ephemeral-deliberations

Spoke Too Soon

2006-11-30T08:24:00.000-08:00

Typical Warriors last night...had my hopes up of sweeping the week and finishing the homestand strong. It looked good -- so good -- for most of the game. We dominated the shooting percentage, blocked 15 shots and played moderatley well -- certainly well enough to win. But a couple botched plays at the end really shifted the momentum -- the refs missed a crucial goaltending call and two 3 point daggers were sunk by Harrington and Jackson....we failed to secure a rebound at the end and that was the game ..... Terrible. Heartbreaking and crushing.

Warriors

2006-11-29T10:44:00.000-08:00

The Warriors are a surprising 9-6 and have two Eastern Conference teams coming in before playing 10 out of their next 16 games on the road. Ouch. I'm approaching the season with guarded optimism, but things look OK so far...The emergence of Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis has me excited -- so much so that I traded Carmelo Anthony for them in my fantasy league. I know, probably a stupid trade but at least it ups my interest in Warriors games.

I need to try and post more...

Maui Invitational

2006-11-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited because I leave for Maui on Friday for 6 days -- the primary purpose is to go watch my UCLA Bruins in the Maui Invitational, but it will also be nice to relax and enjoy the sunshine for a few days. I've been watching the Maui Invitational for as long as I can remember and I can't even describe how excited I am to be going -- its another great field this year featuring UCLA, Memphis, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, DePaul, Purdue and the host school Chaminade. It's played at the Lahaina Civic Center which is basically a high school gym so our seats will be amazing -- frankly, I can't wait.

Oh yeah, I'll be missing a couple classes and will need to do some work on the plane, but it'll be all good (I figure I should write something about school since people come here to read about Haas). I'll also find out the results of my class bidding today -- I am hoping to take Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Financial Management, Entrepreneurship and Business Model Innovation in New Ventures. We'll see what I end up with once the dust settles...

Golden State Warriors Update

2006-11-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

Well, a 1-2 rod trip doesn't sound ideal but there were some promising things to take from the losses against Utah and New Orleans and the win against Dallas.

1.) Mike Dunleavy's time is being drastically cut
2.) Monta and Biedrins emergence -- Monta's turnovers notwithstanding
3.) A tightened rotation
4.) Ike playing well until rolling his ankle in the NO game

I am still concerned about JR -- he is nowhere near the player he was last year and its clear he struggles on defense and creating his own shot (even more so before knee surgery)...

Good Times at Henry's

2006-11-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

As predicted, UCLA got smoked by Cal -- interestingly enough, we kept it close in the first half but 2 brutal interceptions and a great punt return by DeSean Jackson sealed our fate. When does basketball season start again? Oh yeah, it starts soon as I am headed to Maui to watch my Bruins kick off the season in college basketball's premier pre-season tournament. Should be sweet.

The bright side to Saturday was the pre-party at Henry's. Always the best place to be before a UCLA-Cal game, I saw tons of people I hadn't seen in years, drank too much beer and had one too many shots. All this was probably a good thing because it definitely dulled the pain of the game...

Same Crap Product, Different Year

2006-11-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

Ok, maybe I am having a knee jerk reaction to one bad game, but last night's opening night loss for the Warriors to a Lakers team without Kobe ranks with one of the most frustrating I have ever had to deal with when it comes to the Warriors franchise. I have had season tickets for a long time now and last night was BAD. Seriously, I hate this team. Ok, I don't hate them -- I love the Warriors, but man, this cycle needs to stop. So much was made of bringing in Don Nelson, an uptempo style of play, better free throw shooting, more team play -- and what did we get? We got last year's team -- except maybe worse if you can believe that.

I am going to try not to single out any players here because they were all pathetic -- does it count if I name players with the caveat that anyone left out still sucked as well? That seems fair -- it is my blog after all. Baron Davis had dribble diarrhea all night. Dunleavy couldn't do anything. Murphy airballed a friggin' layup and he must be the worst defender in the league. Monta Ellis turns it over every other time. JR looked about 70% healthy. Roberson looked WAY out of his league. Did I mention that Dunleavy absolutely SUCKED? As I posted before, if Nellie could transform him from a WNBA player to a decent NBA player, it would be akin to turning water into wine. Looks like Nellie is no Jesus.

Holy crap, I am so pissed. I don't know if I can watch another game all year -- they absolutely kill me.

Sports Fans

2006-11-01T12:28:00.000-08:00

I have to rant about this. As you all know, I go to Haas -- Berkeley's business school. That means there are tons of students who go to the football games -- it seems like everyone is a Cal Bear fan. Why does this bother me? I really have no idea. It makes sense that the alleged "Cal fans" who went to schools with D-I football teams would be maddening to me -- after all, your loyalty is to your undergrad. Beyond that, you can't have 2 flippin' teams!! In any sport -- it's like having two wives. You have one team. One. Period.

What perplexes me is that I even get agitated at the fans who now claim Cal as their team -- after all, if they went to a small Podunk school, it makes sense that they'd cheer for Cal. But it still bothers me. Basically, I have discovered that people who mindlessly cheer on teams without knowing anything about them irritate me tremendously.

I'm probably just pissed b.c UCLA plays Cal this week and they'll likely wax us. At least we'll beat their ass in hoops -- of course, then those "die-hard Cal" fans won't be found anywhere.

There, that is my diatribe for the day.

Warriors Opening Night

2006-10-31T22:53:00.000-08:00

Yes, tomorrow my beloved Golden State Warriors open the 2006 season against the LA Lakers. I am cautiously optimistic, as I have been the last 12 years, that we might be lucky enough to make a playoff appearance this year. I doubt we will, but anything is possible. Hey, some people still think George Bush is the greatest president ever, so anything is truly possible.

UCLA got crushed this past weekend by WSU, so that sucked -- but at the end of the day, we'll always be a basketball school based on tradition and booster money allocation. We might have a few good football years here and there, but for most UCLA fans that just serves as gravy. Florida and Texas are the best football/basketball schools out there, but their academics aren't quite the same as UCLA's.

Got an A- on my Service Strategy midterm -- happy about that considering the weekend prior was the ND-UCLA game and the weekend trip in Chicago.

Student Loans

2006-10-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

Even though I would never trade my business school experience, (note to readers: for those of you ever interested in an MBA, I am of the opinion that it will be two of the best years of your life in terms of learning new material, exposure to different industries and meeting some of the brightest people you'll ever associate with) the ever looming shadow of student loans is a pain in the ass. I don't even owe that much, but just the thought of handing over much of my signing bonus to pay down a big chunk of debt is painful. But like they say, everything comes with a cost -- put it this way, I'd rather place an $80K bet on myself and my ability to succeed than invest it any other way (unless I was prescient enough to buy Google stock, that is).

Next semester, my final one, I am taking Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Information Analyis, Inegrated Marketing and either New Venture Finance or Entrepreneurship. Should make for a good final semester.

Ouch

2006-10-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

Well, let me first acknowledge that the trip out for the UCLA-Notre Dame game was as fun as expected. In fact, for the first 58 minutes and 58 seconds, it was even more fun than I could have ever imagined. Somehow, some way, UCLA was beating Notre Dame in South Bend...the stadium was quiet and we were 1:02 away from a landmark win in Karl Dorrell's reign as head coach -- alas, it was not meant to be. The details are too painful to write about in detail, but suffice it to say that a struggling ND offense that we had held in check all day went 80 yards in 3 plays to seal our fate. What a game. It would have been SO sweet to win, but it wasn't meant to be. The luck of the Irish struck again -- I have a myriad more thoughts on this game...including why I am glad I don't live in Indiana, why Karl Dorrell is a conservative football coach whose days should be numbered (Hello Karl, you have a middle fo the road team with a chance for a HUGE upset -- go for the win.) and how football is life in South Bend.

I need to go on a massive diet after this weekend...a man can only eat so much crap and drink so much alcohol before his stomach completely revolts.

Recruiting Season

2006-10-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Even though I know my full-time gig will be exhausting and time-consuming, I am remarkably happy that I am not participating in any on-campus recruiting -- I see some of my classmates scurrying around in suits and it takes me back to last year's stresses, concerns and anticipation. i can definitely empathize with what they are going through -- the good news is that it is a great job market and everyone will end up with jobs that they want...Haas getting ranked #8 in BusinessWeek's latest ranking doesn't hurt either...

For any prospective students in interested in Haas, let me just tell you it was 80 degrees today and its slated for much of the same through the end of the month...not bad.

