Redemption Comes

This is a two part story of a traveler.

We begin with Part One - The Taxi Ride to the airport last Thursday.
I've been using Yellow Cab exclusively for my airport transportation. And I have to say this last trip was a chink in their chain.
Upon being picked up I was insulted immediately by this driver, we'll call George. He thought my suitcase was too heavy. Now, it was about 20 pounds, which isn't that bad. I let George's comment slid off my back categorizing it as 'small talk'. Fine, no biggy.
George then asked me what the best way to get to the airport would be from where we were and I proceeded to tell him. Having taken a taxi from this location several times before, I have the secret taxi route memorized. George had trouble with my directions and seemed confused. Not really knowing George, I did my best to give him directions in an upbeat manner. George snapped, saying "It's not like I don't know the area dear." Then he blabbed something about how La Tijera to Sepuleveda would be shorter if not about the same distance and fare. It's not. It's farther and that means more fare. Then he went on to say something about how I objected to his route. To which I said nothing. George had clearly passed right by his utterance of - "What's the best way from here?" I ignored George the rest of the trip which took longer than any taxi ride of my life. George solved a Rubix Cube at every long light and proudly displayed the successfully completed cube upon our arrival at the United Terminal. I'm not sure I'll use Yellow Cab again. Even though George was early, he was scary and totally rude.

Next came the kiosk check-in. I am totally a supporter of this technology, but people can't seem to grasp it at all. So many kiosks and people just stand there like they have no idea what to do. There were three kiosks open and I politely urged the ceiling lookers in front of me to step up. They had no clue. SO then three people behind me cut in line and checked in. It was totally rude, but justified. I wish I'd have been faster.
When it was finally my turn a woman accosted me with her ticket because it didn't show a seat assignment. She wanted me to help her. I said, "I don't know. You'll have to ask a ticket agent"
Now, why in the world would I know about her seat assignment? Am I wearing a United Badge? No.
If you are going to go out in public and get on an airplane then you need to be brave enough to ask the people who are there to help you. Otherwise you A.) Deserve to miss your plane and 2.) should really stay home.

I've been calling United, "untied" for years. They have done little to lose that title in the years I've been flying their friendly skies. But here is where that all changes.
I refer you to the post about Sun Country airlines. (Please refresh your memory now, otherwise the rest of this will not makes sense.)
United can accomplish their beverage service with minimal lighting and efficiency to boot. (Not as true on this morning's return flight- but I won't hold it against them, just this once though.) They seem to understand that pouring coca-cola into a plastic cup doesn't take the glaring pink wattage of overhead fluorescents.
This one single simple detail has redeemed the entire airline and absolved them from past sins. A job well done! Untied no more!

I'd also like to give a shout out to the neck pillow. This small, yet pliable pillow is a must on any airplane trip. it certainly helped this non-sleeper, sleep. Hooray!

Tags: united airlines, wyoming

Hump Day at the Hump

I love sushi but don't partake very often even though I live near the ocean and in this city it's abundant. Fresh seafood that is.

But last night I found a special spot in Santa Monica that was four stars in atmopshere, entertainment value, and outstanding sushi.

The Hump at the Santa Monica airport is a gem. The best part other than the Spanish Mackerel sashimi is sitting at the bar and watching them prepare each dish.

All I'm going to say is squirming shrimp heads and I think you can understand how much fun we had there.

It also a total A-list kind of scene. I can't tell you who we encountered because it's impolite; like pointing. But should you venture out this way you won't be disappointed on any front.

Tags:sushi, Santa Monica

It Makes Clowns Cry

Put your own thoughts into this picture and headline today.

My list is way too long on what makes clowns cry.

Do the Right Thing & Sun Country is not in Minnesota

You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings. - Pearl S. Buck

That is how I'd started this entry but I have two other things I'd like to discuss.

First, let's get the WORST airplane ride of my life out of the way. I went to Minneapolis this weekend to see my good friends who are expecting their first baby in the fall. The visit was great, the transportation to get there was not.

Sun Country airlines needs to make some adjustments to it's flight schedule and in-air service priorities. If you are going to offer cheap red-eye flights from the west coast to the Midwest then you need to make sure you're little sky wait staff understand that passengers DO NOT need a soda at 2AM! We want to sleep. We need pillows and blankets, not sodas or coffee or any little crapcakes. Seriously.

For your reference, this 737 did not leave until 1:45AM PDT.
I do not have the ability to sleep on an aircraft unless I'm about to fall over from exhaustion. This was one of those times and as I struggled for sleep in the early stages and was just about to drift off, these wizards of airline service flipped the light switch and rolled that damn cart down the aisle (very boldly I might add) and let me just tell you it was like a five minute beverage service. Why? Because EVERYONE WAS SLEEPING!!!!!!!
Need I say more? Didn't think so.

