AndyO Blog

Driving to Lake Chelan

2008-06-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

We're back in beautiful Lake Chelan, where my wife attends a conference every year. It's also become a tradition for the kids and me to come with her. I still remember the first time I came along with Cameron, who was only a few months old. It's certainly a lot easier now, even though I have to watch after two kids now.

To sleep... perchance to dream

Before we left Seattle, I decided to sleep in -- and then sleep some more. Brenda had told me the day before that we were leaving early, and I'd agreed. But then I went downstairs with the boys and enjoyed a nice mid-morning nap to the soothing sounds of The Lion King.

When I got back upstairs, Brenda was pulling all her bags out of our Outback and throwing them in the Jetta. I asked what she was doing, and she said, "I need to go. I'll meet you there."

Ooops. Shouldn't have taken that mid-morning nap.

After several minutes of negotiating -- I was standing in the entryway, and she was standing near her car -- she agreed to give me 30 minutes.

In the shower, I started singing a new song:

"I'm in the doghouse/ And the whole neighborhood knows it..."

Sidenote: I live in a neighborhood where a public argument will become fodder for many gossip sessions. I've learned not to care about this stuff -- unless I'm truly out of line (that is, yelling).

Good news/Bad news

I made it out of the house in about 45 minutes, although by the time we gassed up the car and returned to the house for some stuff I'd forgotten, it was well over an hour.

The good news was that we got to Campbell's at Lake Chelan in about 3-1/2 hours. The bad news was they didn't have our room ready.

I'm not one of those people who always thinks his room should be ready -- especially when I'm getting in before check-in time -- but you think they would have given a little extra effort for the person putting on the conference (Brenda). Instead, we got the, "Check-in time is at 4:00. We'll call you if we can get your room ready earlier."

Brenda had to run off to a meeting, and I decided to sit in the lobby with Drew (wearing only a diaper) and Cameron (wearing all his clothes). They raised hell, jumping on couches and having a good time. The concierge finally told them to settle down.

At 4:10, I got up and waited in line to check in. When I got up to the front, around 4:25, they said they still didn't know if my room was available -- but they would check. Thankfully, it was available.

But when we arrived at the room, there was a housekeeping cart sitting out front. I asked the person there if the room was ready, and they called someone on their walkie talkie.

"I just told the office that that room was ready!" a man yelled on the walkie talkie.

I decided at this point, they were either having a really bad day -- or they hadn't trained their staff.

Freeze Gopher!

After we were in the room and starting to relax, I got out my new telephoto lens for my Canon G9. Fortunately, a subject appeared in the distance. After taking a few shots, I thought maybe it was a gopher. Or a groundhog. Or a prairie dog.

Later I found out it was a marmot -- probably a Yellow-bellied Marmot, which is common in the Northwest.

Later I went out during twilight to take some additional pictures of Campbell's. I love this time of the day, with the mountains sharpening against the sky, the lake starting to calm.

Tim Russert - In memoriam

2008-06-22T01:05:00.001-07:00

Update - 6/22/08

I just read that Tom Brokaw will be taking over for Tim Russert on "Meet the Press." I don't think anyone else could have taken over, at least on the NBC roster, as Brokaw was the most popular news anchroman when he stepped down in 2004. Brokaw will bring the authority that NBC needs in an election year.

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When I read about Tim Russert's death last Friday, it seemed a little surreal. I had practically just seen him at my work two years earlier, on June 8, 2006, where he talked to the small crowd, and then signed copies of "Wisdom of Our Fathers." I wasn't going to buy the book, but just listening to him talk about it sold me (it was a collection of letters from people who talked about the wisdom of their fathers). I gave it to my Dad for Father's Day, and he really enjoyed it.

I have to admit I didn't watch "Meet the Press" too often, but I did see Mr. Russert on other news shows. He always came across as a serious journalist. When I saw him in person, Russert seemed like the kind of guy you could sit down with and have a few beers -- a friend. It was this quality that made him so popular with TV audiences.

Thinking back on the hour I spent with Russert, thinking about the brief exchange we had when he signed my book, I'm reminded of how one person can make a difference. In this age of media spin and information overload, it was refreshing to find someone in a position of influence who knew how to cut through the B.S. Who knew how to shine a light on the Truth.

It's rare to see such an outpouring of sympathy and mourning for a journalist. From what I've read, Russert's funeral was much like a state funeral -- with mayors, senators, presidents, colleagues, and presidential hopefuls in attendance.

I think that Russert would have been shocked by the amount of attention his funeral received. I think he would have worried about what wasn't being reported on because of his funeral.

But sometimes people need to stop and pay tribute to a person who changed the world.

Rush at Clark County Amphitheater - 6/1/08

2008-06-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

For my final Rush show on the Snakes & Arrows tour, I went with my brother and his girlfriend Helen. They picked me up around 2:00, and we drove straight to the amphitheater (only stopping off at Wendy's and a rest stop). As usual, Erik and I talked (Helen wanted to sleep in the back).

When we got to Clark County, three or so hours later, I stepped out into surprisingly cold air. I'd worn shorts, and I was trying to decide whether to put on my sweats. Instead, I just put on a North Face jacket, and then we walked to the venue.

Even though we had an hour or so before the show started, I ended up passing the time quickly by talking to friends. Monica told me that Ray had talked to Howard, Rush's lighting director, about the Gorge show the night before. Howard said that it had been a very difficult concert for the crew, and that he'd lost a bunch of lights and lasers due to the wind. He said that instead of going to the after-show party with the crew, he ended up going right to bed. He was looking forward to playing the show at Clark County.

Set 1

When the show started, Geddy came out wearing a long coat. He also had a scarf wrapped around his neck. Seeing this made me feel even colder than I already was. The band sounded great, and at close range they looked like they were having fun.

Almost right away, Alex acknowledged a group of guys standing in front of me, many of whom were wearing golf gear. (I'm guessing that he'd gone golfing with them during the day -- or at least seen them on the course.)

I spent some time pointing things out to Helen, as this was her first Rush concert. She seemed genuinely amazed at all the stuff going on, and recognized a bunch of the songs

As with every show at Clark County, the shortest man in the venue ended up standing behind Erik, who stands at 6 feet 7. The problem was, he really couldn't stand behind Helen or me, as we both stand at or over 6 feet. Somehow, he ended up moving down his row where he could see better. In general, people seemed to be moving around quite a bit.

During the intermission, I walked up to the restroom with my friend Keith, and we talked about what we'd been doing since we'd last seen each other. As we were standing in the mile-long line at the restroom, we saw a bunch of security people and finally Sheriff's deputies run into the bathroom. I never did see them pull someone out, but it sure looked exciting.