UCLA-Notre Dame game

2006-10-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

That's right -- yours truly is headed to Chicago this weekend to catch the UCLA-Notre Dame on Saturday in South Bend. We're going out with about 15 people -- staying in Chicago all weekend, but taking a 20-person bus loaded with alcohol to the game. Should be an absolute blast other than the fact that ND will probably beat us pretty bad. I can live with that though -- I'm going more for the road trip and having a good time in Chicago.

My part-time job is going ok -- it's tough to get some stuff done because some of the resources are severely lacking -- it is nice to learn and make some money though.

Went to a great restaurant the other night for a friend's birthday -- NOPA in the Panhandle. It's gotten a lot of buzz lately and I have to say its well-deserved. The food was great and the service was timely, yet not too much of a nuisance. Great ambiance, too. I would recommend you try it.

Haas #8 by BusinessWeek

2006-10-12T23:01:00.000-07:00

In a bit of good news, Haas was ranked the 8th best business school in the country by BusinessWeek -- a nice coup for the school. I'd agree that the curriculum is probably not as good as some place like Wharton for those interested in finance positions, but I was able to get a job -- and my friends will attest, I am NOT the smartest kid in the world...

Anyway, readmore about it at the BusinessWeek site...

Office Dynamics

2006-10-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't it odd how each office, no matter the industry, has a unique culture all its own? It really is amazing. My current office is extremely quiet during the day with people working away, but come afternoon, people are talking loudly, playing music and even watching movies in the conference room. Definitely a departure from my summer experience.

Now that I have accepted my full-time offer, I need to get comfortable with the fact that I will be spending 12 hours a day in a classroom and living in a hotel for 7 weeks. Yup -- that is the deal. The new associate class spends 7 weeks in NY undergoing training -- seems like a long time to be away if you ask me. Oh well, it'll be fun meeting my new colleagues -- hopefully, my office has a good incoming class.

In other news, did my annual Warriors season ticket draft -- I ended up with opening night versus the Lakers, Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets, Mavericks and Clippers -- I rounded out my picks with teams like the Hawks, Pacers, Sixers and another team that is slipping my mind. I have to admit, I am really excited for the season to start -- somehow, I feel like the team will be better this year -- even if they don't make the playoffs, I feel like there is a young core of talented players that can be the foundation of an eventual playoff team.

Movie Review: The Departed

2006-10-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

So, i went with a couple friends to see "The Departed" on Friday night -- before I get into the review, let me just comment that the new addition to the San Francisco Centre which includes Bloomingdale's is pretty nice -- we walked through the men's department to get to the theater and it made me want to go shopping for some new clothes. Anyway, I digress...

Simply put, the movie was excellent -- not for the faint of heart b.c there was a fair amount of violence and graphic gunshot scenese, but the movie came together very well. The performances of the star studded cast was also superb -- I thought both Leonardo DiCaprio and Jack Nicholson were fantastic -- the only downside was that the movie was really long and a tad predictable at times. Other than that, it was filled with great cinematography, a good plot and a few surprisingly hilarious moments especially courtesy of Alec Baldwin.

By the way, the new Century Theaters now boast Pleather seats -- comfortable, but they make odd noises if you move about too much...

Warriors Post

2006-10-06T12:30:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I posted about my favorite basketball team, so I thought with training camp underway now is as good a time as any to write about my squad. Each and every year, I promise not to get excited since the Ws always let me down....however, the hiring of Don Nelson has me pumped...I know the Western Conference is ridiculously stacked and the Warriors have not really changed their roster (except adding my man Dajuan Wagner), but somehow I feel like Nellie will add 10 or so wins to their record...I know it sounds foolish, but a man has to have something to look forward to, right?

Accepted my Full-Time Job Offer

2006-10-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well, after much thought and consultation with loved ones, I have decided to accept the full-time from my summer employer. It was not an easy decision given the short-term costs of the position, but I feel strongly that the long-term benefits will far outweigh the costs. Since I'll soon be back to working 90-100 hours a week starting next July, I will try and enjoy my second year at Haas the best that I can.

I would post more on this topic, but I have discussed it with my family and significant other so much now that I am burnt on the issue. I will post more in the coming days.

New Job

2006-10-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

So, it is my second week on the new job and I still haven't been given much substantive work to do -- I hope that changes soon, b.c as nice as making money is, I want to learn some new skills that will be applicable to my full-time job next year.

I decided that my next (and last semester) at Haas should be filled with practical classes -- I am thinking of taking Mergers and Acquisitions, Financial Information Analysis, Corporate Financial Management and something else. Sounds fun, huh? I know, not really.

The Office

2006-09-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

I don't watch a lot of TV outside of sports, but I have been faithfully watching the U.S. version of "The Office" now for quite some time. It's on Thursday nights at 8:30 (you're welcome, NBC) and it is flat out hilarious. Check it out -- you won't regret it.

Haas #5 in WSJ Poll

2006-09-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

I know this is old news, but the WSJ ranked Haas as the #5 business school based on recruiter feedback. Granted, I take this ranking with a grain of salt as any poll that has Harvard and Stanford ranked #14 and #18 respectively is somewhat questionable, it's still a proud moment. I know the students and staff are jacked up about it.

Here's another little tidbit I thought about the other day. There seem to be a lot of students who think that the MBA is the Holy Grail. That once they get it, there should be jobs lining up at the likes of McKinsey, Bain and Morgan Stanley. What people don't realize is that the MBA is a commodity -- a lot of people have them. The thing that is NOT a commodity is the individual. How are you different? What makes your story interesting? A lot of students I meet seem inundated with a sense of entitlement -- like they deserve something because they have an MBA. Well, the fact of the matter is that there are a ton of smart, driven people in the world with MBAs -- the way you'll get that prized job offer is not by being smarter, but by being who you are, figuring out what you want and driving yourself to get there.

Full Time Job Offer Deliberation

2006-09-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I have done a lot of soul-searching and spoken to all the people who are near and dear to me about my full time job offer. I like many aspects of the job, yet the whole work-life balance is not optimal -- at the same time, it offers a learning experience many other jobs just can not offer. So, what to do? Even more so, what to do when folks from the firm call every other day asking what I am thinking and what is holding up my decision. All I can say is that I am stressed beyond belief.

To be honest, I am leaning towards taking it at this juncture. I am planning on doing some more thinking over the weekend and hope to have a decision finalized by this weekend. We'll see how it goes...

Schoolwork

2006-09-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

I know I have mentioned how unmotivating it is to be a second year Haas student with a good job offer in hand -- but this week, I have found some internal motivation and decided that I want to get excel in all my classes -- so, this week I did all my reading, case work and HW assignments. It seems like a small victory, but trust me, the lack of motivation was a sizeable hurdle to overcome!

This weekend

2006-09-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got a really fun weekend planned for the next few days. It includes dinner at a couple new places I have not tried, drinks at a retro speak-easy (!) and a trip to Napa for some wine tasting. I don't know who reads this, so I can't put much more information here but suffice it to say it's someone's birthday and I want the rest to be a surprise...plus, my parents are coming up to visit my sister, so it will be nice to see them after their 3-week jaunt to China.

I'm really excited -- should be a weekend filled with great company, entertainment and weather (yes, I'm being understated on purpose).

Job Decision

2006-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

This post will cover two job offers: First, I have decided to accept part-time job with a small investment bank here in San Francisco for 20-25 hours a week. I'll mostly be doing valuation work, analysis and research -- it will be interesting and prepare me well. In addition, it will pay $35/hr, so that will help with that nasty phrase, "school debt."

Second, I met with 8 folks from my summer employer for lunch yesterday -- it was nostalgic riding up the elevator I spent SO much time in this summer -- it was nice to see everyone and it wasn't quite as high pressure as I thought. Clearly they'd like to see me accept, but I think they understand the deliberations I am going through. It's a big decision and I can't make it in a vacuum -- the repercussions will affect a lot of people and I want to make sure I make the best decision with the information at hand.

Decisions, decisions

2006-09-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot of decisions need to be made soon on the future employment front. With an offer from my summer employer on the table, I need to decide if that is the path I would like to take. Aside from that, there is the decision between staying in San Francisco or branching out to Los Angeles or New York. Each locale has their appeal to me -- clearly SF has the advantage of my family, friends, the outdoors and the fact that I know the people in the office. Not to mention, my season tickets to my beloved Golden State Warriors. LA has its appeal in that the weather is fantastic, the location is on the Westside near UCLA (can we say Bruin games) and its close to family and friends. Plus, the industry I would be working on would be media/entertainment and that is interesting as well. NY is a whole different beast -- better for my career, FUN town, new experience and good to mix it up a bit.

