New Zealand Day

Some YP from NZ came to Atlanta recently, and their visit reminded me of that little comedy group, Flight of the Conchords. They made a movie recently, which I haven't seen. Anyway, I'm on another FoC binge; here are my two favorites:

Word of the Day - Pertinacious

adjective

1. holding tenaciously to a purpose, course of action, or opinion; resolute.
2. stubborn or obstinate.
3. extremely or objectionably persistent: a pertinacious salesman from whom I could not escape.

Public Accounting Report 2008

27th Annual Professor’s Survey
Top Undergraduate Accounting Programs

1 University of Texas-Austin
2 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
3 Brigham Young University
4 University of Notre Dame
5 University of Southern California
6 The Ohio State University
7 University of Georgia
8 Indiana University Bloomington
9 Pennsylvania State University
10 Texas A&M University

Darby Quote

"Oh, the joy of having nothing and being nothing, seeing nothing but a Living Christ in glory, and being careful for nothing but His interests down here." - J.N.D.

flibbertigibbet - word of the week

Here I sit. My feet are cold from the hardwood floor. I listen, almost ostentatiously to Bach's cello suite no.1 humming into my headphones. The book I'm reading is nearly finished. It's over 500 pages. My next book should be rather different. Something like Gogol or Tolstoy. Maybe an autobiography would be nice. I would like to ask for recommendations, but my inbox is already flooded with fan mail from well-wishers and busy-body bloggers, I simply don't have time to sort through hundreds of opinionated emails from zealous readers about what book to read next. So, I'll just have to decide of my own accord.

Recently at dinner dad made an interesting announcement. After some (questionable) research, he has concluded that our surname is Jewish. We immediately determined that he has been watching too much Fiddler on the Roof, and then Stephen piped, "Well Dad if we're Jewish you owe me bar mitzvah money." That seems to have settled the discussion. I'm indifferent. First we were Scottish, then Swedish, now we're Jewish. What's tomorrow?

Tonight I'm not planning to sleep much. There are some issues that demand resolution, and today I received notice that the "Admissions Committee has recommended you for admission for the MAcc Program at the University of Georgia." Graduate school, it formerly seemed to be foreign, daunting, distant, uninviting. Now I'm accepted and it seems like just another step down this long wearisome road. The novelty of it is inarticulately fleeting. It's a huge relief, honestly.

I really can't help it....

When the sun shine
We'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath imma stick it out 'till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand under my umbrella

Word of the Day - Profligate

prof·li·gate (prŏf'lĭ-gĭt, -gāt') pronunciation
adj.

1. Given over to dissipation; dissolute.
2. Recklessly wasteful; wildly extravagant.

n.
A profligate person; a wastrel.

[Latin prōflīgātus, past participle of prōflīgāre, to ruin, cast down : prō-, forward; see pro–1 + -flīgāre, intensive of flīgere, to strike down.]

Billy Collins

Something rather hilarious crossed by path not too long ago. And while I'm somewhat reluctant to post something I didn't really discover by myself, I think it's time to unwrap this delicious piece of art...

As a background, Billy Collins served two terms as Poet Laureate of the United States. His piece "Litany" is among the most entertaining things I've ever read. I thought to post it here but it's somewhat long so I will invite you to find it yourself, or spare yourself the trouble and simply click this link. And to make things even easier, I've embedded the video where he reads it aloud...but you might get more out of it from reading it first.

Wicker Park, Chicago IL

 

It's a wonderful life

The Times has an interesting piece this morning about the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life." This is a movie I have never seen, and was recently encouraged to watch. As Wendell Jamieson explains, "Lots of people love this movie of course. But I’m convinced it’s for the wrong reasons. Because to me 'It’s a Wonderful Life' is anything but a cheery holiday tale."

As A.O. Scott explains "Everybody knows this movie as a uplifting, heartwarming holiday tale, but if you look at it again a very different picture emerges. It's a wonderful life is a dark disturbing fable about greed, exploitation, misery, and disappointment."

Here's the link: Wonderful? Sorry, George, It’s a Pitiful, Dreadful Life

I'll probably rent it tonight...

Addendum: And here's another article I just found, along similar lines. It's interesting, but I still haven't been able to rent the movie.

no rest for the weary....

In recent days there has been an explosion of response from my faithful readers. And I must say, somewhat aggressively have they demanded further posts. As one enthusiastic reader wrote:

(Quoted)

Dear Weekend Intellect,

My day begins and ends with your blog. The rhythm of my life relies on your blogging, and I despair sullenly when the sun goes down without a new dabbling, a new diatribe, a new flavor of your tempered brilliance penetrating across the internet. Today I cried into my milk (during morning cereal) and regretted with solemn contempt that a new post had not been sacrificed to the blogosphere. Currently my life is a whirlwind of depression; you have not posted anything in over three days. I feel the livelihood of my soul resting in your (lazy) hands. Please renew your dedication, strengthen your resolve, and ride to our rescue!

Yours truly,

Loyal Reader

(End quote)

But please allow me explain, that the genius required to post these gems into the blogosphere is somewhat spontaneous - you can't just sit down and write something without an ocean of inspiration backing it up. And thus the most epic dilemma; How do I continue the prodigious, prolific work that has begun without compromising the genius quality behind it?

