I’ve been working all day to upgrade my computer. Backing up, reformatting, installing Snow Leopard, Windows 7, and all manner of software… it’s a bit much.
Moving on… here’s a look at my Halloween costume. I went as an axe murderer.
Since it’s impossible to find toy weapons that look even remotely real, I had to spray-paint my own axe. Do children really need to be feeble and afraid of the world?
"I loves my axe"
Cleanliness is next to Godliness... or so I'm told
And that’s about that.
Johnnie Moore shared this video a couple weeks ago:
It prompted me to ponder the question “what is as moment?” which I think was the goal of the piece.
That in turn, made me think back to an old episode of the Aaron Sorkin show, Sports Night.
In one episode there is a rather geeky discussion about the definition of the word “momentarily.” It turns out, “momentarily” has two conflicting definitions:
That means that the statement, “I will be with you momentarily” could mean, “I will be with you shortly,” or it could also mean “I will be with you for a short while, then I will leave.” I guess it’s also possible that it could mean “I will be with you shortly and then leaving.”
I don’t think any of this ultimately matters, but this kind of inane BS is the stuff that runs through my skull.
I’m taking a couple nights off from writing.
I’ll be back on Monday.
Every once in a while life affords you the opportunity to witness, and play a small part in something great.
My friend and college buddy Peter Rizzo had been an official in the Town of Tonawanda; a suburb of Buffalo, New York. I’ve known and worked with quite a few government officials in the past, and Pete is one of the rare few who doesn’t do things for power, attention or with any expectation of reward. He works hard for what he feels is right.
Why am I writing an obviously non-geek post about a friend/ local official?
The answer to that is because Pete accomplished something incredible last week.
On Tuesday, August 18th, the brand new Town of Tonawanda Veterans Memorial was dedicated. Somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 people showed up to honor our veterans at the unveiling of a spectacular new monument. General Colin Powell delivered the keynote address, and Pete read a Presidential Proclamation from Barack Obama, in addition to his own speech.
Here’s a video of local news coverage of the event:
A portion of Peter’s speech really underscores the purpose and thought behind the memorial:
All of our veterans sacrificed for us, whether they served in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Merchant Marine. Whether from private to general, from seaman recruit to admiral, or from airman to general, regardless of rank, every single veteran has sacrificed for us, for our community, for our country. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why the memorial before you lists only names, and not rank. Rank is an honor in and of itself, but service is the common thread that unites them all. We honor all who have served us equally, without prejudice.
I had the opportunity to be a sounding-board for Pete throughout the entire process, and help him craft his communications and pitches to get this project off the ground. While I played an incredibly small role in this big project (which entailed raising $100,000 (correction) more than $180,000 and navigating the labyrinth that is local politics), I am just honored to have been a part of it. However, I must confess that I didn’t believe the thing would ever get built.
I seriously underestimated Pete’s dedication, determination and seemingly endless well of patience. He wanted to do something to honor, and remember the sacrifice of all veterans, of all ranks, from all wars. He succeeded.
For most people, the Town of Tonawanda Veterans Memorial will honor our Country’s veterans. For those of us who know Pete, and understand how hard he worked to make this idea real, the Memorial will also serve as a monument to action. It’s easy to come up with an idea like this. Working nearly six years to make it a reality is something entirely different.
… And that’s worthy of an off-topic post.
I have no idea where this came from. If you know, please tell me so I can site the originator.
This image tracks the evolution of the Coke and Pepsi logos over time.
Coke got it right the first time. I’m not so sure Pepsi ever got it right.
Thanks to RJay for passing this along to me.
You see them everywhere. $10, $15, $25 minimum charges for purchases on credit cards, but technically, Visa and MasterCard prohibit this practice.
American Express doesn’t prohibit the minimum charges, but they also require the minimum charge be ≤ the minimum charges of other cards accepted by the vendor. That means that if a store accepts Visa or MasterCard, they aren’t allowed to place a minimum on AMEX charges either.
Be RespectfulThe issue isn’t simple for vendors because they are hit with a few fees when customers charge their purchase, so it’s not nice to buy a pack of gum with a credit card.
Financial exchanges are becoming more digital every year, and a lot of us don’t carry much cash. When a store tries to enforce a minimum charge, I will just leave and probably won’t ever return.
You can report the store to the credit card company, but that seems excessive to me. I would rather make them lose more money on my purchase and future purchases than deal with a bureaucracy.
I think that businesses would benefit from having a sign that asks customers to pay cash on purchases that cost less than $X. It gets the point across without alienating customers or violating credit card company policy.
Businesses need to get with the times, and really evaluate if the loss of revenue on a charged small ticket item is worse than losing the sale entirely, while simultaneously alienating the customer.
Information for this post originated from here: Source
I haven’t written much about the trip I took down to Costa Rica with my friends Jackie & Brie. I have a number of reasons for that, but I’ve decided to share some video.
We went for a hike at the “hanging bridges.” Basically they are narrow suspension bridges that span over gorges. At some point we started messing with my Flip MinoHD video camera (I have to review that little guy… so much to write, so little time).
