Hello Resh, Piki, Scrooge, Gaurav, Gopal, person from Holmdel, other person from Larchmont and the rest of you. Statcounter will now let me tag an IP address so its easier for me to obsess about who's reading me.
I need a life.
... it's funny to us how the Red Cross of all organizations can do something so flagrantly tasteless while Cartoon Network gets penalized for a bunch of Lite Brite Mooninites. Really, what the fuck, man?
We've done stupid dads, talking animals, women in bikinis, rape, humor, shock, poignancy, cavemen, rodents out of a cannon and hundreds of other hooks to get people to look at our ads. The meme of the moment now is suicide. GM did it. VW did it. Now we have children contemplating suicide for...lollipops. Yes, Chupa Chups thinks it's the end of the world without their lollipops with girls contemplating a jump from atop a doll house and boys contemplating death by milk. Surely the Center With Nothing to do But Complain About Innocuous Ads will have something to say about this one.
Like Wikipedia.org, the Drawball project proves surprising to some: people left virtually unregulated will work together to build something meaningful, even if the meaning can only be seen in the aggregate.
So went for dinner with the rest of the 'Round the World folks last night at Addis Red Sea for some Ethiopian food. Took the T there and walked from Arlington (my old feeding grounds) in the Boston freeze and would you believe it - the battery in my mp3 player ran out and I had no spares. Damn Chinese crap. So then I think, that's not so bad, I can listen to the sounds of the city as I walk through Downtown. Maybe I shouldn't be in my own headphone-generated universe all the time. So I get off the train and surface anticipating the sounds of music, laughter, excited chatter - the sort of stuff you hear in any metro downtown on a Friday night. No. Nothing. There was nothing. Sirens and traffic. But that's about it. Prolly 'cuz it was too bloody cold to speak, sing and laugh. It was so cold, my arse was numb. I couldn't feel my fingers after 3 minutes.
Addis Red Sea did a lot to take care of that. The atmosphere was cozy. The pictures on the wall are lovely. The staff is pretty patient especially when dealing with crazy MBAs all hyped up on Friday Night excitement. The stools we were sitting on were hugely uncomfortable - a table and a chair are really nice when you're eating. The Dukan wine was nice as usual although Gus ordered the same one and it tasted more raisiny than mine - younger wine? Who knows. Anyway, the food was very mediocre. I had a beef sambusa with the Lega Tibs both of which were definitely sub-par from other Ethiopian restaurants. The dessert and coffee (and of course the conversation) made up for it though. I had a mini caramel turtle cheesecake with some very nice coffee. All in all, a good time was had by all - as is evidenced by the loud giggling heard from the Eleanor-Wolfe-Gus corner, the EXTREMELY large bill and the dirty stares of lots of other people waiting for tables wanting to kick out the loud MBA group that took up 25 stools for 3 and a half hours. Splendid. Can't wait for the next one. Cuban, I'm told.
And I leave you with this thought -
How long does it take MBAs to settle a bill?
A really really long time - we're too busy delegating.
rone de aaj humko... do aankhen sujhaane de
baahon mein le le aur khudh ko bheeg jaane de
hai jo seene mein kaid dariya... woh choot jayega
hai itna dard ke tera daaman... bheeg jayega
Did you have a good long weekend? I haven't seen you for days. I miss you. I know I'm not supposed to say that but I do. I got used to having you around. Have you cured your insomnia? I haven't. I still sleep with my laptop next to me so when I turn over, I can see if you're there. But you haven't been there for a few days. It's only been a few days but it seems longer somehow. I guess I'm just lonely. I danced with my pillow last night. Can't remember the last time I did that. Actually, yes, I do. It was in that basement right after I had moved in. I would switch off all the lights and play sad songs and dance with pillows. Don't tell me you've never done that. I'll bet you have, if even in your head. That was when I drew her. The face in the mirror. In the haze of sadness and paint fumes, I drew as best I could. I think I want to be like this. I think I am like this. Sometimes I wish I wasn't her. She looks different to me every time I see her. The image is so familiar to me, yet alien. I don't think I could draw it again. I was listening to sad songs on the train back home today and it made me want a car so I could go driving in the snow with you, listening in silence. I wish you would ring me. You have my number. A subconscious sneaky play made sure of that. In my defence though, I wasn't thinking of now back then. But I think I'd like to talk to you. I don't have a clue as to what we would talk about but maybe we could listen to the silence. I walk around in the darkness sometimes and peer into people's faces when they smile at me, just in case they've recognized me. It makes me want to be invisible sometimes. (I am now inspired to write a detailed philosophical argument on the subject of how the 'always on' generation craves personal contact even more now that they've been weaned on the Internet). What did we do before the Internet? We definitely did not think about people as much, I'm sure.
