The Dilettante's Curse

The Facebook Fish

2009-08-25T04:33:00.001-07:00

Hello again, I submit to the Internet the 'Facebook Fish.' What is that? Well, gentle reader, let me explain:

We all know that people like to update their status, hell I do it all the time. It is a fun way to share your life with friends. Well, kinda fun, but mostly easy. Some people apparently view it as more than just sharing, and 'fish' for comments with annoyingly open and leading questions. I try not to do this, but now I'll really try (since I've bloggo-complained about it). Here are some recent examples:

"Mr X. just outdid himself making dinner!"

"Mrs X. just spent so much money at the mall!"

So it is basically a vague, declarative statement that leads you to believe something cool happened. Now why would you post this if you didn't want people to write back, "What did you make/spend??!?!?!??!" So it seems pretty lame to me, just tell us what is up - don't Facebook Fish.

Amazing

2009-07-14T06:06:00.000-07:00

OK, it has been a while, but this is one that had to be addressed. People today tend to overuse superlatives. I try to reserve excellent, awesome, amazing, etc... for things that truly deserve those titles. Logically, only about 1-5% of whatever you're talking about should be excellent or amazing. If everything is amazing, then nothing is. These words are used to separate the regular from the positive irregular, not just to say you like something.
Nowhere is this trend more prevalent than the overuse of the word "amazing." People use this like "good'' now, especially some girls. If you want a quick way to see how badly this word is being misused, just listen to how it is pronounced. For example, "uh-MAY-zing" is pretty bad. You can bet that this is in regard to something from Finagle-A-Bagel or the like. Basically, the more butchered or drawn out the word is pronounced, the more not-amazing the subject matter will be. And just for reference, here is the definition of two the biggest offenders:

amazing (comparative more amazing, superlative most amazing)

Positive
amazing

Comparative
more amazing

Superlative
most amazing

Causing wonder and amazement; possessing uniquely wonderful qualities.

unbelievable (comparative more unbelievable, superlative most unbelievable)

Positive
unbelievable

Comparative
more unbelievable

Superlative
most unbelievable

Incredible; not to be believed.
Implausible or improbable.

Followup to NP!

2009-05-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

It looks like I'm not the only one ticked off about the excessive use of Photoshop. Check out this story and the associated photojournalist pictures:

http://www.pressefotografforbundet.dk/fotografi/index.php?id=011708

That guy...

2009-04-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

You know that expression, "That Guy." He's the one, that does that thing - you know it when you see it. Every group has that guy. Every college, office, school, class, every group has that guy who can be obnoxious. Well, I think I just found the one in our office.

He's always miserable, to the point where it is a joke - but really kinda sad. And I'm thinking this particular point of view is what makes the terrible comments flow from his mouth. Now, I may not be one to judge (as I've said lots of terrible crap) and guys say tons of gross shit all the time, but when you hear really abhorrent stuff, you gotta say something. I also think the guy who says the grosser stuff, probably has more pent up shit inside him that you don't want to know about.

So no, I'm not going to tell what he said because it is grotesque. However, my response was this, "You are a repellent human being." I was serious and killed the conversation for about 30 seconds. I may not be Rex Harrison, but I do consider myself the gentleman from time to time, and a gentleman lets the lesser of us know what isn't acceptable.

Am I so out of touch?

2009-04-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

No. No, it's the children who are wrong.

That is the first thing I thought of when i read this article by George Will. I agree people should be able to dress up without everyone saying, "Why are you so dressed up?" I went through a period in high school and college where I never wore jeans, very "preppy." People always asked me in college, "Why are you so dressed up?" I replied haughtily, "This isn't dressed up." I still don't think anything without a tie is dressed up, but I digress...

In this article Will goes after jeans as if it is some betrayal of the worker roots of jeans. Well, isn't it a little late for that? Fashion has owned denim for 30 years, so brace for craziness. And to further my point, aren't pants themselves a workers garment that has now be perverted into "dress" pants? I mean when people where toiling away in the fields of the 1700s all the dandies in Vienna were wearing powdered wigs and silk stockings, not pants! So take that George. Shit changes, you get older, more shit changes . That is the way the world works for everyone.

And another thing, leave gamers alone! I love my video games - especially the violent ones!

No Photoshop!

2009-04-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

NP!

That is what I say about the current state of magazines and photography! No to Photoshopping! In fact, I'd really like to start a standard that magazines, photographers, advertisers, web content creators, and regular people can adhere to and display a little NP! logo in the corner of each photograph the indicate to the public that no Photoshopping was done to this picture. Here is why in no specific order:

1) Photoshopping has become so ubiquitous in magazines that all the random Maxim girls et al have started to look alike. Their faces and bodies are manipulated so much where their differences and imperfections (which is what makes them special) are completely gone. This and the editing being based on some undefined ideal makes them all trend towards one look. So in this respect it hurts the model.

2) In respect to the customer I think the effect on men and women is different. For both it creates an unrealistic view of women. This isn't unrealistic just because they are particularly beautiful, but unrealistic because their bodies have been digitally altered. So not only are the women (and men) already exceptional, we've gone ahead to make them surpass reality. What does this do to the customer? Well, men start to have an unrealistic expectation of what a beautiful woman is. If a woman ever has a blemish compared to the eerily flawless skin on a Photoshopped model, that is a strike against her. And the man will never find anyone who measures up to this standard. The other side is with women. They already have enough pressure to be beautiful and skinny, more than men can understand, but with the advent of Photoshopping now they are held to an impossibly high standard. So men want something that doesn't exist and women want to be something that doesn't exist = no one is happy with themselves!

- note - This could certainly be switched for men and women as well - women unhappy with the looks of men and men unhappy with their looks, but generally this isn't the case in society.

3) Photographer - A great photographer can transform someone using light, settings, background, and motivation. With no tweaking, anyone can see why photographers are considered artists (at least good ones) rather than just picture-takers. Once that photo is sent for editing, however, it compromises the work of the artist. The creation of the artist is then pinched and pulled to look a certain way - one that isn't what the artist created. The next step is why take a picture at all - or to go back to #1 - why use a model at all? You could just create a woman in Photoshop to start - like Jessica Rabbit here.

4) Hair & Makeup - I happen to believe that hair and makeup people are artists too, however they are probably the weakest argument against Photoshopping I have. Since they can drastically change the looks of people - to the point where they don't look like the same person w/o makeup - similarities can be drawn between them and the Photoshoppers. However, since they are working with an actual person and can create a particular look using the personal features of a particular human, I think they have merit. Their work can make a model come to life or a photo shoot/scene great and they are creators that are perhaps overlooked. When photos are edited by Photoshop, they can easily overshadow the work of the hair and makeup people. Photoshop is powerful enough when makeup and hair can be completely changed within the program, obviating the need for hair and makeup all together.

So the next questions is who benefits from this? Why has Photoshopping risen to be so ubiquitous? Well, first off - people like pretty things. You can see what people like and have a preference for, and edit pictures so they'll really like them. In turn, this will make everyone else compete for the same limited audience, and Photoshop images as well. Also, since most of these images are sold to or commissioned by someone who is selling the image in a large format, that is what really drives this phenomena.

The buyer of the picture who puts the photo on the cover of Vogue wants a perfect picture. Everyone competing for that slot knows that, so the photo is perfected by any means necessary. Now the effects of such work are detailed above, but I don't think Anna Wintour cares or perhaps she has a fractured view of what really is beautiful.
So what to do? Make a standard - the NP! Standard. There will have to be collaboration between the entire photography supply chain, but it can be done. Personally, I think models to consumers will be happier with the product. People will react when they see a logo knowing that the woman/man on the cover of Maxim/Vanity Fair actually looks like that - and I think the reaction will be good. We may realize that an odd freckle, the stretch mark, or a blemish is something people can relate to and is a proof that, they too, are human.

Dead Word: Gourmet

2009-03-17T07:22:00.001-07:00

I can't stand the use of this word. It has been overused so much it's use is almost a signal of an opposite of intent. For example, TGIFriday's Gourmet Grill. Nothing at TGIF is gourmet. How about Nutrisystem gourmet options - frozen diet food isn't gourmet. Now, whenever I hear gourmet I'm braced for it being used to hype some crap food-product and tricking less-than-knowledgeable eaters into thinking their food is better than it is.
So what, you may ask, is gourmet? Thomas Keller is gourmet, Ming Tsai is gourmet, homemade chicken soup with actual chicken and carrots is gourmet. Anything that is advertised as gourmet is almost certainly not. Just by the virtue (?) of being advertised that kills it. So next time you have a great dinner, don't say it was gourmet - because you are now using a dead word.

Firsts and Lasts

2009-02-20T12:33:00.000-08:00

I noticed in recent times that there is a interesting little phenomenon that happens at cocktail parties, receptions, or anywhere with hors d'oeuvres on trays. Actually, there are two interesting things that happen:

1) No one ever wants to take the last of something.

2) Depending on the crowd, people are sometimes hesitant to take the first one.

Why is this? Well, for #1 you may say that it's cold, or not fresh, or whatever, but I'm going to go deeper. I propose (with no evidence!) that it is an evolutionary trait to not eat the last of something. The last of something probably spoiled in the bad ol' days, so there was an evolutionary pressure against those brave souls that ate the last of those mammoth canapes. It is probably simpler, that people don't want to look like gluttons, but really - gluttons? Americans don't want to look like gluttons? Too late.

I do think that is what keeps people from diving into those spanikopita being passed early in the evening. They don't want to look like some food-crazed maniac. Of course, if you get a bunch of people who are admittedly so, then you start to feel bad for the servers. At a cocktail party last year servers didn't get more than two feet from the kitchen before an army of old, rich, foodies practically gummed them to death.

So what is the solution? If you want some, get some. Don't worry about decorum and get yourself that last crab cake.

New word - Slips

2009-02-19T10:47:00.000-08:00

Slips are people, or rather a name for certain people. These are people (I've done it from time to time) that don't hold or push open the door after they walk through it. However, they've had the door held for them, or it is closing and they'll "slip" through the door whilst not moving any limbs in order to hold it for the person behind them. So this person has had the door opened for them, then they give a little "fuck you" to the person behind them as the slip through the door, letting is close right before you get there.

I'm sure they don't mean to do it, they never look over their shoulder to check for another person behind them (unlike yours truly), they just buzz right through. I would have hoped these people realize they work/live/play in a city and, due to the population density, it is our responsibility to make life just a little bit nicer for those around us. This goes back to my old saying of people like this on the T who don't move into the middle of the car: You're either stupid or inconsiderate.

Esquire Magazine - you suck.

