The Man Cave is Dead....Long Live the Man Cave!!

My little corner office in the basement of the house (right next to the door to the outs
ide w/the storm drain) is known as "the Man Cave."

There were two, old, but nice Persian rugs in there. Now there is one...maybe none. I've had to deep six one of them and it's not clear if the other one is going to make it.

The main room mat under the rug is a goner and the rug is in jeopardy. It's up on chairs to increase circulation and both fans are concentrated on it. We'll see if it can be salvaged.

I guess the bright side in the destruction and decamation (and compared to some folks I've seen on the news, we got off easy) is that I now have a chance to rebuild.

Once we mop up the floor (at least if it floods again tonight we won't lose anymore rugs, of course, they won't be there to hold the water back either) and get the flood defense system in place, we'll have a chance to make it better than ever before.

The Thrill of the Random Occurrence..

I get a strange rush when a few random events happen in sequence.

For example, it's not often that I think about Sacagawea, so it was odd that on Tuesday night, a colleague of mine who had come in from North Dakota brought me a "Sacagawea" brand of honey and then on Wed. night, when I decided to watch the Simpsons on my DVR (I had taped 1 episode 4 months ago and only had stored, since I never watch it) and that one episode had a segment on, you guessed it, Sacagawea.

And the other night, I was quickly flipping through the channels and came across a Public Television show devoted solely to showing 1 piece of great artwork and accompanying that with one piece of classical music.

In an instant, I recognized the artwork, one of my 3 all-time favorites, "Wanderer Above the Mist" which hangs in my "man cave." (more man cave posts here)

For 3 minutes, I was mesmerized, examining the picture in ways I never had, but I couldn't help thinking...."of all the paintings to show, they chose this one...and I just happened to see it."

Anyway, there's probably a word for this, but I just kind of get a kick out of it when these things happen.

Man Cave Upgrade...

So David needs to move out of his office because a new baby is on the way. He doesn't have room for his computer desk.

I am the beneficary.

With Yoni's help (if you ever need great shirts, give him a shout), they moved it in....

and now the Man Cave is in Version 2.

Triple monitor action, 1 TV.

It's slick. A modern day mission control.

The "Man Cave"

Got a request to post some pictures of the "Man Cave". Here you go...














if you're a designer, your opinion is welcome!

Dishonesty or Negligence....

Tamar goes dancing every Thursday night.

She usually puts the kids to bed and leaves around 8pm. Around 7.30, when baths are done, I head down to the "Man Cave."

Generally, I take a break, run upstairs, listen for crying and then head back down to the basement (we have an intercom, but I don't always turn it on).

Tonight, I was quite engrossed in a number of things down in the "Man Cave" and before you know it, Tamar gets back (around 11.20.)

"Any problems with the kids?"

"Uh, what's worse," I asked, "negligence or dishonesty?"

The Man Cave is Operational...

We're back online, blogging from the dried out and somewhat newly refurbished Man Cave.

So far, we've triaged out 3 rugs and one mat. One rug seems to be saved. One is a maybe and one we're hopeful. They are dried out and next steps are to:
1. mop the floors (water brings in a lot of dirt)
2. carpet fresh/vacuum the rugs.

We'll see...

The 11pm Shave…

One of the strange quirks of my job is that when I’m at home…I’m at home.

The other day, I was working in my “man cave” all day, no reason I had to shave. So, I didn’t.

After a 10pm workout and a quick shower, I had a brainstorm…and decided I needed to create a video.

So, I did.

But, before that, I had to shave…at 11pm.

Two Things I Will ALWAYS Invest In….

Marketing and Technology.

Legendary management professor Peter Drucker said it best:

“The business enterprise has two—and only two—basic functions: marketing and innovation.”  (The Essential Drucker)

And I view Technology as a fundamental driver of innovation.

That’s why I spent the bulk of 2 days last week TOTALLY overhauling and upgrading my infrastructure.

I was away from my core business (fortunately it is August and things were a bit slow), but this is the kind of upfront investment that technology requires…”all in” and which pays off SIGNIFICANTLY over time.

Here’s what we did (it’s going to get a bit geeky, so hang on)

1. bought a new x64 PC w/4 GB RAM and dual core. Installed Windows 7 on it, added a 2nd video card and now have 4 monitors attached to it. Office 2010 tech preview is coming
2. Took my previous machine and made it a true “media center” PC where TV, Video, Pics, Music can all be accessed from multiple locations throughout the house and, (most importantly for the NFO and me) while exercising
3. Migrated my business email/calendar/contacts to a hosted Exchange solution
4. set up real-time synchronization between 3 computers and my mobile phone
5. got a new mobile phone (HTC touch) and brought it online
6. reconfigured my Magic Jack phone to make it easier to access
7. added cameras to two other computers so we can Skype with family/friends around the world (and no one has to come into the “man cave”)
8. used Windows Live Sync to keep all files up to date across multiple devices

There’s more and it took some work. One night, I had parts of 3 different computers strewn about the basement floor.

