Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas - however you spent it - and wish you all the best in 2009!

This was indeed a rough year for many but hopefully 2009 will bring better things!

One Laptop Per Child

Looking for a great holiday gift idea that can really make a difference?

Skip the typical barrage of clothes, jewelry, and gadgets and donate in a loved ones name to One Laptop per Child instead.

It's really easy using Amazon at amazon.com/xo and your gift will help children in the developing world unlock their full potential through education.

Google map of contributors

NYT Op-Ed - China’s Rise Goes Beyond Gold Medals

This New York Times Op-Ed piece presents a good viewpoint.

After studying China in-depth at Duke and then visiting the country for several weeks, it is clear to me that the relationship between China and the rest of the world will dominate geopolitical relationships in the foreseeable future.

China’s Rise Goes Beyond Gold Medals

US News: Duke University 8th-best college in US

Go Duke!

As a recent grad alum, it's great to see Duke continuing to excel in national rankings...motivation to pay those pesky grad school loans!

wbt.com - US News: Duke University 8th-best college in US

For Olympics, Lenovo Steps Up to World Stage

Today's NY Times featured a great article on the rise of computer maker Lenovo.

Lenovo is doing some pretty amazing things (not the least of which is making the best laptops on the planet)!

For Olympics, Lenovo Steps Up to World Stage

Chinese Food...or Not?

I originally heard about this a week or so ago on NPR.

Jennifer 8. Lee (yes, her middle name is 8 - a Chinese lucky number) recently wrote a book called The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food which describes the varying forms of Americanized Chinese food and how much they differ not only from one another but also from authentic Chinese food.

I can vouch for that! There is certainly no General Tso's Chicken to be found in Beijing or Shanghai!

Here's the story...

Newsweek : Lo Mein Street, U.S.A.

Meosphere US Cities You've Visited

If you haven't ever checked out Meosphere, you really should. It's a place to list all the things you've done, places you've been, etc. and then get a snapshot of it all.

Here's a taste (major US cities visited)...

2008 New Year's Resolutions

Here's my top 5 list (otherwise known as the 5 NY resolutions that I'm making public)...

1. Be more earth friendly.
2. Learn Mandarin Chinese.
3. Read more books.
4. Blog more often.
5. Run more and complete another half marathon

I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous 2008!

Happy 2008

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2008 is to blog more often...so I'm starting on the first day of the year!

I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve celebration and wish you all the best in 2008. It looks to be an exciting year at the Rogan house, now that the Duke MBA program is in the past.

2007 was a good (but crazy) year and I'm looking forward to what 2008 will bring!

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays, everyone!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and great new year!

Free iPod Touch 16 GB!

You can get a FREE 16 GB iPod Touch and help me get one in the process! All you need to do is click the link below and sign up (choose referrals) and complete one of the offers shown. Then, get some of your friends to do the same.

It's not a scam. This company really does send free products as long as the offers are completed.

Get your free iPod Touch!


http://www.YouriPodTouch4free.com/index.php?ref=4159826

I'm Back!

The subject line pretty much says it all...I've returned from a long "blog vacation"!

What can I say? I've just been completely swamped with the end of the Duke MBA program, an exciting trip to China and East Asia, and last (but certainly not least) an awesome cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate the end of classes!

I have much to share and will try my best to catch everyone up in the days ahead with my newfound free time!

I hope you're all doing great!

The Members Project

American Express is giving cardmembers the opportunity to decide how to spend its money on a worthy cause (up to $5 million).

$1 will be donated by AMEX on behalf of each cardmember simply by registering at the Members Project site (free).

You then can vote for your project choice from the top 5 finalists (all ideas have been submitted by other cardmembers). My choice is shown below.

Raleigh: Third Hottest Job Market in USA

Raleigh was recently designated as the third hottest job market in the USA by Business 2.0...Charlotte was fourth.

From Business 2.0's Raleigh Ranking:

"Raleigh-Durham remains America's top region for tech workers--and is expected to keep expanding faster than other tech hubs like Boston, San Francisco, and Seattle. Last year the metro matched the job-creation record it set in 2000 by adding 38,000 new positions. "This year is going to come in almost as high," predicts Wachovia senior economist Mark Vitner. Like Washington, Raleigh-Durham has a large public-sector base that helps protect it from economic slumps. But its economy is more diverse than Washington's, with expansion in pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotech, and financial services. Raleigh's cost advantages keep drawing more top employers. This fall Fidelity Investments will open a $100 million tech center that will add 2,000 jobs, and Silicon Valley-based Network Appliance is expanding its operations division here. "Raleigh is cheaper," Vitner says, "and has one of the most highly educated workforces in the country."