I'm on the verge of a breakthrough, but in the form of a sneak preview I can explain that I will be archiving some postings, and then enrolling a blog-automation program to upload them systematically. Loyal Reader, please relax. I shall not rest, shall not retire, until this effort is fully completed.

Poetry Appreciation Day

The New Yorker once published a crafty poem every year-end, then stopped, and now have rekindled the tradition. Anyway, it's kind of a fun way to review the year. Greetings, Friends!

Daily Photo

From Just Because

About Alice - Calvin Trillion

While I should be studying for my approaching final in systems accounting, I managed to find an interesting book review. The book, "About Alice" is brilliantly reviewed, and seems perfectly interesting - especially at this hour when compared to data flow diagrams and COSO framework components and ERM evaluations and detective controls and risk assessments and differential backups and, well, you get the point. The book review is also over a year old; don't ask how I found it.
New York Times Book Review

you may know these...

"Sæglópur" (Icelandic for "lost at sea") is a song by Sigur Rós, released in 2006 as a single from the 2005 album Takk.... Parts of the song are in Icelandic, although a lengthy portion is in Hopelandic, a "language" of nonsense words selected by the band that sound similar to Icelandic. - Taken from Wiki.

This song is huge.



"First Breath After Coma" from an album entitled The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place. The band is called Explosions in the Sky. If you've never heard of this group, it's time you crawled out of your subterranean holding cell and have a listen.

This song, also, is huge.

295

O Jesus Christ, grow Thou in me,
And all things else recede;
My heart be daily nearer Thee,
From sin be daily freed.

Each day let Thy supporting might
My weakness still embrace;
My darkness vanish in Thy light,
Thy life my death efface.

In Thy bright beams which on me fall,
Fade every evil thought;
That I am nothing, Thou art all,
I would be daily taught.

More of Thy glory let me see,
Thou Holy, Wise, and True;
I would Thy living image be,
In joy and sorrow too.

Fill me with gladness from above,
Hold me by strength divine;
Lord, let the glow of Thy great love
Through all my being shine.

Make this poor self grow less and less,
Be Thou my life and aim;
Oh, make me daily through Thy grace
More meet to bear Thy name.

something for stephen...

Word of the Week

Effusive
ef·fu·sive
adj.
1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: an effusive manner.
2. Profuse; overflowing: effusive praise.

my spirit

2 Cor. 2:13
I had no rest in my spirit, for I did not find Titus my brother; but taking leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

2 Cor. 7:13
Because of this we have been comforted. And in addition to our comfort, we rejoice more abundantly over the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

Darwin was a Capitalist

Allowing Lehman to fail was perhaps the smartest thing Hank Paulson has done this year. Like other investment banks, Lehman was highly leveraged and had gorged itself on toxic assets. When any firm is leveraged at 30 to 1 and asset values drop, they quickly become insolvent. And insolvency, if you were wondering, is not good.

Blame is easy to spread around, and excuses come cheap in Washington. Maybe FAS 157 is the culprit, banking regulations were too weak; perhaps aliens interfered. The point of the matter is that poorly-run businesses need to fail.

Fast forward a few months and we have $700 billion sitting at Hank’s fingertips. They call it the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. That money may be able to free up the credit markets, revive the economy, and save the world – but only time will tell.

Eager to exploit the benevolence of American taxpayers, Detroit auto executives are now sprinting, palms-outstretched, to Washington with hopes to claim some of the TARP funding. Detroit, by the way, is home to General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler.

While the financial crisis undoubtedly has affected American automakers, their issues go far beyond credit and the economy, and taxpayers should be concerned by any political movement to place Detroit on welfare.

Congress passed a $25 billion loan package for automakers in September; apparently that wasn’t enough. Now Democrats are working to grant another $25 billion of aid for the “Big Three.” But throwing money at our auto industry is not a solution.

Regardless how the economy is doing, General Motors cannot stay competitive. Their stock, for example, has been in decline for the past eight years. The sad truth is that our auto industry is crippled.

Detroit automakers have allowed unions too much power. And perpetuated by misguided government policies, unions workers have strangled their employers to the point of extinction.

Should the government step in to save this ailing industry? No, unfortunately it's too late. The course of evolution requires that Detroit become part of history. New companies have evolved - stronger and better equipped for the 21st century.

As Darwin would say, it's natural selection. "Survival of the fittest." Let capital be efficient, let the markets adjust our economy. It's going to happen, eventually.

Happy Birthday!!!

It's really hard
We heard her say
To change your diapers
everyday
Do the laundry
Clean those clothes
Wash the dishes
Let's hope she knows
How much we care
Her love it shows
This one is rare
And we're so proud
Congrats, we cheer
And well done boys...

We raised a good mom!




Happy Birthday Mother.

Stories from another universe

My desk is always a mess. The clutter is unbearable and usually spills over onto the floor area surrounding me. And as if the papers and books weren't bad enough, I also have this nasty tendency to horde dishes on my desk. Every once in a while we run out of cups or bowls and I have to make several trips to my room to recover those items.

Maybe this is an indicator that I need "training." Yes, that thing. I don't know. Just a few minutes ago I noticed that gallon of milk sitting on my desk for - well I'm not sure how long. It was from the cereal. The cereal. I remember now; there had been already a bowl (and cups and plates for that matter) on my desk, so I ran to the kitchen to bring cereal and milk.

