As an elite business traveler, there is one feature that I would absolutely switch airlines over.
If an airline provided a seating chart to its elite travelers that showed the location of all the babies. That way, I could (as an elite traveler) pick a seat furthest away from them..and could get to work well rested :)
I know that I'm being picky, but this morning's flight was painful. 2 crying babies right behind me = no sleep.....
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Book Review - Thunderstruck
Just finished Erik Larson's "Thunderstruck", and I was significantly underwhelmed by it. I loved his earlier "Devil in the White City", and he seems to follow a very similar plot line in this novel. First an innovative product/fair, and a gruesome murder, and then tie the 2 together.
The formula worked in "devil" because of a few things:
(1) The Chicago World's Fair was a much more interesting story than Marconi's wireless kit.
(2) The murderer actually worked within the Chicago World's Fair....so the book was more integrated
(3) Dr. Crippen's murder was pretty bland...
so, if you are really into your Marconi set....or, really into post-Jack the Ripper London....then check this book out. Otherwise, pick up Devil in the White City...its a far superior book in every way!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
How will Kevin McHale mess up the draft?
Growing up as a Timberwolves fan in Minnesota, I grew accustomed to watching the Twolves through away their lottery picks.
Here's a rundown of the franchise lottery history:
1989 - Pooh Richardson
1990 - Felton Spensor
1991 - Luc Longley
1992 - Christian Laettner
1993 - Isaiah "J.R" Rider
1994 - Donyell Marshall
1995 - Kevin Garnett
1996 - Ray Allen (traded to Milwaukee for Stephen Marbury on draft day)
1999 - Wally Szczcerbiak
2005 - Rashad McCants
2006 - Brandon Roy
2007 - Corey Brewer
So, ignoring the 1 great pick (KG), what else has the franchise done on draft day? We could have paired up KG with one of the greatest pure shooters of all time (Ray Allen), but instead, traded him for the ultimate headache (Marbury). Also, keep in mind the great Joe Smith debacle. Signing an illegal deal for the career journeyman, which stripped the Twolves of 5 draft picks...most likely 5 lottery choices.
With reports that the Miami Heat are high on OJ Mayo, and not that high on Michael Beasley, Kevin McHale should be working on a draft day deal to grab Mayo, send him to Miami for Beasley.
Instead, here's what I think he'll do:
1) Draft and keep Mayo - you don't want a guy like OJ Mayo in Minneapolis. He'll leave in 3 years.
2) Draft an unknown foreign player, and then keep him in his home country for a few years.
3) Grab a soft inside defender like Brooke Lopez - great guy, total goofball....but not tough inside. the wolves need an inside presence
4) overspending on a Kevin Love / Joe Alexander. Both are great players...both should be in a Minnesota uniform....but both are not worth the #3 pick.
Can Kevin McHale find a way to leverage his #3 pick into soemthing worthwhile....or, will we be watching the pingpong balls during the next playoffs?
Here's a rundown of the franchise lottery history:
1989 - Pooh Richardson
1990 - Felton Spensor
1991 - Luc Longley
1992 - Christian Laettner
1993 - Isaiah "J.R" Rider
1994 - Donyell Marshall
1995 - Kevin Garnett
1996 - Ray Allen (traded to Milwaukee for Stephen Marbury on draft day)
1999 - Wally Szczcerbiak
2005 - Rashad McCants
2006 - Brandon Roy
2007 - Corey Brewer
So, ignoring the 1 great pick (KG), what else has the franchise done on draft day? We could have paired up KG with one of the greatest pure shooters of all time (Ray Allen), but instead, traded him for the ultimate headache (Marbury). Also, keep in mind the great Joe Smith debacle. Signing an illegal deal for the career journeyman, which stripped the Twolves of 5 draft picks...most likely 5 lottery choices.
With reports that the Miami Heat are high on OJ Mayo, and not that high on Michael Beasley, Kevin McHale should be working on a draft day deal to grab Mayo, send him to Miami for Beasley.
Instead, here's what I think he'll do:
1) Draft and keep Mayo - you don't want a guy like OJ Mayo in Minneapolis. He'll leave in 3 years.
2) Draft an unknown foreign player, and then keep him in his home country for a few years.
3) Grab a soft inside defender like Brooke Lopez - great guy, total goofball....but not tough inside. the wolves need an inside presence
4) overspending on a Kevin Love / Joe Alexander. Both are great players...both should be in a Minnesota uniform....but both are not worth the #3 pick.
Can Kevin McHale find a way to leverage his #3 pick into soemthing worthwhile....or, will we be watching the pingpong balls during the next playoffs?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Go Turks! (and no, I'm not talking about Chris Turk)
so with today's futbol match between the heavily favored Germans and the injured/crippled/suspended Turks, I felt that it was a good time to post a movie review for the German/Turkish movie Auf der anderen Seite (The Edge of Heaven).
The movie tells a story in an intense, non-linear fashion....very much like Pulp Fiction or Memento. Its about the search for a Turkish girl. Her mother was a prostitute in Germany, but was murdered by a Turkish national in Germany. The national's son feels the need to compensate the girl, so he voyages to Istanbul to find her....
While that brief synopsis doesn't do the movie justice, its the best that I can do without giving away too much of the plot. Beyond the actual story itself, the timing, pacing, and imagery presented by Fatih Akin (the director) is incredible.
Interweaving scenes from Istanbul, Berlin, and Bonn.....from Turkish, to English, to German....he manages to captivate the viewer into caring about this girl and her dead prostitute mother....
If you are in the mood for a good "thinking" movie, don't mind reading the dialogue (no dubbing....read the subtitles people!), and have a few hours to spare...check it out.....
you'll walk away from it, better for having seen it.....its that good.
The movie tells a story in an intense, non-linear fashion....very much like Pulp Fiction or Memento. Its about the search for a Turkish girl. Her mother was a prostitute in Germany, but was murdered by a Turkish national in Germany. The national's son feels the need to compensate the girl, so he voyages to Istanbul to find her....
While that brief synopsis doesn't do the movie justice, its the best that I can do without giving away too much of the plot. Beyond the actual story itself, the timing, pacing, and imagery presented by Fatih Akin (the director) is incredible.
