Anacail

Excuse me for falling off the planet...

Michael Miller — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:22:00 GMT

It's been another long, hard year on the road. I've been working in San Francisco for the last 11 months, and it has taken a lot out of me. I'm looking forward to spending 3 consecutive weeks at home for the first time since June.

One of the things I'm going to do while I'm home is learn more about OneCleveland. A friend of a friend works for them, and the info on the website looks good. Hey, anything I can do to help promote ultra broadband in Cleveland is a good thing.

Here's a blurb from their website:
OneCleveland is a nonprofit provider of a community-based ultra broadband networking services to educational, governmental, research, arts, cultural, nonprofit and healthcare organizations in Greater Cleveland.

Subscribers to the network are connected to each other and the Internet backbone at gigabit speeds. OneCleveland also works with technology companies and its subscribers to develop and deploy next generation applications and services that take advantage of the network.

Check them out...

Cheers,
m²

Terrorist Alert!

Michael Miller — Thu, 24 Feb 2005 23:29:00 GMT

I just wanted to let my readers know that according to the omnipotent, or is it impotent, Transportation Security Administration, I'm a terrorist. Yep, it's true. I've earned the dubious honor of being nominated for the TSA's “No-Fly” list. Little old me is considered a terrorist. A guy who was born in Pittsburgh, PA; joined the US Navy right out of high-school; and has done work for the IRS is not allowed to board an airplane without a note from his mommy (or in this case, Uncle Sam.) I'm stuck in the San Francisco airport right now waiting for a supervisor to clear me. What a massive steaming pile of BS this is. I browsed the TSA website to find the procedure to get removed from the list. The long and short of it is, you can't. They can “streamline” the check-in process, but the website says NOTHING about removing you from the list.

I travel almost every week for work. This will be a huge pain for me. I'm hoping that I don't miss any flights or that it doesn't start impacting my work. If it does, I'm hoping that I have some legal recourse.

I'm so pissed-off right now I'm not sure where this rant will lead, except to say please let me know if you have any ideas on how to help remedy this situation. You can reach me at michmill@anacail.com.

Cheers,
m²

Long weekend...

Michael Miller — Wed, 23 Feb 2005 13:31:00 GMT

One benefit of serving only customers in the financial services industry is you get all the minor holidays off like MLK Day, President's Day, Arbor Day, and Bad Hair Day. I decided to enjoy my long weekend by heading up into the wine country north of San Francisco. If you are a wine lover like me, or if you are just looking for an enjoyable weekend in the country, this trip is a must. I drove up on Saturday morning and hit a few wineries including Chimney Rock and Stags Leap on Saturday afternoon. It was a rainy day, but the vino helped to ease the doldrums.

After quenching my thirst, I checked in to one of the most beautiful Bed & Breakfast's I've ever seen - The Cedar Gables Inn. Ken and Susie are very gracious hosts and property is picturesque. Ken and Susie have a happy hour every evening from 5:30 to 7:00 complete with wine, cheese, and fruit plates. The guests can gather and get to know each other, and if you're lucky, Ken will break out his guitar and play a few tunes. After Happy Hour I had dinner at Cole's Chop House in downtown Napa. I've eaten in some of the best chop houses in the country including New York, Chicago, and Kansas City. Cole's ranks with the best of them. The extensive wine list helps make the culinary experience complete. Retiring to my room at the B&B was a pleasure. The room was beautifully appointed and there was even a little decanter of a very nice port to conclude the evening.

Sunday dawned cloudy but warm (by Cleveland standards), and Susie's sausage casserole really hit the spot. I bid Cedar Gables good-bye and headed up Highway 29.

Mondavi is an obligatory stop for anyone visiting Napa, and the people I was with had never been. After looking around a bit, we continued our journey. The next stop was the Peju winery. It's very difficult to find Peju wines in Ohio, but if you have the chance you should try it. My personal favorite was the Sauvignon Blanc. It will be great on a warm summer evening with light cheeses. The highlight of my visit to Peju wasn't necessarily the wine, but the gentleman who was presenting the tasting. The show he puts on is enough to make this a must-see during a trip to Napa. Oh, and the beautiful stained glass was a sight to behold.

