The next two blackberries...

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

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

Now for the specs...

Kickstart:

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

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

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

- 2MP camera

- internal LCD is 320x240, external is 160x128

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

- suretype keyboard

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

Bold:

- Has 802.11a/b/g

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

- 480 x 320 resolution screen with 65,000 colors

- 624MHz Intel PXA270/Marvell Tavor PXA930 processor

- OS version 4.6

- weighs 4.7oz

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

- 2MP camera with flash

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

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

- 3.5mm headphone jack

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 days to 26.2

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

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


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

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

While Sharad is on his vacation...

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

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

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

I currently visit the following travel related sites:

FlyerTalk


Airliners.net


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

Running:

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

Gadgets:

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

Some of the sites I like to check out include:

Boy Genius Report

Engadget

Wired Magazine

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

Introducing......Tim

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

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

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

Thanks Tim!

100 days til the football season kicks off!

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

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

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

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

who's with me!

What's wrong with Stuart Scott's eyebrows?

Too much botox on his forehead?

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

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

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


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

Decision making.....at business schools?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Costa Rica Dreaming......

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

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

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

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

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

Minnesota Timberwolves....what could have been?

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

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

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

Ted Kennedy has a tumor?

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon discussion forums = wtf?

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

from a search for "Crime and Punishment"


from a search for "Theodore Rex"


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



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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't Break the Chain

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Testing mobile blogger

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

Sweet. It works.

Also scored a 64000 on brick breaker. Suck it.

Weird stuff on cars....

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

I'm used to the normal bumper stickers:

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

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

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

New Subscription Options!

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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?

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....

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.....

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...

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!

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?

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

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

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!

12 hour difference?

i just noticed that my last 2 posts were posted exactly 12 hours apart....i really need to get more sleep....

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?

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!

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"

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.

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.

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.....

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...

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.

Breaking up is tough......

After spending less and less time together over the last year, I finally made it official yesteray....I canceled my Tivo account.

I've had Tivo for over 4 years, and for the most part, I loved it. Like the ads claim, my Tivo just "got me". I'd get back from a vacation, or from a business trip, and find a massive list of shows for me to watch. Like any other friend, Tivo did a great job of finding new shows to captivate me. Shows like:

- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
- Nip/Tuck
- Digging for the Truth
- Modern Marvels
- The Colbert Report
- Mad Men

I'm sure that Tivo introduced me to more shows, but those are the ones that really stick out.

While everything was going well with Tivo and I, I got ridiculously busy with work and business school applications. Since I didn't have as much time to watch TV, I think Tivo got mad at me. So this past weekend, I clicked on the Tivo logo for the first time in a month, and was shocked to find this list:

- Sunday Mass
- The Bill O'Reilley Report
- Sixty Minutes (a great show, but not something that I watch regularly)

To add insult to injury, I checked my credit card statement, and saw that I was paying $16.95/month for Tivo. That was the last straw....Tivo had to go.

I called their customer service, and guiltily made up an excuse why I was canceling. "I'm moving, and my new place already has a DVR. Yes, I know that it isn't Tivo, but we will only have 1 tv. No, I can't add another DVR to that TV, since they use a dish that doesn't work with Tivo (blatent lie)."

Hanging up, it felt good to get rid of a monthly expense, and a gadget off entertainment center. but now that its been a day, the thought of going home and not having Tivo is giving me cold sweats.

Any tips for overcoming my relationship with Tivo? Anybody else have a similar story?

Random thought - Future Historians?

As I mentioned earlier, I'm currently reading David McCullough's "John Adams". So this morning, I was riding the bus into work, and listening to the book on my ipod.

In the book, John Adams is currently stationed in Paris, tasked with finding a peace settlement that will be acceptable to both the English and French. He's also stressing because his daughter might marry somebody of ill moral character....so he decides to write her a letter.

The author mentions that the letter never reached Nabby (his daughter - terrible name), so how did we come to learn of the existence of the letter? Were the founding fathers so vain that they used carbon copies when writing letters?

Note - when I talk of carbon copies, I'm not talking about CC's on emails....I'm talking about real old school carbon copies, and putting things in triplicate.

That brings me to my next random thought. Imagine that I eventually grow up, and end up doing something amazing with my life. Something noteworthy. Something that causes best-selling historians to think "this guy is worth writing about".

Will future historians have access to google's servers for my email trails? Will they access my employers sametime servers? I mean, who writes letters these days? Will our electronic trail be used to piece together our stories by future historians?

Next book....John Adams

With the self-imposed moratorium on writing about Shantaram, I've finally moved onto a book that feeds my interest in history.

I picked up (downloaded) the audiobook version of David McCullough's "John Adams", and loaded it onto my ipod.

While I loved McCullough's "1776", this book still hasn't captivated me to the point that '76 did. That might be because John Adams was a much more complex person than George Washington, and his writing is full of nuanced thoughts.

I'm halfway through the book, and Adams just finished negotiating with the Dutch. Adams, while an interesting thinker, was not a character in the Ben Franklin or Alexander Hamilton vein. There aren't any stories of wild European parties, mistresses, or international intrigue. Adams atones for those "shortcomings" with his firm belief and passion for the American cause.

I still haven't seen the HBO series, but I plan on checking it out after finishing the book. IS the series worth checking out?

The ABTA 5K Path To Progress

A quick review of this past Saturday's 5K race that I participated in.

