Salt Lake: Center for Italian Epicurean Finery?

On the surface, one would be relatively hard pressed to find many similarities between the Salt Lake Valley and Italy. Both are home to prominent religions...what else?  If you said, 'both have ideal climates for world class artisan meats' than you'd be a step ahead of pretty much everyone.


Unbeknownst to most, even the most culinary alert, is the fact that the finest cured meats made this side of the Ligurian come from Salt Lake, specifically Cristiano Creminelli- the proud man pictured here.

I stumbled upon this fact while savoring the best  and most authentic pizzas in Arizona.  My first exposure came from friend Stefano Fabbri, owner of Pomo Pizzeria.  It is the only certified authentic Neapolitan pizza in Phoenix. My love affair with this place has its origins here.  I have explored the finest reaches of this menu and all of my favorite dishes, most notably the Quattro Stagioni and Diavola, are made exceptional through the use of Creminelli Salame.  

More recently while enjoying a pie at the world renowned Pizzeria Bianco- yes the best pizza in America is found in Phoenix- I had an interesting and informative conversation with their chef regarding the quality of their ingredients.  The conversation naturally turned to meats and his eyes lit up when the conversation moved to Creminelli.  They too use their meats.  And according to Bianco, Christiano hand selected the Salt Lake area due to its similar climate to Italy. 


Imagine that.  The best cured meats coming from this humble valley.  Brother Brigham was a bigger visionary than I gave him credit for.  Do you think he had Salame Piccante Creminelli in mind when he said 'This is the Place'? Utah, you've given me one more thing to be proud of

Jury Duty Extraction 101

Your jury experience suck?  Blame Henry Fonda.

Let's be honest. Outside of an occasional Victoria's Secret catalog, J/K, there is nothing very exciting about getting the mail these days.  I guess we have Al Gore and his internet to partially blame for that.   There is probably even a hierarchy that outlines the dread associated with most mail.  If such a pyramid existed the Jury summons would be near the top, just under the photo traffic ticket but slightly above the utility bill.

Wait.  Shouldn't jury duty be something that we, citizens of an open democracy, relish and be proud of?  Sure, the right to a jury by your peers is something that distinguishes our great legal system.   We like it, just as long as we aren't being called on to spend an afternoon at the old courthouse passing judgement.*

So, as long as there has been a need for a jury, there has been a need to come up with a suitable excuse to extricate oneself from this grand responsibility.  Since this is something that effects all of us and since I have successfully gotten out of all 5 of my summons I thought I would share a few things that might help you successfully neglect your civic responsibility.  Monsieur McAdams can check the list against his ever expanding legal experience.

• The racist/sexist/just about anything that ends in 'ist' card:  This is an easily played card that promises results.  But keep in mind that those results come with potential consequences.  The success of this one might depend on the size of and your standing within the community.  You would hate to be labeled the town homophobe just because of a couple well placed comments to the person picking a jury.
• The political outlier: This fellow is a close relation to the "ist" man explained above.  All it takes is a couple of comments regarding your support for some militia group in Northern Idaho or for socialism in general.  Better yet, bring a copy of Das Kapital to the jury selection meeting.
• The suffering patient:  Head over to your nearest medical supply store before your jury selection date. Don't forget to be creative in your selection of items to wear.  My suggestion?  Buy some loose gauze.  Visit a magic shop and get a hold of some fake blood or puss.  Apply liberally.  Should get you out pretty quickly.
• Mr. Answer:  This one takes a little longer to execute but its effectiveness is not questioned and it reduces the potential stigma associated with the previous three.  From the moment you enter the building you need to put on your best "A" personality and actively dominate every conversation.  Not only that you need to have very strong opinions that you have to insist are absolute.  The best way to get your pass is to target any staff and harangue them regarding the inefficiency of the current judicial system.  Go the distance by going into a 15 diatribe about your prescription for this problem.  Nobody wants to execute justice with "Mr. Answer", trust me.

