Wardo-gram

Word Cloud of Medtronic Mission Statement

2011-09-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

"Here’s an experiment for you. Pull together your company’s latest annual report, its mission statement, and your CEOs last few blog posts. Read through these documents and note the key phrases. Make a list of oft-repeated words. Now do a little content analysis. What are the goals and ideas that get a lot of airtime in your company? It’s probably notions like superiority, advantage, leadership, differentiation, value, focus, discipline, accountability, and efficiency. Nothing wrong with this, but do these goals quicken your pulse? Do they speak to your heart? Are they “good” in any cosmic sense?"
-The Hole in the Soul of Business By Gary Hamel

The Kingkiller Chronicles

2011-09-05T08:37:00.002-05:00

Just for fun I created a word cloud of the book - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It's the first book of The Kingkiller Chronicles: Day One

Business Cards IRL

2011-08-07T08:37:00.015-05:00

Are business cards in-real-life (IRL) on the verge of extinction?

I could not find any statistics on the the number of business cards printed over time, but I have to believe that other, easier ways of sharing contact information in electronic form has caused a decline in business card printing.

Even business cards IRL are making use of electronic data transfer. Frank, an electrical engineering student at the University of Waterloo created a USB business card that will type out contact information when you plug it into a USB port.

One issue that plagues sharing contact information electronically is the many non-standard ways in which we can do this. A variety of sharing technologies (like BlueTooth, email, and apps) on a variety of devices (PCs, smartphones tablets, etc.) result in too many options.

I'v been experimenting with using a QR code (also known as a 2D code) to share contact information. The use of QR code scanning and deciphering is now ubiquitous on smartphones in countries like Japan.

What do you get when you ask Vladstudio to cross a QR code Vcard and an iPhone lock screen wallpaper? A virtual business card.

It is easy to generate your own virtual business card with a free QR code generator. Use your virtual business card as a wallpaper on your smartphone and it's always available to scan by business contacts with a QR code scanner like Scan. Even smartphone apps like Google and Bing will scann and decipher these virtual business cards.

QR code ubiiquity in the USA may take a while longer, but I'm betting that it it happens soon.

Interactive Marketing in a Highly Regulated Industry

2010-09-16T22:05:00.000-05:00

I have been asked to speak on a panel at the 2010 MIMA Summit in Minneapolis regarding Interactive Marketing in a Highly Regulated Industry. The case study track breakout session is described as follows:

Health care is a highly regulated industry. Let’s say that again with feeling: Healthcare is a HIGHLY regulated industry. That heavily influences what the marketing and public relations folks can say and do. Yet despite the legalistic handcuffs and roadblocks, these interactive practitioners are creating measurable results. Healthcare professionals and non-health peeps alike can learn from their experiences. If your management thinks interactive is weird and scary, just look at what these folks overcome with every day to achieve results!

I would have to say that the description of the panel is pretty damned good. The emphasis on "highly regulated industry" is spot on and I couldn't have stressed it better. However, given this environment what are companies like Medtronic, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross doing in Interactive?

I'm speaking for the medical device industry here. Indeed we create measurable results, but evaluating risk is a big factor when it comes to pushing the envelope. The risk-averse nature of our industry and the lack of clear guidance from the FDA (so far) in the area of marketing and advertising in interactive media can encumber innovative marketing. The paradigm shift the Internet represents to our industries is inevitable and these challenges will have to be contended with in one way or another.

I believe my fellow panelists agree that we have to look to the positive in our efforts. We will continue to educate our organizations and work with the regulating bodies to have the engagement and dialog with our markets the online channels promise.

Interactive marketers are fighting the good fight in regulated organizations - It's been 10 years since the Cluetrain Manifesto - are we taking delivery yet? To find out attend our breakout session - Interactive Marketing in The Healthcare Industry

Open Letter To Netflix

2010-08-31T19:29:00.003-05:00

Netflix recently released an official iPhone app. Andy Boxall in his iPhoneFreak Blog post "Netflix Comes to the iPhone" says:

"Previously only available for the iPad, the official Netflix app is now available for the iPhone too, which should see a massive increase in both the amount of downloads and the amount of people enjoying streaming content out and about."

All well and good Andy, but I have to disagree... to a degree. In response I have "penned" the following open letter to Netflix.
---
Dear Netflix,

I know you are contending with some privacy issues in your attempts to serve your customers in an innovative way. You will be relieved to hear that I'm not writing to you to discuss these issues.

Your new official iPhone app enables movie viewing on the iPhone and iTouch platforms, but I don't really think I would seriously watch a full length movie on any of these small format platforms. Maybe it's because my eyes are not what they used to be, but I prefer a larger screen that I can view with others. Call me old fashioned, but I will be surprised if there are a compelling number of users that will watch a one hour TV show or two hour feature film on their small iPhone screens. The iPad would be another story.

However, I think you could do something more compelling and innovative with movie trailers, which are short and lend themselves to a quick review to determine if you want to watch the associated full length movie. Actually, this could be the goal of the app. Heck, I have good friends that seem to enjoy movie trailers over the full length movies themselves.

How about an app that basically enabled the user to manage and view a playlist of movie and/or TV show trailers? It could have some of the following features:

Add the movie based on the trailer you like to your queue.
The ability to review the anticipated rating or set your rating of the movie based on the trailer.
Browse or search trailer playlists by director, actor or genre.
Create your own trailer playlist to share with your friends (social media).
Comment on, subscribe or favorite trailer playlists by others (social networking).

I'm sure others will add additional ideas in the comments below. Please consider these ideas and if you like feel free to name this feature "Wardo's Trailer Playlists".

I continue to be a big fan of your service. Please keep up the good work.

Warm regards,

Ward Tongen

Are Group Coupons Really Such A Good Deal?

2010-07-06T20:34:00.020-05:00

Here are six tips and techniques to help you make the most out of group coupons like Groupon, LivingSocial and dozens of smaller sites:

Stay local - don't accept coupons outside your normal area of travel unless you are planning to use a coupon during travel.
Beware of un-savvy vendors - I assumed that I could use my iPhone app to redeem my coupon only to find out at a local restaurant that they required a printed coupon only. I was turned away. Also be aware that some businesses struggle to handle the surge in customers.
Don't collect too many coupons - You can go a little crazy when you are bombarded everyday with such unbeatable bargains. My coupons soon started to stack up and I was in danger of not being able to redeem them all in time. Think twice before buying - pace yourself.
Read the fine print and note the expiration date- I repeat "Read the fine print" It's usually short and to the point and may contain rules and conditions that are crucial in making sure your redemption is valid.
Return to businesses you like - One of the compelling reasons small businesses use these group coupon services is to drive customers to their stores & restaurants. If you like the product or service it shouldn't be hard to patronize that business again.
Tell your friends online or otherwise. Buy for a friend. Use the share feature for a free deal. Most of the deals are for local establishments. At LivingSocial, the deal might even end up being free for you if you recruit enough people to the same deal. For some offers, you need as few as three buddies.

Use the latest craze among price-conscious consumers wisely. This combination of social media and commerce may change the way you shop.

Unbelievable Unconferencing at Unsummit 4

2010-06-26T15:25:00.005-05:00

UnSummit is an alternative, "unconference," not unlike a BarCamp. That means full participation, full dissemination and free admission — all the things that traditional conferences are not. -Unsummit.org

I have been attending unconferences since the first Minnebar back in the day and I love the refreshing format. An unconference is where people talk with each other as opposed to at each other. New paradigm topics such as the ones that appear on the schedule of the unsummit should not take place in rigid, old paradigm formats. We are moving from a one-way event to a two-way experience.

This event, excuse me... experience, is free thanks to generous sponsors and also held on a weekend day. Even though it is free I think the attendees that give up part of their summer Saturday are more passionate and more highly participatory than the average conference goer.

Next year perhaps we can take a few more ideas into the format. I plucked the following participatory formats from a white paper titled "Possibilities For Transformational Conferences" by Tree Bressen with Debby Sugarman and Sunrise Facilitation:

Attendees Interview Each Other
Presenters Learn From Participants
Fishbowl - small group of people speak together while others listen and witness
Interview The Panelists
Panelist Circles - panelists go out into the audience and form circles people to talk more
Storytelling
Speed Geeking - basically this is musical chars with panelists

Did you know that most unconference features match the characteristics of the traditional science fiction convention held since the 1930's? We are living science fiction every day. The future is now and I for one love it.

5 obvious things that indicate the iPad is an example of the next shift in computing

2010-06-18T18:14:00.002-05:00

I recently was loaned an iPad 3G for a week and used it on a trip to Florida where I did not plan to take my laptop.

I used it for a many things. Some of which I could also do from my iPhone (but not as easily). Mostly:

Watching & listening to video podcasts.
Checking email & calendar.
Reading technical user manuals.
Sharing photos, podcasts & videos.
Collaborating over maps and satellite images.

This inspired me to come up with five obvious things that indicate that tablet computing is the next shift (game changer) in very personal computing:

Instant-on - Little or no boot up time is required. When a question or issue is raised the tablet is ready to deliver with little or no lag. Immediate gratification.
Not just mobile, but conveniently transferable or "handoff-able" - This promotes an information gift culture.
Easy to use - little or no instruction to navigate and manipulate information. The touch environment makes navigation simpler and more intuitive than conventional use of keyboard and mouse or touch pad. Simple is good.
Transparent - After the novelty of the new gadget wears off users get right to the content. Interacting with the content causes collaboration rather than just presentation. Content is king.
Fun to use - There is no reason that something as serious as the next evolutionary step in computing can't be fun. Adoption is compelling.

I predict that in less than 5 years we will all be sporting tablet-like devices over notebooks or netbooks.

My Mother Sent Me This 'Warning' Many Years Ago

2010-01-10T09:00:00.006-06:00

WARNING
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit .

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

- by Jenny Joseph

Men Who Can't Pee: A Failed Commercial

2009-10-24T22:20:00.037-05:00

"Say goodbye to weak stream and hello to a laser beam" -Rhett & Link

Conventional wisdom was turned upside down for a medical device manufacturer. YouTube, a communication medium for the young could not reach an audience of older men with prostate problems. Or could it?

