tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68615932024-03-21T04:22:16.728-04:00Life Across The PondPeterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-33247222016607389832011-05-17T05:48:00.004-04:002011-05-17T05:52:48.839-04:00Lonely Planet<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/5729629498/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3234/5729629498_8fa4d307f7_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/5729629498/">Great right-handed cup...</a> <br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p><br />
About a week into my first leg of (f)unemployment travels, I've learned the following:<br />
<br />
1. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, while conveniently in one Lonely Planet book, are each fairly different. If anyone does this trip at some point, I'd recommend going in the order above rather than the reverse as listed in the book. Pros: people seem to get friendlier in this order. Cons: things definitely get more expensive.<br />
<br />
2. When traveling alone, all I do is eat, wander, drink, wander, eat, wander... And if I start too early in the morning, by noon I'll be on my third cup of coffee and my hands start getting shaky. It's now 12:41 and I'm wondering if I should control my coffee intake and wait for the shaky hands to go away or start counter-acting it with beer.<br />
<br />
3. It takes me about a week of traveling alone before I'm bored enough to start talking to strangers.<br />
<br />
Leg one is almost up. Leg two to follow soon.</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-43678126992968889572011-04-11T06:46:00.000-04:002011-04-11T06:46:51.146-04:00End of the School Year...or 10Some 10 and a half years after starting my current job, I'm now in the final 3 weeks of it. Must say, feels a bit like the last couple of weeks of the school year. Now if only I can get everyone to sign my yearbook.<br />
<br />
And some 5+ years after <a href="http://soakedsponge.blogspot.com/2006/02/firedancing-shiva.html">talking about taking a few months off to travel</a>, it's now time to start that planning. Any ideas gladly appreciated.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-77725492793584085102010-06-22T20:34:00.002-04:002010-06-22T20:34:47.979-04:00Too Old To Be Homesick, Right?<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11192521&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11192521&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/11192521">San Francisco in 4K</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/patricklawler">Patrick Lawler</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-26788394446297557822010-01-12T16:18:00.002-05:002010-01-12T16:18:51.429-05:00Goodnight San Francisco...Good Day London<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/4269046597/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4269046597_20be4b21b3_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/4269046597/">Port of _an Franci_co</a> <br />
Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p><p>Just over three and a half years after returning to the San Francisco Bay, I've uprooted and relocated to London. The downside of the move are the friends who are now an 8 hour timezone away (5 hours for those on the East Coast...and 6 hours for the random friends in Houston.)<br />
<br />
The upside is that this new adventure will hopefully come with some blog fodder. Stay tuned!</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-69613628656492252572008-10-24T22:17:00.003-04:002008-10-24T22:29:14.605-04:00Finally!<blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>I have to admit, I've heard of these phishing scams. I've seen the e-mails through newspaper articles and blogs. I've even just recently listened to an NPR podcast where they featured guys who spent hours scamming these scammers (in really cruel ways I might say). But, I myself had never received an e-mail notifying me of the wealth that awaits just a simple reply from me to my Nigerian friends...until today!<div><br /></div><div> <div><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Tahoma"><b></b></p><blockquote><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Tahoma"><b>From:</b> Mr.Micheal Elton <michealelton007@googlemail.com></michealelton007@googlemail.com></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Tahoma"><b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 24, 2008 6:42:29 AM</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Tahoma"><b>Subject:</b> Fund Release Order!!!</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.8px Times New Roman; min-height: 12.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Attention,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Get back to me immediately for necessary steps concerning your inheritance, Sequel to your none - reply of my earlier email to you last three (3) weeks. On behalf of the Trustees and Executors to the Will of your deceased relation,</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">I wish to notify you that your name appeared in the codicil and last statement of the deceased and you entitled to his fund US$10,000,000.00 deposited with a Bank here and the bank here has made me know that the US$10,000,000.00 will be release to you through their paying centre Access Bank of Nigeria,Also you are advised to reconfirm to me your details as required below to enable the Access Bank of Nigeria release of your funds worth of US$10,000,000.00 to your account.