Scattered, Smothered and Covered

31/12: Resolutions

(*Note: This post is long overdue. The demands of my new job have kept me super busy but there has been enough prodding (thanks, Boaz!), guilty feelings and genuine desire to keep this blog going and moving forward.)

It's the last day of the year. For the economy and the world it's been an awful year. For us, it's been a good year. We've been fortunate. As we look forward to 2009 there are many aspirations and goals the family and I have and look forward to putting into action.

The last 3 months have been so busy it's kept me from updating you on what's happened. So first, here's a recap of the last 3 months of 2008. As mentioned in the last post, I started a new job. When I joined my team was made up of a total of 5 people. We are now up to 10 folks. I've interviewed more people than I care to remember but am proud to say we've found some quality designers to add to the flock. The job has been very demanding and I find myself working late on many occasions. I'm learning a lot and enjoying the challenges. The people who work there are very motivated and determined to make TheLadders.com a success. I have joined their quest!

As always, all of the pics from us are at our Flickr page. This includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah pics of course. In addition, as a bonus to my friends and family on Flickr, I've uploaded literally everyone of our wedding photos (yes, from 2001) as well. These were given to us as an anniversary present from my folks who had them translated from negatives to digital files. Thanks Mom & Dad! They are very amusing. I had more hair on my head . Taylor was 5! Smeen was 14! And Eldad had a girlfriend (not Sheila). D'oh! A lot can happen in 7 years.

Speaking of anniversaries, Carrie and I celebrated our 7th on December 8th. Seven years together.....and we've never had a fight! Believe it! (or not) because I kid (or I don't).....you decide (or not).....huh? Ok.

To celebrate, we took a whole 3 day weekend to ourselves without the kids. Let me, say that again -- without the kids. We've had very few one-night overnight trips without the kids but NEVER for 2 whole nights and 3 days. We went to Montreal. Montreal is awesome for the following reasons: it's close, it's not in the US, it's primarily French-speaking, it's compact and has tons of cool things to see and do. It was a pseudo-European vacation. We had a blast and JUST missed the 5 feet of snow they got literally the weekend after we were there.

The girls stayed at home with their GranMarty (aka Martina). Both parties had a great time.

Here's one pic to show you how much fun we had together:



Since then, we've had the holidays. They've been a lot of fun and the girls have spent much time with their grandparents. Next weekend we're heading down to Northern Virginia to celebrate the holidays one more time with Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Jason and Jake. The Thompsons will also be there and we look forward to seeing them.

Finally, and some would say the greatest of all updates -- Puddleduck is getting back together. Puddleduck was the last touring band I played with back in the late 90's and early 00's. We haven't performed in 8 years. We decided to do one reunion show on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2009 in the home of Puddleduck, Richmond, VA at Alleykatz. The first few rehearsals have gone very well (considering the nearly decade of downtime) and we're very much looking forward to seeing a LOT of old friends and rocking the house. Please join us if you can.

So, that's it for 2008. In 2009 we've resolved to learn new languages (Spanish for me, Hebrew for the girls), get in better shape (rock hard abs for me), be happier in general, and again, for me, play more music. We'll see how it all works out. Stay tuned for more updates on much more frequent basis.

[Jeff]

08/10: Goodbye Publicis, Hello TheLadders

Today is my last day at my current job in the Interaction Design group at Publicis Modem. Starting Monday I will be the new Director of User Experience at TheLadders.com (guess what their URL is?).

I made this decision after meeting many times with the folks at TheLadders and getting a feel for their business and the way they work (as they got to know me). I look forward to some new challenges and being back "client side" as they say in the agency world. I am excited about the potential to truly move the needle for TheLadders with a good team and solid leadership.

I've enjoyed my time at Publicis Modem immensely and have learned a ton. Overall though, and this always sounds cliche, it's the people who I will miss the most. You spend more time with these folks than you do with your own family and so you get to know them and begin to work well together. I've made some friends there and I hope to keep them as our time apart grows on.

In my experience, typically I'll stay in touch with folks for about 6 months and then start to truly fade out of their lives. One, maybe two individuals hang on for another 6 months but past the 1 year mark, it's pretty much a rare occurrence to spend any significant time contacting old colleagues. I hope that, this time, some one or two folks will remain friends past that one year mark to the point where we could have an occasional lunch together (hell, i'll only be a mile down the street).

