Mandir, The largest Hindu Temple in … Houston?

I had the pleasure of working with a couple of gents on my last engagement in Houston who kept me laughing even through the rough patches. That’s one of the best ways to deliver success in my opinion. One of the other positives that I got from this particular trip was a little Indian cultural education.
Our technical genius, Sahadev, suggested Pete and I accompany him to a temple he had found. No religious agenda, no ritual requirement type things. He just knew of our interest in learning, world religions and architecture. It was hands down the coolest thing I saw while in Houston.
From their visitor pamphlet:

Mandir [A place of paramount piece]

Welcome to the first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in North America. Experience hours of discovery and enjoyment at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. The Mandir is a masterpiece of intricate design and workmanship, replete with its 5 towering white pinnacles, 12 smooth domes and glittering 136 marble pillars. Over 33,000 pieces of Italian marble and Turkish limestone were hand-carved by skilled craftsmen and assembled by volunteers in just 16 months. Ancient Indian arts, traditions and philosophy have been encompassed in this house of devotion and worship that is a testimony to human commitment. The Mandir opened to all after the Murti-Pratishtha ceremony was performed by his Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on July 25, 2004.

Wow, that’s a lot to digest. So let’s break it down this way. Top 10 things I learned from Sahadev and company that trip, in no particular order:

1) There is symbolism to the architectural domes and peaks – They represent the mountains as the saints meditate in mountainous regions and temples are supposed to provide such environments on entry.
2) I’m not a huge fan of authentic Indian candies – at least the one I had that night (sorry SK).
3) There were several animal/human forms depicted throughout the temple. The elephant God, who helps in preventing obstacles, is Lord Ganesha who is the son of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati. Those figures with musical attachment represent the importance of music associated with the religion. Some of the Gods and Goddesses sported their own musical instruments. Goddess Saraswati plays Veena, a string instrument, and Lord Krishna plays flute…
4) Indian music is much more tonal than rhythmic – in some cases. And Sahadev’s brother is one heck of a vocalist (Sahadev wouldn’t let me hear him sing himself, but from what I hear, he’s not too shabby either.)
5) There was a side chamber where men and women entered separately below the structure. We removed our shoes and walked into a type of shrine. There was a small figure in a fountain representing the young Swami Narayan (known as Neelkanth Varni) who is the founder of the Swami Narayan Sect. We each took a vessel, poured water over the head of the figure – a symbolic prayer/offering for spiritual upliftment and fulfilment of wishes. So far, mine is still being answered – it’s an ongoing hope.
6) You must wear pants! (Pete, I’m looking at you). But they will provide a wrap if needed. Just don’t try to leave with it. (I’m still looking at you Pete).
7) Only take pictures from behind the reflecting pool. Much like any other religious facility, there is a decorum that accompanies any sacred place. Play nice people.
8) Each Swami is the sect leader starting from the first one to the current leader and hence their religious status.
9) Hindu temple tour guides are some of the coolest people ever. I think this guy we had spent maybe an hour with us. No hand out for a tip, no hustle you through, just a volunteer who wanted to educate. That’s a pretty cool community where people gives of themselves just to pass on what they have learned to those who ask to know.
10) Rules surrounding what Sahadev prefers to eat are so both binding and liberating. Many places, he was limited to an appetizer and a dessert. Insanity… or Genius?! I’ll let you decide.
Want to check it out yourself? Here is the Houston Mandir’s Site.

Or if you are in India, Sahadev suggests you check out the largest temple in New Delhi, India.

Thanks for the experience (and help with this post) Sahadev!

Where I Ate: City: Philadelphia, PA - Episode 1

So I’m back in PHL, waiting for the flight gods to grant me permission to embark on yet another trip home. (Please keep your fingers crossed). I’m getting ready for food week. Turkey, Stuffing, um… well, that’s enough for me for a week probably. I started thinking about my first few weeks working here in Philly. I’m working with someone who is even more into trying new restaurants that I am – imagine my joy! And we’ve put a hurting on the Frommers/Zagat/Family and Friend Recommendations list. PLEASE send me any recommendations you have. That’s where a lot of the best meals come from. Unless you don’t like me, then keep it to yourself ; )

This Post’s Highlight City: Philadelphia, PA

After my post on Houston eating, I learned not to try to memory dump this stuff and have been keeping rather up-to-date records of my culinary crusading. And with the proliferation of fine establishments that promise to fill the next few months, I thought I’d better do this locale on the installment plan. Overall, there have been a bunch of reasonably priced, really delicious foods that have crossed the pallet thus far. Here’s the first batch:

Fast Food

Here’s the standards list: I characterize fast food much like my mother does – I have to unwrap it. Usually wait in a queue, national chains, multiple states have them.

