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
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
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!
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...
If you are a fan of the show, this article is a good read.
Pretty cool to be quoted twice in a national newspaper.
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.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
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?
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)
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.
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.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
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.
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:
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!
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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]
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.....
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.....
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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?
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...
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...
Monday, May 19, 2008
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.....
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?
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?
Sunday, May 18, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
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.
Sweet. It works.
Also scored a 64000 on brick breaker. Suck it.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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?
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Essential Man's Library
Came across a very interesting (and thought provoking) post on The Art of Manliness.
Its a list of 100 must-read books for men. While the list (and site) is clearly focused towards men, I think the list is valuable to anybody (both men and ladies...boys and girls)...so please check it out
I went through the list, and it looks like I'm more well-rounded than I thought. Here's the books that I've read on it:
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
1984 by George Orwell
The Republic by Plato
The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger
How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
Leaving through the list, here's a list of books that is on my list...or that I really really want to read:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
The Art of Warfare by Sun Tzu
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer (Thanks Amish for this one)
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (loved the movie, one of my favorites)
Its a list of 100 must-read books for men. While the list (and site) is clearly focused towards men, I think the list is valuable to anybody (both men and ladies...boys and girls)...so please check it out
I went through the list, and it looks like I'm more well-rounded than I thought. Here's the books that I've read on it:
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
1984 by George Orwell
The Republic by Plato
The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger
How To Win Friends And Influence People by Dale Carnegie
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
Leaving through the list, here's a list of books that is on my list...or that I really really want to read:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
The Art of Warfare by Sun Tzu
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Into Thin Air by John Krakauer (Thanks Amish for this one)
Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (loved the movie, one of my favorites)
I am the most productive person I know.....
......over the past 24 hours.....I have done the following:
- Run 4 miles
- Write a 3 page essay for the University of Chicago Graduate Student at Large Program (fancy way of dressing up summer school)
- Write my 5000 character self-assessment for work. I used about 4975 characters, when I only needed 47 characters (I am amazing, and the firm should pay me more.)
- Did 60 pushups
- Ran another 4 miles
- Submitted my Chicago Application
- Submitted my year-end review materials for work
While the last 24 hours have been an outlier for me in terms of productivity, if I continue this, maybe I should revisit my goals.
My boss is all gung ho about climbing to the base of Mount Everest.
maybe i should think about that too....hmmmmm
http://www.mountainmadness.com/trekking/asia_base.cfm
- Run 4 miles
- Write a 3 page essay for the University of Chicago Graduate Student at Large Program (fancy way of dressing up summer school)
- Write my 5000 character self-assessment for work. I used about 4975 characters, when I only needed 47 characters (I am amazing, and the firm should pay me more.)
- Did 60 pushups
- Ran another 4 miles
- Submitted my Chicago Application
- Submitted my year-end review materials for work
While the last 24 hours have been an outlier for me in terms of productivity, if I continue this, maybe I should revisit my goals.
My boss is all gung ho about climbing to the base of Mount Everest.
maybe i should think about that too....hmmmmm
http://www.mountainmadness.com/trekking/asia_base.cfm
I'm back baby!
After realizing that I'm a complete fatass.....I ran 4 miles last night and did 60 pushups.
this morning, had trouble staying asleep, so I decided to run another 4 miles.....
I'm leaning towards registering for the Chicago Half Marathon to keep me motivated. If I can run 4 miles today, then I think I should be able to run 13.1 miles by early August...
what do you guys think? is there a better half marathon to run in the Chicago area?
this morning, had trouble staying asleep, so I decided to run another 4 miles.....
I'm leaning towards registering for the Chicago Half Marathon to keep me motivated. If I can run 4 miles today, then I think I should be able to run 13.1 miles by early August...
what do you guys think? is there a better half marathon to run in the Chicago area?
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Fish Oil Capsules + Sun = sushi?
As I've mentioned many times, I'm working on a client down in Tampa these days. On a daily basis, I take supplements....fiber, multi-vitamin, green tea extract...and fish oil.