I think, for me, it ultimately came down to wanting to be on the client side of long term application development and growth. To be fair, the variety of work in the agency gives one a lot of perspective over many industries but the focus on pharmaceutical work these days (hey, they STILL have lots of money) takes a little bit of the wind out of my sails. The prospect of helping folks find high-paying jobs is a challenge I can get behind with more vigor.

So, today I say goodbye to my colleagues at PubMo. Through LinkedIn and Facebook, I'm sure we'll keep in touch and aware of each other's every move. You know you can always count on me for an interesting status message or politically-tinged posted item (here and there).

[Jeff]

28/09: We are selling our 2005 Chrysler Pacifica

The current ad is running here.

But yes, it's true. We're parting with the trusty Pacifica. It's been a fantastic car and we love it but we want to move on to something new. I have an ad running on Craigslist (at the link above) but here's the copy below. If you or anyone you know may be interested send them my way.

Photos of the car can be seen here: 2005 Chrysler Pacificas photos (for sale)

2005 Chrysler Pacifica v6, 3.5 liter, for sale.

Our trusty and fun Pacifica is up for sale! It's been a fantastic vehicle for us as a family of 4. It is fully loaded and still under warranty for another 20,000 miles.

The warranty covers everything (mechnical, electrical, computer, entertainment, AC/heat, everything) except wear and tear items (e.g., tires, belts, hoses, brakes). However any labor to replace those parts is covered.

In other words, there is NO RISK in purchasing this vehicle as you are protected for at least 2 years' worth of mileage.

The Pacifica has everything in it, literally. Check it out:

- DVD-based Navigation system built into the dash (best placement for it and works like a charm)
- 6-disc DVD changer (front loading) with flip down screen (from the ceiling of the car) with remote control
- 2 wireless headphones allowing the folks in the back to watch/listen to the DVD while the folks in the front can listen to radio/cd/ipod
- additional CD player and auxiliary input for iPod/mp3 player
- 3 rows of seating (seats 6 comfortably)
- first 2 rows of seats (front and middle) are heated
- power windows, locks, mirrors, sunroof, tailgate (remote), seats
- did I mention the sunroof and power tailgate? :-)
- v6, 3.5 liter engine
- leather seats
- woodgrain trim
- automatic transmission with "tiptronic" shifting option (allows you to select the gears if needed)
- cruise control
- 17 inch wheels
- front and side airbags
- 69k miles
- serviced every 3000 miles with all records available

Must see this car. Remember this vehicle is under transferable warranty for another 20,000 miles.

Please contact via email to set up a time to see the car.

Asking $13,500.

24/09: My experience with acupuncture - part II

I went back last week for round 2 of acupuncture, moxibustion and to pick up Dr. Lee's medicinal tea. The process was slightly more expedited this time -- less talk, more needles. Still on my stomach, I had a few more needles inserted this time going all the way to behind my ears. There were a couple that actually hurt a little bit more than last time. These were the needles in the back of my knees (ouch!) and the one at the top of my butt-crack. That one was uncomfortable the first time too.

Other than that the procedure was fairly identical. Spent 20-30 minutes face down nearly asleep and then got a very quick rub after the needles were removed. Did I feel cured? Am I better? Not sure. Things seem to be getting better but I'm not attributing it all to the acupuncture.

I did pick up 10 days' worth of Dr. Lee's homebrew medicinal herbal tea. It came in individually packaged doses that looked like Korean "Capri Sun" pouches. I asked a few Korean-speakers at work what it said on the packages and they explained to me that these were generic "bags" that said "medicinal tea" on them and had warming instructions. As it turns out, this is stuff that Dr. Lee definitely brewed in her kitchen and packaged for me.

I really have no idea what's in it. She said there was ginseng and a bunch of other stuff. One of the Korean women at work said the first that comes to mind when she sees that stuff is moose antlers. Moose antlers?! Well, I've consumed stranger things.

The tea itself is the dictionary definition of disgusting. It looks like poo. It smells worse. Mercifully the doses are small and the taste, though fairly awful at first, starts to grow on you after a while. It has a rich almost burnt coffee after taste. I would best describe it like this: imagine you went jogging and then left your shoe out in the rain for a week. Then you took out the insoles of your shoe and wrung them out into a cup. That's pretty much it.

Has the tea helped? Again, unclear BUT I can say that after each dose (she wants me to take 3 a day -- I've managed to get 2 a day down so far) I do feel pretty darn good -- energized, awake and motivated. So, whatever's in it makes you feel nice. It settles the stomach believe it or not (I expected the opposite) and gets you on an even keel for theday so, hey, what the heck.

