Feed Sift (09/11/2015)

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ENGADGET.COM -- Giant American robot wants to lay the smackdown on Japanese rival

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YOUTUBE.COM -- Pico Quadrotors on The Daily Planet, Discovery Channel Canada

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TWISTEDSIFTER.COM -- The Google Team that Wants to Make Your Hand a Self-Contained Interface Control Using Radar

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TINYHOUSETALK.COM -- 960 Sq. Ft. Floating Cottage in Portage Bay

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LIFEHACKER.COM -- Save Money on Road Trips with a Portable Kitchen Kit

We Aim to Tease (@HiltonHotels)

So we booked a night at a local Hilton Hotel (Hilton Hotels are the official hotel chain of The Lamb Family) using HHonors points we earned from other trips and from using our Hilton HHonors VISA from Citibank. We've stayed at this hotel before - it's a very nice hotel.  Last time we stayed there, they put us on the very top floor - we had a balcony and a really large room that was decorated in the style that made us think of a luxury room on the Titanic or something. Really nicely decorated with a real period feel to it. It was awesome.

I know I shouldn't hold my breath - I won't always get the upgrade to first class, the town car instead of the shuttle van, the 800 sq ft suite instead of the 200 sq ft room I paid for (all things that have happened to me), but there's a small part of me that hopes to get such a nice room again this time. I know there's no guarantee, but you still hope. We don't get to get out much and it's nice to feel for a few hours like we're wealthy elite who get nice things.

But then I saw this on the confirmation... a link to what they call "eStandby".  Here's a shot of part of the website:

Rewarding Loyalty - @HiltonHotels (A Work-Related Post)

Last September, my wife and I stole away for a very brief visit to Los Angeles for our anniversary.  Since I also needed airfare, a car rental, convenience and stealth (I purchased the whole deal ahead of time without telling her), I went through Expedia.  They're easy to use, give me good rates and in this case, also a $50 discount by opening up an Expedia branded credit card.  Also handy because it helped me further obscure the purchase while I was paying it off.

I chose the Embassy Suites in Glendale for a couple of reasons, one of which was that the Hilton Family of Hotels is the Official Hotel Chain of the Lamb Family.  Whenever we can, we stay at a Hilton Hotel, preferably Embassy Suites.  (The ones in Oxnard, Calif. and Lake Buena Vista/Orlando, Fla. are pretty cool hotels.  Glendale, not so much.  Bellevue, Wash. is pretty standard.  Can't recall any other Embassy Suites.)

So I included my Hilton Hhonors points in the notes for the hotel and presented by Citibank Hilton Hhonors credit card at checkin for incidentals.  Ended up with a subpar room, but didn't spend much time in it anyhow, so whatever, and great breakfast and neat lobby, very friendly staff.  But the most bizarre parking lot ever.  I know it used to be a Red Lion hotel before Hilton bought the property, but the parking is so bizarre, it's like they just dug under the building and the adjacent building (you can tell at one point you're driving through a formerly solid wall that they've cut through the concrete) and then paved.  So many columns, so much unusable space.  Crazy.  Anyhow, I digress.

Bottom line, we love Hilton. (The Hilton Arctic Club in Seattle?  Totally awesome.  Cannot wait to stay there again, especially if we get a top floor room again.)


I realized a few weeks ago that I wasn't seeing any mention of our stay so I contacted them and provided details as best I could.  The fact that they wanted specific information I wouldn't have and provided little area for notes, I should have guessed it wasn't going to happen.

Cheap Seats #maythe4th

This is a photo from a few months ago when Lori and I went to see/hear John Williams at The Hollywood Bowl.  This is one of those few times when it pays to sit further back because the audience really gets into it.

It had been a few years since we'd been to a performance, but going to the Hollywood Bowl, and a John Williams performance in particular, was a treat we regularly gave ourselves.  But this year, waiting for the shuttle, we knew that things were... different... from the last time we'd been as Princess Leia was waiting in line with us.  Yeah, turns out the Star Wars portion of each show is nothing less than a full-out audience participation extravaganza.  Imagine looking in every direction and seeing light sabers bouncing in sync to the music.

