Michael Hatamoto's World

Rudy Project Sunglasses FTW!

2009-08-07T10:27:00.000-07:00

There are a number of companies that make sunglasses, but when it comes to cycling and athletics, a handful of companies aim directly to athletes.

One such company is Rudy Project -- a company I first learned about while watching big Jan Ullrich crush the pavement -- but I never owned a pair. I bought a pair a couple of years ago and simply shoved them in a drawer and forgot about them for a while. Big mistake.

I don't want to say I crash a lot while cycling, but I've had weird mishaps that lead to carnage to my body and my sunglasses. I've worn several Rudy Project sunglasses, and the strong build quality ensures a product that is less likely to break.

My dad's pair of uber pricey Maui Jim sunglasses are great for running and cycling, while my Rudy Project Ekynox seem a bit better for cycling, and not running.

Either way, when it comes to sunglasses for cycling, I don't know if I can abandon Rudy Project any time soon.

M's Birthday

2009-08-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

08.06.85

Today is my birthday. I'm 24 years old. Wow, I'm old.

So many things I've learned over the past year, yet I don't have the energy to spend the next four hours writing about it all. I'll explain in future blog posts, so we'll see what I have to say.

Las Vegas Trip: Snackage

2009-07-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a tasty snack while in Las Vegas, then I have a wonderful food choice for you!

Each day we kick started our day by eating the nachos -- no jalapenos -- from Luxor's Tacos & Tequila (T&T) restaurant.

The nachos are quite pricey, which is to be expected at the restaurants in the big casinos, but they ended up being worth every penny.

In case you're wondering, the nachos alone cost around $15!

If you crave one of those souvenir cups you see tourists drinking from while out and about on the Strip, then you can also get T&T drinks. Although there is a drink stand outside of T&T, the waitress informed us refills are about half price if you actually go into the restaurant to get a refill.

Mmm... starting the day with nachos and an alcoholic beverage from an oversized cup. How could things be better? :)

Las Vegas Trip: Blue Man Group

2009-07-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

During our recent trip to Las Vegas, we saw two different live performances: The Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. Here's a quick insight into how our night went when we visited The Venetian hotel and casino to see the BMG.:

The back of the official Blue Man Group postcard says the following:

"Blue Man Group's critically acclaimed show has been called 'visually stunning,' 'wildly inventive,' and 'hysterically funny.' Although it is almost impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that Blue Man Group's show at The Venetian is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous experience that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state."

Despite being obvious marketing material to help draw in a new audience, I have to agree with the statement. I've seen the Blue Man Group perform at The Venetian twice -- and despite being the same exact show as a couple of years ago -- the thrill of seeing such a stunning performance again is worth it.

I took my girlfriend, who has never seen the BMG before, and we had poncho seats that were just three rows away from the stage. We sat in Section 2, Row C, and Seats 20 and 21 -- so close that if you yell something to one of the Blue Man while they're on your end of the stage, they likely can hear you.

Aside from being an overly amazing performance, the way the BMG interacts with the crowd offers an even better viewing experience. For example, one person is selected from the crowd, brought on to stage, briefly introduced, then taken to the back to be covered and paint and slammed into a big canvas. It may sound initially frightening, but it actually ends up looking like a lot of fan, and the audience really gets a kick out of it.

Another activity with the crowd involves a Blue man using a camera to investigate the inside of an audience member by putting the camera down his or her throat. It's a mildly disgusting, though rather intriguing activity to put into the middle of the performance.

After the show the three Blue Men and their band are available for photographs and autographs. The Blue Men "sign" items by leaving handprints, face prints, or lip prints on items. My girlfriend snagged a kiss from one of the Blue Men:

After the kiss I was a bit jealous, and I also received a kiss from the same Blue Man.

Overall, yet another amazing performance from the Blue Man Group, with both of us leaving the Blue Man Theater inside the lovely Venetian Hotel in a very jubilant mood.

I've seen more than five BMG performances over the years, and each show is still just as mesmerizing as the first show I saw at the Briar Street Theatre in Chicago about eight or nine years ago. I'm sure I'll see another BMG performance in the future, and hope to see a show in Boston... perhaps next spring!

Las Vegas Adventure Begins Tomorrow

2009-07-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning is the beginning of the three-night adventure in Las Vegas! Flight leaves Oakland at 7:20 a.m., and I can't say I'm looking forward to such an early departure! But I want to get to Vegas early in the morning so we have almost the entire day to wander around and explore Sin City in the desert heat!

Should be quite an adventure...

A Saturday in San Francisco

2009-07-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

Another day, another mundane training run?

Ha!

I've enjoyed running around Alameda and Fremont the past few weeks, but it's time to get out there and get after it in San Francisco. On Saturday we went into the City and had a very scenic, enjoyable run and bike ride from Crissy Field. We started out from Crissy Field and ran across the GGB, then headed into the Marin Headlands for a bit of trail running.