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Below information are required to provide for the proceed and process with your payment file.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Your full name</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Your address </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Your sex</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Your age </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Telephone number</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Fax number</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Your occupation:</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial; min-height: 10.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Regards, </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"> </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Barrister Micheal Elton </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">Tel: +234-702 768 2606</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial">michealelton007@googlemail.com</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"></p><blockquote></blockquote></blockquote>I was beginning to feel a bit left out. Glad I can now say I relate to those people who have been the victim of a Nigerian bank scam. I can see why so many people fall for this. I mean, the mastery of grammar alone makes this so convincing!<br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 9.2px Arial"></p></div></div>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-68326179358711551782008-07-22T14:48:00.001-04:002008-07-22T14:48:00.141-04:00The Run<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="260" height="195" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=55430" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=8726c82139&photo_id=2681458157&show_info_box=true"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=55430"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=55430" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=8726c82139&photo_id=2681458157&flickr_show_info_box=true" height="195" width="260"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/2681458157/">The Run</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a></span></div>I fly by about halfway through this video. Okay, not "fly". More like slowly jog.<br clear="all" />Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-6116825794614191652008-07-10T09:22:00.000-04:002008-07-10T09:25:04.220-04:00Run, Forrest! Run!!Check one off the bucket list. Ran with the bulls in Pamplona today. Still alive.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-76608547683089312462008-01-25T20:38:00.000-05:002008-01-25T20:56:58.117-05:00Snow!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha9t7MpHTrnsVjRQfke-iBLdYS5E5Nzupv_WHzVmbehNhJGBpbQkWQuHR13GqoapAcIrPUksEBIEpainJGClSOomY-nqjzJdYnYLqZtUrETlZkfVQNN2sui51PcPfNbdgh4FqSw/s1600-h/snow.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha9t7MpHTrnsVjRQfke-iBLdYS5E5Nzupv_WHzVmbehNhJGBpbQkWQuHR13GqoapAcIrPUksEBIEpainJGClSOomY-nqjzJdYnYLqZtUrETlZkfVQNN2sui51PcPfNbdgh4FqSw/s400/snow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5159597581710110418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Nice.</span><br /></div>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-86706945340536285302007-04-30T14:22:00.001-04:002007-04-30T14:22:48.748-04:00Warriors 103, Mavs 99<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/478529268/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/478529268_b50aad6ac8_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/478529268/">War-riors!</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>I'm not a die-hard Warriors fan yet but a few more games like this and I could see myself getting there.</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-86982394359872368832007-04-26T20:56:00.000-04:002007-04-26T21:36:10.228-04:00Stand? Lean? In-Between? (Warning: Not lunch time reading)For as long as I can remember, I've had what some may consider a quirk, an idiosyncrasy, maybe even a problem. No, it's not the fact that I don't know how to swim or that I can distinguish certain shades of red and green. It's that I don't like to do my business in public restrooms. Yes. That kind of business. The kind that some do while reading a magazine and others while talking on the phone. No, I don't talk on the phone but I've seen enough hotels with phones in the bathroom to assume it's fairly common. <br /><br />Unfortunately, in my lifetime, I've been in several situations where it was unavoidable. And trust me, I've tried my best to avoid it. When I was younger and touring with a drum and bugle corps - sure, band camp if you want to call it that - I once held out for longer than you'd think was humanly possible. I'm not talking one day or even two. I'm talking days! Okay, more information than you'd care to know but the point is, sometimes you can't avoid it. In college, I readjusted my business cycle to drop the kids off either mid-day or late night when I stood the best chance of having the co-ed bathroom to myself. There's good reason to want to avoid the public restroom. Cleanliness is one. The lack of privacy, another. But really, it's just overall not a good experience. <br /><br />Today I had to break the rule again. I thought I could last through the day but finally, at 5:30pm and no end in sight to my pile of work, I broke down. Luckily, there was only one other person in the restroom at the time and being fairly considerate, I waited until he was done, zipped up, hands washed, and out the door before I started my business. However, and finally to the subject of this entry, I realized another reason to dislike the public toilette...