What's so important about Owain Yeoman?

He's unique. Or, at least, his name is.

When you search for this name, you immediately get one and only one person as a hit. Many hits, yes, but still all for the same person.

Not for me. My name is just normal -- not John Smith but ... well, pretty basic. Nothing unique, not even in the combination of the names. Well, my middle name is a bit different, but I don't use it. If I use it at all, like on my credit card name, it's abbreviated. Why? Because I don't want to have to spell it out, etc. Then again, I often have to spell out my first and last names for people, particularly over the phone.

So, I'm hard to find on the Internet. Sometimes this is a benefit, but if like me you have written some books, you kind of want to make it easy for people to find them. Googling my name doesn't do that. I tell people to look for the name of my co-author, which is much more unique.

So, while I've always liked my name -- very American and simple -- now I'm seeing the downside of homogenation. It makes me feel more for people with a name like John Smith in a large organization that have to create user names with #s in them.

So, here's to simple ... and invisible. And, to unique ... and findable. Maybe I should create a unique alias for publishing. Maybe I can rent one from Owain?

Election Eve -- Who's Leaning Which Way?

I just saw the final messages from Obama and McCain at halftime of the Redskin game. I can see that each is leaning his own way. Literally. Their heads aren't straight up when they talk -- they each lean. Of course, they lean DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS! Oddly, however, they lean the opposite of what you might think -- Barack to the right and John to the left (from their perspective -- from mine, it's the opposite).

Odd, isn't it? They're leaning toward each other.

Product placement

I just watched an episode of NCIS, and boy do those guys drink coffee! Not just any coffee, but Starbucks specifically. However, it's slightly sneaky -- they don't show the logo head on really much, but you can't but tell it's theirs. And, they ALWAYS are getting coffee. They drink nothing else. Except also bourbon.

I do like their taste -- coffee, bourbon, a little beer, maybe some water.

Still, these guys drink coffee like they used to smoke and do cocktails in old Hollywood movies. They ALWAYS have it. Wow.

TILT: (Mon) Palin get's Fey-ed (SNL)

TILT: (Sun) I like to make noise

With my guitar, mostly. I just like it loud. I like to play loud. I like to hear loud. It's amazing I can still HEAR at all. Like Pete Townsend. I hope not. But, I do like it loud -- especially on guitar. Did I mention that?

TILT: (Sat) Posting from Picasa

So, can I easily do this?

From Print Possibilities

TILT: (Fri) Get your hands off my guitar!

Ok, so I've had one dropped before. And, broken. And, never repaired. It was my first. So, I'm a bit concerned when I see that my daughter's friends and my daughter herself are using it without asking. I would get mad, but ... well, I just worry. I hope they don't break it. I hope. Please?

TILT: (Thu) Just moved a chair in the lair

Actually, in the dungeon. Closer to the HD TV, for the football game. The furniture has been one way for forever (2ish years). Why not change? It's just one chair. Then again, when my wife sees it, she'll KILL me. Things are supposed to be as she likes, even in MY TV room. Oh well. A little disobedience isn't bad, is it?

TILT: (Wed) Fetish: lusting after things

A new section for the blog: what do I desire to buy? Cool new expensive watch? Cool new Merrell Vertex shoes? Whatever I see in the NY Times magazine mens fashion section? Sure. But most I can't afford. Doesn't mean it's not worth looking, does it? Some days, I do wish for these things. Other days, I think this is stupid and anyway who has the money.

But, those some days, I sure do lust after things. Don't you?

You just want to try them on. To look different, more sophisticated, more cool. More hip, if indeed someone 47 ever can look hip anymore. More like an artist, less like an analyst. How to pull that off, that style, that slight difference that makes people notice you a bit more. Yes, I do wish I were more hip. Perhaps before I get a hip replacement. Maybe that's what my current wardrobe needs, a hip replacement. Or addition, since it doesn't have much to replace.

TILT: (Tue) New laptop

It's smaller, lighter, newer. You have to reset all the little stuff. Install a few extras. Hope it'll all work. Still getting used to the smaller keyboard, but so far I like it being lighter. I may get a lighter bag and carry less stuff. Hopefully the battery will be better. We'll see.

