steven n fettig's Jitterin' Thoughts

It took one short trip back in January to Toronto to finally jump start my training after six months of doing *nothing.* Since then, I haven’t taken more than a few days off… until last week. That was after the first Olympic (or international) distance triathlon I had ever done and now I’m paranoid that I’m losing everything that I worked so hard to gain. That is what I call training paranoia.

The triathlon I referred to above (on the 13th of July) went pretty well. Even though my race times this year have been far better than anything I could have accomplished in years past, I’ve still been left feeling like I could do so much better. I felt good about the races (breaking 1:20 hr for the Sprint distance stuff felt really good - especially considering I had all of three hours of sleep the night before the Bigfoot Triathlon), but there are always a few things about each race that could go better. I struggle like hell on the run. Right now, that is the demon of my race. I know I could do better on the swim, simply because I don’t put enough time into training for the swim, but I’ve decided not to worry about that until this winter, when I can put some focus on pool time and simply trudge through the laps. I also know my bike has much room for improvement, but because I rarely feel destroyed after or during the bike, it doesn’t worry me much. Psychologically, the bike impacts me the least of the three disciplines. The run is a whole other story. The first two races (nice, short Sprints) were miserable during the run. I had a horrible side stitch and simply couldn’t get my heart rate to a level where I could semi-relax and just run. When I compared my pace and heart rate to training data, they looked nothing alike. At 175-185 bpm, I can now maintain a pace of 7:30-8:00 min/mi. Some days it gets even better, but the average is such. During the races, my heart rate was pegged at 178-180 and I could barely meet a 9:00 min/mi pace. That grated on me mentally, not to mention the fact that I was physically going through enormous pain. Well before the Grand Haven Tri (the Olympic distance one), I finally figured out the cause of the stitch: Ultra Fuel (a Twin Labs carb drink). I always used Ultra Fuel for post workout recovery - both in my lifting days and especially when I started tri training. I had used it mid workout for rehydration on occasion, but I hadn’t ever really thought much about whether or not it would cause cramping. For whatever reason it simply doesn’t jive with my body when in the middle of heavy activity. At the Grand Haven tri, I tried Hammer Perpetuum (I knew I was taking a risk only having used it two or three times beforehand, but frankly, nothing could have been worse than what I had experienced before) and it worked like a charm. No side stitch. The problem was that the triathlon was turned into a duathlon because the surf on Lake Michigan was reaching 4-6 ft. levels and was going to make the swim impossible (unless we all wanted to run/swim along the shoreline). So, the 1500m swim was replaced with a 5k run. 5k run / 40 k bike / 10 k run. Oh gawd… I pulled off the 5 k run much faster than I had thought I would … and fell apart when I hit the 10 k run on the tail end. I couldn’t do better than a 9:00 min/mi and at one point, exactly 5 k into the run, I desperately wanted to quit; quit the run and quit the sport for the next month (or however long). It is amazing the games your mind loves to play with you when you’re struggling mentally and physically. (Within 30 min. of ending the race, I was already thinking of the next one - and what I could do better. Thankfully my mid-run depression ended pretty quickly.) The most interesting statistic from the race, though, was even with my perceived level of pain, my heartrate stayed below 175 for most of the run. For whatever reason, whenever I crossed the 170 mark and tried to kick the run up a notch, I started to fall apart.

Despite having finished the race faster than I thought I would, I am still really disappointed with the run. Even without the side stitch, I still ran like crap. I now realize how much more room there is for improvement this season. The problem is that with each crossed finish line, comes new (harder) goals. It isn’t decided whether or not I’ll join Josh for the Lake Geneva tri in September, but I know my last planned triathlon is in Las Vegas (actually Lake Mead) at the end of September and I’m hoping to leave everything on the course - in a good way.

The problem now is that I need some direction in restarting my training. As I write this, we’re on our way out of town until the end of the month and we’ll be in a place where I simply don’t have access to the training equipment and courses that I’m used to. Plus, I won’t have access to a bike, a huge part of my training and is my main motivation in getting through some of the harder days (I really do enjoy those rides - easy and hard alike).

Josh and I committed ourselves to a relatively hard program from Gale Bernhardt’s book, Training Plans for Multisport Athletes, but I’m not going to be able to do many of the workouts (e.g. the bike rides) because of not being home. My plan is to follow things as closely as possible, but only the next few days will show how possible this will be.