<br /><br />...the seat liner! What's the deal with this seat liner anyway? Firstly, it's so thin that when you're tearing away the center area, the two connections somehow never tear but the rest of the seat liner does. Today I went through two before I finally got one right. Then, it never fits the seat properly. I realize that not all the seats are universally sized but how many variations can there really be?!? Do these things fit any of them properly?!? <br /><br />Finally, at the end of your business, I find they just seem to not be fully cooperative for the final tidying up process. And then it dawned on me. Perhaps I'm not doing this correctly. Somewhere along the way, I learned to be a leaner. This means that in order to clean, you must lean. Either left or right, depending on whether you're a southpaw or not. That's how I do it. And this is where the problem lies. The liner is not made for leaners. The tissue paper is slick and you risk injury. It's thin enough that it will float around on you while you're navigating your neatly folded TP to it's destination. And depending on how long that article you've read is, it may decide to line your backside more than the seat and move with you when you do the lean. Really, it's just not cooperative. Or could it be that I'm doing it all wrong??<br /><br />What's the proper method for this? Are you supposed to lean? Maybe you're supposed to squat in which case the slick paper isn't an issue anymore. Who knows? Maybe some actually stand completely straight (though I find that this can't be the most effective posture). Somewhere along the way, you've learned your method. But is it right? How would you know without comparing techniques? Much in the same way that I now know most people do not fold TP on the dotted lines or that soaping and then shampooing seems to be the preferred shower order, I now open up the forum for the informal, even possibly anonymous poll of "Stand? Lean? Something In-Between?" <br /><br />Well?Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-77337217332313114732007-02-21T21:20:00.001-05:002007-02-21T21:28:34.865-05:00Fancy Cameras...who needs 'em<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/396199197/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/396199197_dc537b64a1_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:1;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/396199197/">Golden Gate</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a>.</span><br /> <br /><p>A few years back, I thought I'd try my hand and some photography. I read a book or two and then went out and bought an entry level Nikon SLR. A few trips, a couple dozen rolls of film, I came to realize that it'd be an expensive hobby if I stayed at the 1 good shot per roll ratio that I was at.<br /><br />A couple of years ago, on a trip to Asia, I decided to pick up a digital point and shoot. I thought it would be a good way for me to develop that eye for lighting, contrasts, framing...all that good stuff that I read in that book or two...without the expense of the having to develop film at my 1/36 decent picture-to-bad picture ratio.<br /><br />Last year, before <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/sets/72157594151709792/">driving back from the East Coast to the West</a>, I decided to splurge on a Digital SLR and a new lens. $1600 towards the idea that I'd managed to capture a couple good shots with that little point and shoot and that maybe I was ready to fiddle with depth-of-field, shutter speed, metering...all that good stuff that I read in that book or two.<br /><br />This past Monday, I took a <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/sets/72157594549363187/">quick trip to Point Reyes</a> for a little scenic hike with <a href="http://lucidtravels.blogspot.com/">Terry</a>. On the drive back, we stopped by the lookout point in Marin to catch a shot of the bridge overlooking the city (I'm sure there are at least a million of exactly the same shot taken from this point). After about 20 minutes opening up apertures, maxing out shutter speeds, and bumping up ISO levels...all that good stuff that I read in that book or two...I whipped out that cheap, bonehead, $300 point-and-shoot and, voila(!), the best shot of the day.<br /><br />The logical person, at this point, would take that book or two, toss it in the fireplace, and post a couple of Craigslist for-sale ads for used camera equipment. Instead, I'm now in the market for a bigger, faster, more expensive lens. I suspect all it takes is a few thousand dollars more and I'll be able to take that big fancy digital SLR and take a picture that looks like....well....the one from this cheap point-and-shoot camera.