Mad Men - Season 2

Wow, just wow.  I just finished season 2 last night, and my head is still buzzing with the finale.  Outside of any real shocks (no, I won't ruin it for you), the biggest thing that impressed me with the level of character development during season 2.  Being the main characters, I expected to see some growth in Don Draper and Peggy Olson.  The show didn't disappoint with Don and Peggy...but also provided some very remarkeable development of secondary characters Betty Draper, Pete Campbell, Roger Sterling, and Duck Phillips. 


I'm constantly amazed at the level of the detail that the show's producers put into each episode.  The trials and tribulations of Sterling Cooper reflect the paranoid anti-communist environment of the early 1960s.   You get a real sense of fear during the Cuban Missile Crisis within the show...e.g. "I can't see into the future as well as Duck can, but if we're still here on Monday, I'll discuss it then".  People were seriously thinking that the world was ending, and the show's characters accuractely reflected that turmoil.

Other political events that influenced the show's main characters....JFK's election, the launch of Sputnik, the civil rights movement, and growth of the military-industrial complex. 

Overall, I'm amazed with the quality of the show's writing and acting.  The sets are immaculate, the actors well chosen, and the lines delivered perfectly. 

Check out season 1 (available on DVD now), and season 2 (I had it for free with Comcast on-demand).  you won't be disappointed.

Bond...James Bond....

A few months after its release, I finally got a chance to check out the new James Bond movie...dubbed "The Quantum of Solace".

I loved the series reboot with Daniel Craig in "Casino Royale", so I went into QoS with some pretty lofty expectations.  I expected to see Craig brooding over his dead lover, and I wanted to see some completely impractical bad-guy schemes that will somehow end the world.   QoS only delivered on my first expecation.

I felt the plot was a bit odd and haphazard.  It was like the writer of QoS wanted to continue the completely awesome story of Casino Royale..but for only half the movie.  The first half seemed like a continuation of Royale, and kicked butt.  Once we get into the heart of the bad-guy scheme, the movie sucked.  We have this huge lead-in and buildup to some new bad guy group called Quantum, only to learn absolutely nothign about them. 

Bond kicks a lot of butt....gets at least 1 girl (did he ever score the "bond girl"?  my brother and I couldn't decide if they hooked up or not).....but doesn't get to play with any fancy gadgets.  He has a cool iphone-wanna-be, but other than that, nothing completely awesome like Pierce Brossnan's invisible car.

oh yeah...he also saves the Water supply for the Bolivians..  truly what british secret agents are trained to do......

btw - I just realized that I need to add 2 more books to "read in 2008" list - Casino Royale and Goldfinger.  They both rocked...read them.  seriously, save the 2 hours from Quantum of Solace, and read those 2 books instead.  you'll thank me afterwards

bored.....

What started as an obsession, has slowly turned into something that I no longer enjoy.  I started using google reader to find interesting blogs and stay caught up with the latest in news, politics, sports, and randomness.  but, lately, I'm not sure why, but I've been quite bored with the blogs on my list (yes - including my own).

Anybody have some good recommendations for fun blogs to add to my list?

India - What I learned...

Note - I started this post when I was still in New Delhi and Bombay. Now that I am back in the U.S., I have finally found some time to finish this posting.

I'm currently in New Delhi, India and heading back to the United States on December 20th. So far I've been to Udaipur, Jaipur, Kota, Ajmer, Agra, and Bombay (Mumbai). I've seen many forts, ridden on elephants and camels (see photos below), and learned a thing or two about how to bargain.

Instead of writing a massive post about my time in India and because there is so much to cover, I thought I would just cover what I've learned through my experiences in India.

I'm not going to rehash my first post on India, but the things I mentioned :
- Lack of personal space
- Chaotic driving
- Tasty Indian food
- Friendliness of the people

are still valid.

General Perceptions:

1. The sense of time is different than in the United States. What I mean here is that if an Indian tells you that the bus is leaving at 7am, then they really mean the bus is leaving at 7:30am or 8am. This does not mean you should be the one to cause the bus to leave late, but in reality, you probably aren't going to be leaving at 7am. At first, this is was somewhat difficult to get used to, but once I adjusted to "Indian Standard Time", (IST), I had a better understanding of when something was going to happen. I also noticed the sense of time when it came to ordering food at cafes/restaurants. In general, I noticed that Indians are not in a constant hurry and take things very easy.

2. Learn how to bargain. Services such as taxis, guides, and street goods have no set price. Instead, the person selling the service or product will start out with a price. You should then counter offer with a lower price. As I have spent more in India, I have become better at bargaining. I just wish I had known how to do it when I first started my trip. Of course there are exceptions to the bargaining rule, there are places that have fixed prices and some services like internet cafes and hotels where the price can not be bargained.

3. Everyone is a guide. Being a white, westerner from the United States, I stuck out like a sore thumb in a country of 1 billion people. Of course, people approached me claiming to be a guide, or wanting to tell me the history of a fort, park, palace, etc. I have hired three different "guides" while I have been here. Overall, the guides have given me alot of historical information. The problem is, the information is simply too much to remember. It would have almost been better if I just bought a book about each of the forts and then I could have read the information on my own time. I think the thing that made it hard for me to retain all the information is that the names are difficult to remember and pronounce and everything runs together.

4. Indian prices vs. Foreign prices. I guess I could have put this up in the "learn how to bargain" observation, but what I really mean here the drastic difference in the price of entry to forts and monuments for Indians vs. foreigners. For example, the Taj Mahal is 18 rupies for an Indian and 750 rupies for a foreigner. I understand that Indians probably don't have as much income as foreigners, but I saw this price difference at all the monuments. I also experienced this when bargaining for various goods. I was sort of nervous telling people I was from the U.S. because they might automatically think I have a lot more money and try to take advantage of me. One thing I learned is that if I shopped at the local markets (referred to by the guides as the "bad" markets), I would get prices that were fair and reasonable.

5. Bombay is not Delhi. Delhi is not Bombay. All I have to say is wow. Delhi seems more chaotic to me and there seems to be a lot more pollution than in Bombay. In Delhi, I saw a lot more animals in the street and really felt like I was in a foreign country than in Bombay. When I was in Bombay, I felt like I was in New York or San Francisco. Some of the things I really enjoyed about New Delhi were the narrow streets filled with various markets and bazaars, the smells of the vendors cooking their food, and the general feeling of not being able to find this anywhere back in the United States. My hotel was located in the main bazaar just north of Connaught Place near the New Delhi Railway Station. I would have no problems finding my way from the railway station to the hotel, but if you started me somewhere else within 5-10 minutes walking distance from the hotel, there was no way I would be able to find my way back to the hotel. I must say that on my last day, I took a city tour of New Delhi and warmed up to the city's sights and sounds. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed both cities, but if you had to ask me which one I would definitely visit again - hands down, it would have to be Bombay.

6. Being white == being different?! This was definitely a new experience for me. Granted, in country with about a billion Indian people, I wasn't expecting to find many white people. However, I wasn't expecting the type of reactions from seeing a white person. For example, when I was on the city tour of New Delhi, I was at a momument. A group of school kids saw me and some came up and shook my hand. They wanted to meet me. One of the people in my group told me they had never seen or talked to a white person before. This was pretty amazing. I took it all in stride and enjoyed the experience.

I can now add New Delhi and Bombay as major world cities that I have visited. I definitely have no regrets about going to visit India especially since I was able to experience an Indian wedding. (maybe if I had more time to see the rest of the country). Before my trip to India, I will admit that it wasn't on my "list of places" to see next. However, as I did more research about the things to do and see, I became more intrigued about the trip. I would definitely like to visit India again to experience the sights, sounds, and culture of the areas of the country I did not get to see the first time around.

I have included a couple of photos from the trip. You can see my entire trip's photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/morriswt

books books.....

holy crap, i read a ton in 2008.....here's what I read (in no particular order).  I'll try to add some commentary if I remember anything......

1. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - the semitrue story of an Aussie conman's journey into the infamous Bombay underworld.  fantastic book, and I look forward to the movie staring Johnny Depp
2. The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffery Toobin - A deep book that attempts to bring laymen into the Supreme Court.  Most of the case details went way over my head, but I still enjoyed the read.
3. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury - I picked this book up while stuck at LGA, and I regretted it from the beginning.  Tries to read like Dan Brown, but fails miserably.  stay away!
4. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell - Like all of Gladwell's books, this was an interesting read.  But remember to take his words with a grain of salt...he cites very little evidence, and the reasoning is a bit thin
5. The Beach by Alex Garland - Fantastic book about a backpacking trip gone very wrong.  loved it, still need to see the movie
6. Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin - written under a pen name, this book takes a fascinating look behind the Burmese junta.  As a huge fan of Orwell (and 1984 in particular), it was interesting to see where he came up with his ideas
7. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson - Disappointing follow up to his hugely successful "Devil in the White City".  Pick that book up instead
8. Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre - Came from way out left field, but ended up being my favorite book of the year.  Read it! Love it!
9. The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke - Fictional account of murder and theivery that occured during Katrina.  Nothing shocking, but an interesting and fun read
10. The Man Who Loved China by Simon Winchester - Interesting story about a fascinating man.  Some of the details went a bit too deep for me, but I still enjoyed it.
11. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card - The same story as Ender's Game, but through the eyes of "Bean".  I loved Ender's Game, but this one just fell a bit flat.
12. Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande - A great treatise for how to become a better person.  I need to reread this, because I can certainly become better
13. The Innocent Man by John Grisham - True story that reads just like his fictional tales.  Interesting book
14. Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk - Another tale by the writer of Fight Club.  This one dwelving into the murky world of porn, and i felt a bit disgusted by what I read.  Interesting, but so wrong at the same time.
15. The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright - Loved this book.  A history of Islamic terrorism from Egypt (circa 1925) to 9/11.  Read this and understand why these people are pissed at us!
16. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz - Hugely fun and irrerevent.  Check this out, I believe that this book won the Pulitizer Prize
17. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin - This book is getting lots of pub because Obama is allegedly using it as his playbook for selecting his cabinet.  Abe Lincoln picked his 4 biggest political rivals to join his cabinet, and they all served an important role. 
18. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris - Loved his older books, but this didn't do it for me.  skip it if you can
19. The Appeal by John Grisham - To be honest, I read this back in February, so I don't remember what its about.....i think i enjoyed it

I think that's all the books that I finished this year.  I definetly started some other books, but got bored with them......I'll edit this if I remember more!

Shoe to the head = progress?

Bush with some mad reflexes


If you've turned on the news at any point this morning, you must have seen video from President Bush's visit to Iraq.  Some Iraqi local journalist displayed his feelings on Bush by throwing his shoes at the President.

Bush, to his credit, first dodged the shoes, and then used the opportunity to show how this shoe incident is a sign of progress.

The CNN correspondant goes on to say that especially in Arab culture, it is disrepectful to throw your shoes at somebody.  This begs the question....which culture considers throwing shoes at somebody a sign of respect??

random links...Cihcago edition

corruption in chicago...why? [slate.com]

I hate ORD...now I know why....[msnbc]

Michigan Alum (and huge benefactor)...and Chicago Cubs and Tribune owner Sam Zell has fallen on some hard times.....2 articles about his downfall [the big money]  [slate]

lots of articles about the most imfamous Governor in America.....cnn, fox news, and google news have them covered.....

Happy 1000th Reader!

Just checked my google analytics (love that site btw) for the first time in a month, and we finally passed the 1000th unique reader mark!

When I first started this site back in March, I envisioned that it would be incredibly random, sporadic posting, and a good mix of interesting and semi-pointless articles.  Looking back 8-9 months later, I achieved all that (maybe too many pointless articles though).  I certainly didn't envision hitting 200 readers, let alone 1000 readers this quickly (or really ever).

Looking at the trends, I'm proud to say that while the bulk of the visits came from the United States, people in 47 different countries (Ethiopia/Pakistan really??...cool!).  

Just wanted to say thanks....and please keep sending me feedback, comments, or even ideas for future articles.  

 

Thanks again!!

Gov Blajo arrested!

Wow....you just can't make this shit up.  He tried to sell Obama's newly vacated Senate seat......while I hate how corrupt he is, you have to admire his brass balls.....

link - yahoo news

Hello from India!

Sharad asked me if I could get a couple of posts in while I am
visiting India. I thought I would share my initial perspectives on the
country of India.

Before I begin, I want to say that this my first trip to India,
however, I have been overseas before to New Zealand, Russia, western
Europe, Moldova, and South Korea.

A brief run down of my itinerary is that I will spend 17 days in India
spread across the following cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Kota, Jaipur,
Udaipur, and Agra. My primary reason for visiting India was not to see
the Taj Mahal (ha! I know I caught a few people off guard) but it was
because I was invited to an Indian wedding.

I arrived in New Delhi very late in the evening and the first thing I
noticed was the sense of personal space was about 2 inches. While
waiting for my bags to be unloaded, many people would be push their
way forward to the baggage belt. Now I should have realized this
personal space thing after going through the boarding process in
Amsterdam. I am not sure if Indians have any concept of a line and
pre-boarding but I think the personal space issue is directly related.

The second thing I noticed is the utter chaos of driving and crossing
the street as a pedistrian. Crossing the street is truly an experience
especially with navigating ie dodging traffic and any animals in the
street. My friend told me traffic is supposed to stop for pedestrians
not the other way around. I think this may help explain why rush hour
in New Delhi takes a long time to get through. There were many close
calls when I was being driven to Agra. If you didn't accept the fact
that someone else was in control of the vehicle, then the trip would
have been more stressful. I quickly accepted this fact and enjoyed
experiencing the sights of cows, camels, dogs, donkeys, and horses
sharing the road with cars, tuk-tuks, tractors, and industrial sized
trucks. You quickly learn that driving in India should be left to
those with experience. I myself am contemplating adding a line to my
resume that states "safely crossed the street in India as a
pedistran". Yes it really is that much of an adventure.

The final first impression I want to share is that the people of India
are extremely warm and friendly. They treat you like family, make sure
you are comfortable, and give you lots of tasty food. I myself have
enjoyed trying the different types of food. It hasn't been too spicy
either. The one thing I will say is that the food is somewhat more
heavy than what I am used to. The more food I eat, the more sleepy I
become. Also add in tiring activities like street dancing for a few
hours and it certainly makes for a good night's sleep! I have learned
a lot about the Indian culture from my friend's younger cousins. They
have been helpful in explaining what is going on or why an activity is
being performed. I have also learned a lot by observing how the kids
interact with their parents and older relatives. The kids are equally
curious about me and my western culture. Even though their parents are
a little concerned with their children crowding around me and the
groom's Kenyan friend from the U.S., neither of us mind it too much
because we learn so much from the kids.

Right now, I am in Kota for my friend's wedding. In the interest of
ending this lengthy post, I will save those thoughts on my first
Indian wedding and my Agra trip for a different time. I am also
including some random photos that I have taken (obligatory taj photo
included).

Hope all is well in the states.

Slumdog Millionaire - MUST SEE

Saw this little gem of a movie last night, and even though I went there with extremely high expectations, I was completely blown away.

This movie takes place in Bombay (Mumbai), and tells the story of Jamal, a slum dweller who's on the cusp of landing the top prize on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".  He's made it to the last question...and time runs out, so he's coming back tomorrow for the last question.

As he's leaving the studio, he's arrested by the police.  They think that he's cheating...there's no way that a "slumdog" like him could know the answers.  So they take him to the police station, and question/torture him through the night.  And that's where the action in the movie starts....

he's winding story takes us through his entire life.....from the famous Chowpatti slums in Bombay to the Taj Mahal in Agra...through Delhi, and finally back to Bombay.  He's lived a very hard life, and there's a story behind each and every one of the questions asked. 

The story and plot is extremely riviting.  I could feel the tension in every scene, and the entire movie theatre was hanging off every word.  Moving, emotinion, and tense.....fantastic plot.

The acting was also very entrancing.  I'd never heard of any of hte actors before, but they all played their roles extermely well. 

Music and Scenary...perfect.