Interweaving scenes from Istanbul, Berlin, and Bonn.....from Turkish, to English, to German....he manages to captivate the viewer into caring about this girl and her dead prostitute mother....
If you are in the mood for a good "thinking" movie, don't mind reading the dialogue (no dubbing....read the subtitles people!), and have a few hours to spare...check it out.....
you'll walk away from it, better for having seen it.....its that good.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Still using AOL?
I'm a huge college football junkie...so when there's an article on espn.com about college football, I'll read it.
The article was Pat Forde's thoughts on the upcoming season...and was a pretty standard article, nothing too shocking in it.
until I got to the end....
Really Forde? Aol.com ? I haven't received an AOL cd in a long time.....so I figured that they stopped operating.....
can somebody send this guy a gmail invite?
The article was Pat Forde's thoughts on the upcoming season...and was a pretty standard article, nothing too shocking in it.
until I got to the end....
Really Forde? Aol.com ? I haven't received an AOL cd in a long time.....so I figured that they stopped operating.....
can somebody send this guy a gmail invite?
Monday, June 23, 2008
Must See TV - Mad Men
The Sunday NYTimes Magazine had a glowing (and ridiculously long 10 page) preview of the upcoming season of Mad Men, on AMC.
I'm about midway through the first season, and I'm blown away by it. Created by Sopranos' writer Matthew Weiener, the show follows the fictitious Sterling Cooper advertising agency, in the middle of its heyday, back in 1959.
granted, I wasn't around in 1959, but from what i've read, the show is incredibly authentic in its set design, mannerisms, and most importantly, the advertising of the day. People back then cared about futuristic things like shaving cream from a can...or if the Russians were coming.
This show is absolutely fantastic, and I highly recommend it. It picked up a Golden Globe (Best Actor) and was nominated for Best Dramatic Show.....so the experts are in line too.....
Season 1 dvd comes out july1....
I'm about midway through the first season, and I'm blown away by it. Created by Sopranos' writer Matthew Weiener, the show follows the fictitious Sterling Cooper advertising agency, in the middle of its heyday, back in 1959.
granted, I wasn't around in 1959, but from what i've read, the show is incredibly authentic in its set design, mannerisms, and most importantly, the advertising of the day. People back then cared about futuristic things like shaving cream from a can...or if the Russians were coming.
This show is absolutely fantastic, and I highly recommend it. It picked up a Golden Globe (Best Actor) and was nominated for Best Dramatic Show.....so the experts are in line too.....
Season 1 dvd comes out july1....
Which Cubs Games to Attend?
So, I travel during the week....and I'm taking a Saturday morning class...so I'm really limited in the games that I go to....
Looking at the list, this what I might be able to attend:
July 13 - San Francisco Giants
July 27 - Florida Marlins
August 24 - Washington Senators - sorry..nationals
August 31 - Philadelphia Phillies
September 21 - St. Louis Cardinals
So...which game or games should I go to? And..which games will you join me at????
Looking at the list, this what I might be able to attend:
July 13 - San Francisco Giants
July 27 - Florida Marlins
August 24 - Washington Senators - sorry..nationals
August 31 - Philadelphia Phillies
September 21 - St. Louis Cardinals
So...which game or games should I go to? And..which games will you join me at????
RE < C
If you have some spare time, have $5, and are interested in the future of energy, make sure that you pick up the current issue of the Economist.
There's a 14 page section that outlines the various "alternative" energy sources, discusses their pros and cons, and talks about the firms that are making big bets on them.
The google founders coined the term RC < style="font-weight: bold;">Renewable Energy below the current cost of Coal. For some reason, it resonated with me.....and apparently most of hte alternative energy field uses it.......go figure..
of the different options (solar, wind, biofuel, etc.), the coolest idea is geothermal. Just poke some holes down into the magma, and use the heat to boil water, and then use the steam to power a turbine.....way cool......
check it out, you will walk away from it much more informed than you were before....
There's a 14 page section that outlines the various "alternative" energy sources, discusses their pros and cons, and talks about the firms that are making big bets on them.
The google founders coined the term RC < style="font-weight: bold;">Renewable Energy below the current cost of Coal. For some reason, it resonated with me.....and apparently most of hte alternative energy field uses it.......go figure..
of the different options (solar, wind, biofuel, etc.), the coolest idea is geothermal. Just poke some holes down into the magma, and use the heat to boil water, and then use the steam to power a turbine.....way cool......
check it out, you will walk away from it much more informed than you were before....
Friday, June 20, 2008
Amazing Zipcar Deal
Found via consumerist (and via spoofee).....
an amazing deal for zipcar. For those of you that don't know, zipcar is a car-sharing service that rents out cars by the hour. They are all over the place in major metro cities like Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C.
Here's the deal:
Zipcar is offering a year membership + $150 driving credit.
You have to agree to not drive your own car from 07/21~08/15.
During those dates, they ask that you use their zip car, carpool, take public transits, !?walk?!, etc.
The offer is valid in the following cities
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Seattle
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Washington DC
I'm a huge zipcar fan...and I signed up for this. just thought that I'd play it forward....
an amazing deal for zipcar. For those of you that don't know, zipcar is a car-sharing service that rents out cars by the hour. They are all over the place in major metro cities like Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C.
Here's the deal:
Zipcar is offering a year membership + $150 driving credit.
You have to agree to not drive your own car from 07/21~08/15.
During those dates, they ask that you use their zip car, carpool, take public transits, !?walk?!, etc.
The offer is valid in the following cities
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Seattle
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Washington DC
I'm a huge zipcar fan...and I signed up for this. just thought that I'd play it forward....
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Brickbreaker
I just passed 300,000 points on my blackberrys brickbreaker game!
I am a brickbreaker machine.
A great list of blogs to add
The Wall Street Journal has published a great list of blogs to add to your reader. Being the WSJ, they are decidedly business orientated, but some of them really stood out for me.
1) The Eco-Capitalist - making money while saving the planet....win - win
2) Seth Godin's Blog - random thoughts from an entrepreneur who sold out to Yahoo
3) Craig Newark's Blog - yes, the Craig from Craigslist.....his random thoughts
and of course, can't leave out Mark Cuban's blog.
If you get a chance, its a great list...check it out free at the WSJ.