I'm going back on Friday for a third session. Let's hope we start to see some real progress soon.

[Jeff]

17/09: My experience with acupuncture - part I

I've started getting acupuncture therapy for a chronic condition I've been dealing with for a while. I've tried conventional treatment for years and, as it often does, it allows you to easily "live with" the condition but does not actually cure anything. A new level of frustration has prompted to try new things. I sought out an acupuncturist in NYC and found one that met my criteria -- location, age, experience. I didn't get a reference for one so I pulled one out that would be covered by my insurance company (go BCBS!). Here's what happened at my first session:

I show up and the place smells like herbs and patchouli. The sign on the door says "herbs and acupuncture" so I knew I was in the right place. The guy who greets me at the door is dressed in scrubs and the office looks like an Asian-themed doctor's office meets massage parlor. Immediately I see Dr. Lee in her office and, after filling out a fairly generic questionnaire, I'm escorted back to meet her.

She takes my blood pressure, asks me what my condition is and looks at my tongue. She grabs my wrists and holds each one for a little while. She makes some hypotheses and predictions about why I'm ailing and what could be causing it. Then she reaches her verdict.

She announces that she will probably not be able to cure me with just acupuncture alone. I'd need to get some of her herbal medicinal tea as well. I've received no therapy but got the distinct feeling that I was being upsold already. I didn't like that but, hey, I've tried everything else at this point. Why not try the tea? It's expensive so I agree to a small batch.

Then she says, "OK, now I give you acupuncture." Off we go into the treatment room which looks like a sanitized massage room. I lay face down in the bed and she instructs me to remove my shoes, socks and pants. I comply and then she begins to insert the needles along my spine. The "sensation" other sites tell you about the needles going in is in fact called "pain" in the western world. It's not a lot of pain and it's very very brief -- a fraction of a second per needle. But make no mistake about it, it feels like needles going into your body.

Once all the needles were in -- I'm guessing there were at least 10 or 12 -- she began moxibustion. She burned the moxa (aka mugwort) on my skin until the heat became unbearable. At that time I would speak up and she would remove the moxa. She did this half a dozen times or so. Finally, she covered me in a light "survival" blanket (looks like tin foil, keeps heat in) and left me in there for 20-30 minutes. I lay there comfortably relaxing and sweating for the duration of the visit.

It was very relaxing and I could feel warmth at the needle points. She came back in when the timer went off (like a roast!) and promptly removed the needles. She massaged the needle areas briefly and then I got dressed.

Was I instantly cured? No. Was I relaxed? Yes. Am I going back? Yes. I feel like I only scratched the surface of acupuncture and want to get more of it to see if it truly can get my body back in alignment. Besides, I have to come back and pick up my tea! She said it takes her 16 hours to make it. I bet it tastes like sea sludge but hey, so what.

I go back again this Friday and will continue to update through the blog what exactly has been going on with acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal teas and anything else she asks to do.

I've read a lot of about Eastern medicine and the one thing I like about it is that they consider the whole body when treating a condition -- not just the specific system or organ. The body works as a whole and there are tangential factors that affect the health and well-being of systems and organs that are not directly related, in Western thought, to the afflicted sections. I have high hopes for this and I believe that this too affects the success level (or at least the perception of success).

More after Friday's visit.

04/09: Political BS

While this is not primarily a political blog, those of you who know me, know where I stand on the issues. So, it's with great delight I bring you the following YouTube clip of two Republican pundits -- McCain's former campaign chief and Reagan's speech writer -- discussing how awesome (read: terrible, BS) his pick for VP actually is. Enjoy:



[Jeff]

15/08: All Points West

I went to the All Points West festival last weekend. My buddy Darren came up from good ole' Virginny to join me and to hang in the NJ. It was billed as the "Coachella of the East." Now, I've never been to Coachella but my guess is that, despite a valiant effort, this was not an equivalent show on the whole.

I mean, for one thing, Prince did not play at All Points West (APW). I digress.

The day was filled with an eternal public-transportation commute to the show which had us passing by at least 3 teams of canine-powered police units. Once there, we had to walk a mile or more to get to the gate of the show and then another mile to the main stage.

After arriving around mid-afternoon, the skies threatened to unleash a might rain, wind and hail cocktail. There was nowhere to hide either so if it was coming, Darren and I were going to get it on the noggin.

The majority of the bands that we got to see were not good. Not one bit. However, we really came to see Radiohead. This was our first time seeing this band live and the hype was huge. Every review of this tour has been glowing and, well, the band continues to reinvent itself with every album so the possibilities for the show were endless.

