Found this in a great piece about voice recognition:

The human ear is exquisitely sensitive; research has shown, for example, that people can distinguish between hot and cold coffee simply by hearing it poured.

Can you believe that? I have to do my own experiments. Genius at work.

FADE IN:

INT. A COFFEESHOP IN DOWNTOWN STOCKHOLM. A MAN IN A SUIT AND A WOMAN IN A SUMMER DRESS ARE TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT TO HAVE.

» Continued

About 15 years ago, the National Hockey League was a dynamic, outward-reaching league that had big plans for expansion. Not only to Tampa Bay, Nashville, and Columbus, Ohio, where it subsequently arrived, but also to the quirky and fascinating place a lot of the players seemed to be coming from.

“Europe.”

» Continued

Almost exactly ten years ago, I was in St. John's, Newfoundland, in Canada on a business trip. I remember being at the hotel room, and reading a magazine that I, until five minutes ago, always thought was the Rolling Stone. (I was trying to find a photo of the cover of that particular issue and became very hesitant. It might have been another magazine, like Fortune. I guess it really doesn't matter where I was reading the story, but this is just a bad habit of mine, bear with me).

What made this particular article so interesting that I still, ten years after, remember it? It was a story about the MTV trendsniffers. Sure, they probably had a better title in the real story, but you know what I mean: the people who work at the MTV and try to see where the youth culture is headed.

And ... in 1998, they said that the next big trend was ... niceness. And it made me so happy. I thought that there was something I could not only buy into, but also pioneer.

Unfortunately, I think the MTV people got it wrong then. Sure, the Backstreet Boys were nice boys, and Britney used to be so cute, but all in all, I think nice guys and girls have had to step aside. Too bad.

Hey, I just updated my NHL.com blog!

In my mind, I can see a real classic – a true battle, a cold war, if you will – where there’s more at stake than just decent ratings on network television and where retro jerseys won’t be the only thing that makes people talk. Everything must be upped: the rivalry, the venue, the whole meaning of the game.

Click here or read the piece below.

» Continued

Not really. This is what do on vacation:



Staring out the window, chasing kids, and eating are not recorded by RescueTime.

Hey you. You know who you are, even if I don't, my secret friend. My new, secret, gym friend. Do you remember when our friendship began? Who knows, right? At first, it was all very random, very sporadic, but over the next few weeks a pattern began to take shape.

» Continued

All of a sudden, right out of the blue, there's another entry on the NHL.com! In the middle of the summer! Excellent. Read it here, or just click below to get to my piece.

» Continued

Even with a gentlemen’s agreement between the NHL and the IIHF in place, players find a way to leave Europe. Read my IIHF.com piece here or after the jump.

» Continued

Clubs are what makes us human, right? We like to belong to clubs because, well, then we belong. For me, the coolest thing about a club is the club card, something you have to show other - outside the club - that you belong.

Maybe that's why I like hanging out at golf courses even though I'm lousy at golf, and don't really want to get better, either. But I like how they all made that polite nod to me at the course today.

We need more nodding.

There I was, holding hands with my two beautiful kids, my son and my daugther, hanging out at Finland's biggest Prisma store, when I saw the two huge signs that guide the customers to the toy section.

To the left: "Boys' toys". To the right: "Girls' toys."

And all I wanted was some little buckets.

What year is this?