These are just a few suggestions.  Try them out and let me know how they work.   Have any better recommendations?  Please share.

--
*The obvious exceptions would be anything worthy to be shown on Court TV.

The simple and tasty joys of gardening

As one ages he seeks out simple pleasures. This spring I sought this bliss in the form of a garden. To date we have harvested tomatoes, basil, cilantro, onion, beans, and eggplant. I have derived the greatest joy from discovering the exotic possibilities that can be unleashed with the great purple eggplant. I even got a nice purple shirt to commemorate my new love affair with this ancient, oriental vegetable.


Here's to pastoral living.

For the love of Pizza

Ever since I laid my eyes on that first Little Caesars pizza as a youth I've held a unique fascination with the ubiquitous pie. It has come in many shapes, styles, and interpretations and I'd like to think I've tried most of them. As I've matured my tastes and pizza access have evolved. I've reached a point in my life where I feel like I've explored most of the major centers of pizza excellence and I now will take a moment to document the places that have brought me the most bliss.

So, in no particular order, are my favorite 10 pizza spots. Feel free to add in a few of your own.

1. Pizzeria Da Baffeto (Rome, Italy)- The gold standard. It has the history, the location, and the perfect pie. Old Man Baffeto (pictured right) has been personally serving pizza to local and foreign patrons since the early 1960's.
   
2. Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix)- This local spot earned love from Oprah and was touted by NY Times as the best pizza in America. It's a great place but I must wonder if it is truly worth all of the accolades that are thrown upon it. Be prepared to wait and take advantage of the nearby Bar Bianco for drinks and good company. For me the dinner begins and ends with the wise guy. It is a hearty and smoky treat featuring the best fennel sausage I've ever tried.
   
3. Tomassos (San Francisco)- The place has a long and storied history and claims to have the first wood fired pizza oven on the east coast. Evidently this was a favorite of Francis Ford Coppolla as he was writing the screenplay to the Godfather. The place is small and cramped and very crowded. Deal with it and enjoy the ease at which the seasoned staff handles the throngs of pizza loving pilgrims. As expected the pizza is top notch and the salads are bounteous and flavorful.
   
4. Setebello (Salt Lake City)- A much needed boost to the dearth of quality pizza in Salt Lake. Only around for a couple of years the place has quickly established itself as the standard for quality in the area. Read the website and be impressed with the lengths that ownership goes to ensure that your pizza is as close to the Naples original as possible. The result is an incredibly smoky and light crust that is complemented by some incredibly fresh and vibrant toppings.
   
5. Great Lake (Chicago)- To be honest I don't have much history with Chicago pizza. I've only been a few times and I'm typically not a big fan of the deep dish. This is the best I've tried to date. The Mortadella is the standout. It's not the type of pizza that makes Chicago famous but it is fresh and very tasty.
   
6. Frank Pepe (New Haven)- This one is sure to be on the top of most lists. My exposure to this place was a brief stopover on as part of a business trip. It was good but I don't remember much more then that. It is one this list primarily for reputation.
   
7. Target (Rome)- This restaurant was a stones throw from our hotel and was our first exposure to good Roman cuisine. While the place was pricey and trendy it's food was able to exceed our expectations. We got a standard Margherita along with several other dishes. It was simple but every ingredient sang in perfect harmony. It is absolutely amazing to witness the beauty that involves getting an excellent flavor out of a few fresh ingredients.
   
8. Cassanova Brothers(Gilbert)- While this place might be out of it's league when paired next to Baffeto or Piazzeria Bianco it provides a great pie in the style that we grew up with. It is loaded with cheese and goodness. The ownership really makes this place standout. They are NY natives and they do a superb job of bringing the bronx to Gilbert. You will go there for their great White Pizza and you will leave like you are part of the family. A great local place that merits your patronage.
   
9. Sauce (Phoenix)- The lone chain of the bunch. This place is the gastronomic brain child of the prolific Fox Restaurant Group. They've succeed in creating a pizza that is cheap, light, and tasty. A great pizza that doesn't leave you weighted down. A great option for those of us stuck in the land of Chili's and Suburbia.
   
