Old Roman proverb

There's an Old Roman Proverb that goes something like this:

"A day
without wine,
is a day without
sunshine"

 

I think I'm going to modify this saying to include Rum and/or Sambuca in my house.

 I experimented last night with some Eggnog and tried adding some Sailor Jerry's Rum and a little nutmeg. I better go easy on the nutmeg next time because boy was I feeling it! 

 

 Hope everyone's ready for the big day this Sunday.

Cooler than your wallet and iPhone case combined

With phones getting smaller and lighter these days I can barely remember where I put mine. Since I'm not a big fan of carrying a wallet in my back pocket I usually opt for a smaller "card holder" with just my license a few cards and my cash usually separate in another pocket (note to would-be robbers I also carry a knife -  see this post) . I'm easily annoyed at having to carry anything extra so when given the chance to consolidate I'd jump at it. Enter this cool iPhone Wallet

The rear of the Incipio case opens up to stash credit cards, your driver's license, work ID and/or cash inside. When it's empty the door doubles as an iPhone kickstand to prop your phone on a table and watch videos hands-free. Can't beat that for $40. 

 

Artificial Intelligence in the form of an annoying British Kid.

And No, I don't mean Harry Potter. Peter Molyneux (I don't trust him by his name alone) and the people who brought you the X Box have created an AI motion controller system called Natal that takes the form of a little boy named Milo. Check out the Milo Movie. This may seem like a good idea... but I've seen the movies. I guess this guy doesn't watch a lot of Sci-Fi but I do. I've seen the movies where the AI gets mad and self aware and jealous etc. etc.

"Molyneux says Milo can recognize your face,
emotions and will interact with you
on a very deep level."

It's very cool technology and of course really, really creepy. "On a very deep level"? As if the creepy British kid wasn't bad enough. Next thing you know humans are on the extinction list and we're counting on Sarah Connor to save us all.

A credit card knife. Just what I need when I feel like I'm being overcharged

http://www.iainsinclair.com/products.php

I almost always have a pocket knife with me. I only say almost because there are times when I'm dressed for client meetings, weddings or holidays that I don't even have my little mini knife in my pocket but being a firefighter has taught me you can never be too prepared for the unexpected.


Now this little gadget would be nice to ALWAYS have with you. I can foresee lots of uses for it and my only worry would be trying to remember to take it out of my wallet before I try to get on a plane.

This thing is cool on so many levels and next time someone tries to overcharge me for something when I'm pulling my wallet out they might want to think twice.

I love when beautiful design and function come together even in something as simple as a knife. Even the website is a pleasure to look at.

Simple. Elegant. And very cool.

Leave a comment and have a Happy Friday!

Tech that improves my commute

No air. No rubber. All cool. Apparently Bridgestone's new tires are made out of recycled resin and support a car's weight with an interweaving design.

The new technology will be shown at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011, which will open for the public from Dec 3 to 11, 2011, in Tokyo. According to the company, all materials used in the tire are recyclable. At the show, which runs through Sunday, Bridgestone is exhibiting an electric single-seat scooter using a prototype of the new tire.
"The tires can absorb enough shocks to allow you to enjoy a comfortable ride," an official said.

Having lost count of how many flat tires we've had on both cars over the years I'm very interested in how fast these will come to market and how soon tire technology like this or similar to them will be standard issue.

Friday Night Fights

I've been a fight fan since I'm a kid and used to box and kickbox as well as a slew of other Martial Arts. I've been to a few Boxing fights but I finally got to go to my first Muay Thai event this weekend @ Friday Night Fights at The Hall at St. Paul’s in New York.

The announcer alone was worth the price of admission. David Diamante the Master of Ceremonies was a site to see with giant dreadlocks tied to the back of his head and decked out in a suit and tie with handkerchief and all. It was surprising to hear the booming ring announcer voice come from this colorful character but it all added to the atmosphere and entertainment of the night.

Most of the fun came from my friends Andy "Polska" Michalski and James "Johnny Rebel" Sprayberry and I placing friendly bets on each fighter at the start of each round and screaming for them. That and the cheap beer led to me waking up sounding like I had gargled with gravel all night. But it was all worth it.

The first pro fight of the night was Kevin Horowitz, whose friends we happened to be sitting with and Mervin Rodriguez. Horowitz got fancy trying to land a few crescent kicks but looked like he was lumbering a bit early on. Rodriguez clearly preferred to fight in the clinch, but was unable to successfully tie up Horowitz who it turns out is an MMA fighter and was doing this for fun. The judges scored this fight for Horowitz by unanimous decision which I think we all agreed with.

Amatuer fighters Josh Fitzsimmons and Phil LeGrand was another great fight and the crowd went bananas for LeGrand, rightly so because he was from Brooklyn. This was a great matchup and was really hard to judge with lots of points going to Fitzsimmons  but more power punches going to LeGrand as well as some pretty fancy foot work. Fitzsimmons was the aggressor but LeGrand was a hard target to hit. The judges and I think the crowd were split on this and LeGrand won it by Split Decision (so I'm hoping for a rematch).

There were some other great fights, including a "Girl Fight", in their somewhere but the names of the fighters escape me... I'll have to update this if and when I find my beer soaked program.

The big fight of the night was the main event with Turan Hasanov and Villi Bello. The bout was non-stop action from start to finish because both fighter came out aggressive but Hasanov seemed to be hungrier. Hasanov's leg kicks slapped Bello repeatedly in the ribs there was no real power behind them but the sound they made resulted in many shouts of "Oh!" from inexperienced fight watchers. It went to the judges and despite Bello turning it on and winning a few rounds (on my imaginary scorecard) the fight awarded to Hasanov by unanimous decision.

Lots of excitement from a standing room only crowd and I'm looking forward to going back in January!