Or maybe I always did.
should you choose to accept it, is to rent this movie and watch it.
Oh come on, you know you want to!
There's something totally classy about blowing coke up your nose with a McD's coke spoon. It ties you to America somehow, and to cheeseburgers, and to childhood.
In the '70's, McD's strange-looking stirring spoon gets adopted by the white powder cult. Panicked about becoming accomplices in the empire of blow, family-friendly McDonald's discontinues the multi-faceted units.
But this kind of thing doesn't die quietly. Artists Tobias Wong and Ken Courtney bring the hot spoons back - plated in 18k gold, disco-fever style. Pissed at their insolence, McD's released a cease and desist.
Oh come on. It's every fledgling brand's wet dream to be appropriated by some enthusiastic subculture. And who doesn't want the designer drug users (possibly now enthusiastic - and wealthy - pop-art consumers)? They define trendy.
Plus, coke-heads are generally skinnier than the obese protesters long courting the golden arches. They make natural retaliatory press. Getting fat? Forego the baked apple pie for a spoon. It's free! (Magic dust sold separately.)
It annoys the hell outta me that you think you can pop up on my screen after all these months and ask me seemingly innocent questions about my life. I don't care about your life anymore. I gave it my last damn two months ago when you popped up on my screen after two months of the last time you popped up on my screen. So don't do it. Don't pretend to care. Don't clutter my pristine desktop with your Ivy League sexist (not so sexy) ass. The only reason you want to know what's going on is because you're afraid I'm going to end up in the same place as you and kick your ass halfway to hell. Because you know that you left things in such a mess that if I ever see you again, I WILL kick your ass halfway to hell. So don't do it. Don't come anywhere near me. Even if it is online. I don't give a damn about you and I don't give a damn about your insecurities. So bugger off and don't bother me.
I know this is probably hugely photoshopped and that Burt Reynolds is old enough to be my great-grandfather twice removed but I'm strangely turned on by this picture.
Be sure to check out Meena Agarwal's blog on food, good food, how to make good food and the enjoyment of good food. I've used a few recipes and they always result in the kind of chow I'd like to eat - isn't that simply the test of good recipe? I recommend the pepper chicken. Chili shrimp looks good too.
Since I am not one to post nudie pictures on this blog (I post it elsewhere :)), you're just going to have to click to see. Quite frankly, given that all we ever think about is iPods and sex, its about time the two were put in the same context.
And yes, in case you can't tell, it's a nudie pic. So don't click on it from work. It won't be my fault you get brought up before the IT Director because you were surfing porn at work. Losers, don't you have spreadsheets to monkey around with or something?
Be sure to check out Mastering IT Strategy and The Fournism of Brands: Why we find them compelling, the latest BU blogs to enter the discussion. Feel free to comment and discuss with some very bright marketing and technology professionals.
NOTCOT does a brilliant cover of the OhMiBod... "a whole new way to plug 'n play." I think this device is genius. Khan does not see the incremental value in converging two sensing devices but from a woman's perspective, it give a whole new meaning to loving your music.
I can just picture all those stone-faced chicas on the T in Boston with their iPods rockin' to the beat. Dude, that would make taking public transport so much more interesting.
The Poilâne bakery in France is run by the founder's granddaughter, who holds to tradition while carefully integrating technology—and studying at Harvard. Now here's a success story in the making.
I was rudely woken up by the sound of Meg and her boyfriend being nauseatingly cute and loving in the morning. Why is it that when people are being loving there is giggling involved? Disgusting.
