McFadden Circle

We've moved (viturally anyay)

2007-03-07T23:17:00.000-08:00

We've converted our http://mcfaddencircle.blogspot.com account to http://www.mcfaddenplace.com If you are receiving our feed please update it. The new feed is http://feeds.feedburner.com/mcfaddenplace Thanks, Mike

80 degrees in the middle of winter

2007-02-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

Just one reason it is nice to live in Southern California. Today it is 80 degrees and sunny and I just got back from an awesome bike ride around the Back Bay. Now off to the beach! Kel

CU Football is Back!

2007-02-15T22:12:00.000-08:00

I know the Buffs went 2-10 last year and the year before lost 4 or 5 straight at the end of the season, but let me claim it now: CU Big XII Champions by 2009. It's a new era for CU. Check out the recent rant Hawkins had on condititioning: ESPN.com - NCF - CU coach Hawkins rants on conditioning Technorati Tags: CU, Colorado, Buffaloes, Hawkins

Darius Goes West

2007-02-14T17:14:00.000-08:00

Mike surprised me with an amazing weekend in Santa Barbara to celebrate our three year anniversary. When we got there, we both got a pleasant surprise: The Santa Barbara Film Festival was going on. http://www.sbiff.org/ We decided we should catch a movie so we chose a film that peeked our interest. It is called Darius Goes West. http://www.dariusgoeswest.com/ The movie is a documentary about a young man who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). DMD is a fatal genetic disorder. Those who have it usually die in their teens or early twenties. There is no cure. Darius is a young man, fifteen at the time of making this movie, who despite his health problems maintains a sense of humor and a positive outlook on life. In the summer of 2005, a group of Darius' buddies (college age) decide to travel west with two goals: 1. To test how wheelchair accessible the US is and 2. To make it to LA where MTV's show "Pimp my Ride" is filmed in the hopes of getting Darius' wheelchair 'pimped' to raise awareness for DMD. Darius had never left his home in Athens, Georgia. This group of friends first took him to not just see the ocean and beach for the first time, but to swim in Panama City. They then traveled through St. Louis, the Grand Canyon, New Orleans, Las Vegas, etc. On the way he experienced many amazing adventures and firsts. You must see this movie. I won't tell you how it ended, but I will say this: You will leave encouraged. These young men who made this dream a reality for Darius deserve a standing ovation. With pure hearts and concern for another person, they embarked on an adventure that changed the life of Darius, but more than that will touch anyone who takes the time to watch it. It is amazing what people can accomplish (young or old) when they think first about someone other than themselves. McFaddens give the movie two thumbs up.

Anniversary Bike Ride in Santa Barbara

2007-02-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great trip to Santa Barbara for our anniversary. We took a beautiful bike ride up Mountain Drive and then up the coast. You can see our route on this new tool/site I found : Sanoodi (not sure what the name means but it's pretty cool). Source: http://www.sanoodi.com

Name: SB Bike Ride
Activity: Cycling
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Total Time (h:m:s): 01:00:00
Moving speed (mph): 15.8 (avg.) 16.9 (max.)
Distance (miles): 15.8
Elevation Gain: 800 ft

In addition to our outdoor adventure we spent some time navigating around the town. It happened to be the final weekend of the SB international film festival. We saw Al Gore and Forrest Whitaker that weekend. Even though we didn't plan the weekend around the film festival we dicided we better not miss out... we watched a great documentary called Darius Goest West. I think Kelly is going to write a little more on the film and the impact it had on use later this month. In the meantime, check out the site (link above).

Resource for bloggers

2007-02-12T08:48:00.001-08:00

Check out problogger for some useful tips on blogging. The tips range from design to promotion, voice to affiliate programs. If you blog, this site is worth reading and subscribing to the RSS feed.

Make Money Online with ProBlogger Blog Tips

Enjoy.

3 years and counting: Wedding Anniversary

2007-02-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

As of January 31, 2007 at 6pm PST, Kelly and I have logged 3 years of marriage. Granted that's not quite 60 but we're 1/20th of the way to that milestone. We're going to celebrate by getting away and taking a trip to Santa Barbara. To see some picts from the wedding day see the slideshow below:

Wedding Pictures

As far as our plans, thanks to the Santa Barbara Car Free program, I decided to book our transportation via Amtrak. If we're going to be able to celebrate 60 years we better consider the environment with some of our decisions. Give us a break - we met in Boulder, we should be a little green :-) As far as accomodations, I booked our place through the most visited online vacation rental website, vrbo.com. Of course by next year I hope to booking through another online vehicle. That being said, I did find a great spot. It wasn't painfree though, I did have to write a check (vrbo doesn't offer online transactions). This is the first check I've written in over a year.

US Population reaches 300 Million (in October)

2007-02-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

I guess with graduation, moving back the states, searching for a job, and eventually turning to an entrepreneurial venture I missed the population milestone for the United States. After reading an article from the BBC I was reminded how young our country is and how quickly it's changing. Granted there are many countries growing faster and changing more rapidly, but as for this post it's about the changes within the US. To read more check out the link below. US population reaches 300 million

As for a teaser, below are other figures released by the Census Bureau. They show how America has been changing since previous population milestones.

In 1915, immigrant citizens came mostly from Germany; in 1967 from Italy; and in 2006 mostly from Mexico

The average US family had 4.5 people in 1915, 3.3 in 1967 and 2.6 in 2006

Some 45.9% of Americans were property owners in 1915. That grew to 63.6% in 1967 and reached 68.9% in 2006

There were 4.5 million people aged 65 and older in 1915, or 4.5%; 19.1 million in 1967 (9.5%) and 36.8 million in 2006 (12.4%)

Life expectancy was 54.5 years in 1915, 70.5 years in 1967 and 77.8 years in 2006

About 23% of women were in the work force in 1915, compared to 41% in 1967 and 58% in 2006

There were 2.5 million cars in 1915, 98.9 million in 1967 and 237.2 million in 2006

John and Mary topped the list of most popular names in 1915; Michael and Lisa were favourites in 1967; and Jacob and Emily were preferred in 2006.

How far did you walk/run?

2007-01-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

So Kelly and I have been trying walk/run/bike more this year. Well, let me rephrase that, Kelly has a great track record of taking walks and runs. I have a slightly more vacant excercise chart. However, in the last month I have 4 runs, 1 bike ride, and several walks. We'll see if I can keep it up. If you're wondering what kind of walks/runs/bike rides are going on check out the links below. I think you'll enjoy the program.

The walk/run route around Balboa Island is 2.6185 miles.
ht tp://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=655635

My first bike ride of 2007 was about 9.0527 miles.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=655800

How did we know the exact mileage? Check out the website http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ and find out for yourself.

Free 411 Calls

2007-01-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

For those in the US, add this number to your speed dial 1-800-Free-411 (1-800-373-3411) That's right, free information calls. No more $2 charges on your phone bills. You do have to listen to a 10-15 second advert but it's worth it. Check 'em out at www.free411.com PS You probably don't want to call 1-800-411-Free (it's an adult phone site).

A lesson from Bobby Knight?

2007-01-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

So I can't say I've learned much from Bobby Knight, although one of my favorite moments in junior basketall can be attributed to him. My coach in 7th grade threw a chair across the court and was ejected - shocking but brilliant. I'm sure Coach Knight was a postitive influence to many players, fans, coaches, etc. I just wasn't following close enough attention. That being said, today I read a note from Mark Cuban's blog that is quite profound:

But thats not really what I appreciate most about you (referring to the NCAA win record). When I was at Indiana you were on 60 Minutes. In your interview you said one single thing that I took to heart. I reminded myself of it while it was in school at Indiana. I reminded myself of it when I failed. I reminded myself of it before any of the many businesses I have started I will continue to remind myself before any of my endeavors going forward. Its also the best advice I've been able to give people of any age who ask me for advice. Its also the characteristic I look for when choosing a partner or hiring. I saw it in Avery Johnson. Ive seen it in Phil Garvin. It was obvious in Todd Wagner and Martin Woodall and many, many others that have put me in a position to succeed. You said, and Im paraphrasing: "Everyone has got the will to win, its only those with the will to prepare that do win" Words for every athlete and those of us who partake in the Sport of Business to live by Thanks Coach.

Mark Cuban's Post I need to write it out myself: Everyone has the will to win, it's only those with the will to prepare that do win.

Classic Startup Mistakes

2007-01-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

After my time in Rye at The Putter I spent an afternoon in Oxford. By pure coincidence I walked into Said Business School and saw that Stewart Niblock, former EasyGroup entrepreneurer, was giving a talk entitled Classic Start-Up Mistakes. It was very informational. I've posted some notes in a word document.

Best Web 2.0 Acquisition Bait

2007-01-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Check out WIRED magazine's recent top 10 web 2.0 acquisition bait. Wired 15.01: START

1. FACEBOOK This social networking site is gaining on MySpace as the hipster destination. Reportedly, it spurned a $750 million offer in hopes of netting $2 billion.

2. DIGG Claiming 20 million users a month, Digg is the Mack Daddy of news filters. News Corp. is rumored to have flirted with a purchase, but Rupert rejected the reported $150 million asking price.

3. TECHMEME Think Google News for tech blogs. The well-trafficked aggregator also has drill-downs for gossip, politics, and baseball. A deep-pocketed owner could easily extend it to dozens of other niches.

4. WIKIPEDIA You know it. Heck, you prob-ably contribute to it. The crush of traffic would be a financial windfall for any buyer, but the site is famously independent. Founder Jimmy Wales won’t even accept banner ads.

5. ZILLOW Thanks to this real estate data hound, everyone can know what you paid for your house, give or take a few grand. Accuracy is questionable, but every savvy home buyer has the site bookmarked.

6. TECHNORATI How else do you find out what the blogosphere is saying? The site tracks 59.7 million blogs, a few of which might even be talking smack about you.

7. WORDPRESS The new de rigueur blog-management software, WordPress is favored by the majority of high-traffic posters. One caveat: It’s open source and unlikely to accept a corporate come-on.

8. FEEDBURNER Probably the largest, most reliable provider of RSS services, FeedBurner cleans up and reformats RSS for blog sites. It then channels the feeds to nearly 30 million subscribers.

9. 37SIGNALS With its vaunted collection of Web-based collaboration and shared productivity tools (to-do lists, calendars, and so forth), 37signals offers the most genuinely useful service here.

10. RIYA This photo-search engine’s signature site, like.com, helps shoppers find celebrity-look-alike fashions. Still in alpha, it might change the way we sort through images.

I'm familiar, and a user, of 7 of the top ten. I've heard of Riya and Wordpress but have not used either and I've never heard of Techmeme. I'll have to check those out soon. Kudos to Facebook though. I would agree that they are next up in the major web 2.0 acquisition game.

Make It Beautiful

2007-01-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden and appeared on HomeWord's daily devotional

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.—Psalm 139:13-16

In November of last year, a young girl named Courtney suddenly passed away a few days before her 20th birthday due to complications from a bone marrow transplant. I never met or knew this radiant young woman, but her story has touched me deeply. The family’s online journal tells a story of grief, confusion, courage and, above all, thankfulness, faith and love. Below is an excerpt Courtney’s mom wrote in the journal five days after, as she put it, her youngest daughter earned her wings.

“I have spent much of the past 24 hours looking back on Courtney’s life and the view of her life that I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of. As a very young girl, Courtney was really a Mama’s girl, always by my side - she truly was my baby…When I first learned that Courtney had cancer in Sept. 2000, I thought to myself, she is such a little girl - so fragile. I wasn’t sure that she could handle what she was about to be forced to. But I was wrong, she was so strong - she never asked why, she never felt sorry for herself - not in 2000 and not in 2006. She accepted her life and made it beautiful…As a mom, who is mourning her daughter, I know that Courtney would want me to pass along a few words of advice. Love your children (and family) like there is no tomorrow - hug them tighter, smile at them brighter and be sure to tell them you love them as often as you can.”

SOURCE: Family blog Each person was made special, delicately woven by his or her Maker. God makes no mistake and knows the plans He has for us and our bodies. One of the beauties of this family’s journal is that they understand this. Courtney’s family knows that God has a plan for her even when her body, that He created, got too weak and sick to be here. The family misses her terribly, but they know she served God’s purpose on earth and they’re thankful for the gift of their time with her. Courtney was a girl who never felt sorry for herself and accepted her life and made it beautiful. None of us has the promise of tomorrow. You do have this promise: You have a Maker who made no mistake in how He created you. He made you the right size, shape, temperament and personality. My suggestion? Make sure you are making your life beautiful using what God gave you, like Courtney did. GOING DEEPER: 1. You have been given the exact right genetic make-up. How can you use what God has given you to make your life beautiful, no matter the circumstance? 2. Who in your life do you need to hug a little tighter? FURTHER READING: Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 4:13-14; James 4:14-15

Free Hugs

2007-01-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden and appeared on HomeWord's daily devotional Jan 4, 2007.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.—Colossians 3:23-24

In September of 2006, a video was released on the popular Internet site YouTube. The video took place in a walking mall in Sydney, Australia and showed a man, known as “Juan Mann,” holding a sign offering “Free Hugs.” As you watch the video, you see person after person walk by and ignore this hugger. In fact, at one point the police make him stop. People eventually warm up to the man and the video ends with many people approaching him for a hug. Months after the video’s release, nearly 7 million people have viewed it; all over the world, “Free Hug” campaigns are being held as a way to give a gift with no expectation in return.

Mann simply did this because he felt that sometimes people just need a hug to feel better. In fact, the first woman who stopped for a hug shared that that very morning, which was the year anniversary of her daughter’s death, her dog had died. All she needed this day when she felt so alone was a hug. And there was Mann to give it to her, freely.

I remember as a kid being challenged to do one nice thing for someone every day without expecting anything in return. Sometimes it is hard to do something for someone else unless you know you will get a “thank you” or a pat on the back or the favor returned. The Lord calls us to a different standard. We are to work with all our heart for an audience of one, God alone. We are not to work and toil for the approval or applause of man. We are to serve and give out of purity and thankfulness of heart.

What have you done lately for someone else without expectation of anything in return?