Milk shouldn't be left on my desk over night. I put it back.

"Moon River"

Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.


music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer

But Galenson simply wanted to poll a broad cross-section of literary scholars about which poems they felt were the most important in the American canon. The top eleven are, in order, T. S. Eliot’s “Prufrock,” Robert Lowell’s “Skunk Hour,” Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” William Carlos Williams’s “Red Wheelbarrow,” Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish,” Ezra Pound’s “The River Merchant’s Wife,” Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” Pound’s “In a Station of the Metro,” Frost’s “Mending Wall,” Wallace Stevens’s “The Snow Man,” and Williams’s “The Dance.”

If I recall correctly, this is Gladwell talking about the thoughts and research for his latest book, Outliers. The paragraph sort of popped out and hit me in the face, and I realized that some of these pieces I am not familiar with. Hence I've begun a journey through the eleven poems. My mind right now is scattered, so I only attempted the first two. As Robert Lowell would say, "My mind’s not right."

We'll save the rest for a later day...

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

~Frost

Things on my mind...

My blog is expecting a new visitor so I decided to tidy up a bit.


Warren Buffet has a book I really want to read, The Snowball. I have the book and would like to start reading it but two things prevent this; 1) I haven't the time 2) It's preoccupied currently such as it is being used as a prop to elevate my monitor.

Also, there is a book on my desk about some ridiculous thing called a FairTax. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer right? Yup, I should read it.

Song: I Don't Mind
Album: Cherry Tree EP
Artist: The National

I've decided to start posting an occasional picture or two. This week in pictures; but only one or two, so as to keep a slight trickle of viewership. That would be good I think.

Ready for my third glass of gingerbread egg nogg, a close cousin to the potentially better tasting boiled-custard. Which, dear reader, do you prefer?

Cloud Gate (aka The Bean)

Chicago from a yacht (last summer)

Sunset on the Hancock 2

Sunset on the Hancock

I've followed the election pretty closely, but after Tuesday I'll be so happy to have this issue closed. It's very time consuming to keep track of every endorsement, poll, and op-ed piece that lands itself in the Time or the Journal.

This weekend hosted the notorious the GA-FLA game, so I took advantage of the weekend and rented 5 movies. Originally I was only going to rent 3, but it's not too much more expensive to get 5, so I went back through and picked out two more - turns out those two were my favorites. Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. Also rented a John Wayne movie, The Searchers. Then there was Notorious, an Alfred Hitchcock movie that warrants recommendation.

I'm tired of writing. It requires too much thinking...

Tomorrow is a very important day.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Overheard in Atlanta

From my balcony I observe some interesting things. Sure, the view is amazing. Looking down at the streets you can see the bums wandering around, sauntering back and forth in bitter rage. At night you can hear them singing, fighting, and snoring?

Right now they're yelling. I'm sitting out here, and a young punk is causing a riot. Six are within sight, mostly older men. By the volume of their voices and the swagger in their walk I'd say two of themare wildly intoxicated. The young guy has a packpack on; he slurs rapidly and walks withan artificial limp; the "street-hardened thug walk." He doesn't belong out here.

My friend Mitch is usually down there, but I know he's nowhere around. He wouldn't get mixed up with those guys anyhow. But if he were around I'd know right away; I'd be able to hear him. Mitch is the neighborhood street performer. On the corner of Ponce and Peachtree he plays the trumpet until late into the night. The yelling has ceased; now only the cars are audible. An occasional horn, siren, the wind.

Mitch plays dutifully, skipping rapidly from tune to tune. He'll never plays a song as it was written - each time he plays it a little different. Mitch will tell you that he just plays whats on his heart, which means changing the rendition. But I suspect he'd have trouble playing a peice perfectly - without changing a few notes. But who cares if he hits every note? He plays with a lively vivacity of soul that is encouraging, and entertaing.

Even talking to Mitch is enjoyable. If you walk by and say hi, he'll play anything you like. He'll never point or look at his money jar. But instead he talks about the music. He rarely talks about his situation; though I've been able to draw it out a few times. He loves the music - he could probably teach a class on jazz, or the blues...

Summer 2008 - Cooking

Today marks the 2nd consecutive anniversary of my "Learn to Cook" program. A mostly autodicatic curriculum, the program has consisted thus-far of two dishes. The strategy is simple; Sunday evening is the designated cooking night, and the meal will be used throughout the week for lunch and dinner, and heartily enjoyed until my budding tastes can no longer bear the sight of that food. Well, that's partially it. More reasonably, the idea is simply to cook food that will last me throughout the week. The first week was a pasta dish with shrimp, found here. It turned out surperb, though I'd like to have coated it with some parmeson cheese. The pasta was accompanied by french bread and a white wine - Francis Coppola Chardonnay to be precise. The meal was amazing and the pasta (which included a lb of shrimp) lasted an entire week - yes, nearly 7 meals, with some to spare. The downside was the cost, which amounted to nearly $35, wine excluded.

Today my wallet took another beating; this time for a shot at The Pioneer Woman's famed Lasagna. The trip to Publix set me back nearly $50, but keep in mind that I'm living in a new place this summer and as far and ingredients go I was starting from scratch. This included $6 for olive oil, $7 worth of ground chuck and sausage, $10 worth of cheese, and who knows what else. Yet, 3 hours and one meal later, I can testify that the expenses were gratified by the first bite. Mmmm! Delicious. The lasagna was better than I knew constructively possible - and I cooked it!!!