TILT: (Mon) Talking ads = not enough talk

Another thing -- the talk itself is an advertisement. They discuss games, but mostly the games that are on their own network. ESPN of course. Then GEICO makes an ad that allows the host to talk about the upcoming games. On ESPN. Double advert. Not a separate ad, but during what should be the talk. 5 minutes of talk, with 5 of ads.

TILT: (Mon) Radio ads

Aren't they annoying? I think there may be more than on TV. 5 minutes worth, interspersed with just some oft repeated news. When you actually want to listen to the talk, you get too much ad plus too much not new news. Even their talk sometimes is just ads -- all about what ESPN is covering later.

TILT: (Sun) Ok, that wasn't too good

Well, I tried. I thought that the autoposting would work. Didn't look good. My bad. Oh well, can't win em all.

At least I can just watch soccer and football and enjoy the lingo. Adds for boots, soccer cleats, that is.

TILT: (Sat) How to post to blog from Clipmarks.com

clipped from clipmarks.com What blogging services are supported for Clip-to-Blog™? Clip-to-Blog currently supports Blogger, WordPress, TypePad, LiveJournal, Movable Type and Vox. We also provide an embed code so you can easily paste clips into other blogs, including MySpace. To change the style of clips that you post to your blog, click the "Style Options" link in the Clip-to-Blog™ window (see image on right). Can I change the style of clips I post to my blog? From there you can customize the color of the border and source link. You can also remove the clipmarks logo that appears below the clip. You'll also find some more advanced features, including the ability to disable inline styles if you want the style to default to your blog style.

TILT: (Fri) Have you made a "gasoline investment"?

I just heard a radio add talking about "preserving" your "gasoline investment" by purchasing a locking gas cap! Wow. Granted, gas is expensive, but it ain't no investment. It's more like food -- a necessity and also rapidly used up. So, you can't keep it around for a while and see if it gets more valuable -- it's not like gold or stocks. Odd way of trying to sell a locking gas cap. I don't even think there are significant reports of gas stealing, but I'm too lazy to look it up. I think this goes in that category of "might happen, but pretty unlikely" so why go out and buy a locking gas cap?

Example: Berry Picking with Kids notes this:

"if you’re looking to make good on your gasoline investment and spend more time, some farms offer additional activities" (my bolding)

TILT: (Thu) That GOLD medal: Priceless ... or perhaps worthless or worth relatively little?

Gold Medal Is Priceless, But Metal Is Worth $215
Posted Aug 20, 08 8:49 PM CDT in Business, Sports

"(Newser) – Michael Phelps’ eight Olympic golds may be priceless, but they're not worth that much to a commodities trader, MarketWatch notes. This year's gold medals are made mostly of silver and coated with less than a quarter-ounce of gold, putting their value around $215. But people are, of course, willing to shell out much more for a piece of Olympic history.
A silver medal from the 2000 Games is listed on eBay with a starting price of $7,999.99. And in 2004, a Polish swimmer raked in more than $80,000 for charity when she auctioned off her gold medal. China's paying plenty for the medals, too: with record-high metals prices, it cost millions to make all 6,000 of them."

Source MarketWatch
Olympic medals more valuable than the metal
DUH!

"The International Olympic Committee requires the gold medal to contain a minimum of six grams of gold. Huang Ping, vice president of Shanghai-based China Banknote Printing and Minting Corp., the producer of the medals, said in an interview with China Business News that the amount of gold in each medal was strictly controlled at 6.0 to 6.1 grams.
Despite an effort to reduce costs, record-high metals prices have meant that producing 6,000 gold, silver and bronze metals for the 2008 Olympics and the Paralympics is costing China millions of dollars."

TILT: (Wed) Best Trophy Presentation

Is NOT at the Olympics. At least, not for teams. It's either the Stanley Cup (hockey) or the World Cup (soccer) and related events. The team all gets their medals or whatever, hand shakes with the big wigs, etc. Then, the trophy is given to the team captain, and he turns around and hoists it into the air and the crowd goes wild.

In all the rest, the trophy is given to the adults (manager, owner), not the kids (players). I like it when the KIDS get the trophy first. This really makes the crowd all cheer their loudest when the trophy is lifted.

