In The Back Of Your Mind

Happy 2012!

2012-01-14T19:20:00.001-05:00

All the best for the year ahead!

Hopefully I'll have some more frequent posts again soon

Cheers,
-Simon

Top 10 Tips For Visiting Angkor

2011-03-26T11:59:00.000-05:00

Top 10 Tips For Visiting Angkor | The Expeditioner Online Travel Magazine, by Simon Mikolayczyk (that's me!)

Click through for the full article - let me know what you think...

Decision Time... iPad 2 or Android?

2011-03-03T07:18:00.000-05:00

Shortly before the holidays last year, the urge to get an iPad was swelling up inside me. I was seeing them everywhere, and was starting to cave to the social pressure of the coolness factor. Just as I was getting ready to pull the trigger, I heard the first whispers that version two would be capable of video chat. For me, living away from friends and family, this was a key feature and one I was willing to wait for - especially as the new version was expected to launch in the first quarter of 2011.

Since then, a number of things have happened - Android tablets have started hitting the market, the iPad 2 was indeed announced, and people have offered some good insights into life with an iPad. Taking these in reverse order:

Dan Frommer shared what 300 days with his iPad have been like. My take away from this is really that the device will not replace a laptop, but that for certain things it is enjoyable to use. Browsing is convenient, checking email works alright, gaming is a plus, movies/tv watching on the go can be good. But this is not the hyper productive work computer of the future, it is a fun toy that might be more convenient in certain circumstances.

The iPad 2 was announced yesterday, and reviews are pouring in. From the sounds of it, people are quite excited about the case... and everything else is a marginal improvement. While they have in fact added the video chat feature, and Steve Jobs says this is computing for the post-PC era, it does not sound like Frommer's experience of usage scenarios will be altered by the new version.

The Motorola Xoom (wifi only) model is set to release here in the UK a week after the iPad 2, and is priced to match the pricing of a similarly speced iPad. It offers the same feature set and positive reviews, but as Robert Scoble points out with a much more limited selection of apps, which is possibly a strong negative. On this point I'm forced to think about how Frommer is using his iPad after a year - he certainly mentions a few apps (Netflix, MLB, Twitter, etc) but says his focus is on browsing and email. With the assumption that Android will be the number 2 platform, if not number 1, in the long term these major apps are likely to become available. In the short term, does it really matter if they are there considering a tablet is mainly used for non-app tasks?

In fact, it's worth going a step further. I am a "Google User," meaning I use gmail, docs, calendar, reader - unsurprisingly these are indicatively better on the Android tablet. Further, most of my friends are gmail users meaning they are on gchat - text, plus many on video - and therefor I'm more likely to be talking to them through that - which they already have installed - than I am to be through Apple's Facetime - which I would have to convince them to not only install, but buy.

With all that being said, I still have yet to hold either - perhaps there is some truly tangible reason to pick the iPad 2 (it weighs a bit less, and is built more solid?). However, by deduction based on how I envision using a tablet, the Xoom (or an equivalent Android tablet) seem to be the way to go.

(Kindle) Lending Club

2011-02-19T05:03:00.000-05:00

As is apparent from my last few posts on the Kindle, I've become a huge fan of it. In the last couple months, Amazon has enabled you to "lend" certain Kindle books to others via the website - much like how you can lend a paper back to a friend - meaning you can possibly avoid purchasing another book. This is especially nice, as the pricing decision has moved to publishers there are now instances where the Kindle version of a book is more expensive than the hardcover (don't ask me why).

Alas, to effectively lend/borrow books, you need to know someone who has the book on kindle and then swap. I've been trying to work my way through Verne's reading list, but know very few other people who both have a Kindle and an interest in these books. Enter the (Kindle) Lending Club.

Shortly after Amazon announced the feature, a facebook group was started to match people who have books, with those who want to read them. This quickly evolved into a more structured website called the (Kindle) Book Lending Club - Amazon has subsequently made them drop "Kindle" from their name for trade mark purposes. A quick signup, and you can add a list of books you are willing to lend, as well as a list you'd like to borrow. I did this a few weeks ago, and then started waiting... To be frank, I was ready to write the site off as I hadn't had anything shared with me, nor requested from me until this past Tuesday when a book showed up in my inbox. A few clicks, and it's delivered via wireless to the Kindle and I'm off and reading a new book.

