Congratulations Michael Firth - You Did It!!

This is a bit of a delayed post, but I wanted to share news around a good friend who recently proposed. Mike Firth proposed to Molly Belozer the Friday before Christmas.

I am very happy for these two and wanted to post a photo of the newly engaged couple (Mike has no knowledge of me doing any of this and hopefully sees the site someday). Considering I have very few pictures of the couple and I hardly see them (given they live in Seattle), I went to Google for help. The first Michael Firth I found is the Chair Professor of Finance at Lingnan
University and semi-published on the web (see right). Somehow this photo was going to represent my good friend (yes, it would have been a FAR stretch).

Then, with a little luck I found the Jackpot! I stole a picture of Molly and Mike (see above) from someones Flickr account online. You have got to love Google.

We are so excited for the both of them and hope they enjoy what the next few months and years bring their way!

Congrats to you both and to Michael, Cheese and Crackers - you did it!!

P.S.: The power of persuasion and the internet come true again.

Cartoons relating perfectly to today's financial market mess!

One of my daily work related readings, PEHub, had this perfect link to an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon from 15 years ago that perfectly describes today's financial crisis. This is totally great. Click here for a cleaner link if needed.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Hey everyone,

I'm sure all the faithful readers of Musings from Boulder are sad to not have received a Christmas card this year, featuring the Lee family along with a "sweet" Christmas sweater. With busy schedules, including work, school, baby-planning and spreading local holiday cheer, we were not able to get out our annual card (plus the photo opp's necessary to create such a card were missed or not there).

With that said, perhaps I can say we chose to go a more Green route by saving paper and sending a card electronically is much easier for everyone.

Please accept this posting as the Lee Family wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! All the best to you in the new year and we hope to spend some time with all of you. Enjoy your New Year's Eve and come visit us if you have a chance in 2009... we always love guests!

Best wishes,

Melissa, Ryan and Ranger

One semester down... seven to go!

Well, life is going to be back to normal for a while now (see: 3 weeks). I successfully wrapped up my first semester of grad school last night. Now it's time to actually get some things done at home and enjoy the Christmas season with my wife and my family. There a slew of 'to do's' at home and Melissa and I did not get our annual Christmas card out (does it still count if people receive a card around New Year's? We may have to start a new tradition). Anyway, definitely looking forward to a little R&R.

School turned out to actually be really fun. The time commitment makes life busy and time management becomes extremely important. The material has been interesting and the conversations in class are stimulating. My class is pretty small as well (33 people) so I have gotten the chance to know most well on a personal level. People also come from a diverse set of backgrounds so it's interesting to see people's views on things. Below is a pic taken by our professor during our last class... I think we are having fun.

During the time off between semesters I plan to do some reading for fun, see friends I haven't had the chance to see and of course on New Year's day we are headed to Puerto Vallarta for eight days. We planned it back in early August and with school done now I can finally begin to think about hanging out on the beach and having some fun!

First the tech crash in 2001, now the banking market 2008, automotive sector into 2009, next...

the fast food crash! (please, please there is nothing more I would enjoy more than McD's, BK, and that little Wendy to go out of business). McDonald's is evidently "recession proof" according to comments recently by their CEO. And yes, when times are tough, people look for ways to save a few bucks (see Wal-Mart is doing pretty well). No shame in that however saving a few dollars in our pocket and expanding our waistlines is NOT the way to do it. (Of course Jack Daniels sales across America are skyrocketing, so I guess in times of stress we Americans stuff our face with something.

But given the expanding waist line of Americans both young and old, I hope that fast food nation we have become reverses it's track. Health care costs will continue to sky rocket with all the obese people (just imagine if Obama thinks the universal health care idea is the way to go - we will with no doubt have a health care crash in the next 10-15 years, costing US taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars). Being active will consist of typing on your blog, playing solitaire on the computer or Wii Fit while sitting on your couch. I'm telling you, we are in trouble.

And yes, on a backpacking trip in the summer of 2001 Tony D. and I completely predicted two problems with America: 1) the rest of the world did not look favorably upon America (see September 11th happened 3 months later), and 2) We are FAT Americans.

So this holiday season, eat more greens and proteins, drink 1% milk and exercise before you stuff your face with holiday treats and Christmas cookies... so you can help America avoid the next big crash.. the Fast Food Blow up (coming to a home near you in 2017 or sooner)

Oh... and one more holiday wish is all RAV4's and CRV's get recalled and exchanged with an American car (say the Ford Escape) or a car with a little get up and go. Nothing more I hate on the road more than RAV4's and CRV's (aside from the ever-popular minivan)

That is all.... for now.

Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of Rum

It's Christmas time yet again and my favorite time of year! Let's get a quick run down on all the best the season has to offer.

Time for....

• Eggnog with Rum (always a hit),

• Watching Elf, Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation and Miracle on 34th Street over and over,
  
  
• Crummy college football Bowl Games... such as the Sheraton Hawaii bowl on Christmas eve featuring Hawaii vs. Notre Dame (shouldn't all the Catholics be in church??), or perhaps the Motor City Bowl featuring the mighty Central Michigan Chippewas vs. Florida Atlantic (they have a D1 team?) will tempt your pallate,

• Playoff time for the NFL,

• The NBA on NBC (it's fantastic, well, kind of),

• Time for Christmas caroling,

• and of course don't forget to volunteer or give to needing organizations if you can this year. Their are a lot of people who need assistance, toys for their kids, or food to put on the table. I recommend EFAA or the Community Food Share in the Colorado Front Range, however many places around America really could use your help.

So get out there, give back to the less fortunate, enjoy your Christmas season with family and friends, find some good deals in stores, watch a little football and enjoy yourself!

(from last year... this year's Christmas card is on its way)

Congrats Luke and Christie!

