Israeli Funk producer Kutiman has created some jaw-dropping audio/video mixes from the random works of YouTube musicians.

The video below shows how he mixed the audio *and* video to create something that’s truly more than the sum of its parts.

There are 7 more awesome videos at: www.thru-you.com

This reminds me of something my uncle once said: “There’s nothing technology can do that I can’t do myself.” Not that we didn’t already know this is wrong, but Kutiman makes the point ever so beautifully.

[via Dave's Lounge]

First, both Sydney and Melbourne are gorgeous cities - although Sydney has a bit of a harder edge to it. If the last 5 years hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t have been so bad if I’d chose to study there instead of Auckland back in 2004;)

Fast Walking

One of the differences I noticed most compared to NZ is how quickly people walk, especially in Sydney - which I reckon is a sign of how things are faster-paced there. I thought I was quick, but was barely keeping up with the short girls in high heels!

Another anecdotal comparison: when comparing the speed of deli service at the most urban supermarkets in Sydney and Auckland on multiple occasions, the apathy of Auckland’s service is stark (and consistent.)

Prickiness

And while I liked the added intensity of daily life in OZ, the overall friendliness as compared to NZ is definitely lacking. I joked about this on my status message at the time by saying “Dave thinks the average Aussie is a much bigger prick than the average Kiwi, but nowhere near as big a prick as the average Yankee.”

So being American, Sydney felt much more like a big US city than Auckland does (which isn’t always a good thing.)

Quality Over Quantity

But despite my friendly jabs at Auckland, I always seem to like it more after being gone awhile, and this was no exception.

And when not on anthropology duty, I was really lucky to see several of my friends - Mitch, Julia, Paul, Maria, and Kai - and also meet some cool new people.

The article clearly shows how the new manager isn’t nearly as self-centered as some of the club players I’ve worked with, and actually respects his employees:

For his part, Mr. Precker takes pride in how the club treats its dancers. He says Ms. Rizos (the owner) encourages them to go to college, even pays tuition in some cases, and lectures them that, like professional athletes, they need to prepare for a second career.

I was also struck by how Mr. Precker’s ego seems to be in check, and isn’t above doing mundane tasks:

Mr. Precker combines “great intelligence and writing ability” with a willingness to handle operational duties. This week, for instance, he wrote a press release about the guest appearance of a burlesque star named Tiny Tina. Then he drove to the airport to pick up the 3-foot-9-inch entertainer.

In my humble opinion, the more an entertainment player is concerned with his own ego, the less he can focus on providing a quality experience for his fans. So reading stories about quality players such as Mr. Precker is a breath of fresh air.

So without elaborating too much, I abruptly changed my plans on the 12th of June by moving back to New Zealand to help out a friend with something.

This was after spending almost 5 months in Cincinnati where, in addition to getting fired from a few Cincy nightclubs, I primarily focused on developing my entertainment business plan.

Needless to say, this is the first time I’ve ever woken up in one country with a solid plan for the day, and then finally slept in another country with a radically different perspective on how my future might unfold.

Anyone who knows me decently well is aware that I’m more thoughtful than your average bloke, and that I can’t help but play out possible future scenarios, and then try to subtlety shift the odds in my favour. I was certainly doing this while in Cincinnati and had a pretty clear picture of how I wanted things to work out by the end of this year. But while in transit to New Zealand, I was struggling to clear my mind of all preconceived plans, and simply trust my gut reaction to make the trip without really knowing what I was getting into.

And I can say unequivocally that I made the right move.

So, although the circumstances which brought me back to Auckland are far from ideal, and there have been some rocky moments since arriving, the situation is not without its benefits. Coolest among them is that I’m able to see many of my amazingly awesome friends, but I’m also enjoying the geographic freedom of working via the Internet, still progressing with my own business goals, and once again enjoying the Auckland lifestyle.

I think it’s fair to say that everything I was aiming for before the recent events is still quite important to me, but the balance and timing of what I hope to enjoy is definitely in flux. At least for the time being though, I’m totally comfortable with playing things by ear, and I have no doubt that “everything will work out in the end.”

(Apologies for not being more specific in this post. I would normally be very open about my own issues, but I obviously can’t divulge the private matters of others. I still wanted to write this for myself and those who are interested, so hopefully a vague post is better than no post;)

2) Do your job really well. It helps to create little acronyms you can mentally recite to make table servicing go smoothly. This will be a lifesaver when you’re assigned to take care of the owners’ table and the amount of pressure from your boss to perform well is orders of magnitude greater than the attention he gives to actual paying guests.

3) When you notice that some of your coworkers are working 5-6 hours per night and leaving with zero dollars, privately and respectfully make it known to your manager that this isn’t cool with you. Graciously apologize for the confusion when you’re assured that a minimum wage is indeed paid.

4) Casually chat with some of your coworkers and suss out that you were lied to when told a minimum wage is paid. Continue to do your job well to the point you have time to chat with guests, take photos for groups, and help with security. Also, make sure you talk to some of the really attractive chicks right in front of the assistant manager so he starts to plot against you.

5) When told that “we need to let you go”, argue the counter points of their rationale even though it’s obviously bullshit. At that point, say “I know you’ve already lied to me once, so I have no confidence that you’re telling me the truth now.” After an awkward blank stare and essentially being told “well, whatever, you’re still fired”, casually point out how someone more revenge-driven with even the smallest amount of business knowledge could call certain government agencies and probably have the club put out of business. At this point, you’ll be told “Get the fuck out of my office!” and be hastily escorted off the premises, and you will have achieved your goal of being fired from the nightclub.

Bonus step:

6) Get another job at a club like MIXX Ultra Lounge where you’ll have more responsibility, more pay, and be able to work with your friends. This will be especially good if it’s owned by decent and respectful gentlemen such as Julian Rodgers (”Jay Rodg”) and Debron (”DB”.) You’ll know this when during the interview, without prompting, they’ll assure you that everyone will get paid every night and they’re not obsessed with being the center of attention. This will be confirmed over the next month or two - especially by how they ALWAYS ask every employee if they made enough money that night, and will personally tip them out if it was a little slow (which rarely happens.)

I’ve tested these steps myself, and I personally guarantee that you’ll have the same success with them if followed correctly!

At the risk of seeming like a complete nerd, I thought I’d share five goals I set in August 2006 before leaving Arizona to complete my last year at The University of Auckland. I’ll share what successes/failures I’ve had, and throw in a few random thoughts just for fun.

GOAL 1: GRADUATE

Done. Next?

GOAL 2a: SOLIDIFY EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS

I made several good friends back in 2004, and was extraordinarily fortunate to see many of them again.

(When I left Auckland in June 2005, my original plan was to return for one semester in early 2008. I’m so glad I decided to push things up a year. There were many reasons for this, but spending more time with my people was one of the biggies, and it sure paid off.)

Shoutouts go to Onur, Josie, and Kaidawg (a.k.a. Ms. Pun Fun) for helping to get my groove on throughout the year. Even though I didn’t get to see you guys as often as I’d like, fun times were plentiful whenever you were around!

There were also two lovely ladies that I kinda knew in ‘04 who I had the great pleasure of becoming closer with this past year. You know who you are. That’s right, Ellie, who always knows how to get the party started (because she is the party), and Atawhai, the girl who can drink everyone under the table, still seem sober, all while showing you things you never thought possible.

And of course, mad props go to Jesse - my very good friend, flat mate, sounding board, and clubbing buddy. Jesse is my New Zealand rock. I’ve lived with him at all times while in NZ and we compliment each so well it’s sometimes scary;) All kidding aside, my life would be substantially worse off if not for Jesse.

GOAL 2b: MEET NEW AND QUALITY PEOPLE

As if I wasn’t lucky enough to hook up with my old friends, I got to meet heaps of cool new people.