Hopefully, The Book Lending Club will continue to attract more users. Only once true mass is achieved will that frustrating wait fall away. Additionally, Amazon leaves the decision of whether to enable lending on a book up to the publisher, at the moment there are quite a few books that you can't lend. Lastly, there's a 14 day limit on a lend, meaning that you need to finish reading in that time, or you'll never knows what happens. On that note I better get back to the book...

Artisan Products: Success Lessons for Businesses

2011-02-10T06:36:00.025-05:00

I started the week reading The Atlantic piece on the new effort from the team that made Absolute and international brand: Karlsson's Gold. A unique "traditional" vodka they can only produce in limited quantities. Mid week I stumbled upon a review of Etsy, an arts and crafts marketplace that had drifted off my radar and was reminded of some amazing offers on hand made products. Somewhere along the line I was sent a write-up of Jack White's Third Man in Nashville - a music venue that produces music for the love of it on limited edition vinyl. Lastly, I ended up in the Camden Coffee Shop yesterday afternoon, where an elderly man roasts, grinds, and sells fantastic coffees.

In all cases, these individuals are producing what amount to artisan products - small batches of manually intensive products with a small but deep market segment they are appealing to. In all cases, they seem to be finding success of some measure (I don't have figures to support that, but anecdotally it seems the case - we passed three Starbucks before reaching the Camden Coffee Shop down a side street and still had to wait to be served).

In a world increasingly overrun by commodities, these unique products offer the chance for individual experiences. Rather than being confronted with a "yea, I have that too" people are provided the chance to try something unique - something special. While that might be true of any limited release product, artisan products apear to take it a step further - they are the best at what they set out to be. That is ultimately the point of differentiation: being the best, and doing something because it's the way it should be done (even if it costs a buck more) will in turn garner the support of consumers who appreciate quality and who are keen for that one of a kind experience.

Book Review: Epitaph for a Spy

2011-02-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler is credited as one of the first true spy novels. In it he details the fumbling adventures of a teacher caught in a drama of circumstance, which leads to him being accused as a spy. While I felt like I was reading the 1930's equivalent of a Dan Brown novel - quick page turns and a go-go plot - the actual quality of the writing was far superior. No detail was superfluous, and no bit of the story was left unresolved. This provides a sense of satisfaction, as it signifies a level of sophistication that makes it alright to be reading a spy novel, which is often considered literary drivel.

All that being said, in the note at the end, Ambler states of his book "I still like bits of it." So maybe don't take the above as a true literary judgement, but rather a justification for enjoying a fun story. I look forward to picking up some of his other books in due course.

2011, Where in the world to go?

2011-02-04T03:52:00.000-05:00

After picking up a couple travel books lately, and also appreciating the proximity of Europe through our Athens trip in December, it seems the travel bug has got me once again. While in Asia, I managed to visit ~15 countries in a year. Since being in London, that number has shrunk significantly. So it's time to get back out there, and in the spirit of all the other "things to do in 2011 lists" here are the hopeful destinations for the year ahead:

(con't)

- Scotland; hiking
- Wales; hiking
- Iceland; long debate on whether permanent day or permanent night would be better, thoughts?
- Africa; probably Kenya, maybe South Africa
- Michigan / New York / San Francisco; family fun
- Germany; Octoberfest

And should I have an abundance of time I'd try and throw in;
- India; beach
- Gran Canaria; beach
- Peru; hiking
- Copenhagen

Are there any other places you would add that are easy to get to from London? Any recommendations for the destinations I've picked?

Speaker Notes: Verne Harnish, The Growth Guy

2011-02-01T03:12:00.007-05:00

I attended a lecture by Verne Harnish the other night. He's an interesting guy, who has spent his career surrounded by founders and growing businesses. From his insights and research, he's come up with some lessons to help foster growth in startups. I won't regurgitate them at length here, as his blog has most of it, but I did want to share a few of his points - and more importantly the reading list I walked out of the room with.

