So Microsoft started up employee buses about 2 mos ago and they're great. Onboard wifi and power at every seat. The buses travel in the carpool lanes so even with the stop along the way and driving to and from the bus station it only adds about 20 mins commuting time each way, while giving me back about 40 mins each way to work...and BLOG!
Last week or two and the next week or two is the ultra busy season. We're doing prep for "Strategy Day", which is where each of the business groups go in front of the CEO to present a 3-year revenue/expenses plan in order to commit what future revenues are going to be and ask for additional investments from corporate. It's been a ton of work but extremely interesting to see how the entire business comes together. I still have a very long way to go, but already I'm starting to speak Microsoft (it's a language all its own) and by the end of this process I may even be able to explain what the products in my division actually do!
Ok the bus ride was faster than I thought. Here are some parting thoughts:
- the only thing worse than being an indians fan right now is being a Yankees fan. how low-rent is it for Steinbrenner to fire Torre? Anywhere else and Torre has a lifetime pass, like Atlanta or St Louis.
- Loving the Sansa. New this week is The Thrills, The Shout out Louds, Cass McCombs, and Band of Horses. Yes I wrote off Band of Horses as a hair band on Dylan's site, but they're one of those albums that whenever a song comes up on shuffle I like it more and more.
- Haloween is tons of fun. Can't wait for all the parties and to see the kids run around in their costumes. It's just as much for the parents as the kids (I didn't realize that until this year). I had thought that my kids could skip the Microsoft trick or treat fest...but man I want everyone to see them at my work! Cause my kids are the cutest!
- Season 2 of battlestar is awesome action. Not as fun as Season 1 was when everything was new and for a few episodes in a row, every episode had a very distinct flavor to it. Still absolutely top notch though.
- Loved last Gen Conf. Listened to Elder Bednar's talk this morning and really liked it. Need to listen again.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Bus Bus, Magic Bus
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Battle of 2007
So there's this little discussion sparked by a comment somebody very smart made on Big Red Robot about the best albums so far of 2007. I'm reposting the comment I made here, not like it's going to broaden the audience any (my unique readers outside of the BRR audience numbers in the low single digits) but I like the argument posted and it's a follow up to an earlier post, so I'm claiming it for my own. For those of you who already read it, there are some small enhancements, so READ ON...
Let me unleash a little TRUTH on ya:
Before I get to my list, it was interesting as I wrote it discoverings a few undercurrent battles going on:
The battle of Sweden: PBJ, Jens, Shout Out Louds
The battle of the alt country wunderkinds: Wilco, Son Volt, Ryan Adams
The battle of the Bruce's: Arcade Fire, Killers, Bruce Springsteen
And now for the list.
The top 5 albums (so far) of 2007:
1. Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha - too rich and textured to ignore. Sounds like it was recorded in a huge dark cathedral. Every intstrument, every tone, every voice is perfectly placed. And Bird gets extra points for being the only person on this list that literally (mostly) came out of nowhere for this.
2. The New Pornographers: Challengers - Obviously comparing this to Revolver (which is what caused this whole discussion in the first place) is hyperbole meant to incite discussion (or riots, or both...). When I say Revolver I mean this band is at it's peak but has also begun going down a road it can't return from. The voices (musically and lyrically) have never been so strong individually yet depended on one another so much for balance. And Neko as always is a revelation. I'm open to a re-ordering of the list come December, but as of now these guys are very close to the top.
3. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible - was recorded in a huge dark cathedral - and it's the best Bruce Springsteen album since Born to Run.
4. Josh Ritter: Historical Conquests - Carrying the torch for all the singer-songwriters (Bright Eyes, Iron & Wine, even Ryan Adams)
5. Spoon: Gagagagaga - Barely holding on to this spot, really. This album should have been an EP. Then it would have been #4.
Very close honorable mentions
Stage Names (a little mopey and whiney after a while -- are these guys really Rusted Root?), Our Ill Wills (the Cure and Jam references come through shamelessly, but also shamelessly listenable and definitely wins for best of Sweden), The Search (wins my battle of the Alt Country wunderkinds - Son Volt, Wilco, and Ryan Adams), Boxer (I just keep discovering more great tracks from this album as I'm listening to 2007 music on shuffle), Icky Thump (not a weak track on there), Cassadega (Bright Eyes finally converted me), Magic (yes, THAT Magic...but mostly because it makes me think of Neon Bible and Born to Run)
Needless to say, the music of 2007 wouldn't be nearly as awesome as it has been so far without any of the above albums. Looks like I have to look up at least a couple more that made your lists but I haven't even heard yet - Time to go grabem all and throw them on the Sansa. Viva la Rhapsody! Viva la Musica!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
What Color is your CD-Rom?
This story was shared in a meeting today and I thought it was pretty funny. One of those "Microsoft Lore" myths maybe, but it came from a pretty pure source: back in 1994 when Windows Medial Player was new to the market, they were trying to establish how big of a product it would be, and therefore how much investment was warrented. Marketing gave a presentation that included the quote: "by 1995 40% of all consumer PC's will include a CD-ROM drive." The marketing VP, Rich Tong, was intrigued by this comment and asked for the source to be found. After an exhaustive search that wound its way from analyst to analyst to consultant and to another analyst, the source was revealed as none other than...Rich Tong! When word came back to him Rich just laughed and said, "that's funny, I thought that number looked familiar: I totally made it up a few years ago." Turns out the industry noticed, from PC manufacturers to CD-ROM suppliers to industry analysts and consumer magazines, and lo and behold Rich's "prediction" was transformed into reality.