Continuing up the valley, I spotted Niebaum-Coppola. This winery has a long and distinguished past starting in 1871 and continuing today under the ownership of Academy Award winning director Francis Ford Coppola. It's an enjoyable stop where you can taste fine wines while strolling through the museum containing items from the winery's past and memorabilia from Coppola's movies.

I had a 2:00 PM appointment at my favorite Winery, Corison. Corison is a very small boutique winery that produces one of the best medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon's I've ever had. The winery itself is nothing spectacular to look at, but the people are very friendly and the wine is outstanding. If you're planning on stopping, reservations are not required, but it's a good idea. Did I mention they make great wine?

I decided I'd had enough wine for the day and headed for my next B&B in Cloverdale, The Shelford House. The Shelford House is a nice Victorian style home with a stunning view of the vineyards adjacent to the property. Stan and Anna, the innkeepers are very friendly people and made me feel right at home. They recommended a nice Italian restaurant in town and even made reservations for me.

Overall, it was a very nice trip and exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries after the long hours of work and travel I've been racking up over the past few months.

Cheers,
m²

Stressful Cleveland?

Michael Miller — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 12:28:00 GMT

Sperling's Bestplaces.net recently released a ranking of the top 100 metro areas as related to stress. Northeast Ohio it seems is average. Perfectly average. Cleveland ranked 50th, with Youngstown coming in at 51. Minneapolis, a city I know intimately is ranked in the top 5 least stressful cities. The full report can be found here.

Cheers,
m²

Tech Czar?

Michael Miller — Fri, 18 Feb 2005 01:14:00 GMT

Yep, I'd call him that. Just like Catherine the Great annexing Crimea in 1783 the current Cleveland Tech Czar wants to annex technology companies from the suburbs and bring them into Cleveland. As an effect on the broader tax base of Northeast Ohio this move provides exactly no job growth. Why not make Cleveland a place that people want to start tech companies? Why not make Cleveland an attractive place for smaller companies who want to grow? Don't take from our neighbors. Use the tech base that they've built to lure businesses from other cities to the Cleveland Area.

I've been criticized by people in previous blogs for simply commenting on the problem and not providing solutions; so here's my $.02.

Bandwidth - Tons and tons of bandwidth. It all starts with bandwidth in the new economy. We need Cleveland to be a major hub for Internet2. We shouldn't be one or two hops off the backbone. We should be part of the backbone. Make bandwidth plentiful. Make bandwidth cheap. Make the city connected. WiFi on every corner; in every coffee shop; in every public place. Make it easy for people to work where ever they happen to be. It increases the quality of life for mobile professionals thus making it easier to lure and keep qualified professionals in the area. As a comparison, I'm in San Francisco on a project. As I write this blog from my hotel room I count no fewer than 5 wireless networks in range. I'm happy to get a cell signal sometimes in Cleveland. It's not a good environment for a mobile professional in Cleveland.

Tax Abatements - Start-ups are strapped for cash. Make it easier for small companies to get a foothold and get profitable. The local economy will still benefit from income and other taxes on employees and the money the employees spend in the community. When the company does reach profitability, the tax base grows more. DeAloia has suggested personal property tax abatements. It's a good start, but more needs to be done to reduce year 1-3 costs to help start-ups achieve profitability.

Low-cost Office Space - Once again, make it easier for small companies to achieve profitability. Let the start-up spend money where it really counts - on the talent to make them successful. I like DeAloia's idea of a tech corridor along Euclid, but the city should do more to create low-cost office space for new companies.

So there's three quick ideas, but the overall message is save the company as much money as possible so it can focus on what really matters for any business - making a profit. Then, and only then everyone will reap the benefits of a solid and growing economic base.

Cheers,
m²

Hockey Fan: R.I.P.

Michael Miller — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 16:37:00 GMT

A good friend of mine, Dan Kirk, had this article published today in the Pittsburgh City Paper. If you're a hockey fan like me, it's worth a read. I guess I'll have to watch the LeBron show until baseball emerges from winter hibernation. Sad, sad days I tell you.