But, we got it done and now, we’re ready to rumble.

Microsoft's Cool Hand Luke"Problem...

Anyone who has seen Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke, can recite the movie's key tagline. You're probably thinking it right now...

"What we've got here is failure to communicate."

A few years back, Microsoft's mission was simple...."A PC on every desk and in every home." For all intents and purposes...that vision has been met. This is a concrete goal. The question: now what?

I just finished Chip and Dean Heath's book "Made to Stick" about ideas that stay with you vs. those that don't. Microsoft's problem now...we don't have an idea about what we're doing that "sticks."

While I get emotional about the "Your Potential. Our Passion" ads and since I've drunk the Microsoft Kool Aid :-), the idea of "Software for the People-Ready Business" makes sense to me...but I think they are way too ephemeral. They're too hard for customers and partners to grasp as to what's in it for them.

And what's worse....Microsoft has a GREAT story to tell...it just needs to be crystal clear in terms of mission and what it means to customers.

Let me tell you a story about my recent upgrade to my home computer network.

The center of my universe at home was an XPSP2 Media Center Edition PC in my home office (aka the "man cave"). Upstairs in the living room was an XBOX which allowed me to play all of the recorded content from the Media Center. This way, my kids could Backyardigans and Dora the Explorer and we could all watch all of our family pics and listen to music. Not too shabby.

Here's what it looked like...

And if I wanted to work from home....I'd just open my TabletPC (work laptop) to do that.

What it took to upgrade...

Of course, as a good MS employee, I decided I should upgrade the "center of my universe PC" to Windows Vista. Now, I'm not stupid, so I did a dual-boot scenario....keeping my XP install intact...just in case.

But I didn't need it...I was impressed, Vista installed in 30 minutes. Office 2007 is sweet and the new interface works for me really well. Every day, I find something new that I use...and like in both the OS and the apps..

There were two problems (details here).

1. my Lexmark printer/copier/scanner didn't work (Lexmark isn't going to release a Vista compatible driver)
   
2. only the Xbox 360 works with Vista as a 'media center extender,' not the original Xbox

I couldn't blame MS for the Lexmark issue (it is a 4 year old printer). And I'll bite the bullet on the Xbox 360.

So, I figure..."ok, I'll upgrade to the Xbox 360 as well" and sell my old Xbox on eBay. And I do have to say, it's A LOT better than the original Xbox.

Then, I took it to the next level...

I set up a direct connection (for the geeks, using RPC/HTTP) from my home machine to my work server (Exchange 2007).

What that means...I can read all of my email on my home machine and don't need to open my work laptop to check my email at home. It all synchs. (BTW, I also synch all of my files between my work laptop and home PC using FolderShare)

And, to finish it all off, I bought a T-mobile Dash Smartphone with Windows Mobile 5 and Direct Push (a la Blackberry) and my previous Smartphone-Audiovox SMT5600 is up for sale as well.

It took a few days and, yes, there were a few frustrating glitches at each stage, but when I stepped back and looked at the network and what I accomplished, here's what I found....

No matter what device I am on, be it my

• T-mobile Dash SmartPhone
• Tablet PC [work]
• Vista Ultimate Media Center [home]
• any browser [incl. Firefox!] via OWA

I have secure access to synchronized and updated

• email
• contacts
• calendar
• instant messaging (thanks to Office Communicator)

Now, here's what it looks like...

Net cost to me, about $400, thanks to some employee discounts, and probably about 15-20 hours or so of work.

Not inconsequential at all and not easy for everyone (granted, I am more technical than most), but here's what I realized....

What I've got as a result

As a knowledge/information worker...this is what I need more than anything. It's about my network and access to information at any time, from any place...on any device...and keeping everything in harmony. I've got that....and more. And I think many, many people would like this as well.

Is it perfect? No. Could it be easier? Absolutely! Is every Microsoft piece of this puzzle the absolute best of breed? Definitely not.

But you know what?

They all work together...(and heck, the Dash synchs beautifully with Vista/Windows Media Player 11, so I have synchronized music playlists on my PC and phone as well) and, compared to what it would take if I wasn't using Microsoft, well, I daresay it'd be a lot more difficult (and more expensive)...

So what?