Monica told me that Steve had been shut down from taking pictures by Michael Mossbach, Rush's security director. He found it odd that he was the only one Michael targeted, as everyone around them was either taking pictures or video (or holding signs that blocked the view).

Set 2

During the second set, I wasn't getting any warmer. In fact, I think the temperature dropped into the low 50s (F). Geddy continued to wear the long coat and the scarf across his neck.

I noticed a lot of activity off the stage, with Rush security people scanning the audience. They seemed to be pointing right at me, although I wasn't taking any pictures or doing anything other than air drumming (when appropriate, of course). Sure enough, Michael inched by me and then waited behind a guy who was taking pictures. Then he tapped him on the shoulder, and, from what I could tell, erased every picture the guy had taken. What was odd was this guy was with the golf guys that Alex had acknowledged, and was wearing a backstage pass on his shirt.

When the band played Witch Hunt, I saw Geddy warming his hands on the fire, which I thought was funny. But I have to admit the heat felt pretty good. As the band got closer to the end of the show, some other interesting things happened.

During One Little Victory, Neil seemed to miss the hi-hat downbeat he plays along with the double-bass. He ended up switching the beat around until he found the downbeat. What was strange was at the end of the song, he did the same thing. It almost sounded like he was bored and trying to find a new way to play the beat.

During YYZ, Alex made some big boo-boos. During the chorus, he started on a wrong note. He looked back at Neil, who was laughing at him. He kept making self-deprecating gestures to the audience -- like holding his nose as if to acknowledge his poor playing.

Making Memories

This show marks the end of my Snakes & Arrows tour. The band is going on to play many more shows, but between the 2007 and 2008 tours I've seen Rush nine times -- including my first ever Toronto shows and Ottawa. I remember when I used to see these guys once every two years.

People always ask me why I attend so many shows, and I guess the simplest answer is that Rush's music makes me happy. It reminds me of why I picked up the drum sticks. It inspires me. It gives me an excuse to travel to places I've never been, and see friends I haven't seen in a while. There aren't too many things that can do that for me.

So, for those who want to know, here were my favorite shows on the tour:

Rush at the Gorge - 5/31/08

2008-06-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

I wasn't originally going to take Cameron to the Gorge show, but then I ended up buying some box seat tickets that someone advertised at work. This would allow Cameron to be able to see over the crowd, as the box seats were elevated behind the floor seats.

On the day of the concert, Cameron and I met Monica and Ray (who had flown in from New York) at Monica's house. A light rain was falling, so I brought my rain jacket. We piled in Monica's car and drove off to Eastern Washington.

Ray had never been to the eastern side of the state. We drove over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 through a dramatic mountain landscape. Seeing that familiar road through Ray's eyes made me appreciate it more than usual.

Descending from the mountains, we passed from the sea of green trees into the pale desert of Eastern Washington -- finally turning off at Ellensburg. This city, home to Central Washington University, was usually a place where I stopped off for food, gas, or a bathroom break, but this time Monica wanted to drive the back roads to Ginkgo Petrified Forest. In all my trips from Seattle to the Tri-Cities (where I grew up), I'd never traveled this back road of rolling hills, sagebrush, volcanic rocks, and wind farms.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest

I had stopped at Ginkgo Petrified Forest only one other time, when I was a kid. From what I found out at the interpretive center, it was formed about 15 million years ago when ancient forests were covered with volcanic ash, which gradually replaced the tree trunks with minerals in the groundwater. The petrified trunks were protected by basalt, until the Missoula floods eroded the basalt at the end of the last ice age. These petrified trees weren't discovered until 1927, and when they were done excavating them in 1938 they had discovered 50 species of trees on the site -- including (you guessed it) a ginkgo tree.

We watched a movie about the discovery of these petrified trees, and enjoyed the stunning view of the Columbia River from the visitor's center.

Welcome to the Gorge

After Ginkgo, we drove on the last leg of our journey to the Gorge, near George, Washington. Now, I'll be the first to say that the Gorge is not my favorite place to watch a concert. Except for the backdrop of the Columbia River Gorge, it's out in the middle of nowhere, and the facilities (parking, bathrooms) are sub-par. But the other thing I'd forgotten about -- until we pulled up around 6:00 p.m. -- was that Eastern Washington wind. This is the kind of wind that can blow you over, as my son tried to illustrate several times. It's also the kind of wind that can blow speaker cabinets and lights all over the place.

Cameron and I found our box seats, and we talked with the other people sitting there (a father and his daughter). We soon found out that we had some special VIP amenities that came with our box seats, like a private restaurant called the Cliffhouse that had (gasp!) real bathrooms! We also had our own waiters. I ordered a $15 dinner (sandwich, chips, drink). Cameron didn't want a sandwich -- he wanted popcorn and a pretzel, which we got from the good old concession stand.

Then we waited for the show to start, while the wind continued to howl.

Set 1: Swinging speaker cabinets

The band started pretty close to their 8:00 p.m. start time, and from the first note you could tell that this would be a very different Rush show.

Those swinging speaker cabinets caused the sound to fade in and out and lose clarity and power (at least from our seats). When they turned on the fog machine, the fog dissipated across the stage in a thin, violent stream -- losing any kind of effect that the band had intended.

Yet, the band soldiered on. Alex continued to look up nervously at the speaker cabinets and lights through the entire show, while Geddy and Neil seemed energized by the elements. When Geddy first talked to the audience, he said something about possibly "being blown off the stage."

I watched the lighting operators riding the rigs like bullriders, and saw the lights and other equipment crashing together high above the band. Whenever the camera showed Neil from above, the image moved back and forth like he was being filmed by drunk cameramen. The lights that usually come down to the stage in "Between the Wheels" and "Limelight," didn't really move on this night.

Set 2

By the time the second set started, the wind kept howling. Cameron, who had been dreading the explosion in "Far Cry," was a little disappointed when there were no sparks to go along with the explosion. God knows what would have happened if those sparklers had gone off with the wind.

When Geddy introduced "The Way the Wind Blows," he said it was apropos given how hard the wind was blowing on this particular night.

When it came time for Neil's solo, I have to say it was one of the finest I've seen him play on this tour -- or ever. I don't know if he was inspired or what, but he played some amazing beats in the improvised section on the high tom-toms. He also seemed to add some new fills in his "Drum Also Waltzes" African section.

As for the crowd at this show, they were enthusiastic. But there were a few problems. First, there were the guys in last row on the floor standing on their chairs (and security only telling them once to get down). Then there was the father and his son in the box seats directly below us, standing and rocking out.