Wawa – Kind of a 7/11 with a custom sandwich shop. Hit the spot after a day of travel. Though I did expect a different condiments set to come recommended on a Philly Cheesesteak…in Philly. Where’s the Whiz?

Subway – As expected from one of the largest national chains. Actually got to sit outside and eat. Nice change of pace.

Au Bon Pain – Breakfast and lunch. Good breakfast sandwiches, tasty but small lunch items. I really need to have a combo (two sandwiches or soup and sandwich) to be satisfied, much like at Pot Belly’s in Houston.

Dunkin Donuts – Many of my breakfast spots have one thing in common – some breaded device covered in Egg, Cheese and a big honkin slice of meat. No real shock here. Standard.

Faunbrook Catering – A woman with a lunch table set up in the building next door to the Exton Office (outside of Philly). Really tasty sandwiches – Pastrami Reuben, Good sized Salads – Try the Pork Stewp (Stew and Soup). Really good on a cold day. Sandwich, Soup and Chips for $7? Seriously? Sweet!

Primo Subs – Go find this place. Good authentic east coast hogies and subs. I have been here a couple of times already. Small, standing-room-only waiting area at the one by me. But it’s worth it. Try the Sicilian, or my favorite thus far: the Suprimo. This is my kinda sandwich. Just be prepared if you order the “Whole” portion: “Do you really want all of that?” Um. Yes. All three times…

Papa John’s – Ahhh, the old college standby. To be fair, I was watching Monday Night Football, so I really just wanted to veg out and nosh on something familiar. Mission accomplished (sans banner and flight suit).

Potbelly’s – Like a shining beakin through the mist… a familiar sign of comfort and quality. I found it accidentally on my way back to the hotel from the R5 Suburban St Station. On 17th I think. Wreck and Italian please. I may start the Potbelly’s tour and just go location to location like a Dave Matthews Band groupie.

Gia Pronto Café – Across the street from the office (yes, I know you’re zoning in on my client… keep trying). There wasn’t a clear line or way to order, and the folks working seemed content to let me stand there and not be waited on… so I probably won’t be back. It’s a shame, because I liked the paninis. Try the Panini Gia Pronto (I always assume the sandwich named for the place should be good. The Panino Prosciutto is also tasty. But then, anything with Prosciutto is tasty.

The Corner Bakery Café – Breakfast for me please. Apparently the difference between the Smoked bacon and Cheddar Panini and the Commuter Croissant (aside from the ingredients) is foil. Both were delicious, though I should have grabbed some condiments. I would recommend asking for all thing you are taking to-go to be wrapped. The Plastic just allows for steam to make things soggy (don’t get me started on burger side dishes). A place I would go back to, but I would try something different.

Mid Range Places:

These were places I needed to order from a menu, but could sit down and have my food brought to me.. But you still get paper napkins and plastic “we don’t care if you steal it” cutlery:

SaladWorks – Yep, that’s right fair readers… I had a salad for lunch. Walked to the restaurant too. I’m darn near healthy this trip ; ) Good sized portions. Had the Honey BBQ Chicken Salad. No caffeine free drinks in the soda machine – weird. They have sandwiches / panini’s too.

Ruby Tuesday’s – Right across from the hotel. I do love me a good all you can eat salad. Wait staff wasn’t great. Very friendly, but no drink refills and they never brought my additional condiments back in 25 minutes. The food was good though – as expected.

Monk’s Café and Tavern – Highly recommended and well worth it. Not only is this a Belgian restaurant with fantastic food, but they sure know how to pair a meal with a beer. “A Delerium for my friend, and I’ll have a Chimay Blue please.” That earned me some ‘he may know what he’s talking about after all’ points me thinks. I had the cheek appetizer and a veal sandwich. Leave room for dessert. You won’t be disappointed.

Upper Crust-ier Type Joints:

These were nicer places. Linen on the table, you feel under-dressed in jeans and/or without a jacket. Probably not places I would try if I couldn’t charge it in after fasting for breakfast and lunch to save up the Per Diems.

