I’ve wanted to go to Bonnaroo (June 11-14 this year) since it was very created earlier this decade. In fact, I have the DVD rockumentary from the inaugural event, which I’ve watched many, many times. Now, with a re-united Phish on the bill, I want to go even more badly– especially since I got rained out of the Coventry, VT show in 2004. I mean, 13.25-hours down to Tenessee isn’t that far of a drive for a kickass show, right?
Lately, nothing has gotten me more down than the fall of my former employer, Nortel.
Almost hourly, I’m checking the stock; this blog and this blog; as well as this news feed on what’s going on there — all the while, hoping for good news.
NT was a great place to work, with great, brilliant people. I left there because another interesting opportunity came along that was more in line with my future career goals, not because of the company’s prospects. Roughly six months after leaving, I’m left wondering what’s next for NT? As someone who thrives on business-related drama, this is chock-full of excitement (and has been since the bubble burst earlier this decade).
Now, in the wake of a recent analyst note forecasting the company will fall to $0, horrible global economic malaise that’s spreading like mould on last year’s cottage cheese, there is now this piece in The Globe and Mail (written by one of the smartest people with whom I have ever met) raising the issue many people are asking: maybe it’s time to turn out the lights.
One thing I know is true: I want NT to survive — not just for my friends and their jobs, but to preserve the company’s world-class R&D, innovation and product lines. The touchy-feely reasons associated with its storied history aside, Canada and the global telecom industry will be worse off without Nortel.
Of course, I am also concerned about the handful of shares I bought at around $5 a piece.
Another thing I know is true: the drama isn’t over yet.
I'll be back
I am not dead, I am just friggin swamped. No excuse, I know.
But, as I read somewhere recently, there is an inverse relationship between posting and having a life. Unless you’re this guy — who has a life yet continues to post on a regular basis.
Stay tuned. I’ll be back.
10:00:
Word count: 1061.
9:58
Adam: they shouldn’t have done another hour. too much bev. 4 out of 10
Shelby: 9.5 because Brenda’s teeth are scary.
Daina: you wouldve given it a 10 otherwise?
Shanna: 5. Creepy guy became better looking but the father is way too intense.
Daina: 4. Parents need to be more parental. They’re not jim and cindy by any means.
Shelby: they’re more like OC parents.
Me: 6 out of 10. Average. but, I think it’ll get better. I think the peach pit could have been such a cool throwback.
Adam: kids wouldnt hang out a diners.
Shanna: I’d hang out at a diner!
Shanna: teacher was cool. i like teacher.
9:57
Daina: is that it?
Shanna: SCENES!
Kelly’s mom is back on the show — as previewed…
9:56:
Uh oh, the rich guy vs. the other rich guy. What will they think of next.
9:55
Daina: they need to get uglier parents; not model parents.
9:54:
Mr. Walsh would never display his nipples like that.
9:54
Punishment for kids today: no texting.
9:53:
Brenda is back on screen.
Shelby: Yay.
Shanna: Her teeth are so horrible.
9:50
“Thats what kids do here, they have plans…and go to san francisco.”
9:47
Daina: So, who’s watching next week?
Adam and Shanna: Yes.
Shelby: yes — but I want more brenda.
Me: yes.
9:45
Adam: Dixon keeps getting cut from the lacrosse team.
9:44
Ah ha! Dr. Silver’s infidelity brought back into the story line.
9:40
Naomi looks so different in every scene: curly, straight, pulled back. What the hell am I doing noticing that? Ugh.
9:34
Where did Ethan come from? The balcony?
(Jason mraz playing in the background…)
Daina: this show sucks. It’s boring.
9:29
Daina: So, Brandon is the father? Kelly said he called from Belize.
9:28
BRENDA!!!
Brandon is good. FYI. 
He’s in Belize.
9:27
Shanna: that guy has spock ears
Daina: and sideburns
Shelby: Somebody has to have sideburns.
Those sideburns are angst ridden.
9:25
A private jet to dinner in San Fran? Only in BH.
Daina: that guy looks like superman.
Adam: Yes, he has clark kent hair.
9:24:
“Bitch lips” — nice writing. Ugh.
9:20
Shelby: she needs to eat that girl — she’s so skinny.
9:19
Adam: Grandma will have some thoughts for the lacrosse team’s retaliation.
9:12
Why is everyone drinking coffee? Ahh, kids today.
9:11:
Product placement: Dr. Pepper. I’m thirsty all of a sudden.
9:10
They accept credit cards in the high school cafeteria? Only in BH.
9:09
Shanna: is that guy a teacher or a student? he looks like a vampire.
9:08:
My prediction: Annie and Ethan are getting together.
9:06:
Did the principal just say “I know you guys are pissed?”
Shanna: That guy is so intense all the time.
9:01:
one hour done: Thoughts?
Daina: 5
Adam:a solid 4.5
Shelby: reserving judgement, but they did say penis and vagina.
Shanna: I’ll stay with my 6.
Me: 7.
9:00
who’s kid is that on kelly’s lap? Dylan? Brandon?