15. Transportation #JanBlogaDay

When I was still being formed in my mother's womb, my parents owned a tiny little Fiat.  I can't picture it.  I think it got broadsided by a pickup, but because it was raining and because the car was so light, the car just slid away.  I'm led to believe that if it hadn't been raining or it had been a larger car that held its ground there's a good chance I wouldn't be here today.

The first car I remember is a large green Dodge that would have made Al Bundy proud.  I remember when we came back from Longview in May 1980, piles of ash would collect under it every time we washed it.

Guess that's why in 1981 we replaced it with a Chevy Malibu.  I still remember standing in the garage and just feeling kind of giddy when they'd start it up.  It just had such a power and exciting roar to it.  We had that car for a *long* time as that was also the car I learned to drive in.  KKZ 912.

In 1984, the Buick Skylark joined the stable.  I don't know what it replaced, I have a mental block, I can't even remember what was in the other side of the garage next to the Malibu.  The pool table?  Did we even have two cars?  EZX 094.  Why do I remember these????!?!?

Nowheresville

At the end of the month, they're closing the onramp right by my office building.  I would use it to briefly get on the freeway, drive a short distance, pass underneath another freeway and then the freeway I was on would drop off onto a surface street.  Follow that in a straight line and it would lead almost to my driveway.

But they're closing it at the end of the month.  They say in three months, it'll re-open, but I suspect it will only connect to the other freeway, it will no longer lead into town, to Starbucks, to Menchies, to my house.  The alternate routes are a real bummer, too.  

Another reason why @Starbucks needs to place a location east of the 5 in Federal Way.

Odds and Ends 93

1. LAST PERSON BLOGGING -- I Need to Get Paid For This

2. INHABIT -- Yunak Evleri Is a 5-Star Hotel Built Into Ancient Caves - including photo gallery. wild. I want to go to there.

3. MASHABLE -- 3 Things Brands Must Do to Reach Millennials Online

4. UNCLUTTERER -- Pursuing the Life You Desire

5. LIFEHACKER -- Drag and Drop Files Into Chrome to Upload Them Faster - small but brilliant tip

6. CLICKER -- The World is Watching: The State of Online Videos

7. CHOW DOWN SEATTLE -- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars - these look good.

8. LOSE IT! BLOG -- Lose It! 3.5 Available in App Store - some great updates, including the ability to share foods and recipes (and lots more)

9. CNET NEWS -- Blockbuster laughed at Netflix partnership offer

10. ENGADGET -- Chevy Volt starts shipping to customers, most of whom forgot they ordered one last decade

Odds and Ends 87

1. LAST PERSON BLOGGING -- The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2. INHABIT -- Tesla & Toyota Unveil RAV4

3. SETH GODIN -- Fire the D-Grunts, Save the Gomos

4. LIFEHACKER -- Watch for 'but-heads' to catch a lie - except I use "frankly" or "honestly" often as a "now pay attention, this is more important to me than I feel you're making it out to be"

5. MSNBC -- Who Knew? Facebook makes people more social

6. MASHABLE -- Celebs to Go Silent on Twitter and Facebook for Charity -- so, wait... as long as we don't contribute, they don't tweet! Fine, give to the charity I work for instead. Don't Recycle HIV (World Vision)

7. LIFEHACKER -- Sit Behind a Non-Reclining Seat to Ensure a More Spacious Flight

8. ABOUT FOURSQUARE -- FourTrace shows the danger of tweeting your checkins

9-10. Videos - fun with an ugly hat, and we question the collective tastes of an entire country...

Odds and Ends 60

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MASHABLE -- “Zoolander” to Make a Comeback as Web-Based Cartoon - really?!?!? Why??!!?

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INHABIT -- San Diego to Unveil Nation’s Largest Wind-Powered LED Light Show

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ANDY SERNOVITZ -- What if you fired all the average performers? - woah

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WEEPLACES -- Cool Foursquare Visualizer - I haven't traveled enough since joining Foursquare.