La Viola – Small Italian one room place – maybe 20 tables, seemed to be run by a family. Delicious Antipasta Mista (check for the specials). I had the Chicken stuffed with Spinach and Cheese. Wonderful. Don’t forget to pick up your bottle of wine before you come in – this place is BYOB.

Penang in Chinatown – Nice Malaysian Place (I guess anyway, it was my first time at one). I apparently like Mee Siam – whatever it is. And the wings are good. Look for the Pancakes (especially if you get a seat near the kitchen) very cool preparation method by guys who have been doing this for a while.

Byblos – Great little place that apparently turns into a hardcore Mediterranean / Middle Eastern night club in the wee hours. I tried the Babaganoush, Saganaki (Ooo-pah!), Mee-sookah (pretty sure that’s spelled wrong). Interesting Moorish architectural/design motif as well. I’m told the Huka Pipe is something to experience… I’ll just watch from over here.

Alma de Cuba – Cuban place. Tried the Pistacio encrusted Rack of Lamb on the bed of mixed grees, Mofala and Chorizo. Um… YUM! The Fire and Ice Ceviche (Special that night) was also delicious – and I’m not what you would call a seafood guy. If you get a chance to get out here (especially on someone else’s dime) I recommend.
Watch for more from Philly!

Where I Ate: City: Houston, Texas

Warning: This may be the longest thing I’ve written since College – If you want to skip to the good stuff, scroll down and work backwards. Though, I think you’ll be ready for a meal if you start at the top and head down at a normal pace.

As I sit in Philadelphia’s wonderful airport (actually, the airport is quite nice – lots to do and an abundance of power outlets – it’s just the on-time service that sucks), I’ve found another good establishment to nosh on some vittles while I await the inevitable return to the home state. I started thinking about my last engagement. I manage to get to a number of different eating establishments when I travel for work.While I haven’t built up a good list yet (though I’m well on my way this trip already), I’ll start you off, fair reader, with the highlights from my last traveling gig:

This Post’s Highlight City: Houston, Texas

From memory, this is a pretty comprehensive list of the establishments I frequented. I challenge Sahadev and Pete to find holes in the places I ate with them. Some are pretty standard; some are a bit off the beaten path. For the most part, I've gotten better about getting outside of my comfort zone, while still being sensitive to cost… for all our sakes, that’s a good idea.

Random Bar:

First, a shout out to a very cool place I never would have found on my own. My cousin D happens to be a bartender while attending school in Houston at a place called Dean’s Clothiers. I loved the vibe of this place. Live Music, Inventive combination of History and Invention for the Décor (especially love the bathroom wallpaper – no joke) and of course, the staff is friggin cool as sh…ifting gears:

On to the food Jeeves!

Fast Food

Here’s the standards list: I characterize fast food much like my mother does – I have to unwrap it. Usually wait in a queue, national chains, multiple states have them.

McChevron – A McDonald’s/Chevron Station/Convenience store – All your gassy needs in one place. While I have only seen McD’s combined with a Walmart before, I still classify this as Chain food – Quality as expected.

Sonic: This was my first time there. I’ve been watching the commercials from Cleveland for about 3 years now, and I finally get my chance! … Eh [insert shoulder shrug with palms up] Food was ok, but service was so-so. Slow, no condiments offered or brought to the car (and no way to order them). Pricey for a quick burger. The get a ‘Push’ – They get one more shot just in case it was a bad day.

Panda Express: My weekly dose of Sweet and Sour chicken – As Expected – ask for extra sauce. My first attempt at General Tso’s – he’s a top five commissioned officer choice.

Pizza Hut – Not much that varies here, advertised as a sit down place, but no lunch buffet, Still: tasty, quick, hit the spot.

Domino’s - Ditto, but they need to figure out how to process a credit card online. If I don’t want to talk to someone, I sure don’t want to talk to them 3 times to give them my money. Still… it’s pizza, always a crowd pleaser.

Burger King – The crown lives on – and they’re open REALLY late. Thanks for that. As Expected.

Cici’s Pizza: Have to keep this in the lower eschelon due to quality. I preferred the old school Pizza Hut buffet, when it was a novelty, busy, and the pizzas turned quickly. This stuff got cold. Salad and pasta were cool, but there were only 2 varieties of pizza I went back to. If you are going to go here – go when it’s busy. It’s good then. Otherwise it’s ‘next morning, coffee table’ pizza.