We kept an easy tempo that my legs loved... until we got across the bridge. It's true there are some not enjoyable sections before the bridge, but a steady tempo helps ease the pain. The single track we ran up on the other side of the bridge, however, went up, up, and up some more. Ouch.

My ego takes a beating each time the old man beats me while we're out running or cycling, so that's something I will certainly work on in the future. (I guess I can take solace in the fact that he has completed several half marathons and full marathons over the years, while I've been at it just over a month or so.)

Here are a couple of pictures from our running adventure:

(It may look like I was in pain, but it actually was the drastic drop in temperature on our way back across the GGB that caused such a grimace. Running in fog, then warmer weather, and back into the fog wasn't something I was quite prepared for. Dad had a long sleeve shirt on, and it's obvious he was quite content with the temperature. I'm clearly young and dumb.)

After returning to Crissy Field -- logging almost nine miles -- it was time for a bike ride. We hit our first climb one mile into the ride, and it became apparent that the old man who dominates me while running would be in for a world of hurt in the saddle. Whew. I can take it easy a bit.

We headed away from Crissy Field and towards the beach, not really following a real route, and found our way towards the S.F. Zoo. We turned around at the zoo, a bit shorter (about 20 mi. from our expected total distance) and headed home. Dad didn't want to risk another injury that could take months to recover from again, so it was better safe than sorry. Although I didn't admit it at the time, I was very pleased that we were turning around, as my legs still aren't used to all of this cardio.

We left Crissy Field, ate pizza and bought some stuff from Lombardi Sports, then went home. What a pleasant, entertaining day!

Clif Quench Review

2009-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Clif Bar recently launched into a heavy marketing campaign for Clif Quench, a new line of electrolyte drink aimed at endurance athletes. Originally announced in early March, Clif, a company well known for recovery products for athletes, continues to release quality products that are both good for the body and environment.

The new Quench line features four flavors – Fruit Punch, Lime-Ade, Orange, and Strawberry Citrus – but the Quench drinks are designed as a tasty re-hydration drink, not a traditional sports drink.

Each bottle is 16 ounces, and has 90 calories, 20 grams of sugar, 70 mg potassium, and 260mg of sodium.

I mainly use it as a reward after a hard bike ride or run, but Quench should be ideal for anyone who has a hard time drinking something such as Cytomax or Gatorade while training. During a recent 30-mile bike ride in hot weather, I carried a bottle in one of the pockets of my bike jersey, and had a quick drink while in the saddle.

I drank another bottle after finishing my ride. It is a tasty, functional drink that is relatively inexpensive.

I recently ran nine miles in San Francisco (across the Golden Gate Bridge, of course), then went for a 25-mile bike ride that involved a couple of nasty little climbs. I again used some Clif Quench as a reward once I was done seeing how much it would take before my legs absolutely exploded.

Clif competitor Accelerade also has a pre-made drink for athletes, though I've had trouble drinking some of it after a hard workout because of the added whey protein mixed in the drink. The Clif Quench, however, offers the important nutrients athletes need without making it unbearable to drink. The older athletes who need the sodium to prevent cramping apparently like this simple mixture a tad bit more than other drinks.

In keeping with Clif's well known organic and environmentally green philosophy, the drink is 88 percent organic and doesn't use high fructose corn syrup. The drink, in fact, has just seven ingredients: Filtered water, organic evaporated cane juice, natural flavors, real salt, citric acid, magnesium lactate, and potassium phosphate.

I'm not a fan of high fructose corn syrup -- although tasty, it's obviously horrible for you -- and try my best to avoid it at all cost.

The new bottles are in stores now – with a retail price of $1.49 – though can be found on sale. My local Nob Hill grocery store marked up the price to $1.69, but was selling bottles for $0.88. I bought a case after my trial review.

Tour de France 2009

2009-07-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Tour de France is in full swing, and I am absolutely stoked to be watching one of the best sporting events in the world.

Although I obviously cheer for Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-HTC (two U.S.-based teams), my favorite cycling squad is still Team Saxo Bank. Hopefully Andy Schleck will be able to keep Alberto Contador in check, though I have my doubts about that. Saxo Bank is a strong team, but Contador flies on the pedals like no one else I've ever seen the past couple of years.

I look forward to the next few mountain stages and a 40KM TT to figure out who will wear yellow into Paris.

If you're a cycling fan, then how can you not be excited?

Las Vegas Trip Next Week

2009-07-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

I like to get out and make sure I do a bit of traveling every six months or so.

I had the opportunity to travel down to Anaheim for the Affliction: Trilogy MMA event at the start of next month, but decided to skip the trip so I could go somewhere with my girlfriend. We were thinking about heading to the east coast for a week or two, but decided to postpone that trip until after Christmas.

Hm.

She wanted to dance, have a drink, and perhaps see something like Cirque du Soleil.

Well, only one city in the United States cater to all three of those requirements: Las Vegas! Yes, we're going to Vegas next week for three nights! It'll be my third time in Sin City, and this will be her first trip. Going to stay at the Luxor. Not sure which Cirque du Soleil show we'll see, but it's guaranteed to be amazing.