The last time I was so connected to a movie was when I first saw Trainspotting.  No coincidence there.......same director :)

If you get a chance, or even if you don't have a chance, make the trip down to the Independent movie theater and see it....you won't regret it.

Great Write-up of the Mumbai Terror Attacks

Normally I don't recommend using the Wall Street Journal as a good source of non-financial news.  Reporting is typically skewed towards only the business impact, and the editorial section is litered with advice for President Obama from people like Karl Rove.

Thus, I was shocked and awed (yes - I still use this lame term....5 years after it went out of style) that the WSJ had the most comprehensive reporting of the recent Mumbai terror attacks. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122809281744967855.html

The article is chilling, comprehensive, and very detailed.   check it out.....

recoving a stolen ipod

so this morning, my friend Kate's car was broken into.  while completely sucking (they ransacked the interior and caused a ridiculous amount of damage), they also found her ipod in the glove compartment and lifted it.

short of buying a new one (or waiting for the insurance check), any tips on how to track down the stolen device? 

I wish I had the Fox Soccer Channel

I'm watching the UEFA Cup over at Mona's house right now, and I find myself really wishing that Comcast would add the Fox Soccer Channel to their lineup.....

i'm not a huge soccer fan, but I get really into the World Cup every 4 years, and for some reason, loved the Euro Cup last summer...there's just something about the passion of worldwide futbol fans that leaves me in awe every time.

so i find myself late on a thursday night watching a seemingly meaningless game between 2 teams that I've never heard of (Manchester City - note, not the Manchester team that you have heard of.....and Paris Saint Germain) when I could be sleeping.......weird, but i love it.

random links.....

Chicago = the new New York?  [ny times]

RIP Circuit City....yes, it was my first "real" job (no, that week at BK doesn't count!) [time.com]

How many Manny's are at your firm?  How do you manage Manny?  Do you let Manny just be Manny?  [fastcompany.com]

Detroit's loss in Washington = our collective gain??? [salon.com]

Confessions of an economic hit man [cnet.com]

The secret of Google's success....and yes, they completely rule my world [techcrunch.com]

random links...

the secret of apple's success?  [why apple is great at interfaces]

change is good!  here are some things that President Obama should change [business pundit.com]

with your help, my blog will one day appear on this list!  [top 11 lamest blogs]

 you know these, I know these......[the 100 greatest movie lines]

Michael Lewis (Liar's Poker, The Blind Side) writes about wall street.  its long, but interesting [the end of wall street's boom]

Movie Review - Transiberian

Having heard nothing about this movie beforehand....I was completely blown away.  intense, riviting, gripping....fantastic.

Rated a 92% on rottentomatoes, I picked up the last copy (of 5 empty rows) at my local Blockbuster and tossed it into the DVD player.

The story revolves around a married couple that is traveling along the Trans-Siberian Express train from Beijing to Moscow.  They had been doing missionary work in China, and wanted to check out Moscow on their way home.

They share a train car with another couple.  As the two couples become friends, the Americans (woody and jessica) suspect that their friends are drug mules along the famous route. 

They get wrapped into a sinister web, and somehow become part of a Russian conspiracy.  I wish I could say more, but I don't want to give much more of the plot away. 

While all of the actors (Woody Harrelson,  Emily Mortimer, Eduardo Noriega, and Kate Mara) do a fantastic job with their particular roles......Ben Kingsley (yes, Gandhi himself) steals the show.  He's listed on the back of the DVD as an ex-KGB detective, and the description is apt.  You never know who he's working with...is he a detective with the narcotics division of the Moscow police, or is he part of the Russian mob??? 

Dark, bleak, but yet stunning......this is a great movie to watch in the dead of winter.......check it out

rotten tomatoes profile

What Interesting Times We Live In

Sharad asked me to help him get the posts going again, so I thought I'd provide some perspective on the times that we live in and the events that are occurring.

While I have been pretty busy myself reviewing for the GMAT, planning a trip to India, looking for my next marathon, and trying to keep up with technology, this hasn't stopped me from being amazed by the historical nature of the events of the last six months. You might be asking yourself why the last six months should be considered so historical. I think there are two primary reasons why this 6 month period should be considered very historical.

First, for people in the under 30 age range, this is their first experience dealing with an economic recession as a working professional. The terms "bailout", layoffs, corporate losses, and market fluctuations take on new meaning. However, let me look back in time to a posting I wrote on April 12th about GE's earnings. In this posting, I indicated Wallstreet was nervous about GE missing its earning forecast and how this might indicate economic problems. Fast forwarding to today, I check GE's share price and it is currently at 16.36 down from the price of 36.25 when I bought into the company. I guess at the time Wallstreet was right to be nervous about perilous economic times being ahead.

In the past six months, we've seen various measures done to try and prop up the global economy. This includes everything ranging from coordinated rate cuts by central banks, the opening of the discount window to investment banks, capital investments in banks by national governments including a 700 billion bailout from Uncle Sam, the AIG credit line and loans, and Warren Buffet's investment in Goldman Sachs and GE. (Note: I just want to add even though Warren's investments are underwater at the moment, he still received a good deal and really his investments have a horizon of at least 5-10 years, and hopefully everything will be corrected at that time. :) ).

The problem with these measures is that they don't solve the fundamental problem that got us in this situation in the first place which is the creation of complex securities based on assets (eg. houses) with falling values. The problem is that currently no one knows how to value the underlying assets of the complex securities. These measures simply give corporations and the economy an additional 6-18 months to hopefully make sense of the true value of the assets and let investors get off the emotional roller coaster of the last six months. Personally, I don't agree with a lot of the measures such as lowering the interest rate, making capital investments in financial institutions, or picking and choosing which companies will be saved from failure, but I understand the necessity to have the appearance of doing something rather than nothing. By the time economy recovers, which who knows how long that will take, this time period for people age 30 and under will easily be compared to the Great Depression with the bank and corporate failures we've already witnessed and depending on how much the overall economy shrinks.

In terms of the economic problems facing the U.S, this also presents an opportunity to work together to solve fundamental problems such as the energy independence and the lack of infrastructure throughout the country. Like the Great Depression, massive infrastructure upgrades such as high speed rail could serve as one way to create jobs and benefit the economy. Another way out will be the encouragement of innovation in relation to energy independence. The government should be using some of the bailout money to provide incentives to the private sector to develop technology and products to help the nation become energy independent. We could also use this bailout money to upgrade infrastructure at gas stations to put energy friendly technology in place. This is something private industry and the current administration has refused to do. It is my hope that the Obama administration will lead the way on the efforts of infrastructure upgrades and energy independence, which leads me to my second reason for calling the last six months so historical - the election of the first African-American as President of the United States.

I am proud to say that I voted for Barrack Obama to be President. For those who know me, this is quite a turn around for someone who initially supported the Iraq war (Note - Two years ago, I began to strongly oppose our presence in Iraq and think we should begin withdrawing immediately.) The election of Obama shows that there are no boundaries left for African Americans to cross. It shows that Americans make judgments based not on how someone looks, but on what their ideas, beliefs, and values are. I think the election of Obama is also very much needed in this country. At time when the rest of the world views the US as a country that is not willing to cooperate towards a solution, I think President Obama will be able to begin to change this perception. Finally, I think that the country will benefit from a much younger President that is also trying to raise a family.

These are challenging times that we live in, however, the challenges also present new opportunities for our country. Our country should take advantage of these opportunities to upgrade infrastructure, become energy independent, and change the overseas perception of the U.S. If we are able to begin to accomplish these things in the next 4-8 years, then the process to partially repair the damage that has been done to our reputation and economy will have started.

random links...

I absolutely violate all these "blogging" rules....does your blog?  [10 mistakes that are killing your blog]

maybe the next book that I'll read....something about a guy starting with nothing and working his way up (no, his name is not Michael J. Fox) [scratch beginnings]

how will President Obama give back to old Chicago?  [time magazine]

i've been way too focused on the near future (business school)...maybe I should pay attention to the present [setting goals for the present, not the future]

for my single friends....the best cities in the world [matador network]

Moral Dilemma - Hold the Door or no?

This happens to me on a daily basis.....