The most potent of the bunch would be the sometimes feisty yet always sensual Zlata. She helped get my creative juices flowing on more than one occasion, and I’m looking forward to continuing our never-dull verbal sparring matches;)

A somewhat last-minute friend was Lara - the “cool marketing chick” from first semester who I randomly ended up clubbing with several times during my last weeks in town. I definitely got the sense she’s more quality than I’d realised, and hopefully we’ll get to know each better down the line:)

And this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning my very good and future better friend Abraham. Let me tell you, Abe is one of the special people. He’s got the cajones to give up a “safe” career by returning to uni to study what he really loves. He’s always eager to help others even though he’s got plenty of his own challenges. And he’s got more spirit and knows how to have a better time than most younger people. I could go on, but let’s just say anyone’s life would be much better off knowing Abraham.

Quick side note: I should briefly mention it was quite the eventful year in the arena of romantic relationships - complete with (many) stupid mistakes, immense joy, and profound agony. I feel like I’ve gained so much wisdom and toughness in such a short time, because to be honest, this isn’t something I’ve been too experienced with in the past;) I constantly shocked myself by how quickly I could make sense of a very difficult situation, and then continue on. It was very much the learning experience, and I’m glad I didn’t screw up too badly and that everyone’s okay.

GOAL 3: PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

While transitioning out of my “corporate job” in mid ‘06, I literally asked myself what I wanted to do in my professional life. “Entertaining people” is how I replied. Why? I figured that having a good time is one of the few things people ultimately strive for, so why not help people reach the high point of life’s spectrum (and hopefully make everything else more worthwhile as a result?)

Yes, I actually think like this.

In case you’re curious, I define entertainment as “the endeavor to distract people from reality, bring them closer to each other, promote their self-image, and stimulate their sensual desires.”

But with that said, I had no clear direction and no idea what I was getting myself into.

I was hoping that while finishing my degree I’d become familiar with Auckland’s nightlife and then do some kind of promotional work in the dance scene later on. A milestone I set was to be intimately involved with a large-scale dance event before the end of 2007, and although I was offered just such an opportunity, I had to pass because along with way I found myself a bigger fish to fry.

This bigger fish is to substantially enhance the method by which all entertainment professionals do business and will be achieved through a service I’m currently developing named (inf)(ent) - short for “Infinite Entertainment.”

(inf)(ent) is dedicated to promoting the enjoyment of all people by connecting professionals in every segment of the global entertainment industry. Through enabling free and open access to relevant knowledge and like-minded people, (inf)(ent) will enhance the ability of passionate entertainers to create highly captivating experiences for the people of the world. - www.infent.com

I always knew that inadequate access to information would be a big problem in reaching my entertainment goals. I originally thought that I could personally research and manage everything I needed to know (which now sounds monumentally absurd), but I quickly realised the immense scale and dynamism of what I needed required the active collaboration of most players in the industry.

To put this is simpler terms, if I were a promoting a dance party, opening a restaurant, or making a movie, I’d want to know the bios, networks, past experiences, and peer reviews of everyone involved so I could exploit the hidden opportunities and avoid the disastrous mistakes (I’d also want everyone else to be just as informed.) And I’d want to learn all of this in a matter of hours instead of spending years learning from rumor and hearsay.

This level of efficiency is simply not available today. It is, however, completely possible, and (inf)(ent) is going to make it happen.

This all leads to one of my major shortcomings of 2007: not fully realising what’s required to achieve my goals with (inf)(ent).

I thought I was stuck in a somewhat precarious position. I had finished university, was still living in Auckland, but knowing that (inf)(ent) can’t be launched from New Zealand, I made the “safe” decision to work for an online advertising firm named Response Directive and simply hoped things would work themselves out with (inf)(ent).

Yeah, not so much. I had to dramatically alter my environment to give myself every possible advantage if I want even a fighting chance at succeeding with (inf)(ent).

(Quick tip for my job-seeking friends: don’t be fooled by companies with flashy names or descriptions. Distinguish the difference between what your actual role will be and the ultimate purpose of the company. Might not be so great to be a janitor for the company which solves the global energy crisis if you’re an aspiring engineer. And if you’re doing something really cool and educational for a company that has a dull purpose, you’ll soon be languishing away once you’ve stretched your legs a bit. I’m not saying avoid these positions, just really try to imagine what your day-to-day activities will be and how they square with your goals, and then decide accordingly.)

So one day while lunching alone at the Rationalist House, I was staring out the window and thinking how much I desperately wanted to move things along. And then a somewhat obvious, yet subconsciously shunned, option popped up to the surface: move back to Cincinnati with my parents and focus full-time on my goals.

As soon as the thought hit, I knew it was the only option - just as I knew I had to leave for Auckland in 2003, I had to leave for Arizona in 2005, and I had to do other dramatic things at key moments in my life.

I quit the next day.

(It’s worth mentioning that these quick and dramatic decisions don’t just happen out of the blue. I’m not that fickle;) They’ve always been preceded by striking changes in the context of my life, and it’s quite liberating to see what “silly” ideas all of sudden become the smart choice once the board pieces are moved around a bit. For example, I was intimately involved with trying to revitalize my Boy Scout troop in early 2003, which was ultimately a losing battle, and I know the very idea of moving to New Zealand would’ve never occurred if not for that terribly unfortunate experience.)

It pains me that my decision required moving away from Auckland because, despite my criticisms, I love the city and I love the people I’ve met there. Auckland is my second home, and it hasn’t seen the last of me yet! However, the act of moving forward with my goals feels great even though circumstances leave much to be desired here in Cincinnati.

And of course, I’m super lucky to have such supportive parents who, despite my sometimes confusing outlook, are willing to support me while getting (inf)(ent) off the ground!

GOAL 4: NZ CULTURAL AWARENESS

After having an inspirational professor for international business at Arizona State University, I decided that upon my return to NZ, I’d learn more about the place and its people than you can get from a postcard. So I volunteered as a Maori youth mentor through a university outreach programme called Te Pae Tawhiti (roughly translated as “in pursuit of well-being for our people.”)

(Apologies for misspelling “Maori” - limitation of my blog. There’s supposed to be a stroke above the A as you can see from their Wikipedia entry.)

Working with the students was really great. It reminded me a lot of my time in Boy Scouts, and although my contribution was modest, it felt good to give at least one student one thought that one day might help lead her to something great.

I definitely have a better appreciation for how vibrant and soulful Maori culture is - something that, frankly, I’m a little jealous of. Some of my more traditional cultural gatherings can be utterly boring at times. I wish people would take a page from the Maori, loosen up, and not be so afraid to poke fun of each other every now and then;)

And let me give you a little word of advice: never, ever, ask your Maori mate how many of the 30 or so Maori students in the room are “part Maori.” God, I can be such a moron sometimes. When you think about it, the premise of my question is completely ridiculous. After this whopper of a mistake, I began to realize that culture, ethnicity, and nationality can be totally distinct despite being commonly related. Ethnicity is more or less set in stone, but really not as consequential as culture. Culture is very important, and I believe what mostly drives us, yet ultimately, individuals have great discretion over which cultures they choose to embrace or not. And nationality is really just a technicality which can be changed by signing the right papers. And none of this has anything to do with the fallacy of how “pure” our blood is.

Sadly though, I had to prematurely end my involvement with Te Pae Tawhiti because the timing conflicted with one of my classes, and I became uncomfortably close to not achieving goal #1.

Finally, I’d be amiss not to mention how great the Kiwi dance culture can be - something I became much more familiar with in 2007:) I don’t mention this to reminisce about my many glorious nights out, but rather to tell my clubbing friends to not take it for granted. A good club scene isn’t unique to NZ, but having a wild and crazy night (the way I know you like it) isn’t as universal as you might think. Trust me.

Go hard my friends!

GOAL 5: CORRECT PAST MISTAKES

Not much to say about this except that back in 2004-05 I was too lazy and too scatter-brained way too often. I feel I’ve come a long way in improving this, but there’s always more to do;)

PARTING THOUGHT

I graduated from The University of Auckland only a year and a half after I would’ve graduated the University of Cincinnati if I’d taken the “safe” path and completed my degree where I started. Along the way, I’ve mingled with the world’s cultures, worked in the “real world”, learnt many valuable lessons about myself, met people I simply can’t live without, developed a determined path toward the future, and oh yeah, got a degree. It wouldn’t be possible for me to write this without the incredible support of so many people, and I want thank everyone who has and continues to save me from the ever-lurking threat of mediocrity.

