(note column was written on Friday, will have an update on the trip later on)
Sitting on a jet plane, heading to New York. The TV isn’t working and the bright stewardesses at JetBlue can’t figure it out, and they’ve said we’ve made progress…
Midterms for Spring A are done and I forecasted, Macro wasn’t so bad and Ops sucked ass. As I predicted, except that I thought Ops would be the easier of the two. Got dinged from Cisco yesterday, just surprised since I thought the interview went really well (apparently it did and I was the victim of a “numbers game” where there a lot of “immediate need”). Whatever……
Really looking forward to this weekend, get to spend some time with the lady, friends, and family. One of the biggest mistakes I made last semester was not going home until December, which definitely ate away at my level of sanity. So far I think I have a much better approach now, but we’ll see when the pressure to gain an internship only mounts even further.
It would be really easy for me to write about A-Rod right now given how much he has been talked about last week. I am going to wait until after he arrives for spring training and starts talking more to the media before I make up my mind what to think about him. There is definitely some holes in the story he told Peter Gammons, but we are going to hear so much more about him so I don’t want to jump the gun on this. A column is forth-coming, I guarantee you that. However…
The Brett Farve era in NY is over. Say what you will about his success in one year, but the guy was clearly hurt in the last 5 games of the season and didn’t resemble the guy who in mid-season was looking to be coming into form and lead this team into the playoffs. You want to blame someone, blame the Mangenius who wasn’t prepared to sit Farve to heal up and put the team in the best position to win. You just can’t start a quarterback with a bad arm and expect to win in November and December. The prudent move would have been to sit him for a week and played Kellen Clemens. Farve then could have at least tried to heal and be in a better spot to help the team win. Maybe this decision is why Mangini is out of here.
Question is now who do you get to replace Farve. The team seems to think Clemens isn’t the answer, but are looking for a guy who can replace the arm strength of #4 as a primary factor. I tend to think that isn’t the best choice. Let’s forget about the draft for the time being since whoever they take won’t help the team next year. And I think that is the big key…next year. This team is built to win within a 2 year window due to the age of their veteran players. Looking for a developmental guy with a big arm is not going to solve the issue of getting this team into the playoffs immediately. Rather they should seek an experienced guy with an adequate arm who can effectively manage the game and put the team in a situation to win. Kerry Collins would be ideal, but let’s assume he stays in Tennessee. Jeff Garcia probably isn’t a good fit, Matt Cassel isn’t happening, and Dante Culpepper isn’t what he used to be. That leaves two possibilities: Byron Leftwich and my dark horse candidate…. Chris Simms. Can’t you see him and Phil taking a limo-ride home together after a big-game in late December?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
How does this thing work?!
So I'm still toying around with the format for this thing. Stories and rants are great but it doesn't let me tell the current events of what goes on around here. I'm going to try to have a "Status Update" either at the beginning or the end of each section, depending on how it flows. Let's see how it works... this is, afterall, a work in progress.
Status Update: Midterms for Core A classes start tomorrow with Ops and Macro on Friday. On top of that, I got an interview tomorrow (I will not name any companies that I have interviews with until I am officially accepted or rejected, otherwise it'll be bad luck to talk prematurely). But then I get to go back to New York for Valentine's Day.... I know a certain somebody is going to be really happy ;-)
Speaking of New York, my buddy Ryan was telling me today that he had a "New York Burger" for lunch at our sorry-ass excuse for a cafeteria. I asked what exactly was on a New York Burger, to which he said "I dont know.... Thousand island?" That's not New York. Not that I know what that would ultimately mean. I take it back... it just means that it's awesome!!!
So in the spirit of the things I've decided to post my Top 10 Burgers. My buddies back home have done extensive testing to find NY Burger Heaven and we all have much different tastes and opinions on consumes the best burger around. Being that I'm on the west-coast, I hope to broaden my experiences and add to the list. This will be subject to change as I visit more places and will refer to it from time to time. You may see the phrase "(burger) tour worthy". I will admit that this is heavily skewed to the east coast, I just haven't been here long enough to find anything else, although I welcome suggestions!!!
