A quick walk across the street landed us in the front of Jama... 
If I recall this moment, I had been looking out the window at... 
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Josh standing in front of Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage... 
When you arrive at the train station you have to fight your... 
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Walking down the streets of Jaipur we encountered one of the... |
 ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Wednesday, 15th of February 2012 at 04:13:36 PMI want to hang onto this quote because it sums the most essential of all thoughts in my head:
✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Monday, 23rd of January 2012 at 09:12:52 AMDon’t have the time or desire to make a brownie or a cookie to sate that hankering for hot gooey sugar? Easy: take a Cliff Bar, put it in the microwave for 15 seconds, pour a cold glass of milk, and bingo! ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Tuesday, 17th of January 2012 at 09:20:53 PMI was out this weekend, doing something I haven’t done in while, but used to do a heck of a lot – nightlife in NYC. Yeah, as I hone into 39, some of this is just normal changes in taste, I suppose. It feels good to be in bed at midnight! If you recall, your protagonist lived trough some of the most epic NYC nightlife there was in the 90′s-00′s. The city was just epic back then with who would come to town to spin, the residencies, the celebrities that would show up, the clubs – RIP Palladium. Oh halcyon times… ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Sunday, 1st of January 2012 at 08:33:06 PMDogs will always attempt to become higher than you in the pack order. You have to sometimes physically remind them you are more important than they are. If you do not, they they start to nip, fight, even bite you. Just watch an episode of Cesar Millan and you will see that 99% of the time the issue is the owner not enforcing the pack order. Top notch developers will do the same! They will come to work each day with a new set of ideas that challenges the hierarchy of the company and the needed work to get done. Your response should be the same – lovingly put them in their cage! Now you know this is a joking way to compare dogs and developers, so in here is a grain of truth, but I would expect HR to get involved if you had cages in your office. In reality, this is a great problem to have, remind the developers they have to get the work already agreed to done, then we can work in integrating new ideas. However, not all new ideas are good. This is where Hegelian dialectics replaces Cesar Millan ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Tuesday, 27th of December 2011 at 11:23:08 PMIt was a last minute idea, hiking in Katahdin in October can be iffy. In the history of us doing these treks we have had every weather state from freezing snow to bright sunshine, but it is always worth a shot as the hikes are not too long, so even in the rain, it is enjoyable. We hiked into Chimney Pond on the first day. The hike was unremarkable except for the cheer joy of being the in the Northern Maine woods – from the sounds to the smells. It was just, well, like being at home. Upon arrival we quickly got cold as the temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees as the sun went down. Huddled up on the lean-to, wearing everything I had with me, in a sleeping bag, I woke up in the middle of the night and told my father that if it didn’t warm up, I was going to hike down in the middle of the night. He told me I was crazy and to at least wait until morning. I think the recorded at the ranger’s station said 15 degrees. Yeah, cold! We woke up in the morning and I reluctantly joined the group to hike up the Saddle and down Hamlin ridge. It was a noce col late fall day, crisp clear air, a light breeze, and as long as we kept hiking we kept warm. We briefly sat in the sun just on the side of the ridge to avoid the wind. The sun was bright and I actually got a sun burn.  As the sun went down, on of the my father’s friends, an accomplished climber, arrived at Chimney Pond. It was a great surprise, as we thought he was not going to join us. The verdict was immediately, in the dimming light, that there was too much ice on the mountain to go rock climbing. But, we also knew that a very warm front was supposed to move through and it could be nice in the morning. There was hope…and as the night went on, a warm breeze cam through and you could hear the ice falling in the night. ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Tuesday, 20th of December 2011 at 02:04:32 AMUp to some old tricks this weekend up at West Point sport climbing wall. Jim, Paul and I braved the cold and got in a bunch of climbs. Some 5.8′s were lead by all! Well, maybe not Jim, he isn’t to into leading, but you get the idea.  Safety check in progress  It was warmish in the sun…  All done with this one!  Pickles the goat is right at home ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Wednesday, 7th of December 2011 at 02:35:08 PMWhat is there to say? Low 60′s, fall, pals, and The Trapps = a couple trad climbs that scared me, some good runs cleaning up, and a slab problem from hell, aka Pebbles. You can check out all the photos from climbing in The Gunks this fall as well. I have to really report that jumping into this sport again has really changed my life. The combination of the physical, mental, and social aspects are a perfect balance for me. I just love it. Climb, chat, hang out, get input (beta) from people, etc… Plus being up and out of the city area is what I have missed for so long. It is nice to spend the day encountering people who actually want to chat with you. It reminds of the part of Maine I love the most, humans being humans.  A view across the way while up on the rocks.  Me laughing at what just happened, which I am not sure happened.  Nathan looking over the edge using the new fisheye lens. ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Sunday, 20th of November 2011 at 09:01:49 AMOne of the ideas here is that you should be able to make this meal while standing with the refrigerator door open. On my fridge there is a timer that beeps when the door is open too long. I try to do it fast enough not to set the timer off. Buy sliced turkey from the deli, a little stuffing & cranberries from the salad bar, take a piece of the sliced turkey and make it like a taco shell, and you guessed it, put the rest in the middle. Eat. Done. Not a single dish is touched. Happy holidays and you are on your way. ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Wednesday, 16th of November 2011 at 08:46:30 PMWhy spend all the time and mess of cooking soup? Just open the can a little and place it over the pilot light on your stove or your hot water heater before you leave for the day. It will be completely cooked and hot 8-10 hours later when you get home! This works for just about anything in a can. Consider removing the label before doing this to avoid a potential fire. ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Wednesday, 16th of November 2011 at 08:18:03 PMComing soon! A listing of ways to eat with as little effort as possible. As a joke amongst people we started to call this “The Dumb Boys Cookbook”. If you have a recipe please submit it and I will put it up! ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Wednesday, 16th of November 2011 at 08:15:54 PMIf you have been around me you have probably heard my tongue-in-cheek comparison to managing a development team to managing a dog. In the years I have been saying these things, they are a funny way to make people laugh about something that might not exactly be that easy to approach. Keep in mind, this is a joke, to point out something through humor! Look for tidbits in the near future! ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Sunday, 25th of September 2011 at 11:49:02 AMI was asked today about some of the ways that I help organize and run my life. I will start by saying that all of this is my opinion and my interpretation, so you will more than likely disagree, which is part of the fun. I would consider myself an early adopter – I had a bluetooth headset in 2000 and ran my life form an iPaq back then. These rules were developed for myself to help temper my desire to buy everything techno-cool or even worse stay up far too late building my own versions of something. Although you will find black spray pint, burn marks, and cracks in my apartment from me hammering away at something electronical. The overarching idea here is that technology can help you a heck of a lot, but it is also the major part of the problem! I have learned from buying, building, and throwing away far too much technology (and thereby money). Rule one: If the phone rings you dont have to answer it. Ignore the interruptions that technology can create and remain focused in the moment you are in. Your coworkers and significant other will appreciate your increased focus and attention. This rul applies to text messages, MMS, facebook, google+, and any other random interruption that technology can bring. Rule two: Simplicity! If you can have 3 things to do that function, try to find one! Think about your audio/video setup. Do you really need all that equipment and wires? Probably not. Think about what you listen to or watch in the course of the week and build towards that state, not the exception when you watch 1 movie and need to rearrange the setup. Rules three: Minimalism – not exactly the same thing a simplicity, but closely related. Focus on the core things you need to do, and give up all the fluff. If you do not need to look up restaurant listings because you never eat out, why buy a smartphone? I know this seems simple and I even laughed a litte when I wrote that last sentence, but I think you understand at this point! Some tools & examples
I am sure I can think of more and more things that fall into this category, but some of them are so normal to me that I wouldn’t think of them as exceptional. But keep in mind this one guy manages to keep track of a fish tank, a car, a motorcycle, hold down a job, travel, study Talmud, observe Jewish customs, etc… all with a nice dose of help from some of my pals, but managing all that information and physical resources could be daunting without a dose of simplicity. Moreover, I would like to think me “do you really need that” approach saves me money and lowers my already heafty coarbon and slave footprint – maybe just a little, but every bit counts, no? ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Friday, 23rd of September 2011 at 05:06:20 PM Yeah so for those of you who know me, 2011 has been a bit if a rough year. As you might have noticed, I have not been writing all that much, and my travels have been cut down. There are so many cliches that can be spoken that it just seems silly to even mention any of them. Back in February I joined some of my pals at a local rock climbing gym one night at random and have become a junkie since then! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed climbing as I used to do it often back in high school and college. In the months that have passed I have started to go to NY Rock Gym about 4-5 times a week and even started running and doing core work at lunchtime to become a better climber and drop a few pounds. The funny thing is that when I started my climbing pants were a little snug, now they fall off all the time because of how much weight I have lost. I mostly climb indoors at NJ Rock Gym in Fairfield, NJ which is not the coolest and most modernest gym on earth, but the people there are really into climbing, amazingly helpful to newcomers, and the overall attitude in there is very positive and fun. I climb mostly with my awesome and amazing friends Deidre and Max, who both bring a different kind of attitude to the sport and I enjoy the mixture that provides. The three of us have been to Brooklyn Boulders and Gravity Vault at various times, but always end up back at NJ Rock.