I thought Rap and Country were the two genres no one likes???

And I’d also like to share a video highlight from the recent political news coverage:

Only in America.

The reason for my little research project was to find potential places to work while I’m in town and to develop some local contacts for my little business project. Shoutouts go to Bang for the classiest club with the most attractive people, Below Zero Lounge for the grooviest vibe, and Havana Martini Club for the most lively atmosphere with its live Latin music.

Another promising venue was Mr. Pitiful’s with its very stylish interior design and friendly staff. Unfortunately though, Mr. Pitiful is living up to its name a little too much because it was almost totally empty at primetime on Saturday night. The owner used tomorrow’s Super Bowl as an excuse, but this didn’t seem to be a factor for all of the other places I went. I’m betting its less-than-desirable location in the Main Street district (the not-so-nice part of town) has more to do with it. From what I’ve heard, Main Street is really in the shitter at the moment, but from what I’ve read, this may be (and hopefully) improving in the near future.

It’s nice to know there are some fairly decent places in town good for an occasional distraction!

Although I’m not one to shy away from strange experiences in life, I take serious issue with this unwelcome guest outside my window. The finger’s motor echoes the sound of a meat grinder through my apartment 24/7 and seriously disrupts the comfort of my guests.

Also not being one to just go with the flow, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I simply climbed out my window and unplugged Santa’s nefarious finger. I had no idea what kind of madness would follow.

(In the photo above, my flat is the one closest to Santa’s belt, and my bedroom is directly behind his right elbow.)

After about two days of calm, all hell broke loose. It started with a cease and desist letter from my building manager simply stating “HEY GUYS. LEAVE SANTA ALONE. HE’S BEEN THERE LONGER THAN YOU.” Shortly after, everyone from my landlord to coworkers to friends of friends were pointing me in the direction of this fine piece of journalism by the New Zealand Herald:

Hunt for Scrooge who sabotaged Santa

Grinch-like neighbours are being blamed for bringing the famed Whitcoulls Santa to a grinding halt.

The finger-waving, winking St Nicholas that lords it over Queen St shoppers each  festive season has been frozen in action several times since he got on to his perch this year.

The article went on to incorrectly state the finger only operated between 8am and 6pm. This is now the case, but presumably only because I gave them crap. 

And by the way, I’m fully aware that dealing with Santa is part and parcel with living in this otherwise very cool building. That’s all fine and good, but anyone who bothers to check out Auckland Noise Control will know the law trumps any private contract.

And I got a nice big belly laugh from these final lines of the article:

Ebony Hallam said residents she knew liked having Santa there.

“For someone to do this [turn off the power] is actually quite hurtful.”

Another man described it as “a bit disturbing” that someone was unplugging Santa.

And once this article was published, some local radio stations apparently had a field day by filling their airtime with the Santa controversy. And local television news even ran a story. How sad.

So I have a couple of questions for the reporter of this story (Phoebe Falconer) or anyone else that cares to leave a comment:

1) Can we all agree this is a bullshit story to fill space in the media that would otherwise go to some other bullshit story? If anyone really gave a crap, the “hunt” may have included such tricky tactics like actually knocking on my door, or leaving a note in my mailbox asking for comment.

2) How was I actually “hurting” and “disturbing” anyone by unplugging Santa and reducing a blatantly unpleasant influence in society? The article itself acknowledges that Santa scares children. Common sense anyone?

3) Is this really the best use of our time? 

Okay, let’s all put on our ad executive hats for a minute.

As I was walking down the street in Parnell, Auckland the other day, I saw this ad for the Air New Zealand Fashion Week in the distance. As I got closer, my first thought was, of course, “Damn, she’s hot!” I then saw what the ad was for and thought “Oh, it’s just a fashion ad… big whoop.” Then as the background became clearer, I was thinking “That’s clever, they tied in a runway for both fashion and airplanes… cute.” So overall, a decent ad, but after I walked about 10 meters past it, EUREKA!!! That’s when I went back to take a photo and started drafting this post in my head.

So do you see what’s really cool about the ad? (Hint: think about it from a typical guy’s persepctive.)

Okay, if you don’t see it, here it is: a large, powerful, and unstoppable smooth shaft thrusting from behind toward a luscious and beautiful woman. Need I say more?

I personally think this is very cool, but you have to ask yourself whether the ad really suits the objectives of the Air NZ Fashion Week. I certainly don’t know for sure, but would the kind of people who find this ad appealing (e.g. me) also be the kind of people likely to attend a fashion event? Seems questionable at least.

But on the other hand, the ad was obviously good enough to get me to write about it and consequently raise awareness of the event (even though it’s over at this point.) So maybe that was the point, and if so, job well done!

I’ll let you decide the verdict - just leave a comment.

(And for extra points, if someone from Air NZ or the Fashion Week staff leaves a comment within 48 hours - a totally reasonable marketing effort - they will have my eternal admiration.)

As you can see from the above screenshot, 11 of the 20 most recent status updates are related to New Zealand’s “national depression.”

Besides the fact that New Zealanders are unhealthily obsessed with really into their sport, I think this little experience is just another small example of how information these days is being spliced and diced, fragmented across an ever-growing number of channels, and increasingly likely to be delivered by digital word of mouth rather than “Big Media.”

Isn’t that just freakin’ cool? I think so!

But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of reason to hold onto the panzy ass image we’re all used to. Just take a look at this photo from the window of my flat where a bunch of police officers are protecting protestors who want better public transportation (I’ll ignore the irony that the photo also clearly shows construction work being done to… what do you know… improve public transportation.) Anyway, there are almost as many cops (the guys in the yellow jackets) as there are protestors - just the kind of hard core image we all expect to see.

Well, not really. Their performance was less than stellar in this regard. After paying $45 and mailing my finger prints to them on April 17 of this year, I just now received confirmation that I am in fact not a criminal (at least in the US.) That’s good to know, but it would’ve been nice to know sooner than 4 months later. Oh, but I’m sure you’re thinking that they needed all that time to write up an official looking letter and actually sign something. Well, not really. All I got back from them was my original finger prints with little more than a stapled Post-It note attached saying “No Criminal Record.” The envelope is the most official looking thing of all, and I’ll be lucky if the NZ Immigration Service doesn’t laugh in my face when I take this to them. Now you’re probably thinking that they have a lot of other important things to deal with, and I’m just bitching for the hell of it. Well, not really. Their little note was actually dated May 22, 2007, so basically someone took care of it, forgot about it for two months, and then decided to mail it to me.

I would like to make one thing very clear though. I have every confidence that the US government is constantly looking for ways to increase the service level to its citizens. I’m sure their marketing guys are scanning the blogosphere right now, will read my post, and quickly brainstorm a number of ways to prevent this from happening again.

The main reason why Apple is so great is that besides their technical superiority and advertising campaigns which accurately portray the benefits of their products, they really care more about and do more than any other computer company to serve their customers. The first rule of business is to know that you’re a business and do what your customers want, and while certainly not perfect, Apple does this better than anyone out there.

After “switching” from PC to Mac just about a year ago, I recently had to take my Mac into the shop for a minor problem that was mostly my fault for causing. Even so, it only took them 5 days to take care of everything and get it back to me. That’s just amazing in my book, especially because I’m in New Zealand (where Apple doesn’t have a corporate presence) and it usually takes 5 days just to download an mp3 here. It was extremely obvious that Apple had successfully spread their customer-centric culture all they way through their outsourced supply chain, even down here in remote New Zealand.

As a point of contrast, I own a Nokia 6600 phone and have been trying with no luck to upgrade the phone’s software for some time now. First, they don’t even have a way for Mac users to do this. Not a huge deal. Second, their isn’t even a download option for the Windows version of the upgrade on their official website, and Googling didn’t yield anything either. This is getting pretty annoying. So I go down to the Vodafone shop (which sold me the phone) and asked if they could do it for me - “Yeah, but we have to send it away and it will cost $40.” Give me a break!