Of course, there are downsides to each as well -- SF: Maybe I know the city too well? Need a change? LA: TRAFFIC and the fact it is somewhat of a cultural wasteland. NYC: Won't be building any equity in a home, rather spending every hard-earned red cent to live the "lifestyle." Not to mention cold weather. And humid summers. Anyone who knows me is aware that my body does not do well under extreme humidity.

So, decisions are at hand. I will keep both of you posted.

Robin Hood

2006-09-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

I read a fascinating and inspirational article in the latest issue of Fortune illustrating the work a group of wealthy individuals from Wall Street is doing to promote the elimination of poverty and championing education in NYC. This type of non-profit is something I'd like to get involved in within the next 5-10 years in a leadership type role. If you are interested you can read it here:

Job Offers

2006-09-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

So, I received an offer from the private equity firm I interviewed with this past week -- it is for only approximately 20-25 hours per week, but they pay decently and it is a field I am interested in. I am waiting to hear back from another firm, but it looks promising.

Cramming to read a couple cases and prep them for tonight, so can't write much now. The weather is gorgeous here in SF today, so I am hoping to get out and enjoy it.

Miscellaneous...

2006-09-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

I was in LA this weekend with some friends and had a great time just hanging out, having drinks and watching some football. After this summer, I have been making an effort to spend as much time in sunny locations as humanly possible.

I have my final round interview with a private equity shop tomorrow. Hopefully it goes well and I get an offer to work there part-time during the school year. It's an area I am interested in and getting a little money on the side wouldn't hurt.

Bruins looked bad this weekend...but at least the running game looked better. Hopefully we play a complete game against the Huskies in two weeks.

On a school note, my accounting class might be the most brutally boring course of all time. I didn't pay one iota of attention tonight and all my friends were playing online poker...let's hope that it gets better...

Private Equity

2006-09-07T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, lately I have gotten the urge to learn more about private equity -- it is a tough field to get into, usually helped by several years of investment banking experience at a top tier bulge bracket firm. I have two interviews tomorrow with P/E shops here in the Bay Area. Not really sure what to expect -- I haven't really brushed up on my interviewing skills and not prepared at all. I guess I will just have to wing it and see what happens.

It'd be nice to have an in-year internship where I both learned a lot as well as made a little cash on the side. Going back to student life is tough, although the end of summer bonus from my internship will certainly help...

Thieves

2006-09-06T13:06:00.001-07:00

Well, my Labor Day weekend was great outside of the minor issue of my apartment getting broken into -- the bastards stole my laptop, my iPod and my digital camera. Granted, all these things can be replaced but its such a pain in the ass to do so -- more than anything, I'm upset that all my digital photos, business school stuff etc is on my computer. In short, I had to call the credit reporting agencies, my credit card companies and my bank to alert them -- I don't think the thieves took anything besides those three items, but wanted to be on the safe side.

On the positive front, I received an offer from my summer employer. It's great news because I worked incredibly hard this summer and it's nice to feel like someone at least recognized that fact.

Anyway, better get some school reading done....my motivation is at zero these days, but need to get it at least to B+ territory.

Don Nelson

2006-08-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

A lot has been made of the Warriors (my favorite team) hiring Don Nelson -- sure, it evokes memories of the glory years of Run TMC and small ball etc. However, I guess I am not that hard to please -- to me, making the playoffs would be gravy -- let alone somewhat of a pipedream in the loaded Western Conference. His return would be considered successful in my book if only 2 things happen:

1.) Somehow convert Mike Dunleavy from a marginal WNBA player into a credible NBA player. I am not asking for an all-star, mind you...just someone who shouldn't be ashamed to call himself an NBA basketball player. If Nellie could do that, he would be elevated to Jesus stature after he converted water into wine. I think Nellie's task will be more difficult.

2.) Convince Baron Davis not to launch 845 three pointers this year while simultaneously discovering how an NBA guard can be so fat and out of shape all the time. I mean, really? You play basketball 6 months a year and you are still constantly out of shape? Lay off the nachos, Baron. And try drawing fouls every now and then, you pansy.

Job Interviews

2006-08-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

So, after some careful contemplation, I think I'd be well-served to get a part-time job this year to do little things like pay rent, etc. I know, it's a novel idea. The question is, what exactly do I want to do in order to earn a little cash? I'm hoping to get a position with a provate equity shop, but won't hear until the first or second week of September.

Went to a private event at the Asian Art Museum last night and had a great time. Checked out some really interesting exhibits, drank some wine and enjoyed some excellent company. After that, we were going to head over to NOPA but it was too crowded.

My folks are headed to China today so I am taking them to the airport...they should have a great trip. Come to think of it, I need a vacation too...

School Starts

2006-08-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

School started last night which was bad enough in itself, but then to deal with all the stupid, inane questions people ask in class was almost bad enough to make me stab myself in the eye with my pencil until I pierced my brain. Seriously people, there is something which is pretty cool, created not too long ago and has a bevy of information -- it's called the damn I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T. So, instead of wasting my time and tuition wondering how many companies there are in the US or how the SEC can monitor all of them, look it up -- trust me, all your classmates will thank you and you'll be spared 2nd degree manslaughter charges when all of them decide to jump off the nearest ledge.

Ok, that made me feel better.

It's definitely weird trying to motivate to study. It's so different going from a project driven, 24/7, urgent environment to one where its pretty laid-back and it is what you make of it. I am starting to think I am almost thrive off the former.

On a recreational note, I was hoping to go somewhere this weekend but since I have been out of town every weekend since my internship ended, I figured I should stick around and do some studying. Plus, headed off to LA again next weekend so wouldn't hurt to get a bit ahead in school work.

2006-08-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

It was brought to my attention that I should post more now that I am not working so much and have some free time on my hands. However, my weekends are filled with out of town trips and my weekdays fly by -- you'd be amazed how quickly time flies when you spend 2.5 hours at the gym, grocery shopping and cleaning up the house. Not to mention meeting friends for lunch and taking the occasional nap. Life is good.

That said, I do need to make some important life decisions in the coming weeks. All in due time, but it is occupying at least small portion of my thoughts -- not too much, mind you.

School starts next week and I'm not looking forward to it at all -- I don't know what it is, but I didn't miss is whatsoever. At all. Scary. I guess I'll go through the motions, get good grades and graduate...but it still seems like a relative inconvenience.

Gotta get out to visit my brother in Austin soon -- I hear its a fun town. Just need to find the right weekend...anyway, that's it for now. The gym is calling and I'm obligated to answer.

Vegas

2006-08-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

I guess I should post something about my trip to Vegas. Stayed at the Wynn. Nice pool, nice club. Went to Tao for dinner -- as always, very enjoyable. All in all, a great trip.

Unreal as it seems, school is about to start again -- I'm not dreading it nor am I looking forward to it. I guess more than anything, I'm somewhat ambivalent about the whole thing. This summer really took it out of me and I need some time to re-charge before settling into the whole school mode again. For the next week, I plan to do nothing but sleep, get outdoors, work out, play basketball and see friends. And no drinking -- I think I did enough of that in Vegas to last me until 2007.

Last Day

2006-08-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's the last day of my summer internship...more on that later, but as of right now I have only one thought on my mind....Vegas, baby, Vegas. Leaving tonight for a little sunshine and gambling -- honestly, what could be better? Ok, maybe winning a few hands and some sunshine, but that's hoping for WAY too much.

Relaxation

2006-08-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, this must be how the other half lives. My weekend was spent watching "Talladega Nights," having drinks with friends, working out/playing basketball and just generally enjoying the sunshine. It's almost strange -- it is Sunday night and I feel absolutely zero stress -- it's actually the first time in 4 Sundays that I have not been in the office until 3 AM.

By the way, "Talladega Nights" was pretty damn hysterical -- the funniest part of the whole movie is that it essentially makes fun of rednecks/hicks and their lifestyle -- yet that population probably went in droves to watch the movie. Ah, the irony.

Headed off to Las Vegas next weekend following the last day of my internship. It'll be nice to relax, do a little gambling and just relaxing by the pool. Trust me, I need it.

9 Days and Counting...

2006-08-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

My internship lasts 9 more days -- the last few have been pretty good as the workload has lightened and we've been able to leave at a decent hour. It's good to know that the whole summer was not 100 hour weeks b.c I am not sure that is a sustainable model.