10. La Grande Orange (Phoenix)- This is part of the overly trendy grocery store that is located in the overly trendy part of town, Arcadia. Nonetheless the pizza lives up to the hype and crowd. The roasted corn option is incredibly unique and their take on pizza is a combination of old world technique with contemporary innovation. One more thing that the place has going for it is the fact that it is located next door to the best Gelato in town, Archellino.
    

You might think that the list is heavily weighted towards Phoenix. It is. Regardless, Phoenix has proven itself as a great place to get some pizza. There is so much good pizza down here that you'd think we shared a border with Italy not Mexico.

Style that howls....literally

Who needs to look to the New York runway to get the latest in fashion? All you need to do is find a gas station gift shop on a lonely stretch of road to find the look that might just give a second life back to the mullet.

An old gem from our wedding

This was created by Pete as a pseudo roast for our wedding.

Embracing the "YES" man

It's a new year and a new list of new resolutions. This year was slightly different as we got an early push from our good Canadian friend, Jim Carrey. Upon seeing his new movie "Yes Man" we decided to take a similar approach and embrace the new and exciting possibilities offered to us by this wonderous thing called life. (Well at least as exciting as things can get out in the greater Mesa area.)

With our resolutions and goals augmented by our hollywood aided fervor for trying out new things we have an ambitious plan of trying out a distinctly new thing each week for the duration of 2009. Highlights so far include:

• Taking up Chess- For whatever reason I feel sort of sophisticated and cultured when I play this, like I am attending an elite English public school.
• Oil Painting- My first attempt was a horrid and naieve attempt to blend surrealism and nature. But I'm well supplied and hopefully getting better.
• Durant's- This is a real Phoenix establishment. This old steak house once catered to the Phoenix elite and even the mob. This is a course in fine dining and Phoenician history.

Prolonged exposure to EBAY can lead to serious addiction

It comes and goes like my quarterly craving for a Big Mac or a Santa Ana wind. Every several months I reintroduce myself to the great free-market experiment that is called E-Bay. And every time that casual infatuation turns into a full blown fever.

There was the baseball card rash of 2003 when I spent a boatload of cash on cards that featured actual game used jerseys of my favorite players. Those cards are currently in a shoebox in my office closet. Then there came the coin craze of 05'. It was a spectacular epiphany when I discovered that you could by artifacts from your favorite corner of antiquity. So I bought tons of coins both for myself and in an effort to teach my nieces and nephews about the coolness of history.

Fast forward to the present. I casually went online to see if I could find some good prices on jewelry for Jodi. But fifteen minutes into the exercise I was soon doing searches for things that interested me. I found an original Diego Rivera watercolor. I found authentic jerseys. And I found a multitude of items from Greek and Roman antiquity. While it was cool to see the stuff I was craving a more interactive experience. So I started to bid on these items. My primary reasons were A) a curiosity to see if I could actually get something like that at a cheap price and B) To make the other guys earn their keep by bidding up the price on those items.

Well the euphoria was soon doused by the cold water of reality when I realized that I was only a few hours away from having to own several hundreds of dollars of rare art. I almost ended up having to buy the Diego Rivera but it ended up settling for $630. I did however get stuck with a Greek Lekythos. What is that you ask? Well here is a textbook definition from Wesleyan University

"This vase was a flask used for toilet oils, perfume, or condiments, and also appears in funerary contexts, where it was used to pour libations for the dead or was left on the grave as an offering."

So I am now a proud owner of my very own Lekythos. I've actually looked at several sites of antiquities dealers and evidently I got a good price on the thing. I will just consider this to be an investment. With the stock market tanking I figure that this is just as good a place to put my retirement funds.

I have also learned my lesson. Unless I have gobs of discretionary income then I should probably avoid spending time on Ebay. I have sworn it off for now but you never know when the siren song of sweet deals and exotic goods will come calling again. Until then I will enjoy my little funerary vase from 5th Century BC Greece.

