On Apirl 1st 2008, John Wellington one of the founding members of the California Repercussions, passed away due to complications of cancer. John was not just the Band Manager, but was the driving force behind all what the reapers has become. We will miss him dearly.... The reapers will go on.
Well, at least on the blog update front. Will get back to more regular postings.
Everyone enjoy the Holidays and the New Year.
-- Will be back posting after the new year.
Okay, I have not been sitting there like a stump on a log since my last post. I have been busy on projects.
Anne and I have been the doing things around the house. We bought a table and hutch from Ikea. Now our dinner area has a real table. We finally moved the card table down to the garage. That only took two years.
We also touched up the bathroom. The paint was getting really bad, but a cleaning a fresh coat of paint works wonders. We changed the shower curtain and all that good stuff. It is really pleasant in the bathroom. Or, as pleasant as we can get that small bathroom.
There is more and that will come soon.
Okay, I did not write about last weekend, and I should have. So, I will first start with last weekend's events.
Last Sunday, we went to The Stern Grove Festival with some friends. We heard Ska Cubano and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Both great acts. Now, this was our first time to Stern Grove. It is really hard to explain, but what you have is an outdoor stage with seating around it. You either sit in the few seats by the stage or up in the hills. We sat up in the hills. While we did not have the perfect view, we heard everything. They allow picnic type items. So, the wine and truffles were brought and consumed as well as sandwiches. I'm looking forward to going back. Next time we are going to try for closer seats. Of course that means being there around 9am instead of 12pm for a 2pm show, but hey with enough food and drink, I will be fine!!!
THIS WEEKEND:
A couple weeks ago we got a flier in the mail from Copia for the Edible Garden Festival. We were planning on Saturday to go to the Edible Garden Festival at Copia. We went to Napa only realize that the festival was going to be next weekend not this weekend. Oops!! Some how we got the dates completely wrong!! They were right on the flier, wrong in our minds. Thank goodness we are members of Copia (free admissions). So, after a good laugh we went walked around the beautiful gardens checking out the new things before we heading home. I think that we will try again next weekend.
Sunday, was a BBQ in Sacramento with some friends. The drive up and back was a little more crowded then other times. The drive was even more frustrating for a friend considering that he went to Sacramento via the Bay Area first. That is of course because he thought it was at our house in El Cerrito and not in Sac. Oops. But he got there and all was good. I will take a look at the few pictures that I took and might put one or two up.
Here are the photos from the LA trip to see the parents and friends, have my birthday party and enjoy a trip out to Catalina Island.
It was pretty cool. Last night, I was able to sit in and listen to Guy Kawasaki. He was speaking a San Francisco EO/YEO event.
A couple of things. One, Guy Kawasaki is a person that I have followed for a long time. I have read all of this books and I own and read a couple of time his book, The Art of the Start. Normally when Anne has events I just meet her after, but when she asked if I wanted to come to this reception/dinner event to listen to Guy speak, I jumped on the chance.
Two, EO/YEO of San Francisco is a organization that is made of up of some great members. Everyone seems to be doing exciting projects. While I don't have the qualifications to join the organization, it was wonderful to be guest for the evening. I learned a few things and was inspired at the same time.
Vote today. Today is the California Primary. While most of the races in this primary really seem unappealing, that does not mean that one should not take the time to vote.
It always amazes me the large numbers of people that don't take the time to register to vote or get out and vote. I am proud of the the fact that I have voted in every election that has been held since I have became eligible to vote. Sometimes that means that I have to get up early to get to the polls early or even rush home to beat the polls closing.
Last night I came home to no electrical power. It seems that the power went out shortly before 4pm and PG & E is still trying to figure out why.
Losing power is not a common occurrence around my area. Especially for the length of time that the power was out. To state the obvious pun; I was powerless. So much of my life style depends on electricity. It was a good time to catch up on some of the reading that I wanted to do.
Maybe it is time to start that emergency kit that I have been always wanting to put together.
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Barack Obama: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Jared Diamond: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Another good book. Right along the lines for Gun, Germs, and Steel.
Bruce Greenwald: Competition Demystified: A Radically Simplified Approach to Business Strategy
Very good book. Though, highly academic. I felt like I really just took a course from Greenwald.
James Surowiecki: The Wisdom of Crowds
Great book. Interesting to really think about. Over at AskSpace.com and TBE we are testing some of the concepts in the book. Check it.
Malcolm Gladwell: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
With my science background I found The Tipping Point an interesting read. In the past, the tipping point of events has always been an unconscious thought. I hope to bring those tipping points to my consciousness and harness and anticipate tipping points in the future.
Keith Ferrazzi: Never Eat Alone : And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
Good advice and maybe a different approach to networking for many. I enjoyed the personal stories used as examples throughout the book. I am going to see if I can put his advice to practice.
Jimmy Buffett: A Salty Piece of Land
A new one for all the Buffett fans. It is escapism at its best. This novel is peppered with Buffett's life and music. While reading ASPL I was wishing that I was exploring the world.
Sun-Tzu: The Art of War (Penguin Classics)
What can I say. A book of sayings from Sun-Tzu. His knowledge is relevant beyond war. As good as it is to read it in English, I wish that I could read and understand the orignal Chinese text.
Stephan Schiffman: Cold Calling Techniques: (That Really Work!) (Cold Calling Techniques)
Interesting read. Not that I currently make cold calls, but I found the techniques useful in regular phone and business interactions.
The book made me think about how to approach a sale (both as the sales person and consumer).
Guy Kawasaki: The Art Of The Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide For Anyone Starting Anything
A must read by anybody that wants to start a business. I enjoyed the examples of what "to-do" and "not-do."
I will be re-reading this book and continuing to make notes.
