life, in general - never published

So what can you say about your life right now?

I can say almost, sadly, verbatim, everything I imagined on a bad night at Harpos back in early 2002. When I was questioning how much money I would need to live in different cities, if I would be recreating scenes from Boiler Room, and maybe more, if I would travel to different cities to gloat, and whatnot. I always, always, back in those days, imagined myself as a 28 year old burnout, living in what should be his victory place, vodka + tonic in hand, wondering how he became so lonely. And it has almost become completely true. For more reference, I suggest the Lush album, “Lovelife.” First, I am younger than I imagined in this fantasy. Second, I make more money than imagined in this fantasy. And third, the reality is a little rougher than I thought it would be. So how does this compare to you? I never thought that I’d reevaluate life like this. But I did. And have. And its not familiar to me, nor should it be. And its not comfortable. Which is of utmost importance right now. I have become a great fan of comfortable things lately.

another one

I am not even kidding, this is how I live.

Friday I was out of the office for work, inspecting buildings and whatnot. Which, on this day, meant that I slept in until sometime between 7:30 and 8:00, and killed a wounded soldier that was in the fridge before heading out the door. So I finished up about 4:00 or so in the afternoon. Note: when working from home, I will never cease to be amazed at how often things tend to wind down around 4:00. Feeling a powerful combination of hunger and thirst, I packed up my computer and headed out to one of my favorite places in the DC – Kramerbooks and Afterwards. This place is a beautiful combination of bookstore (a pretty large bookstore, by the way), bar, and restaurant. And again, by restaurant, I mean real food – definitely a step above typical bar far. And $4 Magic Hats for happy hour. And the service is also great. I really do love this place. And so I’m answering emails, realizing that I have a few new assignments for this month that will pay me handsomely. Have I ever spoken about these high stress finance and real estate work environments? Seriously, I live a dream – I don’t see how I can be so miserable sometimes. So I’m answering emails, drinking beers, and this girl sits down next to me and starts drinking vodka + cranberries and working on a sodoku puzzle. So obviously after striking up a conversation we realize that she a) likes to drink, b) has an undergrad degree in economics and a minor or emphasis or something in environmental policy from Boston University, and c) is meeting friends later at one of my favorite bars, where the bartender, who is also her neighbor, always hooks me up. So after a brief discussion about the merits of humanzees and the true champion of any bear vs. shark competition (BvsS was also one of her favorite bands. Always a good conversation piece – ask somebody their five favorite bands. The first four always come quickly, but that fifth one is scary, because you don’t want to screw up and realize that you’re done. You might actually start shaking on the fifth one.) So at this point I am completely bailing on my coworkers who I was meeting up with after work and walking down the streets arm in arm with this girl, laptop bag dutifully dangling from my back, on our way to the next bar. And at this point we realize that maybe we’ve had a bit to drink on the day. So, at the next bar we walk in as the two most obviously wrecked human beings on the planet. So I’m downing PBRs and cracking on anything I can, discussing the merits of the National Press Building (a beautiful building in downtown DC) with a guy and his wife at the bar. By this point the girl is woefully passed out – thank god that she has caring and nice friends, because I forget sometimes that maybe I’m capable of consuming more alcohol than most people should and remaining semi-coherent. And those times that I am not at all coherent, well, then, we just know how much of everything I have consumed on those days, don’t we? Turns out this guy is the owner of the place, and as of today I may or may not be involved in a condotel deal. But my final bar tab was $3, so no complaints. At this point the members of the team that I was originally drinking with decided that it was time to go home, as the girl was more or less passed out. So, settling up my $3 tab I decide to head home. And by head home I mean get distracted by the fact that one of my neighbors on the block appears to be having a party. And, as it was a beautiful day, the doors and everything are open. Not being one to pass up on a social experience and a party, I decide, computer bag and all, to waltz on in and have a drink and start chatting. Two things I notice at this party: 1) I couldn’t find a keg, just an open array of liquors, and 2) there are exactly 2 girls and 100 men at this party. And this was a case where there were a lot of men, not because these are the alpha-male jock types who maybe just don’t associate well with women; au contraire, these men would associate with and empathize extremely well with women, right down to discussions about manicures and Hugh Grant movies, if you follow. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I’m pretty sure I introduced myself to one of the women by saying “hi. I live on this block, and I’m straight.” And I think that I argued with one guy that Allen Iverson is the best player in the NBA. I love AI. So I leave, rum + coke in hand while walking down the street, and head home. Upon awaking on Saturday morning, I am thankfully alone, half of a rum + coke sitting on the counter, somehow my email checking and spreadsheets are up to date on my computer, socks are inexplicably located next to my head in my bed, and it is way too early, something like 7:30 Saturday morning.

This, my friends, is what happens when I work from home. This is also why I miss hanging out with a lot of you – though it certainly isn’t an everytime occurrence, we all know that I occasionally embark on an exploratory mission like this. Friday truly was one of those days.

This week, on my way to lunch, a Greenpeace guy on the street asked me if I had a minute to care about global warming. It was 18 degrees outside. I laughed all the way to Chipotle.

