I don’t know about you, but I can tie specific memories from my life directly to specific songs by R.E.M.

One of the first cassettes my brother let me borrow was R.E.M.’s Document album.

I think the first CD I ever bought was the Green album. Gosh, and how many times did I listen to that… every song a classic - “Get Up”, “World Leader Pretend”, “Orange Crush”…

My high school “History Day” team (geeky, I know) set our entire project to the backdrop of “It’s the End of the World as We Know it.” And that project won Regionals, State and placed at Nationals. Again… geeky.

I remember summer nights in high school spent hanging out with my buddy Noa at the pool in his backyard, when I hear “Nightswimming”. Oh, and that cousin of his I met that summer.

I remember driving to my high school graduation listening to “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”

My freshman year (Sept. 95) I drove with some people from my dorm I had just met, a month after classes started, to Hershey Park to see R.E.M. and Radiohead play together for an awesome show - and missed a miserable PSU-Wisconsin home loss.

When I hear, “Let Me In” I remember a bad breakup and crazy girl from college.

And then my college roommate and I saw Michael Stipe perform Radiohead’s “Lucky” at the Tibetan Freedom Festival in 1998 before a freak storm rolled through striking one of the audience members with lightning.

I remember adjusting to life in the work force, familiarizing myself with the neighborhood I now live in, Del Ray, while listening to Reveal and “Imitation of Life”.

I wrote countless requirements for a version of the WeatherBug application listening to “Leaving New York” and “The Outsiders”.

But most of all, I remember how comforting the lyrics and melodies were. And I can’t wait to some day introduce my kids to this “classic rock” artist. Thanks for the memories guys!

Can’t wait for this upgrade… I have been annoyed by the “Most Recent” vs. “Top News” tabs of the news feed as I don’t want an application determining for me what it thinks I need to see or want to see. Show me everything people are posting and give ME the control to filter out what I do and do NOT want to see. That’s why it’s called a news FEED.

Sunrise (Taken with instagram)

So excited to finally find @newbelgium at our local Whole Foods. A long time coming… (Taken with instagram)

More on the whole Google+ / real name issue. I tend to agree though with some of Schmidt’s comments - no one is forcing you to use Google+. If you don’t feel comfortable using your real name, Google+ is not for you. Frankly, I’m hardly using Google+ myself yet as it still seems too forced to post something to that network - if only it integrated more readily with Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook.

Things that make you go hmmm…

The Random Joes 2011 Draft Selection Show

A great description by the folks at the Post about the uncertainty surrounding the forecasted track for Irene.

22 year later and now she’s cutting my son’s hair.

Catching up with friends is nice, particularly when you don’t get to do it as often as you’d like.

Looking back on our time at WeatherBug last night,  we all agreed that while the place was run like a zoo, our time there included some of the best years of our life. Why? Because of the amazing people we got to work with day in and day out. I don’t think any other company in the DC area at that time had as many smart, talented, and committed people as we had… all who have moved on and are doing even more amazing things.

What a wasted opportunity.

But - instead of talking about work or the old days, most of our conversation now consists of what our kids are all up to… my how things have changed. Happy times. Different times.

I think my favorite paragraph in the entire article is:

“Politics and business, two of our most human processes, both proceed from the premise of good faith, from the notion that each side must deal in earnest with the other. Neither can advance or improve their position otherwise. Self-interest is based on truth. In the absence of good faith, barter isn’t commerce; it’s a swindle. In the absence of flexibility, it’s not a negotiation; it’s a sermon. Perhaps we need everyone to sign a pledge promising never to sign another pledge. Because dogma, however moral or ethical or honestly arrived at, is the opposite of politics.”

How true.

Early morning at St. Elmos…

Interesting… this could change the whole user experience around search, as well as the whole approach to optimizing your site for “page one” of Google. I’m certainly in favor of the infinite scroll… Certainly is easier than having to click on different pages.

Successful Sunday project. Built the new grill. (Taken with instagram)

Make a wish! (Taken with Instagram at Old Town Alexandria Waterfront)