So next time I have the opportunity to make a comment in a marketing meeting, I'm going to say "Jesse Todd will have a million dollars by 2015." Sound good?
Slight Retraction
Saw the 3rd Episode of Bionic Woman yesterday...and though it's still not any of the shows mentioned before, well, that's kind of the point: it is moving away from the stock set-up episodes and starting to become its own shown. Can't say it will ever be a must-see, but if the rest of the episodes build on what I saw last night, it's got hope.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Bionic Woman? It's No Alias
This is probably the show I was most excited about in the new TV season...and I think out of the handfull of series premiers I recorded on the DVR, it's the only one I've been interested enough in actually carving out some time to watch. Let me know if there's something HUGe out there I'm missing (Chuck still sounds like it could be fun, as does Reaper), but I'm pretty sure there isn't another Lost or 24 (first few seasons anyway) or Heroes out there, or another Alias, for that matter.
Which brings me to my point: Bionic Woman had so much potential: the team behind Battlestar Gallactica (we're only done with Season 1 but can't wait for Blockbuster to have Season 2 in stock --somebody else is a week ahead of us and they only have one copy of the series-- and the girl from Battlestar (Starbuck) and Isaiah Washington (always my favorite from Grey's Anatomy). But unfortunately the girl from Battlestar isn't the lead (I thought she was Jaime Summers but turns out she's "bad bionic woman" and she's pretty crazy and may not be around much longer), and the person who is playing Jaime Summers just isn't very interesting.
What keeps us watching Battlestar is how strong each of the characters are written and the emotionally-driven story lines. Strange to say, but a space opera played out in another time, another place, with mythically long-lost human relatives has some of the most believable and authentic acting and storylines I've seen on TV. Now it's not perfect, and there are plot holes big enough to drive a Cylon Raider through, but you really feel the characters' fear, frustration, anger, elation, joy, etc. So far Bionica Woman is pretty much a formula-driven action show, without the depth and layers that make Battlestar so enjoyable and relatable.
Another challenging comparison for Bionic Woman is Alias. So much of the first couple of episodes mirror each other: bright young college age girl is recruited/forced into becoming a super agent for a clandestine black ops arm of the US Government. So far JJ Abrahms did that story line SOOOOO much better. I remember holding my breath after the end of just about every one of the first Alias episodes, especially the first few story arcs where you had no idea who to believe or who you could trust or what was reality. That was a really cool show.
So for now, I'll probably still see a few more episodes of Bionic Woman, to see if they can make the Jaime character interesting or not, and to see if they can bring in some of the texturing of Battlestar. If not, well that will be 40 minutes I get back in my life each week! (Let's just hope I don't end up using it watching "Deal or No Deal.")
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
A Transcendent Moment
"Charity is the defining quality of Latter-day Saints, just as it was when Paul enjoined the early saints in Corinth to develop the quality. Love for God and love of one's neighbor remain the marks of a Christian."
"Now, for us, the measure of our love is the measure of the greatness of our souls. ... Love is the beginning, the middle and the end of the pathway of discipleship. It comforts, counsels, cures and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end, love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life.
"Sometimes the greatest love is not found in the dramatic scenes that poets and writers immortalize. Often, the greatest manifestations of love are the simple acts of kindness and caring we extend to those we meet along the path of life. True love lasts forever. It is eternally patient and forgiving. It believes, hopes and endures all things. That is the love our Heavenly Father has for us."
" All humans yearn for that kind of love, given in spite of shortcomings. Heavenly Father is the ideal of such love. He sees and loves his children, with all their shortcomings, as the beings they are capable of becoming."
I hope I never forget the feeling I had when I saw Elder Wirthlin struggling at the pulpit. Over the years he's become a favorite of mine. His talks are sometimes difficult to follow as he delivers them, but when listened to closely are so eloquent and powerful and insightful. The talk he was giving this day was a masterpiece on Charity. And then the transcendent happened: Elder Wirthlin, who has had severe back problems for the past 8 years, began to have a back spasm. In the middle of General Conference, in front of millions of people. A man of his determination does not let that stop him, no, not one bit. One of his brothers, close by his side, rushed to his aid to provide a gentle but firm and supportive hand to give him the ability to complete his talk. I don't know what was more touching...the fact that Elder Wirthlin was talking about Charity and brotherly love and kindness, the sight of Elder Nelson's humble and loving demeanor, the sheer willpower evident in Elder Wirthlin's delivery, or the meek (meaning humble but confident) "thank you" Elder Wirthlin gave after the lights went down. It stopped me in my tracks when it occurred, and I hope I never forget it.
Elder Holland was supposedly heard saying as the brethren were retreating from their seats after the meeting, "Elder Wirthlin, if we're ever called to charge up a mountain, I want you to be the one to lead the charge!"
Amen, and Amen.