He shared with us "5 routines to help set you free." The idea being that by getting in these habits, you wont spend as much time firefighting, and have more time to focus on what matters:

Get a mentor
Get a partner (or 2!)
Have a partner breakfast once a week to talk about the big issues
Have a 15min partner meeting every day to focus on what you've learned
Talk to one customer every day (or at least every week)

These steps will help you identify changes in the market place sooner, and react to them quick. In turn, you'll be positioned to out perform, and out grow your competition.

He reached these conclusion from a combination of personal experience, and also ties a fair amount of it to literature:

Hidden Champions of the 21st Century ~ Hermann Simon
Influence ~ Robert Cialdini
Delivering Happiness ~ Tony Hsieh
Checklist Manifesto ~ Atul Gawande
Good to Great ~ Jim Collins (esp. p 114 -116 "The Council")
Emergence ~ Steve Johnson
Who's Got Your Back ~ Keith Ferrazzi (also, Never Eat Alone but the title gives away the message)
Who ~ Geoff Smart
Catalytic Mechanism ~ Jim Collin (HBR)
What is Strategy ~ Michael Porter (HBR)
The New Rules of Marketing & PR ~ David Scott
Inside Advantage ~ Robert Bloom
The Compound Effect ~ Darren Hardy (updated!)

(If you have any of these on Kindle and can part with them for 14 days, I'd love to "borrow" them)

The next wave in location? "Don't Eat At ____"

2011-01-27T07:04:00.000-05:00

I just saw this "extension" for Foursquare called "Don't Eat At___." If you are in New York, it will send you a notification if the restaurant you just checked in to has scored poorly on Health Inspections, hopefully before you order your meal.

I have toyed with Foursquare now and again, but ultimately don't use it because it seems mainly an exercise in vanity. I don't feel compelled to tell everyone where I am, and frankly I'm rarely in very cool places. Most of the people I know also don't use it, and if I want to catch up with someone, I'm much more likely to pickup the phone than track them down online and appear in front of them.

Last year I remember reading a bit on passive location awareness, and how potentially this could help with things like ATM security - the thought being your phone is usually with you, and if it's not near the ATM that is requesting money from your account there's probably something funny going on. Great in theory, but persistant location sharing is still a privacy concern for many. This seems to be an early example of what the benefits of location could be. I'm no longer checking in for vanity, but rather getting utility out of the check-in. I'd love to see more services embrace this mentality, and could see it working for a great range of situations.

Sadly, I'm not in NYC at the moment and can't try it out. I'd enjoy hearing anyone's first hand experience.

Successfully Ported Number to Google Voice

2011-01-25T19:09:00.000-05:00

Last week Google let me port my cell phone number to Voice. $20 and 24 hours later, my phone number moved from its home of nearly 11 years to a new home on the web. The advantage is that I am now not tied to any one mobile provider - if I decide to switch providers, I just hop online and redirect Voice to a new phone number, without having to tell anyone that I've made a change all my calls and texts still find their way to me. Additionally, my voicemail gets transcribed and emailed to me, and my calls ring through to my computer, meaning I have a no roaming number while in London.

The move was fairly painless. It took almost exactly 24 hours from the first email notifying me that the process has started until the the second email came informing me that everything was done. As I'm in the UK and don't get many text messages on the number I'm not sure whether there was actually a 3 day outage on that front.

I tried calling the number from Skype, and got a scare: "The number you have dialed can't be reached." Did I just loose my number? Why isn't it working?!! I picked up my cell and tried from that, sure enough G-Chat started ringing. After playing around with it for a few more minutes, it seems that the caller ID broadcast from Skype was preventing the call from going through - so if you're using Skype, make sure you have a different number on the caller ID than the one you are calling on Google Voice.

Now I'm without a mobile phone in the US. I've called T-Mobile and asked to add a line back to my account. In fact, they appear to be able to move my old Google Voice number to the mobile contract (yes, porting does appear to work both ways). So for those people that do have that number, they should still be able to get through to me.

I'm happy with the decision to port my number. I would caution that it is hard to get support - there is no one you can call when something doesn't work, and some people claim to have problems with the forwarding. That being said the advantages are there, especially if you're not in the US and want to have a working US based number abroad.

Dinner For One: a Drunk Butler & a New Year's Tradition

2011-01-25T17:23:00.009-05:00

We spent New Years in Germany - and per tradition enjoyed Dinner For One. I remember watching this every year that I've been in Germany for New Years - I'm always amazed at how drunk he manages to get in about 10 min. Maybe next year I'll get that bear rug for Christmas...

Kindle Reading (part 2) / the Lack of Progress in Information Sharing

2011-01-20T06:18:00.023-05:00

I continue to enjoy reading on the Kindle tremendously. Without sitting with a stop watch, I'd estimate it's easily in use for 1 - 2 hours a day and has made reading long form articles enjoyable again. This ties, in my mind, to the fact that there are no distractions - no outbound links to click, no flashing text to follow, and no chance to sneak a peak at the inbox to see what might have come in. The depth of long form articles is also the best way to learn - 120 characters, or even 200 words cannot communicate the subtleties of what's going on in the EU, or how life in Haiti has progressed over the last year - and therefore I would consider this a positive development.

What I begin to wonder about though is the realization that the internet is hyped as multi-media, and that this type of content is meant to become interactive online. Since picking up the Kindle nearly 2 weeks ago, I have only had two instances where I feel that I'm missing out on content due to its text bound limits. There have been a few stunning video clips that I've wanted to watch - Obama's speech in Arizona, or this video on NYC Underground - but clearly the black and white slow refreshing kindle can't oblige me there. I also just came across a NYT's interactive piece with pictures and audio interviews. Again, same problem.

In the grand scheme of things, I merely hit the Boxee "watch later" button and when I'm next on my TV enjoy the videos there, or click through the interactive feature on my laptop. What I am startled at, however, is that I've only encountered this issue three times in two weeks - has news / information distribution really only become digital text? It would seem that the wonders of the internet still haven't filtered through to establishments of the old media world. But, looking at a news source that is new media - huffington post for example - reveals much the same. Can this therefore lead to the conclusion that we, as consumers of news / information, simply have a preference that content is delivered via text? Again, the rise of cable news channels disputes this. While I'm not sure of the cause, I do find it remarkable that there has been no real innovation in this area, but rather only small tweaks to where the revenues come from, or how the news is gathered. I am curious to see if some of the tablet "magazines" manage to push the ball forward, or if this will remain an area ready for change.

Athens in the Snow

2011-01-18T14:48:00.033-05:00

Athens - known to be the home of the ancient Greeks, center of philosophy, and a warm city in the sun on the Mediterranean - the perfect escape from the 4pm sunsets of December London. A quick 3 hour flight out on a Friday night would put us in the sun, and give us a chance to enjoy the stunning Acropolis, and other noteworthy sites like ancient Agora. Unfortunately, those hopes were quickly dashed when the pilot came on to warn of a bumpy landing due to the snow storm in Greece.

(con't)

In the car on the way to the hotel, with visibility limited to about two car lengths, the driver told us this was the first time in 5 years that it snowed, and that the day before it had been in the mid 60s. The snow was expected to continue falling well through Saturday, with temperatures not expected to reach the 40s. In other words - the outlook was bleak to soak in much sun.

On Saturday morning the Acropolis was the must see destination in spite of the elements. The quaint cafes, the secondary sites, and the markets could be missed, but the "highest city" could not. Weaving through the streets at the base of the hill, the wind started nipping at our underdressed hands and ear and the snow flakes kept getting bigger. Even the stray cats and dogs, which are otherwise omni-present, were no where to be seen.

Stumbling up the stone steps to the peak where the Parthenon was waiting, my fingers ached trying to grip the camera. Standing in front of the temples, it was hard to truly appreciate the magnificence of the buildings - both because the view was partially blocked by snow flurries and because the wind made every bit of exposed skin ache. Looking around the plato, I realized that only the Hells Angels of Sweden had also braved the weather to see the crumbling temples. Sprinting off the hill for fear of frostbite, we passed through Agora where ice was forming on the trees and the park guards were clearly as unprepared for the elements as we were. A couple small temples are somewhere in my memory, but really all I could think about was a hot cup of coffee and regaining the feeling in my fingers.

Saturday night Oikeio offered a chance to experience classical Greek cuisine, without have to stray too far from the hotel. A seat at the bar, a jug of house wine, and some fresh fish completed the day in on a wonderful note. The meal alone almost made the turbulence worth it.