My biggest worry at this point - without any real data from previous training or coaching (I’m on the fence about “wasting time in getting one for the two months I have left this year - especially considering how pricey it can be) - is how much is realistically doable before September 28th and how much the week I just took off, plus what may happen while I’m gone, will effect me.

This is what I call training paranoia and is the main reason why I want to work with a coach on some level next year. Depending on how the last race ends, I’m seriously thinking of moving on to the half Ironman distances and sticking with that distance for some time to come. We’ll see how the next few weeks increase or dispel these worries…

The annual (or semi-annual depending on the year) Wisconsin Dells boys trip took place last weekend and was a blast - as usual. I'd love to go into details of the weekend, but nothing but trouble would come of that exercise. As Raj and I rode home, a torrent of thoughts went through my head. As I/we get older and as these types of outings get harder to make because of our family and work lives. Thus, the value on the time and experiences like these is greater. I wish details could emerge about the people and their personalities, but it would be unfair to openly scrutinize people without giving them the benefit of retort - and in some cases, it would be downright inappropriate. So, the following is a little disjointed and purposefully ambiguous.

Adventure Most years/times we have gone to the Dells, we rent a cabin a short stint outside of Wisconsin Dells (everyone assumes everything up there is in the Dells, when in reality, most of the big resorts are in the jurisdiction of Lake Delton, not Wisconsin Dells) somewhere along the Wisconsin River. Matt set this up the first time five years ago and although some of us were wondering what the hell we were doing in the podunk Dells, it turned out to be a fantastic trip and a fantastic idea, long term. This year, we thought we would have quite a few more people than normal, so I, as this year's organizer, got a bigger cabin. Well, there were less people than the normal. Not by many, but by enough to have initially made me worry we went overboard. I was wrong. The cabin was much better, more secluded and big enough to accommodate the typical monkey fun that goes on. There will definitely be a next time and it will be at the same place if I have anything to do with it. Although the train rolls by every hour or so, the cabin has a great view and easy to find location.
Josh and I ended up going out for a great and yet miserable ride on Saturday. It took us 20 min. to cover the distance that took 40 min. on the return. Plus, he had to deal with a bum rear derailleur on the Giant TCR he is borrowing from me (for the time being). No rear gear shifting control and 20+ mph headwinds do not make for a comfortable combination. Besides the headwind issue, the ride was unbelievable. Highway O (in that area) is newly paved and we saw all but two cars driving on the 13 mi. ride. I wish I had taken more time to go further, though. It would have definitely been a brutal return, but another 10-15 mi. out would have done the body and spirit good. I'll reserve that for next time, I guess. Ironically, we went out in a light rain and by the time we came back, the weather started to clear and the sun came out.
Saturday evening was much more subdued that Friday night. We went out Friday and stayed in Saturday. No adventure there, other than the ridiculous steak dinner Raj cooked Saturday night. This was far better than the $650 dinner for six we had at Kaminski Bros. Chop House at Chula Vista last year. When you combine expensive with horribly prepared food, it is hard to leave without feeling gutted. The quiet Saturday night is mainly due to the fact that we're all getting two old to go all out two nights in a row. That's a good thing, though. I actually came home awake and with extra energy - not used up and drained down. Adventure is good - in Massen (in moderation).

