tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65406472024-03-07T20:15:35.810-08:00h a r s h k a r m aA collection of tips, links, and articles about how to take the edge off your harsh karmaMarchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.comBlogger402125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-7842786550691793892014-03-31T11:05:00.002-07:002014-03-31T11:05:26.934-07:00Air Canada is a low integrity airline, like many others<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I recently booked a flight to montreal for a reunion weekend with friends on Air Canada. About 4 weeks ago I received an email that they had adjusted their flight schedule and I would now be on an itinerary that caused me to miss an additional day of work unless I changed my flight.<br />
<br />
This was irritating, but not nearly as irritating as when I discovered that to change my flight online I would incur a $200 change fee. <br />
<br />
Since receiving the email I have called their reservation line every day at least twice and only received busy signals.<br />
<br />
They basically are extorting either a day of work or $200 out of me because they decided to change the schedule. I've submitted a complaint via the online email form and still gotten no response. They remind me of the customer service you'd get from TWA and Northwest just before they went out of business.<br />
<br />
I've posted to<br />
http://whyaircanadasucks.com/<br />
<br />
and of course I'll tweet and update linked in and Facebook status.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-22124394028843071322011-12-11T14:15:00.000-08:002011-12-16T10:37:58.161-08:00Walking in LA the great walkabout episode 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As most of my friends know, I LOVE to walk around in cities. I feel like you don't really get to know a place driving it as much as you do walking around ducking in wherever you feel like. With a likeminded buddy I recently did a 10 mile walk from Santa Monica to west hollywood. The route wasn't ideal, but it was a good first go. I decided to put together a google map to document it. <br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=214511670109628456791.0004b3d1ba4dcd5c7e80a&ie=UTF8&t=m&vpsrc=1&ll=34.077406,-118.35602&spn=0.124429,0.291539&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=214511670109628456791.0004b3d1ba4dcd5c7e80a&ie=UTF8&t=m&vpsrc=1&ll=34.077406,-118.35602&spn=0.124429,0.291539&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">LA Walkabout 1</a> in a larger map</small>
<br />
<br />
We were hustling a bit too much to completely enjoy it, but it was still a ton of fun and a good trial run for next time.<br />
<br />
After the walk we were picked up by a friend and whisked off to oinkster for pastrami before the Avey Tare show in Eagle Rock.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-22830204303953872972011-10-28T02:32:00.000-07:002011-10-28T02:32:08.042-07:00The 6 big Social Media Lessons I Learned from my Frat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.caltdx.org/caltdxwp/wp-content/themes/Fraternity2010/images/slider/slide_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.caltdx.org/caltdxwp/wp-content/themes/Fraternity2010/images/slider/slide_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The nice thing about social
networking is that the basics aren't rocket science, and you can get a lot done
with a little common sense. When you think about it, a frat on any
college campus is a brand in a highly competitive social marketplace. So it
turns out everything I learned about throwing good parties and BBQs finally has
some real life value.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here’s my list of the 6 Social
Media Lessons I learned from being a part of a fraternity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1.) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Getting noticed is the first step, but it's not enough.</b> You've
got a house, and you want to get cool people to come to your house and party.