GOING DEEPER: 1. What can you do today for somebody else? 2. With whom do you work or interact who needs a hug in the form of grace or encouragement or understanding or help? Perhaps you should extend that to them this week. FURTHER READING: Leviticus 19:18; Proverbs 16:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The President's Putter

2006-12-27T16:00:00.000-08:00

I leave on Jan 2 for England to participate in my first ever President's Putter. I hope to have at least a few rounds at Littlestone and Rye. We'll see what happens. I play Gareth Jones on Thursday the 4th at Littlestone. It will be great to catch up with Gareth -- he and I played together last year at Oxford. For those unfamiliar with the Putter, I've included a little excerpt from Rye's website. Enjoy.

The President’s Putter Rye – isn’t that where they play the President’s Putter? Yes it is, since 1920 in fact. The Oxford & Cambridge Golfing Society, founded 22 years earlier for ex-participants in the golf match between the two universities, decided in addition to fixtures against various clubs to hold an annual meeting at Rye in early January. The format of the main event is scratch match play, the basis of university golf, and currently attracts a field of about 160. Thus the winner must survive seven or even eight rounds over four days, frequently in adverse weather, without undue delay since at that time of the year play is only possible between 8.00 am. and 4.30 pm. But herein lies the genius of the instigators, for the length of the evenings provides ample opportunity for sociable reunion, if not an obstacle course for those aspiring to success on the following day. Nearly everyone stays in or around the ancient Cinque Port of Rye, where amid its cobbled streets a myriad of inns and restaurants contributes to the congeniality. Players range in age from 20 to 70, some playing regularly – David Hayes the 2006 winner with a handicap of plus two – others barely picking up a club from one year to the next as work and family commitments intervene. Nevertheless the Old Course at Rye can be a great leveller and with the greens at their slickest and best in winter, never truer was the adage that ‘the man who can putt is a match for anyone’. Serious fun is the theme, exemplified by the presentation of a silver medal to the winner in exchange for the victorious ball. On the back of the medal are inscribed the Latin words ‘Primus inter pares’, which are freely translated by everyone else as ‘he was lucky to win’.

Body Scans and Green Juice

2006-12-26T14:44:00.000-08:00

As late 20-somethings, Kelly and I are often asking ourselves, "are we getting old?" The question is typically answered with a "no way" but just last night we had a sign. We were down in La Quinta (near Palm Desert) for the holiday week between Christmas and New Years. My dad and Mary Ann, Bob and Jean Campbell, and Kelly and I were all down enjoying some golf and relaxation. It was a nice treat from all the hussle and bussle that tends to build up around the holidays. Anyway, last night Kelly and I turned to each other and laughed. Bob, my dad, and Mary Ann were in a deep conversation regarding body scans and their importance. By no means do Kelly and I underestimate the significance of a body scan but just the fact that this was a major topic of conversation made us laugh. Of course this was only 5 hours after a deep discussion on 100% juice and how we all need our green juice. For some of our consistent readers you might ask, "are you making fun of your parents on your blog?" and the answer is sure. Fortunately for us the probability of our parents finding this on the internet much less reading it is near to nil (with the exception of Fran who wouldn't tell anyone :-). But just in case, we have added some links that might be of use for the Body Scan and Green Juice crowd. Enjoy: Body Scans

FDA Body Scan Information
Questionable use of Body Scanners (used for fitting clothing- wow Cornell, is that research?)

Now for the Green Juice Fans:

FT article on Said Business School (Oxford)

2006-12-23T15:59:00.000-08:00

Check out the recent press on Oxford's business school (Said Business School) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/85118b6a-833b-11db-a38a-0000779e2340.html

Odeo

2006-10-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

I have found myself listening to a few podcasts on ODEO. It's so much easier than subscribing to the podcast on iTunes. Granted I can't take it with me on my iPod but it is nice to search and find with such ease. It's worth a shot if you haven't checked it out. I've included a link to an interview from the Economist entitled "Wide World of Wikis".

This interview was hosted by Brendan Greeley, the blogger-in-chief for the US public radio program Open Source, and the author of The Economist’s survey on new media, Andreas Kluth.

Twitter

2006-10-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

I think Twitter is onto something. You sign up and anytime you update (send an SMS) it updates your friends and the website (if you're comments are public). In some aspects this is just an easy way to send out a text to many. Do I care what my friends are doing? Do I want to get a text message anytime a friend sends out a note? Maybe. Maybe not. But maybe the potential isn't in the updating but rather the ability to get texts (and pictures from cell phones) on a website immediately. Imagine if you text and it appears on your MySpace page or personal website. Or what if I took a picture from cell phone and then sent and it uploaded to my site with a message. Now we're talking about cool. I'm not a programmer but I'm guessing it isn't too hard. I'm not sure though. I might send them a little note. I did notice that the founders have quite a good track record. I'm sure we'll be reading about this company soon.

Welcome Back!

2006-10-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a rush the last month. I got back to LA at the end of September and the next day Kelly and I were up to Oregon for Pierce and Kyla's wedding in Hood River. After the great event we went to Bend to visit Courtney and Adam Bledsoe. Following a wonderful, peaceful few days we drove back up to Portland and flew to SF. It was there that "Career Search Tour 2006" really took off. I met with Adam DeVito, the co-CEO at Big Boing. We spent a few hours discussing BB's upcoming business activities and opportunities. BB is a small, nimble new product and innovation group that partners with large companies - with a strong focus around 'play' and right brain development. Their business model differs from most innovation consulting groups because they typically own the intellectual property or at least structure deals in such a way that they have royalties and/or licenses. I have known Adam for several years and he is a very talented individual with a great team around him. It was an excellent start to the career search. In a future post I will discuss more on my thought process regarding the next step in my career. After Big Boing I visited a friend down at Skype and saw the eBay campus. eBay bought Skype for $1.3 billion back in 2005. It was considered a ridiculous amount by many at the time but considering Google just bought YouTube for even more maybe it wasn't. Following our visit at Skype Kelly, Scott Berkley and I went up to Yahoo! and attended their first open Yahoo! Hackday. I'm not a programmer so I was a little out of place but it was a fascinating event. It made a lot of noise in tech world, especially considering they brought in Beck - a well known band - that also happened to be one of Scott Berkley's top 3 bands of all time. Well done Yahoo! The tour continued when I met up with a young, former Sierra Ventures VC guy, turned entrepeneur - Nisan Gibbay. He just recently left his position at SV to pursue a new opportunity. In the meantime he's publishing reviews on startups. It's worth the read: check out www.startup-review.com. After my time in SF, Kelly and I drove up to Sonoma to meet up with a serial entrepreneur and well respected investor, Jerry Sanders. Jerry came out to Oxford in August and gave a three-day lecture series on start-ups. I attended his class and when I found out he lived in the SF area I arranged a time to visit with him. Kelly and I took some time to visit a couple wineries and then headed down near Walnut Creek to visit the parents of Kelly's old teammate Nicole Branagh. It was a great break from the city and all the meetings. Our time in SF came to end. We headed back to the 'greater LA area' also known at The OC.

WeThink

2006-10-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

Charlie Leadbeater has released an interesting book on mass creativity and innovation (well sort of released, it's actually now online for mass collaboration). We-Think: the power of mass creativity. Here's an excerpt:

The basic argument is very simple. Most creativity is collaborative. It combines different views, disciplines and insights in new ways. The opportunities for creative collaboration are expanding the whole time. The number of people who could be participants in these creative conversations is going up largely thanks to the communications technologies that now give voice to many more people and make it easier for them to connect. As a result we are developing new ways to be innovative and creative at mass scale. We can be organised without having an organisation. People can combine their ideas and skills without a hierarchy to coordinate their activities. Many of the ingredients of these forms of self-organised creative collaboration are not new - peer review for example has been around a long time in academia. But what is striking about Wikipedia, Linux, Second Life, Youtube and many more is the way they take familiar ingredients and combine them to allow people to collaborate creatively at mass scale.

The rest is here: http://www.wethinkthebook.net/book/home.aspx ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from the website)

Charles Leadbeater is one the world's leading authorities on innovation and creativity in organisations. He has advised companies, cities and governments around the world on innovation strategy and drawn on that experience in writing his latest book We-think: why mass creativity is the next big thing, which charts the rise of mass, participative approaches to innovation from science and open source software, to computer games and political campaigning.
www.charlesleadbeater.net

Wedding Pictures now online

2006-10-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

Kristen and Rob Venick Wedding

Rehearsal Dinner Video

2006-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Rob and Kristen Rehearsal Dinner Video
The video shown at the rehearsal dinner. More pictures and videos to come from the wedding.

Write and Read E-mails Better

2006-10-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I read an article from entrepreneur.com regarding reading and writing emails better. I thought I'd pass on a few of the recommendations. Most are obvious but that doesn't mean they are easy to follow. Enjoy. How to Write Better:

Use a subject line to summarize, not describe.
When you copy lots of people (a heinous practice that should be used sparingly), mark out why each person should care.
Use separate messages rather than bcc (blind carbon copy)
Make action requests clear.
Make your e-mail one page or less.
Understand how people prefer to be reached and how quickly they respond.

How to Read Better:

Check e-mail at defined times each day.
Use a paper "response list" to triage messages before you do any follow-up.
Charge people for sending you messages. [I like this one]
Answer briefly.
Ignore it.

For the entire article please go to http://entrepreneur.com/technology/howtoguide/article76952.html About the author:

Stever Robbins is an authority on overwhelm in the workplace. A veteran of nine startups (can you say: overwhelm to the max?) over 25 years, Stever co-designed the "Foundations" segment of Harvard's MBA program. He is the author of It Takes a Lot More than Attitude to Lead a Stellar Organization, and has appeared on CNN-fn and in the Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily and Harvard Business Review. Stever and his monthly newsletter can be found at http://SteverRobbins.com/.

Drive home from Yahoo! Music

2006-10-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on my way home to Orange County from a lunch meeting at Yahoo! Music, in Santa Monica, I decided to count how many times I changed the radio the station in search the music I felt like listening to. I lost count after 20 switches -- and that was before I had made it to the Rosecrans exit -- less than 15 miles away. Granted my ADD might have something to do with this but I'd like to think there might be something wrong with the current stations and how they are organized. First off, I've been gone for a year and can't remember what each station plays so I'm forced to use the dreaded scan button in hopes that a song is playing (which I might is very difficult. At one point I think I had a streak of 10 stations without music. Could you imagine if you had to go to 10 restaurants before you could get served??). Music provider problems: - getting the product to the customer with the least amount of hassle (distribution) Listner problems for music providers: - not many listeners know exactly what they want anyway (unusual behavior) - ADD is truly an issue

Google vs. Yahoo

2006-10-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

It's not an easy choice. Since 1999, I've been a yahoo guy and over the last year I've been 'testing' google. I will break it down like a pre-game analysis based on my own personal experiences:

E-mail funcationality (Advantage Google)
E-mail loyalty (Advantage Yahoo!)
Webhosting (Advantage Yahoo!)
Search (Adv Google)
Personal page. i.e., My Yahoo!, Personalized Page (Adv Google)
Fantasy Sports (Adv Yahoo!)
News (Adv Yahoo!)
Finance (Adv Yahoo!)
Overall style (Adv Google)
Content (Adv Yahoo!)

So based on my current metrics (unweighted) Yahoo! is leading 6 to 4. However, based on current new products being produced by Google (like google documents, spreadsheets) as well as recent acquisitions like YouTube, Blogger, Picasa and many more Google gets an additional 2 points for movement. So based on mcfaddenplace.com's super computer we have a tie. We'll see what happens but I'll tell you I am torn. I like both but especially in terms of e-mail and personal pages it's not feasible to think I'll maintain both. I'll try to post more on this subject in later posts. In the meantime here's an interesting note: The new Yahoo Photos has the right mix of features and ease of use | News.blog | CNET News.com

Home-price comparison

2006-10-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

9 of the top 10 most expensive spots to own a four-bedroom house are in California. Why again are we thinking of moving back? Home-price comparison, Top 25 - Sep. 27, 2006

Oxford MBA Graduation

2006-09-10T04:20:00.000-07:00


Kelly created a short video with images from the last week at Oxford. Hear Graeme Glover sing at the graduation ceremony and view pictures from the Turf Tavern, Sheldonian Theatre, and the Examination building. You can also see a few more pictures at www.mcfaddenplace.com (click on graduation link)

Off to the Sheldonian

2006-09-09T03:56:00.000-07:00

Graduation starts in just over an hour. Kelly and I are going to take a walk and save some seats for the family. We can't believe it's already here. More pictures and videos to come. Much love, Kelly and Mike

1,000 miles for Alzheimer's

2006-09-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Our good friend, Paul Rode, who is respected by many and feared by all has just announced his bid to raise £2,000 for the Dorking and District Alzheimer’s Group. He is riding his tricycle 1,000 miles across England. Okay, so it's a real road bike, but seriously for more information please check out 1,000 miles. Best of luck Paul.