Third World Fraud

The search for a new car finally ended. The journey was fun and we encountered the full gamut of deals ranging from decent to laughable. But the most fun part along the way was encountering the scammer that waits on the net ready to pounce on the unsuspecting chump who falls trap to the “unbelievable deal.”

Fortunately for me I was able to spot these scams. Actually it would take a completely naïve fool, on par with Woody Boyd to mistake one of these things for reality. If a car is advertised at 60% below Blue Book and you aren’t giggling then you deserve to have your money siphoned off to some warlord in Namibia.

There is something, however, that we can do to, not only combat this fraud, but have fun with it. This is called Scam baiting. And for those of us with a sense of humor it is a great way to level the playing field. Let me give you an example.

So we’ve been looking for a BMW X5. We’ve searched long and hard and have a very good idea of what the current market is for this vehicle. So when we found a 2007 X5 4.4 with 10,000 miles at an astounding price of $15,000 (KBB is roughly $50k) we knew we had found the bait.

We took the bait, responded, and waited for the fun. Sure enough within a day we got the following response.

Hello there,I am glad to hear that you are interested to buy my 2007 BMW X5 4.8I V8 FI DOHC 32V. Although I am registered in US, but I recently moved in Portugal (where my family is from) and the car is being shipped from here.The car is in a perfect cosmetic and engine conditions, and meticulously maintained. No damage, no scratches or dents, no hidden defects, never been into accidents and it is as advertised. I bought this car from US but when i tried to register it here in Portugal they said that i can't register it because it's an US vehicle and we have to do serious engine modifications in order to comply with the EU emission standards. As I said before, it is an US model (which complies with the american emission standards) and Europe regulations are different, also the fees to register it here in Portugal would be around 15,800 euros.I want to sell it in US because the car is still registered there.The price is low because here in Portugal nobody wants to buy it and so instead of keeping it in garage I decided to sell it to someone back in US.As no one will buy a car from overseas instead of local one only if the price is really attractive.The car comes with clear title, it is free of loan and liens.You will get from me the keys and all documents to register the car on your name.The finacial part of this deal will be manage by the shipping company and in this way both buyer and seller are 100% covered during the steps of this transaction.It will be insured during transportation and will be delivered at your address in maximum 15 days.Final price is $ 15,500 (the price includes shipping to US and insurance fees).Let me know if you want to move forward.Thank you!

Yes! We struck gold. This entry contained the classic signs of a baiter. The car was no longer in the country. The new country just didn’t value the car and the owner was forced to sell it at below market values. You are told to deal with a third party.

We decided to take action and call him out by telling him that in an absolute sign of good fortune I was planning to visit Portugal and I would like to arrange to visit the car in person. Naturally the response was that the car was unavailable for view. As it stands right now we are going to try and get our fraudulent friend to send us a picture of him with the car as a good faith gesture.

So if there is a moral to this story it’s this. Have fun with the people trying to bilk innocent people of their money. Don’t let them have the last laugh.

Addendum #1: It should be noted that I once fell for this scam back in 2005. It took a few days and a few people calling me an idiot before I came to my senses and realized that it was all smoke and mirrors. So, apologies to Woody Boyd.

Addendum #2: We are now in the shipping phase of the process. We were sent actual account information that we are to wire our money to and information on a shipping company called, Best Global Cargo Ltd.

What does your car say about you?

So I’ve spent the last three weeks looking for a new car. My visits to ESPN.com have been supplanted by exotic searches in Auto Trader designed to find me the hidden deal that will end all hidden deals. Well? Three weeks into this thing and I can tell you a whole lot about the car buying process or about German engineering but I still don’t have a car to call my own.

My problem? I can’t seem to decide on a specific car. I am in search of “the deal”. The result is that my searches are all over the board. I fall in love with one car and just as soon as the love begins to blossom a new chrome vixen comes storming into the picture. One of the positive side effects of this exercise in futility is that I get a pretty good sense for the brand perception and identity of each car. Here is my attempt at profiling the typical driver of the following cars.