Finally, there was the asshole who threw a glow stick from the grass area from about 200 feet above us. It happened during "Spindrift," when I was looking through my binoculars. I saw a green flash out of the corner of my left eye. When I looked up at the light, I knew it was a glow stick -- and it was moving at Mach 2! I moved my head slightly and the stick just missed me. Cameron nudged me and said, "Did you know that glow stick almost hit you? It almost hit me, too!" I started thinking about what I would have done had that glow stick hit Cameron or me. I think one of us would have been hurt pretty bad, as it had been thrown from at least 200 feet above us. Now I had another reason to hate the Gorge.

In the end, it was quite a concert. Despite the sound problems caused by the wind, I thought the band played exceptionally well -- and there was that drum solo.

On the way back to Seattle, first Cameron conked out, and then Ray. And then it was up to me to keep Monica awake as we drove through the mountains and finally into the Seattle area.

Rush at GM Place - Vancouver, B.C. - 5/29/08

2008-05-30T00:35:00.000-07:00

This was my second show on the 2008 leg of the Snakes & Arrows tour. The first was in Phoenix, AZ, at the outdoor Cricket Pavilion. This time, it was at the indoor GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, with my wife and eight-year-old son, Cameron. We drove to Vancouver from Seattle, which is about a 3-1/2 hour drive. Unfortunately, it took much longer, due to traffic leading into the George Massey tunnel as well as the construction on Cambie street.

Vancouver culture

After we parked, we walked to GM Place to pick up my tickets from Will Call (yes, I lost them so I had to get replacements). Then we walked around the venue so I could show Cameron Neil's bus. Cameron felt a little nervous, as if Neil was going to pop out and tell us to leave.

After that, we went to dinner at a mall on Abbot street. The only thing that looked good was Chinese food. Cameron was more interested in going up the gigantic escalators. He dragged his mom up, and then he wanted me to go. I have to admit that with a chronic fear of heights, these escalators made my hands sweat. Of course, Cameron thought that was hilarious.

A different view

The main reason for going to this particular show was so Cameron could sit on the side and see the band (he was upset at White River last year when his view was blocked by people standing in front of him). The seats, twenty or so rows up in section 119, were OK -- but with the new binoculars I purchased on the way up to the show (in Bellingham), I could see a lot of stuff that you don't usually see when you're in front of the band. For instance:

Lorne, Neil's drum tech, sits on a drum throne and watches Neil the entire show -- waiting for a problem to happen.
Neil goes through a pair of sticks about every 2-3 songs. After each song, he checks the stick for problems. When he's done with a stick, he throws it to Lorne, who places them in a drawer. Neil grabs a new pair of sticks right before Malignant Narcissism and the drum solo.
Neil often rests his left foot on his double bass pedal -- even when he's not playing it.
Neil's setlist is on his bass drum. (You can see a photo of it here.)
Alex's setlist is on his pedal box.
The TelePrompTer that Geddy uses for the lyrics scrolls a few lines at a time and then stops. At the end of the lyrics is the next song title.
On the last song, all the techs start packing everything up.
One of the computers used for mixing (on Alex's side of the stage) is a Windows Vista box. Tony Geranios, Geddy's keyboard tech, has a Mac. The slideshow that plays when he's not using it has personal pictures of the band and other places.

What's that smell?

During this show, the band played at the high level I've seen for most of this tour -- with very few, if any, mistakes. Geddy and Neil seemed particularly fired up. The arena was at about three-quarters capacity. Unfortunately, the place where we sat is where many of the party concert-goers like to sit.

First, I had to explain to Cameron about the pungent smell wafting by us about every 10 minutes. (Later, when I told people in Seattle about the abundance of pot smoking, most said, "What did you expect, you were in Vancouver." I guess I wasn't aware Vancouver was the pot smoking capital of North America.)

A few songs from the end of the first set, an Amazonian woman and her date sat to my right. The guy decided he was going to talk to the woman instead of watch the concert. Usually, this wouldn't matter too much -- but he ended up being louder than the music at times. Then, the woman leaned over and asked who the bass player was. If I'd told her it was Paul McCartney, she probably would have believed me.

A group of teenagers sat in front of us, drinking from whiskey bottles, smoking pot, but not bothering anyone else for the most part. They disappeared after the first set, which leads me to my next topic...

A lapse of security

Security seemed adequate for the first half of the show, stopping fights, nabbing some of those pot smokers or picture takers, and moving people out of the tunnel entrance just to our left. But something happened during the second set. I guess security decided to take a break, because the floor became a much more crowded place. My friends Monica and Steve, standing in the fifth row, said that security did nothing about people who snuck onto the floor in the second set.

During intermission, I waited in the longest food line of all time. By the time I got up to the counter, they had run out of pretzels (and Cam wanted one). I ordered a couple churros instead and got into the arena to hear half of "Far Cry." I decided to wait until after the pyro explosions to walk to my seat.

Setting records on the run

When the show was over, we got out to our car in record time and tore out of the parking lot. We were out of the GM Place neighborhood and driving up Cambie street 10 minutes after the show was over. Cambie street, currently in the middle of being torn apart for a train project, was much easier to navigate at midnight than at 6:00 p.m.

When we got to the U.S. Border, I told the border guard, "We went to the Rush concert." His response: "How was it?" Sometimes these border patrol types can be a little serious (even before 9/11). But two adults and a kid in the back probably don't fit their profile for people bringing contraband across the border.

After Brenda and Cameron fell asleep, I settled into a relaxing drive through northwestern Washington. After we picked up Drew from my brother's house, we got in the door at around 2:15. And I had to get up for work the next day. As I was falling asleep, I was thinking about the lyrics from Dreamline, "We're only at home when we're on the run..."

Phoenix - Day 3

2008-05-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up late. My cold was even worse than the day before, probably because of all the singing I did at the concert the night before. Dan also slept in.

Best Egg

We drove off to the Best Egg restaurant, as Dan knows I like to eat a big breakfast every once in a while. After I was done eating, I felt better. Maybe it was the orange juice? Maybe it was the Diet Coke?

McFarlane toys

Before we went to breakfast, Dan looked up McFarlane and we found out they had a showroom right in Tempe -- not too far from Dan's house. We weren't sure what the difference was between a showroom and a store, but once we got there we were pleasantly surprised.

The showroom was basically a place where they could show off the best McFarlane figures -- including prototype figures -- as well as a bunch of McFarlane's sports collection. My favorite items were two original seats from Wrigley Field.

They also sold toys. Many of the boxes were autographed by Todd McFarlane personally. I picked out Wallace (from Wallace and Gromit) and a Halo figure for my boys. I also picked up a Hank Aaron figure for my brother, who a huge baseball fan.

