I do love Post Secret cards and I am trying to think of a good one that will be moody, subversive, but slightly hopeful. The cause? Well, here is an update on schools. First the good news mainly with MA programs:
- Yale: Yes, but it is a one year "let me take your money" program and the professor I like is on leave (Jonathan Spence).
- Columbia SIPA: Yes, but then I remembered that even though I majored in politics, I don't want to be poor for the rest of my life. This school is expensive and probably not worth it.
- UCLA: Yes, but why even consider it when...
- Stanford: Also said yes and it is a decent 2-year program, you write a thesis, lots of latitude, but I have to check on their strength in modern Chinese history.
All these programs are at big name schools, but I don't believe they are that competitive for terminal master's degrees (as opposed to PhDs, where they are hyper-competitive). I am pretty sure they are just looking for bodies to fill seats.
SAIS, Haas, Andersen, and Stanford are all incommunicado = eat dirt. Other definitive "please drop dead" schools include: Harvard GSB, Harvard MA, Wharton, Chicago GSB, Kellogg, and Tuck. Luckily, Columbia GSB is there to graciously put me on their waiting list. Yessss, should know by "late summer." This whole process is 10 times as expensive as a prostate exam, and about as fun.
So I am trying to think of a Post Secret card that reflects my MBA / prostate exam indifference curve. Maybe something with a graph that looks like a bum. Maybe it is something in this econ paper with this awesome title: "Buridans’s Ass and the Austrian Conception of Indifference." (I am *awesome.* I think MBA admission should be based solely on google skills and donut eating abilities.)
I Am Alive
I have some other pictures from my race that I will post tomorrow and some recap info. I was searching for the results posted online, but they aren't available yet. It wasn't quite as hard as I thought it would be, just really long. I finished in 7 hours--without an ipod--and I got pretty bored by the end.
While looking for my race results I came across this beast of a man. I mean, 224 triathlons and 65 marathons, big deal right? So he fulfills the stereotype of an old crusty colonel in the army that even in his late 60s still competes, lots of old people run these races. The impressive part? Well, he does it all pushing (or carrying and pulling, in the case of triathlons) his adult quadriplegic son. (Forgive the cheesy music.) The truly shocking thing is that even with 100 lbs of dead weight (is the politically correct term vegetable weight?) he beats the pants off of me in any race that I have ever done. His best half-marathon time? 1:21. My best? 1:41. His best marathon time? 2:40. (26 six minute miles if you are wondering.) Just to put that in perspective, Lance Armstrong said he trained hard to get a 2:46.
I would feel a lot safer if I knew our military was made up of clones of this guy--grumpy old men that can tear you limb from limb.
While looking for my race results I came across this beast of a man. I mean, 224 triathlons and 65 marathons, big deal right? So he fulfills the stereotype of an old crusty colonel in the army that even in his late 60s still competes, lots of old people run these races. The impressive part? Well, he does it all pushing (or carrying and pulling, in the case of triathlons) his adult quadriplegic son. (Forgive the cheesy music.) The truly shocking thing is that even with 100 lbs of dead weight (is the politically correct term vegetable weight?) he beats the pants off of me in any race that I have ever done. His best half-marathon time? 1:21. My best? 1:41. His best marathon time? 2:40. (26 six minute miles if you are wondering.) Just to put that in perspective, Lance Armstrong said he trained hard to get a 2:46.
I would feel a lot safer if I knew our military was made up of clones of this guy--grumpy old men that can tear you limb from limb.
The Great (Fire)wall of China
Well, my big plan to catch up on my bloggering today has hit a snag. Apparently, blogger.com makes it past Chin0rz-ese censorship, but not blogspot.com. So I can post but I can't view my posts. That would be fine except that I tortured my blog template so much that I usually have to tweak individual posts to make them look all right. I am in Manila this weekend where, barring any revolutions, I should be able to get back in the swing of things. So, you know, that puts the odds at like 50/50 I think.
Some things you should look forward to:
1. Daft witticisms & acerbic insights (de riguer, really)
2. Embarrassing photos (the facebook-enabled can already see at least one of these)
3. Guns
4. Grad school developments
5. Ego-centric postings of various race photos
Also, this week will probably be my longest absence from blogs in my life! I run through my feed-reader at least once a day and now no-can-do. Boooo.
Some things you should look forward to:
1. Daft witticisms & acerbic insights (de riguer, really)
2. Embarrassing photos (the facebook-enabled can already see at least one of these)
3. Guns
4. Grad school developments
5. Ego-centric postings of various race photos
Also, this week will probably be my longest absence from blogs in my life! I run through my feed-reader at least once a day and now no-can-do. Boooo.