Just in case you’re wondering, if you own an iPhone, all you have to do to upgrade your phone is plug it into your PC or Mac and press a button. This is how I think Apple is going to dominate the mobile phone business - not by having the phone with the most technical features, but rather provide what customers really want: simplicity and customer service.

I’m not realistically expecting to change anyone’s mind on this issue, but it’s unfortunate that more Apple lovers aren’t able to better articulate what I think Apple’s real strength is. But for all of the critics out there who say “Apple’s just really good at marketing”, I invite you to look at the photo below of someone about to buy their iPhone. Look at the big cheesy smile on the guy’s face. Then please state in the comments another example of a company which has such faithful and happy customers, but doesn’t have a quality product line to back it up.

As much as I’d like to think it’s possible, I just don’t think any advertising campaign in the world can independently invoke this level of emotion in anyone. There’s got to be something more.

So other than Ellie’s departure, things have been going really well for me since moving back to Auckland in January. I’ve been real lucky to meet up with a lot of my old friends, and meet some extremely quality new people (you know who you are;) I really don’t have anything to complain about.

University is going well - just got my (good) grades for the first semester and only one more easy as semester to go. I’m looking forward to proving all of the people wrong who doubted that I could make it through college;) So close I can smell it.

My future outlook is also starting to shape up in a really good way. I’m been working hard out on a new business idea that I have a lot of hope for. It’s a bit early to talk publicly about that, but I’ll be sure to fill in everyone (all 4 of you that read this) on the details when the time is right.

So I’m going to miss Ellie heaps, but have every intention of partying with her again, and hopefully I’ll have more money for booze when that time comes.

Luckily, I ran into a really nice guy at an auto shop that is continuing to store the desk for me at his house, but how am I going to get the desk back? It would certainly be hella expensive to have it shipped back to Cincinnati because of its odd shape, and I can’t say when I might be back in the area to pick it up. I may just bite the bullet and have it shipped, but there must be a better way.

I think that better way is for someone to start a community website in the the spirit of eBay and CouchSurfing.com enabling individuals to help each other with long distance shipping. This could be done for free or perhaps a small fee, and put a dent the businesses of existing commercial shippers. Think about how often people are traveling long distances and have a little extra space in their vehicle. I bet this happens fairly often, and with the right technology in place, this unused capacity can be harnessed to meet the unserved demand.

I don’t know how all of the logistics would work, but I do know that most people are willing to help each other out a lot more than is commonly thought. One striking example of this was recently highlighted on an episode of the ScobleShow where the community website Front Porch Forum was profiled, a service that aims to connect neighbors with each other. A young couple with a newborn baby was looking to move house, and sent out a request for help on the website. There were dozens of people that replied, and within a couple hours, everything in their old house was packed, moved, and completely unpacked at their new house - completely free of charge, crib assembly and all.

This is an amazing example of how technology is enabling communities to help each other out and not be so dependent on “the establishment.” I wish someone would apply this idea to shipping so I can get my damn desk back without paying a small fortune!

So I was having dinner with my friend Priscilla at a Japanese restaurant last night, and realised that Asian restaurants are missing out on a huge opportunity. As with almost any non-Asians, both of us had pretty much no idea what all of the options were on the menu, and we ended up making a little game out of the experience of guessing what we were ordering.

So instead of keeping their customers in the dark, or futily trying to explain all of the options for their patrons, I think Asian restaurateurs should leverage this opportunity by providing an incentive for the customers to play such a game.

I think the best model would be to provide one free desert for each group table and letting the customers pick and mutually judge their own game - something like “Pick a random menu item, and whoever’s order turns out closest to their guess will get the desert.” A little card on the table could explain the incentive and provide game suggestions.

This would have a couple of positive effects: encouraging groups to patronize the restaurant, incentivizing the “losers” to buy their own deserts, creating a memorable and fun experience, and most importantly, creating repeat business in a highly competitive industry.

So would you play the Asian Mystery Menu game?

Think greeting cards meets Demotivations.

Check these out:

Via NOTCOT.

As reported by the New Zealand Herald:

Mr Cooke said the airport X-ray machine identified the possible explosive device yesterday in an incoming parcel.

“They placed this package into the explosives safe and called us this morning,” he said.

Defence Force bomb disposal personnel arrived this morning but initially had difficulty opening the safe, Mr Cooke said.

Inspector Matt Sillars of the police northern communications centre earlier said he believed the package was probably harmless.

He said: “You’ve got to bear in mind that it’s gone through 30,000 feet of air travel and has probably been kicked, dropped and whatever else.

“The chances of it being anything sinister are probably quite remote.”

Even though the package turned out to be harmless, Inspector Sillars was making quite a bold assumption here. Maybe someone should remind him that cell phones have been used to remotely detonate bombs, and sometimes really weird things happen and maybe a bomb could survive a trans-oceanic trip. Nevertheless, someone should really ask him what’s more important: the safety of Kiwi citizens or waiting ’til morning to check out bomb scares because it’s just too much of a hassle.

To be fair though, I can somewhat understand how a Kiwi would be more inclined to take such an action. This place is quite peaceful and chances of anything *bad* happening really are quite low. And let’s face it, people here can be quite apathetic. That being said, New Zealand isn’t the only country with such issues. America had a similar mindset, albeit with a much larger issue, prior to 9/11 and most Americans couldn’t have conceived of such an event happening even though terrorism has been around since the beginning of time. But still, I think a good rule of thumb for any country would be to immediately investigate any bomb scares, no matter what time of day it is.

I gotta say one of the best perks about studying abroad (especially for a student that can’t settle on one university) is all of the small trips you take when flying from one place to another. This past year has been no exception. After leaving Arizona in December, I hit San Diego, Los Angeles (where I met up with my mate Josie from NZ), San Francisco, Seattle, and Olympia, Washington with my good friend Paul from Arizona. You might be saying now “Those sound like really great places to go, but why in the hell did you spend any time in Olympia, Washington?” Well, it was a really great trip, but the time in Olympia was solely to deal with the fact that I don’t know ANYTHING about cars and I kinda sorta let the engine in my car fry to a crisp in the middle of a massive road trip. Who knew driving for hours, maybe days, with the temp gauge on “H” was such bad thing?

After wasting a day and selling the car for $1000, Paul and I headed up to Seattle and then on to Vancouver where we parted ways and I met up with Kai, my old friend from New Zealand. I spent a couple days with her and her friends in Vancouver and we also hit Whistler, Canada (the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics.) My God, that’s an impressive place! Imagine a small mountain village with ski slopes instead of roads. And something else I’m very happy to say now that I’ve had my Canadian cherry officially popped, I have been curling. Oh yes. Oh yes.

After hopping a jet plane back to Cincinnati, it was really nice to be home for a while and just chill. I didn’t do anything that grand in Cincinnati, but did have a good time with my friends and worked with my friend Tim at his bar on several occasions which was a new thing for me. I did manage to take a small trip up to Chicago over New Years where I met up with my friend Brian (who lives in Iowa but we met in Auckland) and my friend Rosa who I met at ASU. Let’s not get into the details of that trip, but let’s just say Brian and I had a *very* good time. And by the way, avoid Amtrak like it’s the plague.

Flying back to New Zealand I managed to add another country to this list of places I’ve been by spending 24 hours in Nadi, Fiji. The thing that made this most exciting is that it was only a few weeks after a government coup (which is like a regular event in Fiji.) There was much diversity in opinions on the coup amongst the locals, as you might expect, but people were still incredibly chilled out and friendly as.

So that all brings me back to Auckland where I just finished the first half of the first semester in classes. Only 18 more weeks of classes before graduating! I’m having a good time here and getting a lot of important work done, both academically and for my future plans.

Stay tuned.

WARNING: MAJOR SAP ALERT!!!

