Depave!

This makes me happy: Depave! Especially the people on stilts. Check out depave.org.

Swedish fish were on-sale at CVS. Awesome.

Reflections after a Year

Lure of Big Paycheck Tugs at Graduates

After coming home from work at 10:30 PM tonight, this article resonated with me. It discusses graduates of elite colleges taking the position at a consulting firm or hedge fund as the safe option. A year ago when I accepted my offer with a consulting firm, I saw it as an opportunity to gain experience in software development. I've certainly done that, but I can't help feeling constrained, stressed, and a little directionless at times. Mostly it's because I get stuck in the details after long hours in the Dev Room.

At times, I struggled at Lawrence too, and in the end, it was the best decision I ever made. I was able to grow in any direction I pleased from putting together a radio show to solving abstract math problems. It just took time to figure it out.

I'm passionate about public transportation, fascinated by digital media, love writing, and growing an interest in usability. One day I'll figure out a way to put those together, until then I'll keep looking for places to grow where I am, and as long as those are present I'll make it through the week.

I graduated last June, it has taken a while to remember that a year is not a long time.

Internet and Money

As I settle into life here in DC, I've begun to look at buying a condo. Real estate is expensive here in Washington, just out of reach at the moment; however, the low interest rates have caught my attention. Zip Realty and Trulia are great tools for searching properties around the country. They're easy to use, see estimates, compare properties, get advice, and see trends. I curiuos to why it took a start-up to make an intelligent tool like this. Large real estate companies had all the expertise, information, and brand; however, they didn't push the limits and make something innovative to create more revenue.

Record companies are the same way they spend too much time fighting internet radio and digital downloads rather than figuring out how to effectively create revenue from them. Streaming music to moblie phones? A rhapsody client for the phone? Publish your own music channel to stream to friends or your phone? Rock Band to promote your new single?

Dear Record Companies,

iTunes is the largest music retailer in the United States. Get over it, you lost this fight.

Sincerely,
A Music Enthusiast

Lost in Email

A nice article from the New York Times about distractions at work. Several large tech companies have started a non-profit group to help fight the electronic information bludge and email overload. We'll see which company turns this into a revenue stream first.

My desk in the room of distractions.

iPhone 2.0: A Step Back

Despite adding a GPS feature to the iPhone, the new pricing model is pointing the iPhone in the wrong direction.

With the iPhone 2.0 coming out July 11th, it is assuming a more traditional pricing model for cell phones in the United States: carriers like AT&T subsidize the cost of the phone inexchange the customer must signup for a long term contract. Apple gets a fair price for the phone, AT&T gets a two year contract, and the subscriber pays less for the phone. Everyone wins, as long as the subscriber doesn't cancel, right?

For moblie enthusiasts looking for the phone to become the next personal computer this is step in the wrong direction towards an open network. Phones are once again tied to contracts. I wouldn't want Comcast to subsidize my laptop if I agree to have the supply internet for two years.

Until I stop associating my phone with a two year span, it will never become my device that I take care, never travel without, message, text, search, surf the web, and find revenue for all of those internet startups. The mobile phone will never be personal until I can take it with me for network to network just like me number. I'll never give up my "630".

Maybe Android will be the kicker, as Google tries to secure its place in the moblie (advertisement) market.

Brasserie Beck

Early in the evening Monday, after disastrous service at M&S Grill, my friends and I switched locations. We fought the 98 degree heat and made our way through the sun and humidity a few blocks to Brasserie Beck, a French restaurant on K St.

Situated in a modern office building with a simmering glass facade, Beck's large double doors opened up into an expansive restaurant. With high ceilings and an art deco decor, I wondered if I walked into a Parisian train station to grab a quick lunch before my 12:47 to Brussels. The marble-and-walnut bar was lined with colorful and rare taps from Belgium and the space was filled with chatty young professionals enjoying the beer. Any place meant to enjoy beer finds a special place in my heart.

We grabbed a table outside to enjoy the evening as the sun went down and it began to cool. The first thing handed to the table was a beer menu. Listed out by style I carefully perused the menu and descriptions of the eclectic spigots from the bar like I was looking for the right bottle to go with dinner. Half liters of Hoegaarden were the special. Size and price won out; I order a Hoegaarden. Next time I'll be more adventurous but for the warm evening on the patio, a wit beer hit the spot.

Brasserie Beck is worth the trip.

In related news, InBev, has offered 46 Billion dollars to buy Budweisser, which would make it the largest beer company in the world.

Facebook

I just noticed that Facebook's login does not redirect you an encrypted login page. Does this concern anyone else?

Information Overload

For two years, I've used Bloglines as my news aggregator; everyday the news from around the web filters into my personal page on the web. I'm able to check all of my favorites sites in one place, and stories are marked after I scroll over them. However, many times it throws too much in my direction. If I don't keep up for a day I end up with thousands or articles waiting at my electronic doorstep. Currently I have 2049 articles waiting.

I'm a news junkie, but even that is more than I can handle, and I've begun a search for alternatives.

Brijit publishes 50 - 100 word abstacts of articles from around the web, and the articles are given a rank. The numerical guidance to what's interesting is a nice plus considering the length of many of the New Yorker's articles. A bonus, for those ahead of the curve, if an abstract you submitted is published you can get paid anywhere from $5-8 dollards. Some of the magazines they focus on are The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Wired, Vanity Fair, and Harper's. Currently Brijit is not publishing abstracts since they have run out of funding, but the archive is still available and they are seeking new funding. For more info and possible updates check out their blog.

Addict-o-matic searchs RSS Feed from popular sites based on a user's query or predefined topics. The results are displayed in miniboxes grouped by site similar to the look of iGoogle. Users can move the boxes around or remove them to create their own custom page. The search needs some work to weed out the duds. After poking around a bit with there custom pages I found some new sites.

Unfortunately, I still don't have time to read every article I'd like or my own magazines, but at least I'm getting closer to sorting through the avalanche of information.

Jet set on Baltimore

I went to Baltimore today. Now can no longer use the line "I haven't been to Baltimore, but I've seen the Wire."

Camden Yards is a excellent place to see a baseball game minus the abundance of Red Sox fans. Not much to comment on from the visit, next time I'll linger longer.