Since yesterday was a travel day, I left my suitcase in my rental car. Well, upon arriving at the hotel last night, and unpacking, I discovered an unwelcome surprise.
The hot Florida sun had begun melting my fish oil capsules, and they were sticking the rest of my suppliments!
So all day today, I've been reeking like I held up a sushi joint....people on my project already think that I'm weird, but now I'm that "smelly weird guy" that apparently loves his sushi....
can't wait to get back to the hotel and take a shower.....
[edit] now that I think about it...I don't think having a tuna salad sandwich for lunch was a very wise idea either....
Since yesterday was a travel day, I left my suitcase in my rental car. Well, upon arriving at the hotel last night, and unpacking, I discovered an unwelcome surprise.
The hot Florida sun had begun melting my fish oil capsules, and they were sticking the rest of my suppliments!
So all day today, I've been reeking like I held up a sushi joint....people on my project already think that I'm weird, but now I'm that "smelly weird guy" that apparently loves his sushi....
can't wait to get back to the hotel and take a shower.....
[edit] now that I think about it...I don't think having a tuna salad sandwich for lunch was a very wise idea either....
Blasts in India
wow, just wow....
what is going on in Asia this month? Cyclones in Burma, Earthquakes in China, and now, a terrorist attack in India...
thinking of the people in Jaipur.....
what is going on in Asia this month? Cyclones in Burma, Earthquakes in China, and now, a terrorist attack in India...
thinking of the people in Jaipur.....
Yes, I am a fatass.....
Even though yesterday was a travel day (6:55 am flight to Tampa = fun fun day), I still decided to gut it out, and hit the treadmill.
Gutted out 2.5 miles in a shade under 22 minutes, and I felt great. Since it felt so great, it got me thinking....why wasn't I running more consistently? the weather is great....I love the feeling...so why not run more?
then it hit me, I was sick of my audiobook...and dreaded listening to it! So, I decided that while I'm sure that John Adams was a brilliant man, he was just not that interesting of an individual. he must have had too much of that Puritan work ethic and moral sense....so there was no scandals (like Franklin), so shades of brilliance (like Hamilton), and no eloquence (like Jefferson)....and nobody would confuse him as a leader (like Washington).....
So, I'm done with David McCullough's "John Adams". The book was too detailed about what I considered non-interesting aspects of his life...things like how many petunias Abigail wanted in their Paris house, etc. If I want to learn about John Adams, I suppose I'll have to catch HBO's miniseries
I've moved onto Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower". So far, its reminding of Tim Weiner's "Legacy of Ashes", which is a great book...so i like...
Gutted out 2.5 miles in a shade under 22 minutes, and I felt great. Since it felt so great, it got me thinking....why wasn't I running more consistently? the weather is great....I love the feeling...so why not run more?
then it hit me, I was sick of my audiobook...and dreaded listening to it! So, I decided that while I'm sure that John Adams was a brilliant man, he was just not that interesting of an individual. he must have had too much of that Puritan work ethic and moral sense....so there was no scandals (like Franklin), so shades of brilliance (like Hamilton), and no eloquence (like Jefferson)....and nobody would confuse him as a leader (like Washington).....
So, I'm done with David McCullough's "John Adams". The book was too detailed about what I considered non-interesting aspects of his life...things like how many petunias Abigail wanted in their Paris house, etc. If I want to learn about John Adams, I suppose I'll have to catch HBO's miniseries
I've moved onto Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower". So far, its reminding of Tim Weiner's "Legacy of Ashes", which is a great book...so i like...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Weekend Updates.......
So I just realized that I haven't updated my blog since Thursday night (or Friday morning), and for that I apologize. I try to keep this updated, and this was just a very busy weekend....so, this post will be to cover my weekend activities.
Saturday - The Second City - No Country for Old White Men
I hit up Chicago's famed Second City Comedy Club for their newest show, "No Country for Old White Men". I've been to the Second City before ("War! Now in its Fourth Smash Season"), and I love the place.
This show was built into 3 acts...the first 2 were mainly scripted, and the last was a bonus improv act. Of the 2 scripted acts, I loved the first one, and thought that the second had a bit too much filler.
