Accepted to Duke!

Happy Holidays!

I know that many (most) of you have been waiting to hear about my Duke admissions decision.

Well, I am happy to report that the answer is *YES*! I got the call late this afternoon and my formal acceptance letter will follow shortly!

It seems like the process has taken an eternity, starting with my GMAT prep last year, so I'm glad I can finally share this positive news!

Thanks to everyone who supported me during my quest for admission and I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season!

Duke MBA Class of 2007 here I come!

RBC Announces 29-Story Raleigh Headquarters

RBC Centura made the official announcement today.

They are building a 29-story corporate headquarters at the corner of Fayetteville, Martin and Wilmington streets in downtown Raleigh.

This will be a great addition to the city when it opens in 2008!

With all the recent projects announced, over $1 billion will be pumped into downtown revitalization in the next 3 years. That is huge! Go Raleigh!


RBC Centura Selects Highwoods Properties
To Develop New Headquarters - 29-Story Mixed-Use Tower will Soar Above Downtown Raleigh

Adobe Coldfusion?

Well, the Adobe acquisition of Macromedia is now complete.

I must say that I'm a bit concerned, especially after reading the Acquisition FAQ on Adobe's site. ColdFusion is not mentioned *anywhere* on this page!

Now, I realize that all products certainly aren't listed (for both companies), and I presume that CF would fall in the domain of the "Enterprise and Developer Solutions Business Unit", but I would think they would at least mention it on this page (Flex was mentioned).

Is Adobe really as supportive of CF as we have been led to believe (by Macromedia)?

Adobe's Macromedia Acquisition FAQ

Quoted information from Adobe.com (see above link):

How is the combined company structured?

The company will continue to operate its business in a centralized fashion with its corporate functions (G&A, marketing, etc.) managed out of Adobe's San Jose, California-based headquarters.

Adobe's six business units align key products and technologies with core customer segments:

* The Creative Solutions Business Unit will provide solutions for creatives and designers with leading brands such as Adobe® Creative Suite, Macromedia® Studio, Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe InDesign®, Macromedia Dreamweaver®, Macromedia Flash®, Adobe Premiere® Pro, and Adobe After Effects® software.

* The Enterprise and Developer Solutions Business Unit will provide solutions for enterprise developers with products such as Adobe LiveCycle™ and the Macromedia Flex™ product line.

* The Knowledge Worker Solutions Business Unit will provide collaboration and communication solutions with products such as Adobe Acrobat® and Macromedia Breeze® software.

* The Mobile and Device Solutions Business Unit will provide solutions for mobile and wireless device developers such as Macromedia Flash Lite™ and Macromedia FlashCast™ software.

* The Platform Business Unit will focus on advancing Adobe's PDF and Flash-based technology platforms as standards for creating, managing, and delivering compelling, actionable applications and content to any desktop or device.

* The Print and Classic Publishing Solutions Business Unit will provide print and online publishing solutions and e-learning tools with products such as Adobe PostScript® technology as well as Adobe FrameMaker®, Adobe PageMaker®, Macromedia Contribute™, and Macromedia Captivate™ software.

Firefox 1.5!

Firefox 1.5 has officially been released!

I have it installed and am checking it out now. I think the best feature overall is "drag and drop" capability for browser tabs.

One thing to note:

If you have a lot of Firefox extensions installed, you may want to see if there are 1.5-compatible versions available before completing the upgrade. I had many extensions that had no equivalent and were consequently diabled :(

Ay any rate, enjoy!

Firefox 1.5

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I hope that you all have a great Turkey Day. We are staying in NC this year for the holiday and are having a challenge to see if we can use bourbon as an ingredient in every dish we make. So far, so good!

Here is today's menu:


-Butterball Turkey w/ Bourbon & Mustard Glaze

-Mashed Potatoes w/ Bourbon Gravy

-Sweet Potato Casserole w/ Bourbon

-Awesome Sausage, Apple & Cranberry Stuffing w/ Bourbon

-Bourbon Cranberry Relish

-Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake

We started the day with a morning run and are enjoying the 65 degree sunny weather, since it was much cooler earlier in the week. It supposed to be back in the mid 70's early next week. Bring it on!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Stacey and I finally got to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra last night at the RBC Center in Raleigh. I am glad that we decided to go, since it was an awesome show.

The performance is hard to describe but it's basically an intermingling of hard rock with traditional holiday and classical music.

Check out their site to find out more!

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Finally, Some Rain!

Hopefully, this will help our water levels in Falls Lake (Raleigh's water supply)! I think it would probably need to rain like this for a month to catch us up though.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
433 AM EST MON NOV 21 2005

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-220945-
PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-
ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-
WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-
ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON-
433 AM EST MON NOV 21 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

RAIN WILL OCCUR ALL DAY WITH WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS BETWEEN ONE AND
HALF AND THREE INCHES EXPECTED BY THE TIME THE RAIN DIMINISHES
WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED
FLOODING IN URBAN AREAS. HOWEVER WITH CREEKS...STREAMS AND RIVERS
RUNNING AT VERY LOW WATER LEVELS...THIS AMOUNT OF RAINFALL SHOULD
NOT CREATE ANY RIVER FLOOD PROBLEMS.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY THIS EVENING OVER THE FAR EASTERN SECTION OF CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA...GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF LINE FROM WILSON TO
FAYETTEVILLE. IF A SEVERE STORM OCCURS...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE
WIND GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE.
OTHERWISE...NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER ELEMENTS ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH TONIGHT.

Turkeys Escape!

It looks like these trukeys didn't want to end up on someone's table next week, so they decided to bail off the truck...LOL!

Turnpike Crash Springs Holiday Turkeys

Raleigh 7th Richest City

Raleigh has been named the 7th richest city in the U.S. by Forbes magazine.

Great quote from article as to why this is the case:

"A very short answer is very smart workers," Atkins says. The area has the largest research park in the world, Research Triangle Park, and has become a center for knowledge industries.

"Smart people can live anywhere," Atkins says, "and they choose to live in the best places."

Biotech In The Triangle

It looks like the Biotech industry is continuing to grow in the Triangle.

Apparently, Roche, the Swiss drug maker that produces Tamiflu is eyeing Holly Springs for a $750 million plant.

This would be in addition to the $300 million Merck plant being built in Durham and the $190 million expansion to GlaxoSmithLine in Zebulon.

Triangle Business Journal Article

Pat Robertson, Again?

First he calls for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, and now this.

Robertson warns Pennsylvania town of wrath of God

This guy should just crawl into a hole and learn to shut his mouth. Intelligent design is yet another move by idiotic fundamentalist extremists to undermine the separation of church and state in our country.

Science, people? Oh, I forgot...that requires thinking with *your own* brain.

Even the Vatican agrees!

Fall Color!

Fall has finally arrived in Raleigh!

Temperatures may be close to 80, but the cooler weather a week ago has finally given us some vibrant color. I noticed some bright yellow, orange, and red on the drive to work yesterday.

Foliage Network Southeast U.S. Report

Raleigh WeatherCam (NWS/NCSU)

American Cars Suck

Why is it that people don't get this simple fact?

Time and time again, I see others waste thousands of dollars on used American cars because they don't see the value in spending a bit more on a decent Honda, Nissan, Toyota, etc.

Then, they have the nerve to bitch about such POS cars when they constantly break down and require countless repairs.

Sure, foreign cars have problems, too. But why buy something that you know is going to fall apart, just because it's cheap?

'Canes Defeat Flyers 8-6!

Go 'Canes!

Last night I was able to attend a truly awesome 'Canes home game against the Flyers! While the first period was a little dull, things really picked up later in the game!

Starting the third, we were down 5-3. This ended up being the most exciting part of the game with a series of goals and penalties that ignited the crowd. In the end, Carolina won 8-6 (scoring FIVE goals in the period).

We were even the top story on NHL.com! Go 'Canes!

http://www.nhl.com/scores/recaps/152_2_recap.html

Tropical Storm Alpha!

Well, it looks like we've finally had to go to the Greek alphabet. Alpha has been named.

This has never happened in the history of named storms!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at5+shtml/210051.shtml?3day

Two Days in a Row!

Today there was another accident in almost the same place as yesterday's (just before Wade Ave)! No news coverage on this one (aside from the traffic reports).

Total accidents since 10/13/05: 2

I Made the News!

I was featured in this Sunday's Raleigh News & Observer!

There was a section about a proposed commuter train in the Triangle.

Feel free to read the article. The more publicity regarding commuter feedback, especially on I-40, the better!

