The Year is 1999

The year is 1999. Almost everyone is partying because, well, they've been hearing that this is model for partying since Prince blessed us with 1999 in 1982. The rest of the population is stockpiling goods in their cellars and creating militias for when the Millinnium happens. Well you're one of the "almost everyone'' and you are at this party and it is the coolest party you have ever been to. I mean people are GETTING DOWN and just when think things can't get any cooler this discussion about macroeconomics in the future breaks out. This lesser thinker is like, "What do you think would happen if in 2007 the price of a barrel of oil isn't the current $12, but 5 times that much at $60?" Everyone just starts laughing at this guy, "That is not only impossible," they say "but the answer would be catastrophic to the economy." They of course were wrong. You want to think about something crazy. Oil is trading at $93 a barrel. That is an almost 800% increase to what it was in 1999. What is the economy doing? Just humming right along. You know what that makes me think. This Earth will never run out of oil. The price of oil will just keep rising until is makes sense to use other forms of energy. Then we will just use that energy for 200 years before the media will make a big deal about getting ready to run of that energy. The cycle will just keep reciprocating.

I heard something I've never heard at a concert before. Grace Potter was opening up for Govt Mule and before one of her songs she said, "This song is kind of dirty. All the pornstars have been calling to use it." I thought, "Wow. I've never heard someone say that before." And yep, the song was kinda dirty (For reference, it's called If I Was From Paris). We ended up leaving the Govt Mule show early because I hate The Vogue in Indy and I hated the crowd. See the leader of Govt Mule is Warren Haynes who is in this other little band called The Allman Brothers Band. And because of that association there were about a million 50 year old hippies at the show. And the place is tiny. And I had no personal space. And the smoke was killing my eyes. So we left after an hour.

The Dalai Lama (or as he is referred to in my household, Mr. Lama) was in town last Friday to talk about compassion. I went to be enlightened. Mr. Lama made it clear early into his speech that he had no super powers and that people who thought he did, were dumb. He was really fun though. Just a cute 73 year old man who has spent his entire life preaching peace. Using broken English to talk about nipples. His sometimes translator (Mr. Lama didn't know the English for some words, like nipple, so he just pointed) was also really impressive, and could finish sentences for Mr. Lama when needed. It was a neat experience.

This past weekend was the UPA Ultimate Frisbee Club Championships in Sarasota. Seattle Sockeye came out as champions for their third title in four years. In the semi-final, eventually runner-up Johnny Bravo (Boulder) was playing GOAT (Toronto) and a player went up for a disc in the endzone. The JB guy grabs the disc for the goal and the GOAT guy kind of tackles him trying to get the D. The JB guy stands up and spikes the disc in the GOAT player's chest. WOW. However heinous, it's just another example of American ownage on Canada.

Song Recommendation - On Palastine by JJ Grey & Mofro

A Law For Everything

In the not too distant past I was driving down to Bloomington to visit a young lady known by the name of Sara. The visit isn't that important within the context of the story because this discussion centers around the actual drive. Since the downfall of WTTS, more specifically since they have become enamored with poor 80's and early 90's rock, the radio options on the trip from Lafayette to Bloomington is ESPN or NPR and local radio. Since you lose ESPN 5 miles outside of Lafayette and NPR somewhere between Indy and Btown (before regaining it once again), you're only option is the Monroe County radio. SO, I'm driving and listening to these fellas debate a proposed Bloomington law that will make it illegal for people to smoke in cars when kids under the age of 13 are also in the car (mind you, there is also a Bloomington law in which kids can be ticketed for not wearing a bicycle helmet). It seemed that most of the people who were calling in, as well as the commentators, agreed that this law was pretty dumb. I'm glad. My dining experience is much more pleasant when the restaurant is non-smoking, it will be nice to wear a jacket to the bars this winter, and I'm glad people have to stand far away from buildings on campus to smoke. But those are all public places. Those aren't someones personnel possessions. People have every right do smoke in their cars. My grandpa smoked in the car with my dad and uncles in their. They turned out alright. Andrew's dad smoked him the car (maybe not, Andrew's dad loves his vehicles) with him in there and he turned out alright. In fact, I bet the healthy people who wrote this absurd law rode around in cars with their smoker parents. For reference, Sara supports this law. She also pretends she is super liberal. She is also dumb.

I've been busy grading papers all weekend. It's been pretty boring, and I often feel bad for giving low grades, but I guess that's my job. Actually, I don't feel bad giving low grades if I can tell that the person did not try. That's just stupid. Especially since the students are Executive MBA's. That means they are executives of a company somewhere. I know they know how to work hard. I'm also talking to Matt about working part-time at Humana. I only have three classes this module, plus a project with Caterpiller.

I've been going to Starbuck's everyday for the past two weeks. Those guys are good. Right now they are in the middle of a promotion with iTunes in which you get a free, different download everyday. Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Alice Smith, Rogue Wave, Band of Horse, all kinds of stuff. A different artist everyday. So, I love music. I walk in, get a medium coffee ($1.96), and get a free song, drink the coffee, stay up all night wishing I hadn't drank the coffee and that I could fall asleep. I'm cool with that. Songs on iTunes are usually $.99. So I'm down with $.97 coffee. (I know it's not really like that but I can at least lie to myself). It's fun, you never know what artist you're going to get.