The weather has been awesome, so I am looking forward to a restful weekend enjoying the sunshine (knock on wood -- now watch, I will get staffed for the weekend). Going to go watch Talladega Nights at the recommendation of my brother -- not that he has the best cinematic taste, but he does seem to have the "stupid movies that make you laugh" genre nailed.

11 Days and Counting

2006-08-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

That's right -- only 11 more days until my internship is over and I can resume normal sleep patterns and maybe even go on a vacation. Not that I am counting the days or anything. I thought yesterday would be an entire day off, however, it did not come to pass. I went to the office at 8:30 PM and did not leave until 3 AM. Now, I'm headed back for another round -- thank goodness for the nap room.

One additional note: In my humble opinion, Subway has to be the single worst sandwich made on the face of the Earth. I can't explain why the chain is so popular, but I've got to think people have better taste than to eat processed meat slopped onto yeasty, nasty bread. Really people, it is disgusting.

Good Weekend

2006-08-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Finally, a weekend with minimal work stress -- sure, I worked on Saturday but it was pretty decent work and fairly interesting. I went to the Giants game Friday night and I went out afterwards -- had a very good time and got to see how the normal people live.

As I mentioned before, I worked all day Saturday and then went to dinner at Coco500. The former Bizou, it has been remodeled extensively and the menu has undergone a major facelift. We had a nice bottle of wine and shared a vareity of dishes -- most notably, the squash bottom flatbread was unbelievable as were the sizzling prawns. Throw in some excellent service and it was a splendid outing. Granted, my guest fell asleep at the table so maybe I need to work on my conversaitonal skills, but hopefully its an anomaly.

I even got to do my laundry today at a more humane hour -- and got to soak in a few rays of sunshine outside. Have a basketball game tonight and then will stop into the office to take care of a few things before the work week commences.

New Hope?

2006-08-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

Even though I still worked til 1 AM, today was a good day -- worked with a really cool guy and learned quite a bit. Even got a nice pat on the back for a project I did this week that admittedly did not go that well in my humble estimation. I guess its days like this that make the job worthwhile.

Off to sleep -- have a 7:30 conference call to make in the morning.

Laundry Hour

2006-08-02T02:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't slept in nearly three days and yet I have to do my laundry -- otherwise, I'll be going to work without socks or underwear. Not pleasant for anyone.

I need to plan a vacation and get out of dodge for awhile before school and recruiting start up. Just need some time away to think about my future and what the next steps will be. Just the other day I was thinking about how people view success. I would say most people would include compensation in that equation -- but how many of those people would be happy making $1mm a year selling cars? I know I wouldn't. And that's part of the problem -- I take great pride in the company I keep so I am constantly seeking out the best firms to work out in terms of caliber of talent. Although this summer has been tough, I am surrounded by the most intelligent, driven and fiercely competitive people I have ever been around. That aspect I love. It's something I admire in people -- the ability to push themselves to try and achieve something great. I wish I had more of it in me -- but I really value life. And all the things that go along with it.

Don't get me wrong, I still crave success and competition -- I just need to figure out the right balance for me.

I've got a lot of things going on in my life these days -- some exciting, some mundane. It's not a bad balance, although it'd be nice to stop and smell the roses for once. I guess that is what my unplanned vacation will be for.

Sunshine

2006-08-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to someday escape the glass enclosure I live in and actually enjoy what seems to be a wonderful summer. Funny thing is, beautiful as the city seems to be, all I will want to do is get away from here...back to the salt mines and my personal veal pen...

Missing Something

2006-08-01T04:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I am now on my 44th hour without sleep -- getting used to this perpetual state of affairs, sad as it is. Today and tonight were really rough on me -- had a horrific day at work and just feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. At numerous points in the day/night, I wanted to throw my hands in the air and just give up. I feel beaten down and just want to concede -- not just from work, but from life in general (not that I will give up, b.c it's not in my nature to).

Sometimes people really let me down -- I think I'm a fairly nice kid and try to treat people well, so it always disappoints me when people don't reciprocate in kind. Just kind of disheartening.

I sat down tonight and tried to capture exactly how I was feeling -- a lot of emotions came to the forefront, ranging from frustrastration to exhaustion, but there was one thought that stood out....I miss my life.

Abnormal Sleep Patterns

2006-07-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

For someone who loves sleep as much as I do, I sure don't need it these days. I slept a precious 4 hours last night, then worked til 10 tonight and went out til 2 AM. Not bad. Got to wake up and play basketball tomorrow, then work the majority of the day and night. Good times.

I am going to eat a slice of pizza before I go to sleep in the hopes of reaching my goal of getting incredibly out of shape by the end of the summer. I think I can do it.

Dinner

2006-07-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

I'm fairly sedentary these days at work, probably only getting to the gym 4 times a week. So, why on Earth would I feel the need to eat approximately 8 pieces of bread before dinner tonight? Seriously, I must be TRYING to get fat. Fantastic.

New Topics

2006-07-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

It was brought to my attention the other day by a good friend and fellow glutton for punishment that my posts, infrequent as they are, all seem to revolve around the topic of sleep or the lack thereof. I suppose he's correct in making that statement, and I'd like to think of some new things to write about, but it's amazing how prevalent the idea of sleep becomes when you don't get any.

I've been giving some further thought as to what I want to do with the rest of my life -- or at least the next immediate three years. There are certainly a myriad of options out there -- I had lunch today with an entrepreneur who has his own lunch spot in the Financial District. It's this fantastic, organic salad joint called Mixt Greens. Everything down to the presentation is clean and just a well-thought out concept. Anyway, he was saying they do 700 lunch customers per day -- based on a quick, back of the envelope calculation, that's probably a yearly revenue number around $2M. Not bad considering produce is a commodity market and labor is relatively inexpensive. Plus he actually gets to be around people all day, makes his own decisions and is fulfilled by it. Not a bad deal. I wonder if he'd let me franchise?

Anyway, I suppose I should celebrate my freedom of leaving the office at 10 PM by actually sleeping. But I always need some time to wind down. It's been an interesting couple of days.

Write more later.

Sleep?

2006-07-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to write about after this weekend, but since I just got home from work the only thing I can think about is whether or not its worth sleeping for 2 hours before getting up again? I think I'll stay up and go work out and hope it gives me some energy.

Four Seasons Aviara

2006-07-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends is getting married this weekend and I am headed down to North County in San Diego for the festivities -- I even get to leave work early on Friday to attend the rehearsal dinner (knock on wood). Should be a good time as I haven't seen a lot of my friends this entire summer, so looking forward to just hanging out by the pool and relaxing. I do, however, need to return early on Sunday to get get back to the office -- too much work to do...

Laundry at 2 AM?

2006-07-18T02:05:00.000-07:00

Nothing like doing laundry at 2 AM on a Monday night to make you realize that there is not enough time in the day -- and I still have two more loads to do. Oh yeah, I also have a 7 AM conference call, work all day and then take a 10:20 PM flight. To make things even more interesting, I then have a 6 AM breakfast meeting followed by a 7:30 AM meeting. I finally get to fly home at 11:30 and head straight back into work.

I wish I had more to report. I keep waiting to see if the Warriors will trade for Al Harrington, but nothing thus far to report. Not that I think he is that great, but at least he would make them more interesting to watch.

I have decided that sleep is overrated. Who really needs it anyway?

The Weekend That Was

2006-07-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Friday night got off to a bad start as I had to stay at work til 9 or so. The evening got markedly better as I ment some friends out and proceeded to have a good time out on the town. Saturday morning came much too quickly, but it felt good to play basketball for the first time in 4 weeks -- that might be the longest time I have gone without playing since I dislocated my ankle 4 or 5 years ago.

My brother and his girlfriend had their going away party at Crissy Field and we all had a good time bbq'ing and just hanging out. My parents made it there, so that was cool as well. I thought I had to go to work that day, but alas, the entire computer system was going through an upgrade so I had the entire day off. I then proceeded to take the best 2 hour nap I have had in awhile -- this, of course, was by process of elimination because I haven't had a nap in a long time and I have had night's of sleep that were less than 2 hours this summer. That evening I went out to dinner and had a great meal at Fresca -- can't beat a good meal with a great bottle of wine...

On Sunday, I even got to play basketball again -- alas, my good luck ended there. As I write this, I just returned from work -- 1:00 AM on a Sunday. Good times.

Traveling for work in the middle of this week, so that will be a nice respite and a good experience.

Anyway, that's it for now. I need to wake up at 6 AM to do laundry or face going to the office without socks or underwear.