Another Accident on I-40

I am going to start keeping a tally of all publicized accidents on the I-40 segment from Wade Ave to US1/64.

Since the NCDOT doesn't see the widening of I-40 in this area as a priority, I thought it would be good to show what their negligence is causing.

Here is today's (courtesy of WRAL.com)...

TRAFFIC ALERT: Two lanes of westbound Interstate 40 near mile marker 290 are closed while crews respond to an accident.

Total accidents since 10/13/05: 1

Europe 2005!

Finally, following seven years of talking and planning, Stacey and I decided to take our long-awaited trip to Europe this summer. Ever since I completed my semester abroad in London (1998), we decided that we would return to Europe again…together. This August seemed like the perfect time to plan our trip, before such things as grad school and babies *possibly* enter our lives!

I know I should have blogged about this sooner, but I have been incredibly busy preparing for my GMAT exam, among other things, since returning from the trip. Luckily, Stacey and I kept a trip log while we were gone to refer back to, Without that, these entries would have been very difficult to create.

Here are the individual entries:

Europe 2005

The Stones Rock Duke!

Last night, the Rolling Stones rocked a crowd of about 40,000 at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium.

I am *so* glad that I was able to attend this installment of their "A Bigger Bang" world tour.

It's amazing that the band still has as much energy as they do! It was a great night and one of the most elaborate stage setups that I have ever seen!

Go Stones! Keep on 'rockin!

Go Canes!

Welcome back, 'Canes!

Tonight's game was about as good as it gets for a home opener. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come in the upcoming season.

The 'Canes won in a shootout after a 2-2 tie in regulation and a scoreless OT. The RBC Center was filled to capacity. Hockey is back!

GMAT - Done!

Well, I am finally done with my GMAT! While I didn't get an *amazing* score today (my third attempt), I finally got a decent score that is within the range of the program that I am targeting.

It makes me sick to think of all the hours I have spent preparing and the dollars I have spent on study quides (not including the actual GMAT fees - $250 a pop)!

Finally, I can leave this experience in the past!

Raleigh to Durham - Finally A Local Call!

'Bout time...

I have always found it hard to believe that a "local" call from Raleigh to Durham wasn't actually local.

It looks like most of us "Raleigh-ites" will finally not have to pay (i.e. use cell phones) to call Durham.

ColdFusion Report Builder - Documentation?

I'e been using CF report builder since it was released. While it certainly is a great (and highly touted) feature of CFMX 7, it has quickly become apparent that work on the app was rushed to completion in order to be able to include it with the 7 release.

I won't go into the specific bugs I have experienced with CFRB, but suffice to say there have been many (only *some* of which have been addressed by hotfixes, etc.).

I'm not trying to bash Macromedia, either. I just think that more attention needs to be focused on this application.

It surprises me that the documentation is lacking to the degree that it is, and that there are no books specifically available on report builder. This would certainly help, since trial and error has really been the only available method of learning CFRB to date.

Any plans for a book on CFRB out there?

Day 10: Travel

Time to leave… Today, we woke up at 6:30, checked out of the Marriott Grosvenor Square, and walked to the Bond Street tube. We took the tube to Victoria, where we arrived just before 7:45 AM. There wasn’t enough time to catch the 7:45 AM Gatwick Express, so we took the next train that left at 8 AM. Once again, we grabbed croissants and coffee at the patisserie in station. We arrived at Gatwick around 8:30 and went to the check-in desk. Before obtaining a boarding pass, you need to first clear security (special for US-bound flights). If you have read my saga about the no-fly list, you know this is going to be fun…

The Gatwick police woman armed with PDA took our passports and then told me that I was on both the "selectee AND no-fly list". Unbelievable! She then asked me to please come with her. After looking at the info on her PDA further, she said it was her mistake and that I was actually cleared from both lists. She still made me explain myself to her supervisor, the manager of security at Gatwick. After finally clearing this hurdle, went through “traditional” screening and into the main shopping concourse. I picked up a couple of CD’s at the Virgin Megastore while we awaited our gate number to be posted. The inbound flight into Gatwick from Charlotte was delayed by about one hour, pushing back our departure by about the same.

We encountered secondary security at the gate, where we were then "locked in". This seemed a bit odd, but I think that security had been heightened due to it being close to September 11. Our total flight time back to Charlotte was about 9 hours. The food was better this time (baked chicken and ravioli-like pasta were the choices, served with good Italian cheese and crackers, Toblerone, lemon mousse, croissant with butter, and a pre-landing snack of turkey roll). Our flight path took us from Gatwick to Newfoundland, along New England coast to Hartford, then NYC, PHL, and DC, before landing in Charlotte. We cleared customs and immigration without issue (my Irish bog brick and all). We missed our original flight to RDU due to our late arrival, but took the next one. Our flight time to RDU was 25 minutes. We arrived at the terminal and claimed our baggage. We took a cab home, and greeted our kitties at door. After ordering a NY Pizza (pepperoni) we spent the rest of the night emptying suitcases. All in all, a great trip!

Day 9: Ireland/London

Today we woke up around 7:20 AM, showered, and had breakfast again at the Brigown B&B. This time, I had pancakes, and Stacey had toast with cheese. We packed our bags after breakfast, and went to the post office and shops in Ballina. I looked for smoked River Moy salmon to take back with us, but was worried about customs issues and freshness. After leaving Ballina, we drove to the Rogan family cottage on Killala Road, just outside of town. I was glad to be able to see it, even though it is in serious need of repairs. It is actually for sale for about 50K Euros, so maybe I will buy it! After leaving the cottage, we went to Belleek Castle, where we parked the car and walked through woods along the river bank across from the B&B. Upon returning to the car, we drove to the airport, where we returned the rental car (no damage charges!), checked in for our flight back to London, and shopped at the airport store for souvenirs. We flew back to Stansted and then caught the train back to Central London. The 45 minute journey ended up taking over an hour, due to major delays at the Liverpool Street station. As a result, we took another route back to hotel once we arrived. We checked in at the Marriott, retrieved our left luggage (which felt more like lost luggage), and went to dinner at Garfunkel’s. We then shopped for last-minute souvenirs on Oxford Street before returning to Garfunkel’s for dessert. We then went back to the hotel to pack (for the last time)!

Day 8: Ireland

Today we woke up just before 8 am and were served an amazing breakfast at the Brigown B&B in Ballina (salmon & eggs for Mike, French toast for Stacey). The B&B owner is known throughout Ireland for her cooking ability and even hosts a radio cooking show – this is why we picked this over others in the area. We showered after breakfast and left for Ceide Fields. Ceide Fields is a Neolithic archaeological site on the North Coast of County Mayo. We took a guided tour, and then explored the visitors center. It sure was a cool and windy day, but the rain held off. What didn’t hold off were the uninvited guests – crazy biting gnats that make you itch (aka biting midges)! They bit us like crazy while we were trying to take pictures outside (and the itch lasted for a while!) After leaving the visitors center, we headed to the North Mayo Irish Heritage Center in Crossmolina where I had the staff research my grandfather. For 30 Euros, they were able to provide me with a document that showed a record of his birth, just outside of Ballina. We left Crossmolina and stopped at a beach of the side of the road, where I managed to get the car stuck in the sand. I asked Stacey to get out and push, which enabled us to get out. We then went to Foxford Woollen Mills, took their tour, had lunch (egg & mayonnaise, soup), and visited their jewelry and souvenir shops. We drove from Foxford back to Ballina (10 minutes), and then continued up to Inishcrone to the beach on Killala Bay. We parked the car and walked along the beach. It was very foggy, so we traveled back to the B&B, parked the car, and walked to dinner at Crockett's On the Quay. We had salmon cakes as an appetizer. I had Guinness and the fresh catch, monk fish, while Stacey had Heineken and steak. For dessert, we shared iced Baileys with coffee flakes. We walked back to the B&B early for some shut-eye.

Day 7: Ireland

Today we woke up at 7:30 AM, checked out of our hotel, and took our bags to the Marriott hotel across Grosvenor Square. This is where we stayed our first night in London, and it is also where we would be returning following our short trip to Ireland. Just to be safe, I had checked with the concierge the night before to ensure we could check our bags for a couple of days while we were gone. He said that it would be no problem. Unfortunately, the morning concierge didn’t share the same view. He reluctantly agreed to let us leave our bags after I explained the earlier conversation.

