This blog generally focuses on technical stuff but I wanted to share something that has made a huge difference in my life. Last year, around August, I decided it was time to turn around my own personal health and well-being. As a person who has been perpetually overweight throughout my life, I was used to looking heavy in photos. However, I noticed in recent photos what I felt was a change from being overweight to being seriously overweight. For the sake of my kids, my wife and myself, I felt I had to stop this worsening situation.

Looks like this is going to be a very busy year for me with a lot of articles and speaking coming up. Here's a list of stuff I am already working on for this upcoming year...

Following on Andy Jarrett, Mark Mandel and Mark Drew, (and for those of you who don't know what I look like for today's presentation), here I am...

In response to the meme that Tim Buntel (inadvertently) started, here is my developer persona:

• 32 years old
• Married for 9 years with 2 kids (one 4 and one only 5 months old) and two parrots (conures)
• Drives a Mini Cooper
• Bought our current home 2 years ago and just recently finished renovating it. It is in Boston, so we paid too much, but the neighborhood is great.
• A recent Mac convert, though I have to use a PC for work.
• I rarely get to go to the movies anymore. I think the only ones I saw recently were Casino Royale and Borat...is Borat up for best picture?
• I watch Heroes, Grey's anatomy, Desperate Housewives and My Name is Earl (yeah, not much geeky scifi stuff...my wife mostly picks the shows but I enjoy them too ;)
• No snowboarding or kayaking. My only real hobby anymore would be Xbox 360 when I have the time (and in the case of Gears of War I make the time)
• Love Indian food and Sushi
• I like all kinds of music, but mostly obscure electronic stuff (think Shiny Toy Guns, Kish Mauve or Lali Puna), straight pop with a female vocalist (Leigh Nash, Goldfrapp or Gwen Stefani) or Latin music (but no Ricky Martin...more like Ely Guerra or Julieta Venegas). I am addicted to my eMusic subscription which has tons of that stuff.
• I almost never visit YouTube unless someone sends me a link (and I am not at work). I read too much new on New York Times online instead (I am a politics junkie).

Forgive me for getting off topic here, but I want to discuss a pet theory of mine about a subject near and dear to my heart - the Miami Hurricanes and the Miami Dolphins. We fans of either (or both) team know how far a team can fall quickly, but I think there is more to it than that...I think there is the ominous sign of the beast at work here.