I'm walking into my office building, and I decide to be a nice guy and hold the door for the person after me.  While I'm busy patting myself on the back, I end up standing there holding the door for the next 15-20 people that come after me.

How do I gracefully keep being a nice guy, but only for the person immediately after me?  How do I hold the door for one person, instead of moonlighting as a doorman?

thoughts?

My bad....

My bad.......

as one of my remaining and faithful readers pointed out this morning, I haven't posted anything (a link, a joke, a story, or even a picture!) to this site in well over a month......and for that I apologize...

I've been swamped at work and with business school applications, and as my stress level has gone up, my "fun level" has gone down....

but, starting today, I rededicate myself to posting random crap on here again!

I just hope that some of you have stuck around long enough to read it.

adapted from a Zen mindf*ck...."if a dormant blog starts to post again, will anybody read it?"

Why all the love for W hotels?

Yes, they are trendy and boast the Heavenly Bed.....but are they worth the price?

I'm in consulting, and my consulting collegues love the W hotel chain.  I've stayed at a few W hotels in the past (all 4 Chicago and New York), and I just don't get it.

i'm currently in New York for some meetings, and I'm staying at the W on Lexington, and while the hotel lobby is very trendy and "happening", the rooms are tiny!  I know that it isn't just a new york thing, because both of the W's in Chicago are the same. 

I feel like the room is a tiny little closet, I barely have enough room to pull out the ironing board to iron my clothes. 

What have you guys experienced at the W?  I love Starwood's point program, so I'm locked into the Westin and W, but just wanted to see if my experience was typical.

Streaming Jazz + Heroin = Win?

I'm working on my business school essays, so I'm listening to streaming jazz online (through itunes). 

I'm digging the piano, loving the bassline, and getting into the horn.....when it cuts out.  "if you need help with your heroin dependency, call 1800-xxx-xxxx".  wtf

is the online streaming jazz a popular market frequented by heroin addicts?  i'd think that they'd be out trying to score some more...instead of listening to jazz (and not even really "good" jazz) online.....

The web....in 2001

So, I'm a bit late to the game, but its come to my attention that google released an index of the web, circa 2001.

This is part of Google's 10th birthday celebrations,so not sure how long it'll be around for, but play with it while you can:)

http://www.google.com/search2001.html


If you search for my name (every one of you should, being loyal readers of my site), the first link (inactive) shows this:


The Mustangs’ four singles players though,—Allen, junior Ryan O’Leary, and
sophomores Matt Chua and Sharad Mangalick — played at their peak level during
the ...



Memories from high school, and earning a trip to the State Tennis Tournament :)  i used to be semi-talented in those day, wonder what happened to me

http://www.google.com/search2001/search?hl=en&q=Sharad+Mangalick&btnG=Google+Search

The MLB Playoffs and Advertising

why does every commercial break need a viagra ad?

People in public need to take showers

I'm at Einstein bagels, and the people sitting at the table next to me stink.  Its not a "I got drunk last night, and need a greasy bagel sandwich to sober me up" stink.  Its more of a "I didn't pay my water bill, and haven't showered in a week" stench.



its unfathomable that in today's advanced era of enlightenment, when one can vacumn without really vacumning (roomba), watches tv without commercials (tivo), or totes around their music collection in their pocket (ipod), that people would not take showers.  its so basic, its so satisfying.....just do it!

or....don't sit near me

Feeling more tired these days....

lots of reasons to feel tired these days......between:

- business school applications
- more work
- losing value in my 401k, roth ira, and personal investment accounts
- paying way too much attention to the news...and the wall street madness
- is America seriously going to elect John McCain??

So, to compensate for my lack of sleep (see above for the reasons), I've been drinking a ton of coffee and Diet Coke.  Not healthy, I know, but I have a huge deadline coming up, so I'm trying to make do with less sleep.

What else can I do to get more energy?  Drink water?  Work out more?  any tips for managing my stress for the next few weeks until I hit my deadline???

looking for help, anybody have answers?

Is this an episode of Dave Chappell?

For some reason, these never-ending bailouts are starting to feel like an episode of Chapplle's Show.

Of course, I'm referring to the episode where the US Government pays reparations for slavery.  The stock market goes nuts, cigarette companies, Kentucky Fried Chicken's valuations go through the roof.

Well, with news (link - Washington Times) that the current bailout is going to extend past AIG, Fannie and Freddie, Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks to now include the following....

- student loans
- car loans

are you f'n kidding me????  What's next?  Credit Card debt?  Debt owed to the Mafia???

Its times like these that we need a good Chappelle's Show episode to keep our sanity!

Restaurant Review - The Counter

I haven't done this in a while....both blogging and reviewing....so I thought I'm get back into it today....

Last Sunday, after spending the entire day at a coffee shop grinding out work, I wanted a treat for dinner.  Well, Mona and I were walking home from the coffee shop, and passed a place called "The Counter".  Intrigued, we decided to check it out.

Food:
Its a "gourmet" burger joint.  You get to build your own burger from their menu.....options galore!  beef, veggie, turkey, and chicken burgers.  sizes from 1/3 lb to a full 1 pounder (i had a 1/3 lb and was stuffed).

the food is absolutely fantastic.  awesome burgers....awesome sweet potato fries

Atmosphere:
The place is a California chain..and it felt like it.  Very laid back, very modern.  Had a loft-like feel to it....the place just opened, so it was packed.  I liked the vibe.

Extras:
Since we were treating ourselves....we both ordered shakes (vanilla and coke), and they were both great.  The fries were ala-carte, and great (sweet potato and regular).

Prices:
Its expensive. Like $10 for a 1/3 burger + $2 for fries. But, if you want a gourmet burger, you need to pay the price.

Overall - loved the food.  loved the vibe.  it was crowded, so the food took its time, but it was enjoyable.

We will def be going back there...and you should check it out.

Chicago - Lincoln Park
corner of Orchard and Diversey (one block west of Diversey and Clark).
http://www.thecounterburger.com/

I'm a road warrior....is that good or bad?

sorry for the lack of posts, I've been swamped at work, and haven't had time to write fun things on here.  I promise to do better this week.

so this morning, I just got a note from my friends at American Airlines.  even though I've switched over to Southwest for the majority of my travel, I still managed to earn Platinum (middle-tier) status on AA for next year :)

that brings my status total to:

Marriott - Platinum - already have 50 nights there
Starwood - Platinum - currently at 40 nights, will hit the required 50 nights shortly

American Airlines - flown 50k miles this year.  Unlikely that I'll hit 100k miles for Platinum Exec
Northwest Airlines - currently silver (low tier), unlikley that I'll maintain that
Southwest Airlines - I'm about 10 flights away from A+ status.  I should hit that.

So, now that I have the numbers out of the way....here's my question....

is being a road-warrior a good thing or bad?  I've been away from home for over 100 nights (if you include training, which I don't get points for)........and I'm sick of eating take-out and room service......

if you are in consulting, how do you escape this vicious cycle???

Damn it feels good to be a Banker!

Thanks sejal!

Back on the road for me....

It's been several months since I last posted on Sharad's blog. After getting routinely asked "Why I haven't posted anything?", I finally succumbed to the friendly peer pressure and agreed to post something again. Not that I have anything interesting to write about, however, I agreed to give it a go.

My last post was about how to finish a marathon in under 5 hours. Since then, I have been trying to run 3 times a week just to stay in good running condition. I haven't run any more races, but I'd like to try and get one more half marathon in before the end of the year. If anyone is interested in running and has a suggestion for a race, feel free to email me at morriswt@gmail.com.

One of the interesting things that I did this summer was spend a week in one of my favorite cities, New York City. I had a few objectives with this trip, namely, relax with friends, see the Billy Joel concert at Shea stadium, and hang out with my brother and sister-in-law. Because this is my 4th or 5th time in the city, I skipped all the touristy parts of the city and just relax. Even though I had seen the natural history museum and museum of modern art, I enjoyed seeing these again because the museums had changed things up since I had last been there. I tried getting tickets to David Letterman but didn't get in, however, my brother and sister-in-law did. I guess I am just unlucky in that department.

