I'm Impressed

I'm impressed, Claude is the number one search under pictures of a big ass.  I found it under his referers... way to go buddy, dubious honours to be sure. Posted by BG on 12/19/03; 3:06:53 AM

Disturbing...

this... is disturbing funny, but distrubing. Posted by BG on 12/19/03; 2:49:04 AM

In addition

Steve  in addition to your comments about Deven... Ask Omar about the night at LTM in March... Omar drove a bunch of people back from Flannery's and picked Becky and I up from Kana to take back to her place.  Deven was... WAY drunk and Omar was in classic driving style.  Deven looked like he was going to puke, so we stopped just after the bridge into queens and deven fell out of the car to puke... but wouldn't let us watch.  So O says, we'll just drive around the block.  Instead he drops Becky an me off at her place where she looses it in the bushes (GREAT pictures from that night) and THEN goes to get deven... I wonder if he even noticed, or minded being all alone at 4 am on the streets in queens... LOL Posted by BG on 12/17/03; 6:20:26 PM

Welcome

A big welcome to Urmi.  The new VPF for AIESEC Purdue, and also a new member this semester.  I only got to know her a little bit before leaving campus, but I was mightily impressed by this little indian dynamo...  (But not to replace the original princess Neha... ;)  She's cool and you should expect great things of her.  Though, we shall have to wait and see... I'm not sure why exactly I was impressed with her, just that I am.  Leaving before I got to know her definetely has it's drawbacks.  I will say she's got moxie... at LTM in Detroit she walked up gave me a hug and then smacked me upside the head for leaving Purdue on such short notice.  Yeah, I miss you too Urmi. Glad to see you in the blogging community. Posted by BG on 12/17/03; 5:59:16 PM

Dog Day Summary - Advertainment Concepts

OK, so that 'interview.'  Let's examine that a bit. First off... Mad Props to Steve for spotting it first, and giving shape to that nagging voice in my head saying the 'interview' wasn't all i wanted it to be. Session Start (AIM - McBLG97:Steve): Wed Dec 10 22:13:40 2003 [22:13] Steve: hmm... sounds like one of those pyramid things [22:13] Steve: like vector/cutco [22:13] McBLG 97: yeah that was my thought too... [22:14] Steve: same terminology too [22:14] McBLG 97: worst case... i lose a day and get a free lunch [22:14] McBLG 97: oh? [22:14] Steve: face to face marketing, word of mouth, regional director [22:16] Steve: i dunno... guess won't hurt to check it out for a day [22:16] McBLG 97: if i don't like how it smells... i can always leave. [22:17] Steve: yeah Mind you, I posted at 10pm, and Steve was on it less than a quarter hour afterwards. Anyway, that was something on my mind as i drove up on friday morning.  As i was almost there, Scottie called me from switzerland!  He needs a reference for an AIESEC job he's applying for.  He wants to do logistics for the next IC. So, I arrive at Advertainment Concepts.  And see another guy there for a dog day like I am.  (Dog day being my term for a day spent dogging the people to see what they do.)  His name was Cooper.  Anyway, I asked Monica the cute receptionist about the whole name confusion thing.  Metro Concepts is her way of answering the phone for two companies.  Advertainment Concepts and Metro something or other.  Anything else gets too many hang ups and "I must have the wrong number."  But interesting how they sound and look like the same company started in Boston a while ago. So I get paired with this lady, 'Acki" so called because nobody can pronounce her real name correctly.  And we hop in her car to drive to where she's going to set up for the day.  We're going to the Carson's down in North Riverside Park Mall.  It's a long drive, and part of her job on the drive is to explain the mechanics of the job to me.  There's going to be a quiz later.  No really, an honest to god quiz.  If I do well on that, and 'Acki' gives me a positive review, then I get a third interview where the head guy and I talk.  Then the job. So, what happens is this... Arrive in the morning, break up into teams and get assigned a location.  Load up a car with the gear for the day.  Drive to location, check in, and setup.  What they do is try to engage every person who walks by, and get them to stop at the table.  Hopefully you can convince them to buy one of the things to 'support child safety awareness.'  Some things are just fun items, others are safety related.  Take the cash, or the 'no' and move on to the next person.  At the end of the day, pay back the manager for the items you sold, and return the items you didn't.  The rest of the cash you keep.  Do well and you can ring a bell, honk a horn or twist and shout.  There's training each day maybe a new pitch or story or whatever. If you show promise, you can move up in a few different ways.  But it builds on how many people you have working for you.  Each level up has more people working under them, and you get a chunk of their sales.  WEE!  Sounds a lot like a modern day pyramid scheme, with some capitalism and effort thrown in.  All under the guise of helping a charity. OK for some, but not for me.  I want something, that doesn't leave me feeling slimy at first touch.  So on the ride down as i heard all this, I plotted my escape.  Called Winnie, woke her up and asked if she could pick me up.  The mall was a few blocks from the restaurant where she worked.  So I took her out for a "thank you for saving me and congratulations on leaving the restaurant" lunch.  We ended up at a nice Korean restaurant.  Quite tasty. Oh, and from now on, Winnie shall be known as a goddess for her obvious awesome qualities. Posted by BG on 12/15/03; 2:12:37 PM

Terminally Single?.. or Delayed Fufillment of the Social Responsibility to Reproduce?

lol... so i wonder about this article from the Christian Science Monitor about people delaying marraige and the social pressures related to that action, or inaction. Ms. Gallegos is now 36, well on her way to becoming a professor of neuroscience, and still single. Content with her lifestyle, and conscious that - far from being alone - she is one of a surging number of women to postpone marriage, she is surprised to discover that the pressure on her to wed is, if anything, far more intense now than it was in college. "One of the most surprising things is that at a time when the social pressures to marry are more relaxed than ever before, there is so much concern about pairing off," says Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, co- director of the National Marriage Project and author of "Why There Are No Good Men Left: The Romantic Plight of the New Single Woman." Experts such as Ms. Whitehead say that Gallegos and her peers are the first large group of women to postpone marriage. Because their mothers and grandmothers married younger, these women have no example for how delaying marriage might work out - nor does society have a model for how to perceive such women. So as this vanguard generation creates a blueprint for contemporary coupling, they face the anxiety of being the first to dramatically alter tradition. Anxiety, Whitehead says, can be sharpest right now, during the winter holidays when family and friends gather in pairs. Elayne Rapping, professor of women's and media studies at the University at Buffalo in New York identifies the lifestyles portrayed on shows such as "Friends" and "Sex in the City" as lagging about seven years behind real trends. "You find that television tends to pick up and run with things when they've already reached their peak and are dwindling." The article goes on to make a few more points about the pressure being different for men, because there is an acceptance for men to go out into the world and prove themselves.  To a point, a 40 year old single man is considered pretty pittiful. I started to wonder why being single for an extended period is becoming popular.  Does it have something to do with the extension of lifetimes, or possibly fulfillment coming from other avenues such as urban tribes?  Not likely.  The Christian Science Monitor answers the question with another of their articles.  It's about Kippers, or Kids in Parents' Purses Eroding Retirement Savings. For years they willingly shelled out money - lots of it - for their children. They paid for music lessons and sports equipment, for clothes and toys, for orthodontia and college tuition. Then the nest emptied, and parents assumed the outflow would largely end. Wrong. These days many parents are facing a new fact of life: ongoing financial help to their adult offspring, even into middle age. Whether parents rise to the occasion voluntarily to spare their children a struggle, or whether they are being used as ATMs, their generosity is creating a new "cash-dependent" generation tied to parental purse strings - and sometimes apron strings - longer and longer. Financial planners see layoffs, exorbitant housing costs, divorce, and single parenthood as some of the difficulties driving the trend. Whatever the situation, grown children's reactions can range from feeling manipulated to feeling guilty and embarrassed, says Ms. Newman. "Many ... I spoke with felt it was demeaning." Some adult children regard parents' money as a birthright and feel entitled to have at least some of it now. If parents cut off that money, Ms. Newman says, children may be angry. To them, she says, "Realize that this parent is protecting you in the long run, and doesn't want you to be his or her financial caregiver later in life." But saying no to offspring remains hard. Baby boomers in particular, Ms. Shirley finds, have been accustomed to saying yes to their children. They want them to maintain the lifestyles the parents have created. So how can you have a relationship leading to marraige if you're tied to your parents?  If you don't have a home of  your own for an after date shag, how will you get married?.. ;)  Just Kidding.  Go to her place. Posted by BG on 12/15/03; 1:43:10 PM

