Back to the Drawing Board

Lissie live: a star is born

2011-01-30T11:27:00.000-08:00

Got to see Lissie live last night. I had found one of her live videos on Youtube randomly, and was pumped to see her in concert. We started the evening at a Thai restaurant near the venue, and lo and behold, Lissie comes right in and sits down at the table next to us. We wished her a good show, and I think she was a bit surprised to be recognized out and about.

Anyways, the show was awesome. Lissie is amazing - just sounded great - much better than on CD, completely left everything on stage, talked unabashedly about just about anything, jammed out with the really strong musicians in her band, belted every song, took shots that the crowd handed her - just wow. I hope she puts out a live CD, and comes back to Boston soon. Here's a clip I took with my iPhone:

Forecast: Blizzard

2011-01-11T18:15:00.001-08:00

Never seen this one before on the Weather.com:

Euro Freeze, Global Weirding?

2010-12-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Meteorologists say the cold weather is caused by a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation, which means that cold Arctic air is flowing into southern latitudes that are normally much warmer.

This is the explanation for the recent European freezing weather and snow as mentioned in CNN. Sounds awfully like what scientists said would happen through global warming, or as Thomas Friedman called it, global weirding. Freaky. This is record-breaking weather over there, and hopefully is not a harbinger of things to come.

One man's garbage is another man's biogas

2010-12-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Awesome article in the New York times regarding how Kristianstad, Sweden has converted their biowaste into biofuel - heating most of the city and providing biogas to all government-operated vehicles. This has pretty much cut out all needs for municipal and utility petroleum-based fuels.

The city of Kristianstad (which was apparently nearly bankrupted during the oil shocks of the 1970s from fuel costs) pay half for energy than they would if they relied on oil, easily get rid of biowaste from their agricultural sector that would have to be disposed of anyways and could intoxicate the water supply if not properly taken care of, employ tons of people, and have as a byproduct, produced technology and expertise within their citizens that could be exported probably for loads of cash.

So, so, fricking smart. Why can't we do this?

The Joy of Cooking

2010-11-21T17:53:00.001-08:00

I like cooking, in theory.... I like to think that I do cook, but since I graduated college, I barely have. First it was the crazy travelling job, where all my food would go bad in the fridge because I was out all week... Then back at the parents house where my mom took care of food duties, and then the intense MBA life style where we were fed at school most nights and barely had time to sleep, much less do anything on the skillet.

I've been slowly easing back in now that school is done, and I'm starting to get the hang of my new job, but haven't really done anything more than pasta, chicken on the Foreman Grill, or broiled steaks.... Until today when I got an invite to a cooking club night - the theme was Asian.

So, I tried to see what would be be in my skill range, and found a good recipe for Korean Beef Bulgogi. It was surprisingly easy to make, and I let it marinate for twice as long as was in the recipe, and voila, deliciousness. I found a Youtube video on how to cook good Asian style white rice, and by the end of the night, there was about a morsel of the bulgogi left. Actually, all of the food was really, really good (lot of talented people in the cooking club), but importantly, I really enjoyed the focus and the project-oriented nature of getting something done. I may have to make this a Sunday tradition. Unfortunately, my iPhone couldn't capture the truly succulent nature of the dish.

New Armin van Buuren CD - 1st Track I've heard is awesome

2010-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've been way too busy to check this out, but man, this song is great! Will need to cave out some time for a listen.

The Arcade Fire are so good

2010-08-02T06:10:00.001-07:00

I went to see the Arcade Fire last night after several years of trying to see them but tickets being completely sold out. They were amazing. So musically on top of things, and at the same time, just going crazy on stage. I was disappointed that the crazy guy and the red-haired guy didn't start head-butting each other with motorcycle helmets on this time, but even still, what a great concert. One of the biggest venues in Boston was completely sold out, and a lot of people left the seats to the sidelines to dance. Here's a vid of the encore below, not mine, but this guy had better seats:

So, who wants to drill more?

2010-05-02T06:54:00.000-07:00

Seriously, how can anyone still want to keep on with off-shore drilling. The US Gulf wetlands are facing the prospect of being irreparably damaged for a generation, if not more. The machinery to get the oil out is ridiculously complicated and difficult to install.... It's a wonder that disasters like BP's haven't occurred more often, or been equally catastrophic.

An oil rig, the helicopters to service it, and the ships to drill and transport petroleum to the coast all together cost 100's of millions of dollars - and that's just the initial fixed cost to get the thing up... Never mind the net present value of wages, maintenance, and operational costs for the lifetime of the investment... If just a fraction of that were deferred, to say, a venture fund that focused on clean energy start-ups, we might even find a couple of real solutions. Hopefully Better Place and the Nissan Leaf will catch on in a big way, soon.

What kind of politician brings eggs and smoke bombs to Parliament?

