My brother bought a Dyson DC24 off of Amazon for my parents as a Christmas present last year. My initial thought was "Did they need another vacuum cleaner?". Then when my dad assembled it, I was a little taken aback. The thing is tiny and looks almost like a toy. It seems a little flimsy and even a little mechanically quirky. And the dirt tray is so small you would have to empty it frequently. When I looked up the item on Amazon, I was a little shocked how much the thing costs.

I assumed it might eventually get shoved into some closet given how gadgets accumulate. That is until I heard stories. ... Apparently my dad uses it all the time. In odd places and at unusual times he would be found vacuuming or cleaning up. What didn't occur to me is that since it is so light, relatively quiet and so incredibly easy to use, the job of vacuuming became less like a chore. Even though you might empty the dirt frequently, its still so simple that it doesn't interfere with your task.

I have a Dirt Devil with a 12 amp jet engine motor that is so loud and difficult to move around, that just the thought of using that thing gives me palpitations. So I might not vacuum as regularly as I should - at the cost of my health! I think the dust bunnies are getting ready to unionize.

Anytime you have a burdensome repetitive job that must be completed, you need to stop and look at your methodology, and in this case: your tools. When I think about my daily tasks, I am aware of the tools I lack, which on my part is just laziness. (I'll fix this over time) When I think about the deficiency in tools for my day-job, it's downright depressing! (A story for another day) ... How much is my time worth? Or my peace of mind? or arm strain?

Don't go out and buy yourself an expensive lightweight vacuum cleaner (like I most likely will). But do take the time to examine how much self-inflicted torture you endure every day just because you might think you're saving yourself a few dollars. Trust me, you're really not.

Thoughts to ponder for anyone - especially those who might call themselves an engineer. (Hope you had a Happy Engineers Week).

Posted in: Life, Stuff,

Happy New Year! I started writing this yesterday, but didn't get a chance to publish.

This last year was quite an revolutionary year. Lots of up's and down's, hello's and goodbye's and some serious shakeups in the workplace. I want to list some of notable points about the last year. There is really no major order, anything and everything that came to mind I added.

Some of the positive things...

• Had 4 memorable fun trips this year.
• High point: U2: 360
• Best CD I purchased: Coldplay: Prospekt's March off Amazon (actually 2 CD's)
• Best DVD I purchased: The Departed off Ebay (I'm cheap)
• Smartest purchase: some running shoes
• Musical talent I found most fascinating in 2009: Lady Gaga (yes, I admit it)
• Best 2009 Movie I saw: Up from Pixar (so sad, but yet so sweet)
• The "family" grew not once, but twice
• Someone I thought for sure would never get hitched actually tied the knot - there is hope after all
• Old friends: 1 engagement announcement, 1 baby on the way announcement and 1 yes!-i'm-finally-a-daddy SMS!
• I took the time to really learn something about investing
• I finally tried Netflix, I feel stupid for waiting so long - and they have so many bollywood/hindi flicks
• Along the lines of Netflix, also came to enjoy Redbox - how can you beat $1/day rentals?
• I got Windows 7 Ultimate for free, and I hate to admit I really like it
• Coolest gadget I should have bought much earlier: Playstation 3, so many things you can do with this thing
• I DID NOT get laid off from my job

And some of lower points...

• Sad farewell to my Uncle
• Missed a chance to visit China (major bummer)
• Realized I need to be more careful on my diet and lifestyle ... the gut is here
• Lots of disappointing movies in 2009
  • Terminator: Salvation - had such a b-movie feel to it
  • The Hangover - previews were much better
  • Star Trek - Star Trek should not be sexy!
• Not many good places to eat outside of the new office location
• Most annoying personality of the year: Glenn Beck
• Many friendly intelligent colleagues disappeared from the workplace, hope they learned something
• I DID NOT get laid off from my job (there's a flip-side to everything)

Of course there are many things that I can't quite categorize. I had a few personal epiphanies (many go beyond the scope of this blog).

• I realized in the past that I have been quite the luddite. I can't beleive how often I have resisted change.
• I realized I have no concrete goals. (That's probably the nicest way to put it)
• I don't really know anything about investing. Years of reading still seem like you're missing something.
• Deadlines really do make the world go round.

And about this new decade that begins with 2010, I have some hopes and fears. Sadly, they start with health care. America you really messed up. When HR says things like "consumer driven options" it is code for "you are screwed". I can deal with that since I am relatively healthy and not in any position that something will bankrupt me, but others? I'm not so sure. ... And will the movie and music industries get a hint already: adapt or the torrents will destroy you! ... Netflix, Redbox and on-demand streaming: maybe cable TV is no longer necessary? ... And the real gem for this coming year: more Android phones! (even though Google is beginning to scare me).