A wise man once told me that time is the only currency there is -- I think that's quite true.

River Rafting

2006-07-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

I am off for a river rafting trip for a couple days so will be out of pocket and no exciting posts in the meantime.

One quick thing to note -- school starts up again in about a month and a half...the summer has gone by fast.

Italy Wins the World Cup

2006-07-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts on Italy's win today:

1.) Even though I know it's likely the only solution barring blatant disregard for players' physical health, but winning a game on PKs seems cheap to me.

2.) Seriously, something needs to be done about the diving and faking in soccer. These guys get brushed (by a 150 lb Frenchman, no less) and they go down like they've been gunned down by a sniper. Get up and stop whining, you sissies. They're incredible athletes -- start acting like it.

3.) Zidane's headbutt was classic -- what a terrible way to go out. The only thing I have to ask is what language was the Italian speaking to Zidane? He must have talked dirty about his mom to get Zizou to react like that. Personally, if I knew I was going to get kicked out, I would have made sure to really hurt the guy -- why cheap shot someone, get kicked out, but not really inflict the damage you wanted? From a purely pragmatic standpoint, it doesn't make sense (not that I am advocating violence of any sort).

Anyway, those are my brief thoughts on the game.

Other thoughts:

4.) Patrick O'Bryant is 7'2" and he corraled 4 rebounds in 2 games. Seriously? He should get 4 rebounds by accident.

5.) Gorgeous weekend in SF -- can't complain about the weather.

A Brief List

2006-07-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

You know your life is skewed when you get home at 11 AM and celebrate (well, internally at least) the fact that you are off work early. That and the fact that North Korea didn't successfully launch a missile that hit the west coast. Must admit, happier about the second than the first.

I got to thinking the other day, I wonder how many people read this blog? I am guessing approximately 4 people. So, I made a decision to cater my postings to those 4 people. After all, I have to be devoted to my audience -- without them, I'm nothing (that was a joke, for both of you out there that don't have a sense of humor).

Item #1: The Warriors made a trade today sending Derek Fisher to the Jazz for some flotsam and jetsam (in basketball parlance that = crapsters). Now, I actually don't have a real problem with this trade because they got rid of a player, while good, made way too much money for WAY too many years. As my good friend pointed out, it must be difficult being a GM when you are stuck with crappy players, sign more crappy players, then have to get rid of the crappy players in hopes that your judgment has improved to the point where you don't keep signing crappy players. And we wonder why the Warriors have missed the playoffs for 12 straight years -- its a self-perpetuating cycle of crap.

Item #2: I think I am definitely going to try and go to the Austin City Limits music festival. Sounds like a lot of fun and I'll need a little stress relief.

Item #3: My sister is finally getting hit with a dose of reality in NY -- in a way, I feel bad for her. However, the other side of me thinks this is the best preparation for what will be a very long two years for her.

Item #4: Who wins the France-Italy game -- my mind says Italy, but I really think Zidane and anyone who can be a stud while being named Thierry Henry has my support.

Item #5: I wonder all the time what I am going to do with my life. At this point, I have no clue...that frightens me.

Item #6: Crap, I have to iron a shirt for tomorrow.

Item #7: Crap = word of the night.

Item #8: Time for bed.

Independence Day

2006-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July to everyone. It's pretty gloomy in San Francisco as it usually is for the 4th of July -- although last year was quite clear and you could see the fireworks in all their glory. I think this year will be a different story as the fog is expected to ruin an otherwise spectacular show.

It's crazy, but my brother is moving to Austin with his girlfriend very soon -- it's unbelievable how fast time flies. It doesn't seem like that long ago that he was stressing about applications and calling me every single day asking about the process -- now, he's almost en route to Texas. That said, there are benefits to him moving to that strange state. First of all, I'm looking forward to visiting to attend the Austin City Limits Festival in September. It is supposed to be an awesome time and this year there are artists like Gnarls Barkley, Thievery Corporation and Massive Attack -- and those aren't even the headliners. Aside from that, there is also the possibility of visiting for UT football games which should be a great time.

Although many people are celebrating Independence Day with BBQs and the such, I have to go into work for a few hours. Yes, I know -- it sounds like great fun and you wish you could join me. However, unfortunately for you, you'll have to settle for drinking a couple beers and hanging out with friends as an alternative.

Then its back to the work week -- I've got a bunch of deadlines looming over my head, which never feels fun. It's almost impossible to make weekend plans these days because work has a funny way of interfering.

Enjoy the fireworks wherever you may be watching them.

The 4th of July

2006-07-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Again, I feel so liberated after leaving the office at 8:30 today -- granted downtown was deserted all day, but I've learned to take small victories where I can get them. I spent the greater part of yesterday at the Fillmore Street Fair with a few friends -- it was my first entire day off in the past 3 weeks, so I managed to have a few cocktails. And all the fried food any human should eat in one day. I mean, I had a corn dog. Who eats corn dogs past the age of 12?

Today was uneventful -- going out tonight with a few friends, so that'll be mildly entertaining I'm sure. I just want to venture out and enjoy the precious free time that I have.

Anyway, I'll manage to post something non-work related in the near future -- hopefully soon.

The Aftermath

2006-07-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Well, last night was the big dinner -- not surprisingly it went well. Her family and I have always gotten along great, so it was no surprise that we were able to pick up like nothing had ever happened. They even invited me to her sister's birthday party tonight, but I politely declined because I don't want to make things harder for my ex. I'm not one to go into much detail, so let's leave last night it at that. Bottom line: Doing something like that is never easy and maybe not even the smartest thing to do, but sometimes you have to ignore your rationale and do what you want to do.

Anyway, no work for me today for which I am grateful. Will probably get a workout in and head to the street fair by my house. Then it's back to the grind tomorrow.

Departure from the Norm

2006-07-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I know my posts are usually quite vague and probably somewhat bizarre, but today I am going to post about something less ambiguous and more personal.

I was invited by my ex-girlfriend earlier this week to go to dinner with her parents and her sister/brother in-law this evening. I'm not going to delve into the personal side of things between me and said ex, but will say this will be the first time we have seen each other in two months. To compound it, it'll be in front of her whole family -- to say the least, I am pretty nervous/anxious. Debated quite a bit if attending was the right and best thing to do for me from an emotional point of view. Am I intentionally leaving out details/emotions? Sure, I am -- but that is none of your (both of you loyal readers) business!

Bottom line: I love her family. Absolutely adore them and always have. Outside of my own family, I have never been treated better or more kindly by anyone in all my 31 years. So, if the opportunity arises to see them, I am going to take it b.c they mean a lot to me. Regardless of the situation between the two primary actors, I hope to always keep in touch with them b.c they hold a special place in my life.

The Wrong Side of Midnight

2006-06-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

Hmm, another 8:30 AM - 1:45 AM day. I think the subject of the post says it all -- definitely the wrong side of midnight. Again, walking out of the building and having the most substantive conversation of the day with a taxi driver is a humbling experience. I know I'm not alone in this experience, yet it feels like it sometimes. My hours are so odd that I rarely see anyone -- that is, except for the people I work with.

My house is perfectly clean b.c I am never here -- I'm a bit behind on mail and bills, but I can do that in a few hours (should have that in a couple months or so).

The unfortunate thing about posting at 2 AM is that my brain is fried, my body is exhausted and my rationale is twisted. Actually, the last piece is a constant. At any rate, I have been really front loading my work this week to ensure a weekend of relative freedom.

Well, I think its probably time to hit the hay -- another day in front of me before the weekend.

Warriors Draft

2006-06-28T23:37:00.000-07:00

To say I am disappointed would be putting it mildly -- I can't believe they picked Patrick O'Bryant. Oh well, I would write more but I am so happy to be out of the office that I can't focus on it -- plus, I suppose there are more important issues in the world.

Life is full of tough decisions -- Chris Mullin had to make one today and he failed miserably. Poor guy. I keep fixating on it, but how do you make the right choices in life? I am torn on a few major things right now, but not sure what direction to go in. It eats at me everyday, but yet I still can't find the clarity I am seeking.

Tomorrow is a new day -- hopefully one I can attack while well-rested.

Stealing Time

2006-06-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Stealing Time" is a phrase I've taken to using now that my time has been severely compromised. For instance, I'm stealing time right now because it's 7:45 and I should be on the bus -- instead I am doing something I want to be doing. Or, I'll steal time when I hang out with people that I enjoy being around but understanding the reality that it'll be a long time before I see them again. Funny thing about Time -- he'll always come back and get you. These past 10 minutes typing will probably result in some sort of wretched penance that manifests itself in a 3 AM night.