When Dan and I got to the register, we found out the cashier was from our hometown of Richland, Washington. I used this moment to point out to Dan about synchronicity again -- a meaningful coincidence. (I find that synchronicity happens more on vacation or when I'm away from home -- probably because I'm more alert to new things I'm seeing around me).

What were the chances that we'd run into a McFarlane store the night before (one of two stores in existence) -- and that the showroom store was only a few miles from Dan's house? What were the chances that the cashier would be from the same town where Dan and I met in third grade? Interesting stuff, at the very least.

Baseball in Phoenix

Later, Dan, Kim, and I went to Preston's baseball game. Preston is about the same age as my oldest son Cameron. I believe everyone has at least one gift, and one of Preston's is playing baseball. I've never seen an eight year old fielding like an 18 year old. From shortstop, he was firing the ball over to first base. When he was up to bat, he hit doubles and home runs. When the other team hit what looked to be a home run, Preston went into the outfield, grabbed the ball, and threw it in to home to stop the runner.

After seeing Preston tonight, I feel like I've seen a kid who could advance into a baseball career. I know that there are still many more hoops for him to jump through, and many more years for him to play, but you heard it here first. If this kid keeps focused, he'll be going to The Show when he's 18 or 19.

Phoenix - Day 2 - Rush at Cricket Pavilion

2008-05-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

Dan and I arrived at Cricket Wireless Pavilion with about an hour to spare. We parked, and then had to walk around to the opposite side of the venue to pick up our tickets at Will Call. Once inside, Dan and I made a few stops and then made our way to our seats. It always feels a little strange to keep walking closer and closer to the stage, as I'm used to sitting farther away. But tonight we had fifth row seats, right in front of Geddy.

Here are my notes from the show (SPOILERS!):

Two women are sitting on Geddy's side of the stage. They have their own monitor, and are holding radio station signs. Dan said they had a contest at the local radio station for a meet and greet with Rush. I guess the private seats on the stage were part of the deal.
Dan spots Randy Johnson backstage, perusing the drum kit (behind the curtain), talking to the crew. I tell Dan that Randy is friends with the band and is a drummer himself.
In general, there are more women at Rush shows these days. I bet this seems a little strange to the band.
Lots of kids at the show. Looking around, I can see 4 with their parents in my immediate vicinity. One is sitting next to me.
Once the show starts, Alex doesn't hold the note in Limelight. I'm glad they dropped the whole Alex-waits-for-Geddy-who-is-eating-chicken-backstage shtick. Everyone I talked to on the last leg thought Rush was making a mistake -- that Geddy really was late to the stage.
I'm getting used to the new arrangement of Digital Man now. The end of the song rocks.
It's nice to hear Ghost of a Chance again. The band has changed the arrangement quite a bit. However, I'm not sure switching out Entre Nous with Ghost was a good idea, especially because Mission, another mid-temp song, follows.
Geddy makes a comment about how much they love it in Phoenix. (During the day, Dan and I heard on the radio station that Geddy had been at the Diamondbacks game on Wednesday night, and that Alex was golfing in Scottsdale.)
Neil is especially into the show tonight. He's hitting hard, grimacing. I can tell when Neil is into it, even from far away.
I keep pinching myself, because these are some of the best seats I've had a Rush show. Not too close, and not too far away:

Geddy is right in front of us much of the time. His bass playing is astonishing at close range. I noticed that sings his bass parts, too.
Geddy: "We have to drink lots of water cause we're from Canada. We're used to shoveling snow."
Security cracks down on everyone taking pictures.
Right before intermission, Geddy says, "We need to take a break. As you can see, we're no spring chickens."
During intermission, I look back into crowd. The place is packed:

I also see that the ceiling fans are still (last time they were spinning like airplane props in August heat). That's because a cool breeze is blowing. Perfect night for a concert.

Set 2

The new lead-in to Set 2 is hilarious: "Harry Satchel in 'What's that Smell?'"
In Subdivisions, Neil has problems with his hi-hat clutch (the piece that locks the top hi-hat to the rod, so that he can open and close it with the pedal). Lorne Wheaton, his drum tech, does a quick fix and then in the intro to Natural Science does more work as Neil takes a break.
Also in Natural Science in the Tidepools section, Geddy is clearly having problems with his in-ear monitors. He keeps motioning for the soundman to fix things, and he finally steps back and fiddles with the knobs on his remote. Since I'm so close, I get the feeling that he's angry. I see how important it is to him to give the fans the best show possible.
Next, it's Alex's turn. In Witch Hunt, right after the intro, Alex goes to play the opening riff -- but there's no sound. He looks over to his tech. Still nothing's coming out. I can almost feel Geddy Lee's frustration. But then the Witch Hunt riff fades in. As Alex is playing during the song, he looks back over at his tech, who smacks his head in a "D'oh!"-like way. Alex just smiles.
By the time the drum solo comes around, the gremlins seem to have been chased away. As always, Neil is amazing -- especially watching from such a close vantage point.
In The Spirit of Radio, Randy Johnston comes out with a chicken mask on his head and bastes the chickens in the Henhouse. When he bastes Neil's chicken on the cymbal stand, Neil gives him a smile.
I'm happy to hear 2112 Overture and Temples of Syrinx again. Those songs always get the crowd pumped up.
Right before the encore, Geddy and Alex throw shirts to the crowd. Just like the last time I saw Rush in this venue during R30, a shirt sails right toward me... and the guy in front of me grabs it. So close.

After the show, after getting out of the parking lot, Dan and I somehow made it back to his house in 35 or 40 minutes. I asked him to stop at Wendy's for a burger, as concerts make me really hungry -- especially when I'm air drumming half the time.

I sleep well.

Phoenix - Day 2

2008-05-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

I woke up today at 6:30 a.m., still feeling sick from the cold-that-would-not-die. I actually thought it was a good thing, waking up this early, since Dan said he was going in early to work. I figured I could just go with him. But when I walked around the house, everyone seemed to be sleeping.

So I went back to bed.

I didn't wake up until 8:30 or so, when Kim came in to get Preston's shoes. She told me Dan got up at 5:30 and went into work.

Once Kim and Preston left, it was a strange feeling to be alone in a house with no kids, no adults, and no plans (for at least a few hours anyway). It felt kind of like... vacation! I called Dan and told him I was up, and then I just lounged around, surfing the Internet, eating peanut butter toast, and watching TV.

A visit to renderTHIS!

Dan owns a company called renderTHIS!, which creates 3D renderings of buildings before they're built. Check out this amazing work they do:

I'd never seen his new office, so he took me over to check it out. The office was dark (the shades pulled tight against the Phoenix sun), and it evoked a creative, modern mood. My favorite part of the office was a preview room, complete with high-definition projector, screen, chairs, and 5.1 sound system. Dan played me the beginning of No Country for Old Men so I could see this preview room in action.