Catching Up On My Bloggering
I need to scratch some stuff off my growing list of bloggables, so these may be some marathon posting sessions.Chin0rz. I am off on a two week trip for work and stop #1 is Suzhou, China (an hour outside of Shanghai). I am loving the "bread things" (mianbao dongxi, literally) which are exactly what they sound like. I am not loving the weather--the attached picture is what it looks like at noonish. I am not sure if that is fog or pollution, but it puts LA to shame.
I am also not loving that I can't get sleeping pills without a prescription. I thought this was a proper developing country, what is with this whole "you need a prescription" thing? Riots in Tibet? I can handle that. Waking up at 5 AM every day for a week--INTOLERABLE!
Addendum
Columbia's School of International Public Affairs (SIPA) also said come on over. What is it about today?
Life of Sleeplessness
So I am in a particularly foul mood this morning after a night of absolute torture: I redid 3 sets of analyses that Manila screwed up and went back and forth with Graphics 12 times (literally) on a set of slides. This. Process. Is. So. Terribly. Grinding. And. Slow. My eyes are bloodshot after pretty much a long week of not sleeping. I have gone through a 12-pack of Diet Coke this week by myself. Long nights aren't a badge of honor like they were in high school. Frankly, I am embarrassed to admit that I am forced into this sort of work environment. Why don't I quit?
In this state of what only feels like heavy lead coursing through my temples and stinging the back of my eyeballs, I was pessimistic when I got an email from Yale saying my admission decision had arrived. My plan is to pick up a MA in Chinese Junk (get it, meaning both "stuff" and a "ship") in a year between my 2 years of MBA. Apparently my hastily crafted essays did the trick and they told me they will be delighted to welcome me to a 1-year degree that is pretty much useless but quite expensive. So, anyway, I guess that is better than being told my analysis sucks and I need to do it over, again....
In this state of what only feels like heavy lead coursing through my temples and stinging the back of my eyeballs, I was pessimistic when I got an email from Yale saying my admission decision had arrived. My plan is to pick up a MA in Chinese Junk (get it, meaning both "stuff" and a "ship") in a year between my 2 years of MBA. Apparently my hastily crafted essays did the trick and they told me they will be delighted to welcome me to a 1-year degree that is pretty much useless but quite expensive. So, anyway, I guess that is better than being told my analysis sucks and I need to do it over, again....
How Do You Know When I Work Too Much?
Well, simple, I blog a lot. Small steps, little victories. If I work hard for a while, I give myself a break. Literally, a chocolate chip cookie and 5 minutes on the internet.
My most recent 1 AM victory? Matching 1999 BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data arranged by SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes to 2002 US Census data classified by NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes. Three concordance tables and some hacked together Excel short-cuts (yes! I avoided using relational databases again, I hate those) later, I can share some things I found on my five minute web-vacation.
1. I discovered a Nellie Furtado song I missed somehow and promptly got the music video from Itunes. (I have to put that stupid video Ipod to use somehow)
2. I tooled around on facebook, but couldn't figure out a way to link directly to parts of my profile. Anyone know how? I like blogging and I like facebook, but keeping two separate lives is just....I DON'T WANT TO LEAD SEPARATE LIVES ANYMORE....
3. I checked McSweeny's. That was weird.
4. Almost time to go back to work. Check Best of Craigslist. Whoah, watch out. What seems readable? How about, A Carton of Cat Hats For Sale? Lame. Ah, internets, you are so useful(less). I keep coming back here, hoping to find something as funny as the one Dane recommended a while ago: It's Me, Every Girl Ever.
My most recent 1 AM victory? Matching 1999 BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) data arranged by SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) codes to 2002 US Census data classified by NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes. Three concordance tables and some hacked together Excel short-cuts (yes! I avoided using relational databases again, I hate those) later, I can share some things I found on my five minute web-vacation.
1. I discovered a Nellie Furtado song I missed somehow and promptly got the music video from Itunes. (I have to put that stupid video Ipod to use somehow)
2. I tooled around on facebook, but couldn't figure out a way to link directly to parts of my profile. Anyone know how? I like blogging and I like facebook, but keeping two separate lives is just....I DON'T WANT TO LEAD SEPARATE LIVES ANYMORE....
3. I checked McSweeny's. That was weird.
4. Almost time to go back to work. Check Best of Craigslist. Whoah, watch out. What seems readable? How about, A Carton of Cat Hats For Sale? Lame. Ah, internets, you are so useful(less). I keep coming back here, hoping to find something as funny as the one Dane recommended a while ago: It's Me, Every Girl Ever.
The Joy of Misery
I remember a few years ago a friend that I will call Ben (convenient, because that's his name) told me he was sure that the housing market was overvalued and wanted to know how to make money off it. Why me, you ask? This is literally what he said: "You seem to know more about profiting from someone's misery than anyone I know." That may be one of those backhanded compliments, but more likely he was just calling me a jerk.