And here's the rub....how does Microsoft explain the value of all of this software that really is "better together" in a way that doesn't require someone to be super-technical or go through the lengthy explanation you just read?

What's the one concrete sentence that explains why this is so great? I don't know, but I think this is Microsoft's "Cool Hand Luke" Problem.

I'm open to ideas....

And I wonder if the guys over at WebWorkerDaily will appreciate a generally pro-Microsoft post :-)

Waiting for Godot...

Some of you have been on the Friends of Jer (FOJ) list for over 15 years.

I was reading an email I sent out 11 years ago that said there were 140 people on the list (today, over 900). The thing is, the email was printed out on paper.

Despite my digital lifestyle, I am a bit of a bind.

Having traveled so much, changed computers, suffered crashes, etc., much of my earlier writings are gone in a digital format (this was before I understood the importance/ability of backing up and blogging!)

Anyhow, my dear mom had printed most of them out. She recently gave them to me.

They are in a pile in my 'man cave." A huge pile.

I am waiting, like Godot, for the day to come when I can have a massively high-speed scanner to cost-effectively (and with text recognition) put everything back into digital form.

I know the day will come...with technology, it usually does.

Kids and Basements...

Image by jer979 via FlickrFor the past few weeks, my two kids have come home from school, disappeared into the basement for 2 hours, and then re-emerged for dinner time.

What is it about basements that attract kids?

Growing up, my brothers and I also cherished the privacy of the basement.

Is it "out of sight" of parents? The feeling that you are 'under ground.'

For the psychologists out there, is there some part of our psyche (a la 'man cave') that cherishes relative seclusion?

The imaginary world they are building is fantastic. I am cherishing this part of parenting.

All because of a basement.

Career Boost for Married Men: Work at Home

Image by Yasuhiko Ito via Flickr

After reading Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters, I realized that working at home is actually a competitive advantage for me.

According to the researchers, the research suggests that married men hit their “age-genius” curve peak at age 33.9, whereas unmarried men hit their peak at average age of 39.9.

The reason is obvious.

Married men, particularly after having kids, start to question their priorities in life and start investing their time in their family versus their careers.

Consequently, they have fewer opportunities for breakthrough insights to significantly advance their careers.

What’s more, they start saying “why should I be at the office when I could be at home with my kids?”

So, for someone who works at home and saves 2 hours on commuting plus have access to my “full office” pretty much all the time, it would seem that while I have less time than an unmarried man, I have a lot more time to devote to my business WHILE still devoting time to my family than I would if I worked in an office.

Abraham: Forefather of Bitcoin and the Blockchain

This was the sermon I gave at my synagogue yesterday (Nov. 11).
Some concepts may be unfamiliar to some readers, but either way, I think/hope you'll enjoy it.

Avraham: Forefather of Bitcoin and the Blockchain

Before I begin, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that today is Veterans Day and I’d like to thank all of you in the audience today who have served this great country of ours.  

I also want to thank my wife, Tamar, who, as I like to say, “helps put the ‘Torah’ in my “Dvar Torah.””

If you have had a conversation with me in the past 18 months, you know that I pretty much have a one-track mind.  Yep, all I think about is Bitcoin and the technology that underlies it, the blockchain.

For the 3 people in this room who haven’t heard of it from me, the key thing to understand is that just like email or a browser is an application that uses the Internet, Bitcoin is an application that uses a blockchain. And just like the Internet has spawned millions of applications, blockchains will (and are) spawning an entire new set of applications.

What makes blockchain so powerful is that it mimics the power of the Internet in terms of speed, cost, and ease of transmission of items of information, but does it with assets or items of value, all without the need for any 3rd party intermediary.  

So, any institution such as a bank, a brokerage, the better business bureau, that serves as an intermediary trust agent between two parties is no longer needed.

Now, I realize that the concept of a blockchain is not easy to comprehend as, on the surface, it represents a pretty significant paradigm shift.

But it’s really not.

In fact, this week’s parsha, Chayyei Sarah, shows us that Avraham Avinu laid the philosophical groundwork for blockchain in his purchase of the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite.

What we see, upon closer examination, is that the concept of the blockchain serves as Avraham’s “original intent” for how assets should be transferred in order to protect property rights and maintain civil society.

The major difference between then and now is the fact that our hi-speed internet and powerful computers and phones allow us to do business in the exact same way that Avraham intended, just at global scale.

Let’s take a look by starting at Chapter 22, verse 10.

“Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at that the gate of the city”

In Nahum Sarna’s book, “Understanding Genesis,” he explains that “it was the practice to conduct the affairs of the community in the gateway, a popular meeting place for public gatherings.”