2009-02-14T06:23:00.000-08:00

So I've had a subscription to Esquire magazine for about a year. Actually, I think it should be over, but they keep sending it anyway. I subscribed because I thought that Maxim really started to suck as well - unfortunately, so does Esquire. Here are a couple of examples:

Cultural Relevance: They recently interviewed John Goodman for this life lessons.

Funny: They have segment called "A funny joke from a beautiful woman." In this case the woman is usually some regular magazine fodder that is forgettabley beautiful and photo shopped into ubiquity. The joke is guaranteed to be lame and not at all funny, the type starting with "Two grandmas are in a bar..." or something like that.

Style: This is supposed to be their expertise, but I find it is weak as well. For example, they continually push $1,000 plus jackets (not unusual for men's magazines, but annoying nonetheless). Another example was their style advice column. Someone wrote in looking for a modestly priced watch that they can wear forever. Here is what they suggested - the Casio G-Shock. Although it is a fine watch, the asker was definitely looking for a less sporty, but decently priced, classic watch. My suggestion would be the Seiko Arctura - under 1k for a watch, well made, and cool but not overly stylish. Maybe the Cotura too.

Actual stories: They profiled Fox News's Shepard Smith. No magazine should give Fox News any credibility by calling taking anyone on that network seriously, especially one that endorsed Obama.

I think Men's magazines are getting crushed by the net - why get a magazine when you can just find a melange of articles on the net. Now to get a table PC for the bathroom...

I weep for the future

2009-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

This makes me sad, but there are some points to be made by this sign on a Philadelphia Burger King:

1) This is the type of company you keep when you visit this (or any other) BK Lounge.

2) Although it is spelled "Meat," what you are eating at BK should be classified as something else all together.

3) Be happy with your life, because you could be writing signs for BK when they are out of letus.

On Holding the Elevator...

2009-01-14T07:29:00.001-08:00

So every morning I step into an elevator bank for my office building. There are four elevators in that bank, and as people proceed through the security gate, there are two questions that arise:

1) Is it worth it to rush through the security gate, up to the elevator and make eye contact with one of its occupants to have them hold it open?

2) If I'm inside, is it worth it to hold open the door for other people coming towards the elevator?

After some thought, the answer is definitely, "no" and here is why...

In a bank of four elevators, holding the door does several things:

1) Keeps you from your destination by delaying your elevator departure.

2) Makes you wait for another person to get into the elevator.

3) Increases the chances of an additional stop on the elevator.

4) Delays you enough so that you may have to hold it for another person, thus bringing you back to issue 2 & 3.

If you are the person going to the elevator, it still isn't worth it. Just wait for the first one to go, and then get another elevator with less people and less stops!

The argument against this is that it's impolite to close the door, but when you step back and think - it is much more practical to keep the elevators moving and have people get where they are going fast. If you have one elevator in your building though, this may not apply. In that case, I don't have any advice.

So next time you are alone in an office elevator and see someone coming, waiving at you to hold the door, press the close button.

Atheism: Let's Party!

2009-01-09T10:54:00.000-08:00

To those that know me, the know that I think religion is not only mostly crap, but a negative force in the world. Recently, some of the Atheist/Agnostic crowd has started to come out of the closet just a tad and I think that is a good thing. The person who is leading the charge is pictured here - Tiffany Patterson, just kidding - it is Richard Dawkins. He's a geneticist and vehement atheist. He and others have pointed out that about 20% of the US country is "non-religious" but we have no representation. That 20% is more than blacks, Jews, Hispanics, farmers, or just about any other special interest group. I don't know for certain if there is or is not a god, but I don't surrender my reason when asking big questions about life either. In turn, the only reasonable conclusion that I can come to, is there probably isn't a god. Furthermore, we shouldn't live our lives afraid of how some mystical man in the sky might judge our deeds.

I dig what Atheism is selling, and how their doing it is pretty funny as well. If you want to see how ridiculous some religions get, check out Religious. Google video has is hosted for free here.

The Terminator

2009-01-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

First off, Happy New Year everyone. All right, let's get down to business...

The new phrase is Terminator. A Terminator is a type of person that, when in social settings, constantly terminates conversations. I don't know if they do this deliberately, but my suspicion is it's subconscious and the side-effect of poor social graces. Now, I'm no master of the segue, but I can keep a conversation going and hopefully interesting. A Terminator can really kill a conversation, but usually there is someone to offset their impact on a group conversation. When you are faced with a Terminator alone, you better be John Connor and start running. Here is a classic example

Person A: "I read an article that said if you cook only with foods from the outside areas of a grocery store, you'll eat better."
Terminator: "I don't cook."

Another classic Terminator line is, "That's funny." However, the usage of this is important. If people are laughing when that is said, it is OK and you don't have a terminator on your hands. If they say, "That's funny" and look at you with a listless stare, you have a Terminator in your midst.

There is only one way to deal with Terminators, and that is to pull that microchip out of their head and destroy, oh wait... that is the other Terminator. For this type of Terminator, you'll have two choices:

1) Engage them. This means asking about their job, their family, their outfit, and boring stuff like the weather. It may break them down, or just get you through the conversation.
2) Run. Smile, nod, move on to another individual to whom you'd like to converse with.

Testversation

2008-11-18T13:32:00.001-08:00

A testversation is when you slip some small detail or inside joke into a conversation (most likely with new acquaintances) to test their knowledge or, more likely, mindset, sense of humor, etc... My favorite example of this was when I was at a social gathering with several new people (also my Fiancee) all of which were taller than I was. When someone crassly pointed that out, I said, "I feel like I'm in level 4 in Mario Brother 3." I was surprised that everyone got it, but with that joke landing they passed the test and I'm pretty sure I can assume other things about them from that one slice of information.
Another great example of this is when talking about food and restaurants throw out some names like Thomas Keller. Although he isn't anywhere as famous as Rachel Ray, knowledge of Keller tends to be associated with a high level of foodie-dom.
This is not to be confused with aggressive opinion stating, or AOS, which I also do when I say things like, "There is no God." or "Organized relgions are evil."

Thus I coin the word- "Testversation"

It's not November, but Baracktober!

2008-11-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, I'm very happy that Barack won the election. We still have some bitter folks out there, but hopefully the dems will not screw this up. Either way, I think Mr. President-Elect has a big weight on his shoulders. I don't think any president in recent memory has had the hopes and dreams of not only a nation, but a planet pinned to him.
I've seen pictures from around the world of people celebrating his victory, but as he said - we have a lot of work to do. I hope he can rally Americans and the world to work together for a second and actually improve our lot on this planet.
I also think that most of this hope is because so much was lost under the Bush administration and so much has changed since Clinton - the world is a different place and we need a different man to lead.

This game rocks! Fallout 3

2008-11-03T13:43:00.001-08:00

I'm usually not one to really rock out to a game and write about it, but Fallout 3 is probably one of the best games I've played in a long time. Better than GTA 4, better than MGS 4, etc... It isn't all action, but more role playing - like Oblivion - which I never played, but it awesome. A quick synopsis:
In 2077 nuclear war broke out and many people went into underground settlements called Vaults. You were born there. You father leaves the vault (no one leaves), and you follow after him whilst uncovering it may not be at idyllic as once thought (surprise). You come out to an awesome wasteland with human settlements and bad guys and mutants, etc. Anywho, it is awesome.

Oh man, he better win.

2008-10-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

After last night's good (albeit slightly cheesey) infomercial, Obama should finally get through to some people. I got some shivers towards the end listening to him speak, so that was a good sign. However, I also get shivers listening to Jimmy Eat World's "Drugs," so maybe I'm not the best shiver-o-meter. Anywho, if he doesn't win I'll be so sad - McCain just sucks in comparison. He had his chance so please step aside.

I'm going to a "Election Results Party" at the Hardrock on Tuesday night (readers are welcome, rsvp on Going.com) so I will be so miserable if he doesn't win! Go Obama!

Ladies - I am your friend...

2008-10-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

So the other day, I'm riding the T - deep in thought, and a relatively attractive late-20s chick sat down across from me. Most aspects of her appearence seemed in place and in line with trends, so I couldn't hate... However, as I stood up to get off (and she did as well) I saw a rather large mustache! So to all you ladies, one behalf of men everywhere, please take care of your facial hair.
My lovely Fiancee and I were at CVS she was getting Nair for her legs, I noticed they had both "Bleech" and hair removal cream (both made by Sally Hansen). I was shocked they had bleech, this isn't the solution. If you think that isn't noticable, just ask yourself this:

Does Ru Paul look different with his bleech blond wig on, or bald? Of course he does! Also, if you're not sure - go out and do some removal anyway - that way you'll know for sure.

I've said my peace for mankind, but men also should take care of nose and ear hair - no excuses guys, not when we put the pressure on women like some sort of power-crazed stage mother.

I've been busy, but I didn't create the financial crisis...

2008-09-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

So, you've probably heard about this impending crisis, and they bailout. We pay some amount to buy debt and nationalize companies who were too leveraged to live. When I worked at Sowood, no one bailed us out, we lost a lot of money and then returned what we could to the investors. So we're going to buy crappy mortgage backed securities (MBS) so that financial firms don't have to have them on the books - all with your tax dollars. Hmmm.... sounds like the financial firms get the sweet deal. Here is my alternative, but first a quick lesson on MBSs:

An MBS is basically a pool of mortgages that get put together and then you can buy certain amount of this pool, just like a bond fund. Since the value of this security is based on the payments (mortgage payments by you and me) when the likelihood of default goes up, the value of these go way down. If there is a default, the security is worth little to nothing. This is oversimplifying to a point, but that is the basic idea.

Some sources say this is going to cost 700 BILLION dollars, sooooo rather than using this to buy the MBS, which is basically distressed debt, why don't we give it to the people who took out those loans in the first place? Follow these quick and easy steps:

1) Sub-prime loans were made, securitized, and are now held by many financial institutions. When the risk of default goes up (which is has), those institutions have to write down the value of those securities, taking a loss.
2) Those financial intuitions are all linked to one another and as the start to write down and make margin payments and so on, they run out of money to make payments and profits, so they turn to the gov't to bail them out.
3) The gov't should say, "No Way. You lobbied for lax regulation, exemptions from leverage requirements, and kept it up rather than being responsible. The American people shouldn't pay for your mistakes. But because of this, they are hurting, so we'll help them."
4) The gov't takes 700 Billion and pumps it back to people with mortgages, people in foreclosure, and people who were the source of the sub-prime loans in #1.
5) Those people take that money, and pay their mortgages, the rest is put in a national trust for those same people so they don't spend it on a new Hummer or Flat screen TV. Credit card debt should also be paid as that can be securitized as well and probably will default after the MBS do.
6) The people (with the mortgages) start to make consistent payments on their mortgages. These payments, plus the national trust, will lower the default risk of the securities and raise the value.
7) The financial firms will have value added to the books and will not be forced to increase their capital requirements with money they don't have.
8) Strict regulation about capital requirements, OTC derivatives, a new Swap exchange, and other will be created.
9) Main Street will keep their homes, and be able to pay them off.
10) Wall Street will keep their companies and their values without layoffs and a reduction in their lifestyle (well, some reductions, but boo-hoo).