Yesterday I attended another 'unconference', the Healthcamp Minnesota at the University of Minnesota, Mayo Auditorium. Session panel member John Reid, Chief Executive Officer, AbbeyMoor Medical, spoke about how his company used YouTube to market a medical device, the Spanner, a prostatic stent that holds open the urethra, allowing men with enlarged prostates to urinate more easily. Since I work for a major medical device manufacturer, I was especially interested in what John had to say.

The Spanner is intended for temporary use (up to 30 days) to maintain urine flow and allow voluntary urination in patients following minimally invasive treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and after initial post-treatment catheterization. The other alternative for these men is the traditional Foley catheter.

AbbeyMoor hired a couple of comedians from North Carolina to create a "spoof" commercial YouTube video about the product. In the four minute video, Rusty Barefoot, Sr. and Larnold Jernigan, Sr, played by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, try to make a commercial about The Spanner but can't quite get through it without messing it up, much to the annoyance of the director.

The video was a big hit on the Internet and has received over 163,000 views to-date. The Minneapolis Star Tribune picked it up in their article about "The Spanner: Help for enlarged prostates."

During the Q&A, John indicated that he fought idea of spanner video "kicking and screaming." However it turns out that speaking in a human voice was amazingly successful. Much to his surprise John indicated that even doctors (urologists) appreciated the urological humor. He was a convert.

John said Youtube demographics (mostly age 13 to 24) were not the target but that the viral nature of video got the word out to target audience secondarily.

"That suggests the video is attracting two waves of people: the normally young YouTube crowd who finds it funny but then refer the video to people who actually need the product."

AbbeyMoor Medical capitalized on this further by adding a short text caption message to the end of their video: "Share this video with your dad, granddad, husband... and your doctor."

As a startup with limited funds AbbeyMoor Medical has no sales or field staff. Instead they offer an online in-service introduction to The Spanner followed by a Spanner Training Kit and 20 minute online training for physicians and their clinical staff. ('WebEx' Training). The training demonstrates how the office-based stent can be a useful alternative to catheterization for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).

The HealthCamp unconference discussion then went on to explore how major medical device companies like mine with a large, expensive field presence will need to rethink their resource-intensive sales/field staff model. Much food for thought here.

I firmly believe that it is mission critical for major medical device manufacturers get on board and learn to have conversations with their markets in a human voice. This will lead to changes in how they do business.

(The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer.)

Google Babel Fish

2009-10-08T20:11:00.005-05:00

Google Wave is coming! As Google puts it:

"Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more."

This social media technology is amazing and is eagerly anticipated by many. Google is in the process of launching Google Wave as I post this blog. You can learn about Google Wave at the Google Wave Preview website, but it's pretty technical. I recommend the condensed 8 minute Google Wave Overview.

It is said that "God created language to divide the humans so that they could not work together to build a tower to heaven".

Using Google Wave, and a software robot called "Rosie" you can actually converse over the Internet with someone that speaks another language in real-time. This comes pretty close to what Douglas Adams describes in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Stick a Babel fish in your ear and understand any language.

How will this change the world? Will the world get smaller still? Will Americans communicate directly with Iranians? Will the French reach past their language? Will Google Wave temper our destructive nationalistic tendencies?

I'm not so much hopeful that we will build a tower to heaven, but a bridge to understand our fellow human across our planet.

One can only hope.

Todd Tongen's Silver Circle Award

2009-10-06T21:21:00.003-05:00

Check this video out - My little brother, Todd Tongen receives the Silver Circle Award.

"The Silver Circle Awards recognize individuals who have devoted a quarter of a century or more to the television industry, a significant part of which was done in South Florida."

Way to go Bro! Big brother is very proud of you.

The Business Card As Social Media

2009-09-28T09:26:00.009-05:00

The printed business card is becoming an anachronism.

a.nach.ro.nism |əˈnakrəˌnizəm|
-noun
1) A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, esp. a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned.

Exchanging business cards is rapidly getting replaced by exchanging Web links to LinkedIn, Google, Plaxo, or online profiles from other business-oriented social networking sites.

There have been several attempts to provide the capability to exchange contact information electronically. Many of the older PDA's had a method to beam contact information via infrared. Some smartphones can transfer vCards wirelessly via Bluetooth. vCard is a file format standard for electronic business cards. Even when the transfer technologies between devices are standardized, the applications have different implementations of the vCard standard and are often incompatible.

I recently discovered the Poken: a new social networking accessory that contains your contact information. You can put your photo, name, email, social networking IDs, screen names in your Poken. When you meet other Poken owners (here's the catch), you touch Pokens to connect. A more expensive, Poken Pulse doubles as a 2GB flash drive making it more convenient to carry. Still, not everyone has a Poken to connect instantly without a business card. I could see where a Poken might be useful given as a promotional freebie (SWAG) at trade shows, conferences, events and expos.

I still hand out my business card. But when I do, it is one of several personalized sets that I customize online at Vistaprint to a particular target audience. Even if they become conspicuously old-fashioned, business cards are still ubiquitous.

The Perfect Ad at the Perfect Time to the Perfect Recipient.

2009-09-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

"I want my epitaph to read: He made Cialis ads optional." Paul Douglas said this recently at the first ROI LEADER FORUM for Small Business Innovation and Results in Minneapolis.

As anyone in Minnesota can tell you, Paul Douglas is a well-known local meteorologist and TV personality. Less well known to me was Paul's success as a entrepreneur.

Paul Douglas has created several Internet start-ups, including EarthWatch 3-D weather graphics in 1990, and licensing software to TV stations worldwide. Currently he is focused on Singular Logic, a patent holding company. The goal: to reinvent news and advertising on the web.

"Consumer behavior is best learned when consumers are in control of their content and advertisers listen. Today, consumers are selecting custom content, from choosing where and when they watch their favorite programs to their friend and fan pages on Facebook." Singular Logic

This was music to my ears. For more than 10 years I'v been working in online marketing and love the kind of paradigm change that entrepreneurs like Paul Douglas are bringing to broadcast and other channels as a result of the Internet.

Social media and targeted advertising can work hand-in-hand.

So Paul, if you are reading this please feel free to enlist me in your endeavor. My experience in search marketing and social media are at your service.

5 Blog Copywriting Tips from a Professional Writer

2009-09-12T23:24:00.010-05:00

"You're boring! You should do it this way." This was the first advice I got from an old friend of mine, when I asked her to help me critique a blog post I had started to draft.

Sue is a great copywriter with experience in journalism, speech writing, ghostwriting and web writing. I value her advice and came away from our little session with 5 tips to write a better blog post.

Your lead sentence should grab the reader. Pull them in. Pick it carefully.
Keep you post short. Don't bore the reader.
So what? What does your message mean to the reader? What's in it for them.
It's not about you. Get over yourself. Write for the reader.
Keep your post focused. Don't go off on tangents.

Thanks Sue. Now I'll just dust off my ego and write some better posts.

Wardo Quoted in The September 2009 M.D. News

2009-09-07T19:10:00.008-05:00

I recently found out that I'm quoted in a marketing article in the September 2009 M.D. News - Twin Cities Edition. M.D News is a business and lifestyle magazine for physicians.

The article titled "Web-Med Marketing Prescribed by Nerds" was written by Mark Malmberg, at Sierra Bravo a Twin Cities technology company. I'm quoted twice, the beginning and ending of the article.

The article speaks to how medical marketing is changing due to new technologies and communication channels. Some of these touched on in the article include:

Online Health Records like ExitCare's FamilyHealthTracker
Web-based Advocacy Tools and Online Communities like HealthSimple's FlasCarbs
iPhone Apps like AusQuinn's Nurse Tabs and 4th Main Software's hLog

Here is the ending paragraph:

"The old marketing approach was, 'Reach X number of eyeballs; make them think X," said Tongden. "Now, it has to be about discovering where people are at, what they want and finding a way to appeal to them in their vernacular. Establish a connection. You don't tell people what your brand is anymore; you listen to people to figure out what your brand is. The Internet has flipped marketing on its head."

I'm very flattered even if they spelled my name incorrectly.

Voyager 855 Stereo Bluetooth Headset

2009-09-06T11:01:00.005-05:00

I recently purchased a Plantronic Voyager 855 Stereo Bluetooth Headset to use with my iPhone on the recommendation of a good friend/colleague. It comes with a lightweight, earpiece-style headset, but it's convertable! You have the option of listening with a single earbud, or listening with two earbuds for a full stereophonic sound.

I took it on a bike ride with my roomate and it worked very well. He would call me and the music I was listening to faded away and I was placed on the call. I hit the hook button and was placed back into my music selection. Another double- tap called him back. I never touched my iPhone controls.

The headset supports AVRCP - the bluetooth profile that allows bluetooth devices to control playback. Although my 3G iPhone (firmware 3.0) supports the A2DP bluetooth profile to transmit a Stereo signal to the headset, I was not able to select next/previous track using the headset.

This gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. The price was right too. I got it for about $32 at Amazon.com.

Why I pay for my own mobile phone & plan.

2009-09-01T14:00:00.002-05:00

A little over a year ago I voluntarily returned my company-paid Samsung Blackjack Smartphone and switched my corporate-sponsored AT&T plan into a personal private plan. In other words, I switched from a perfectly good mobile smartphone, that the company permitted me to use for limited personal use and bought my own to the tune of $299 and about $80 a month ongoing.

I was saving quite a bit of money - Why would I do that?

I did it to get an Apple iPhone, which my company at the time did not support.

I feel that the the launch of the iPhone represents a paradigm-shift for the mobile industry. Apple is succeeding in doing what other mobile operators have struggled too long to do. It gives a compelling reason to use mobile data and the mobile internet.

The iPhone marks the beginning of mass-market use of mobile email and the mobile internet in the U.S. (parts of Asia have already surpassed this milestone). Others have now entered the fray, but Apple did it first.

To some of you this may sound like an elaborate justification for a much desired gadget, but part of the work I do falls into this shift and I consider it part of my professional development. I believe in investing in myself.