TILT: (Tue) Amazing weather

I live in DC. In August, it's hot. And humid. It's hot and humid.

So, what's with this weather? It's so cool, I had to put on socks and long pants. What? In August? We've got the house all open and the air is great. Not hot. Not humid.

I just sat outside for a while, and the wind was wandering around. Trees beautiful. Happy happy.

And, guess what: now I have a cold. See -- that weather was NOT right, somehow.

TILT: (Mon) Now we're cookin!

We got a new stove top recently. It has 5 burners and puts out serious BTUs. One burner is so large it handles our largest pan. She had 3 pans working at the same time -- no loss of power. Wow. This is COOKING! Hot. Indeed, very hot! So hot, we actually have to be careful with some pans that aren't supposed to get TOO hot. It's sleek. It's got a power fan thing that raises up out of the table. Totally cool! No, hot. Er, cool. No. Yeah. Cool. They had to cut our marble top to put it in. Still looks good in the space. Nice investment. Good food coming, I think.

TILT: (Sun) Yawn

Some Sundays I just can't wake up. Stayed up too late? Didn't want to get up? Usually I'm an early riser, heading down for that wonderful first cup of coffee. I do love that first cup. Of course, I kinda like the second one as well. I can drink coffee all morning and just read the paper. Even waking up late, I read the paper -- and then I look up and it's like 1pm. What happened to the time? Well, I do like that level of relaxing. Just paper, coffee -- hanging in the living room in the sun coming thru the windows. Just relaxing. Yawn.

TILT: (Sat) Life outside work

I think I have to learn how to stop working. Weekend comes and I'm worried about work. I get to the work week, then have trouble getting psyched for work? Hmm. Must be summer. Vicious cycle. Gotta get on the ball. Actually, I've just starting working out with a ball, sort of. I look at it while exercising. I have one. Yes, I use all that exercise equipment that I've bought over the years. All of it. Including the ball. Yes, I'm having a ball.

TILT: (Fri) Accumulation

I sit in my office, which has junk all over it. I can't write with all this mess!

So, time to send back those shoes I ordered that I didn't like, and break down the boxes and toss the other junk. Just basically clean up. How did I let it get to this point? Just junk. Junky room means junky thought. I think.

Wonder if I'll every get rid of the even more ridiculous piles of junk in my closet. Probably not. I don't write there.

Perhaps I won't notice if I keep the doors closed?

TILT: (Thu) Writing, writing, writing

Ain't it great to be a knowledge worker? Sit in front of a computer screen and keyboard and type all day. Think sometimes, but type more. According to Wikipedia, knowledge is:

Knowledge is defined (Oxford English Dictionary) variously as (i) expertise, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject, (ii) what is known in a particular field or in total; facts and information or (iii) awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

Skills? Typing.
Facts? I sit in front of my computer all day working.
Awareness? This blog. Exacerbated by writers block.

Lovely.

TILT: (Wed) Ever watch too much TV?

I have. I have done this. I have had it done to me -- like in Clockwork Orange! No, not really.

Sometimes I just start watching tube in the dungeon (aka the basement, where I have the HD 50 inch installed), and then fall asleep, then wake, then sleep, then wake. You get the pic. I'll wake up at 3am -- am I still watching TV or not?

Hard to tell, I'll admit. From behind my eyelids, perhaps.

It's quite the disjointing experience. Sometimes I think -- I'll just watch this next show -- then, I wake up again and think I've watched. But, I've slept. Or, I'll say -- time to get up and head to a real bed (my couch frankly is NOT that comfy). But, I don't -- I fall asleep again on the couch thinking about doing it.

To sleep, perchance to dream? No, to sleep, and pretend to watch TV.

I think I'm busted. Broken. Stuck in a rut, anyway.

It's a bad habit. Gotta stop. Gotta turn OFF the damn TV!

But, that HD is SO COMPELLING. And now the Olympics are coming. Well, at least I'll get some sleep!

TILT: (Tue) Too many commercials on AM Radio

Yes, I'm still complaining.

So, they talk for a while. Then, there's a new report every 20 minutes. Both a local DC and a national one. Then there are the commercials. Two kinds: the actual ones and the stealthy ones that are embedded in the talking heads part. When Mike and Mike spend time talking about some sponsored section of their show, I get green. Not with envy, but with disgust. How much of this do we need? At some point, it'll ALL be commercials, with no actual content.