How's that? Rather than helping the huge companies, why don't we help WE THE PEOPLE.

Astor & Black - Redux

2008-08-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

So, 6+ weeks later I took delivery of my suits from Astor & Black. I must say, I love them. Despite the initial experience, the suits are awesome. The tux is exactly what I wanted and fits so perfectly. The suit is also awesome. As Aaron, the A&B rep said, "You'll never wear an off-the-rack suit again." He was totally right. It fits better, looks better, and I feel better. Two nitpicks were - they forgot suspender buttons on my tuxedo pants and they made my tux shirt out of the wrong color/fabric. The upside is, since it is custom-made - they just gave me the mistake shirt - which I am wearing now! So in 6 weeks they are going to fix my shirt, and my pants no charge. Word. I'm happy, but now I'm just sad I have to wear my other off-the-rack suit as well. Must make more money for sick custom wardrobe...

;

2008-08-15T09:16:00.001-07:00

What is it with MS Word's love of semicolons? People (real writers too) don't use nearly as many semicolons in novels and magazine. Perhaps it is my start-stop-start-stop writing style that prompts the grammar checker to insert this punctuation. Anyone else have this issue?

Stupid Homozygosity!

2008-08-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was sitting in the Prudential Center Mall waiting for a colleague to come so we could meet a client (whose entrance is inside the mall). I sat around for about 20 minutes whilst waiting, and did what I love to do - people watch. At 10:10 in the morning, there aren't too many people in the mall, but there were some: People who work in the nearby office buildings, people actually shopping, and tourists. I noticed that several groups of tourists would pass by and go into the stores I was near (Aldo & Arden B.). What I found odd is that they were all American tourists with tweenage and younger children going into generic mall stores in another part of the country.

I've always thought that the point of going on a trip is to experience new things - unfortunately (and I'm not at all the first person to say this), the chance to experience new things (if you're a shopper, this means new places to shop that don't exist in your market) is dwindling. However, if you are a tourist, and you decide to spend your out-of-town money at the same mall stores you have in Columbus, OH, then isn't it really your fault there aren't any options? You're reinforcing their business model by buying from them...

Either way, the mass homogenization of the shopping landscape in America sucks, but the American consumer's need for the familiar also sucks - perhaps more.

Oh Snap! We just might avoid the new Dark Ages after all!

2008-07-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

If you check this survey, it shows people are finally figuring it out. Maybe this oil-man president doesn't have your best interests are heart? Maybe he is all about whoring out our country to the oil companies. I think people are finally getting it. Let's just pray the gas prices keep going up - there seems to be a corollary between gas prices and reason.

PS - No more survey results for a while, I promise.

At least we're talking about it!

2008-07-24T12:39:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been saying it for a while now, but I do think that the country is broken and can't be fixed. I think the people in the "Disagree" category of this survey suffer from what the world views as one of the USA's best qualities: Optimism.

This survey is a Zogby survey that finally starts to address that people are not happy with our republic. I think it is broken and we are in the end days of the empire. Anywho, I brought up to my bud Brian that we now have the technology to eliminate our representative democracy - everyone can vote on everything, 1 vote for 1 person, none of this electoral college crap so Ohio and Florida decide who the president is. Also, I'm would be pissed if good ol' Massachusetts left the USA - actually the whole Northeast Corridor should become its own republic sans rest of the states!

Has the Retard-In-Chief admitted something?

2008-07-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Digg, but this is footage of our stupid president saying that the financial crisis is Wall Street's fault. Now, I don't think anyone in this administration has put such a fine point on it, but watch this video - apparently he didn't want cameras there. The crisis in financial markets is Wall Street's fault - and congress's for the lack of oversight and regulation. Since it is Wall Street's fault, they should have to take the losses and public money shouldn't be used to bail out these companies. No one bailed out Sowood when we went down for our mistakes, so no one should bail out Lehman or any other private bank on the cusp.

http://politicalblog.abc13.com/

Pickens Plan

2008-07-09T07:27:00.001-07:00

I saw this on one of our corporate TVs as I was walking into my building. I think it is one of the best ideas I've heard for a first step in energy Independence. Lots of people talk about what we could do if we had all wind, or if everyone had fuel cell cars, but that first step isn't really talked about. Boone Pickens is a multi-billionaire and he sees a profit in us changing our energy paradigm. That is how we are going to change our country's energy future, with the profit motive. Green is good, and this is just a first step. Also, I admit that NG vehicles may take longer than 10 years for a full national fleet turnover, but it is a first step. Also, I think focusing on NG would keep the oil companies in the loop and, as we've learned from the seven years, nothing gets done in this country without the oil companies...

First time with Astor & Black

2008-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm having my tux made by Astor & Black for my wedding. They come to your house, take your measurements, get your fit, suit options, and what not and send the measurements to a tailor in Hong Kong, then send the pieces of the suit back to a master tailor to be assembled for you. I needed a new suit as well, so I figured I would try them out. Although I was expecting something more professional, I'm still pretty happy with the experience.
When the tailor showed up at my place, he brought his 4 year-old kid. I wasn't overly happy, but he said his wife was out of town and had to take him with him. I would have liked an option for another time without his son. He (Aaron) told me that if we turned on the Red Sox game, his son would be quiet. I decided to indulge him and we turned on the TV. However, this had the opposite effect as his son started to bounce off the walls in the second inning. I think Aaron told his son to be quiet about 100 times and it did start to get really annoying after about 5 minutes of constant chatter.

Aaron talked to me about what I wanted, what style, options, and pretty much every detail of the suits and showed me fabric swatches. Told me some stories about his other clients, and did what he needed to do well. The price is unbeatable for a bespoke suit as well. I am having Zegna fabric for my tux and suit, so if I bought one off the rack it would be a minimum of $2,000. I pend less than $1,600 for both! I liked the personal attention, he didn't pressure me into higher prices, and he was very personable. All in all, Aaron was a good guy, but when he comes back with my suits, I'm going to politely ask that he come without his child. I really don't like kids and I don't think I should have to suffer them whilst spending $1,600. Any readers have a good way I can ask him to come solo via email without sounding like a douche bag?

What does your drink say about you?

2008-07-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

I usually eschew the link-posting for more of my scintillating original content, but this one is pretty awesome from Modern Drunkard. Take a look and see what your drink says about you.

Click Me

The Smelliest Bar in Boston!

2008-06-21T23:02:00.000-07:00

That's right, Gypsy bar is the smelliest bar in Boston. I know when hot, sweaty bodies get together there is bound to be some rank, but this was OOC. From the front door to the entire dance floor, there was BO to be found within the confines of Gypsy bar. Not only was the music terrible, the crowd pathetic (many solo AFCs trying to make a go of it on the floor & many stupid bachelorette parties) but people everywhere had BO. I was shocked as this used to be a good club. If only Felt had been open to non-guest list folks tonight I wouldn't have had to write this post.
In an effort to spread the news of this smelly club, please send the link to this post to as many people as you can and digg it if you do that kind of thing. The club-going public must be informed!

Take that crappy southern hiphop!

2008-06-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

I've had some choice words for southern hiphop over the past couple of years, but recently even worse music has come from the south. I love hiphop, I really do, but if you put Jay-Z's music next to some of the recent stuff (Webbie's Independent anyone?) it is like night and day, and the recent rise in craptacular hiphop is only going to make more people write it off forever. I am apparently not the only one who feels this way - please read this small article on Ice-T's feelings!

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7135/title.ice-t-tells-soulja-boy-to-eat-a-dick

Fashion No-No - Suits with Backpacks

2008-06-19T11:53:00.001-07:00

I saw this one on the T this morn and decided to make a note to the world. Wearing a backpack with your suit makes you look like at best out of place and at worst, partially retarded.

Seeing people wear a backpack reminds me of my days back in Freshman year at Babson. Ah, the floors were sticky with promise back then, but I digress. For our first presentations of the year, most students wore their first suit. Although many committed other egregious fashion sins (see here), this one was all over the place. Before anyone had a briefcase, they had backpacks, so the wore them with their suit.

I refused to do this and would carry my books to class rather than looking like some bizarre cross between Quasimodo and Bud Fox. So to all of you out there with backpack and suits - get a briefcase, or at least something with one shoulder strap. It will help your suit maintain its shape and you'll look and feel better!

Disingenuous Dress

2008-06-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

Just a quickly - I find it very disingenuous when people roll up the sleeves of their dress shirts, only to leave their tie tight and top most button in tact. This is a common tactic of the politician, pundit, and stock guru to show they are "relaxing" or "working hard." BS - if you were really relaxing, you'd loosen or take off your tie! To see this in action, check out McCain and Obama on the stump and Cramer on TV.

Take that Auto Industry!

2008-06-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

So I've made the switch. It was a huge decision, but I feel great about it. No, I'm not talking about Folger's Crystals, but Zipcar.
For those who don't know - it is a car sharing service - and you only pay for what you drive. Need a car for 3 hours on a weekend? Just use Zipcar... http://www.zipcar.com/ if you want details because I don't feel like doing it here.
Anywho, I cashed in my old 1995 Chevy Blazer after its most recent mechanical failure for 100% Zipcar and I feel liberated. I don't pay for gas, I don't pay for insurance, and I don't pay for parking! HA! Of course, I don't have a car either, but I do have access to many. That is the rub, I can't just drive on a whim. On the flip side, I think this will push me to use the T and even walk some! Whilst running the numbers for Zipcar I noticed a trend with my monthly expenses. They are all service subscriptions:

Rhapsody

Cell Phone

Netflix

Gamefly

Zipcar

I prefer this to the depreciating asset model of the automobile and because I don't drive much, it makes financial sense for me. When you own (outright) an old car, you usually have two options:

1) Keep the car and deal with stream of payments that increase in both size and frequency as more time passes. I suspect this may be exponential to some degree for very aged cars, but without any testing, I really can't say.

2) Buy a new/used car and deal with a new, stable stream of payments that turns into #1.

Now with Zipcar - there is a third option. This only works for the city dweller and T user - sorry everyone else, but population density rocks and the suburban sprawl sponsored by GM & Ford sucks.

Is this it for Windows?