1) The Eco-Capitalist - making money while saving the planet....win - win
2) Seth Godin's Blog - random thoughts from an entrepreneur who sold out to Yahoo
3) Craig Newark's Blog - yes, the Craig from Craigslist.....his random thoughts
and of course, can't leave out Mark Cuban's blog.
If you get a chance, its a great list...check it out free at the WSJ.
G.R.E.A.M. - Google Rules Everything Around Me
I'm a huge Google fan. I've visited their impressive Googleplex headquarters twice, dined in their incredibly tasty (and free) cafeterias, and absolutely drink their "do no evil" kool-aid.
So, what happens if Google starts "doing evil"? The scenario that I'm laying out wouldn't be that far fetched.
Since going public in 2004, Google's stock has done extremely well (why didn't I buy at IPO????, I could have retired!). But, what happens when they miss quarterly earnings a few times in a row? If some upstart comes up with a better search algorithm? Or if (heaven forbid) something happens to Larry, Sergey, or Eric?
Each of Google's incredibly useful (and free) products is designed to do 2 things:
1) make your life easier to live
2) gather more data about your life
Each time you use gmail, google reader, picassa, google maps, google finance, google health, google docs, or blogger, you are updating the massive profile that Google is building about you.
Now, since Google is the undisputed King of the internet, they are sticking to their "do no evil" pledge. Note that they found it necessary to include such a pledge as one of their guiding principles.
But, say one of the items above happens, and they are no longer the King. Do they start mining that data for more nefarious purposes?
So, what happens if Google starts "doing evil"? The scenario that I'm laying out wouldn't be that far fetched.
Since going public in 2004, Google's stock has done extremely well (why didn't I buy at IPO????, I could have retired!). But, what happens when they miss quarterly earnings a few times in a row? If some upstart comes up with a better search algorithm? Or if (heaven forbid) something happens to Larry, Sergey, or Eric?
Each of Google's incredibly useful (and free) products is designed to do 2 things:
1) make your life easier to live
2) gather more data about your life
Each time you use gmail, google reader, picassa, google maps, google finance, google health, google docs, or blogger, you are updating the massive profile that Google is building about you.
Now, since Google is the undisputed King of the internet, they are sticking to their "do no evil" pledge. Note that they found it necessary to include such a pledge as one of their guiding principles.
But, say one of the items above happens, and they are no longer the King. Do they start mining that data for more nefarious purposes?
Why even earn American AAdvantage miles?
So as a platinum (the 2nd highest level) AAdvantage member, what's my incentive to keep flying on American?
I just received an email with these program updates:
AADVANTAGE AND UPGRADE AWARD CHANGES
Beginning October 1, 2008, mileage levels will be changing for select AAdvantage(R) award tickets and upgrade awards. This change will not impact the 25,000 mile domestic economy MileSAAver(SM) award. Members may book and ticket any of the current awards through September 30, 2008. On October 1, 2008, the new award structure will apply. For more details:
http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/?key=9kS9svbp5k3tnStMd94gvxl976
So in theory, there will still be a 25k domestic mile saver ticket....but how many of them will actually exist?
Also effective October 1, 2008, a nonrefundable co-payment of $150 will be required to claim upgrade awards used with most discount economy fares when traveling between North America and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru or Venezuela. Go to for more details:
http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/?key=9kS9svbp5k3tnStMd94gvxl976
Hm, they must have heard of my plans to use miles to fly to Peru....while should pay to use my hard earned miles?
Effective June 21, 2008, a $5 USD Award Processing Fee applies per person to award reservations ticketed via AA.com. AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their own account and members subject to AAdvantage Award Fees are exempt from the Award Processing Fee. Learn more at:
http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/?key=9kS9svbp5k3tn19nzlqff93S0l
WHAT? More fees to use miles that you have already paid for? I can understand paying to book a ticket over the phone, but online? What's next, paying to check in online?
Here are some unchanged items regarding their award program:
they are free if you book 21 days in advance.
$100 if between 20 - 8 days in advance
$150 if between 7 - 1.......
I just received an email with these program updates:
AADVANTAGE AND UPGRADE AWARD CHANGES
Beginning October 1, 2008, mileage levels will be changing for select AAdvantage(R) award tickets and upgrade awards. This change will not impact the 25,000 mile domestic economy MileSAAver(SM) award. Members may book and ticket any of the current awards through September 30, 2008. On October 1, 2008, the new award structure will apply. For more details:
http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/
So in theory, there will still be a 25k domestic mile saver ticket....but how many of them will actually exist?
Also effective October 1, 2008, a nonrefundable co-payment of $150 will be required to claim upgrade awards used with most discount economy fares when traveling between North America and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru or Venezuela. Go to for more details:
http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/
Hm, they must have heard of my plans to use miles to fly to Peru....while should pay to use my hard earned miles?
Effective June 21, 2008, a $5 USD Award Processing Fee applies per person to award reservations ticketed via AA.com. AAdvantage Executive Platinum members using miles from their own account and members subject to AAdvantage Award Fees are exempt from the Award Processing Fee. Learn more at:
http://aadvantage.info.aa.com/
WHAT? More fees to use miles that you have already paid for? I can understand paying to book a ticket over the phone, but online? What's next, paying to check in online?
Here are some unchanged items regarding their award program:
they are free if you book 21 days in advance.
$100 if between 20 - 8 days in advance
$150 if between 7 - 1.......
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Time.com's Top 50 Sites
Time.com's annual list of their Top 50 Sites. I looked through the list, and while the list included a ton of social networking / web 2.0 sites, I found some intriguing sites. Here's what I found intriguing (and why):
- tripkick - similiar to seatguru, but for hotel rooms. helps you find the best room in any given hotel
- Afri Gadget - keep updated on African innovations and inventions. I like innovations and inventions....
- Rate my Professor - as a wanna be MBA student, this site may come in handy.
- Tiny URL - I sent out a ton of links. this will make them easier.
- Mobaganda - a no registration evite...i'm in
- imeem - a new streaming music site...in case you are sick of last.fm
- Kongregate - more free flash games
- Penny Arcade - comics making fun of geeks...me likey
- Apartment Therapy - interior design for renters
- Digital Vaults - for wanna be Nicholas Cage types....search through the national archives
- Free Rice - sharpen your vocab. Help malnurtioned Asians. win-win
- WikiSky - space...the final frontier....while at work!