However, my annual distaste for the day was mitigated by Random Lifer making me laugh. Everytime I think back on that conversation, I have a marshmellow craving :)
Weather was hideous and I twisted the damn fool ankle on the way to school (yes, again). However, snow day was announced at 3 pm and extremely boring night class was cancelled. So I came home and spent most of it lazing about on the couch with Khan. All in all, a good Valentine's Day was had. Even if I didn't get any flowers.
BU's Symposium happened last weekend. Nothing notable to note except that one person brought up Web 3.0 which made me go all tingly all over. I shall write my paper on it and then blog about it. Big tings, mate. Big tings.
Officially off till Tuesday morning. Contemplated packing my toothbrush and an icepack and heading off the airport and getting on the first flight to anywhere but realized that would be rather boring all by myself. Salad and Bi want me to visit Seattle and Chicago (respectively) and I think Black Cobra comes up north (if driving conditions get better). I do kinda feel like getting on a plane to land into open arms and good friends and witty conversation and lots of fun. Alternatively, I could do with a date for the Aurora Borealis show this weekend. Who's game?
Foolishly, however, I have agreed to a meeting tomorrow at 1 and the BU MS-MBA Silent Auction on Saturday. However, I could technically blow off the auction and take a flight after the meeting. So. Where should I go?
Music of the moment: RDB
So on Friday last we (Dixon, D'va, Rani and meself) went to Basant Mela 2007, a grand production put together by the Paki Students of BU at Metcalf Hall. The acoustics in that place are horrible by the way. Lots of pretty little (and I do mean little) undergrad desi girls running around in impossibly high heels and mesmerizing salwar kameezes. Lady in the pink hypnotizing number, can I just say this one thing, WEAR A BRA! You're not 10 and this is not the playground, when you walk, you jiggle, and not in a good way either. After an entire hour of sound checks (the show started 90 minutes late), the BU Bhangra team came up and strutted their stuff. I have to say they were pretty damn good. All those youngsters leaping about with zest and vim. Even the one Chinese chick. Made my heart warm up to the snot-nosed freaks. Good job BU Bhangra. I'd dance with you any day.
Then Josh came on. That was nice. They sang a few songs. There were some technical difficulties (yes, even after the one hour sound check) but they were nice about it. All in all, a good time was had.
Then Rani, in a fit of utter madness, decided to accost the DJ backstage to invite the Josh boys out for a drink. Crazy idea, you say. Won't ever happen, you say. They're not going to go out for drinks with you, you say. Well, next thing I knew we were in a cab speeding over to Rumor to get our pretty lil' fannies into the VIP area to party it up with the Josh boys. Yes, that's right. You heard me. We partied with Josh. Resh, I can almost hear your groaning.
So anyway, the evening wasn't as magical as we thought it would be - and not because of the gorgeous bouncers (yo, Jimmy-boy, call me sometime) or the very nice Boston Police Officer we had the good fortune to meet (Kevin, how's it goin', where can I get a hat like that?!). It started with Josh (Rup, Q and DJ Pavan) having trouble getting into the club. They were standing in line. It was funny. Rani and I had to get them into the place. Then apparently their promoter was too busy doing the lambada with some chickie-poos so their champagne was not sorted so Rani (bless her) fought her way to the bar to get us drinks. She was pretty pipped about buying Josh drinks. An hour of pretty insipid conversation later (Pavan was spastic, Q was snotty but Rup was such a darling) and its closing time. So we troop our sassy asses out onto the street and yours truly spends the next 40 minutes hailing cabs and letting them go. One after the other. I would hail them because Pavan would decided to leave. Then I had to let them go because Pavan would decide not to leave. It was so VERY annoying. Rani finally got fed up and went home. I was told to hang around and then promptly ignored at which point, I went home. But before I got into that cab, Rup came up to me and gave me a very nice hug. That made it all better.
Here's the kicker - DJ P decides to message me at 3:30 am wanting to know where the party was at. Correct me if I'm mistaken, boy, but aren't YOU supposed to be the party?
Lame. Very lame.