2008-06-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

So since Vista's release, Microsoft has been having problems, but I've noticed a convergence of a couple of trends in my life. I think these trends, and my participation/consideration of participation in them signals trouble for MS. I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this, but I feel I'm more of a "regular consumer" than I am a technophile - or at least less of one than most and this puts me more in line with what "most" people are going to do... That being said - here are my observations:

1) The rise of web application. Lately I've noticed how you barely need applications on your desktop. Web apps are so rich that most of us can use them for what we need and never have to install anything. Photoshop Express, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Animoto, the list goes on and on. I'm sure they will not replace hardcore installed functionality, but it is like the electric car. It isn't for everyone, just 90% of the users.

2) Apple's Halo Effect. The oft mentioned halo effect of the iPod/iPhone has people running to buy a Mac. I was even considering this, until I looked at the price. Regardless, people love Apple's design and what they are doing with their OS. Also, the iPhone's new SDK sounds like it is going to wipe the floor with every other cell phone SDK, furthering the halo effect.

3) Rise of Linux. I'm not the first person to get Linux, but I'm probably one of the first "regular" people to do so. My old XP machine was a slug on XP (P4 1.4gh w/ 512mb ram), but with Ubuntu and Firefox it is blazing fast! Now, getting all the drivers can be a pain, but now I use that computer! Also, combining this with #1 - there is no real need for the MS compatible apps because they all work in Firefox. All the problems I've had have been solved (almost) by the huge community of people who back the Linux framework. People spend their time on this in a huge way. I've had problems installing Real Player and Netflix on demand doesn't work - but it is a trend, not an endpoint.

So what does all this mean? It means I have a narrow field of vision and I'm certainly leaving some things out, but hey - it is just my viewpoint. Either way, I think we're trending away from MS. People are getting sick of a 5 minute boot time and all the hassles of Windows. People are starting to look at alternatives, and in the case of Apple - they're voting with their dollars. In the case of Linux, they are voting with their time - which is money, right?

If these trends continue, and I think they will, I can't see how MS will wiggle out of this without having Windows 7 be the best OS ever.

Family, ah family

2008-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

So, this past weekend I took my loverly Fiancee, Sarina, to meet some members of my extended family whilst one of my cousins was getting married in NJ. As if my nuclear family wasn't enough, she had the pleasure of meeting all of my aunts and uncle on my mom's side. Apparently this gave her even clearer picture of where select traits of mine come from.

Apparently my significant weight loss had quite an effect on some of my cousins, so much so they wouldn't have noticed me! That is pretty bad considering my two older cousins haven't seen me in years, so they have a persistent image of their fat little cousin. I'm glad I've gotten past that part of my life.

Of course, because we were in NJ for a wedding, our wedding was the topic of many conversations. My favorite being when my mother told me I have to invite my other cousin(because I'm inviting her sister, whose wedding it was, and father and mother). Although I now agree with her logic, that would be like not inviting my brother, but inviting me and my parents (incidentally that is who attended this past wedding). My first reaction when my mom told me, "You gotta invite her" was, "I don't 'gotta' do anything." Which has now become our second tag of our wedding:

Sarina & Brian

September 5th, 2009

"Plan the fuck out of this thing"

"We don't 'gotta' do anything"

Although I think it is important to consider family, I'm not very close with my extended family and Sarina and I are paying for the wedding, so everything is our decision and no one else's. Ultimately, I think these chain-invites (invite one cousin, you have to invite them all) have the opposite effect on me. If I have to invite all my cousins, then I'll invite none of my cousins! Problem solved! Eat that family!

So you want to cook?

2008-05-22T10:14:00.001-07:00

I've been away a while - working - and a recent conversation that I overheard (and subsequently joined in) in the cooking section of Barnes & Noble made me write this post.

There were three folks looking at cookbooks this afternoon and I heard one of them mention that he hated cookbooks because they always called for ingredients he didn't have. I heard him say, "I never have fresh thyme and shallots just lying around." His buddy commented to him, "I think you could use some chopped olives for the shallots." This is where I chose to speak up, "Actually, I'd use onions for the shallots - and dried thyme for fresh time. Although, fresh thyme keeps for a while in the fridge." After that all three went back to perusing and I found a book on chocolate I started to leaf through.

As I was walking out I realized to cook - I mean really cook and make good food for yourself - you need to have a couple of things. The most important of all is commitment. I remember when I first started to cook, I had just given my Fiancee Ming Tsai's Simply Ming and I was looking at it saying the same thing, "Man I don't want to have to buy all this stuff!" And for our first couple of forays into this book, we spent some serious cash on spices and stuff I didn't have. But you need to decide that cooking is important to you, your food is important to you, and you'll go get the ingredients you need. Also, you have to have enough patience to make a menu and and use what you bought. I hate buying a cucumber and using half of it, so I'll try to have Seared Tuna with Soba & Cucumber salad within close proximity to Vietnamese Beef Salad (with cucumber). Waste not. For a more pedestrian example, if you like Asian food, ginger, garlic, and scallions are in almost everything! In addition to the will of really WANTING to make good food all the time for yourself, you need these things methinks:

1) A decent knife and honing steel. Get a Global, Shun, Henkel's, or Wustof knife from Williams Sonoma or Kitchen Arts on Newbury Street. A honing steel can be gotten for 20 bucks and will keep it sharp and straight. A good chef's knife - 8" - will cost you close to $100 bucks, but that is all you'll ever need. Ever! My Global's are all 5+ years old and still work great!

2) A decent saute pan and sauce pan. Same places and same deal, get good stainless steel pots and pans, spend some money, take care of them (clean well) and they'll stay with you forever. You may want a non-stick saute pan, but it will take a little bit of extra care (No metal utensils)

3) Most places don't say this, but a good cutting board makes all the difference. Plastic Target ones are great for cutting chicken, fish, or meat. For everything else, get a nice wooden or bamboo one. You'll have to wipe it down with mineral oil every once in a while and you can't put it in the dishwasher, but it will keep your knives sharper, longer, and give you a nice big space to work on. Don't chop garlic on it! It is a pain in the ass to get the smell out of the wood. http://www.johnboos.com/ are great and you'll notice them on the Food Network a lot.

You're ready to cook - now just buy the ingredients and remember these things.

1) You'll always need onions, so just buy the bag. Everything, and I mean everything, starts with onions (shallots, garlic, scallions, and leeks are all part of the onion family) and fat. Olive oil and canola oil are the old stand bys, but butter is the best. Don't use cooking sprays as the lecithin used as a stabilizer creates a gross buildup on your new pots and pans.

2) Just buy the jar of spices! For things like thyme, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and oregano just buy it. You'll use them eventually and feel free to substitute the dried for the fresh if you have to.

3) Get a account at http://www.chow.com/. There are videos on who to cut an onion, message boards on where to get your knife fixed if you dinged it, and what is a nice place to get some brunch. The people on there can be great resources. I know, because I'm on there.

After you start cooking a little bit, you'll find out what you like and start to cook more of that. I like Asian and southwestern flavors and guess what - they're pretty similar. I got Marcus Samuelson's cookbook on African cuisine, and it was also pretty similar. You'll find out what you can substitute and what you can't and within the first couple of attempts you'll have a success on your hands. For me, it was a Chile-Tea Rubbed Salmon with Lemon Scallion Rice. Once you make something great, you'll be hooked. Happy cooking to one and all!

Friday @ 4pm

2008-05-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Ah, it has come at last. Not that my job is bad, quite the contrary, but I'm looking forward to nice weekend. This is right around the time when the thought of the weekend is the best - you haven't wasted any of it playing GTA IV, or going to the grocery store, but you're still at work with the all the possibilities in front of you. Of course, it isn't as far away as Friday morning or Monday morning, so you can really look forward to your own time.

Have a good weekend all!

Sleep works

2008-05-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I left work pretty frustrated. I found it difficult to get my hands around some .NET project I was working on. Accessing Excel using VSTO from vb.NET is hard, and I don't have the vocabulary yet. The real problem was knowing where to start, but I fumbled around all day yesterday, couldn't sleep last night, and finally got to sleep after some late-night blog-reading.
What I did notice when I came in today was how much clearer everything seemed. I saw this thing on the discovery channel about how sleep is a necessary part of the learning process - that is basically when our brain writes everything down and makes sense of everything from that day. The example on that show they use is soccer playing, but I've noticed it in other things. Another good example was playing Rock Band - stupid I know, but going from Medium to Hard is difficult - real difficult. You can play all day long, but not get anywhere. When you come back the next day, you can notice the progress in your skills! Makes me think we should institute nap time in the corporate world - we could come back all learned and everything!

Wedding Groupthink

2008-05-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

Argh, My beautiful Fiancee ordered a "tea-stained" dress for a large wedding we are going to on May 30th. She thought it may be too light for a wedding, so she took a picture of herself and sent it to her buds on theknot.com message board to get their opinions. 100% of the girls said she shouldn't wear it because it is too close to white.
My freakout was there are all these rules: You can't wear anything close to white - only the bride may do that. You can't wear a bright color - you'd pull attention away from the bride. Some even say black is bad, because it can be interpreted as morose.

As long as you're not wearing a white gown, I think you're OK. I think some of these women on this board have fallen into wedding groupthink. It is very silly to think that one of your guest's dress could be a big issue unless you're a freak. Dear readers, I ask you to be the judge! Here is the picture from BCBG.COM in which it looks whiter than it is in real life!

Readers=BriLac

Book Review: Deluxe: How Luxury Lost It's Luster

2008-04-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

About two posts ago I mentioned the book, Deluxe. It was a great read and a well-written expose on the luxury industry and what is changing in that industry. Basically, the premise is:
1) Here is where luxury came from. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Pucci, all these designers were artists and craftsmen that made their particular item exceptionally and their clientelle was the super rich.

2) Over time, corporations started to buy these older brands and focus just on making money. In turn, the growth demanded by shareholders served as a motivation to find a way to make more money. The emergence of the handbag is probably the biggest event that changed the luxury market. With huge margins, but cheap enough that the middle class can buy, the big luxury conglomerates had found one new way to sell the dream of luxury to everyone.

3) This "luxury for everyone" concept is watering down the idea of luxury and more crap with a good name is making it's way onto the market.

4) True luxury still exists, but man is it expensive. Hermes bags are a great example. This book has a detailed description of how they are made and it is astonishing.

All is all, the book is very interesting and it certainly points out a new facet of our society. It seems now that "Luxury" is something everyone is selling. Some people come from the bottom up, for example: The big watch made by Invicta - who the hell is Invicta? Some places take a traditional luxury trend (such as large watch faces) and just try to hop on board. You can also to do luxury from the top down - the old way. Make a product with exceptional skill, artistry, and love. If you've got talent, you product and its design will justify you ridiculous prices - example Christian Louboutin.