The third act was fantastic, and I was literally laughing so hard that I was crying...
if you can, check it out, you won't regret it. Plus, if you go on monday night, its pretty cheap (like $8 or something).
Sunday - Into the Wild
Watched Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" on Sunday. Its about a guy named Chris who graduates from college, and decides to become a drifter and wanderer. He renames himself "Alexander Supertramp", and slowly drifts west from Atlanta, ultimately ending up in Alaska during the middle of the winter.
While I'm not going to pass judgment on the message of the movie (note - watch the movie for the message, its interesting), I thought that the movie was a bit drawn out. Penn could have cut about 15-20 minutes out of the movie without losing the message, but altogether, the acting was absolutely fantastic. If you watch this movie for any reason, see it for Emile Hirsch....he rocked in this movie!
Saturday - The Second City - No Country for Old White Men
I hit up Chicago's famed Second City Comedy Club for their newest show, "No Country for Old White Men". I've been to the Second City before ("War! Now in its Fourth Smash Season"), and I love the place.
This show was built into 3 acts...the first 2 were mainly scripted, and the last was a bonus improv act. Of the 2 scripted acts, I loved the first one, and thought that the second had a bit too much filler.
The third act was fantastic, and I was literally laughing so hard that I was crying...
if you can, check it out, you won't regret it. Plus, if you go on monday night, its pretty cheap (like $8 or something).
Sunday - Into the Wild
Watched Sean Penn's "Into the Wild" on Sunday. Its about a guy named Chris who graduates from college, and decides to become a drifter and wanderer. He renames himself "Alexander Supertramp", and slowly drifts west from Atlanta, ultimately ending up in Alaska during the middle of the winter.
While I'm not going to pass judgment on the message of the movie (note - watch the movie for the message, its interesting), I thought that the movie was a bit drawn out. Penn could have cut about 15-20 minutes out of the movie without losing the message, but altogether, the acting was absolutely fantastic. If you watch this movie for any reason, see it for Emile Hirsch....he rocked in this movie!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Overcoming Writer's Block
So I'm traveling back home, and I'm watching Six Feet Under (season 2, episode 5).
In this episode, Brenda decides to write a book. She doesn't know what the book is about, only that the book will be fiction.
Halfway through the episode, she flips open her little Apple laptop computer, and struggles to type even a word. In her head, lingering doubts appear....manifested in words on the screen. At first, the thoughts are semi positive "Go ahead, write." But then the nastiness appears, "What exactly do you have to say, that hasn't been said before?"
.
In the show, Brenda uses that as her cue that writing isn't for her. She dramatically closes her laptop, she's done writing, and we aren't going to mistake her actions in any way.
While she can do that, I realize that I'm actually in the same place as Brenda. As I've mentioned before, I applied to business school last year, but didn't get in. Since I'm most concerned about my GPA, I've decided to take a summer class at the University of Chicago to strength my application.
Unfortunately, in order to take a class, I'm required to write an essay. So, I'm like Brenda, struggling to type even a word. Its not the verbiage, or the physical act of typing words (I can type about 60 words a minute), but rather...I am struggling with "What exactly do you have to say, that hasn't been said before?"
So as I float along at 30,000 ft, watching Six Feet Under on my laptop, I'm asking myself...How do I dress up the typically application essay to make it compelling, interesting, and insightful?
Anybody have any tips for me?
In this episode, Brenda decides to write a book. She doesn't know what the book is about, only that the book will be fiction.
Halfway through the episode, she flips open her little Apple laptop computer, and struggles to type even a word. In her head, lingering doubts appear....manifested in words on the screen. At first, the thoughts are semi positive "Go ahead, write." But then the nastiness appears, "What exactly do you have to say, that hasn't been said before?"
.
In the show, Brenda uses that as her cue that writing isn't for her. She dramatically closes her laptop, she's done writing, and we aren't going to mistake her actions in any way.