Time.com's 10 Essential Sites
Time magazine and its online component (time.com) has released their annual list of "10 Essential Sites". Some of them I use religiously, some never.....so I have mixed feelings, but I agree with some of them.
Here's the list:
1) wikipedia.com - no brainer, deserves a spot on the list...but the top spot? I probably use this site a few times a week, max
2) yahoo finance - what is this....2003? yahoo finance used to be great, but I've moved over to google finance and haven't looked back. the differences....cleaner interface, interactive charts, and google's search
3) craigslist - no qualms, I love cl....in fact, I listed my apartment on there [shameless plug]. any takers?
4) espn.com - go there every day. need to figure out how to use my espn360 account.
5) yelp - I've heard great things, but I rarely use this site.
6) facebook - I used to be addicted to facebook, but stopped making hourly updates a year ago. of course, starting this site probably just cut into my fb time. I am probably less productive now than I was with facebook....go figure
7) digg - love it. I use it to gather fodder for this site, to find new blogs to read, and to find out about random stories.
8) google - should be on the top spot of this list. it (along with gmail and google reader) is probably the most indispensible site on this list
9) tmv - I'm proud to say that I've never been here. I sometimes catch some of their show when flipping channels, and I always feel dirty afterwards. I really don't want to feel like that at work...
and finally...
10) flickr - people seem to love it. Since I started using Photoshop Elements, I have been forced to use it (easy integration), so I'm not gaga about it yet...but i might still be.
What are some other essential sites that the list left off.....here's some from my daily surfing:
- google reader
- the USA Today & LA Times Crosswords (they are free!)
- orb.com - streaming media from your home pc
- rotten tomatoes - a movie review aggregator. I trust their tomato ranking system, and it hasn't let me down....well, once....I still want my $ back from Atonement.
am I leaving anything off?
Here's the list:
1) wikipedia.com - no brainer, deserves a spot on the list...but the top spot? I probably use this site a few times a week, max
2) yahoo finance - what is this....2003? yahoo finance used to be great, but I've moved over to google finance and haven't looked back. the differences....cleaner interface, interactive charts, and google's search
3) craigslist - no qualms, I love cl....in fact, I listed my apartment on there [shameless plug]. any takers?
4) espn.com - go there every day. need to figure out how to use my espn360 account.
5) yelp - I've heard great things, but I rarely use this site.
6) facebook - I used to be addicted to facebook, but stopped making hourly updates a year ago. of course, starting this site probably just cut into my fb time. I am probably less productive now than I was with facebook....go figure
7) digg - love it. I use it to gather fodder for this site, to find new blogs to read, and to find out about random stories.
8) google - should be on the top spot of this list. it (along with gmail and google reader) is probably the most indispensible site on this list
9) tmv - I'm proud to say that I've never been here. I sometimes catch some of their show when flipping channels, and I always feel dirty afterwards. I really don't want to feel like that at work...
and finally...
10) flickr - people seem to love it. Since I started using Photoshop Elements, I have been forced to use it (easy integration), so I'm not gaga about it yet...but i might still be.
What are some other essential sites that the list left off.....here's some from my daily surfing:
- google reader
- the USA Today & LA Times Crosswords (they are free!)
- orb.com - streaming media from your home pc
- rotten tomatoes - a movie review aggregator. I trust their tomato ranking system, and it hasn't let me down....well, once....I still want my $ back from Atonement.
am I leaving anything off?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The ultimate coach's dilemma...
I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I've definitely caught the Euro Cup 2008 bug. I'm sitting here at work, following (not watching streaming vid..couldn't find it...but constantly refreshing a tracker) the Italy/France and Netherlands/Romania matches....and a thought hit me.
Netherlands has already advanced to the next round of the tourney, beating Romania today will not help their stock or seed in any way. However, if Romania beats the Netherlands, Romania will advance to the next round with the Netherlands. If Romania and the Netherlands both advance, then perennial powers France and reigning World Cup Champion Italy are heading home.
If you were a coach, assuming that the game's outcome didn't affect your future prospects, would you take a dive to ensure that a powerhouse did not advance?
Netherlands has already advanced to the next round of the tourney, beating Romania today will not help their stock or seed in any way. However, if Romania beats the Netherlands, Romania will advance to the next round with the Netherlands. If Romania and the Netherlands both advance, then perennial powers France and reigning World Cup Champion Italy are heading home.
If you were a coach, assuming that the game's outcome didn't affect your future prospects, would you take a dive to ensure that a powerhouse did not advance?
Watch out - the Luggage Police are coming!
The Wall Street Journal ran an article this morning about the impending "luggage police" that will be roaming the concourses, looking for oversized bags. The article also talked about reinstitution of a device that would reject large bags from entering the TSA security screen...
As a frequent traveler, I know how much I can pack in order to fit it into the overhead cabin...so this would probably not affect me. But this affects the regular person that doesn't travel enough to become Elite. Since I'm required to be at client sites, I (and ultimately, my clients) are willing to pay for that privilege.
Instead of targeting the regular person who rarely travels, wouldn't it make sense to target Elite travelers who aren't paying their own expenses?
As a frequent traveler, I know how much I can pack in order to fit it into the overhead cabin...so this would probably not affect me. But this affects the regular person that doesn't travel enough to become Elite. Since I'm required to be at client sites, I (and ultimately, my clients) are willing to pay for that privilege.
Instead of targeting the regular person who rarely travels, wouldn't it make sense to target Elite travelers who aren't paying their own expenses?
Monday, June 16, 2008
Negotiation Genius Strikes CNBC!
Hey guys...just a head's up
My brother-in-law will be on tonight's "Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" on CNBC. Its on at 10 Eastern/9 Central.....
He's going to be discussing competition, and will probably be plugging his book....check it out!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Movie Review - The Orphanage
Just watched the Spanish thriller El Orfanato (The Orphanage) last night, and I was blown away. After seeing the Oscar winning Pan's Labyrinth, I became a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro. While he didn't direct this movie, he attached himself to it as the producer, so, I gave it a shot.
The movie's protagonist Laura grew up in an Orphanage but was adopted by a family when she was a little girl. Now, as an adult, she and her husband (Carlos) bought the old orphanage, and dreamed of turning it into a home for special needs children. A noble ambition, but may have been driven by the needs of their own adopted son, Simon, who was born HIV positive.