Shanna: he wears crocs to bed?
8:59:
DYLAN! I mean, ETHAN!
Adam: That was quick, he left the party and got to the beach and has finished surfing?
8:57:
Adam: did anyone watch buffy? Naomi looks like an ugly cordellia.
8:56
Oh snap, the principal and naomi’s mom have a son together!?! ha.
8:54
So, the principal is at the party?
Shanna: is he really going to drag his daughter out?
Daina: Jim walsh would never drag brenda out of a party; he’d wait until she got home.
8:52:
So, that guy is the principal of the school? I’m confused.
Shanna: where did annie sneak out to? she was uninvited
8:47
naomi has a horse face
Adam: she’s not as pretty as she should be.
Shelby: Ethan’s too good for her.
8:46
Shanna: they just said “puss” twice.
Adam: (laughing)
8:41:
Everyone on this show is beautiful — not surprisingly.
8:39:
Darcy, er, Shenae, er, Annie is pretty good in this role.
8:39:
Naomi likes short shorts.
8:37:
Daina: the background music is sappy — like Full House.
8:35:
Kelly taylor is a guidance counselor? Interesting.
What happened to “mom?”
Daina: guess she had a meltdown.
8:34:
My hands hurt from typing. I think I need to pay attention and watch.
8:30:
Adam: There’s a lot of shit going on so far this episosde: drugs, stealing, underage drinking
Shelby: Next is an eating disorder.
well done, shelby.
8:28:
Penis remark = hilarious.
Shelby: penis and vagina in one episode?
Adam: that looks like the walsh house.
8:27
Shelby: Some sexual tension there between the student and teacher.
8:26:
ooo, the pit afterdark!
8:26:
Adam: Why are they in beverly hills again?
Daina: to take care of the sick grandmother.
8:25:
Shanna: The grandmother is the same character as on AD.
8:22:
Adam: the cool guy is also the cool lacrosse teacher.
Shanna: i think he’s the only teacher.
8:22:
Shanna: It’s not even a diner.
What is shenae’s character name?
Shanna: Naomi.
I need to pay attention.
8:21:
Kelly still looks hot.
Adam: Look at the pit
Daina: isn’t he like 80?
Shelby: Nat has not aged a bit.
8:19:
Daina: only 1 new kid in the high school? Ha.
8:18:
So far, I’m impressed the writing.
is that Nat?
Uh oh, Drugs.
8:14:
The theme!
Shanna: Revamped.
Shelby: It’s so rockin
8:13:
Shelby: Ethan’s hot.
8:12
I expect a “you’re not in kansas anymore” comment soon.
8:12:
Kelly Taylor arriveth. 
8:11:
Shanna: They just said Vagin.
Daina: Hmm…a little more risque than the last one.
8:10:
Teacher: “everybody knows mclovin, nobody knows topeka is the capital of kansas!” LOL.
8:08
YAY! Andrea’s daughter, Hanna!
Shanna: She’s a nerd, just like her mom!
8:07:
Controversial car scene with the girl pulling her head of the guys lap.
8: 06:
Adam: Ethan has got to be a Jew. (Ed note: Adam is allowed to say that. He’s a jew)
8:05:
Shanna: No opening theme song. 
8:05:
another trendy song! MGMT! I do like this song.
8:03:
Me: the mother from Arrested Development!
Adam: This will sucked compared with AD.
8:01:
Daina: It said in the globe that there is finally an african american on the show
Shanna: Donna martin’s friend was black.
Shelby: DESHAWN!
Adam: Yes.
8:00:
Hurray! Darcy, I mean Shenae, I mean…
8:00:
Isn’t that the aunt from Full House?
8:00:
Coldplay opening. How trendy.
7: 59 pm:
Ok, so here we go. Baby is in bed, and I’m joined by Daina, Shanna, Adam and Shelby.
Thought it’d be cool to survey the room for expectations first.
I think it’ll be a 6.5 out of 10, and be like the new Degrassi on steroids.
Adam: I think it’ll suck but I think I’ll enjoy it. Expectation: 4/10
Shanna: Expectation:6/10. I hope it doesn’t suck
Daina: 4/10 and I don’t think they’ll show kelly or brenda very much.
Shelby: 10/10 — why? Because somebody has to be optimistic.
Full disclosure time: When I was younger, I was a HUGE 90210 fan. I even had a 90210-themed birthday party, which included a night out in a limo, hilarious role-based trivia and the exchanging of an egg at a local convenience store.
However, the re-runs on Tvtropolis in recent years have underwhelmed (is that a word? ). I guess it didn’t quite have the staying power I had thought it would.
Now, while I generally don’t get excited about what’s on tv nowadays — nor do I make appointment television thanks to my PVR — tonight I’ll be sitting and watching the premiere of 90210 v.2.0 with some friends. Yes, appointment television and a 90210 party — just like it used be on Wednesday nights of yester-year.
Oh, and I’ll be live blogging it here too. Why? Because I’ve never live-blogged before and I wanna give it a shot.