The race took place in Montrose Harbor, on the Northside of Chicago's Lake Michigan front. Being Chicago in April, the weather is always unpredictable...and it was freezing. I think it was something like 40 degrees when I left home for the race.

The course has changed from last year. I wasn't a huge fan of the prior course, and I like how the entire race was along the lakefront this year.

Some other positives....wider running lanes, great food afterwards

The only 2 cons....non-dry fit shirt, which isn't a huge deal. The only thing that I didn't like about this race (other than the weather) was that runner's weren't given time updates at every mile. Its hard to keep your pace steady without some type of visual cue, and so I was hoping for that.

But other than my 2 anal concerns....I liked this race, the American Brain Tumor Association raised over $600,000 (so far, please still donate), and over 6000 people participated.

5 steps towards becoming better

On a flight home, I was busy watching Six Feet Under (season one, episode 13), when it dawned on me....my desktop was ridiculously filthy. Now, I'm not know as a particularly clean person, but for some reason, I felt compelled to clean up my desktop.

So, I clicked on the random notepad files, quickly glancing at them, and then either filing or discarding them as needed....I found one that I hadn't seen in a long long time.

Its a small document entitled "Better".....and it contained some notes I took while reading a book a few months ago.

In the very excellent book "Better", the Harvard Medical School professor and Mass. General surgeon Atul Gawande lays out his thesis for better performance. While the vast majority of the book focuses specifically on his chosen profession of medicine, the ending contained a very simple 5 step plan for being...well...better...at whatever you choose to pursue in your own life.

1) Everyday, ask somebody an unscripted question.

ipods, blackberries, technology has led to the rapid decline in random communication. strike up an unscripted conversation with the person next to you on the bus....great advice, that seems oddly ironic, because I'm typing this with my headphones on, and my neighbor on the flight seems to be doing the exact same thing.


2) When something happens that you perceive as "happening to you", don't complain.

about a month ago, I got rejected from all the top business schools in the country. While I was incredibly stressed out for the month leading up to the rejection, I felt oddly liberated upon hearing the news. Some of my best friends are attending prestigious schools like HBS, Kellogg, Chicago GSB, and Wharton next year....and I'll be on the sidelines, going through the process of applying again next year. The process will be painful, but, with the lessons that I picked up this year, I hope to do a better job at applying....and hopefully, getting in this time around.

3) Count something.......

better living through....measurement? I've actually applied this to my personal life by measuring my progress and preparing for a half-marathon. I've seen it pay divideds by cutting my average pace from 9:32 min/mile in January to a more respectable 8:48 min/mile here in April. If I can improve something like jogging in such a short amount of time, what else can I improve through measurement?

4) write something

you are looking at it. my blog. i started this as a place to vent my random thoughts....and to save my incredibly patient girlfriend from having to listen to my rants and raves....

so far, i'm happy with the progress....160+ page views, 100+ visitors....and a few guest writers. I'm really excited for the future of this site, and I hope that others can share in that excitement with me.

and finally....the last (and I believe) most important lesson....

5) CHANGE

Don't talk about Change. Don't think about Change. If you want to change, change. I've always wanted to get into photography...so I went out and bought a nice camera. I still stink as a photographer but, I'm making progress. Sometimes, the risk of not changing is much greater than the risk of changing. Take a wrong step....you might learn something new about yourself.

if you get a chance to read the book, I highly recommend it. If you don't, then I hope that my little opus shed a little light into the continually process that we all go through....in order to become "Better".

Initial nike+ipod review

When I first started this blog (about a month ago), I envisioned it to be a place for me to write about various things......and I decided to categorize topics, just to see what really interested me.

It isn't surprising that travel is #1, since I'm in the middle of planning for a trip to Costa Rica.

Sports (watching...not playing) comes in #2, which isn't surprising since the majority of the posts were written during the NCAA tournament.

Somewhere down the list comes running, which was one of the primary reasons for starting a blog. I wanted this blog to be a place where I'd post my race results (only 1 road race this year...but join me for #2 this Saturday), and I'd be accountable to my end goal of 500 miles in 2008.

Since the weather is finally starting to turn the corner in Chicago, I decided that I needed a better way to track my distance (running to the end of the block and back was not precise enough). So, I did my research, and ended up at Fleet Feet, in Piper's Alley. The salesperson there walked me through the various options....Polar was too much gadget for me, Garmin was too expensive, and Timex too hokey....eventually I settled on teh nike+ipod kit.



Out of the box, I tried it on the treadmill. I ran 2.5 miles (according to the treadmill), and the nike device claimed that I ran 3.06 miles.

The next day, I ran a 10k (6.2 miles), and it registered 7.3 miles.

While I loved that my average pace (according to nike) was something like 7:30 min/mile, it just wasn't that accurate for me.

So I finally opened up the manual, and read that I needed to calibrate the damn thing! I quick mile long jog along the lake, and the device was calibrated.

Today, I ran 2 miles alongside Tampa Bay. The mile-markers claimed 2 miles, the device 2.02....good enough for me.

with only 1 calibrated run performed, I'm a little hesitant to say that this thing works...but it just does. I like the speaker lady's calm voice, telling me that I'm halfway there. I like the social networking / web 2.0 aspect of nikeplus.com. And I like that the device is unobtrusive, I don't even notice it when I go running.

if you already go running with an ipod nano, and are looking for a cheap ($30) toy to help you track your time and distance, then the nike+ipod is a great place to look...check it out for yourself, and if you have any tweaks/tips/thoughts, please leave them in the comments.