Tomorrow I may just take my lunch to work, again. And the next day? Why not!

Speaking of tomorrow - I'm scheming to make french toast, but this time with a jam/cream cheese filling. It's a strategy revealed over the weekend on a GPB cooking show. We'll see how it goes....

Summer 2008 - Reading

What's on the bookshelf this summer?

GMAT review guides excluded, my summer reading endeavors probably began as I stumbled across Ivan Panin's Lectures on Russian Literature. He traces through Puskin, Gogol, Turgenev, and Tolstoy - comparing each to English contemporaries and documenting their fascinating progression of style. Thus came the obligatory trip to a trendy little used book store, where the acclaimed works of all but Pushkin were acquired.

But convenience found me digressing from these to a more intimate peice, one accessible on my Treo - I managed to put Adobe Acrobat on my phone, and randomly choose to loadJane Eyre. Since that day almost a month ago, I've read half the book during the commute to and from work - and at other sudden intervals throughout the day. I've become even quite adept at reading while walking.

But as this weekend proved lonely, I resolved to accelerate my progress and purchased the softbound book just two days ago. This allows me to highlight what I term "enjoyable phraseology." Charlotte Bronte has a way with words that anything from my limited reading experience has fails to parallel.

To excerpt on highlighted section - the emotion is amusing - Eliza's diatribe against Georgiana: "Georgiana, a more vain and absurd animal than you was certainly never allowed to cumber the earth. You had no right to be born; for you make no use of life. Instead of living for, in, and with yourself, as a reasonable being ought, you seek only to fasten your feebleness on some other person's strenght; if no one can be found willing to burden her or himself with such a fat, weak, puffy, useless thing, you cry out that you are ill-treated, neglected, miseralbe. Then, too, existence for you must be a scene of continual change and excitement, or else the world is a dungeon; you must be admired, you must be courted, you must be flattered - you must have music, dancing, and society - or you languish, you die away..."

To which the reply from Georgiana eventually comes, "Eliza, you might have spared yourself the trouble of delivering that tirade."

Long distant, alas I return...

Such an enchanting little playlist that I'm running though; it begins with Sigur Ros, transitions to Explosions, and then The Album Leaf.

I'm 70 pages deep into Ivan Panin's "Lectures on Russian Literature," and he blows my mind. He's exhaustingly cerebral and thoroughly analytical, but its a fascinating piece.

This is a refreshing break from my typical readings - the literary escapade was prompted by an essay in the Times, "It's Not You, It's Your Books."

and for the scrutinizing...

"Hillary has big chunky thighs as well, that has to be considered"

So thats an excerpt from a conversation I witnessed in a scrabble room, at Scrabulous, waiting for my game to start. I will refrain from comment. [BTW my login is Sciolist, feel free to challenge me.] Speaking of Scrabble, I found an anagram puzzle game you can download free. Its excellent; each letter combo has at least one potential bingo. More on that later. Back to work - adjusting for risks and WACC.

Where ya Bean?

I've discovered that there are 3 primary metrics for describing coffee: Body, Acidity, and Roast. This is good news, except that I haven't been able to discern variations in these qualities, yet. My taste buds are now on high-alert. My Ethiopian beans are claimed to have high acidity, moderate roast and body. Eh, I'm not much a fan of anything "acidic," so I'm eager to try a Sumatra brew. Sumatra Mandheling features low acidity, medium roast, and a heavier body. That sounds like what I would enjoy. According to RareCoffee.com, its full bodied with strong, earthy tones and a smooth cream finish." Ooh yea!

I've decided that somewhere out there exists the perfect beans! How many drinks will it take for me to find that perfectly compatible coffee blend? Whew. It seems my work here has only begun.

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (2)

Today I brewed my newly acquired, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans. It's enjoyable; heavy bodied with very complex flavor. "This Ethiopian variety exhibits tones of tea rose and coffee blossom giving it a floral taste." I purchased a pound but only had half of it ground. Saving the beans to be ground later so I can preserve the freshness; I'm also contemplating employing the french press convention, which will require a slightly different grind.

The advice was "try the cheap beans BEFORE the Starbucks this time--appreciation factor will thus be enhanced rather than diminished." This strategy, as opposed to my previous experience - buying Verona Bold grinds and then stooping to Folgers; the cheaper and infinitely inferior alternative. Right, so I'm afraid its far too late for the appreciation factor to kick in now.

And I've had two cups already today :)

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe

Not having a car is less miserable than one might imagine. At least in Athens. Today I biked to my favorite coffee shop, Cups Coffee, and studied there a bit before proceeding to my home meeting...ON MY BIKE!!!!

Yes, that was gratifying. Its dangerous, especially riding after sunset. To an alarming extent, I enjoy the thrill of it biking 25mph (a speeding radar sign thing clocked me today), but risks are offset by the fact that I'm being environmentally-conscious; such a deep concern to me.

