People, Places, Things

The person I'd most like to have a beer with would be Benjamin Franklin. He is my personal hero.

He was the true master of mastery: had a finger in every pot; revered the power of the written word; was an outspoken member of the Society of Friends; worked powerfully and diplomatically to evolve both his local community and our Country; tinkered intelligently with science; proved that good ethics practiced daily is directly connected to success - all qualities sorely lacking in today's society.

As for Jesus...already met 'em. Quite a bore, really.

Places - My favorite place in the world is London...and Great Britain. There's so much going on and so much to see. For an American it is an easy place to experience Europe's  "Old World" and not have to learn a new language. My favorite thing to do in London is pubbing for beers & grub with my friends and hitting museums and historical points of interest.

One of my favorite things to do when I visit a new city is rent a BMW motorcycle and suck in the city.  Here is my cycle video of Paris.

Music - My favorite musicians are Donald Fagan and Paul McCartney. When I am at home, I am usually listening to rock and jazz, on my collection of vintage stereo equipment.

Restaurants - I love to eat at restaurants. Here are some of favorite (and least favorite) places.

Beer - "Beer is God's way of telling us he loves us." Can't argue with my man, Benji!  Beer is also my favorite beverage.

Communicating

GoldMine. When it comes to managing business information, my favorite software is GoldMine. I have built my entire life and livelihood on and around this software product. What makes GoldMine so powerful is the combination of CRM tools (Rolodex, Calendar, Email) and Campaign Automation. In other words, GoldMine keeps you on track with your daily tasks and responsibilities (CRM). Its scripts not only produce email, letters and faxes automatically, but they can also interact with the CRM to create tasks for you, thus keeping you on track inside your own campaign, day after day! You can also "build it out" to manage your staff or an entire company. Read more about how my company helps other businesses profit with GoldMine at my company's web site.

My watch - I never leave home without my Timex Data-Link watch. It is waterproof to 300 ft., looks good with a suit or t-shirt, and, powered by Microsoft software, it synchronizes with GoldMine via an easy to use "electric eye" (schedule and phone book). Oh my data...my precious data!

Desk Phone - My primary phones are Polycom IP 400's. They offer full IP connectivity to my Altigen office PBX over standard DSL and have a great Polycom speakerphone built in. I have one at work and one at home. I sometimes take one with me when I travel. I can setup a base station (at the Hilton Metropole, for example) and still have full connectivity to the office!. No matter where I am, when someone dials my office extension, my phone rings and all "International" incoming or outgoing calls are FREE!!

Mobile Phone - I am using a Sony Ericsson T-616 Camera Smart phone. Although the camera is somewhat disappointing, I do like the rest of the phone. It has a full internet browser, email client, instant messaging client, calendar and phone book. One of its cool features that I use a lot is the voice recorder. I "jot" down any ideas I may have into it. I can then sync them later to my notebook via infrared.

Permanently affixed to me ear at all times is my Panasonic X77 bluetooth earphone/mic. It controls my Sony with voice recognition technology ("Dial Office!" or "Record Voice")  and has no wires so I don't get tangled up in wires throughout the day. I have an extra battery for it so I can do some serious talking if necessary!

Anti-tech - For both drawing and letter writing, I've always used fountain pens: both automatic and ink-well type. However these days, I rarely write anything except for personal notes of thanks,  or get-well cards. My ball-point-pen-scribble is illegible and embarrassing. I've found that there is only one instrument that can transform my brutish right claw motions into emotions and that is a very large fountain pen. I use a Montblank Meisterstuk. An M-B desk stand transforms my pen into a work of art and keeps it at-the-ready whenever the moment should strike to deliver a heartfelt correspondence.

Taking pictures - Since I was a kid, I have been snapping photos. Early on, I discovered the joy of of not only looking at photographs and being able to relive the moment, but also sharing that moment with other people. When it comes to capturing memories, photographs are priceless...so I take a lot of them. In fact, I carry a camera everywhere I go!

Dressing - My suits are not elaborate. My favorites are just your basic three button suit at J.R. Riggins ($400). I take them to my tailor for fine tuning. You can't go wrong with a black or dark blue suit, although I do have a dark green wool and a grey herringbone that I love. However...shirts, ties and shoes are the most important clothing items! Don't skimp on them! I buy shirts at Next in London. Thick collars and buttons and incredible fabrics look and feel great! And they even make my cheap suits look good!

I am not embarrassed to say that I have over 20 pairs of shoes. The reason for this is not that I buy tons of shoes; I just keep them forever. (I still have some Timberline hikers I had in high school.) I take care of it by treating annually with Leatherique, Kiwi shoe wax and an ancient Ronson buffing kit given to me by my grandfather.

In the canvas dept, you can't beat a pair of Chuckie T's (hightop, of course). I prefer black. 

Cars & Bikes

I love old cars. My favorites are old BMWs. I have three at this time.

• 1983 BMW 745i European grey market import Turbocharged Limousine - The fastest buffalo-skin-leather-upholstered living room in the world.
• 1983 BMW 635csi with an engine from a 745i - More than 350 hp in a car designed for 180hp. Enough said!
• 1988 BMW M5 - The one and only Euro sleeper sedan

Part of the reason I love old BMWs is because I have a bunch of friends who are also into them. I love hanging out and working on cars with them.

1982 Yamaha Seca - a trusty steed for 15 + years.