P.S. On the way back they gave us a courtesy 'snack' which they called a 'cheeseburger'. Now I'm not really sure if it was meat or cheese, but I ate it. Why? Dear Lord, why?

Secondly, I no longer want to include my ruminations on this other topic I was going to include in this blog and will save it for another time.

Bad Gyms Abound

I hate LA Fitness. They have the most inconvenient locations in the most asinine places and nothing about the staff or the gym is worth the money.
There are never enough machines and the 20 minute time limit makes it a worthless trip to the gym. But it's better than nothing, I suppose.

Why do affordable health clubs have to suck? Why can't they have nice locker rooms and decent equipment and good locations and parking?

I can answer that with one word: Money.

Fully Occupied

I'd like to share this simple yet profound quote with you today.

If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something I can neither give nor receive. --Dorthee Solle

Now, I don't know who Dorethee is, but she sure is right. How many times do we hold on to things that don't matter and feel stuck by the sheer inertia of it?

I feel surrounded by those who are holding on to 'things' and are miserable every day because they choose to keep this baggage in their heart. What can you say to them? Nothing really. Maybe forward them this quote.

As you were.

A Dog by Any Other Name

July is National Hot Dog Month and there is no better way to celebrate than at Pink's in Los Angeles.

You can't go wrong with the famous chili dog or the Martha Stewart.

Or you can just grill 'em in your own backyard. Because that's what summer is all about. But celebrate you must, because unlike cow appreciation day, this is an easier one to make happen. Take the kids to the ball game and have a dog and you've paid tribute to an american tradition!

All Hail the Oscar Mayer, Hebrew National and Ballpark!

Cows Are People Too!

The greatest holiday is upon us! What, you don't know that tomorrow is Cow Appreciation Day???!!
Well, suit up and moo all day long if you dare. I know I will.

If you are in the neighborhood, the Mecca of cow appreciation has to be New Salem, North Dakota, home of the world's largest Holstein cow, affectionately named, Salem Sue.

I've seen her many times up close and personal and she is a sight to behold. Go here for a virtual tour:

and here for her story:


If you go to North Dakota for no other reason than to see this magnificent concrete monolith then you have spent your time wisely.

I'm still writing my ode to Sue. I hope to have it completed in time for tomorrow's festivities.

Celebrate the Cow!!

My Time in Eden

I had a pleasant evening dining out with a good friend. But it was all shot to hell when I returned home to find that the two front living room windows - ground level - were wide open and had been left this way all day.

I really can't fathom the reasoning behind not being extra careful after your home has been burgled. I really can't. Please, someone explain it to me. Triple checking is always warranted. Because an open window is an invitation to crime! A big embossed piece of parchment saying "Come on in and take all my stuff!!!!!"

Please lock your windows and doors. It's a sad fact of the world we live in but no amount of money can replace the ring my mother gave me.

A Cautionary Tale

Where to begin? Well, let's start with the break-in that could have been so easily prevented. Oh yes, that's right dear readers, yours truly was burgled.
Luckily, the only items missing are jewelry, most of which was junk, but some was worth appraisal. Mostly sentiment was lost but friends, that's still too high a price to pay for negligence. Oh no, not on my part. I know better than to leave a window open in a crime ridden Los Angeles neighborhood, but my roommate does not. Needless to say there's something rotten in Denmark.
The bigger issue and hassle has been the upward battle of preventing the wiping of bank accounts, the stealing of cars and the possible theft of identity. We must be vigilant in our efforts to protect our information. A lesson all too often learned the hard way. It doesn't have to be this way. Keep it under lock and key. Check your credit report, watch every transaction you make from eBay to Ofoto and never let anyone coax you out of your SSN unless it's God himself.
And if this doesn't convince you just read Newsweek's latest issue.

And finally, I'd like to let you know the following helpful hints: If you are stung by a bee and not allergic make a paste of baking soda and a little water and apply it to the sting. It takes the pain away and the swelling goes away instantly.
And the best thing ever for a sunburn you didn't intend is plain yogurt applied directly to the area. It's fantastic.

May your week be drama free!

Why are there birds in Home Depot?

I've been to six Home Depots and every one of them had birds flying around inside the building. Can that be good?

RoadSlave enters the BlogHer contest

While the rules are unclear (tell your story), I'd like my blog to tell my story. I'll provide some narration for my entries:

I began blogging while visiting Alaska. After arriving on a Sunday, the only thing we could find open was a Red Robin in Anchorage. The food wasn't bad, but the waiter was pure entertainment. My first posting Red Robin of our Discontent was born out of encouragement from my family members. "You should blog this."