Here's a hint... of the good things to come from my kitchen

Chilly-Cheese Crawfish Étouffée (by Marc Savoy of Eunice, LA Adopted/improved/totally butchered/adapted by B "where’s the cheese" G of Naperville, IL) Contributed by Sarah Savoy, who says: "Some people make this dish with a roux, which makes it a much heavier meal. This is my Dad's recipe. It allows the flavor of the crawfish to take the lead." BG ses: "no roux leaves it runny and lets it seep into the rice… mmmmm! Plus it sets up as it cools… This etouffee has the proper ‘Yats’ colour. Heather likes it, and I bet "Mike will too!  It was good before i totally changed it, but now it fucking rocks." Ingredients: *Olive oil *2 pounds crawfish tails (or you can use shrimp) *1 medium onion or so, chopped *1/2 bunch scallions, tops only, chopped *1 bell pepper or so, chopped *1 stalk celery or so, chopped (if you want…) *3 tablespoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves or so) *½ brick cream cheese or so *1 small 8-ounce can tomato sauce *1 cup (8 ounces) water Seasoning *2 tablespoons onion powder *2 tablespoons garlic powder *2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves *2 tablespoons dried sweet basil *1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves *1 1/2 tablespoon black pepper *1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper *1/2 table spoon chilli powder *1 tablespoon celery seed *5 tablespoons sweet paprika (I know! Make sure you got enough before you start – this is about half of a 2.12 oz bottle) Combine seasonings in food processor and pulse until well-blended, or mix thoroughly in a large bowl. The seasoning doubles or triples well. Give lots of it away as gifts to your family and friends. This makes about 2 or 3 times as much as you need. Put it on some toasted buttered French bread to use as (as my momma would say) a ‘pusher.’ During prep coat meat in seasoning (if you’re doing shrimp, I’d say cut it up into smallish pieces) and put all your veggies/garlic/etc together in a bowl cuz you’ll cook it an then pull it off the heat. With olive oil, cook veggies till onions start to turn translucent. Pull from heat and set to side. Add more oil if needed and add the crawfish. Cook over a high heat until the water is gone, stirring frequently. (This can take some time, especially if you are using frozen crawfish, which have a lot of water in them. If using shrimp, do not cook more than 10 minutes.) About half an hour before serving, prepare some boiled rice. (Note: Please use real rice, the stuff that doesn't boil in a bag. We HATE that stuff!!) Use two cups of rice and three-and- a-half to four cups of water, a little salt, and boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat until the water boils off the top of the rice. Then, turn the heat to medium and continue to cook it, uncovered, until the rice around the rim of the pot starts to look dry. Turn the heat very low, cover, and cook for about seventeen minutes. Oh you read all that… congrats. So, yeah, make some rice about the same time you put the meat on to cook… Add the onion, scallions, bell pepper, and garlic to the crawfish, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook 7 minutes stirring frequently. Add a third to half brick of cream cheese, stir until smooth then add some more seasoning. Add the tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over rice. YIELD: 8 portions. Posted by BG on 12/14/03; 3:47:23 AM

Day dreams

I thought day dreams were supposed to be good... I dreamt about my interview tomorrow.  I walked into a shady grocery store type building, totally run down and scary.  I went up to a person at a folding table sitting on broken crates, and checked in.  They sent me over to another area where i had my 'interview.'  it consisted of a quick visual scan, and getting handed a perfume squirter and then I was sent to the back of the store.  on the loading dock, i was bundled into a conversion van with the seats ripped out with a bunch migrant workers.  joey from friends was there and instructed us on how to use the perfume squirter... oi, i've gotta turn my imagination off. Posted by BG on 12/10/03; 1:05:16 AM

erpf and er?

Right, so had an interview last week.  Suppose i should mention it.  Little engineering firm not too far, wanted somebody to play computer fixer guy.  and since i've done that often enough... might as well get some kind of job.  BUT, the guy i interviewed with to test my technical knowledge, seemed real territorial.  he was also a super linux nerd.  and since i don't have too much experience with it... he seemed real happy, like he found a weakness or excuse.  though i can do everything else and learn what needs to be learned... blegh.  his boss and i were more on the same wavelength, but i wonder if i should have commented on the defensive, terratorial nature the other guy had... oh well. but, wonder of wonders... another place wanted to set up an interview this week.  called advertainment concepts.  they seem... almost shady to me.  they have a LOT of ads up in monster.  but this was the first one that seemed... like something i wanted to do.  remotely.  they're looking for people for promotions, marketing and management. and it seems like they're those people who go to store openings and do activities or go to malls and pass out flyers.  but they claim to be an event management place.  so maybe, i can just jump a level, or get some kind of work, and then move up quickly to the fun stuff.  maybe make enough to move out, pay back my parents and then go back to school on my own hook... big problem though.  they're in glenview.  and there is *NO* good way to get there from here.  I've had a 40+ minute commute before, i'm not looking forward to a 90+ minute one... side note... found a listing for exactly what I'm doing with AIESEC, except with trade shows mixed in... 7 years experience, bachelors, blah blah blah... $60 - $80,000.  damn.  need to schmooze my way into that action Mikey's back in town from buffalo... get to hear some new stories from him and work some more on our restaurant idea. Posted by BG on 12/8/03; 9:22:33 PM

first blog in a while... and it's a silent shot in a gender war! not really.

LOL - I'm not starting something.  I'm laughing too hard. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/lifeandstyle/articles/7574100?version=2   Women are crazy shoppers By Stephen Hull, Metro 7 November 2003 Men have long suspected it, but scientists have proved that women are incapable of rational thought during a shopping spree. Electrical activity in the area of the brain which deals with rational thought is reduced to nil during a trip to the shops, researchers found. And zones which govern emotions go into overdrive whenever a woman indulges in a little retail therapy. The revelation came on the day chart star BeyoncÈ Knowles spent £70,000 at Harvey Nichols' department store in Edinburgh. Dr Michael Deppe, who led the study, said it could explain why women are often at a loss to say how they came to be looking in a shop window one minute and making a purchase the next. But before men start feeling smug, it seems they get into a similar dither when faced with buying gadgets, fast cars or computer games. Dr Deppe, an anthropologist from the University of Kassel, in Germany, said: 'Shopping frenzy is rooted in our ancestors' hunter-gatherer instincts. Six million years ago, mankind did not need sensible thinking to forage for their food. 'It was an advantage if they could react spontaneously. Rational thoughts just got in the way.' He added that there is nothing shoppers can do to stop 'shutting down'. Posted by BG on 12/5/03; 2:09:47 PM