June 2004 Entries

I have made it to Amsterdam.  The flight was long but not as long as the one I have to look forward to later in the week.  It is a perfect day here - sunny and warm with a nice breeze.  I (of course) am in between meetings in the conference center.  The city may change but the schedule stays the same and the battle with the network is always raging on.  One nice thing is the public transportation system - the tram - is available to take back and forth from my hotel to the center.  I have gotten to see a bit of the city via my taxi rides and those are always fun here as the taxis dodge the cyclists.  Only a couple of riders were nearly taken out by my drivers.  Nearly is the key word - every time it seems like an inevitable collision everyone comes out unscathed. 

In preparation for Brazil, my team went today for Yellow Fever vaccination shots.  We met with the travel doctor at the clinic in downtown Seattle and learned about what we should not eat and do while in Brazil.  And about all the preventative measures we should take.  It was educational - we learned that Imodium is our friend!  Then we all got typhoid and yellow fever shots.  Now that is what I call a team building exercise.

It is great to see everyone involved in the Imagine Cup excited about the event!  Everyone from students like Elisa to our execs like Soma are counting down the days.  I am too...but first I have to close on a house, go to TechEd in Amsterdam and finish my last in person masters class. 

The Beastie Boys latest is probably not their greatest, but it is great stuff.  It will be a mainstay in my car this summer and is fun, political, and has that solid beastie sound.  I enjoy the less over polished/produced sound and am glad it has some rough edges.  It is jumpy and thumpy at points and has some real volume crankers! And I always have to recommend the boys instrumental effort - The In Sound from Way Out! - a must in any admirable collection.

So, I thought I really understood traveling and time zone changes. Then I started to help coordinate the judges for the upcoming Imagine Cup finals in Brazil.  Seeing all of the schedules for the judges descending on Brazil for the competition continues to amaze me!  The hours spent on planes, the miles journeyed, the oceans crossed.  I am looking forward to meeting all the judges in person and, of course, all of the students who have made it to the final round!  Good luck and safe travels to all.  See you in a few weeks.

The new CD is burning up in my stereo.  It is pretty hot out here in the great northwest.  The sound is something molded out of Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the Pixies, and something much bouncier.  Title: Good News for People Who Love Bads News.  I like that too, so I am a fan. 

For those of you who know Steve - You may already know where to find him online these days.  For those that missed the link - here it is - http://www.armysteve.com/.