Since we were on a bridge, we decided to reenact the bridge crossing scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Cause we’re cool like that.
We did it in one take, fluffed the lines a bit, I underestimated how much the bridge was shaking, and we generally made fools of ourselves… but whatever.
Curious about the last three seconds? Wondering where that incredibly authentic howl came from?
Well, I’m glad you asked.
We did a number of adventurous things while we were on vacation. One adventure was zip-lining through the canopy of the forest. In the middle of the zip-lining was an optional event called the Tarzan swing. Basically they tie you in, and drop you off a cliff. Have a look for yourself, and enjoy a laugh at my expense.
Usually when I am scared pooless I remain silent… not that time.
While I was on the swing, I had my Flip MinoHD camera attached to my helmet strap. Unfortunately the camera flipped and faced my chest, so you don’t really see anything. However it did capture the audio of my howl. So I grabbed those three seconds and dropped them in at the end of our Monty Python video.
It’s hard to tell, but the view from the far end of the swing was unbelievable.
Have a great weekend.
Every writer inevitably hits that wall where he/she knows there is a word for something, but can’t remember what the word is.
Enter OneLook, the reverse dictionary. You give it a definition, and it gives you possible words.
It’s no where near perfect, but it can help.
OneLook was brought to my attention via my buddy and frequent commenter pochp.
Riding the last train to New Jersey from New York Penn Station on a Friday night is always an experience. You are guaranteed at least one total ass in each train car; it says so on the ticket. My trip back this evening was no exception.
I spent my night with two friends that I hadn’t seen in nine years. It was a lot of fun because the last time I saw them we spent three weeks camping and sea kayaking our way through the Virgin Islands. Even after nine years, it was amazing to see them. So much had changed in all of our lives, yet I felt like no time had passed.
Anyway, back to my train ride home. I ended up sitting next to the ass of the car and his girlfriend. His green pastel button down shirt, designer jeans, greased-up faux hawk, and popped collar screamed “I’M AN ASS!!!” His girlfriend was barely clothed, and exceptionally drunk after a night of celebrating her 21st birthday. I can say with confidence that her jewelry was covering about as much of her body as her clothing. As a consequence, a number of people in neighboring seats were leering, or outright staring at her. Both her and her boyfriend, henceforth refereed to as Mr. & Ms. Ass weren’t pleased with the gazes, and proceeded to scream at the guys across the way.
I’ve got to say that Mr. & Ms. Ass were completely nuts. As are any other people who leave portions of their body exposed, and then become up angry, insulted, embarrassed, etc. when someone checks them out. Now, I have the utmost respect for women, and leering isn’t my style, but please hear out my logic.
When you go to a museum the objects on display are behind glass. This is specifically so that people can see the object.
When one wears clothing that reveals a body part, that individual is putting that part on display. If one doesn’t wish to have her parts viewed, she should wear something that is opaque and covers some area, or accept that parts on on display, and consequently inviting viewership.
If I didn’t want you to read my writing, I wouldn’t publish it in a public place.
After the screaming match with the staring men, Mr. Ass realized that Ms. Ass lost his car keys and they spent the rest of the ride raging on each other.
One day, I will build a secret passage behind a bookcase in my home.
And a malcontent shoot in front of my desk, that drops people through a hole in the floor, and spits them out in my moat that is filled with crocodiles.
"I haven't had to evolve in eons because I'm already a perfect killing machine."
Seriously, crocodiles are scary as hell.
My father worked in the photo industry until it evaporated with the rise of hi-res digital cameras. As a consequence I grew up around cameras, photographers, and film. We had all of the film we wanted, but each roll had a finite quantity of shots.
Now I have an eight gig SD card in my camera, and for all intents and purposes, I can take as many photos as I want… but I usually forget that.
Many people, myself included, continue to treat pixels as a finite and rare commodity like film once was.
On July 4th, I finally used my digital camera as a digital camera.
My parent’s neighbors always put on an incredible fireworks display. Every year they become more efficient, sophisticated, and spectacular; this year was no exception. I decided to play with my camera a bit and see what would come out. I set it to “continuous” and pointed it in the general direction of the explosions.
The initial results were mixed.
Then I made a mistake, shaking the camera as I crushed a mosquito that was biting my arm. It turned out that the continuous shooting, delayed exposure, and shaking of the camera created a really cool streak effect.
Then I started to experiment by shaking the camera in different directions, and at different speeds; I am delighted with what I captured.
The Riddler was here
I took about 700 images and maybe 275 of them are worth a second glance, but that’s OK, because pixels are recyclable.
It’s going to take me a while to crop all of these and make them look presentable, but when I do they will go up on Facebook & Flickr. I will post a link when they are available.
Ok, not really.
However, I am in Buffalo visiting friends. They have been very kind and have given me a place to stay. That being said, they don’t have a strong Internet connection… I don’t know how people live like this!
I will try to continue posting every night.
Have a great weekend.
This post is three weeks in the making. It will never be as eloquent as I want, nor will it fully articulate what I am feeling… but here goes nothing.