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SETH GODIN -- Change and its constituents (there are two, and both are a problem)

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LIFEHACKER -- “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with." - something to think about

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WANDERFLY -- Want to get away? Cool site. Plug in a departure location, price range, length of stay and it finds suitable destinations.

-8-10- Videos after the break... All about the quick fun -- color-shifting anime, some fancy tea-work and endless micro-machines.

Odds and Ends 17 - Transportation

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ENGADGET.COM -- Porsche 918 Spyder concept is the most beautiful hybrid we've ever seen - 0 to 62 in 3.2

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ENGADGET.COM -- Martin Jetpack priced at $86,000, mere mortals will soon be able to buy one too

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INHABIT.COM -- Ferrari Unveils 599 HY-KERS Hybrid Supercar - nice

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ENGADGET.COM -- Lotus outs wild Evora 414E Hybrid plug-in concept car

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ENGADGET.COM -- TAG Heuer and Tesla Motors team up to show off products you can't afford

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GOOGLESYSTEM.BLOGSPOT.COM -- Google Maps Adds Biking Directions

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ENGADGET.COM -- Tesla switches gears, plans to keep Roadster till 2012

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SEATTLETRANSITBLOG.COM -- Signaling on MLK, parts one and two.

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SEATTLETRANSITBLOG.COM -- Light Rail Measure Planned for 2011

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Humor -- Cat on steroids lifts car

Vacation

Had a conversation with someone this morning at the coffee machine and they were moaning about being back at work after a vacation. I'm no expert on vacations, I tend to take vacation days one at a time. (I think I'm only planning to be in the office three Fridays in September and October this year.)

But I think my friend make a fatal flaw in her vacation schedule... you gotta ease out and ease in.

Ease out... many people start their vacations at 5 pm Friday and end it on Monday at 8 am. If, for instance, they're taking a week, they think this gives them a nine-day vacation. That thinking is flawed. Saturday (and possibly Sunday) occur as normal on your way out. Not only that, but all your colleagues are also gunning for 5 pm on Friday, which means they're not stopping to think about the fact that you're going to be gone. So, ease out. Take your leave mid-week. This really puts you in vacation-mode right off the bat -- you're at home while all your co-workers are still at work. Muwahahaha. On top of that, book the last few hours of your last day in the office to make sure no one can get you in a meeting. That allows you to wrap up details and remind your colleages (multiple times) that you're going to be gone. (Also, this allows you to travel on a weekday or very early on a Saturday and get a jump on the other travellers.)

On your way back, you have the usual Sunday afternoon stuff before heading back in.

Ease in... if you're dragging yourself in Monday morning, so is everyone else. And you complain about being back from a vacation, you're going to get no love. But, if you come in mid-week, you're a fresh face helping bolster everyone mid-week. But, if you come in mid-week, come in swinging. The worst thing you can do is come in and then hide in front of your computer with mounds of email. Easy solution - work from home your first day back. Download all your mail, disconnect, and start plowing through. Reconnect when you've done all you can. That prevents you from seeing new mail while you try to catch up, and prevents your mail from getting out there and generating new mail. (Sadly, my email program won't do that - it will stop incoming, but will continue sending out my responses - unless I completely disconnect but then I lose access to some things I need.)

Then wander back into the office around 2 pm. (Maybe bring in doughnuts or coffee. A nice touch I just thought of.)

And if traveling, pad your trip, before and after, in order to to do packing and unpacking. (For our last trip, Corey and Gilda gave us five nights at a World Mark resort. That means we had a kitchen and washer and dryer in our unit - so we actually returned home with all of our clothes already clean. That was nice.)

Yes, Please

MSNBC.COM -- Lawmakers push to open travel to Cuba -- It's time for Congress to end restrictions that for more than half a century have prevented most Americans from visiting Cuba, a bipartisan group of senators said Tuesday. More...