More than anything else, this time has showed me the value of social relationships. I went from having an okay social life living in Cincinnati up to having an incredible social life in Auckland in 2004, and then having absolutely nothing of the sort when moving to Phoenix. I foresaw this when moving there, but I vastly underestimated how much I would actually miss all of the people in my life. After living there for a while, and having some family and friends around, I started to enjoy myself more, but things never really “clicked.” I used to have more of a live-to-work mentality, always assumed I would follow the business/entrepreneurial path as soon as possible, and I took my relationships somewhat for granted. I’m definitely still interested in business, but I want to take advantage of my youth a while longer, see what’s out there in a more holistic way, and eventually choose my path(s) having a greater understanding of�the professional and social implications. So instead of live-to-work, I now see things as A) work to get by, B) find something you really enjoy, and C) make lots of money from it (if possible.) Only three steps - how hard could it be?

I’ve also continued to learn that I have a large, and sometimes eerie, propensity for dramatic change in my life. I say eerie because if I’m still like this in twenty years it’s a little spooky, yet exciting, imagining where I’ll end up and where I’ll have been. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I started thinking about moving away from both Auckland and Phoenix after about a year. Even though I’ve criticized both places, I think my own quirks are motivating my changes just as much as the cities’ quirks. In the future, until I feel this character trait of mine has changed (or I find something really worth staying in one place for), I’ll try to take an especially proactive approach to places I live, projects I start, and people I meet realising that I probably have a defined time frame before I start thinking about what’s next.

Have you ever researched a really big and hairy topic, and the more you read, the more you realise you don’t know? That’s a feeling that I constantly have to deal with, except on a more fundamental level of where I am in life. I’ve been very lucky to have many great experiences, but a side effect of that is constantly wanting more. I want to experience everything, in every place, at every time, with everyone. Not such a bad problem to have, I suppose. Nevertheless, I wonder if I’m actually hurting myself by opting for the generalist approach and not choosing a specific path. I think for now I’m going to stay on the windy road, but I’m going to keep asking myself that question at every turn. After all, the world is so big, and I’d be kidding myself by saying I’ve done anything more than scratch the surface of what’s out there to experience. I still feel that it’s profoundly important for me to gain a solid understanding of global cultures and contexts. Just as it would be odd for an adult to not be generally familiar with the major regions of his country in today’s world, I believe it will be increasingly odd for people not to be familiar with major regions of the globe in the future. I’m sure people will always find me odd, but I hope it’s not for that reason.

I cannot stress this enough: everyone’s shit stinks! Clich�, crude, but oh so true. I can think of a handful of people whose opinions I used to take as gospel. While I still greatly value, and greatly rely upon, the opinions of these people and others, I’ve finally come to the obvious conclusion that their shit stinks just as much as mine and everyone else’s. I’ll leave it at that.

And finally, I’d like to stress how awesome my parents are - something I always continue to learn and appreciate. They’ve been totally supportive of everything I’ve done and I’m very thankful for that. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to be my own parent, and honestly, it scares the crap out of me thinking about it. If I ever do decide to be a parent though, I have a great example to work from.

So I hope that wasn’t too much sap for you. I promise that if you stick around for my next post that I’ll talk about much more exciting stuff.

This is the sixth of nine posts recapping events between April 2004 and November 2006. Click here for the overview.

My parents also came out for a nice visit in March, and that was also about the time that I was thinking my original plan of staying in Phoenix through 2007 was just not going to happen. My experience at the research job was starting to plateau, but I also realized if I wanted to have one last bastion of college debauchery, I better go back to Auckland in 2007 and not 2008 as I was thinking earlier. This has the added benefits of actually graduating earlier, avoiding a really long academic break, and getting back overseas.

I stayed full time at the research job until the end of May 2006. For some odd reason I had the strong desire to get a job as a server, so I ended up working at a Greek restaurant for about 6 minutes. Okay, a little longer, but barely. I had done a little serving years before and wanted to give it another shot. I also wanted to do something with lots of people interaction so I thought serving would be a good match. Well, not so much, so I quit. After that I got a job begging alumni of ASU to give money to the university. I also did this before and thought it would be cool to try again. Well, kind of. Not quite as good as my old job but I decided to keep working there on a limited basis. I actually ended up doing some more research work on a contract basis similar to the arrangement I had while in NZ. This is actually pretty nice, and along with classes, a little bit of alumni calling, and preparing for the future, I stayed fairly busy.

Phoenix turned out to be a fairly nice place to live overall. I met some great friends living in Tempe including Chris, Chris, Kelsey, Paul, Rosa, and Ryan. Generally speaking, people my age here also have more of an optimistic outlook on life compared to what I remember about the Midwest, which is always nice to be around. And having big beautiful mountains randomly pop up out of the otherwise flat-as-a-pancake ground is pretty sweet too.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the staggering heat and lack of real seasons have got to be some of the worst things about the place. During the summer, you can expect 2-3 months of consistently topping out at 110 (F) / 44 (C). Not something I look forward to doing again, but I�m a strange way I�m glad I experienced it once.

Something else I couldn�t help but notice about Phoenix is how a lot of people my age are way too into themselves. If I was as attractive as some of these people, I�d be tempted to do the same, but in my opinion, peoples� attitudes too often put a hamper on how much fun could be had.

As I continue to learn, every place has its own ups and downs, and Phoenix is certainly no exception. I�m really glad I had a chance to experience living there, but it’s nice to be moving on for now.

This is the fifth of nine posts recapping events between April 2004 and November 2006. Click here for the overview.

(Just in case you’re wondering, I have intentionally concealed information about the company to prevent the competition from finding my blog.)

Looking back over a year later, it’s hard to count the number of ways the job helped me, but I’ll try. I’ve improved my skills with:

1. Understanding people better
2. Thinking more logically
3. Communicating more effectively
4. Mediating the inherent contradictions of life
5. Appreciating basic business facts not taught in a classroom
6. Effectively organizing large amounts of information
7. Producing effective business writing
8. Navigating office politics
9. Analyzing (and sometimes predicting) technology trends
10. Recovering from my mistakes

I was very lucky to have this opportunity and it would not have been possible without the support of many people, and chief among them was Paul, my friend/uncle/boss/mentor. Paul is certainly one of the most hardworking, selfless, and committed people I know. He helped, and continues to help, me in so many ways even if that means occasionally giving me a verbal ass kicking. It would take all the pages of a novel to fully describe all of his valuable traits, and I’m glad to have been exposed to them. I’ll also be sure to ignore his not-so-great qualities that would only fill the novel’s dust jacket.

I was under no allusion that by making this move to Phoenix I was putting heavy emphasis on the professional side of my life and putting the academic and social parts on the back burner. Luckily, The University of Auckland Business School has a fairly flexible policy when it comes to earning credits abroad. As far as I can tell, I could have gone to any university and earned credits as long as they had equivalent courses. So, I just took some part time courses at Arizona State University (which I just finished.) As for a social life, I naively thought that by finding random roommates on the Internet I could also find some friends. That didn’t work, twice. I finally got my own one bedroom apartment and met up with some cool people from ASU.

So once I was situated in Phoenix, I concentrated mostly on working hard, but I did manage to have some fun from time to time…

This is the fourth of nine posts recapping events between April 2004 and November 2006. Click here for the overview.

I still had a great time with friends, including my new mate Brian from Iowa, and I also had success with helping the New Zealand Blood Service promote on-campus blood drives, but I seriously needed to change things up. Hmmm, where could I go and what could I do? Where’s a place I’ve never lived that has an opportunity waiting for me? That’s right, I was off to Phoenix to work full time for the software firm I had been doing research for.

This is the part where you might think I’m insane. In the space of about three days I went from realising that the opportunity really existed, to fleshing out the details with my boss and university, to making the final decision and letting everyone know about my plans. Does that seem a little quick to you? I’m guessing you might think so, but it was similar to when I originally decided to study in New Zealand. Just as with my research job in Phoenix, I vaguely knew that studying in New Zealand was a possibility, but after a few months of subconsciously mulling it over, the idea finally percolated to the surface, and once that happened, it was only a few days before I had made my decision and put my plan into action.