Panera: Another standard for good, quick lunch. I rarely get anything other than the Frontega chicken, an Asiago bagel with Veggie Cream Cheese, and a huge honkin water… why mess with success?

Mid Range Places:

These were places I needed to order from a menu, but could sit down and have my food brought to me.. But you still get paper napkins and plastic “we don’t care if you steal it” cutlery:

Hilton Garden Inn – In this grouping only because of my criteria. Good expansive breakfast, Room service is OK. About average for a hotel.

Random Chinese place…first day on our own lunch: didn’t catch the name of this place, but it was our first day on site. Wait staff wasn’t terribly friendly, no free refills on 12 oz soda’s (start of a nasty trend) and the portions weren’t really sizable. For the price – which was also small – I should have ordered two portions. Not bad, not great – plenty of room to improve next time… and so it did.

The Mexican place that didn’t speak English – 45 and Sam Houston Parkway – Terrific Authentic Mexican food. Make sure you can translate (which I was able to due to 4 years in High School and years of being ridiculed by my central/south American architecture compatriots). Highly recommend the enchiladas.

Pappa’s on Westheimer – True Texas Barbeque. Pappa’s are all run by the same family, from what I am told, each family member has a different branch. Good stuff, BIG portions, a little more vinegary that my tastes would first choose, but BBQ is like an Operating System and College Football – no manner of convincing will make you change your mind as to what you like. Overall, thumbs up. Try the Carrot Cake – no joke.

Pot Belly’s : By far the best “I wish I’d known there was one of these here from day one” stumbleupon’s of the trip. I have had these in Chicago and DC. Get the Wreck… and the Italian… maybe a couple others. My ONLY criticism is that the sandwiches are relatively small for what I like in a deli-type sandwich.

Pappadeux (At the airport) – Relative of Pappa’s. Almost moved up to the next category, but being an airport… paper and plastic. Great burgers, tasty Calamari, and a pleasant dark wood atmosphere in the midst of a hoppin airport.

Fox SkyBox (At the airport): Similar setup to Pappadeaux (Same physical orientation in fact) but mush more sports-bar. Good apps, tasty beverages. The nachos could be a bit crisper, but still got me through my queso fix.

Taco Cabana: Here’s the good thing I have to say about TC: Salsa bar. However if you have a Moe’s in the area, it’s no contest. Go to Homer’s best friend’s place. Thumbs down.

Random Small Italian Place near Sam Houston Parkway – Can’t remember the name of this place. Another “Stumble Upon.” Pete and I went here. Typical Italian Deli type place, but with tables. Very little English spoken, but craving-soothing food. Big negative – No free refills on 12 oz cokes that were mostly ice. Didn’t go back.

Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin Onion, Battered ‘Shrooms, 12 oz Ribeye w/ au jus… ‘Nuff Said.

Cheddar’s: Another nice place. I think these are a chain, but I haven’t seen them anywhere else. Went there a ½ dozen times – that should mean something. Great portion size if you like sides. Burgers are good, service is quick and friendly. Overall, probably the place I would have made a regular spot if I got to choose everyday. Job well done.

Red Robin: Yes, they offered it… I partook: Bottomless Fries. My record was 4 orders, then it was time to get back to work (or as I put it “afternoon naptime”). Loved the inventive burgers. The Hawaiian, the Barbeque, etc – all just a little different spice mix to make you do the Scooby Doo head turn (insert “ errr? Shaggy?” sound effect here)


Upper Crust-ier Type Joints:

These were nicer places. Linen on the table, you feel under-dressed in jeans and/or without a jacket. Probably not places I would try if I couldn’t charge it in after fasting for breakfast and lunch to save up the Per Diems.

Benihana’s – Good food, not enough variety for a meat-a-tarian. In fact, my vegetarian friend didn’t even find enough to get a meal out of. It get’s a push.

Forno’s – Terrific little Italian place up on Westheimer. Crispy Calamari, Oven fired authentic Italian Pizza’s (Try the Campagnia). And friendly service. Went back whenever I could.

