urbanTechnocrat

urbanTechnocrat::revived

The original reason I started this blog waaaaay back in 2004 was to have a place to record what was happening in my life. It was therapy for me, a way to get things off of my chest, out of my mind, and "on paper" so to speak. A side-effect was that that it also gave my friends (and thousands of other random strangers) the ability to keep up with me during these busy times. What I was doing, where I was going, how I was feeling...

It's time to revive this blog... I miss the outlet. And for some reason, typing it all into a Word doc just doesn't seem like it would provide the same satisfaction I get from updating this blog. There are so many things to comment on, so much happening in my life, and so much that's about to happen that I think its appropriate for me to get back to posting.

Stay tuned in July for urbanTechnocrat::revived, the new beginnings of a 20-something tech guy trying to survive life's obstacles.

Ryan Phillippe Naked

Ran across this in the DNA magazine email today. While you don't see anything all that exciting, its still quite a fun clip. I don't know how many Armani jeans it will sell though.

iSee, iBuy, iTouch

So, as soon as I saw it, I had to have it. Its been ordered and will be in my lovely little hands once it ships on September 29. YAY!

Waiting patiently

Apple will be having a special event today in which, rumor has it anyway, new iPods will be introduced. I'm counting down the minutes until I have a new iPod in my hands.  :-)

Pedro Andrade, DJ... who knew?

Is EVERYONE a DJ these days? Apparently all you need is MacBook with iTunes and a few CDs. Or to be someone like Lindsay Lohan (have you seen Kathy Griffin go on about this? LOL). Or even Pedro Andrade, the "we're not boyfriends" friend of Lance Bass.

Now, I have nothing against Pedro; seems to be a pretty nice guy. You can't hear the music he spins really, but I'm still not sure about the randomness of DJs these days. It really is an art, and some people, promotors, and bar/club owners just don't understand that. 

LX.com : Real/Life - Pedro Andrade 2

Monteverde photos posted

Just finished posting the photos and videos from the trip to Monteverde this past weekend.

Monteverde

Good dental hygiene

Just as an aside, Costa Ricans have amazing dental hygiene. Every time I go to use the restroom here (at the company I am working with) there is at least one person brushing their teeth. Its usually two. And at one point, 4 people were vying for the sink to brush their teeth.

I just find that interesting, so thought I would share....

Road trip to Monteverde

So, I am still here in Costa Rica and really enjoying myself. Traveling alone has been quite the experience, especially in another country. I think I'd be able to handle it a little better if I was traveling alone in the U.S. But here, it is a bit strange. I guess I'm just not used to it. The people at the hotel restaurant now greet me with "Hello, Mr. Bell. Just one, right?" LOL!

Today, Aaron (my best friend and travel buddy) is flying in from Minneapolis. We've rented a car and are going on a road trip to Monteverde, the cloud forest area to the northwest of San Jose. We don't really know exactly how to get there, and we've been warned of treacherous terrain, but it should be an interesting adventure nonetheless. IF we make it there (LOL!) we'll be getting up early tomorrow morning to go zip-lining through the forest, trek across suspension bridges, visit the butterfly sanctuary, and just have a relaxing time. We're staying at Hotel El Establo which is supposed to be amazing.

I will be taking lots of photos, especially if we get stuck in the mud someplace. HAHA!!

Rain, rain, go away

So, it seems to rain every afternoon here. The guy I am working with down here explained that its because of how the heat rises up from the valley in the afternoon. Anyway, here's some video of the rain. At times, its like someone is just pouring a bucket of water from the sky.

¡Buenos dias Costa Rica!

As you may or may not know, I am currently in Costa Rica for work. We work with a company here to offload some of the projects from the US offices. I am down here training them on web site builds for a specific client.

I took this picture this morning from the hallway of my hotel.

NYC Transit: STAY HOME DAMN IT!

After some heavy rains in NYC last night, the NYC Transit Authority wants you to stay home. Um, FYI: Probably very unlikely.

RECESS with Candis Cayne

WOOHOO!! This weekend Aaron's mom, Cathy, was in town so Aaron flew in from Minneapolis to help show her around. And one thing he didn't want her to miss was Candis Cayne.

I wrote to Candis on MySpace (lame, I know, but I couldn't find an email address) who wrote back to me and told me about RECESS at Opus22 at 4p on Sunday. This was a much better time (Cathy doesn't like to stay out to late) and a much better venue (how can you beat running out into the West Side Highway for a number?) than the other alternatives for the weekend.

In any case, Cathy loved it, was interacting with Candis during the show (Candis remembered I had said she was coming. It was great!) and we were even indulged with a fun Candis photo. Thanks Candis!!

Party photos

Saturday, Ken and I hosted a combo Birthday/Housewarming party at our new place in Williamsburg. It was quite a fiesta, if I do say so myself. Check out some of the photos...

The Boyfriend Pants

Two Seven in '07

Happy Birthday to me!!

Having a party tonight at the new apartment. Pictures to be posted Monday.