The gate as a locus for asset and information exchange is something that is familiar throughout Tanach.

For example,

• Lot was sitting at the gate when the messengers came to him
• Boaz goes to the gate to redeem Elimelech’s estate
• Amos asks of Israel to “establish justice in the gate.”

It turns out that many ancient Near Eastern documents end with a formula “the tablet was written after the proclamation in the entrance of the gate.”

Sarna writes, “the idea was to give the widest possible publicity to the settlement and to obtain the confirmation of the entire community, so that the likelihood of future litigation might be eliminated.”

There is a concept in the study of biblical text called a “Milah Mancha” which basically is a thematic word that repeats itself multiple times in a given section in order to drive home a specific point.

In this story, it is the root “shin--mem---ayin’ which forms the word שמע and of course means “hear.”  

This root word appears 6 times in the story, signifying the importance of multiple confirmations in a transaction.

I would argue that the repetition of the word “hear” is not just for Avraham and Ephron, it’s for everyone listening so that the story can be retold and a collective memory is established

Lastly, the transaction took place directly between Avraham and Ephron. No intermediaries

So, let’s think about the reason why Avraham insisted on a direct transaction with no intermediaries, with multiple confirmations, the need for an established collective memory, and to do it all in an open space that anyone could verify was for one reason.

He needed immutability.

When all was said and done, there could be no doubt at any point down the road that the transaction had occurred. Avraham needed to be recognized as the legal owner of the land.

This was particularly acute because Avraham knew that as a “resident alien” he was at a legal disadvantage, so he needed a large consensus to provide additional security.

Now, let’s get back to my favorite topic, blockchain.

Blockchains work by cryptographically securing a certain number of entries in a global ledger in a box, or a “block” of data. Each block is then cryptographically linked to the block that came before it and the block that comes after it.  A series of blocks linked together and you have a chain. Hence, “blockchain.”

These records are not kept in one place on one computer.

Instead, they are decentralized among many different computers in the network.  In short, blockchain technology offers the same thing that Avraham sought...a tamper-resistant immutable record of transactions.

The reason for this is because you have removed the risks associated with centralization of information.

In order for the Avraham’s deal to be rolled back, Ephron would have to corrupt every single person who was a witness to the transaction or a passerby at the gate.

Similarly, to change a blockchain database requires changing not one computer but the majority of the computers in the network.

In both cases, they are doable, but they are also potentially very expensive and time-consuming tasks.

Blockchain transactions occur on a peer-to-peer basis with no intermediaries.

One person sends an item of value to another person directly. Other computers and people in the network can verify that the transaction happened.  The blockchain is open and its history and transactions can be viewed by anyone. In other words, anyone can stand in the blockchain gate, if they want.

As for direct witnesses, in the Bitcoin world, we call them “miners.” They serve to confirm that a transaction actually went through.

And for those of you who remember that the word “שמע” appears 6 times in this story, you may take comfort in knowing that a Bitcoin transaction isn’t considered final until it has been confirmed by a constant pre-defined number of blocks.  That number?  Six.

Since the release of the Bitcoin blockchain on January 3, 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, interest in the past and future of blockchains has grown dramatically.  Many of the earliest pioneers are celebrated for their groundbreaking work...and rightfully so.

To that list, I am proud to add Avraham Avinu.

His thoughtful and conscious parameters for creating a transactional environment that could serve the test of time, protecting citizens and resident aliens alike, is the biblical foundation for the blockchain revolution which we are witnessing.

Shabbat Shalom

Ending Family Traditions…

A friend of mine has been going to her husband’s family’s Thanksgiving celebration for every year they have been married (over 10).

Last year, shortly after the holiday, we were discussing the fact that she never had the opportunity to spend the holiday with her own family.

She wanted to.

I suggested to her that she “hold on to that feeling” and 6 months before Thanksgiving, announce to the family that she would like to do something a bit different this year.

Otherwise, when it was too close to the holiday, she would just “cave” and end up going, despite her own wishes.

I should add that Thanksgiving at her in-laws is a BIG deal, with over 30 people from multiple generations and branches attending.

So, I gave her the strategy and she executed.

Made a note on her calendar and reached out to her mother-in-law, well in advance.

The response?

Not so warm.

Mixed, actually.

Her husband’s grandparents took it in stride. “Life happens, goes on” was kind of their philosophy.

Her mother-in-law was pretty hurt.

Her husband’s cousins were FURIOUS!

“You’ve ruined the holiday!”

“You won’t ever be forgiven!”

Now, many others have taken the attitude, “well, if she and her family aren’t coming, maybe we won’t” and the family tradition could be at an end.