While she can do that, I realize that I'm actually in the same place as Brenda. As I've mentioned before, I applied to business school last year, but didn't get in. Since I'm most concerned about my GPA, I've decided to take a summer class at the University of Chicago to strength my application.
Unfortunately, in order to take a class, I'm required to write an essay. So, I'm like Brenda, struggling to type even a word. Its not the verbiage, or the physical act of typing words (I can type about 60 words a minute), but rather...I am struggling with "What exactly do you have to say, that hasn't been said before?"
So as I float along at 30,000 ft, watching Six Feet Under on my laptop, I'm asking myself...How do I dress up the typically application essay to make it compelling, interesting, and insightful?
Anybody have any tips for me?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
And now rise....Rodimus Prime
Random internet links bring back random memories, and this one should be filed under the "way back" file....
I still remember hanging out with my cousin Sonu on Saturday mornings, anxiously waiting for Transformers reruns to start at 9:06 am on channel 9 in Minneapolis. For some reason, we weren't smart enough to realize that the show never started exactly at 9, and that the infomercial for Champion Auto Stores always ran over by 6 minutes, but still..we were kids, and we hated Champion Auto Stores every week because of it. To this day, neither one of us has ever set foot into a Champion Auto Store.....
So, back to my story, this is back in the mid 80s, and instead of normal reruns, we were treated to 30 min segments from the Transformers movie....so yes, we watched the Champion Auto Stores infomercial, just in case the show magically started early.
Now that I reflect back on the original Transformers movie, I think back to the wide range of emotions that this movie put me through. I remember crying when Optimus Prime died. Being happy when Daniel figured out how to use his jump suit to save his dad at the last second. And excited when Weird Al's "Dare to be Stupid" used a bad word.
But most of all.....the ending, when the punk (appropriately named) "Hot Rod" finds the autobot matrix, and finally reaches his true potential.....
well, that was a rambling story with really no point...but really only exists as a prelude to one of the greatest youtube vids of all time...enjoy, i know that I will
I still remember hanging out with my cousin Sonu on Saturday mornings, anxiously waiting for Transformers reruns to start at 9:06 am on channel 9 in Minneapolis. For some reason, we weren't smart enough to realize that the show never started exactly at 9, and that the infomercial for Champion Auto Stores always ran over by 6 minutes, but still..we were kids, and we hated Champion Auto Stores every week because of it. To this day, neither one of us has ever set foot into a Champion Auto Store.....
So, back to my story, this is back in the mid 80s, and instead of normal reruns, we were treated to 30 min segments from the Transformers movie....so yes, we watched the Champion Auto Stores infomercial, just in case the show magically started early.
Now that I reflect back on the original Transformers movie, I think back to the wide range of emotions that this movie put me through. I remember crying when Optimus Prime died. Being happy when Daniel figured out how to use his jump suit to save his dad at the last second. And excited when Weird Al's "Dare to be Stupid" used a bad word.
But most of all.....the ending, when the punk (appropriately named) "Hot Rod" finds the autobot matrix, and finally reaches his true potential.....
well, that was a rambling story with really no point...but really only exists as a prelude to one of the greatest youtube vids of all time...enjoy, i know that I will
Does your city have personality?
Richard Florida (no relation to the state of Florida) conducted a study of the United States, and some of his findings interested me.
Most people know of Chicago as the Second City, famous for the lovable losers (cubs), hot dogs, deep dish pizza, and flight delays at O'Hare.
Florida's study (again, no relation) shows Chicago as generally extroverted, slightly agreeable, and not open to new experiences at all. Also, while New York is off the charts in terms of being neurotic, Chicago displays none of this.
also, more women than men in Chicago...good ratio....gotta love that
Check out the Boston Globe's writeup here.
I found this via chicagoist.com, and here's a link to the maps to play with.....they are quite fascinating
Most people know of Chicago as the Second City, famous for the lovable losers (cubs), hot dogs, deep dish pizza, and flight delays at O'Hare.
Florida's study (again, no relation) shows Chicago as generally extroverted, slightly agreeable, and not open to new experiences at all. Also, while New York is off the charts in terms of being neurotic, Chicago displays none of this.
also, more women than men in Chicago...good ratio....gotta love that
Check out the Boston Globe's writeup here.