Two years ago a Fellowship was bestowed upon me by Johnson & Johnson. In short, Johnson & Johnson would pay for my masters communication & information studies at Rutgers University, plus a salary. In return, I would earn good grades and work for the Company’s Corporate Communications Department.
When I began, I had a lot of experience with my own business and did very well in my undergraduate programs, but a company like Johnson & Johnson was a completely different level. It was the largest health care company in the world, and I was a kid.
The first time I walked into the building I remember feeling insignificant. As I approached the elevator for the tower that I would be working in, the same tower that the CEO sat in, I thought to myself, “It’s only a matter of time before they discover that you don’t know anything and fire you.” I honestly had no idea if I knew how to do anything that Johnson & Johnson would find even remotely useful. I also didn’t know what my job would be.
I quickly found out that I would be doing the content management of the corporate web site, jnj.com. I had a lot of experience with web design and web site management, but the sites I worked on were viewed by maybe a few hundred people per month (usually less). This site was viewed by as many people in an hour.
The first time I made a change to the site it was unbelievably empowering. The first thing I did when I got home after my first day was call my Mom and direct her to my little change to the web site. I later discovered that every single jnj.com Fellow before me did the exact same thing after their first change.
Two weeks into my time there, my boss Michael Johnson gave his two weeks notice. Around the same time my predecessor left as well. Within about a month I was the only person who knew how to run the site. It was sink or swim time. A web design and web site management agency named Local Wisdom was brought on to assist and supplement me in maintaining the site. Specifically the very talented Melissa Mancuso became my counterpart on jnj.com (She is getting married this weekend – Good luck and all the best Melissa!).
At the same time, a total redesign of the web site was underway. I managed to work my way onto the redesign team, and things really took off from there.
It turned out that I knew a lot more than I realized when I started, and before I knew it I was completely immersed in the redesign. The project was an incredible experience. Working on the redesign was the most intense and fun thing I have done in school or work to date. I loved every minute of that project.
In the months after the redesign, I began to work closely with the social media team in Corporate Communications. Web guru Adriana Lucas took me under her wing, as did Marc Monseau and Margaret Gurowitz. These three people opened my eyes to a world that I knew a lot about yet chose to ignore. They helped me to see things differently; more clearly. Without them, this blog would not exist.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the other great Fellows. When I was new, the elder Fellows showed me the ropes (and helped me become a more relaxed person in general). As I became an elder Fellow, I had the honor of helping the new Fellows navigate the Company. Every single Fellow that I worked with had some special and unique talent (a superpower, if you will [I needed to geek this post up a little bit]) that they brought to the office. Seeing what they were capable of inspired me to write better, think in new ways, and just be a better person.
Finally, there is this guy.
Aside from commenting regularly on this blog, Mark Krajnak was my boss for most of my time at Johnson & Johnson. He has been the best boss that I’ve ever had, an excellent mentor, and a true friend. He gave me the room I needed to grow, but was always there to help me when I needed it.
Last Tuesday was my final day as a Johnson & Johnson Fellow.
I extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone I have worked with these past two years. It has been an privilege.
A special thank you goes to (in no particular order) Sarah Colamarino, Nancy Walker, Carol Bauman, Anthony Carter, Craig Rothenberg, Shaun Mickus, Marc Monseau, Mark Krajnak, Michael Johnson, Mathew Johnson, Margaret Gurowitz, Adriana Lucas, Ray Jordan, BrieAnn Szatkowski, Carla Hayes, Paul Dickler, Mark Curley, and Bill Price (Regrettably, I am probably leaving someone out).
You may have noticed that the title says, “Until We Meet Again,” as opposed to “Goodbye.” That’s was deliberate.
Remember that company I mentioned a few paragraphs up? Well, in two weeks I will begin my new job as project manager and information architect for Local Wisdom. Johnson & Johnson will be one of my clients.
There are no numbers I can assign, or words I can write to demonstrate the value of these past two years other than: They have been the best two years of my life. Johnson & Johnson, thank you for the education, experience, and memories.
See you in a few weeks.
Growing up, my Father liked to put his own spin on well… everything. The most noteworthy was the rendition of “Old McDonald” that he taught me.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Marc Spira’s rendition of “Old McDonald.”
Old McDonald has a farm
E I E I O
And now the bank owns the farm
E I E I O
With a padlock here, and a pad lock there
Here a click, there a click, everywhere a click, click
Old McDonald had a farm
Now he’s on welfare
Now, you should keep two things in mind.
I think I was about two when I started pre-school, and it wasn’t long before they sang “Old McDonald” in class. I became very angry with my teacher because she was teaching the song incorrectly… oh boy was she surprised by the “right” version.
Have a happy Father’s Day.
So much geeky stuff is happening in the world and I haven’t been able to keep up.
I’ve spent the afternoon and evening building a new guitar (expect a post on it soon). I am beat and need to wake up early tomorrow.
However, starting tomorrow you can expect thoughtful posts on everything from my new career, to Captain America, to the slew of new search engines that are creeping out of the woodwork, to politics in Iran and China.
I can’t in good conscious leave you empty handed. So give John Mayer Trio’s rendition of California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas a listen. He performed it a couple weeks ago on Conan. It’s pretty damn great.