Upon leaving the Marriott, we went to Starbucks for breakfast. This was the first time we had Starbucks in over a week…that’s what I call restraint! We then took the Tube from Bond Street to Liverpool Street, to transfer to the Stansted Express train. Stansted is a remote London airport, about 50 miles north of the city, which houses many of the discount carriers. The express train to Stansted took about 45 minutes. We checked in at the RyanAir (similar to Southwest) counter and waited at the gate for our flight to board. We were sure to get in line early, since we were in the last boarding group (based on our check-in time). The flight was about an hour into Knock and was very smooth. It was interesting to see snacks being sold on board (nothing provided free). I’m sure that this will be coming soon enough to the States with all the current airline financial problems!

Upon arriving in Knock (a very small airport), we picked up our rental car from Hertz. It was an Opel Astra, which is about the size of a VW Golf. I was a little scared to drive it, since I would need to not only drive on the passenger side but also on the left side of the road. Regardless, we took off for Ballinlough to meet my extended family (my dad’s cousins). Despite having some difficulty finding their house (we had the right one the first time, but there was no answer), we finally Met Eddie & Linda, their girls Eileen and Yvonne, and their granddaughter Evie. They are wonderful people and made us feel as though we couldn’t leave (we didn’t want to, either). They served us dinner, Guinness, and Irish coffee (with whiskey). We left about 8 PM for our bed & breakfast in Ballina (pronounced Baal-IN-A). Needless to say, the dark, narrow roads were very unforgiving and we probably should have left earlier. While traveling through one of the towns on the way to Ballina, I managed to get to close to the curb on the left side of the car and one of the protruding, already-replaced hub caps made contact. It got sliced up pretty bad, being cheap plastic and all – but that was the extent of it. We finally arrived in Ballina around 9:30 after what seemed like a very long hour-and-a-half drive in the darkness and rain. We called the B&B owner before leaving the Rogans’ to let her know we were on our way, but she didn’t get the message and was worried about us. After explaining our adventure, we settled in for some long-awaited sleep.

Day 6: English Countryside

Today we woke up at 7 AM to meet the Evan Evans tour bus at the Millennium Mayfair hotel. We met the “local” bus at 8:10 AM and took it to Victoria Station to transfer to our actual tour bus. Our destinations? Bath, Stonehenge, and Windsor Castle! Talk about an ambitious schedule for one day! We grabbed coffee and water from a cafe in Victoria station after eating our store-bought pan de chocolat in the hotel on the way to meet the first bus.

The first stop on our tour was Windsor Castle. It took about an hour to get there from Victoria (we left Victoria at 9 AM, and arrived at Windsor Castle around 10 AM). At Windsor Castle, we toured the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, and the Chapel. We also saw the end of the changing of the guard. It was amazing to be reminded of how much restoration work was done following the horrible fire there in the ‘90’s. The interior of Windsor Castle is so elaborate that it is a “must see” for anyone that visits London. We left the castle at noon to head to Bath (a 2 hour bus ride). We were told to grab lunch on the way back to the bus and eat it on board. We ended up getting BLT's from a sandwich shop (Cinnamons?) at the Windsor Train/Coach station shopping area.

It seemed to take forever, but we finally arrived in Bath just after 2 PM, following a nap on the bus while sheep-watching on the surrounding hillsides and fields. We toured the Roman Baths and walked around the city. It is really cool to think about the history of the ancient baths. Of course, no visit would be complete without a tasting of the “bath water”. Stacey clearly wasn’t a fan, so I ended up finishing it for the sake of politeness. We left Bath for Stonehenge around 4 PM.

We arrived in Stonehenge around 5 PM and took an audioguide tour that highlighted key information until it was time to board the bus to head back to London at 5:55 PM. On the way back, we hit stopped traffic near Heathrow, but were finally dropped off near the Marble Arch Tube station about 8:15 PM. From there, it was a short walk down Oxford Street to Duke Street where we grabbed a quick meal at a nearby pub (the Barley Mow) before heading back to our hotel to get ready for Tuesday’s Ireland trip.

Day 5: London

Today we woke up around 8 and traveled to Victoria station to check on Leeds Castle departure times. We decided that the train times wouldn't allow us to spend enough time at the castle, so we picked up breakfast instead (hot cocoa/cappuccino, pain du chocolat/ham and cheese croissant from the French patisserie at Victoria). After eating breakfast in the station, we took the Tube to Tower Hill, bought tickets for Tower of London at the tube station (to save time), and walked across to the Tower entrance. Since it was still early, there were no crowds, and were able to wander in and go straight to the Crown Jewels. We watched historical videos on the way in, saw the jewels (sparkly!), and were able to make several passes due to no crowds. The last time I saw the jewels, I was lucky to see the jewels once and I felt rushed the entire time. We bought some souvenirs at the Jewel Shop before continuing our visit. We arrived back at the front gate for the noon "beefeaters" tour with "Phil". He was a riot (as we had hoped). He told us about Sir Walter Raleigh (who Raleigh is named after) and his imprisonment, among other stories more familiar to us. We heard about beheadings that took place both within and outside of the tower grounds, and then went to the chapel, where some of those beheaded are buried beneath the floor. After the tour, we went into the Bloody Tower and toured White Hall Castle (mostly an armory). Before leaving the tower, we stopped at the main gift shop and bought a couple more things. In total, we spent about 3.5 hrs at the tower.

We had lunch at Viti's Lounge, which was a short walk from the tower. We both had ham and cheese paninis. Stacey had a glass of wine and I had a beer (“super-chilled” Fosters). We then trekked back to the hotel. On the way, we stopped at an “Easy” Internet Café (which ended up being anything but easy), where we had trouble purchasing an access code (the machines were all broken) and then had trouble getting a working station (the hardware was in poor condition). Finally, we were able to get online and checked email, weather, and the tour information for Monday. Equally important, we checked Starbucks locations, and saw that Rehnquist had died. Stacey stopped on way back to the hotel and bought a cheap purse from a street vendor.

Back at the hotel, I called to book our tour for Monday. We then went to dinner at the Prince Edward Pub in Notting Hill. I had never been to this part of London before, so it was really cool. Notting Hill is an amazing, highly affluent neighborhood that has a cool character that’s hard to explain. You’ll just have to go yourself! At the Prince Edward, we had garlic bread, roast beef, “super-chillled” Fosters, and shared creme brulee for dessert. We got a little lost coming back, but ended up finding a grocery (Sainsbury’s) to get breakfast for the morning. We eventually found another tube station and came back to hotel.

Day 4: London

We woke up just before 10 AM (finally slept in!). Our plan was to head to Leeds Castle for the day. We didn't have time to catch the 11:18 AM train after getting ready, so we decided to shoot for the 12:18 PM train instead.

We called the concierge desk at the Millennium Mayfair Hotel to ask which station the train to Leeds Castle departed from and were told Waterloo. As a result, we took the Tube to Waterloo and waited in the general ticket line. When we got to front of line, we were told that we needed to buy the tickets from Waterloo East instead! By the time we got this news, it was already too late to get the 12:18 PM train, so we decided to try for the 1:18 PM train instead. We decided to double-check with the Southwest trains information desk and they said to go buy tickets from the original ticket area that told us they didn't have them! After getting clarification from the travel center next to the ticket line, we were told the real story - all three people had given us incorrect info - the train to Leeds left from Victoria Station instead!

At this point, we said screw it and decided to go to Hampton Court Palace instead, which had originally been planned for Sunday. We bought tickets to Hampton Court from the Waterloo travel center (combo train fare/admission). After having breakfast at a bagel shop at Waterloo, we boarded the train for the 30 minute ride to Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey.

We started our tour by getting audio guides and proceeded to the Henry XVIII State Apartments, King George Apartments, the Tudor Kitchens, and finally the gardens. While I had been to the palace before, it was great to visit again with Stacey and not be with a larger group. We journeyed back to Waterloo after grabbing snack at convenience store (strange cheese and jalapeño on bread + candy bars = healthy!).

Once at Waterloo, we left the station on foot. I took Stacey to the old 'hood and Schiller International University (where I did my study abroad). While *it* hasn’t changed much, the area around it certainly has undergone a huge revitalization (new IMAX theatre directly across from the entrance). We walked down Waterloo Road to the junction of the Thames path and took the path to the new London Eye for an 8:00 PM "flight". This is also something that didn’t exist in 1998. It gives a unique perspective on the city and I’m glad that we went! We bought a couple of souvenirs, and then walked across the new Millennium Bridge to have dinner at the Sherlock Holmes Pub (recommended by Rick Steves and our tour bus guide from the first day). It is near the Charing Cross/Embankment tube stations. Stacey and I both had fish and chips, a pint of "Sherlock" (house brew), and prawns for an appetizer (I also *had* to buy a souvenir pint glass). We took the tube back to the Millennium Mayfair hotel around 11 PM.