Nigerian Report on Team Oxford

2006-09-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the major newspaper in Lagos - ThisDay - published an article on the Oxford students that worked there all summer. Below is the article that was published. Oxford University/Access Bank Partnership: Courting the Knowledge edge... 09.03.2006

Glitt Personality They are four MBA students from the prestigious Oxford University. A Chinese lady, Lijun Jiang; Michael J Mcfadden and Jayne Thorpe, both from the US; and from the home turf, Timothy Ojo. And what is the quartet's mission to Nigeria? They are on an eight-week Oxford/Access Scheme with particular focus on leveraging the strategy and service delivery content of retail banking. While imparting ideas on brand strategy, service delivery standards and knowledge retail banking to Access Bank Plc., they are expected to take back home something of the work ethic, business philosophy, culture, socio-economic milieu and even political peculiarities of both Access Bank Plc and Nigeria. The scenario is expected to enrich the cross-Atlantic knowledge bank. Incidentally, this is the first such project between Access and Oxford. Actually, the first with any bank in Nigeria. Beyond this, it is also the first such project from the MBA class in Oxford to come to Nigeria. Obviously this scenario surely transcends retail banking. But then in knowledge acquisition projects, apparently setting too stringent boundaries may defeat the fundamental attraction of the quest. Shaka Momodu encountered the four knowlegde 'explorers' to glean something of their quest within the larger context of Access Bank's courting of the sector's knowledge edge to move them to the next level... Lijun Jiang We open with the the Chinese lady Lijun Jiang, bowing to the old English tradition of 'ladies first'. What the ancient Chinese culture, which predates the English, has to say on this is a matter for another expose. She comes across as a very focused personality. She speaks politely but with the alluring unmistakeable lilt of her Chinese tongue. Who is Lijun Jiang? "My name is Lijun Jiang. I come from China and I have worked with China commercial bank for more than 16 years. I graduated from Beijing University, which is one of the best Universities in China. I studied English Literature and Language for my undergraduate degree. I have spent 12 years working in the Foreign Exchange section of the bank and four years as a branch manager, I was also in charge of Marketing and Operations. I also worked as the General Manager of Commercial and Financial Department." Why is Jiang on this Oxford/Access scheme? She smiled, looking somewhat amused "We are very fortunate that Access Bank could offer us this precious opportunity to be part of this wonderful project in Africa. And one of the reasons that I am also interested in it is the fact it has afforded me opportunity to come Africa. Another reason is that I think that I can contribute to the Retail Business in Access Bank." Has Jiang learnt anything in the past seven weeks she's been in Nigeria, especially concerning Access Bank? She took a deep breath, then paused. "This bank is young but very forward thinking especially its top management. They are set to lift this bank to the world class commercial - retail bank. The technology level is quit high, they have made a lot of investments in the technology which is one of the most advanced in the world, to increase their competencies. "This is quite impressive, but in terms of Retail banking I think it is not just only Access Bank, all the other Nigerian banks are at the starting point, compared to China. We would help them develop strategies to their brands, especially retail brand, we also tried to develop a blueprint for Retail banking which I think it is one of the most important issues that the bank has to confront." Jiang seems to place a lot of emphases on retail banking. Is that her area of specialization in China? "That is what we are going to contribute, they asked us to do that Access Bank used to be very strong in proper banking and commercial banking, they have strong potentials to grow and they are quite passionate the future of the bank. And am impressed. Nigerian people we decent, they love new things, they people want to do business with the bank. I see great potentials here." The passion was clearly unmistakable, and the temptation to probe her further was irresistable. "I can come back in the future to develop matual business between Access bank and China bank, for now, I have to go back to my bank because I was sponsored by them, it is quite interesting because China bank is also undergoing very rapid growth and we must exchange ideas and experience. I would encourage my bank to her into a relationship with Access bank." Impressed by her sharp understanding it was naturally interesting to find out what she learnt about the bank, the people and culture. "We visited some cultural sites and we watched some events. We have made a lot of contacts with the Nigerian people and some are good in persons, such as the bank's staff here. They are quite dedicated to their work, they have the strong ambition to make their bank the leading bank here but generally the living condition here especially the infrastructure, are quite backward compare even with China. They still have a long way to improve the whole country, investments environment and the peoples living standards. They must try to solve the problems of poverty and the health issues because a member of our team is down with a very serious high malaria." Michael J. Mcfadden He flaunts the usual American confidence. And with good reason. He has the professional track record and wherewithal to back it up. Who is Mcfadden? "My name is Michael J Mcfadden, a student at the University of Oxford, studying business for MBA. I am originally from the United States, from California, working for the food manufacturer, Head of New Products and Marketing. I came over to Oxford for my MBA to round off my marketing experience in finance and entrepreneural skills. I chose Access bank to come and work in Lagos, Nigeria for a few reasons. One of those reasons I wanted to come and work with Access bank is that it is a growing company that has ernomous potentials operating in a highly competitive banking industry. The opportunity to come in and make impact over the weeks and to work with such a vibrant team are irresistible." Did he chose Access Bank on his own? And before now did he know about Access bank? "We chose Access on our own. Basically there are 50 projects which students go and work in different countries of the world. Some go for IBM in New Zealand, in India, working for government areas. Our perception and views on Access bank to become a world class bank. "Throughout the year before I came here I have been aware of Access Bank. I came from the United States I was performing entrepreneur tasks at Oxford, England, getting to know more about the industry. We have six Nigerians on the project, so I was able to learn quite a bit about Nigeria and I got to come over here. So, I am here to learn and I am in the middle of the seventh week, I am spending eight weeks." According McFadden, choosing Nigeria was influenced by couple of reasons. "One, I guess there is a lot of options to coming into West Africa. Why did I decide to come to Nigeria? A country that has so much potentials and is moving in a very clear and delicate situation. Over the next five years it is going to be ten times greater, so to be here in the midst of that and to be a part and hopefully contributing to that moving forward was quite an honour." In his perception, what exactly does this programme aim to achieve? He wasted no time articulating the objectives of their mission. "We had a couple of objectives in coming down here, one is to help establish the Retails brand of Access bank so as Access is strong in commercial and corporate bank but it can also position itself in the marketplace as a retail bank. We are doing that to help bring marketing and consumer skills into the banking and into the group. They have a strong team there to help bring certain knowledge and we have certain experiences. "The second aspect of our objective was to bring in some service delivery standard not only in the retail but in the bank as a whole. We have been doing that with several other sectors within Nigeria. You see what Virgin Nigeria has accomplished within their short stay here. One of the members of our team Lijan is from China and has spent 16 years working for a bank there. So, there is a lot of experience to kind of transfer down here." What is his assessment of the bank so far? Listen to him. "On a personal standpoint, I have being very impressed with the professionalism, the attention to details, and the vision of the team of managers for the bank. We didn't actually appreciate what we were stepping into and so as we have spent 7 weeks and we have seen the DNA of the company. It has been fascinating to see the diligence, the hardworking culture, which is a culture thing within Access bank. There is hardwork and determination among the workers, we have been quite impressed at all levels. I am impressed with the Aig, the Managing Director, am impressed with all levels within the number of branches." What has he seen so far that is different from what he is learning in Oxford and where he comes from? "In the UK, their service is poor in retail banking. So, to come here and know that there is a striving for improved standard, striving to be world class is an thing amazement to me. There are still a number of parts that need to move and work together but I would that say that of the banking industry as a whole, especially, the consolidation of the past year which is still young. But it has made a huge start that would eventually lead it to a world-class company, comparable to any other in the world." How would what he has learnt here benefit the Business School in Oxford ? "I will tell you one thing that I will be taking away is seeing how running a business within a country whose political situation is where it is, coming up in an election year it is fragile. It has made a huge step forward but now we are coming into another part to see how a strong bank like Access is moving in a certain direction. On top of that, in such a competitive industry you can read case studies, you can look at the way businesses function in the UK, in Europe, in the US but to be in the middle of a Ground Zero is fascinating." What is he taking away from Access Bank? "One thing that I would take away for sure is the work ethics, there were days that I left the office at 11.00pm and I was not the last person to leave. Every day, I would get up at 6.00 a.m and you find people already working in the office. The workers there work extremely hard, I would take that away for sure. "The other thing that I would take away is the youthful spirit, the energy, the excitement are the other things that I would take away from Access Bank. Then the pride in an healthy way, the people at Access Bank are proud to be there, you don't necessary see that in every business across the world." If Access Bank offers him the opportunity to work with them, would he accept? "I would consider it, I brought my wife here for the first four weeks that I was here. She back home now in California, I would give it a big consideration." Did he make friends? Mcfadden answeres in the affirmative. Is this the first partnership work between Access Bank and Oxford University? "This is the first project between Access and Oxford and it is the first with any bank in Nigeria, this is the first project from the MBA class in Oxford to come to Nigeria. There have been few projects in South Africa, in Egypt, in Morocco, but this is the first project with any bank. We hope that the relationship continues, we have improved. We have learnt immensely." Lastly, would he consider settling in Nigeria and if not what would he take away from Nigeria as a whole? "I don't know if we would permanently stay over a long time because of our families, maybe when we have a direct flight to LA, but it would be wonderful for both countries if we could restore direct flights. I will be leaving on Friday, August 25. I would take away the laughter, the smiles in the country are quite inspiring, I would take those things away. And interestingly, you could shop in the traffic, just anything. It is amazing." Jayne Thorpe She is the second American in the Oxford quartet. A lively fellow in all the senses who brings some precision to her talks. Hear her: "My name is Jayne Thorpe and I am from North Carolina in the United States, I am from a family of five children where everyone else is a doctor but I am the Black sheep, I am an Accountant. I decided to go to Business School because I wanted to get more of finance. I decided on Oxford Business School because I wanted to do a one year programme and of course I wanted the international experience." Why did she choose to come to Nigeria? "I had this thing in my head that I want to go to Africa and so when the offer came I saw it as an opportunity that would be just perfect. What we here to do but wasn't my strength which is marketing but it involves Retail Banking. We had a very well rounded team." Why not South Africa and what has she learnt from this programme? "I wanted to spend the entire period in Africa so that I can get a grip of it, the other reason is that I came to introduce a project which has been very well received. I think that we came down here with a different perspective on what we are going to be able to achieve and what we have achieved. I think we have achieved a lot more than we thought we are going to achieve as far as helping to develop a retail banking is concerned. We helped develop new products including products that would hopefully be launched very soon and the ones that would be launched next year. "We also helped developed financing models by making sure that the products are profitable or what actually is the goal of a particular product. If your new product is customer acquisition then we are not going to think of making some profits. Another thing about the bank is it quality service management and we are excited about what we have been able to do here." What is his assessement of the bank itself? Right now I feel very, very good. Their marketing skill is phenomenonal and their energy is incredible with everyone working so late in the night yet they will be at their desks by 7.00am the next day. I feel very inspired, I see the people as the member resource that the bank has." Tell me, if the opportunity to work for Access Bank presents itself, would she accept it? She laughs: "May be in the future, near future. I intend to come back to Africa." What has she learnt about Nigeria within the short period of stay? "They are very business-minded and sociable. I visited an orphanage here in order to see the real Africa not just looking at it from inside of a bank. Corporate responsibility make institutions leaders in their sectors and there is much more to be done to uplift the society." Can she make a bit of comparison between working for a bank in Nigeria and the United States? "I have worked with a retail bank before doing some other work but they did not work this hard. Banking in Nigeria, keeps bankers on their toes 24 hours a day. In New York city people work so hard, Access Bank would be a fine comparison to that. I have worked in Chicago, generally, Americans are hardworking people. But I have learnt here that Nigerians are just as hardworking. I really appreciate that." What is she taking away from Access Bank? "What I learnt was the way to work at strategy. And it is great." Timothy Ojo The fourth member of the visiting Oxford MBA class is Mr. Timothy Ojo. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ife, He has over 8 years professional banking experience in between Nigeria and the UK during which he has garnered relevant experience across key banking functions which includes business development, product development, relationship management and core banking operations. Prior to his MBA programme at the prestigious Oxford University, He worked with the Small Business division of the retail-banking arm of Barclays, where he was substantially involved in client relationship management. While at Barclays, Timothy was involved in the re-design of one of the banks leading business products and prior to that helped set-up the Wealth Management unit at Skabol Finance and Investment Management Ltd. He has worked with a couple of Nigerian Banks amongst which include EcoBank Nigeria, Fidelity Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank. He currently led a team of 4 Oxford University students to Access Bank Plc on a Strategic Consulting Project as part of the assessment for the MBA programme and building partnerships across international borders. Timothy is a recipient of the University of Oxford's SBS Scholarship Award.

Kelly and Michael Reunite!

2006-08-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since Kelly and I have been together. 27 days to be exact and tomorrow we will be back together. Kelly flies from LAX to Berlin and I'm going to meet her there. Niether of us can wait. It's been way too long. As far as our trip to Germany, we'll spend a few days touring east and west Berlin and then drive south. After a stop in Prague we'll head to Munich where we'll meet up with my cousin Marty McFadden and his wife Anne.

Jayne Thorpe Update

2006-08-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

Some claim Nigeria beat Jayne, others say the mosquitos were just too persistent, either way the fact remains Jayne Thorpe had to be admitted to the local hospital. After a week's battle with Malaria the pain and headaches never ceased. So for 3 days and 2 nights Jayne was under observation at the Reddington Hospital. It's still not clear whether she had malaria, typhoid or some other sickness but she's fine now. In fact, she was well enough to put in two 12 hour days on the final report so that we could finish before we left Nigeria. Jayne is a trooper. And to all the folks at Access Bank: thanks for your thoughts, prayers and visits. It was very heart warming to know that 10+ people from Access Bank (including the MD/CEO Aig) stopped by to see how Jayne was doing. Welcome back to England Jayne.

A Link to Getting a Job in Silicon Valley

2006-08-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I have become a blog reader. Sometimes I'm proud of it and sometimes I find it as useless as playing Free Cell on the computer. That being said I do like to promote those that generally put out good content. Recently Guy Kawasaki published an article on 'everything you wanted to know about getting a job in Silicon Vally'. Signum sine tinnitu--by Guy Kawasaki: Everything You Wanted to Know About Getting a Job in Silicon Valley But Didn't Know Who to Ask I would have to say this is quite comprehensive and very informative - not only for tech companies but all companies in general. You can bet I'll be referring to this over the next 3 months as I focus on the next chapter in my life. Enjoy, Michael PS I will be creating a new edition of the McFadden Resume in a 1/2/3 format as suggested. Maybe I'll post both to get your input.