</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-25745120340143079382007-01-07T23:29:00.001-05:002007-01-07T23:29:12.785-05:00Tourist for a Day<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/348768675/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/348768675_8d2aa97fca_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/348768675/">The Yard</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>While in New York, I never did manage to do the touristy things that you should do at least once while you're there. No Statue of Liberty, no top of the Empire State Building, no Radio City Christmas Spectacular. So when the opportunity came up to go with a friend to Alcatraz, I figured if I passed on this chance, I may never check that off my list.<br /><br />Plus, my pro account on flickr is about to expire so I thought it might be a good opportunity to dust of the ol' camera and take a couple <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/sets/72157594464560580/show/">pictures</a>.</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-25194519340081494322006-11-18T21:23:00.000-05:002006-11-30T03:37:09.341-05:00RetrospectiveWith each passing year, I feel I should look back to see what I've learned during that time. Unfortunately, I never actually come up with any particularly novel or incisive revelations. However, given that this day is an arbitrarily significant milestone, I find that it's a good opportunity to look back not on the last year, but the last three decades and note any useful insights that might serve me well over the next three decades. So here goes:<br /><br /><strong>Decade 1:</strong><br /><br /><ul><li>Crapping your pants is not the best way to get people's attention. However, if you've already done so, additional crying is a good way to expedite your attention-seeking efforts. (This tidbit may not be useful over the next 30 years but it's sure to come in handy for the 30 that follow.)</li><li>Being a man of your word and earning the trust of others is important and will serve you well throughout your life. For example, early in life, your mother may not trust your ability to judge the fullness of your belly. Therefore, if you say you will vomit if you eat even another spoonful of soup, you should do so, all over the bathroom floor, after she forces you to finish your bowl of soup. Only then will you truly earn her respect as a man.</li><li>The pockets on the sides of Kangaroos (esp. blue Velcro strap ones) are not for use. If you are foolish enough to use them, step aside to let others pass when you get to the front of the lunch line and discover that in order to get things out of the pockets of your 'Roos, you have to take your shoes off.</li></ul><p><strong>Decade 2:</strong></p><ul><li>Be considerate. If you have to spend weeks travelling the country on the same bus and are fortunate enough to have a seat that's not by the bathroom, show consideration for those sitting by the bathroom and hold your stuff until the next truck stop unless it's an emergency. This same rule applies to your friends' bathrooms.</li><li>It can be scientifically proven that my mouth can fit 24 grapes. At 25 grapes, slight laughter will cause one grape to lodge itself into my trachea. Once this happens, drooling will not dislodge the airway-obstructing fruit. Nor will three friends rolling on the floor with laughter. Luckily, spitting out 24 slobber-laden grapes and a quick upward flex of the diaphragm will. The scientific proof can and has been shown with the repeatability of this experiment...minutes after the first.</li><li>In near-death situations, I am a calm and rational thinker. Such situations may include being inside a car, upside-down, underwater, in near freezing temperatures, and in the middle of nowhere.<br /></li></ul><p><strong>Decade 3:</strong></p><ul><li>75% alcohol does not burn so quickly that the finger that it burns from will not see some damage. In related observations, toasting to birthdays by clinking flaming shot glasses is a bad idea.</li><li>Snowboarding out of bounds through waist high powder by yourself is not advised. Also and again, in near-death situations, I am a calm and rational thinker.</li><li>Good friendships seem to be a result of shared suffering. School, job, and life in New York seem to be good venues for this. Bad teachers, unfulfilling work, and New York summers and winters all can provide adequate suffering upon which good friendships can be based.<br /></li><li>Three decades go by faster than you think they will.<br /></li></ul>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-37993484532688784922006-10-23T20:29:00.000-04:002006-10-29T15:53:26.138-05:00Fair and Equitable SucksThere's a book out there titled something along the lines of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Really-Need-Know-Learned-Kindergarten/dp/034546639X/sr=8-1/qid=1161649878/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-9125799-3230450?ie=UTF8">All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.</a>" I've never read it but I'm sure it's full of things like "don't hit other kids", "say please and sorry", and "share your crayons". All great ideas.<br /><br />However, I believe there are other kindergarten lessons which should be forgotten, ignored, or at least outgrown. For example, you shouldn't hold your friends' hands to cross the street. Especially if it's a busy street and your friends and you can't agree whether you can beat the oncoming traffic. Worst case scenario, holding hands will get all of you run over. Best case scenario, you look like a group of grown people holding hands as you cross the street.