Then again, in a way -- it already IS! Think about it. Sports is entertainment. So all sports talk is in a sense advertising these entertainments. Like TNT showing over and over again it's OWN shows in commercials. So, all sportstalk is advertisement. This is very obvious when you notice that their news is skewed completely to what they themselves plan to cover. ESPN Radio will say "hey there's this good baseball game tonite" without noting that on TV it's on some non ESPN/Disney channel. They selectively define what is the news of what sports are available. Apparently the only ones that matter are they ones they carry on air.

Well, that's not very even handed or "fair and balanced" -- is it? Shouldn't it be?

TILT: (Mon) I'm still annoyed at the reduced AM radio in DC

Every day I go to my radio, and test the 2 buttons that USED to be the 2 AM sports talk radio stations I listened to. I could get the FOX one (SportsTalk 980) or the ESPN/Zebra/Redskins one (730 something). Now, just one: the Zebra ate the Fox and we have ESPN 980. And the result is that both buttons have the same radio content. Actually, weirdly, they are approximately 3 seconds off from each other.

Teams have been juggled. The results are ok, but if you're tired of one talking head, you can't easily just get another. There is no other sports talk in DC now. Loss of choice is NOT great. The fact that 2 stations are doing the same content is ... odd and ... bizarre and ... well just odd and bizarre. Why 2?

This week has been radio Favre -- and when I get tired of one talking head's points (which of course they do repeat, over and over ... and over again), I can't find another.

At least they canned the John Riggins show. I never liked him. Seemed just not too smart, not really paying attention half the time. Odd stuff. Sometimes funny, I'll grant. But, not consistently good. Steve Czeban is consistent, consistently good, but now only available in the late afternoon, which is not often when I'm listening -- since I don't commute, actually. I even bet we'll hear from JR again when football season gets started again.

All this is due to Danny, the Redskin owner. He bought all the radio stations. I guess he wants to control all Redskin and by indirection sports things. I'm feeling pretty controlled now, that's true. Thanks Danny!

TILT: (Sun) Bad Crowes

I've just been to one of the worst concerts ever: the Black Crowes. Can't believe it, really. I like a bunch of their songs. Too bad they didn't play but one of them. The sound was bad too. Guess I'm just amazed they wouldn't play any of their most popular songs. None. Well one. That's it. Too much money spent to get NO favorite songs.

TILT: (Sat) It's a bank .... No, it's a coffee shop

ING Direct -- a bizarre hybrid concept. Good Pete's coffee. Dunno about the bank part, but it sure is a different way to do business.

TIlT: (Fri) Hangin in Philly

Drove up to Philadelphia yesterday. Traffic not too bad. Get to see the daughter's acting school presentation today -- exciting. Maybe something of Philly. Last night we ate at a restaurant called Fork! Actually the food was very good. We made good use of our utensils, including our forks. Ho ho ho.

TILT: (Thu) Seeing deer dog

Sasha and I saw a passel of deer on our morning walk. Sasha was quite interested. So was I. So were they. Very. Very very interested in us. They us that deer in the headlights completely stationary stare. We all stared at each other for quite a while. Then we moved a bit too close, or a bit too fast. And off they went! At times like this you see why they as called whitetail deer.

Beautiful.

TILT: (Wed) Picturing the blog

This is a full TILT view of the blog.

Guess I'm VERY easily amused, eh?

TILT: (Tue) Posting from the iPhone

Maybe making it easier to post will mean more posting. Might work. Let's see.

Today I learned that I can procrastinate with the best of them. I think I already knew this but recent activity -- or lack there of -- confirms my lassitude.

Why is it so hard to get motivated to write? Sometimes it seems to work; other times nothing.

Nothing new, anyway. I give up.

TILT: (Mon) Get LOUD!

Cranked up the amp and axe today. Just making noise and getting the blisters on my fingers again, soon I hope to be callouses. I haven't played since before the Paris trip. That's a long time, and the fingers really felt that.

Still, music is just great. Playing music is even greater. And, playing music LOUD is even more greaterer. Just wail!