Why? Because you want them to tell their friends it's cool and raise the
profile of the frat. Sound familiar? It's just like trying to make a facebook
page popular or create an online community about a brand by finding and
nurturing relationships with key influencers. But that is just the first
step. You need to attract people, but then you need a reason for them to come
back. This means you need to put on a string of events that know people
will keep returning. Similarly in social, there must be enough content and
engagement for them to return. (Otherwise, there’s always another place to try
out, often right next door.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2.) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You have to please the people who show up every week, and really wow
the people who only show up a couple times a year.</b> At a frat, there
are always the non-members of “friends of the house” who are there all the
time. Every week when you do drinks, they'll be there, and then there are
the people who show up just for the giant theme parties. In your
community you'll have the regulars and contributors who become part of your
community, and then there are the masses who show up every once in a while for
a big event or guest post or that mention on digg. If you alienate your core
community you risk losing your biggest supporters, but if you only cater to the
regulars you’ll never grow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">3.) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Popularity comes more from die hard friends of the house than the
members. </b>The people who really make a frat popular are the people who
show up every week, not the people who live there. Of course your team is the
heart of your brand, but it's the core followers, fanboys and early adopters
who will really grow your presence and recognition. They are the ones who
talk to their friends and get the message out with more authenticity than an
actual member of the brand team could ever have. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are also the people who liked you before
you were cool<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4.)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Picking and supporting the right "friends of the house"
is extremely important. </b> The core friends of the house are
effectively brand ambassadors. If they aren't cool they will drop the
popularity of the house. Can we say Ed Hardy douchebags? If they are cool
they make you look better<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">5.) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Popularity of Brothers in activities outside the house helps drive
popularity of the frat. </b>This one seems obvious but it's so often
forgotten. A frat brother who's a star on the football team or in a cool
band makes the house more popular. Likewise if your brand's team has
people with notoriety outside the brand context. Your founder getting
featured on apartment therapy, your chef competing on chopped, anything
positive that happens to someone associated with your brand has a halo effect.
The reverse is also true so keep an eye on your team.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">6.) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You don't have to be the biggest and most popular house to have an
awesome time, pick your niche. </b>There's a lot to be said in being the
most popular house with a certain segment on campus - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>you have the various sports frats, the ethnic
frats, the theme houses, the house with the best BBQs, etc. Picking a
niche for your brand and owning it is one of the best ways to grow and preserve
your popularity and get the most vocal supporters who feel a closer connection
with the brand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-64677360925728549132011-06-07T00:44:00.000-07:002011-06-07T00:44:02.210-07:00Rome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