And in conclusion, I did actually pick one real resolution: I resolve to stay single for 2010. Tougher than I originally thought...

Happy New Year

Posted in: Life, Random, Stuff,

A few days before Christmas I decided to watch Avatar with my brothers. I don't visit theaters often, so I thought it would be fun to watch it in IMAX 3D (based on great past experience). Considering it was the holiday season with more crowds the box office, I opted to purchase tickets online for a reserved seating show (a first for me). For security, I used a temporary credit card number (like I always do) and printed my confirmation/receipt and went to the theater a few hours later. I didn't think much of it.

At the Showcase Cinemas I waited in line to get my physical tickets and was told that they could not give them to me unless I had the actual credit card with me. So, like any place, I had to talk to the manager. He politely informed me that my confirmation number is inadequate (useless) and he "can't release the tickets from the system". He could not even cancel the seats which were already paid and re-issue them. The system does not provide for that feature. Before he let us pass and get our seats, he asked me to call back later and provide the credit card number. Apparently, that is the only way the theater can actually get paid for the tickets that technically movietickets.com sold me. I agreed and saw the movie.

About the movie, quick synopsis: Attractive blue monkey-tigers in a computer generated paradise world who mind meld their appendages with nature have to fight off stereo-typical technologically advanced civilized people-soldier-strip-miners with the help of a crippled former soldier psychically connected to an artificial monkey-man hybrid which is known as an Avatar. Basically the plot of Furngully: The Last Rainforest redone by the guy who did Terminator 2 and Titanic (with the stuffings). Really good stuff really, however unoriginal. The animation was gorgeous. The only let down was the IMAX 3D did not even come close to exploiting its full potential. Fun and exciting movie nonetheless.

The great irony for me: the movie's theme was clearly anti-technology. I think the blue monkey's mother deity glow stick willow tree was trying to tell me something: pay in cash you moron. I got the message.

When I got back to my computer, I debated whether I should call back. Economically the theater chain should take a hit and fix their broken system they have with their sales and marketing partners. Why should I be punished for being responsible for my online security? But alas, its Christmas dontchaknow, so I called back with the number. On the receiving line the clerk basically said people forget their cards all the time. So no major worry for me. Hmmm.

The moral of the story is: you can't trust the system.

Posted in: Movies, Internet, Technology, Random, Rants,

This Thanksgiving was really unlike any previous that I can really remember. To start, very few guests actually came. While the house was full for Thursday night dinner, no one actually stayed over. Considering this year's events (2 weddings and a funeral), it was not much of a surprise. I just did not intend to be graced with an abundance of free time.

With that there were quite a few "firsts" this year. My parents broke tradition and actually decided to cook a turkey. I cannot remember a turkey in our house for maybe 20 years? (Yes, for you non-believers there was a picture taken!) While I'm not a big turkey fan, the guests loved it. But I cannot figure out why the drum-sticks were left-over?

Nothing to do with the turkey, but this year I really did not overeat. While I'm not saying I typically engage in binge overeating, usually 2nd's and sometimes 3rd's are pretty common. But not this year. I think I was seriously considering my weight, not that its a major concern ... yet.

And while weight watching, I thought that drinking fewer hard drinks instead of a lot of beer would be better for the gut. Not sure that's logically sound, but I really did not drink that much, although I did have one incident. I've never had a whiskey hangover before and I really hope I never have one again.

Another pleasant surprise, I actually got up on "Black Friday" and did some shopping. It has probably been at least 10 years since I did. I don't care for the crowds, but a co-worker told me last Tuesday that he likes to just walk around at his own pace and just see what's left. So I did the same. I decided that if by chance I woke up before 12 (and I did), then I would just drive around to see what I would find. I went with absolutely zero expectations. Surprisingly I got much more than I expected. I was most happy to get a new jacket. I had been passively looking for a while, but the Friday deal was unbeatable.

I did take some of my free time to put up the Christmas tree early. My brother's new LED outdoor lights are really bright and aren't supposed to burn out for like a hundred years (give or take a decade). I also by chance found my old penny collection that I seemed to have lost in 1995 (that's the last penny in there).

Pretty relaxing holiday for me.

Posted in: Life, Random,

As I previously mentioned, I had a rocking good time at the U2 concert in Pasadena. I trekked all the way across the country because the 360 Tour was not coming to Michigan like they did in 2005. For those who were not as fortunate, the whole concert was performed live on Youtube (an internet first!). ... Anyways, when the dates were announced in April, I made the commitment to come out to California. Since I took floor ("non-seat") tickets in 2005, I thought it would be just too exhausting to repeat that. My brother and I ended up getting tickets in the second level, the view was not as good as we had hoped, but there were plenty of much worse spots. I can't believe how much those seats cost.