I also look forward to how this technology is impacting the use of social media. Many social media channels already incorporate a mobile platform.

Helping to Cure Cancer with an iPhone App

2009-08-27T12:26:00.016-05:00

I recently met Gangadhar Sulkunte. Among other things he is an IT Project Manager, iPhone/Healthcare Entrepreneur, and Founder of 4th Main Software where he developed hLog a Health tracking application (app) for the iPhone.

hLog is an application that anyone with an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch can use to track health, vital health stats, exercise regimens, sleep patterns, medicines, and more. hLog can chart and compare the effects of medicines, exercise regimens, and sleep patterns over time.

Gangadhar lost his father to Lymphoma a year ago and since then he has been interested in helping find a cure for cancer. When Apple introduced the iPhone and iPod Touch, he was excited about the possibilities that this would bring in patient care and disease research. He built the application in consultation with Dr. Scott Bender MD.

Now I love BHAG's (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) and helping to cure cancer with an iPhone app is clearly a great BHAG, so I asked Gangadhar if I could interview him for the Wardo-gram. He graciously accepted.

Here is the interview with Gangadhar Sulkunte:

Wardo: I understand that you have developed an iPhone application called hLog. How would you describe it?

Gangadhar: hLog is an application for the users to record all of their health related information. Many times, we are instructed to record many aspects of our health and we are unable to keep it all in one place due to writing them down on scraps of paper. With hLog, now you have a digital log where you can accurately record your health. This is the only app on the app store which is focused on your entire health. There are other apps which help in recording your blood sugar levels, BP, temperature etc. But hLog is the only one which records all these aspects and more. The main advantage of hLog comes in when you analyze your data by creating reports which show you a all aspects of your health. For eg., you can create reports which show when your sugar level spiked, what medicines made you most stressed, what aspect of your lifestyle (like exercise, sleep) caused your back pain or insomnia to flare up etc.

hLog is also serves as your emergency health card. You can store information about your health background, health insurance information and primary doctor's contact information which can be shared with the doctors when required.

Wardo: Who was hLog developed for and how can they use it?

Gangadhar: hLog was developed for all users who need to store health information either for themselves or for someone in their care. It can be used in cases where someone has a chronic condition like back pain, insomnia, diabetes, etc. They can record their health, the medicine intake and daily activities like sleep, mood, exercises etc. This helps their doctors to get a complete picture to provide good advice on how to control their chronic condition.

The app can also be used by parents of young children. When my son was very young, the pediatricians would ask us to record his health condition (when he was sick and he was sick very often!) and we always did it on google spreadsheets and notebooks. With hLog, you can record your child's health accurately and timely.

Ultimately, I feel the app can also be used when the users or someone in their care have a serious condition like cancer. With the many things that one has to record in these cases, hLog can be a huge help to record the health accurately.

Wardo: Why did you develop hLog?

Gangadhar: My father passed away from Lymphoma last year. After that, I wanted to do something to help cure cancer. I tried many things like reading up everything I came across on cancer and for a while I even started a blog which I thought might help patients and their care givers. None of this satisfied me since I wanted a hands on approach to helping find a cure for cancer. I read a book called "Numerati" where they say that the next big cures like cures for cancer, AIDS etc will not come from just doctors but will come from a collaboration among doctors, mathematicians and computer scientists. So, I figured that I can definitely help in this endevor. I had to start small and start somewhere and I started with hLog.

Wardo: How could an iphone application help cure cancer?

Gangadhar: An application like hLog which helps track 'Observations of daily life" can help doctors and cancer researchers in many ways. The researchers have insight into what is going on in the patient's health beyond the lab test results. This will also provide input to the mathematical models which can help understand the impact of the many things from the patient's life on the medicines and the cancer. I believe that this can lead to a cure for cancer one day.

I recently came across these NY Times news items about how crowdsourcing can help in finding cures to hitherto incurable diseases:

These reinforce my thought that patients can take an active role in finding cures for diseases like cancer. hLog can help in that.

The other aspect is if enough people track their health for a long enough time using an app like hLog, researchers might also be able to find out what causes cancer. This way we can prevent cancer from occurring!

Wardo: What are your plans for hLog next?

Gangadhar: I want to make hLog read health data from the many devices that are used in the home setting like BP monitors, blood sugar monitors, thermometers etc so that the data entry can be automated. The other area that I am exploring is to make a version of hLog that can run on the Android platform and if netbooks become more predominant, a version that works on a netbook. I also want to hLog to upload your data to Google Health or Microsoft HealthVault. This way, the doctors have one view of your health through these sites.

In order to help patients to manage their health proactively, I want to provide health indicators in the app. This will be useful for someone who has a chronic condition like Diabetes, BP etc. This can provide feedback to them after they record their health data.

All the above are very ambitious and I feel that the fastest way to get them done is to go open source. We are actively working on making hLog the first iPhone healthcare application to go open source.

Wardo: Your website indicates that hLog is the first one in a series of apps you are developing. Can you share what 4th Main Software is working on next?

Gangadhar: This is a tough one. I know that I will be working on many apps other than hLog. I have no new apps in the pipeline as of now. However the plan is to continue updating hLog as previously described and use that as a input to decide which other type of apps to develop.

Wardo: Thank you Gangadhar. We wish you luck.

You can reach Gangadhar through 4th Main Software or Twitter.

Communicate in a Genuine Human Voice

2009-08-26T13:00:00.004-05:00

I've read a few articles lately about how our social media interactions on the web can come to haunt us. I would probably agree that you should be careful not to post inappropriate photos of yourself or foolish comments on the web for all to see.

Information associated with your personal and professional lives becomes your online reputation and is probably archived forever on the Web.

However, being seen as ridiculous is part of the human condition. Corporations and other organizations will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak as themselves.

"[We] communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can't be faked." -The Cluetrain Manifesto

Putting your best face forward is not an unreasonable goal, but why can't we balance that by also being genuine?

Nancy Lyons of the Geek Girls Guide rants about The Misuse Of Social Media By Companies And Executives. She makes some good points.

"Social media is here to enrich our lives. Not make us fearful about living them." -Nancy Lyons

You go girl!

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world

2009-07-22T11:37:00.000-05:00

Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo.

Wardo's Job Description Idea for the Emerging Media Marketing role

2009-07-16T12:15:00.004-05:00

The following job description is my submission to the Best Buy job description contest. Please sign up for an account on http://bestbuyideax.com/ and vote for my idea (number 645).
---
The term 'emerging media expert' may be an oxymoron. Perhaps it should be 'emerging media specialist' or even 'emerging media explorer'. After all it is just emerging.

It reminds me a bit of the early days, when you could find corporate job descriptions for Internet professionals demanding 10+ years of Internet-related experience in a field that was not really even 6 years old. Larry Ellison, Oracle CEO, in a keynote address he gave some years ago, observed that a calendar year was roughly equivalent to four Internet years – thus equating an Internet year with a corporate financial quarter. The rate of change on the Internet is fast and I would argue that the impact emerging media has makes change even faster.

I agree with George Colony from Forrester Research as he so aptly put it "Social [media] is like sex. It's fun to talk about and read about, but you can't truly comprehend unless you do it." An online presence of some magnitude is telling, but perhaps requiring 200+ friends/connections/followers is too arbitrary. Research suggests that your brain is hard wired to pay attention to about 150 people (Dunbar's number).

Perhaps instead one should focus on the transferable skills and career evolution of a candidate as well as his/her passionate attitude.

"For true experts realize that they don’t have all the answers, they are aware that surprises await in every endeavor, and they have the resources to deal with everything that is thrown at them." -Rick Mahn

For example take the role of Islands Caretaker for Tourism Queensland in Australia, or what has been termed the ‘Best Job in the World’. The role was a newly created position designed to help promote the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to the world. A 34-year-old charity fundraiser from Petersfield in Hampshire, UK was selected not only for his transferable skills (SCUBA diving and sailing) but his adventurous spirit, energy and passion for the outdoors.

Transferable skills for an Emerging Media Marketing role would probably include:
- search marketing strategy and implementation
- project management
- web metrics and analytics
- team leadership and agency management

Career evolution might look like this:
Develop web properties -> manage web properties -> advocate usability -> market web properties -> measure web visitor behavior -> listen to web audiences -> engage in the web conversation with your audience in a human voice.

For me anyway the Cluetrain Manifesto embodies many of the paradigms that have evolved on the web. Why not use that document to frame up a job description for the Emerging Media Marketing role?

--- Begin Job Description Idea for the Emerging Media Marketing role ---

"A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies." - Cluetrain Manifesto

Description of responsibilities

Be the leader for marketing Best Buy’s brands, products, initiatives, services, et al via Social Media, Mobile, and Video.
Lead direct reports and agency partners
Strategy/Budget/time line/project management responsibility
Inspire/Generate ideas
Develop an internal/external network to get the above done.

Basic Qualifications

10+ years web/online marketing and/or Agency experience with 3+ years developing and directing search marketing and/or online community and communications initiatives.
Bachelor's Degree
A positive engaging online presence - Experience with emerging media & record of having used it extensively:

Active Twitter account at least 1 year old with 150+ followers
Active Facebook account
Active LinkedIn account with 150+ connections and 24+ recommendations
3G Smart phone Owner/User for at least a year (iPhone, Android or other)

5+ years experience leading cross-functional teams in achieving a unified goal
5+ years Experience with web property measurement and analysis

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative Web Analytics reports such as those generated by Omniture SiteCatalyst, or Foresee Results.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Strong influence management capabilities
Ability to create great working relationships with all levels within the company and across multiple disciplines.
Superior communication and writing skills
Committed to staying on top of emerging technologies and developing new programs and strategies accordingly.
Ability to move from a technical project status meeting in IT to a creative marketing meeting, and be able to understand and participate with both on equal footing.

Other

Keen sense of curiosity and hunger for knowledge
A desire to make a difference

Tilsner Bldg. St. Paul, MN

2009-04-26T16:31:00.001-05:00

Tilsner Bldg. St. Paul, MN
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Wardo
Sent from device with very tiny keys.