Every once in a while I get on a music kick caused by a specific album, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1vX24a4BSo">Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi's "Rome</a>" is a perfect way to slide into a nice work background score. Add a couple great 60's and 70's atmospheric instrumental movie soundtracks by guys like Ennio Morricone, and Roy Budd and suddenly the most mundane tasks like accepting an email hace this cinematic quality of walking through joshua trees for a sunset gunfight, or racing through the streets with an unsheathed katana.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Of course the first thing the wife said when she heard it was "Interesting, they did this one backwards. I'm curious to see what movie they're going to make for this soundtrack" Personally I think it's got a tarantino ramen western, or jim jarmusch dead man kinda feel to it. <br />
<br /></div>
</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-38512263014345976472011-05-31T09:38:00.000-07:002011-06-07T00:40:53.695-07:00Interesting hobbies....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So I had a realization today whilst talking to a friend online. In the pursuit of lofty corporate goals I have basically lost all of my hobbies other than snark. <br />
<br />
The friend in question seems to have nought but hobbies.<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Seasonally she's a grunion greeter</li>
<li>She's an avid baker</li>
<li>Occasional horticulturist </li>
<li>She's spun a few scarves, and welded some jewelry</li>
<li>She took up surfing, and dare I say it ...even blogging</li>
<li>Amateur Mycologist and Bee keeper</li>
<li>And then... she has a tendancy to go on a trip and pick up a few more</li>
</ul>
<div>
As I spoke to her, I began to realize that I really had none outside drinking and eating (at which I excel)</div>
<div>
I used to ride a bike, go hiking, play squash, play dungeons and dragons, kickball etc. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So every once in a while I make a plan. This year I'm not just gonna get some hobbies, I'm going to upgrade. Harsh 3.0 from Harsh 2.0 which came in college when I started working out again, started wearing better clothes, and realized I was gonna get a good job and go the corporate route.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In order to attain the next "point-oh" I'm looking at an overhaul of lifestyle completely. Superficial and internal. In no particular order</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Get a couple cool bags to finally carry all my stuff for travel and walking around</li>
<li>Get a bunch of stuff to simpfy my life, and manage my junk</li>
<li>Manage my to dos</li>
<li>Learn a language</li>
<li>Write regularly. Articles, position papers for work, whatever just something to keep the mind busy and capture my occasianal flame of brilliance</li>
<li>Stay on top of the tech I like</li>
<li>Listen to music. I'm gonna find out new stuff I like and start buyng it on amazon</li>
<li>Hit the Gym. I'm about 5 lbs overweight now and slow as hell. Time to go back to the gym, play squash, take up running</li>
<li>Learn about wine</li>
<li>Improve business skills: Managment, Accounting, business models, etc</li>
</ul>
<div>
I figure I'll get about 50% of it done if I give it the old college try.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-90828285712227139022010-12-31T01:12:00.000-08:002010-12-31T01:13:15.600-08:00Tough life<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7p04tig6mvQ9BYaLsSXSqAaIwGf_8tCAgXgSkUm00SzivkYnq7KH8PszF0hiVJWAd3bLU8BNOSNkb4cSO9UPB_2IBqP7Uvyi0GQrrayjS9P2tuKDLOe8ToF2gMs_0Pwg82w/s1600/photo-795601.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7p04tig6mvQ9BYaLsSXSqAaIwGf_8tCAgXgSkUm00SzivkYnq7KH8PszF0hiVJWAd3bLU8BNOSNkb4cSO9UPB_2IBqP7Uvyi0GQrrayjS9P2tuKDLOe8ToF2gMs_0Pwg82w/s320/photo-795601.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556771977855264114" /></a></p>Vacation in so calMarchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-65363605305889197342010-11-15T21:37:00.000-08:002010-11-15T21:39:41.527-08:00My new work setup- thank you apple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObbpnwJHOXU-Szoo_-BpNt_OZvTQ36XAC6LzhqNsOkYG0e3DkzQRc4nC6M1mt9r7_TIkY8S_gbsTb8t1n25tDNvXMIX_RZhMp3a3zveHMlVWSsssyUcamn54Dd2WMeEkcYA/s1600/3computerdesk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObbpnwJHOXU-Szoo_-BpNt_OZvTQ36XAC6LzhqNsOkYG0e3DkzQRc4nC6M1mt9r7_TIkY8S_gbsTb8t1n25tDNvXMIX_RZhMp3a3zveHMlVWSsssyUcamn54Dd2WMeEkcYA/s400/3computerdesk.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So, I've finally got a work layout that fits all the stuff I want open. In front of me is my macbook air which is a mix of personal and auxiliary work computer. to the left is my work thinkpad, and to the right is my ipad acting as a second monitor with airdisplay showing my calendar. and of course for hilarity on the mac is a picture of the exact same setup.<br />