Interviews One of the most interesting aspects of being on a trip like this is that you have an opportunity to see people in a semi-natural element. What I mean by this is that without the normal inhibitions, people's relaxed nature starts to shine and it gives you better insight into what drives them. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the true person shines in moments like these. Plenty of people give a different face to their coworkers at work than they would ever dream of doing when out with friends. But, this face has an impact, nonetheless, on how a manager can better deal with that person. This is quickly leading to what I've thought most about: finding good people to work for our business. I'm obsessed with building a long-term top notch team for our companies. I am not my father and while I wish I were when it comes to his tenacity, insight, and talent, I am not. I know there are areas where I am severely lacking and if we are going to continue on the path of success he has set before us, we will need extraordinary people to fill the voids he leaves - whenever that is. So, weekends like this give me an opportunity to interview. Yup... interview. Never forget that the best jobs come through knowing or meeting someone... even in the oddest of places like the Dells.
There were two people in particular I had in mind - one of those, maybe someday positions. They have no idea who they are. One would be shocked to even consider it was a possibility because of the circumstances under which we were talking. But, it was. I walked away from both conversations with one of those wow... I woulda' never imagined this is the way things are based upon what I have seen up until this point feelings. Those who are in a position of hiring well paid managers know what I mean - you beg for the time to spend with a person you are thinking of hiring so that all the baggage is laid bare. 'Tis better to know ahead than afterwards. I haven't made up my mind on either, but I was left with this:
Confidence is paramount. Both of you have it. But both of you think I'm someone or was being driven by something that I was not. It was a LOL moment when it hit me. You think I'm talking to you about something that I'm not. In one case, you are misreading my intentions and are definitely missing some real opportunities. In the other case, you were simply oblivious - for reasons I don't quite understand, because you're pretty damn intelligent.
The most interesting aspect of interviewing people who don't know they are being interviewed is that the bigger surprises come from how different their home personality may be from their job personality. Not that this is unusual. I am wired differently at work than I am at home - although, partial to my upbringing, I would argue that I am inclined to act more like I do at work at home than vice versa. Anyone up for a re-interview is fine by me...

More Time with friends has an amazing way of re-energizing you. Most of us have known each other for most of our lives - literally. The ability to relax and interact in a no-pressure environment with people like that is amazing. It never ceases to amaze me how different our lives are, though, than what we thought they would be like. One common thread among the attendees: we never thought we'd still be in contact or even be in the same area that we are today. (Perhaps two or three of us did, but the majority didn't.) It is always interesting how life leads in directions you never imagined.

I really like my Apple products. I like their computers, I like their software, and I like their gadgets (e.g. iPod, iPhone, AppleTV). I loathe their support. Apple, and many companies like Apple (in the tech industry), simply don't know how to let their tech support personnel make sensible decisions. Here is my example for the day:

I purchased the Leopard Family Pack installation DVD about a week after Leopard came out. I really had no intention of using it on my main machine (right now a 17" MacBook Pro - still running 10.4/Tiger), but I wanted a chance to try out some of the "improvements" on one of my workstations that I use as a backup to the MBP. A few weeks later, I got around to installing it on a Mac Pro and it worked like a charm. (I'm not overly enthused with the performance of Leopard on any of the machines I have had a chance to install it on, but I like certain software features, like Time Machine and the improvements in Apple Mail, that it has made sense to install it on a few coworker's machines. I have had nothing but problems, however, installing it on PowerPC based machines. We have three identical 17" iMac G5's that were purchased at the same time. The installer crashed every single time in every imaginable way on all three machines. The only way I eventually got Leopard installed on the machines is by installing using Target Disk Mode on a PowerMac that we use as a backup and test server. I read somewhere in the Apple Support Discussions that others had experienced similar problems with Leopard 10.5.0 install media and that they had been able to get Apple to swap their install discs. In my case, I didn't want to waste the time dealing with AppleCare on the phone, so I put up with the problem. That was until this weekend, when I tried to do a fresh install on a PowerBook G4 (1 GHz), the installer crashed (again) in every single imaginable fashion - i.e. I tried a dozen times in a dozen different ways to get it to work, and it didn't. Write me if you want the details. It would take far too much time to explain it here. Suffice it to say, I really did try everything - except installing via Target Disk Mode.

Yesterday, I bit the bullet and called AppleCare/Apple Support and went through the process with a tech. An hour later, we ended the conversation with, "Steve... please take the PowerBook and install media to the Apple Store and get them to replace the media..." Nice. 60 miles (one way) and over $20 in gas and 3 hours of my time (which on the low end, equates to a total trip cost of $160 plus the waste of me driving a vehicle because somehow my problem - which we all agree is with the media - cannot be solved by them sending me another copy of the software). What a friggin' waste. Today, however, I had the chance to make it to the Apple Store in Milwaukee (Mayfair) because I had to go to Milwaukee for business anyway and the 20 min. extra drive would be worth it. I made an appointment and went through the motions with the Apple Genius dude - who was extremely helpful and pleasant, by the way - to get the media replaced. After explaining my experiences, showing anyone who would listen an example of said experiences, everyone we have talked to agreed that the install media was the problem and it needed to be replaced.

Read that last sentence again.

Instead of shipping me a package in a very efficient manner - via UPS/FedEx/DHL - I drove 120 mi. and wasted 3 hours to replace a 8 oz. package that has a DVD that was defective. 120 miles... round-trip. for a dvd.

This is the type of waste that companies promote because people don't use their brains - or aren't allowed to. Now... I don't think I had one tiny minute impact on the environment, etc. Sorry, I don't play that game or buy into that religion. But, I do believe that the over-all impact to me and society was negative. It was a waste of time and energy; time and energy that could have been applied to something productive. Shame on Apple and shame on businesses that promote waste and laziness because their policies and systems don't let people make decisions that simply make sense.

Kottke always finds things that intrigue me... This is just plain 'ol good schtuff.

Had to update the link... Vimeo deleted the video for some or other reason that I ... I really don't care why. I can't stand the poor quality of YouTube videos, but I don't want to delete this post, so taking Kottke's lead - again - here it is on YouTube.

This morning as I was making coffee, I grabbed one of the Sonos controllers and set out to find a radio station to listen to. There are a number of choices Steph and I usually choose from (if she's not home, the choices expand, as my taste in music usually irritates her) between Sirius over the internet, Rhapsody music channels and some radio stations from Germany that stream over the net (thank you!). I realized that other than in the car, I haven't listened to a normal radio in my house or apartment for close to eight years. Once streaming radio over the net became available, I stopped listening to normal (terrestrial) radio. In the car, I have Sirius (which I never thought I'd like) and/or an iPod. When I have to drive a vehicle that lacks either of those, the thought goes through my head, "damn... static, fade, constant commercials, crap content and never being able to find a station I like." Granted, there are a number of stations I listen to that stream over the net and are thus like their over-the-air counterpart, but the difference is that they don't fade and the content is that good that I don't mind the commercial interruptions. Either way, I realized how different the radio is today compared to yesterday and how differently our kids will look at radio "stations." Talk of using short-wave radios to get in a station for the west coast or even over-seas will fade and slowly go the way of tube based amps. No, they don't disappear, but there are a select few who actually know about them and will remember how they work.

I won't pretend to know everything (or anything) specific about Paul Ryan. He has been my Congressman since I became really aware of politics in southeastern Wisconsin. I dig Ryan. It is that simple. The few times I've met him, he has been down to earth beyond measure. I can hear him echo the complaints I and those around me have about the current status of government in Washington each time we've met. He doesn't seem to have fallen off the back of the truck and turned to the mudslinging and politicking of his predecessor. (Not that I disagreed with his predecessor, but I think he made some huge political and philosophical mistakes in his campaign against Feingold.)

Ryan publishes a report every year; it is a type of report card on the government. While overly simplistic, it is a poignant statement of how our federal government spends money like drunken... whatever. Monkeys. That would make for a good caricature. The second page of the report details spending and revenue changes. It is staggering. Our federal (remember, this is not including state and local governments) has spent $3.136 TRILLION in fiscal year 2007. Trillion. Not Trillian, but Trillion...* A rounding error could easily be cause for $100 million more being spent than intended. I could do a lot with $100 million and I'm sure many others could. This is absolutely insane.

Take a look (click on image to see larger version):

LINK to original

*Tech buffs should get this one... hopefully.

...or, said another way: sitting on your Windows Vista machine, if you want to access an SMB/Windows share on a Mac running Leopard (aka 10.5), then following the instructions found on a MacTalk Forum solved my problem:

I couldn't get the Vista (Business) machine to access an SMB/Windows share on my Mac Pro. For some reason, it simply wouldn't accept my username and password combination. The answer is actually quite simple. In the Username field of the dialogue box on the Vista machine, you need to type in DOMAIN\yourusername instead of simply yourusername. Leave DOMAIN as just that. Worked like a charm. Click on the image above for a higher resolution view or simply click on the link to the MacTalk Form thread where I found the solution. Thank you to MacTalk Babysitter.

I am always disappointed and yet amazed that approximately six years after I try something, the real thing comes out that actually works. I saw the Cintiq 12WX mentioned on Moose News Blog and said that at that price, it just had to work. I tried my first tablet about six years ago. Actually, I used one with some odd cad software much further back, but I never really saw it as a way to draw - or get back to drawing; something I haven't done seriously since I was in grade school.* By golly, it just works. The hardest part about using a tablet (either the type you need to use a normal screen with or a screen-based tablet) is getting used to the tools you need to draw. Adobe Illustrator has some odd ways of defining brush strokes. Don't even get me started on the pen.

I'm loving it, though. It makes photo editing and simple drawing oh-so-easy. Like most things, I'll write a more detailed review when I've had much more one-on-one time. For now, if you're on the edge and aren't sure if it really is better than their normal tablets, it is. Hands down.

* No, not your doodle-because-you're-bored drawing, but real, landscape, animal, people drawing. I would love to think it is art, but it isn't... not yet. Maybe with practice.

Around Thanksgiving in 2007, I posted some thoughts on Amazon's ebook reader, the Kindle. When I originally ordered the device, I thought it would hit a sweet spot in the arena of reading-on-the-road despite reservations I and others had about the 'you are locked into our system' nature of the service. As we are finally beginning to see, DRM (digital rights management), the most glaring issue I have with the Kindle, is a subject not to be taken lightly. The music recording and distribution industry had steadfastly refused to allow consumers to purchase their products without being locked into a system of their approval. Besides the inherent issue of circumvention, DRM simply confused and frustrated people. I, myself, stopped buying DRM'ed digital downloads of music shortly after losing a good number of albums because a hard drive failed on me between the time I had purchased the tracks and albums and before I had scheduled my next backup. It simply wasn't worth the frustration and I went back to buying (primarily) used and new CDs.

I still have philosophical issues with the Amazon Kindle Terms of Service. In relation to the paper version of a book, my user rights are severely restricted with the Kindle. I can't rip, cut, copy, paste, modify, extend, remix, etc. much of anything. If Amazon ceases to exist or the Kindle becomes a defunct product, I lose access to the device and product I paid for. I feel I am personally taking a gamble with Amazon on a number of fronts. A) I believe they will eventually use their clout to rid the Kindle of DRM so that we can access purchased content on whatever device we wish as long as it is capable of reading the Kindle formatted text. B) I believe, especially with Amazon Web Services, that Amazon will be around for some time to come. They are not only a provider of discounted products (it is ironic; I purchase more electronic gadgets from Amazon than I do books), but also utility style computing/data services. C) There is nothing that I have the time to do that would void my agreement with Amazon's Kindle Terms of Service, so I am fairly secure in thinking that Amazon will not terminate its agreement with me (thereby disallowing use of the Kindle) because I have done anything against the Terms. Reason 'c' is pragmatic and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I really shouldn't enter into agreements with which I have serious reservations. I often do so, however, because I want to have access to something that I otherwise could not live without (read: sarcasm). This is regrettable, but not entirely senseless.

All of the limitations are meaningless from where I sit today - i.e. I love device and use it almost every day. After a good six solid weeks of use, 16 downloaded books (six of which have been completely read and the others in process), and various trips, long and short, I can't live without it. I wish there were more books available because I would read that much more. I find myself reading more varied because I can easily carry so many topics with me. As I write this, I'm on a plane to Sacramento, CA. Throughout this trip, I've spent the better part of three hours reading two books and the Wall Street Journal. One is James Patterson novel and the other a book on Wikinomics. I'm also slowly moving through some old Hume writings. I didn't think I would find value in having the WSJ delivered to me on the Kindle, but it has turned out to be convenient and reminiscent of the way I used to read the Journal in its paper format. (I haven't had a paper subscription to the WSJ for over six years; only electronic.)