Thank you Rani for a wonderfully groupie evening. I did have fun. You rock, babe. So do you, Rup. I'd farh kay your baah anytime ;)
Sade naal pau bhangra.. nach le o mitra..
Wolfe: wot car do i want to buy? the yaris, sadly, is out since it has only 4 cylinders
Storm: acura tl.. or a tsx v6
Wolfe: why and wot's a tsx?
Storm: acura tsx look it up
Wolfe: ok
Storm: given your fancy salary you can afford that one :D
Wolfe: no.. no fancy cars.. i hate fancy cars
Storm: no re
Wolfe: i want a yaris.. with 2 more cylinders
Storm: wtf is a yaris
Wolfe: it's a toyota
Storm: a toota.. ye gods
Wolfe: wot?!
Storm: it's ugly
Wolfe: no its not.. *being stubborn*
Storm: acura.com
Wolfe: where can i compare 6 cylinder cars?
Storm: edmunds.com
Wolfe: sigh.. this is too hard.. why isn't there one website that will let me build my own car?
Wolfe: i'm on edmunds
Wolfe: stupid drop downs
Wolfe: do i want a hybrid?
Wolfe: i get a tax cut if i get a hybrid
Storm: yeah why not
Storm: the new civic hybrid is supposed to be tight
Wolfe: wtf is flex fuel?
Storm: gas and ethanol
Wolfe: do i want flex fuel?
Storm: sure why not
Wolfe: you're useless
Storm: look
Storm: I drive a mazda 626 98 with bad suspension bent rims
Storm: and an engine that cries for mercy over 65 mph
Wolfe: dude.. YOU need a new car
Storm: no shit huh
Storm: no
Storm: I need a new dining table
Wolfe: !
Storm: because I dont have one
Wolfe: cars are more imporant
Storm: not really
Wolfe: !
Storm: owning a house is this year
Wolfe: well.. dining tables are overrated
Wolfe: you get a tax cut if you own a house
Wolfe: can you tell i just filed my returns?
Storm: exactly
Storm: I'm doing mine next week
Wolfe: this will be the last year i get lots of money back
Storm: yeah.
Storm: welcome to the worst tax bracket.
Wolfe: i have mixed feelings about this tax bracket
Storm: it's a total lifestyle love
Storm: you earn twice as much as I do
Wolfe: i was in the 15%
Wolfe: life in the 15% wasn't so bad
Wolfe: now i'm in the 28%
Wolfe: this is hard to swallow
Storm: amongst other things
Wolfe: stupid fica
Wolfe: don't be gross..
Storm: I wasnt
Storm: you took it to oral. I was talking about stupid medicare
Wolfe: well someone must pay for the elderly
Wolfe: if this country took better care of its parents, we wouldn't have to pay for their elderly
Storm: unlike us?
Wolfe: yes
Wolfe: we take care of our elderly
Wolfe: don't we?
Storm: of course
Storm: at 70 my parents are doing well
Storm: they dont need assisted living
Wolfe: dude.. this is why i need to make lots of money.. i'm going to die alone and nobody will take care of me..
Storm: we refuse to send them there.
Wolfe: don't send them there.. it looks and sounds horrible
Storm: it is
Wolfe: lots of bahus in the family.. let them take care of them
Storm: the sons too mind you
Wolfe: yeah yeah
Wolfe: but bahus are better
Wolfe: i say i want a v6.. but i really want a v8
Storm: no
Storm: v8 is too much overhead
Storm: a) more gas
Wolfe: i guess
Storm: b) more insurance
Wolfe: but i like the vroom
Storm: then buy a mustang
Wolfe: although living in boston, there isn't much room to vroom
Storm: please
Storm: 3 words
Storm: big.
Storm: effing
Storm: dig
Wolfe: yes
Wolfe: i agree
Wolfe: do i want rear or front wheel drive?
Storm: front
Wolfe: for the snow.. i always forget
Storm: rear will skid
Wolfe: ok
Wolfe: but best is awd
Storm: si senora
Wolfe: diff between 4 wd and all wd?