Golfing in Lagos: some good shots and better shocks

2006-08-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past 12 months I've been fortunate enough to play some of the best golf courses in the world ranging from St. Andrews to Muirfield, Carnoustie to Turnberry, and I don't want to forget Royal St. George's and Sunningdale. In my life I've played well over 1,000 rounds totaling more than 18,000 holes (I should mention I still don't have a hole-in-one). That being said, this weekend I had one of the funniest experiences happen to me on the course in Lagos. Ikoyi Golf Club is the best course in Lagos and some argue in all of Nigeria. Granted Nigeria is not known for their golf expeditions but that is quite the claim considering there is more than 130million people in the country. I turned up to the clubhouse without a tee time, no clubs, and only the name of one member (imagine doing that at Augusta or Muirfield). To the First Tee:

My Nigerian Golf Experience

Aug 7, 2006 - 8 Photos

I meet the caddy master in the parking lot and he gives me a head nod and said he'd take care of me. I gave him my handicap and he proudly said he'd 'get me a match.' Next thing I know I've shelled out 2,000 Niara for clubs and 3,500 Niara for my green fee (that is roughly about $50). I stroll to the first tee, 6 different caddies come up to me and give me their name. I still figuring out what was going on when the caddymaster assigned me a vetren caddy with 14 years experience - Julius. I took a look at my rental clubs - slightly dirty, well used, 1994 Lynx irons with an often-played Ping i driver. Not bad, I figured I was going to be using some Arnold Palmer blades or something. The Course: Not bad. First you have to remember I've been in an office for nearly 12 hours a day 5 days a week so just being outside was a blessing. The grass was similar to the crab grass style you find in Florida. Based on looks, the course was green, the greens looked smooth and the fairways were fine. After my first tee shot we strolled through the fairway and I asked my caddy if they 'rolled the ball' in the fairways. Sure enough they did. The fairways were patchy and not all cut but they served their purpose. The greens on the other hand ate my lunch. They looked smooth and fast but they were the slowest greens I've ever played on it. They might have been slower than the fairways at Muirfield. Every putt I had to hammer and I still only got 2 balls past the hole. Now, this isn't a normal course in the sense that is highly secure - walled around the entire course with barbed wire and protection at every point. The Shocker: So if you read this long you deserve to hear this story. After a few holes of chit chat with my caddy I learned he had worked there for 14 years, he had many sibilings and was engaged. He knew I was American studying in England and was married with no kids. Then on the 7th hole as we walked to the green he says "You want a Nigerian woman? You've got to have a Nigerian woman before you leave. I'll bring a good one to you." Wow! I've had a few caddying during my playing days that did about anything for you, but to offer that service ... wow. I told him no and then laughed. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe. By far the most shocking moment I've ever had on a golf course. The Score: I didn't play well to say the least. I two putted every green (not good considering I only hit a few greens in regulation). Finished with a 44, 43. Worst round in well over a year, but who cares. This was an experience.

Malaria hits our team. What about the others?

2006-08-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jayne came down with Malaria. She wasn't feeling too well on Friday and Saturday so she went to the clinic and sure enough it was Malaria. Everything is fine but the medicine is taking a toll. We'll keep you updated as time moves on. Elsewhere around the world there are over 45 other Oxford teams working on projects. Check out some of their stories on the SCP (Strategic Consulting Project) News Blog.

Week 4: Kelly's last week in Nigeria

2006-07-31T04:16:00.000-07:00

So this will be my last post from Nigeria. Tomorrow (Tuesday the 1st of August) I fly out of Lagos, touch down in London for 24 hours and then head to California. I am looking forward to spending some time with my family, but am so sad to be leaving Mike. At the same time, I cannot imagine being here much longer. When you are not working, there really isn't much for a gal to do! Here is a peek at our last week here in Lagos, Nigeria. We had decided before we got here that we wanted to purchase some local clothing to take home with us. We met with a lady in our home, but it was not quite what we were looking for...And VERY expensive. So we kept looking. We happened to go to a local craft market and came across a shop that had the PERFECT dress for me! The price was right and within 20 minutes she and her staff had tailored it for a perfect fit. Then came Mike. There was nothing there he was crazy about, so the lady offered to make one for him. Mike picked out the material he wanted and Walla! We now both had authentic Nigerian outfits. Here is a picture of the market and the group making them. Friday at work is casual day at the office. So Mike got to wear his new shirt and pants. It just so happens that he was also leading focus groups that day. That's right! Mike's SRG days came in handy in Nigeria. He is now an international moderator. He was running groups for the bank to help on their project. As with the other weekends, we went out on Friday. We found some great live music. We had a great time at De Grotto, listening to the band play all the old hits. Let's just say one of the first songs was Lady in Red and an hour later we were dancing to Madonna. Absolutely classic. We had a great time. Saturday was spent lounging, well at least for Mike and I. Since I am leaving we just took off by ourselves and sat at the pool at a local hotel. While we were there, Lijun and Jayne were stuck in traffic for about 5 hours trying to drive a few miles. We were glad not to be in the car. Instead we lounged, walked for ice cream and stopped off at an internet cafe. That night we also went to an Italian restaurant and enjoyed a pizza together. Sunday was awesome. Mike, Jayne and I headed to church. The service runs from 9 - 11:30. There was singing and dancing and a few messages given. We felt right at home - mostly because we wore our new outfits. The message touched on letting God take care of life's storms. That he knows the perfect mix for each of us in our lives. There will be joyful times and sad times, but the Lord is always there in the midst. So call on Him! Here is a picture of all of us after church wearing our Nigerian attire.

Class of 96 - Laser Optics Picture

2006-07-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Probably the most disappointing part of being in Nigeria will be missing my 10-year reunion on August 5th. My old Laser Optics teacher just emailed out a picture from our class -- boy did that bring back some memories. I'll let you look at the picture and try to find out who I am. If any former Pomona High Schoolers are reading this just know I miss the Big Black! Have a great time and I guess I'll see you at the 15 year reunion. Go Panthers, Mike

VIDEO: A Day in the Life in Lagos

2006-07-26T06:42:00.000-07:00


An Oxford MBA team is spending 8 weeks in Lagos on a consulting project with Access Bank. In the next 3.5 minutes, mcfaddenplace productions will take you to where the team, Jayne Thorpe, Lijun Jiang, Timothy Ojo, and Michael McFadden, are working diligently on their task at hand. Be on the watch out for a special guest appearance by Kelly McFadden.

Weekend 3: The Beach!

2006-07-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

This last week was filled with some ups and downs. As with anything when you are working hard and abroad, the middle weeks can be the toughest. The long hours start to get to you, you miss the food you are used to and the adventurous spirit that brought you where you are isn't quite as amped as before. For the most part, Nigeria has been wonderful. The people are kind and welcoming (except during traffic, but, hey, same as LA right? Traffic can make the nicest person an animal.) Of course, we made it through the week, with the team working from early in the morning until late. I decided to mix things up a bit and spent a day at Terra Kulture enjoying the cafe and took another day to meet Mike for lunch. Mike and I also got a chance to see Superman one night after work and it was nice to get out and about just the two of us. But as with anyone working hard, it is the weekend that you most look forward to. And this weekend, we definitely enjoyed ourselves. Friday night we headed out to a newer place called "Soul Lounge." We enjoyed ourselves at this trendy stop with friends from the Access office and a visit from Mike's classmate Dapo (shown right with Jayne). Saturday morning, Mike and I got up early and headed to a local cafe that we had found. We sat for a few hours sipping on coffee for him and a fruit smoothie for me. We played backgammon and chatted. It was a wonderful way to start the day. From there, we walked home and then hopped in the car and headed to Oba Elegushi Market (pictured on the far right). It is a local crafts market with tons of African souvenirs. We had fun poking around and even bought a few mementos to take home. We spent the late afternoon lounging around watching the British Open, felt like home, before heading out for dinner and then meeting up with some friends for an Ice Cream at Chocolat Royal - the same stop we had had breakfast at that morning. The picture on the right is of some local kids playing football in the street on our way to breakfast. I love that they are using old tires for goals! But the true highlight of the weekend was Sunday. Up early and at church at 8, we met some locals and joined them for Sunday School at a church just a block away. Sadly we had to leave early as we had made plans to go on an excursion to the beach. But what a day it was. It was our first day since we have been here that had more sunshine than clouds. After taking a 30 minute boat ride, we spent the day on lounge chairs listening to the waves crash a few feet away. At 1, we were called into lunch and enjoyed a delicious Nigerian meal with both surf and turf and sipped on ice cold cokes. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing volleyball, ping pong, swimming and Mike even got into a football game with some of the local children and other tourists who were with our group. Mike and I are a bit red today but we couldn't be happier! It was a relaxing and wonderful day. Besides our group and the locals, there were only a few others on this island beach. It was remote and wonderful to be away from the honking and sirens that are non-stop all over this city. We feel refreshed and renewed for the rest of our adventure. So now it is Monday. Mike is back to work, and I am working on my talks for YSSC, writing my monthly devotionals and getting a swim in a few days a week. I only have one more week left to be here, so I will make the most of it and be sure to do one last update before I leave next week.

Weekend 2: Live Performance

2006-07-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Well, you may be wondering why the blog's I write are titled based on the weekends. The answer to that is simple, there is not much going on during the week. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Mike and his SCP group do not get home until after 8 or 8:30. Two things happen then, we sit down and have dinner (I have cooked for the group and so has Lijun and Emanuel - our friend and helper) and the drivers need to get home. So unless we are buying some groceries, for the most part we are in the Guest House by 8:30 on weekdays. So that brings us to our second weekend. Friday night we headed out with Gebode, again. He has now been our WONDERFUL host two weekends in a row. He is really nice, and super fun. He also seems to know everyone everywhere and is never at a loss for things to do. Here he is pictured with Lijun, Jayne and myself. Next is a picture from the outside of the National Theater on the Lagos mainland. We fought through unbelievable traffic on Saturday trying to get to the crafts area near the theater. Turns out it is closed on Saturdays. Ooops. So we went across the street and walked through a small history museum in the theater. It was neat to learn a bit about the history of Nigeria although it was a bit hard to hear, because there was a wedding going on right below us. The Nigerian's really know how to throw a party! The picture next to it is from the bridge heading back to Lagos Island. I know I have shared before about how people sell things on the street, but this was truly unique. In this case, the bridge was almost closed down because there were so many people walking over it selling there goods (fruit to cleaning supplies to baskets, etc.) In one spot, a van had parked and was selling out of the back of their car. It felt like LA traffic...it took 45 minutes to move a mile. That's right. Mike got his haircut on Saturday when we got back. I know Mike will share more about his experience soon, so be sure to check the website and blog later. We stopped at the Eko Hotel to look at crafts (Mike and I had actually been there earlier playing tennis. Much like Wimbledon we got rained out. But we were glad to be outside.) The Eko Hotel is the only 5 star hotel in Lagos, although there are rumors of a Hyatt coming soon. Later that night we ate with Robert and Wei (the amazing couple that lets me come to their home each day to be on the internet and swim) at a Thai restaurant. It was delicious! Probably my favorite meal since we have been here. After we ate, we went to the popular club "Thistle" on Victoria Island. There was a band their energy was contagious. Definitely my favorite club that we playing. The music was awesome. The guys were jamming and have been to. Sunday was also jam packed. We headed off on an adventure to find the Lekki Art Mart. Instead of finding that, we (from left to right: Dele - our new friend and driver, Jayne, Lijun, & us) ended up at the Lekki Nature Reserve. I had read about it and knew that we would have the chance to see monkeys and alligators. We were excited for our adventure and not sure what to expect. What we did see was snakes (ew!), crabs, birds and lizards. And there is proof on all of our ankles that there were plenty of mosquitoes there too. One of the highlights was the tree house. We got to sit up in the canopy of a tree and look out. It felt like the Swiss family Robinson. That's me climbing up the steps of the ladder. The other picture is of Mike on the boardwalk that takes you through the swamp. There were some parts of it that need a little work done. Although we were a bitten a bit, we are still glad to have been able to walk around without hearing the sound of horns. Definitely worth the walk and the N300 it cost us (roughly $2.50). The last thing we did on Sunday was visit Terra Kulture. It is located close to where we live. We went to see a live performance by a local group that really captured the essence of old Nigeria and the more modern world. The performances were full of energy and we loved seeing the show. This was a definite highlight of our time in Lagos. Well, I think that is about all to report. Week 3 has begun and Mike is back to the grind. It is hard to believe I am only here for two more weeks. Guess I will continue to make the most of it and the most of our weekends! Hugs to everyone back home. Kelly

Weekend 1: A necessary break

2006-07-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, we have made it through our first week in Lagos, Nigeria. Here is a bit more of a glance at our time here so far. The first picture you see on the left is a picture of the pool where I spend quite a bit of my time. As I mentioned before, I am able to go to one of Mike's coworkers home each day and enjoy their pool, gym and internet for which I am eternally grateful. Think I would have gone stir crazy by now without their generosity. Lagos is not a "walk around" city for lack of a better expression. Mike and I have been plucked from the world of walk everywhere England, to drive everywhere Lagos. And without a downtown type area, there are not really any places to drive to. Next a picture of what Mike and I call Nigerian Frogger. A part of the reason there are not very many shops to go to is because you can buy just about anything and everything as you drive along the road. The route onto Victoria Bridge is one place where there are always tons of people walking through the traffic selling goods. You can buy bread, fruit, nuts, clocks, phone cards, dvds, watches, sunglasses, etc. Probably our favorite thing we have seen for sale so far was a tripod. It is unreal. We are planning on going to one of the markets this weekend. So we'll see what we find there, but I have a feeling it is more of the same. This next picture is from our night out on Friday. We were taken out by Gebode (spelling probably not correct). First we went to The Gallaria which housed a movie theater, book and music store, restaurants and a bar. We grab a drink at the sports bar and then headed to go dancing. We ended up at a place that is a chinese restaurant by day and a club by night. It was very nice and we saw quite a few other expats there. After that we headed to Ynot. That is what the picture is of. Mike played pool with a guy for about an hour. They just kept playing and trading off who was winning. It was fun to watch. But we decided to call it a night after that. We were escorted to our car and patient Ola took us home from there. We were planning on hitting some markets and such on Sunday, but have now learned that everyone goes to church on Sunday and most things are closed. Goal for this next weekend: do fun things on Saturday, go to church and beach on Sunday. Last I wanted to introduce you to our first big bug. We knew they were coming. Mike fought against (and won) this gigantic cockroach. It was in our bathroom. My hero. We will have more updates later this week. Mike was in the capitol, Abuja. He said it is totally different. He arrives home late tonight. I can't wait to see him! Hugs to you all from Nigeria.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

2006-07-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Nigeria!! First a look at the "Guest House" The far pictures is of the front door. That's our pad! The closer one is from the steps looking back towards the guard gate. Next are a few pictures from the inside. The Giant room Mike and I share, and the downstairs common area for the four (soon to be five) of us. Right: 8am and the gang is off to work. Ola, our trusty driver, picks them up promptly so they can head in. Below is a picture from Command Central, Access Bank. Tim, Mike & Lijun are hard at work in the conference room that is now their office. Hope that satisfies some of you curious family and friends for now. I am sure we will post some more after the weekend. Hugs from Nigeria, The McFaddens

