Tretakoff Musings

I caught Inception this week. I'm a big fan of Chris Nolan, as well as movies that attempt to question the nature of reality, so I had high hopes. I'm pleased to say that it was all I hoped for, and more. Quite possibly, one of the best movies of the genre made. And, because of events that have transpired in my professional and personal life recently, all the more resonant. Don't worry, no reviews or spoilers here, but at its essence, the movie asks the question: what if life as we experience it, was no more real than a dream? This is rich territory, and usually is explored in sci-fi as "alternate realities" and the like, and it's my favorite genre. In movies, there are some great examples: The Matrix , which, until Inception , was the reigning champ. Disguised by black leather outfits, incredible slo-mo gunplay, and kung-fu, this movie was a thinly veiled retelling of Buddhist philosophy, in the form of a sci-fi action adventure. And it still kicks ass. ...

Precipitated by a rapid degradation of my longtime Subaru, I recently indulged an early midlife crisis, replacing the all-wheel drive workhorse with the realistic car of my dreams, the Pontiac Solstice GXP . This 2-seater convertible is a blast to drive, and makes days that I don't make it onto the bike a commuting joy. In fact, the only downside of the Solstice is the wind noise: having a cell conversation is nearly impossible at highway speeds. I know, you are saying "get off the phone!" However, there are days I need to do early conference calls, and having to be trapped until the call ends is not my idea of fun. So, what to do? First up, the Plantronics Voyager Pro Bluetooth Headset from Amazon. Of the traditional BT headsets, I had already tried the Jawbone, as well as BlueAnt's offerings, all of which claim to have the ultimate in wind protection, and all of which most definitely do not. But the Plantronics was willing to go one step beyond: a video from the ...