I'll be sure to post images and commentary later on, once I return home and can remember who I am.

Philadelphia Flyers Will Play Outdoors at Fenway Park

2009-07-16T03:30:00.000-07:00

Not sure I'm a fan of the Winter Classic, as the hockey can sometimes be sloppy, but it'll be neat to see the Philadelphia Flyers play at Fenway Park next season.
I naturally grew up a fan of the Flyers, but moved to Massachusetts for a couple of years, leading me to fall in love with the Sox. How could I not want to watch my favorite hockey team play in my favorite baseball stadium?

Mike's Training...

2009-07-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

"Why?"

It's a question people ask me frequently. Many wonder why I would want to ride my bike 100 miles. Why would I want to climb up a steep hill that surely causes pain throughout my entire body? Why do I want to run a half marathon? A full marathon?

Well, my answer always start out the same way: WHY NOT?!?

I think a lot of people take for granted the fact they're able to get up each morning and go explore the world whenever they feel like it. I see each day I wake up and can go outside and get on the bike or go for a run as a true blessing. My father is going through a rough spell in which a few of his co-workers and friends are struggling, and I see the torment it has caused him. That sense of "why not?" has lit a fire under me, and is one of the driving forces behind my wanting to run a marathon.

As long as I have air in my lungs, then I don't have an excuse to simply sit on the couch doing nothing all day. Training will likely be tough. Intense. Brutal. I'll start out slowly and will increase the intensity of my workouts until I reach my goal, and failure is absolutely unacceptable.

I'll use this blog to help post updates as to how I'm doing, and what kind of mischief I'm getting into while out training.

Hello World... Part #2

2009-07-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

I know it's been quite some time, but decided I needed a new spot to discuss some of the things that have been going on in my life.

I'm watching the Tour de France, of course, but also recently started training for a half marathon. I want to do a full marathon at some point, but am more focused on running a couple of half marathons this fall.

I'll use this blog to post updates as to how I'm doing. I'll also post occasional reviews, so keep on the lookout for a couple of neat things in the future. :)

Las Vegas/CES, Day One

2008-01-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

I safely landed in Las Vegas today around 12:00 p.m., and then spent the next four hours wandering around, surely up to no good. I eventually wound up in the CES press room, then spent a couple of hours getting work done in the CES press unveiling event.

The Tropicana is nice if you just want a place to crash and take a shower, but the casino itself is pretty dumpy compared to the MGM Grand, Caesar's, or Venetian.

I knew before I left the Bay Area that I would have to see the Blue Man Group while in Vegas, and there was no way I could avoid it. So I decided to get that out of the way on the first night - and the show absolutely rocked! I am going to post a separate blog post about the show in the next day or two.

I initially wanted to go to bed after the Blue Man Group, but I managed to play the penny slots for the sole purpose of drinking as much booze as I could before my $10 in the machine went down to $0.00. The kind folks at the Venetian managed to get me six drinks over the course of the $10 -- I was down to my last $0.30, but ended up winning some type of "super bonus" that bumped me back to $7.50.

I'm in my hotel room right now and it's 4:30 a.m., and I realize waking up at 7:30 a.m. will prove to be a serious kick in the balls.

Space News Published @ DailyTech

2007-12-12T14:23:00.000-08:00

I'm spending a couple of days at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco, trying to learn some new things from a group of highly intelligent researchers.

Here are a couple of articles I have already written, with many more on the way over the next week or so:

Scientists to Test if Bacteria Survives in Space

Mars Rover Spirit Makes Important Find on Mars

International Space Updates, December 2007

NASA Mars Rovers Continue Mission on Red Planet

American Geophysical Union (AGU) Conference

2007-12-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Scientists and researchers from around the world are meeting this week at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in San Francisco, Calif.

I no longer feel overwhelmed when I speak with people at the computer trade shows, but this is the first time I get to step into the world of scientists during such a big convention.

I know which companies and organizations I am going to speak with first, but you'll have to come back and see what kind of juicy tidbits I come up with! :)

JAXA Sets Launch Date For KIZUNA

2007-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently announced the launch date for the "super high-speed Internet satellite 'KIZUNA'" satellite. It will be launched aboard the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 14 (H-IIA F14) Friday, February 15 2008.

As someone who is extremely interested in space technology, I am pleased to see JAXA continue to get its act together -- and even more pleased to see JAXA engaged in a very intriguing, unofficial Asian space race.

A few articles I have written about JAXA in the past:

High-definition Earth rise video

High-definition images of the moon's surface

Space cooperation in today's world

The Proper Training Guide (for athletes)

2007-12-07T23:53:00.000-08:00

Simply training hard is no longer good enough for many endurance athletes - a proper diet is absolutely crucial. The problem most athletes run across is that while they know which foods are healthy and unhealthy, finding a useful eating guide can be rather difficult.

I recently found an awesome article/outline for athletes (PDF) who want to learn how to eat better.