Thanks (v2)

Just logged into my participant center for the American Brain Tumor Association and saw that I passed $1000 in donations!

Thanks for the continued support, I really appreciate it!

For those of you that are new readers, I am on the planning committee for the upcoming American Brain Tumor Association 5K Path to Progress Run/Walk, taking place this Saturday along the Lake Michigan lakefront in Chicago.

I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in June 2000, had that tumor removed in August, and have spent the last 8 years slowly recovering and putting my life back together. While I have recovered from my ordeal, and I'm incredibly lucky that I had a support group to lean on, there are people that don't have the resources or support that I had.

The American Brain Tumor Association is using 100% of the money raised to help fund research programs and support groups.

Its a great cause that is near to my heart, so I really appreciate everything that you have already given to the ABTA.

If you have a few moments, please donate.

Thanks again!

Thanks!

105 visits, 152 page views!

thanks for indulging my little blog. your visits give me the confidence to keep writing.

Thanks again!!!

note - google rules my life, so statistics were brought to you by google analytics....

TSA absurdity

As many of my "loyal readers" (which I think only includes Mona and my mother) know, I travel every week. Week in, week out....I am at various airports. TPA, ORD, CHI, MSP, DTW....I know where the best bathrooms are, the freshest coffee, and most importantly, the shortest TSA lines.

That brings me to the point of this post. After quietly putting up with the TSA, I realized just how absurd and pointless the TSA is.

First event - I am going through security, and the agent sees something that he doesn't think is kosher. No big deal, happens every once in awhile, so I allow him to open my bag. He proceeds to rifle through my boxers, asks me why I need shoe trees (a - because they keep your shoes fresh, and helps maintain your shoes), and why I would bring my own shampoo (a - i'm balding, so I have super special shampoo to keep my hair in shape)......I'm fuming, but there's nothing that I can really do.

Of course, the pretty brunette behind me fails to put her liquids into a bag...so instead of rifling through her bag, he brings her a ziplock bag, and tells her to "remember to separate the liquids" next time. I'm pissed.....

Second event -

I land at TPA (Tampa), and I'm listening to the TSA annoucements. Off the top of my head, I believe that it goes something like this:

Due to heightened security, the TSA has restricted the items that you may bring through security. Please check with your air carrier for updated regulations.

I'd like to deconstruct this statement...line by line

"Due to heightened security" - ok, 9/11 was a good 7 years ago...we can't still be under heightened security. I don't think it is healthy for travellers to live in a state of heightened anything for 7+ years.

"The TSA has restricted..." - I'm fine with this. its clear, gets to the point..but conflicts with the next statement

"please check with your air carrier for updated regulations" - wait a second. you just told me that the TSA has restricted me. So why would I check with Jet Blue, Airtran, Air Dubai, or Southwest? Is it effective to have 6 different sets of rules? Would it be more efficient for travelers to go to the source...the TSA...to know and understand the rules.

that's the end of my rant for today.....if this post puts me on the "watch list", then I will follow up with my experience on Thursday. But, since my blog is small and barely read (other than Mona and Mommy), I doubt that anything will happen.

What's your experience with the TSA?

Would you want to work with this guy?

Sharad has asked me to contribute to this blog and I will gladly oblige. When interviewing candidates at my current employer, we often look for people who we don't mind spending several hours with (i.e., in a cramped conference room, during a flight delay, etc...you get the point).

So anway, this reminds me of a video I saw on youtube. It's from a guy who is waitlisted at UCLA's MBA program and he created a video to send to the Admissions Office with the hopes off getitng off the waitlist.
You can find it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVxcC7gSAH4

I am curious if this will work out for the chap. I thought it was fairly effective, but I thought he came off as arrogrant when showing how much $$$ he makes.

What do you guys think? Would you want him as your co-worker/classmate?

Business Plan Generator

Bought into pets.com in 2004? Bought "investment properties" in 2007? Well, I found a helpful tool to hit the Web 2.0 craze on the tail-end. Steps to success:

1. Go here
2. Choose an idea you like
3. Search the web for some positive statistics on your chosen company idea (think far out, like statistics for what web advertising will be in 2035, it's a lot harder to argue with statistics that far out.)
4. Convert idea from step 1 into a PowerPoint, add statistics from step three, shake, and go to: http://crv.com/quickstart

And now you're an internet millionaire!

Doing the Wrong Thing for the Right Reasons

shantaram...

well, I know that I've written enough about this book, and you are probably sick of reading my drivel about this contemporary masterpiece, but I feel compelled to write one more.

So, while waiting for my flight back home to Chicago, I finished the book. I was so engrossed in the book, that American Airlines actually had to call my name over the PA, at the risk of losing my seat. But, I made my flight, stashed my carry-on bag into the overhead bin, and finish my book before takeoff.

The ending, like the rest of the book, was paradoxically great and drawl out at the same time. After 1000 pages of action and story building, we are presented with the final climax....and the final words of wisdom from Khader Khan. I won't give away the ending, but...you need to read this book all the way to the end.

Some words of wisdom from the great Khan:

"Regardless of the outcome, always do things for the right reasons. Its better to have done the wrong thing for the right reasons, rather than the right thing, for the wrong reasons."