2010-04-27T14:11:00.001-07:00

Fist fights break out in Ukraine between lawmakers: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/27/ukraine.punchup/index.html?hpt=C2

It would be awesome to be in a melodic metal band

2010-04-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

I'd have to grow my hair out a bit

Yesterday, was one of the best days of my MBA

2010-04-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days where everything just seemed to click into place. If only Butler had beat frickin' Duke, the day would have been perfect. Yesterday's highlights:

Managed to pull together a financial negotiation with another team in hours after we found out that our results were due a day earlier than what we had scheduled for, stuck to our guns based off of our financial evaluations, and walked away from a pretty good deal (that probably did go down in real life) when the other team wouldn't budge and we thought they were taking advantage of us
Really started to understand venture capital term sheets after having written our own as an assignment this past weekend, and negotiated with a team representing the entrepreneurs based on a real life deal. On presenting our results to the class, the VC who actually made the deal cut all of us to shreds when we'd done something stupid... I started to get it, and realized how little I had actually understood this entire process - learned more from one assignment and the subsequent class than I had the entire preceding semester
Started to grasp the underlying methodology for alternative investing (PE, Hedge Funds) in a mindset that had never occurred to me in the slightest before in a seminar taught by the guy that started Goldman Sachs' PE practice. As a bonus, he told us how he'd gotten to that position in what ended up being a pretty fascinating life story... Also provided a mantra for a mindset on life:
"you never know where life will take you, so don't be afraid to go there"
Went to a meeting with Sloan's IT division to find out that a lot of stuff I'd been pushing for for a year will get done soon, and even more cool things that I couldn't have foreseen
Post-MBA plans got a lot more solid, and in a very good way

A Strokes song not on any records

2010-04-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

Never heard this one before, it's called "Hawaii", and from a live recording. Pretty cool:

A simple, but awesome music vid

2010-03-28T00:54:00.000-07:00

I love me some techno music videos, especially those done by fans.

Here's a Swiss guys' jaunt around the alps put to some Armin Van Buuren mixes. Pretty awesome. Amazingly, he never hits a stop light:

Reality is better than fiction

2010-03-27T14:53:00.001-07:00

Seriously?

What a week for Pres. Obama

2010-03-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Health care passed (well, kind of, to be continued...) and an arms treaty with Russia.... I guess that over an year of work is paying off.

Dying to see the Arcade Fire live again

2010-03-24T14:25:00.000-07:00

It's been too long, and they are too awesome:

How is Willem Dafoe not in more movies?

2010-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Just saw Boondock Saints again for the first time since college. Willem Dafoe steals the show! He's amazing. How can this guy not be in more movies?

Great strategy to get someone to listen to a whole record

2010-03-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Went on iTunes to fill out my cadre of songs from a band I'd rather not name, and saw that buying the whole CD at $4.99, was cheaper than trying to add the 5 songs or so I needed to fill it out myself at $1.29 each... Hmm interesting pricing strategy if your goal is to get people to listen to your whole record, rather than making money. I like it. Got the whole record of course.

Muse can give a concert!

2010-03-07T06:25:00.000-08:00

Man, can Muse give a concert. The last time I saw them was in 2005 in some cruddy basement in Milwaukee with terrible acoustics. They were still good, but the venue wasn't working for them and even for a small venue, their gate sales couldn't have been that good. Fast-forward to 2010.... What a difference - sold out show in the biggest indoor arena in Boston... I wouldn't be surprised if Madison Square Garden had sold out the night before.

The show was in short, amazing. Their songs are wicked hard to play (I know because I've learned some), and those guys must have been practicing for hours on end for weeks, because they were not only hitting every note, but Matt Bellamy decided to play solos behind his head Jimi Hendrix style when not jumping around. The laser and light show was great as well, and their use of floating platforms that also projected video was very unique. They even ended up nearly running out of tour shirts before the opening act took stage! What a difference a few years can make.

The Silversun Pickups who I'm a huge fan of were also quite good, but I don't think they've gotten the hang of playing big arena shows. They also seem like the kind of band that would be great to catch in a small club, if they'll ever be able to tour around and play anything that small again. The stadium was nearly full at 7:30 on the dot to see these guys who were the opening act. A.) Never heard of such an established band being an opener, and B.) I guess they're starting to get known, and all along, I thought that I was the only guy that knew them but I guess not as the whole crowd was singing along to most of the songs. In any case, great ticket combination for them because both of the people I went with had never heard of them (I dragged us there to see them open), and they were both won over as fans after that set.

If you're reading this and the tour is coming to your town. Get a ticket stat regardless of the price. If I wasn't a broke grad student, I'd buy a ticket, airfare, and hotel out to another show right now instead of writing this blog post.

Here's a vid someone got from nearly the first row:

Once again wishing I was in the Strokes

2010-03-04T15:24:00.001-08:00

This song seems like such a blast to play live.

Best Unknown Strokes Song

2010-02-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

I think this song is great. I have no idea why it didn't become one of the Strokes song that everyone knows.

Sketchy Facebook

2010-02-21T10:07:00.000-08:00

I won't deny that I do my fair share of Facebook stalking from time to time, but, knowing that someone else is doing it to you is unsettling.

Russia, seriously?

2009-12-29T07:23:00.000-08:00

Ex (actually, "actual") President Vladimir Putin just announced that Russia will expand its offensive weaponry to balance out the US.

Seriously dude? You think that the US has any intentions on your frozen tundra while we're battling not 1, but 2 wars and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression? Not to mention, with Russia's current state, couldn't those funds be better used for social services?

Unbelievable.

Trouble waking up... again

2009-12-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

Interestingly found this post from last year, about the same time of year, mentioning that I was having trouble getting out of bed.