Again, NBA draft today -- I am sure I'll be distracted come late afternoon. Let's hope the Warriors get lucky and end up with either a good player or make a shrewd maneuver via trade. I think back to the past two years and I was always watching the draft from the comfort of my own home. Life changes fast.

The Left Side of Midnight

2006-06-28T00:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a great night -- left the office before midnight. Something tells me that will strike a few people as odd -- hell, it strikes me as odd. Anyway, it's always weird to walk out of a giant office building in the middle of San Francisco -- I always feel like I'm the only one in the city. It's not exactly a lonely feeling, but maybe not the best feeling either.

The NBA draft is tomorrow -- hopefully my Warriors make something happen. As in something good -- I doubt it because that franchise is doomed.

I was extremely distracted today for a myriad of reasons -- caught myself staring out into the fog on numerous occasions. Not thinking much, but just drifting off for one reason or another. I wonder how many people actually believe in fate? Some think things happen for a reason and that life has a funny way of equalling things out in the end. Others think you control your own destiny and you're responsible for defining your fate. I don't know -- I was thinking about that today. Do you just let things wash over you and leave things up to fate? Or do you try and exercise some control over certain situations?

My personality definitely falls into the latter, but I have been experimenting with the former. I think it's intrinsically very difficult for someone like me, but I figure I should give it a shot.

Hmm, kind of a non-sequitur post. Oh well, not much makes sense at this point in the evening when you're going on consecutive nights of 4 hours of sleep.

Do The Right Thing

2006-06-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Not only one of my favorite movies, but also (drum roll, please) the theme of my post today. Although I should be going to work, I felt the "right thing" to do was to post something that I have been thinking about. Sometimes picking the right path is easy -- opening the door for old women, letting handicapped people sit down in the designated seats on the bus, etc.

However, other times its not quite as clear as to what the right thing is -- what do you do then? I think the crux of the issue is that it's always a conflict between what you think in your head and what you feel in your heart. Which one do you choose? It's not always easy -- I feel like I have encountered a slew of these situations lately -- some I handled well, others not so well. Not sure why I felt like writing about it today, but it's my blog and I'll write what I want to. Just was thinking about it today as I woke up. Anyway, I'm sure I'll face more of these in the coming months -- I just tell myself to imagine being in the other person's shoes and how they would like to be treated -- and go from there.

By the way, on a tangential note, I think a lot of people mistakenly think that how your friends/family think of you defines the person that you really are. I think that's true to a point, but in reality, they'll always think you're great. In my opinion, the true measure of a person can always be found by asking the people that they interact with on an everyday basis -- people they aren't close to. For example, the person who serves them coffee every day, the doorman, the security guard and the janitor. If individuals aren't nice to them, chances are they aren't that nice to begin with -- it's my standard litmus test.

Front Loading

2006-06-27T02:01:00.000-07:00

7:45-1:45. I am no math major but that strikes me as an 18 hour day. That's ok though -- I was able to take a 2 hour dinner (albeit from 9:00 - 11:00 PM) to see some friends and catch up. Plus, I am trying really hard to front load my week (more 18 hour days ahead) because I have plans Saturday night that I don't/won't miss. If that means killing myself this week and early Saturday, so be it.

Anyway, was a decent day -- although the days and weeks morph together. I have a pile of unpaid bills (very unlike me) and I haven't had a chance to hit the store to get things like toothpaste and shaving cream. I'm to the point of squeezing out every last ounce from the tube. Maybe tomorrow at lunch I'll have an opportunity.

Anyway, that's it from me.

The Importance of Sleep

2006-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

The work week ended yesterday and we had a little office happy hour -- fun to hang out with people in a different context. I wanted to go out afterwards, but I think the combination of working 15-17 hour days this week plus the prospect of working all weekend made sleeping a much more enticing proposition.

My head probably hit the pillow around 11:30 PM and I didn't get up until 9:30 or so -- that is a ridiculous amount of sleep in one night for me...I am hoping to make a couple parties tonight, so time to go to the office.

Delirious

2006-06-23T02:01:00.000-07:00

It's 2 AM and I just rolled in -- and need to be back at 6 AM. Really? Good night.

Boarding an Airplane -- How Uncivilized

2006-06-22T01:18:00.000-07:00

Not that I have much time to think during the days, but since I had to cancel a client meeting I was supposed to attend due to other work obligations I got to thinking about airplane travel.

I think there should be a rule made that anyone not seated in the section announced should be banned from boarding. After all, they only LOUDLY announce that only those patrons with tickets in "zone XX" should stand up and board -- they even go so far as to ask those not seated in the specified zone NOT to stand up so as not to block the aisle. Yet what happens? They start calling for handicapped and passengers traveling with children and the entire terminal rushes to crowd the entrance. What is with that? Do people just ignore instructions? Do people really want to get on the plane and sit that bad? It's ludicrous.

The only reason this type of behavior persists is because there is no punishment for it -- if the airlines would just institute some sort of penalty, then we could all board in peace without the hassle of playing luggage dodgeball trying to get on the plane.

Yes, I am tired. And yes, I am going to sleep now.

Tired

2006-06-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Exhausted. Home by 1 AM though. Must be back by 7 AM.

Proud

2006-06-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

Every now and again, something happens or we witness something that makes us proud. Even at this late hour and coming home after a long day, I've been thinking about how proud I am of three people in particular.

One is my sister who is by far the smartest kid in the family -- getting great grades at UCLA and challenging herself with her career choice. Let alone also being incredibly down to earth despite her achievements both academically and professionally.

My brother is also headed to b-school and that is something to be proud of as well -- especially for someone who spends their waking hours usually devising plans to either sleep, eat or party! He'll have a great time in b-school although let's hope he doesn't fall in love with BBQ.

The last is someone that I have seen evolve and grow into an amazing marketer over the years. Constantly pushing the envelope, developing their skills and diligently forging ahead -- it's all paying off now as I always knew it would. Not hard to have that much confidence in someone with those characteristics though.

All in all, I'm a pretty lucky schmuck to know them.

Only Cab on the Road

2006-06-20T01:36:00.000-07:00

I know it's a stolen line from the song by Train, but its amazing what you reflect upon during a 10 minute cab ride home at 1:30 AM. My work day went from 8:30 AM to 1:20 AM -- the sad thing is, I could have stayed longer but I had to come home to get some amount of sleep.

Riding home, a million things crossed my mind. The things I learned today, the people I met and the experiences I will have this summer and beyond -- but more importantly, I thought about the truly important things in my life. The life I am fortunate enough to have, the city I live in, and most importantly, the people I love and the people I love enough to miss.

I think all of us struggle with work-life balances. At the end of the day, for me, the priorities in my heart rank as: 1a.) Family 1b.) Friends and somewhere after comes my career. The unfortunate thing is that in most people's lives, not just mine, the reality is that we invert that order on an every day basis due to a myriad of reasons.

Coming home at 1:30 AM on a Monday night might be depressing to some, but for me it was an opportunity to think about the important things in life.

Paycheck?

2006-06-19T07:09:00.000-07:00

Today is my first day at work and I'm excited to start -- the downside is that I am also incredibly nervous since I'll be surrounded by incredibly smart people who are adept at their jobs -- as for me, I'm not that smart but I am willing to work hard -- unfortunately, not sure if that will translate into being adept.

That said, it'll be nice to make money again after months of taking it easy.

The Written Word

2006-06-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Someone recently asked me why I started a blog -- in hindsight, it was a fair question. In all honestly, I think I started my blog as a way to document some of my thoughts and opinions on a variety of subjects -- not in the hopes that people would read them and be somehow enlightened, but more to improve on my writing skills and to conjure up new ways of expressing myself.

Prior to embarking on my new career path, I was always writing -- but not in a creative way. I suppose this blog provides me with a forum to explore new styles of writing while simultaneously empowering me with the opportunity to write about things I am interested in. In addition, with a new career that will be focused on developing quantitative skills, this will ensure my skills don't get too rusty.

There are a myriad of ways people express themselves -- emotionally, through writing, speaking, through numbers, etc etc. I guess this is my way of at least trying to be good at one of the methods...

Moral Dilemma?

2006-06-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

I think most people that know me well would describe me as having a pretty solid moral compass -- I generally try to do the right thing and treat people the way I would like to be treated (generally). However, this week in NY I ran across a situation that gave me some pause. Ok, I am being dramatic.