With no other children to play with, Simon invents friends to play with. His new friend Tomas is particularly creepy....seen wearing a cloth bag over his head.....On the new orphanage's opening party, Simon disappears, and the general creepiness ensues.
I don't want to go into further details on the plot, but just wanted to comment on the production values. Juan Antonio Bayona, the director, knew where to place cameras in order to capture the mood and tension in his actor's face. He masterfully used music and dark lighting to accent the creepiness....
The actors, primarily Belén Rueda (Laura) and Roger PrÃncep (Simon) were incredible. Laura captured the agony of a mother who lost her son.....the mood swings, the arguments with her husband, and the pain. Simon, as the main child, breaks through upon learning of his disease and his adoption.
yes, the movie is in Spanish, but go see it. Its out on DVD, and its well worth a rental, especially if its dark and windy outside....see it, you won't regret it.
The movie's protagonist Laura grew up in an Orphanage but was adopted by a family when she was a little girl. Now, as an adult, she and her husband (Carlos) bought the old orphanage, and dreamed of turning it into a home for special needs children. A noble ambition, but may have been driven by the needs of their own adopted son, Simon, who was born HIV positive.
With no other children to play with, Simon invents friends to play with. His new friend Tomas is particularly creepy....seen wearing a cloth bag over his head.....On the new orphanage's opening party, Simon disappears, and the general creepiness ensues.
I don't want to go into further details on the plot, but just wanted to comment on the production values. Juan Antonio Bayona, the director, knew where to place cameras in order to capture the mood and tension in his actor's face. He masterfully used music and dark lighting to accent the creepiness....
The actors, primarily Belén Rueda (Laura) and Roger PrÃncep (Simon) were incredible. Laura captured the agony of a mother who lost her son.....the mood swings, the arguments with her husband, and the pain. Simon, as the main child, breaks through upon learning of his disease and his adoption.
yes, the movie is in Spanish, but go see it. Its out on DVD, and its well worth a rental, especially if its dark and windy outside....see it, you won't regret it.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Inflamed passions at the Euro Cup
In yesterday's Euro Cup action, Poland was leading Austria 1-0 late in the match....when the ref called a penalty kick in the 90th (read - last minute) of the match.
Austrian Ivica Vastic nailed the penalty kick, tying the match, and keeping the Austrians in the tournament.
Afterwards, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that he wanted to kill the English ref....he has since backtracked on those words...but could you imagine an elder U.S. statesman making comments like that after a college football game?
link
Austrian Ivica Vastic nailed the penalty kick, tying the match, and keeping the Austrians in the tournament.
Afterwards, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk claimed that he wanted to kill the English ref....he has since backtracked on those words...but could you imagine an elder U.S. statesman making comments like that after a college football game?
link
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Agent Zigzag.....Eddie Chapman
Sitting at the Tampa International Airport, I just finished the most incredible story. Its the TRUE story of Eddie Chapman, a career British criminal turned Nazi spy....turned British MI-5 agent....
Eddie's journey starts in lower class London, and takes you through Jersey (the island....not the Eastern US), to Paris, to Bonn, to Lisbon, Oslo, back to London, and ultimately to Ireland....
his riveting story, written by Ben Macintyre, tells the tale of love, betrayal, hope, espionage, and ultimately, patriotism...
this guy Eddie was one of the most secret spies of World War 2.....people like Goerring (head of the SS), J. Edgar Hoover (American FBI), and Winston Churchill followed his movements....the only British citizen to ever be awarded the German Iron Cross....the man was an enigma.
his story crosses paths with Ian Fleming, then a British Naval Intelligence officer, who used his memory of Eddie Chapman in creating James Bond.....he also was buddies with Terrance Young, who went on to direct Dr. No and From Russian with Love.
this book was incredible, I couldn't put it down, and I highly recommend it. It reads like a Tom Clancy thriller, James Bond script, and exercise in war brinkmanship......go out, and read it....you won't regret it.
On Senator McCain....
while the media has spent the last few months focused on the race between Obama and Clinton, I'm more curious in what John McCain has been up to.
I've heard vague notions of reviving the Straight Talk Express, something about bringing the soldiers home not being a priority, and that his tax plan will help Bill Gates and only Bill Gates.
So, has he picked a VP yet? Since he is going to be 72 when he takes office, his pick of VP will be scrutinized much more than Obama's VP. Here are my thoughts on some of the "top picks" (according to the LA Times):
Mitt Romney - good hair, good business background, Governor of a solid Dem state, and good at pleasing everybody. but, does he stand for anything?
Mike Huckabee - plays bass, is from Hope, Arkansas, and likes to quote the Bible. But, likes to quote the Bible a bit too much....would his name tarnish the maverick reputation of McCain?
Charlie Crist - governor of Florida (we all know how important Florida is), but wisely avoided the whole Teri Shiavo situation.....don't know much more about him, could be interesting.
Tim Pawlenty - Despite being from Minnesota, I don't know much about him. According to wiki, he has close ties to Dick Cheney, and is the most conservative Governor in Minnesota since the 1920s.
Dick Cheney - pros: tons of experience, can easily step into the presidency
cons - he's Dick Cheney, he's already been President for 8 years.
I've heard vague notions of reviving the Straight Talk Express, something about bringing the soldiers home not being a priority, and that his tax plan will help Bill Gates and only Bill Gates.
So, has he picked a VP yet? Since he is going to be 72 when he takes office, his pick of VP will be scrutinized much more than Obama's VP. Here are my thoughts on some of the "top picks" (according to the LA Times):
Mitt Romney - good hair, good business background, Governor of a solid Dem state, and good at pleasing everybody. but, does he stand for anything?
Mike Huckabee - plays bass, is from Hope, Arkansas, and likes to quote the Bible. But, likes to quote the Bible a bit too much....would his name tarnish the maverick reputation of McCain?
Charlie Crist - governor of Florida (we all know how important Florida is), but wisely avoided the whole Teri Shiavo situation.....don't know much more about him, could be interesting.
Tim Pawlenty - Despite being from Minnesota, I don't know much about him. According to wiki, he has close ties to Dick Cheney, and is the most conservative Governor in Minnesota since the 1920s.