P.F. Chang's

After the renderTHIS! office, we picked up Kim and drove to P.F. Chang's. I don't know if it's because I live in Seattle, which has a crazy highway system, but the grid system of Phoenix and surrounding area always confuses me. Everything looks the same to me with miles of sub-highways that only connect at right angles to other highways. And it always seems like people are driving way too fast.

We had to wait 15 minutes at P.F. Chang's to get seated. The topic of the lunch conversation was the challenge of raising kids. Between Dan and Kim, they have four kids (including one teen). We mostly talked about the challenges of having a teen in your house, which I'm not looking forward to.

A movie before Rush

Dan thought it would be a good idea to drive out to the Cricket Pavilion area early, which is in Glendale. Even at 3:00 p.m., we encountered heavy traffic. Sadly, I was right at home again.

When we got out to Glendale, we still had a few hours to kill -- so we decided to see a movie. We stopped at WestGate City Center, a beautiful outdoor mall, with one of the biggest AMC movie theater I've ever seen. We wanted to see Iron Man, but it didn't start until 7:00 p.m. Instead, we opted to see 21. Dan enjoys playing poker, and I enjoy watching Dan play, so we thought it would be a good choice.

We were the only ones in the theater until a couple joined us right before start time. (I must admit, it's always a little strange to have a semi-private showing of a movie in a theater.) The movie was just OK (two stars out of four), but it was still fun to see a flick with Dan -- something we haven't done together since Star Trek: First Contact.

On the way out to the car, we stopped at McFarlane, which is a company that Todd McFarlane started in Phoenix that makes detailed models of characters from movies, comics, musicians, and more. Todd McFarlane is the creator of Spawn and has one of the largest sports memorabilia collections. Dan had never heard of McFarlane, and I'd only seen a few of his toy creations (the Predator alien). One thing's for sure: the craftsmanship of these toys is amazing. They even had some figures from Lost, the TV series. We didn't buy anything, but we made a note to try and visit one of the McFarlane stores before I went back to Seattle.

After that, we drove to Cricket Pavilion to see Rush.

Seattle to Phoenix - Day 1

2008-04-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

I flew down to Phoenix from Seattle today. It's a relatively short flight of two hours, but it felt longer for some reason. Maybe it was all that turbulence. Because it gets so hot in Phoenix, the air gets pretty choppy by mid-afternoon and early evening -- so the final approach can be a little rough.

On the flight down, I talked to a nice woman who was knitting a hat. I'd never seen the type of knitting instructions she was using, so she showed me how it worked. I found out she was flying down to Phoenix because her 80-year-old mom was getting a pacemaker.

After I arrived, my friend Dan (we met in third grade) met me at the airport and then we drove off into the horrendous Phoenix traffic. Of course, it didn't bother me much being from Seattle and all--where the traffic is probably worse.

We drove to his home in Tempe, hung out with his kids, ordered pizza, and watched "Deal or No Deal" for two hours. Neither of us knew why we spent that much time watching the show -- except that there's something pleasantly annoying about Howie Mandel.

Dan put me in the "Princess Room," and when I turned out the light the ceiling glowed with stars. I'm always surprised at how stars on the ceiling make me happy. What didn't make me happy was the cold I'd caught from one of my kids before I left Seattle. But that's just part of the job of being a parent.

While I'm here in Phoenix, Dan and I are going to catch the Rush show at the Cricket Pavilion. We ended up fifth row tickets, which is closer than I've been in a while.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama passes me on my morning commute

2008-04-11T09:38:00.001-07:00

After I dropped off my son at school this morning, I drove down Montlake Blvd by Husky Stadium. I noticed a lot of people walking from the huge stadium parking lot to the north and surrounding areas to Hec Edmunson Pavilion. And then it hit me -- the Dalai Lama was going to be speaking at Hec Ed in the morning as part of his Seeds of Compassion Seattle visit.

As luck would have it, they stopped traffic when I was in front of Husky Stadium and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama drove by in his motorcade. Here's what it looked like:

The Digital Movie Download War

2008-04-02T18:19:00.001-07:00

Now that Blu-ray has won the battle for high-definition discs, we can all go out and buy Blu-ray players and feel content with our purchases, right? That's what Sony would like you to believe. There are two problems with this:

Blu-ray players are too expensive (most over $300)
Many current Blu-ray players don't support Profile 2.0, so they're already obsolete (If you don't believe me, see this CNET post.)

There's also a secondary point about high-definition content. Most people don't care about it right now.

Because I don't think Blu-ray will offer enough of an incentive to drop the good old DVD player, my prediction is that digital movie downloads will become the format of choice. I know, you might be thinking that a lot of people still want to drive down to BestBuy on Tuesday to pick up the latest DVD release and hold the shiny disc in their hands. But then I would remind you that people said the same thing about music CDs.

I've started to try out different digital movie download and streaming services. While I don't think all of them offer the average consumer the ideal experience, I think you're going to see huge advances in the next year that will make it easier.

Here are the services I've researched (or tried out myself):

Microsoft and the Xbox 360

When HD-DVD lost the HD battle, it was a direct blow to Microsoft. The company's technology was embedded in HD-DVD technology. However, Microsoft is also one of the first companies to start renting HD digital movies over its Xbox 360 system.

The good: I own an Xbox 360, and renting movies using the Xbox Marketplace is a breeze. You add "Microsoft Points" to your account and go buy or rent whatever you want. Once you rent an HD movie, you can start watching it in 10-15 minutes. The great thing about the Xbox system is you can go play a game while you wait.

The bad: So far, the movie selection isn't as deep as I'd like to see. Plus, searching for a movie isn't as easy as it is using a computer. Xbox 360 Elite Pro bundle starts at around $500, so it's not cheap at this point. Once you start the movie, you have 24 hours to watch it--which can be too short. But this is standard with most digital downloads.

Digital Cable and DirectTV (satellite)

Cable has come a long way in the past 10 years. Not only can you watch HD content on your new LCD or Plasma TV, but you can watch it when you want. If any group is poised to take advantage of a new digital rental model, cable and satellite companies are probably in the best position.

The good: Familiar set-top box model. No computer needed. Additional services, including Internet, available as a bundle.

The bad: High cost per month. Limited selection of movies per month, depending on what the cable or satellite company makes available.

Netflix

The Netflix Watch Now feature, which allows you to stream movies over your computer, is top-notch. They've continued adding titles, including entire seasons of hit shows. I watched the first season of Heroes using this technology.

The good: Unlimited viewing of 7000 titles. Movies start in about 30 seconds. DVD-quality is acceptable on an HD TV.

The bad: No HD Watch Now feature yet. Computer required.