<br />
I waited a long time to get a mac because A) work wouldn't pay for one, and B I didn't really think I needed yet another computer ( I've already got an imac, a work laptop, an old personal laptop, a netbook, and an old work laptop floating around). But I decided it's time to just buy the super cool thin computer I've always wanted. The set up seems a little ridiculous, but it works and overall takes up less bag space and weight than a 17" high perf HP laptop. Seriously, all 3 machines, kinda crazy no? I think I may have to get rid of the work laptop eventually, but for now this is a kickass setup. When I do kill the work machine I'm actually in pretty good stead using a combination of VPN, davmail, and vmware images to support all of my corporate IT compliance needsMarchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-83272495347787266972010-06-02T01:38:00.000-07:002010-06-02T01:38:59.852-07:00kartOO is dead, and I didn't even notice till today :(<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31wl9NRQymQntfqeo2P1iaOtDWxEFV8EVmCaPp47hHK7LoaMUe-JFGGFP3KUPIjo66-VFZP3UXJHJnrhMhaqahcy8gMJA900cqPXTQX2CyFLqJEi3rh5tzzd2anyt1u5qiQ/s1600/kartoo-search-result.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31wl9NRQymQntfqeo2P1iaOtDWxEFV8EVmCaPp47hHK7LoaMUe-JFGGFP3KUPIjo66-VFZP3UXJHJnrhMhaqahcy8gMJA900cqPXTQX2CyFLqJEi3rh5tzzd2anyt1u5qiQ/s400/kartoo-search-result.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
One of the best search ideas I'd seen in a long time was a visual search engine called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartoo">kartoo.</a>(link goes to wikipedia). The basic idea was that your search terms were visually linked to related search terms to help you navigate to the right results based on context. Kartoo was a meta search engine, meaning that they didn't have their own indicies, but would leverage other search operator APIs. I was really happy to see them around because in 2001 when the semantic web was young, kartoo was a view into the future of browsing the web, but alas they seem to have bitten the dust. The shot above is of their post 2004 interface, but I think I liked their original graph style node and arc interface the best. Not sure when they died, but RIP kartooMarchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-86597558282878781762010-05-26T19:28:00.000-07:002010-05-26T19:28:51.184-07:00Holy Crap, Indonesian toddler smokes like a chimney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://stopsmoking357.com/uploaded_images/stop-smoking-357-784769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://stopsmoking357.com/uploaded_images/stop-smoking-357-784769.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
So in my experience out here in Asia, I've noticed that overall, there's a lot more smoking than everywhere else I've been. Obviously more than the states, but also a ton more than western Europe, France and Italy included. Of the Asian groups I've met, the Indonesians definitely take the cake. So over the course of the last couple weeks some of the guys have been working in Jakarta and joking that people start smoking as kids out there. Sure enough the international news media has found a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/world/indonesian-toddler-smokes-40-cigarettes-a-day-20100527-wf47.html">baby that smokes 2 packs a day (Video on The Age)</a>. Seriously. Not only does this kid smoke that many cigs, but he's got his own style to it from watching others. He's chubby and too unfit to play with other kids, but his folks still buy him the cigarettes. In my opinion another reason why he doesn't play with other kids is he's seen as a bad influence. After all, would you let your 2 year old play with the fat kid who smokes .Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-67259600857214788072010-05-23T22:36:00.000-07:002010-05-23T22:36:31.321-07:00Starting from scratch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwXDflZXwk3EvDz8YAdQJB2hqvWhQZB-UABCXOWAkwoPikVuODxOfKOHN5zQ8mInXYIOlqZpWIxlGcA33FSBXQ9pFqwQyWxhJM879-whaW6vp1rrLGYlQEIltnBgYqVTM1w/s1600/countries_singapore01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwXDflZXwk3EvDz8YAdQJB2hqvWhQZB-UABCXOWAkwoPikVuODxOfKOHN5zQ8mInXYIOlqZpWIxlGcA33FSBXQ9pFqwQyWxhJM879-whaW6vp1rrLGYlQEIltnBgYqVTM1w/s400/countries_singapore01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So once again gentle reader, I find myself in a new location. I have moved to Singapore for a minimum term of 3 years. And with any great relocation comes the usual process of building a new life. Like everything else, I do it systematically: </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Exploring- I gotta get the lay of the land, and while that usually means walking great distances without a map, here that becomes a little tricky thanks to the sweaty sweaty weather, so I'm going neighborhood by neighborhood.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lodging- finding a place that fits once the relo runs out. It's gotta be reasonably priced, a short commute to the office, near cool stuff, and have space for an extra bed/futon for guests</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Networking- meeting and building relationships with my professional contacts. A lot of my contacts here are from a different generation, so the lunches are a bit more advisory in nature, but this has been really helpful in my job so far. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Makin friends (can't actually be systematic here, but it's important to do if I'm gonna live here for a while)- I had a couple friends out here already, but during those first few weeks you get invited around a lot and you actually have a pretty short period to make friends to get the regular invites and start the transition from the FOAF to acquaintance to friend. The last step often takes at least a year, but can be accelerated with other expats because they're in the same boat socially.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Logistics and routine- So there are the basics of dry cleaner, grocery store, barber etc., but when you move to a different country your habits have to change too. Okay, in SG there are enough westerners that they don't really have to change, but they should a little if you really want to get the full experience. Also it'll be a nice change to head back to an urban environment. I love where I was in LA, but it's nice to be in a higher density place again since I don't have kids.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm still in the temp housing with a limited kitchen, so most of the time I feel like I'm on an extended business trip. Aside from starting to make new friends the rest of the stuff here hasn't really come into full effect. </span></div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-64590462894990673392009-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:002009-07-11T11:30:16.926-07:00Sanchez no hitter against the padres<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ6NIS2jystQ6HJke_pWTzQqdCQ_rg0O6cbsbNEeu8TwbLVgc-XmFZgLwmhMT3BOxOd1xOqNCsRfevxyrU6845DOPJaun22dEAW52BVeeV8_A7nuxHmSGrtJ6Rgnz2Ebs3w/s1600-h/photo-716927.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ6NIS2jystQ6HJke_pWTzQqdCQ_rg0O6cbsbNEeu8TwbLVgc-XmFZgLwmhMT3BOxOd1xOqNCsRfevxyrU6845DOPJaun22dEAW52BVeeV8_A7nuxHmSGrtJ6Rgnz2Ebs3w/s320/photo-716927.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357271696284956546" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-50768461963852206462009-07-11T02:23:00.001-07:002009-07-11T02:23:30.584-07:00View from last night of vacation<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvfCkV9IZdBMQMsyPkLaBJ9pC8UKQPw_cXf6jAd-XEtqd8NG0fPTGhnnw8cOxfw8wsDe99RPwRrwt9E2e95l5BbuJlMhbzGX6kFELBtnu0DHNEGoqTDOFepEqWaxONkleJg/s1600-h/photo-710586.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMvfCkV9IZdBMQMsyPkLaBJ9pC8UKQPw_cXf6jAd-XEtqd8NG0fPTGhnnw8cOxfw8wsDe99RPwRrwt9E2e95l5BbuJlMhbzGX6kFELBtnu0DHNEGoqTDOFepEqWaxONkleJg/s320/photo-710586.