By Ben

Happy Retirement t40

After almost 5 years of faithful service, I'm finally retiring my trusty Thinkpad t40.  I'm not usually a guy who gets attached to inanimate objects, but I have to admit that I'm a little sad to be replacing the t40 as my primary machine.  I spent my very first paycheck from my very first job on this computer, and I never regretted the purchase.

I chuckled at friends who bought flashier looking machines from Sony or Dell or Apple, only to replace them a couple years later.  I've smugly watched airport travelers gently place their laptops into cushy cases, knowing that I could throw my t40 into any bag and it'd be no worse for wear.

It was inevitable that I'd eventually have to find a replacement machine for day-to-day work.  I hope my faithful t40 enjoys an easy retirement hooked up to Divya's TV, serving up episodes of Lost and playing the occasinal dvd. 

Enjoy your twilight years t40.  It's been rich.


- Ben

Humble Beginnings

The fun (and scary) thing about doing a startup is that you get a chance to do a little bit of everything.  The first couple folks in a company are the de facto CFOs, CTOs, secretaries, janitors.... and pretty much everything else a functional company needs.  


Last week, Paul and I spent a couple hours brainstorming about names and logos to put on a business card.  I never appreciated how challenging it is to make a simple but memorable logo.  After my own feeble attempts, I enjoyed seeing some of the logos my former bosses tried out before creating the now ubiquitous 'Google' we've all come to know and love.

courtesy of wired 

               

Click here to download:
2_logo_predesign.zip (195 KB)

1 more Dr. Silbermann

Elizabeth had her white coat ceremony this weekend, and joined Mom, Dad and Rebecca as the 4th Dr. Silbermann. Congratulations!

 

Iowa's (very) Little India

12 miles North of Des Moines is the town of Madrid (pronounced ma - drid, not muh-drid). Despite being home to only ~2,300 residents, 99% of whom are white, Madrid boasts the the largest Hindu temple in the state!  My Mom and Dad took a trip to check it out last weekend and had a great time chatting with Priest Krimanand Upreti, making a small offering to Ganish, and admiring the temple, which rises quite suddenly from the surrounding corn fields.   

My Dad looks extremely pleased strolling the temple grounds :)  I definitely have to make a trip next time I'm home, and I hope Mom and Dad are planning to attend the Diwali festivities coming up in November.
     

Click here to download:
Iowas_Little_India.zip (815 KB)


Yes, that is my phone


* inspired by the always amusing http://failblog.org

Getting Ready for 1 Year!

It's hard to believe but my nephew is getting reay to celebrate his 1st year of being around . Congrats to the happy family.  Overalls never looked so hip!
 

       

Click here to download:
Happy_Family.zip (309 KB)

Ouch

For those looking for a little historical perspective on the current economic "situation".