A huge portion of my time at Nortel has been spent on the company’s Green story and its Corporate Social Responsibility efforts. As such, today is a pretty cool day at Nortel — as the company begins to shout from the rooftops about how its product portfolio is leaps and bounds more energy efficient than those of rival Cisco through a very strategic ad/communications campaign. Check out the ads in the Wall Street Journal and San Jose Mercury News, respectively, here and here.
And type “the Cisco Energy Tax” into your search engine and follow the links. Congrats all around to my peeps at Nortel.
Some fun with Animoto, which I learned about on Techcrunch.com. Thanks again Mr. Arrington. (Oh and for you lurkers, we had a baby).
When I was a kid I always wanted one of those kickass arcade games — the full sized ones like they had at Chuck E Cheese and the pizza shop down the street. Then, as a teenager, a friend of mine was throwing out (w00t! w00t!) his Space Invaders game (left). I snapped it up and took it down to my parents’ basement. It was gold. We played for hours and hours until the bulb died. We couldn’t find a replacement bulb for it so we got rid of it. (Those were pre-Internet days and I bet we could find a replacement bulb today). My dad replaced that with an air hockey table which used for a bit, but then turned into a buffet table when we had parties.
That was one longwinded intro to a cool list I found online today: The 50 Greatest Arcade Cabinets in Video Game History. Can you guess No. 1? (hint: 730 pounds of pure disc-throwing joy)
After much discussion and speculation about its timing, the “is” on facebook’s status is DEAD! Good riddance to bad is.
Now I can put my favourite Seinfeld quote, witty observation or latke recipe beside my name.
Or, maybe I’ll just add in the is:
“Richard Bloom is realizing old habits die hard.”
Snapped these while at Loblaw’s the other day. I really should’ve bought the General Tao chips and I’m curious as to what Smokin’ Stampede taste like. Mmmmmmm….ribs.
A week after seeing Into The Wild, the true story about Chris Mccandless’ voyage to and in Alaska, I can’t get the story out of my head. So today I went to YouTube to see if there were any extra clips or footage floating around online. What I found was pretty interesting. Below is a clip of one guy’s visit to “the bus” as well as the movie trailer and a 20-20 segment from 1997. You have to see this movie. My advice: don’t read about his story before you see it — it will make it that much more powerful.
Ok, maybe it’s my new-found fascination (and career) in marketing, but after noticing that Feist was selected for the latest iPod commercial, on my way into work today I heard her song 1-2-3-4 on my satellite radio. I love it. But I’m not sure if that’s because it is a good song, a cool one-camera video or because I’m intrigued how Apple is now a bona fide star maker through its commercials. Didn’t it also do that with Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl, too? I’m sure it’s happened with other songs as well but those are just the two that stand out.
UPDATE: I just found this on thestar.com talking about the exact same thing.
Friday’s David Letterman interview with Paris Hilton smacked of vintage Dave. Check it out.
Ok, I know this smacks of SPAM from before there was Netscape and the graphical Internet, but I kinda like it.
Jim Carrey with girlfriend Jenny McCarthy.
’tis the season for food, family and frankincense. Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad. Shana Tova.
Just back from an amazing screening at the Toronto International Film Festival: Body of War, the documentary on a 20-something Iraqi War veteran’s mission to end the war. It was one of the most powerful documentaries I have ever seen. Many people in the theatre were in tears for this beautifully told story about Tomas Young.
After the movie, producer Phil Donahue and Young answered questions from the crowd. Young, who was paralyzed after being shot in the shoulder during his fifth day of duty in Iraq, also brought his mother — who played an integral part of the story.
Then, Eddie Vedder (yes, THAT Eddie Vedder) who contributed some songs for the movie performed. Without a doubt, one of the most-memorable nights of my life.
Read some more about the movie here, here and here.
Word that Business 2.0 is shutting down turned today into a bummer. I loved that magazine, referring to it as the Maxim for MBAs and short-attention-span reading. I loved its bite-sized stories, topical features and amazing perspective on tech-biz.
I will miss it dearly. Now, I guess I’ll have to stick with my Wired and WSJ Marketplace.
Now, I wonder if they’ll offer me a refund for the subscription renewal I recently submitted. ($14.58 CDN for two years — which, perhaps, was one of its problems? I would totally have paid more.)
RIP.
If you’re like me (and I know I am!) your inbox is constantly bombarded by bacn (sic). According to reports, the term has only been around for a few days and is a form of spam — but without the anger. It’s those regular emails you get about a new facebook message, a Google alert or comment on your YouTube videos. As The Toronto Star explains: The oddly spelled term has been defined as “any email you receive that isn’t spam but isn’t exactly a personal message, either.” Marketeer Seth Godin says: Bacn is a new epidemic. It’s spam without the anger at the sender. The Linkedin, Facebook onslaught of noise won’t last long, because we’re all being trained to ignore it…Yet another nail in the “email used to be useful” coffin.
All of this bacn talk made me think of my favourite scene in Pulp Fiction:
