Josiah Mackenzie

The world of barter has fascinated me for a long time. People exchanging things they have in abundance for things they need. Both parties win, both parties are satisfied.

Over the next year, I’m going to try to barter my way to things I want. Most of these will be acquisitions or adventures — I don’t like spending alot on these since they don’t earn money back in the future.

Here’s my starter list…

* Tandem skydive
* Glider flight
* Whitewater rafting
* Biplane flight
* Canon or Nikon DSLR camera and goodies
For starters, I’ll seek to trade my internet marketing services through Profit Factory and Over the Edge Marketing. Any leads would be appreciated!

I’ll keep you updated with my successes.

Today I achieved my goal of running a 10k, finishing 2nd in my age bracket.

For the last few years of high school and first few years of college, I was really into weight training and bodybuilding.

Now I’m into running.

As I thought about it over a post-race grilled chicken salad, the advantages of running are obvious:

* Body mass can be achieved relatively easily through supplements, massive protein intake, and so on. (I’ve been there - 25 pounds of muscle gain in 2 months)
* Conversely, there is no equivalent ’shortcut’ to improving your speed and mileage (difficulty is attractive to me)
* The average runner I’ve met is much friendlier and happier than the typical bodybuilder
* Runners have the highest average income of any sport participant (hey, it’s a valid point)
* Running gives me sustained energy throughout the day and increases alertness, whereas my protein and supplement-heavy diet before made my sleepy and sluggish
* Running can be done basically anywhere (attractive to the nomad in me)

I’ve only been consistently training since mid-May of this year, but now I’m hooked. Next stop: a half-marathon.

One piece of advice I’ve repeatedly received from mentors about college is the recommendation to spend a semester abroad in a foreign country.  Well, I’ve decided to act on that advice, and am planning to spend a full academic year abroad.

Last night I purchased the tickets for my semester in Ireland.  During my time there, I plan on learning as much as I can about the European approach to business, economics, and politics.

Then next fall I plan on spending a semester studying at one of the leading universities in South Korea.  And during that time, I’ll be learning as much as I can about business, economics, and politics in Asia.

Hopefully, 2007 will be a year of tremendous growth for me personally and professionally.  My goal is to return with a global understanding of how things work.  After I return, I’ll be actively working to build my companies, so this is my time for “vuja daze,” or experiencing new situations that broaden my perspective.

Toyota’s Alessandro Volta Concept

408 HP
0-60 in under 4 seconds
35 MPG

Nice. That’s the way hybrids should be.

According to The Car Connection, the 2006 Pontinac Solstice will not be delayed — as originally thought — to the end of summer, but will arrive in showrooms the first week of August.

Starting at under $20,000, the Solstice has amazing value. I expect it to take away significant market share from the Mazda Miata and other similar cars. Would you pay $1,000 more to own a Miata?