Here's the deal: I was staying at a nice hotel and they had Aveda products ranging from mouthwash to shampoo and conditioner. Now, I generally appeciate the finer things in life (clothes, restaurants, etc) but have never really gotten into expensive products within the beauty department (except a nice pomade) -- I use Pantene shampoo + conditioner in one for crying out loud. That said, I know someone who does and would appreciate all these things. So, I used a tiny bottle of shampoo all week but horded all the other products on a daily basis so I could give these to said individual. I could live with myself at that point because I think hotels expect that behavior. However, my moral dilemma occured around 7 AM this morning as I went to work out.

I saw the cleaning person's cart outside my room with no cleaning person in sight. The Aveda products were practically calling my name. I glanced around (as if someone actually cared and was monitoring my movements) and I grabbed a handful and put them in my room. Oh wait, it gets worse. On my way back from the gym, the cart was STILL there. Again, it was like the Siren Song. So, I grabbed even more.

I know, it's not like I did anything THAT bad but I still feel sort of guilty. So, to repent (and just to be a nice person as referred to in an earlier post), I left the cleaning lady a nice $30 tip. It made me feel better even though I made the bed every day before I left so she didn't have THAT much to clean...

Reverse Polish Notation

2006-06-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

I love these reverse polish notation calculators -- not so much that I love using them, but I really enjoy watching people struggle with them. My brother's girlfriend is currently trying to calculate mortgage payments and observing her attempts is making me laugh -- it's like she's trying to split atoms over there. I mean, it's not THAT complicated. I think she might have better luck doing handstands on Jupiter than figuring out mortgage payments on my HP 12C.

One More Thing...

2006-06-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

By the way, one of the good things that happened this week was that a variety of people were shocked when I told them my age -- apparently, I still look relatively young because people thought I was 26-28. Not bad. Of course after the summer, I'll probably look closer to 36-38.

Being Nice

2006-06-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

After spending a week in NY, I started thinking about people -- it seems like the fast pace and intensity of the city make keeping up that pace and being nice mutually exclusive. Is it that hard to be a "New Yorker" while at the same time saying thank you to your server and holding the door open for strangers? The lack of common courtesy boggles my mind -- it's certainly a vast generalization, but it does seem to hold true for the majority of people.

Another observation: certain women in NYC sure are pushy/aggressive. If you're out and someone take a liking to you (not speaking from personal experience b.c no one ever takes a liking to me), all of a sudden it's like you're a three-legged gazelle on the Serengeti and they assume the role of the lion. Personally, I find this scary -- i mean, what about my sparkling personality and keen intellect?

Anyway, better pack. Looking forward to going home and seeing friends and family before starting work on Monday.

Headed Back to SF

2006-06-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Leaving for San Francisco tomorrow and it feels good to be headed back home. Not in a "I missed it so much" kind of way, but more in the "I wish I could get good Mexican food in NYC" kind of way. Wow, a La Cumbre burrito would hit the spot. Yes, my days are this boring.

I did have an interesting thought today -- how is that the market drops precipitously in the past 5-6 weeks, yet when news comes out that inflation is far outstripping wages the market bounces back because of a few comments Bernanke makes? That is one powerful guy.

Also, went to an interesting party last weekend with a few friends. All you can eat cheesesteak and beers. Honestly, I have never felt so sick in my life. Of course, we did happen to hang out with Robert Gallery of the Raiders which made the night much more entertaining...not as much if my friend carried out his bet of thinking he could beat Gallery for a sack of the QB. Keep in mind said friend is 6'2" and about 185. Hmm, not actually a fair fight.

Anyway, yes, not many coherent thoughts here.

New York

2006-06-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy here in NY -- working quite a bit and learning even more. Have not had a chance to see much of the city (not that I need to since I have been here many times)...I saw that my Pittsburgh Steelers not only have one of the most talented QBs in the league, but also one of the smartest -- riding a motorcycle without a helmet on? When you know you could lose your contract? After accidents to Jay Williams and Kellen Winslow? Really, how stupid are you? I feel bad for him in that he got so badly injured, but since he'll recover fully I don't feel bad for saying that I hope this teaches him a lesson.

Speaking of stupidity, I lost my cell phone today. I spent the entire day kicking myself for losing it in a taxi on the way to work this morning -- of course, when I returned to my room tonight, I realized I underestimated just HOW stupid I truly am. After stressing out, desperately searching for it, voiding the service and gathering new numbers from my friends, I came home tonight to the hotel to find a nice note accompanying my cell phone saying that someone found it in the lobby this AM. Fantastic. Genius.

Other than that, I lack the creativity and energy to write much more tonight -- hopefully I'll have an update for both of you loyal readers this weekend.

My First Year at Haas

2006-06-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Unlike some bloggers, I will not go into excruciating detail about my first year of business school. Rather, I'm going to provide a high-level overview along with one highlight and one lowlight that I hope will add some brief moments of comic relief to your everyday lives.

Overview: Learned quite a bit from the classes I was interested in, forgot everything from the classes I wasn't interested in, met some interesting people, got the internship I targeted and the year flew by. The unfortunate thing is that life outside of business school flies by just as quickly -- that is my word to the wise, always remember to prioritize and make time for the important things in life. So, that was my overview -- Haas is a great school and I would recommend it to everyone -- the thing to remember about business school is that it is what you make of it. If you just want your diploma and degree, you can do that. If you want to treat it as a social outlet to make new friends, you can do that too.

Highlight: Once, while sitting in marketing class, I was surfing the Web for sports scores while the professor was lecturing. Unbeknownst to me, one of my classmates apparently took offense at this so when she rose her hand to answer a question the professor posed, she punctuated her answer with: "and Jeff probably didn't hear what I said because he is always surfing the Web for sports." I was caught a bit off-guard by this -- to this day, I don't think I have spoken another word to this woman. Why would you throw me under the bus like that? I just don't get it. I would make some snide remark about her appearance, but that would violate the sensitivity training I am currently undergoing. After all, I am sure some men find her attractive. Anyway, I found this to be a highlight because I actually laugh when I look back on it. Plus, I got an "A" in the class.

Lowlight: Operations class. Honestly, does anyone outside of Bobby Joe in Nebraska care about queues and line manufacturing? This may have been the worst class I have ever taken and that includes home economics in 4th grade. Not only was the subject material incredibly dry, but our professor was brutal to boot. It took Herculean efforts every class not to fall asleep and equal efforts not to let my Incredible Hulk persona emerge and throw her out the window. To make things worse, I received my worst grade in this class thanks to the professor's ridiculously arbitrary class participation grading policy -- she must have sensed my hatred.

Bottom line: Go to business school to focus on what you are interested in -- after all, the end result is hopefully a new career that will challenge and motivate you to fulfill your potential.

Where is the Economy Going?

2006-06-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's my first attempt at commenting on something other than sports, food and Las Vegas. Seriously, reading that makes me seem like a caveman. Anyway...

I, like everyone else, have been watching the Fed continually raise interest rates -- 16 consecutive times to be precise. Just when we thought there might be a pause in the increases, it now looks like Ben Bernanke will be forced to raise the rate another 25 basis points due to rising inflation. In some ways, it almost seems odd -- interest rates rise, yet consumer confidence keeps rising thus pushing prices up. Huh? Now, the stock market is feeling the heat -- after the past year of near record gains, the markets are now getting hammered on a regular basis because traders are hedging their bets based on inflation and scared of an economic slowdown.

What does this all mean? Now, keep in mind I am not Ben Bernanke, but I definitely feel like we may be in for a mini-recession where job growth and the general well-being of the economy declines. Stay tuned -- there will be reports next week on consumer and wholesale prices which might serve as a bellweather of things to come.

Should Jordan Farmar Go Pro?

2006-06-09T23:28:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, the topic everyone is really interested in. Forget global warming, rising inflation and interest rates rising for the 17th consecutive time -- the real question on everyone's mind, at least those of us who are true intellectuals, is whether UCLA sophomore PG Jordan Farmar will go pro. I am kind of split on the whole idea.

Why he should return to school? Clearly Jordan needs to work on his ability to beat defenders off the dribble, improve his defense, work on his perimeter game and improve his overall court sense. What better coach to do that for than Ben Howland? With he and Arron Afflalo returning, UCLA is well-positioned to challenge for another Final Four appearance. Not to mention UCLA is not a bad place for a young, successful basketball star to reside -- if you get my drift.