Friday night was a big night for Luke and Christie. There was a ring involved, popping of a big question and of course a "Yes" to complete the trick. To top it all off, Luke arranged for family and friends, including both sets of parents, to be waiting anxiously at the Corner Bar inside the Hotel Boulderado. They were showered with streamers as they walked in with close to 30 people in attendance.

We are so excited for the both of them and hope they enjoy getting use to calling each other "fiance".

Congrats to you both and Luke, keep practicing your Blue Steel... you'll want that in your bag on the big day!

A new must-have innovation this holiday season!

Just when you think the markets are down, cash is tight and everyone is feeling the effects of a recession, a piece of Wallstreet is finding this in demand. I would love to see this in an Irish bar...

Quick, someone get me a Guiness!!

Our new house guest is fitting right in

For the next 3-4 weeks we have a house guest - my parents 13 yr old Golden named Cisco. Most of you know Cisco from some point. Anyway, here are a few videos of how the 2 dogs are getting along.


Day 1: Ranger tormenting Cisco





Day 5: Cisco egging on Ranger over a ball

Bold Basketball Predictions

The basketball season came into season this last week with little more than a whisper.

1) The CU Men's Basketball team: better than .500 this year.

While a winning half your games may not seem like a big deal or an accomplishment, taking a team of 6 Freshmen and 5 Sophomores and making them a winning group in a tough Big 12 conference will be quite a task. Despite this, I believe that Coach Jeff Bzdelik will do a great coaching job this year, his second with the Buffs.


2) The Nuggets may have a legitimate shot at winning their division and Carmelo Anthony may actually win his first playoff series + more (I'm thinking 55 wins is legitimately possible)

A new look Melo and the addition of Chauncey Billups (and the subtraction of Allen Iverson) has worked out immediately for the Nuggets. They are playing good team basketball and are showing the kind of team camaraderie not seen in these parts since the early 90's when Dikembe Mutombo and LaPhonso Ellis were leading the Nuggets.

It's been an amazing transformation this year. The words "team" and "defense" apply to this year's Nuggets for the first time in years. They are off to a great start and could possibly destroy the 50 win plateau from a year ago. Let's hope the Nuggets continue to improve.

Holiday Party 2008!

Hi all,

Just thinking about the upcoming holidays and realized a few people will be coming in town since most of you now live out of state. So as the holidays are approaching, I'd like to keep up with a tradition we've had for several years now: an annual christmas-drinking party.

Beer will be drank (quickly), classy holiday sweaters will be worn and good times should be had by all. Don't forget your dickey this year!

Just trying to figure out a date for this event now so I'd love your feedback. Since Christmas is on a Thursday this year I was thinking Friday night the 26th may be the best option. Let me know what you think.

Any ideas on new themes for this year? Is it best to have it at my house or are there other options? (I do have a foosball table and Guitar Hero!)

And if anyone wants to chip into the "buy Ryan a new 40 inch TV before the baby comes" fund, let me know. Only $600 more and I can buy it!

Ho Ho Ho. See you soon.

Our new paper boy!

We have been doing some training and can't wait for the snowy days this winter when we can stay inside and put our paperboy to work!

"Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care"

We had a really neat opportunity last night in our MBA class. We had a guest speaker come in and talk about persuasion and motivating people, in line with our classroom learning. That guest speaker:

Dan Hawkins, head football coach at CU.

The topic of discussion for the week was persuasion, prepped in part by 80+ pages of readings around structuring a persuasive argument and different strategies around communicating your message along with focusing on your audience (and making sure you understand what they are looking for, not just what you are looking for). Very interesting and applicable stuff based on how it applies to business in general and our everyday lives.

Coach Hawk jumped into class and after getting a quick intro from the prof and a question to get him started, he was off to the chatter. It was a very passionate and enthusiastic speech, hands down the best class/lecture/speech/interaction I have seen before.

He talked about several things, notably the importance of having a vision and drive. Find what you are passionate about and have a driving vision and focus on including people in your mission that share your drive.

Surround yourself with good people. Reminds me of my football coach "you hang out with turds, you turn into a turd". You are only as good as the company you keep. Very true statements for any part of life.

Take chances and challenge yourself: taking a chance and getting out of your comfort zone is very important in life and in business. He created a great vibe around Boise State when he was there. He thought CU was a great opportunity and yet another chance to step out of what was becoming a comfortable situation and challenge himself.

That feeling in your gut when you fail or feel you are failing, take that feeling and use that negative experience as a learning experience and grow from it.

And probably my favorite line from the night: "Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care." It seems very applicable to many walks of life; whether it is philanthropic endeavors, business, your life and family or your friendships with others.

The overall talk with Coach Hawk lasted 45 minutes and covered a variety of topics such as "how do you walk into a players living room and persuade them to play for CU?", "How do you manage expectations amongst your staff and your bosses?" and "How do you go about persuading the school administration, the faculty, the students, the community and the state on your agenda as football coach?"

I wish I had had a tape recorder last night. It was a very candid discussion that left the entire class excited (I was pumped for a few hours and stayed up late studying and typing this because there was no way I could go to sleep).

Go Buffs! And as one of my classmates said last night "despite the fact I lit a fresh candle in my Coach Hawkins shrine this morning, I was very impressed with Coach Hawk but even objectively I'm sure I would have found endless business value. Totally worth the price of tuition, I can fail out a happy man."

If the glove doesn't fit, you must aquit. OJ ain't escaping this time!

OJ Simpson was found guilty, 13 years to the date after being found innocent in the killing of his Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Brown. With all the headlines around the upcoming election and the government's $700B bailout package this story has received very little national attention. That somehow seems to be a positive towards what Americans are focusing on given the other items worth covering (and no, Britney Spears' comeback does not count as real news). So either we all have better focus on the bigger picture we all know he got off on the prior acquisition.