Yoshimi Visits Medtronic WHQ

2009-01-26T09:28:00.001-06:00

IMG_1692
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Welcome to the 'hood' Bu!

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Conclusion

2009-01-04T19:44:00.004-06:00

Meditation
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is the conclusion of Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood. Start with part one.
---
Lifetime Valuable Experience

If I used the blue sky as paper and the ocean as ink, it would not be enough to describe my entire incredible monastic experience. All Buddhist philosophies, terminologies, doctrines, and Pali scriptures that I studied in high school had come back to my memory. The teaching from Ajarn Ratana (the abbot) and other disciplined and talented monks was delivered to me with a keen sense of humor. They guided me to the noble way of life in the quest for suffering liberation, the truth of suffering, the cause/effect of suffering, the karma rule, the path to end suffering, and answered questions about meditation and the practice. In addition, I have discovered an important answer about living as a monk in a monastery. You need not to ordain if you want to learn the Buddhist philosophy and practice. It is primarily your good intentions and the effort level you give from your heart which are more powerful than carrying out the ordination.

To become a monk requires not only intention but also conviction. To remain a monk requires patience, discipline, and understanding. These attributes can be cultivated and will arise naturally with the development of meditation. With the right attitudes and balanced view of one's emontional changes, one will learn from the difficulties and gain understanding. Time spent as a monk will be a valuable and rewarding experience.

The End.

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Part 6

2009-01-04T19:39:00.004-06:00

Buddha Image
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is part 6 of Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood.
---
Some Challenges to Overcome

Prior my decision to become a monk, I was fully aware that I must live under 227 precepts and should follow monk’s rules and practice. I must give up the things I enjoyed in my laypersons lifestyle such as getting up late, watching American Idol or Hells Kitchen, going to the coffee shop, sitting on the couch, and sipping a dark mocha latte, partying and drinking Martini, and going to bed very late, etc. Those were obstacles that I need to overcome once I got use to and learned the true meaning behind the precepts.

One of the most challenging monastic lifestyle changes was to get up early at 4:30am to do the morning chanting. Usually if I do not have any appointment or travel plans or work, I never get up before 7:00am. However, for my 7-days as a monk, I could get up as early at 4:00am without any problem (of course, I went to bed at 9:30pm on the previous night). From what I experience in getting up early, I found that it was very refreshing. It was refreshing from the fresh air I breathed. My soul was peaceful and serene from the cool quiet morning. I could hear nothing but the creaking sound as I walked. Only a cup of warm herbal tea or warm water could wake me up all morning until the afternoon.

Another challenge as a monk was not to have dinner. This is according to one of the 227 precepts - rules of conduct. I was to abstain from eating at the wrong time (the right time was eating once, after sunrise, and again before noon). It was strange that I did not get hungry at night simply because I drank several glasses of warm water, tea, cider, chocolate malt, etc. There was also no hard exercise after sunset.

Dressing in robes was quite difficult for me. I spent about 15-30 minutes to dress myself prior chanting, breakfast, and lunch time. I kept trying again and again to tighten my robes and I seemed to have either too much robe left over or not enough. Several times I was sweating due to poorly fitted robes. I felt that I looked like a pear mascot. Let me explain briefly about how to put the monk robes on. The monk's wardrobe consists of an outer robe civara (Jivorn) and an under robe antaravassaka (Sabong) that is worn around the waist, covering the navel and falling to just below the knees. The Jivorn is large and is generally wrapped around the body with the two ends rolled together. The roll is taken over the left shoulder and under the left arm so that its end can be held in the left hand or pressed firmly between the arm and the body. Under Jivorn, on the top part of the body is worn a sort of sleeveless one-shouldered waistcoat (Ungsa) which is joined together on the left side by tying tags. The Sabong is held up by a fold and a tuck and a cord belt. For formal religious services inside he monastery, the monks also wears an additional robe (Sanghati) which is folded in a very particular way into a long rectangle and hung over the left shoulder.

Continued...

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Part 5

2009-01-04T19:27:00.003-06:00

Nuk's Finally a Monk
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is part 5 of Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood.
---
Daily Activities

During the transition from a layperson to a monk, I noticed that people reacted toward me differently. For example, everybody wai'd me regardless of age or gender, women are not allowed to touch me, laypersons used special phrases to address me as a monk, etc. I could not believe my life was changed instantly and my lifestyle was now shaped so as to support Buddhist spiritual practice, to live a simple and meditative life, and attain nirvana.

A typical day for Thai monks - they get up at 5:00am and get ready to go out on the alms round. They come back around 6:30am and have breakfast around 7:00am. Some temples do morning chant after breakfast, some do at 5:00am. At 11:00am, it is a lunch time and evening chant is normally at around 5:00pm or 6:00pm depending on the temple. The rest of the day is free time. They can do anything they like.

For my daily activity in the temple, I normally got up at about 4:30am and spent 10 to 15 minutes to tie on my robe. Putting on a monk’s wardrobe is not as easy as it looks and it, for some monks, could take up to at least one month to know how to wear their robes properly. For a few days, I asked other monks to help and teach me how to wrap this robe tight and secure and fit to my body. Each monk had his own way to wear his robe. At around 5:00am, a monk struck the temple bell to notify all that it was time for morning chanting. All monks including myself sat in front of a big Buddha statue and start chanting for 30-45 minutes. In the quiet environment, the sound of chanting was amazingly harmonious, melodious and peaceful, and my mind was somewhat hypnotized by the melody of the scripture. It was just a truly refreshing every time when I did morning and evening chant. Then we did meditation for 10-15 minutes. Meditation did help my mind focus, relieve stress, and calm my body. in most meditations my leg got numb due to “lotus sitting”. That was one thing that I need to keep practicing.

At 6:30am I went to the main hall for a breakfast preparation. There were 2-3 volunteers cooking breakfast and lunch for the monks. Unlike Mahayana Buddhist, Thai monks - Theravada - are allowed to eat many meats. Therefore, each breakfast or lunch consisted of meat dishes, veggie dishes, as well as thai dessert and fruits. I had to admit that every meal was really very good and I appreciated the chefs time and efforts to help carry out the temple activities. Breakfast started at 7:00am with a few prays. After breakfast, I normally took a shower, read and studied Buddhist texts, talked to the abbot, and sometimes took a nap.

Between 10:30am and 11:30am, it was a time to set up plates, spoons, forks, drinks; then lunchtime, and cleaning the dishes afterward. This was going to be the last meal of the day so I had to ensure I had enough food to avoid hunger at night. Yes, one of the 227 precepts is to abstain from eating outside the “proper time”. Traditionally, the “proper time” is from dawn until midday. From noon until dawn the following day, the Bikkhu is expected to fast. Fasting means avoiding solid foods (or anything that is chewable) but not liquids such as coffee, tea, juice, milk, etc.

In the afternoon, it was free time until 5:00pm. I normally spent time to read Buddhist books, or study Buddhist doctrine and scripture in the Pali language. Sometimes I chatted with the other monks, watched news on the internet, swept around the temple, cleaned the floor, or took a short nap. During this free time, I realized some things that I never before contemplated such as self discovery, happiness, monkhood lifestyle, meditation, real world versus religious world, etc.

At 5:00pm, the bell sounded began, all monks gathered in the Buddha room for evening chanting. It was basically similar to morning chanting except reciting different scripture. It was peaceful indeed.

In the evening, there were not many activities after evening chanting. I spent my precious time training my mind and learning Buddhist doctrinal principals and tenets, and practice the whole discipline as much as I could. There are so many things to learn and most of them not in the books. My normal bed time was 9:30pm.

Continued...

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Part 4

2009-01-04T19:22:00.003-06:00

Accepting his Robes
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is part 4 of Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood.
---
Ordination

The ordination ceremony started at 8:00am inside the hall where monks were assembled for rites. Five monks including the abbot sat surrounded me in a pentagonal arrangement. I sat facing toward the Buddha image towards the front of the hall. I was a little worried that I would forget the lines I was required to recite in Pali or do the wrong thing at the wrong time. After some introductory chanting, I came forward on my knees and entered the group of monks and did a prostration three times. Although I forgot some notes, I thought I did a good job in memorizing the Pali scripture. Five minutes later, Maha-Sunthorn placed the robes over on my forearms, joined my hands in respect and then started chanting in Pali for 5 more minutes. Then he taught me that being a monk (in the Sangha) is not that easy and requires patience, discipline, and individual devotional practice as a result of “seeing the truth of life”. At this point, he accepted me as a samanera (novice monk) who would be required to keep the ten precepts as the code of behavior. I took off my white shirt and Maha-Sunthorn placed the amsa (a saffron shoulder cloth) over my head covering my left shoulder. I chanted, which basically translated as: “I go to the Buddha for refuge. I go to the Dharma for refuge. I go to the Sangha for refuge” and then recited the ten precepts. He then ordered me to go with monks to get changed into the rest of my robes.

Once I was done changing my clothes from white lay to yellow monk, I stood behind the line (10 feet away from Buddha image) with my palms pressed together in a deep wai. What followed was a close examination to see whether I was fit to become a monk. Basically, I was about to be asked a series of questions in Pali (which is a foreign language to me). The first four I must answer “no, sir”. The fifth question is “Are you human?” and I must obviously switch to “yes sir” and continue like that for the remaining questions.

Two monks, Maha-Udom and Maha-Prasert, then approached me and started chanting in Pali which roughly translated as “Listen, Suriya. This is the time for the truth, the time for what is factual. You will be asked in the midst of the sangha about things which have occurred. Whatever is so should be affirmed. Whatever is not should be denied. Do not be embarrassed. Do not be confused.” Then the questions began….

Luckily, I answered them correctly. Maha-Udom and Maha-Prasert then returned to the assembly of monks and chanted that they had examined the applicant and I was ready, they would like to invite me to join the assembly. They agreed and I came forward and prostrated in front of them three times.

To become a full fledged monk or Bikkhu, I had to be given an alms bowl by a monk. I then requested to become a Bikkhu who would obey rules of conduct, 227 precepts as set out in the Vinaya, and is devoted to the Buddhist religious life. The alms bowl was then hung over my shoulder as the monks proceeded chanting and chanting. It went something like “I am free of obstructing factors. My bowl and robes are complete. I request acceptance from the Sangha”. Finally I was accepted as a monk!