Sunday morning dawned, and suddenly I remembered the idea behind heading to Greece - mid-50s, blue sky, and a strong shining sun. Over night the weather had turned, and it was time to explore the streets and cafes. This led us to a more traditional Athens experience, including a perfect gyros (can't beat street meat), and some quaint markets. Wonderfully, due to the weather the day before, it seemed many people had stayed home and what can only be presumed to be over-run streets in the peak travel season were largely ours alone.

Highlights:
- Hilton Hotel
- Parthenon
- Acropolis Museum
- Oikeio

Best time to go: any time it's not snowing

del.icio.us, kindle, instapaper - my news reading habits

2011-01-13T05:47:00.020-05:00

It was recently announced that yahoo is shutting down / selling del.icio.us. I had been a long time user, and as any of you who subscribed to my RSS feed will know, used the service mainly to share articles I found interesting - sort of a what I'm reading list. With the uncertainty around del.icio.us' future, like many others, I've decided to find a replacement.

As I never really used it as a bookmarking service, but rather an article sharing method, I've decided on Instapaper as my replacement. Instapaper offers a "Read Later" bookmarklet - whenever you find an interesting article, a quick click and it's added to your queue of things to read. This queue can also be shared (as I've done on the right of my blog) so that others can see what you're reading.

The main premise around Instapaper is that it allows you to save lengthier articles for later - when you actually have time to sit down and read them. This is great, as I'm frequently emailed links, and don't always have a chance to read them then and there. Additionally, they offer the ability to send the articles to a Kindle - taking them to a screen which is much more eye-friendly; something I've come to appreciate dearly since spending more and more time in front of a computer.

As many of you will be aware, Amazon charges a data transfer fee if you use their "@kindle.com" email address to send things to the device. If you have a mac, there's a neat workaround in the form of an automator script. This little hack detects whenever you plug in your kindle and automagically downloads whatever articles are in your Instapaper queue for easy reading in "newspaper" form on the Kindle.

Book Review: Lost on Planet China

2011-01-11T14:38:00.017-05:00

Lost on Planet China is my favorite kind of travel book - written in a light spirited fashion, Maarten Troost explores what current day China is like. In the first few chapters, as he explores Beijing, I was repeatedly reminded of my own trip there - the combination of an over sized city (compared to what seems normal after New York or London), the smog, and the millions of people all trying to find their fortune creates a surreal environment. He goes on to travel throughout China, including a trip into Tibet, and does a fantastic job capturing the energy that is currently flowing through the country.

For anyone considering a trip to China, I would strongly recommend this as an additional travel book. And for anyone not considering a trip, I can only say that China is where it's going on and you really need to experience it first hand.

Running 2011

2011-01-06T11:20:00.009-05:00

I've been running more regularly since about mid-year last year, and am hoping to step it up in the new year. In the hope of reaching my goals, I'm trying two different tech toys to help me track my workouts:

RunKeeper Pro: running on my phone it tracks my route via GPS. It provides a lot of speed / elevation / distance statistics, which are interesting to see. Also, while I'm running the program announces my progress - time / pace / distance, which is great as it provides a way to gauge whether I'm slowing or speeding up (I should add I have ear buds in for music already, so this isn't a lot of extra effort).

Garmin FR60: A birthday present that I've only recently started getting comfortable with, the FR60 combines a heart rate monitor and a cadence tracker. The heart rate monitor should help me with pacing by ensuring that I'm in the best performance zone. Unfortunately, out of the runs I've taken it on, it's only worked all the way through the run once - as such I'm therefore not sure how good it will be. The cadence tracker is interesting as it shows whether my stride is shortening as I run; this would indicate more effort to achieve the same distance.

Unfortunately, it's not currently possible to combine the two sets of data. But switching between them gives a pretty good indication of my overall performance on the run. From yesterday's run, I can see that my pace and cadence were fairly constant, with my HR increasing throughout. At the end of the run I wanted to see how quickly my HR would come down, and then go back up - hence the dip.

I'm looking forward to increasing the data amount over time. Hopefully, I'll be able to see progress in the course of the months to come, and use this as a form of motivation.