Each time I have visited NYC, I have made it a point to do some sort of crazy walk - even though I like riding the subway and getting to places quickly in the city. The crazy walk this time was somewhere in mid-town (sorry don't remember start of the location) all the way down to Battery Park in southern Manhattan. This was not just walking straight down one of the streets. It was a more of a zig-zag down to the park. In the end the total distance was slightly disappointing at about 5 miles, but I still enjoyed the walk and seeing the city.

I did get to see two new things in NYC that I hadn't previously seen in my other visits to the city. I decided that since both Yankees Stadium and Shea Stadium were being torn down after the baseball seasons ends, I better try to get to a game. I got to cross off my list the visit to Shea Stadium by going to the Billy Joel concert. The concert was absolutely fantastic. I am a huge Billy Joel fan and really enjoyed seeing him play live. The concert also had a number of guest performers because of the significance of it being the last concert at Shea stadium. These included Tony Bennett, Don Henley, and John Mayer.

I took in a Yankees game and enjoyed the sounds and sights of the game. One thing I did find interesting is that in the bleacher seat sections alcohol wasn't allowed, so I couldn't enjoy a beer at the game. I survived. I told my friends that the next visit to Yankees and Shea stadium would be when they decide to tear down the new parks since I waited so long to see the old parks.

So now to the title of my post…"Back on the road"….It's been nearly 24 months (September 2006) since I last traveled an extended period of time for business. I have enjoyed my time off the road - it has allowed me to train for a marathon and have a routine in Minneapolis. I guess I wasn't planning on spending nearly 24 months off the road, but hey that's the nature of the consulting business.

Two weeks ago I started traveling for an extended project in Seattle. Although my part on the project will only be a total of about 6 weeks, I must say it feels kind of weird being back on the road. I guess I have gotten used to my routine in Minneapolis. I have found it is a little harder to go running due to the project and team outings after work. I also have noticed that my alcohol consumption has greatly increased. - Yeah I am back on the road again. I am trying to get back on track and have run twice during the holiday weekend and am going to run at least 2 - 3 times a week for the rest of the time I am in Seattle.

I was kind of hoping that getting back out on the road for business would re-energize me. So far I have mixed feelings if I really feel re-energized or not, but that is a whole different post for a different day.

A quick note about my impressions of Seattle - this is a very clean town. Breathing the fresh air and the lack of trash in the downtown area is great. The downtown area is also somewhat hilly. It reminds me of downtown San Francisco in this way. I am staying downtown near the pier. I have gone on several 3-5 mile runs along the pier. I have also run by the space needle. I must say that I was under-whelmed by what I saw. You aren't missing much if you haven't seen it. (Sorry to all the space needle fans). I don't know if I could actually live in Seattle, although I am very much a city person. It has rained here quite a bit, but also there have been days where it hasn't rained. So it isn't quite as non-stop as some people would have you believe.

The public transportation system seems to be very favorable here, although I haven't used it yet. There is an extensive bus system and also several free ride zones in which you can ride the bus for - you guessed it - free. Maybe it's my liking to trains and subways, but I wish there were some sort of light rail system. I've heard there are trolleys but haven't found them yet. I do like the fact that I can walk and get exercise that way.

Well hopefully you've reached the end of this post, learned a little bit about Seattle, and had a relaxing holiday weekend.

Tim

random links

still recovering from the Michigan loss....so here are some links...

10 secrets of networking.....by Keith Farazzi [inc magazine]

sick CEO's.....as an investor, what's your move? [freakanomics blog]

10 reasons you aren't rich....[thestreet.com]

why bank online?  hm....free atms, higher interest rate, no lines.......once you've decided to move online, here's how to choose the right ebank (i use and love Schwab) [dumb little man]

wrapping up my olympic coverage:

who is the world's fastest runner?  (hint, it may not be Bolt) [freakanomics blog]

google...helping people win gold medals.  [tech crunch]

Ohio State - its ok to lose the BCS title game.. That, and more college football lessons from the Olympics [college football news]

Go Small/Shifty/Speedy Blue?

For year (sorry, decades) Michigan football has been defined by "3 yards and a cloud of dust".  Yost played by it.  Bo played by it. And Lloyd Carr played by it. 

Michigan football didn't win by style points.  Everybody knew Michigan's offensive playbook.....run off the right tackle.  Run off the left tackle.  If you get daring, short pass to a big bodied possession receiver.

With Lloyd Carr's retirement, and the hiring of offensive whiz kid Rich Rodriguez signaled a rapid departure.  In one fell swoop, Michigan lost its entire offensive starting unit from last year. 

Out
Gone are the 6'6 inch QBs with the cannon arms.  Gone are the massive 300+ lb offensive lineman.  And gone is the little bulldozer at Running Back (Mike Hart), who fought hard for every yard that he churned out.

In

- former UFC fighter Mike Brawis' ridiculously effective and efficient training routine.  Resulting in six-packs on the OL.  
- 2 way battle for QB between a redshirt freshman transfer (from Georgia Tech) and a former walk-on.
- running back by committee approach including 2 shifty and ridiculously fast true freshman
- 7 different people expected to get the ball from the wide out spot.  Almost all of them will see time at the slot.

So, Michigan was traditionally known as Big Blue.  Since we are no longer Big....does this mean that we're Shifty Blue?  Or, Small Blue (small, as in the new coaching staffs obsession with tiny players)?

My favorite is Speedy Blue.  Will it catch on?

Holy Shit...a new Band of Brothers

So I wrote about how Showtime might be overtaking HBO....but I may have spoken too soon....

HBO is currently in production for a follow-up to the original Band of Brothers.  It will focus on the Pacific theatre of World War 2, and is based on 2 books written by Marines that found in the Pacific.

Here's the kicker....according to wikipedia, The Pacific will be 10 parts (like BoB) and has a reported $200 million budget.  ridiculous.....ridiculously amazing

Is Showtime > HBO?

Oz, Six Feet Under, Sopranos, Deadwood, Band of Brothers, Sex and the City.........all giants in HBO's history that I tried to watch....

now, all they have is Generation Kill (a lame attempt to channel Band of Brothers into Iraq) and Entourage (still fantastic, but sick of the half-seasons).

I recently switched from a Marriott to a Westin hotel.  The Westin, shockingly enough, doesn't offer HBO.  They offer Showtime.

After fuming about the lack of HBO, I finally started watching Showtime, and I'm blown away by the quality of their original programs.

Dexter is creepy...creepy enough to get prime time syndication (edited) on CBS.
Weeds is fun....fun enough to rack up Emmys....and fun enough to employ Kevin Nealon. 
Bullshit is um interesting.....too libretarian for me, but I still enjoy it.

I know that I'm working with a ridiculously small sample here (3 hit shows vs. the HBO list above), but with HBO's major hits on the decline (both Entourage and Curb slated to end in the next few seasons), is this a changing of the guard in the Premier category?

Does Showtime have the ability to carry the torch?

random links...

happy birthday James Bond.....[bbc online]

since its convention time, a hard look at Obama's seemingly offsetting economic views [ny times]

everybody knows who Michael phelps is....he's the reason the Michigan ranked #9 on the top Olympic schools in the US.  here's the full list [forbes]

why does WR#1 keep dropping the easy passes, but making the tough ones???  Oh, he's actually Braylon Edwards (Michigan WR 2001-2004).  hate the naming conventions in EA Sports' NCAA Football?  Check these guys out.  [arstechnica]

uncovering issues at Apple seems to be all the rage these days. here's Slates's report [slate]

need to keep unengaged consultants (from PwC) and economists busy?  tie Olympic performance to esoteric economic statistics and see how they did.  [slate]

Lost Cell Phone

Since I was pent up at my apartment recovering from having my wisdom teeth extracted (a ridiculously painful process), I spent a ton of time watching random crap on TV.  here's some of the crap that I watched:

- frazier reruns on lifetime - yes, lifetime....that station has some crazy commercials for ailments that most men don't know exist

- old school Michigan football on the Big Ten Network. I love the classics, but I seriously think the BTN is in trouble.  Their only commercials are the PSA ads from Big 10 schools!

so between Frazier and Michigan football, I finally ran out of soup, and was forced to venture from my house.  Of course, i somehow lost my cell phone in a cab...