Today I caved and bought the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, named I believe after the city where it comes from. It was expensive, and chosen at random. Not all coffee tastes the same, but I don't have the experience to differentiate. So its basically pointless to try to evaluate my tastes when my experience in this world of fresh coffee is so limited. Tomorrow at 5:30am though...we'll find out what it means to drink coffee. And it should be good, since the status quo for the last 2 weeks has been Folgers. I'm about ready to dump that crap in the trash - its bland and if there is such a thing as synthetic coffee grinds...they embody it. Well I'm off. Waking up early requires you go to bed before 2am, a plan I'm at risk of compromising. Cheerio!

dispatches from a library basement

Not all floors are created equal. It's true. The tenderfoot library-studying student would discount this observation as a trivial nuance; or may not notice at all. But as experience and exploration testify, each floor has its own atmosphere, patronage and character.

Want to study in a busy, open and well-lit area? Try the first floor - through the double doors and immediately to your right. You'll rarely be alone, and there's plenty of breathing room. Maybe you're hungry? You'll find the cafeteria has some bargains, and often you might overhear law students arguing over their interpretations of dicta from their latest tort case. It's a nice place to people-watch, one of my pass-times.

Maybe you want something a little quieter? Try going up a few floors. On the 4th and 5th floors you'll usually see the same people. Sometimes they're graduate students, sometimes greeks. But if you see somebody at one table, chances are you'll see them there again. These floors are slightly more quiet, but you still have the occasional disturbance of a librarian squeaking around with her cart full of books, or a bewildered student trying to figure out what happened to the GH135.13 section; you'll notice him circle the floor about three time, then possibly return with somebody from the help desk (if he's hasn't just given up). The mid-level floors sometimes have nice windows. And although the glare from outside light can make laptop use difficult, the view is amazing(ly distracting). Most of the tables are out in the open; don't sit next to a bathroom! But if you snoop around a bit you might just find a random table hidden among the rows and rows of books. (Look along the walls).

The 7th floor is a whole different animal. In my opinion, this is where the cool, artsy people study. The video archives are here, and I think some fashion design publications. Generally a higher art-content area than other floors. There's one hidden wing that can be a good area to study, but usually there are already people here.

Pretense Explained

Today I decided that my newly-elected favorite word could easily be overused. It's a popular word in my vocabulary, but over-dependence on it word makes one guilty (or at least liable for accusation) of, well, pretense. So I turned to my trusty thesaurus, which I impulsively purchased last year while reading about law schools. Anyway, you can read the accolades at Meltzer's website, read the theory behind the book at the publishers website, and reader's reviews at Amazon.

Anyway, back to pretentious. It's that word I want to use all the time, but can't because I've already used it recently. Probably we critical people who enjoy disparaging others like it more than the average person. So I decided to diversify my literary arsenal. Here's the fruit of my labour...

Pretentious
(as in pompous) adj: flatulent
(speech or writing) adj: fustian
(person on issues of grammar) n: grammaticaster
(self-important person or official) n: high muck-a-muck; hoity-toity; panjandrum
(esp. regarding speaking or writing style) adj: magniloquent, orotund
(pretentious but superficial knowledge of a subject) n: sciolism

Narrative of the Negotiating Table

White: I believe I'd like to have this center area; its very strategic and the view is great.
Black: No, no you don't. You'd better let me settle here. My long term prospects are stronger if I can control this area. I'll be right across from you here, at E5; so you don't get any foolish ideas and try to come closer.
White: Suit yourself, we'll compromise for that part. But I'm going to send somebody there to D4 to support my associates, just in case you get out of hand.
Black: Your proposal is entertaining White. You realize you are very vulnerable from there? I could cross over there and take you down.
White: Yes, but you know what would happen. There's no way you'd make that sacrifice this early. There's nothing for you to gain. Besides, a weakness in your formation will appear.
Black: We should trade on my terms.
White: Hmmm, okay I'll accept. Don't you know that I'm giving you an advantage here? This is a really good deal for you.
Black: Yes its very tempting. But I prefer the Sicilian, so I'm going to have proceed otherwise.
White: You're no working very hard. It's okay though, I'm just going to advance to this spot up here by B5. You're at an impasse now. Suppose you're going to have to go ahead and make a concession over there on B7.
Black: Mr. White you're always so quick to make demands. Don't you realize this is, by my calculations, a zero-sum scenario. There's no way I would accommodate your ploy. I'm going to have to put you in check for saying that!

From my forthcoming book, If Pawns Could Speak.
Just kidding.

Memphis Basketball

The NCAA Championship was played just a few nights back, and as far as I'm concerned the Tigers won. Maybe they didn't win on the scoreboard, but they played their hearts out, and won ours. In a compelling bid for the national title, they captured our emotions and took us for an unforgettable (though we try) ride, culminating in a horrifying, cataclysmic ending. But who cares about that score? CDR showed character and heart, playing with humble prowess and his "little ole man tricks." Dozier played hard and had impact. Anderson nailed some beautiful 3's. Derrick Rose displayed graceful control, wooing the nation with his uncanny raw talent. Even Joey Dorsey was smiling; out there to have fun, but with dominating intensity. And who can forget that electrifying steal when he blazed past Alrich to finish with a dunk?

Despite the treacherous ending, we still love those guys. I didn't watch OT (It would have been too painful). But let's be honest, it was an exhilarating game. They showed talent and heart, and proved Memphis can compete at any level. The Tigers are no longer strangers to the NCAA tournament, they're hardened veterans, and they'll be back.