And without further adieu, here's the Top 10 with my comments, yours are welcome:
Looking to try: White Mana, 5 Guys, 5 Napkin, something worthy in CA (aside from #6)
Status Update: Midterms for Core A classes start tomorrow with Ops and Macro on Friday. On top of that, I got an interview tomorrow (I will not name any companies that I have interviews with until I am officially accepted or rejected, otherwise it'll be bad luck to talk prematurely). But then I get to go back to New York for Valentine's Day.... I know a certain somebody is going to be really happy ;-)
Speaking of New York, my buddy Ryan was telling me today that he had a "New York Burger" for lunch at our sorry-ass excuse for a cafeteria. I asked what exactly was on a New York Burger, to which he said "I dont know.... Thousand island?" That's not New York. Not that I know what that would ultimately mean. I take it back... it just means that it's awesome!!!
So in the spirit of the things I've decided to post my Top 10 Burgers. My buddies back home have done extensive testing to find NY Burger Heaven and we all have much different tastes and opinions on consumes the best burger around. Being that I'm on the west-coast, I hope to broaden my experiences and add to the list. This will be subject to change as I visit more places and will refer to it from time to time. You may see the phrase "(burger) tour worthy". I will admit that this is heavily skewed to the east coast, I just haven't been here long enough to find anything else, although I welcome suggestions!!!
And without further adieu, here's the Top 10 with my comments, yours are welcome:
- PJ Clarke's (Midtown, NYC)- Flagship restaurant is much better than its sisters downtown and at Lincoln Center. It's amazing how the juice manages to stay in place and last til the end, onion strings and fries are amazing as well
- JG Melons (UES, NYC)- A close second, I like the thickness of the patty, as its different from most others on the list, but loses points on the fries.
- Burger Joint (Parker Meridian Hotel, NYC)- Best greasy dirty burger you can get. They serve the fries in a brown paper bag. It helps that this is a dive shack hidden and nestled into a 4-star hotel that you need to pass through a maze in order to get to.
- Shake Shack (Madison Square Park, NYC)- Yeah there's a long line, but it's well worth it on a summer day for a double stack patty with fresh fixins' and their sauce. Don't forget the shake! An upscale version of #6
- Costco (Anyplace you can find a Costco and a BBQ)- Ok, here's where im going to catch some slack. There's something to be said about a DIY grill job, and the meat here is awesome. Coat with Sassy Salt (from Market Basket) and cook at 4 min a side. The bun can make or break this, I'd go with Martin's Potato Rolls
- In N Out (Las Vegas, NV)- Hands down the best fast food burger on the planet due largely to their "animal style". So why Vegas? Well if you've never had one before and you've spent 4 nights there and haven't slept in 40 hours, it tastes REALLY GOOD
- Buskers (Hoboken, NJ)- They used to make this stuffed burger with cheese (I preferred blue) that was ridiculous. Then it went off-menu, now it is no longer offered. The regular burger is still good, but its just not the same. Admittedly living off past success
- Champs (State College, PA)- My senior year I think I ordered in from this place at least 2x a week, just excellent overall bar-food and goes great with a Yuengling
- RARE (Murray Hill, NYC)- They're Steak Burgers are really good quality of meat and the fry basket is great.... it's just way too pricey of a meal for burgers and fries
- Royale (LES, NYC)- Is it the 10th best burger that I've ever had? No... but you can't put a value on being able to order the "Royale with Cheese". The $3 pig-slap beer is worth brownie points too
Looking to try: White Mana, 5 Guys, 5 Napkin, something worthy in CA (aside from #6)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Where'd you go to school.... the University of DUH?!
As part of the summer internship search, I am going to be filling out a lot of online applications. These are really becoming the norm. So much so, that when I was asked to print out, hand write and then FAX an application back, I was shocked about the lack of technology involved. This is after-all from one of the top "financial services" companies in the world. I mean, who uses a fax machine anymore? That was so 2003....
Anywho, I'm filling out one for Disney and they ask the question "Where did you hear about us?" I can't fault them specifically for asking this as just about every employer has this on their application. But on the other hand, who in their right mind hasn't heard of them. Unless you've been under a rock for the first 20 something years of your life, you've certainly know about this company. As you do with Proctor & Gamble, Goldman Sachs, Anheuser Busch, American Express, etc.
Why do these companies ask a question like this? I don't know. I have two potential solutions that I'd like to see:
1) Change the question to "How did you find out about this opportunity?" You at least acknowledge that the person filling out has heard of you.
2) Add "Brand Recognition" as an option to respond to the original question
By the way, I don't know if this is specific to Berkeley or if it applies to all other top b-schools, but the word "brand" is easily the most abused word used on campus.
PS, Im watching the Grammy's right now and Jay-Z just come out to play with Coldplay. It is perhaps the strangest combination of rock and rap I've ever seen and its actually quite uncomfortable, especially because this is a really slow song (not the one that's been on the radio for the last year).
Personally, I love the Jay-Z/Linkin Park combination. I'd like to hear your suggestions for new Rock/Hip-Hop combinations. Use artists past or present if you like.
Anywho, I'm filling out one for Disney and they ask the question "Where did you hear about us?" I can't fault them specifically for asking this as just about every employer has this on their application. But on the other hand, who in their right mind hasn't heard of them. Unless you've been under a rock for the first 20 something years of your life, you've certainly know about this company. As you do with Proctor & Gamble, Goldman Sachs, Anheuser Busch, American Express, etc.
Why do these companies ask a question like this? I don't know. I have two potential solutions that I'd like to see:
1) Change the question to "How did you find out about this opportunity?" You at least acknowledge that the person filling out has heard of you.
2) Add "Brand Recognition" as an option to respond to the original question
By the way, I don't know if this is specific to Berkeley or if it applies to all other top b-schools, but the word "brand" is easily the most abused word used on campus.
PS, Im watching the Grammy's right now and Jay-Z just come out to play with Coldplay. It is perhaps the strangest combination of rock and rap I've ever seen and its actually quite uncomfortable, especially because this is a really slow song (not the one that's been on the radio for the last year).
Personally, I love the Jay-Z/Linkin Park combination. I'd like to hear your suggestions for new Rock/Hip-Hop combinations. Use artists past or present if you like.
San Fran-suck-O Radio
As an avid sports fan, I've been listening to sports radio for about 10 years now. It started with driving back and forth from work and now I will actually stream some stations on the internet from time to time. I really enjoy the debate that ensues during a program and also the potential strategies that teams "should" be enacting.... although I have my own opinions.
I guess I didn't realize how good I had it back east. There are 2 different stations back in NY, so at least I had a choice of whom I wanted to listen to. It got to the point where it was very easy to determine who I liked, who I didn't but appreciated their knowledge, and those that were full of sh!t and couldn't respect. Well here in the Bay Area, I'm limited to 1050 KNBR, an ESPN affiliate. I truly have the displeasure of listening to Jim Rome, who may be the most pompous arrogant sports personality in the world, I'm pretty sure he thinks he's G-d's gift to radio.
However, Rome is the least of KNBR's problems (well at least in my opinion, we'll get back to him another day). Their afternoon drive show is dubbed "The Razor and Mr. T". Now when you first hear the name, it sounds impressive. Like 2 guys who know their sh!t, tell it like it is, and may engage in some heated discussions. Well that show is like the Wizard of Oz, tough sounding but when you pull back the curtain, is just some shrilled up old man.
"Mr. T" envokes the thought of.... well, Mr. T... from the A-Team, Rocky III, and I Pity the Fool. A true bad-ass who'll knock your block off. Well, not so much here. "Mr. T" is Tom Tolbert, a journey-man back-up player in the NBA that appears to be pretty even keel. Now I don't mind Tolbert at all, seems like talking to the guy in the cubicle next to you, but I don't think he truly deserves the moniker "Mr. T", unless he can show a little mean streak in there every now and then.
Then there's the "Razor" and this is what peaves me. With a name like "Razor", you'd hope to have someone who's sharp and has an authoritative positioning. Not at all here. This dude Ralph Barbieri (as if the name Ralph shouldn't be a hint already), has a raspy voice that makes him sound like an old nebbishy neurotic nerd. Better yet, he sounds like Mort Goldman from Family Guy. For those unfamilar with the character, here's a link to describe the guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXpKNTBmpJ4
Now, does this sound like a guy you want to engage in a manly-sports dominated debate? Hell No!!! Here's a guy I'd love say my peace to, give an atomic wedgie, and flush his head down a toilet. Everytime this guys says something on the radio, I can't help but get frustrated, even if I agree with him. I can't stand this guy's voice. He kisses up to his interviewees, says how everything is fine and dandy, and is the eternal optimist who doesn't see reality.
Trivia Question: Who did the Miami Dolphins bypass in the 2007 draft to select WR Ted Ginn Jr. in a move that stunned NFL fans across the country?
If you're not an avid sports fan, I wouldn't expect you to know this. But if your JOB is to know everything possible about sports, you damn well better have the right answer. If you poll all the sports radio personalities in the country, 99.5% will know that it was Brady Quinn. Quinn was one of the most hyped quarterbacks coming out of Notre Dame, a Heisman candidate who was all over the media for 2 years. The Dolphins had a desperate need for a QB, and it was thought to be a forgone conclusion that they would take Quinn. Instead they bypassed and took Ginn (who hasn't amounted to anything yet) and Quinn free-falled from the #9 pick to #22.... marking about 3 hours he sat, waited, and nearly cried after being passed over and forgoing millions of dollars in the process. It was THE STORY of the draft.