I don't know if it's sleeping through the longest nights of the year, or being back in my childhood bed, or not having school, but once again, after another 9-10 hour outing with the sandman, I could have kept on going were it not for having stuff to do.

Independence Day

2009-12-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

Nevermind that it's 15F outside, today, we celebrate our Independence Day! Done with Fall Semester 2009, despite yesterday's Finance II final being way tougher than expected. On to a little DC, NYE, and finally Vietnam!

Found: Missing Presidential Emails

2009-12-17T05:22:00.000-08:00

Not surprisingly, looks like some IT guys were able to dig up the Bush administration's missing emails. Odd isn't it it that it took almost an year... Perhaps someone went to great lengths to try to destroy them? In any case, here are some choice quotes from the article:

Court records have shown that the Bush administration knew about the e-mail problems as far back as 2005 and did nothing to fix them, Sloan said.

"They never made an effort to restore them," she said.

But Scott Stanzel, a former deputy press secretary in the Bush White House, said the group "has consistently tried to create a spooky conspiracy out of standard IT issues."

"We always indicated that there is an e-mail archiving system and a disaster recovery system," Stanzel said. "We also indicated that e-mails not properly archived could be found on disaster recovery tapes. There is a big, big difference between something not being properly archived and it being 'lost' or 'missing,' as CREW would say."

What a Waste of Time and Talent

2009-12-16T07:58:00.001-08:00

Just saw Funny People last night taking a study break. It was decidedly not funny. Aside from running 2.5 hours, the good jokes were few and far between and it seems like there are two movies side by side which are unrelated woven into one. They could have chucked the second one, tightened up the first one, and made a good funny movie out of it.

What a waste of Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman of I Heart Huckabees fame (who I think is totally underrated), and the girl who plays Seth Rogen's crush who may be the funniest of the lot. Also, Adam Sandler is getting old, literally and figuratively. Despite being a huge fan of his in high school (over a decade ago), come on man, get a new schtick. Shape up, or ship out.

Don't watch this move.

Where has this song been all my life

2009-12-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

Just heard this 80's song as it YouTube auto-suggested it for me. It's aching for a remix!

The beginning of the end for the White Stallion

2009-11-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

He was my ticket to freedom over a decade ago. A 16 year old with wheels - better watch out. With his shiny white coat and gold trim, he was easy to find at all hours of the night as I perennially forgot where I'd parked. He saw me through thick and thin as I drove and then lived halfway across the country.

Lately, we'd drifted apart as I moved to the very pedestrian and car unfriendly Boston/Cambridge area... Yet, this would have been the last few great years of a fruitful partnership. And I feel like I've been neglectful... As, sadly, this is the beginning of the end for the White Stallion...

Girl Talk

2009-11-04T05:16:00.000-08:00

I saw Girl Talk on Monday and it had to be one of the best shows I'd been to. First off, this guy had more energy than anyone I've ever seen. He spent the whole show dancing around while mixing, climbing the on the table, crowd-surfing, basically energizing the crowd. The audience was invited up to the stage to be right up with him as dudes with converted leaf-blowers shot toilet paper all over the arena,

The show had sold out the day tickets went on sale I believe, and the place was packed. The only downside was the length - we could have all rocked out for hours more, but the show was about 1:40 in total. Lame. Will go again the second that he announces he's coming back.

Here's a vid from the show someone posted:

Portugal Travel Blog Up

2009-11-01T06:25:00.001-08:00

I finally got my act together and finished the write-up from Portugal.

Memory Foam-Soled Slippers

2009-10-31T09:32:00.001-07:00

Just got these. Possibly the best invention in human foot-ware in the last decade.

On to Sintra

2009-10-23T13:49:00.001-07:00

After a night started with a cook your own meat on a hot rock (see pic below), we went out to the bars/clubs, ending with some delicious hamburgers stuffed with corn, carrots, and french fries - followed by more insanity in the apartment.

We somehow managed to make it out to a gem of a Portuguese town called Sintra which has a reputation for being a bit of a mythic place. It was shrouded in clouds as we checked out the National Palace, and then went on a maze of odd Midsummer's Night Dream-esque ruins/caves in the Quinta Regleiro, which was mad fun. We spent the whole day, and again find ourselves getting ready for another dinner, perhaps Fado tonight.

Landed In Portugal

2009-10-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

We landed in Lisbon, Portugal yesterday after getting SIP out of the way early. After braving some torrential downpours while napping the day away for trans-continental flight recovery in our downtown apartment, we made it to a Portuguese dinner, and then off to bars for drinking and dancing. We came to around noon today, got a quick lunch, took the tram to the top of Lisbon, and made it to the Castle of San Jorge.

We finished a tough day of sight-seeing with liters of beer and a snack in downtown Lisbon. On to dinner tonight and more bars.

The Rolling Sloans @ Tommy Doyle's

2009-10-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

On Thurs Oct 1, The Rolling Sloans played the first show of the 2009-2010 academic year at Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square. Apparently, Tommy Doyle's used to be the original House of Blues, so we were playing in good company. The show was held as a fundraiser for Sloan Entrepreneurs for International Development (SEID), to help Sloanies get out to the developing world to help out entrepreneurs there. The show was great, and both turnout and funds raised exceeded expectations.
The band on stage. I'm rocking the bass.

The crowd seems to be getting into it.