Day 3 in Nigeria

2006-07-06T03:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I would say we are starting to find a little bit of the routine here in Lagos. At 7am the alarm goes off and we hop out of bed. Mike gets in the shower, dresses and then we all gather downstairs and eat some breakfast. Usually by 8:15 we get in the car and Ola (our driver) takes us to work. When we get in, he is has his music playing. I think of it as Rasta Gospel music. We meander down the roads to Access Bank where the MBA’s are hoping to leave a mark. They get out of the car and head up the steps, and I (Kelly) stay in the car and head to Robert’s house. The time: 8:30. Robert works for Access Bank and has been here for a few months. His girlfriend, Wei, arrived only a few days before us. They offered up there place for me to go to, use the internet, swim in their pool or use their work out facilities. Wei works from home in the morning (she is a translator), so I busy myself using the internet, writing, working out or reading on the couch. Then in the afternoon when she is done, we head out to run errands or explore a bit of Lagos. It is a huge blessing to have someone who is in the same situation and to have somewhere to go with someone who knows a bit more about Lagos than me (she spent two weeks here a few months ago). Anyways, Mike spends his day in meetings right now. A lot of what they are doing is learning about the bank. It is a crash course in Access and Nigerian banking. They have visited a few of the branches and I believe they will be sitting in on focus groups today and tomorrow. That should be especially interesting for Mike who spent a lot of time at SRG working with and leading focus groups. Around five or six, I head back to “The Guest House.” I think some days I will cook and some days I will read or just wait for the gang to get home. Either way, they arrive somewhere around 8:30pm (yes, a 12 hour day and that is not considered overtime in Nigeria) we all make/eat dinner and the last few nights have watched the World Cup. Mike actually discovered yesterday that we have ESPN on our TV, considering that he has not watched that since we left last summer, he responded as any kid in a candy store would. So that is basically what we have done so far. I am sure this basic schedule will be peppered with trips to the markets, random excursions, and some nights out at the clubs (Nigeria is famous for them), which I will be sure to report about. But with how hard these guys will work, they will mostly be relaxing in the evenings and getting ready for the next day. Pictures are coming…

Arrived

2006-07-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

Hey – Just wanted to let you know that we made it to Lagos. The flight was uneventful, but that is the kind we like: A movie, a wonderful Nigerian chicken and rice dish, a nap and a few games of backgammon and we were there. When we arrived, there was a driver and car waiting for us and helping us navigate from the airport. It was an hour drive to Victoria Island. Since the work day in Nigeria is 8am to 8pm we actually were driving during rush hour. The roads were packed. Luckily we were driving against the traffic, so for the most part we had a non-congested ride. It was dark when we got in, not quite like the late light of England which stays bright until 10! So we were unable to see much of our surroundings. In certain areas there were quite a few people all along the sides of the roads. When we asked Tim (one of Mike’s classmates who is Nigerian) about this, he explained that it was people waiting to catch the buses home. Certain parts of the streets were lined with vendors, cars and people crowding and attempting to get food and get home. As we expected the driving here is not the organized system we are used to. It is every man for himself. If you want to move forward you find the open spot and take it before the person next to you does. Not a blinker, but two little honks lets you know that you are merging. The first thing we did once in Nigeria (besides navigating the streets) was get some food. When in Nigeria, do as the Nigegrians…we went for Chinese. Lijun, who is from China, was very pleased with this choice. And in fact, actually said it was just like home. It tasted just like home to me to. It was a great meal and a very nice restaurant. From there we headed to our new home. “The Guest House” is near where Mike and his team will be working. If you decide to come for a visit, to get in, you simply need to pull up to the gate and lay on your horn. If you do this, a man named Emmanuel will come out and open the gate for you. Emmanuel is our resident helper – he will be helping with all our basic needs while we are there – food, ironing, household upkeep, etc. Let me take you inside. Walk up a few steps and you are in our new home. To the left, is a kitchen – it has all your basic needs – fridge, freezer, sink, microwave. A kitchen. But the front door basically brings you into a large sitting room. It is bi-level. The main level has the dining table that looks more like a board room table, as it can seat probably 10-15 people easily. The lower of the split levels is the sitting room. It has a few couches as well as a large TV. Looks like we will get to watch the World Cup! (We have become addicts – especially since Mike has a classmate from almost every country that was playing.) Turn back towards the front door and you will see on your left the stairs that take you up to the bedrooms. At the top of the steps there is another large sitting room that has five doors off of it. Behind door number one: Timothy Ojo’s room. A king size bed, personal refrigerator, television, desk and private bathroom. The room is huge! In fact, you could fit almost Mike’s and my Oxford flat into that space. Behind door number two: Our room. Actually it is the mirror image of room #1. Who says I won’t be going for runs while I am here, I will just take jogs around my bedroom. Door #3 & #4 are mirror rooms to each other. Lijun and Jayne will be in those rooms and door number five is their shared bathroom. These rooms are a bit smaller with double beds, tv’s, refrigerators and desks. Not sure what tomorrow (or today for that matter) will bring. More adventure, I am sure. I will try to get some pictures out as soon as possible. For me, I will only have access to internet every few days, as I will need to come into the office to get online. For Mike, you may hear from him a bit more, but with working 12 hour days, he will definitely be very, very busy. A plus note for me, a Canadian man named Robert who works at the bank, mentioned his girl friend has just arrived and their place has a pool…I have been invited to spend my days there as he says it is a much nicer place with more amenities. I didn’t want to be rude, so I agreed to spend the day there. J Well, off to try to get cell phones worked out. Mike and I are definitely in for an adventure while we are here. We are excited to see what each day will bring. Love you all. Cheers, Kelly Marie McFadden

Our bags are packed

2006-07-02T22:15:00.000-07:00

We are off... The McFaddens are on the move, this time to Nigeria. Our updates may be a bit more sparce, but you can keep up with us through our website and our blog. Hugs and kisses to all. Mike & Kel

Jerry Gibson in Oxford

2006-07-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, two days before Kelly and I left for Nigeria, a friend, mentor, and wise 'old fossil' visited Oxford. Jerry was in London with his wife, Normadeane, his daughter Becky and her family. To the left you can see Jerry and I walking down the path from the canel to Christ Church. We had a wonderful time. It was truly a blessing to see him before our departure.

Educators Corner: Entrepreneurship Education Resources

2006-06-30T01:15:00.000-07:00

A great resource for entrepreneurs, students, teachers, and all those just wanting to learn a little more. Educators Corner: Entrepreneurship Education Resources You'll find video clips, articles, recommended books. Check it out.

Link: Everyone as Co-Creators: Harnessing Collective Innovation with Web 2.0

2006-06-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately my time has been crunched over the last few weeks or I would have attempted to summarize my own thoughts on open innovation. That being said, I guess part of the genius behind open source innovation is "harnessing collective innovation", in which the link below is a great introduction to the subject: Everyone as Co-Creators: Harnessing Collective Innovation with Web 2.0 (web2.wsj2.com) Take a peek. There is so much going on in this arena that it's tough to keep up. Mash ups are another area that is growing exponentially. For more info on Mash Ups click here.

Off to Nigeria - departure date: 3 July

2006-06-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hey All –

Well, some of you have heard and some of you haven’t, Mike and I are moving to Nigeria. Lagos to be exact. “What??!” you say. Yes, it is true. A part of the MBA programme (that is how they spell it in England) is the SCP – Summer Consulting Project. The MBA Students get sent all over the world to work in teams of four for two months. Mike researched and we looked into many different opportunities and we finally landed on one in Nigeria. It is an incredible project. Mike will be working with Access Bank. We are really looking forward to it and we leave in two weeks!

It has been a fast year. Mike has completed all his classes, and now has three months until he graduates with his MBA (summer project and then a few weeks back here in Oxford for final exams and a few ceremonies). He will be in Nigeria for 8 weeks (3 July - 25 Aug) and I will stay there for 4 weeks (3 July - 1 Aug). Then I'll be heading home to celebrate with my sis, KK, her upcoming wedding is in October. I am really looking forward to catching up with many of you in Cali and mostly to spend some time with my sister doing all the fun wedding stuff I have missed in the last few months.

I won’t get sappy on the last year yet…I will wait until that update in September.

Hugs to you all! We would love to hear from you and hear how you are doing. And be sure to keep checking www.mcfaddenplace.com for the latest McFadden updates. I am a bit behind on the monthly updates, but that is because Mike has had to work on papers the last three weeks non-stop!

Cheers,

Kelly Marie McFadden

The thoroughly modern moustache?

2006-06-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Check out this article from yahoo news (photos added by me). I must say, I am proud that my husband is on the cutting edge of style. Congratulations to the MBA's who make this article a reality every term! NEW YORK (AFP) - "I think it's sexy," Donald Bradford, 26, says of the bushy growth that has adorned his upper lip for the past two months. Largely shunned since the 1980s, moustaches are enjoying something of a renaissance among young New Yorkers, following a comeback trail blazed by such hip role models as actor Nicholas Cage and the ultra-trendy fashion photographer Terry Richardson. "It's just cool, right?, and it's fun," said Bradford, a tall man with blonde highlights in his hair to match his silver jacket. Jay Della Vale verges on the evangelical in his praise of the moustache's attributes which, according to the 26-year-old DJ, include intimations of virility, a relaxed style and a healthy sense of humor. "You walk differently. You're more laid back. You dress differently," Della Vale said. "We're on a mission to bring it back." Della Vale's devotion to facial hair prompted him to make a documentary "The Glorious Moustache Challenge" in which he persuaded 30 men to grow moustaches for a month to see what difference it made in their lives and the reactions of those around them. "For the first month, everybody is against it, especially the women," he said. "They say, 'Please don't do that, you remind me of my father ... or a 70s porn star'." According to Della Vale, most of his moustachioed guinea pigs weathered the early critical storm and actually became quite fond of their new accessory. Love of "the stache" was taken for granted at the recent New York City Beard and Moustache Championships, which saw hundreds of hirsute aficionados turn out to root for their favourite styles. Iconic images of movie stars and characters who championed the moustache -- Clark Gable, Sean Connery, Inspector Clouseau, Marlon Brando in "The Godfather" -- were projected onto a giant screen to appreciative applause. But the real adulation was reserved for a photo of the contestants' main hero, Tom Selleck, who brought stache-style to the masses in the early 1980s with the television cop series "Magnum." But not long after those heady days, the moustache's fortunes took a dive in the popularity stakes -- it's fall from grace best summed up by the makeover forced on the "Brawny Man." A brand icon whose lumberjack shirt and heavy moustache had promoted Brawny kitchen towels for decades, the Brawny Man was replaced in 2003 by a clean-shaven hunk who was seen as more in tune with the times. For all the efforts of Della Vale and his cohorts, bringing back the old style is proving a tough sell to the average man in the street. "I feel less confident, more insecure," said Graham Veysey, 24, who grew his moustache and entered the New York contest in a response to a dare from his friends. "It's just not me," Veysey said. "I didn't understand how much it would dominate the conversation. It's like 25 times a day!" New York-based French fashion designer Thomas Vasseur finds his moustache -- complemented with prominent sideburns -- serves as an open invitation to comment from just about everybody. "For some of my friends, it suggests I'm looking for a new identity," said Vasseur, 32. "My mother tells me I remind her of my father who she divorced 25 years ago, my nephews tell me it scratches, and then there are also those, happily, who say that it suits me," he added. No matter what the reaction, Vasseur insists he has no intention of taking a razor to his upper lip. "It's a male accessory, just like highlights or make-up for women," said Vasseur. "I would feel naked without it." As for the future, zealots like Della Vale optimistically predict an "epidemic" of moustaches spreading across the country, while other fashion arbiters are more cautious. "It's almost like a tongue-in-cheek kind of style," said James Bassil, editor-in-chief of the male lifestyle website, AskMen.com. "The general impression that women have of moustaches is either they love them or they are absolutely repulsed by them, and there's no real middle ground," Bassil said. "And there needs to be a middle ground for a fashion or a facial hair trend to be adopted en masse permanently," he added. by Catherine Hours Thu Jun 8, 1:26 PM ET

Golfing Friends

2006-06-09T04:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was in Colorado for Craig Melville's wedding (more pictures to come) and while I was out there I got a round of golf with 2 former teammates from the Pomona High School golf team. In the picture from left to right: Neil Seeley (PHS '96), Zac Adams (PHS '95), Michael McFadden (PHS '96), Dave Runyon (Niwott). It was a great time.

Oxford Blues Golf Picture: Bufty Style

2006-05-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

The 2005-2006 Oxford Blues Golf Team

Back row (left to right): Michael Canty, Michael McFadden, Stuart Baird, D.J. Stewart, Simon Jones, David F.M. Ferreria, Mason Grower Front row (left to right): Thomas A. Smith, Gareth O. Jones, Michael Gray, Philip Bickerton

How I Work - March 20, 2006 - CNNMoney

2006-05-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

A good article on how a dozen "super-achievers" stay ahead in the fast lane. How I Work - March 20, 2006 I'm not sure of the sustainability of running in the fast lane too long, but in the short term we might as well be smart about it. Enjoy ... but not for too long, others might pass you by :-) Cheers, Mike

Alex English Summary

2006-05-10T00:56:00.000-07:00

For those unfamilar with Alex English, I thought I'd enlighten you on one of the best NBA players of all time.

"Alex English was the NBA's most prolific scorer during the 1980s and retired as the seventh-leading scorer with 25, 613 points. After being underutilized by the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers during his first four years in the league, English became the most explosive member of a high-powered Denver Nuggets team that consistently ranked among the league's top-scoring clubs."

NBA.com: Alex English Summary And for those that are not coming to France for the MBA Olympics, you will miss out on the European Alex English:

Trinity Term Quotes

2006-05-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few memorable quotes thus far in Trinity Term. Some I remember who said it and others I had scribbled in my little green book with no person identified. Apologies.