Courtesy of Wenzel Coaching's Scott Saifer, I am going to attempt to follow a lot of these guidelines to hopefully become healthier, stronger athlete.

I won't try and say that I am in serious training for anything right now - though a half marathon in October will creep up on me if I am not careful - my diet has been far from lackluster as of late.

Green Card Marriage Couple Busted!

2007-12-07T22:25:00.001-08:00

As I was browsing several web sites for research article ideas I can write over the weekend, I stumbled upon a rather interesting Associated Press article. According to the article, a young Russian lady married a man simply because she wanted a green card to live in the United States.

Here is a tidbit from her ad she placed on the Internet:

"Green Card Marriage -- Will pay $300/month. Total $15,000," the Russian national wrote in an ad placed on the Craigslist Web site. "This is strictly platonic business offer, sex not involved."

Her "husband," Benjamin Adams, apparently was willing to get paid a small amount in a business deal that surely would land him in hot water. Even though this is the first time the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ever had a case like this, something tells me it won't be the last...

Mike's Recent Articles

2007-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of longer articles I've written in the past couple of weeks:

Sun Microsystems offers incentives for open source developers

Sun, Dell Announce Solaris 10 Distribution Agreement

Philadelphia Wi-Fi project now in jeopardy, EarthLink may back out

Report: Chinese espionage is the biggest threat to US technology

Sun enters a suddenly crowded virtualization market

Oracle Debuts its VM Virtualization Software Amid New Competition

Red Sox Want Santana... But Can it Happen?

2007-12-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

The Boston Red Sox, 2007 World Series Champions, hope to add pitching ace Johan Santana to the lineup for next season. After the Yankees seemingly dropped out of the Santana lottery earlier in the week, it looks like the Sox are the front runners at the moment. As long as he doesn't want some type of contract worth $135 million over five years, it'd be great to see him pitch at Fenway.

As a Red Sox fan, the possibility of getting Santana is really exciting!

Sox management, let's make it happen!

Wine shopping in California

2007-12-04T22:52:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has been to a grocery store in California probably knows that there is a small wine selection we get to choose from. The selection is actually so large that it is often times feels almost impossible to pick out a wine, especially if not familiar with the wine maker. I'll briefly share a story of how I stumbled upon what has become one of my favorite lower priced wines.

Seeing how the prologue (short bike time trial, I will explain later) of the Amgen Tour of California bike race conveniently takes place in San Francisco, I headed into the City to witness the best cyclists in the world first hand. The very entertaining Prologue Festival is where I stumbled upon Cycles Gladiator wines. Being a sucker for stuff related to cycling, I naturally grabbed a coupon and some information about what the winery has to offer. Initially dismissing the wine as just another mediocre bottle of cheap California wine, I mistakenly let the coupon expire without even giving the wine a try.

While walking through a local Safeway four months later (*sigh*), I came across a low priced bottle of Cycles Gladiator 2005 Central Coast Chardonnay -- I simply had to try it. Even though I was extremely skeptical of the wine, it turned out to be quite yummy! Damn myself for not trying it earlier.

I now don't pass up the opportunity to purchase a bottle or two of Cycles Gladiator when I find it on sale. (Don't get me wrong, I would still much rather have a ~$30 bottle of wine, but that gets far too expensive.)

2007-12-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

For the white wine connoisseurs out there, I recommend staying away from Herding Cats Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay wine. :o

"Looking for a wine that all your finicky friends will love?" asks the label on the back of the wine bottle. My answer: I guess not. :/

Aside from tasting rather poorly, there is not much else I can say about this wine. My father and grandfather both confirmed that the wine simply didn't taste that great. I came to the conclusion I don't have any friends and family who are finicky enough to enjoy this wine.

I guess I will just have to finish drinking this rather pleasant bottle of Buehler Vineyards 2005 Russian River Chardonnay, then head off to bed. This particular bottle happened to be another example of a good bottle of wine we randomly found while shopping at Cost Plus World Market - thanks to the kind gentlemen at the Taylor Street San Francisco Cost Plus location, who was very helpful! :)

Mikey's Frequently Viewed Web Sites

2007-12-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief list of the web sites that I find myself frequenting.

Tech Sites
DailyTech
BetaNews
TechSpot
AnandTech
TechIMO
Madshrimps
The Inquirer
X-bit labs
PC Perspective

News sites:

Daily Yomiuri
Japan Probe
The Japan Times
BBC News
MSN Mainichi
Google News
San Francisco Chronicle

I rotate through about 10-12 other news sites daily, but don't feel like putting them all in this post right now. ;)

Misc:

VeloNews
Cycling News
World Bicycle Relief -- a non-profit I am involved with
Fark

Shopping Season Officially Started

2007-11-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Since yesterday was Black Friday, the shopping season has officially started for a large number of Americans across the country. I managed to spend ~$170 on nothing but video games and DVDs at Circuit City, even though I know I need to begin saving dollars I can waste while in Tokyo in six or so weeks. Oh, that reminds me I should probably purchase plane tickets and accommodations sometime in the near future.