<br /><br />As a more practical case, not everything requires lining up. In kindergarten, I can see the benefit. Lines make for easy head counts to make sure all the kids that left for recess come back from recess. It probably also instills some sense of discipline and maybe even purpose to those kids who always rush to be the first in that line. In this case, fine, lines are great. On a BART platform with limited width during rush hour, lines suck. Okay, I see that there is limited seating on the train and that imposing the "line" rule is equitable in much the same way that the line for the playground equipment rewards the kid who has waited the longest with his or her choice of the least battered four square ball. However, the platform is only so wide which means that if you line up perpendicular to the tracks, you've now prevented all cross traffic from freely walking to the stairs without having to say "excuse me" two-dozen times along the way.<br /><br />That's problem one. Problem two is that you now have one line going into a door that clearly allows two people to pass at the same time. Great! you say. That should settle the problem of people trying to get off the train while other people get on. Well, that would all work in theory if that single file line didn't line up smack in the middle of the door!<br /><br />And then, perhaps most ridiculous of all is the single file line consisting of people whom, once into the train, like to stand right at the entrance, looking left, looking right, trying to find the open seat that they'd like to sit in. "Hmm....should I sit in that seat to the left? No, that fellow looks a bit dirty. Should I sit in the seat to the right? No, the cloth on that seat is fairly soiled..."<br /><br />For the love of <insert><insert>(insert deity here), Man!! Pick a direction and move! Don't you realize that there's a singly-filed line of people standing behind you, stretching across the platform to the opposite train whose doors are opened and whose own passengers are trying to push around the other singly-filed line queued behind the middle of the its doors, both lines of which are blocking the few passengers who have managed to get off the train from walking through the singly-filed lines of indecisive people waiting for the person who just got on the train to choose which of the dirty BART seats they want to sit on?!?<br /><br />All I really need to know, I learned in kindergarten. All I later learned I should forget, I discovered by riding BART.</insert></insert>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-37303973226914493452006-10-10T11:10:00.000-04:002006-10-10T11:56:59.390-04:00Just Not Meant to Be<span style="color:#000000;">I am not a morning person. I think the last time I voluntarily woke up early on a regular basis was about 23 years ago and that was only once a week to catch the Smurfs at 7am. Since then, it's only occurred due to some set of obscene circumstances - like work, for example.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">This morning, I decided to get a jump start and was up at 4:30am and remotely logged into my laptop at work to do some last minute work on a presentation I have today. Thirty minutes later, I notice that for some reason, the laptop battery meter was showing 20 minutes of life left. How could this be?!? Had I forgotten to plug the power supply back? That can't be it since it would have died a long time before this. Had the cleaning people knocked the plug out or run over the power strip switch with their vacuum? Possibly. Well, the only thing to do at this point is to shower and head into work. </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Shower, teeth, ears, hair. Shave?? Nah. (A benefit of being Asian is that I can skip a day between shaves and the few slow growing hairs on my chin will still barely be noticeable. A drawback is that I will never be able to grow an Al Borland beard.) Shirt, pants, belt, socks. Fly check #1. (The first noticeable sign of deteriorating mental capacity is that I no longer trust myself to remember to zip my fly so I now need to check several times a day.) Wallet, keys, phone, iPod. Jacket, shoes, work bag. </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">By 5:35am, I'm at the bus stop waiting for the 30x - the express bus that bypasses the mess of traffic, old ladies with grocery carts, and loud kids otherwise known as Chinatown. 5:45am. Still waiting. Fly check #2. Hmm....there goes the regular 30 bus just down the street. 5:50am. Still waiting....and by myself. Could it be that this bus doesn't start this early in the morning? Damn. Guess I'll walk to the 30 line down the block. 5:58am. Waiting. This sucks. Oh wait. Is that someone walking over? Yes. Someone clearly in his corporate monkey gear, bag slung around his shoulder, is walking towards me...towards me...towards me...and passed me. Damn, he's heading to the 30x stop. Crap. Okay, suck up the ego and admit to him that I'm stupid for not checking the schedule before leaving my house today by turning and following him to the 30x stop that I had just been at for 25 minutes. Click, clack, click, clack. I'm about five steps behind him but I'm sure the hard soles of my dress shoes are eliciting at least a mocking smile at my idiocy if not a full, hearty, struggle-to-contain-yourself internal laugh.