"Determining right and wrong is easy. In the beginning of the universe, everything was simple. As time has passed, the world has moved towards more complexity. Anything, and any action, that impedes this movement towards complexity is inherantly evil."

and of course, he always had a toast ready for his enemies

"May he have 10 daughters, and may each of them marry well" (note for non-Indians...this is dowry issue for Indian fathers)

Now that I'm done with the book, I am nervously anticpating the movie.....so far, my research (a quick trip to IMDB) has revealed the following cast:

Lin - Johnny Depp (who bought the rights to the movie from the author, and is the producer as well)
Khader Khan - Amithab Bhachan....love it

With the perfect casting job for two main characters, I'm nervous about the host of other characters that need to be cast. The director needs to cast a wide net (hardy har har) to find the right folks. This search needs to be global, India, Iran, Australia, Liverpool, and of course, the US. Of all the characters, I'm most nervous about Prabaka. In the book, Prabu serves as Lin's conscience...and his infectious smile helps serve as a reminder of the good within Lin's most evil deeds....

so, two questions left to answer...who plays Prabu, and why haven't you read this book yet?

more about the movie when I learn more.....

Fuzzy Math...at Business Schools....

Then Governor Bush reached Saturday Night Live immortality with his quip that "Al Gore uses fuzzy math" to describe economics and the "lockbox" during the 2000 election campaign.

I'm currently in the process of evaluating business schools for next year. Last year, I made the mistake of picking the best schools in the world, and not having any real reason why I wanted to go there (other than the ability to say that yes...I did go to Harvard).

So this year, I'm building a handy little spreadsheet with all the top US and International Business Schools, with their relevant profiles. Some data includes:

- Median Entrance Age
- Median Months of Experience
- Median Base Salary upon graduation

basically...lots of median data.....and finally, when exploring the world renowned IESE Business School in Barcelona, I discovered that they in fact had a median GMAT that is impossible to achieve.

According to their business week profile (here), their median GMAT is a mind-boggling 673.

According to wikipedia, "The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest value and picking the middle one." Basically, its the midpoint.

The GMAT is a test that in which the test taker can only achieve scores that end in 0. 650, 780, 720 are all achievable scores. 658, 712, and 534 are not.

which begs the question....how does the IESE calculate medians????

Annoying fundraising emails.....and blog posts....

Since the summer is rolling closer and closer, I'm sure that our inboxes are going to get spammed with incredibly worthwhile causes that sometimes we just can't afford....

but, since its still spring (or, at least the calendar claims that its spring), I'm going to make my pitch before the masses do...please donate if you can, if you can't, please forward the link along. I really appreciate it guys....

I'm on the planning committee for this year's American Brain Tumor Association Path to Progress 5K run/walk, taking place in Chicago's Montrose Harbor on April 26. The race is being held to raise money for brain tumor research, and 100% of the funds raised will go towards that end.

Back when I suffered from a brain tumor, I found the American Brain Tumor Association to be invaluable in my path to recovery. Now, as a survivor, I help council current patients with their own struggles.

If you are in the Chicago area, I'd really appreciate if you could join me in running the 5k alongside Lake Michigan. If you aren't in the Chicago area, I'd appreciate if you could read and follow this link to your friends and colleagues.

http://hope.abta.org/goto/smangalick2008

Thanks again for your help and support!

Sharad

Are Travel Websites the new J. Peterman Catalog?

Seinfeld fans are intimately familiar with the infamous J. Peterman catalog. As Elaine puts it:

"Take a shirt, make up a flowery story, tack on a 200% markup...sure, I can do that".

As some of you know, I'm in the middle of planning for an upcoming trip to Costa Rica. My planning has taken me to all sorts of interesting travel websites, and I'm trying to sift through descriptions like this:


Arenal Observatory Lodge -

- The Smithsonian rooms have a picture window and a terrace that allows you to contemplate the magnitude of the volcano while enjoying the comfort of your bed or one of the strategically placed chairs.



please note the strategery needed to place the chair directly in front of the window. I wish I had thought of that first!

- Rates include: Personal attention by our host service manager, List of birds (wtf?), 11 year old and up are charged as adults (how is this a selling point)????

Mountain Paradise Hotel -

- Perched upon a hilltop overlooking the rolling valley below [what is this a bird or a hotel???]

- Besides a wonderful ambient environment around the property and inside your room, additional personalized services can be arranged. One such service is the ‘Real Service’ in which your meal will be prepared and served by a chef at your room. [why would I want a chef to make a mess in my room? that sounds kinda fishy]

Arenal Lodge -

- Fire... See Arenal Volcano from your room at Arenal Lodge

Nature... Feel the magic of the tropical rainforest.

Distinguished... Experience the Comfortable Ambiance and Guest Oriented Care.

Lost Iguana Resort:

- A premiere, upscale retreat nestled gently in the jungle, the new Lost Iguana Resort in Costa Rica only offers rooms with large private balconies overlooking the Arenal Volcano with front view of the active face of the volcano as this page was updated on February 12, 2006 (the lava as been flowing very day in this direction since March '05). Naturally by the time you visit us the volcano could change is mind and flow in an other direction but the awesome panoramic views of Lost Iguana Resort & excellent service will always remain.

How do I pick between these hotels????

Also, I apparently can't trust guidebooks from the Lonely Planet.

Sasha & Digweed at the House of Blues Review

My ears are still ringing, and my body is exhausted, and I plan on spending the entire day on the couch.