Most of the money I have to spend in the immediate future will probably be spent towards presents and small American trinkets for my family in Japan.

Cheers!

Today is Black Friday

2007-11-23T14:17:00.000-08:00

Black Friday is the day where millions of Americans will fuel up on coffee and head out to wait in long lines in sometimes freezing weather. I'm going to head to Circuit City to buy a bunch of cheap DVDs and a present or two for my little brother -- I am going to try and spend as little time as possible in the store.

There is a continuing trend towards shopping online and Cyber Monday, which is a much less stressful (but not near as entertaining) event. For those of you wanting online deals, there are a number of online resources, such as this one.

WolfKing Announces Two Gaming Products Designed for Women

2007-11-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

Here is a moderately interesting press release that came through my inbox recently:

(Englewood, NJ) - November 20, 2007 - WolfKing, a world leader in the
innovation and creation of gaming input devices, today announced it is
customizing its award-winning WARRIOR gaming pad and TROOPER gaming mouse to
appeal to female PC gamers. The specially designed gaming devices, which
will be sold exclusively through Dell, provide the same high level of
quality that consumers have come to expect from WOLFKING.

The Girl Gamer WARRIOR (MSRP: $34.99) features the same 54-key circular
layout and USB 2.0 plug-and-play capability as the original WARRIOR, but now
features a Flamingo Pink accent gradient on top of a full stealth black
matte finish, with polished deep black audio keys. It offers all the
functionality of the WARRIOR, but with a feminine touch.

The Girl Gamer Gear TROOPER (MSRP: $39.99) also features the Flamingo Pink
accent over a 6.4 megapixels-per-second laser mouse with a dpi range of
800-2200. The sense of style doesn't compromise the high-end gaming mouse
functionality gamers expect from the TROOPER

"Female gamers have an incredibly high set of standards when it comes to
quality as well as design," said Bob Costlow, director of sales, WOLFKING.
"You can't just paint something pink and say it's for girls. The Girl Gamer
products give women access to fully functioning, hardcore gaming devices,
but with an aesthetic touch."

I guess it was only a matter of time before gaming products were targeted towards women, especially with high-end gaming products becoming so popular on the market these days. Even though there is still a misconception that chicks don't dig video games, it looks like females somewhere out there in cyberspace are gaming! ;)

As someone who has reviewed a small number of gaming products in the past, I have received questions from people who wanted to hear about gaming products for women. It wasn't long ago when I was unable to show interested consumers products that they would like.

Oracle OpenWorld, Day Three

2007-11-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

Really tired, but am fueled on a lot of caffeine at the moment - and I will keep topping off the fuel tank until I can get to bed tonight.

The Jonathan Schwartz keynote was this morning, and it was one of the things I have been looking forward to the most from OpenWorld. Here is the article I wrote about what I feel is the most important part of the event. I'll discuss some Sun and Schwartz-related things next week, once I get a few personal things resolved.

Larry Ellison is giving his speech/keynote at the moment, so I guess I should start paying attention to what he is saying!

Oracle OpenWorld, Day Two

2007-11-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

Already starting to burn out from all of the keynotes and meetings that have taken place, but have to keep pounding through them.

At least I got something productive done: Oracle debuts VM virtualization technology

Tomorrow is the big Jonathan Schwartz keynote and Q&A session, which I hope will be rather exciting news. Even though Sun used to get pounded in the media just one year ago, I think Schwartz is finally convincing people he knows what he is doing as president and CEO.

Check back tomorrow, and hopefully I have some exciting news!

CSC Continues to Make Splash Under the Radar

2007-11-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

The Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) released a press release last week announcing the purchase of First Consulting Group, a company responsible of providing IT products and services to health care organizations. The deal will be worth $365 million, or ~$13 per share.

"By taking this step, we have notably accelerated our healthcare business plan and advanced toward our goal of transforming healthcare through the use of information technology," said Russ Owen, CSC Americas Commercial Group president.

CSC hopes to have the deal completed sometime in the first half of 2008.

We understand the company can handle its business and acquisitions, but CSC now needs to learn acquire better marketing and public relations skills.

"CSC is the biggest company you've never heard of," according to a rather brash CSC employee.

How true! With more than 87,000 employees throughout the world, CSC is best known as the key sponsor of the powerhouse Team CSC cycling -- something CSC is very passionate about. Even avid cycling fans who watch Team CSC's progress throughout the summer usually aren't really sure what the company does to be able to afford a cycling sponsorship.

In case you're even remotely interested in what the company does, here is some reading material.

I am curious to hear what, if anything, the company is doing to try and let people know what a juggernaut it is.

Did you know who CSC was before reading this blog post?

Oracle OpenWorld 2007, Day One

2007-11-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am almost done with the first day of Oracle's OpenWorld expo in San Francisco, and boy am I tired! A few decent announcements, but I am honestly not using this blog to cover all of the big announcements that I know you guys could simply go to Google to learn about - instead, I am going to cover the more obscure topics I find during the show.