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">6:05am. 30x bus. 7:10am, I reach my desk with coffee in hand. 7:11am, I read the e-mail that says,</span><br /><blockquote><span style="color:#000000;">Please be advised that there was a localized power outage in Berkeley this morning. The outage lasted from 2:12AM PST until 5:25AM PST.</span></blockquote><p><span style="color:#000000;">So had I hopped online after showering and before leaving the house, I would have known that (1) <a href="http://www.sfmuni.com/php/routedesc.php?rted=30X">the first 30x is at 6:05am </a>and (2) the power was back up and I didn't actually have to come into the office early to plug anything back in. Nice. </span></p><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-52161322199092213252006-08-22T17:06:00.000-04:002006-08-22T18:38:37.695-04:00Zip ZipFor the past two and a half months, I've been trying to live by way of San Francisco public transportation. The impetus for this is two-fold. First, having lived in NY for a couple of years, I grew accustomed to this carefree mode of travel - I don't have to drive in stop-and-go traffic, I don't circle around looking for parking, and I don't worry about getting home after a night out. Secondly, and while I'd like to say I'm being environmentally conscious, it's really that I like not being in debt and making car payments.<br /><br />Unfortunately, SF isn't quite as conducive to being car-less as NY is. Busses don't run all night and definitely not as extensively as they do in NY and unless you're in the right area, finding cabs can be a tricky proposition. On top of that, you can't get everything delivered here like you can in NY. Case in point, last Saturday I had to lug my own clothes the four blocks from the wash-n-fold/dry cleaners - 30 lbs of laundry in one arm, 5 shirts, a sweater, and a pair of slacks in the other. (Sure, I could have done my own laundry in my own building. But that's not the point.)<br /><br />So, last night, I decided to finish out the rest of my <a href="http://www.zipcar.com">zipcar</a> credit for the month and picked up a car from the BART station one stop from my office and kept it overnight. And while having the car to go look for furniture and pick up groceries was nice, the fact that I was able to get down to San Mateo, find out that they don't stock furniture at that Crate and Barrel, and then head back into the city to pick up some groceries all in the same time it would take me to ride BART, transfer to the non-express bus, and walk the four blocks home from the bus stop was even nicer.<br /><br />With each day, my commitment to public transportation seems to be fading. Watching clips like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbempkXVmus">this</a> probably isn't helping much either.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1155162061898685292006-08-09T18:11:00.000-04:002006-08-09T18:21:01.910-04:0064......minutes between the moment I locked my apartment door and the moment I sat in my cubicle at work. There's a chance I may have moved just a little too far from work. In fact, these times are courtesy of the luxury of the morning express bus. Unfortunately, I leave work too late to catch the express bus going home which means it takes about 10 to 15 minutes longer to get back. <br /><br />On the bright side, that's 2+ hours of reading time a day which means maybe I'll get caught up on the growing stack of books that I've started but haven't had a chance to finish. Current bus/BART book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802130208/sr=8-1/qid=1155161536/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-3638975-6049554?ie=UTF8"><em>A Confederacy of Dunces</em></a><em>. </em>I started this one about a year ago.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1154627746372184952006-08-03T13:55:00.000-04:002006-08-03T13:55:46.373-04:0073Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1154627724594216912006-08-02T11:50:00.000-04:002006-08-03T13:55:24.656-04:0071Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1154445753610449632006-08-01T11:22:00.000-04:002006-08-01T11:22:33.633-04:0062Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1152740565875203662006-07-12T17:20:00.000-04:002006-07-12T17:42:46.040-04:00Goal OrientedI've never really considered myself a goal-oriented person. While I can see the obvious benefits of such a quality, I often find that short term goals like deciding which shirt in the dryer is the least wrinkled and thus most easily ironed or figuring out what combination of edible items in my apartment would qualify as dinner take up an exorbitant amount of my free, waking time.<br /><br />However, a friend recently provided me with some <a href="http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/">inspiration</a> towards setting loftier goals and seeing them to fruition. This week, iron all my work shirts immediately after washing. Next week, the world.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1152726191359496192006-07-12T13:25:00.000-04:002006-07-12T13:43:11.370-04:00Road Trip Redux<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4516/393/1600/tracking.