I found this via chicagoist.com, and here's a link to the maps to play with.....they are quite fascinating
Orlando Turdburgers?
taken from wiki, which has sense been cleansed. lesson learned - don't mess with wiki.
edit - got the original link from Amish, but he wasn't handy with the steal....
Radiohead @ Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa
First outdoor show of the year!
Last night, I went to the Ford Amphitheater, at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. It was a little odd going alone, but I had a great time.
Doors opened at 6:30, with the opening act (The Liars) starting around 7. I arrived around 7:15, so I missed part of their show. They were loud and energetic, but I didn't dig them....good effort though.
Radiohead took the stage around 8, and I was blown away by their visual show. My pictures (see below) don't really do them justice, but it was quite amazing. I've seen Radiohead before, but this band is made to be seen outside.
The band sounds fantastic live, no drop off from their produced albums and their live show. They don't visit this side of the pond very often, so def check them out if they show up in your town!
Last night, I went to the Ford Amphitheater, at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. It was a little odd going alone, but I had a great time.
Doors opened at 6:30, with the opening act (The Liars) starting around 7. I arrived around 7:15, so I missed part of their show. They were loud and energetic, but I didn't dig them....good effort though.
Radiohead took the stage around 8, and I was blown away by their visual show. My pictures (see below) don't really do them justice, but it was quite amazing. I've seen Radiohead before, but this band is made to be seen outside.
The band sounds fantastic live, no drop off from their produced albums and their live show. They don't visit this side of the pond very often, so def check them out if they show up in your town!
12 hour difference?
i just noticed that my last 2 posts were posted exactly 12 hours apart....i really need to get more sleep....
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Step away from the monitor John King!
So I'm a bit of a political junkie, and while I haven't posted about the race yet, I've been trying to follow it at arm's length.
I got back from the Radiohead show in Tampa (more on this tomorrow), and turned on CNN, fully expecting that Obama wins big in North Carolina, and Hillary wins big in Indiana.
Of my 2 predictions, Obama actually did win big in North Carolina. So now, its almost 1 am EST, and I'm stuck watching CNN to see what's going on in Lake County, Indiana.
I tried to turn the tv off and sleep, but I just can't....so inevitably, I turn the tv back on. For the 90 minutes that I've been going through this, CNN has shown a split screen, with Larry King and Cooper Anderson on one side, and John King on the other. Normally, I'd be fine with this, but John King has been playing with the fancy monitor like he's playing xbox.
zooming in, zooming out, drawing random lines, clicking buttons, turning google earth on and off....its distracting! I'm fine with him playing around (I would be too), but does CNN need to keep the camera on him?
I got back from the Radiohead show in Tampa (more on this tomorrow), and turned on CNN, fully expecting that Obama wins big in North Carolina, and Hillary wins big in Indiana.
Of my 2 predictions, Obama actually did win big in North Carolina. So now, its almost 1 am EST, and I'm stuck watching CNN to see what's going on in Lake County, Indiana.
I tried to turn the tv off and sleep, but I just can't....so inevitably, I turn the tv back on. For the 90 minutes that I've been going through this, CNN has shown a split screen, with Larry King and Cooper Anderson on one side, and John King on the other. Normally, I'd be fine with this, but John King has been playing with the fancy monitor like he's playing xbox.
zooming in, zooming out, drawing random lines, clicking buttons, turning google earth on and off....its distracting! I'm fine with him playing around (I would be too), but does CNN need to keep the camera on him?
Bad Breath in Florida?
yes, I felt weird taking this picture, but it needed to be done. What is up with the industrial strength Listerine in the bathrooms at my client? Is dental hygiene that bad in Florida that this is required?
New location....same great service
Just took the plunge, and purchased www.sharadmangalick.com
I'm working on a site redesign, and will hopefully launch that soon.
I'm about a month into this whole blogging thing, and I'd appreciate any feedback. What am I doing right (probably nothing)? What am I doing wrong (everything)? What types of content would you like to see?