A cool guy named Jesse turned out to be one of my very good Kiwi friends. I thought I had fully appreciated him, but this transition period I was going through made me truly realize what a good guy he is. We were flatting together at the time, and on the day I realised what I wanted to do, I came back to the flat in a little bit of a funk. I hadn’t fully digested my thoughts so I didn’t want to say anything, but Jesse knew something was up. In the space of about 5 minutes he not only perfectly guessed what my plans were, but actively encouraged me to follow them even though that meant us parting ways. Sometimes I wonder if I would’ve been as supportive if the roles were reversed. I honestly can’t say, but when trying to help other people these days, I always remember back to that and try to put their interests before my own in the same way he did for me.

So I said my goodbyes, and I was off to Phoenix. There was just one thing to do first: month-long meetup with my Cincy friends Sean and Tim in London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, and Edinburgh. Were you expecting something else? That was a really great trip despite a few regrets. I should’ve been a little bit more “cultured” in my attitude and saw more castles, monuments, etc. But at the same time I enjoyed chilling out, soaking in the local vibes, and doing all of the things you can only (legally) do in Europe. And it’s amazing how only a major trip can help you learn new things about your friends, even after knowing them for 10 years.

This is the third of nine posts recapping events between April 2004 and November 2006. Click here for the overview.

When I was back in the States between my first and second years at uni, besides getting addicted to The West Wing, I got to do some pretty wicked stuff. I took a trip to New York City for New Years ‘04/’05. Besides being cool on it’s own, one of the best things about going was being able to unequivocally say “yes” when people in NZ would inevitably ask me if I’ve ever been to New York City (since I lived close to there as an infant and couldn’t exactly so no before.) I suppose it’s natural for people outside of the US to associate the States with their “Hollywood” perceptions of NYC/LA/Vegas, but NZers seemed to be a little more into that notion because there’s not too much domestic media going around (although there are a lot of great bands and movies.)

I also remember feeling very sad around this time because of the Indian Ocean Tsunami that happened on Boxing Day, 2004. In addition to being of an almost incomprehensible scale, it was an odd experience for me because I have two friends that could have easily been in the area at the time. Thankfully, they weren’t, but it was surprising to me how close the event was to personally devastating me. There was also a moment in New York when I was really drunk in the back of a cab and remember looking up at a scrolling news sign and seeing the updated death toll of 126,000 (about half the eventual total.) I couldn’t help but feel miserable, helpless, and just a little bit guilty about what I was doing at the time.

On my way back to Auckland, I made a three week stop in Phoenix to stay with my family and work at the offices of the firm I had been doing research for remotely while in Auckland. It was really great to actually have three weeks of solid interaction with the people I had been communicating with solely through emails and phone calls. By the time I was done with the three weeks, the idea of me moving to Phoenix and working there full time had been casually floated. That’s crazy speak! I was loving life in New Zealand and totally committed to studying there for two more years. Oh, how things change…

This is the second of nine posts recapping events between April 2004 and November 2006. Click here for the overview.

I’d like to give a special shout out to my filmmaking Turkish mate Onur. He moved into my dorm, O’Rorke Hall, around April ‘04 and I was lucky enough to get him as my neighbour. At different times throughout the year, I think we both struggled with adapting to Kiwi culture, and it was nice to have someone so close by going through the same thing, but in a totally different way. More than anyone else, Onur taught me to loosen up a bit and really enjoy myself – he’s like the inner voice of partying in my head. We certainly put those skills to use many times in 2004, and I look forward to working and partying with him again in 2007!

So you might be thinking that I just went to New Zealand to party all the time. Honestly, that’s not totally off base. I certainly did get my stuff done - uni, research work, and some market research work with a local adventure sport company - but I spent a lot of my time enjoying the more social aspects of life in Auckland. One of the reasons I wanted to move to Auckland from Cincinnati was the impression I had from traveling to NZ in 2001 that it would be a much better environment for me to have a good time, and I was absolutely right about that. There are a couple of logistical reasons for this is - urban atmosphere, lower drinking age, venues open ’til the early hours of the morning - but I think the primary reason is how, in my humble opinion, Kiwis are more likely and quicker to be socially open to people they don’t know compared to people I have personally encountered in the United States (feel free to disagree with me in the comments.) Yes, this is a huge generalization to make, but it’s held true for me over the years that Americans I’ve encountered, while being wonderful people, generally have their social “guard up” much longer than other cultures. Along with regulatory reasons, this detracts from the elusive “street spirit” I look for when going out. Some people like it that way, which is fine, but I’m certainly not one them.

This is the first of nine posts recapping events between April 2004 and November 2006. Click here for the overview.

Before getting on to what I really want to write about - a
(hopefully) entertaining mix of events and ideas about myself, the
people I know, and the world as I see it - I feel like I should
recap what’s happened in this two year hiatus.

I’ve put together a series of posts covering all of this
as best I can remember. But I understand people actually have…
what do you call them… lives. So for those of you who have better
things to do or just don’t like me that much, here are the
Cliffnotes:

1) After a solid start at uni in ‘04, made lots of great
friends.
2) Continued remote research work for Phoenix software
firm.
3) Did a little market research for NZ adventure sport
firm.
4) Finally learned how to enjoy myself in college.
5) Finished first year of uni (actually, my second, but ya
know.)
6) Home for holidays, NYC, and research work at Phoenix
offices.
7) Back to NZ.
8) Helped promote NZ blood drives.
9) Got increasingly tired of New Zealand - needed a
change.
10) Moved to Phoenix to do research full time.
11) Had month-long meetup with Cincy friends in Europe
first.
12) Worked hard.
13) Started part time classes at Arizona State
University.
14) Met cool people.
15) Trips to Vegas, D.C., Mexico.
16) Decided 10 months of full time research work was
enough.
17) Worked at Greek restaurant for 7 seconds.
18) Working at ASU alumni call center.
19) Doing some more contract research work.
20) Getting increasingly tired of Phoenix - need a
change.
21) Starting collaborative entertainment network.
22) Plan to return to NZ in ‘07 to graduate.
23) Plan to live in Paraguay in ‘08 with friend in Peace
Corps.
24) Plan to live in major US city in ‘08/’09 with Cincy
friends.
25) Doing massive North American road trip after ASU is over
this December and before home for the holidays and return to
NZ.

But for those of you who do like me that much, I’ve prepared a
series of nine posts that give a little more context to the above
snippets. I’ll be posting these over the next several weeks so I
don’t overwhelm anyone.

You may think that’s a bit excessive, but for the sake of brevity
and writing for a diverse and international audience, I only cover
the past two years in broad strokes. This is only intended to be an
outline of what’s happened so when we (hopefully) meet up soon, we
can talk about the fun stuff and not waste time covering the
basics.

Oh yeah, feel free to leave any comments you wish on the blog.
I’m very interested in your feedback about what I write and the
blog itself. But you don’t have to be so critical when pointing out
all of the moronic things I’ve done.

Enjoy.

My friend Susan, who is Taiwanese, really helped me realise this by telling me how she has been having difficulties socially assimilating into the New Zealand culture. I figured that if a person of university age was having that difficulty here in New Zealand, which is supposed to be a very socially tolerating culture, it couldn’t get any easier elsewhere in the world. I also had a date with a Korean girl a week or so after that happened and although I enjoyed myself, there just wasn’t a solid connection in thoughts and ideas.

When I describe these people as Taiwanese and Korean, I’m not talking about what they look like, where their parents are from, or even where they were born, but where they actually grew up and became cultured.

I was hoping to travel to India sometime this year to see a friend I worked with at my old telephone job, but I’m opting out of that partially because of the money, but even if I did have the money, India isn’t a place I could ever see myself living. If I’m going to plunk down a few grand at this point in time I want to go someplace I might want to immigrate to eventually. I’d rather spend that money on my trip back to the States where I hope to see New York, Las Vegas, and Seattle around New Years, or on a trip to Europe at some point in time. I’ll save the trips to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East for when I have millions of dollars and just want to leave reality for a few weeks.

Something else that has caught my attention while cycling around Auckland is how the streets are in really good condition almost everywhere. More importantly though, there is no distinct trend for the location of roads that are slightly less than ideal. That’s more than can be said about the roadways in Cincinnati. In Cincinnati, the privilege of being able to drive, or in my case cycle, on smooth roads is reserved mostly for the people who live in areas that are generally more affluent, vote more regularly, and therefore have the attention of the local politicians. I thought about that every time I went for a cycle in Cincinnati and it would just piss me off that a situation like that could exist. The sad thing about it though is that the population (which I was certainly a part of) was just as much to blame as the politicians; it’s one big catch-22.