Dick Cheney - pros: tons of experience, can easily step into the presidency
cons - he's Dick Cheney, he's already been President for 8 years.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
No Creativity in Hollywood?
What happened to coming up with original ideas? Granted, I shouldn't talk, since I'm not the most original person, but at least I'm not making movies with $100 million budgets.
All the big budget movies over the past years are either:
a) sequels
b) adapted from comic books or books
c) regurgitated from our memories
Of the 3 categories, I'm most upset with (c). First Transformers, now the Smurfs?
You have to be kidding me??? Why can't Hollywood get its act together, and stop blaming piracy for its lack of profitability?
All the big budget movies over the past years are either:
a) sequels
b) adapted from comic books or books
c) regurgitated from our memories
Of the 3 categories, I'm most upset with (c). First Transformers, now the Smurfs?
You have to be kidding me??? Why can't Hollywood get its act together, and stop blaming piracy for its lack of profitability?
Random sites NSFW.....weird
what are some random websites that are blocked at your work......
i'll start:
menshealth.com
theonion.com
cracked.com
Granted, the onion and cracked are complete time wasters, but, shouldn't my bosses applaud my efforts to improve my diet, health, fitness, and style?
what are some random sites that your corporate overlords don't want you navigating to?
i'll start:
menshealth.com
theonion.com
cracked.com
Granted, the onion and cracked are complete time wasters, but, shouldn't my bosses applaud my efforts to improve my diet, health, fitness, and style?
what are some random sites that your corporate overlords don't want you navigating to?
Fun with FM Transmitters
Since I've switched over to the Westin Hotel in Tampa, I now have a 25 minute commute into work. Rather than listen to the rush hour junk on the radio, I decided to dig up my ipod and my FM transmitter.
My FM transmitter (seen below) is not the best, in fact, its a piece of junk. But it was cheap (somehting like $20 a few years ago), and manages to semi-work....
So I'm listening to my tunes, and I pull up at a stop light. All of a sudden, my radio switches from the Kings of Leon (great group, check them out), to some random country music. I chalked it up to the stop light and the car next to me.
Of course, as it turns out, the car next to me was going to the same place that I was, so I was treated to country, random club techno, and the song from Back to the Future at every stoplight.
I wonder what I'll get to listen to on my way home......it isn't my own music, but its still better than the crap on the radio.
My FM transmitter (seen below) is not the best, in fact, its a piece of junk. But it was cheap (somehting like $20 a few years ago), and manages to semi-work....
So I'm listening to my tunes, and I pull up at a stop light. All of a sudden, my radio switches from the Kings of Leon (great group, check them out), to some random country music. I chalked it up to the stop light and the car next to me.
Of course, as it turns out, the car next to me was going to the same place that I was, so I was treated to country, random club techno, and the song from Back to the Future at every stoplight.
I wonder what I'll get to listen to on my way home......it isn't my own music, but its still better than the crap on the radio.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Why Wait?
If you know that you need to do something....why wait?
I used to drive my parents crazy with "I'll do it in five minutes". But why would I do that? Why do people procrastinate?
The work isn't going to change in 5 minutes, next month, or next year. It still needs to get done, so why wait?
Case in point. I woke up this morning with the intention of going for a 4 mile run. I was out of bed, ready to go, and then got lazy, and went back to sleep. I rationalized it with "I'll run at night. Besides night running will help me unwind, so really, its a disservice to run in the morning."
Of course, the procrastination gods are punishing me....weather.com just listed a 60% chance of rain tonight.....doh!
I used to drive my parents crazy with "I'll do it in five minutes". But why would I do that? Why do people procrastinate?
The work isn't going to change in 5 minutes, next month, or next year. It still needs to get done, so why wait?
Case in point. I woke up this morning with the intention of going for a 4 mile run. I was out of bed, ready to go, and then got lazy, and went back to sleep. I rationalized it with "I'll run at night. Besides night running will help me unwind, so really, its a disservice to run in the morning."
Of course, the procrastination gods are punishing me....weather.com just listed a 60% chance of rain tonight.....doh!
Monday, June 9, 2008
No Caffeine - end of day 2
so, the work day has come and gone....and I survived. Even more impressive given that I was awake at 4:15 am to catch my flight down to Tampa this morning.
I drank 4 cups of decaf green tea to match my 3 liters of water. But, I'm happy to report zero soda, zero coffee, and zero caffeine.
Even snuck in a quick little workout, and I'm planning a much more ambitious 4 mile run tomorrow morning.
wish me luck
Fancy biking.....too fancy for me...
The Flobots claim that they can ride their bikes with no handlebars. way too fancy for me.....but great, catchy song.
check it out
Video Link via youtube
Thanks for the rec Niraj....
check it out
Video Link via youtube
Thanks for the rec Niraj....
Day 2 - No caffiene
tired, groggy, but still trying to pull through.
any tips for a tired, soon-to-be-ex-coffee drinker?
any tips for a tired, soon-to-be-ex-coffee drinker?
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Fubol Passion....
I'm watching Fox Soccer Channel...and watching some Argentinian futbol championship league, and some team named River Plate beat Olimpo BB for their league championship.
While the match was interesting, I was more into crowd watching. The place was insane!
The announcer claimed that the scene was bedlam, and I don't disagree at all....random fights, chants, streamers, and even fireworks being launched from the stands....madness
this match got me thinking. Latin America and Europe have soccer, Africa and Asia have cricket, and Canadians have hockey...what do normal Americans have?
The usual suspects are American style football or baseball. While they are both worthy, neither seems to inflame the passions of humans as much as soccer does. The closest that we may have is college football, which while being awesome, its decidedly tame compared to the soccer spectacle. With a straight face, can you say that the bedlam at a Michigan / Ohio State game....or a Texas / Oklahoma game will come anywhere near to any of the matches between Arsenal and Chelsea?
While the match was interesting, I was more into crowd watching. The place was insane!
The announcer claimed that the scene was bedlam, and I don't disagree at all....random fights, chants, streamers, and even fireworks being launched from the stands....madness
this match got me thinking. Latin America and Europe have soccer, Africa and Asia have cricket, and Canadians have hockey...what do normal Americans have?