It is a fascinating book and the need to make ourselves special, or convey that to others, will always be a part of humanity. I guess if you are going to spend the money, do some research and make sure you're actually buying something made in Europe or that has some love behind it. Coach has been making their bags in China for a while - and no one seems to mind. I guess that is the power of the trend, which they kind of just chalk up to marketing. I'd like to have a little more faith in mankind, but alas - the proof is in the pudding.

Lessions Learned from a Cocktail Party.

2008-04-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my Fiancee and I threw a oh-so-hip cocktail party. It was a rousing success (if you went and disagree, please comment) but that doesn't mean it was without some areas that could use improvement. So, Sarina and I are determined to be the "us" in imprusvement. It is in my nature to find the "errors" and fix them, to make the next swaray (and there will be a next swaray) even better!

1. Don't get so much booze. We have a tremendous amount of sauce left - not so much beer, but lots of hard stuff. It isn't like it has a shelf life, but I got a little carried away at the packy. On the upside, I've already done the shopping for the next two or three parties!

2. Make sure what you, yourself, are going to drink is top shelf. I pinched pennies on the gin of the night, and was rewarded with waking up feeling like hammered shit. I did hear the Ciroc vodka was fantastic though - so those folks didn't have a skull-splitting headache at 9:30 AM.

3. Pitcher drinks are your friend! I made a pitcher of mojitos and it flew right out of that pitcher with limited work for me. Although the first batch was wicked strong, I stand by the idea. For next time vodka gimlets, cosmos, and mojitos will all be in pitchers so people can shake, pour, and drink. Next time there will be ice, shakers, and glasses in front of 3 pitchers and a laminated sheet of directions. Not that I don't like making drinks, but I would have liked to chat it up more.

4. More food! I thought we had a lot of food, but I was wrong. I went over to grab some for myself and people had taken out most of the savory dishes. We may have had a lot of sweets, but my Fiancee's awesome summer rolls were gone in a heartbeat. So next time more savory finger foods, and definitely more cheese from Formaggio Kitchen. http://http://www.formaggiokitchen.com/

5. Make sure all the food is pleasing to the eye. I made eggplant caviar (like babaganoush), for a dip - due to the roasting process it comes out in a not-so-appetizing brown color. Also, the recipe called for lots of garlic and onions (raw) and it was rather aggressive in it's smell. On a crostini, it tasted really great, but it was a hard sell. In turn, this wasn't very popular.

6. Stupidly, I didn't get little paper plates - so we ran right out of plates pretty fast. Thank God for the "Rinse Only" cycle on the dishwasher.

7. Shrimp cocktail is a no-brainer. Make more of this next time.

8. Task someone with gathering glasses to be washed yet again. Because we ran out of non-martini glasses, I ended up pulling out some red Solo cups. Plain awesome.

9. More than one trash. The kitchen/bar ended up being a popular spot, so the trash was hard to get to. If we had another one by the food, it would have been easier for everyone.

10. Have some non-alcholic soft drinks. We didn't have soda, or sprite, or coke. That was a mistake, especially since it is so cheap. I had some soda water, but that went into the mojitos! I just don't think of soft drinks at a cocktail part. That is an easy fix though!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

2008-04-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

So, my beautiful fiancee Sarina tells me that she read that this ingredient Sodium Luaryl Sulfate (SLS) was in my shampoo and she thought it was irritating her skin due to some some contact. She tells me about this and its cousin Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Apparently these things (along with Ammonium LS) are cheap cleansers and foaming agents. These chemicals are in pretty much all soap and shampoo, it is crazy how much of it is out there. Not surprisingly this is a chemical derived from, you guessed it: Petroleum! I guess in larger concentrations it is pretty unhealthy and can be a real irritant and increase the permeability of skin (which is bad) so my OCD tendencies all kicked in!

I did an audit of all the items that I use on a daily basis, it was in all my drug store products. AXE body wash, shampoo, conditioner. My nicer stuff (Zirh) didn't have this in it, so that was cool. AXE apparently has lots of untested ingredients and bad stuff for you - scary! But to find products that don't have any SLS in it, I had to go to Whole Foods to get some soap and shampoo there. I was surprised you couldn't find more organic-type options at CVS, but alas. Anywho, I made the change and it is a little more expensive, but it smells fantastic and works just as well (if not better)! The rosemary conditioner is pretty nice in the morning...

Here is an alarmist and possibly biased article about AXE body wash. Apparently they spent all their money on truly awesome ads rather than safe ingredients.

http://www.natural-skincare-authority.com/axe-body-wash.html

Is Luxury the new defensive stock?

2008-04-23T06:44:00.001-07:00

So, I've been reading a book called, "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost it's Luster" and since our little recession, I've been thinking about that market. All you hear from the talking heads on CNBC or whatever, is that we are in a recession and consumer spending is going to fall off.

For those of you that don't know, a defensive stock is something that's returns are less (or negatively) correlated with the business cycle. The classic example is a necessity or consumer staple. So, CVS will probably do okay because people still need drug stores no matter what the economy is doing. Other companies, like Home Depot, will do poorly because no one will spend the money on rennovations and home improvements during a recession. This thinking is also applied to the luxury market. The assumption is the recession will make people hold on to their money (or they will spend less) because of uncertainty in the economy and job market.

Now, in the last 10-20 years, the super-rich have become fully entrenched. Think back to Goldman Sachs's crazy bonuses only 2 years ago, the rich are richer than they've ever been before. There are also more of the super-rich now than ever been before and those people do not alter their spending based on the economy. Ducati recently started producing new $15k+ motorcycles for this super-rich class and they are selling despite economic worries. The true luxury items will be unaffected by the economic cycle because the wealth of the super-rich is so great, their spending behavior is unaffected by a recession.

Now, where this may effect the luxury market is in the broader appeal items, like a LV bag or something. Luxury companies make most of their money off lipstick, perfume, bags, and scarves because these are the items the average consumer can buy to get, "a piece of the dream" as luxury industry insiders say. However, I don't think this will be as effected as most do. The demand for hot items from Louis, Coach, Dior, etc... is so high their demand may be more inelastic than say, new vinyl siding, or a new computer. As such, middle market consumers will buy these items because they want them so badly, they'll make it happen even in a recession.

Now this is just a theory, but perhaps it is a good idea to keep an eye on a luxury idex or LVMH, Prada Group, and Gucci Group in the market to see what happens. The Robb Report Global Luxury index is at 82.21 on 4/23/08 at 10:08 am. Let's see what happens through our recession. I'm betting it outpaces the Dow.

One or the other

2008-04-18T06:32:00.001-07:00

So, I've met people that have flown all over the world, and been to lots of different places and I have only been to Italy, and that was with my parents! So I was thinking, with people in my age bracket, it must be one of two things:

1) You make lots of money and can afford to fly around the globe.

2) More likely, it is a case of allocation of funds and priorities.

So, I got to thinking - Sarina and I make decent money, why is it we never seem to have enough cash to go to Fance or Spain or something. After some musing, I settled on two reasons.

1) Our priority (relative to others) is on our daily living situtation. We eat fantastic food at home, go out to great restaurants a lot, and we spend money on clothing, kitchen gadgets, and Gillette razor blades. We love our apartment, and also pay for that place. So, rather than saving up and going on a trip, we spread that money across our daily lives in smaller amounts.

2) As a symptom of our lifestyle and spending habits, we would want the same in our travel destination. If we were to go to France or Spain, we would search for Michelin starred restaurants and I'd try to find some obscure cheesemaker, boutique, penmaker or something to buy when overseas. Since we are crazed consumers, traveling abroad is simply a multipier of this consumerism for us. So when looking at what it will cost us, my need for the best (or at least the good) takes over and I price myself out of a vacation to France because we don't want to stay in an "ok" Hotel, or go to "ok" restaurants.

All in all, I think this is my problem, I should just get over it - go to see the sights, go to local restaurants, get a regular hotel, and eat the exchange rate. But something about that just bothers me, especially if I did that and end up having a bad experience! Argh, what to do!

Oh my first retraction!

2008-04-18T06:23:00.000-07:00

I must say, I thought I had found a great shave. I thought I had it figured out, but now I am running back to the corporate teat of Gillette. I had to buy a razor for my flight, since they don't let you take actual razor blades on a plane anymore. When I tried the Gillette Fusion, I got a close and, more importantly, comfortable shave. With the safety razor, I had to suffer through shaving my neck, and missed lots of little spots, but this bad boy did the trick.
My cheeks and under my nose could be closer, but the ease and significant decrease in irritation have proven Gillette may be right.

Perhaps, sometime, I'll go back to the safety razor, but not for now. My skin looks better and feels great as well! I will, however, not deviate from my Art of Shaving products as they are pretty great and I feel all old-timey whilst applying shaving cream with a brush!

Still, all that buzz about safety razors on the net must be about something, but maybe it just wasn't for me. I did like the price of those blades though. Everyone said it was supposed to glide across your face, but I couldn't get that right. Ah well - back to costco for Gillette blades!

Wedding Planning

2008-04-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I am engaged to be wed to the loverly Sarina Chhay on 9/5/2009. As such, we have already started the rigorous planning of our wedding. Sarina and I want it to be bad ass, so we are going full-bore on the planning process.

After our most recent vendor visit to Mimosa Floral, I realized this is a really fun process - at least for most vendors. With the florists, you have these people who are shooting out ideas, showing you different flowers, and you get to have them make you something from scratch! When do you really get to do that any other time? With the linens and decor, you get a chance to really make a cool room design. Sarina is gifted at this and has been putting in the work (in dispassionate amount) to get our ideas (her ideas) solidified and monetized.

Now, the thorn in our side thus far has been "entertainment" or DJs. For some reason that "industry" draws the biggest tools on the planet. Almost every single one has a receding hairline and a goatee. None of them strike me as cool, about 90% comment on their ability to "read the crowd" and "get everyone on the dance floor." These guys don't want your play lists, want to be able to interact with the guests and get on the dance floor, and want to be the center of attention. I'm not even the bride and that pisses me off! No other vendor sees themselves in this light, it is ridiculous. However, I think we've found some that can take direction, play our music, and stay off the mic and away from our guests. In a wedding of 60 people, the last thing I was is some stranger in a bad tux harassing my grandmother.

I'm sure there will be more on the wedding on this blog, but all in all it has been fun so far! Check out the web page Sarina made for the wedding.

http://bharnett1825.googlepages.com/

Word!