I spoke with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) today about a recent acquisition the company made, what the company is doing at OpenWorld, and how it is expanding its brand recognition.

Also spoke with Hewlett-Packard about its blade server technology, which I will be talking about in the next couple of days.

Expect a bunch of random news articles to be published over the next few days. Stay tuned for various OpenWorld stuff!

Clif Shot Bloks Mini-Review

2007-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Most endurance athletes understand and likely deal with the reality of having to eat an oddly tasting energy gel or bar during a long event. I will use this blog entry to create a mini-review of the Clif Shot Bloks snackage for athletes.

Even though they can be a bit too chewy, Clif Shot Bloks tend to be my favorite thing to eat while out on a longer bike ride. Running with a full pack in your pocket, however, can prove to be troublesome, even if your pockets are completely empty.

I recently went for a long enough bike ride to warrant eating a package of Clif Shot Bloks that my parents received after participating in the Folsom Four Bridges Half Marathon. As a fan of margaritas, blended and on the rocks, the margarita w/ salt flavor initially intrigued me. Would it be okay? Do people running really want to have a salty margarita taste in their mouth?

The flavor turned out to be a bit too much for me to enjoy, even when extremely hungry.

Offering the same amount of calories and and carbohydrates to something like GU, the Bloks have more electrolytes and sodium.

As someone who doesn't have money coming out of my ears, trying to buy these products for a lower price is something I tend to try and do. You'll likely find Clif Bloks available for the same price as any other "performance foods."

I personally like the lemon-lime, strawberry, and black cherry flavors, though I recommend you try different flavors to figure out which one is best for you. I also recommend you try your different energy crap while out on training runs, not during the actual event. Considering you never know how your body will react, it's not a pleasant experience to find out during a century ride. ;)

But there is something that I really want to ask the companies who create these energy products -- How in the world do you create some of these flavors? Some of them tend to be absolutely atrocious - in my humble opinion. I guess if people are purchasing them, then companies will continue to be too creative.

What do I really want? I wish Clif would create some type of resealable package for all Clif Bloks, because there is nothing worse than reaching into your jersey pocket to find a sweaty, gooey mess of what used to be a Clif Blok.

If you're really wanting something that tastes good, I recommend checking out Jelly Belly Sport Beans, which are simply excellent! Expect a mini-review on the Sport Beans in a couple of weeks.

Comcast Pro-rates Service

2007-11-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

Comcast may get all sorts of hell for its business practices in the cable and Internet world, but the company still manages to do some things to make users happy. For example, did you know Comcast does pro-rate partial months of service?

Let's say there is something on Showtime that you want to watch, but don't want the channel for an entire month -- a specific MMA or boxing event, for example. You can call Comcast to get the service activated for the evening, then cancel it the next day, only having to pay something like ~$1.50 for the service.

Don't believe me? In case you're too lazy to ask for yourself, here is a conversation I had with a Comcast online tech support person today:

ME: I was curious if Comcast pro-rates channels? I want Showtime just so I can watch an MMA event tonight, but don't want it anymore, pretty much. I already pay $130 per month, and don't want to pay an extra $20 for the channels.

Tech Support: Yes we do actually, I can take Showtime off of your account today and you will only pay for what you have received so far.

ME: I imagine it would only be a couple of bucks if I have it for a day or two? I just want to watch one event tonight.

Tech Support: It is usually around $18.00 per month, and if had for today and tomorrow that works out to roughly $1.20 -$1.50.

Also, let me point you to a Comcast notice (PDF) published on its web site.

Still don't believe me? Feel free to give Comcast a call to see if this is truly a legitimate practice.

Oracle OpenWorld 2007

2007-11-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

The Oracle OpenWorld 2007 conference officially begins on Sunday afternoon, with loads of smart people flocking to the San Francisco Moscone Center.

I've managed to arrange a number of interviews I hope will be interesting for both myself and readers, so stay tuned.

May I offer a tip for people who attend any kind of convention? Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT be afraid to get in there and ask a question! It is unbelievable how many people keep quiet during a one-on-one session, even though the person presenting information is there to answer questions. As long as I don't ask an absolutely ridiculous question, most people seem to be happy I bothered to ask for additional information they may not have spoken much about.

This particular event will prove to be testing grounds for something extremely new for me, though I won't divulge any more details until the event ends next week.

Welcome

2007-10-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

Hello world, welcome to my (Michael Hatamoto) little corner of the Internet. Rather than whining about the things that may not be going my way in life, I will instead focus on reviewing and offering my insights into the places I have been, the places I am, and the places I will be in the future.

Since I specifically live in the San Francisco East Bay, don't be surprised if a lot of the spots featured in this blog are located in the following cities: Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Union City, etc. etc.

Cheers,

M. Hatamoto

Space Ramen

2007-08-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

One of the International Space Updates I wrote for DailyTech talked about the expanding food catalog available to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). As a JAXA astronaut prepares to go to the ISS, a wider assortment of Japanese food would need to be available... including one of my favorite foods... RAMEN!!

