Last Friday night, on the Brooklyn Bridge, in the rain (sounds like the answer to Clue, doesn’t it?) I officially asked my girlfriend to marry me. Me living in Singapore means that’ll not be as soon as either of us would prefer, but at least it’s in the works. 🙂 She told me the rest of …
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gold medallion
While certainly not as exciting as Tarus’ achievement, I did just roll to Gold status with Delta – and had I never cashed-in flier miles in the past, I’d be sitting in the neighborhood of 250k instead of 150. So yes, like him I’m in that group that everybody else hates – the folks who …
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generating power
I’ve been reading recently abour various “unusual” power-generation methods. One of those that I’ve seen mentioned in several places is the solar updraft tower. After having read about that, I wonder why more industrial steam stacks don’t utilize something similar: if you’re throwing away the steam, couldn’t you put a VAWT or other energy-capturing device …
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jersey city
This week I have the pleasure of working in Jersey City. No, that’s not sarcasm. Getting the PATH from my hotel in Manhattan to work is a cinch, and cheaper than taking the subway anywhere (fares on the subway are $2.25; the PATH is $1.75). It would’ve been nice to be at the hotel across …
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heading back :)
In a few hours I get on the first of several planes to get back to the US for a couple weeks. It’s slated to leave at 0540 SGT on 09 July. That’s 1740 EDT on 08 July. I get done flying (on that trip) at about 2145 EDT on 09 July. I’m really looking …
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upgrading ubuntu editions
I’m getting ready to upgrade my desktop tower because whatever version of Ubuntu it’s running (I think 7.04) is too old. Are there any concerns or cautions I need to worry about? It’s the x86-64 release. My data’s already split onto other drives 🙂
my new apartment
Tonight I get to do the “turnover” on my Singapore residence. That means one last going-over before I officially move in on 15 July. Of course, on the 15th of July I won’t be in Singapore, so my helpful coworker whose wife is my apartment agent will be taking care of my keys whilst I …
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the one hundred ninety-nine dollar.. what?
I arrived in Singapore during the Great Singapore Sale, or GSS. It’s advertised everywhere. It’s the one time of year when [nearly] every store, restaurant, service provider, etc offers big discounts for shoppers. In Plaza Singapura, the mall next to where I work, they’ve been having different vendors taking-over the concourse area on the first …
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too hot
Today for perhaps only the third time in my adult life, I had something that was too hot. I love Thai food. Being in Singapore has showed me beyond a doubt that Thai food is one of the few ethnic foods that is done the same everywhere – it’s the same in Durham, Sunnyvale, London, …
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no carbonation
Couple things I’ve discovered about Singapore – beverages of the adult persuasion are nutty expensive. Soda doesn’t taste the same (and I don’t just mean the better versions of Coke that use sugar). I actually like the flavor of Diet Coke (the American kind). Coca Cola Light, as it’s called here, does not taste the …
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that was different
I’ve been in Singapore for two weeks. Today I stopped at a bar near where I’ve been staying for a snack and a couple beverages. It took me a couple-few minutes to figure out what was going on, but apparently the legalized prostitution industry in Singapore isn’t limited to the red-light district. Hopefully I did …
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tokyo
I’m sitting in Tokyo Narita airport right now. My next stop will be my home for the next several months as I begin a job in Singapore with Barclay’s Capital Monday. As of right now, I’ve added yet another two airports to my list, and have one more to go “today” – Dulles and Tokyo. …
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tanner’s pub
As I write this post, I’m surrounded with the sounds of a live musician and dozens of patrons. The wooden floors, open-frame ceiling, bus lights, and comfortable chairs surrounding glass-topped tables adds to the ambiance. Chanda just refilled my dad’s iced tea. And my dessert (my favorite drink) is en route shortly. Last night who …
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the. killer. business!
I’ve figured out what to do with the more than 6 billion people who will need to be buried after they’ve passed-on. And how to make a handsome profit on the whole operation, too. That’s right: subscription burials! Good morning, and welcome to DeathEx, your friendly, local, death experts. We provide a full-service, personalized, and …
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kielty’s emerald isle restaurant and pub
I love good pubs. Recently I discovered yet another Irish pub in Waterford NY. Kielty’s sits on the north side of Broad St a couple blocks from the Hudson River – number 41. My sister and I had been planning to grab a light lunch at Don and Paul’s (a coffee/sandwich shop she likes), but …
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whale farming
Some people think I have too much free time on my hands. Last night during Good Eats I made a comment about whales. Specifically, why don’t we farm them? We farm catfish, salmon, tilapia, alligators, deer, bison, shrimp, and more. So why not whales? Obviously, some varieties would take a lot of room… but how …
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the pub and grille
My family moved into Cohoes in 1993. Shortly after moving in, we noticed a small pub up the road and have threatened to go eat there ever since. Monday night we finally did. Admittedly, it wasn’t our first choice – we had been planning to hit-up another local place in Cohoes recommended to us by …
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eating out, but well
I’ve been back home for a few days, and have been introduced to several more good local eateries, which will have write-ups coming shortly. My sister pointed me to one of her favorites in Cohoes, Bread and Jam, and she’ll be “guest blogging” that post.
oh no! more information! stop it!
As reported here, authorities in Sydney claim that by having the “blacklist” leaked, it will ‘”the concerned parent’s worst nightmare” as curious children would inevitably seek it out.’. Oh come on! Kids can find anything they want anyways. I certainly could when I was younger – and it didn’t require the internet. Encyclopedias, libraries, talking …
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guess it’s good this server is in the united states
Because this link to wikileaks would be illegal in Australia. That’s right – if you operate a website in Australia, just linking to a banned site will cost you $11k per day. So. Mr Australia government guy… you’re banning domains? What happens when folks copy data from places like http://wikileaks.org to their own sites? Or …
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hong kong
I’ve been in Hong Kong since 2000 local time last Saturday for a client engagement. It’s been a great trip so far – meeting the Hong Kong team, touring parts of the city, and browsing the open markets (there are more markets here than I’ve ever seen before, and I’ve been to a bunch of …
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peak city grille & bar
This evening I moseyed to Apex NC with a coworker for dinner. We parked on N Salem St, and perused the available options, settling on Peak City Grille & Bar. Peak City is a former general store converted to a restaurant just a few years ago. 126 N Salem St is an unassuming store front, …
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jim hansen – climatologist
A friend pointed-out Jim Hansen’s profile page on the NASA site: http://www.giss.nasa.gov/staff/jhansen.html. I find this quote amazing on his profile, “The hardest part is trying to influence the nature of the measurements obtained, so that the key information can be obtained.” He flat-out admits to manipulating data to better his study’s goal. I’ve seen brazen …
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how is this racist?
Yes, I am aware of regional American history in which black people were sometimes referred-to as ‘porch monkeys’. But please tell me how this cartoon is racist? According to Roland Martin, it’s a racist attack on the president. “The cartoonist didn’t hang a sign around the neck of the chimp, so he left it up …
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999 business ideas – free for the taking
Have fun: http://www.sixmonthmba.com/2009/02/999ideas.html