Karma's a real bitch! See ya OJ.

The "Joe Hermann Theory of Beer" revisited

3.2 Beer: The mystery solved

I am sure many of you have wondered the whole story on 3.2 Beer. Most people actually do not take 3.2 beer to be what it really is. Lets start with a little history....First of all 3.2 comes from prohibition. You could drink alcohol if it was less than 3.2% alcohol by weight. When it was abolished with the ST amendment some states decided to keep the 'low-point' alcohol in convenient and grocery stores. 4 states still do, Oklahoma, Kansas, Utah, and Colorado. (Terrible to think about isn't it?)

American consumers generally think of alcohol in terms of alcohol by VOLUME. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) uses the weight measurement. Thus we get 3.2% Alcohol by weight (or less) beer sold in Colorado grocery stores.So what does that mean. The conversion is quite simple. Multiply the alcohol by weight by 1.25. Or multiply alcohol by volume by 0.8.

Grocery stores sell beer that is marked as 3.2% alcohol by weight.3.2% x 1.25 = 4% alcohol by volume.

Some comparisons:New Belgium Sunshine Wheat - (Belgian style wheat beer) - averages between 4.8-5.2% alcohol by volume. Multiply by .8 and we get 3.8-4.4% alcohol by weight.

New Belgium Saison - (Belgian style saison) - 4.5-9% abv.New Belgium Tripple - (Belgian style triple)- 7-10%abv.Almost every American wheat beer averages between 3.5-5% alcohol by volume. This basically means that so called '3.2% beer." Is actually what we would call 4% beer.

We have all gotten drunk off a pack off Coors tall boys, and we have all gotten drunk off Sunshine. It takes just a little more Coors to get drunk off of. When comparing them to the beer of our wonderful microbrewery it's no argument that they are stronger. I think it's easy to believe that Coors light is 4% alcohol by volume, as Joe Hermann had stated.

Beer Myth: checked out! (correct answer). Great work Joe.

You can find all the info i used at:
How to measure the weight of alcohol
Essay on alcohol content in beer
3.2 Origins

After further review... my teams stink

I am quickly come to a realization that my teams are not so good (after further review). I recently wrote how well all were playing at 2-0 and since then my teams have followed the stock market... down, down, down...

CU got beat for a 3rd game in a row by a better team...

The Pack has cooled down and the loss of Al Harris is proving detrimental to the team...

The Bagders have lost 3 in a row against strong conference foes...

We went to the Broncos game yesterday, Melissa's first ever, and sat in 35 degree, overcast and drizzling conditions to watch 3 turnovers doom the Broncos against a motivated Jaguars team...

And to rub it all in my fantasy teams have strugged to 3-2 records after a 2-0 starts, respectively.

I'm not sure where to go from here, however I can only hope it gets better - and soon!! Time to go enjoy Columbus Day at el librario...

Conquering your fear of the public potty

We all know someone who can't "go" while in public. It has been laughed about in movies like American Pie where one character has to run home from school to use the bathroom. His nickname is "Shit Break". Quite hilarious.

I don't have too many friends "scared" to go in public, but I think public restrooms cause an uneasy feeling in most people. Said another way, not too many people are all that comfortable using public restrooms.

A solid article on CNN Friday regarding this fear. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/10/03/bathroom.hygiene/index.html

They even had a great photo (see picture). Notice how someone was so ready to leave the bathroom that they left their drink!

Even websites are popping up to address the potty problem. Once place appropriately named Diaroogle.com posts this as their Mission Statement:

Diaroogle helps you find quality public toilets from your mobile phone.
It's for the discerning, on-the-go defecator who is brave enough to use a public bathroom, but still demands a hygienic and private bathroom experience. It is also a community authored database of Manhattan toilets.

Good luck to you,The Diaroogle Team

Or for a more "universal" site nationwide with more feedback you can check out MizPee

MizPee finds the closest, cleanest toilets in your area. You can add and review toilets, get some cool deals in your area and challenge your knowledge of toilet trivia. This is no laughing matter. You can also access MizPee via your phone and save your "favorites". How great is technology!

Keep this in mind the next time you "have to go" but can't find a nearby Starbucks or other place you trust to take care of your business. So whether you "hover" or cover the seat with tissue or just go bare, remember these new sites as they should help you in your next time of need.

And remember that if you get caught going in public, by a tree, you will get a hefty fine and if you are a teacher you will be a registered sex offender. Find a restroom of some sort.

Best of luck on your future journey's my friends, MfB.

Cubs fans crying continues for Day 2

Wrigleyville bars will be lonely and sad tonight. They may be full but will sound more like a wake than a wedding ceremony. Their mighty Cubs losing yet another game in the playoffs, at home no less. All the pressure and weight of the north side of the city is apparently crushing this year's record setting team to pieces. The Dodgers are up 2-0 with up to 2 games remaining in L.A. and a possible 5th back at Wrigley.

Watching the camera scope over the crowd during the 7th and 8th innings it's become apparent to me that the fans are so crushed and any air was quickly taken out of their balloon this evening. Just too much negative energy by all Cubs fans. They think about some curse, or Bartman or whatever other BS excuse/great tradegy that helps them deal with their team going down 0-2. After an earlier post mocking the Cubs luck hoping to change the luck in game 2 with an Onion post, it's time to be positive.

It made me think of a great poem about focusing on the positive and ignoring the negative. Here are some exerpts of the Winner vs. Loser. Cubs fans: let's be winners! This series is NOT over yet! Keep dreaming Cubbies!

The Winner is always part of the answer;The Loser is always part of the problem.

The Winner sees an answer for every problem;The Loser sees a problem for every answer.

