Diversions
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
 The decluttering continues! On the heels of selling my XO laptop, I have decided to go analog for my next item, and sell my Canon ELPH 370Z APS Film camera.
This camera was a wedding gift and we used it for about 2 years until we got a digital camera. It has just sat there in its protective case now for several years. It is in good working order and has no noticeable marks. It’s just that it is a film camera, taking the APS/Advantix film cartridges, which allows you to take wide panorama pictures, which I think is the best feature of the APS film.
The bidding starts at one penny. It makes a great gift for that friend or relative who just won’t go digital.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 04/28/09 at 07:45 AM
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Sunday, April 12, 2009
 Congratulations to the Boston University Mens Hockey team for winning the 2009 national championship last night in Washington, DC! The accompanying photo was taken by my friend Adam, who was at the game last night, shortly after they got a goal in overtime to beat the University of Miami of Ohio 4-3.
It was an outstanding game to close out an amazing season for the Terriers. BU was behind to a formidable opponent in the Miami RedHawks 3-1 when they scored 2 goals in the last minute of regulation to tie it up at 3 all and send it into overtime, when Colby Cohen’s goal broke the tie and sent BU to win its 5th national title. This capped off a season where they won every tournament they were in, including the famed Beanpot tournament, and Terrier Matt Gilroy won the Hobey Baker Award, the Heisman Trophy of college hockey.
As a longtime fan and season-ticket holder of the Terriers, it was an awesome night. Congrats to Coach Jack Parker, all the players and Terrier fans near and far on another exciting season, and here’s to a banner-raising party in the fall at Agganis Arena!
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 04/12/09 at 02:01 PM
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
 I love coffee. There’s nothing like starting the day with a cup of fresh hot coffee cut with a little milk. Ok, make it several cups and don’t limit it to the morning. And sure, the caffeine is more than an added bonus. But I enjoy the flavors from a cup of coffee derived from freshly ground beans in concert with filtered water.
This wasn’t always the case. I didn’t start drinking coffee until I was out of college and at my first job. Coca-Cola was my chosen caffeine delivery vehicle before that time. It was the free coffee at my first job as a COBOL programmer computer consultant in the Berkshires that converted me. At first I didn’t own a coffee maker, so my first coffee at home was instant coffee from a red can with Folgers on the side. Yes, instant. That didn’t last long, as I learn to appreciate – and brew – my own coffee and I never looked back.
I thought about this as I prepared to taste my sample of Starbucks Via, the coffeehouse chain’s newly released instant coffee, which has been launched in 3 cities including Chicago. Like many people, I asked why? But as I tried it, it started to come clear to me.
The sample I had was of their Via Columbia blend. There is also an Italian Roast, and other blends are supposed to be forthcoming. It comes in a short, slender sealed poly tube, and one tube is good for exactly an 8-ounch cup of coffee. I emphasize exactly 8-ounces as I was told this specifically by the barista who gave me the sample.
So I heated a cup of exactly 8-ounces of water in one of few remaining Dunkirk Systems, LLC coffee mugs, added the coffee and stirred. It had a slight (for lack of a better word) "film" on top which reminded me of the Folgers I drank long ago. I then added some skim milk and took a sip. It had a good robust taste, which was not too far from what I would expect from a brewed cup of coffee with freshly ground beans. As I finished the cup, it kept its taste and was a fulfilling taste of coffee.
So would I buy this? Yes, but not all the time. As I have stated here on The Hot Iron before, I tend to buy coffee in large quantities. The packaging is too wasteful for typical day-to-day coffee consumption. I will buy it for when I travel, as many of the friends I visit are not coffee drinkers, plus hotels never have enough coffee in-room. Well, not enough for my liking.
I will bring Starbucks Via on my next journey and will experiment with their other blends. Apparently this has been in the works for over 20 years, which interestingly is around the time I discovered coffee. I doubt this is a coincidence!
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 03/29/09 at 01:30 PM
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Saturday, March 07, 2009
 For all of my readers in the US, including those visiting here from far-off lands, a friendly reminder to change your clocks tonight as Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow.
Keeping true to the mantra of “spring ahead, fall behind” move your clock ahead 1 hour, which means you will lose 1 hour of sleep. Even those who have computers and mobile devices that should move ahead automatically, double-check them before you head out, or set an alarm on Sunday morning an hour earlier just in case. I will be changing the pictured clocks in the Dunkirk Systems, LLC office, as well as those throughout my home.
The change in clocks is also a recommended time to check and change the batteries in the smoke detectors in your home. Even if your smoke detectors are powered by electricity, they may have a battery backup.