Business 2.0 - America's Hottest Jobs

George Smith - Dedication at Duke Gardens

This morning, the Duke community dedicated a planting bed in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens to my colleague and friend, George Smith.

We lost George on June 4, a little over 3 weeks ago (see related entry below).

George loved the Duke Gardens and it was a fitting tribute to honor him permanently in this special place.

Garden for George

Sharper Image - Free $20

From today's USA TODAY, here's a link to save $20 off any $60 purchase at the Sharper Image (can be used online, in-store, or by phone)!

Enjoy

Free $20 Coupon

George Smith - We Will Not Forget You

One week ago today, an unthinkable chain of events occurred.

I left for work, as usual, out of our subdivision and onto I-40 West. Before leaving, I ran back into the house looking for my gym clothes and the XM Radio that arrived the Friday before. As a result, I was running about 5 minutes later than I had wanted to.

Anyway, I eventually proceeded onto the I-40 West ramp. Strangely, I noticed that other cars were reversing up the ramp. I was upset that because I was a few minutes late, I now had to deal with a traffic backup. I almost hit the cars who were in reverse. Bizarre.

Of course, traffic was at a standstill at the bottom of the ramp - unusual for this early in the morning. It was 7:17 AM and emergency vehicles were rushing by me on the right shoulder.

Inching my way along, at 7:37 I had traveled 3/4 of a mile in 20 minutes and had reached the accident site. It looked *very* bad and I tried to snap a picture of the scene (while still stopped) on my Treo 700p. I also looked at the site closely as I finally passed it to the left. I saw a silver car with serious front end damage and remember thinking that someone was seriously hurt - I felt really bad for those involved.

Of course, once I got beyond the scene, I managed to get to work about 20 minutes later (though it took about an hour in total). Stacey called me when I arrived at work to see if I was OK, since she had heard about the accident.

When I got to my office, I immediately began to scour online news sources to find out what had happened. Little did I know what would ultimately end up being revealed.

Details slowly emerged...and a couple of hours later a vehicle and age description of my friend and coworker down the hall, George Smith, were published. My heart sank. I felt sick. I could not believe what was happening. If I had not taken the extra few minutes to go back into the house, it could have been me. The tragic accident had happened at 7:15 AM, only 2 minutes before I entered I-40.

More than anything, though, the realization hit me that Goerge was gone. I cannot describe it as anything other than surreal.

As I drove past the scene today (I went around it the rest of last week), I imagined being George and trying to anticipate the moves of the driver in the opposing lanes across the median. Bottom line? It's impossible. With the traffic volume and speed combination at that hour (very busy but still moving fast), you really can't focus on a specific car that far away without risking hitting the car in front of you. Poor George...he never would have seen the car coming at him.

Over the course of the past week, I served in George's funeral and have had a first-hand experience of the void left behind from his death. Lesson? Life is short, (too short) and I think that most people (myself included) tend to forget that reality. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Story (Raleigh News & Observer)

Irish Funeral Blessing - Dedicated to George

Death is nothing at all

I have only slipped away into the next room

I am I, and you are you.

Whatever we were to each other

That we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name

Speak to me in the easy way which you always used

Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes

We enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me,

Let my name be ever the household word that

It always was.

Let it be spoken without effort,

Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant

It is the same as it ever was

There is absolutely unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am

Out of sight? I am but waiting for you

For an interval

Somewhere very near

Just around the corner.

All is well.


Canon Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)

Northern Ireland Deal Becomes Reality

A historic power sharing agreement between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein took effect today in Northern Ireland.

I hope this will mark the beginning of a new era for Ireland, only to be improved upon by generations to come.

CBS News - Historic N. Ireland Deal Becomes Reality

American Airlines Rolls Out Portable Entertainment System

USA TODAY reports that AA is rolling out portable entertainment devices as an alternative to traditional seatback units.

If only this could also receive and display the flight path, position, and outside temperature like the regular systems...I would be happy!

The unreleased movie content is a great idea to win over those who already have movies on another device (or those with dead batteries)!

Too Much Good Food!

The unlimited culinary delights of the R. David Thomas Center buffet during MBA class weekends at Duke finally took its toll on my waistline.

I gained somewhere between 10 and 15 pounds since the start of the program a little over a year ago!

Needless to say, I need to shed these pounds to avoid replacing last summer's clothes. It's already getting *hot* in NC (yesterday was our first 90+ degree day of 2007)!

So, I've been following the South Beach Diet for a little over two weeks now. It helps that my chicky is also following the diet to keep me in line. So far, I've lost 8.2 pounds overall!

Of course, since I'm an MBA student, I *must* include a graph of my progress. Funny...it looks a little like Enron's stock price before its total collapse!