I hand off the bass and get on the vox for a bit.

I also managed to learn to play bass and sing at the same time.

The band post-show.

No Pain No Gain

2009-10-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first Rolling Sloans concert of the school year. We've been practicing a lot for it, and my fingers haven't yet gotten used to the amount of abuse a bass dishes out when you finger pick.

I threw back some advil for the show (which I'll post about when I get some pics), but a few songs in, felt something flapping around... only to discover that I'd ripped the nascent callus right off my middle finger. Ouch!

I think it's a rite of passage for a bassist though, and my middle finger's skin will grow back nice and strong for the next show. Flea used to pour super glue into the holes of his fingers when the Chili Peppers first started out.

Where Soul Meets Body

2009-09-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Death Cab for Cutie's Where Soul Meets Body reminds me of my favorite Madison, WI apartment - 142 Langdon St. We were in the middle of the UW's frat row, and ironically, were the loudest apartment on the street despite being a few years removed from college.

TF Hits it Again

2009-09-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Great article by Thomas Friedman summing up the current forces in American politics (basically Dems trying to do something, and Republicans not only doing nothing, but trying to shoot down all legislation). Came out yesterday, but seems all the more current given Joe Wilson's (R-SC) lack of decorum and any political common sense in heckling the President in the chambers of Congress while on national TV.

09/09/09

2009-09-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today is 09/09/09.... Thanks go out to Google for alerting me to that fact. Now, to savor today as I need to wait 366 days until 10/10/10.

Back to school remeberances

2009-09-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

As I walked to the corner store to get some Half and Half for my coffee this morning, I passed by our neighborhood elementary school which was the scene of once an year fanfare: Day 1 of school.

Lots of nervous kids, beaming parents, and my personal favorite, the pint-size possible kindergartners hanging on to mom's leg, not willing to go quietly into this strange abyss.

Although my first day of school (which may be the last one forever) is tomorrow, I couldn't help but relive some of the anxiety and expectation of my early scholastic memories back so many years ago.

BACK TO SCHOOL!

Why oh why

2009-09-05T07:29:00.001-07:00

When I first heard Wolfmother's song "Woman", I wasn't too impressed... I thought that they sounded like a Led Zeppelin knock off... Then I heard a song or two more in the past few days which I liked, and on a whim bought the CD on the cheap on iTunes... and it's pretty good (in my humble opinion).

Yet, listening through their album, I felt as if just a little something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it, but with a bit more musical maturation, these guys could be really good... Only to discover 5 minutes ago that the band has split up (the lead singer is going to keep the band name, but the other guys are out)!

Now we will never know. Why oh why?

Gorillas and pin up photos

2009-08-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

Amazing article here about 3 female gorillas in a London zoo who are going "bananas" over the poster of a male French gorilla who is going to make a visit. The London zoo apparently has been male-less for almost an year. One of the females put the poster up on a tree to stare at it.

An additional bonus is the "dating" descriptions of the three females.

Bill Gates vs. Hurricanes

2009-08-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Come on people. You have to realize that Bill Gates can do anything... Anything.

Goldfrapp Vid

2009-08-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a super creative new video from a band I really dig: Goldfrapp. Watch out for the dancing dog in the last 30 seconds. The only thing that would have made it better would have been more Alison Goldfrapp herself.

C'est La Vie

2009-08-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Just put up the Travelblog for my trip to Montreal this past weekend. Fun times.

Where oil money goes

2009-08-25T16:34:00.001-07:00

America's top diplomat for Afghanistan and Pakistan says the deadly Taliban insurgency in those countries relies heavily on funding from the oil-rich Persian Gulf.

Such money even outpaces the cash gathered from Afghanistan's multibillion-dollar exports of opium and heroin, said Richard Holbrooke, the United States' special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, in an interview Tuesday with CNN.

Who's up for electric cars?

Shooting For The Stars

2009-08-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Really interesting article here about a competition that pits hobbyists and start-ups in competitions for the various components that would be needed to build a space elevator. Most enlightening is the description of how the same technology that is being developed for the different components is useful in other applications, and these innovators are starting to look to commercialize their work for use in other contexts.

British Politics Are Way More Entertaining

2009-08-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

If US Politics were this rowdy, I'd watch C-Span every day. Having to defend yourself so much would also be a good test of which politicians actually know what they're talking about.

Cambridge 9-1-1

2009-08-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

There must be some sort of emergency-spree in Cambridge, MA. For the past two weeks, there's been blaring sirens cruising up and down Cambridge St nearly every 20 minutes, non-stop.

A Little Change

2009-08-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a bit over an year that I started this blog. What an intense year it's been. My free time to write and reflect has varied greatly, but I figured that a little change never hurt anyone.

As a bit of a throwback, here's my first post ever on the blog from last year:

It's starting to sink in... I'm going back to school, this time, for an MBA at the Sloan School of Management at MIT. After four years out in the working world, I'm jumping back in. I'll once again have to brush up on Calc, Stats, Accounting and Econ. But first, I have to move from DC to Boston... That's happening this weekend. There's so much to do before then..

This is a robot

2009-08-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

I wonder what other tech projects Japan is cooking up that don't make prime-time outside of its borders.

He Who Can Sell Ice To Eskimos

2009-08-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ex-Pres. Clinton shows up to North Korea, chit-chats with Kim Jong Il, and goes home with two detained U.S. citizens. Amazing.