Continued...

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Part 3

2009-01-04T19:16:00.004-06:00

Freshly Shaved Monk Candidate
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is part 3 of Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood.
---
Head Shaving

Saturday night was my first night staying at the temple where all monks resided. It was 8:30pm and everyone was in their room. I asked myself “Did they go to bed at 8:30pm? I guess so. They need to wake up at 4:30m, don’t they?”

I went into my bedroom up on the third floor. It was a simple bedroom - basically a bed and room. There was a thin sheet on a futon, two thin pillows, a blanket, two book shelves, a desk, a chair, and the sport bag I brought along. No TV, no radio, no computer, and no clock in this room! Well, what can I say? There was nothing to do but to take a shower and get ready for a big day tomorrow.

I awoke at 4:30am the next morning and stayed in my room. The sound of a large bell chime hit by a wooden stick wrapped with cloth signaled the monks to their morning chant at 5:00am. I was still in bed on a futon covered by a very thin sheet... half awake, half sleep. I could hear a resonant chanting by the monks that sounded so peaceful. Then I fully woke up at 6:00am and opened the door to my room. Maha-Sunthorn, the senior monk, and another monk – Maha Aram - were waiting for me. “We shall shave your head now” – said Maha Aram.

Needless to say, I nodded my head and acknowledged his statement. If my parents were here, they would cut a lock of my hair then a monk would shave my whole head. Maha-Aram asked me if I preferred an electric clipper or a traditional razor. I had no preference, so shaving head was performed in the bathroom my Maha Aram with an electric clipper.

As an electric clipper began, I was thinking to myself “Is this real? Am I dreaming?” I guessed that I was still in a state of unbelief until I saw a lock of my hair drop into a waste basket. That moment I realized I couldn’t turn back. I tried to be calm as he was shaving my entire head and my eyebrows as well (Thai style). It took about half hour to make my head bald. I rinsed my hair off, dressed in white, and looked into a mirror for the first time after my shave. This ritual was a renouncement to my former life.

Prior to the ordination ceremony, Maha-Sunthorn asked me about my birthday, my parents’ names, and my educational background. Based on the information provided, he named me “Api Panyo” which means “scholar”. This was my monk name which would be used in the ordination ceremony. Later, we rehearsed the ordination steps such as how to recite passages in Pali – an ancient language of the scriptures, the five-point prostration, and how to sit in the proper way, etc.

At that moment, I wore white and I was considered a "Naga". In Buddhist legend, Naga generally takes the form of a large cobra-like snake, usually with a single head but sometimes with many. The story goes that Naga disguised himself as a human being in order to become a monk. The Lord Buddha discovered this trickery. Then Naga was not allowed to become a monk but since this time all candidates to monkhood are called Naga. Ward and Chris were surprised when they arrived at 7:30am an saw me without my hair. They thought that the head shaving would be part of the ordination ceremony.

Continued...

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Part 2

2009-01-04T19:10:00.003-06:00

Wat Phrasriratanamahadhatu
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is part 2 Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood.
---
Journey Began

At 8:00am on Saturday November 22, Ward and I hit the road to Chicago. It was a decent day, some flurries but not too cold. We had breakfast at the Norske Nook in Osseo, Wisconsin where their pies are very popular. Then we continued driving to Chicago and meet Ward’s younger brother, Chris. He lives 10 minutes away from downtown Chicago and fairly close to the Wat.

At 4:00pm Ward drove while Chris was navigated to the temple. My heart was pounding, as I had no idea what to expect. Then we arrived at the destination – Wat Phrasriratanamahadhatu. I got out of the car and looked around to see whether the house number was the right address, I was stunned! “Is this the temple that I decided to stay for a week?” I said to myself... but no words came out of my mouth. The temple seemed to be just regular house, kinda old and abandoned looking with a few leafless trees. There was no distinction between this temple and the surrounding residential housing along the street except the fairly prominent wooden-sign in the front yard that read “Wat Phrasriratanamahadhatu” in English and Thai.

I went to the front door and looked through the window. I couldn’t see anything except the curtain. It was dark inside. There was a small note posted on the wall that directed visitors to go to the back door. Still a bit taken aback, I asked Chris and Ward to wait for me while I walked to the back of the temple. Unlike the front of the temple, the back had a big parking space that could hold up to 10 cars. I came back around and asked Ward to park in this private parking area. Then I notices across the alley from the back of this house, there was a separate building with sinage in Thai, a large hall (in Thai called “Sa-la”) that could accomodate up to 200 people easily. So the Wat consisted of several buildings.

Ward parked and we all three opened the back door to the house and were looking around. It was as quiet as the cabin in Minaki where I used to stay with Wards family up in Canada, except no loons. The entire floor was made of wood that creaked every time we walked. We sat down in a dining area near a small Buddha room to the left side. We could see dim light shining from the big Buddha room in front of us. “Hi”- greeted an elderly monk – Maha-Sunthorn. He grinned mischeviously and talked to us. I talked to him about the purpose of my trip. He knew who I was since he remembered my phone call almost a month ago. However, he couldn’t make any decision nor give me any further information about what I supposed to do. I asked him whether I could ordain tomorrow but he could not give me an answer, he smiled. He asked me to come back at 6:30pm as the abbot was not in at the moment. My nervous feelings returned and I started to wonder as to whether or not my journey to the Buddhist world would succeed. My thoughts turned inward and I started asking myself several “what-if” questions. “What if he said I can’t ordain tomorrow due to bad date? What if the abbot forgot about my ordination and was not prepared? What if he said I can’t return to lay life the Sunday after next as I had planned?” “What if … and what if…”

To pass the time until the abbot returned, Ward and Chris took me to the dinner nearby. Knowing that I would not be able to have dinner during my monkhood, we all went to a nice sushi place. During dinner, my what-if questions were still lingering on and off. “What kind of test does Buddha want to give me?” I feel this way whenever something strange happens to me.

It was 6:30pm and I needed to see the abbot to find out whether or not my ordination was OK for the next day. I rushed out of the sushi restaurant to the temple. The back door was closed and the light was off. “Was I late? Should I ring the bell again?” - I was afraid of waking the monks up.

“DING!”... one minute later, the abbot- Venerable Ajarn Ratana, came to the door. He looked vigorously, wisely, yet calm. He asked me a few questions. I was tense. He was aware of my journey, the challenge of my life. He still didn’t answer whether or not it was OK to ordain the next day. He also didn’t reply whether the next Sunday I could disrobe to be a layperson again. He looked through his book for a short moment and finally accepted my request formally. My worries were taken away and my body was light as if I was a piece of cotton. My mind was cleared. Ward & Chris then returned from the restaurant, after a few beers. The abbot gave us all a talk in English about Buddhist philosophy and life. This man was seriously amazing to meet and very wise. Their alcohol level from dinner immediately dropped down to zero.

Continued...

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Life Under The Saffron Robe - Part 1

2009-01-04T18:54:00.004-06:00

Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

This is part 1 of Suriya "Nuk" Chitchulanon's journal describing his Buddhist ordination ritual and subsequent monkhood. He undertook this journey in November 2008.
---
Finally the big day arrived. It was Saturday afternoon November 22nd after a 7-hour long drive from St Paul Minnesota to Chicago. It was the day that I had been waiting for, for years. I was about to reach my goal – to become ordained as a Buddhist monk. The reason why I wanted to become a monk was primarily to give merit to my parents, but also to make good on a promise I had made. I also wanted to seek answers to the questions about life that I could not find in the lay world.

October-November Preparations

Last month, I realized that I still had vacation time I needed to use or lose before the end of the year. I would normally spend my vacation to travel abroad to Canada or to Thailand. But this time, I decided to take a short excursion into the mind and spiritual world. After reviewing my calendar, I decided to take the opportunity to take my vacation during Thanksgiving week for a total of 7 days off.

Deciding on the right monastery to approach for this quest was not easy. I spent quite a bit of time to think and to do research on which temple would be the best one. My first step was to pick a city. I chose Chicago because Thai community there is much larger than the one in Minnesota and I wanted to meet new faces and make new friends. Then, selecting a temple was my second step. Nowadays people are finding their information through the internet. Yes, I Googled it and somehow I picked “Wat Phrasriratanamahadhatu” as my final answer. Although this Wat (temple) had no website, the Wat’s name also appeared in 4-5 other websites. The only information I had this far was the Wat’s address, phone number, a little bit about Wat’s history and a picture. That’s it! I guess the reason why I chose this temple was because its name sounded beautiful to me.

Now that the step of finding a temple was over, the next step was to contact the abbot and ask him whether his temple accepts novice ordinations as short as 7-days. Traditionally, most temples only allow men to ordain for at least 1-3 month. They believe that in order for new monks to gain knowledge from the Buddhist teachings (from texts and sermons given by the abbot), and live under 227 precepts with discipline effectively, it would take 1 to 3 months. However, in the modern world, most men no longer spend that much time in the temple due to family and work obligations. Even so, I made phone calls to the Wat and tried to talk to the abbot. Most of my calls were picked up by the senior monk or other monks who would only take a message for the abbot. Luckily I had a few chances to talk to the abbot himself, Ajarn Ratana, and asked as many questions as I could, but it was never enough. He accepted my request to become a monk for a 7-day term and told me the temple would provide monk clothes and robe.

After obtaining the abbot’s permission, I informed my parents and asked their permission as well. Actually we had discussed this the last time I went back home to Thailand in 2007. In fact, I was very close to entering into an ordination in Thailand but the opportunity was not right then. I called my parents about the ordination in Chicago. I answered their questions about place and time. Although they were unable to attend themselves they were extremely pleased, joyful and proud.

In order to complete the requirements for pre-ordination, I would normally visit my parents, teachers, and friends whom I revere and care for to inform them about my “ordination leaving”. If I were in Thailand, I would have to dress in white, buy incense, a candle and a lotus. Bring these to them and ask for forgiveness from whatever I have done in the past that may have hurt them physically, verbally or mentally. They would then bless me in return. Because I live America, I arranged to meet my close friends and mentors to ask them for forgiveness and called my parents for forgiveness as well.

