Steve Holden's Blog

Movie Recommendation - Thank You For Smoking

I have to echo Reel Reviews Radio's recommendation for the movie Thank You For Smoking. 

Based on the podcast review, I ordered it from the library on Thursday and picked it up on Friday.  Christy and I watched it on Friday night.  It was very enjoyable and funny.

RocketBoom Almost Makes Me Famous?

I was just catching up with my RocketBoom viewing and the 12Feb07 edition started off with what I originally thought was my ground breaking CountryWest-MP3 background track made popular in podcasts for TechNewsRadio.com.

Unfortunately, I forgot to publish it, making someone using my version highly unlikely unless they had PaulDotCom hacking skills.

So, reality has sunk in, and it is highly more probable that someone ended up using the same sound bed in Apple's GarageBand with Harmonica tracks in a pretty similar fashion.  Bummer ...

 (Size 464-KB, Running Time 0m28s)

Special Podcast from FriendsInTech - "Island Of Misfit Geeks"

The very talented members of FriendsInTech (FIT) have put together another special Christmas podcast that should be out on Dec. 18, 2006 over at FriendsInTech.com. 

This original story and production highlights "Lucky the reindeer and his friend Herbert's adventure to find the Island of Misfit Geeks and save Christmas for Santa."

Here is a promo:

The team did this last year for Christmas (2005), and we also did two custom Halloween casts: 2005 & 2006.

Trip Summary - "You got 45 minutes"

So I travel on Monday feeling under the weather.  I think I get about 10 hours of sleep on Monday night, and wake up on Tuesday feeling about the same first way as I did on Monday.  A cup of coffee, a series of nose blows, and a really hot shower, get me into an operational mode and cruise through PowerPoint until I have to get to the offices for the program review.

When I walk in, its been changed from 1400-1600 to 1430-1530.  By 1430, it has been changed to 1445-1530, and the main decision makers all have to leave at exactly 1530 to make another meeting in a different location by 1600.  And we have been moved from the conference room with working A/V equipment into an executive office with no working A/V.  So it is just my little Toshiba M400 screen, and quickly printed (ink still wet) handouts.

Then as I start my presentation, I learn that the 1530 exit time also requires the decision makers get interrupted about every 8-10 minutes for 1 or 2 minutes to review some documents that they need to take with them at 1530.  Now that was probably the biggest challenge of all that I have faced so far in the day, because having to rewind/recap before moving on is not something I've really experienced a lot of in the past.

But hey, that is the job, and I got through it in time for questions and decisions.  I'm not even remotely bothered by this type of chaos, but I could  tell others in the room were.  Things like this usually work themselves out in the end.

Bottom-line, the focused feedback when the decision makers were engaged was positive, the financial numbers were not ideal but are all workable, the workload is doable, and all-in-all its probably a great program review because no one is yelling and screaming. Smiles all around the room.  Take it when you can!

I head back to the hotel and fall asleep for 12 hours, and wake up basically feeling the same way as Monday and Tuesday.  The good news is that Wednesday had no hard deliverables or meetings, just a plane trip home in the evening  Which goes pretty well, but I land with a major headache that was cured by a Starbuck's Cafe Mocha and some aspirin.

It is now Thursday morning, and I woke up feeling much better than the other three days that if it was any other week would have been rarely used sick days.  Happy trails are now again on the horizon ... now back to work ...

Two Stay At Home Dad Mistakes

I only managed two major stay at home dad mistakes yesterday:

• Drove about 0.5 miles from our home without strapping Carson in her car seat taking the boys to school in the morning.
• Picked Conrad up 15 minutes late at school.  He was so bummed that I couldn't even cheer him up with a slurpee.

Dan Klass 'No Offense' Bitterest Pill Podcast

Dan Klass is apparently taking a break (ETA TBD) from The Bitterst Pill podcast to sort out some stuff associated with how transparent he can and can't be on his podcast.

I created a sample non-offensive version of what his podcast would be like if he did a podcast that didn't offend, torque, tweak, sour, etc. someone. 

It unfortunately also highlights the significant impact such an approach would have on those of us that enjoy his humor, satire, story telling ability, delivery, perspective, opinion, etc.

(Size 547.6-KB)

Spencer's Mother's Day Card

Spencer is 4 (going on 5) years old ... here is the text from his 2006 Mother's Day Card from pre-school (with a very nice flower painting on the front):

My Mom's name is ... "Christy".

She is ... "7" ... years old.

She weighs ... "72" ... pounds.

Her hair is ... "brown".

She likes to wear ... "the same things, she wears every day, blue jeans."

She likes to eat ... "salad and roast beef."

She really likes to ... "plant the garden."

She does not like to ... "help me clean my room."

Her job is ... "watching over us and doing emails on the computer."

Together my Mom and I like to ... "go to the park and play."

I love my Mom!!!

Happy Mom's Day

Solution For Those Not Romantically Involved

It looks like Google Romance is a new endeavor by the search engine giant Google to help those who looking for better match making options.  There is a beta supposedly being talked about on Slashdot and Digg.

I Think I've Found My Dream Thing

Geeks.com has a new "Thing" that is down right amazing.  It seems to integrate all the best of Microsoft Origami, Apple iPod, and the Motorola Razr.

New Oxide Ale From Stone Brewery

Wow ... this beer - Oxide Ale - sounds very interesting from Stone Brewery.