Photos Uploaded

Added a bunch of new photos from our recent trip.  If all the ones of us that you see are the backs of our heads, that means you haven't signed in, or aren't connected to us on Flickr as friends or family.

SeaTac = Greedy

1. Park at a car at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for five days.  Car sits there, does nothing. Costs me $130.00.

2. Rent a "mid-size 2 or 4-door" car in Long Beach - at the airport - for five days - $162. 

That doesn't count gas in the rental, but if we're comparing apples-to-apples, then that's the at-rest cost of the rental. 

Now, I thought the rental was reasonably priced, especially considering the free upgrade to the full-sized SUV with only 10k on it.  So I think the privilege of providing me with a 10x7' square of concrete in a structure built decades ago is more than a bit overpriced if it's only $30 less than handing the keys to a relatively new car over to someone from another state with very few questions asked and just a signature here and initials here and here.  Especially considering there was no way we were packing a toddler, an infant, two car seats, two strollers and a mess of luggage (and a newly purchased baby swing for the trip back, long story) onto a bus and traveling from an off-site parking lot.  And especially considering how difficult it was to even find a space.  I know, I know.. supply and demand.  Still can't help being a little bit annoyed.

Show Me the World

Google announced today that they added streets to a mess of new places (Afghanistan, Aruba, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Bermuda, Brunei Darussalam, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Timor-Leste, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen) today.

I ended up jumping to Mexico City and then coasting south, arriving in Roatán, a beautiful island in the Honduras that Lori and I had a private day-long tour of a few years ago. To see it again, from such a different perspective made me think... (1) it would be fascinating to go back and (2) much of the world is probably far more spectacular than what you see as an average tourist and (3) I will miss out on much of that beauty.

It's not something I can get depressed over, but it's one of those "bummer realizations." I guess it also suggests that with the limited traveling I will be able to accomplish in my lifetime, that it will be far better to go someplace new than to try to go back somewhere I've been before.

I guess this is a good philosophy for when I want to go to the same place to eat that I've eaten at nearly every week forever.

Tourism Idea

Instead of "Destination Exquisite", how about "There's rockin', and then there's Moroccon"? (Yeah, British punctuation. Deal with it. It makes more sense.)

In the sky... it's a Zeppelin!

NEWS.COM -- A company has announced plans to start a signtseeing company in San Francisco using a zeppelin. Permits and financing pending. More...

Cool: L.A. Metro Rail Map

Here's a Google Map of the L.A. Metro Rail System. (Sad that they spelled "Purple" wrong.)

It's also missing the Aqua Line.

But I Don't Want to Go to Ohio

Another UK import, this time in the airline industry, is poised to possibly shake things up. Or go belly up as those before it. Skybus, operating out of smaller airports*, says that some seats on every flight will cost $10. Group boarding, though for $10, you can pay to get in a preferred boarding group. Soft drinks are $2, and you can't bring your own food on board (unless you bring enough for everyone). Their flights from Seattle/Vancouver (ooh, dual country) leave a lot to be desired. Honestly, is there really that much call for traveling from a remote airport in the top corner of the U.S. to Columbus, Ohio? I could get there for $10, leaving May 29. The soonest $10 flight back is December 15, though. They also don't have a 1-800 number, you can only buy online. And the maintenance, ticket counters, baggage handlers, etc. are all outsourced. But that's really the wave of the future, right? A company whose sole purpose is to manage groups of people, without having to mess with all that messy stuff like hiring/firing/etc. Suddenly the people who do the work are inter-changable. Don't like the deal? Fire the entire staff and contract with a different company.

*Bob Hope International... aka... Burbank? Small? Yeah, I suppose you do have to walk out to the planes and if a plane overshoots it ends up in the street, but still, it's a great alternative to LAX, begrudgingly my preferred.

New Orleans: A Research Paper

CINDYCRAWFORD.BLOGSPOT.COM --Between Costa Mesa, CA and New Orleans, LA is absolutely nothing. Really. I know. I saw it... twice. More (including photos)...