Cheers,
m²

Numa Numa Ye

Michael Miller — Thu, 17 Feb 2005 16:21:00 GMT

I'm sure you've heard of it. You may have even seen it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to experience it. Visit Gary's website here. The video is genuinely funny, and I have to admit the kid's got rhythm, timing, and great facial expressions.

Cheers,
m²

Edited 10:18 PM PST
Looks like his website is down. I guess his ISP couldn't handle the load. MSNBC has the video here.

Stupidest Cities

Michael Miller — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 12:06:00 GMT

Channel 5 has a blurb about an article in Men's Health Magazine that ranks Cleveland as one of the “stupidest” cities in America. The rankings are based on:

Number of bachelor’s degrees, based on population

Number of universities and colleges

SAT scores

Nobel Prize winners

I certainly hope someone on the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners reads this and makes them realize what most of us already know - a thriving city needs more than a new stadium or two, and new mega-shopping centers to attract and keep the intelligent people at the heart of any economic engine. Education combined with social activities are what makes a city tick. Just look at St. Paul, MN - ranked one of the top cities in the same study. It is certainly not the climate that attracts “smart“ people to the city. I spent almost a year there on a project. The weather stinks, but culture and education opportunities are plentiful. Cleveland has perhaps more outdoor recreation possibilities and better weather. St. Paul holds only a slight edge when it comes to professional sports (assuming hockey ever comes back, but that's a different blog for a different day). St. Paul's median income is almost $13,000 a year higher than Cleveland's. St. Paul has less violent crime. St. Paul's unemployment rate is 3.36% compared to Cleveland's 8.88%. St. Paul is also out pacing Cleveland by better than a full percentage point when it comes to job creation. So why the great disparity between the two cities in so many quality of life categories? I have a hair brained notion. Do you think it might be education?

The sad state of Cleveland Public Schools

Michael Miller — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 14:55:00 GMT

George at Brewed Fresh Daily turned me on to this post from Bill Callahan about a Cleveland School Board meeting. I have to wonder, what the hell people are thinking. Not just the school board, but the public in general is screwed in the head. School funding should be one of the highest priorities for any community. Most people in Ohio think it rates somewhere next to Russian Roulette on their list of “important things to do.” Russian Roulette is exactly what they are playing. Every year the schools don't get enough money to provide a quality education is just like putting another bullet in the gun and spinning the cylinder. The schools decay; the quality teachers head for greener pastures; security at the schools decreases; and the students get the shaft. THESE ARE OUR OWN CHILDREN WE'RE SCREWING OVER! I just don't get it. The ramifications of not educating our children are enormous. Let's think about this in the most simplistic terms. Better education = better paying jobs. Better paying jobs = better quality of life. Better paying jobs = better tax base. Better paying jobs = more discretionary income. More discretionary income = more jobs. More jobs = better tax base. And that's just the local perspective. I won't get started on the global implications. Can't people see we're cutting off our collective nose to spite our face?

Cheers,
m²

What the hell does Anacail mean anyway?

Michael Miller — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 10:38:00 GMT

Good question. I originally found the word while researching a name for a company my friend Alex and I were going to set up. We were going to create a web site that would scan a computer for vulnerabilities and help the user to fix the problems. We wanted a name that would have meaning to our core business. We started off with easy to remember English words, but we found the domain names had already been registered. We decided to change languages, so I went looking for a word in the language I was currently learning, Gaelic. I found anacail. In Gaelic it means defend or shield. Perfect! That's what we were trying to help users do to their computers. We went with it.

So we worked. Alex is a gifted graphic designer and site designer and he jumped right in creating the site. I'm more of a systems guy, so I started to work on hooking Nessus into the site. Creating an API for Alex to control Nessus from web pages, and modifying the Nessus reports to look good on our site. Then reality interfered. I got too busy working for the Leviathan of Redmond and Alex got swamped at his day job at Workflow.com. The whole dot-bomb implosion put a damper on our grandiose plans as well.

So this is what's left - a domain name and a bunch of unused code to do something too many other companies are doing a piss-poor job of. It reminds me of an Affordable Floors song called All the things I meant to be.

With the turn of the new year, I'm looking forward to better days. May they be better for all of us.

Cheers,
m²