The Winner says," It may be difficult but it is possible";The Loser says,"It may be possible but it is too difficult."

Winners have dreams;Loser have schemes.

Winners say," I must do something";Losers say,"Something must be done."

Winners are a part of the team;Losers are apart from the team.

Winners see possibilities;Losers see problems.

Winners see the potential;Losers see the past.

Winners make it happen;Losers let it happen.

God Savoring Vast Array Of Cubs-Cursing Options

CHICAGO—God, the divine creator and omnipotent deity, held a press conference Tuesday to discuss the infinite ways in which He could curse the postseason hopes of His least favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs.


"I might go with an inopportune rainout or the classic error on a routine play. Or maybe I'll mess with the lights during a huge play in Game 7—that could be interesting," said God, who added that when it came to the Cubs, it was nice to stop moving in mysterious ways and take the direct-intervention approach for once. "My prophet Steve Bartman will certainly be a tough act to follow, but trust Me: Anything can happen. And let's just say that for the centennial celebration, it will be huge." When asked about His plans for mankind, God said He would "probably" allow our free will to decide the issue.

** This article is being shared from the Onion in honor of tonight's big game 2 versus L.A.

Cubs win! Cubs win!

Having clinched the Central Division, the Chicago Cubs are well on there way to winning the World Series... at least one would believe.

Believe the hype, say it loud and don't fear being ridiculed as this is the year the Cubs win the World Series!

Also check out the video sweeping the internet the past week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqHTScDBsDU

It's that time of the year...

Well, well, well... summer is behind us and fall is staring us in the face. Football season is in full swing, the playoffs for baseball are around the corner and the leaves are turning colors. It's a great time of year!

With all that said, it's also the time of year when "the ring is the thing" is also peaking it's head around the corner, especially for those in their 20's and early 30's. What am I talking about?? Well, the holiday season is around the corner and most guys who deem themselves in "long term relationships" or "serious" relationships begin feeling a little hot under the collar. They have either moved in with their girlfriends or conversation of the topic has come up often recently. It's time to shit or get off the pot buddy (at least that's what the girls are thinking).

This is not a new phenomenon and quite frankly is happening later in this generation than generations past. But somethings never change.

Here are a few items that may never change:

1) Girls want the ring to show to friends and family during the holidays.

2) They want you to ask them to marry you. Badly. They will play it cool, but it's all they thing about 24-7. They may even ask you if you wait too long (although this is not common). But persuasion is a woman's close friend... and this subject should not affect you.

3) The girl already has her wedding planned out in her mind and has since she was a kid. She has already inserted you into that vision. She will never tell you this, but it's true. All she needs is that ring... from you.

So Yes, MfB is now delving into wedding topics, however MfB considers itself keen on this knowledge via experience. You can't take that from me. MfB believes there are four or five such candidates to purchase rings in the near future.

Just know this: it's a great experience proposing, it's a lot of fun planning a wedding with someone you care about, and when it's all over you go back to living with the girl you've dated for some time and nothing is different than before (you even enjoy calling her your wife).

Best of luck fellas!!

(Sports) Life is Good... for now

So, a quick post prior to tonight's CU vs WVU game...

The football season is relatively short, however being undefeated two games in does not make for a great season. With that said, all the teams I religiously follow are 2-0:

CU Buffs: Good start so far despite a scare in the EWU game. A big, tough task tonight against WVU and Pat White. Good news is Chris Fowler, CU Alum, will be doing the play-by-play. Perhaps that gives the home team an edge...

(Coach Hawkins is stoked for the "John Denver Bowl" tonight)

Green Bay Packers: The Aaron Rodgers, aka Mr. Cool, era is off to a strong start. A tough game against Dallas on Sunday night with yet another national television audience should prove to be the biggest challenge yet...

Wisconsin Badgers: Solid win at a very tough, hostile environment in Fresno State. The QB play will need to improve to give them a shot at the Big 10 title, however they are off this weekend before a visit to Michigan Sept 27. A definite 2-0 team after this weekend...

Denver Broncos: A convincing nad impressive game against Oakland was followed by likely the most controversial game of the NFL season vs. San Diego. The Broncos still had to score a TD on two plays and a 2-point conversion to win. San Diego still had the chance to win the game...

Team Ralphie (Fantasy Football via LilBig Football League): the team with the first overall pick in the draft has dominated its opponents two weeks in and despite a lack of depth has the opportunity to go 3-0 this week. Team Ralphie is the odds-on favorite (as voted by the league) to win the LilBig FL championship this year...

Team Favreageddon (SVB Sports ESPN league): highest point total after two weeks and the most complete lineup top to bottom with depth at every position. A near lock to go undefeated this year...

Enjoy your weekend, as we will be in Breck enjoying a nice relaxing, fall weekend. MfB suggests you don't enjoy your weekend drunk, on a moped, like this LB from 'Sconny... he is now my hero.

I've been Googlized... are you next?

As a self acclaimed late adaptor, I finally gave in and adapted to Gmail. Admittedly, I love it. I've got my calendar (which is still a work in progress), my tabs set up with my favorite online websites set up set up on my iGoogle page, my Photos on Picasa (Google acquired product), YouTube (Google acquired product), my own Reader with articles marked and RSS feeds (more Google purchases), and I can even go to the Google Blog Search - where anyone can search and find the greatness of a new, growing website named Musings from Boulder. Google has made my life SO easy. I love Google.

I have a Google blog (the aforementioned Musings from Boulder). Soon I think my wife will have her own Blog. My friends have Blogs. Their friends have Blogs. All on Google (at least the cool ones).