To be honest, I didn't know the right answer, but a few months ago when the housing market blew up, some people clearly did. This guy, for one.
So anyway, it just occurred to me with three years ahead of me of living off loans in grad school, I could care less about the economy. And since I don't really care if there is bad news, why not make some money off it? So I shifted about 50% of what I have into a leveraged bet against the US markets and against emerging markets (screw you China and your 18,000% annual growth rate).
For every $1 someone loses in China* (or in fact in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela) I make $2.
The tools of modern finance are amazing--for $10 I can bet against the development of 3BN+ people, including those in my own country. If I could only bring myself to active invest in Satan's portfolio (I am sure I am already passively invested in some of the companies anyway) I could be more efficiently profiting from others' misery.**
* It doesn't really work this way, but allow some poetic license.
** Also, when I run for office, I am sure this will come back to haunt me. But really, the list is so long, why stop now.***
*** (Seriously though, reporter-15-years-from-now, I write this out of a deep and abiding concern for the American way of life and the poor around the world that I express through sarcasm).****
**** But I still wrote it and think the idea is funny, if poorly executed by me. Besides, my support for Obama waivered when I read how his tax plan will assault my defenseless salary. But I still voted for him (in the future), unless he ended up being a bad president, in which case I knew it and opposed him all along.
To be honest, I didn't know the right answer, but a few months ago when the housing market blew up, some people clearly did. This guy, for one.
So anyway, it just occurred to me with three years ahead of me of living off loans in grad school, I could care less about the economy. And since I don't really care if there is bad news, why not make some money off it? So I shifted about 50% of what I have into a leveraged bet against the US markets and against emerging markets (screw you China and your 18,000% annual growth rate).
For every $1 someone loses in China* (or in fact in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Venezuela) I make $2.
The tools of modern finance are amazing--for $10 I can bet against the development of 3BN+ people, including those in my own country. If I could only bring myself to active invest in Satan's portfolio (I am sure I am already passively invested in some of the companies anyway) I could be more efficiently profiting from others' misery.**
* It doesn't really work this way, but allow some poetic license.
** Also, when I run for office, I am sure this will come back to haunt me. But really, the list is so long, why stop now.***
*** (Seriously though, reporter-15-years-from-now, I write this out of a deep and abiding concern for the American way of life and the poor around the world that I express through sarcasm).****
**** But I still wrote it and think the idea is funny, if poorly executed by me. Besides, my support for Obama waivered when I read how his tax plan will assault my defenseless salary. But I still voted for him (in the future), unless he ended up being a bad president, in which case I knew it and opposed him all along.
I'll Find You...
Ahh, my favorite "I will find you across " routine. Lost used it this week. Cue the harp and piano, practice your method acting, add some dramatic pauses, and watch me eat it up. Being at the office for a full 14 hours wore me down--nothing that a little Lost can't cure. I fired up an episode on one of my two monitors at work and set about to do some brain-dead work on the other. Luckily, this week's episode was particularly emotive and rejuvenating. I am about to go home quite happy.
It's good to live vicariously a little bit. Frankly I would love to get my true love's phone number 8 years ago and call her now to let her know I have been stuck on an island with polar bears and the guy from Party of Five. Of course that last sentiment will make no sense to anyone who is not a fan.
To wit, the award winning dialogue:
Desmond: I love you Penny.
Penny: I love you too.
Desmond: I don't know where I am...
Penny: ...I will find you Des...
Desmond: ...I promise...
Penny: ...No matter what...
Desmond: ...I'll come back to you...
Penny: ...I promise...
Both: ...I love you.
Another "I will find you no matter " favorites includes The Last of the Mohicans.
Hawkeye: No, you submit, do you hear? You be strong, you survive... You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.
And the little-known What Dreams May Come, where Robin Williams travels to hell to bring back his wife.
Chris Nielsen: I found you in hell. Don't you think I could find you in Jersey!
It's good to live vicariously a little bit. Frankly I would love to get my true love's phone number 8 years ago and call her now to let her know I have been stuck on an island with polar bears and the guy from Party of Five. Of course that last sentiment will make no sense to anyone who is not a fan.
Desmond: I love you Penny.Penny: I love you too.
Desmond: I don't know where I am...
Penny: ...I will find you Des...
Desmond: ...I promise...
Penny: ...No matter what...
Desmond: ...I'll come back to you...
Penny: ...I promise...
Both: ...I love you.
Another "I will find you no matter Hawkeye: No, you submit, do you hear? You be strong, you survive... You stay alive, no matter what occurs! I will find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter how far, I will find you.
And the little-known What Dreams May Come, where Robin Williams travels to hell to bring back his wife.
Chris Nielsen: I found you in hell. Don't you think I could find you in Jersey!
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