Day 3: Paris

We went to bed shortly after midnight. At about 1:30 AM, the fire alarm went off in the hotel. We got dressed quickly and proceeded down the narrow stairway (not as narrow as the elevator!). Once we were near the bottom of the stairs, we heard "pas de problemme", which apparently means “don’t worry about it/get your ass back in bed”, so we went back upstairs.

We woke up at 7:30 AM for a sidewalk breakfast at a patisserie/boulangerie (bakery/coffee shop) around the corner. I had coffee and a croissant de buerre, while Stacey had chocolat (hot chocolate) and au pain du chocolat (chocolate croissant). Although we didn’t want to leave the bakery, we certainly didn’t want to let the day slip away. We walked to the Louvre, where we took pictures in courtyard, and then planned to get tickets for the 11 AM English-speaking tour. Unfortunately, we missed the tour, since a group of 2 ahead of us got the last tickets. We decided to get tickets for the next tour (2 PM) instead. Upon leaving the Louvre, we were approached by the first of several Indian women, who were part of what I will term the “beggars cult”. They would walk up to people and ask them “you speak English?”, then display a postcard with a story about being in the country and having no money. The problem? All of them had the *same* story. It became so annoying that we would say we didn’t speak English after encountering about the 10th similar beggar.

We walked through Jardin des Tuileries, just outside of the Louvre, and sat for awhile by the fountain near the end of the walkway, enjoying the beautiful day and watching the people and birds in the area. We then walked through Place de la Concord, and up the Champs Elysees. After a bit, we turned around and walked back through Jardin des Tuileries and stopped for lunch in an outdoor cafe (Cafe Renard). Stacey had a ham and cheese baguette, while I had a chicken baguette.

After lunch, we went to the Louvre, where we decided to use an alternate entrance (to get in faster), and took the English tour from 2-3:30 PM. This only allowed us time to see one wing (moving quickly)…the place is simply huge! Nevertheless, we were able to see some of the Louvre’s most famous treasures (including the Mona Lisa and the remains of the medieval Louvre). Our tour guide hated our entire group (and maybe herself). She viewed herself as above everyone else on the tour and appeared to be annoyed that she was required to speak English. After the tour, we went to the museum gift shop (a great place to furnish a home) and the post office (to buy postcard stamps). We decided to take the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe, but my Metro card still wasn’t working. Stacey explained the situation to station agent and she let me through. We hung out at the Arc de Triomphe for a bit, and then went back to the Metro station, where Stacey again explained the situation with my card to another agent, who finally replaced the card! We took the metro back towards Ile de la Cite, and had dinner at Le Procope, a classic French restaurant. 6:30 was apparently too early for dinner, since we were the first ones seated in the place. I had tomato & mozzarella, anchovies, caviar, duck with pear, and ice cream served in cream puffs with hot chocolate. Stacey had French onion soup, chicken baked with thyme & potatoes, and raspberry sorbet/pie. And of course, French wine!

After dinner, we took the metro back to the Chatelet station (near our hotel), picked up our bags, bought post cards, filled them out and ran to the mailbox. We tried to catch a cab to Gare du Nord, but there were suddenly none to be found. I tried to use the phone to call a cab but struck out there as well. Frustrated, and running short on time, we took the Metro instead, and almost missed our Eurostar back to London (arrived 20 minutes prior to departure – it was supposed to be minimum of 30 minutes). The train ride back to London offered some much needed time to relax.

Day 2: Paris

We woke up at 4:45 AM to catch the 5:30 AM Tube to Waterloo Station (departure point for the Eurostar train to Paris). We left the hotel and walked to the Bond Street station, only to find that the doors were locked (it turns out we went to the *wrong* doors)! Frustrated and worried about missing our train, we raced back to our hotel, hailed a cab to Waterloo, and arrived at 6 AM (*barely* on time for our 6:32 AM departure)!

Our Eurostar train left at 6:32, and arrived at Paris’ Gare du Nord station at 10:23 AM (Paris is one hour ahead of London GMT). We had trouble locating an ATM at the station, but eventually found one and proceeded to the cab queue outside the station. Our cab driver was *insane* (used bus lanes, race car maneuvers, swore in French at other motorists, made his own lanes, and nearly mowed down innocent pedestrians). Nevertheless, we arrived unscathed at the Hotel Britannique, (one of only two hotels that I didn’t use Priceline for) where we checked our bags at the front desk since it was too early to check in.

We left the hotel, bound for Notre Dame Cathedral, at noon. Notre Dame was only a short walk across the River Seine. We picked up an audio tour at the main entrance and wandered around this magnificent place for about 2 hours. Photography was not allowed inside, but we took away a great experience. After exiting the cathedral, we stopped to snack on store-bought croissants bought the night before from Marks & Spencer in London. We had lunch at Au Vieux Chatelet, which wasn’t very good. I had a late afternoon French “breakfast”, but they were out of croissants! Stacey had an very tough ham sandwich. We then checked into our hotel room, unpacked, and took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower station.

We decided to have a second attempt at lunch upon finding a sidewalk café along the Seine. This consisted of a baguette sandwich and Evian (of course) and was much better than our first experience! We took the 6 PM river cruise (Bateaux Parisiens) down the Seine past Notre Dame and back. The cruise photographers took a decent picture of the two of us, so we decided to go ahead and buy it. We left the boat dock and headed for the Eiffel Tower, where we went all the way to top observation area, then down to the second level, where we watched the sunset, and saw the lights of Paris illuminate. We stayed on the tower for over two hours, and had no desire to leave…but, eventually we got hungry!

After leaving the tower, we went to the metro, since we had planned on late French dinner in another part of the city. My metro card wouldn't work (though it *had* worked earlier in the day and was a multi-day pass). Since there was no one at the station to help with my problem, we ended up taking a cab to Cafe Beaubourg for dinner. Unfortunately, it was so late when we arrived that they would only serve us drinks. We decided to have some white wine before leaving to walk back to a restaurant closer to our hotel (le Zimmer), where we had dessert (mint ice cream, apple pie, beer), before crashing for the night (long day!).

Day 1: Travel/London

After weeks of preparation and a full day of packing, we left for London today!

Following a cab ride to the airport, we took the short flight from RDU to Charlotte (about 15 minutes in the air) to catch our *much* longer flight to London-Gatwick.

The flight to Charlotte was a little bumpy (and delayed), due to the remnants of Hurricane Katrina that were in the area, and the fact that it’s impossible to get above the storms at the low altitude allowed for a short flight.

Once in Charlotte, we made ourselves comfortable in the international terminal and had a couple of bagel sandwiches (scrumptious!) while awaiting the departure of our Airbus A330 to London. This flight, too, was delayed because of weather.

Once on board, we settled in for our 7.5 hour flight across the Atlantic. The lack of sufficient leg room and luggage storage was quite surprising, considering the overall size of the aircraft. Luckily, there was a vacancy in the center overhead compartment (across from our seats) for most of our luggage, and we were able to *cram* our tote bags under the seats (just barely). What else could possibly go wrong? Well, nothing major, but the video on demand system required a *30 minute* reboot during the flight…huh?

Our “dinner” consisted of typical airline food (soggy pasta and mystery meat were the delicacies of the day!)? Once our meal was served, we tried to get some sleep for the remainder of the trip, but the crying children a couple of rows behind us made that dream increasingly difficult!

Around 9 AM GMT (4 AM EST), we descended for our final approach to Gatwick. The weather was unusually clear for a London morning! Once on the ground, we went through customs and then to caught the Gatwick Express train to London’s Victoria Station (30 minutes). We decided to also buy a one day London Underground (“Tube”) Travelcard for to avoid making an extra stop for tickets at Victoria (we were very s-l-e-e-p-y!).

Upon arriving at Victoria, we took the Tube to Bond Street Station, near to our first night’s hotel (the London Marriott Grosvenor Square). I arranged almost all of our hotels through Priceline, which saved us well over $1000! Go me….getting deals is one thing that I’m known for. The Marriott was very nice, despite construction in the lobby, and the room was much larger than either of us expected. The front desk attendant allowed us to check in early, which was greatly appreciated since it allowed us the ability to shower before heading out for the afternoon. We decided in advance that we would resist the temptation to sleep in order to become acclimated to the new time schedule. Instead, we embarked on a double-decker bus tour from the Original London Bus Company. This provided a high-level overview of key London attractions and was very low-key for our tired selves. We first exited the bus at Westminster Abbey, where we followed Rick Steves’ tour from his self-named guidebook that we brought along. The Abbey was not at all crowded, which allowed us ample time to take in its breathtaking architecture and historical icons. From the Abbey, we once again boarded a similar bus and circled the city, stopping at Leicester Square for a bite to eat at an Italian Restaurant. This provided a good vantage for people-watching in this active part of the city. After dinner, we concluded the day with an evening cruise on the River Thames, which gave us a new perspective on the city and allowed us to wind down before our next busy day.

