Noisy Life

Six Years Cancer Free

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:22:00 +0000

Next Tuesday, December 9th will mark the 6th anniversary of my cancer diagnosis. Today I went for my yearly follow-up with my doctor and received the "all clear" that I look forward to every December.

I was not as anxious in the days leading up to this appointment as I have been in the past. When I was first diagnosed, I had to go for follow-ups quarterly and those appointments always had me uneasy. Eventually, as the chance of recurrence diminished, my appointments became further apart. Quarterly appointments became semi-annual and then eventually annual. Last year was the five-year mark which is of major importance statistically in the cancer world, and that milestone allowed me to relax more than any of the other previous anniversaries of my diagnosis.

Still, lying on the table in the doctor's office this afternoon, I drifted back to that day in December of 2002 when, while lying on that very same table, I was told I had cancer. I could never have known on that day what a gift the experience would ultimately be to me. Through that experience, I have gained perspective that I'm not sure I would ever have gained without it. Through my involvement in the cancer community and specifically with the Lance Armstrong Foundation I have met some of the most heroic and inspirational people in the world. I've created lifelong friendships with other survivors and have found a cause to call my own. Most of all, I've truly discovered what is and what is not important in life.

To all of you who've helped me in this journey so far, thank you.

LIVESTRONG,

Bryan

This Line Is A Cakewalk

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 01:13:00 +0000

This Line Is A Cakewalk, originally uploaded by bryanhead.

When I ran into this line in Greenwich Village in NYC, I assumed it
must be for the iPhone. Nope...it's for cupcakes at the Magnolia
Bakery.

So now I'm in a 45 minute line for dessert. I must be crazy.

We Love NY

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:14:00 +0000

We Love NY, originally uploaded by bryanhead.

Hello from Fenway Park!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:06:00 +0000

Hello from Fenway Park!, originally uploaded by bryanhead.

Check Out Your Check-Out

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:14:00 +0000

Tonight I stopped by a local men's clothing store to pick up a couple of dress shirts for a business trip I have this week. I had never been to a Jos. A. Bank before, but this location is in a new shopping center that recently opened about two miles from my house, so I thought I'd give them a try rather than drive across town to a mall.

I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of merchandise the store carries, and both of the salespeople who were working in the store were very friendly and took the time to come over and chat with me and my six year old son while we were in the store. So far, so good.

I picked out a couple of shirts and headed for the register. That's when the pleasant shopping experience went south. I expected to be able to just have the clerk ring up the shirts, pay for them, and then be on my way. No such luck. In an exchange far too reminiscent of an attempt to buy batteries at a Radio Shack, the clerk proceeded to ask for and then enter into the terminal my name, phone number, address, email, and even my employer. My employer? Yep, you read correctly...my employer. I've filled out mortgage applications that were less tedious than the Jos. A. Bank checkout process.

I understand wanting to capture some customer information so you can send me your catalogs (which I assume is why they wanted my name & address info), and I know that a lot of retailers use phone numbers as a unique ID during the checkout process to track customer activity. Email marketing is fine (and preferred versus catalogs for a lot of consumers today who are are environmentally conscious). I'm still stumped as to why they wanted my employer's name. When I looked at the salesman like he had three eyes after he asked me that question, he replied with "I'm going to use it to save you 20%", so I obliged. It took three attempts at spelling it for him to find it already in the system...presumably from a co-worker who has already endured this 5-minute checkout. However, once I finally completed the transaction and then got back to the car and looked at the receipt, I saw that the 20% was just the standard sale promotion that was advertised in the window, not anything special for giving him a load of my information.

Retailers: Check out your check-out process. I shouldn't feel like I'm filling out a tax return in order to shop with you. I just want a couple of pinpoint Oxfords, not an application to Oxford. And more than anything, ask my permission to start asking me a bunch of personal questions and tell me why you want it.

Will I go back to Jos. A. Bank in the future? Maybe. The people were nice and the shopping experience was good until checkout. If it turns out that the shirts are just the best I've ever had and wear well over time, I'm sure I'll overlook the pain of trying to pay for them. Otherwise, I'll probably just move along to another store that isn't quite such a pain to deal with. After all, when's the last time you went to Radio Shack for batteries?

Pandora Radio - My Favorite iPhone App

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:43:00 +0000

Pandora Radio (from the Music Genome Project) has just released an iPhone app, and it's my favorite iPhone application so far. With a free Pandora account, you enter in the artists and songs that you like and Pandora creates a radio station for you featuring other artists and songs that you're likely to dig.

For example, some of the stations I've created are based on Radiohead, Bob Marley, Beethoven, Weezer & The Beatles. When I play the Beatles station, not only do I get to hear songs from The Beatles (can't do that with iTunes), but also from America, the Rolling Stones and other artists that have similar characteristics to The Beatles. The data that drives the selection engine is based off of the Music Genome Project. You can find out more about the Music Genome Project and sign up for Pandora at www.pandora.com. Pandora for the iPhone is available through Apple's App Store in iTunes or directly on the iPhone.