TILT: (Sun) Long dog walk/run

Today the weather was right for a nice long walk with the DOG. Sasha is not normally given such great things, but we got on a roll. Actually, I ran, and the wife walked Sasha. Or, is it the other way around.

Funny how such a simple thing can make the day better.

TILT: (Sat) Dancing again

More dance lessons, on Saturdays now. I'm still confused. Surprised?

I wonder sometimes if I really should just give up on this. It's not for me, anyway, but I would like to make my dancing partner happy. I hope this does. She seems happy to make fun of my dancing, so far.

TILT: (Fri) Haircut

Ok, really got the locks shorn today. Sheep-like. Not much left. Tired of the maintenance. Tired of the look. Tired. Now, no more long hair. Fine. Done.

I don't think I look too bald. I hope. I pray.

Oops.

TILT: (Thu) Into DC for work

Well, you have to do some client visits, and these were mine. Wander in early, go to 4 meetings, Metro home. Not horrible. Some new places and faces. Not horrible. Not too humid and yet sunny. Not horrible.

Might go back someday.

TILT: (Wed) Now the game ... or ... not?

The day after the power outage, we had the game. Got their early by DC Metro so I could have a beer at the Screaming Eagles tailgate. Fun -- weather was nice. Mind you, I'd had a long discussion with my wife about needing a rain coat or not. Decided: not.

Wrong.

Got there and got thru half-time and then a huge deluge. Knocked out half the lights.







Teams exited the pitch -- it was lightninging and thundering. Rain was sheeting. The pitch was just a lake. Fans ran out and splashed and skidded and surfed. This got cheers as well as announcements to stop doing it.









Got tired of waiting, so I ran thru the rain to the Metro station and went home.

They did restart the game much later, finishing after midnite. DC United lost. Well, too many injuries. Defense porous. Etc.

TILT: (Tue) Soccer or not?

Today was the rematch for the DC United / Dynamo game that was rained out. Then, I got a text message: match postponed for one day because there was no power at RFK Stadium. Well, I guess you can't play soccer at night without lights, not to mention a few other things that lack of power might inhibit. Still, when was the last time you noticed an event canceled due to power outage? Odd.

TILT: (Mon) Radio Choice Removed

Today my 2 local sports talk stations became one. FOX lost; Zebra with now ESPN980 won. Now, my old 2 stations play the SAME THING (1 second or so off). Gee. Now when I'm tired of Mike and Mike, I have NOTHING else to change to. Ugh. Unfortunately, I get tired of M&M quite a bit. Particularly when they repeat everything each hour.

Ugh. I'm not happy.

TILT: (Sun) Fixing the blog

For some reason the formatting was all off on my earlier postings for my Paris trip, so I've just spend a few hours messing around to get them to read/view better. Ugh. Waste of freaking time.

Gotta go walk the dog and hopefully survive the heat.

I took an hour almost to cool off after a midday run in 97 degrees (and probably 100% humidity). Ugh. Some guy died yesterday in some "fun run" -- he was 60 so perhaps wasn't as ready. Still, it's hot and hard to figure when to really do the running.

But, I think I'll go earlier on Tuesday. I'm sure it'll be hot and humid even in the earlier morning. Oh well, summer in DC. Loverly.

TILT: (Sat) Supporting the local farmers market

We just ate wonderful garden grown big succulent tomatoes. We got these from the local farmers market, which until now I'm afraid to say we just haven't used much. We got local beef, sausage, bacon, many veggies, butter, pickles and olives and really had a blast. Who needs Whole Foods (which is btw just across the street basically from this Saturday only market)?

TILT: (Fri) Back to work

Can anything be less interesting than the first day back at work after a fun vacation?

I did get thru my 300+ emails, and got the new iPhone 2.0 software loaded, and downloaded my first set of apps. Nice update I think. But, I don't think I need the new 3G phone to have most of the advantages of the new stuff. Now I can see my work Exchange email on the phone, along with my gmail ones, so I'm pretty happy. I think I'll cancel my work phone and just carry one from now on. I'll have fun running the battery down!

TILT: (Thur) Traveling home from Switzerland and Paris

We spent one more night in Paris, training back on one of those very fast TGV trains that they announced was doing over 200 mph at some point. France is not as interesting by train as Switzerland is -- the train from Paris to Bern went thru nice valleys and showed some hills and lake Neuchatel. The train back was just ... fast.