Acura Guy- The car for a person who is practical, pragmatic, and likes to get to the bottom line. He respects value and performance but he isn’t driven necessarily by style or the need to impress his peers. He is the type of guy who wears his Blackberry on his belt on a holster and likes his button down shirts pressed but plain.

BMW Guy- This dude has got something to prove. He might be a little younger and he is out to show the world that he’s got edge, moxie, and means. He’s the type of guy that shops at Banana Republic and isn’t afraid to admit to being a metro sexual. He doesn’t need refinement and he wants to feel his ride as it makes its way down the highway.

Mercedes Guy- This guy might come from generational wealth. He wears a cardigan and he likes it. He likes performance but not at the expense of a smooth and refined ride. Where the BMW guy might be new to his status this guy owns a Mercedes because it says that he’s been here for awhile.

Volkswagen Guy- This guy likes to steer clear of the beaten path. He values quality and he most certainly prefers a Mac. He deals more in creativity and he laughs at the dude wearing the Dockers who happens to be driving the Acura. He wonders what the guys in the Mercedes and BMW’s are trying to prove. He likes his little unique corner of the world.

Lexus Guy- This guy thinks like Acura guy. But he also thinks he’s cooler. He wants the quality Japanese engineering with some of the cachet of the German brands. Whereas the Acura guy will quietly enjoy his drive, Mr. Lexus will vocally set out to prove to the other guys why their car purchases were wrong.

Jaguar Guy- This fellow is looking for his car to provide a little sex appeal. He might get mocked by the other guys for this. His judgment is also questioned by them as they wonder why he would want to drive a car that can’t hold its value. He doesn’t care; he’s just out to score.

Range Rover Guy- This guy is just out to flaunt his wealth. He says ‘to hell’ with fuel efficiency, practicality, and resale value. He might actually take this car up to the mountains….well at least to the Ski Resort. Even though this machine was designed for the Serengeti, the closest this guy will take this car to the rough outdoors is through the speed bumps outside the nearest wine bar.

Honda Accord Guy- This guy likes the club but kids, family, and life sort of got in the way. He’s not disappointed though because, while he gave up a little on the brand, he certainly gets most of the perks that the other guys have in their rides. He’s very practical and he’s not gonna put his family in debt just so he can look cool in the Safeway parking lot. He’s not even going to be at the Wine bar, Health Club, Discothèque or other hotspots that the other dudes frequent so he’s not too worried about image.

The Wonderful Modern Miracle that is Craigs List

I remember 10 years ago when making a sizable purchase required extensive research, references, and many aggressive face to face meetings with oily haired sales reps. But the Internet has ushered in a new era of happy halcyon days and at the forefront of that bliss is Craig's List.

We recently decided that it was time to retire the old Accord. She had faithfully caddied me around for 8 years without problem or complaint. Seeking to take advantage of the gas madness I decided that now was the best time to sell this moderately fuel efficient car. I posted an ad on Craig's List and waited.....

Within 2 hours I got a call from someone interested in making a quick decision. An hour later he was at my house test driving it. Twenty minutes later our hands met in a handshake of mutual agreement. Fifteen minutes afterwards I had a certified check in my hand and he had the title to his new car. It was more quick and seamless then if I had gone to the grocery store for a gallon of 2%.

It is incredible how well the Internet lubes the engine of commerce. I got a quick sale of my car at my KBB asking price and $3k over what the dealer would give as a trade in. Now I can use this same world wide web to research our next car purchase and use this information as leverage against the greasiest of salesmen. The internet: The Great Information Equalizer.

