More From Boston

Notes from a Sunday in Boston:

- Three from our California contingent are staying at the Seaport Hotel, which is a fair distance from many of the historic areas of Boston, but within walking distance of the Convention & Exhibition Center. Unfortunately that wasn't much comfort this morning, when during our walk we were greeted with a cloudburst. I'm certain that I'll be reminded of my "oh, it's just drizzling - let's commune with nature" comment for some time to come. It's a great hotel, as well as the first one I've ever stayed at that bills itself as a "service inclusive, no-tip hotel." I'm not sure if that is a euphemism for "non-union," or if it means that they actually pay their staff a little more than what is considered "normal."

- One of the featured speakers at the conference this afternoon was Anthony Bourdain, who was absolutely wonderful. Having worked at a restaurant in a previous life, I can relate to many of his experiences, especially his account of the "us vs. them" mentality with respect to customers (even favored ones) that is typically adopted by restaurant staff as, if nothing else, a survival mechanism. Bourdain's presentation was billed as "Leadership Lessons From The Kitchen," and while his approach might not translate to other professions, it's probably equally likely that it would work just as well as many, more "academic" recommendations.

- We had dinner at Jasper White's Summer Shack in Back Bay, billed as "the place where rabid Red Sox fans and Boston Symphony patrons rub elbows." We didn't see any of the latter this evening, but plenty of folks wearing Red Sox memorabilia, and one anti-Johnny Damon t-shirt that I was able to see. Well worth the cab fare across town.

- On the subject of cabs, although I'm not an every-week traveler, I have to say that Boston cab drivers are probably the least friendly and helpful that I've encountered. At the very least, they run a distant third to San Francisco and Chicago. This evening, we were treated to a lesson on God, his son, and atonement on the CD player. We probably should have just asked him to turn it off, but at that point, in the middle of a driving rainstorm (which literally came out of nowhere), we could barely see out the window and didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble. We made it, so I suppose we can't complain.

Aside from that admittedly minor blip on the radar screen, Boston has been great. The conference has been terrific, but I wish we had more time to explore the city.