Last night I heard about a new Google product in Beta. I HAD to have it. I now Google Chrome - the new Google search engine. The desktop item even looks like an old Simon Says game (see left). Did Google purchase Simon Says in order to use a similar looking logo of the old game, or did they just "creatively" come up with this all on their own? All I had to do to get it was go to Google.com and search "chrome". Not Chrome.com, just "chrome". (I hate Google for making my life so easy).

We discussed Facebook in my MBA program after reading a case study and discussed it's massive potential as a giant information aggregator based on its database of information and the question regarding if it will be the next Google or should sell now to Google for a huge payday. This is a very real time, real world discussion. The class unequivocally said that Facebook should not sell to Google and remain independent and fight the "man" (ie Google). The discussion ended and compliments of "I just love Google" and "Everything in my life is tapped into Google" comments flooded the room. (Google even tells me I am spelling Facebook wrong in this post! How's that for ruling the Internet).

So what is Google doing with this information? They seem to be involved and inside every part of my life. Do they know where I sleep and if I snore? Do they have me under satellite surveillance? Will they hunt and take down Bin Laden? Something tells me he Google's too and they know where he is. Will we look up at the moon someday just to see a big Google "G" on the it's surface? Will it change daily to go along with the day's theme on their browser? Can I trust them? I highly doubt it. They won't hand their information over to the US Government. They probably know too much and are invading my life. I absolutely hate Google now!!

So perhaps Google is the monster of today and we are all just living in Google's world and that is a very scary thought. On second thought, maybe I don't feel so bad anymore about being Googlized because it's made my life so much easier and of course, everybody is doing it. My Google calendar is telling me I have an appointment soon... gotta run.

Musings from Boulder...

Time for the inaugural grab bag and photo fest, also known as Musings...Feeling very blessed over the past few weeks... life's been busy and very good!

We celebrated our 1st Anniversary weekend over the Labor Day weekend. (How lucky I am to have such a wonderful wife!). The night at the St. Julien was great and it's hard to believe it was just a year ago we had our wedding day.

Ranger had his first birthday three days later... he's becoming quite the CU and football fan. He has been just the perfect puppy and is more obsessed with retrieving tennis balls than any dog I've ever seen. What a great dog.

Melissa is in full swing with her new job and life as a nanny... she is enjoying the families she's working with and the time and flexibility of the job is more than welcomed (a year at Crate&Barrel was a bit long). They are more lucky to have her!

I went to the Buffs game Saturday with a group of buddies, which included a thrilling, narrow escape versus a tough Eastern Washington team. The game was more exciting than it needed to be, however a win is a win in this case. We just need to find a running game.

In what turned into a full day of tailgating, the highlight of the day followed the Buffs narrow victory was a visit by 6 of us (mostly Alumni) to the Sink. 6 pitchers of beers, 5 guys, a Buffs victory and reliving our college days at 4:30pm rather than 11:30pm. Good times, good times! Watching Taylor eat 4 HUGE slices of pizza fit in as a close 3rd place.

First week of Grad school went down easy... too bad it's only going to get much tougher from here!

Onward to another weekend!

Look what Mr. "Cool" did on MNF!

In a solid performance in his first game as a starter in the National Football League, Aaron Rodgers showed that he has what it takes as a starting quarterback. Is he bringing Cool back, as previously suggested in MfB? We will see, however early signs indicate a cool, calm and collected player able to lead his team on the field.

A slew of penalties put him in some awkward positions with long distances to pick up a first down (have you ever seen so many offensive linemen penalties? especially in a row?). And Tony Kornheiser nearly ruined the entire MNF event like every other week. The guy doesn't know when to stop beating a dead horse. It was great how Jaws had to repeatedly tell TK to "let the Brett Favre thing go". If you watched the second game with the Broncos beating up the Raiders, that may have been more dreadful.

There were signs of a great arm, great touch on his throws and the ability to effectively manage the game. I'm sure not every day will yield such a strong performance and a few teams may make him look very bad, let's just hope the strong first game performance gives him slack in his performances the next few weeks. The Pack has struggled at times in Detroit, so let's hope Rodgers has a strong performance in week 2.

With that said, be sure to check out Inside the Huddle with Donald Driver the next time you are in the Green Bay, WI area on a Monday night. MfB hears there is a table corporately sponsored at the weekly event by Lee Truck Equipment, Inc. d/b/a Casper's Truck Equipment. They have the two of the best owners any company could ask for. MfB loves them very much.

Back to school.. back to school...

Going back to school feels the same no matter how old you may be... I had intentions of putting some movie clips in this post however struggled in finding the time to do so. Some movies just never get old!

Of course be sure to click on the title of this article for a special treat.

Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing.Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing.

Update to Musings from Boulder

MFB now has a CU Buffs widget to keep you up to date on the latest college football scores and stories. Check out the widgets at the bottom of the website.

CU Buffs off to a good start...

The CU Buffs got off on the right foot Sunday night in a 38-17 victory over the instate CSU Rams. After a shaky start and a few early mistakes, the Buffs jumped to a 21-7 lead on an electrifying kickoff return for a TD by sophomore WR Josh Smith (his 1st collegiate touchdown). The Buffs fell asleep on the ensuing kickoff as CSU returned the kick for a TD to pull within 21-14 heading into halftime. The second half started with another solid kickoff return by Josh Smith who was one break away from another kickoff return for a TD. The Buffs never looked back.

This was the last scheduled game between the two schools at Mile High. CU took their option to play the 2009 game in Boulder while CSU returned the favor and chose to have the 2010 game in Fort Collins, making it the first time the two schools will meet their in at least 12 years. There are no future games scheduled at this time, likely a good situation as this game benefits CSU much more than CU when it is played in Denver, both financially and fan wise. CU has won 5 of the past 6 matchups and appears to be headed in a positive direction with the potential to be a perennial top 20 program. Coach Hawk has assembled some great young talent and has begun to implement his coach style and philosophies on the team. He has also taking a no-nonsense approach in taking quick and harsh discipline to any players not living up to the high standards and expectations he has laid out for the Buffaloes.