Some reflections on starting up climbing (again):
Thinking about it, this week I will have been climbing everyday but one – yeah obsessed – but I want to get really good at it so I can do harder and harder things and more importantly, I enjoy the challenges from my friends, old and new, at the gym and in the woods. There is nothing as satisfying as a good day with pals, rocks, a nice beer, and then a nap!
✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Wednesday, 7th of September 2011 at 07:56:14 AMI want to start by saying this post is about Zuni or Zuni style fetishes, so calm down a little My father has traveled a lot in the Southwest and on one of his trips he brought be back a really neat black marble bear. According to a book I bought about the history and ideas behind these small carved animals the bear represents the West, healing, strength in the face of adversity. Here are some photos of my small collection:  Russell Shack • Black Marble Bear  Tommy Tso • Alabaster Bear  Unknown • Jade Bear w/ Salmon On my trip out west recently, added a couple new carvings to my collection. This is when I realized that I have accidentally started a small collection. I think that the collection point is when I added a new animal to the set – a coyote. The coyote is the trickster promoting the ability to laugh at one’s own mistakes.  Andres Quandelacy • Fluorite and Turquoise Bear  Kenric Laiwakete • White Marble Coyote ✡ Nathan wrote this entry on Thursday, 1st of September 2011 at 03:24:56 PMIf you are taking a moment to read this short blog post, you might want to first detour out of here to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incident_command_system. Ok, back? That is the nearly universal Incident Command System and most anyone schooled in the area of rescue, search, disaster management, etc… will be familiar with it. My first exposure to to it was in West Virginia during college when I was learning advanced cave rescue techniques as part of my hobby of spelunking and technical climbing/caving. In the drill our person died, but I was the head of communications because I knew how to make all the electronics works. I also ran two sets of communications wires in and out of the cave to prevent severing, which confounded the people running the drill. The message I want to get across, and what I learned vividly from the caving drill is that process has two major intents: a> Process is critical in an emergency – someone is bleeding in a cave or a server is down and customers are upset – because it is a pre-arranged set of steps on how to deal with a situation. It determines who to communicate with, what to say, what roles there are, etc… b> Process allows the basics to become rote. The goal, particularly of a Projects Office Process, is to reduce the amount of time people talk about how to get something done by introducing a framework that make this evident at every point along the way. A process wont solve bad planning or rescue a bad idea (and yes Virginia, that are some bad ideas), but it will help make sure that the vast majority of time is spent working on the business critical portion of the work – the part that matters. I often hear people kvetch about too much process. Anyone who has ever dealt with getting a passport or driving license has that sense. The ideal process is one that is light enough to not be noticed and heavy enough to make getting work done easier. It is a balance and as with everything sometimes it will fault in one direction or the other. put another way, imagine how messy the DMV would be if there were no process… Ok I am practicing writing shorter posts, I hope this qualifies! |
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Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius. |
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Have a good debate about the usefulness of the new idea. A good pack leader knows when to change direction or his/her mind. You will gain more respect when you do.