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4516/393/320/tracking.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I decided to try out a bit of self-service publishing and ordered a book of my road trip pictures through <a href="http://www.qoop.com/photobooks/flickr_user/index.php">QOOP</a>. After a couple days at the printer, I received my e-mail confirming the shipment of my order. Ironically, QOOP is based out of NY and my book is shipping via DHL Ground. In essence, my book of pictures of my drive across the country will be making nearly the same trip I did. If only I could tell it to pick me up a burger from the whole in the wall joint in Jackson, Wyoming. I'd also warn it about not speeding in Ohio. Looks like that's where the book is right now.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1149777242384294072006-06-08T09:50:00.000-04:002006-07-06T10:09:09.636-04:00East to West - The Summary<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4516/393/1600/route.jpg"><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4516/393/400/route.jpg" /></a><br /><ul><li>12 days<br /></li><li>4704 miles</li><li>14 States of the Union</li><li>204 gallons of gasoline<br /></li><li>1 speeding ticket</li><li>4 National parks</li><li>3 movie shoot locations</li><li>1 bird casualty</li><li>100,000 insect casualties (estimated)</li><li>17 mosquito bites</li><li><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/sets/72157594151709792/">Lots and lots of pictures</a><br /></li></ul>Unfortunately, due to a lack of internet connectivity and probably more so, sheer laziness, days 7-12 have now been summarized in the above statistics. To be honest, while there was a lot to see between New York and Dyersville, Iowa, I think the best parts of the road trip took place during that second half of the drive. It was there that I drove the completely remote and deserted two-lane roads that you imagine a cross-country road trip to entail. It was there where you run across the natural beauties, and oddities, that exist between the man-made wonders of the US.<br /><br />And while I'd like to say that the Grand Tetons or the Badlands were the best part of the trip, as cliche as it is, the destinations were really just stopping points and the journey itself was the part I enjoyed the most. If I were a slightly older and wiser man, I'm sure I would find the parallels with life. Alas, I'm closer to being old than wise so I'll just leave it that the road trip was awesome and that I would highly recommend anyone and everyone do at least part of this trip if not all of it. And of course, see and do what you can, but don't forget to enjoy the ride along the way. The end comes quicker than you think.Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1149584188664845942006-06-06T04:53:00.000-04:002006-06-06T04:58:37.396-04:00Day 6 - Field of Dreams<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/160925648/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/55/160925648_d057efde06_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soakedsponge/160925648/">Crossing Home</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/soakedsponge/">crazypete04</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><br /><p>Day 6 was a big driving day. Having made some fairly short drives to this point, I needed to make-up some miles. I did manage to stop at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa. Sure, it's a little ironic - going out of my way to see baseball field in the middle of nowhere which was built for a movie about a baseball field in the middle of nowhere which attracts people out of their way to go see. But hey, it broke up the 14 hour drive up a little.</p>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6861593.post-1149438423477023892006-06-04T12:07:00.000-04:002006-06-04T12:27:03.493-04:00Day 5 - Still in ChicagoDay 5 was spent meeting up with old friends. Unfortunately, having spent 2 nights here, Day 6 is shaping up to be a 14 hour haul across I-90. I think I need to make up some time since more than a third of my time has passed and I'm still only in Chicago.<br /><br />On a related note, <a href="http://maps.yahoo.com/beta/index.php">Yahoo Maps Beta</a> has been invaluable during this trip to figure out exactly how long I'll be driving each day including the side trips to see sights. Click on the map below to follow along up to the start of Day 6.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://maps.yahoo.com/beta/index.php#maxp=search&q10bizid=28948638&q10=77%20W%20HURON%20ST%2C%20CHICAGO%2C%20IL%2060610-4052&q9=south%20bend%2C%20in&q8=cleveland%2C%20oh&q7=mill%20run%2C%20pa&q6=route%2030%20east%20greensburg%2C%20pa&q5bizid=12022190&q5=97%20taneytown%20road%2C%20gettysburg%2C%20pa&q4bizid=12304371&q4=200%20w%20ridge%20pike%2C%20conshohocken%2C%20pa&q3=king%20of%20prussia%2C%20pa&q2=1010%20race%20street%2C%20philadelphia%2C%20pa&q1=137%20west%2080th%20street%2C%20new%20york%2C%20ny&trf=0&mvt=m&lon=-96.152344&lat=39.061849&mag=14"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:left;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand; border: solid 2px #000000;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4516/393/320/Day5.jpg" alt="" /></a>Peterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11961038731035591864noreply@blogger.com0