I still have a stack of my official business cards but I wanted something a little different to try and explain what I do as an evangelist.

I was thinking about using one of the Blue Monster images that Hugh MacLeod (Gaping Void) and Steve Clayton have done such a good job of unleashing on the world but while I love the message (“Microsoft - Change the world or go home”) I wanted something a little different.

Hugh talks about these conversation pieces as social objects so I felt it was important to find an image and a message that summed up how I feel about what I do.

Microsoft has some amazing job titles. But at the end of the day a title is a label that can be used to pigeon hole you and how people perceive your role and function. Sure, waving the Senior or Technical parts of the title, or the descriptive blurb that defines your role in 3 words can be useful in some situations, most of the time what I do is is evangelize. So my card just say “Evangelist”

One of my first presentation courses (besides pointing out you never learn anything by showing a Powerpoint) pointed out that I have two ears and only one mouth and in any conversation that’s the ratio I should use them in. Over the years I’ve also learnt that while you can sell someone something that’s not what they need you’ll have a much better relationship if you help them find what they need. Sometimes you’ll sell them something. Sometimes you’ll help them find a different solution. Sometimes you’ll help them realize they didn’t understand the problem. Whatever the outcome I want them to feel they can trust Microsoft a little bit more than they did before (and then do my best to make sure they continue to have that experience).

I’m not sure if the dinosaur and meteor metaphor is always right – I don’t want people I talk to thinking that I feel they are doomed – but I want to make sure whoever I talk to I’m helping them find the right solution. In the case of the dinosaur it was evolution.

A big “thank you” to Hugh for a great image that really appealed to me.

FrankArr pointed out it was Star Wars day, and Clone Wars are coming soon… but watching it projected from R2D2s head would be just perfect

I so want one! Shame it doesn’t work as a Media Center Extender ;)

Check out Nikko America for more info.

On May 3rd 2008 that is the challenge. Will you be able to join with people from around the world, turn off your computer and spend Saturday unwired?

The goal is both to reconnect with the physical world, and at the same time try and save some power - or at least raise awareness of the number of devices we have plugged in draining current every day.

I’ve got quite a list of devices to shut down (and we’ll try to include the TV and Xbox in the list as well). Just doing a quick count at home we have 2 PCs, a Media Center, a Server, 3 (yes, 3) laptops, one UMPC as well as assorted printers, scanners, monitors, external drives, WiF gateways, switches etc. It probably adds up to quite a few watts consumed every day.

I’m not sure I can totally disconnect – I’ll make sure my phone is charged up :)

Oh, and on Friday night before you go home from work… don’t forget to turn off everything you can in the office as well.

Spread the word before the countdown reaches zero… find out more a ShutdownDay.org

I wonder if enough people turn off their transformers will it cool the planet. At least it might remind us to flick the switch every now and then :)

I just got pinged by FrankArr to post 8 random facts about me.

The background/rules:-

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged need to write a post on their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog

So… here are my 8 random things (well, more random that this blog usually contains)

1. The difference between my brothers age and mine is the same gap between my Dad and my Mum.
2. I have one tattoo and 5 piercings. Unless I know you quite well you’ll only ever see four of them!
3. My first car was a Vauxhall Astra Mk1. The first car I bought my brother was a Mk4.
4. I was born in the UK but my US Visa is in an Australian passport.
5. Until I left the UK in 1996 I lived in the same house that my parents had owned from 4 years before I was born. Since them I’ve had 10 different addresses (and stayed at a lot of hotels!)
6. I once sat next to Douglas Adams on a flight from Sydney to Heathrow. It was the most enjoyable flight I’ve ever been on! Luckily I didn’t realize at the time “Doug” was my favorite author (otherwise I’d have been a tongue-tied fool!)
7. I’m afraid of heights but I have cliff jumped and been on a trapeze (both more than once!)
8. I’m been trapped in Cyberspace since the days of CompuServe (I was an administrator) and the first website I build ran on GoServe (on OS/2!)

Now because the rules say I need to spread the meme to 8 more folks…

1. Michael Coates
2. Fred Wilson
3. Nishant Kothary
4. Thomas Lewis
5. Mike Swanson
6. Kip Kniskern
7. Joshua Allen
8. Paul Walsh

As anyone who has ever visited a rack room or looked down the back of a home PC can testify... cables get tangled.

If you've ever wondered while passing the time trying to sort out the mess if there's a better way to untangle them.... wonder no more, but get in training as a speedcabling athlete.

This new sport has just crowned it's first winner in a competition in LA that saw contestants battle to de-tangle a dozen ethernet cables of varying lengths... with the added twist that they still had to carry data at the end of the race!

These cables were not just tangled by time and chance. There was method to the madness! To get them to replicate the conditions of the wires found snaking and choking their way around hard drive units, monitors and printers in offices worldwide, Steven Schkolne (creator of this new sport) first started by tangling them in a figure eight. Then he threw the bundles in a clothes dryer for 3 minutes.

The first winner was Matthew Howell - and as well as the fame of being the first crowned champion in the sport he got a $50 voucher for a local restaurant.

Finally, a sport I might have a chance at.... check out the rules and other details at the official site...

As a gentile I hope no-one gets offended if I wish everyone a very Happy Hanukkah (חנוכה‎).

Thanks to Michael for a great little Silverlight sample.

(The candles should light one at a time at 6pm starting December 4th)

It has nothing to do with me coming to the US (honest) but I suspect if the 18th Amendment and Prohibition was still in force it would be a very different country today.

So I'm happy to add my voice to the call for the US to have it's own national drinking holiday to celebrate, in the spirit of St Pats and Cinco de Mayo and others, the passing of the 21st Amendment which put an end to Prohibition.

This, and every December 5th should be Repeal Day.

Closer to home if the 18th Amendment was still in force Drinkboy would probably have to find a new hobby.

The folks at Messenger Café have just got their direct line to Santa up and running and now if you add northpole@live.com to your contacts in Windows Live Messenger you can tell Santa if you've been naughty or nice, and argue why you really should get that shiny red bike for Christmas this year....

If you don't have Windows Live Messenger go get it here.

It's that time of year again ;)

(Thanks Adam for a great, topical, sample)

When you idly scroll over the globe in Virtual Earth have you ever wondered what other people are looking at?

No? Well luckily a Microsoft Researcher has put together a very cool mash-up in case you were ever curious.

It overlays a heat map on top of Virtual Earth with color coded intensity showing who is looking where.

Check out the introduction, or dive right into the maps...