Rumors: Being able to watch movies through Netflix on your Xbox 360.

Apple TV 2.0

I don't know much about this offering, having never used it myself -- but after reading this detailed review complete with side-by-side image comparisons, it seems like it's pretty good. CNET also liked it.

The good: Movies from every major Hollywood studio. HD available for most new titles. Integrated Podcasts and YouTube.

The bad: $229 for a stand-alone device (too much for some people). Doesn't work with older TVs that aren't widescreen.

CinemaNow

I've watched one CinemaNow movie through my Xbox 360. The way this works is you download the movie to your PC, and then you can stream it over the Xbox.

The good: Large movie selection.

The bad: No HD options, except for a few titles that you can buy. The movie that I downloaded and watched through my Xbox 360 didn't look good enough on my HD TV.

The world's biggest, largest, and longest

2008-03-12T22:52:00.001-07:00

I'm on a few e-mail lists, and sometimes I receive some real gems. Here's the body from one such mail that shows pictures of some of the world's biggest, largest, and longest buildings, machines, vehicles, etc. If you haven't seen this before, it's pretty interesting. And you'll have some great facts to dish out at the next party or event you attend.

WORLD'S LARGEST CHURCH

Basilica of our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro
Inside sitting capacity.....18,000. Outside overflow capacity..100,000

WORLD'S BIGGEST INDOOR SWIMMING POOL

World Water Park ... Edmonton, Alberta, Canada...SIZE..5 Acres

WORLD'S BIGGEST OFFICE COMPLEX ... CHICAGO

Chicago Merchandise Mart... Illinois , USA

WORLD'S BIGGEST SHOPPING MALL

South China Mall, Dongguan, China ...892,000 meter-square
Shops on 6 floors

WORLD'S BUSIEST AIRPORT..... NEW YORK

J.F.K International Airport, New York........USA

WORLD'S WIDEST BRIDGE... AUSTRALIA

Sydney harbor bridge, Australia ....16 lanes of car traffic...8 lanes in the upper deck, 8 in the lower deck

WORLD'S LONGEST BRIDGE..... CHINA

Donghai Bridge, China ........32.5 kilometers

WORLD'S BIGGEST PASSENGER SHIP

MS Freedom of the Seas...4300 passenger capacity inside

WORLD'S BIGGEST PLANE

Airbus A380.....555 Passengers

WORLD'S BIGGEST BUS

Neoplan Jumbo cruiser....2 in 1 bus..double deck bus...170 passenger capacity

WORLD'S HIGHEST STATUE...... BRAZIL

CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE...RIO.D.J... BRAZIL

WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING... DUBAI

Burj Dubai....900 meters high. To be finally completed 2008

WORLD'S BIGGEST STADIUM... . BRAZIL

MARACANA STADIUM.... RIO D.J.... BRAZIL .....CAPACITY.199,000 -- only at 1950 FIFA World Cup. The stadium's current capacity is listed as 95,000.

WORLD'S COSTLIEST STADIUM... ENGLAND

New WEMBLEY STADIUM, London ..90,000 capacity......cost...$1.57 billion

WORLD'S BIGGEST EXCAVATOR

Built by KRUPP of Germany .....45,500 tons..95 meters high..215 meters long

WORLD'S LARGEST MOSQUE...... PAKISTAN

Shah Feisal mosque... Islamabad .. Pakistan
Inside hall capacity ..35,000 outside overflow capacity.. 150,000

WORLD'S BIGGEST HOTEL... LAS VEGAS

MGM Grand Hotel... Las Vegas ..5,044 rooms

WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL...DUBAI. U.A.E

Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai ..only 7 Star Hotel in the World
Cheapest room.$1000 per night....Royal suit.$28,000 per night

Check out these pictures of Tiger Woods at the Burj Al Arab Hotel.

WORLD'S BIGGEST CHURCH BUILDING... NIGERIA

Winners` Chapel...Canaanland .... Otta.... Nigeria
Inside Sitting Capacity..50,000 Outside Overflow Capacity..250,000

Here are some additional Wikipedia links I found:

Largest buildings

Tallest buildings and structures

Indiana Jones IV trailer

2008-03-12T12:43:00.001-07:00

I saw this once in the theater, but now it's online. Can't wait to see this one!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Trailer

Thoughts on the 80th Academy Awards

2008-03-01T18:50:00.001-08:00

This year, I told my wife that I wasn't going to watch the Academy Awards. I said that I didn't have time, that I didn't really care who won, etc.

Around 7:00 p.m., Brenda turned on the show. I was working on the computer in the same room, and after a while I left the computer and sat down on the couch to watch. And then I pretty much watched the rest of the show.

Watching the show in high-definition for the first time, I found myself studying the audience and picking out, say, Harrison Ford or Jack Nicholson. It was almost as if I was standing there onstage with Jon Stewart. I was hypnotized.

Many people say that this was a banner year for movies. Some say that we haven't seen this level of creativity and quality since the 1970s. While I haven't seen all the films that topped the critics' list, I did see Juno and There Will Be Blood, and liked them both. I guess it tells you something that Hollywood outsiders, the Coen Brothers, won multiple Oscars this year for their movie No Country for Old Men.

The morning after the Oscars, I read an e-mail story that my dad sent me about how many of the movies that have withstood the test of time didn't get the Oscar in their day. For example, Citizen Kane, recognized by most to be the best film ever made, only got one Oscar (for screenwriting). I wrote back:

Yes, I've heard that many of the greatest films were snubbed. I remember the first time I was aware of this was when Star Wars lost to Annie Hall for Best Picture. I think Annie Hall is a brilliant film (now, anyway), but Star Wars has had a much greater impact on film -- and is considered one of the greatest films now (like Citizen Kane).

So, it goes to show you that the Academy's taste doesn't always stand the test of time -- that the awards don't really matter as far as art is concerned. But for those of us who love movies -- the Academy Awards are a yearly party that we can attend to honor the craft of filmmaking (at least virtually). Which is why even when I say I'm not going to attend that party anymore, I somehow always find myself sitting in front of the TV.

Super Tuesday dashboard

2008-02-05T18:53:00.001-08:00

I've been impressed with MSNBC.com's coverage of Super Tuesday. In particular, the Super Dashboard is really cool, with interactive results, live video, and more. If you're tracking the races, check this out:

MSNBC.com Super Dashboard

The Year in Review - 2007

2008-01-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year. I'm finally getting around to writing up my "Year in Review." I think this is only the second year I've done this, but it gives me a chance to look back at yesteryear.

Concerts

The big news this year in the concert department was I got to see Rush and the Police. The former I've seen many times, but the latter was something I never thought would happen.