I never really pursued any type of activism in Cincinnati for, well, anything, because I never saw myself as having a long-term future there. I thought that might change once coming to New Zealand, but it hasn’t really. There isn’t any place that I see a long-term future for myself at the moment, so I don’t have much motivation for trying to make any dramatic changes in my environment. I know that might sound selfish, but it’s honest and I’d bet 95% of the people reading this think the same way. However, my definition of dramatic is probably larger than most peoples’. I have been pursuing some small changes in my immediate environment such as trying to get a change machine installed in my dorm. (The laundry machines only take dollar coins so people hoard them lake crazy or stress about finding them before they wash their clothes.) I also have a few other ideas if the change machine is successful, but they’re not as developed and I don’t want to raise the expectations by talking them up now.

When I started writing this, I thought I would stick to the public services topic, but once I start writing it’s not easy to stop. I should do it more often, I know, but I just dont have enough thoughts, or maybe just energy, to do this every day.

Although most people aren’t around, it doesn’t really bother me that much. I find that it’s much easier to get along with and socialise with the people remaining in the hall (which is only a handful on each floor.) I suppose that’s not surprising since I’ve always been better getting along in more personal situations than large group functions. It’s also an opportunity to get out and see what’s around more. I really want to find where the best thrift store is here in Auckland so I have more time to do things like that. Someone told me that thrift stores are called opshops here, supposedly because you have the opportunity to find a really good deal. As an aside, a question that I’ve gotten a lot from people here is whether or not schools in America are really like those portrayed in the movies with different groups of jocks, dorks, ‘popular kids,’ etc. I tell people that there certainly are schools like that and everyone seems to be perplexed as to how kids could be so segregated. Anyway, when I was coming back on the bus from Northland (where Kerikeri is) I met a traveler from Switzerland and her and I are probably going to meet up tomorrow or the day after to see some of the sights around Auckland. I have to keep reminding myself that there’s more to life here than just university stuff.

Another thing that I can keep myself occupied with is continuing to do some work for the firm I’m now working for in Arizona. I can’t remember off hand what I’ve written about that before, but as a refresher I’m doing research for an Internet firm my Cousin is the CFO for. It’s pretty sweet so far because it pays well, I have total discretion of my work environment and when I work, and I can obviously work from anywhere that has an Internet connection. I found out that the first project I did for them, which was to find the best online credit card gateway, was really helpful for them and my research lead them directly to the best solution. I hope that I can continue to do this for quite some time and that they come to rely on what I do.

To be perfectly honest with everyone, there are several things I wish I could write about on here more candidly, but I have to keep in mind that anyone could read this so I do keep some subjects off limits. I’ve found writing about things can be very helpful in clearing my head and I’d like to do it for some more personal things, but at the same time I don’t want to write something if I’m the only that will ever read it. Besides, I know that I can always call a friend or family member if I need to discuss something important, and it’s not like EVERYTHING has to be written down.

Even though things are going well, I still have this enormous sense that I’m missing some kind of opportunity; not really sure what it is I guess that’s just my paranoia talking. The social scene here at The University of Auckland has been a little overwhelming for me too. There’s a whole scene with the dorm I’m staying in, there’s a whole thing with the international students, and then there’s heaps of clubs to join which offer an assortment of offerings. I was tempted to join a few clubs, but since I still don’t have a good idea of what my routine will turn into and I don’t have steady employment yet I decided to hold off on that for a bit. I may join up with the ski club when it gets colds in June and July. The nightlife in Auckland is SOOOO much better than in Cincinnati. Firstly, I’m legally allowed to drink here. Secondly, the drinks are a third to half cheaper. Thirdly, you can walk just about anywhere. And fourthly, people in general are much more friendly and it’s not hard to have a good time with people you just met or barely know. I do miss several things about Cincinnati. All of the people, of course, but something I would kill for right now is a Chipotle burrito. I’m not eating quite as much here so I find myself thinking about food a lot. The food here really isn’t that bad, just repetitive. Most fast food restaurants are located here in Auckland, and Wendy’s is the one I think I will enjoy the most. I’ve only been there and Subway so far because I’m trying to be cheap. I almost feel like I’m walking into America when I go to one of those places. I know that when I go home in December I’ll really enjoy myself but at the same time I probably won’t want to stay forever. Anyway, it’s late here and I need to wake up for class tomorrow. I’ll trying to get some pictures posted up here soon that I’ve been taking.

it turned out that the first three/four of five days was really good and I was having a really good time. the last day and a half I was inkling towards getting out of there partly because of the excitement of my upcoming travels and partly because I was a little nervous about how Paul would like the results of my work. I knew that I really shouldn’t have been but I was anyway. Coming into Phoenix the basic expectation was that I would shadow him in what he did at the internet company he is the CFO for. I was basically going to be in all of his meetings and see what I could learn. I ended up doing some of that but thankfully I was able to surprise him with my abilities to offer him services that actually helped him with his business plans. I did a bunch of research ranging from finding out why some huge multi-national corporation wanted to have a meeting with him, looking into a company that he is on the verge of making a big deal with, checking out who owns a trademark and domain name for a product that his firm might launch in the future, and finding some legal information out about some dimwit who is suing him and 82 other companies over 4 pictures used on a website. So I did a lot of things and really impressed some people. Impressed them enough that I now have an opportunity to continue working for the company from New Zealand, which is a majorly awesome thing. The stuff I put together wasn’t like full reports and everything; it was just to get a general sense of the issue. The reason I felt a little nervous was because every time I would go to put all of my stuff into something presentable I would check something simple online and see some significant fact that I missed the first time. I had to keep reminding myself that sometime you have to say “fuck it, let’s go with what you got.” Throughout the week Paul really helped me by showing me a lot of organisational strategies for notes and whatnot; everything is really common sense and I feel a little dumb for not using the techniques earlier. Oh well, I’ve learned that most people in business are dumb as door knobs so if I can get these simple things like how to write a good outline of priorities I’ll be ahead of half of everyone out there. The whole week I felt a little insecure because of some of the stuff I had to leave behind in Cincinnati. My parents were really helpful on that and they’re going to FedEx several things to me in Auckland but it would still be nice to have everything with me. At least I now know what’s involved with moving all of your stuff to the other side of the world. When I get to LA I’m going to have 5 hours to get all of my stuff together. I might need the majority of that time because I’m not sure if there’s a quick way for me to move my 2 huge-ass bags, bike box, and my carry-ons from the domestic to international terminals. Well guess what, there was, because I’m now in LA and it wasn’t too bad, just cost me $30. I got here with lots of time to spare so I’m going to watch a TV show or something here in the airport before I go.

I went up to Anderson, Indiana this past week to see some of my coolest relatives: my Great Aunt and Uncle Marge and Ed, Jody, Laura, Tony, and some others. I have very fond memories of going to visit them when I was younger and I really wanted to see them again before going. This past Saturday I had two going away parties which turned out really nice. The first was with my family and some close friends at my parent’s house and we had a grill out and stuff. I gave my parents a going away gift which was two nicely framed photos. The first is of myself standing in front of the Union Terminal (which is a Cincinnati landmark) and the second was a photo of downtown Auckland but I will be taking a picture of myself in front of an Auckland landmark and then I will send it back to them. The other party was one of those excuse-to-drink parties up at the house in Clifton, It wasn’t really big but it was pretty nice because my friend Jeremiah, who just went through bartending school, was there and he really made it fun. My friend Chip also showed up somewhat unexpectedly. Both of these parties were on Valentines Day, so getting people to show up for the second one was a bit difficult. So I really appreciated everyone who was there. The night after that, Chip, Sean, and Adam got together at the pub downtown and had a relaxing evening and said goodbye and that was a little sad. The following night I did the same with Jason and the other guys at the house in Clifton and then headed home to get my final packing done and head to the airport. Getting on the plane was an absolute nightmare. It was partially my fault because I didn’t have my stuff packed exactly like I should have but the airline staff was entirely unhelpful and could use some classes on communication skills. At one point I was literally talking to two people at the same airline and getting two totally different answers to the exact same question. They heard each speak but continued to contradict themselves.

