seems to work!

if you get a chance, check it out....or, let me know what tools you use to start on track with your goals.

Testing mobile blogger

Riding from Chicago to Minneapolis, so I decided to try out mobile blogger.

Sweet. It works.

Also scored a 64000 on brick breaker. Suck it.

Weird stuff on cars....

So today, I'm driving to lunch in my rented Prius, rocking out to some classic Led Zeppelin, and I see an interesting bumper sticker on the car in front of me....

I'm used to the normal bumper stickers:

- american flags
- bush/cheney 2000 or 2004, gore 2000, kerry 2004
- college
- honor roll
- jesus fish
- darwin fish

but this was insane...it was literally a Ubuntu bumper sticker. Seriously? you have that much pride in your operating system, that you want the world to know about it? That's like me putting a sandisk flash drive bumper sticker on my car.

What are some other equally ridiculous bumper stickers that you guys have seen?

New Subscription Options!

So I finally spent some time playing around with the various blog tools available on the web and realized that I wasn't even providing a proper feed to you guys. So now, using feedburner, I've got some fancy new subscription options.

1) RSS -> if you are subscribed via rss (google claims that 2 people are), then please update the feed to http://feeds.feedburner.com/nameTbd

2) Email -> I now have the capability to send out an email with my daily posts.

I'm pretty excited by the new level of geekiness on my site. Please share in this excitement with me!