But could the space ramen truly be good? After all, the difference between American ramen and Japanese ramen is already astronomical. According to Asahi.com writer Shoko Azuma, the food turned out to be relatively appetizing.

I hope to one day be able to taste some of the Japanese food that is available to astronauts aboard the ISS.

Here are some links that discuss food in space: Space.com article, food for space, history of food in space, one last link.

Cheers!

Michael Hoffman (or Maikeru Hatamoto)

Yreka Pictures

2007-08-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

Instead of rambling on a topic of my choosing, here are some pictures from our recent trip up to Yreka, California...

There is a view regardless of where you are in Yreka:

Riding a bike creation currently on display at the ScienceWorks Museum:

Teddy striking an odd pose next to the Yreka fire station:

View from Ashland Vineyards and Winery:

Picture of Mt. Shasta:

I'm going to likely post a couple other photos from the Yreka trip...

Beer in Yreka,California

2007-08-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

First night in Yreka, California... and I have already managed to find a rather interesting beer. Arrogant Bastard Ale.

Here is part of the label on the back of the bottle:

This is an aggressive beer. You probably won't like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory -- maybe something with a multi-million ad campaign aimed at convincing you it's made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you're mouthing your words as you read this.

Not surprisingly, I was absolutely cracking up while reading the label. :P

Taste of the beer be damned - I wanted it because of the wicked label! :)

The beer turned out to be okay, even with the $3.50 per bottle price tag.

So oblivious...

2007-08-10T22:59:00.000-07:00

I don't realize how oblivious I am sometimes...

While attending the amazing LinuxWorld Conference & Expo trade show in San Francisco a few days ago, I met a lot of people who live in the City but work in Sunnyvale - a city ~45 miles away from S.F. In fact, I probably met around eight people who do the commute on a daily basis!

And here I was thinking that people weren't big into public transportation!

Then again, it must be nicer to live in the City compared to Sunnyvale - before I get hate mail, Sunnyvale is quite a lovely city.

I've only used the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), but have heard fairly good things about Caltrain.

Speaking of LinuxWorld... let me say that IDG World Expo did another phenomenal job with the show.

Don't Underestimate The Power of Porn

2007-07-30T22:58:00.000-07:00

That's right... the power of porn!

It is sometimes shocking how people tend to underestimate the power of the porn industry. Even though adults may not like to openly discuss the fact they enjoy watching "adult content," the fact that it's a multi-billion industry proves that people are watching this entertainment.

After I reported last year that Vivid Entertainment would offer content in both next-gen formats, my inbox was floooded with intriguing e-mails! :eek: I tried to convince some people the porn industry could very well help determine the winner between HD and Blu-ray.

To further complicate the next-gen battle, it looks like the Japanese porn industry is going to support Blu-ray.

How will HD respond? Can it respond?

I still fervently believe it is too soon to tell who will ultimately end up on top, but the few months should be interesting...

The Cycling Drama Continues...

2007-07-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Vino, say it ain't so!

Double stage winner Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana captain) reportedly tested positive for committing a definite no-no among pro cyclists - homologous blood transfusion, with the positive test coming after he won the stage 13 individual time trial.

The Astana team regrettably suspended Vino and agreed to withdraw from the Tour de France, even though two Astana riders are in the top 10.

The popular 33-year-old Kazakh rider has had a rather tumultuous TdF - he won the ITT (though the victory will end up going to Cadel Evans) - crashed, dropped far on GC, then escaped in a big breakaway to win a road stage.

If tour leader "Chicken" Michael Rasmussen also ends up testing positive due to blood doping before the end of the TdF pro cycling may end up being permanently ruined.

I'll now turn it over to some official articles regarding the incident.

Cycling news coverage
VeloNews coverage
BBC News
AP

Congrats to Barloworld!

2007-07-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

Barloworld's Juan Mauricio Soler won the biggest race of his life, easily leaving behind everybody on stage 9 of the 2007 Tour de France. After the team originally entered the tour as one of two wild card teams, Barloworld promised some explosions, and the young Colombian was the first to deliver on that promise.

I always want to see a wild card team rider do well in the grand tours, even at the expensive of the rider(s) I am cheering for.

Congrats to Soler!

"The Chicken" Michael Rasmussen is still the overall leader, with several flat stages and a crucial time trial before heading back into the mountains! :D

Chaos During Today's TdF Stage

2007-07-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

I silently promised I wouldn't make this blog into my own personal TdF journal throughout July, but I need to write about the chaos that took place during today's stage. Even though stage 7 (yesterday's stage) was the first proper mountain stage of the TdF, stage 8 really sorted out the general classification (GC).

"The Chicken" Michael Rasmussen took the peloton by storm, easily taking his aggression out on the peloton for the majority of the stage. However, T-Mobile's Michael Rogers thought he made the right move after making an early jump into a large breakaway group - a group the other GC contenders didn't bother to chase down.