Santo’s – Mexican place in a strip area that had a nice bar area for the sports lover, and seating for the more normal diner. Great Stuffed peppers (Chile Rellenos – sorry for the spelling there). The avocado/cream/dipping sauce that comes with the chips is fantastic.

Rio Grande – Attached/Affiliated with the Hilton on Westheimer. Had THE BEST wings in probably 2 year. A Chocolate/Chipotle sauce on them that I wanted to use as a facial moisturizer… and kinda did unintentionally. DELICIOUS. Talked about these wings for about a solid week. Rest of the menu was decent. Tried a couple, wasn’t disappointed.

J. Alexander’s: Land, Drive to meet client, Sit down at a great restaurant… and try to look respectful of the expenses they will be paying. “I’ll just have a bacon cheeseburger please.” I fully plan to make up for this at a later date. This place has a fantastic reputation as a steakhouse – I just couldn’t make best use during a first impression. Burger was still damn memorable… yum!

Fogo De Chao: This one I built up to. Had a buddy tell me “You HAVE to go here.” He knows my carnivorous habits. So I got the Biz Dev guys to fund my client dinner – it was our end of project roll off dinner, and it was magnificent:

Picture this – Huge Salad bar (one full wing, yes wing, was CHEESE!), great bread, full bar… and everyone who had ever eaten there tells me to touch NONE of it! Because you have to save room for the meat. For those of you (like me) who don’t know what a Churrascaria is – here’s your learnin':

Men with spits of meat, right off the grill, walk around the restaurant. Want some, flip your table provided paddle to green… can’t fit any more in your gills? Flip to red… then chow down. 15 different meat selections ( I managed 12 – couldn’t find the other 3). Chicken, Pork, Beef… Happy, Happy, Happy. The Marinated Port and the Bacon Wrapped Filet were my favorites.

Rarely do I leave a city on a truly happy food note – Houston, Well Done.

Next Cities: – San Francisco, then Philadelphia.

A month of - Food!

My sister recently started her 87th blog. I'm pretty sure she's one part vampire, one part redbull. Her most recent creations is "A month of..." It's a blog about one topic with guest bloggers each day.

She was kind enough to feature me Sunday with Matt: A month of Food: Day 2. (We'll talk later about why I wasn't day 1 sis ; )

Check out my recipe for Baked Pork Loin Pesto Rolls. It's fantastic! Not terribly healthy, but seriously tasty.

Thanks Angela!

I'm awake... I'm awake! (Stupid Alarm Clock)

Wow, looks like I overslept... for a few months. Sorry about that faithful readers. Change of job, lots of traveling, family growing up quickly - all have lined my coffers with valuable material for this publication.

You know how you get into a groove, have a routine. Do certain things which at one time had a purpose, but then just became part of the day? Yeah, same here. So I thought I'd change it up a bit. Those of you who know me rarely have seen me in recent years without a Diet Pepsi in my hand - typically being emptied into my skull. Diet Pepsi has also been running a "Pepsi Stuff" promotion with Amazon.

Good news: I get "stuff" for my loyalty to a product and diligent entering of online codes.

Bad news: I get to see a fairly accurate tracking of just how much of this stuff I'm ingesting.

How much? Seriously? Yikes!

So I had a self induced Diet Pepsi ban - took two weeks off from all caffeine. No ill effects, no real change in sleep habits... so what's the big deal. For those of you with stock who had to endure the 21% drop in value: My bad. Take the long view. You'll be fine.

Enter Monday Night Football... and a sick daughter. Somebody needed a wake-me-up this AM. So I decided to figure out what the deal was. How does Caffeine actually pop these droopy lids open at 6:30?

Check this out.

Excerpts:

"... Caffeine is believed to work by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain and other organs. This reduces the ability of adenosine to bind to the receptors, which would slow down cellular activity. The stimulated nerve cells release the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline), which increases heart rate, blood pressure, and blood flow to muscles, decreases blood flow to the skin and organs, and causes the liver to release glucose. Caffeine also increases levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Caffeine is quickly and completely removed from the brain. Its effects are short-lived and it tends not to negatively affect concentration or higher brain functions. However, continued exposure to caffeine leads to developing a tolerance to it. Tolerance causes the body to become sensitized to to adenosine, so withdrawal causes blood pressure to drop, which can result in a headache and other symptoms. Too much caffeine can result in caffeine intoxication, which is characterized by nervousness, excitement, increased urination, insomnia, flushed face, cold hands/feet, intestinal complaints, and sometimes hallucinations. ..."