Katrina, Spare New Orleans!

I couldn't believe the following NWS advisory that I read for New Orleans today (I've never seen anything like it before).

Let's hope that NOLA is spared and that the following doesn't come true!

New Orleans is a great place...good luck to everyone there in getting through this difficult time.

WWUS74 KLIX 282139
NPWLIX

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW ORLEANS LA
413 PM CDT SUN AUG 28 2005

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS HURRICANE KATRINA CONTINUES TO APPROACH THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA...
...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

Pet Peeve - ATM Users

Ok, I have a new pet peeve...people that act like the ATM is their *personal* device!

There are two main groupings of such creatures:

1.> People who have multiple transactions (i.e. more than 3) and take an eternity to perform just one. They may even remove their card between transactions, tie their shoes, stretch, eat a cheeseburger, etc. (you get the idea).

2.> People that drive ahead of a drive-thru ATM, *park* and then proceed to get out of their vehicles and walk up to the ATM (in front of a line of cars). These people may also fall into category 1 above.

I have no use for either of these types of people and they are seriously rude to others in their actions. It seems that lately, I have had the lucky (unlucky?) timing of running into them at least 75% of the time.

Gas Prices Surpass $3

I read a story about this yesterday in USA Today. Gas prices have "comfortably" surpassed $3 in LA.

I'm guessing that it won't be long until $3/gallon gas spreads across the country. (It's already $2.59 in NC). Time to order the Prius...or better yet, a Honda motorcycle?

Congrats, Chris & Amanda!

I know this is a bit late, but I just wanted to say congratulations to Chris and Amanda!

Stacey and I were lucky enough to attend their wedding last weekend in Buffalo. It was great to see all our friends in the area and share in this happy event. It couldn't have been a more perfect day in WNY.

Chris and Amanda are now on their honeymoon in Hawaii (hope you're having fun, guys!). Best wishes in your new life together!

Off "The List"?

Well, I didn't have much confidence that online check in would work for tonight's flight (none, really).

I decided to try anyway like I always do. Needless to say, I was in shock when the system said my boarding pass was available and I could print it now! Huh? It has only been a week since my last flight and I could not print my pass then.

Maybe the TSA actually fixed the issue and took me off "The List"? Only time will tell...

10 Year High School Reunion!

This weekend was my 10 year high school reunion! Going into it, I really had no idea what to expect, but I knew one thing - I had to be there!

After flying into Philly around noon on Friday (flight slightly delayed), I picked up the rental car for the 4-hour drive to Elmira. This turned into a 5-hour drive due to an accident on I-81 near Scranton, PA. Once in Elmira, Stacey and I checked in at the hotel to get ready for the Friday night event, happy hour at the Pioneer Sports Bar (formerly the Old Pioneer).

I ran into a couple of old classmates while parking the car and then went into the bar. Once inside, it was great to see so many familiar faces - many that I haven't seen since graduation day!

We hung out at the OP until about midnight, at which time we went back to the hotel for some shut eye.

On Saturday, we tried to see the family during the day, though it's really hard to spend much time with anyone. Everyone is spread out across the area and we just didn't have much time. Before we knew it, we were out of time and needed to be at the "main event" for the reunion.

This was held at Bernie Murray's, a bar on Elmira's Southside that arguably has the best wings in the area (the Elbow Room is my personal favorite).
A DJ was there and a great buffet dinner was provided for the event. More people were able to make it to Saturday's event and I think we ended up with about half the class in attendance. I think that's a great turnout!

I think that I was able to talk to everyone at the reunion (at least for a while). That was my goal, so I feel good that (I think) I accomplished it. In high school, I was a little on the shy side (which I regret now), but people change and mature and I'm no exception. It was great to see what everyone is up to in their lives. I took some great pictures of those who were able to make it and (with Stacey's help) will get them posted, along with anyone else's who wants to share, to the NDHS alumni site.

On Sunday, we got Wegmans subs for lunch and then visited more family and the Corning Museum of Glass. I haven't been to the museum in about 15 years, so that was great to see again. After leaving the museum, we visited my brother and his family, as well as my dad, and had dinner at Tag's.

On Monday, we decided to leave early in case we ran into traffic on the way back to the Philly airport. This turned out not to be the case, as we made it in the 4 hours it should take. Little did we know we would end up regretting this early arrival. Due to thunderstorms and air traffic control delays, our flight back to RDU was delayed over 3 hours! Since we had arrived early, we spent almost 8 hours in the terminal before boarding our flight. That means that we could have DRIVEN back to Raleigh in only another half hour! Oh well, such is traveling in the summer.

All in all, I had a great time at my reunion and am glad I was able to make the trip. I know of others who really wanted to be there but could not be, so I am especially glad that it all worked out for me to be there!

Day at the Beach

I finally made it to the beach this weekend!

Yeah, I know the calendar says July, but it's been busy. At any rate, it was good to finally get there and just relax (if you call GMAT studying relaxing). I wish that I was staying for the whole week.

The water temperature was in the 80's and there were more people there than usual. It's amazing to see the continued growth of the area (Topsail Island). The trip was uneventful with the only exception being I narrowly escaped a speeding ticket on the way back (the highway patrol pulled over the guy that I passed). Note to self: NEVER leave the radar detector at home!

I-40 Widening Shot Down (Officially)

The finalized 2006-2012 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) was released yesterday.

Link

No surprise...the I-40 widening was shot down, and is only programmed for construction in "post years", meaning "some time after 2012". What an outrage!

The thing that really gets me is that they had the nerve to put in the following statement at the beginning of the document:

"The projects in the TIP reflect the voices of our citizens. During the development of this plan, NCDOT held a series of meetings across the state to gater public input. The 2006-2012 tim will help us fulfill Governor Mike Easley's vision for One North Carolina - a state where every community matters and every individual counts."

Yeah, right. Every individual counts? Why is it then that not a single one of the DOT meetings was scheduled in the Traingle Region? The closest was in Rocky Mount. I'll tell you why, beacuse the Traingle is where they took away over $300 million in funding for critical road projects and the DOT was AFRAID to hold a meeting here. Consequently, they scheduled it an hour away to minimize turnout.

The DOT obviuosly does not care about the needs of the driving public in the Triangle Region. Supposedly, the funding was reallocated to rural areas to be more equitable. Screw the rural areas, I say. The Traingle generates far more tax revenue than these areas, and that money should stay here. To neglect our own area for the sake of rural county "X" makes no sense whatsoever.

Great job, DOT. Maybe in 2012, traffic will be stopped all the way to Durham along I-40 due to your incompetence. I hope you take joy in the fact that you are responsible for not only serious traffic delays, but also the deaths of innocent motorists that could have been prevented.

Message to NCDOT

Below is the message that I sent to the NCDOT regarding the Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Hopefully, they get the message since neither of the division representatives responded to my direct email.

Hello,

I am writing to express my opinion regarding TIP Number I-4744, which relates to the widening of I-40 in Wake County from Wade Ave. to US 1/64.

I am dismayed that the DOT has not included the construction of this critical road segment in its draft version of the TIP and hope that it will reconsider this decision, given the extreme daily congestion caused by the bottleneck in this area as well as the number of traffic accidents occurring here.

This project would have a tremendous benefit for the entire Triangle region, and should not be delayed any longer. As a motorist who commutes daily along I-40 from West Raleigh to Durham, I can say that the problems in this area have only become worse in the past several years, and ignoring this critical 3 mile segment of I-40 will be a poor decision going forward, with the area's continued growth.

Thank you for hearing my concern as you work to finalize the TIP.

Raleigh City Council Meeting

Today I learned that there would be a meeting held at Raleigh city Hall to discuss which Raleigh road projects should be given priority to present to the NC DOT. Despite needing to go to the gym, I thought it was important to voice my concerns at this discussion. Luckily, I was able to go to the gym, get a shower, and make it to City Hall by the 7 PM start time.

I have never been to City Hall or a council meeting before, so I had no idea what to expect. Upon arriving, I picked up a copy of the meeting agenda and discovered that the road project discussion was at the end of the list of items to be covered. Most of the initial items were covered quickly.