Keep on truckin' Bill.

Making it Tough

2009-07-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Last night was the last kickball game of the season (the tourney is on tap now), and the band at our post-game haunt was heating the place up. You could tell they were really enjoying themselves, but, when some girls next to me started yelling for the Pixies, I realized... huh, this band's setup would be perfect to cover the Pixies. So, I got in on the action as well, shouting for the Pixies.

One of the girls yelling for the Pixies then suggested that we write it into their setlist while the band took a break... She hooked up the pen, and I put it in, with a message that we'd go nuts if they played it. Apparently, we hit on the one band's songs that this band didn't know, as my female teammates related to me that the singer was hanging out nervously in the ladies bathroom, explaining to whoever would listen that they didn't know any Pixies songs...

Hah, now that I wrote it down, it seemed a lot more poignant last night.

Amazing Bread

2009-07-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

I decided to buy the "seed loaf" at Whole Foods yesterday. It's amazing! Flax seeds, sesame, poppy, and who knows what else baked right into the bread. I could eat the whole loaf in one sitting.

Last Night

2009-07-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Whoa. Didn't expect last night to end up how it did. Highlights:

Barbecuing a smorgasbord for ~20 people, only took 3 wardrobe changes
First time grilling chicken hearts - marinated them in wine and soy sauce, and then rubbed in garlic and ginger and skewered them. Turned out great!
Beer pong all around with nifty plastic cup holders to maintain formations
Deepak being lame
Ash taking a nap between beer pong games sitting on our driveway, leaned up against the house
People being picked up from the train/bus/wherever and brought over
Kicking out a bum poet who wandered into the party. He made a major scene when I asked him to leave
The cops politely asking us to take the party inside because they didn't want to come back and have to give us a ticket (whoa, that never happens)
The leftovers make a major comeback as we head inside
Talking the bouncer into letting Thomas into a bar despite him not having ID
Taking over the "hippie bar"
Ravi jumping on stage
Giving tips to some hippie girl about how she should go about seducing her male roommate who is across the room, which she's been trying to do for some weeks now
Trying to kill the keg back at our place with new friends from the bar after the bar kicked us out

Strokes Sunday

2009-07-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Strokes make the perfect background music for a Sunday morning.

Sandwich Deliciousness

2009-07-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Had a random burst of culinary inspiration this afternoon and created a sandwichery masterpiece:

1. Start Foreman Grill
2. Place 2 pieces of 12-Grain wheat bread to start toasting
3. Chop onions and start them sauteing on the grill
4. Flip the bread so the other side toasts and add munster cheese to melt
5. Once the onions are soft and browned, put them in the sandwich
6. At the last minute so it doesn't dry out, put in black forest ham
7. Dash of pepper
8. Close the sandwich and the grill, and sear for 3-4 minutes
9. Deliciousness

TF On the Ball

2009-07-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

I find myself agreeing with Thomas Friedman again and again. I think he once more has his finger on the pulse of what "should happen" in terms of alternative energy investment in the US. As he highlights in today's column, the Chinese are starting to throw the kitchen sink at green energy production and at our (the US') current relative speeds, we will soon be left far behind.

With all of the debate over the impending energy capping bill vote, which some say is too weak, and others say is too restrictive and will choke off job creation (doubtful because nearly every change in the way things are done has spurred massive innovation which leads to the creation of new industrial sectors), I am reminded of the boldness that America was once known as having to do "the impossible" as is highlighted in JFK's go to the moon speech. Where is this resolve right now?

"We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too. "
- JFK, 1962

The Fake World

2009-07-04T08:22:00.001-07:00

Last night, I made it out to my friend Brett's birthday. Interestingly enough, an year ago at the same time, I had gone to his birthday trying hard to not smile or laugh because I might pop stitches from getting my wisdom teeth out (I actually did end up popping some stitches and it was not a pretty scene in the bathroom).

Brett had his birthday at a new establishment that had gone up in my ~10 months away from the city - the Public House - which was actually a really good find. The place is big, spacious and clean. It's trying to be upscale without being snooty which is a rarity in the DC scene.

About an hour into being at the bar, I start to see a procession of burly guys with AV gear making their way through. Then it clicked, I recalled hearing from some kickball friends that the Real World was filming in DC, and had approached the kickball league to set up some fake games to have the cast play and make it seem like they were actually in the league. The cast's outing in the bar went right along the lines of the fakeness. When you see three or four people people being followed around with an entire film crew - camera guy, mic guy, light guy, switchboard guy, and director - shouting orders and physically displacing people to get their shots, it's not hard to take a wild guess as to who is on the cast.

Of course, as soon as the camera's showed up, a circus ensued. The cast members got up on a table and started dancing, and guys and girls at the bar started trying their hardest to get up there with them. I even overheard some girls next to me negotiating with the film crew director if they could get up there. Jeez - people don't really act like this usually, and come on, with filming happening probably 18 hours a day, most of the footage is going to end up on the cutting room floor.

I may end up in the background of some shots as the camera seemed to be all over the place in the part of the bar we were at, but I found myself making it to the outskirts of the main area, along with a few other guys who were done with the madness. I went upstairs to the roof bar for a bit, and when I came back down, things had calmed down - the novelty of having the Real World there had worn off. It actually begged an interesting question - does the Real World film crew go in expecting the first hour to be craziness, and then getting in their shots afterwards? Who knows.