I'd like this site to be more than just my random thoughts. While I will still continue to share my random thoughts, I also am trying to provide a valuable/funny/interesting site for my readers. So, comments, feedback, and thoughts would be very greatly appreciated!
Thanks again for giving me the confidence to keep this new hobby going!
I'm working on a site redesign, and will hopefully launch that soon.
I'm about a month into this whole blogging thing, and I'd appreciate any feedback. What am I doing right (probably nothing)? What am I doing wrong (everything)? What types of content would you like to see?
I'd like this site to be more than just my random thoughts. While I will still continue to share my random thoughts, I also am trying to provide a valuable/funny/interesting site for my readers. So, comments, feedback, and thoughts would be very greatly appreciated!
Thanks again for giving me the confidence to keep this new hobby going!
Monday, May 5, 2008
Madden Nation
Really? A tv show about a video game?
As a society, have we run out of ideas for tv shows?
Granted, its on ESPN, who's idea of original programming is Poker, but isn't there some sport that they can be covering instead of kids play John Madden's Football on xbox 360?
a quick scan of sports that are still in the middle of their season:
- Major League Baseball
- College Baseball
- College Softball
- College lacrosse
- NBA playoffs
- NHL playoffs
- Nascar
- Golf (men's and women's)
- Tennis (men's and women's)
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Major League Soccer
- Futbol from around the world
- cricket
- curling
actually, I have no idea if curling has seasons or not, but I know that it'd be a hell of a lot more entertaining than "Madden Nation"
As a society, have we run out of ideas for tv shows?
Granted, its on ESPN, who's idea of original programming is Poker, but isn't there some sport that they can be covering instead of kids play John Madden's Football on xbox 360?
a quick scan of sports that are still in the middle of their season:
- Major League Baseball
- College Baseball
- College Softball
- College lacrosse
- NBA playoffs
- NHL playoffs
- Nascar
- Golf (men's and women's)
- Tennis (men's and women's)
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Major League Soccer
- Futbol from around the world
- cricket
- curling
actually, I have no idea if curling has seasons or not, but I know that it'd be a hell of a lot more entertaining than "Madden Nation"
Terrible, but Necessary - Who would you let die???
A bunch of influential doctors took a break from their golf and came up with a very interesting list of the people that they'd leave behind in the event of a disaster.
With the events in Burma / Myanmar unfolding today, this list is incredibly timely. Here's a quick rundown:
- Older than 85.
- Suffering from severe trauma
- Mentally impaired
It is lists like these that validate my decision to stay away from Medical School. While these doctors are creating checklists to maximize the number of lives saved, I'm making checklists to ensure that documents are printed in landscape.
Since I'm not in charge (nobody is stupid enough to put me in charge), here's my list of people that I'd be forced to leave behind:
- physically impaired (unable to walk or move without assistance)
- mentally impaired (unable to follow directions or help out)
clearly from my list, I don't believe in age discrimination, or disability discrimination.....but, if you had to play God, who would you leave behind?
note - post tagged with "being good" because we are trying to save the most lives, which I would consider a good act.
With the events in Burma / Myanmar unfolding today, this list is incredibly timely. Here's a quick rundown:
- Older than 85.
- Suffering from severe trauma
- Mentally impaired
It is lists like these that validate my decision to stay away from Medical School. While these doctors are creating checklists to maximize the number of lives saved, I'm making checklists to ensure that documents are printed in landscape.
Since I'm not in charge (nobody is stupid enough to put me in charge), here's my list of people that I'd be forced to leave behind:
- physically impaired (unable to walk or move without assistance)
- mentally impaired (unable to follow directions or help out)
clearly from my list, I don't believe in age discrimination, or disability discrimination.....but, if you had to play God, who would you leave behind?
note - post tagged with "being good" because we are trying to save the most lives, which I would consider a good act.
Great Sports Story
http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8091708
I am a sucker for good sports stories, and this is one of the best I have seen all year. Don't hold back the tears. Let them flow.