When it came time to dicuss the Transportation Imrovement Plan (TIP) priority list, public comment was solicited. I expected many people to give feedback. As I looked around the room, however, NO ONE offered comment. At that point, I decided to go forward and express my concern over the I-40 widening from wade Ave to US1/64. If you have read my earlier post on this subject, you know that it's an important issue for me.

Despite listening to my concern (and agreeing this project is necessary, I think), the city council took the attitude that smaller, more neighborhood-specific projects should be at the top of the list. I think this is beacuse of the smaller dollar amounts required by such projects as well as the fact that they relate to areas well within the city limits.

This is unfortunate, but at least I expressed my opinion to the mayor and city council. Even though this stretch of I-40 runs right along the line of the Raleigh city limits, it is, in my opinion, the most critically needed road project in the Triangle. This is how many people coming to Raleigh travel, and the backups in this area have a definite impact on business and leisure travel to the city. Many Raleigh residents (myself included) experience the severe daily congestion and accidents caused by this 3-mile bottleneck.

After the council meeting had adjourned, I was interviewed by News 14 Carolina (cool) regarding my concerns. You can see the story and video at the following URL:

http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/?ArID=71726

CFUNITED : Final Day

Today was my final day in DC. After checking out of the hotel, Stacey and I abandoned our bags, and hit the White Flint Metro.

We debated about going to the Mall to a Smithsonian museum or the music festival they were having, but ultimately decided to go to the National Zoo since we had never been there before.

We got off the Red Line at Woodley Park and had lunch at Chipotle (Mexican). After lunch, we walked a couple blocks up Connecticut Ave to the zoo.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, given the mixed reviews I had heard in the past. Overall, it was pretty decent. I especially liked the Giant pandas *awesome*!

After the zoo, we took the Metro back to Bethesda to get in the car and head to Wegmans in Fairfax of the Beltway/I-66! You know it...Wegmans! This time, we bought a rolling Igloo cooler and stocked it up with Sahlen's hot dogs, and other assorted Wegmans specialties, of course. This was all after downing a Wegmans sub in the Market Cafe!

After leaving Wegmans, we hauled ass down I-95 (with all the other 4th of July traffic). Despite stopping around Lorton, Fredericksburg, and Ashland due to volume, we made ot from the Beltway to our driveway in exactly 4 hours (not too shabby for 280 miles!)

CFUNITED : Day 3

I started today with "CFMX Mobile SMS Applications Made Easy". It was interesting to see the possibilities opened with this functionality in CF 7. After this, I attended the House of Fusion's book auction in the sponsor area. I can't believe that more people didn't show up for this! Maybe it was because there was a session going on simultaneously? At any rate, I won a couple of good titles at very good prices. The most valuable to me professionally will be a SQL Server performance tuning book with a cover price of $50 that I won for $20.

Following the book auction, I attended to "CF in Government" session to see if there was anything valuable that would also apply to an educational environment, but there really wasn't. It turned out to be more of a marketing presentation than anything else. But, hey - free CF 10th birthday t-shirt to add to the collection! Lunch was next on the agenda.

After lunch, New Atlanta presented the keynote on Blue Dragon. I haven't really used it before, but it does have a lot of great features and is available for free (with limitations). I especially liked the advanced debugging features that are coming in a future release (most likely not free).

I closed the day with an overview of Farcry, a CF based CMS (free). For being free, Farcry has a ton of functionality and looks like it would be really cool for template driven sites.

The wrap-up was next. The remaining presenters (very few) were honored on stage as well as closing comments. Then came the prize giveways. I didn't win anything (forgot my survey) but Stacey won the biggest prize (a full version of CFMX 7 = $1200) after saying that she never wins anything! Go, Stacey!

CFUNITED : Day 2

Today opened with "Designing and Coding for Search Engines". This session pointed out several issues relating to how to improve your site's ranking, some of which I was aware of, others that I wasn't.

After this, I attended "SQL Server Performance Tuning", which I would say was the most relevant session to my current work projects. I felt like I would be happy if this session went on for the rest of the day, or better yet - a whole week!

The keynote was next - from Microsoft on the future of IIS. MS seems to be incorporating many of the features that Apache has had for years into its IIS 7 release, and it's about time! I particularly enjoyed the ability to monitor individual requests that will be part of the new IIS.

After lunch, I hit the gym again and took a break before going to "Consuming Popular Web Services". It was interesting to see how the incorporation of external data has evolved from screen scraping to SOAP and how everything seems to be moving in the direction of web services.

I closed the day's sessions with another search engine optimization presentation as well as an overview of Flash and .NET integration on the desktop before dinner (cool). After dinner, I went to the blog readers/writers BOF session (a bit late) followed by the CF birthday event on the terrace of the hotel. Free beer and wine, and cake! A busy, but good day!

CFUNITED : Day 1

Today started off with a great keynote about the direction of CF from Ben Forta and Tim Buntel, as well as a short overview of each of the presenters' upcoming sessions.

Following the keynote, I attended the CFML Developer's Guide to .NET and SQL Server 2005 for CF Developers before lunch. Both of these sessions had a heavy emphasis on the .NET platform and its evolving role as it tries to enhance (replace???) CF.

After lunch, I snuck in a workout and fixed a work problem before heading to part of the CSS Box Mocdel Demystified session. I missed most of the session.

Advanced SQL was next which was very helpful and gave me some good ideas. I ended the day with Advanced Regular Expressions, which will also be very valuable for me.

For dinner, we hopped on the red line to Metro Center and ate at the Capital City Brewing Company.

Developer Looks To Raise Raleigh Skyline

This 40-story building would be a couple of miles up the road! Maybe they should build it downtown instead?

Developer Looks To Raise Raleigh Skyline

RTP Drivers Spend More Money Commuting Than L.A. Drivers, Study Shows

From: WRAL.com

RALEIGH, N.C. -- People in the Triangle actually spend more money each year on their commute than people in Los Angeles, according to a recent study by Sperling's Best Places.

A recent study by Sperling's Best Places ranks Raleigh-Durham ninth on a list of most expensive places to drive.

The report ranks Raleigh-Durham ninth on a list of most expensive places to drive, with commuters spending over $4,100 annually on gas and driving 58.6 miles daily.

Several factors contribute to the Triangle's costly commute. About 78 percent of drivers do not car pool, which adds up to more cars on the road.

About 12 percent of the population works in a different county. And only 3.04 percent of commuters use public transportation, according to Sperling's.

Julie Woosley, director of Research Triangle Park's Smart Commute, said she is not surprised by the new study.

The transportation management association, which addresses common transportation concerns in RTP, conducts an annual survey of transportation in the area in which many large companies in Durham and Wake counties participate.

"We saw a 20 percent increase in distance that commuters travel everyday to get to work," Woosley said.

Sperling's study, which bases its findings on a typical family that has two wage earners commuting in separate vehicles, ranked Atlanta as the most expensive place for driving at just over $4,500 per year. Other cities earning a spot in the top ten included Birmingham, Nashville, Orlando, Indianapolis and San Francisco.

Fifteen Ways To Avoid A Good Southern Ass Whuppin

I heard this on the radio this morning and thought I would share (courtesy of G105)...

1. Don’t order filet mignon or pasta primavera at Waffle House. It’s just a diner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, they’ll kick your ass.

2. Don’t laugh at our Southern names (Merleen, Etta Mae, Tammy Lynn, Inez, Billy Joe, Sissy, Clovis, etc.) or we will just HAVE to kick your ass.

3. Don’t order a bottle of pop or a can of soda down here. Down here it’s called Coke. Nobody gives a flying rat’s ass whether it’s Pepsi, RC, Dr. Pepper, 7-Up or whatever, it’s still a Coke. Accept it. Doing otherwise can lead to an ass kicking.

4. We know our heritage. Most of us are more literate than you (e.g. Welty, Williams, Faulkner). We are also better educated and generally a lot nicer. Don’t refer to us as a bunch of hillbillies or we’ll kick your ass.

5. We have plenty of business sense (e.g. Fred Smith of Fed Ex, Sam Walton, Turner Broadcasting, MCI World Com, MTV, Netscape). Naturally, we do, sometimes, have small lapses in judgment (e.g. John Edwards, All Gore, Bill Clinton, David Duke). We don’t care if you think we are dumb. We are not dumb enough to let someone move to our state in order to run for the Senate. If someone tried to do that, we would kick his/her ass.

6. Don’t laugh at our Civil War monuments. If Lee had listened to Longstreet and flanked Meade at Gettysburg instead of sending Pickett up the middle, you’d be paying taxes to Richmond instead of Washington. If you visit Stone Mountain and complain about the carving, we’ll kick your ass.

