Live Life. Life is Short. Life is an Adventure.

Back in Columbus Ohio again, this time to enjoy a specifically organized Adult’s only Halloween.

In costume as Skipper from Gilligan’s Island, we get to trick or treat, no tricks or scary places actually. Just lots of treats, shots and drinks at most locations, where were all set out on a map of 16 places on Beck Street.

I discovered Jello Shots, which I had a number of to zero negative effective.
Plenty of photos on SmugMug

Friends Skype intro message - DL

The American Express Members Project (which I know some of the software developers on this) have a very apt television advertisement playing at present regarding some of my comments regarding passion and dreams.

In the television ad they show the following people and quotes.
My project was:

• use laughter to help children learn — Jim Henson — Creator of the Muppets
• point out the pointless — Jerry Seinfeld
• bring a city to life — Robert De Niro — Actor
• turn the ridiculous to the sublime — John Cleese — Actor, Comedian
• find beauty in the flaws and and vice versa — Wes Anderson — writer actor
• live life on the edge — Laird Hamilton — Surfer
• encourage people to dance to their own tune — Ellen DeGeneres — Comedian
• tell unforgettable stories. — Martin Scorsese — writer, director, producer

The conclusion of the ad is “Are you ready to make a difference?. Vote on the projects that will help change people’s lives.”

Here is the actual commercial. What’s interesting is the official web ad now cuts out Jerry Seinfeld, (and FYI he is playing cricket.

While on the NY Subway heading home late Thursday I observed in rather awe an older black gentleman sit down across from me at 42nd st in a rather full train. He proceeded to pull out of a black case a flick through a number of hand drawn pictures and I was impressed at what I could observe. He then proceeded to expertly draw not one but two amazing reputations of side profiles of passengers as the train bumbled along on the track, and then simply handed them over to the people. Being as I mentioned rather impressed, I commented this to him, and also mentioned I wish I could draw like that. I don’t remember his exact words in response, but it involved a combination of following your dreams, we all have them in side of us.

His name was Bowie, and in the course of like 3 stops before 145th (my exit), he proceeded to quickly draw his third sketch of a passenger, one of me. Now the first two were great side on representations, mine it’s hard for me to comment as I’m not looking side by side with me and image.

Still I was suitably moved that a complete stranger had both the skill, desire and willingness to share this with others for nothing in return. It reminded me of the works Gary Vaynerchuk recently motivated me with his in his talk Patience and Passion.

I’ve set some personal goals recently, I’ve even had a mental list, spoken about them, but I wanted to write them down, because life is too short, and my motto is “Life is short. Live life. Live is and adventure”.

1. Be happy
2. Have fun
3. Have quality friends
4. Do lots of fun and exciting things with my quality friends
5. Have a long term and meaningful relationship with a women

Not much!

Street sign in West Chester, PA

For the second year now in New York, I have been able to photograph the 9/11 WTC memorial lights.
In 2007, it was one of the most striking photographic events of the year, this year it didn’t disappoint.

My intention this year was to photograph from the other side of Manhattan in Brooklyn, and to also to get at close as possible to the lights. I achieved both, and was happy with the output.

I was disappointed to find however, that the lights are not located at the WTC site, infact they are some 10 blocks away to the south.

More photos to come, but a few samples are available at my SmugMug photos

Ronald Bradford, NY Subway, 9/11/08

Yesterday, I experienced with 105,000 other fans, an Ohio State University (OSU) win over local rival Ohio University in Columbus Ohio. I was one of the sea of red at the horse shoe. You can find all my photos over at SmugMug.

I got a chance to catch up with friends Anthony and Dan for lunch today, and to my surprise they had chosen to goto Artisanal on Park Ave South. I was not complaining.

After lunch we settled down to a nice selection of cheeses, without pairing wines so this was definitely full cheese flavor.

The List:

1. Sainte-Maure - France - Goats Cheese. Smooth, Pronounced Goaty flavor
2. Ossau Iraty Brebis - France - Sheep Cheese. Nutty with layers of Clover & Grass
3. Roshetta - Italy - Mixed Cheese. Soft, Notes of Coddled Cream?
4. Grayson - Virginia - Cow Cheese. Elastic, Creamy, Yeasty
5. Aged Gouda - Holland - Cow Cheese. Firm, Carmel & Butterscotch Flaovers
6. Cabrales - Spain - Cow Cheese. Complex, Dense, Numbingly Intense

Dan definitely liked the Numbingly Intense Blue Cheese (6), Anthony was in pain. But Anthony got the most from the creamy Saite-Maure(1). The Aged Gouda (5) was very good, the Rochetta (3) and Ossua (2) both not bad. Nobody went with the Grayson (4)

My older cheese experiences included San Francisco and Stinky Cheese & Wine 101.

Two things that made me laugh today.

The Rise and Fall of Twitter (Video)
The Adventures of Ace, DBA (cartoon).

I read today in Advance News that the US is changing the rules for the visa waiver to enter the US temporarily.

While not mandatory yet, you will need to be “pre-approved” online first. Well this will be interested. I was stuck in Canada recently trying to get back into the US, but could not because the finger print scanners were all off-line. I suspect before long we may have to submit more then just our name and travel details online as well.

The Department of Homeland Security is debuting, on a voluntary basis, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), an online pre-approval system for travelers under the Visa Waiver Program. The program does not become mandatory until January 12, 2009, at which point Visa Waiver travelers will be required to use the online system to obtain advance approval to travel at least 72 hours before departing for the United States. Nonimmigrant visa holders will not use the system.

“Plankton, it’s so small you can hardly see them individually, yet together the can be seen from space.”

From National Geographic Channel “Earth - The Biography - Volcanoes”

I purchased an air conditioning unit this week, and I had to become aware of the BTU. The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is a unit of energy. An interesting unit that the USA has yet to change to it’s own need.

I ended up with a 8,000 BTU unit for my bedroom, the equation starts with cubic feet * 5. You then add ~500 BTU per person (just me :-(). So 10ft x 13ft x 9.5 ft = 1,235 * 5 + 500 = 6,675.

You also need to take into account electronics, so living areas and places that include kitchens need greater capacity.

Well it depends which gallon you are referring to.

The question came from a recent discussion with my Mother regarding the cost of fuel. Because Australia uses litres I had to convert the US price of Gallons to Litres. This is where the problem begins because as a child I grew up knowing that 1 Gallon was 4.5 litres. Australia used an imperial system until 1966, and while I was not around then, living on a farm there were many legacies.

The problem is, as usual the USA has to be different from the rest of the world, their gallon is infact more complex. Using the official Wikipedia definition:

• U.S. liquid gallon is equal to 3.785411784 litres
• U.S. dry gallon is 4.40488377086 litres.
• Imperial (UK) gallon is legally defined as 4.54609 litres

Only in America is there such complication!