September 2009
30 posts
Worst. Advertisement. Ever.
If you’re anything like me, you’re a bit tired of the Mac vs. PC ads which pit the uber-cool but now annoyingly self-aggrandizing Mac guy against the super-dorky, can’t do anything right PC guy. These ads were cute at first, but the concept is sort of past its prime. It’s almost gotten to the point that I’m feeling bad for the way PCs are being portrayed and...
From the Random Stat Department
Come this gem of a random stat courtesy of Paul Kedrosky. Below is a map showing deer roadkill per licensed vehicle. Note that that the numbers are just a relative index, not the actual number of deaths per vehicle.
The original story came from Bloomberg - with this amazing stat: 1 in 39 drivers in West Virginia is likely to hit a deer in the next 12 months.
Anyone reading this ever hit a...
It's Done!
I’m happy to report that I was able to complete the 20 miles on Saturday morning with relative ease - which is to say it was a great test of endurance and I was hobbled with sore legs all weekend afterwards, but all in all the run went about as smoothly as possible.
As I sit here 5 weeks out from the marathon I’m ecstatic about my progress to date and can’t wait for the big...
A little perspective
Sorry for the 2nd post about the big run tomorrow, but was thinking about how far 20 miles is and had to put it in perspective.
If I started at the Southpoint intersection on Interstate 40 and ran East, then got on Wade Ave and kept running, 20 miles later I’d be just past NC State University.
Ouch.
The Long Run
Shhh…come here and I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m going to whisper it because that’s what you do when you tell a secret. Ok, here goes:
Tomorrow I run my longest run of all time, and the longest run of my Marathon training. Tomorrow I’m going to run 20 miles.
There, I said it. I guess it never was a secret in the first place, as I’ve been...
It's never too early...
to start the trash talk for basketball season. A co-worker forwarded this to me yesterday. I’m sure it will be passed around the UNC fans with unquenchable virality over the next few days. But it’s just too good not to post. Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2009-2010 Dook Blue Devils basketball team picture:
Soccer in America
I’ve had multiple conversations with people in the last few weeks about a general sense among everyone that soccer is making a significant movement currently in the collective consciousness of Americans.
By now most of you know of my love for the Beautiful Game (in fact there’s probably some that are tired of the videos of great goals - to which I respond…too bad!) I was...
I’ve been listening to this song a ton in...
Improv Everywhere Subway Photos
Some loyal blog readers may remember the post from Memorial Day weekend when Eller was in town and we participated in the mp3 Experiment. Well, the group that put on the experiment, Improv Everywhere, also specializes in unique improv jokes/events throughout NYC. Their most recent stunt involved setting up a photo studio in a NYC subway car and asking random passengers if they’d like to...
Blog Vote
You think this shot is legit or faked?
Vote in the comments. And for more info on the guys in the video, check this out.
Instant Gratification
We live in a world with an insatiable appetite for the here and now. In almost every interaction, speed is at a premium and valued greatly.
But we all know intuitively that sometimes there is a greater reward when we exhibit some patience. Psychologists and sociologists have put this notion to the test in a famous experiment known as the Marshmallow Experiment.
The setup is quite simple - put...
Thanks for the insight
I guess when you are in a free Yahoo fantasy league, you can’t really complain about this level of insight. But really, Yahoo, this is the best you can come up with about Tom Brady’s performance on Sunday. He seems to have regressedf from Week 1?
Left Coast Weekend
As of 7:11 AM today, the big travel weekend was officially over. That’s when my redeye flight landed at JFK and I began my trek via AirTrain, subway and walk to my office on 49th and Madison. Luckily, I was able to get close to 5 hours of sleep on the flight, so I made it through the work day unscathed. Tired though I may have been by late afternoon, the trip to the Left Coast was...
How long do shoes last during Marathon training?
It’s no secret that it’s very important to listen to your body when training for a marathon. From what I’ve read, many 1st timers run the risk of injury during training, as they push their bodies beyond “normal” limits. One of the most common mistakes is to run too long on a pair of shoes, burning through the support and bottoms, which can lead to plantar...
Hansbrough commercial
Tracy and I saw this last night for the first time on TV and couldn’t believe our eyes - former Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough is featured in a new AT&T commercial. And after a closer look, it appears that it was filmed in Chapel Hill.
Well done Psycho T!
Safety Dance!
We got out of the city right after work on Friday and boarded a Megabus to Hartford for the UNC-UConn football game. We met up with my parents on Friday evening and stayed at a hotel just outside of Hartford on the eve before the game.
As a quick aside, it’s amazing how living in the city will make you appreciate the little luxuries that come from a suburban suite-style hotel. Tracy in...
Football is Back
I’m not the only one in America who is beyond pumped about the fact that big time football is back. And though the NFL opener last night was a snoozefest (albeit one which ended in OT), the college boys (GaTech vs. Clemson) put on a nice show.
For those of you who’ve been watching some of the games thus far, you’ve likely seen this Under Armour commercial, which I believe is...
Cheap NYC Travel
Check out the amazing fares we’re seeing for direct flights from NYC to Greensboro in early October. Tracy had been planning a trip back to NC for a baby shower and given these amazing prices, I ended up pulling the trigger too for the Columbus Day weekend (gotta love the Bank Holiday on the Monday of Columbus Day).
That’s right, folks, we got two round trip flights for a GRAND...
Changing Water into...Water
This video is worth the 9 minutes. Inventor Michael Pritchard describes his Lifesaver technology which transforms revolting, defecation-infested water into sterile, drinkable water in the matter of a few pumps. A simply fascinating invention that has far-reaching implications for our world.
Hat tip to my buddy Rodney, who tweeted out a link to this video today.
100 Years of Carolina Basketball
The video that was shown at the UNC bball alumni game on Friday.
McEnroe vs. Djokovic
Perhaps we should have waited until last night to go to the Open. If so, we would have been able to see this McEnroe impression by winner Novak Djokovic followed by an impromptu “match” between the current and former tennis greats.
Awesome stuff.
Labor Day, How Awesome are Thee
Before I start this post, how about a quick round of applause and perhaps even a shout out for the awesomeness that is Labor Day weekend.
Tracy and I were remarking yesterday about how we had no idea why we celebrate Labor Day. A quick Wikipedia search educates us to the fact that Labor Day actually began as Labour Day (with a “u”) and is a direct result of trying to appease...
all props to his Brizness, loving me some adele -
...
Fantasy Football Draft Video
Football season is officially upon us, and that means the joy of fantasy football. I’m in a couple leagues this year, including an Overlook league with all the old college roommates.
In trying to figure out draft order, there are many different options - blind lottery, last year’s results, etc. But each year in the Overlook league Michael Eller and Greg Amweg put together a draft...
Listen
BeFunky.com
Just found an amazing site that allows you to upload pictures and very quickly and extremely easily create new styles of the pic.
For example, I took this picture from Kelly’s wedding
And put it in a couple different styles like Charcoal
or Cartoon
Check it out for yourself at www.befunky.com
Living the Entrepreneurial Dream
One of the favorite parts of my job is getting to work with entrepreneurs who are taking chances and creating new and exciting enterprises which haven’t existed before. There’s a certain inherent magic that comes from making something out of nothing, with creating new value from thin air - it seems that everyone can appreciate the courage it takes to start a new venture from scratch,...
Wedding Weekend
We got home last night from a whirlwind wedding weekend which was all kinds of spectacular. It felt like we were going non stop for several days straight, so the events of the weekend are a bit of a blur. But this much I know for certain - my sister is now Kelly Archer (how weird is that!) and we had one heck of a party at the reception!
After arriving in NC late Thursday night and grabbing a...