This past winter, my wife and I spent three wonderful weeks touring Italy. Although traveling abroad always provides interesting experiences, we stumbled across some peculiarities that really showed we weren't in America anymore. For one, the cost of a cappuccino is directly related to where you drink it. Stand at the counter, and it might be $1.50.

When someone says he's an accountant, a stockbroker, or a trash collector (excuse me, "Sanitation Engineer"), you know what he does for a living. But when I say I'm a custom electronics installer, I usually get a blank stare in return.

Few sports hold as fast to their traditions as golf. In fact, one of the sport's ruling bodies is known as the Royal and Ancient. Before i was a custom installer, i was a golf pro at a swanky club in northern California.

While it's relatively easy to find good components, it's a lot harder to find ways to get them to play nice with each other. And that challenge has only gotten greater as components have become more complex and setups more elaborate.