Now I'm back in business with a new phone, but this ordeal got me thinking.  How do you maintain your contacts?  In the old days, people used to keep rolodexes on their desks.  What's the digital equivalent?  Is there an easy, free (or cheap), scalable solution that people use?

hit me back with your thoughts.....

Recovering from wisdom teeth extraction....

ahhhh....painful, swollen, drugged, tired, hungry, thirsty, nasty......all of the above.

my jaw is bloated like Stewie (on Family Guy), I haven't had a coherant thought in 3 days, I've lost 7 lbs on a liquid diet, and my blender isn't working, so I'm stuck drinking protein shakes without any fruit.....

any tips for getting through this?

assorted links

I'm going to be out of commission the next few days (recovering from getting my wisdom teeth out), so this list is going to be extra long!

 The roots and Gym Class heroes in Chicago!  Any interest??? [live nation]

don't fuck with the Soviet Union..esp if you are Polish [reuters]

I've already read 9 of the 30, looks like some long reading ahead....how many have you read? [marc and angel]

Big Brother isn't the federal government, its your ISP!  [slate magazine]

bored at work?  see what you'd look like as a long haired hippe!  [tech crunch]

I love lists, so here's 4 good ones:

  10 rules for investing from a Merrill Lynch legend [the big picture]

  8 essential skills they don't teach you in school [lifehack.org]

   7 powerful ways to get the most out of any situation [zenhabits]

   5 reasons to write down what you eat [dumb little man]


Finally, confirmation (no matter what some rigged poll says) that the Michigan winged helmet is in fact the best in the nation [espn on youtube]

Using a List to Be Better

for some reason, i've taken a liking to Earl Hickey, and his "My Name is Earl" show.  If you aren't familiar with the show's plot, here goes:

- Earl is a thief that lives his life by scamming people
- He wins the lottery (scratcher) and gets hit by a car literally seconds later...losses the winning lottery ticket
- while laying in a hospital, comes across Carson Daley, and hears Carson talking about karma
- Earl decides that he wants to right his wrongs, and creates a list of all the things that he's done bad in his lift.
- Each episode focuses on the wacky adventures to cross an item off his list.

So, take away the fun backstory, and this show is literally about a guy crossing off items his to-do list.  I use my to-do list to manage my random tasks throughout the day.  The typical day has about 10 random things, from updating my blog,scheduling doctor's appointments, and now, staying on track with graduate school applications.  I get tons of shit from my friends about this ("My Dad doesn't even do that!", "lame.....what a geek"), but it helps me get shit done!

Now you have 2 examples (yes, 1 is a ton more entertaining and interesting than the other) of using a list to get shit done.  If Earl can use his list to become a better person (and earn some good-karma points), and I can use mine to stay employed, stay healthy, and get into a top-tier grad school (hopefully), imagine what you can do with yours........


once you decide to make the plunge, here's are good links to check out.  Some are overboard, but they get give you the idea....


building a smarter to-do list [43 folders]

Executing your to-do list [zen habits]

random links

Paging Dave Robicheaux!  This is the plot from the "Tin Roof Blowdown" [bbc online]

we already have the CIA, FBI, and mossad...do we really need a TSA secret spy service?? [msnbc]

more fakery from the Opening Ceremony.  The way things are going, a month from now, we'll learn that the Olympics never actually happened....[irish times]

R.I.P. album covers.....wihtout you, I would have never bought Nirvana's Nevermind [gigwise]

Right now, Blackberry > iPhone.  Here's how to keep it that way...[arstechnica]

More olympic questions.....why so few medals for India?  [marginal revolution]

random links

I want my startup to end up in google's empire...don't i?  [Slate Magazine]

what would you do if diagnosed with an incurable terminal illness?  probably not more than this guy.  [Putting Things Off]

Chicago isn't considered a very spiritual city (must be the Weiner Cirle).....these 5 cities are worth fighting for.  [Brave new traveler]

I'm not really pro-war, but this is pretty frickin cool.....[bbc online]

I want #16, 26, 35, 40, and 48.  Which championships would you want?  [espn page 2]

put down that book!  turn on the TV!  don't you realize that books are rotting your mind!!! [io9]

Insurance Companies believe in Michael Phelps....do you?

By now, everybody has heard the story of Michael Phelps, and how he's on pace to win an unprecedented 8 Olympic gold medals this year.  He's the main event at the Olympics, the golden-boy.  So I'm not going to rehash how incredible he's been (and yes, that is exactly what he is, incredible).

As I drove to work, Mike & Mike were discussing Phelps, and I learned something new.  Speedo, his primary sponsor and maker of his swimsuit, has a deal where if Phelps wins 7+ golds this year, he will earn an additional $1 million in bonus money.  But this isn't the first time that he's had this deal.

In the 2004 Athens Games, Speedo had the same deal with Phelps.  You win 7 golds, you take home a cool million.  That year, Speedo insured this deal, so that if Phelps won, Speedo would only have to pay $300k of the prize, leaving the remainder to the insurance company.  Of course, he went on to win 6 Gold medals, and didn't win the prize.

Fast forward to this year.  Speedo largely left the deal the same,  win 7, go home rich.  They shopped the deal around...and one-by-on....GEICO, Progressive, Allstate, Loyd's of London, etc.....all passed!  Now Speedo is on the hook for the entire $1 in the event that he shatters all 8 events.

so, if the bean counters and actuaries at the world's largest insurance companies believe in him....do you?

random links

A preview of President Obama's cabinet.  Fox News is ready to explode [link]

Is the downturn contained to only 2 sectors..[link] found via [abnormal returns]

This guy has earned his commission....portfolio turnover twice a day?  [link] found via [abnormal returns]

If you can train cops how to do their job, you can get a prison break [link] found via [fark]

Suffering from Tech-overload......see inside [link]

Even without Radiohead's score, Chuck Palahniuk's Choke is going to rock....[link]

Half Marathon Done!

I've written about running a ton in the past (click on the "Running" category link on your right), but I finally did it....I ran a half marathon.

My official time clocked in at 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 19 seconds.  Not a world record, city record, or course record by any means, but was still a significant accomplishment for myself......My average pace worked out to about 9:48 min/mile...

So, now that I'm done with the race, and my body has recovered, I thought that I'd share some lessons that I picked up along the way..

1) Registration is powerful - For years, I wanted to run a half marathon, but it didn't happen. I found excuses, told myself that I didn't have the dedictation, energy, or time, and allowed myeslf to fail.  Until I paid the $55 registration fee put the date in my planner.  All of a sudden, I found time, energy, and the will to train.

2) Find a plan - Ok, I'm registered, do I suddenly run 13.1 miles?  Of course not....since I had never run this far before, I decided to find a training plan online.  Find a plan, stick to it. 

Here are some links to get you started:

Hal Higdon - Official Coach of the Chicago Marathon
Runner's World Magazine

There are a million plans online, so find one that works with your schedule, and try to stick to it.  I used the Hal Higdon "novice" plan, and it gently brought me from running 3 miles to 10.

3) Listen to yourself - At first, I'd find ways to trick myself into believing that I was sore, so I couldn't work out.  Eventually, you need to find a way to differentiate between fake pain and actual pain.  Don't run if you are hurt....take time to rest.

4) Explore your city - Probably works better in the summertime, but I did the majority of my running in either Chicago or Tampa.  Unless weather forced me indoors, I preferred to run outside. 

In Chicago, I explored the Lake Michigan Coast, figuring out where the coldest drinking fountains are (no question....the ones near the Recreation Drive tennis courts), the best way to avoid mosquitos (don't run at night), and where the coolest boats are (Montrose Harbour). 

In Tampa, I ran along Tampa Bay, following BayShore Ave.  The sightseeing wasn't as scenic as Chicago, but sometimes I'd see some cool boats or pelicans. 


