This guy just went up a few notches in my book - Dane Reynolds

It's true. This guys rips. He's right-brained like me. His thoughts are scattered like mine. He's weird like me. Those were the only reasons why I liked Dane. Now throw in that pile of qualities, the fact that he's honest enough to air out his dirty laundry and knows that this will propel him into galaxial (if that is even a word,) potential. Good on you Dane for being honest with yourself and taking a step to improve in the face of public pressure. Check it out: Marine Layer Productions

Japan 2011

I told myself, if I don't do it now, I will never blog my Japan 2011. With all of the work and MBA related activities I've had in the recent weeks, it's been relatively busy, to put it lightly.

My mom is the greatest. I love you mom. She can use Google to look up everything and anything and is a talented and unofficial tour coordinator. I told her that if she wanted to, she could slap together a few tour packages, 4 times a year, be able to visit Japan, have her trips paid for, and make a few extra bucks.

For this trip, she decided to take my dad and I, up north to the island of Hokkaido where the seafood is divine, the hotsprings are relaxing, and the scenery is amazing. I don't recall all of the locations we visited but, I do remember that the crab was sweet, the seafood was fresh (if not still quivering), and the onsens (hotsprings) were amazing.

On our way to Mito, Ibaraki, where my family lives, we stopped by Ameyoko.

The "bigger" picture

I'm all about a feel good story. A story that reminds you about life. A story that humbles you and enforces the fact that you're your biggest competitor, critic, and cheerleader. A reminder that while we try to avoid the daily resistance, pressures, and battle wounds, they mold you into the person that you are and these things are absotively necessary. A story that emphasizes how short life is when you have great things to accomplish. A reminder that your perception dictates if the glass is half full or half empty. A story that tells you that you're not the only one who experiences failures. A story that says, "If we learn anything, let it be that the positive impact of Andy and all our friends who are gone brings us closer to the ones and the things that we love right here, right now." What story? THIS ONE.

Congratulations to Kelly Slater, 11-time World Champion!

Unaware by Allen Stone

Sick album alert!

Words to live by

"Get into trouble, make mistakes, fight, love, live" - D'Artagnan's father; 3 Musketeers.

Viva Nica!

Health Information Technology

As our Hawaii Primary Care Association annual conference came to a close, a speaker quoted Maya Angelou, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." So true. As I thought about my role in Health Information Technology, it became, once again, apparent that we HIT'ers must deliver the right amount of technology at the right time, to the right people, and in the right place. Let's face it, we techies have a tendency to get a little crazy with technology. We, sometimes, provide technology that is overkill or too much for the user(s) to utilize. We, sometimes, spend little time understanding the user and deliver the wrong technology. We need to make sure the technology we deliver is appropriate for the situation and is good for the "system" or organization. Technology such as the electronic medical record must be used to capture data and the data must be displayed and delivered to everyone who can make a difference in the health care of the nation or else... Otherwise, what are we doing all of this for?