Venue:

The show took place at the House of Blues in Chicago, which is a great venue to see DJs and live acts in general. In the past, I've seen Richie Hawtin and Ziggy Marley there, so the venue is able to accommodate a wide variety of music. The DJ booth was set up towards the front edge of the stage, promoting a sense of intimacy between the DJ and crowd.

Sound System:

I don't know the specifics of the sound system. The bass was deep, but didn't overwhelm the rest of the sound. The sound engineer seemed to turn the music up when Sasha and Digweed took the stage, so my ears are still ringing, but in a good way.

Crowd:

As with most concerts, you will always have to put up with the random dbag that popped some pills, and doesn't know how to walk straight. That being said, the place was absolutely packed for the first 4 hours. It was one of those situations where you get to know your neighbors, and I had a great time wandering around the crowd, getting to know random folks. The crowd started thinning out around 2 am, and that's when things started getting nutty. Overall, can't complain about the crowd. It was a good time.

Music:

Perhaps the most important aspect of the evening....the DJs. The opening acts (don't remember their names off the top of my head) did a great job of setting the table for Sasha & Digweed. The first guy started with down-tempo house, and slowly increased the BPMs, and got the crowd into it. The next guy continued where the first left off, and is probably ready to start headlining his own shows.

Sasha started the duo's set with a nice 1 hour session, filled with his customary buildups and whatnot. Diggers took over, and threw down some dark dark beats...again, the place was rocking.

The duo tag-teamed the remainder of the show, playing about 30 minutes each, before switching.....

To recap - great venue, impressive sound system, relatively cheap drinks, knowledgeable and friendly crowd...and fantastic beats...all added up to a fun night.

I'm jealous that Jeremy gets to see them again on Tuesday!

My Event Calendar

I'm going to do my best to keep this updated...but drop me a note if you'd like me to add more shows, games, or events.

note - Chicago Cubs games are in Red....go figure

Is the U.S. in a recession yet…just look at GE’s bottom line

Because of its diverse operations, GE is considered by many analysts and investors as a “bellwether” company. This means that when the company is meeting or exceeding profit forecasts, the economy is probably doing extremely well. However, when GE starts to miss forecasts, it makes Wallstreet nervous. It is viewed as a sign that poor economic conditions may be ahead.

On Friday, April 11, GE reported a quarterly net income of 43 cents ($4.3 billion) per share. This was down 1 cent per share for the same period a year earlier. GE projected net income at 50 to 53 cents per share. Analysts indicated that even though some of GE’s businesses had strong performance, the financial unit impacted the bottom line the most.

After GE made these announcements, the rest of the market felt the affects too. GE’s stock fell nearly 13% and the DOW fell 250 points. I looked in my own portfolio and not one stock that I own was up for the day.

I think it is a bit ridiculous that GE’s stock took such a huge beating. I am a little bit biased because I own shares of GE, however, the company is still making money. Last I checked $4.3 billion in profit was a pretty nice chunk of change. I think I understand Wallstreet’s fear of a recession, but why does GE’s share prices have to take such a beating?

I hate to say it, but I think we’re already in the middle of a recession and still haven’t reached the bottom yet. The country is just now starting to notice the major signs – layoffs and job losses, not buying new “toys” and gadgets, and putting major purchases on hold.

Thank you GE and Wallstreet for letting us know about the recession.

Note: This is a guest article, written by Tim Morrison and published with permission of Sharad Mangalick.

Note 2 [sharad]: I'll let the readers decide if this is a great article or not :)

Zipcar Pros and Cons

I love zipcar. I love the idea of it, I love its simplicity, and its low cost. I love that I can rent a car for an hour in my neighborhood, and pick it up without having to worry about gas and insurance......but, apparently my love of zipcar isn't enough to satisfy my friends.

On a recent rental (Lincoln Park Market, it rocks)...my buddy Jeremy kept up his barrage of questions about zipcar. Here's some of them, and maybe you guys can help me answer them....

1. How do they know the car has been returned on time?
2. What if the person before you had a bad day, and decided to drop a deuce (or a piss) in the backseat...what do you do?
3. How do you impress clients when you need to use a weird card to get into the car? Do you tell them "sorry, i left my keys tethered to the car"


Here's my answers to his questions, and I don't think they are sufficient for him...

1. computers know all....its a digital world, get used to it

2. um, a bit twisted, i don't think zipcar has needed to deal with the 'deuce in the backseat" issue

3. no idea what tools are using zipcar to impress clients. can't answer this one.

what are your thoughts on zipcar? love it or hate it? pissed that they took over flexcar?

Clapping on a plane?

Really? Granted, it was a bumpy ride. Granted, the weather outside sucked. And granted, we are at least 3 hours late. But still, in this day and age of relatively low fares and constant travel, who claps upon landing?

I feel like I'm in a time warp.

Introducing...

..."Consistently entertaining and helpful"

My collection of informative, fun, and just interesting links that consistently make me look busy at work.

Please give them a shot and let me know what you think. I'm always looking for more sites so shoot me a note.

Whatever happened to.....Bone Thugz n' Harmony?

So this afternoon, I was driving to the airport...and the radio tossed on a classic song called the "Crossroads"...and it got me thinking..whatever happened to Bone?

Think back to the state of rap during the early and mid 90's.....NWA was gone, Wu-Tang was doing weird shit, and 2pac hadn't realy arrived yet (other than doing the Humpty Dance).....