Enjoy!

Adding Insult (and Litigation) to Injury

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:49:00 +0000

I know that there are two sides to every story, but I can't help but be outraged over this story by Brett Shipp of WFAA TV about a Richardson (Texas) Independent School District employee who was injured on the job and then later fired & sued by the school district.

David O'Reilly is an autistic man who was working for the RISD in 2006 when he was hit by a school district-owned van while on the job. The injury nearly killed O'Reilly and left him with multiple broken bones and lacerations, and later required lung surgery due to fluid build-up caused by the accident.

While the RISD did pay for the emergency treatment, its workers compensation insurance carrier denied requests for necessary follow-up treatment, including surgery to repair a torn muscle in O'Reilly's shoulder. Pretty sorry way to treat an employee you almost killed, eh? It gets worse.

Twelve weeks after the accident, David O'Reilly was fired from his job because he was unable to work due to his still untreated injuries. Then, for their most unbelievable act, the Richardson Independent School District filed suit against O'Reilly to recoup their expenses for his original medical treatment stating that his injuries are "ordinary disease of life" and unrelated to the accident with the van.

To date, the school district has spent over $32,000 of taxpayer money suing David O'Reilly.

Most school districts work extremely hard in the face of tremendous adversity to provide our children with the valuable education that they need to become productive citizens. In Richardson, Texas, part of that education is apparently about how to run away from your responsibilities and take advantage of the disabled.

Way to go RISD!

I've Been a Bad, Bad Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:38:00 +0000

This blogging thing isn't quite as easy as I expected. It's been six months since my last post, and I can give you a million reasons why.

1. Work
2. Kids
3. Travel
4. Eh, did I say a million?

Okay, while being busy certainly hasn't helped things, the real truth of the matter is that writing is hard. What should I write about? Does it have to be poignant and insightful? Can it just be a blurb about the movie I watched last night? How often should I post? Won't I bore people to death if I just write about my kids and their baseball games from this past weekend? (For those of you scoring at home, the answers are: Anything; No, but it doesn't hurt; Sure; More often than every 6 months would be good; and yes, but no one is reading this anyway).

As you might be able to tell, I tend to over-think things sometimes. My first pass at blogging is certainly Exhibit A.

Tonight I'm restarting my efforts. I'm going to keep my expectations low, but I'm committing to at least one post per week. Walk before you run, right?

How about those of you who are hard-core bloggers? Did you have problems getting started? Do you still have those problems from time to time? How did you find your blogging voice?

Can Social Networks Cure Cancer?

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 23:07:00 +0000

Social software technologies have clearly changed the ways we interact and collaborate with each other in both our professional and our personal lives. We can keep in touch with our friends or business associates via social networks like Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn. You can share upcoming trips and travel itineraries with co-workers on Dopplr and TripIt. Post your pictures on Flickr so Aunt Mildred in Boise can see the great shots you took during your vacation to Disneyland. Have something to say to the world? Start a blog...and it doesn’t have to be the old fashioned written variety either. You can podcast, video blog on YouTube or phone in an audio update to your blog with Utterz.

Chances are, you’ve done your fair share of posting, tagging, poking, Digg!-ing, commenting, rating, twittering, Jotting or blogging today. I love these technologies and tools, and I’m a firm believer that they can make us more productive and effective in our efforts to collaborate with others, express ideas, learn from others and maintain relationships that we might otherwise let slip away. Besides, they’re just plain fun!

But the thing that really fires me up is the potential of unleashing social networks and technologies to make a difference in the world in which we live. Most people who know me well know that I am a 5 year survivor of bladder cancer. Since my diagnosis, I’ve become increasingly active in the cancer community, primarily through the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.livestrong.org). Recently, the LAF has launched an initiative known as the LIVESTRONG Army. This nation-wide program seeks to establish a local LIVESTRONG Army in every community in the United States to mobilize volunteers and coordinate efforts to make the fight against cancer a national priority. I’ve volunteered to lead the efforts in my community, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to make an impact for this cause.

So here is the question I pose to you: Can social networks help cure cancer? Can we leverage these tools and networks to get like-minded people to join a great cause? Can we use them to mobilize and equip people with the knowledge and motivation to contribute? Can they be used to serve those who are currently battling the disease?

Please share your ideas! As I kick off efforts for the LIVESTRONG Army Lewisville/Flower Mound, I hope to incorporate as many tools as possible to help fight this battle. After all, social networks and technologies are all about unifying people and sharing knowledge. And in the fight against cancer, “Unity is Strength. Knowledge is Power. Attitude is Everything”.

LIVESTRONG!

