Notes from the road

I landed in Chicago on Monday.  On Tuesday, they have the worst storm in 70 years!  Fortunately, I spent most of the day inside and it blew right past.

They have odd driving habits here.  Three times in two days I found myself stopped in a lane simply because the guy ahead of me thought that parking in traffic was a good idea.  I'd be sitting there behind some guy and traffic in the other lanes would be flashing by.  Eventually, I would scoot around him to find that he had simply stopped, maybe to check a map or buy a newspaper.  In California, we shoot people that do that.  Fortunately, I left my bazooka at home.  Otherwise, I may have shot from the hip before checking with the local customs.

Microsoft is a dying breed.  You heard it here first a few months back.  Now it's official.  Their stock has fallen 17% over the last few months.  Their browser is garbage; their Office Suite is garbage; their attempt at a social network is an embarrassment;  they have no tablet; the Zune was antiquated by the time it was brought onto the market and their new phone - who cares about it?

Apple is fighting the good fight but I think their business model will bring them down in the end.  They are too much of a "closed" system.  You are either an Apple person or you are not.  Android it more open - and it's in keeping with the Google philosophy of "as free as we can make it."

Since I am from the Bay Area, I have to say, "How 'bout dem Giants?"  In reality, I am less enthused.  My team is the New York Yankees farm club also known as the Oakland Athletics.  They have been bad for a couple of years and I have tired of them losing every prospect that shows some promise.

I watched Glee last night.  The story line is sort of a cheap glue that holds the singing scenes together.  I was surprised at how much I liked the singing.

I have suddenly found, at the young age of 52, that music is more than just Rock and Roll.  There is this video that I make a point of watching every day.  It makes me feel good.  I have watched it for 7 days in a row now and have had 7 good days as a result.  To find it, go to Youtube.com and look for "Playing for Change."  Once you get there, watch their video of "Stand by Me."

I noticed that Meg Whitman has a "Look how nice I am" ad out now.  After 140 million spent on attack ads, she has fallen to a distant second.  Now she is wisely trying a different route.  One thing of note, she is not as philanthropic as most billionaires.  Her only major gift was $50 million that she gave to preserve an open space near some property she owned.  It seemed more than a little self serving.

I have decided that it's time to leave Afghanistan.  Please forward that to Obama.  If we want to fight terrorists there, just keep our spy network up and then attack from drones.  We are trying to help people that really will go along with anyone that promises not to kill them when they walk to the store, or to the local poppy field.  Let the Taliban have the place.  If the people don't like it, let them rise up.  So long as we are there, they are content to let us do the dying.  I would much rather we send our money and our help to places like Indonesia where they are either swimming in the latest tsunami or running from the nearest volcano.

Time to go back to work.  Some people think I have come to Chicago to help them make Gummy Bears;  The truth is, I am here to save the world...

Up, up and away...

jim