When NWA disbanded, the main 3 picked their disciples to groom....Dr. Dre had Snoop, Ice Cube had Chris Tucker, and Eazy Z went to the hotbed of Cleveland, OH, and picked up a fast talking, smooth quartet named the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to mentor.

The group stuck in Eazy's shadow until his untimely death. Their tribute to him (the "Crossroads") brought them to hte forefront, and they become known for their smooth lyric delivery....crazy cornrows...and insanely fast pace....

they were one fo the only groups to pair up with mortal enemies 2pac (on "Thug Love") and the Notorious B.I.G. ("notorious thugs").......and, since they "split up", I haven't heard from them....

does anybody have any updates??

Airline Fuel Costs...a Follow Up

I've mused about airlines fuel costshere .

Well, not actually me, but more refuting and arguing posts left in the comments.

Since apparently every little piece of weight does affect the fuel spend in a major way, I thought that I'd post an article that popped up on my google reader feed.....enjoy

Wired - Airlines Try to Lighten Up

Wrigley Field - 4/4/2008

First Trip to Wrigley this year.....the old school sign just warms my heart

 >

Which is a good thing..because it was freezing outside. since its April, even Wrigley's famous green ivy was actually brown...

 


The Cubs just flat out stink this year. It seems like they continuously put themselves in a position to win, only to piss it away.

But, we managed to enjoy our beers, and our bleacher seats....


 

After the game, we headed to Uberstein's..on Clark..this place has huge beers and shotskis:


 

 
Overall...a fun day to play hookey from work...watch the Cubbies, and hang out with friends....

Note to gourmet chefs....

stay out of Mona's way! Mona's my girlfriend, and she is great.....but she can be a bit nuts.

Over the weekend, she was in Vegas with some of her friends, and then happened to dine at David Burke's Modern American Restaurant in the Venetian hotel. Apparently they were less than satisfied.....and....well, read for yourself...

[note - you may have to click on the image to read it. If that doesn't work, check out the review in its original glory]

Hillary and Barack...sitting in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G

first comes love...then comes marriage?

don't worry, this video will explain all

Out Today - There Will Be Blood

With its release on DVD, "There Will Be Blood" is finally available to the mainstream movie going audience.

I loved this movie, from its dreary Texas cinematography, minimalistic music, and haunting performance by Daniel Day Lewis. While I still liked the other Texas movie (No Country for Old Men) more, There Will Be Blood is still an absolute must see movie in my book.

Rent It, Buy It, Pirate It (not that I condone piracy)...but find a way to see this movie, and I guarantee that you will enjoy it.

oh yeah, Daniel Day Lewis will still find a way to drink your milkshake...in a completely non-sexual way. remember, this movie takes place way before that cheesy pop song about milkshakes and bringing boys to the yard....

Saving money on travel- Google Reader + Kayak

Earlier, I wrote about using Google Reader + Airfarewatchdog.com to save money on your travel.

After the initial post, people contacted me on googleTalk, and wanted me to document how to build feeds using kayak.

Kayak is my favorite site for finding domestic airfare deals. While I have no data to support me (see disclaimer below), I feel like AirFareWatchDog is better for international travel.

So here goes the 10 cent tour....

Kayak has tons of options for tailoring their RSS feeds to your needs. You can tweak them to search for hotels, airfare, rental cars, cruises, "ladies of the night"...you name it, it'll do it.

But, with that increased customization comes the responsibility to actually build it.

Since I'm only interested in flights originating from the Chicago airports, I am going to customize the feed to reflect this.

The basic Kayak feed:

http://www.kayak.com/h/rss/buzz?code=

[edited per Tim's comment]
For Chicago

http://www.kayak.com/h/rss/buzz?code=CHI


Plug those into Google Reader (I use an "airfare" tag to keep them organized), and you are set!

Kayak's RSS FAQ

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Paging Little John....

The writers of Lost love to throw Little John's favorite word into their show...check it out



edit - video discovered via slashfilm.com

Saving money on travel- Google Reader + Airfarewatchdog

One of my goals this year is to travel more (for fun, not work), and to visit new and interesting places.

Since I'm completely open to anywhere in the world, I've started using the ultimate travel mashup!

First off, this post requires that you have some working (or rudimentary) knowledge of Google Reader. If you don't, go to Google Reader, and give the tour a shot. Reader is Google's version of an RSS reader, and I've come to rely on it for my daily blog reading, financial and political updates, and sports news.

So, after you've played with Google Reader for a bit, head over to Air Fare Watch Dog. Since I live in Chicago, I typed "Chicago" into the "See Fares from your city" list.

Once I have my airports (Midway and O'Hare) selected, click on the little RSS feed button. On the next page, click on google, and then hit the "Subscribe Now" button.

Done and done! Now you can sit back, and wait for your dream airfare to come directly to you!

Using this method, I managed to score round trip tickets to Costa Rica for $323 (after taxes). Play around with it, and let me know if you guys want screenshots and/or more info!

Monday morning flights

As I type this out on my blackerry, seated in 24a, I'm watching people cram their bags into the overhead bins.

Most frequent travels can attest to the tiny size of the bins. But on this flight the bins are even smaller than normal. I mean, I could barely fit my computer bag in one the bins!

Granted I'm an asshole for putting my computer bag up top, but why can't the airlines retrofit their planes to handle slightly larger bags?