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357130793888969746" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-23623353982689294502009-07-09T11:25:00.000-07:002009-07-09T11:26:18.212-07:00Wine tasting at Salisbury<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQi6ACK6iVaCTVj0Wmuyzoz3UAq8xTf0n4l90rmjVWF1pA1yCfDkehYvDSoup4XKZsEC0hE7gisQKrVcH_joc9sQhFGlB3dqX5J_r1g6dek14_BDdYZ1heb8Ds4WXJAmaGQ/s1600-h/photo-778214.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQi6ACK6iVaCTVj0Wmuyzoz3UAq8xTf0n4l90rmjVWF1pA1yCfDkehYvDSoup4XKZsEC0hE7gisQKrVcH_joc9sQhFGlB3dqX5J_r1g6dek14_BDdYZ1heb8Ds4WXJAmaGQ/s320/photo-778214.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356528501101315522" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-84728879192263911032009-07-07T18:12:00.000-07:002009-07-07T18:14:33.623-07:00Break on the beach in SB<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqIJg7NFmU-fNI_nXtyXz5LzMjRB_05ETD9p__jiMBBgUzxMvm3aeTw7UmUY33AjfK3jUOHTUvL7_rIsS2-ksWDMwjri2IMEkgOUtqAuXcuOzTFxnOdHXLK-jf-rzzMU81A/s1600-h/photo-773626.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqIJg7NFmU-fNI_nXtyXz5LzMjRB_05ETD9p__jiMBBgUzxMvm3aeTw7UmUY33AjfK3jUOHTUvL7_rIsS2-ksWDMwjri2IMEkgOUtqAuXcuOzTFxnOdHXLK-jf-rzzMU81A/s320/photo-773626.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355891535509607218" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-55790414060543183012009-05-30T11:24:00.001-07:002009-05-31T11:09:56.246-07:00Sparkling Seattle day<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLr-K6rWH9ySHTEeZxfzlbbxnHN48BNLmHVZgVRiQ24ZFHHDzMzQQtd0o0DBfI-Ngil-RJOW46VabecjTLF7DR8aa9VxrxCvka296HCsaPeMFrI3tWQwxEDswtPg1an78Zw/s1600-h/photo-783212.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLr-K6rWH9ySHTEeZxfzlbbxnHN48BNLmHVZgVRiQ24ZFHHDzMzQQtd0o0DBfI-Ngil-RJOW46VabecjTLF7DR8aa9VxrxCvka296HCsaPeMFrI3tWQwxEDswtPg1an78Zw/s320/photo-783212.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341684685720486754" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">As luck would have it, our trip to seattle has been blessed with amazing weather, an abundance of delicious copper river salmon, and plenty of friends in town. Another nice coincidence was chancing upon the waterfront festival at pike place market. Can't wait to see what gems today holds.</p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-30585082591621126722009-05-25T14:44:00.000-07:002009-05-25T14:57:17.545-07:00My new super comfy ridiculous shoes<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrJqfFXSz79nqJekpLU3SLYx4po9RxJ23YWxY9Dhz1Pj-wqLq46rm-VQdMSzKbkz2ZtXj4VE8-dhxmsuWt4ErQ21fJtkjTYc2GrcCaF4ylQ9TxFbK9wYWmxCTDzgPR5ncZg/s1600-h/photo-754878.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrJqfFXSz79nqJekpLU3SLYx4po9RxJ23YWxY9Dhz1Pj-wqLq46rm-VQdMSzKbkz2ZtXj4VE8-dhxmsuWt4ErQ21fJtkjTYc2GrcCaF4ylQ9TxFbK9wYWmxCTDzgPR5ncZg/s320/photo-754878.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339881108587787458" /></a></p><br /><br />About a year or so ago I saw a dude in the airport with shoes with separate toes. I didn't get a chance to find out where he got them, and I wasn't successful in finding them on the internet. Two days ago a good buddy of mine (who misses his mommy) mentioned he got some new amazing shoes called vibram fivefingers. I looked em up and sho 'nuff they were the same shoes I'd seen a year ago. <br /><br />These things look absurd, but they are amazingly comfortable and give you the barefoot hippie experience without the callouses and cuts. I think I'm gonna make these my default summer shoes.Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-21080546597659452182009-05-24T23:36:00.000-07:002009-05-25T16:33:00.473-07:00Yay deep fried twinkie!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagDKbObEsf4Wd3gyKVKRlYQ_h1bq9Wz_hGOoWN_lUS5OiF32hd5L6PqciUFj83zBdi4v_mdgpyrJoxZr4wHY30QuEhyKRclIidozM_K_CAqL_baNdpER4Odu2tlEvIbl-KQ/s1600-h/photo-702197.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagDKbObEsf4Wd3gyKVKRlYQ_h1bq9Wz_hGOoWN_lUS5OiF32hd5L6PqciUFj83zBdi4v_mdgpyrJoxZr4wHY30QuEhyKRclIidozM_K_CAqL_baNdpER4Odu2tlEvIbl-KQ/s320/photo-702197.