Implicit Egotism

An interesting article plopped its way down on the front page of today's NYTimes. Explaining the phenomenon called Googlegangers (google twins), the article explains how people are using google to find others who share their name. Fascinating interactions have been possible through this new way to "find yourself." Stephanie Rosembloom explained what impels us to be interested in others who share out name. One explanation comes from social science. She explains, "A psychological theory called the name-letter effect maintains that people like the letters in their own names better than other letters in the alphabet." Hmmm. Dr. Brett Pelham calls it implicit egotism. "We've shown time and time again that people are attracted to people, places and things that resemble their names, without a doubt," he explained. To me its an ironic little finding, and it resonates here, that we "human beings are unconsciously attracted to things that remind us of ourselves. "

Queen's Pawn Game

So here I am again. It's a little past 1am, and I'm torn between an array of potential activities. My bed should not be vacant right now - I should be curled up there snoring away. But no, I poured a cup of caffeine around 11:30 tonight, hoping to finish my evening's adventures in cost accounting. The email to cancel class arrived just about an hour into my studies. I've been reviewing a few chess openings, as if this could help. My favorite so far is the Colle System, seems like a variation of the queen's pawn game. Also interesting is the king's gambit, but I think it opens the board too much for my likings. It's too abrupt and forced, rather than a more calculated opening. Now I just sit here despairing over an old Journey song, thinking about how painful waking up tomorrow will be.

The Chess Fad

Here are two books I have recently acquired and hope to delve into soon. The King's Gambit has the most enthralling opening chapter, and promises to be a rewarding read. Bobby Fisher has also been of deep interest of late, I find his obsession with chess to be quite intriguing. Even his statement "chess is life" warrants some attention. Apparently he was an outspoken anti-Semite, but I can't help but pity Fisher. Clearly there were issues in his head, but they were likely perpetuated by his being plunged into the dark world of competitive chess.

So Hoffman's King's Gambit might explain how chess affects people, how deeply chess captures people, and the Bobby Fisher book provides an in-depth case study to solidify the resounding consensus - that chess players are of an entirely different species.

Little Rocks

It’s the decision nobody wanted to make; turn back, or press on? One choice inevitably leads to regret and frustration, the other to risk and chance. We stopped and deliberated for nearly an hour. The decision, James decided, was to turn back. What polarizing consequence. What demanding authority. How do you make such a decision and stand by it? Even now I’m waffling at the thought of the opportunity costs emerging. What wasted time; such a squalid situation! Mark is silent. Joey is somber. James is resolute, and I’m still wavering – torn between alternatives with decision parameters that are uncertain. I hate this role. I hate being the one who keeps Mark from attending the funeral.

I'm from Barcelona

One of the most delightfully obscure bands I've stumbled upon lately is a peppy little group from Sweden, I'm from Barcelona. Plagued with a somewhat redundant band title, their music is initially quite obnoxious, busy and indelibly repetitive. But their unique sound grows fast on the curious listener; the same lyrics repeated over and over in the song "Treehouse" make the song simple, but hardly boring. The rhythm varies enough to keep you fast on your toes. I enjoy the almost comical song, "Britney," a sort of parody about yesterday's celebrated pop icon. And my favorite perhaps, "Oversleeping," which resonates deeply with the experience of the typical college student. Their egalitarian lyrics triumph in "We're from Barcelona" which features a full supporting cast of harmonizing vocals - supposedly all friends of the lead singer.

The economy, stupid

I've invented a new study area in the deepest corner of my bedroom. Yesterday I shelled out major cash for some Starbucks Verona Bold coffee. May have to start making a pot a day, but who can argue with the productivity boost we derive from caffeine. And it tastes so yummy!

I added a new feature to the blog, imeem has a feature where you can embed music, so right now I have another National song featured. At the rate I've been listening though, this song will be yesterday's news (like over-indulged ramen).

I'm not sure about the political race; I'm no election pundit, but I've humbly observed that people either like Obama or the don't, yet with Clinton it's either they hate her or they love her. How is that? I think even Democrats must concede that she's had a far more polarizing effect on their party than any other candidate to run; agreed?

Obama vs McCain would be interesting. I've heard people say that the Democrats couldn't possibly screw up this election. Should they really be that arrogant? Who do they blame for Bush being re-elected? The entire incompetent-State of America I suppose? I honestly think that whichever Democrat wins will have his work cut out for him. And the work hasn't even begun, I would propose. Thats all for now; just a brief outburst of opinion. Don't want to vomit my opinions everywhere.

The National

NPR scored big when they featured The National in concert at the 9:30 club on the admired broadcast, "All Songs Considered." I'm listening to the show again, for the nth time. You can hear them live here.

They close with a medley of encores. About Today is the song that makes me consider breaking out in tears. The steady drums, nostalgic voice - it all works very well. Its a diamond in the rough, one in a million. The opening lyrics are the most touching, as is the violin sounds toward the end.

How close am I,
To loosing you?

Systemic Accounting

1. Determine the objective
   
2. Seek the facts
3. Question the facts
4. Review procedures
5. Analyze the results
   

Aphorisms Compiled

"Voracious reader, competitive scrabble player, occasional artist and writer, avid chess player; hopeless romantic - is that me? In a nutshell." Weell not quite, but I like that part at least. Sounds good so far. "An easygoing socialite, tactful, resourceful; well-versed in etiquette, narcissistic." Stop! You're getting ahead of yourself there. Too presumptuous!