I see that we weren't the only ones to notice....

notice that Derrick Rose had no interest in being interviewed during the UNC/KU halftime game. Everybody at our table (at Grand Central - Sheffield, Lincoln, and Wrightwood) noticed it, but now its hitting the web.

He looked like he was 15 beers deep (incidentally, that's about where I was right then as well), and just wanted to go to bed....

Deadspin did a good job of covering the incident

I'd love to put a clip of the interview up, anybody have one?

Google Documents...and my ghetto running log

Earlier, I wrote about my SMART goals for this year.

My friends are sick of hearing about my running goals, and my progress towards mile 500 (I hope to moonwalk that last mile), so, in the spirit of greater accountability, I've decided to post my spreadsheet every month, and you guys can chew me out, cheer me on, and maybe inspire me to do better.....

i look forward to hearing your comments!

Revisiting my New Years Resolutions

At work, I'm required to document my goals using SMART objectives.

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Realistic
T - Timely

Since my original new years resolutions (lose weight, learn more, etc.) were not SMART in any way, I've decided to update them.

#1 Learn a foreign language.

S - Learn Spanish. I want to become conversational in Spanish
M - unsure, thoughts on this?
A - this is very attainable, I just need to start hitting the books
R - again, very realistic, just need to get some books and a teacher
T - sure

#2 - Run a half marathon

S - seems pretty specific, running a 13.1 mile race
M - yup, I have a goal of running 500 miles this year. I'm using a spreadsheet to track my progress, but might need to buy a running watch, to track my time and distance outside
A - that depends on my energy levels, but yes, attainable
R - didn't seem very realistic a year ago, but now that I can run a 6 mile run, I have the confidence that I can achieve this
T - I've gained 20 pounds in the last year, so yes...this is very timely. I'm currently at 185, and I want to get back down to the 165 pound range.

#3 - Volunteer More - self explanatory

#4 - Write more - I think I tend to keep things bottled up too much, and I've heard that writing helps ease that stress. I've debated between a journal (too girly) and a blog (too geeky), and I think that the blog wins out....

the last 2 are more nebulous, and I don't think they will fit into the SMART framework, but I still want them out there...and make myself more accountable towards them.

thoughts?

Another one bites the dust

Carolina is out. Me sad.

Memphis blue vs kansas blue. Who wins?

The bar is playing queen's classic another one bites the dust. There's always next year for the heels.

Monday night the tigers win. They win big. Like everybody due out at halftime big. Count it. You heard it here first. Me out

Oh my caroline!

Somehow something isn't right. Roy williams dressing poorly? Carolina allowing a 24 pt run?

When ku hit 33 points with 10 minutes left, we bet on how many they'd get in the first half. Letting my bias for unc shine, I picked 40 which carried me for the next 7 minutes.

So 2nd half what to salvage for the heels? Well. They are starting to make better decisions. They are starting to hit shots. And they are starting to run.

They need to go on a run to start the 2nd half to make it competitive.

Still though. 17 pts is too much. Jayhawks win. I'm crushed.

Memphis tigers championship preview

So the first game is over and memphis clearly dominated ucla in every meaningful category. Even in free throws!

So memphis looks tough. They are running hard, rebounding, and general scrappyness.

While I still like the tar heels, memphis looks ready to win the title. Before they lose it due to recruiting violations.

On bad ties and drugs

Too many announcers wear bad ties. You'd think that cbs would hire somebody to dress them.

Also psycho t wins the national player of the year award. Why would he take some ecstacy before accepting it? Did you see his eyes? He's bugging out!

Memphis\ucla first half

First half thoughts.

Pace is in memphis's favor but ucla is starting to solve the speed. Keep an eye on the full court press. Might help ucla force memphis into more turnovers.

Shooting. After starting on fire memphis has cooled down significantly. Their piss poor free throw percentage is killing them. It will be the difference in the game.

Since memphis is up by 3, I expect ucla wins the second half and wins by 5.

While I'm out $30, niraj wins $400. He best hook me up with some of his gains!

Weezer

I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Weezer fan out there. My knowledge of Weezer comes from the Blue album, and that my trusty old Compaq Presario Pentium from about 1997 came preloaded with their "Buddy Holly" video.

I'm not sure why Compaq would do that, but I think it had something to do with the high class MPEG capabilities that I had paid for.

So, with the upcoming Weezer album, what are some of your favorites? I have a copy of the Blue album, but I want to branch out before the new album comes out....

Final Four.....Final Weekend of College Ball

So, earlier, I wrote my initial thoughts about this year's Final Four...in San Antonio.

Games tip off at 6:07 PM EST (can they find a more random time to start a game?), and I still haven't written the most detailed analysis yet...so here it is.

Four #1 seeds...four different shades of blue...four different playing styles from wildly different coaches.

#1 North Carolina:

The storied program of Dean Smith, James Worthy, and Michael Jordan. Featuring the running attack of Ty Lawson, the sharpshooting of Ginyard, and the ferocious competitiveness of Tyler Hansborough.

They love to run and gun, but also have the ability to grind it out in the half court.

shade of blue - "carolina"

#1 UCLA:

Equally as storied, if not more storied, than North Carolina. Ghosts from the past include John Wooden, Lew Alcindor (kareem abdul jabaar), the O'Bannon brothers.....
they are the typical blue-collared defensive grinders....they love to play in the halfcourt set.

shade of blue - "true" blue

#1 Kansas:

I'll admit that I don't know much about Kansas, except that the entire state still holds a grudge towards Roy Williams. The last time the Jayhawks reached the final four, they were upstaged by 2 things...(1) a young man named Carmello Anthony and (2) the secret negotiations of then Kansas coach Roy Williams, planning his return to his alma matter of North Carolina.