Then, out to Charles de Gualle airport for the flight back to DC. All and all a nice set of travel days in this trip -- no hurry, no complications -- except they gave us train tickets for August rather than July initially and we had to go back and change them and wait again in a long line. Paris is full of them. We just missed Bastille Day, which I'm happy to have left town for.

So, did we have a good time? I think these pictures answer that question. Yes, we had a blast.

TILT: (Wed) Switzerland has serious Alps

Tuesday we went from our friend's house in Thun up to a mountain called Niesen that sits across (tho not as close as at Kleine Scheidigg) from the big Alps: the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.

The view of those mountains, the lakes (Thun, Brienz) and the town of Interlaken in between was spectacular.

This view is what that word was invented for -- describing this view from this high up requires this word: SPECTACULAR. Wonderful too.



















Then, the clouds came in and the mountains started appearing out of the gloom. Even more impressive and interesting.






Then we had some beer. I love Switzerland. And, Feldschlosschen. Or, in this case, any beer they're serving at the top of a mountain.





Which by the way is where the term "Feldschlosschen experience" comes from. Way back when I first visited Switzerland and my friends I was just about 16, then I came again at around 18. The second time, I was with a friend from the US, and we hiked a lot. As we got into the mountains near the Jungfrau, we had a beer at the end of a long hike up the mountains, and that beer was Feldschlosschen. Then, we had the Feldschlosschen experience: completely tired and deserving of a good beer. And, a view. I think beer with a vista is best, don't you?

TILT: (Tue) Thun and Friends

The best way to have a great time visiting somewhere, anywhere really, and particularly places that speak different languages is to have friends. We have friends in Switzerland, both in Bern and Thun. This time we visited the friends in Thun. They have a nice little house that fabulously decorated. Our friend should DEFINITELY follow up on her idea of becoming an interior decorator.





Even more spectacular is their backyard that has a distant view of the serious Alps between other houses -- we sat out one night around a fire and watched the sun sink and the glow on those mountains fade. We drank wine and beer. Too much wine and beer.




Here's to good and great friends. We love you!





The town of Thun has its own beauty as well. The Aare river runs out of the Thunersee and thru town, providing a nice focus for the small old town with its castle prison.

TILT: (Mon) Bern in full flood

After arriving on a rainy Sunday, we had good Swiss cheese (they don't call it that -- they call it Emmentaler and other things, depending on which kind) and bread and cold meats for dinner. And, Feldschlosschen beer -- my Swiss favorite.





The next day, we drove to Bern to wander around. Grand old city built the in curve of the Aare river. Wonderful to just walk around.






And, then have a beer -- in this case the local brewery's quaff. That was near those Bern bears you may have heard of.




There are many towers and statues along the main street that are funny, like a monkey, like a fat man eating babies -- all not pictured to remain politically correct. But along with statues, there is something else commonly encountered in Switzerland. Let me see ...







I remembered: it's clocks. I've heard the Swiss are more famous for that than cheese. I could be wrong.

TILT: (Sun) Travel day to Switzerland, but remembering Paris

While taking the train to visit friends in Switzerland, I reflected on the fun of Paris.





After all the museums and monuments and squares and walking, a few things stand out. These include:

the Metro






playing boule in a garden at lunch




the little streets with Parisian life (and of course cafes), like Rue Cler



the little churches that pop out at you as you round corners, stuck in a niche (St. Sulpice, St. Germain des Pres, and so many others ...)





the food, including crepes




the little restaurants, stuck in out of the way places that someone knew to send us to




the chocolate





the food, including the bread and things built on that






Notre Dame, of course -- visited in the whirlwind, but to me less impressive than ...




the odd gas stations




(ok, that was a joke -- Notre Dame WAS impressive, more outside than in. The church that impressed me most inside is ... coming later in this blog entry!)

What else do I remember?

the Cafe life




the Rodin Museum -- visited at some point in there




Sainte Chapelle -- the most wonderful thing in Paris -- a palace of stained glass reaching to heaven




So wonderful, it bears repeating.




All in all, a wonderful visit!