A fitness milestone

2008-04-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been going to the gym. Nothing crazy, just some quick circuit training followed by some light cardio. I've gone up in weight on most of my upper body exercises, but since - haven't lost much weight and (according to my scale) - haven't lost any body fat. - I can definately see the change, but none of the metrics and the stubborn existence of my belly were telling me that I wasn't making too much progress. Son yesterday - went over to the pull-up bar to stretch out my arms and tried a pull-up. Bam! I did one! Now I've always been the fat kid in gym class who could never do one. I couldn't even do one when - was really lifting a lot after college. I felt great about cranking two out later in my routine and now I feel like I can take on that rope climb as well. Perhaps I'll visit the local grade school and demand a go at the rope climb. Self Esteem here I come!

A cut above, or is that below?

2008-03-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

So, after reading many articles online and depleting my stores of Mach 3 cartridges, I took the plunge and bought an old-timey safety razor. I got that and some matching old-timey razor blades from Details for Men – a site I found on the net. Many other places that extol the benefits of using a safety razor or “wet shaving” have been sold out of this particular brand and style. Apparently, Merkur in Germany has been selling these things with some success. The razor was 30 bucks, but ten blades were FIVE DOLLARS! I think one mach 3 blade is like 2 bucks or like 35 bucks for 16 at Costco – so there is huge benefit to using these razors right away. First I noticed it was smaller than I thought, but I was soon to find out how effective this razor could be. Articles on wet shaving online and reviews of the razor claim that you WILL cut yourself when you start using the razor. I guess most aren’t used to applying no pressure and really taking your time when you shave. Well, I cut the shit out of my face the first time. I’ve gotten much better and can now escape without a cut! I have read that the entire process is important, so for those of you who care:

Wash/Scrub while in the shower
Don’t dry your face when you get out\
Re-wet your face at the sink and rub in some pre-shave oil
Apply glycerin-based shave cream to your face with a badger hair brush
Shave with the grain
Rinse and repeat across or against the grain for a ridiculously close shave.
Rinse hot and then cold water
Apply aftershave balm – no alcohol
Whew!

Want to check it out?
www.classicshaving.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845/

I like it better than my old Gillette. It costs less, gets closer, and although it gives me some nicks from time to time, I’m getting better with every shave. So the internet was correct on this one, next up: I’m going to meet the deposed king of Nigeria! All he needs is some good faith money!

I know this is bad, but!

2008-03-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

I have just started the fifth episode of Friday Night Lights on Hulu.com at WORK! HA! Yeah, there are about 3 minutes of commercials, but the picture is great and it makes these last couple of days fly bye. I actually found myselft reclining in my chair with my feet crossed watching this. I keep wondering why they aren't blocking the site! Anywho, on the flipside I would much rather be doing actual work and getting things done - but we all know why I am leaving, right?

$4 gas? WTF!

2008-03-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this article on MSN, and in times of volitility, I noticed they like to scare up stories like this.

$4 gas: Yes, it's on the way - MSN Money

Either way, at over $100/barrel I see this as a very real possibility. I'm just thanking God for the T. I drive to Whole Foods and Shaws, and those are so close. So screw that gas! When it gets warmer, I'm walking!

A Whole New World of Time Wasting!

2008-03-13T13:11:00.001-07:00

Just when you thought flash-based games, celeb news, tech news, the blogosphere, and YouTube weren't enough to get you through a boring day, Hulu comes along. This is the offical NBC/Universal (I think) site, designed to compete with YouTube and have an official outlet for their stuff. It is awesome. Commercials can be a little annoying, but we're all used to that by now. Check out this classic from their site...

Asian Market

2008-03-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know, I'm an avid cook and gourmand. Sometimes the ingredients you want aren't at your local Whole Foods, so you have to go to a "ethnic" grocery store. The powerhouse of Asian grocery stores in Boston is Super 88. There is one in Brookline, Medford, and a small one in Downtown Crossing which I just visited.

These places are hidden gems. They have lots of produce, tons of Asian (duh) ingredients, and they are usually much cheaper than their Whole Foods counterparts (sometimes for the exact same product). I just picked up 5 stalks of lemongrass, a huge bunch of Thai basil, and 2 lbs of pho noodles for less than 5 bucks! The only downside is the inconvenience of going to another grocer, which usually wins out. That is why I suggest you make a run to Super 88 and stock up on things like Shao Xing, Rice Vinegar, Noodles, Sambal, Soy Sauce, and other things with long shelf lives. Then you have them, you saved some money, and you can go back in 6 months.

Although these places have lots of meat and seafood, I have to admit I haven't tried it yet. I'm not ashamed to admit that it weirds me out a little, plus they don't fillet, scale, and gut for you!

Tough Questions

2008-03-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

I am making my way through a book called Confessions of an Economic Hitman. It is really interesting - about this guy who worked for a consulting company (called MAIN) that did economic and infrastructure studies in third-world countries to justify World Bank and IMF loans to these countries. He would skew and distort the reporting to justify huge loans that would insure most of the money would make its way back to Bechtel, Halliburton, and other US firms. The loan size, coupled with the bogus economic projections (provided by MAIN), would make it impossible for these countries to pay back the debt and they would be beholden to the IMF, World Bank, and their puppeteer, the US.

What this book brings up is questions of empire, consumption, and disparity. What I ended up asking though, is obvious:

Do there have to be "have nots" to enable the "haves"? and the follow up to that is:

Is that so bad when you live in the country of the "haves?"

Is it so bad that our empire actively pursues policies that hurt other countries (I'm not just talking about militarily) for our benefit?

What responsibility (if any) do we have to the rest of the world as citizens of the empire?

Are we all responsible for the plight of the world's exploited because of our involvement (as consumers primarily) in the global supply chain?

I find it hard to believe that we need all we have. Not in respect to individuals, but in respect to our country. We can be more efficient and we can weed out corruption. I personally think there have to be "haves" and "have nots," but I don't think it needs to be in the current balance. The US doesn't need to spend $600,000 on each Tomahawk cruise missile, $137,500,000 for each F22 Raptor, and $200,000,000 on each Joint Strike Fighter. This money has a low economic multiplier, is concentrated among relatively few individuatals, and by the way, who are we dogfighting? I'm pretty sure Osama doesn't have any MiGs... We spend money recklessly and only strengthen the congressional-military-industrial complex. I think the more we can marginalize that construct, the more we can tip the balance towards global equality. Of course, all those old white guys in grey suits will have to be voted out first.

Animoto - so very cool

2008-03-05T06:20:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I'm late to the party on this one (just like Facebook), but I think this is one of the coolest new websites I've seen. It takes pictures, either uploaded or linked to your Picasa, Flikr, or whatever site and creates a sick movie like presentation that is synched up with music of your choosing. This is totally better than anything I could have made on my own, and kick's your regular slideshow when it's down. Plus, every one you make will be different!

Here is a sample of me and Sarina:

I'm sure people already know about stuff like Animoto and I always feel late to the game on the sick new webware. However, should you like to see a badass listing of cool sites, check out CNET's Webware 100 - you can even vote on your favorites!

http://www.webware.com/

Faking It

2008-03-03T07:04:00.000-08:00

I just came off a four day weekend and I have three days left this week until I can give my notice on Thursday. This morning my boss came into my cubicle and starts telling me about all the initiatives he wants to start. I found myself staring at him and nodding, but thinking about playing on the Internet, or how I can string this task he just gave me into an all-day project. I know it is terrible, but I have been on the way out for the last 2 weeks, and I just want to start something with some direction! ARGH!

Either way, it is funny how I have to pretend to be a diligent little worker bee in the meantime. I think I'm particularly good at this as my boss loves it when we agree with him. Not only does he love it, but he never follows up on any of those agreements.

For example, he said that he would schedule one of the three people in our group to recon some hedging issues that pop up on a weekly basis. I think he has said this about five times, but never any follow through. So, when I pitch that idea, or bring it back up, he thinks it is great. Then he talks about it for 35 minutes, and then has to go to a meeting, and never brings it up or follows through on the idea. Right now, I'm just killing time.

The Library and its contents

2008-02-27T10:59:00.000-08:00

I have recently taken to spending my lunch time (I can do that now because I'm going to leave my job) in the Boston Public Library reading. After a couple of visits, I started to notice the library seemed to attract the oddities of humanity. Now, the guy who is into Star Trek, the girl reading His Dark Materials for the 12th time, and the ultra nerd brushing up on paleolithic botany, don't fall into this category (neither do I mind you). These are the types of people you'd expect to see in a library.
What I didn't expect to see was such a high concentration of people talking to themselves. In the last week, I've seen (or heard rather) at least two people every day in the library that are talking to themselves. And no, they aren't on cell phones. In addition to them, it seems like the library is a respite from the outdoors for the homeless, or those who look homeless. That is OK too, I guess. But in addition to the talkers, there are all sorts:

Guy reading who decides to pull out a blanket and cozy up near the New Fiction stacks.
Girl who asks everyone who is passing if the book they're reading is any good.
Guy who, instead of a briefcase, has a plastic garbage bag. (Not homeless, unless homeless people have cellphones these days.)

I started to think how different the library was from Borders. It has fewer weirdos, more Lattes, and newer books. What strikes me is how it seems that everyone has been fooled by Border's. The Library lets you read these book for FREE. They even let you renew online! Admittedly, I used to be the guy (and my Father was as well) who loved to collect books and have them on display to show everyone how smart I am. But there was a small problem with that: You never read the book again! Border's charges you for the books, has nicer digs, friendlier staff, and less weirdos. That is all because they need you to come back and buy more books! The library would prefer if you didn't come at all, or maybe just one book from time to time because it would cost them less. Since they don't make any incremental money based on your reading preferences, there is no incentive for the library to be a comfy and cozy spot for you to read in.

Step 4 - Weighing The Decision

2008-02-20T13:32:00.000-08:00

This step is the critical moment. Is this new preoccupation going to be something you dedicate your precious mental (and perhaps chronological and monitary) resources to? I find when I'm gettting into something, I really have to step back and say, "Is this really what I'm into?"
A great example of this is my recent foray into shoes. I did the research, found the nice old school brands, found out how to take care of a pair of $300 shoes, and then dropped it all in favor of Johnston & Murphy's on sale.
An even better example was my brief interest in import tuner cars. This was obviously ill-fated from the get go as I was driving a dilapidated 1987 BMW 528e. Anywho, I bought lots of magazines, read tons of internet articles, started looking for a used car, and then decided this investment into a depreciating asset was not worth it at all and I would not fit that scene - especially in MN.

