Friday High Fives (12/30/05)

This week's five items, ideas, and individuals that I am thankful for, appreciate, or admire.

Annual Christmas Vacation
I usually lament the fact that I don't get everywhere I want to during the "nice" months because I blow a large chunk of my vacation during the last couple weeks of the year doing nothing but man do I enjoy not having to deal with going through the charade of trying to "work" during the holidays. I can't think of one instance where anything substantial got completed during the last two weeks of the year in any of the groups that I've worked in or with and this makes trudging into the office more of a waste of time than anything.

Bamboo Cutting Board
I took a knife skills class at The Chopping Block and learned that wood is actually safer than plastic with proper care when it comes to cutting boards. This wasn't a huge deal for me, the owner of a couple plastic boards, but when I got a nice, heavy bamboo cutting board for Christmas I don't think I'll every go back and now I can justify spending the extra dollars on wood ones in the name of safety.

Online Flight Booking
It seems so common place now and certainly taken for granted by almost everyone who uses the internets but a lot of people forget that booking flights and hotels online was one of the web's first "killer apps" and completely revolutionized the travel industry.


Clinton Portis
Easily my favorite non-Bears NFL player. A must see press conference with one of his alter-ego's Southeast Jerome from yesterday is online at the Redskin's website.

2005
There are a lot of things I can say about this past year but you won't hear me say that it wasn't an absolute blast or it wasn't memorable. I am absolutely convinced that I shortened my lifespan by at least two years during 2005.

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