By the way, the process wouldn’t have been a success without Ward. He did some Web research behind the scenes and sent an email to our families and friends to educate them about this event how important it was to me. I got many contributions for the offering to the temple and tremendous support from our families and friends. I was speechless. This outpouring of support really touched my heart! All contributions would be offered to be wisely spent for the monks daily basic needs. Among other items white clothes a yellow sweater were donated to the Wat during the ceremony.

Continued...

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, conclusion.

Talks Dan Barber: A surprising parable of foie gras

2008-12-18T20:13:00.003-06:00

Top Travel Twitter Tips

2008-12-02T07:30:00.012-06:00

"Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service, that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length." - Wikipedia

I highly recommend using Twitter (tweeting) with Twinkle while traveling. Tips from followers and local information from nearby Twitterers prove very valuable.

Twinkle is a Twitter app for iPhone that uses the iPhone's geolocation function. You can also upload photos to reference in your tweets. This useful iPhone app was created by Tapulous.

Here are my top tips for using Twitter when you travel:

Don't tweet while you are driving - Tweet only when you are a passenger or are safely stopped.
Tweet when you are hungry - Locals may chime in with a great place to stop and eat.
Tweet the local traffic conditions (when you are in a traffic jam) - Fellow Twinklers may suggest alternate routes.
Tweet the weather conditions - Online weather maps are useful, but an evaluation by locals or fellow travelers may be a lifesaver.
Tweet your ETA - Let folks at ome know you are safe.
Tweet when you are bored - Tweetdom may suggest interesting nearby points of interest.
Tweet a photo when you see something unusual - Comments on your photo can be useful feedback for your return trip.
Tweet local fuel prices - Fuel prices can vary surprisingly on a day trip. Gas prices on the way to Chicago ranged from $1.59 to nearly $2.00. Know when to fill up.

Nuk was ordained a Buddhist Monk

2008-11-26T07:11:00.016-06:00

Nuk was ordained on Sunday November 23, 2008 at about 9am at Wat Phrasriratanamahadhatu, a Theravada Buddhist temple in Chicago. This was an extremely important event to Nuk and his family. I sponsored Nuk, but many people contributed to the ordination.

Follow this link to see additional ordination photos

My younger brother Chris and I attended as well as a few of Nuk's friends. A few local Thai temple visitors also attended.

Five monks participated in the ceremony which was was overseen by the Abbot, Ven. Ratana Thontkrajai (an amazing man).
Chris and I arrived at the Temple at 7:30 am. Nuk, who had spent the night at the temple, was already shorn, Thai-style (head and eyebrows), when we got there.Right before he became a monk Nuk was helping the lay temple assistants with the meal. One of these assistants was a woman. He worked closely with her to serve food and move tables in the dining hall. After the ceremony none of the women came too close to Nuk. Monks are not allowed to come into contact with women.

Nuk called his parents right before the ceremony so that their thoughts could be with Nuk during this important cultural rite of passage.

Offerings were made in the names of all who contributed. Everyone that attended the ordination touched the hem of Nuk's new monk robes as he made the offering to receive merit.

His new monk name is Api Panyo which roughly means "scholar".

Here is some more information on the ceremony and what the typical daily routine is for a Thai monk.

Horny Wardo

2008-10-31T07:38:00.001-05:00

Horny Ward
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Happy Halloween!

10 Years! Congrats Sally

2008-10-28T15:10:00.001-05:00

10 Years! Congrats Sally
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Wardo
Sent from device with very tiny keys.

Checking out the competition at MIMA Summit 2008

2008-10-02T13:14:00.001-05:00

MIMASummit2_028
Originally uploaded by mima_flickr.

Happy Birthday Ben Wallace

2008-09-29T17:57:00.002-05:00

Geek ben and devil ward
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

His devilish cousin Wardo wishes Ben Wallace a very happy and geeky 40th birthday. You are not getting older Ben, you are getting better looking.

Can Corporate Bloggers “Fit In” With A Community of Real People?

2008-09-04T18:00:00.019-05:00

I was recently invited (via Twitter) to participate in a MIMA Summit blog carnival by discussing one of three questions. Of course this is a blatant attempt at viral marketing, not unlike what I did when I coined the term "searchbaiting" and blogged about it.

The question I selected was posed: “Corporate Blogger: Angel Or Demon? Is It Possible To Both Speak The Voice Of The Organization And Also “Fit In” With A Community of Real People?” I might add that this was posted in ALL CAPS – poor blog form, MIMA we can do better.

I put this question to Jill Serbousek. She is the Vice President of Business and Marketing Strategy for Medtronic's Spinal and Biologics Division. She also runs what I think is the first corporate medical device blog I know of, InsideSpine.com . She is an employee of Medtronic and a spinal patient. She underwent spinal surgery herself for repair of a herniated disc.

OK, OK, the ability to comment on InsideSpine is disabled, but for a good reason. Medtronic is in a heavily regulated industry and by necessity needs to stay on the correct side of the FDA. A free exchange of comments could be interpreted as a violation under certain circumstances.

Jill agreed that it is possible for a corporate blogger to fit in with a community of real people. “However, taking the high road is critical. And, keeping postings within compliance with our rules is [very] critical.”

The blogging community can be fairly hard on corporate bloggers. Jill shared that other blog sites link to InsideSpine for the content. She tries hard to keep it real, keep it educational, and stay focused on the topic.

My mommy!

2008-08-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

My mommy!
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Sent from 3G iPhone

Hangin with Paul a local blogger at NCMR

2008-06-06T22:52:00.001-05:00

Hangin w/ Wardo
Originally uploaded by localmn.

I attended the National Convention for Media Reform this weekend.

Jason Calacanis is now following Ward Tongen!

2008-05-24T22:23:00.001-05:00

Be afraid. Be very afraid...

Camry Solidarity

2008-05-22T07:51:00.002-05:00

Camry Solidarity
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

The SearchBaiting Award

2008-04-26T23:00:00.030-05:00

Here is the official SearchBaiting Award. This honor is awarded to those that discover, on their own accord, that they have been searchbaited.

SearchBaiting definition: The act of leaving clues on the Web (searchbait) so that a targeted person will discover and act on the reference. One who searchbaits of course would be a searchbaiter.

If you have been the recipient of searchbaiting feel free to download this badge proudly post it on your web property. Link it to this post at http://wardsmoblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/searchbaiting-award.html.

Acknowledged recipients eligible to receive this award are listed as follows:

If you want to display your award on your website, feel free to use one of the badges below. Simply copy and paste the code associated with each badge.

Badge Code (150 x 231):

Awarding Judge: Ward Tongen, Master Searchbaiter

Top 15 Peculiar Sayings I learned from my Parents

2008-04-26T09:19:00.006-05:00

Here is a list of sayings I learned from my parents and grandparents that I find myself repeating as I get older. Yes, it's scary.

Some of these make sense, but many of them are just old senseless idioms and expressions that I spontaneously quote because they are familiar to me (not necessarily anyone else).

Play it by ear
By the skin of your teeth
No bones about it
That's not my baliwick
That's a crock!
Finer than frogs hair (or, as my Mother used to say "finer than frogs hair split 4-ways")
...and Bob's your uncle
To make a long story short...
You can't get blood out of a turnip...
Go to Hell in a hand basket.
You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a...
Pin money.
Straight from the horses mouth.
Feeling under the weather.
there is more than one way to skin a cat.

There is some interesting etymology and history behind some of these phrases.

What peculiar sayings or quotes do you remember from your childhood?

SearchBaiting my Colleagues

2008-04-25T08:42:00.015-05:00

"You're so vain. You probably think this post is about you."

Last year I participated in blog tagging. This year I came up with a fun new scheme I'll call "Searchbaiting".

Working Definition of Searchbaiting: The act of leaving clues on the Web (searchbait) so that a targeted person will discover and act on the reference. One who searchbaits of course would be a searchbaiter.

There is a very talented group of Minnesota search marketers I want to test. I also wanted to use the term Searchbaiting, which I don't think is a word yet.

Clint Danks, ThinkSEM - Expert search engine marketer
Nicole St. Martin - International search expert and blogger
Paul Jahn - Local search expert and blogger
Sara Bernier - Spanish search marketer
Zinda Schaefer, Evantage Consulting - Senior eMarketing Consultant

As Web professionals I figure there are several ways my friends could find this post about them.

A vanity search
Backlink analysis of web properties I've linked their names to.
Referral analysis of traffic metrics to these web sites
Word-of-mouth (so don't tell them)
RSS Subscription to Ward's MobBlog. [thanks Mark!]

Myself, I have a Google vanity alert set up so that I am notified by email when my name appears in Google's index.

OK let's see how long it takes them to find this post.

Clint, Nicole, Sarah, Paul, & Zinda - Once you find this post please leave a comment. First one to leave a comment wins!

[4/26/08 @2am] 1st Place - Paul Jahn
[4/29/08 @ 5:30pm] 2nd Place - Clint Danks
[5/14/08 @ 7:08pm] 3rd Place - Sarah Bernier
[5/18/08 @ 11:33am] 4th Place - Nicole St. Martin

Buffalo Horn Shaped Seed/Nut?

2008-04-14T13:22:00.004-05:00

[4/14/07] I saw these in a local Asian ethnic grocery store in Minneapolis. If you know what this is please leave a comment.

[revised] It has taken exactly one year, but thanks to Danigirl we now know that this is a Trapa bicornis Osbeck horn nut!!! Say that 3 times fast.

"The seed has a crunchy texture with a bland flavour. It is rich in starch, the raw seed contains a deleterious principle that is destroyed by cooking - yea, right. The cooked seed can be dried and ground into a powder. It also has anticancer and antipyretic medicinal uses."

Many thanks Danigirl!

Kuma-Wardo

2008-04-13T13:58:00.008-05:00

Kuma-Wardo
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo

I found this hat at the Minnesota Science Museum and endured embarrassment by wearing it for a very special friend of mine.