It was a start. I was skeptical, however, that blogging would lead to the magical connected conversations that were being hyped everywhere I looked. I pondered this while attending my nephew's graduation as my mind wandered frequently during the Chugiak Mustangs Commencement.

How would I build the coveted street cred (credibility)? Doing some searching, I stumbled across Brad Feld's Alaska categories. Perfect. Brad had a lot of readers. Maybe he could spare some for me? Street cred would have to wait, however, as I didn't know any other bloggers who could comment and link to me and create a blog buzz. It didn't matter, I was having a great time in Alaska.

The rented motorhome provided more than its fair share of interesting topics, although I included what I thought was the most important one -- The difference between Grey and Black water !

Sea Kayaking in Whittier was a thrill. I renamed the tour the Kittiwake Bird Drop Special.

My first and only major Alaskan disappointment was eating at the Snow Goose in Anchorage. Only the ice water met my expectations.

Fortunately, finding a Sushi place in Eagle River brought spirits right back.

By now, I was having so much fun in Alaska, but documenting so little of it, that I began to feel
Blogger's Guilt. "No good deed goes unblogged," I thought. Would anyone really care about my Alaskan adventure, or would they rather index, link, and tag each other in shameless self promotion?

I spotted "I like cats too -- Let's exchange recipies" on a local's refrigerator. It stuck with me the whole day. Lacking any clever titles for the Bou Bacon and Polar bear pictures, I figured why not offend someone with a funny title?

Something I'll never forget is the local buzz to find the first evidence of the King Salmon run. As an experiment, I tried to use the technology to give me an edge, but in the end the Blogs failed to deliver the Salmon.

Have you ever cooked bacon and eggs on tinfoil over a smoky Alaskan campfire? The pic still makes my mouth water!

By now, I was quite frustrated with the coefficient of drag of getting my site indexed into Technorati. How was I going to experience the magic connected conversations of the live web if my posts never got indexed?

Imagine my surprise when David Sifry, himself, left a comment explaining the problem. (Brad Feld, where are your comments?) I promptly apologized to David for being a snot. And although my first connected conversation happened asynchronously, it was a conversation nonetheless.

These amazing time lapse pictures of the Alaskan summer solstice pretty much sum up my amazement when David left a SECOND comment in response to my apology.

By now, I had found the majority of VC blogs and was reading to both learn and be entertained. Venture Capitalists as Grizzly Bears left me no choice but to wonder what happens to the salmon when all these Thesis Bears arrive at the river bank.

Especially since I found myself in Alaska, I found the irony that the salmon are eaten before they complete their mission at the hands of the smarter, Thesis bears.

I knew the VC's wouldn't touch the post...my observation is that since it didn't come from another VC, it just wasn't VC-cool. I know they have a sense of humor, as some of the funniest things I've read have come from VC blogs (whether they know it or not.)

In testing the Mark Pincus Observation, I really didn't expect Mark to respond. He didn't. If I win the BlogHer competition, will he be sorry? Probably not.

Keshava Dasarthy did appreciate my link, however.

The Gates of Aniakchak are one of those places I'd like to go someday. No offense, but can I trade the BlogHer prize for the Gates? Probably not.

The running joke in Alaska was that we would find ourselves at a Fred Meyer store two or three times a day. It couldn't be helped. In the off-chance that a VC was dusting off the WebVan plan, I wanted to point out that Fred Meyer delivers to the Alaskan bush.

Why pick me for the BlogHer prize?

Well, I have no good answer except that I remain skeptical of the blogger hype. Perhaps I really NEED to chill with my sisters and let the magic overtake me? I still need to build that street cred, so send me to meet other bloggers and let the magic begin.

Besides, let's not forget that Jane Blog is just as an important marketing force as Joe Blog.

Did I mention I was born in North Dakota? Going to BlogHer would at least allow me to clear up Niall Kennedy's obvious misconceptions about the state face-to-face. And while I do love San Francisco, I don't worship it as a technology mecca. (Niall needs to travel more -- maybe I'll sponsor a contest to send Niall to North Dakota).

TechnoratiBlogHer

Joe Blog could prove Mike Manuel right

Warning: Mike uses a Long Tail analogy, but if enough Joe Blogs link to Marketers, Get to Know Joe Blog , his point will be made (A blogger with five subscribers can be a marketing force.)

Mike's Media Guerrilla was another of those sites found quite by accident as I'm still learning my way around the blogsphere.