No peace with the damn pigeons

One of the annual rituals that comes with living Phoenix is the fall planting of the rye grass. You see, we have the summer and the winter grass here. In the summer a hearty Bermuda grass grows. As the temperatures cool it goes dormant and people who want to preserve their yards have to plant a softer, greener rye grass.
And so like clockwork home owners spend their weekends in October and November making the transition. And as sure as the sun rises in the East their yards are pillaged by roving bands of pigeons, ready to gorge on the gluttony provided by the freshly sown seeds.
When I did this for the first time last year I decided to take a diplomatic approach. I planted my seeds but I also put an ample pile of leftover seed in my neighbors yard to serve as both a diversion and an offering of understanding. They would be fed but I would also have my yard.
That approach worked for nothing. The moment that I put down the manure to cover the seed I noticed a scout pigeon of in the distance on a neighbors roof. It almost appeared that the manure was a beacon, me turning on the neon "open" sign if you will. Within minutes about 20 pigeons landed on the house across the street and patiently waited for my departure.
I left and what ensued was a avian orgy of the worst variety. I returned home and was greeted by the sight of these pigeons gorging themselves and what was supposed to be my lawn. Bastards! They did not accept my offering. Their obesity also revealed that they weren't eating out of necessity but for pleasure.
I charged them in anger. They casually flew away and waited. I waited until they returned and then charged once again. They made a minimal effort and flew away. This act would repeat itself for the several days until what was left of the seed had sprouted.
Initially I tried to make peace with these birds. They haughtily rejected my offering. Now there is now peace between us. I have attempted to hurt them by hurling stones. They have responded by leaving turds on my car. I have cursed them in my human tongue. They have left turds in my lawn. I lost the upper hand.
They no longer bother me because there is no seed left. But this act will repeat itself next year. I have no doubt that those mongrels will get their share of my seed. But I intend to make them earn every last kernel.

Solidarity on Southwest Flight 434

Flying on bargain airlines truly is a singular experience. Heck, flying in general these days is a new and ever changing experience. And no airline makes more of an impact then Southwest. Let me paint the picture...

I was due to leave SLC on the 12:30 flight. The airport is small and mid-afternoon flights are generally light. A great time to fly, no hassle. I appear on time and go through the normal obstacle course, making my way to my gate. Upon arriving I am greeted with some news. "Sorry, your flight has been cancelled due to mechanical issues." I was to be rebooked on a later flight. I saw my opportunity and asked for some kind of compensation. My demands were quickly rebuffed and my new flight was to leave an hour later.

I sat down, somewhat defeated, and sat in the appointed area. I asked around and found several over mildly annoyed passengers who had been pushed back. I would normally be competing and elbowing these people for the front of the line; now they were my allies and fellow martyrs. We banded together and went to Customer Service only to be pushed back again. And we waited.

Finally our time to board approached. As the line jockeying began we observed our plane. There was a crew outside working outside on its landing gear. Within minutes we got news that the plane had issues and that we were being pushed back again. This was the second plane with issues in less then an hour. Our mild annoyance turned into frustration.

Over the next two additional hours we followed the same routine. A poor employee would have to get on the intercom and inform us that things had been pushed back even more and that we would be getting more news in a bit. Another plane was finally rerouted and we left SLC about 3 1/2 hours later then promised.

During this waiting time I forged strong ties with the people in line. It's strange to think that during normal conditions I wouldn't make any kind of effort to strike up conversation with someone else. On the contrary, everyone seems so self involved, selfishly guarding their place and their personal space. But the minute that the passengers are wronged or the flight is delayed then we become a band of brothers fighting for our cause of fair passenger treatment. We are martyrs and fellow sufferers. We open up and before you know it I am shown pictures of some ladies grandkids. For those three hours we are family.

And the flight ends and we go about our own business. Flying truly is a strange experience. It is a great experiment in observing individual behavior and group dynamics. We can either see the best or worst in people when we watch them act around strangers.

