Ahu took the boys out to lunch and daddy is doing some catch up work. Sweet.

A few years ago I posted a PDF of the Rawson Family History that was researched and compiled by my great grandmother Ruth Rawson Meng. Over the many migrations of my blog, the PDF was misplaced. I have now replaced it and it is now available again for review. I get Google search hits on my blog daily for people around the world searching for “Rawson family history” so hopefully this will help.

I did pretty good on my New Year’s resolutions in 2012. I only made two of them: Drink more water. Eat more quinoa. Prior to 2012, I never had quinoa. It’s not my favorite but it is a very healthy alternative to having white rice or potatoes as a side dish. My secret to enjoying quinoa is dousing it with Cholula Chili Garlic hot sauce. I also put a 2 gallon Rubbermaid water jug on my desk and set a notification on my computer to remind me to drink water every 30 minutes.

I am backing a new project at Kickstarter called “THE 10-YEAR HOODIE: Built for Life, Backed for a Decade!” The company making the hoodie is called Flint & Tender, an excellent American company that makes all of its products in the United States.

Within the next 5-10 years, I believe that we will see the end of Google as a major player in the technology industry.

This is the first article in an 8-part series that I have written analyzing Google’s business practices and strategy, and arguing that these will lead to Google’s eventual demise.

All articles here are my own personal opinion and not related to or endorsed by my company, Renkara Media Group.

Google’s downfall will result from three fundamental business failures. Failing in any one of these areas is enough to tank a successful business but when all three combine, you have the elements for a spectacular collapse.

This article discusses Google’s flawed business model and how it is at odds with your right to privacy.

There is a hidden war being waged on dads everywhere this Christmas. Thousands of attractively packaged toys, delivered by that sneakiest of moles - Santa Claus - secretly contain Weapons of Patience Annihilation (WPAs). These cleverly arranged wires and ties and plastic screws serve a sinister purpose - to singlehandedly frustrate and derail patient dads who are trying to unpack holiday presents for their wired, chocolate-addled children. The twistie ties are particularly insidious.

Since going full-time as an iOS developer, I have worked from home exclusively. Sometimes I am asked why I am not open to travel. Beyond personal reasons like wanting to be home to spend time with my family, the most important reason is that my home office is designed for maximum productivity. My primary machine is a 2013 27” iMac with 32 GB of RAM. I use two external 27” LED Cinema Displays - one in portrait orientation - and I have a 15” Retina MacBook Pro open and running all of the time also.