This past Friday, while talking about the bust that is Ginn, Barbieri commented that Dolphins shocked everyone by selecting him, but didn't remember who it was. And there was dead time on the air... he clearly thought about it and couldn't figure it out. They never came back to it, hiding that they had a less than knowledgeable host. Is it the worst thing in the world, in isolation, no.... But it was the last straw for me, I can't listen to this dweeb talk about sports and not know what he is talking about. If you're going to sound like a nerd, you better talk the talk.
Per his wikipedia profile, the dude is a vegetarian. It might as well read "tree-hugger"(not insuating that all veggies are tree-huggers, just this guy). So Ralph, while you're wearing your tie-die shirts, eating tofurkey, sipping on organic lemonade and shriveling at the thought of getting laid out like Anquan Boldin, I'll be home eating my rare t-bone steak, drinking beer in my boxers and watching Ray Lewis knock out punks like you.
Now be a man, lose the wimpy voice, stand up for your thoughts, get tough, and know you sh!t.
I guess I didn't realize how good I had it back east. There are 2 different stations back in NY, so at least I had a choice of whom I wanted to listen to. It got to the point where it was very easy to determine who I liked, who I didn't but appreciated their knowledge, and those that were full of sh!t and couldn't respect. Well here in the Bay Area, I'm limited to 1050 KNBR, an ESPN affiliate. I truly have the displeasure of listening to Jim Rome, who may be the most pompous arrogant sports personality in the world, I'm pretty sure he thinks he's G-d's gift to radio.
However, Rome is the least of KNBR's problems (well at least in my opinion, we'll get back to him another day). Their afternoon drive show is dubbed "The Razor and Mr. T". Now when you first hear the name, it sounds impressive. Like 2 guys who know their sh!t, tell it like it is, and may engage in some heated discussions. Well that show is like the Wizard of Oz, tough sounding but when you pull back the curtain, is just some shrilled up old man.
"Mr. T" envokes the thought of.... well, Mr. T... from the A-Team, Rocky III, and I Pity the Fool. A true bad-ass who'll knock your block off. Well, not so much here. "Mr. T" is Tom Tolbert, a journey-man back-up player in the NBA that appears to be pretty even keel. Now I don't mind Tolbert at all, seems like talking to the guy in the cubicle next to you, but I don't think he truly deserves the moniker "Mr. T", unless he can show a little mean streak in there every now and then.
Then there's the "Razor" and this is what peaves me. With a name like "Razor", you'd hope to have someone who's sharp and has an authoritative positioning. Not at all here. This dude Ralph Barbieri (as if the name Ralph shouldn't be a hint already), has a raspy voice that makes him sound like an old nebbishy neurotic nerd. Better yet, he sounds like Mort Goldman from Family Guy. For those unfamilar with the character, here's a link to describe the guy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXpKNTBmpJ4
Now, does this sound like a guy you want to engage in a manly-sports dominated debate? Hell No!!! Here's a guy I'd love say my peace to, give an atomic wedgie, and flush his head down a toilet. Everytime this guys says something on the radio, I can't help but get frustrated, even if I agree with him. I can't stand this guy's voice. He kisses up to his interviewees, says how everything is fine and dandy, and is the eternal optimist who doesn't see reality.
Trivia Question: Who did the Miami Dolphins bypass in the 2007 draft to select WR Ted Ginn Jr. in a move that stunned NFL fans across the country?
If you're not an avid sports fan, I wouldn't expect you to know this. But if your JOB is to know everything possible about sports, you damn well better have the right answer. If you poll all the sports radio personalities in the country, 99.5% will know that it was Brady Quinn. Quinn was one of the most hyped quarterbacks coming out of Notre Dame, a Heisman candidate who was all over the media for 2 years. The Dolphins had a desperate need for a QB, and it was thought to be a forgone conclusion that they would take Quinn. Instead they bypassed and took Ginn (who hasn't amounted to anything yet) and Quinn free-falled from the #9 pick to #22.... marking about 3 hours he sat, waited, and nearly cried after being passed over and forgoing millions of dollars in the process. It was THE STORY of the draft.