I love Chipotle.

I’m listening to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness right now. My cd collection may grow, but its heart will always live in 1995.

Go to youtube, and type in ‘giada’. You owe this to yourself. I love the food network.

I really am scheduling my next 72 hours around MU v KU.

Are The Troggs maybe the most underrated band ever? Pick up The Best of The Troggs – you’ll be a better person for it.

A man was beaten to death a block from my front door about two weeks ago. I live in a building full of $500,000 condominiums. This world is ridiculous, and its cases like this that make me glad that I don’t really live in reality, though it would be nice if everybody else had a chance to escape the real world every now and then, too. Especially the man who died a block away from my front door.

Astronaut stalked and may have had intent to kill a woman. Anna Nicole Smith died. All in Florida. Loveline scares me.

Toyota posted a record profit. Ford posted a record loss. Which goes again to prove, that when fuel efficient car companies are making record gains, so does Exxonmobil, who is obviously very anti-Detroit. And anti-Americain.

sometimes i am convinced that bill simmons is reading my email and reading my blogs:

quoth Brock (11/25/2006):

"All machismo aside: is it ok for us to like Justin Timberlake? The guy got in, did Britney during the hot years, thinks its alright to walk around in a buzzcut, took a swipe at Janet Jackson during the "i can't believe she's still hot" years on TV, works with Pharrell Williams from time to time, and honestly, I think he knew exactly what he was doing during the boy band years, and the "Cry Me a River" song/video is great, and in tone, nearly the same song as "You Know You're Right" (released at roughly the same time - how often do you get two simultaneous 'god i hate this bitch' songs on the radio at the same time? especially since i always thought that Britney Spears was the next Courtney Love - we're only one drugged out appearance from this being reality, methinks). I mean, we're not mad at Dwayne Wade for what he's done, are we? The falsetto, though..."

quoth Bill (2/12/2007):

8:34 -- It's a tie between Justin Timberlake and Chase Budinger for "white guy who does the best job transcending his whiteness." Justin Timberlake is performing right now, although he made the tragic decision not to sing "D*** in a Box." Hey, it's OK to think he's talented, right? Two hit albums AND he's one of the best SNL hosts ever AND he sold at the highest point possible on Britney's stock AND he wrote the best revenge song ever (the "Cry Me A River" song that pretty much murdered Britney's soul) AND he's plowing through every hot female in Hollywood right now. He's a hero, I say.

something needs to be done.

I know some of my friends out here are teachers. How do we improve schools? Even as a hardcore economist who does lean right, I just cannot believe in charter schools. While competition and free market strategies are absolutely essential in my mind for frivolous things, when it comes to education and the basic necessities of life, at some point I have to think that we just need to have the best people planning these programs. Possibly ironically, I do not believe that universal healthcare is a necessity of life. But a decent chance at a solid education, this I do believe in. I would like to hear everybody’s thoughts. I think at one point I had the answer to this scrawled out on a bar napkin, but after a few too many bourbons my handwriting was not worth the ideas that it was carrying.

One of my friends actually tried to set me up for a fight one night with a girl whose job was to educate people about the importance of voting. And I have written papers on the complete lunacy involved with anybody who actually votes. Yes, these are my friends.

The middle finger on my right hand is still seriously swollen and jammed after the super bowl. But at least the knee bruise and thigh bruise are starting to heal. Because this is how I celebrate February football.

A woman and a black man are the two front runners for the democratic candidacy in 2008. Why don’t they just find some other guy named Jacques and complete the trifecta? I don’t know who the republicans are going to come up with, but you’re going to hate him. And he’ll win.

Allen Iverson is a short man who is taller than most people I know.

Sometimes I think of myself as a failure. Especially when I see somebody having a huge position with a firm, making huge phone calls every morning at 5:30am, and making a lot more than me, and they’re only 31. And that’s only four years away from me. And four years ago at 5:30 in the morning I was puking my ass off after too many beers at Big 12 – campus. So maybe there’s hope for me yet. And everyone else too.

Even though I really want to quit for a year and work in a record store.

It was pointed out to me in Vegas how scary 27 is for people. At the last craps table I played. And we went over the whole list. I thought 24 was much scarier. At least at this point I’ve given up on ever being creative. Fuck Hemingway. And Cobain. They’re both dead anyways.

I need a new hobby. And suggestions. I think that I’m going to take up flyfishing again. Its not a sexy hobby, but Brad Pitt did it in a movie once. And 6 -10 years later he was doing it with Jennifer Aniston. And maybe Gwyneth Paltrow in the middle, but lets not fool ourselves – I walk by at least 20 women everyday who are cuter than the Paltrow. Here’s to being 33 someday!

This brings up another point – back in college, we all drooled over these random women in Maxim, saying how hot they were and such. And every day, I walked on campus, and it didn’t take 15 minutes to see at least 10 girls who were that attractive. Which brings me back to an earlier point – girls are pretty. Stop complaining about your noses and things.

OK, I’m done ranting for now. Please feel free to comment and enhance our discussion from today.

let's get it going

decided that my myspace blogs are worthy of a full audience. lets get this party started.