This is a great blog entry by Coach Hawk. http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=1571048&DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=1571048 Please note there is a link to Coach Hawk's blog on the right sidebar on Musings from Boulder.

CSU appears to be in a down year as the overall talent, team speed and athleticism was lacking from this team compared to what we've seen in years past. The new coach seems to be pretty competent, it's just going to take him a while to get CSU to a respectable level (there fans were, as usual, completely classless and out of control prior to the kickoff this year).

The picture below to the right is another reason this game should not be at Mile High. A good 1/4 of CSU's section of the stadium (which is split in half for each school) was empty the entire game as they failed to sell their allotment. In fact, CU sold out their allotment and bought up tickets in the CSU section - see all the black and gold in the picture. This revenue actually falls into CSU's pockets, as Neil Wollk points out in a recent column.

http://www.buffzone.com/news/2008/aug/30/rams-pay-big-price-for-a-little-pride/

Go BUFFS!!

Gameday! CU vs CSU at Mile High

We went to our first Pearl Street Rally on Friday night and watched the team parade down Pearl with the band and cheerleaders. It was actually quite an event and impressed up with in both size and scope of what it entailed. Definitely a great way to kick off the weekend and get excited for the start of BUFF FOOTBALL!! I can't wait to see the 75,000+ flooded into Mile High today. We are now headed to the game for some tailgating and can't wait for the rest of the day!

Here's to a big Buff victory!!

Coach Carter

It would make sense to have the innaugural movie review about a big blockbuster, like the new Batman movie (definitely see it if you haven't yet). However, I am going to dig into a movie we rented (Melissa chose and I begrudingly watched) from Netflix that is a mix of Boyz in the Hood with Hoosiers: Coach Carter

The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson, who gives a strong (and standard) Samuel L. performance with typical Samuel L. rage, tone and delivery. I had reservations about the overall quality of the movie prior to watching and the ads I remember when it was in theatres didn't leave much of an impression on me, however I was very happy with the overall moral of the story and the directors ability to reach out to the viewers and connect. Some reviews said Mr. Jackson gave his best performance ever. I'm not convinced it was his best, but it at least deserves to be in the conversation.

This is the type of movie that can inspire kids to go to college, or just as easily get you to go home, type up that resume, and apply for a better job. You don't need to be a fan of the game to appreciate this tale of troubled youths being pushed to succeed and treat themselves with respect; all you have to be is human. A definite must see if you enjoy motivating movies involving life lessons. A very cool movie based on true life.

The movie also offers one of the best and most inspiring quotes I have heard in a long time, which fits in the theme of the movie and answers a deeply profound question Coach Carter offers to one of his trouble youth: "What is your deepest fear?"

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

College football opening weekend predictions...

It's quickly becoming the best time of the year: College football is starting tonight! Here are some (brave) picks for the weekend:

Thursday:
1) South Carolina over NC State: only game of value on tonight and I like Spurrier winning - even if his kid is calling the plays

Friday:
1) SMU over Rice: Hello June Jones!

Saturday:
1) Missouri over Illinois: look for a close first half, then say goodnight Juice.

2) Clemson over Alabama: 'Bama has 3 true freshmen starting? I don't like Clemson that much, muss less at #9, however they should be able to handle 'Bama.

3) Michigan over Utah: Ugly start to this game, but Michigan pulls through. I think RichRod will surprise many folks in the Big 10 this year. Look for Michigan to finish 3rd in conference.

4)USC easily over Virginia.

5) LSU over App State: this could be a fun game to watch as LSU has a Harvard transfer starting at QB (?)

6) California over Michigan State: I'm not sure how the incumbent, Sr QB can lose his job to a sophomore, which leads me to believe Riley is the real deal. Cal at home, in a close one.

7) Kansas State over the Mean Green of North Texas

Sunday:

1) CU over CSU: All Buffs, all day long!

Monday:

1) Fresno State over Rutgers

2) Tennessee over UCLA (welcome to Westwood Rickie-Poo)

Let's hear some feedback. What do you think? Are there other games of consideration this weekend?

Cleantech

What is cleantech? "Is an extraordinary amount of money being flushed away on a pipedream?" Have you heard of it? Should you know what it means? What does this all mean?

Definition according to Wikipedia:
Cleantech is a term used to describe knowledge-based products or services that improve operational performance, productivity, or efficiency while reducing costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste, or pollution. Its origin is the increased consumer, regulatory and industry interest in clean forms of energy generation—specifically, perhaps, the rise in awareness of global warming and the impact on the natural environment from the burning of fossil fuels.

One way I look at it, in very simple terms is that Cleantech has emerged in widespread use to describe a group of emerging technologies, industries, and financial asset classes based on principles of resource efficiency, science and second-generation production concepts in basic industries.

These emerging technologies are things such as alternative energy, renewable engery, wind warms, hybrid technology and technologies generally considered green and/or clean. Thought of another way, technologies and that help us lessen our carbon footprint.

Venture Capital Investment:
Investments in clean technology have grown considerably since coming into the spotlight around 2000. According to the United Nations Environment Program, wind, solar and biofuel companies received a record $148 billion in new funding in 2007 as rising oil prices and climate change policies encouraged investment in renewable energy. $50 billion of that funding went to wind power.

Overall, investment in clean-energy and energy-efficiency industries rose 60 percent from 2006 to 2007. In the United States, the clean tech industry is largely based in Silicon Valley. [SVB has started a small cleantech practice to compliment our technology and venture capital banking activities.]