This past Friday, while talking about the bust that is Ginn, Barbieri commented that Dolphins shocked everyone by selecting him, but didn't remember who it was. And there was dead time on the air... he clearly thought about it and couldn't figure it out. They never came back to it, hiding that they had a less than knowledgeable host. Is it the worst thing in the world, in isolation, no.... But it was the last straw for me, I can't listen to this dweeb talk about sports and not know what he is talking about. If you're going to sound like a nerd, you better talk the talk.
Per his wikipedia profile, the dude is a vegetarian. It might as well read "tree-hugger"(not insuating that all veggies are tree-huggers, just this guy). So Ralph, while you're wearing your tie-die shirts, eating tofurkey, sipping on organic lemonade and shriveling at the thought of getting laid out like Anquan Boldin, I'll be home eating my rare t-bone steak, drinking beer in my boxers and watching Ray Lewis knock out punks like you.
Now be a man, lose the wimpy voice, stand up for your thoughts, get tough, and know you sh!t.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Play Ball!!!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand..... GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY!!!! HOW ARE YOU TODAY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
So after long debate, I've finally decided to start blogging. Why? Beats me. I toyed with it at the beginning of last semester as a way to tell me stories about life in school to those back home. Unfortunately, I got ridonk-ulously busy and was way way way behind. For some reason today, I got inspired again and decided to strike while the iron is hot.
Welcome to "Off The Schneid"my way of diatribing to my circle and community. Most of you are probably wondering, "What the F&%$ is up with that opening line?" These are the famed words of Chris "Maddog" Russo, former co-host of the Mike and the Maddog Radio Show on WFAN in NY. It was the highest rated sports talk show in the area for over 20 years. And every day to start the show, 'dog would kick it off with the above phrase. However, it was done in a tone that was full of exuberence and energy but way over the top.
So what's the point? Well, first off I loved that show. But anyway, that is the kind of tone you will get on this board most of the time. And for those who know me well, you realize that the shoe fits. The content is going to be unfiltered, I tell it like I see it. I won't dance around a topic, it's going to be straightforward. I may ask for opinions to start discussions, look at this as interactive as possible.
Here's what's on the menu of topics:
Things that you wont see:
Please be warned that context of the blog may be considered: humourous, abrasive, biased, random, strange, insightful, perplexing, off the wall, offensive, silly, well intended, not so well intended, academic, benevolent.
Expect up to 4 of these per session, they will come out of nowhere. I will invent words from time to time and may refer to myself as Batman, just go with it. Do not take with alcohol and consult your physician if you have a ____ for 5 hours or more.
Well there ya have it. Welcome to the big show, and holla at ya boy!
So after long debate, I've finally decided to start blogging. Why? Beats me. I toyed with it at the beginning of last semester as a way to tell me stories about life in school to those back home. Unfortunately, I got ridonk-ulously busy and was way way way behind. For some reason today, I got inspired again and decided to strike while the iron is hot.
Welcome to "Off The Schneid"my way of diatribing to my circle and community. Most of you are probably wondering, "What the F&%$ is up with that opening line?" These are the famed words of Chris "Maddog" Russo, former co-host of the Mike and the Maddog Radio Show on WFAN in NY. It was the highest rated sports talk show in the area for over 20 years. And every day to start the show, 'dog would kick it off with the above phrase. However, it was done in a tone that was full of exuberence and energy but way over the top.
So what's the point? Well, first off I loved that show. But anyway, that is the kind of tone you will get on this board most of the time. And for those who know me well, you realize that the shoe fits. The content is going to be unfiltered, I tell it like I see it. I won't dance around a topic, it's going to be straightforward. I may ask for opinions to start discussions, look at this as interactive as possible.
Here's what's on the menu of topics:
- Sports- Particularly Football (College and Pro) and Baseball
- My experience in B-School
- Living in California
- Things I miss in New York
- 24
- Movie/Music that's awesome/terrible/surprising/disappointing
- Select business topics
- Mullets
- Cool Gadgets
- And other random bs
Things that you wont see:
- Anything that can get me fired/not hired
- Details on personal relationships
- Politics
- Hockey
- Social Ventures
- Renewable Resources
- Lost- (I'm too far behind)
Please be warned that context of the blog may be considered: humourous, abrasive, biased, random, strange, insightful, perplexing, off the wall, offensive, silly, well intended, not so well intended, academic, benevolent.
Expect up to 4 of these per session, they will come out of nowhere. I will invent words from time to time and may refer to myself as Batman, just go with it. Do not take with alcohol and consult your physician if you have a ____ for 5 hours or more.
Well there ya have it. Welcome to the big show, and holla at ya boy!
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