Things went downhill for Rogers, who ended up dislocating his shoulder in a crash, which led to him having difficulties before finally abandoning the stage. :(

While The Chicken now holds a firm grasp on the mountains jersey -- and he's wearing yellow -- the overall GC group is in a bit of chaos at the moment. It is likely a true winner will probably not emerge until the peloton heads through the Alps.

News coverage of today's stage 1
News coverage of today's stage 2

Let's all hope for the speedy recovery of Team CSC's Stuart O'Grady, who is severely injured due to a crash -- Punctured lung, broken collarbone, broken shoulder blade, five busted ribs, broken bones in his spine.

Commercial Reruns = Grumpy Mike

2007-07-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

I would venture to guess that watching the Tour de France on Versus is the only way for Americans to actually watch the prestigious bike race. I love every bit of being able to watch as my favorite cyclists push themselves to the limit on a monstrous climb.

Even though I appreciate being able to watch it on TV, what good would a blog be without a bit of whining?

Although I truly appreciate the way Versus covers the event, I have a problem with what viewers have to endure every day of the tour.

COMMERCIALS!

Not just the regular type of commercials that all TV viewers are used to watching, but commercials that we just had to sit through a mere 10 minutes ago!

To help offer the end of some stages commercial free - usually mountain stages will have an hour of commercial free viewing - Versus usually really packs in the commercials as much as possible. While I can fully understand why the channel had to do that, couldn't they honestly mix the commercial selection up a bit more?

Aside from bike-related commercials and previews featuring upcoming Versus programs, too many of the same commercials are shown over and over again! :/

You remember our friend Bob? You know, the guy who sports a big grin and a happy wife? You'd certainly remember him if you watch the TdF - Bob's cheeky mug graces the commercials at least six times during the airing of each stage. Joining Bob in the wee hours of the morning are the following companies: Saab, Motel 6, Yamaha, Visa, Mobil 1, and a few other commercials that now drive me nuts.

Saab also is using a commercial that is very similar to the one they aired last year -- in case you don't know what I am talking about, here is the commercial.

OLN (now known as Versus) is apparently well known for doing stuff like this.

Regardless of what I really think about the commercials, as expected, I will continue to watch the TdF on Versus. I just hope that one day the producers will be kind enough to not irritate viewers at such an early time of the morning. ;)

Summer Reading Selections

2007-07-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Are you in the need for a bit of summer reading? If so, please allow me to offer a couple choices from authors that I simply haven't been able to stop reading.

Barry Eisler's John Rain book series quickly turned into one of my favorite series I have ever read - the plot lines, characters, everything makes it memorable. Eisler's seriousness towards realism (i.e. locations, weapons, tactics, etc.) in the books is also commendable.

Another nice touch is that he is willing to admit when he makes a mistake (link can be found on his web site).

Eisler's latest book, Requiem for an Assassin, received a plethora of solid reviews.

All of this is rather strange for me, especially since I usually don't like reading book series very often.

... but I have another book series that I have enjoyed reading: J.A. Konrath's book series about a pretty gnarly detective.

Thank the sponsors!

2007-07-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

At a time when even pro cycling teams are having trouble finding sponsors (sponsors have to invest millions into a pro team), it's nice to see local cycling clubs get the kind of support we need.

As a member of the Team Alameda cycling club/team, we have a small handful of companies which help out the club. TA's sponsors include Specialized Bicycles, Peet's Coffee, Linguini's Restaurant, Alameda Bicycle, and a realtor, McNulty Realtor@Kane.

You know what is even better about some of the sponsors I mentioned? I actually enjoyed going to both Peet's Coffee and Linguini's before I joined the team!

Even though I would like to see additional sponsors -- GU or Clif Bar, or even Accelerade -- progress is still being made.

If you're on a type of team or club (regardless of what sport/activity), please take some time to thank them for their support!

:D

M.

The Local Bike Scene

2007-07-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

This blog entry was written solely to promote the local bike communities and groups located here in the Bay Area!

Since I happen to live in an amazing town that seems to like its cyclists (for the most part), let me start off in my own town:

A quick shout out to my cycling team/club: Team Alameda!

Here is a local article which explains why my town happens to be an excellent location for serious cyclists and recreational bicyclists alike.

A couple of other Bay Area organizations and clubs that I support:

East Bay Bicycle Coalition
Alameda Bicycle - My local bike shop.
Cycle City - Another local Alameda bike shop

And I can't forget World Bicycle Relief, an organization building bikes for AIDS/HIV workers in Zambia

Welcome, welcome!!!

2007-07-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

"Hello, world!" *sigh* Sorry about starting off my first blog post with a bit of typical nerd/programmer humor.

Anyway, welcome to what will become my unofficial blog until I get my own web site up and running - and available to the masses.

BTW, you may see two names which I go by -- Michael Hoffman or Michael Hatamoto. Relax, don't worry... Maikeru Hatamoto is my Japanese name, though I now prefer Michael Hatamoto.