Well, now you know.

Welcome back readers.

Baking Powder vs Baking Soda - what's the diff?

I've long been confused by Baking Power vs Baking Soda. Yes, I know they are not interchangable, but they look alike, they are named similarly, what's the real difference between them?

Wiki?

Baking powder is a dry chemical used in cooking, mainly baking. Traditional baking powder was composed of a mixture of tartaric acid and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), a quantity of flour usually being added to reduce the strength [1]. When dissolved in water the acid and bicarbonate react and emit carbon dioxide gas which expands, producing bubbles to leaven the mixture.

Hmmm. Ok Mr. Big words, how about the Soda?

Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slight alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda (sodium carbonate). It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs. The natural mineral form is known as nahcolite. It is also produced artificially.
Since it has long been known and is widely used, the salt has many related names such as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, bicarbonate of soda. Colloquially, its name is shortened to sodium bicarb. The word saleratus, from Latin sal æratus meaning "aerated salt", was widely used in the 19th century for both sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate. The term has now fallen out of common usage.

You lost me at Sodium...

In plain english please?

Baking Soda: Sodium bicarbonate is primarily used in cooking (baking) where it reacts with other components to release carbon dioxide, that helps dough "rise."

Baking Powder: Baking powder is most often found in quick breads like pancakes, waffles, and muffins. Generally, one teaspoon (5ml) of baking powder is used to raise a mixture of one cup (200-250ml) of flour, one cup of liquid, and one egg.

So what's the difference? - Acid!!!

Substituting in recipes

Baking powder is generally just baking soda mixed with an acid, and a number of kitchen acids may be mixed with baking soda to simulate commercial blends of baking powder. The most common suggestion is to use two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda. Vinegar (dilute ethanoic acid), especially white vinegar, is also a common acidifier in baking. Where a recipe already uses buttermilk or yogurt, baking soda can be used without cream of tartar (or with less). Alternatively, lemon juice can be substituted for some of the liquid in the recipe, to provide the required acidity to activate the baking soda.

Ahhh. Now I get it. Baking Soda + Acid = Baking Powder.

Mystery Solved

Dilbert and the Turing Test

I was going through back issues of Dilbert recently and came across one where the pointy-haired manager does something idiotic (no shocker there). Dilbert makes the comment that he has just failed the Turing Test (Matt scratches his head with quizical look):

Goodbye Dilbert, Hello Wikipedia:

Turing test

The Turing test is a proposal for a test of a machine's capability to demonstrate intelligence.

Described by Alan Turing in the 1950 paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence," it proceeds as follows: a human judge engages in a natural language conversation with one human and one machine, each of which try to appear human; if the judge cannot reliably tell which is which, then the machine is said to pass the test. In order to keep the test setting simple and universal (to explicitly test the linguistic capability of the machine instead of its ability to render words into audio), the conversation is limited to a text-only channel (Turing originally suggested teletype machine; more advanced screen-based have been assumed later).

"Ah..." says Matt - "Now I get it. "

That crazy Dilbert ; )

Social Media: Dog Blog - They Call Me Cosmo

Some folks I met recently introduced me to their pup "Gingerbread Kase of Greygoose (aka Cosmo)" via the world wide web. Not in the traditional way, you know, like with photos, but by pulling up Cosmo's blog. That's right. First person - or first dog I should say - accounts of Cosmo's life straight from the pup's paws.

http://theycallmecosmo.blogspot.com is a quite comprehensive log of what's happening in the great white north.

I started looking into the secret life of online-animalia and was astounded by the number of sites and participants.

http://dogblog.dogster.com/

and here's a full list of cat blogs:

http://cats.about.com/od/blogs/Blogs_by_Cat_Lovers.htm

That's a dedicated group of animal lovers. Any other species that get a lot of airtime out there?

Technology: My New Headphones and How Speakers Work

I drink a lot of diet soda. The brand I frequent the most has a promotion going on where you can gather points and get stuff from a major retailer - yeah, those guys.

Anyway,through caps, 12 packs, cases, 2 liters, and throwing a few parties I was able to amass the required number of points to get new headphones. I chose the V-Moda Bling Black Extra Bass in ear headphones. The only reason I mention the brand name (as I have avoided mentioning brand names thus far in this post so far) is that I have been so impressed with the quality of the the sound I get from these headphones.