I'm also qualifiedly the "under-ambitious accounting student struggling to meet self-imposed standards and bring his academic destiny to fruition. With eclectic and fluid musical taste, he prefers to move rapidly through art, music, and time - ah, the avant-garde?"

"Remarkably unorganized and unashamedly candid. He blunders through complex and delicate social encounters but manages to emerge unscathed. For his ego is far too protected; much removed from these events. Chagrin escapes him, but the flourishing narcissistic-side of this humble man is ne'er tempered. He remains cerebrally self-absorbed and boldly over-confident."

Food of the Weak

We ate pretty well at the cabin, despite a strict budget. So I believe the food warrants an entry, because the food was, just as my blog - timeless. Of note was the baked jalapeños peppers, stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. Extremely spicy but I wouldn't hesitate to make them again. Pictures soon to come. We also adventured further into the gluttonous world of fried oreo cookies This time I managed to control myself and only ate 4, (or 5 was it?).

Cabin Summary

We spent the latter half of spring break in Ellijay, GA. The Chan's cabin was a splendid retreat from our Athenian responsibilities; so relaxing. Don't get me wrong, we faced monumental decisions and tasks along the way - like whether to grill the chicken or the hamburgers for dinner and when to take out the trash.

I kidnapped Daich's camera and was able to photograph a good bit of the action. You can see more pictures here.

Gender Economics

Speaking of supply/demand economics, there are many less guys at UGA than girls. The ratio is something like 4:6. The significance of this ratio is that most guys can have girlfriends, while some girls will inevitably be left out of the dating game. Essentially, among the 80% of students who are interested in having relationships (gender proportional for our purposes), this represents 48% of the total females and 32% of the total males. Seems like this would favor the guys and cause the bottom 16% of the females to remain single. Over time, the guys come away with more attractive girls than they would otherwise have (in a normal populations distribution).

Dinner with the Dean

I really, really, really want to see Henry Kissinger. The Secretaries of State; Henry Kissenger, James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeline Albright are coming at the end of this month. I enjoy famous people.

Cynthia Cooper was in town this week. Got to have dinner with her after the presentation and the North Tower reception. The East-West Bistro was quite an experience. Dean Sumichrast attended; He and Dennis Beresford were at my table, along with Dr. Gauthreaux from ILA. Very classy gentlemen. I was honored and very much impressed.

I haven't met many famous people in my short career. Peter Singer from Yale signed my copy of One World, his liberal globalization-ethics-issues book. Malcolm Gladwell signed my copy of The Tipping Point, another classic and New York Times Bestseller. Terry Bradshaw came to Atlanta to speak for Maximum Impact; some of us ILA students took pictures with him.

It's a barrage of B-list celebrities, but meaningful none the less. These are interesting people to engage, and I'm fascinated by how much we can learn from those who have traveled those roads that lie before us.

Notes from Good to Great

His placid persona hid an inner intensity, a dedication to making anything he touched the best it could possibly be - not just because of what he would get, but because he simply couldn't imagine doing it any way. p.25

The real problems....lay in the fact that management had failed to keep pace with innovation. p.34

If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You've got a problem. But if people are on the bus because of who else is on the bus, then it's much easier to change direction: "Hey, I got on this bus because of who else is on it; if we need to change direction to be more successful, fine with me....Great vision without great people is irrelevant."

"Waiting to see which way the wend blew."

"steeped in the traditions..."

How to be rigorous:
1. When in doubt, don't hire - keep looking
2. When you know you need to make a people change, act
3. Put your best people on your biggest opportunities, not your biggest problems

Words of the Day;

ne·far·i·ous /nɪˈfɛəriəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ni-fair-ee-uhs] –adjective extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous: a nefarious plot.

sa·ga·cious /səˈgeɪʃəs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[suh-gey-shuhs] adjective

1.	having or showing acute mental discernment and keen practical sense; shrewd: a sagacious lawyer.

2.	Obsolete. keen of scent.

How long must you pretend
Empty sentiments send?

But fair well, and well end
My half-hearted friend.

Quit that Talking

What makes a better team for raising issue-based conflict and debating strategy; groups of total strangers or a collection of old friends? Maybe I made a mistake...

Me + Coffee

I biked here tonight. Was close to staying home, but the infectious lure of coffee dominated complacency. I guess its the conviction that my caffeine investment needs redemption. Otherwise I wouldn't bike here; I'm too lazy. I don't have anything really to write about; I'm just tired of Jim Collins...

accounting is...

molding my character to be exact, precise, and accurate.

(which all mean pretty much the same thing)

Lyrics - My Morning Jacket

Mmm... people always told me. that bars are dark and lonely
And talk is often cheap and filled with air.
Sure sometimes they thrill me
But nothin' could ever chill me.
Like the way they make the time just disappear

Song: Golden
Album: It Still Moves

Word of the Day for Sunday, February 17, 2008

pestiferous \pes-TIF-uh-ruhs\, adjective:

1. Bearing or bringing disease.
2. Infected with or contaminated by a pestilential disease.
3. Morally evil or dangerous to society; pernicious.
4. Bothersome; troublesome; annoying.