The affirmative part is that the investment ramp-up has been too rapid to be responsible, as evidenced by the dozens of firms (not an exaggeration) that have rushed to form cleantech practices and/or funds within the past year. There will be a lot of losses in this space, particularly given the relative lack of potential acquirers (assuming the continued lack of an IPO market).

The negative part, however, is probably more important. The ultimate problem for VC-backed nanotech companies is that most of them were technologies without products. Kind of like if Google had created its breakthrough search algorithms in 1985. Cleantech companies, on the other hand, almost always have a clear vision of their products and market opportunity. Their problem is getting the technology to work. It’s obviously a more fundamental risk, but also should give VCs better guidance when it comes to follow-on financings or cutting bait.

Annual cleantech investments volume analysis
Year Deals Investment ($mil)
2005 100 532.7
2006 180 1,779.6
2007 168 2,604.9

* There has been a large ramp up in spending and given the potential market, investments are expected to continue substantial growth in 2008 and into 2009.

Conclusion:
When applying sustainable development as a solution for environmental issues, the solutions need to be socially equitable, economically viable, and environmentally sound.

Now if a few clean/green solutions come about and help improve the world, this could have a great impact on society (in a variety of ways). "Green" has been all the rage in the past 6-12 months and seems like a marketing campaign that will stick around for a while.

I have added a few blogs (see right hand column) that relate specifically to CleanTech / GreenTech.

30 years old... 100% classy

We had a great dinner last night with our friends Emily & Jay at a Cuban restaurant in downtown Denver called Cuba Cuba (http://www.cubacubacafe.com/).

3 shots of Sailor Jerry rum along with various rum drinks helped in celebrating the occasion and making it a great time altogether. My head hurts... time to get back to work (notice the 100% classy shirt I got as a gift from TonyD)

A Big Thank You to those who remembered my birthday and called. I do appreciate it and will give you a call back soon.

I'd like to take a minute to re-introduce myself as...

A 30 year old! Given my entrance into the next decade today, I've decided on a few things after slowly rolling out of bed:

1) I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life regarding the direction I take in home, work and play,

2) enjoy every day like its my last and care about the people and things that are worth caring about,

3) start looking into hearing aids, dentures, walkers and those sensor things that detect coins in the sand (toungue in cheek, I think),

4) I will not be shy in promoting my 30th birthday. [Seriously, this has been a huge weight on my shoulders and I was going to just sneak through the day. It kind of feels good to get the monkey off my back (except for the fact that I'm now 30- YIKES!)]

5) and this song seems appropriate for today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imsm-jIjVio

along with a funny cartoon...

I could go on with a list, but won't...

I Wish... I was somewhere tropical sipping on a drink with a hat and listening to some Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffett and a little John Denver! I'll have to settle with a Cuban restaurant in Denver.

I'll post pictures from tonight's dinner tomorrow.

Four days of great golf! (and a nice visit with family)

We just got back from a trip visiting the in-laws in Tucson, AZ. The trip was fun as we spent time with Ray and Ursula (Melissa's dad and step-mom) touring around Tucson and enjoying a few dinners out. We took an afternoon trip to Tubac, not to be confused with Tupac Shakur. It's a former artist-driven town just north of the Mexico border. The town is becoming slightly more commercialized and pricier, however still has a unique border-town charm to it. The highway and street signs are in KM rather than miles and the mountains and scenary were beautful and very green.

I probably had more fun than Melissa seeing I got to play a great golf course called Arizona National four days in a row. The first two days included 6am tee times and waking up at 4:45am, which is a bit early on all counts, and 7:30a and 6:30a tee times the following days. However we generally got our rounds finished in less than 3 hours and beat the dreaded Arizona heat. After a near implosion during the first round, I managed to score in the mid-to-upper 80s three days after a first day 97 on easily the toughest course I've ever played. Not hitting the fairway leaves you with a ball in the desert and a penalty stroke (note: I saw a hawk kill a bird right over the fairway and had a few rattlesnake sightings in the desert while playing, amongst various lizards, etc in the desert). I played with the old-man early morning crowd and really enjoyed the company of the people we played with. They are golf obsessed and proved to be some very nice and helpful people. If I had a handicap, it would have dropped a few strokes just based on the advise I received over the four rounds.

It also turns out one guy we played with three days is a part-owner in an Oregon winery that my company banks. He had only the highest compliments on the quality and knowledge of the folks from SVB. When I started at this "smaller bank" I could never have imagined how many random people I would meet that have great things to say about the bank. It may have seemed like a gamble to take the position with SVB, however I am more than happy with how it is turning out.

Overall, it was a fun four day trip. Now I want to figure out how to calculate my handicap...

Bringing "Cool" back?? We will see...

Tonight begins the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay, live on Monday Night Football, in front of millions of viewers. How will he do? Early indications from the Green-Gold scrimmage do not weigh favorably on young Mr. Rodgers. Tonight he'll get a series or two in against what has been a bad, undisciplined defense in Cincinnati in front of his home fans at Lambeau.

"I have a lot of expectations on the way I think I should play," Rodgers said. "I know the guys in the locker room believe in me. Management believes in me. It's just me doing the things that [coaches have] taught us to do: Managing the game, taking the big plays when you have those opportunities, and pulling back when we don't. I feel like the time I put in the offseason has prepared me for that."

Let's hope so as the entire Packers nation will be closely following and watching every throw and handoff. Not only must he live up to the high standards set by departed starting quarterback Brett Favre, but he more than any other player has been entrusted with making sure the Green Bay Packers remain a Super Bowl contender this season.

Here's hoping Packers nation cuts the guy some slack and let's him get 8-10 games into the season before the boo-birds come out (and let's remember this is still the pre-season). Given the quality of the NFC North, a late playoff run is still possible with a 3-5 or 4-4 start!