The Police stopped by Seattle for two sold-out concerts on June 6 and 7. I went to both shows. The second one was by far the best. Plus the opening band became one of my new favorites, Fiction Plane, fronted by Sting's son, Joe Sumner. Read my full review of the two Police shows.

For Rush, I saw them on two different legs of their successful Snakes & Arrows tour. The first two shows were in Washington, one at the White River amphitheater and one at Clark County Amphitheater. I took my seven-year-old son to both (he fell asleep at the second show).

Then I did something a little crazy in September: I flew with my friend MonicaZ to Toronto to see Rush twice in their home city and also in the Canadian capital Ottawa. The last show in Toronto was perhaps the best Rush show I've ever seen. It was also great to travel through Toronto and around western New York for the first time.

Finally, I saw Porcupine Tree at a sold-out show at the Showbox in downtown Seattle. This is a band I'll continue to watch.

Chris Mess

The band I play with, Chris Mess, continued to play shows around Seattle. We did a particularly fun show at the Skylark on Halloween, where we played as Cheap Trick or Treat. Here are the shows we did this year:

Halloween, Oct 31 - The Skylark with the following bands (read the official blog by Chris Mess)

8pm Strange Jerome as Bob Dylan
8pm Justin Phillips as John Lennon
8pm Peter Karis as Jeff Buckley
8pm Willow as Concrete Blonde
9pm Speedmop as The Sonics
9pm Aunt Jamama's Big Band Vigilantes as The Misfits
9pm The Hot Rollers as Quiet Riot
9pm Perish the Island (Luna Moth/Tableland members) as Angelo Badalamenti
10pm CHRIS MESS as CHEAP TRICK OR TREAT
10pm Blue Light Curtain as The Velvet Underground
10pm H is For Hellgate/Another Perfect Crime as Sleater-Kinney

Thursday, 10/18/2007 - The Central, with the refreshingly insane 13th Grade.
Thursday, 10/4/2007 - The Skylark, with the marvelously hard rocking Megasapien and Key Note Speaker.
Thursday, 5/31/2007 - The Rendezvous Jewelbox Theater, with H is for Hellgate. A STIFF LICKS show, an event for Seattle's True Independent Film Festival (STIFF). Performance went down while the film "Repo Man" ran in back of us. Read my blog entry about this show.
Monday, 2/12/2007 - The Funhouse, with Thankless Dogs and DJ Deutschermeister (AKA Herbie/Roman from The Greatest Hits).
Thursday, 2/1/2007 - Cafe Venus and the Mars Bar, a NadaMucho.com show with Supernals and The Diets. NizTV also filmed a video of us there..
Friday, 1/12/2007 - The Skylark (West Seattle), with Never Quiet, Never Still and Seeking Sanity.

Chris and I have recently recorded a bunch of new songs that you can listen to on my Chris Mess page.

My new favorite local band is Megasapien, with whom we played at the Skylark. Keep an eye on these guys.

Travels

This year, as I've already mentioned in the Concerts section, I made it to the East Coast to see Rush. As part of that trip, I saw Niagara Falls, Toronto, the outskirts of Ottawa, Buffalo, NY, and the amazing countryside between Ottawa and Toronto. You can read my entire travel blog here.

I also made an annual trips with my family to Manzanita and Lake Chelan, two of my favorite places.

Politics

The year before the presidential election has proved to be contentious. I've seen a few of the candidates in person, who have stopped at my company. So far, the most impressive was Hillary Clinton (read my blog entry about Hillary here). Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, was also a knowledgeable speaker and a good candidate. But, as Governor Richardson himself acknowledged, he's not quite the rock stars as Clinton or Obama.

On the Republican side, I saw Rudy Guiliani, who disappointed and annoyed me. Guiliani started off by telling his audience that the country is going in the right direction. So, if you like what GW has done for America, vote for Mr. Guiliani. You'll get more of the same.

At the time of this writing (Jan 11, 2008), he hasn't fared too well in the caucuses in Iowa and New Hampshire, which isn't surprising.

In addition, I saw one of Hillary's top advisors, Mark Penn, speak. He was talking about his new book Microtrends, which is all about how small groups of people can add up to be a significant voice (or vote, if you're Hillary). Mr. Penn came up with the now-famous group "soccer moms."

I also got a chance to see Michael Beschloss, presidential historian and TV commentator. I had read his book The Conquerors, and I bought his new book, Presidential Courage. The first chapter about George Washington is amazing.

On the local side of politics, I had a chance to see Governor Chris Gregoire in a small group setting. Diminutive in size, she is a powerful, passionate speaker whose command of the facts is startling. She seemed to know just about everything going on in Washington State. Like Hillary, Governor Gregoire doesn't always come across well on TV, which is one of the reasons I think she had problems against Dino Rossi in 2004, who is much smoother in debates. Rossi is running again this year on the Republican ticket, but I don't think he'll fare as well now that Gregoire has shown what she can do as Governor.

Film

From what I've been reading, 2007 is being regarded as a stellar year for cinema. Of all the films I've seen (and I don't get to see a lot in the theater, since I have two kids), here are the ones I enjoyed the most, in order of their box office rank:

Shrek the Third
Transformers
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
I Am Legend
300
Ratatouille
Knocked Up
Live Free or Die Hard
American Gangster
Superbad
Ocean's Thirteen
Bridge to Tarabithia
Disturbia
Surf's Up
Juno
Charlie Wilson's War
3:10 to Yuma
Zodiac
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
Becoming Jane
Eastern Promises

If I had to pick 5 that I thought were the best of the best, they would be:

Juno
American Gangster
Knocked Up
3:10 to Yuma
Zodiac

Other movies from 2007 that I want to see (any of which could knock movies out of my Top 5):

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old Men
Persepolis
No End in Sight
Once
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Host
In the Shadow of the Moon
Atonement
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
Across the Universe
Sweeney Todd
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead
The Kite Runner
Away from Her
Into the Wild
I'm Not There
In the Valley of Elah
Rendition
Romance and Cigarettes
Starting Out in Evening
Talk to Me

New Chris Mess songs available

2008-01-11T20:46:00.001-08:00

Chris and I recorded a bunch of new songs at the tail end of 2007, and now they're available on MySpace. You can listen to them on my Chris Mess page here.

Hope you enjoy!

Motorcycle racers

2007-12-20T12:26:00.001-08:00

I saw this on someone's YouTube site. The description above the video was "Ducati 996 vs. Bimota SB8R - Nice crash at the end." It's mesmerizing to see these two guys flying down the road -- and also watch them crash at the end. I don't know what they were thinking.

