Today's Ride - Getting Lost in Daybreak

Today's Ride - Suncrest / Traverse Mountain

Today's Ride - 30 Miles / 2,900 Feet of Climbing

So I got a new bike several weeks ago and I guess I'm finally starting to ride into shape. Today felt good. Pretty high average speed considering the number of climbs. Fun stuff.

Things that Happen in 60 Seconds - Infographic

Really cool infographic:
Infographic by- Shanghai Web Designers

Review: The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



It was alright. Not the best in the series, not the worst. It felt a little forced, otherwise fairly entertaining.



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Review: Dead or Alive

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Meh. Maybe it's because I haven't read a Tom Clancy book in a long time or maybe it is because the characters that I grew up reading about (Jack, Ding Chavez, John Clark, etc.) seemed so much more impressive in other books, but I didn't think this was that great.

The story is entirely unoriginal. The characters were all flat. For the most part, I kept reading just so I could finish it (and move on to something else). There are so many good Tom Clancy books. In my mind, this is not one of them.



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Avvocating 2012: Legal Marketing in the era of Social Media.

Many of you know that I frequently write, blog, and present on social media and the law. (See my blog, Social Media, Esq.™)  Anyway, I have been asked to participate as a panelist at Avvo.com's 2012 Avvocating conference this coming May. For what it is worth, Avvo is a site started by the same guy involved in starting Expedia and Zillow. A quick summary of the event:

The digital marketplace is changing rapidly and more competitive than ever before - hear the latest trends that are impacting the legal industry and learn the skills to enhance your online presence, stay one step ahead and ultimately drive more business to your firm.

The event is going to be awesome and I am grateful for the opportunity to participate and hopefully contribute. I am more excited to attend the other sessions of the conference to hear from such experienced and successful people. More information on the event can be found at:

I recognize that this isn't targeted specifically at the readers of this blog but hey, a lot of our friends our lawyers and I think there is a lot that to be learned at the conference. Plus, like I would let something like this happen without bragging about it. You all know me after all.

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archives Book #1)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My review:

This book is awesome. I cannot wait for the series to develop. Sanderson is definitely the best the fantasy writer I've ever read. The Mistborn series was great but The Stormlight Archives are going to be awesome.

Call me crazy, but this series is going to be the next "Wheel of Time" in fantasy circles. Sanderson is masterful at creating vibrant characters and worlds. Even more impressive is how he weaves in politics, religion, and a system of "magic" into a realistic environment that you actually feel a part of. Now, a quick caveat, I really don't read fantasy books very often, so my opinion should probably be taken with a large grain of salt.

But I read a lot of books. And I read a lot of teen fiction, which frequently balances on the precipice of falling into the fantasy realm. And I'm sticking by my guns on this one.

Admittedly, I had a hard time getting into the book. That's why it is four rather than five stars. I try a couple of times before I really got going. I was confused, didn't have a lot of context, and really didn't like the system of "magic" Sanderson chose to use. Of course, that is because I didn't understand it. Now that I get the system, I think it is brilliant. So, my advice is this: read until you meet Kaladin; once that happens, you will know all you need to know, you will pound through the 1000 pages with eager excitement, and you will anxiously await the next installment.

Well done Mr. Sanderson. Well done. That's my short review. I'm sure there are plenty, more substantial, more thorough, and more accurate. But I can honestly say that I wish this 10-volume series (currently planned to be 10 volumes as I understand it) was fully available now. I would have 10,000 pages (well 9,000 pages) of excellent reading ahead of me.




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