"Time in business is risk" -Guy Hands, Founder and CEO, Terra Firma
"Buy well, sell well, and don't screw it up in the middle" - Chris Woodhouse, CFO Debenhams, on working for private equity backed companies "What can go right? What can go wrong? What can be done to increase the probablity of it going right or reduce the probability of it going wrong?" -Questions to ask during an entrepreneurial venture "People who solve problems must somehow first arrive at the belief that they can solve problems." -How to Change The World, a social entrepreneurial book "Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding." -Proverbs 4:7 "Do you do what you're best at every day?" "Be ruthless in selecting companies to work for. Be ruthless in selecting the right people to come work for you." (and expect the same)

Saying Goodbye to Norma Colamatteo

2006-04-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

Mike's beautiful Grandma passed away this last week. We were disappointed to not be at the memorial service, but are thankful we got to hug her a few months before we left for Oxford. This matriarchwill be greatly missed by the Colamatteo family many of whom are shown here. Norma N. Colamatteo, 84, of Chicago and Pompano Beach, died April 25,2006 in McHenry, IL. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Orlando. Norma Natalie was born in Sesser, IL on August 27, 1921. She was the only child of Elsie and James Whitley. She is survived by her children, Diane, Frances Angela and Lonny Jr. She was the best grandma ever to David, Kate, Jennifer, Brian Peter, Michael James, Joey, Brian, Michael, Christopher, Liz, Orlando III and Anthony. The sweetest ''GG'' to Christopher, Natalie, Sara, Kyle, Adriana, Kelson and Tison. Norma was faithful, devoted, and loving to all her ''Sisters'', nieces, nephews and friends. All who knew her was only the richer for the experience. A mother to many, a friend to all. Please call Kraeer Funeral Home at 954-941-4111 for details regarding our celebration of her life. Published in the Chicago Tribune on 4/28/2006.

Great entertainment: Blog Maverick

2006-04-27T02:55:00.000-07:00

If you're not at least a recreational blog reader yet it's time to get tuned in. It's one thing to read books, research papers, articles, and novels but it's another thing to get into a person's daily mind. It's amazing how many great minds and not-so-great minds are blogging these days. Any subject, no subject, random, focused, blogs come in all shapes and sizes ... religion, technology, personal, travel experiences, they're all entertaining and some are even educational. One of my favorite blogs to read is Mark Cuban's. He's the owner of the Dallas Mavericks (an NBA basketball team) and a very outspoken chap. Check out one of his latest entries: Dont Blame Me - Im just a stupid shareholder - Blog Maverick - www.blogmaverick.com _ The Blog world is getting cluttered but so is amazon.com ... do some searches on your favorite subjects and I'm sure you'll find some great reading. PS I'd like to encouage some of you to start blogging ... do it once a week, once a month, if anything it's a great way to document your current thoughts and views. Cheers, Mike

New page on the website

2006-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for quite sometime to start a site that captured at least a portion of what I'm learning in school. However, I've realized I'm never going to have the time to do it to the degree I wish ... so, I'll just start it and see how it evolves. Introducing, info share or learnings ... i'm still figuring out what to name it. Speaking of new websites, I'm also in the process of starting a golf only blog ... yep, 2-Under. Not that I'm shooting 2 under these days but it had a nice ring to it and well, a boy can dream right?!

Spain

2006-03-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

I got the opportunity to visit a friend of ours, Kyla, in Spain. She is staying in Granada for a few months studying Spanish. Granada was a wonderful city. It is one of the only city's in Spain to offer free Tapas at their bars when you come in for a drink. I really enjoyed getting to try all sorts of different delicious appetizers! We did manage to enjoy some of their other main cuisine as well. Paella a traditional rice and meet dish, as well as Tortilla Espanola - the Spanish Omelet made from egg and potato. In this picture, Kyla's host mother cooked us some home made Paella with vegetables, meet and some sea food. It was really good! On Sunday morning, we headed to the coast. We stayed in a small town called Nerja. How were we to know it was mostly a British touring town! It was lovely and we felt we were having both a Spanish and British experience all at once. It was a gorgeous day and we both went to bed that night sun kissed...which after living in England does not happen too often. We did cheat a bit and ate Mexican food that night. Of course, we are still unsure if you can count curry tacos as Mexican - but the sign said it was authentic! On Monday we traveled from the beach to the mountains! We went to Ronda. It was a wonderful mountain town. It was nestled in a wide valley in the mountains and seperating old from new town was a gorge. The main bridge that connects the two took 40 years to build! I personally liked the small bridge near the bottom of the gorge: San Miguel. I was told once that meant "good looking Michael." Not sure if the spaniards agree. Kyla and I spent all day Tuesday hiking and enjoying the outdoors before heading back to Grananda. Our last day in Granada we got to see La Alhambra. It is amazing and right now nominated to be one of the new 7 wonders of the world. I would vote for it in a heart beat! The architecture comes from a variety of centuries and rulers who all added their own personal touch, making it a mosaic of culture and time. After that I came back to Oxford. It was a great trip. I am so thankful to Kyla for taking the time to show me her wonderful city and share her adventure with me.

Another Cool Moment...

2006-03-07T04:11:00.000-08:00

We found out last week that Mike was selected by his class to speak at the farewell dinner in September for the Oxford MBA class of 2006. This is a really neat honor as Mike was nominated and then voted by his classmates to be their representative at this special event. Jessica Shortall, a good friend of ours, was also asked to share. I am really excited for both of them and know they will do a great job!

On a different note, Mike is busy preparing for finals and the varsity Match against Cambridge coming up in a few weeks. Joining us at Muirfield will be Joe Goebel - friend from Cali, Dave Runyon - a man that needs no introduction, and many other friends from SBS. After the tournament Mike will play a few more rounds with Dave and the guys and I have the opportunity to be at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford that week. I am really looking forward to this event as social entrepreneurs from all over the world will gather to listen to incredible speakers. It is quite an opportunity.

More soon, Kelly M Picture above from Mike's Matriculation in October

This Just In: Mike's a Blue!

2006-02-24T00:22:00.000-08:00

Mike has been selected as a team member for the Varsity Golf Match against Cambridge in March. “What does this mean?” you ask. I will tell you. For hundreds of years Oxford and Cambridge have been competing against each other in a variety of sports. This match is called the Varsity Match. This is the only match where a student of Oxford can obtain the highly coveted BLUE. With it comes honor, prestige and a very cool blue jacket. J Mike will be fitted today. And yes, I will post a picture of him in it soon. This years match will be held in Muirfield http://www.muirfield.org.uk/ one of the most well known golf courses in the world. If you happen to be in Scotland around the 24th of match please let us know. I am super excited for Mike and very proud of him. I am amazed at how he manages to do so much and do it all so well (cue sappy music). Sorry, had to take a proud wife moment.

Kelly Mc

Shifting the Dial

2006-02-06T07:05:00.000-08:00

written by Kelly McFadden "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." — Matthew 11:30 Dr. Don Schoendorfer, founder of Free Wheelchair Mission, put his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering to work by creating a simple, sturdy and inexpensive wheelchair for those in need around the world. Bob Campbell, real-estate entrepreneur, teamed with his local church, offering business knowledge to build partnerships between numerous organizations to help create a program for emancipated youth to get the education and stability they need. Andrea Wherry loved to bake cakes. She baked unique and personalized cakes for homeless children on their birthdays, giving them a special day to remember. Her simple act created a birthday ministry to needy children in her community. The problems of this world can feel overwhelming and out of reach when we read the news or look around us. There are difficult issues that seem beyond our ability to help or do anything. Have confidence in this: God did not call you to be what you aren’t or to do what you cannot. While you will not be asked to fix all the problems around you, you are called to use the gifts He gave you to serve others. There are challenges and difficulties when we partner with Christ in this life; however, Jesus reminds us in this verse that His yoke is easy compared to the alternative. He will never give you more than you can bear. While the yoke is a labor tool for oxen, it is a shared tool. The weight will never fall on your shoulders alone. In fact, your primary partner is the Lord. It is He who carries the weight of the burden for you. Although the world’s problems seem insurmountable, God does not ask us to fix anything. He asks us to use our unique mixture of gifts and talents to shift the dial from despair to hope. Each time you do the work God has set before you, you are a part of His great plan in bringing hope to a hurting world. Search your heart and see what gifts and tools the Lord has given you to be able to reach out and help others.

Reminded of Oxford Welcome Message

2006-01-30T14:41:00.000-08:00

The average life has 30,000 days. It's the only capital we get. Invest your time wisely, you are committing 365 to Oxford - make the best of it. Work hard. Have some fun. Make friends and then work harder. Notes from Roy Westbrook's welcome message.

Reflections & Highlights of Michaelmas

2006-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it is time to take a moment to reflect on the Michaelmas term in Oxford. As we begin Hilary and new adventures are upon us, I would hate to lose all that we have done in the last few months due to my sloth in writing. So this will be a brief, and semi-inclusive look at Michaelmas... Ireland: What a trip we had! It turned into a golf trip for Mike and I on the northwest coast of Ireland. When the rain came down on the courses, we loved it...it seemed to be a part of the experience of golfing in Ireland. But by the third rain soaked day, we were wishing for a bit more sunshine. Our clothes did not have the time to dry between rounds. One torrent in Donegal basically voided the idea of rain-proof gear. There is no such thing when you are basically swimming on a course. Probably the highlight was visiting with Mike's grandfather's brother in his home near Carrick-on-Shannon in a tiny mining village called Arigna. The home was built over 200 years before by his great grandfather. We were able to sit with them in their home and enjoy tea as well as a shot of good old-fashioned Irish Whiskey. Maybe everyone pores guests whiskey at 1500? At first we thought they would be poring tea, but were a little quizzical when the tiny glasses came out. Between that and the conversations about cows, we felt we had traveled back in time. Oxford: Often described as the City of Dreaming Spires, Oxford is just that. It is home to the love of study and learning. It is our home now. Each corner, each cobblestone awakens the senses as you can picture horse drawn carriages and dons of old walking the same roads, the same halls for hundreds of years. If you have always hated school, even Oxford will make you want to pick up a book especially if you get a chance to walk through Duke Humphrey's Library (over 500 years old!). There is probably too much to say about Oxford. So much of it is captured in our pictures, that I will mention only a few things. Mike and I have loved being here. We are overwhelmed by how extremely talented and intelligent his class is. They are also a group who is outgoing and friendly. Oxford has also set up an atmosphere that encourages teamwork, not cut-throat competition. It has been great for me as well as a partner. Partners are included in everything and welcomed with open arms. There are also quite a few in my same situation, so friends were made quickly as we were all eager to meet someone. The hardest thing about this term for me has been all that has been going on at home. If you read this blog you know that my Uncle has been very ill. It has been quite a roller coaster. I was so thankful for Mike's encouragement to get to Italy and be with my aunt when everything first began. I also was able to see my uncle and family in California in November. Praise the Lord that he continues to recover and for the first time we are able to say he is not fighting an infection, but now fighting to recover. We continue to pray for him. One thing I love about England is the pub culture. Don't look so surprised. It is very different than the bar culture back home. Pub's were originally called public houses and offered residents somewhere to socialize since most of their homes were too small to have many over. It was common for people to have a neighborhood pub. Ours has become the Radcliff Arms. It is just down the street and the people there are so friendly. Truly our cheers...where everybody knows your name. The owner Michael once he met us immediately ordered American Sports for us on his TV system so we could keep up with football...And next basketball. We have watched some great games there and were able to take our friends there when they came into town. Key Events: The Templeton 20th Anniversary Dinner, Formal Halls at the colleges, Eating at Christ Church (Harry Potter Hall), having my mum (that's how they say is here) out for a visit, having some friends out over the New Year, dancing at the Lebanese restaurant on Mike's birthday, eating cookies from Danz located in the covered market, exploring this amazing and historic city and making it home, being able to communicate back home through yahoo's IM and seeing my family thru webcams, interacting with and meeting people from all over the world...I am sure I could come up with more if I took more time, but for now that is a good list. Trips: Besides Ireland when we first got here, Mike and I were able to go to Davos Switzerland over the break. What a trip we had. I don't think I will ever ski in Switzerland again only because it could never be that good again. Empty slopes and more snow than one could even hope for for all five days of skiing, let alone one! We had such a lovely time. We also took some moments away from the group. We headed into Klosters and ate at a small family run restaurant called Wynegg. We had fun trying to figure out the train system, getting off on the wrong stop, making our way back and making some new friends as we finally sat to eat some authentic swiss food. Between the cheese and cream, we have both been on a health kick since we returned. We also visited Edinburgh. WOW what a city. It was gorgeous. There is a castle in Edinburgh that sits up top the hill. It can be seen from every angle and offers incredible panoramic views. We had a blast storming the castle, doing the Scottish Whiskey tour, and looking into a little of the Campbell Scottish history. The New Years party was also pretty crazy. 100,000 people lined the streets for stage shows, rides, ice-skating and a wonderful firework show to ring in the new year. It was quite an event. And I would suggest to anyone to get to Edinburgh if you have a chance. The city was charming. Our last big stop was Bath. Bath brought us back into the MBA by heading out with some of our new friends for a weekend trip before the mayhem began again. Bath can best be described as enchanting. It is a city that captivates you the second you see it. IT offers history lessons, pitch and put golf, a gorgeous abbey and a taste of Rome in Britain, not to mention the taste of a Sally Lunn Bunn. Another must visit. Conclusion: All in all, we are still pinching ourselves to see if this is really happening and not just a dream. We have begun the Hilary Term and know this time will be through before we realize it. Our goal is to make the most of the gift we have been given in this adventure. And this term, I promise to contribute a bit more...

First Golf Fixture 2006

2006-01-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

I just got back from our first Blues fixture of 2006. We played Walton Heath on Saturday and The Addington on Sunday. Saturday at the Heath it was the 100th match between Oxford and the club. We lost 11 1/2 to 6 1/2. Historically they've always put out a great squad. Oxford hasn't won in 50 years! It was a great time. I lost in the morning 6 and 5 in foresomes with Canty and then snagged a point in the afternoon. I played well enough to win 2 and 1. That night we had a great black tie event where 90+ people came. It was a great honor to be there for the 100th anniversary dinner. Today we all were a little slow to get up but we came out winners at the Addington.

Edinburgh for New Years

2006-01-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Truly a beautiful city. Rich in history and tradition, this city was inspiring. You can see this picture taken from the castle above Princess Street. The town was so peaceful the morning of Dec 31 only to be transformed into a giant celebration that evening.

Magnum who??

2005-12-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sub Fusc

2005-12-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

No that's not a bad word out here in England. It's what we wear for finals. Yes you can see to the left Pierce and myself all 'suited' up for our exams. We've finished 4 and there are 2 to go tomorrow. And yes if you look closely you can see a little facial hair. Tomorrow after exams we're taking a "Mustache Sub Fusc" picture with all participants. Oh the joys.