Book Review: Three Cups of Tea

2011-01-04T14:38:00.000-05:00

I recently finished Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson's story of the struggle to build a series of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. After failing to summit K2, he finds himself lost in the middle of Pakistan. He stumbles into a small village where he is nursed back to health, and in exchange promises to build the villagers a school. The story of his struggle - nights working in San Francisco's ERs and days spent sleeping in hallways and the back seats of cars - to raise the funding for the school, and the experience of building the first school are moving. More remarkable, however, is the insight into a culture very foreign from our own - one where education is not readily available, and customs dictate how many interactions play out.

Tusk Fairy Feedback

2010-11-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

I've been getting some feedback on my Tusk Fairy project, and just posted this response to a group who has been providing a lot of comments. I though I would also share it here:

---

Many thanks to all of you who have taken time in the last few days and shared your thoughts on Tusk Fairy.

In appreciation of the comments I received, I wanted to share a few of them as I think they are generally applicable, and might be interesting for some others;

Trust - "if you want me to buy something online I have to trust the website" is a comment I heard a few times. In an effort to make Tusk Fairy more trustworthy, I've taken a number of steps which are by no means a lot of effort but can go a long way (I hope); 1) contact details - including a brick and mortar address, 2) an easy way to get in touch - I've implemented a chat window which hopefully means when someone has a question they can speak to a real live human - zopim.com, 3) social proof - in it's simplest form this is the facebook button for liking, which demonstrates other people's interaction with the site (granted 3 "likes" isn't great, but hopefully this comes with time), 4) feedback, which hopefully leads not only to consumer insights but by making it public helps with social proof and community building - uservoice.com.

Lower barrier to customer interaction - i.e. paying for a subscription is a fairy costly step for the customer, meaning that many visitors could be interested, might not want to sign-up yet, and leave the site never to return again. While you could easily implement re-targeting advertising, this assumes you have the budget, and are comfortable "stalking" your customers. Also it misses filtering people who are interested from those who aren't after visiting your site. A lower cost interaction could be a mailing list or again the facebook "like" button - in both cases the customer isn't paying for anything, and is signaling a desire for you to keep in touch - the hypothesis then becomes that these are more easily convertible customers.

Design - "it could be better" or "why don't you do this..." I certainly don't dispute this. My two comments here are 1) design is a question of taste, and yes you want to appeal to as many people as possible, but that can become costly, which leads to 2) a minimally viable product doesn't need to be perfect. I would encourage folks to launch early, cheaply, and iterate - proving the idea - before settling on a final design.

Product offering - "more please!" indeed it would be nice, but see my comments on minimally viable product above.

Path to customer - "how many people are actively looking to buy a toothbrush online?" This has been an important point for me to appreciate. While initially I was leaning towards online advertising, I am now thinking a different route might be better. In more general terms, experiment to test your thinking and pivot when you identify a hypothesis which is proved false.

Again many thanks to all of you for your comments. I hope one or two of you find some use in my ramblings above.

If you're interested in following the development of the Tusk Fairy, please do signup for the mailing list =o)

Regards,

Simon

Tusk Fairy

Movember 2.0?

2010-09-08T15:03:00.002-05:00

It's September, and the UK Movember twitter account has started coming back to life. This can mean only that there are about to be a lot of mustaches sprouting. I've been toying with the thought of trying once again, and seeing what grows - are we ready for me to make a fool of myself again?

International Driving

2010-09-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

I haven't owned a car in nearly 4 years, and I haven't driven regularly since I graduate from college over 5 years ago. Partly, because I've been fortunate to live in big cities like New York, and partly because I've lived in cities where they drive on the other (wrong) side of the road like Hong Kong and London. In the past two months I've suddenly been faced with an uptick in driving, and must admit it's been a bit of a challenge.

I'm currently in Munich, where I've clawed my way through narrow city streets during rush hour with a stick shift. I surprised myself with how quickly managing the clutch came back to me, but have to confess that the narrow streets are painful, especially in stop and go traffic. More noticeable, however, are the difference in driving rules in general. For instance, on the highway you can't pass on the right. At first this is of little concern, until you're trying to merge to the right and have someone hovering in your blind spot, and are waiting for him to zip by, only to have him slow down with you because he isn't allowed to pass you. Also, the idea of only travelling in the right lane and using the left lane only to pass takes some getting used to - until a S 500 appears out of no where right behind you, brights flashing, making it clear where you belong.