On the one hand, maybe it was well past time for it to end.

On the other, maybe she (and I, indirectly) should have just left it alone.

Getting me good...

Impressive how quickly the kids learn and integrate behaviors.

Somehow (and I have NO idea from where ;-) ), the kids have figured out that I appreciate startling them (and can appreciate a good startle).

So, now, at some point when they come home from school, they come downstairs and crawl on their hands and knees down the path that leads to my "man cave."

The reason they have to do this that I have a window (yes, a window) that looks into the hallway (not outside) and were they to walk, they would be seen.

Instead, like reconnaisance soldiers, they slither their way and get to my door (my back faces it, (yes I know, bad Feng Shui) and yell "BOO!"

More times than not, they get me...and intensely at that.  Sometimes I am ready for them, but we all have a good laugh at the startle.

Of course, as I age and my heart isn't as strong, this could have adverse effects, but for now we get a laugh at it.

I'm raising some pranksters....I can smell detention. (Just kidding, admissions officers.) At least they are creative....

From skeptics to believers…still skeptical

Growing up, my dad would often propose or initiate a family trip/outing to some location (say Mammoth Cave, KY).

Especially as we got older, we would protest and resist, doubting the merits of the trip and complaining about something.

Invariably, a life memory and life lesson would be created.

In a weird type of “pay it forward” moment, I feel like I getting what I gave because my kids are starting to do the same.

For our second outing of this no-school, no-camp week, the “team” and I went to visit the National Arboretum.

My basically philosophy on these types of things is the same I had when I was dating: Do something I want to do anyway.

I’d never been there and, perhaps I am over-confident, but I believe I can make anything fun and educational for my kids.

As I explained our destination, I was met with resistance.

(Admittedly, it wasn’t the worst type of resistance…Tonka REALLY wanted to go to the National Gallery of Art )

Being the Benevolent Despot that I am, I drove the agenda.

Within minutes of our arrival, we saw the Japanese Koi pond and all three of them (Nadia included) said, “This is sooooo cool!!!”

Success.

We also saw the National Bonsai garden, the original columns from the US Capitol building and an herb garden.

A lot of walking, some beautiful scenery and we did it all in 80 minutes.

On the way home, I asked Tonka, “so, every time I tell you we are going somewhere, you tell me it’s not going to be fun. Then, you tell me, it was fun. Are you ever going to just believe me?”

“No,” she replied.

At least she’s honest.

Estonia leads the digital world...another story

Best line in the article:

"The way Americans cave and accept that government services have to be shitty shows they've given up."

The Unexpected Story of How This Tiny Country Became the Most Tech-Savvy on Earth

2000 Year Old Dig

Though jet-lagged, Day 1 was an active one.

We took the kids to Beit Guvrin where we participated in a program run by Archaeological Seminars called “Dig for a Day.”

The guide, Missy, was great and she gave the kids a wonderful perspective on the 2000 year old cave in which we were digging.

The place was called “Tel Maresha” and there were something like 3500 caves which were quarries and storage facilities.

The kids were enraptured by the description and, as you can see, they got down and dirty.

Best part was that they found some pottery shards, so they were the first people to touch them in over 2000 years.

Very cool and a great way for the kids to connect with the land and the history.

Do You Ever Work?

Saw a friend of ours today at the Hannukah concert for Tonka.

He's a physician and on call at nights this week.

He saw me at CVS on Monday as well.

"Dude, do you ever work?" he asked.

Which reminded me, again, of how unique my position is for some people.

"Sure, but my work is practically place and sometimes, time, independent.

I work at 9.30pm. I work on Sat. nights if I want to."

I pulled out my T-mobile Dash.

"And I am working now."

In the Man Cave, I am as connected to the outside world and my colleagues as anyone in an office.

• 2 phone lines [one for $40/year] (and a cell)
• 3 instant messenger clients
• 6 different email accounts
• Facebook
• My 2 blogs
• and with the new camera, I've done more and more videoconferencing.

Yesterday, I hosted a webcast with 80 people, all while I was on camera.

It's a whole new, globatlized, flat, knowledge, connected economy.

Cherish Them....

We had a rough morning with Calanit. A big screaming tantrum, despite the fact that we were trying to do something nice for her.

Very, very frustrating.

Was speaking to a friend today who has a 13 year old daughter.

"I just got a text message from her that says 'leave me alone, you jerk.' Cherish them while they are little."

When Calanit came home from school today, she picked up where she left off...and in fact, came into the man cave, crying, while I was on the phone with the same person.

I tried to console her and asked her what I could do for her.

"Give me lots of hugs."

This parenting thing isn't easy.