In other interesting randomness:

My first friend ever, from pre-school, had made it to the party through a friend of a friend. I hadn't seen her in an year and a half.
Some guy in an orange shirt in the bar was convinced that I was his long lost drinking buddy "Phil Perkins".
Brett was starting some side ventures, and said that a conversation we'd had six months ago had been a factor in his taking the plunge to entrepreneuship. Sweet.

The Minority Report

2009-06-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

Here is Thomas Friedman calling for giving more work visas to foreign nationals that graduate from American schools as well as increased educational standards across the board in efforts to stimulate more invention and innovation.

Why is he the only person shouting it from the roofs?

R.I.P. MJ

2009-06-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

I'm still in disbelief over Michael Jackson's death.

My thoughts towards him are so dichotomous: on one side, innovative musician whose songs still sound fresh and electrifying dancer whose moves remain unmatched (Ursher and JT, sorry guys, you can't compete); and on the other, the bizarreness of Michael and the pedophilia charges. I would always say that I was a fan of Michael the musician, but not of Michael the person.

Yet, after having watched the special that aired a few years ago where MJ was interviewed by a British journalist, I did feel pangs of sympathy - it seemed like MJ was someone who needed major psychological help, and never got it. Come on - for someone to voluntarily deform themselves, and change appearance so drastically, putting up with the pain of repeated surgeries just to try to reflect how they saw themselves in their mind's eye points to a major corner case. I think a big part of me always thought that he'd get it back together and become the mid-80's Michael again - only odder looking. Rest in peace, King of Pop.

Let's See What Else This Band's Got

2009-06-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I was driving through my old UVA hood in Charlottesville in preparation for my five year reunion, and I heard this great song on the 'ville's indie radio station. I was nearly prepared to stop the car and listen to the whole set in hopes that they'd mention who it was, but I was going to be late to dinner, and was very hungry. I resolved that I'd never hear it again, but here it is. Let's see what else this band's got. Could be good:

Rise of the multinational as an inter-state actor

2009-06-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

A perhaps, little-known fact, is that I (technically) got a degree in Foreign Affairs. UVA forced me to choose between a B.S. (my biz degree) and the B.A., and wouldn't give me both. I'm still pissed (and my foreign affairs work is classified as a minor).

Anyways, one of the theories I studied stated that in the future, states would begin to decrease in their power as the multinational company would begin to exert its force over the laws, cultures, and politics of the many countries it operated in... With Twitter and Google working to better enable communication within Iran, and from Iran to the outside world, perhaps this paradigm is beginning to take hold.

Coors Surprise

2009-06-18T10:28:00.001-07:00

One of the last cases in my strategy class this past semester focused on Coors. The point of the case was in the importance of price and price warring vis a vis the perception of quality among other things.

Surprisingly, Coors used to be regarded as a very premium beer. President's had it flown into the White House and people would drive hundred of miles to get cases. Coors itself was at that time, a stickler for quality, and tightly monitored the temperature of all the trucks, trains, and wholesaler warehouses to make sure that the beer was never warm. Then, they decided to expand, drop their prices, and put out a "light" version to compete with Miller and Anheuser-Busch, and their brand perception went to pots after that.

In any case, I was curious to see what Coors' orginal brew, Coors Banquet was actually like... And actually, it's pretty good, like a cross between a Pilsner and a Lager, and it goes down smooth. What a pleasant surprise.

CNN, Seriously?

2009-06-16T07:22:00.001-07:00

Best Omelette Ever

2009-06-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

After a brush of culinary inspiration on Saturday afternoon, I created the best omelette I've ever made:

Caramelized onions
Brie
Havarti
Fresh thyme
Dash of salt and pepper

Midnight Monument Ride

2009-05-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's dark and cool outside. Barely a car on the streets, as the air rushes by. I haven't been on a bike in more than 6 months, but my adrenaline spikes as I speed down the streets of DC on a midnight monument ride, following the blinking back light of the person in front of me.

Starting in Columbia Heights, the monuments that had looked like monopoly pieces start to take on lifelike proportions as we zip along side streets. We stopped for a bit in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and then rode along the reflecting pool to the Washington Monument, and ended up at the Smithsonian.

The monuments at night were amazing, and it was a perfect night for a midnight ride. Thanks go out to Richie for inviting me along and lending me a bike, helmet, and belt-clipped blinky light.

Yeah, Metric

2009-05-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

I on occasion listen to the "Indie Rock" streaming music station on the internet. Sometimes the music's not very good, but sometimes, you get some nice gems. Here's a latest find: Metric.

Coding again

2009-05-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

It's been over five years since I've touched C#, and over two since I've done any sort of development project. So, I started from step 1, dusted off my old college books, and have gotten cracking. Feels good, though I've only been working through the book examples so far.

I have approximately 1200 more pages to go of stuff I used to know.

Possible Whitney Sighting

2009-05-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

This was posted by a former co-worker in Madison. Could it have been the elusive Whitnius Bizarricus? If only it had been caught on film...

Quote of the day

2009-04-23T16:56:00.001-07:00

"Ludacris is playing 50 feet away from my house"

- Jason, on the phone

Go Smart Grid Go

2009-04-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for Miami's utilities!