5) Have Fun With It - Running a half marathon is tough work.  From an evolutionary standpoint, the human body isn't designed to run long distances (yes, i just made that up, but it works..sue me).  Most people don't wake up and decide to run 13.1 miles, so if you are going to do it....then might as well have fun with it.  Load up your ipod with some cool tunes and enjoy the day. 

or, if you are a geek like me, load up your ipod with some good audiobooks, and get some "reading" done during your training.  I listened to the following books during my training:

- Shantaram -
- Team of Rivals -
- Snuff - (by the writer of Fight Club)

and at the finish of the race, I'm halfway through The Tin Roof Blowdown.  so yes, you can multitask and get some reading done while running.

6) Enjoy it - On race day, realize that you have trained for 3 months for this day.  So, line up with your number, and soak in the feeling.   If you need to walk, walk.  Stop and get water and gatoraid.  Talk to your fellow runners.   When its over, grab a great celebratory meal (just not at Old Town's Flat Top Grill - link), and bask in the glory of your race.


Looking back, I probably made a ton of mistakes along the way, but I know that I'm in much better shape now that back in May when I started training. 

Last point....your time is just a number that you will beat the next time out.  That being said, what's the best race that you've run in?  My next half marathon will probably be in the Jan-March timeframe, so any suggestions???  I'm not locked into Chicago, and ideally, I'd like to travel for it...and see a new city in the process...

I heart Hart

Found via a message board on thewolverine.com

Little Mikey Hart, the leading rusher in Michigan football history, is the little engine that just keeps rumbling to success.  He did it in high school, he did it in college, and now, he's starting to do it in the NFL.

link

I loved him as a Wolverine because he never gave up on a play, always took and gave a beating, and just flat out gamed.  Ultra reliable (until the Citrus Bowl), he talked a huge game, but backed it up on the playing field.....Since taking the reins as #1 RB as a true freshman, he was the heart and soul of the program.....


Glad to see him doing great things for Tony Dunge in Indy.....
. 

Indians at the Olympics

Lost in all the Michael Phelps / Lebron James / Kobe Bryant hubub is that the fact that 2 Indians have won medals already at this year's Olympics....

The first was Indian national Abhinav Bindra, who won the Gold medal in the Men's 10m Air Rifle Shooting competition.  Considering that I've never shot a gun, and almost all the Indians I know haven't shot one, I don't really think of Indians as proficient marksmen, but I'm working with a small sample.  Maybe Bindra is a sign of the changing times in India, where young desis are growing up dreaming of winning Olympic glory in the Air Rifle.

The other was Indian American Raj Bhavsar, who won the Brozne as part of the American gynmanastics team.  According to ESPN, he replaced Paul Hamm at the last minute, and helped the team take a surprising Brozne in the artistic competition.

Congrats Raj and Abhivav!

Book Review - The Beach

 Its been awhile since I've done this, but I finally finished a book!

The book was Alex Garland's wonderful "The Beach".   The book has been described as some sort of "Lord of hte Flies" for Generation X, but I disagree.

Its about a backpacker who's searching for the ultimate holiday spot, a beach that hasn't been discovered by other tourists.  By random chance, he bunked next to a dying man named "Daffy Duck" in a Thai hostel.  The dying man told Richard (the traveller) about a Beach that was beautiful, untamed, and an absolute must see....he even drew a map for Richard.

Richard, being the backpacker that he is, decides to recruit some other people to join him.  They find the beach, and becoming a part of the official unofficial beach clan.  Run like a commune, with rules, orders, and jobs for everybody, Richard and his friends learn to the love the beach..until they discover its underbelly..........can't give away more about the plot without giving it away....

The plot was absolutely riveting....a bit slow to begin, but once you get a bit into it, you won't want to put it down.  The author leveraged all 5 senses when describing locations, actions, and intentions.....you can really close your eyes and picture the scene (cliche in a review, i konw, but i'm serious)..

the pace...again, a bit slow to begin, but picks up nicely.  really short chapters, I almost felt like I was reading a book by Chuck Palahniuk (the dude that wrote Fight Club), but witty enough to feel like something by Kurt Vonnegut (and so it goes).....

overall, I really loved the book, and would recommend it to anybody that likes adventure stories and traveling.  I haven't seen the movie yet (starring Leonardo DiCaprio), but I would add it to my netflix queue (provided that I start an account with them first)......

random links....

raising money for a poilitical campaign is easier with a cute little cartoon......link

frozen fish?  why am i getting flashbacks from elementary school?  washington post

since reading a book about it, I've been fascinated with Burma...here's an first news update to come out of Burma since 1988....bbc news

I love my moleskin, but need to start writing down my goals...here's why....get rich slowly
    - an example of writing down your goals and doing well.....Inc. Magazine

Africa, where computers go to die....bbc news

Microsoft thinks that Messenger is responsible for 1/2 of all global IM traffic???  I'm shocked!, also, we are really only 6 degrees away from Kevin Bacon.....daily galaxy, found via digg

random links

need a spreadsheet.....visit here

paging Jay Sherman!  America needs its favorite animated critic!  found via digg

most gyms are gross enough....here's how to be better about it  - link

we already knew that jazz listeners were misfits and loners....here's proof

too bad real currency isn't made of nicotine...maybe my Altria stock would finally appreciate.  read about the underground market in POW Camps

Salon.com's "Ask the Pilot"

As a regular traveler, I try to keep up in air-travel trends.  From frequent flier bonus schemes, to updated airline security standards, its in my best interest to keep on top of all this madness.

So lately, I've started reading salon.com's execellet "Ask the Pilot" weekly editorial.  The author, Patrick Smith, is a commercial pilot for a US carrier, and flies a ton more than I do.  So, I find his rants and raves mildly entertaining.....

I was catching up with my pilot reading, when I saw his article about TSA insanity (link).  As a regular traveler, I agree that the TSA has become way too large, way too bureaucratic, and way too gestapo-ish (is that even a word?).  I've read about travelers getting their laptops seized as they cross borders.....apparntly terrorists haven't learned of data encryption and proper backup procedures....

Since its summer storm season both in Tampa and Chicago, I've been doing my part to avoid ORD like the plague.  It isn't too bad on Monday morning, but its hell trying to get home on Thursday night.  But, luckily, there's another option...Midway.  Flying from Tampa to Midway means Southwest, and it means going through the Southwest terminal in Tampa. 

For some reason, the TSA agents at the Southwest terminal (and only at this terminal, i haven't had any problems at the AA terminal) hassle me weekly about my saline solution bottle.  Since its considered a medical supply (being for my contact lenses, which I use to see), it isn't required to be less than 3 oz, and isn't required to go into the 1 Quart Bag of Freedom.  I get asked, "why do you need so much solution" (because i use it daily), "why not buy little bottles" (they are expensive, and its unsanitary to transfer from the large to the small bottle), "why not just wear glasses when you travel" (um, are you seriously trying to tell me what I can wear and what I can't?  where are your qualifications to give medical advice?  I travel every week and I like wearing contacts...deal with it).....i know that I'm ranting, but I'm sick of inconsistent madness that I go through on a weekly basis.....

How do you guys deal with outlandish airport security?  Do you remeber to remove your belt, cell phone, laptop, liquids (both medical and non-medical), dvd player, xbox, and shoes...and place in seperate bins?

Links...and a potentially new format

Back in late March, I started this site for a few reasons:

1) share the random thoughts that I have running through my head
2) become more comfortable writing my thoughts, and hopefully becoming a better, more interesting writer in the process

5 months in, I'm starting to hit a wall.  As most of my readers have started to realize, my life just isn't all that interesting.  But, I firmly believe that there's a opportunity in every experience, so I'm not going to give up.  I'm slowly starting my business school applications, so I'm hoping that I can vent about the frustrations that are associated with that.

In the meantime, I know that I spend more time trolling the net for random links and random knowledge than the average user.  So, I'm going to start sharing some of my interesting finds.  I can't promise that I'll update this on a daily basis, but this site would be pretty useless if I didn't update it regularly. 