J-E-T-S JETS, JETS, JETS!

There was a slight shake of the earth felt in northeastern Wisconsin last night. Local seismotologist Jim Kraskowski said "you could feel a slight ripple throughout the state, one that shook houses and buildings for up to five seconds. It was either a quake or Lombardi finally rolling back over in his grave!"

In what has been a most curious several weeks, Brett Favre was traded from the Green and Gold to the rah-rah New York Jets for a conditional future draft pick.

The most interesting fact in the story is the rarely discussed Madden curse (inset) and how John Madden will actually handle the situation. The so-called Madden curse has taken the best players from the game for their cover, and over the past years each player that has landed on the cover has had either a serious, season ending injury, a terrible year statistically or a run-in with the law. The rah-rah Jets must have also forgot about this phenomenon, or either didn't care because their QB1 options are a) Chad "bird-arm" Pennington or b) Kellon Clemons (who?). Moral of the story: test the Madden jinx rather than your luck with these QB's.

In regards to John Madden, always one to champion Favre to the extreme, he was said to be on suicide watch from his California winery the past few weeks. News from out west says Madden has "snapped out of his depression-like state" and is now gearing up for his four month RV road trip with Al Michaels covering Sunday night games nationwide.

CU's football season has begun!

With a pre-season ranking of 36 (via SI.com), the CU Buffs opened training camp this week with a wide range of expectations heading into the 2008 season. This past Monday 105 players reported to what should be an exciting camp.

The newcomers and select veterans are working out each morning and the returning players are practicing in the afternoons.

With opening day against CSU at Mile High just under 25 days away, the Buffs have a lot of work to do. The Sunday night showdown will get national TV coverage on FSN, giving the game status as the sole game of the night and a spotlight that it hasn't had for years. CSU figures to be down this year with the Buffs having higher expectations given their recent Top 20 recruiting class, Hawk's third year on the job and a returning QB with a full year under his belt. A top notch schedule doesn't do the Buffs any favors, however I would much rather play CSU, West Virginia and Florida State in my non-conference than the cupcakes the likes of Ohio State, Kansas, Oklahoma and the like generally play.

Practices are open to the public and I will be sharing photos as soon as I can get down to a practice.

Professional soccer, er, futball, is not America's sport for a reason

We had the chance last night to go with a group of friends to watch the Colorado Rapids play the Everton FC in an exhibition at the highly-touted Dick's Sporting Goods park in Commerce City, CO (http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_10088962). Half our group was from England and cheering for Everton FC (their home team) and the other half of us were trying to figure out why we were at a soccer, ugh futball game.

With some anticipation the game began under a clear sky and Everton scored quickly. The English team looked far superior in skill and talent than the local team. I am not going to bore with details of the match, but here is a quick list:

1) there were a few yellow cards and WAY too many "fake" injuries (who gets carried off the field and is back playing at the next whistle? well, other than Paul Pierce)
2) the Rapids sole play was a centering kick at which point their tall, bald center/striker tried to head in a goal (remarkably, he scored their lone goal with his foot).
3) the inability of the Rapids to get a shot even close to hitting goal (this is why I can say that the U.S. is light years behind the rest of the world in this sport)
4) the packed (I mean PACKED) smokers lounge at halftime outside the stadium.

I will close with saying that the experience was worth a one-time shot, I cannot imagine going back. Send me to a football game, where I can experience some excitement, hitting and strategy. Don't go see soccer... unless you are taking a group of nuns!

Why a Blog, why now? Well… Why Not!

This would seem to be the ultimate question. I’ve been mulling over this idea for months now. I was part of a four person team a few years back that tried to have a cutting edge, funny and insightful blog. The pressure was too much for me and I never hardly contributed and the blog fell in to a great abyss of lost blogs. To say the least the experience has haunted me but never being one to give up or doubt myself, I have waited for the chance to at long last get into the whole blogging world. Perhaps it is being a bit more settled down now and feeling the need to share my thoughts (which I often do and can at times to put people on edge), perhaps I am inspired by some of my friends blogs (http://ourstorkgotlost.wordpress.com/) or perhaps I am getting the chance to meet people who keep really, really cool blogs that I find both interesting and insightful. Of course wedding blogs & baby blogs seemingly pop up with every new announcement…which is very exciting but allows by blogging failure to continuously pop back into my head. The business side of me gets the chance to meet really great business minds in technology and “cutting edge” fields, whether it’s the next great medical breakthrough company or a so-called Web 2.0 company starting in Boulder. Everyone blogs and as a late-adapter to technology, I now feel the water has been warmed up and it’s my time to jump in (finally)!

A bit about me…
I’m starting an Evening MBA program this fall, so I’m sure my work load, time management and stress levels will be crazy and all over the board! So what better time to start a blog! I should have an extra hour a week to put together blogs, thoughts, opinions and of course insight to today’s world. If nothing else this may turn into my “Dear Diary” on some days as well as “Dear What the Fuck” on other occasions. I’m going to look at it as therapy, a way to practice my writing skills for Grad school and life as well as a forum to comment on my passions (mainly sports, personal health & well being as well as commentary on the world). I’ve also begun to realize how quickly life comes at you and goes by. I met a great girl over 3 years ago, fell in love, got married, moved cross country, bought a house, then got a puppy and sometimes it’s hard to keep up with our busy life. We feel truly blessed and when appropriate I will tell tales from our life (as we always seem to find them pretty entertaining). Perhaps blogging is a great way to slow down and life and stop to smell the roses, or in my case, smell the coffee… we shall see.

So, feel free to check back in early and often and I will work to keep this puppy going as regularly as possible!

Godspeed – for a prosperous journey, success, and good fortune in life

- Ryan