Coach Simpson passes away

2005-12-05T11:36:00.000-08:00

Mark Simpson, the golf coach for the University of Colorado (1977-2005) passed away last night. I received an e-mail from a dear friend and mentor, Jerry Gibson today at 7:20 GMT. Mon, 5 Dec 2005 14:20:29 EST
Dear Mike, I just learned Mark Simpson went to be with Jesus last night. Love Ya. Jerry Gibson I Thess. 4:13ff;Psalms 30:5,11
Coach was an excellent man. He impacted so many through the years. I am grieved to know he has died but rejoice to know he's in a better place. We send our love and prayers to his family.

Here is a link to an article written by a journalist for the Denver Post days before he passed away.

http://www.denverpost.com/golf/ci_3270790

And below is the link to the CU Buffs website that has a little history on Coach.

http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=219248

Yes, 70-3 hurts but the Buffs will be back

2005-12-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

This weekend Colorado Buffalo fans around the world took a shot to the gut. I'm sure it was more difficult to watch than refresh the score on the internet from England. I couldn't refresh fast enough ... I think there were two or three times 2 touchdowns were scored before the computer knew what happened. Yes, the CU football program has taken a hit these last few years, but we will bounce back. We will recover. For all those All-American 16, 17 & 18 year old football players reading this -- sign at CU now. National Championship in 2007. Go Buffs! And for those recruits that can't remember the good old days ... check out the cover of this SI. Just google "the catch" and "colorado" or "westbrook"

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends - Although I was not in the states, I was still able to enjoy one of my favorite holidays! THANKSGIVING. We ate turkey, mashed potatoes...the whole deal. We sat around for hours talking, laughing and lo and behold, we were able to watch the Bronco game...for which Mike was thrilled. As we sat around and shared what we were most thankful for this year, my answer was technology. Strange, I know. But during a year when Mike and I are so far from home, it is amazing to be able to stay in touch with friends and family! I love it. I love your emails, calls, pictures and notes that allow me to have a piece of you with me wherever we go! Mike and I have been loving our adventures in Oxford. We feel blessed beyond belief at the people we have met and the things we have been able to do. Mike is about to really hit a busy season with finals coming up, but then we will be taking a much needed break to the slopes of Davos, Switzerland. We can't wait to hit the slopes! You can keep up to date on all we are doing through www.mcfaddenplace.com. Hugs to you all this holiday. Hope it was wonderful for you. And please see below the latest reason the McFadden/Campbell family is thankful. Uncle George has been taken out of the ICU. Although there is a long road left, we have taken a step in the right direction. Love, Kelly Mc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: George Porter Update Dear Friends and Family, Happy Thanksgiving! We certainly have much to be thankful for -- namely, that George has shown marked improvement over the past two weeks to the point that he has left the ICU for an intermediate care room. He is now on track to be moved out of the hospital and to a physical rehab facility in North County. He is very aware of his situation and maintains his trademark positive attitude and a desire to get well. We also give thanks to all of you -- for your support, kind words, thoughts and prayers for our family -- it has meant more to us than you could ever know. Be assured that your many phone calls, e-mails and letters have been appreciated, even if we have not been able respond to each one of you personally. Please continue to pray that the antibiotics and his immune system destroy this infection and allow him to heal. With his continually positive attitude and all the love and prayers from you, we believe all things are possible. The origin of Thanksgiving is giving thanks for abundant blessings in our lives -- and even in the midst of trial, we have so much to be thankful for -- our family has never been closer, our friends have never seemed more valuable, and our love has never been so strong. We give thanks to God for these blessings, and look forward to seeing the rainbow on the other side of the storm. Love, Jan, Greg and Jenny p.s. eat double the turkey this year for George -- he likes the dark meat with lots of gravy. p.p.s. laughter still remains to be the best medicine (50 times more powerful than morphine!) -- so if anyone has a good joke for George, send it our way and we'll read it to him -- he would love it!

Life's Road Map...

2005-11-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

As some of you know I write devotionals for HomeWord.com. This one felt as if it fit in with this page, so I thought I would post it here... Life's Road Map "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me." — Psalm 119:18-19 With bus routes, maps, directions in hand, we were ready to go to England. We stepped off the plane in Heathrow and joined the crowd moving towards customs. The signs then sent us to platform B to rent our car. It was easy. Everything was exactly where the signs pointed, bags arrived and we were off. We were out of the airport within 30 minutes of landing. We hopped into our rental car and were on our way. Since we were in England, a sign on the dashboard pointed to the left reminding us what side of the road to drive on. We followed the red highway line straight from London to Oxford. From there, we sought out the well-marked signs and route markers to navigate through the city, arriving at our final destination. We made it easily. I can’t imagine what our travels would have been like if my husband and I had ignored the map or street signs. It probably would have taken us twice as long to arrive, or perhaps we would have given up looking and stayed where we were. It surprises me that there are times I don’t ask for directions or carry a map when I am traveling. There is wisdom found from following a route guide and knowing which way to turn. If I can have this understanding with something as simple as traveling to a new city, why do I often ignore the road map for my life? Sometimes I forget I am a stranger in this world. As Christians, our home is the Kingdom of God. God gives us a wonderful gift of the Bible to act as a road map through our journey of life. The Bible points out the best route to take during our life travels, helping us avoid bumps, bruises, and obstacles along the way. The first step to using this map is to admit you need one. Like the psalmist realized, we are strangers in this land. Without our map, the Bible, we are destined to wander aimlessly and possibly miss the great destination the Lord has for us. If we use the Bible as our guide, we will be headed in the right direction with assurance of where we are going and a life God wants for us. A life filled with the fruit of the Spirit and with fulfillment. A life that leads you to experience all God has offered.

Campbell on 10th Anniversary Team

2005-11-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

Kelly would kill me if she knew I posted this (I figure it will take her at least a few weeks to notice). That being said she was nominated to the Big XII Volleyball 10th Anniversary Team. ------ Nov. 8, 2005 Big 12 Announces Volleyball 10th Anniversary Team

DALLAS, Texas — Former Colorado setter Kelly Campbell has been named to the Big 12 Volleyball 10th Anniversary Team, the league announced today. The team was selected by a combined media panel and an on-line fan poll. To be eligible for the team, a candidate had to be an All-Big 12 First Team selection. Campbell, a native of Corona Del Mar, Calif., was a member of the All-Big 12 First Team all four years (1996-99) she played at Colorado. She was also a four-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 Team. Campbell is the Buffaloes’ career assists leader with 6,228 and owns four of the top six positions for single-season assists. Campbell was an All-American on and off the court. She was a Volleyball Magazine selection three years (1996, 1998, 99) and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1999. She was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on four occasions and was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on Nov. 8, 1999. Player School Position Years of All-Big 12 First Team Selection Kelly Campbell Colorado S 1996, `97, `98, `99 Greichaly Cepero Nebraska S 1999, 2000, `01, `02 Amber Holmquist Nebraska MB 2000, `01, `02 Nancy Metcalf Nebraska RS 1998, `99, `01 Demetria Sance Texas OH 1996, `97, `98 Mira Topic Texas OH 2001, `02, `03, `04 Stacy Sykora Texas A&M OH 1997, `98 http://www.cubuffs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=600&ATCLID=211810 http://www.big12sports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/110805aaa.html

Kelly in California

2005-11-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

Wanted to let you know...although I am sure you already do - that I made it on the direct flight (LHR - LAX). Yae! I was the last one let on, but I was on and in business class no less. I only had one scare when I was asked to change seats. Thought they were going to move me back to economy. I was ready to fight for my full reclining chair and my Mimosa. However, I was just moved a few rows forward in business class to switch with a man who's audio/video was broken. No TV for me, but who needed it?! Plus they sent me home with a bottle of wine for the inconvenience. I think my seat was more comfortable than my bed in Oxford! Plus with the delicious food, wine, snacks, United socks & vanity kit, my book and reading lamp, I was set for the journey. I wanted to take a picture so I would never forget, but alas Mike has taken so many rainy golf pictures our digital camera is on the blink. But the experience is now etched in my memory. I know one day I will have to go back to economy, but I will never forget the greatest flight of my life. Kelly Mc

Uncle George Update 10/25

2005-10-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest email from my Aunt concerning my Uncle. My mom has just arrived in Italy (10/26) to be a support to them both. Our family continues to wait and pray... Dear Friends and Family,Thank you so much for all of your kind emails, thoughts, and prayers regarding George's condition. Please understand that at this time it is impossible for me to respond to each one of you personally.At this time, George remains stable, but in critical condition. He has meningitis and sepsis caused by staphylococcus aureus, the origin of which is two abscesses in the lumbar region of his spine. While the antibiotics are working successfully to treat the meningitis and sepsis, the abscesses are more difficult to treat and require long-term antibiotic therapy with a small possibility of surgical intervention. We are diligently working with doctors at UCLA & UCSD in coordinating George's care and return home.My niece, Kelly McFadden, who currently resides in Oxford with her husband, arrived at a most critical time and helped me immensely with logistical details. Our children Jennifer and Greg have been with me for the last five days and have been immensely helpful in communicating with doctors as we've grappled with these diseases and their course of care. Having them here has given George hope for his recovery and has comforted me beyond words. Jennifer's command of the Italian language and aggressiveness combined with her charm has been vital to communicating with doctors and nurses to ensure George is getting the very best of care. Greg has also been vital in communicating with Valencia, his wife, who is a doctor and who is diligently monitoring George's day-by-day condition and coordinating with medical professionals in the States. She is also working with Kristen Campbell, my niece who is a nurse at UCLA, on getting George home - a top priority for us and a day we are anxiously awaiting. In regards to me, thanks to my precious children, I have moved to a hotel closer to the hospital in a safe area, with many English-speaking people around me. Jen & Greg have made sure that doctors, nurses, friends of doctors and nurses, the security guards, hotel personnel, and even the local cafe owners will ALL be watching out for me.But don't worry, I'm not alone. While the kids leave Monday, my sister Jean is coming to stay with me for a week, followed by Evelyn, Greg's sister-in-law, who is a nurse, and if necessary, Kristen from UCLA will stay out the duration until we get him home! Love and miss you. Can't wait to see you.-Jan

Uncle George Update

2005-10-24T03:14:00.000-07:00

I just spent a week in Rome helping my aunt. It was a rough week of uncertainty and emotions. I felt so blessed to be so close to be able to be in Rome within 24 hours of hearing my Uncle was in the hospital. Our days were spent receiving updates from doctors, helping my Uncle receive water and eat, and praying. Aunt Fanny and I made the goal to just get through each day. As of now, my Uncle remains day to day. He is in critical condition as the doctors (who are very good) use antibiotics to fight his infections. (Please see email below my cousin Valencia sent out regarding his condition.) Thank you thank you to all of you who prayed for myself and my family. We ask that you continue to do so, as my uncle remains in the hospital. --Kelly Hi everyone, We heard some updated news this morning on George. The results of the cultures are now back and he has staphylococcus aureus growing from his blood causing sepsis and from his cerebrospinal fluid causing meningitis. He does not have pneumococcal meningitis, that was a preliminary result. He is receiving the appropriate treatment of 3 antibiotics until they know which antibiotic will work against the staph aureus. He does not have any other complications at this point and his blood pressure and breathing are stable. He is no longer confused, but is in a lot of pain that the doctors are working on. The hospital he is in is a good one (Ospedale Spallanzoni) Â it is private and university based, so they have the latest in treatment and technology. But he is in serious condition and we do not know yet about his prognosis. Continue to pray for GeorgeÂs speedy recovery, that his body fights off his infections, that no complications arise, and that Jan continues to stay strong.

Uncle George in hospital

2005-10-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

We got very bad news regarding Kelly's Uncle George last week. He and his wife (Jan) were traveling through Italy and he got really sick. Kelly's cousin Jen sent us this e-mail: Dated 13 October, 2005 Please take a moment today to pray for my Dad. He has been hospitalized in Rome, Italy (there on vacation) for a severe case of the flu and back pain. He hasn't eaten for over four days and is in terrible shape -- apparently now he is in such agonizing pain with the arthritis in his wrists that he can hardly speak. The American embassy is going to send an American doctor to see him soon -- my mother is alone there and it has been very difficult to communicate with the people and she cannot convince the doctors to let him get up and walk around -- which is of great concern, lest he get a blood clot since he has been without his heart medication for a few days. After we found out he wasn't recovering quickly, Kelly flew down to Rome. She left on Saturday the 15th and is just coming home today. She's been down with Jan and George. George is doing better but it's going to be a process for recovery. Jen and Greg (Jan and George's kids) just got to Rome yesterday so Kelly will come home tonight. Keep the family in your prayers. It's been an emotionally tough time for everyone since there are so many unknowns. Thanks, Michael

First official assignment complete

2005-10-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

I just uploaded my first assignment. A case study for my Developing Effective Managers class. It wasn't a very long assignment, only 1000 words but being the first assignment I think everyone wanted to do well so it took a little longer than expected. One down, many more to go. In fact, it's time to review our group project due on Thursday. The workload begins....

Oxford University Golf Club

2005-10-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

I played my first day of golf for the Oxford golf team. We played the Oxford/Cambridge Golf Society this weekend. It was truly an experience. There is so much to explain to all those who just play stroke-play. And since I'm suppose to be writing a report I'll have to do a more detailed explaination later. In the meantime just know that my partner and I won the first match 5 and 4. The second match I was with a different partner and we weren't as fortunate losing 4 and 3. Very exciting.