Here’s another suggestion – change your passwords. As it is always advised to change your passwords on a regular basis to keep them secure, why not do it at least twice a year?
Here’s to a safe and accurate good night’s sleep tonight!
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 03/07/09 at 03:24 PM
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Friday, March 06, 2009
 Being the good Catholic boy I am, every Lent I give up something for the season through Easter. Without getting into a religious conversation, whatever I give up should be a sacrifice. In the past I have given up desserts, various forms of adult beverages and using choice adult words. However this year I thought long about what I could sacrifice that would surely make me a better individual.
I am giving up non-essential spending. For both myself and my business, I will not spend money on anything that is not required. A non-essential business expense is one not directly related to revenue generation, and one for personal is one not vital to my very survival.
To ensure I am keeping my word, I am keeping track of any purchase I don’t make, and its dollar value. The accompanying picture to this post lists the first 2 items I did not buy. Amazon had the Nokia E71 for almost US$150.00 off this past weekend, but I declined. I recently bought some adapter tips for my iGo portable charger, only to realize once I got them I need another cable, which I decided not to buy as I had no essential travel planned through Easter. I have a couple of personal items as well, but nothing stellar to mention. The list is more to track my decisions rather than to be a shopping list after Lent is over, though some items I still may buy.
Some people think my Lenten sacrifice is a sound decision, especially those who know me and my continuous quest for electronics. Others think my decision is lame, and instead I should be supporting the economy or I probably shouldn’t be spending these days anyway. In any case, I feel good I have gone week only buying essentials.
What do you think, and if you celebrate Easter as well, what did you give up for Lent?
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 03/06/09 at 04:00 AM
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
What H.G. Wells wrote about in 1895 has become a reality for me today. The notion of a time machine, which someone could use to travel to a specific time and location, is now possible. Thanks for this goes to Facebook.
Within the last month I have seen a huge number of my high school graduating class on Facebook. They may have been there all the long, and with the ability to search by when and where from you graduated, it has magnified their presence. That is, assuming, you tag yourself for when you graduated from high school. Many people are new to Facebook, some joining at the encouragements of friends… and for some by their own children.
As it’s been a few years since I graduated from high school, people have obviously changed. For example, I had a mop of hair on my head in high school! Others go by married or other names and some still have to upload photos or use a photo where you can actually make out a face. For those whom I have connected with, it’s been interesting catching up on what has transpired over the years. There’s also the occasional memory of each other that the other had no idea about or had repressed that sometimes comes to light.
The concept of a time machine has been omnipresent for me. For whatever reason, I never made it back to a high school reunion, and with the exception of a small handful of people, I haven’t seen or heard from most all of my graduating class. It wasn’t anything I did intentionally, it just happened.
But here we all are, and we’re catching up. I helped the cause by creating a Facebook group for my class as a signpost in the vastness of Facebook to connect people. This will surely make the next class reunion, slated for next year, different. Different, I believe, in a positive way.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 02/15/09 at 08:16 PM
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Tuesday, February 03, 2009
 Where all of the attention yesterday was on Punxsutawney Phil and the fact he saw his shadow, I looked a little further north from the Pennsylvania town for my prognostication. On the shore of Lake Erie lies Dunkirk, New York, where a groundhog by the name of Dunkirk Dave resides.
Where Phil saw his shadow, implying a longer winter, Dave did not see his shadow, meaning an early spring. With all of the snow I have faced personally in Chicago as well as what friends, family and clients have endured from the left to right coasts of America, I think we can all go for a little less winter and some warmer, bearable temperatures.
So once again my hat goes off to Dunkirk Dave. Well, for now my hat will stay on and cover my head until it is warm enough to expose my bald pate to the elements. And as you may have guessed, Dave’s hometown is also my hometown, and thus the name of my little Internet consulting firm!
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 02/03/09 at 08:17 PM
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Sunday, January 11, 2009
 So I arrive at the venue after trudging through the snow. I ring the bell and someone greets me who has no idea who I am. As I enter, I see the opening act setting up. I grab a beer and get a place to sit as the lights dim and the first act starts. Oh, I forgot to mention that I rang the bell and was warmly greeted by the owner of what was a house in a nice neighborhood who was also the lead singer of the opening band. The beer I brought myself, and I sat on a nice rug just feet from the other side of the living room where the bands were setup. This is what is called a house concert.
The concept of a house concert was something completely new to me, as well as for the other attendees that night. It was held by The Locals a Chicago alternative rock band. They performed followed by Steve Lawson and his lovely wife Lobelia Lawson. It was from Steve I heard about the house concert – he and I met at Nokia OpenLab this fall in Helsinki and he talked about his house concert “tour” in several US cities over Twitter. Most all of the others in attendance were friends and fans of The Locals.
