Why am I announcing it, you may ask?  To hold myself accountable, I answer.

I am quickly looking at life through a new lens.  Not to sound like a droid, but ever since my senior year of college, I have been discovering the importance of human interaction.

When I was going through school I was very focused on being the best software developer that I could be.  I had friends and everything, so I wasn’t anti-social, just more of an introvert.    In fact, I was even President of my fraternity.  However, I did not promote those social relationships as well as I could have.  Don’t get me wrong, I was never mean or rude to people.  It was just that I didn’t realize the importance of social interaction.

For instance, often when I was invited to go out, I stayed in and pushed forward a little more on the project that I was working on.  That probably brought me from a B+ to an A-.

What I should have done was taken the B+ then gone out and had a beer with some good friends.  Now that I am 5 or 6 years older (and wiser, I’d like to think), I am realizing the importance of human capital, and have been going out of my way to meet as many people as I can, in order to create valuable relationships with these people.  Especially since I am around so many intelligent and talented people.

This leads me to my point:  Google doesn’t have all the answers.  In the past, if I had a question I would just type it in to Google and wait 0.07 seconds for the results to return.  If I needed to talk to someone, I’d send them a text, email, or Facebook message.  Now I am learning to ask the people around me.  I have discovered that the people in my network know a whole lot more than Google (figuratively speaking).

It is amazing what one can find out about another person, just by asking a non-related question.  Start using your cell phone and lunch meetings instead of Google and email, and you too, will be well on your way to fostering meaningful relationships.  Just remember, it is not who you know, it is who knows you.

Credits:  Image from Visceral Observations

Friends and Family

Most of our friends and family have Alltel also.  This is nice because Alltel offers free cell-to-cell between Alltel customers.  So, we can talk for free to just about everyone we talk to on a regular basis and, therefore, never come close to going over our minutes, even with my various business ventures.

Service Great, Phones Suck

With “smart” phones like the iPhone and the G1 from Google being released every few months, it sucks that Alltel is usually the last carrier to get the things the cool kids are using.  But in the same breath, my phone has bars where many friends do not get service with carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

Where I Live

I just found out that T-Mobile does not have high speed towers in Central Florida so if I got the G1 we would not have access to many of the advanced features.  Asside from that is the alternative of getting an iPhone.   They are probably the slickest of the bunch but the plans are over-priced and I swore I would never return to AT&T.  I am anxious to see what the new Blackberry looks like and if it solves my problems. (Note: This was written before it’s release)

*UPDATE*

Verizon and Alltel Merger

Now that Verizon and Alltel are joining forces, I think we’ll wait and see what they offer.  Last I heard, the merger will commence sometime during mid January.  I hope it doesn’t take as long as the AT&T/Cingular merger.

After listening to this the other day, I thought of a brilliant idea.  Why not put a simple but relevant 5 question quiz at the top of every ballot and if you cannot get at least 3 questions correct then your vote doesn’t count.  This will ensure that only informed people vote.  This example is against Obama but I’m sure this kind of ignorance happens on both sides of the coin.  Trust me, I live in Central Florida.  I see it daily.

Disclosure: Personally, I like both Obama and McCain.  I just feel people should be educated before making decisions like this.

Photo by Ianz

This 4th of July got me thinking…

Don’t get me wrong, I love the United States.  I love BBQ, free refills, and I prefer ice in my drinks.  However, I feel the US could take a page out of the books of other countries and regions when it comes to conservation.

To conserve energy, Japan has sensors that turn on escalators as people approach.

Using native or local plants for landscaping.  For instance, using cactus to landscape your desert home or using palm trees to decorate your tropical home.  Although this is beginning to gain popularity, it is not yet the social norm.

Satellite sprinklers are currently gaining popularity even though the technology has been around for many years.  These satellites link to a receiver in your yard to communicate local weather reports to your sprinkler system.  If it is going to rain, your sprinklers say off.

Public transportation and bullet trains are probably the most cost and energy efficient methods of transportation.  How come it has taken us so long to start considering this when Europe has had an extensive rail system for years.

The list goes on…

If I were a political leader, I would visit these countries, write down all of their great ideas, and bring them to the United States to be implemented and offer grants for those willing to research and develop the technologies.

Although, I am suffering too, in a weird way, I am glad gas prices have sky rocketed.  Every-time oil increases in cost, the topic gets 10 more seconds on the evening news and gets 80,000 more people thinking of ways to lessen our dependence on oil.

Update

Shortly after posting this, I received an email from a friend with a link to an article entitled “10 Things you Can Like about $4 Gas.” The article re-emphasizes my point that although we are suffering at the pump, pain is the fastest innovator because it causes necessity and people begin thinking and acting differently.

From the article

But it’s also true that Americans are finding options where there seemed to be none. They’re ready to change — and waiting for their infrastructure to catch up. They are driving to commuter-rail lines only to find there are no parking spots left. They are running fewer errands and dumping their SUVs. Public-transit use is at a 50-year high. Gas purchases are down 2% to 3%. And all those changes bring secondary, hard-earned benefits.

…

“Nobody wants high prices for oil. But there’s also no faster mechanism to change behavior.” The suffering will go on. But the story, like any good tragedy, is not without redemption.