Anyway, once I got all of that done I had to say a quick goodbye to my parents and brother, which was kinda emotional, and rush to get to the plane, of course, I was selected for extra screening, so I had to sit there waiting for the TSA officer to take his sweet time checking my stuff while I knew my plane was about to depart. I did make it but it was really damn close. Once I got on the plane and sat down I actually started crying for a few minutes because of the combined stress of the baggage issues and leaving for New Zealand. It was pretty relieving. I’m actually in LA now because I’ve been writing this on my way and my plane is about to leave for Phoenix so I gotta go.

I had another debate with my friend Jeremiah about the smoking laws, and I think I actually changed his thinking on something, which is a first. I really like debating with him (and other people) even though everyone always tells me arguing is a waste of time, but if you don’t continuously challenge your ideas and the ideas of others for their purity, how do you really know what you think is the best thing (,Sean)? I also got a call from my idiot boss Chris at Skyline today and he told me the General Manager wants me to call him so he can find out what my “status” is. That basically means that he wants to know why I don’t seem to care about my job there. I’m not going to tell him but I will tell you. I do care but only to the point that I see it as a quick way to make money and it’s not like something I’m going to put on my CV. I will tell him that this coming Thursday will be my last day, but I hope he doesn’t simply tell me not to come in at all again, which I kind of doubt he will considering I do know what I’m doing there and any time he can get would be helpful. Who knows though. I didn’t really feel obligated to give a 2 weeks notice for quitting because when I was hired they never showed me any kind of information about any of their policies. They never even asked me for ID of any type. It’s because they hire illegal immigrants. So the way I see it is that if they don’t follow legal rules, why should I be obligated to follow an assumed rule that’s really only a courtesy?

Today at my telemarketing job my boss played a little trick on me. Since I call alumni of the University of Cincinnati, I’m technically not supposed to be working there unless I’m actually a student (which I haven’t been the whole time I’ve worked there.) So she calls me into her office and basically tells me that she knows I’m not a student and that I won’t receive credit for any of the fundraising I’ve done this quarter and basically implied that I should just quit now. I wasn’t really sure what to think right then and there so I basically played it cool, calm, and collected. I quickly found out that she was joking though because Jenny is simply unable to hold a straight face. Even though I’m not a student, I have been in the past, and quite frankly I’m one of the best callers there so I don’t think they’re about to fire me over a technicality. I did tell them that I wasn’t a student when I first started but Jenny’s exact reply was “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that” so I never brought it up and I don’t think I did anything wrong; I’ve raised over US$60,000 for the school, after all.

so im driving and thinking about how i do have graphic/web design experience and that i do want to continue to do that and get paid for it when i can, but at the same time im not going to kid myself and think that im some graphical genius who can do anything, but i just say screw that, i will be a professional designer and i will market myself in that way, and if people dont like what i do and what i can offer, i really have nothing to lose and that’s not my problem. so im going to stop pussy-footing around the area, and im just gonna do it and see what happens. im working on my new website right now, dailydoseofdave.com, and im getting excited about all of the things that i want to do with it but dont know how to accomplish yet. i know you’re reading this on the site, but i stated writing these things when i used to publish them on my professional site savethedave.com. i decided to split the content of that site into 2 sites so i can have one that is 100 percent professional. the only problem is though that at the current moment both of the sites arent much to look at so i have to really get my ass moving on this stuff, and i still have to work on soem web stuff for my former english professor from UC, see what procrastination gets you. The Official Procrastinator’s Slogan: “Why do what you can do today if you can do it tommorow?” Honestly though, cutting back on procrastination is something im trying to improve on (and probably will for the rest of my life), along with being on time, having a routine sleeping schedule, and really truly expressing myself in public and pushing myself to be more extroverted.

Hi Andrew

How are things going with the Oman promotion? In the off chance it does happen, I decided that it wouldn’t be a smart thing for me to participate in. I have a lot of paperwork things that will need time to process (financial aid, passport amendments due to name change, etc) and those are not the type of things to be done with haste. My instincts also tell me it’s not really a smart thing to do because I think as the time gets closer to leaving, reality will start to sink in and it will get harder for people around me and myself to handle things, although it won’t be unmanageable by any means. It would totally shell shock people if I had to jet off a whole 2 months earlier, which would only be about two and a half months from now. I’m also having a lot of fun at the moment with not be enrolled in school and just working, and I think I appreciate where I am a little more because I know I’m leaving. Something else that is somewhat counterintuitive is that I’m becoming better friends with a lot of people (and girls) since being accepted to Auckland. I think I’ve had the subconscious reaction that I should engage people a lot more because I no longer have an unlimited?? amount of time to do it. Doing this will make it harder to leave, but I think it’s best for me to seize the day instead of waiting for things to happen. I’m glad that I’m reacting in this way because the whole idea of totally rearranging my life is to feel a sense of slight urgency, rather than just coasting along like I have been for the past several years…dave

Below is a copy of the letter I wrote to get accepted to the University of Auckland. I wrote it a while ago, but I still thought people might be interested in seeing it.

Passion is what drives us and passion is why we accomplish the unthinkable. I am passionate about attending the University of Auckland because I will be empowered to become a better individual and to reach my career goal. Simply stated, my goal is to experience the challenges, risks, and fulfillment of altering conventional wisdom through new ideas in business and other areas. The University of Auckland will enable me to do this by providing the best educational experience possible.

Because I always strive to start new things and change old things, I intend to pursue the business path of entrepreneurship in my career. I’ve already tasted the fruits of entrepreneurship through several ideas, some successful and some not, and I’m very eager to continue despite the inherent risks involved. Although I love entrepreneurship, I will be successful in any environment where my creativity and intelligence are trusted, even if that means working for someone else.

Another avenue I may eventually pursue is politics, either in US or elsewhere. I’m fascinated by the political world even though I find many common political practices distasteful. I always find myself thinking, “There’s got to be a better way.”?? Despite dramatic differences in the philosophies of capitalism and democracy, I believe the skills needed to be successful in both fields are very similar.

I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad. I haven’t spent enough time out of the US to truly experience new cultures and lifestyles, which is something I crave to do. Also, by exposing myself to an unfamiliar environment, I know I will be able to seize many unforeseen opportunities.

I didn’t hesitate in choosing New Zealand as the country that I want to study in. Your country’s quality education, natural beauty, and most importantly, warm and kind people are very alluring to me as a potential student and resident. After spending three weeks backpacking through the North and South Islands in 2001, I am quite eager to return to friends made there and further embrace New Zealand’s way of life.

I want to obtain the BCom undergraduate degree from the University of Auckland Business School for several reasons. As part of New Zealand’s largest university located in the country’s largest city and economic hub, I feel the school can offer the best mix of opportunities for my life, both in and out of school. In addition to a quality course structure, entrepreneurial initiatives such as the ICEHOUSE, spark*, and courses such as Vision to Business are opportunities that I would take full advantage of, and I know I couldn’t do this at any other school.

The course structures offered at the University of Auckland are more targeted and relevant to my career goal than the courses I have taken at university in the United States. I’m convinced that by taking courses such as Entrepreneurship and New Ventures, where I can actually study the exact thing I want to do in my career, I will gain a unique educational experience that will benefit me for years to come.

Because I’ve visited the University’s campus, I know it’s a diverse environment where I can interact and exchange ideas with the people of New Zealand and other countries in a way that is not possible in the United States. With a world-class education and a rich cultural environment, I am absolutely convinced that the University of Auckland is right for me.

Ever since I first talked to someone in New Zealand a few years ago, I have been completely fascinated by its appeal. I have done nothing but profit from my time invested in exploring the people, places, and organisations of your beautiful country. I hope you will allow me to take the next step in my engagement with New Zealand by accepting me as a student to the University of Auckland.