best ... video ... ever.  ok, maybe not, but I think it's fantastic.

Good Yahoo article by Saul Hansell.

Yahoo’s Starting Point: A Clearer Strategy - Bits - Technology - New York Times Blog

Geosign had just gotten $160M for a "significant minority stake" when they effectively went bust on google changing adsense terms.

http://www.financialpost.com/magazine/story.html?id=324817

the best paragraph is here:

While no one at American Capital would comment for this story, sources say it was well aware of how Geosign made its money and what it was planning going forward. It was, in other words, placing a bet that Google would not take steps that would alter Geosign's lucrative business. "Since we didn't know Google like we do now, the question always was, ‘Is someone really going to shut off the kinds of dollars we were paying them?'" a former Geosign employee says. "It turns out the answer was yes."

In the grand scheme of things, I think Google is hands down doing the right thing for the last bit cleaning up their clicks.  There has been a lot of news about it hitting their financials or advertisers not liking it.  But the most important asset for them is users who see the links as value add, and back clicks condition people not to click in the future.  They only make money from clicks.

I'm in Moscow right now.  Fascinating trip to Turkey and Moscow (as an aside, couldn't find more different markets for my Microsoft job - e.g. Messenger is essentially used by EVERY internet user in Turkey and our country manager is pretty much "Ms. Internet".  2.2B messenger sessions a month and 26M users in a country of 80M people with more than half not online.  In Russia, we're nowhere with local players and ICQ owning all categories - but an unbelievable esprit de internet corps around opportunity).

But I have to say, Euro hotel TV is the worst

First, the vast majority of stations are the stuffy news stations.  CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, etc.

But wait!  There's a sports station!  Maybe that will save me from hearing about JC Penney having a bad quarter. 

And then we have: sprint cycling, curling (yes, lots of curling), billiards, soccer interviews about leagues I really don't understand, and then a very fun looking sport that is an olympic trials.  But I don't even know what it is?  Literally, I've now had it on for 15 mins, Germany is up 15 over 13 to sweden.  It looks like a ton of fun with women running down the court chucking balls towards a net.  And I THINK it's handball, but they havent' said that at all and I always thought handball courts were the size of squash courts or something.  So confused.

Mariners opening day is on Monday.  I'm in international next year priority setting meetings.  conference rooms with low lights and powerpoints.  lots of buzzwords that sound horrible but oddly mean something: motions, drivers, alignment models, blueprints, accelerators, etc.  I would so love to escape and go to the game with my wife and kids.  I love mariner games.

And all of this bad TV I'm watching is while the NCAA swim meet is happening in Seattle and a kid from Yale went a 19.08 in the 50 free to take 2nd place.  My old coach is in town celebrating this and I can't even buy him a beer.  This kid is my new hero.  and even crazier, a brazilian who goes to auburn went an 18.58 or something INSANE like that to win.  Huh?  .5 seconds between 1 and 2, and something like .2 seconds between 2 and 3 in a 50 free?  I would pay $50 to see that race on TV right now.

So all this is a long way of saying sports are really weird.  Why do I think these fun sports on europe TV are totally weird and unwatchable, but I want to see guys in skimpies churn water for 19 seconds or grown men in long socks hit little balls for 3.5 hrs? 

that was random.   but isn't that what the net is for?  bring on the comments.

Lasik Surgery: When the Fine Print Applies to You - New York Times

Good article in the NYT.  I know a bunch of people that have done Lasik and love it.  My brother even went up and had the scalpel job in Canada before it was legal in the US and was/is thrilled.

But I still am not doing because:

1) I don't mind wearing glasses

2) the downside of something going wrong is very significant.

3) The risks are likely underestimated as people don't know the long-term effects still. 

My education on 2 and 3 is partly based on opthamologists that I know with similar sight profiles not doing it.

I was about to do what I've done for years to ask this question - email a few people that I knew would have good opinions.

But then I realized - let's try using your friends and spaces for the conversation - then other people can benefit from it too.

So here goes try #1...

Washington state law goes into effect Jan 1 that you can't drive w/ a handheld cell phone.  I've had the headset jack-style corded earbuds before, but have never bought a bluetooth one.  So what should I get?

My requirements are:

• All I want to be able to do is talk to people on my phone.  I don't need one that will open garage doors, work with misc other devices, etc.
• Works well with Windows Mobile
• reasonable price - not planning on doing any NPR interviews through it so don't need crazy sound quality.  After all, I drive a vw vanagon, so it would go to waste anyways.

recommendations?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2004014652_spaineat18.html

I've gotten more and more to the point that traveling somewhere is about eating interesting food.  don't know if this is just a product of the food and travel channel era, the fact I've explored cherry street and the international district pretty darn well at this point, or if I'm just looking for inspiration, but it's fact.

This article is good.  Not enough detail, but makes me wish there was a really good travel book for each of the best food cultures.  not gushing over the fancy dancy chef of the day who turns everything into petri dish appetizers or shoots squirt guns of food into your mouth, but instead a look at what is really unique, interesting, and to be tried - including the cooking behind it if possible.  Kind of like Buford's Heat but as a travel / culinary education book rather than a personal voyage layered w/ that.

I havent' seen this for WAY too long

Tech Trader Daily - Barron’s Online : Microsoft Mania! MSFT Hits Another 6-Year High; Bernstein Raises Target To $41

I figured it needed to be spent with my son.  He's going to be a champion duck caller.  Just watch...

This is from a while ago, but definitely a favorite of mine.  I love the way he pretends he's accidentally dropping his bottle but cringes as he does it.  I think I can see through it - it was on purpose.  I'm onto him....

Organic, and Tastier: The Rat’s Nose Knows - New York Times