I also must confess that I still haven't managed to drive in London. I can, without a doubt, say that I'm a terrible passenger. It turns out that lane dividers are mere suggestions, and that parked cars take up about 3/4 of a lane - meaning that when sitting in the passenger seat those cars get awfully close (I'll let someone else fill you in on my reactions).

In both cases, I can say that I miss the American sized lanes and slow moving traffic of the Mid-West. I'm sure 20 min behind some slow grandma and I'll feel different, but right now I'm cravings a boat that fits on the road and makes me feel like I can enjoy the ride rather than being in a constant state of heightened alert while behind the wheel.

mikolayczyk.com

2010-05-18T06:34:00.000-05:00

Since I started this blog, it has been hosted by godaddy, and the only complaint I ever had was that http://mikolayczyk.com went to one of their landing pages, and you had to use http://www.mikolayczyk.com to get here. Alas, this problem has been solved!

For those who are curious:

setup the forward for www as per the instruction on the site you're redirecting to
on the main godaddy DNS control panel, hit forward
set it to forward to http://www.{yoursite}.com
done!

This is one of those incredibly stupid easy fixes. I'm sure someone with more knowledge can explain why this isn't a default, and why I'm forwarding my own site to itself - but hey; it works!

Starwood Brussels - an open letter

2010-05-16T14:13:00.001-05:00

Updated: response from Starwood's Assistant Property Manager in the comments. Mr. Bannon, and several of his staff, have been very kind, prompt, and professional since they've become involved. I do appreciate their efforts in dealing with a challenging series of event.

---
We spent the weekend in Brussels. Below is the letter I have sent to Starwood (Roeland Vos) on the back of our stay at their Sheraton property, an incident which transpired there, and how we were treated by the hotel staff. I share this as it is the kind of incident, which cannot simply be overlooked.

---

Dear Sir,

I am writing in regards to our recent stay (May 14 – 16) at your Sheraton Brussels property, and the unacceptable manner in which we were treated by your staff while there. As the police report, which your security assured me would be filed, should detail;

While walking out of the hotel lobby a Middle Eastern man approached us and began verbally assaulting us in French, English, and a third language (possibly Arabic). We would later be informed that he had moments before done this to one of your baggage handling staff members, who felt threatened enough to return inside the hotel – but did not notify security. After walking about 10 paces from the hotel entrance the man became physically aggressive towards us, and mimed having a weapon in his coat pocket. Fearing for our physical safety, we returned into the hotel’s revolving door, which he forced to a stop as he pursued us. After forcefully pushing the aggressor away several times, we managed to get into the lobby of the hotel, and repeatedly shouted for help from security. A concierge stepped in between the man and us at this point, but the individual continued to verbally assault us. He proceeded to expose himself, having pushed through into the lobby as well. He then pulled a mask over his face, and began pulling at his clothing. Finally, a security guard came and pushed the man back through the revolving door, from where he fled.

I can assure you, there was no provocation from our side. This was clearly the continuation of an event that began with one of your staff – who felt threatened enough to return into the hotel, but did nothing to inform guests of the danger outside.

While I find the level of security at your property to be largely insufficient, I can accept that situations like these are outside of your control. I, however, cannot accept the manner in which your staff responded to the situation and treated us.

In the aftermath of this series of events, your staff began raising their voices and trying to blame us for the incident. Statements they made included:

This is the way Brussels is; it’s a dangerous city. The security guard was stabbed 15 days ago – so it happens to everyone
It is not their responsibility what happens outside the hotel
As two Americans we should expect to be treated this way

Taking each of these comments in turn;

As a guest, I expect not to be shouted at by your staff. Situations like these are incredibly stressful, and I would expect them to be trained to handle them in a professional manner, instead of inflaming a tense moment by blaming us for the incident.
If it is such a dangerous city, then security should be more visible and faster to act. Several minutes and repeated shouts for help should not be the requirement for them to protect your guests.
While I would not hold the hotel responsible for what happens to me in Brussels, we were at no point further than 10 yards from the hotel door, still on hotel property. I would strongly suggest the well being of your guests is your responsibility in such proximity, and certainly in the lobby.
Profiling us as Americans is entirely inappropriate. Our nationality should not matter to, or affect the level of service from, your staff. If they believe that Americans deserve to be treated this way that is extremely disappointing.