Community Affairs

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 05:54:00 +0000

A quick trip to Dictionary.com yields the following top two definitions of the word “community”:

1. a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.

2. a locality inhabited by such a group.

If I were to ask my wife to define a community, her response would probably come close to the first definition above. When most people use the word “community”, the inherent implication is that one is dealing with a place…somewhere concrete. Think of all the uses of the word that we hear & see all around us: community service, community center, community theatre, community college, etc. All of these uses of community deal with the places that we live and are made up of the whole or a subset of the whole population of our town, city or region.

With all due respect to the traditional definitions, today’s communities can span the globe and be comprised of folks who have never even met each other in person (and maybe never will). The internet has created online communities that can range from down right silly to life-changing. And location just doesn’t matter when it comes to these communities. A world-wide community of developers works 7x24x365 developing Open Source Software that is driving the majority of innovation in the enterprise software world. Cancer survivors around the world support each other through online communities such as those found at the Bladder Cancer Web Café (http://blcwebcafe.org/), The Testicular Cancer Resource Center (http://tcrc.acor.org/tc-net.html) or Cyclists Combating Cancer (http://www.ridetolive.org).

Let’s get one thing straight about online communities: it is NOT about the technology. I don’t care whether your preferred method of joining in on the online fray is Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Utterz, Podcasting, Blogging or plain ol’ email. Online community is powered by one thing, and one thing only…people. In my experience as a member of Cyclists Combating Cancer (CCC) for the past four years, many of the relationships that I’ve created with others online have become as important and valuable to me as any that I’ve created through the traditional community. I’ve had the opportunity to meet in person many of those with whom I’ve developed online friendships through CCC, but there are others whom I may never meet. Either way, the camaraderie that we share and the friendships that we’ve developed are genuine and heartfelt. Because online communities are full of people who tend to have sought each other out based on some common interest or purpose, it may actually be easier to create a meaningful or deep connection with someone in an online community than in the traditional community. Just think about it for a second. In a traditional community, those with whom we tend to spend most of our time are not necessarily those with whom we share a mutual hobby, interest or passion, but those with whom we share proximity. See…we’re back to location and the first definition of community. But just because we live next door to someone or sit in the cubicle next to them or end up sitting next to them on the train every morning doesn’t mean that we necessarily have enough in common to develop a meaningful relationship.

Don’t get me wrong…I’m a big supporter and fan of the traditional community. Life just wouldn’t be the same without Friday night high school football games (I am in Texas after all), Saturdays with my sons at the little league fields and the annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks. I love the way my local community comes together when there is a need to stock the local food pantry at Thanksgiving or to raise money and gather donations for victims of a natural disaster. My point is not that the traditional community is irrelevant or dead, but that online communities can be equally vibrant and meaningful.

So, how have online communities changed your perception of community? Have you become part of any communities that have made a major impact on your life?

Texas Passes Proposition 15

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:50:00 +0000

I've never been more proud to be a Texan than I am today. Yesterday, Texans went to the polls and passed Proposition 15, a state constitutional amendment that will create the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. The finally tally was 62.73% in favor and 37.27% in opposition. This important piece of legislation will allocate $3 Billion over the next 10 years towards the fight against cancer. I'm proud that Texas is leading the way in the US in the quest for the prevention and cure of a disease that affects 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women.

Technology At Its Coolest...And Most Practical

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 02:59:00 +0000

I'm a sucker for new technology. While I may not be the type to camp out for a week to get my hands on a new gadget before anyone else, I'm generally an early adopter and definitely a geek at heart. Since joining Optaros (www.optaros.com) in June of this year, I've become a much greater user and follower of many of the Next-Generation, Web 2.0 enabled applications that are available. Two applications that I've come across and begun to use this week represent to me technology at its coolest...and most practical. Enter TripIt and Jott. As someone who travels quite a bit, I can see these apps really making my life easier on the road.

TripIt (www.tripit.com) - Basically, you forward all of the travel confirmations (air, hotel, rental cars, restaurants) that you get via email to TripIt, and the application builds out a master online itinerary for your trip(s). Maps, directions and weather for your destination are automatically included in the itinerary, so no more having to pull that information yourself from separate sites. Plus, you can access the itinerary online from any computer as well as share your itinerary with friends, coworkers and family. The kicker, though, is that you can even email TripIt and ask it to email you a specific itinerary on demand...and this feature makes TripIt the killer app for anyone like me who has gotten to the the airport and can't remember his flight info or arrived at your destination and forgotten at which hotel you booked your reservation.
Jott (www.jott.com) - Call Jott's excellent interactive voice response system, tell it whom you want to Jott, and then leave a voice message up to 30 seconds in length. Jott then transcribes your voice message and emails it to your recipient. The recipient can also pick the message up at jott.com and hear the actual voice message as well. You can Jott yourself (think to-do lists at 75 mph as you drive down the freeway), any contact that you set up to receive your Jotts, or even distribution lists (your son's baseball team, your sales team, etc.). You can even use Jott to post to your Blog, Twitter, Jaiku, and more.

