Cool Music A couple years ago, I was turned on to Devin Townsend. I can thank the inimitable Mario Parga for the introduction. I fell completely in love with his music, and quickly snarfed up most of his work. The most interesting was the Devin Townsend Project albums. Each one was distinctive, unique and in a very different style. From mellow, space you out (Ghost) to in your face, kick ass...
Selling your house blues
I have been griping a lot lately about the hassle of selling your house. It really is a pain in the ass for a number of reasons: You can’t “live” anymore. You have to clean clutter, and to keep every surface clean, dishes in the dishwasher, clothes folded and put away. So you pack about 1/3 of the stuff you would normally have out (like my guitars and a lot of electronics...
Bond Flicks
I have a confession. I love the Bond movies. From the early Sean Connery movies, the single episode with George Lazenby (and Diana Rigg as the Bond girl, rowr!), the Moore years, and then the others. I love the cheesy plots and dialog, the hokey special effects (although they have improved with age), and the whole “Aura” of the Bond character. The happiest day of the year was...
Almost made a truck turn over
On my way to lunch, a jackass in a pickup truck was riding my bumper. On Chandler Blvd, at 45mph. We both turned right, but I didn’t slow or brake (nice driving a S2000) and he tried to take the 90 degree corner at 40mph. Oops, On to 2 wheels he want, and I suspect he soiled his tidy-whities.
Tee hee!
House Selling Blues
Down in the dump today. I am being relocated from Phoenix back to the San Jose area, and things seemed on track for a smooth transition. Got our house cleaned up, fixed up and ready to sell. A month earlier, houses like ours was low inventory, and in demand. Cool Put it on the market April 2, and priced it to sell (about $12 – $18 sqft below the comps), and did our thing. Went out of town...
Travel Log
I have had a very light travel schedule the last two years. Probably the least I have traveled in 15 years (before I started in product management). But that lull has ended. Some thoughts from the road: TSA PreCheck – Over a year ago, I went through the rigmarole to get my Global Entry card/status. One of the fringe benefits is being added to the “Trusted Traveler” list. Thus I...
Leaving Arizona – Some more good stuff
While Arizona has many flaws, there are some wonderful things that are worth bragging about. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Truly a wonderful place to get a good snapshot of the ecology of the desert. Well run, fabulous docents, and a great place to get a feel for the diversity of the desert. We were members every year, and we were certain to take all our visitors to the ASDM. The Pima Air and...
Selling your house sucks
There are many reasons to hate the process of selling. The last time I had to relocate, we moved up front, and left an empty house. Get it cleaned, and let the agents have free reign. This time, we have to sell before we move. This is much harder to accomplish. #1 Select a realtor There are literally thousands of realtors in any major metropolitan area. We are fortunate that we had to choose one...
How Pop-Culture Ruined Me
I am reading a great book by Daniel Boorstin, called “The Seekers”. It is a book about the different philosophers throughout recorded history, and how they influenced civilizations, arose as the religions, and in general seeking the meaning of life. The section I am reading now is about the Greek philosophers, particularly about Socrates. Great stuff, and I highly recommend the gook...
Leaving Arizona – Part II – the politics
I moved to Arizona in 2003 to take a job. Landing in Tucson, solidly in the southern part of the state, I grew to love the area. Fabulous weather (albeit blazingly hot in the summer), quirky neighborhoods, and outstanding outdoor activities like hiking, and biking. I lived in Tucson for almost 10 years, and while I enjoyed it, there are problems with the area. Civic planning is at best an...