Kelly in Wonderland

2005-10-11T02:24:00.000-07:00

I will not steal Alice's story from Oxford. No tea parties with the Mad Hatter, no Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, no Cheshire cat, but the adventure I will have. Unmistakably Oxford is a place of adventures and imagination. I can't leave my door without getting caught up in the majesty of the looming spires, the green of the country paths, or the rich history of the cobblestone paths and Colleges. Each turn, each pathway leads to a new surprise. It is no surprise that Lewis Carroll considered this place a "wonderland." For that is what Oxford is. For if "wonderland" is to be defined as "a place where wonderful things happen or exist," then I say that defines Oxford perfectly. Oxford is truly a place of marvelous things. As I venture out into the city or take a run along the River Thames, I am overwhelmed with my own blessings. I leave you with good cheer and a promise of more to come from Kelly's Adventures in Wonderland. --Kelly

Official Classes Start Tomorrow

2005-10-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

We had a week of orientation, college inductions, and the Freshers Fair last week. It was a great week topped off by a social gathering last night that began at "The Living Room" and ended at Keble College's bop. I'll make sure to add some photos soon. Last week was a blast. The school has the early-term buzz -- students are hitting the books, people are setting up computers, the library is packed yet everyone is still pretty relaxed. I'm sure all that will change soon. We've been warned that the Michaelmas Term is ridiculously busy. But that won't stop my attempt to play on the golf team or be involved in the Private Equity Network (www.oxpen.org), the Marketing Network, and the Entreprenuership Network. All that being said, I better get reading. I have Mangerial Economics tomorrow and Financial Reporting and Decision Science on Tuesday. Cheers, Michael

Ireland Trip

2005-09-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I were supose to meet my dad and Mary Ann in Ireland this weekend. Unfortunately they weren't able to make it because my dad got pretty sick. Fortunately Kelly and I brought our golf clubs and hit the links. We ended up playing 4 rounds in 5 days.

Here's one picture from Enniscrone Golf Course. It looks nice out, but this is hole 15. For the first 5 holes we were poured on with winds varying between 15 and 30mph. It was crazy.

We played Enniscrone, Rosses Point (County Sligo), Donegal (Murvaugh), and Carrick on Shannon. All 4 beautiful courses. 3 of which have been in the top 100 courses in the world.

Side note, at County Sligo -- the wettest and windiest of the 4 rounds - I went Driver, PW on a 500 yard hole. About 45 minutes later on a par 4 I went Driver, 3W, 6 Iron and still only made it to the front of the green.

Truly remarkable. And an unforgettable experience.

Great few days

2005-09-17T17:10:00.000-07:00

The last days have been great. As you can see from our photos at www.mcfaddenplace.com we've had a blast. Today I played my first round of golf ... all documented on my golf link. It reminded me of playing golf as a kid. I rode my bike to the course and played as a single. As I rode up the hill I wondered if any PGA tour guys have ever done that. Kelly has done a great job with our place. She's added some color around and is brainstorming how to add a little more life to the living room. All in all the flat is wonderful. We ate at the Eagle and Child tonight. It's the pub CS Lewis and JRR Toilken used to meet and discuss. It's a neat place and you can feel the history there. They also serve fabulous fish and chips. Truly fantastic. That's all for now. Cheers.

First round in England

2005-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Today I rode my bike (yes with my clubs) to the nearest golf course in Oxford. The club is Southfield (http://www.southfieldgolf.com) and it's about a 20 minute bike ride from my flat. It was quite an adventure just getting there as the roads are tight and my bike is a little unstable. There were two classic moments: the first one was riding around a turn about with clubs on my back - I'm pretty sure the cars had no idea what to think. The other was riding up to the turn off road, which is called Hill Top. I learned the hard way why it's called Hill Top. I had to ride straight up hill for 8 blocks just to get the clubhouse. I think I'll take a cab or a bus next time. Now onto the course and my round. I played as a single. There was a twosome behind me that didn't want a single since they were playing a match and the twosome in front of me did not speak English and they rented the only cart I saw today. So it was me and the Oxford breeze. It was an excellent way to begin golf in England. Southfield is a splendid course. A lot of elevation changes and it was very difficult to save par if you missed the fairways. It was also tough to score when the wind picked up (but that was only for a few holes today). As for my round it started off quite nice with a few pars and one bogey through the first 5 holes. Hole 3 was a difficult hole. Driving straight downhill into a very narrow fairway, you are left with a straight up hill approach shot into a green you cannot see. Par here is a wonderful score. Hole 3 from the green:

I finished up the front nine with a double bogey on 9 for a 39. I was a disappointed in my score but very happy with the course. Now onto the back nine. I made a few great saves after some wary drives. No one would have believed the par putt I made on 12 - a 208 yard par 3. Only 30 feet or so but it dropped right in with perfect speed. But my legs and body started to get tired on the finishing holes. I bogeyed 15, 16 and 17. Each because of a mental error or something I should have stopped. But 18 I made up for it hitting the par 5 in two and just missing my eagle putt for a tap in birdie. 38 on the back for a 77. Not bad and I look forward to many more rounds at Southfield.

Arrived in England ... Itching to play

2005-09-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

I'm still waiting to get my first round of golf in England. Granted I've only been here one day (I'm writing this September 15th). I will document my rounds as I'm studying abroad.

Grandma McFadden

2005-09-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

On the way to England Kelly and I took a long hour lay over so we could swing by my grandmother's in LaGrange. She has been very tired and sick lately and she's been in and out of the hospital. My dad suggested we try to see her if at all possible. We did and it was great to see her. Unfortunately I got an e-mail soon after we arrived to England announcing she had passed away. Kelly and I feel very blessed we were able to visit her one last time. She lived a great life ... filled with many great years. Her funeral is Saturday. This is an excerpt of an e-mail my dad sent to my brother and me on Sept 14th: I am very glad that you stopped to see Grandma. Unfortunately, she passed away about an hour ago. Yesterday, she got to see you and Kelly, then I think Katie was there. Joan Marie was also there yesterday and called me around 7:30. She said mom was very tired and still wasn't eating very much. She had a couple bites of a Wendy's Frostie. I am not sure I ever told you that Dad also wanted those Frosties at the end. Mom was hesitant to give them to him because of his diabetes and I said, heck mom he is dying. Give him the Frosties! Anyway, late this afternoon I called to check on her and Uncle Ed answered. He said she was not doing well and hadn't eaten all day. They wanted to get her to turn over from lying on her right side to laying on her back or her left side so she wouldn't get bed sores. She wouldn't do that. Ed said she was somewhat out of it and they were trying to decide what to do. Should they take her back to the hospital, call hospice or whatever. Apparently, they decided to put her back on the antibiotics and then check with the hospital in the morning. They had to go to Walgreen's to get the medicine and she didn't want to take it. I don't know if she ever took it. In the meantime, Katie showed up, and then Uncle Pat and Joan Therese. After talking for a short while, Ed and Katie left and a few minutes later the caretaker went in to mom's room to check on her. She called Pat and Joan in because something was wrong. She had died. It was so soon after Ed & Katie left, they were still in the parking lot. So at least you got to see her at the end. Joe, I am sorry that you didn't get to see her in the past few years, but age had been taking its toll. At least she died peacefully and at home. My grandma was a very special lady. She raised a great family ... and a big one indeed. The notice was completely filled just with the list of family survived:

Joan Marie McFadden

Joan Marie McFadden, nee Mulcahy, of LaGrange Park and Grand Beach, MI, died peacefully at home on Wednesday evening, September 14, 2005, beloved wife of the late Edward P. McFadden, Sr.; loving mother of Edward (Fidelis), Roger (Diane), Patrick (Joan), Michael (Mary Ann) and Joan (James) Marcellus; cherished grandmother of Edward (Jenny), William (Kathleen), Kathleen (Kevin) Larmon and Martin McFadden, Bridget, Maureen, Patrick and Michael McFadden, Michael (Kelly), Joseph and Brian McFadden and Elizabeth, Christopher and Anne Marcellus; devoted great-grandmother of Lily Larmon, Margaret McFadden, Emmett Larmon, Liam McFadden, Edward McFadden IV and Matthew McFadden; devoted sister of Mary Helen (the late Dr. Edmund) Donoghue, Therese (the late Clarence) Usher and the late Roger Mulcahy; fond sister-in-law of Honey Mulcahy and Henrietta McFadden; preceded in death by her parents, Roger and Johanna Mulcahy. Family and friends will meet at Christ the King Church, 9235 S. Hamilton Ave. on Saturday morning for visitation 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Interment Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorials to Sisters of Charity, B.V.M., 1100 Carmel Dr., P.O. Box 858, Dubuque, IA 52004-0858 appreciated. Information: Heeney-Laughlin Funeral Directors, 708-636-5500. Published in the Chicago Tribune from 9/16/2005 - 9/17/2005.

Day 1 almost finished

2005-09-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hello All - What a day Mike and I had! After traveling all night, we arrived in London at 9am ready to go. Deciding not to deal with our bags, we rented a car and took a wonderful country drive into Oxford. Mike did a great job with the left handed stick. He never even drove on the wrong side of the road, although he did try to enter the car through the passenger side. When we got to Oxford we quickly got our keys and found our flat. It is perfect. We will be posting some pictures soon. Our pad is actually bigger than we thought...except the bed. That is exactly how big we thought it was 6 x 4 feet. What a trip...but it is all part of the adventure. Mike and I decided to grab lunch after we got in and on our way we came across the Glouster Green which on Wednesdays hosts an outdoor market. It was wonderful. We were able to purchase a few move-in essentials. Moving to our college: The grounds of Worcester College are unbelievable. We can't wait to explore the entire city starting tomorrow. But we definitely will pledge our allegiance to our college. The afternoon was filled with unpacking and naps. And now we are reporting from our new home before we hit a pub for dinner and then CRASH! We are pooped. Thank you all for your well wishes, prayers and love. More updates coming soon... Kel & Mike

Arrived!!!

2005-09-14T05:03:00.000-07:00

We've arrived in Oxford safely. We landed in London at 8:45AM local time and then decided to rent a car (we had a lot of luggage to carry to the bus). We got to Oxford around 11AM ... we had a few detours in the city ... these streets aren't marked as well as the US. We moved our stuff into our flat (3rd floor at the Gloucester House). We also made our bed (yes it is 4x6)!! We're super excited. We're off to get a bite to eat and run some errands. We're writing from an internet cafe, but hope to have internet access up and running in our place today or tomorrow. -Mike & Kelly

Cheerio Party

2005-09-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last night we had going away party at the local Lawn Bowling place. It was a blast. So many came in costumes (British theme). I've loaded a few picts so you can get the feel. Kelly and I came as Alice in Wonderland and the Madhatter. It was a great way to say goodbye to our California friends and family. We should have more picts on the website soon.

4 Days Away

2005-09-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

We are less than 4 days away before we head over to England. Kelly finished up work yesterday and we have our "Cheerio" party this Saturday night. We are so excited for the year ahead. The last few weeks have been crazy. I'm sure Tuesday morning we'll have no problem falling asleep on the plane ... assuming we haven't forgot anything. We'll keep this site updated as well as send out e-mails to keep our friends and family posted on our adventure. Please drop us a line. We did get a webcam so if you have Yahoo! Messenger look for us online. Keep in touch, The McFadden's

Florida Trip

2005-08-31T01:00:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I flew down to see my family in Florida. We spent a few days with my mom, aunt Angela and my brother Joe. It was a great time. In fact, while were there Joe bought a scooter. He was so excited ... and so was I. I can't believe how fast those things actually go. Too cool.

Baptism

2005-08-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Kelly and I (along with another volunteer, Joe Goebel) had the honor to baptize one of the families that Kelly has worked with over the past year. It was really special to see how God has really transformed this family.

Anticipation is building

2005-06-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, Kelly and I met up with some Oxford Alumni in LA. We are so excited. The stories, the adventure, the experience. We did learn the first term is extremely intense. If you want to come out please come between Oct - Dec. Kelly will be ready to see some familiar faces. By the sounds of it I will be in the classroom and then in the books from 6am to 11pm every day. Oh boy! We are so excited. In the meantime, we are going to Denver this week for Alex and Jen Sterling's wedding. It will be a blast. Gotta go. -Mike

Bitter-Sweet

2005-06-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Bitter Sweet is the best way I can describe our move to Oxford. In one aspect there is great excitement for the adventure ahead. On the other hand, there is also a sense of loss as we step away from a wonderful church, community, friends and family. In the midst of it, the best we can do is take a step of faith. Our decision has been bathed in prayer, and seeking wisdom & guidance. We feel unbelievably blessed by this opportunity. I was asked if I would ever have thought two years ago that Mike and I would be doing something like this. My answer: yes. We are dreamers. So in essence, we are living the dream... :) --Kelly M

Miracles In Motion Retreat

2005-06-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

We just finished the MIM retreat this weekend. It's the annual retreat where many of the families that live at the motel come up to a mountian getaway. Kelly and a number of volunteers organize the event and it was a blast. There was around 90 people that came up in our group to Forest Home (near Big Bear in California). I think the greatest aspect of this retreat is the "family" feel. Moms, dads, kids, kids with kids, teens, grandparents are there -- everyone in the family shows up. There are volunteer families and people who work at Mariners Church ... it's a giant melting pot of people with so many needs. My highlight was connecting with the high school guys & girls. We played basketball outside and many of them who are normally very reserved and seem very sad, broke out of their shell. It was great to see them having fun and screwing around. A glimpse of joy. That night 2 of the guys and 2 of the girls made the decision to follow Christ. It was powerful to see these 16 year olds tear up and ask for forgiveness and make a decision to change their life. I hope to come to another MIM retreat in the future. -Mike

This last year and a half

2005-06-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

We've had a great time in California this last year. Quite honestly, I didn't think I'd like it as much as I have. In fact, I could see coming back. We've had a wonderful time in the OC. We've been plugged into Mariners Church -- and Kelly has been working there for the last 18 months. Kelly is the Director of Miracles in Motion and it's been such a blessing. In addition to her work, we've been very blessed to serve in the college ministry ... truly amazing. The students are awesome -- seeking truth in their lives and it's just so humbling to be around. We've even had a great time serving with the college pastor, Erin Kerr :-) Kerr is great. He is a great friend, a wise man, and an all around fun guy. If you're in So Cal look him up. That's all for today.

Setting in

2005-06-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

The realities of moving abroad are all starting to settle in. I'm realizing that our trip to Denver at the end of June will most likely be the last time we're there for quite some time. We are trying to figure out how to get down to Florida to visit my brother and mom as well as Chicago before we head off. And then in the same breath we are so excited. We just picked up our travel books to Europe / UK / Ireland. It's going to be awesome.

Off to Oxford

2005-06-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

It's official: We are going to Oxford. School starts in October and today we have narrowed it down to one school. It's been a 7 month process of applying to schools, going for interviews, getting advice, discussing our future, etc, etc ... We are super excited and now the planning begins