Wolfe: i thot cars had only 4 wheels
Storm: awd.. is when the load for traction is moved onto all wheels
Storm: oh christ
Storm: hang on
Storm: all wheel drive
Storm: it's the same damn thing
Wolfe: heh
Wolfe: ok
Wolfe: i feel like crap
Wolfe: how is it possible to be tired when i have not left this couch all day
Storm: its cos you feel like donkey shit
Wolfe: thank you
Storm: welcome
Storm: quite succinct eh
Wolfe: yes
Wolfe: there is diggage happening on the street outside
Storm: diggage sucks
Wolfe: my floor rumbles.. it tickles my toes
Storm: heh
Storm: no class today?
Wolfe: bunking
Wolfe: since feel like shit
Storm: haw
Storm: there's more little mosque on the prairie?
Wolfe: 3 episodes on utoob
Storm: nice
Wolfe: i've narrowed it down to 18 cars
Storm: list em
Storm: if I see kia
Storm: I disown you
Wolfe: Acura TL, Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Five Hundred, GM Pontiac G6 Sedan GTP, GM Saturn Aura XR, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata Limited, Hyundai Azera, Mazda MAZDA6, Mercury Montego Premier FWD, Mercury Montego Premier AWD, Mercury Milan v6 Premier, Nissan Altima, Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat
Wolfe: based purely on baseline specs
Wolfe: and under 30K
Storm: resale - honda, acura, maxima
Storm: camry
Storm: you want vroom you go maxima
Wolfe: yes.. i do like the maxima
Wolfe: i shall now attempt to remove some based on pricing with options
Wolfe: it's all very scientific you know
Storm: totally
Storm: interior and comfort has nothing to do with it
Wolfe: is it ok to want a v6? i'm not being greedy right? i mean.. a v4 IS inferior right?
Storm: it is
Storm: but it's also the smarter buy
Wolfe: yes.. it is smart.. i need a v6.. right.. must not second guess.. shall move on to price options!
Storm: you need a v4
Storm: that's a smart bet
Wolfe: i'm going to come up with the car i want by the end of this day if it kills me..
Wolfe: wot? wait..
Wolfe: i thot i wanted a v6
Storm: v6 is a little over the top
Wolfe: why is v4 smarter than v6?
Wolfe: no v8 is over the top
Storm: v4 is gas economy
Wolfe: sigh
Wolfe: yes but..
Wolfe: won't it splutter and die on the highway?
Storm: you want a v6
Storm: fine. v6.
Storm: baseline
Storm: move on
Storm: get gps for sure
Storm: you dont appreciate it till you can use it
Wolfe: i was thinking about that.. should i get GPS in car or GPS on smartphone?
Storm: in car
Wolfe: but then this way my GPS travels
Wolfe: for when i'm on the road.. renting strange cars in strange cities being a consultant
Storm: upto you
At which point, I believe he made up a fictitious meeting to get away from crazy car lady.
Also, can I just say, I have incredible hair volume. It could be from lying down all day. Goes very well with my gaunt ill face.
Dammit, I have to go to school tomorrow. I was getting used to this staying at home thing.
Thank you Resh.
Be sure to check out the rest of the episodes on YouTube.com.
Tell me something. How is it that the human body is perfectly willing and able to generate metric tonnes of mucus but will not absorb the most absorbent of creams to combat dry winter skin? Why? Why?
I'm dry and sick. Ugh. It wasn't so bad yesterday so I actually went to one class (it was a Hatten class, I couldn't possibly miss a Hatten class!) but today looks tricky. Getting from the bed to the bathroom to the couch has resulted in a fit of coughing and lightheadedness. No wait, the lightheadedness was always there. Wheee!
So like, if you're reading this, world, send me soup. Actually screw soup, what I want is a large pizza with everything (green peppers, black olives, green olives, tomatoes, pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, eggplant and feta cheese). I'm not so sick that I can't appreciate gourmet food. Don't forget the banana peppers. Or cake! Ooo, cake. I could do me some cake. What time do people start delivering pizza?
Wolfie, how sick could you possibly be if you're still obsessing about the feed-bag, you ask. Plenty sick, say I, pass the crushed red chillies and hand me an anti-biotic.