House concerts are apparently something big in the UK, from where Steve and Lobelia hail. Which is not surprising, because a lot of cool things come from Europe and Asia and find their way to the US, but I digress. The advantage of a house concert is that it is a small, intimate audience in a comfortable setting that is not filled with smoke or overpriced beverages, not to mention the up-close and personal relationship the audience has with the artists themselves and vice-versa, which for me was they key for this.
 Two sets comprised the evening, one by The Locals and the other by Steve and Lobelia, the latter alternating between solos by each as well as duets. As someone who spent most of his college days in the late 80’s in the radio station studios, I loved The Locals. They are a 3-piece band, with Yvonne as vocals and guitar, Christy as bass and Kirk on percussion. Yvonne’s voice reminded me a lot of Kristen Hersh. They played mostly their own, awesome original songs as well as a cover of the Heat Mizer song. They didn’t do Snow Miser because they like the hotter sibling of Mother Nature better! For a better idea of their music check out The Locals Web site.
Though I met Steve at OpenLab, I hadn’t heard his music until after I got back from the event. Even after hearing his, it wasn’t until I saw him perform that I truly appreciated his art. He plays the bass unlike I have seen before, and it’s hard for me to describe it. On his Web site’s home page is the words “New-Age Post-Rock Ambient-Jazz Solo-Bass” and if that’s not enough of a hook I don't know what is. He uses equipment and looping techniques to make it sound like there’s more than one musician playing.
Lobelia is an amazing singer and guitar player. She has a very soulful sound and her own original songs reflected this. Her cover of “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive had everyone who was a fan of the 80’s in disbelief! She has also learned looping techniques from her husband and integrated them well into one of her own songs. Check out her Web site and listen!
 Needless to say, it was a unique event and wished it didn't end. It was great to see Steve again and meet Lobelia. I also appreciated the hospitality of The Locals and got to know of a great local band. As I was leaving, I made a comment how there should be more house concerts, but being in Chicago I bet the pols would find a way to try to regulate and of course tax it! I got a few hisses from people, but Steve acknowledged that this is also happening in the UK. But in these times where thinking outside of the box is required, I hope more will be able to experience a house concert soon!
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 01/11/09 at 10:53 PM
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Thursday, December 25, 2008
 Just taking a few moments out of our family gathering to wish everybody out there reading this a very Merry Christmas! For myself and my lovely wife, it is very special as it is our baby’s first Christmas, as can be seen in the accompanying photo of little Margo looking in amazement at the tree and presents.
I am grateful for the things I have. We always want more or want certain scenarios to be different, and those take work. I just don’t want to be forgetful of what I have as I quest for what I don’t have yet.
Now back to my outhouse wall calendar and big box of Almond Joys I got from Santa.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 12/25/08 at 11:33 AM
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Saturday, December 20, 2008
Chicago is a city all about its directions. There’s the North Side and the South Side and nothing in between them. With the exception of a few streets the city is in a grid formation, and all addresses have a north, south, east or west before the name. Many times signs tell you to go in a direction and, unless you know where you are, you would have no idea how to proceed.
At the corner of Wabash Avenue and Madison Street is the 5 North Wabash building. Originally known as the Kesner Building, it was previously commercial space and home of jewelers before converted to condos several years ago. The building has a storied past, including the setting for the book The Girl from Farris’s by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the movie The Package. Burroughs is rumored to have written Tarzan of the Apes there, and Ernest Hemingway is thought to have purchased the gun he used to commit suicide with at the Abercrombie & Fitch store there, back when A&F was a high-end sporting good store before it became the teenie-bopper clothing store. And Mr. T reportedly bought some of his jewelry there.
Up until this summer, at the corner of the building there was a compass laid into the sidewalk, showing which was which as well as the street names, as pictured below.
This photo shows the compass much clearer.
In addition to the compass was the name “Capper & Capper” which was the name of a men’s clothing store that once occupied part of the building. It is mostly obstructed by a piece of plywood as the sidewalk was vaulted and there was a hole under the board, as pictured below.
Needless to say, this sidewalk had been put to great use over the years. And partially for that reason all the sidewalks were ripped up along Wabash this summer and replaced, as pictured
As you can see, the compass is gone. With all of the heavy jackhammering that it took to remove the old sidewalk, most likely it and its letters were broken up and hauled away with the concrete. Another small piece of history lost. Though the sidewalks are much, much better and new street signage declare Wabash Avenue as Jewelers Row, they don’t tell you which direction you are going.
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Posted by Mike Maddaloni on 12/20/08 at 04:00 AM
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