What shouldn't happen when two men get together

This past weekend I recieved a visit from an old childhood friend, Lennox. Growing up he was known as Robb, his given name. Some where along the way it changed; maybe he has a special affinity for the air conditioner that shares that name, maybe chicks find Lennox more attractive. Anyways, he was spending a few days with me and I had to play the role of host.
So we did the typical things meant to showcase the city. We got dinner at Pizzeria Bianco, the best pizza in America according to the New York Times. We got pistachio gelato. We went swimming. We went to a Diamondbacks games. And we went shopping......wait, what did I just say?
Yes, we spent the better part of Saturday visiting the myriad clothing stores in the valley. We both have vain tastes when it comes to clothing. I would typically abstain from a such a spree but my resolve is weak. We went to the "Last Chance" and sorted through all of that crap in search of a gem. I found a pair of pants that ripped down the seams when I put them on. Robb, err Lennox, found some used Alan Edmunds. Next we went to Kierland and my home away from home, Banana Republic. I found some splendid deals and won that battle. Robb then routed me in all our subsequent stops with purchases ranging from shirts to sun glasses. Heck, all that was missing from this excursion was lunch at a cafe and an afternoon getting our nails done.
Part of me is embarrassed to admit that I like clothes. Part of me is proud that I have taste and don't fall in line with the millions of men that are so poorly dressed in dockers and striped shirts.

Stuff

I'm at a familar haunt, the 5th floor of my local library. I find that I get more accomplished out here then in the distraction filled confines of my little bungalow. Tonight's agenda? Wrap up taxes. Start reading "The Little Prince". Prepare some music for an upcoming recording session. Review the status of goals that were made earlier this year. Listen to a bit of the Suns-Mavs game on Espn.com.
Life gets a little busy, moments like this are cherished because they are relatively rare. Activities like dating, tv, sports, and the like often get the way of a moment of quiet assessment and reflection. I believe that it's how a person responds to "free time opportunities" that really defines their character.

Swimming through the ambiguity

I've just completed my first month of employment at my new job. So far my initial impressions are mixed. There are alot of good and mediocre things about this company. First, I very much enjoy the entreprenuerial culture that exists here. This is a small and growing company and opportunities abound. But at the same time there is a drag in efficiency and a potential lack of direction. We are, for example, very good at launching innovative new products. But, however, we don't do a good job of managing them once they are in the market. So instead of milking product X for all of its profit potential it languishes in uncertainty because the attention has been turned to the next thing.
Anyways, back to me. From the get go my job was very ambiguous. I was told that I would be the sales/marketing analyst. Beyond that, my job description was anyones guess. This is the first such position at Xyron so there is no precedent or procedure. So my first month has been spent, not only trying to become familar with the company and its culture, it has also been spent trying to create goals and provide structure to my position. I am starting to get a good grasp on the business, the next few weeks will tell if I will be able to truly structure my position to the point where I can really add value to the company.
But in the end it all comes down to me and how proactive I am. Excelling at these qualities, I have found, seperates the wheat from the chaff.

Public Places

I have been spending alot of time at the Phoenix library lately as I complete work on a current project. I find that I work better in an environment that is different and doesn't have the comfortable distractions of home.

Besides improved productivity I have been able to observe the general populace that goes to the library. The most prominent groups of people I see are high school kids avoiding school -strange place to play hookey-, groups of young school children, mothers with children, and homeless people. The homeless, as can be expected, are among the largest group. I guess if I were in their shoes this would be a preferred location, there aren't many spots where they are truly welecomed. At first I have been nervous, anticipating that every encounter will end in a solicitation for money. While that has happened, I have observed some thing different. They are among the most active people at the library. They seem no less smart then anyone else and are looking into topics that one would assume would belong to more educated folk.

The library has helped me humanize a portion of the population that is conviently turned into aliens. As I've become friends with a couple of people I've realized that, outside of a few bad breaks or choices, they are no different than anyone else. It's sad that I have prejudices but I'm grateful that the library is helping overcome one of them.

Spring respite

I don't know what it is. Despite my best efforts of keeping a record of my life it always seems like theres a drop in my output in the early spring. I'm not sure if it is because this time of year is busy, or it has something to do with the spring soltice, or if there is just so much more to do outside. Nevertheless, I have failed to account for several weeks of memorable events, I will try to do better.

More to come....man, the weather is just too nice.