Why should he go pro? Well, if he is guaranteed a first round selection, that means he will be approximately $6M richer. Not bad. In addition, a friend of mine used to say, "You play with the dogs, you catch the fleas." In other words, you only improve against better competition. Playing and practicing in the NBA would only expedite Jordan's learning curve. And from a purely material standpoint, I hear life in the NBA is not all that bad -- nice cars, luxury hotels and one or two lovely women chasing you at all times. Life could be worse. In addition, it's a weak PG class this year.

The verdict: In all honesty, and this is discounting me being a die-hard UCLA fan, I think he should return to school. He will only heighten his status in the eyes of scouts and he will have the opportunity to improve on every facet of his game. Not to mention, he could continue on his trajectory as the player in the NCAA history with the biggest ears this side of Ronald "Popeye" Jones of Murray State fame (yes, he also played for the Warriors -- 5 whopping games). Oh yeah, as an alum, I can say UCLA girls are nothing to scoff at.

Restaurant Review: Bong Su

2006-06-09T23:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's my first ever restaurant review. Over the past few years, I have often debated the merits of being a food critic. The pro's to the situation are overwhelming: you eat out every night on the publication's expense, you get to bring friends along for the ride, you have some sort of "power" (akin to the annoying bouncers on a power trip at whatever "in" club you happen to be waiting in line for) that can make or break a restaurant and it's just kind of fun to dine out every single night. The major con, as far as I can tell, is that the potential exists for extreme obesity to occur. That would suck. Not that I have ever been obese, but I can imagine the trauma that might ensue if I were.

Anyway, back to the review. Tonight, a couple friends and I went to a new Vietnamese place in town called Bong Su. It's the sister restaurant of a place in Palo Alto named Tamarine. The service was excellent and I found the food to be quite good as well. At first, the portions seemed a tad on the small side -- but then I realized my perspective had been tainted by my weekend trip to Vegas where all the portions were meant for overweight people wearing jean shorts from Kansas (I'm not really scared of any backlash, b/c I know my one reader is not from Kansas). We started with the quail stuffed with sticky rice and the calamari. No qualms with either, but I did feel the quail was somewhat difficult to eat. For entrees, we had the shaking beef, tamarine prawns (more like shrimp on flaxseed oil for all you Barry Bonds fans or Napolean-complex lobsters), garlic noodles with crab and Japanese eggplant. All were excellent, although the beef may have been a bit undercooked and underseasoned.

One short note on the attire worn by the staff: loved the women's outfits with the bare backs, but the male outfits have to go -- I mean, did they really wear Nehru jackets in colonial Vietnam?

Financial Modeling

2006-06-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

Since my summer internship will focus around financial modeling and analyzing financial statements, I thought it'd be useful to spend the past few weeks learning how to do just that. I start training in NYC next week and I'm looking forward to a summer of long hours, but filled with interesting work and interacting with accomplished individuals.

It's been helpful to review my past accounting and finance coursework to learn how to build an operating assumptions page that links with the income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. My Excel skills were pretty rudimentary, but I'm getting better at it -- I plan to spend a lot of time on my plane ride getting even faster with the keystrokes.

Vegas Baby

2006-06-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

Last week, two friends and I decided to head to Las Vegas at the very last minute. Before I begin, let me say my friends and I LOVE Las Vegas. Something about the city is invigorating -- maybe it's just the oxygen they pipe in, but regardless, the place is a Mecca of sorts for us. At any rate, I digress.

We arrive at 8 AM on Saturday -- we head out to to the pool and commence on some libations. Even though we are normally quite scared of people and generally act like wallflowers, (some of our friends may disagree with this commentary) we manage to meet a few nice people from Florida and chat with them for the majority of the day. To make a long story short, let's fast forward to the evening. All cleaned up, we head to Tao where we have bottle service set up for the three of us -- typical Vegas evening of dancing, chatting etc etc -- so for the punch line, let's hit fast forward again. At 2:45 AM, after two bottles of Grey Goose have been consumed, our friend from Sacramento has reached a stage where he is no longer speaking English. In fact, I believe we identified the dialect he was speaking at the time to be a rarely used one found in the jungles of sub-Sahara Africa.

So, good friends that we are, we decide to send him home ALONE in his clearly not so lucid state. Well, I manage to roll home at 5:30 AM (don't ask where the other 3 hours went -- I have no idea) to find him fast asleep. In hindsight, it was a victory of the human spirit that he managed to make it back to the hotel. Keep in mind, his flight was supposed to leave at 6:40 AM that day. So, at 6 AM, he wanders out of bed (drunk off his gourd)looking for the bathroom. Unable to enter the bathroom (due to shattering a glass earlier in his drunken stupor), he then proceeds to the closet -- to our horror, said friend then urinates in the closet before passing out. Horrific. Needless to say, he missed his flight and didn't get home until 8 PM...Vegas, Baby.

NBA Draft Musings

2006-06-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

True to my word, here is my first intellectual posting regarding the draft and being a conscientious objector. Ok, so this entry is neither about the military draft nor being a conscientious objector -- I just really wanted to use that phrase.

For all you TRUE draftniks out there, this is my take on this year's NBA draft especially as it pertains to the downtrodden Golden State Warriors. It's ironic that a team so bad, a team that has missed the playoffs 12 years in a row (in a league where over 50% of the teams make the post-season), can be deemed by many experts to not have very many glaring needs. HUH? I know I'm not splitting atoms in my down time, but that doesn't make much sense.

First point: The talent pool, in general, sucks. Even the projected top picks don't impress me that much. Tyrus Thomas? Yes, he can jump and he had a few good games this year. But he thinks he can play small forward in the NBA. Last time I checked, you actually needed to be able to do something other than dunk to play the "3" in the Association. Then again, Mike Dunleavy can't do anything well and he plays "3" for the Warriors and gets paid $8M a year to suck (Thanks, Mully). Andrea Bargnani? His highlights look good -- then again, in those clips it appears he may be playing against a team of Albino monks (no slight towards all you Albinism activists out there). I do like Brandon Roy -- polished and smooth. Plus, he's from the Pac-10 so props for that.

Second point (more of a musing): Who will the Warriors draft? Personally, I think they need to package the pick to somehow get a post presence. I love Adonal and all (he actually is a good citizen and smart to boot -- he's very involved in campaign finance reform), but anyone who watched when we drafted him knew he would have hands Edward Scissorhands would chuckle at. His clip at the draft will likely go down as the only time a lottery pick was highlighted MISSING a layup. You're 6'9"! Please dunk next time.

I'd like to take a guy like Shelden Williams or Cedric Simmons at the #9 slot if we end up keeping the pick. Both could be Antonio Davis type players in the NBA -- and loyal fans of the Warriors know we need someone who can block shots, rebound and score a little in the post. Plus, if we get rid of Murphy, Ike can score in the paint and we need someone to help him out defensively b.c he is just as bad as Murf in that department. My friend, esteemed season ticket holder partner, thinks we should take Patrick O'Bryant (POB). I haven't mentioned this, but I'm worried about my friend. He might be going blind. I've seen POB play, and although he manhandled Aaron Gray of Pitt (Yippee!), I have my doubts he'll amount to much more than a skinnier, less athletic Michael Olowakandi. If that doesn't scare you, I don't know what will.

Third Point: I usually adopt one player in the draft who I declare my "man-crush" of the year. Not in a sexual sense mind you, but someone who I think will end up being pretty good. Come to think of it, forget the "man-crush" term -- I think prospect might be a better descriptor. This year, I happen to think Ronnie Brewer will be an excellent mid-to late round pick. He reminds me of Josh Howard -- except without clear braces and significantly smaller teeth. They both have ugly jumpers, both are long and athletic and both can handle the ball and defend multiple positions. Oh yes, they both can get to the tin and finish well. I like this kid and think he can be a player.

Fourth Point: I now realize what a difficult job Chad Ford of ESPN has. I could go on and on, but I've likely already lost the one reader I had. Anyway, more on the draft in the coming days.

Welcome To My Pointless Blog

2006-06-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

After a title like that, how can you NOT want to continue reading? To all my dedicated readers (1 at current count), I feel obligated to warn you that despite my best intentions of crafting creative and insightful entries about topics ranging from politics to economic reform, the reality is that much of the focus will be on sports, friends and my business school experience. Did I mention sports? And the Golden State Warriors -- because at last glance, my friends and I aren't quite sure if they qualify as a legitimate sports franchise anymore.

Anyway, back to the introduction of who I am. I'm a student at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and am scheduled to graduate in 2007. Ok, enough about me -- the rest can be found in the profile section. As my friends and family will attest, I'm not that interesting anyway.