Author Archives: Joel

Christmas Party with Friends

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Joel

We celebrated / conducted / attended our annual Christmas party with friends. It’s usually a potluck dinner around a particular theme, and there’s been this whole color theme going on also these past few years. This year’s themes? Turkish / … Continue reading →

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Joel

Last December, the entire Ipe family went with great expectations to see The Hobbit. While the kids liked it well enough, my wife and I were decidedly underwhelmed with the bloated plot, long run time, and the overabundance of CGI … Continue reading →

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My last day at Prudential

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Joel

Today was my last day at Prudential. I was here for two years, two months. Certainly the shortest tenure at any organization in my career so far. I said all I need to say publicly in an earlier post, so … Continue reading →

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NJ TRANSIT bus crashes into Newark building

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Joel

A little bit of excitement here in Newark this morning a few blocks from my office. Around 1am, an NJ Transit bus and a taxi cab collided in the intersection fairly close to one of the parking garages owned by … Continue reading →

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Trying out the software licensing subscription model with Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Joel

Last month, I upgraded our home PC with an internal SSD drive as the primary drive for my OS and apps. I wouldn’t say it is noticeably faster, but the jury is still out as I continue to evaluate overall … Continue reading →

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Stopping to smell the winter roses

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Joel

We had our second winter storm this weekend. I know The Weather Channel is naming this storm ‘Electra’ as part of their marketing and awareness campaigns, but I’ll just refer to it as the latest storm, we would be ready. … Continue reading →

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I gave my two weeks notice

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Joel

I gave my two weeks notice. It’s official. I ‘m moving on.  On Monday, I informed my manager that I would be moving to a new opportunity after two years at Prudential in the Internal AUdit Department. We had a … Continue reading →

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Went to Manhattan to see friends and the tree in Rockefeller Center

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Joel

On Saturday, we drove into Manhattan to visit our friends Kanishk and Sofi and their new son Lucas. They live down in Alphabet City but luckily found street parking after much circling. We hung out there for a while, then … Continue reading →

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Pack 53 December Feast

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Joel

Our cub scout pack celebrated the end of the year with their traditional pack feast. All the dens bring in various dishes to share potluck-style. At the feast, it’s a short meeting, but there are also activities/entertainment. Some of the … Continue reading →

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Commuting from Princeton Junction

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Joel

I may have forgotten to mention this, but starting today, I’m now commuting from a new train station. No, not a *new* train station. The Princeton Junction train station that is only 15 mins from our house, but there was … Continue reading →

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