The AndyO Sweeney Todd trailer

2007-12-17T12:22:00.001-08:00

On the website for Sweeney Todd, you can cut your own trailer. Here's the one I cut

Holiday gift recommendations - 2007

2007-12-05T23:47:00.001-08:00

12/13 - Update: Added item 9.

Like everyone these days, I like to give my own Holiday gift recommendations. You can read my previous years recommendations here.

These recommendations will probably work best for someone who loves The Sharper Image or Brookstone, and also enjoys Sci-Fi movies. There are some practical gifts in here, too.

1. Zune Originals 8 GB ($199.00) and Zune Marketplace Subscription ($14.99 per month)

Last year I recommended the 2 GB iRiver Clix with the MTV Urge music service. Now that Urge is no more, and now that Microsoft has released Zune v2 with the smaller 4 GB and 8 GB form factor, my new recommendation is the 8 GB "original" model. The Zune Originals website actually let you customize the back of your Zune with art, text, or both.

The Zune Marketplace v2 is an improvement over v1, with a richer, lighter interface. Personally, I use the subscription service because I can download as much music as I want to my Zune for about the cost of one CD per month. Plus, you can use the subscription to listen to music on three computers.

Click here for Zune purchase options.

2. Dustbuster -- $49-59.00

The new Dustbusters are more powerful than their 1990 cousins. I plug mine in near the kitchen, and use it every day. Here are just a few uses that I've found:

Pick up after your kids eat (especially if they're in the 2-year-old range)
Pick up after your kids track dirt or sand in the house
Pick up the pile of dirt, dust bunnies, Legos, or other stuff after you've swept up.
Go after fruit flies, flies, or bees (you can even let the bees go after you vacuum them up).
Pick up after your kids' art projects (think: little pieces of paper, wax, glitter, plastic, etc.)
Vacuum out your car (the new Dustbuster is not as powerful as a Shop Vac, but it'll do the job. The battery lasts about 15 minutes on the lower setting).

3. U.S.S. Enterprise replica - Art Asylum and Master Replicas

I bought the Art Asylum Classic Enterprise after reading about it on Amazon.com and a few other online stores. The customer reviews convinced me to buy one.

What makes this model work is the attention to detail, like the numbers and graphics on the side of the hull, and the way the ship comes to life when you press the bridge: the engines light up, and you get to hear authentic Star Trek sound effects, including dialogue from Captain James T. Kirk.

If you know a Star Trek fan, this is great gift for big and little kids. (I keep mine on my desk at work). However, If money is no object, then you probably want to get the Master Replicas U.S.S. Enterprise replica (only $1,499!).

4. ARTFX R2 and C3P0 figures - $149.00

These figures, which are imported from the Japanese company KOTOBUKIYA, are highly-detailed models of the famous Star Wars robots. There is some assembly required, but it's no more than snapping an arm or leg into place.

This replica also sits on my desk, and I'm always noticing new details.

5. Force FX Lightsaber - Starting at $119 (Limited quantities!)

Now that Master Replicas was purchased by Corgi, a larger toy company with shareholders and profit margins to worry about, they aren't renewing their Star Wars license. This means that you won't be able to get the incredible Force FX Lightsaber for much longer. Note that many of the Force FX models are sold out.

I have the Darth Vader model, and it's one of the coolest "toys" I've ever bought. Whenever I fire it up, my kids go crazy. Well worth the $119.

6. Norelco Electric Shavers - Starting at $99.00

If you've never tried an electric shaver, you should. I own a Norelco 8170 XL model, and it's amazing. Instead of shaving at home, I shave on my way into work in the car (I'm in a lot of traffic). Sometimes people stare at me, but I don't care.

7. True-back

If you're one of those people who suffers from chronic back pain, the True-back device is something you should try. As you lie down on it, the track in the middle of the device actually puts your spine in traction, while at the same time stretching your back. When my back is bothering me, this is the first device I turn to.

8. ThinkGeek Wi-Fi detector shirt - $29.99

The idea of a shirt that lights up when it senses a Wi-Fi signal is novel to say the least. I wondered how they did it, but then I saw that it does use 3 AAA batteries.

9. Finger Mouse Drum pad - $39.95

This one made it on the list of the Skymall "dumbest item of all time," but I think it's kind of cool. For those drummers (and non-drummers) who want to play at work, this looks like a good choice.

To see another list of tech products, go to:

29 Exceptional Products for Tech Lovers by PCWorld

Hillary and Bill stop by my work

2007-12-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

Within one week, Hillary and Bill Clinton stopped by my work. For Hillary, it was a campaign stop, where she outlined her platform and talked about what she would do as President. For Bill, it was a chance to talk about his foundation. This was the second time I'd heard both of them speak, and, as usual, I was impressed.

Hillary has convinced me that she has what it takes to be President. She spent 8 years in the White House as the First Lady, and she's spent another 7 years as a U.S. Senator. She understands how things work, and how you get things done in Washington.

I like that Education is one of her top priorities, as it's one of the places the U.S. has fallen behind. The last time we fell behind like this, as she pointed out, was when the Russians launched Sputnik. She said she still remembered when her teacher told her she needed to start learning more science -- a directive coming directly from the President of the United States. What she didn't say, but what I've read, is one of the reasons the U.S. fell behind the Russians was that science wasn't being taught in schools. Instead of Evolution, many schools taught Creationism. It was at this point that Evolution replaced Creationism in U.S. schools. And then we went to the moon.

<soapbox>The Bush administration has perpetuated a similar scientific slide that we saw prior to Sputnik. Whether it's their ignoring the facts on Global Warming, pretending that Evolution didn't happen, or banning stem cell research, we must stop this slide or the U.S. will not be part of the technology leadership in the 21st Century. Only this time, instead of the moon, the United States' economy is at risk. </soapbox>

The other area that resonated with me was that Hillary said if she's elected president, she'll send out envoys to all corners of the globe to tell the other leaders that "cowboy diplomacy is over." I think many Americans are tired of being viewed in this light by our fellow citizens in the world. Any change isn't good enough. We need a radical change.

Finally, a note about the polarizing effect of Senator Clinton. One conversation I had with an older woman on a flight from Detroit, MI, to Buffalo, NY, is a good example: this woman, a life-long resident of New York, said, "Hillary does what's good for Hillary." When I told her I'd actually seen Hillary speak, and that I was surprised how warm, funny, and smart she was, this seemed to take her by surprise. I said to her, "You should really go see Hillary in person -- especially since she's your senator." She agreed. And I guess this brings up a good point about Hillary: She doesn't come across that well on TV. The media always seems to find a way to use her sound bites against her -- which is true for any candidate. But there's this perception that she's this selfish, power-grabbing woman who's just in it for herself. All I have to say is go listen to her in person and see what you think.

We'll see what happens...