Hats on to you Iruka-san.

Ward's List Of 35 Words That Are Fun To Say

2008-04-01T21:03:00.001-05:00

1. anthropomorphism
2. archaeopteryx
3. baba ganoush
4. buckminsterfullerene
5. Buttafuco
6. cornucopia
7. curmudgeon
8. derbis
9. diphthong
10. discombobulate
11. efficacious
12. ginkgo biloba
13. gorgonzola
14. indubitably
15. jabberwocky
16. Katmandu
17. kerfuffle
18. kumquat
19. Lake Titicaca
20. loquacious
21. lugubrious
22. mellifluous
23. obfuscate
24. onomatopoeia
25. persnickety
26. plethora
27. polyamorous
28. Punxsutawney
29. pusillanimous
30. rutabaga
31. sphygmomanometer
32. spumoni
33. superfluous
34. vociferous
35. Worcestershire

Stopping time at Grand Central Station

2008-02-14T18:07:00.002-06:00

Improve Everywhere

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T09:09:00.000-06:00

Cheryl the Monkey Girl!

2008-01-10T08:59:00.001-06:00

Cheryl the Monkey Girl!
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T06:57:00.001-06:00

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Fuzzy Ward Bear

2007-12-21T14:24:00.001-06:00

Fuzzy Ward Bear
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Earl Bakken with the Medtronic Leadership Mastermind Team

2007-12-21T10:38:00.002-06:00

Earl Bakken with the GBS Mastermind Team
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Earl met with my Medtronic Leadership Mastermind Team. Earl is hard to describe, but he is energetic, fun and full of vision. He kept giving us books and articles to read about integrative medicine. We were all moved by his perspective.

From left to right: Sarah Elder, Ward Tongen, Eric Kreager, Earl Bakken, Heather Lambert, Beth Milan and Lisa Milan

5 Bars! Great WiFi Coverage in the Kitchen

2007-12-17T19:29:00.001-06:00

5 Bars! Great WiFi Coverage in the Kitchen
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Puppy Parts from Evantage

2007-12-12T11:15:00.001-06:00

Puppy Parts from Evantage
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

I received a wonderful gift today from my search marketing team. Small peices of puppy wrapped up in very festive boxes all tied up with a bow.

There was some sweet puppy paw trail mix, pickled puppy ears, seasoned puppy hamburger, spicy BBQ puppy riblets, and a chocolate covered puppy tails. MMmmm...

The rest of the team in my office couldn't wait to try 'em.

Wishtree Program Gifts

2007-12-11T08:57:00.001-06:00

Wishtree Program Gifts
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Holiday cookies for good boys & girls

2007-11-29T14:10:00.001-06:00

Holiday cookies for good boys & girls
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Hey Mark, you got a minute?

2007-11-16T10:09:00.001-06:00

Hey Mark, you got a minute?
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Nifty 50

2007-11-15T14:14:00.001-06:00

Nifty 50
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Qigong

2007-11-10T13:27:00.001-06:00

Hunan Provincial Museum (qigong positions)
Originally uploaded by MLHauser.

My last night in Bangkok, Nuk's mother, Tasanee, teaches me some Qigong.

Qigong is an aspect of traditional Chinese medicine involving the coordination of different breathing patterns with various physical postures and motions of the body.

There was much hilarity as I (the farang) tried to reproduce some of the positions she demonstrated.

Gaining Perspective from Bangkok Traffic

2007-11-09T10:35:00.001-06:00

Bangkok Traffic
Originally uploaded by Life in Nanning.

Let me tell you a little bit about transportation and traffic in Bangkok. We took many modes of transportation in this bustling city.

On Foot - Lots of people, lots of places, lots of walking. Thai foot massage places and shoe repair vendors are everywhere.
Private Car - Thais prefer to back into car park spaces, I'm not sure why.
Taxi - make sure you tell the driver to start the meter.
Skytrain (BTS) - Very easy to use, clean and air conditioned!
Subway (MRT) - Much like any modern subway.
Songthaew - literally two rows in the back of a covered pick-up truck. 6 Baht anywhere in the circuit. Fun to ride on the very back.
Chao Phraya Express Boat (River Taxi) - Step quickly and carefully on these boats, they don't hang around the dock for very long and the boat and dock are usually moving.
Tuk-Tuk - Noisy and fun, but the heat and fumes in a traffic jam can give you a headache very quickly.
Motorcycle Taxi - not for the fain of heart, but these guys will get you through any jam effectively if not safely.
Klong Taxi - Only one we didn't do. The klongs (canals) are very stinky.

Moving through Bangkok traffic was one of the primary methods by which I gained perspective into the Thai way of thought (and by comparison my own western way of thinking).

There are constantly traffic jams, however no one honks their horn in anger or frustration. A short horn is used to signal intention to cut in or permission to cut into traffic.
The motorcycles stream between the buses, cars and tuk-tuks like sand through rocks in a riverbed. Few people wear helmets. A family of 4 or 5 can fit on a small motorcycle.
Traffic signals are frequently ignored. One stream of traffic edges slowly into another and gradually cuts it off to flow for a while itself then visa versa.
I learned not to look out the front of the vehicle I was traveling in, but rather off to the side. My life was well and truly in the hands of others and I just needed to let go and live it. Thais are not paralyzed by safety issues. They seem to recognize that life is short.
I saw evidence of only one serious accident on the highway on my way to the airport at 3:30 am.

The Dome State Tower, Bangkok

2007-11-07T12:35:00.001-06:00

Sirocco Roof Bar Restaurant, The Dome State Tower, Bangkok
Originally uploaded by UK Ryan.

In a poetic gesture at the end of my trip my brother takes me to the Skybar at The Dome State Tower, Bangkok.

I looked down on Bangkok - A city I'v gotten to know much better than I thought, and toasted life with my brother.

I come away a changed man.

Tawandang German Brewery - Bangkok

2007-11-07T03:08:00.001-06:00

Tawandang Brewery - Bangkok
Originally uploaded by brewer.

It's kind of hard to explain this supper club, theater, concert hall, brewery-type place called Tawandang German Brewery

German foods like fried pig knuckles and sausage go surprisingly well with traditional thai cuisine!

Bangkok Blue Elephant Cooking School

2007-11-07T02:55:00.001-06:00

Bangkok 35 - Blue Elephant Cooking School
Originally uploaded by wendytalker.

Took a Thai cooking class this morning. It started with a field trip to a local wet market to research ingredients. Ended with everyone eating their own cooking in style in the large dining room.

I made soup, shrimp curry, papaya salad with fish, and chicken cashew stir fry. Arroy!

Learn to cook and make new friends!

Siam Niramit

2007-11-06T18:36:00.001-06:00

Siam Niramit
Originally uploaded by fanelendil.

Huge, well done cultural show in Bangkok. The gigantic stage is listed in the Guinness World Records, featuring over 150 performers with as many as 500 costumes. Special stage effects during the show included simulating a thunderstorm with real water. The stage actually has a river running through it. Very Las Vegas, baby!

Varanus at Lumpini park, Bangkok

2007-11-06T03:51:00.001-06:00

Varanus at Lumpini park, Bangkok
Originally uploaded by ArthurPijpers.

Met this guy today in Lumpini Park. I'm used to squirrels and gophers, this guy startled me.

This park is the largest in Bangkok and I found a nice spot under a Bodi tree to listen to my Alan Watts podcast.

I love this city! Life is good.

High Tea at the Mandarin Bangkok Hotel

2007-11-04T10:20:00.001-06:00

I didn't have my camera at this point so thanks for the photo Aaron!

Originally uploaded by aaroncaley.

Fried Frog & Bugs Today

2007-11-03T23:08:00.001-05:00

Fried Frog
Originally uploaded by nigimon.

I had some fried frog, grasshoppers and ants for a snack today. They are crunchy and salty like pork rinds. Very good actually.

This is also what happens to a frog if you don't remember to water and feed them.

Went to Bed

2007-11-03T05:04:00.001-05:00

Bed Supper Club, Friday night
Originally uploaded by jae michie.

My brother took me to the Bed Supper Club with last night. You gotta check this out - it was unreal. Shorts and flip flops are the standard dress code in BKK, but this place required shoes long pants and your passport for identification. It wasn't so much a meal as it was an artistic experience. I swear the duck tasted like beef!

I Meet Aaron Caley a Food Blogger

2007-11-01T01:03:00.000-05:00

Fry Bread Stand
Originally uploaded by aaroncaley.

I just lost my camera on this trip so I am missing a few photos of some of the delicious food I have been eating in Thailand. Not to worry. My brother Nick introduced me to Aaron Caley, an educator and food photo buff. Now I can just reference Aaron's pics. You don't mind do you Aaron?

Aaron and BKK Savvy gourmand Ellen took my brother and I to a marvelous Korean restaurant in BKK. They had lived in Korea for some time and gave us a etiquette lesson on how a Korean meal should be consumed. Very interesting and enlightening.

Aaron posts food stories and photos on his blog called DishADay. It's "A blog about but not limited to: Thai snacks, meals, and cantankerous commentary." Check out his video about Kung Ten, a dish consisting of live freshwater shrimp. You have heard of extreme sports? Aaron is an extreme foodie!

Lucky Shirt

2007-11-01T00:54:00.003-05:00

This guy was our driver to take us back to Krabi airport from Koh Lanta. While we were on the ferry between islands he told us the story of how he survived the Tsunami (in Thai). He described it as 5 waves that tossed him around until he latched onto a tree.

He got scraped up pretty bad, but was well enough to help others in the aftermath.

He was wearing his favorite red shirt when it happened, which was all torn up, but he had it carefully repaired and was telling us that is is now his lucky shirt. I'll say...

Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Temple)

2007-10-31T23:59:00.001-05:00

IMG_2774.JPG
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Tiger Cave Temple is 5 km from Krabi Town. A small temple built inside a long shallow limestone cave, surrounded by natural forest.

Two staircases wind up the limestone cliffs. The first one leads with 1,237 steps to the top of the mountain and I climbed every one of them.