I am a sucker for good sports stories, and this is one of the best I have seen all year. Don't hold back the tears. Let them flow.
New NIN album...free!
Head over to nin.com to grab the new Nine Inch Nails album for free!
I haven't grabbed it yet, but I'm going to grab it soon.....
I haven't grabbed it yet, but I'm going to grab it soon.....
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Lyrics Born - Everywhere at once
Ever since catching the diet coke commercial featuring Adrien Brody, I've tried to keep up with the smooth-talking, East Bay based Lyrics Born.
His newest album "Everywhere at Once" continues on the Arrested Development tradition of combining a smooth lyric delivery with jazzy, funky, and yet oddly interesting beats. Similar to Arrested Development (the artist, not the hilarious show), Lyrics Born continues to use his words to preach the gospel of non-violence, stay away from drugs, and continue to work towards success. His smooth delivery keeps things interesting, and he's a very good storyteller. I like how he varies his delivery speed, and is able to flow as quick as Busta Rhymes when needed.
While the album is definitively interesting, I'm still not completely sold on it. Almost all the tracks mismatch the main chorus with the rest of his flow, and I feel like he's do a better job by getting rid of the majority of the choruses.
If you can, check out "I Can't Decide" and "Don't Change", the best tracks on the album (in my opinion). Of course, since I'm a huge fan of Lyrics Born, check out the entire album, and let me know what you think...
His newest album "Everywhere at Once" continues on the Arrested Development tradition of combining a smooth lyric delivery with jazzy, funky, and yet oddly interesting beats. Similar to Arrested Development (the artist, not the hilarious show), Lyrics Born continues to use his words to preach the gospel of non-violence, stay away from drugs, and continue to work towards success. His smooth delivery keeps things interesting, and he's a very good storyteller. I like how he varies his delivery speed, and is able to flow as quick as Busta Rhymes when needed.
While the album is definitively interesting, I'm still not completely sold on it. Almost all the tracks mismatch the main chorus with the rest of his flow, and I feel like he's do a better job by getting rid of the majority of the choruses.
If you can, check out "I Can't Decide" and "Don't Change", the best tracks on the album (in my opinion). Of course, since I'm a huge fan of Lyrics Born, check out the entire album, and let me know what you think...
Friday, May 2, 2008
California Visit - Haas School of Business
Will write out a more thoughtful review of my visit later, but wanted to post some of my pictures.
April Running......
Another month down, another 44.42 miles closer to my goal 500 miles in 2008.
While my March average pace (8:46 minutes/mile) stayed unchanged for April, my mileage actually went down this month.
Some highlights from the April workouts...
First road race - the Wrigley Start Early 10K.
6.2 miles in 54 minutes. I was sore before and after the race, but it still felt good to cross the finish line.
Second road race - the American Brain Tumor 5K Path to Progress
3.1 miles in 26:32, which amounted to an 8:34 min/mile pace, a new personal record :)
To make up for the lack of mileage, I started incorporating pushups and crunches into my routine. Starting with only 20 pushups (2x10) per day, I'm now up to 48 / day (3x15, 1x as many as possible)....and i'm still working my way up. My goal with pushups is to crank out 5 sets of 50 pushups without breaking a sweet. Call me crazy, but I want to do this by the end of summer.
While my March average pace (8:46 minutes/mile) stayed unchanged for April, my mileage actually went down this month.
Some highlights from the April workouts...
First road race - the Wrigley Start Early 10K.
6.2 miles in 54 minutes. I was sore before and after the race, but it still felt good to cross the finish line.
Second road race - the American Brain Tumor 5K Path to Progress
3.1 miles in 26:32, which amounted to an 8:34 min/mile pace, a new personal record :)
To make up for the lack of mileage, I started incorporating pushups and crunches into my routine. Starting with only 20 pushups (2x10) per day, I'm now up to 48 / day (3x15, 1x as many as possible)....and i'm still working my way up. My goal with pushups is to crank out 5 sets of 50 pushups without breaking a sweet. Call me crazy, but I want to do this by the end of summer.
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