The usual suspects are American style football or baseball. While they are both worthy, neither seems to inflame the passions of humans as much as soccer does. The closest that we may have is college football, which while being awesome, its decidedly tame compared to the soccer spectacle. With a straight face, can you say that the bedlam at a Michigan / Ohio State game....or a Texas / Oklahoma game will come anywhere near to any of the matches between Arsenal and Chelsea?
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Hot Deals at the Public Library
Just got back from the Chicago Public Library (Lincoln Park branch - Racine and Fullerton), and as I was checking out, my eyes caught sight of this board.
The board contained a list of the most popular Chicago area museums, including the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry. Each museum had a status of either "In" or "Out" next to it.
So, being an inquring mind, I asked the librarian what the deal was. So here's the skinny:
Each Chicago area library (I'm sure that other cities have this as well) have free passes to the museums. They have up to 5 for each place, and each pass is good for up to 4 people. You can't reserve them in advance, but if you score one, you get to keep it for up to a week.
So when its raining, and you want to check out some fish, but not pay $25/each to go to Shedd...seek out your public library.
note - i also picked up Erik Larson's "Thunderstuck". Pretty stoked about this book....
The board contained a list of the most popular Chicago area museums, including the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry. Each museum had a status of either "In" or "Out" next to it.
So, being an inquring mind, I asked the librarian what the deal was. So here's the skinny:
Each Chicago area library (I'm sure that other cities have this as well) have free passes to the museums. They have up to 5 for each place, and each pass is good for up to 4 people. You can't reserve them in advance, but if you score one, you get to keep it for up to a week.
So when its raining, and you want to check out some fish, but not pay $25/each to go to Shedd...seek out your public library.
note - i also picked up Erik Larson's "Thunderstuck". Pretty stoked about this book....
Summertime = Volunteering
Now that the weather is over 70 degrees, and the humidity is kicking in, I think its safe to declare that summer is officially here.
Being a Midwesterner who is buried under snow for 6 months a year, I love the summer. I love being outside and running, playing basketball, going to the beach, and....volunteering?
I've wrote about my time with the American Brain Tumor Association. While that's definetly a worthy cause (especially given my past), but in the summertime, I like to help out Chicago Cares.
Chicagocares.org is a listing service that updates various community projects on a daily basis. This morning, Mona and I went out to the Drake Community Gardens, and helped them get their place in order.
Being outside, working with our hands, enjoying the weather, and helping the community. all around, a great event, and I can't wait to sign up for my next event.
If you're in Chicago, check out Chicago Cares. If not in Chicago, I'm sure that your city has its own list, so seek it out! happy volunteering!
Being a Midwesterner who is buried under snow for 6 months a year, I love the summer. I love being outside and running, playing basketball, going to the beach, and....volunteering?
I've wrote about my time with the American Brain Tumor Association. While that's definetly a worthy cause (especially given my past), but in the summertime, I like to help out Chicago Cares.
Chicagocares.org is a listing service that updates various community projects on a daily basis. This morning, Mona and I went out to the Drake Community Gardens, and helped them get their place in order.
Being outside, working with our hands, enjoying the weather, and helping the community. all around, a great event, and I can't wait to sign up for my next event.
If you're in Chicago, check out Chicago Cares. If not in Chicago, I'm sure that your city has its own list, so seek it out! happy volunteering!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Memories associated to music
its weird how music can trigger random and disparate memories.
For example, whenever I hear Metallica's "The Unforgiven", I think of Bram Stoker's Dracula. As it turns out, when I read Dracula for the first time (way back in 7th grade), The Unforgiven happened to be my favorite song, so the 2 random items became linked. Now, I can't read one (or listen to one) without thinking of the other.
So I'm at work today, listening to my ipod. Rather than going to my normal go-to disc (Lupe Fiasco's "the cool"), I decided to dig digger. I ended up on the Band of Horses. Not realizing it, but the last time I listened to them was the day that I was officially rejected from all 4 of the business schools that I applied to. So now, I'm rocking out to the Band of Horses while trying to ignore the pangs of my bshool failure.
its weird how such a great band (the band of horses) is now forever linked with that day....
For example, whenever I hear Metallica's "The Unforgiven", I think of Bram Stoker's Dracula. As it turns out, when I read Dracula for the first time (way back in 7th grade), The Unforgiven happened to be my favorite song, so the 2 random items became linked. Now, I can't read one (or listen to one) without thinking of the other.
So I'm at work today, listening to my ipod. Rather than going to my normal go-to disc (Lupe Fiasco's "the cool"), I decided to dig digger. I ended up on the Band of Horses. Not realizing it, but the last time I listened to them was the day that I was officially rejected from all 4 of the business schools that I applied to. So now, I'm rocking out to the Band of Horses while trying to ignore the pangs of my bshool failure.
its weird how such a great band (the band of horses) is now forever linked with that day....
True Crime
For the past year, I've been on a true crime / non-fiction espionage kick. I grew up loving Tom Clancy and Hardy Boy books, and somehow made the switch over to the non-fiction side.
Some of the books that I've enjoyed are:
1) Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - murder and mayhem during the Chicago World's Fair
2) Legacy of Ashes by Tim Weiner - history of the C.I.A.
3) The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright - history of Islamic fundamentalism and Al Qaeda
I'm currently reading "Agent Zigzag", which is about a Nazi spy in World War 2. Once I'm done with this...I'll be looking for something new. Any good recommendations??
Some of the books that I've enjoyed are:
1) Devil in the White City by Erik Larson - murder and mayhem during the Chicago World's Fair
2) Legacy of Ashes by Tim Weiner - history of the C.I.A.
3) The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright - history of Islamic fundamentalism and Al Qaeda
I'm currently reading "Agent Zigzag", which is about a Nazi spy in World War 2. Once I'm done with this...I'll be looking for something new. Any good recommendations??
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
5 Lessons Learned from training for a Marathon
On June 1, I completed the San Diego Rock'n'Roll Marathon in 4 hours 50 minutes and 23 seconds. This was my first marathon that I have ever run. I started training for the race in late January 2008 and continued for the next 5 months. I wanted to share 5 lessons that I learned while I was training for the race...