We saw several monkey families living around the stairs. There is a huge sitting Buddha and a golden pagoda at the top.

"Did you bring the water Nuk?"

Please Pass the Pangasius

2007-10-28T20:08:00.000-05:00

We had dinner last night along the Chao Phraya river in BKK at my brother's favorite restaurant Baan Klang Nam. The restaurant is known for serving giant Prawns. The ones we had, had to be 1/3 lbs. each!

One of the dishes included giant pangasius or Chao Phraya giant catfish a species of freshwater fish in the shark catfish family.

Full-grown adults can reach ten feet in length and weigh up to 646 pounds. It was served with some fried garlic, chopped salty pickled radish and a spicy sauce. Mmmm, good.

All the food here has been an adventure. We have sampled Laos-Isann, Muslim, Cantonese, Thai, Indian (southern) cuisines so far.

I have not eaten ant bugs yet, but soon, very soon...

Things We Don't Tell Our Mothers

2007-10-28T04:17:00.001-05:00

There are a few things we did on this trip our mothers probably would not approve of. Racing around on a motorbike in a 3rd world country with questionable noggin protection is one of them.

This video shows us getting off-road in the rubber plantations and forests of Koh Lanta. I'm sure there were snakes under foot too mother.

My Brother The Gourmand

2007-10-26T22:40:00.001-05:00

IMG_2888.JPG
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

I finally hook up with my brother Nick Tongen in BKK. He teaches English as a Second Language to private primary school students.

He takes me to Cafe de Laos for some Beer Lao and some authentic Laos-Isann cuisine. It was spicy and good.

We talked great deal about my other brother Chris who would have also enjoyed it.

On Our Trusty Steed

2007-10-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

IMG_2779.JPG
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

We rented a motorbike to tour Ko Lanta (island).

It was a brand new Honda Air Blade. We put the first 75 km on it.

This bike was right from the factory (with no tuning - Brian). It sported a 110 cc liquid cooled engine, automatic transmission, and disc brakes.

I got it up to the phenomenal speed of 70 km/hr on a straightaway between two of the island towns. Bikes like this rule in Thailand. A scooter like this is often used by a family of three as their station wagon.

We were given helmets, but most people don't wear them. They are a joke anyway. They are flimsy pieces of plastic that may help prevent getting you scraped up, but would not protect your noggin in a serious collision.

Erawan Shrine: Four-faced statue of Brahma, venerated by Hindus

2007-10-20T23:32:00.001-05:00

Four Face Buddha
Originally uploaded by jerine.

Sad Story.

The gilded plaster statue was enshrined at the Erawan Hotel in 1956. The original Erawan Shrine was destroyed by a mentally-ill Muslim man in 2006. He was then beaten to death by nearby street cleaners.

A replacement shrine was quickly built.

Finding New Uses for My Digital Camera

2007-10-20T23:20:00.002-05:00

Getting around BKK has been fairly easy with Nuk, a native Thai speaker, to help me. However, I am looking for ways to fend for myself.

I took a digital photo of the Thai name for "Mittaprap Road". This is the road where I am staying, so now I can just show a taxi driver this photo on my camera to and ask him to take me there.

Proof that I am in BKK with Nuk

2007-10-20T23:14:00.001-05:00

IMG_2611
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

OK this is for Scott. Nuk and I are standing alongside the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok. I have uploaded only a few photos to Flickr so far. The Internet connection I have available to me now is VERY SLOW and not that reliable.

Amulet Market in Bangkok

2007-10-19T10:40:00.001-05:00

amulet market in bangkok
Originally uploaded by lukiano.

We grabbed a tuk-tuk to the amulet market in Bangkok. It was fascinating to explore the back alleys (soi) of this market near the river front.

Officially you cannot purchase images of the Buddha, however you can "rent" a Buddha amulet indefinitely. You must bargain with much respect in this market. These people are very serious about amulets, artifacts, or relics associated with Buddhism.

Blogging on the run in Thailand

2007-10-19T10:31:00.001-05:00

Nokia 3310
Originally uploaded by James Chin.

Nuk's sister, Mod loaned me an old Nokia cellphone they had laying around. We stopped by a 7/11 (they are everywhere here) and added 300 baht call time to the SIM chip. Very easy. Very convenient.

During my trip this time I am taking a new approach to record memories for the future. The photos I'm posting now come from other people's Flickr accounts. That's right, if it is likely that somemone has already taken a decent shot of something I'm seeing, experiencing or trying to explain on my post I will forgo taking another picure of it an simply use someone else's.

This way I can blog with some relevent images and upload my own unique photos later when I have time.

Passport Control and the VIP Treatment

2007-10-19T10:15:00.001-05:00

passport control
Originally uploaded by satya.w.

Well, we arrived in Bangkok at 2pm right on schedule.

We were very surprised to see a Thai gentleman greet us with a name sign with both our names on it. It turns out that a freind of ours, a professor at a State University in Bangkok, has ties to the Thai government. He sent a diplomatic attache to meet us at the plane and take us directly thru to the diplomatic gate.

We were both tremendously impressed as we were basically waved thru immigration and customs in only a few minutes. We picked up our checked baggage and then met Nuk's parents who had arrived to pick us up.

Departure Day 2 - Singapore Airlines

2007-10-16T22:30:00.001-05:00

Singapore Airlines
Originally uploaded by planegeezer.

After a comfortable night in NRT we were shuttled back to the airport to catch the next flight to BKK. Fortune smiled on us as we we given seats on Signapore Airlines instead of our booked airline NWA.

Now, I had hear for years from a Strais-born Chinese friend of mine that Singapore Airline is legendary for service and comfort. and boy was he right! The next 6 hour flight went by very quickly as Nuk and I were engaged with our peronsal entertainment screens and some rather good airline food. The seats were much more comfortable and we had a great time. We got into BKK about 2pm Monday afternoon 14 hours later than originally planned, but very rested and happy.

Departure - Dumping Fuel for Medical Emergency

2007-10-16T22:14:00.001-05:00

Dumping Fuel
Originally uploaded by mrettig.

Well, Nuk and I were finally on our way to Bankok (BKK) Thailand. A trip we have been planning for and waiting for 8 years to do together.

We departed Minneapolis (MSP) at about 3 pm, but about 3 hours into the flight to Narita (NRT) Japan, there was a medical emergency on the flight. Apparently an elderly woman was having heartp problems associated with diabetes. There were medical personell on-board that assited her untill they were able to land the plane in Edmunton, Alberta, Canada.

Since it was early in the flight and we had to land sooner than expected the pilot dumped fuel for about an hour to lighten the plane for a premature landing. Once medical emergency personnel offloaded the sick passenger, we refuled and were on our way again. However, we got in to NRT too late to catch connecting flights so we got our transit papers in order and spent the night in a nearby hotel called Evergreen Garden. Nuk and I changed a few dolars to Yen and walked the neighborhood only to find a Japanese quickmart. This in itself was very fascinating due to the novel (and very nicely packaged) products it sold.

Another New Mastermind!

2007-10-12T09:04:00.002-05:00

"The door of opportunity won't open unless you do some pushing."
-Anonymous

"Nothing splendid was ever achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstances." -Bruce Barton

"It's never too late to become the person you always wanted to be."
-Elderbob

Anatomy of a Computer Prank

2007-10-11T07:24:00.001-05:00

OK, OK, you got me!

Here is the prank. I came into the office and plugged my laptop into its docking station. When it booted up it made a very bad vibrating, buzzing, whirring hum that sounded like the hard disk was about to fail. My heart sank, because I was very had at work preparing for an extended vacation. I certainly didn't need my computer crashing at this critical juncture.

I shared this with my co-workers, who appeared very concerned and helpfully suggested that I remove my laptop from the docking station and reboot. So I did as they suggested and the laptop stared up just fine - no noise. I heaved a heavy sigh of relief.

However, when I placed the laptop back in the docking station the buzzing-whirring noise came back worse than before. I resigned myself to the inevitable and started to dial the help desk.

I took a closer look at the docking station to give the help desk as much information as possible about the issue. It was then that I noticed someone had put a small USB fan under my docking station. The rotating rubber blade tips were just grazing the bottom of the dock case creating the noisy racket. This of course only happened when my USB port was live in the dock so it mimicked a hard disk problem pretty accurately only when the laptop was docked.

Everyone had a big laugh at my expense and I appeared appropriately chagrined...

My colleagues should keep in mind the old proverb - "Revenge is a dish best served cold!"

Mindy is a Winner!

2007-10-09T14:00:00.001-05:00

Mindy is a Winner!
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Stumble House

2007-10-08T09:04:00.001-05:00

Stumble House
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Brian Blogs from the MIMA Summit

2007-10-03T08:38:00.001-05:00

Brian Blogs from the MIMA Summit
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

He blogs. He makes Mark laugh (what doesn't?). See what he posted and comment at Brian J Kopp. You won't regret it.

Oktoberfest @ the Gasthaus

2007-09-22T18:19:00.001-05:00

Oktoberfest @ the Gasthaus
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

This is a real bow tie. Really!

2007-09-20T08:40:00.001-05:00

This is a real bow tie. Really!
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Macro shot of macro photographer

2007-09-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

Macro shot of macro photographer
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

My New SAMSUNG BlackJack

2007-09-15T10:14:00.000-05:00

I will be moblogging with this cameraphone now. It is smaller and lighter than my old Palm Treo 700p. It sports a 1.3 megapixel camera. Images should be of higher quality on the moblog now.

Ringbearer at Cheryls "wedding"

2007-09-14T13:09:00.001-05:00

Ringbearer at Cheryls "wedding"
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Milkweed @ Barley John's

2007-09-12T11:55:00.001-05:00

These were one of my favorite things as a kid.

Milkweed @ Barley John's
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Tim & I at St. Paul Bike Classic

2007-09-09T09:15:00.001-05:00

Tim & I at St. Paul Bike Classic
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Old School Friends from BKK

2007-09-07T21:23:00.001-05:00

Old School Friends from BKK
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Tree down on my boyhood home after storm

2007-09-03T16:31:00.001-05:00

Tree down on my boyhood home after storm
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.