7. We are fully aware of how high the humidity is, so shut the hell up. Just spend your money and get the hell out of here, or we’ll kick your ass.

8. Don’t order wheat toast at Cracker Barrel. Everyone will instantly know that you’re a Yankee. Eat your biscuits like God intended with gravy. And don’t put sugar on your grits, or we’ll kick your ass.

9. Don’t fake a Southern accent. This will incite a riot, and you will get your ass kicked.

10. Don’t talk about how much better things are at home because we know better. Many of us have visited Northern hellholes like Detroit Chicago, and DC, and we have the scars to prove it. If you don’t like it here, Delta is ready when you are. Mover your ass on home before it gets kicked.

11. Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don’t want to sound like you. WE don’t care if you don’t understand what we are saying. All other Southerners understand what we are saying, and that’s all that matters. Now, go away and leave us alone, or we’ll kick your ass.

12. Don’t complain that the South is dirty and polluted. None of OUR lakes or rivers have caught fire recently. If you whine about OUR scenic beauty, we’ll kick your ass all the way back to Boston Harbor.

13. Don’t ridicule our Southern manners. WE say sir and Ma’am. We hold doors open for others. WE offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected of civilized people. Behave yourselves around our sweet little gray-haired grandmothers or they’ll kick some manners into your ass just like they did ours.

14. So you think we’re quaint, or losers, because most of us live in the countryside? That’s because we have enough sense to not live in filthy, smelly, crime infested cesspools like New Your, Baltimore or Boston. Make fun of our fresh ari, and we’ll kick your ass.

15. Last, but not least, DO NOT Dare to come down here and tell us how to cook barbecue. This will get your ass shot (right after it is kicked). You’re lucky we let you come down here at all. Criticize our barbecue, and you will go home in a pine box, minus your ass.

Coldplay Kick Off 36-City Twisted Logic Tour In August!

Coldplay is coming to Raleigh! Bring on the presale!!!

MTV News - Coldplay Kick Off 36-City Twisted Logic Tour In August

U2 in Philly

This weekend, Stacey and I made the quick (55 min) flight to Philly for the U2 in concert at the Wachovia Center!

Needless to say, U2 did not disappoint! They kicked some serious ass! I would have to say that it was probably the best concert I've been to in my life!

If only I could see them at home in Dublin's Croke Park next month!

The stage was simply amazing, with special light effects, a cool, transparent "screen" comprised of hundreds, if not thousands of individual squares behind the stage, and a circular platform that allowed Bono and others to move out into the audience!

We flew from RDU on Saturday morning, and stayed at a hotel connected directly to one of the terminals at PHL (talk about convenience!). We then split a cab to the Wachovia Center with a nice couple that we met from the DC area. The concert got out around midnight and we tried to get a cab back to our hotel. This was easier said than done, since there were no cabs available in the area! We even tried calling several services and were told "I have no one in that area...sorry!". After about two hours (yes, two hours) we spotted our hotel shuttle that apparently was called by some other pissed off concert goers and was nice enough to take us back as well. There were probably 15 of us that piled into that thing (as opposed to being stuck on the street for the rest of the night).

The next day, after sleeping in, we spent the afternoon in South Philly, feasting on an original Philly Cheesesteak and checking out the waterfront area near Penn's Landing.

After an action packed 24 hours, we were back at the airport to catch our return flight back to Raleigh.

U2 rocks - Philly set list:

• City of Blinding Lights
• Vertigo
• Elevation
• Cry / Electric Co.
• An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart
• Beautiful Day
• Miracle Drug
• Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
• Love and Peace or Else
• Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Bullet The Blue Sky
• Running to Standstill
• Pride in the Name of Love
• Where the Streets have no Name
• One
• Zoo Station
• The Fly
• Mysterious Ways
• All Because of You
• Yahweh
• '40'

U2 Vertigo 2005 Tour

Wegmans!

This weekend, while in the DC area for Stacey's brother's college graduation, we stopped at Wegmans in Fairfax County!

For anyone not familiar with this store, it is simply awesome. There is no other grocery store that has all the features of Wegmans. Every time I go inside, I am reminded how superior they are.

I wrote a letter some time ago urging Wegmans to build a store in North Carolina, explaining how many transplants there are here and how well they would do with the demographics in the RTP area. I didn't get a response, but I hope that someone at their HQ takes notice. In the meantime, the 4 hour drive to DC isn't that bad and will be made several times per year to "load up" on the good stuff that only Wegmans can provide!

FACTS AND FIGURES THAT EXPLAIN WHY PEOPLE WILL DRIVE MILES TO A WEGMANS

Custard, anyone?

This will make me think twice about what is going on behind the scenes at the local custard shop...

Wilmington Man Finds Finger In His Frozen Custard

Smart House

I thought this was pretty cool! Duke has just broken ground on its Smart House project...

Check it out!

www.smarthouse.duke.edu

Garage - Under Control!

After spending last weekend completely tearing apart the garage, then cleaning it from floor to cieling with the shopvac, we picked up the remaining things to complete our organization project this weekend.

We stopped at Target and got a couple of hooks, and a new shelving unit. This will allow us to hang the bikes with the special racks we got from Organized Living!

Clutter-free garage, here we come!

NC to Grow 52% by 2030!

The latest census bureau forecasts have been released, and NC is expected to grow 52% by the year 2030. This will make NC the 7th largest state, surpassing OH, MI, NJ, and GA.

More specifically, Wake County is expected to gain 700,000 additional residents during this time and has already added 91,654 residents since 2000 (including the Rogans)!

What does all this mean? It means that we need to move ahead with adequate infrastructure planning NOW!

It is disappointing that I have not heard from either of my local DOT representatives, who I emailed over two weeks ago with my concerns. Apparently, being a "representative" requires you to ignore those you are supposed to represent?

Census Bureau Forecasts Continued Rapid Growth In N.C.

Growth since 2000 is robust in the Triangle

Adobe/Macromedia Merger Translation!

By now you have probably all heard about the Adobe/Macromedia merger that was announced earlier this week.

As is common with the merger/acquisition process, neither company can really say much at this stage.

An FAQ is really the only official document that exists at this point (and that really doesn't give any solid answers either).

I was emailed this translation of the "offical" FAQ into English from PR-Speak this morning and it is dead on! Check it out!

Translation From PR-Speak to English of Selected Portions of Adobe’s "FAQ" Regarding Their Acquisition of Macromedia

I-40 Widening

As anyone in the Raleigh area knows, traffic problems along I-40 in Wake County continue to multiply as our area experiences continued rapid population growth.

It is therefore disturbing that the DOT plans to cut approximately $300 million from our region's highway budget in its 2006-2012 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Projects such as the I-40 widening from Wade Ave to US1/64 in Cary, the widening of I-440 from Hillsborough St to US1/64, and the next leg of I-540 from NC 55 to Holly Springs will remain unfunded if the draft version of the TIP is allowed to pass.

Please contact the DOT to voice your opposition to this plan.

Contact DOT Triangle division representative

Sad...another death at the split:

Woman Dies In Wade Avenue Accident Near Westbound I-40

GMAT - Attempt 1

I really don't know what happened - but I failed miserably in my first GMAT attempt.

I scored a full 100 points lower than my practice test result (which is supposed to be a very accurate indicator of test day performance)!

I must have screwed up some of the initial questions, which can kill your possible score on the test overall.

Oh, well. I am not giving up! I will retake the test next month and will put all my effort in the meantime into preparing! Hopefully my next result will be at least 100-150 points higher! I need to get into Duke...

Niagara Returns to NCAA tourney!

My alma mater is returning to the NCAA tournament after 35 years!!

I love this quote:

"Here we are, little old Niagara, looking like Duke."

USA Today

Spring in NC!

Spring is here! It is going to be back in the 70's the next couple of days, and the daffodils are out. I saw them on the way into work this morning. Great running weather has returned!

Free iPod Shuffle

Ok, I know what you are thinking...this can't be legit. Well, this site actually is legit as verified by several independent sources.

Here is one: Wired Magazine

You need to sign up, complete an offer and then have 3 people do the same, using your referral ID. As long as this prcoess is followed, you will be shipped an iPod Shuffle.

The offers to complete vary, but most involve signing up for something on a trial basis (usually 30 days). As long as you cancel before the trial period ends (and remain signed up for a minimum period - usually 7 days), you don't get charged anything, or if you do it is only a token amount ($1 for example). I recommend the Buyer's Advantage. It is $1 for a 30 day trial and you also get a $20 Circuit City gift card. Just rememember to cancel before the 30 days (leave yourself a post-it note). They are counting on people to forget and this is where they make their money!