Target Case Study

I'm optimistic tonight. We might be able to pull through on this one. So I want to talk through wants going on in my head. There's a bundle of good ideas floating around...

1) Attract Talent. Well we need a more professional presentation on campus. First the recruiters need to wear business attire. They over-brand "Target" (red) at the expense of professionalism. College graduates are not attracted to the idea of wearing a red polo, and if they see recruiters wearing red polos they will be turned-off.
Speaking of on-campus presence, there seems to be a niche for college freshman and sophomores. They can implement a "Leadership Rotation Program" to kick-start college students. If nothing else it exposes college students to the career opportunities at Target. This is what is needed; they have the resources and the opportunity, but they don't target the right audiences.

2) Retaining Talent seems to be the hard part. Perhaps the key is to know how to merge Generation Y with the baby-boomers. It helps to be aware that the #1 reason people leave their job is that they don't get along with their superiors. So if we can address this it makes sense it would score points. What else would score point? Well obviously having something empirical or academic would provide strong support.

More later...

Art I Like: Jack Vettriano

Idea for Stephen H.

Scene1: Stephen H. running straight through the hurdles?
Caption: Stephen H. is going to the Olympics.
"Don't get in his way."


Caption2: Stephen H. is going to the Olympics.
"He'll be ready"


Caption3: Stephen H. is going for Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
"It takes discipline"

Quote of the Week

David H. said essentially, "In our business we like to say 'It is what it is.' But we don't mean this in the Clintonian sense or redefinition of the word is..."

Woody Allen

Tonight I watched Manhattan. It was fascinating. With Annie Hall and now Manhattan under my belt, I wonder if Woody Allen could get any better. My favorite scene in Annie Hall is the exchange between Alvy and Annie as she leaving the racket club. Without that scene I wonder if she could have been nominated for the Academy Award. That's the part where she says, "well la de da, la de da." The combination of her childish outfit and awkward demeanor make the scene come alive.

But I found Manhattan more interesting from the standpoint of understanding who the real Woody Allen was. In light of his personal life, I wonder if perhaps this movie gives us more insight than any movies he's directed? Though it we see a middle-aged man trying to advocate pseudo-morality while still entertaining a relationship with a young girl. It seems that his attraction to her was a regrettable symptom of his dramatic life. In this relationship he finds himself (the complex, emotion-laden old narcissist) attracted to a girl who is too young to have emotional baggage from past relationships. She doesn't have two ex-husbands, nor does she offer any threat of long-term relationship. In this movie Woody Allen plays himself. Its too late for my thoughts to be coherent, I'll edit this some other time, and in the meantime I'll probably change my mind about Allen. My hypotheses are probably all wrong.

Picture

We need a new picture for that top corner. I'm getting tired of looking at my eye. Probably I liked that picture originally because of the way its cropped. I still like it, and there's a pensive-quality to it that I admire. But Obama's rhetoric has pervaded my subconscious and now its affecting my judgment. "It's time for change," he says. But, like Obama, I don't actually have any solutions. I merely know that something needs to be different. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about writing. Why write? What is there to write about? Why, I'm terrible at creative writing; I have not a creative bone in my body. Yet there's something fantastic about writing that even words cannot articulate. But today I received two compliments. One for the Paul Stuart shirt I was wearing, and the second on merit of my writing of a pretentious little art review. And speaking of (its posted below), the piece warrants some prefatory qualifying remarks. I wrote it after being asked my opinion of a picture a friend had taken. It was written for kicks, and not to be taken quite so seriously. In fact, my intention was merely to write something snobbishly ostentatious, fraught with vague, condescending generalities. That much I very well may have accomplished, but at the expense of any real artistic analysis of the artwork. So it may be said, as it once was said of Warren Harding's speeches, that my art review was " an army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea."

Art of the Week: In Review - Draft 1

If we are to dispense with judgment unabashedly, the unreservedly candid would likely discount this piece as shallow and unrefined. To be frank, it strikes as classic point-and-shoot photography. Thus begging for inspiration, searching for artistic meaning, and failing to acomplish what would otherwise be stunning quality of exposition.

Most disturbing is the lighting. Shutter speed was good but the indelibly glaring problem with this photograph is that the composition leads viewers to focus primarily to the left piece. The depth-of-focus is not very telling as to what focal point is desired, and the lighting is too bold.

To pontificate further, we find it regrettable that the art has brick-wall-backdrop. The art is not necessarily haute countre, but the context of the paintings reminds me of something you would find in the basement of a second-rate nightclub.

I'd much prefer a better composition, the off-balanced framing is excusable, and if done correctly would have brought a redeeming quality to this piece, but holistically the mood of the art is not captured by the photograph. The art is decent but the photograph fails to parallel.

american mary

if i could, i'd be your star again
fall across your falling sky...

it takes a lot of little rain to make you feel like nothing.
anything, anything you can do, do to me for everything i did for you
nothing.
i didn't try to take your love away
i just never knew i had it...

Commencement Toast

It's hard to believe that another semester is upon us. We have yet to dispense with the vacation lifestyle, and fears grow heavy that the transition period will be monotonous. But pursuant to tradition, I shall now commence with another academic term. And so we toast:

"Cheers, to another semester of academic mediocrity."