They love to run, and struggle to grind teams. Brandon Rush, Sasha Kahn, all great players. But, can Bill Self finally get over the hump?

shade of blue - Blue (they didn't get all pretentious with their colors)

#1 Memphis:

The last team on the list...the newest incarnation of John Calipari's upbeat blend of running and poor free throw shooting.

This team averaged around 50% from the free throw line, but still put up about 80 points a game.

Will the Memphis High School Tigers finally start getting some respect?

shade of blue - Blue and Gray.

Since the 2 most prestigious programs in college basketball feel the need to dress up their "blueness", maybe Kansas and Memphis might not survive with their normal blues....

With the blueness factored in...my picks for today are UCLA and North Carolina. Kevin Love over Chris Doglas-Roberts (i feel like he'd be at home in a debate club)....Psycho T over Brandon Rush's old school fade....

what are your thoughts?

[update] just got a call from my lovely girlfriend, who just put some bets down in Vegas for the first time (more on this later)....and she has me down for Memphis...so....Go Tigers!!!

Sign of the times

you know the economy is rough when even Will Ferrell is getting shaken down by his landlord for past rent...

Shantaram - follow up

Earlier, I blogged about Shantaram, a book by Greg David Roberts. In that post, I forgot to mention another reason to read it....the characters!

Prabu
Lin
Karla
Johnny Cigar
Khader Khan
Abdullah

there are many more, but these are the ones that stick in my head....read it!

Help Needed: Walk-a-thon

Now that baseball season has finally started, it seems like Spring and Summer are just around the corner.

While this time of the year brings out the planner in all of us....planning up fun things like:

- Cubs games at Wrigley (is it still even called Wrigley?)
- beer gardens
- Castaways at the North Ave. Beach
- Not wearing overcoats (unless you plan on flashing people, which is sometimes fun)
- the endless supply of fundraising emails

wait, that last item doesn't sound like fun. but for those of us in Chicago (or places that get snow), the summertime means running outdoors, instead of at Ballys.

so to kick off the outdoor season in the North, my uncle is participating in the Minneapolis Walk-A-Thon to benefit the American Heart Association. Check out his progress, and please spare some $ if you can....

You know you want to click me

thanks

Globe Trotters

Vaction Wish List (in no particular order):

1. Costa Rica - here we come!
2. Peru - for Mike. Don't forget to start training...
3. Rio - Mardi Gras Brazil-style
4. Napa Valley - all the wine you can drink.
5. Alaska - for its beauty and animals.
6. African Safari - animals, animals, animals
7. Sub-Saharan Africa - culture, history, nightlife
8. volunteer trip

Feel free to add as the thought arises.

[note] 6-8 added by Sharad...the rest was Sarah

Spring Music Buying Guide

Came across this list of albums coming out:

The Pitchfork Guide to Upcoming Releases: Spring 2008

After reading through the exhaustive and entire list, here's my small list of albums to check out (in order of date of release)

4/01:
R.E.M.: Accelerate [Warner Bros.]

4/08:
MSTRKRFT: Remixes Vol. 1 [Last Gang]
Spoon: Don't You Evah (single) [Merge]

4/15:
Buckshot & 9th Wonder: The Formula [Duck Down]
Portishead: Third [Island]

4/22:
Atmosphere: When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold [Rhymesayers Entertainment]
Flight of the Conchords: Flight of the Conchords [Sub Pop]
Sonic Youth: SYR7 [SYR]

4/29:
Joy Division: Best Of [Rhino] [North American release]
The Roots: Rising Down [Def Jam]

5/13:
Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs [Atlantic]

5/27:
Booka Shade: The Sun & The Neon Light [Get Physical]

6/10:
The Orb: The Dream [Six Degrees] [North American release]

6/17:
Weezer: TBA [Geffen]
Wolf Parade: Kissing the Beehive [Sub Pop]

anybody have any extra itunes money to share with me???

Shantaram - review of the first half

I've been engrossed by a book named Shantaram by Greg David Roberts. Pick up the book at your local book store, its huge....something like 1000 pages. But don't be put off by the size.

To be honest, I was put off by the size, so I did the next best thing....I grabbed the audiobook. The audiobook is also ridiculously huge, 35 cds...but fits nicely onto my ipod.

Once you overcome the shear size of the book, you can finally start reading (listening).

The book is a dramatized account of the author's life. Lindsey (the main character) is a fugitive who escaped from a maximum security Australian prison. His story winds him to Bombay, where he works as a (among other things) village doctor, drug dealer, and thief.

I'm about halfway into the book, and I don't want to give away too much.....so some very general pros and cons.

the pros:

- great description of India. The author has clearly spent a lot of time in India, and speaks with passion about his time. Whether he's in a 4-star hotel, or in the middle of a slum, he loves Bombay.

- engaging story. even though parts of the book are kinda dry and "boring", the author has a way with words....and manages to keep the reader engaged.

- the actor. as I mentioned above....I'm listening to the audiobook, and the producer found an Australian actor to read the book, and so it adds a bit more authenticity to the story.

Cons:

- looooong....the book is very long, and there are some dry spots in between the action


So....once you get over the length of hte book...pick it up, read it, and love it.