Rachel bought me a most wonderful book as a Christmas present. If you have enjoyed books like Harry Potter or other family reading, then have I got a recommendation for you. Note, though, that this story is basically a period mystery set in late 19th century Paris. It doesn't have any supernatural elements to it, except for a sense of wonder and a charming story line.I've never encountered another book like this one. It's part story, part graphic novel - yet this book manages to use its multitude of beautiful black & white pictures to dramatically and tenderly advance the story.I've been … [Read more...]
Happy Holidays
January 5, 2008 by Leave a Comment
This Christmas was really good this year. As is our tradition, the kids and I put up and trimmed the Christmas tree a few weeks before Christmas (12/10/07 to be exact). We had fun rediscovering all of the ornaments we'd stored away last year. And we listened to and sang Christmas songs while we hung them up.Picking out the stockings was a bit of mini-adventure too, since Katie had some preferences that made it kind'a funny and silly to accommodate.I had a huge amount of fun selecting the gifts for each of the kids and imagining how much fun they'd have with each of their presents. I've also … [Read more...]
If I Were President, Episode #2
December 22, 2007 by Leave a Comment
This idea comes from two contradictory forces at work in the capital.On the one hand, you have a President that always has to deal with currying favor with various legislators to gain their support for various laws and policies he wants to enact. On the other hand, DC and the surrounding areas has grown into one of the most pricey, traffic-laden, HR-recruiting nightmares in the country. A final factor in this line of thought is that DC was rather centrally located back with the USA was only 13 States on the Eastern Seaboard. But now, DC is far removed from most of the country and, many say, … [Read more...]
Those Dirty Rats Aren’t so Dirty After All
December 20, 2007 by Leave a Comment
I've always been a big proponent of thinking expansively and in broader, more disconnected ways. A lot of people would call this thinking outside the box. But I tend to think of it as simply allowing more options into your set of alternatives. My biggest intellectual assets have been breadth of understanding, not depth. My biggest intellectual inspirations are books like "Connections", "Guns, Germs, and Steel", and "The Ghost Map". These books all very clearly show that the greatest innovations come from individuals with keen minds and wide, interdisciplinary skills. In other words, the … [Read more...]
Treat yourself to a moment of laughter
December 20, 2007 by Leave a Comment
This is so darn funny. It also makes me thankful that I don't have quads!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EIuk50RTp4 … [Read more...]
The Braces are off and the bars & locks are going up!!!
December 11, 2007 by 2 Comments
Sometimes your kids don't understand that you simply HAVE to capture the moment, even if you have to take more pictures than you want to. In Emily's case, I'd take a couple pictures trying to show her last day in braces. But they didn't turn out too well. Consequently, her expression practically screams "Dad, please finish before I start hitting you!"Every now and then I look at my daughter(s) and see not my daughter, but a beautiful woman - a beautiful woman that other boys/men are staring at. Needless to say, all those males died bloody and horrible deaths at my hands, nostrils, or … [Read more...]
Fun in the Snow – Draper, Utah
November 30, 2007 by 2 Comments
Each year, I take the kids on an individual trip with dad. I try to make it inexpensive and unassuming. But the emphasis of these trips is always focused on communication, connection, and building good memories. This year, I was able to take Emily to go skiing in Utah. My only expense was flying her out, since my trip was on the tail-end of my PASS trip. And my good friend Joel Meyer very graciously provided a place for us to stay, food to eat, and great company. We were very fortunate to have great weather for the trip. It started snow the evening we arrived and, the next morning, we had a … [Read more...]
The Last PASS at Last
November 30, 2007 by 1 Comment
I've been a board member of the Professional Association for SQL Server since the organization was founded in 1999. I was invited to join the board way back then in the capacity of VP of Marketing and, in fact, knew nothing about what I was supposed to do for the organization. As the years went by, I moved into the roles of EVP of Finance for 2 years and the President for the last 4 years.All the work that we do for PASS is on a volunteer basis and, for me, it was taking between 10-20 hrs per week over and above the day job at Quest Software. With the way my day job and PASS were balanced, … [Read more...]
Amazing Sports Clips
November 27, 2007 by Leave a Comment
This is amazing. I'm not much of a sports fan, but this was really fun - 20 of the best basketball points ever scored.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTsVzOKqK-k and watch this with your kids and/or loved ones.-Kev … [Read more...]
Proof that the world DOES care about color-blindness
November 26, 2007 by Leave a Comment
I've always accepted that color-blindness is one of those handicaps that no one ever thinks about. After all, it's not very common. And it's not usually very dangerous, despite the fact that red-traffic lights are very hard to see for someone with "daltonic vision". But it looks like someone out there really has given us color-blind people a second thought. Look at this:http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/flexscan/flexscan-lcd-monitor-for-the-color+blind-is-24-inches-326224.php Very cool!-Kev … [Read more...]