I would strongly encourage you to discuss this incident with the property manager. While he was kind enough to apologize on behalf of the property, it leaves a lot wanting.

The staff members involved in this incident were:

Pierre Dewalz – Concierge

Alain Verbeke – Baggage

Youssef – Valet

Nesir – Security

Luc – Security

Nezic – Baggage

Annie Budally – Reception

Vanessa Metais – Reception

I choose to stay at Starwood properties because I feel safe there – this has done a lot to damage that image. I choose to stay at Starwood hotels because the service is friendly and competent – this has destroyed that reputation. I choose to travel to Starwood destinations because things like this should not happen there.

I trust I will receive a follow-up from you detailing the steps taken to prevent this from happening in the future. I would specifically appreciate a written apology from the concierge who profiled us and said we deserve this kind of experience.

Kind regards

Android (2.1)

2010-05-16T06:20:00.004-05:00

When I moved to London about 9 months ago, I signed-up for mobile service and bought a HTC Hero. Within the first few days I had it, they pushed 1.5, and for the next 7 months I was utterly content. The phone works great - multi-tasking means I can track my run and listen to music or read email and have gchat going at the same time, the interface is smooth and responsive, you get the point; nothing seemed to be missing.

Over those 7 months, I heard grumblings that 1.8 had been released then 2.0, then 2.1. Just dandy - HTC is said to be working on updates, and frankly I didn't care. At least until I realized that there was a world of apps out there that only run on the newer versions - the dreaded Android fragmentation that has been mentioned frequently. While I can't say there was one app that made me envious, I can say that the sum total made me more and more discontent.

Earlier this week, with HTC having again pushed back the release date of any update, I took the plunge, rooted my Hero, and installed a 2.1 rom on it. Having now used it for 3 or 4 days, I am overjoyed - it's like having a new phone all over again. Not only is it running faster, but the new apps are very nice to have. The process took me about an hour, and although not without risk, would seem worth it for anyone running an older version. Yes - there are a few stability issues, and my UMTS radio has some signal problems, but all in all the experience is improved enough that this will overcome my urge to buy a new phone in the coming months - instead I'm now waiting on a 2.2 rom eagerly...

NOLA

2010-05-14T06:20:00.000-05:00

After a few days in Chicago last week, I had the chance to take my first trip to New Orleans. Prompted by a stag do, it seemed an appropriate venue. I can say without doubt that going for any other reason would have been inappropriate. The mixture of heat, humidity, and beer that hits almost immediately is a clear indication of what the place is all about. Don't get me wrong - there's a lot of fun to be had - it's simply a question of whether you want the beer sloshing, hurricane chugging, crystal burger eating type of fun.

Having not ventured far out of The Quarter, I can't speak to what "real" life in this city is like, but I imagine it can be compared to real life in Hong Kong vs. LKF in Hong Kong (or possibly Wan Chai is more appropriate?). Regardless, durring the day, the buildings are interesting, and a stroll from eatery to eatery is very enjoyable. Once the light come on, the place lives up to its TV stereo types.

I won't be going back anytime soon - there are too many other places to go see - but if you're inclined to make the trip, a few tips:

closed toed old shoes - you'll want to burn them after
unlike many places, smoking is still par for the course - be prepared to stink
the locals are friendly (largely) - chat 'em up

Eyjafjallajokull

2010-04-17T18:11:00.002-05:00

As you may have noticed, we are all watching this volcano thing with riveted attention. In the past 18 months, I have simply come to accept that on any given weekend either I, or any number of my friends, will be travelling - this has suddenly come to a complete stop, with no clear indication of how much longer the situation will continue.

While I could go on lamenting the situation, I am actually more fascinated by the reaction to it:

TEDxVolcano; speaker event tomorrow night presented by a number of folks stuck in London,
First Round Capital; office hours in London for startup to go meet with them,
Efforts to get people where they need to be

While I would encourage everyone to take advantage of these, and any other offerings, I would also propose a moments thought to whether you can help anyone out (space to work on Monday, place to sleep if hotels are getting to expensive, etc.)

In the meantime, let's hope Eyjafjallajokull decides to quiet down again soon...