Talk Like Shakespeare

2009-04-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

The mayor of Chicago has declared April 23rd to be Talk like Shakespeare Day. 'Tis wonderous!.

Monetize

2009-04-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

Very smart Google, very smart.

Profiled

2009-04-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

"So, nearly everyone will choose the economic maximizing choice except for a small portion of the population that feels like they're being cheated and values their self-esteem more. These types tend to be young to middle age males, who are slightly aggressive, and have worked in B2B sales."

- Prof. Tucker (said in a British accent).

Pegged. I chose the option she predicted.

Too Cool

2009-03-16T21:52:00.001-07:00

The scientists who were involved in the "Star Wars" missile defense program are working to commercialize the technology to kill mosquitoes to stop malaria. Nice.

Visa, check

2009-03-16T17:15:00.001-07:00

Finally got my Visa for Brazil finished, after a run around that included getting passport pages added on, 2.5 weeks, and an additional $260 to the cost of the trip....

Still, Brazil-bound in three days! Now, to packing.

I'm going to see the Dropkick Murphys on St. Patty's!

2009-03-13T21:09:00.001-07:00

Huzzah, huzzah.

Finally - In a place known for it's St. Patty's Tradition

2009-03-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

St. Patty's is less than a week away. I'm trying to score some tix for The Dropkick Murphys' show for a reasonable price. Even if that doesn't happen, looks like in the right place per this article on CNN:

Political wit a hit in Boston, Massachusetts
The link to Ireland couldn't be stronger than it is in Massachusetts, where a quarter of the population claims Irish heritage.
And while the state capital is awash in green cheer at this time of year, a tradition of exchanging political barbs has kicked off each morning of the St. Patrick's Day parade, dating back about 60 years. The March 15 breakfast, including song and dance amid the playful ribbing, was an outgrowth of the community's involvement in politics, which runs as deep as Irish humor.
"It allows people to see their elected officials [local, state and national] in a role they don't normally see them in," explained state Sen. Jack Hart (or, as he says it, "Haht") of south Boston, who's hosting the political roast for the eighth year. The televised event draws about 4 million viewers and "beats the Sunday morning talk shows."
Neither Sen. Ted Kennedy nor Sen. John Kerry is expected this year, but getting a call from the nation's highest office isn't unheard of. Vice President Joe Biden has attended, and Hart said they're working on getting the attention of President Obama. Or is that O'Bama?

The Return of Reason

2009-03-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Three cheers for President Obama's lifting of the embryonic stem cell ban! Finally, an administration that is following reason. Here's an example from Time magazine of a promising scientist's lead cut short by the policies of Luddites in the previous administration:

After a storm hammered San Francisco that winter, the university campus lost power; if not for the backup generators that pumped emergency electricity to its labs, countless cell cultures might have been lost. Fisher's embryonic stem cell lab, however, was off the campus grid, housed in a temporary facility built with private funds, which did not have a backup system. It would take several days for power to be restored to that site, during which time Fisher had no other place to bring her cells — she couldn't use the university incubators without jeopardizing the school's access to federal funding. Her cells were no ordinary stem cells, either. They were the first to be cultured on a bed of entirely human cells, an important advance in bringing usable stem-cell therapies to patients. With no other option, Fisher watched her cells die.

Figures

2009-03-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

The nicest day in 3 months is followed up with a nasty wintry mix of slush.

NASA Gets it Right

2009-03-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

Finally, something people care about. NASA is launching a space telescope that will try to find other earth-like planets by detecting when a planet crosses in front of the star that anchors it into a solar system.

Is this the beginning?

2009-03-02T06:26:00.001-08:00

Article in CNN about people switching to "green-collar" jobs. Is this the start of something new, or just a flash in the pan?

Elk and bar stools don't mix well

2009-02-25T12:44:00.001-08:00

When you know absolutely nothing is going on

2009-02-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

Birth of the Sloan Temple Pilots

2009-02-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

Many of those who know me know that I'm musically inclined. Before I came to Sloan, I was practicing music production, and was starting to get pretty decent, until the Core took over my life. Still, nothing can replace the feel of playing with other people. I hadn't been in a band since college, I just hadn't had the time.

That's why, I was ecstatic when a classmate approached me about starting an MBA band to rival the one that currently exists (The Rolling Sloans) which is a exclusive and only has 2nd years. Thus, the Sloan Temple Pilots were born. With almost ten people interested, and a logjam at guitar, I decided to be the bassist (which I don't really know how to play), and take vocals on a few songs.

Our first rehearsal was yesterday, and we didn't seem to at first be off to an auspicious start. In total rock star fashion, some of us were pretty late, our drummer had his wrists taped up from a snowboarding accident, and many band members looked like they'd had a rough morning from a long Friday night. The rehearsal space we were renting was tiny, relatively nasty, and smelled of stale cigarettes.

Yet, when we launched into our first song, we sounded fricking great! There is (not surprisingly) a ton of talent at Sloan, and even with us not having our parts all down, getting confused over certain timing issues in some songs, and all of us generally being rusty, we could have performed some of the songs we practiced right there and then to a full house.

Our first gig is in April. Be there!