I don't know why to drop one over the other, probably monetary committment, but I find that smaller inclusions into my dilettantery are much easier than a lifestyle shift. Pure knowledge of a subject and simply following that subject is a great way to widen your knowledge (and convo topics) without spending the money. Greentech is always something I've been interested in, and that information is all out there, and all for free! Thank you CNET!

Book Review: When Genius Failed

2008-02-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

Quicky review on this one - The book is about a hedge fund called "Long Term Capital Management." This was a badass fund in the late 90s that did bond arbitrage untill the blew up spectacularly. They had Myron Scholes and Robert Merton (of Black-Scholes-Merton option model fame) on staff. They killed it for a very long time with 25%+ returns. They were over leveraged and the spread widenings in credit after the Russian default started a collapse of the fund. The Fed stepped in when danger to the entire financial system was predicted by LTCM and their counterparty banks. It was the Fed's influence that got all of Wall Stree to participate in a bailout for LTCM. They had billions in assets and TRILLIONS in outstanding derivative's notional.

Anywho, this book iscrazy. The money is nuts, and this type of thing still goes on. How do I know that? Because I worked at a hedge fund where the SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED. We had similar strategies, and less leverage, but Keynes's quote rang true:

"Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent."

Anywho, the book is a great read even for those outside of the industry. There is not complex jargon and it gives a good insight into the fund and the minds of some of the traders. The books makes some points about the Fed's and the Wall Street bank's irresponsibility to finance and allow hedge funds to run unregulated. I found the big difference between my old employer situation and LTCM was the market was able to absorb the vol and our losses much more easily and without the Fed's influence. My fund was a much nicer place, but we got nailed on a credit crunch with similar strategies.

Fried Goodness

2008-02-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Hello again - here is a quick picture of yours truely enjoying some of the finest food New York City has to offer. Although we ate dinner at the three Michelin star Le Bernardin that night, we returned to A Salt & Battery the next day for lunch #2. American's can't get fish & chips right (even in Boston! What is that!), and these transplanted Brits certainly know what they're doing. It was awesome. Go there if you can - 13th & 8 ave area of NYC.

Interesting read

2008-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

I saw this article on CNET.com about how the image we all have of the shady guy behind the computer stalking your children and lying about his age may not be all that correct. I found this really interesting because I was pretty sure it was a shady guy behind the computer lying about his age and what not.

I've said before to people that these sexual predators will never really go away, and untill they do something illegal, it is hard to really get them off the streets/net. This suggests that it is really the parents/family that need to hammer home the point not to talk ot strangers on the net or the street. From a cursory read of this it seems the curiosity about sex may be getting the kids on the net talking to strangers. Maybe if that curiosity was satiated by rational, mature parents instead of a puritanical health class in grade school, kids wouldn't seek out the cousel of shady dudes on their computers.

Just a thought, interesting stuff though - this internet thing just keeps on changing.

http://www.news.com/Study-rejects-Internet-sex-predator-stereotype/2100-7348_3-6231050.html?tag=nefd.top

Worse than Moon Boots

2008-02-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

High Fashion is wierd. Wierd like Modern Art. If this isn't evidence that high fashion threads are clothes for a small amount of very silly, very rich people, I don't know what is. The only thing that comes to mind is "Derelicte!"

Job Market

2008-02-13T12:22:00.001-08:00

I remember my first foray into the job market. I'm not talking about my brief but awesome stint at Bruegger's Bagels (0-Cream Cheese in 1.8 seconds), I'm talking about my post-college days. I had the benefit of graduating in 2002 - worst job market since the depression. So I didn't (and still don't to some degree) know what I wanted to do, and the market didn't want me, but now the market is good. I've accumulated some contacts, I have more experience, the cache of a failed Hedge Fund on my resume, and a nice starting salary - but alas, I'm not happy in my current role. A quick email to an old boss and 2 interviews later I find myself with a job offer! I love it when things like this work out - and I'll make as much or more than when I worked at ye olde hedge fund!
Not only will there be more money, but I think they'll will be career direction! Gone are the days of studing for (and failing) CFA, now I can concentrate on client interaction and learning more programming. Not to mention this gives me a nice excuse to pick up some new shirts and ties, and maybe even a new suit or two! Well, I'm in a good mood! Me and my lovely fiancee are off to New York on Friday for a whirlwind gastro-tour and all is well in the world!

Let's just hope a bus doesn't hit me as I leave my building tonight - I'll be extra careful!

Step 3 - Telling Others

2008-02-06T07:05:00.001-08:00

I think this is the critical moment for the Dilettante - the point where this subject matter becomes part of the overall portfolio of knowledge, or passes through to the banal area of "I don't care." A great example of this I don't care, would be sports for me. I can barely remember people on sports teams because I'm just not that into sports. Either way, this part of the process is where said Dilettante starts to tell others of his recent "discovery." Now, if you have a wonderful, patient, and loving Fiancee like me, she'll tolerate you telling her about it all the time, but if not - you must find a ton of people to tell about your new British dress shirts, or new old-school razor, how much better digital coax when used in a home theater, etc...

I believe it is this evangelism that cements the knowledge in the head of the Dilettante. By telling others (and hopefully getting a positive reaction) about new NAND memory or why you hate real orchid plants, the Dilettante becomes committed to a viewpoint. In turn, those facts end up forming a larger portfolio over time of facts, figures, and opinions about a great many things. So next time some annoying guy in a pink shirt tells you about the difference between 2.35 and 1.85 widescreen and changes the topic to why Pharrell's "In My Mind" album was so awesome - you may just be watching the Dilettante process in full swing...

I made the switch!

2008-02-01T10:14:00.000-08:00

No, not to Folgers Crystals, but to Gmail from yahoo mail. I had to sing up for Gmail when I set up this blog and since then my hatred of yahoo mail has only increased. For those of you who don't use it, I'll spare you the horror. As for the rest of you, you already know how annoying it is to click on your mail only to be taken to a second homepage!

I am now a total googlevangelist. Their products really do rock. I love this blogger, I now use their calendar, igoogle, Google docs, and Google maps is the best (Double True). The only pain in the ass is doing all the switching. I've switched the most important things:

Bank Account

Credit Cards

Myspace

Facebook

Gamefly

Netflix

Cable

Bluefly

Charles Tyrwhitt

Amazon

But I know I'm forgetting some stuff. I'll have to continue to use my yahoo account until I can get all my old emails over. But I down with no more yahoomail. Good luck Yahoo/Msft!

Lables on Jackets

2008-01-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

I've seen this on the T for some time and back in college and I think it is a trademark of the rube or fashion backward. When sportcoats, suits, overcoats, or other business casual jackets/coats are sold (you'd definately see this in a department store) the left sleeve of a jacket has the lable of the designer loosley sewn on right above the cuff. The idea behind this is that when looking through a rack of suits, you can see the lable right on the sleeve rather than looking inside each jacket to see who designed it.

A good sales person should take this off for you, but I've seen many people leave this label on - assuming there is some cache that needs to be advertised by your suiting or coat. Of course, these people are rarely well-dressed in regards to the rest of their ensemble, but this really pisses me off to the point where I've almost said something to people about it - right there in public!

Back in college there was a kid Sang. Sang had a DKNY suit and left that tag on. I told him, "You're supposed to take that off, that is why it is barely sewn on." Of course, he wasn't going to listen to me, and left it on like a jerk. Sang had an excuse though. As a college freshman that was probably the first suit he had ever bought or even worn, so how could he know? Working people taking the T to work everyday should know better. At the very least take instruction from the best dressed men of our day. James Bond never had this lable on his jacket, not on Diddy's jackets either, or any runway modesl for suitmakers, or anyone!

Instead of these fashion offenders wearing a lable to communicate their style, all they end up communicating is their massive lack thereof!

But I'm worth it!

2008-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

So I've heard this line on many reality TV shows lately - mostly spouted by women in reference to material possession - mainly jewelry - and it drives me crazy - like moon boots! It is probably a bad sign when I start to notice stuff like this across such great programming like "Top This Party" and "Rich Bride, Poor Bride," but we have a writer's strike here people!
Anyway, I noticed this and it always seems like the people who are NOT worth "it" tend to say this. For example: A fat, bossy, bride was looking for a wedding band with her fiancee. When seeing a $14,000 ring, she claimed, "But I'm worth it."

A) I don't think this couple made that kind of money
B) This is the engagement band!
C) You are stupid

The only comparison I have to these types of people (and the rich, attractive ones as well) is my wonderful Fiancee. She NEVER asks for stuff like this, and NEVER says she is worth "it" in an attempt to cajole monies from me. But that is exactly why she is worth it. That is why I've gotten her a Louis Vuitton bag and more recently, a gorgeous engagement ring. She's great in so many ways, and deserves nice stuff - but I don't need her to tell me and she doesn't have to tell me either!

Shine those shoes...

2008-01-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not know, shoe shining is apparently a dying art - like proper shaving, and old-timey large-front-wheel bicycles. So I'm the type of guy who likes a stylish black dress shoe to wear just about every day to work. So I read in many a places that one should take care of his shoes and thus prolong their life.
Since all of my previous shoes have fallen apart or the leather has cracked, I wanted to believe this to save some money and keep rocking my awesome shoes. So I did what anyone would do, step two - to the Internet!

This is a peculiar issue as there seems to be a mishmosh of conflicting procedures on the net. There are several issues the net seems to be in agreement on:

1) Use shoe trees - they flatten and dry out your kicks

2) EZ shine or instant shine products destroy the shoe over time

3) Rotating you shoes will extend their life. (This is stupid because that is just wearing them less.)

4) High quality shoes, when properly care for, can last you 5+ years with resoling and what not. Unfortunately, "High quality" means handmade in the UK or Italy and starts at around $350. The argument goes that 350/5 is less than 100 a year for the crappy Kenneth Cole's I'm currently wearing.

What they don't agree on is just how to "properly care for" your shoes. Some say you need to clean, condition, polish, and then protect your shoes - EVERY WEEK! That is way to much work for me! Other's say just a clean and polish - but then my OCD kicks in - what do you clean it with? What is the best for polishing? What about mink oil- does that really condition the leather or just create a mess? Some people say Kiwi is good, others say it is crap - but where do you buy this stuff from? I don't need a whole kit, because I already have most of the stuff, but mine still cracked - was it just crappy shoes to begin with?

Well, I have a new pair of Johnston & Murphy shoes on their way to my apartment - so I'm sure this will not be the end of this tirade!

Step Two: To The Internet

2008-01-15T09:39:00.000-08:00

So, something has caught your attention, huh? Perhaps it is that store, the Art of Shaving and coupled with your newly found obsession concerning a better shave, you can't get it out of your mind? Or maybe it is a recent bought of spam/spyware on your computer opening up the possibility of a new one? Or maybe you want to buy some loverly lingerie for the lady in your life (yes, that was some alluring alliteration)?