The most significant difference between the Kindle and my previous I'm going to use a laptop to read from now on is the simple fact that the device is light (enough) and very easy on the eyes. It reads like paper (as marketed) and does, indeed, come close to the feel of actually reading a book. The test that proves whether or not something is going to work in the long run for reading in all types of situations (i.e. office, plane, bed, couch, car, etc.) is how well the device sits in your hands. There were comments by people that the iPhone really represents the best of all worlds and would make a better book reader. This is simply not true. The iPhone, while amazing in every respect concerned with internet usage (other than AT&T's lamentable EDGE network - which performs horribly on so many levels I could write a book about it), does not really make a good book because it is actually too small. I've thought about whether or not my opinion is driven by the fact that I grew up with paper books and am simply unused to the manner of reading required when using an iPhone. In other words, does a newer generation of people who don't know books (a stretch statement) find the iPhone or like device an easy reading device? I think that just as in human interface design, there are simply good and bad designs that are decided by our biological functions/capabilities. It seems to me that the iPhone and like screens are simply too small to focus on for long periods of time (for the general population). The typical paperback book has met the needs of economics in not being too big to publish and distribute and not be too small that people don't like reading of its pages. So, in this respect, the Kindle (and Sony Portable Reader) really hit a sweet spot. I would heartily agree with other users that some buttons are misplaced and the design reminds me of an 80's style laptop. It really is a frumpy looking device. In use, however, it really performs well and it is for this reason only that I have found it so enjoyable to use.

Last night, as I was moving onto my seventh book, I thought a little more about the Kindle's design and what last words I would have. I know by now that this will be a gadget that will be a long-term companion. It just works for what it was designed for. There are a few items I hope will be dealt with over the long run:

- I hope Amazon rids this device of DRM. It is frustrating on so many levels because it prohibits me from using the content the way I am allowed in respect to a real book.

- I hope the e-ink technology advances enough to bring color and a light backlight to the device. I do not want to sacrifice battery life nor readability for this, but in thinking that some situations require a backlight and color would be nice for pictures, etc, it is a development I see happening over the long-run.

- I really hope they re-design the thing to not only look better but also fit even better into your hands. I think they've done a decent job. It could be better, though.

I hope I was able to answer questions that some may have had about real world usability. I know that I was concerned that it somehow would come up short in the areas where it matters most. It doesn't. In fact, it does better than anything else I've seen or used.

I would like to know what idiot (or group of idiots) decided to enact the rule that goes into effect in one day (and a few hours) that could limit you to TWO extra Li-Ion batteries in your carry-on luggage depending on interpretation. A quote from safetravel.dot.gov on "What's New" (as of Dec. 30, 2007):

"The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

* Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.
* You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.
* For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.
* Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!"

Yet on other pages, the rules are very unclear as to what these gram equivalents actually mean. I travel with four spare Nikon EN-EL3e batteries, two extra batteries for my MacBook Pro and an extra battery for the second laptop I always travel with. Even before I was into [digital] photography, I always have three or so laptop batteries with - especially for those long trips. I don't understand how the TSA and flight carry-on rules could get any more convoluted. If I understand the watt-hour equivalent rules, I actually am still under the threshold of allowable batteries with two MacBook Pro (17") batteries and four Nikon EN-EL3e batteries by calculating the approximate watt-hour capacity of the batteries (the MacBook Pro batteries actually have their watt-hour equivalence written on them - 68 Wh). Yet, the language refers back to carrying two spare batteries... For what??? Two spare batteries for each device that uses them (in that case, I would fall perfectly within the rules) or two spare batteries, period? I'm going to print out all of the rule material I can find and hang my hat on the above language that allows me to circumvent all of these different calculations. Here's how it works (in my opinion):

The two additional MacBook Pro batteries would fall under the category of having less than 25 grams of lithium (if the way of calculating lithium content is accurate in that 100 watt-hours is equivalent to eight grams or less of lithium). The second bullet point goes on to say that "You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold." (emphasis mine) All of the AA and Nikon batteries I carry are below the 8-gram threshold and the wording reads that in addition to any...

The language on the referenced site and above still make no sense and are very difficult to understand. Even if you weren't like me and travel with decent amount of electronic gear, you could be over this limit if a TSA employee were to interpret the rules to mean that you can only have two rechargeable AA batteries with. Of course, this would completely ignore the rules that apply to the total grams of Lithium or the total Watt-hours your batteries add up to, but TSA are (rightfully) given latitude in determining what those rules are. I say rightfully because I think TSA's rules require a bit of intelligence on the part of the employee and interpretation to some extent is ok. In this case, though, I don't even know where to start because the language open to interpretation is so bewildering.

If someone has an explanation as to how to clearly calculate whether or not you fall within the rules, please write me. This rule effects anyone who flies with extra power for anything from cell phones to laptops and is clear as mud.

Link to pdf of page at safetravel.dot.gov.