We were lucky enough to have a friend arrange parking at a private residence. It was a brisk 5 minute walk to the stadium which was incredibly alive and unbelievably crowded. I think there were supposed to be over 95 thousand people in attendance! After trying to find another friend, we gave up looking and went to our seats. ... About 30 min before the opening act, you could see the stage crew still getting things set up. For anyone who has not seen pictures of the 360 stage, you really have to be there to appreciate the complexity. The stage is underneath 4 giant arms (or legs) that hold up a light tower and a completely circular display screen. The whole thing has been aptly named "the claw". I can't imagine how many people have to work to assemble and dismantle it for each show. Even with the obscene ticket prices, I read that the tour is not making much profit with such a setup.

Sometime after 7, even though the stadium still had not filled up, the opening by the Black Eyed Peas began. I personally don't think the hip hop group really meshes with the U2 demographic, but they were pretty fun to watch. I think the Peas were okay, but what really made it memorable was a surprise appearance by Slash. They played Sweet Child o' Mine (the old GNR hit) before wrapping up.

During the intermission, my brother went to grab some food while I remained seated. I had the horrible experience of having the nearly drunk lady behind me spill her cup of beer all over my right shoulder, arm and camera. This really put me in a bad mood...

When U2 finally showed up, I noticed the entire stadium was absolutely packed to the brim. The band members made a slow walking entrance (as opposed to just appearing on the stage like they did in '05). They started out with 3 songs of their latest album (No Line On The Horizon). To be honest I didn't know most of the lyrics to those songs so I couldn't sing along. It wasn't until they started "Mysterious Ways" that I got of out of my beer-spilled-dont-know-lyrics funk and was truly able to enjoy myself!

I feel like they did a great job with a selection of the older music. There were all the popular "Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby" classics. I was surprised to hear the 1984 song "The Unforgettable Fire" and it was really cool to actually see so many fans who actually knew the words to that. There was however one major downer to the music, and this may just be my opinion, but it really sounded as if Bono's voice was really strained during a lot of the songs. I felt as if during some songs, he struggled to keep up with the audience. And at times, it seemed as if he was just speaking the lyrics instead of actually singing. A letdown for me: when performing "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" off of the new album it sounded nothing like it does in the Blackberry Loves U2 commercial. I was really looking forward to that, instead they opted to use conga drums and make it sound weird. Even the 2005 opener and crowd-pleaser "City of Blinding Lights" sounded a bit off to me. Ahh well, it was still satisfying hearing it live.

As for the mix in politics, there was nothing new there. After the usual recognition of Aung San Suu Kyi, they added a special mention to the 2009 Iranian protests. I'm sure some other important people said some really important things on the big screen, but I might not have been paying that much attention.

Outside of the music and politics, the stage setup was really cool. The circular display screen was actually made up of hundreds of smaller pieces. The pieces themselves could move with the screen to make it stretch the whole height (quite spectacular). At times the screen descended completely at the base hiding the band. It was a gradual motion making it blend so smoothly with the performances. The lights and color were impressive entirely on their own.

Like I said previously the whole event was quite over the top. Lots of visual feedback that never got boring. I chose to be in the stands instead of the floor. And looking around me during the whole concert, I was disheartened to see so many people near me, not even standing or clapping or moving in any way during some of the most spirited songs. They appeared almost bored. And when I looked at the sea of people on the main floor, I could see their energy alive with the music. I'm disappointed I didn't experience that in the stands. My brother suggested next time we get on the floor, while I'm not sure I could do that again, I do envy the enthusiasm present in the heart of the stadium. No big deal.

The band wrapped up with the moving last number "Moment of Surrender". It felt a lot shorter than I expected and we left the stadium without much trouble. I really was looking at the t-shirts but I couldn't bring myself to spend the $40 (they were only $35 in 2005). As we were leaving some t-shirt peddler offered us shirts for $20, and we haggled it down to $15. Impressed we tried again this time for $10 but he refused. Good thing too, it turned out the shirt was xxx-small. Stupid me. It doesn't really matter though. I'll keep it as a souvenir for a crazy night of ups and downs.

I know I was really rambling with this post - there was just too much to explain. Its been over a week and I just wanted to try to capture as much as I could. In retrospect after all the money, travel and spilled beer, I had a great time. And even after just hearing the 360 tour will in fact come to Michigan in 2010, I have no regrets. It was worth it. Every moment.

Posted in: Music, Travel,