Needless to say (or is it?), they did not disappoint. The show was unbelievable. The band played flawlessly. Throw in a futuristic light show (apparently powered by solar energy) and a video production that brought basically within touching distance of each band member and you had an experience that we won't soon forget.

The setup of the festival was not great with the beer gardens being out of sight and sound of every stage (there were 3) and the band choices consisted of many 2-man groups playing turntables, drum machines and mixing consoles. I know there's a lot of good music being made using those "instruments" these days but it's BORING to see it live. How does one rock out on a mixing console? Answer: they don't.

I attempted to Twitter my way through the entire show and got a few pics uploaded via (Twitpic). You can see the stream of consciousness here. A lot of my photos didn't upload due to bad connections (curse you EDGE network!) but Darren sent along some good ones that I'll post up shortly.

This was my first attempt to do some live lifecasting/micro-blogging/etc using my new Blackberry Curve. It was fun but Darren laughed at me.

All in all, it was a great time. I got the day off, saw an old friend, heard some great music and drank a few beers. Not bad.

[Jeff]

10/08: The Panic of 1819

I've been reading a history book on and off over the past 10 months. It's an atlas-based view of world history and covers, at a high-level, much of the modern world's history. It's been quite fascinating and I've enjoyed re-emerging myself in the histories of various countries, renewing my knowledge of past events and learning about new-to-me events in history.

One event I learned about recently struck me as strangely poignant, especially given today's financial crises. Following the War of 1812 there was a brief but dramatic period of economic expansion in the US. People were pushing West-ward and beginning to expand the viable areas of settlement beyond the original 13 colonies. Here's where it gets interesting.

This period saw massive migrations out of the major cities and out towards undeveloped lands. Jobs were in abundance. Real estate was being bought and sold quickly and widespread, un-monitored, non-standard lending practices financed these new entrepreneurs.


In 1819, it all crashing down on them. These predatory lending practices, wild over-speculation on land and new markets coupled with reckless spending caused the economy to collapse in 1819. Banks foreclosed on lands, called in loans and ultimately, collapsed themselves. Unemployment skyrocketed. Prices mushroomed too and many life-savings were lost.

Sound familiar?

Now, I doubt many Americans could tell you about the Panic of 1819. Hell, I didn't know about it until a few days ago and I consider myself educated. However, it seems history has, yet again, repeated itself. Perhaps those that caused this new crisis knew about past economic crashes. Perhaps not. What's important to get out of this though is that greed is ultimate amnesiac. Nothing can make you forget the past than the promise of fast cash in the present and near-future.

The Panic of 1819 has repeated itself in 2008 -- a mere 189 years later. The numbers may be greater this year but the cumulative impact of this crisis is likely being felt on the same scale. Perhaps if we just took a second to learn our history, pay attention to it and not get blinded by omnipresent dollar signs, we could avoid something like this again in the future. I know I'll be paying more attention.

[Jeff]

01/08: Another photo gets published...

Yet another one of our Portland photos got published in this online city guide called Schmap. You can see our photo of the fleet coming through the Broadway Bridge during Fleet Week at this web site.

This is the second photo of ours they've published and are considering a third photo of ours from Montreal. There's no money in these publications but it's cool that someone thinks our photos are worth reprinting somewhere.

[Jeff]

27/07: The Mess

These kids of ours are fantastic but the one thing they (and most other kids) don't seem to grasp is the overhead in cleaning up the messes they create and leave behind. To them it's all part of playing but the cleaning part is certainly NOT a part of that. I'm sure that any of you reading this that have kids can relate and this is not new news but occasionally the kids take the mess-making to an extent that makes it worth mentioning. Thanks to the magic of digital photography we've got the photo evidence to share two recent mess-making triumphs for them and big cleanups for us.

In the first scenario, Carrie stepped away for roughly 90 seconds and when she returned the girls had decided that the best way to get to the bottom of a box of Lucky Charms was to lay them all out, individually, on the floor and then pick out the best part -- the marshmallows. Here's the scene she returned to:

The scene of the crime:



Caught in the act:



Busted with marshmallow on their faces:



The second scenario had Sophie calmly eating a bowl of yogurt until she got full. Once full. Sophie loses interest in eating whatever's in front of her and focuses on launching it. In this case, she passed on launching and decided to paint.....herself.....with the yogurt.

Behold, the artwork:





[Jeff]