Give TripIt and Jott a try and let me know what you think. And while you're at it, be sure and let me know about any other web apps out there that you think I'd get a kick out of.

What does it mean to LIVESTRONG?

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:54:00 +0000

In just about an hour or so, I'll be heading down I-35 to Austin for the 2007 LIVESTRONG Challenge Weekend. The LIVESTRONG Challenge is a series of cycling & running events put on by the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.livestrong.org) each year to raise funds to support those living with, through & beyond cancer. Riders and runners raise funds throughout the year to qualify for the event and various levels of incentives, up to and including a private ride with Lance himself for the top fund raisers. It has become an annual event for me. After my own cancer diagnosis almost 5 years ago, I found myself drawn to the cancer community. My story is that of someone who got out easy...I found the cancer early, had it removed surgically, and was spared the brutality of chemo & radiation. But there are far too many others who have not been as fortunate as I have been.

During my 4 years of involvement with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and with my brothers and sisters from Cyclists Combating Cancer, an online community of cancer survivors who share the passion of cycling (www.ridetolive.org), I've seen far too many people fight the good fight only to lose to this horrific disease. Within CCC alone, we've lost close to a dozen of our teammates during that time. All of them were special people...husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters. In the last 2 months alone, I've been to the funerals for two friends from church who died of cancer. One was a wonderful and loving big bear of a man in his early 60's who died from pancreatic cancer. Another was a 36 year-old father of 2 who had valiantly fought brain cancer for 2 years. Then, a few weeks ago, we learned that my wife's grandmother has had a recurrence of the breast cancer that she fought 7 years ago and is now Stage IV (metastatic).

Sometimes, it gets to be too much to take in. About 3 weeks ago, I had decided that I was going to skip the LIVESTRONG challenge this year. Cancer was all around me, and the last thing that I wanted was to spend a weekend surrounded by it. Without fail, this weekend always has its emotional moments. Crossing the finish line of the ride by pulling into the area for survivors and being handed a single yellow rose is always special. But then there are the moments that are hard to watch...someone crossing the finish line and breaking down in tears as they complete their challenge in honor of a loved one no longer there. The people you see on the course that are obviously still shells of themselves from the treatments that have just completed or are still on-going. Meeting up with my friends from CCC to realize that someone who was there with us last year won't be with us ever again.

Not long after I had decided to skip this year's event, a very good friend and fellow survivor from CCC reminded me that this is the weekend that we use to recharge our batteries and recommit ourselves for battle. Sure it can be emotional, and cancer will be all around us. But so will incredible stories of survivorship. Stories of people who will never give up...those who fight tooth and nail against a disease that is no respecter of age, race, sex, financial or social status or anything else. It's a weekend to spend time with people who have become like family to me, most of whom I only see at this event each year. It is a weekend to appreciate the gift of life with those who have also been in the trenches and to hug and laugh an awful lot. The people in attendance are the living embodiment of what it means to LIVESTRONG. And that is why I must be there.

In honor of the LIVESTRONG Challenge weekend, Cyclists Combating Cancer and all of those who fight to make a difference in the war against cancer, I share with you the Lance Armstrong Foundation Manifesto:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDBOHpKI6g

My Noisy Life

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:29:00 +0000

My life seems to go non-stop from the time I wake up until the minute my head hits the pillow. There are kids to get ready for school, workdays full of calls, email, meetings, out of town travel and other seemingly never-ending tasks, my kids’ teams to coach and assorted school assemblies, recitals and open-houses. Add to all of that a desire and need to stay connected to my wife and friends while still finding some time for myself and my interests and you end up with a pretty noisy life. And I’m not alone. My guess is that my daily run through the gauntlet is no different than that of the vast majority of people out there.

As the great Ferris Bueller once said, “Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Spot on. That’s why I’ve started this blog, Noisy Life. It’s a place where I can reflect on the things going on in my life and in our world, both good and bad; a place where I can filter out the noise and listen for the truth and lessons that lie within. And if I’m lucky, perhaps some others will read it from time to time and share their thoughts and experiences as well. If that does happen, that’s where the true value of this blog will be found. There is little in life that is as valuable as gaining insight into the perspective of others. Whether you agree or disagree with their viewpoints, you come away a richer person for being able to question your own to find that you are either still firmly rooted as before or perhaps have gained a new perspective that you had never considered.

My guess is that this blog will cover the banal to the provocative. Everyday life, technology, sports, national & international affairs, politics, work, parenting, and leisure activities are all sure to be topics from time to time. Above all, it’s a place to slow down and turn the noise down just a notch or two. Welcome to my Noisy Life.

Save Ferris.