I got to thinking about how speakers work. I, like much of my generation, watched Back to the Future and the super speaker that blew Marty across the room. I was wondering how a speaker can generate physical force... It's all about the pressure of a sound wave.

From HowStuffWorks.com:

"Sound Basics

To understand how speakers work, you first need to understand how sound works.

Inside your ear is a very thin piece of skin called the eardrum. When your eardrum vibrates, your brain interprets the vibrations as sound -- that's how you hear. Rapid changes in air pressure are the most common thing to vibrate your eardrum.

An object produces sound when it vibrates in air (sound can also travel through liquids and solids, but air is the transmission medium when we listen to speakers). When something vibrates, it moves the air particles around it. Those air particles in turn move the air particles around them, carrying the pulse of the vibration through the air as a traveling disturbance.

To see how this works, let's look at a simple vibrating object -- a bell. When you ring a bell, the metal vibrates -- flexes in and out -- rapidly. When it flexes out on one side, it pushes out on the surrounding air particles on that side. These air particles then collide with the particles in front of them, which collide with the particles in front of them and so on. When the bell flexes away, it pulls in on these surrounding air particles, creating a drop in pressure that pulls in on more surrounding air particles, which creates another drop in pressure that pulls in particles that are even farther out and so on. This decreasing of pressure is called rarefaction."

So to my untrained mind, I would guess that the act of creating these pressure waves can generate enough force to physically move air... and (while simplified and overdone for the move) the speaker blasting Marty across the room may actually be possible. Hold you hand in front of an old speaker with the cover off on a good bass line sometime and feel the slight breeze each beat creates to see what I'm talking about.

Enjoy that conference - and Share! Top 10 list.

We have a fantastic mentoring/career counseling system at my current company (as many big time players do) and I am fortunate enough to have a couple of driven individuals who I am responsible for helping shape their destiny.

One of them is headed to the FITC Toronto 2008 Flash conference in Toronto shortly. I've been attending sonferences from the "Industry" side for a while - but it really changes when you get to the agency side in terms of what you should be involved with.

I put together my unsolicited advice on tips for attending a conference based on what I've learned over the last 10 years or so. They are outlined below:

1. Be the guy with the laptop... type up notes as you go. If you hand-write them, it'll take you too long getting unburied to send them out. And it'll be lower priority over project work.
2. If you can, send regular notes to appropriate people during/after each session you attend. Make them short. That'll increase the probability of someone reading them and being able to use them. If you have people on Twitter/etc. Do that as well. Just don't let it distract you from absorbing the content at hand.
3. Ask questions - you're going to have the cream of the crop at your disposal and these people love to spread the knowledge. So give them an opportunity to get to know your interest and deal out the info.
4. Business cards are key - when you meet someone (potential client, smart individual, speaker - whoever) keep a pen with you and jot notes on the back of it. And make it a goal to run out of yours... If you have any left you a) didn't talk to enough people and/or b)didn't enter enough fishbowl contests for iPods.
5. Go to the networking events. Don't be the guy wearing the lampshade at the end of the night, but be cordially aggressive in meeting people. Don't wait to be introduced.Introduce yourself. Engage for several minutes before handing out the biz card... standard stuff. I have actual strategies for this if you're interested.
6. Assume this is the only time you'll see these people ever... Likely not the case, but the more interest you show and contacts you make, the better the chance that you will continue that contact.
7. Ask for downloads - presentations, links, etc. Get collateral to reinforce the message so you can pass it on.
8. Plan your sessions ahead of time. Make a concerted effort to not only hit the things you want to learn about but when items may be of use but not immediately useful... keep them on your radar. On toss-up decisions, refer to number 6.
9. Visit as many booths as you can. Even if it's something you don't care about, there's always carry over to new learning. Capabilities, tools, whatever. If nothing else, you'll be able to tell someone "that won't work because I know what they do" when it's brought up. nowledge is key. I'm notoriously bad at this - and working on it.
10. Sleep - You're gonna need it to let your mind rest between days. The sponge gets saturated and needs it need it's cataloguing time.

So hopefully that gives some insight into things I've learned on attending these conferences. I've been to technical, marketing, operational, search, etc conferences - and these tips have helped me traverse them all and bring back value to those I work with.