Great Movie Scene

2009-02-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here is (in my opinion) the best scene from Dangerous Liaisons, a movie which I really like. The scene depicts John Malkovich's slickness in creating a diversion to allow him to in plain sight, set into motion his many nefarious plans which he is hiding from everyone in the room.

Hugs for All

2009-02-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

What does Time magazine article covering the new propensity of people in the US to hug say about our culture?

Friedman Strikes Again

2009-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Once again, Thomas Friedman has his fingers on the pulse on the latest in the world. Here's a great highlight drawn from his experience in India, comparing the US and Chinese embassy in New Delhi:

The U.S. Embassy and the Chinese Embassy are both located on Panchsheel, directly across from each other. They asked me to check out the rooftops of each embassy. What do I notice? Let’s see ... The U.S. Embassy’s roof is loaded with antennae and listening gear. The Chinese Embassy’s roof is loaded with ... new Chinese-made solar hot-water heaters.

You couldn’t make this up.

Friedman strikes again!

Culinary Ingenuity

2009-02-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

So, what do you get when you mix together eggs, goat cheese brie, lentils, and a mix of Indian Spices? Pure deliciousness!

Hats off to my roommate for whipping up this innovative dish with meager supplies in the fridge. It really hit the spot at 3AM.

This is what school used to feel like

2009-02-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

Weather in the 50's, work for the week pretty much wrapped up, time to go to the gym and actually do some thinking, stimulating classes.... Wow, this is what my idyllic memories of undergrad were like, and today, I relived the experience at MIT.

Living with Cookie Monsters

2009-02-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

Less than a day ago, I purchased a box of delicious Whole Foods chocolate chip cookies (I highly recommend them to everyone).

After having one or two with one of my roommates last night, I returned today to find 1 lone cookie still in the box. Between the two of them, they cleaned me out.

Now I want a damn cookie!

Analyze Blood.... With a Cell Phone!

2009-02-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

Awesome article here of a UCLA scientist who figured out how to connect under $50 of equipment to a cell phone to be able to analyze blood anywhere, anytime.

Back to Class

2009-02-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

I am on to my second semester at MIT Sloan amidst a snowstorm that could drop up to 7 inches on Boston. I'm actually pretty stoked to be back. Class is much more refreshing than consulting internship interviews and interview prep. On that topic, I have to miss my first day of Finance I to go to an interview. When will it end!

Using Psychology for Conservation

2009-02-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a cool article that describes how a power company is sending people frowny faces in their power bills if their power use exceeds the average for that home. Apparently it's working based off of peer pressure. Even Cialdini weighs in on the article.

Leave it to Thomas Friedman

2009-02-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

Leave it to Thomas Friedman to sum up the current state of the economy and our prospects for recovery in one sentence (from today's column):

"We have woven such a tangled financial mess with subprime mortgages wrapped in complex bonds and derivatives, pumped up with leverage, and then globalized to the far corners of the earth that, much as we want to think this will soon be over, that is highly unlikely."

- Thomas Friedman, 2/1/09

Watch out for zombies...

2009-01-31T06:52:00.000-08:00

Humility is king

2009-01-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article describing Lebron James' ascent to the top of the basketball. Amazing... This guy was hailed as the next coming of Michael Jordan at age 17, but didn't let it go to his head.

Like Jordan, he's aiming for perfection, constantly working on himself and accepting that while he's good, he's not the best, and he'll never be the best, so he needs to work harder to become the best, and repeat.

He is damn amazing to watch, and the humility and openness to accept feedback is no doubt at the core of him going from being in the top quartile of players which he's been since the beginning, to the top...

Yet another thing that makes MIT unique

2009-01-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

MIT has to be the only university in the country that offers a school-sponsored course that you sign up for to learn how to flirt and date: MIT's Charm School. They're offering a CH.d, Doctoral Degree in Charm.

A 93 by any other name is.... still a 93

2009-01-28T06:38:00.001-08:00

Here's an interesting article about my home county, where it takes a 94 to get an A in high school instead of a 90 like in many other parts of the country. Apparently, parents are rallying to water down the grading system to match the rest of the nation.... But how much will it really change things?

College admission boards keep track of different parts of the country, and Fairfax County with several top 50 high schools and the magnet high school TJHSST (a.k.a. Future Einstein High) is likely known across the country as a tough place to go to school - i.e. a 3.5 from Fairfax probably equals a 3.8 from somewhere else, and 3.8 from Fairfax is truly elite.

I don't see how changing the grading system will accomplish anything. Fairfax just won't be an outlier anymore. Congrats parents, your children will no longer stand out with a slightly higher GPA if the measures pass.

My favorite quote from the article proves the point itself: A parent mentions that her daughter is a straight C student, and as a result, doesn't stand a chance of getting into the University of Virginia, which happens to be my alma mater. What this deluded parent doesn't realize is if the measure were to pass and your daughter were to become a half B and half C student, or even a straight B student, she STILL wouldn't have a chance of getting into UVA. UVA's looking for the closest to straight A's possible, and importantly, emphasises admitting well-rounded individuals who have stretched themselves by engaging in many different extracurricular activities. This girl needs to study harder and the grades will take care of themselves.

On a side note, as an in-state school receiving several thousand apps each year from Fairfax county, of all universities she could have mentioned, UVA would be particularly well aquainted with Fairfax County's grading scale.