I miss Webvan

Many have stated that Webvan (the defunct online grocer) was simply ahead of its time.

During my stay in Alaska, I noticed that Fred Meyer (a multi-department store) actually gets their products to the Alaskan Bush including ordering via email.

There are quite a number of clever adaptations developed in Alaska to deal with the logistics of weather, infrastructure, and hard-to-reach remote locations.

Would it be possible to re-incarnate Webvan, let me subscribe to my wanted items via RSS, and then have Technorati watch for BBQ deals for the 4th of July picnic?

Which VC has this concept as their Thesis ? It looks like Venture Capital has begun the pendulum swing back to the consumer.

When you dust off the Webvan plan, run on up to Fred Meyer in Alaska and understand why they care about consumers in the Alaskan Bush.

Gates of Aniakchak

I keep learning from the locals about more amazing things to do in Alaska. Sadly, I'm not properly funded to do everything on my wishlist.

River rafting the gates of Aniakchak looks like one of those things I won't get to this trip.

"…it was the abomination of desolation, it was the prelude to hell."

Read where that came from in this Expedition to Alaska.

Also, remember what it's like to read with no ads? See these interesting facts about the Aniakchak National Monument & Preserve .

Testing the Mark Pincus Observation

Mark Pincus's observation (Easiest way to talk to a VC...write about him) extends beyond VCs.

Just be prepared for the coefficient of drag to cause some unintended consequences. David Sifry left me a comment that he just saw my post on his watchlist an hour after I posted it.

So, the unintended consequences for me are:

I didn't expect David to respond and now I feel bad after reading his explanation.

Clearly, I owe David and Technorati an apology for the Google remark. Would it be OK to say I hope Technorati buys Google instead? (Meaning that I hope you are wildly successful.)

I do sincerely apologize.

And while I remain convinced that there is a coefficient of drag, with David's response I can now begin the search to find a blog home with a better reputation.

Keshava Dasarathy gets a link from me because I feel his pain.

Venture Capitalists as Grizzly Bears

I really did read all of Bill Burnham's Beat (Deal Flow is Dead, Long Live Thesis Driven Investing). But what caught my attention was the comparison of VCs to Grizzlies.

In the analogy, the deals are represented by the salmon swimming in abundance by the bears (the VCs).

Now, as most of you know, the salmon swim upstream, spawn, and die. You're already way ahead of me...but let's run this analogy completely up on the beach until the birds pick it clean.

Burnham doesn't specifically say that Thesis Driven Investing VCs are still Grizzlies, but he implies that they are out there "turning over rocks".

I'm thinking out loud...How can smarter Grizzlies be good for the salmon? I see how being a smarter bear is good for the bear, so I certainly want to be a Thesis Grizzlie if I was a bear.

For the salmon, however, it doesn't matter if you're a Thesis or a Deal Flow Grizzlie. You're still eaten.

As Burnham points out, the VC bear population has expanded quite nicely.

Conclusion: This is going to be a bad time to be a salmon until somebody does something about all those bears.



Tags: venture capital

Moose Pass is a peaceful little town. If you have an axe to grind, do it here.

So reads the sign by the waterwheel at Moose Pass, Alaska.

Summer Solstice (you know, the longest day of the year) is indeed quite a thing to celebrate and the folks in Moose Pass have been throwing their celebration for 20 years.

Go North to the Artic Circle and the Sun never dips below the horizon. And if you can't go have a look at these amazing pictures.

Gold Mining

They say you can find gold in Alaska. That's mostly true. The Crow Creek Mine is easy to find and quite accessible. Of course, I didn't find any gold but everyone else did and showed me their flakes in the small glass vials.

Do your homework as there are many, many other places to gold prospect in Alaska. All of them come with great scenery as well.

Coefficient of drag

Technorati's about eight days behind indexing my blog. It grabbed one post. (Yeah, don't bother explaining to me how they use RSS and get updates directly in real time. They're dragging...test your own sites).

The analog for this is coefficient of drag. The more RSS catches on, the slower Technorati becomes and more drag is introduced in the system.

If it takes eight or more days for someone's watch list to trigger, the conversation becomes increasingly irrelevant.

The so-called fluid conversation of the web analog ignores the effect of coefficient of drag.

Maybe Google is working on this problem?

Maybe an opportunistic VC should throw some money at Technorati for a band-aid quick fix and then pitch Google to buy the company.

I'll go ahead and toss in a link to http://www.sifry.com/alerts/ . There's no danger that David Sifry will see his watch list trigger before this post has decayed beyond it's useful conversational lifetime.

I probably should have linked Brad Feld again to build the street cred. Oh well, opportunity wasted.