With all that said.....here's my first attempt to share some random knowledge for the web!

for introverts (like me), learn how to diplomatically ignore extraverts....for extraverts, learn how to keep bothering introverts - via pickthebrain.com

i like tshirts...and I'm proud of my tshirt collection.  add to yours...$10 / each.....@ busted teas, found via bargainist

I would vote for a McCain / Harvey Dent ticket.....but I'd love an Obama / Lando ticket better.....what's your favorite?  - via film school rejects

want to see Fenway park?  Chicago O'Hare to Boston Logan for $173 round trip - via airfarewatchdog

a list of the greatest speeches in history...curiously, "This is Sparata" is missing - via the art of manliness

A potentially interesting read......a journalist's take on HBS

Over my morning breakfast, I came across this article (Back to School, Turning Crimson) in the Wall Street Journal.  Its a quick review of Broughton Philip Delves' Ahead of the Curve, an insider's perspective on the Harvard Business School. 

While there are numberous books written by HBS grads (their 900 large class makes this easier), this one is different becuase its actually written by a journalist that attended the school. 

I haven't read the book yet, but it may find a way onto my list......thought i'd pass it along.

Running Update

So last week, I wrote about my apparently inability to run 10 miles.  I'm happy to report an update...

After moving into my new place on Thursday, and spending Friday and Saturday getting settled in, I went for a post-move stress-free run on Sunday morning, and actually completed the full 10 (10.01 in total) miles!

Total Time - 1 hour, 23 minutes, and 58 second......an average of 8:23 min/mile pace.

I plugged this run into a race calculator (link), and it claims that I'll finish my upcoming half-marathon in under 2 hours!!!

Thanks to everybody that gave me support over the last week, or over the last 3 months...and helping push me towards this goal........

lifehacking.....

Lifehacking....

Computer enthusiasts effectionally wear the badge of "hacker" proudly.  Contrary to popular opinion, hacking is not breaking into other people's systems, setting off nuclear bombs, and crashing financial systems.  The hackers that I know use their knowledge to help find innovative, unique, or interesting ways to perform random tasks with technology.

From "overclocking" their processor to gain more speed, to "modding" their Tivo to hold a larger hard drive....hackers often find a way to gain productivity that was not possible under conventional methods.

An article in the Economist brought to be the popular blog Lifehacker (www.lifehacker.com) a few years ago.  The premise of lifehacker was simple, using the hacker ethics to work and life more productively.

My random visit to Lifehacker drove me into more research....reading David Allen's "Getting things done", to other sites like zenhabits, lifehack.org, and 43folders.com

As a result of my interest in lifehacking, I've become a slave to my "hipster pda"....a moleskin notebook and nice pen.  My friends have seen me writing in it, and I constantly write down to-dos and random notes to myself.

also, through lifehacking, I have become devoted to "better living through measurement".  I've started slowly, measuring my progress in jogging.  A few weeks ago, I widened my measurement net, and started measuring my caffeine consumption, with the ultimate goal of quitting caffine.  Once I get that under wraps, I plan on logging my food.....and hopefully finding peace with a healthier diet.

While I'm still not organized, and as my coworkers can attest, still incredibly unproductive...I'm making baby steps towards my personal and professional goals....and I thank lifehacking for lighting a fire under me. 

Some resources to getting started:

Online -
Lifehacker - my original foreay into this concept.  While it is more technology driven, there is occassionally a great article written there.

Lifehack.org - Doesn't provide specific systems for productivity, but I've come to rely on this site for interest quotes.

43folders.com - utterly devoted to David Allen's concept of "Getting Things Done".  newbies might find it to be a little too much, but, I like it.

Books -
"Getting Things Done" by David Allen
"The 4 Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferris

Tools-
Moleskin notebook - i know its just a notebook...but I love mine, and I'm completely lost without it...

Parker pen - yes, its a $5 pen, but since I knew that I spent $5 on it, the pen is always next to my moleskin

Quicken (or MS Money) - the ultimate for data geeks.  I use it to track credit cards, investments, and plan for my financial future.

I know that this list is nowhere near exhaustive, so....what have you guys found helpful?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Mad Men is blowing up

Season 2's premiere hit 2 million viewers last Sunday, which is more than double the viewers it averaged per episode in Season 1. link

I missed the premiere, so I'll have to catch it during their weekly reruns.

A quick recap of Mad Men's accomplishments, awards, and accolades:

Golden Globes -
Best Television Series
Best Performance by an actor in a television series - Jon Hamm (Donald Draper)

2007 Young Hollywood Award to Vincent Kartheiser (Pete Campbell)

2007 Peabody Award

Nominated for 16 Emmy Awards

(awards shamelessly ripped from wiki)

Stress, and how it affects my running

So, I've got a lot of things on my mind lately.....I'm moving in 3 days (i hate moving), I'm running a half marathon in a week, and this fall, I'm applying to business school. 

Of the 3 items, obviously applying to business school is the biggest, most daunting task on my list.  But, having gone through the process before (unsuccessfully), it still sucks, but hopefully shouldn't be as bad as last year.  I'm trying to keep it from crippling my life like it did last year....

Of course I've moved before, but I stil hate it.  It'll be done by this Friday, and I can cross that off the list.

The last item...the half marathon...is something that I've written about in the past, but its rearing its ugly head.  I've faithfully followed Hal Higdon's training program (its sweet, I highly recommend it.  get it here link), I've watched my diet, and I've given up drinking (for the most part)......so what's teh problem?  I'm still somehow pysching myself out. 

I've slowly progressed from a 4 mile long run up til a 9 mile run.  Last Saturday, I was set to cross the threshold, and finish my first double digit run.  I was out on the lakefront, finishing up mile 3, and somehow, I panicked.  That run was over, and I decided to try it again later on.

This morning, I was supposed to run the 10 mile run.  Mission - Failed.  Somehow, I've set up a mindblock that tells me that 10 miles is too much, and that I shouldn't be running that distance.  Of course, this mindset keeps me from finishing the training run, and keeps me from accomplishing my goal. 

Any tips from veteran runners?  how do you keep self-defeating thoughts away from your runs?

Coming Soon to an airport near you - Bud Light X-Ray Vision

Wow..just wow....this is the classic example of giving government an inch, and having them take a 100 yards.

First, the knee-jerk creation of the Department of Homeland Security.....then, removing laptops (in retrospect, probably a good move, but comeon..everybody has a laptop now, can't they find a way to screen for laptops without removing them), then, removing our shoes on the grungy, nasty airport ground...and finally, the whole liquid fiasco.

Now, the TSA has procurred a new scanning machine that scans you and "look through clothing to create an explicit silhouette of the traveler—showing shapes, folds of fat and other anatomical characteristics—to identify possible hidden objects."

Granted, I fly every week, so I'm a bit jaded by the TSA and travel.  Given the complete idiots that I see working in the TSA, I wouldn't trust them to professionally view this "graphic image" and make a judgement call about security. 

If I was selected for further screening.....call me old fashioned, but I'm going for the pat-down.  If they are going to violate my civil liberties, I might as well get a piece myself.....

read the full article here - chicago tribune

Sarah - thanks for the link....

The ultimate spreadsheet for Data Junkies

 

 Yale University is sponsoring a project to collect random economic and geographic data for every country in the world, with the hopes that this data can be used to do something (I've read through some of the pages, but am still unclear what the data can be used for).

but, they have published their entire dataset for the 1990 "gross cell product" (something similar to GNP) calculation....

its something to play with if you are bored at work, and want to try your hand at a little data manipulation...check it out - link

found via the big picture

Renewed interest in the Caped Cruisader

With "The Dark Knight" shattering box office records every day (will it shatter the all important Monday matinee record?), it seems like everybody is talking about Batman.  Heath Ledger was on the cover of more than a few magazine last week.  NPR ran a piece that dug into Batman's creation...with comic artist Bob Kane.

hell, even the History Channel ran a special digging into the Bruce Wayne psychology......very interesting stuff indeed.

Since I haven't seen the movie yet (Chicago's IMAX next Saturday, 1 pm), this revival is paying off in 2 ways.  First of all, it is much much easier for me to find episodes of "Batman: The Animated Series" online to watch.  Growing up, I had the perfect after-school lineup:

- Tiny Toons
- Animanics
- Batman the Animated Series

the second way, is that somebody just snagged my copy of the campy Adam West/Burt Ward Batman from half.com.  I've had that movie online for almost a year, but it took the Dark Knight to finally sell it!