Either way, it has bored into your mind - and being a dilettante, it probably has set up shop and even hung drapes in your brain. Alas, the next step is only logical - TO THE INTERNET! Now, it used to be books and opinions from other dabblers, but that god for the Internet. So what happens to me is a quick run to Wikipedia, corporate website, forums, blogs, and anything else - you end up becoming increasing educated on whatever your subject matter is. In my personal quest for a better shave, I've come to find out that Gillette razors are a load of crap and the old safety razors give a better, albeit with a little skill, shave - and the razors are 50cents a pop... I could go on and on about shaving, but this is about Step Two.

In the case of lingerie for the lady or yourself if you happen to be a lady - a simple look opens a universe of options - now who could just make a decision without becoming more informed? Then you have to find brands, better brands, history, what makes one item different from another, etc... That process applies to just about anything, whether it be corsets, plasma screen TVS, or fine timepieces.

At the end of this procedure, you'll probably buy something - or commit at a later date. But one thing you'll have for sure is a wealth of new information. This information sticks too because you NEEDED to find out the details. I don't know quite why it sticks (more in another post), but you end up with a passing expertise on vintage ladies stockings, what nanometer ram is coming out soon, and why a badger hair shaving brush is the best.

How does this happen?

2008-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

Since I've started to write this bad boy, I've been thinking a lot about how this dilettantery comes about. So I've brainstormed, geeked out, and put it into a process flow. So roughly it starts with being a curious person, but then it grows from there...

Step One - Perking the Interest
Step Two - To the Internet!
Step Three - Telling Others
Step Four - Weighing the Decision
Step Five - Just a Phase?
Step Six - Next!

I'll post more about each one of these to explain the process of the Dilettante as I see it. Starting right now!

Step One - Perking the Interest -
This is the beginning. Like I said, a person who is curious is most likely to be a Dilettante, so someone reading, and listening, and being on the internet is bound to be exposed to something interesting - so the Dilettante relates it to themselves. For example, having a painful shave in the morning? If you see something that relates to your interest (new shaving products) perhaps you'll now be attune to new ideas. Or you'll say to yourself, "There has to be a better way to do this!" That is how it starts - a better way, a new way. So, to the next step...

Back from Xmas

2008-01-04T06:52:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I've been away due to good old Xmas - and yes it was awesome. I've even had some great promotions of this blog at the dinner table. Anywho, I wanted to talk about the curse again. I feel it big time now - I'm currently dissatisfied with my job. I work at a big faceless corporation in a little cube. I make decent money, but you can always use more. I'm at a point where I should really know what I want to get into, but I still have no idea.

I routinely contemplate this while riding the T. I always ask myself what I would be good at, but I keep running into the problem of thinking I'd be good at a lot of things - and it seems that what I really want is change.

On one hand, I'd like to pursue Client Relationship Management - because I like to talk... at length. And I've had experience with many different areas within the asset management operations field. On the other hand, I think I'd like to try to work on programming because I think there is tremendous opportunity in the derivatives operations software industry. But am I just convincing myself of these opportunities because I don't like what I am doing now? Will I feel this same way in 6 months at a different job. Will something else perk my interest and I'll want to do that?

What will be interesting is a crap shoot to the dilettante, but there will always be something else. Always another thing to make a hobby/pursuit...

FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!

2007-12-20T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was riding on the T yesterday and these two jerk guys insisted on trying to cram into a full green line train. As the door was hitting one guy and people were telling him to get out, I gave him a little shove and he got out - at which point he came back up and said, "let's go!" To which I stupidly replied, "I'm not getting off, you get off." Only realizing later that he was challenging me to a fight.
So that guy got out, the doors closed and his buddy got in a shouting match with another guy on the T that was telling them to stop blocking the doors. This is where it gets interesting...
I zoned out and then the jerk hits the other guy he was yelling at! They started fighting right on the T. I pulled back the jerk and someone else pulled back the other guy at which point someone yelled, "Come on, it's Christmas!" After that the whole train was yelling at the jerk and I told him he doesn't deserve to ride the T and he was human garbage... At the next the entire car was telling him to get out and he bowed to that pressure. What an ass, but what an exciting commute!

Ye Olde HD Yule Log

2007-12-19T07:11:00.000-08:00

You may have seen the Yule Log program on your local cable access channel - usually seen while flipping through that block of crappy channels. This old Yule Log sucked - it was a crappy camera trained on a little fire. Occasional a dembodied hand with a fire poker stirs the fire in a most unitentionally comical way. However, instead of flying cars and robots, the future has brought us someting truly awesome - the HD Yule Log. If you love Christmas (as I do), you'll love the HD Yule Log. Not only is it in HD accompanied with Classical Christmas music and fireplace noises, but it is on demand! Just like Starbucks Holiday Lattes this is a sign of Christmas for me. Check it out if you have HD and Comast!

Is it because you're ugly?

2007-12-18T11:38:00.001-08:00

I just updated my Facebook page with some pictures of me - so I don't have the big "?" anymore. But as I did that, I added my highschool and looked up old classmates. Lots of them have the big "?" and now that I don't have one, I turned against them in a judgemental tirade you are now reading. Do you do that because you're ugly, or just lazy, or maybe you don't have any good pictures? Well, either way this is 2007 and you're not "The Blank" from Dick Tracy, so put your picture up there! There is no excuse, it is easy and fast, and you can even download free photoediting software to erase that horrible rash.

So, you think you're a foodie?

2007-12-18T10:54:00.001-08:00

I'm a huge foodie - this is one of the areas in my portfolio of interests where I am an actual do-er and not just a fan or hanger-on. I love to cook and do it well and often. While riding the T, I read books - book on food from time to time. I read this book that changed the way I saw our whole food production process and what we eat. It is called The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollen. Anyone who is into food and cooking should read this. It starts of by examining Corn, just corn. And Pollen goes on to show how government policy, the rise of huge agribusinesses, and the fall of the individual farmer have lead to a corn-dominated processed food chain. The amount of products and food additives that come from corn is staggering and you'll really start to look at labels even more.
Although I already buy a lot of whole foods and do most of the prep work myself, I took a look at the "Mrs. Richardson's Hot Fudge" we had in our fridge (it is real good!) and was surprised by two things:
1) It had more than 3 ingredients

2) It had at least 4 corn-derivitives as ingredients

I think I'll just make my own genache from now on!

Pollen's real point is that we need to reconnect with our food and really examine what it is we are eating. There is too much to get into here, but it is a great read for anyone who loves to eat and wants to know a little more about the system behind all our food.

New Year's Eve

2007-12-18T09:14:00.000-08:00

Again, the cunundrum - what to do on New Year's Eve? For me and mine, our first impetus was to go out to a great dinner - someplace like L'Espalier or T.W. Food. My next thought, was, "Damn that is expensive!" Moreso then regular! Why is it that NYE has become accepted as a time when we should spend so much for dinner, or a club, or a champagne toast? It would seem the goodly American consumer derserves a break after the Xmas shopping spree, but no - we endure to ring in the new year.
When I was 21ish, I loved NYE - another reason to get drunk! Now, as I age, I care about it less. Although I still love a reason to pop the bubbly, NYE has moved to the bottom of the list on my Favorit Holiday list - right above Arbor Day. What has moved up you ask? Halloween, it rules. So I say, the new National Party Day is Halloween, and as such we should get Nov 1 off as a national day of recovery and costume-putting-away.

Moon Boots

2007-12-13T06:38:00.001-08:00

Ok - I saw these on a girl today and I almost punched her in the face because of her boots. I looked them up on the internet - Moon Boots by ski boot manufacturer Technica. Oh my god, these are stupid. And yes, I know they are comfortable, but the only fashion statement is, "I'm a complete whore to trends, no matter how stupid I look!"

Noticed this lately

2007-12-11T07:18:00.001-08:00

So I noticed this picture in the window of Tiffany's pearl concept Iridesse the other day. It got me thinking... People complain about what is the ideal what is being sold to people these days, the beautiful cover girl, the ideal of thin, our society's obsession with youth. Now, I'm a guy so I'm usually down with that pressure (to a point), but I noticed this picture and thought it is a new step in the selling of the ideal... First off, I've also seen this style before at other places which (of course) I can't remember now. To me this style looks similar to a fashion designers sketch and it sells the ideal of a youthful, skinny, curvy, and rich woman without having an actual person behind it. Interesting I thought, since there is no person they can basically use an model that is not based in reality and doesn't age! I found this interesting - of course, I could be looking to far into the sociological impacts of this picture.

Are you a dilettante?

2007-11-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

You may be asking, "Am I a dilettante?" I know I certainly am one. I noticed this more and more as I have gotten older. A friend of mine in college who is now a real estate analyst once referred to me as a "Modern-day Renaissance man." Renaissance men were ground-breakers in their many fields, but a dilettante is most certainly not that. Here is a quick rundown of my many areas of passing expertise...
A/V Home theater
Video Games
Interior Design
Financial Markets/Stock Picking
Clothes and fashion
Computers, networking (this blogging thing is new to me)
Photography
Ladies' fashions
Buddhism
Cars
Beer
Food and cooking
Fine watches
music, and hip hop production
and the list goes on....

Basically what goes on is like this - I can talk to anyone who is a specialist in any field, or example, a coworker may be better than me in our shared responsibilities, but I guarantee they don't know more than me in another subject - like cooking... I'm positive I'm a better cook than any of my coworkers. However, I'm not a better cook than Bobby Flay, but I do know more about Hip Hop and financial markets then he does.
You may be saying, "Who cares if you know more about something than someone else. Isn't that just a cop out to make yourself feel better for your own shortcomings and being less successful?" Which brings me to my next point - and the kernel of the curse - which I'll address sometime - sometime soon - but who knows!

First time

2007-11-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

Hello one and all - I've made this blog to explore the phenomenon of the modern Dilettante. First, you may be asking, "What is a Dilettante, and who is this weirdo writing about it?" Well, let me tell you - a dilettante is a dabbler, a person who has a "superficial" interest in a great many subjects. Next you might ask, "What is this Dilettante's curse this guy is talking about?" I say curse because I feel it is a curse to be a dilettante (I consider myself to be one) - Generally speaking people of consequence tend to be specialists - people with passion in one area. People in my industry - financial services - tend to be this way. Passion for securities trading/analysis and nothing else. They can dedicate themselves to this completely and not bat an eye. I cannot, and I suspect no other dilettantes can either! Hence, this blog to explore this issue and also to show you the stream of conciousness that is the Dilettante's mind!