I've been away from my guitar for so long recently my calluses are all gone.

If it weren't that I am smarter off traveling light last month (which is 100% accurate) I would have taken my big baby Taylor with me. I actually had a pretty good practice routine going with me earlier this year, but now its back to hiking up hill.

Hilarious

Summer Heights High is my new show

Europe: 1/17 - 2/20

Traveling Europe was incredibly rewarding. Some people call these vacations, but it was more of a exhausting learning experience for me.

Being an "alien" in strangers land (where you don't often speak/read the local language) required lots of awareness. Especially when it comes to directions.

If anything, the biggest toll was attempting to make the most out of the experience.

I tried to make it a point to hike most of the cities I visited. Besides the usual tourist spots, I randomly picked subway stations to walk out from and get a feel for the different neighborhoods.

Some experiences are priceless. I think I'm still lost for words to describe the experience and what I had achieved.


I have many more pictures, but I'll leave it as that.

This football genius is SIX years old.

13 Wins

My facebook app 13wins is soft launching today!!


I've been working on this thing all throughout my Euro trip. Much gratitude to anybody who can play test and give me feedback (or report bugs).

Chance

is an incredible game pattern.

Chance is why the slot machine industry banks so much $$$. It is in our human nature to perceive chance with optimism. It is also why games like Hold'em, Mahjong, and ZT Online are deadly addictive.

'Chance' gives players an opportunity to dream. It is a game designer's tool to help them make the player feel like they have a chance to win. Chance is a losers motivation to play again.

The 'chance' game pattern is one of few secret ingredients to creating a popular casual games.

Lyon: Le Petit Carron

48, avenue Félix Faure
69003 LYON, France

So I know where to go if I return for another great meal. Thank you Stradley.

Four Steps to the Epiphany

I hate expensive books.

Though, every once in a while you have no choice but to pay up. The Four Steps to the Epiphany by serial entrepreneur & UC Berkley business school professor, Steven Gary Blank, was one of those for me.

Granted my current marketing skills are derived primarily from intuition, I figured it would be a good idea to start off with this one text many dot com marketers swear by. I'm not yet finished with it, but apparently the concepts illustrated are contra to typical marketing methodologies.

I'm not sure marketing is my flavor, but I do know I would prefer to attend Steven's course than plough through this book on my own.

Dear Paris

I have a crush on you.

I know it has only been a week since we first got to know each other, but it feels like you know me like you've known me all my life. I always thought such episodes belong to dreams and fairy tales, but you showed me wrong and took me by surprise. If only the world was mine and my life was yours we would be a happy couple.

I guess I will be leaving tomorrow. Until I return, there will always be a part of you in my heart. Take care.

Up & coming Superbus

Superbus is a five-piece French power pop band formed in 1999

the HP way

Bill & Dave: How Hewlett and Packard Built the World's Greatest Company is the best company/entrepreneur autobiography I've read thus far. Not only does it cover the beginnings of the valley, it reveals the ethics and integrity employed by its founders; helping them lead their company through unbelievable growth during both good and bad times.

I suspect no one strategy works forever. Every company should alternate between centralization/decentralization, entering new markets/focusing on core markets, innovation/conservation, etc...

Take care of your people and they will take care of you.

Paris has been incredibly inspiring. It makes sense why many artists abroad have flocked here and called it home at one time or another.

I decided during my visit today at the Centre Pompidou (modern art museum) I would set a goal to create at least one new piece of art every year. Inspiration is useless without discipline leading to execution.

Lyon -> Paris

Just arrived Paris from Lyon via train today. I really enjoy the train. It's the movement behind the window that gets my brain going. I enjoy such times of reflection; staring out the window and putting my thoughts together.

Most people show signs of distaste when I speak about the trans-siberian from Beijing to Moscow. But I look forward to that.

Internet Addiction?

According to British research group (www.cybersentinel.co.uk), the average American teen spends a cool 31 hours per week or 4.4 hours per day online.


And what does the average teen do? The data breakdown isn’t exactly shocking, either: teens spend 3.5 hours a week instant messaging their friends, two hours on YouTube, and three hours a week on homework help. What's surprising is that they spend one hour and forty minutes a week on porn. I'm willing to bet porn addiction will become an even bigger problem in the future.

Which one are you?

aLittleHigh.com

After some long winded discussions that didn't end much further than when we first started, Park and I decided to collaborate on a new product blog @ www.aLittleHigh.com

It's still rough on the edges but we figured it will come in time. We expect to post once a day each, and we'll see where that brings us.

Goals: first half of 2009

I've had plenty of time to bounce ideas and investigate opportunities since my last startup. Late last month, I came to my senses that thinking and planning will only bring one so far. Strictly thinking and planning are for top/exec managers who have ground level workers to execute. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, need to be do-ers as well.

One of my new projects, 13wins, is on its way to the public (coming soon!). But I want to execute some more. I've decided my focus from now til July 09 is to concentrate on team building. My goal is to make one solid hire.

Games sales across the "world's three largest games markets" saw an 11% increase, totaling 409.9 million units last year.

Top five selling games for US, UK and Japan combined:

1. Mario Kart Wii - 8.94 million
2. Wii Fit - 8.31 million
3. Grand Theft Auto IV - 7.29 million
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 6.32 million
5. Call of Duty: World at War - 5.89 million

In Barcelona

Cerveseria Catalana @ 236 Carrer Mallorca has the best tapas. If there is one restaurant to visit in Barcelona, this one would be it. I'd talk about what I had here today but unfortunately it was a point and wave hands thing for me when I ordered at the bar.

I'm going to go back before I leave this city.