If anyone would like to help me out, I only need two more referrals (thanks, Rick!)....

You need to sign up through this URL in order for me to get credit:

http://www.FreeiPodShuffle.com/?r=14797578

Thanks!

Update: Thanks to Matt for being my last referral! As soon as I get credit for this, I can request my free iPod Shuffle!

The Aviator

Last weekend, Stacey and I went to see the Aviator for my birthday. I have been waiting to see this movie for a while now and am glad that I finally got the chance to see it!

I thought that the movie was well acted, but seemed a bit long. I really enjoy aviation so the storyline was definitely appealing to me. Also, I am not by any means a Leonardo fan but he did a great job in the role of Howard Hughes.

I would highly recommend this movie!

Running Again!

It has been well over a month since I last ran (at Kiawah Island) on December 11.

Today, I finally got back at it after being cleared last week to run again.

I only ran a couple of hours at the Duke trail today but it does feel great to be back at it! More to come! The 60 degree weather today sure helped to get me motivated!

The Worst Commute Of My Life

It all started very innocently yesterday. It was supposed to be a cold day (for NC) with highs in the 20's and a chance of flurries. No accumulation was forecast. Yeah, I know...flurries! So what, you say? Well, that's what I was thinking until yesterday afternoon.

The supposed flurries arrived just before noon. The problem was that these flurries did not go away - they got stronger and stronger, until there was a general heavy snowfall. It lasted for over two hours and ultimately covered not only the grassy surfaces and buildings, but every untreated roadway in the Triangle with over two inches of the white stuff.

Panic ensued.

The first thing to happen was the local schools announcing that they were closing early. Bear in mind that the Wake County Public School System alone is one of the largest systems in the country with over 100,000 students. With this unexpected snow event, where were the students to go and who was to pick them up?

More panic.

Parents heard about the schools closing, looked outside and freaked out. A mass exodus of employees all around the area soon followed, and by 2 PM, everyone and their brother was on the roads. Problem? You bet - no one here knows how to drive in icy or snowy conditions! Bigger problem? The DOT, only expecting flurries, was nowhere to be found. Hundreds of accidents followed and total gridlock soon spread throughout the Triangle like wildfire. Accidents brought traffic to a halt. Authorities could not get to the scenes to clean them up. The DOT now could not spread salt or sand if they wanted to. All major roadways were at a standstill, and most secondary roadways are only accessible from one of these prime thoroughfares (I-40, I-440, I-540, US-70, NC-147, NC-54). All of these roads were now at a dead stop.

What now?

Chaos was now the word of the day. As the afternoon wore on, all remaining commuters decided to hit the roads. They had nowhere to go, however, since those who left early were going nowhere fast. I was one of them. I decided it was better to stay later than leave early and be out with all the idiots.

I checked the WRAL traffic cams before heading out around 4:15. Of course, all the traffic cams on my route showed total gridlock and I heard on the radio to avoid I-40 at all cost. I planned accordingly and decided to go one of the back ways to Raleigh. Apparently, so did everyone else.

As I began my journey onto NC-147, I quickly came to a dead stop after only being on the road for about a mile. Since there was no end in sight to the traffic ahead of me, I decided to exit the highway and head for US-70 Business, another way to get home from Durham. The roads in downtown Durham were in good condition and relatively traffic free. Once I got to the intersection with US-70 Business, however, traffic came to a stop. This road, too, had fallen victim to gridlock. I reluctantly awaited my turn to enter the stopped roadway. This was the only viable alternative. Two hours later, I had traveled as far as Brier Creek, just barely inside of the Wake County line. I assumed it would get better from here. I was wrong. The roads quickly turned to a sheet of ice. Drivers who had been on the roads for hours were now tired. Some, who had slid off the road, abandoned their vehicles - both on and off the roadway. Others who ran out of gas did the same. Others were taking bathroom breaks in the median. Just to give some perspective, it took an hour to get from Brier Creek plaza to the Angus Barn, which is less than a mile.

I ended up taking the Ebenezer Church (aka ice skating rink) shortcut since it had almost been 5 hours when I reached its turnoff. I decided it was worth the risk to avoid probably at least another two hours sitting on the road. There were about 30 abandoned cars/trucks and 4 deer on and off the sides of the road and it was pretty much a solid sheet of ice with patches of black ice thrown in on the bare patches.

By the time I got in the garage, it had been 5 hours and 20 minutes since I pulled out of the Duke parking lot. Unbelievable. My previous record was 3 and a half hours driving to work in Buffalo during a blizzard! Who would have thought that this record would be surpassed by measly flurries? Only in NC!

Unfortunately, I was not the worst case scenario. Others were stuck in their cars for upwards of 12 hours and a coworker of mine took over 7 hours to get home.

See other horror stories at WRAL.com

CNN - Surprise Snow Stuns North Carolina

Welcome, Ripley!

Ripley, our new cat, is now home with us (well, sort of - he is currently quarantined in the guest bathroom)!

We picked him up from Second Chance Pet Adoptions here in Raleigh earlier this week.

He is very affectionate and never stops purring! Tasha is not yet a fan, but I think that's primarily because she doesn't quite know what is behind the door.

It could be an evil space alien for all she knows :0)

We are keeping the two of them apart for now so that they can get used to each other slowly instead of throwing them in the ring for a bitchy cat fight.

No-Fly List

I found out this weekend when traveling to NY that my name appears on the one of the TSA's "lists", the "Selectee List". Although this is not as bad as being on the full fledged "No Fly List", it means that my boarding pass will be stamped with a special "S", or Scarlet Letter upon checking in - if the airline rep gets the "OK" when they call in for approval to issue it. I will be subjected to additional security measures every time I fly.

This is ridiculous. I am obviously not a threat to this country. This is just another example of how incompetent our government is in dealing with the real terrorist threat.

After doing some research with my friend Google, I was able to determine that the "Selectee List", currently administered by the TSA, is sent to each of the airlines individually on a scheduled basis. It is then up to the airline to import the data into their own reservations systems (i.e. Sabre) and conduct matching of the TSA data to passenger names following their own protocols. The scary part of this is that name matching is the only thing going on here. Would anyone design a database using "name" as a primary key? I don't think so. Why? Because there can be more that one
individual with the same name, so it is not a unique identifier. Apparently this simple logic is lost on the TSA.

My best guess as to why my name appears on this list is that there is another Michael Rogan from Northern Ireland that is an accused terrorist in a car bombing case. He is in custody, however, so I'm not sure why the name would be on the TSA's list.
How does one get off this list, you ask?

Good question. I was rudely told by the US Airways representative at RDU International that she has no information on that, that I would need to contact "the FAA or someone in the government". Gee, thanks for the help. I will laugh at your sorry ass standing in the unemployment line with the other US Airways employees later this week!

In reality, she was actually sort of correct in her idiotic statements. There really is no established procedure to get one's name off either the "No Fly" or "Selectee List". I found several cases of individuals that have been trying unsuccessfully for months or sometimes longer to get their names stricken from the lists. Who has been successful? Well, Sen. Ted Kennedy, for one. But, it took him 3 or 4 phone calls to his connections at Homeland Security to finally get his name removed.

I am not going to let this matter rest until my name is removed from the "Selectee List". It is both embarrassing and humiliating to be subjected to these unnecessary measures in the plain view of other passengers.

I have contacted the TSA to launch an inquiry into why my name appears on their list and have requested my removal. They said that I will be receiving "a letter" in the mail. In the meantime, I just learned that a law was signed into effect just before the holidays that mandates the TSA to allow appeals to names that are on either list.

See Washington Post article on this new law.

Relevant links:
Hundreds Report Watch-List Trials (Washington Post)

Duke University Professor Finds Himself on the 'No-Fly' List (ABC 11 - Raleigh)

Clark County Schools Chief Name on TSA No-Fly List (Channel 3 - Las Vegas)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope that everyone is ready for 2005 and had a great holiday season!

Is it summer already? It has been unusually warm here in Raleigh for the past week and is expected to reamin this way throughout the 10 day extended forecast. What is unusually warm? How about 75-80 degrees?! Definitely not early January weather...

The National Weather Service says it all:

...RECORD EVENT REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 420 PM EST TUE JAN 4 2004
... RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE SET AT THE RALEIGH DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT...

THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT THE RALEIGH DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR JANUARY 4TH WAS 76 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 75 DEGREES FOR THIS DATE... WHICH WAS RECORDED IN 1950 AND 1997.

To everyone in Raleigh, enjoy!