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339647235298180514" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">So it's been a year and a half and I'd used all but two of the wedding registry appliances we received. The last two to see action were the deep fryer ( for health reasons) and the soymilk maker because it just hasn't come up yet. Last night we went to a barbecue and brought oreos, batter, and our little cuisineart deep fryer. The batter was pancake mix + a couple eggs and milk instead of water. </p><p class="mobile-photo">We were the hit of the party with fried oreos and fried twinkies. Unfortunately the snickers weren't cold enough so we ended up with snicker bits rather than nicely batter fried snickers, but overall it was a resounding success</p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-4482262559337884392009-05-17T13:17:00.000-07:002009-05-17T13:19:06.215-07:00Lake shrine temple- new age relaxin<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EBsBTXPqvvjJc_vr0TpKJzCq0EEhSXGtcJCPOYfC8xtFTgtnJZq5jiuBW5Wom2gNs7ncIQjMHOq1Z7Ar99lZRpa4A3thc5Tj27HIMjX80fQIEMydIw_Q15gvGhDJwwNHGg/s1600-h/photo-746216.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-EBsBTXPqvvjJc_vr0TpKJzCq0EEhSXGtcJCPOYfC8xtFTgtnJZq5jiuBW5Wom2gNs7ncIQjMHOq1Z7Ar99lZRpa4A3thc5Tj27HIMjX80fQIEMydIw_Q15gvGhDJwwNHGg/s320/photo-746216.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336890052750216354" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-14932015783541609212009-05-17T12:10:00.000-07:002009-05-17T12:13:54.127-07:00Sunday morning at the Getty villa<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg647QSXgOHRnDng1zII9Qs68In5y8dDRR-j431_bpN7B-ApCuTfAPd8KQWAe9A7tJKLMJMxhmNLeVXvQkljCseYVripC0peYiFCpDLU26yqRw2CFQiCNAV19SNV7xEmuhyPg/s1600-h/photo-734129.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg647QSXgOHRnDng1zII9Qs68In5y8dDRR-j431_bpN7B-ApCuTfAPd8KQWAe9A7tJKLMJMxhmNLeVXvQkljCseYVripC0peYiFCpDLU26yqRw2CFQiCNAV19SNV7xEmuhyPg/s320/photo-734129.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336873251112246546" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-26070153469748258242009-05-06T23:29:00.001-07:002009-05-07T00:57:07.628-07:00Nice weather cometh- time to start doing stuff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5wN3GFRPclSvp9hMJ71Uk1TLhHu3EGJ-EUtlS91VZdd0FNM_FNj3ofEDHQvHt1-CdKuWzTPn34VaAObUpaMFdHSlFWIyX3xAkvu8CPJQEVF-0iAB3u_YQ33hWcxOwRwMxg/s1600-h/summer-activities.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV5wN3GFRPclSvp9hMJ71Uk1TLhHu3EGJ-EUtlS91VZdd0FNM_FNj3ofEDHQvHt1-CdKuWzTPn34VaAObUpaMFdHSlFWIyX3xAkvu8CPJQEVF-0iAB3u_YQ33hWcxOwRwMxg/s200/summer-activities.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332975733189701442" /></a><br /><br />So I'm coming off of the flu and after being in the apt for 3 straight days I'm getting antsy. Since the weather is turning to that beautiful time of year packed with cheap activities it's time I started planning. That means things like... hikes, bikerides, guerilla movie screenings, grunion runs, bee keeping, learning to play tennis, etc. My goal is to try and spend weekends doing as many different random fun activities for as little money as possible. I figure LA is one of the best places to do it thanks to the weather and options. Some of em require gear which will be initial cash layouts for bikes, raquets, projectors, and the like, but plenty of em are free and great ways to spend an afternoon.Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-16588059267763545992009-02-14T17:13:00.001-08:002009-02-14T17:13:35.693-08:00My new custom kicks<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKB-AEBkCsQZvqAdWvsFLiHIvIcQdS7jjftOPakSIEC10kecu2jdzd7opaNfGuBMhW7tB7TYPjG8vGeay0GpajZnlOGCdbd1IukiC0RV-54cuMftExDIUVuDbc-FmDkqOOfg/s1600-h/photo-715694.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKB-AEBkCsQZvqAdWvsFLiHIvIcQdS7jjftOPakSIEC10kecu2jdzd7opaNfGuBMhW7tB7TYPjG8vGeay0GpajZnlOGCdbd1IukiC0RV-54cuMftExDIUVuDbc-FmDkqOOfg/s320/photo-715694.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302826108063458658" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-26639852989266438172009-01-29T12:00:00.000-08:002009-01-29T14:08:12.963-08:00Rise and Fall of the Doucheoisie:Part 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ohyphenhyphen_e1YZLuNF-yGSL4wbAJALCMmkDZ2jjWXst4ezSGaMAAyA6snE_cQsQpRgOjBvU16UA9jUtn7GHjcFrGtXrmjp9I_WrA4qM3Jb-3_9Gh_J4YgrKPmd9H4oE8C5P2TOkA/s1600-h/charme-discret-de-la-bourgeoisie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ohyphenhyphen_e1YZLuNF-yGSL4wbAJALCMmkDZ2jjWXst4ezSGaMAAyA6snE_cQsQpRgOjBvU16UA9jUtn7GHjcFrGtXrmjp9I_WrA4qM3Jb-3_9Gh_J4YgrKPmd9H4oE8C5P2TOkA/s200/charme-discret-de-la-bourgeoisie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296815888596398514" /></a><br />Well it's beginning to happen, after a sharp rise the doucheoisie are beginning to fall from their places of self importance as their disposable incomes plummet and their lifestyles become untenable. This isn't to say they're gone for good, or disappearing from their bastions like the marina, it's just that their footprint is shrinking with their opportunities<div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div>To understand and enjoy the decline of one of the most irritating social groups in america it's probably good to start at the beginning. The next installment Part 2 will chronicle the rapid rise of the douche , Part 3 will focus on the apex of the douche culture, Part 4 will focus on the beginning of the decline, and Part 5 will be a discourse on the future role of the douche in society</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If I were still in school, I could probably get a soc, or cultural anthropology thesis out of this, but instead I'll have to just enjoy the pseudo-intellectual wanking of putting it in print.</div></div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-18695248986199757192008-12-02T11:49:00.001-08:002008-12-02T11:56:22.210-08:00Mojave! a stupid campaign<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7RvGoiut_gOS9ZcQ8LU_ssarj5joYv4g6VpG_Eb2MUCCidqIBtrjgvh450V7aUhhrwVbLz8rXW8TjDgnJSuxpMagacfXKxRCRa0FpCeBx3_gnb4Z48rEn-8Xgk4FD7Zoug/s1600-h/Desertground_Mojave_Desert.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7RvGoiut_gOS9ZcQ8LU_ssarj5joYv4g6VpG_Eb2MUCCidqIBtrjgvh450V7aUhhrwVbLz8rXW8TjDgnJSuxpMagacfXKxRCRa0FpCeBx3_gnb4Z48rEn-8Xgk4FD7Zoug/s320/Desertground_Mojave_Desert.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275282400050493106" /></a>Is it just me or does the mojave campaign just brag about a bunch of apps that come bundled with the OS, and not the OS itself. The most recent ad is ridiculous, talking about how a bundled photo app stiches images together. I mean that's cool and all, but it's got nothing to do with me trying to get a netbook on a network quickly<div><br /></div><div>But the whole campaign is ridiculous overall. Of course vista demos well, no one said it was ugly. The problem is that it's a bloated unstable beast rife with bugs. I can only hope for microsoft that they come out with windows 7 soon, no one wants a copy of Windows ME 2008.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-72116969314964952472008-11-30T21:43:00.000-08:002008-11-30T22:21:17.672-08:00Mumbai AttacksLately I've read a lot of blogs and heard a lot of people talk about this as precision attack, and I'm dumbfounded. The terrorists did a crappy job and I'm glad, but thanks to airheaded media they were successful. Kill foreigners to get it on CNN and the BBC, and suddenly india is <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Nov302008/national20081130103795.asp?section=updatenews">one of the most dangerous places in the world</a>, congratulations assholes with guns, terror achieved.<br /><br />This wasn't a crack team acting with surgical precision, it was a bunch of yahoos with weapons that'd make your average nutjob survivalist chuckle. The violence was little better than random otherwise many more than 200 would have died. The fact that only 200 died suggests that the security response was actually pretty damn effective. I'm just sad that stuff like this makes people comfortable with giving up civil liberties for cleverly named "safety measures" like the patriot act.Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6540647.post-34660813967976939242008-10-26T17:38:00.000-07:002008-10-26T17:39:10.971-07:00Beautiful afternoon on ucla campus<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1uSmE8hgosJITsPscFkQOuQTOECNWanLsSMRtprDitDmA3WuItnX65hMqRTgs0pOZsWsSA7L69mHGiG8KTzRVezNz22PSkIprZoqPLGS4hMBr9bp8-TAaEFh7S6nxwBnug/s1600-h/photo-750973.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1uSmE8hgosJITsPscFkQOuQTOECNWanLsSMRtprDitDmA3WuItnX65hMqRTgs0pOZsWsSA7L69mHGiG8KTzRVezNz22PSkIprZoqPLGS4hMBr9bp8-TAaEFh7S6nxwBnug/s320/photo-750973.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261626785025485554" /></a></p>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07615238802602492222noreply@blogger.com0