1. Less is more...I started out with a training program that called for running 5 days a week. I was able to maintain this program for the first 8 weeks of the 20 week program. I gradually realized that I was becoming exhausted at the end of the week and would start skipping runs because my body was too tired from the runs earlier in the week. Eventually I switched to a program that called for running 3 days a week. Not only did this reduce the amount of times I was running, it also gave me the added flexibility of moving the runs to different days when I had other obligations going on. If I were to do it again, I would use the same 3 day a week program. You can generate the 3 day a week program at http://www.runnersworld.com/.
2. Walking is acceptable...Before I started training for the marathon, I received a book that detailed how to train for a marathon. One of the themes of this book was that it was OK to walk during a marathon. The author, Jeff Galloway, an expert marathon runner, has done numerous marathons over the past 30 years and coached others to run in them. His basic premise was that by taking walk breaks, you are able to rest the muscles that you use when running. He also says that if you take the right amount of walk breaks, you will have more energy at the end of the race. His observation was that people slow down at the end of the race. I followed a somewhat modified Galloway style race. Instead of walking say every 10 minutes or every mile, I walked through each aid station to make sure I drank enough water throughout the race. I did this because the course was supposed to be relatively flat (more on this in a minute) and each station was about every 1.5 miles. I will say that I agree with him on slowing down at the end of the race. However, I feel the reason I slowed down was not because I didn't do enough walking, but due to all the hills during the last 5 miles of the run. Next time, I wish the organizers would be a little more kinder in their race design and put the hills in the beginning!
3. Prepare to eat and eat and eat...I thought I was going to lose some additional weight by training for a marathon. I didn't realize how much food my body would be demanding from all the running I was doing (especially early on). I think I ate somewhere around 18-20 pounds of spaghetti over the course of 5 months. The problem is you are burning so many calories that you need to keep eating in order to keep running. I'm glad I can go back to running shorter distances, lifting weights, and eating less!
4. Training is easier with a friend...Ok, so I was insane enough to agree to run a marathon, but was I up to the task of training by myself during the height of the cold Minnesota winter? For the most part, yes. I did long runs of 15,16,18,and 20 miles by myself. The 15 and 18 mile runs were on a treadmill. The 16 and 20 mile runs were done outside. There were severl 10-12 mile runs that I did outside as well. The last two weeks of training I found someone to run with me. Those last two weeks were 10 mile runs each and they went by easier with someone else running with me. This also gets me to the actual race itself. I'm really glad I had a friend there who ran with me. Not only was it nice to be able to run with someone I know, but this person was able to keep me going and push me forward. If you'd ask my friend the same question, he'd answer the same way I have.
5. Finishing feels great...The moment I crossed the finish line, I knew that the last 5 months of training were not wasted. I joined an elite group of individuals that can say they have completed a marathon. It was really a sense of great accomplishment once I crossed the finish line. Will I do it again? Probably, but not this year. Preparing for a marathon takes a great deal of time and I have some other goals I would like to work on this year. I will continue running and staying fit - I'm running a 10K at the end of June.
If and when I do train for my next marathon, I will try to remember these lessons and strategize accordingly. I leave you with a picture of me running to the finish line. Whatever your goal that you have in mind, may you succeed in reaching it.
Note: I am the white guy on the far left of the picture.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Thoughts on Lost....
I just finished Season 4 of Lost, and while I will continue to watch this glorious show, I now firmly believe that the writer's are starting to wing it.
While the 4th season was the shortest season, it was also one of my favorites. As I finished watching the finale, the thought struck me.
Why introduce an oddball / unknown character ("Jeremy Bentham") in the last epsidoe, only to reveal his identity. In previous seasons, the writers would have performed a slow burn.....peppering the entire season (or multiple seasons) with references to Jeremy Bentham....and in the process, driving the audience insane (see..."the numbers").
Anywho, still a huge Lost fan, will continue to watch and debate the show religiously....but....has the show jumped the shark?
While the 4th season was the shortest season, it was also one of my favorites. As I finished watching the finale, the thought struck me.
Why introduce an oddball / unknown character ("Jeremy Bentham") in the last epsidoe, only to reveal his identity. In previous seasons, the writers would have performed a slow burn.....peppering the entire season (or multiple seasons) with references to Jeremy Bentham....and in the process, driving the audience insane (see..."the numbers").
Anywho, still a huge Lost fan, will continue to watch and debate the show religiously....but....has the show jumped the shark?
Photoshop Elements Review
I just came back from Costa Rica, and I have a ton of pictues. Since I've been relying on windows to keep me organized (bad move), I just realized that I have no idea what img788234.jpg means.
So, I decided to give Adobe Photoshop Elements a shot. I read that the software is a mishmash of regular Photoshop and a good photo Organizer.
After installing, I let the program sift through the "My Pictures" folder...and it pulled all the images in. From there, I can go through and tag my pictures with the people in it (ala facebook), places, events, etc. Bascially, any way that I want to organize my pictures, Photoshop Elements will do it for me. great feature.
So now that my pictures are tagged (some, not all), I decided to play with some of the photoshop-ish features. In Costa Rica, we went ziplining during a tropical storm. I brought along my little Canon Point-and-Shoot, and while getting some amazing shots, most of them had huge raindrops on the image sensor. With Photoshop Elements, no problem...the cloning tool took care of most o fthem.
I've only had this software for about 12 hours, and its already starting to replace Picasa.
I've heard that it integrates with flickr, which integrates with Blogger....which means that it might be a few days before pics are posted...but thye will be.
stay tuned for more...
So, I decided to give Adobe Photoshop Elements a shot. I read that the software is a mishmash of regular Photoshop and a good photo Organizer.
After installing, I let the program sift through the "My Pictures" folder...and it pulled all the images in. From there, I can go through and tag my pictures with the people in it (ala facebook), places, events, etc. Bascially, any way that I want to organize my pictures, Photoshop Elements will do it for me. great feature.
So now that my pictures are tagged (some, not all), I decided to play with some of the photoshop-ish features. In Costa Rica, we went ziplining during a tropical storm. I brought along my little Canon Point-and-Shoot, and while getting some amazing shots, most of them had huge raindrops on the image sensor. With Photoshop Elements, no problem...the cloning tool took care of most o fthem.
I've only had this software for about 12 hours, and its already starting to replace Picasa.
I've heard that it integrates with flickr, which integrates with Blogger....which means that it might be a few days before pics are posted...but thye will be.
stay tuned for more...
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