Michael E. Clark

2008-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

Bailouts suck!

We shouldn't be bailing out ANY of these companies. Not AIG, not Bear Stearns, not the banks, not the car companies, NONE OF THEM! We have got to clean all the garbage out of the system and the best way to do it is to let the incompetent companies fail. And the government MUST spend LESS, not more.

Yes it will be painful for all of us, but we all got ourselves in to this mess. Too many adjustable mortgages for homes we couldn't afford. Too many 52 inch flat panel TVs on credit cards or equity lines. Too many meals out. Too much. Now we gotta pay. We have to spend less, save more and work harder if we want any hope of a brighter future.

2008-11-04T06:21:00.000-08:00

ROLL TIDE

Well, it has been a long time but Bama is #1 again. It may only be a week, but it is sweet to be there again. Even if this isn't our year to win it all, I am now confident we will sometime in the next 2 - 3 years. If we beat Auburn, anything above that is gravy for 2008!

Saban is a great recruiter anyway, but the success of this year coupled with the collapse of Auburn bodes well for the future. I'm excited about this year, but even more so for 2009 and beyond.

2008-10-28T05:06:00.000-07:00

Roll Tide.Us Bama fans haven't been this excited in quite awhile. It was great to see them finally play well in the second half. Hopefully Nick Saban loves Tuscaloosa and plans to stay for the long haul. He has done a great job so far.

2008-10-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm back to try to start blogging again. My biggest problem is over thinking what I want to say. Blogs are "usually" should be spontaneous without much self-editing. Just a report of what you think, see, do, etc.

I'm a runner. It is my zone out and recharge place. There are a few time goals that I have and will be delving into those as the weeks and months go by. Given that I am fairly slow, these are modest goals to many, but a challenge to me. Ultimately, I want to run a sub 50 minute 10k, a sub 2 hour 1/2 marathon and a sub 4 hour marathon.

This past Saturday, I ran a 58:42 10k. Eight minutes and forty two seconds is a *lot* to trim off a 10k race time. My interim goal is 55 minutes within the new two months. I need the right course, the right weather and a little more mental toughness. After I hit 55 minutes, then it will be a steady march down to 50!

2007-11-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy, Joyent, Joyent! Finally got my Facebook accelerator login info! I'll post more once I start using.

2007-11-16T04:02:00.000-08:00

What is Social Media?

Frankly, I don't know. I hear about it, I read about it, it seems to be everywhere. Lots of people who are a lot smarter than me, like Jeff Pulver, have lot lot to say about it. But I'm still not sure what it really is, or more precisely, what is it to me? And how does it affect me and why should I care?

Maybe social media is just something as simple as any tool or technology that allows for interactive communication between two or more people. I'll keep searching for an answer.

2007-11-14T14:54:00.001-08:00

No "Joy"ent yet. I was pretty stoked about Joyent's free Facebook hosting offer. Now I'm getting frustrated.

I know it is "free" and I shouldn't complain, but don't make promises and then not deliver. When I signed up yesterday, they said that demand was high, but I would receive my account info in less than 24 hours. Well, it has been over 27 hours and still no joy. I hope this isn't a indicator of the type of service they will deliver.

2007-10-17T04:59:00.000-07:00

Running

Running is when I have time to ponder and think and clear the mind. I think those "Ipod runners" are missing out on a lot of great think time. Or maybe they can think deep life changing thoughts with Staind blasting in their ears. Not me. Give me a great trail around a lake, such as Winston-Salem's Salem Lake and I get a great hour of exercise and idea generation or problem solving. Then I crank up AC/DC Back in Black on the car CD player on the way home!

2007-10-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

RibbitPhone is coming!

For the past month or so, I have been working with the initial developer release of the RibbitPhone softphone component for Flash. So far, I have been thoroughly impressed with what the Ribbit folks are doing. Yes, there have been the minor bugs and glitches that come with pre-release and beta software, but it looks to be very promising.

I am building a Facebook application with this component that will allow you to call other Facebook friends who have the application installed as well as any PSTN number. All you need is your browser and a headset with microphone. Later this week I will post more details on the application

The most exciting thing I see about RibbitPhone is that it gives a huge amount of flexibility and control to the developer. Lately I have seen quite a bit of commentary on the "lack of innovation" in VoIP. RibbitPhone just may start a new wave of VoIP innovation. Stay tuned.

2007-10-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

Roll Tide! Well, somehow Bama found a way to come back and win yet again. So far, the season hasn't been pretty, but it looks like Saban is instilling how to win into this less than talent-laden team. Mike Shula did a great job of getting us through a rough period, but couldn't seem to instill that will and ability to win when things weren't going well.

I don't know if Saban will ever when a national championsip, but it looks like once he has another year or two to recruit, he will have us in the BCS Championship game. 2008 will be a good year, but look for greatness in 2009.

2007-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I ran in the "Cannonball Run", a half marathon in Greensboro, NC. My time of 2:27 was ok for the training I've done lately, but a far cry from the sub 2 hour time I would like to achieve and well beyond my PR of 2:06. It is time to get serious about training.

My next two running challenges will be a 10k in November and a marathon in December. The 10k is local here in Greensboro and the marathon in Kiawah Island, SC. Which is a pancake flat course that should yield a marathon PR.