Song Recommedation - Cannonball by Damien Rice

al-Qaeda and Nickel Creek

So, I've been reading the book The Looming Tower while on break. It was written by Lawerence Wright and won a Pulitzer Prize. Anyway, the book is about the history of al-Qaeda (if you don't know who these guys are, they have a wikipedia page, although you will probably get put on terrorist watch lists for going to it) and the events leading to 9/11. When I say the events leading to 9/11, I mean all the way back to the childhood of Osama bin Ladin's dad. Over the weekend I also went and saw The Kingdom, which is about Saudi Arabia and deals with many of the same issues as The Looming Tower (the bin Ladin family is Yemini by Osama was raised in Saudi Arabia). The thing that strikes me most about this whole al-Qaeda issue is that everything thinks what they are doing is right, and that it is what God wants. Granted that some of the issues have been twisted by al-Qaeda to fit their needs, but there is no way you can stop someone who thinks that God wants them to do something, and they truly believe in that God. What a mess.

On to other not so tragic issues. I was able to snag a pair of tickets to Nickel Creek's last show. Turns out that I'm not the failure I previously suspected that I was.

I was having a discussion last week with Long Steve about Entrepreneurship. Long Steve was saying that Entrepreneurship was his major in college. I told him that that was dumb. You can't teach someone to be an entrepreneur. You can't say, "Here, I am going to teach you how to come up with a good idea!!" That's impossible. He agreed. His point was that what he learned in college was how to run a small business. How to get capital. How to deal with new companies. This makes much more sense to me. These are good skills to learn since almost everything students learn in business school is focused on taking an established position in an established company. So we agreed that the term Entrepreneurship was some lame marketing word. I mean yea, it sounds way cooler than Small Business Management, and implies the ability to get rich with a great idea but I still don't like the term.

I just picked up the new Iron & Wine cd and Ryan Adam's Cold Roses. Both of them a grade A and a must buy in my book.

Song Recommendation - Ah Mary by Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Fall Break

Well, the passing of finals means that I am five modules down and have three remaining before I'm finished with school. I can't remember a time where I have been apathetic with school. Hopefully, I can get myself together and finish up like a rockstar. The passing of finals also means that it's time for fall break. Fall break means it's time for Harvest Homecoming. Harvest Homecoming means it's time for belly aches and avoiding people. This year didn't disappoint.

Speaking of HH. Kids are dumb. Today, I saw a girl licking the ketchup off a corn dog. She wasn't eating the corn dog, just licking the ketchup off. I'm sure her parents were upset that they went with the corn dog and not the ketchup popcicle.

Fall Break also means the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Ever since my mom was diagnosed, my family has been steadfast participants. When I say family, I'm talking grandma, aunts, cousins, second cousins, Sara, friends. The whole family. It's always a good time. This year didn't disappoint. Kaliegh wouldn't pee in the port-a-pot so instead chose the little urinal inside the port-a-pot. That must have been hilarious.

Quest Outdoors was also having their annual warehouse sale. It was madness when I was there on Friday morning, as apparently people were waiting outside in the cold. People were scooping up 5 coats at a time to go try on. I was able to snag a winter coat with zipout fleece from The North Face. I went back on Sunday with Sara and found some sweet travel luggage from The North Face. I also found an even sweeter Arc'teryx Naos 55 trekking pack. It was an awesome deal too. I didn't want to buy it, but I couldn't pass it up. Mom and Dad are giving it to me for Christmas.

Song Recommendation - Intervention by Arcade Fire

Speaking of Arcade Fire, when Sara and I went to the Andrew Bird concert in Bloomington the band LeLoup was a pretty good knock-off. I doubt they want to hear being called a knock-off though.

Tulsa and Back in One Weekend

It was almost 3 strikes and out for Steve Loomis this past weekend. On Thursday we found out we were getting the promised tour bus because the trip from Louisville to Tulsa is 10 hours and 2 minutes. Bus drivers can apparently only drive 10 hours per DOT regulations, and those 2 minutes were going to cost us $750 both ways. So we made the trip in minivans and the Miller Family Magnum. Not ideal.

Then I found out that there will be no staying in the Indian Casino. Not only did we not get to stay there we had to drive by it in its neon, Cherokee Casino glory on our way to our smoking room at the La Quinta Inn. I mean, I don't have a problem with La Quintas, but they don't have roulette wheels in the lobby either.

THEN, I find out that because we don't have the tour bus we won't be getting Wigger or Frazier. I mean, we're a different team with those guys.

THEN, we get to these fields and they aren't anything extrodinary.

Anyway, we stilled had fun none the less.

Tussin' - We played pretty well, and won a close one at the end.
General Strike - They played like a team that had made a 20 hour trip from Winnipeg. We played about as well and lost 11-8 in a game we should have won.
Madison - We expected to lose this one from the beginning and would have probably won with a little more energy. We lose 11-8.
Black - Oh geez, we played horrible to a team we probably should have beat. 11-3.
Madcow - Fresh off their big win against BAT, and visions of their 13-3 whipping against us at Sectionals, they opened up their roster. Bad idea. We took half at 6-3, but couldn't win it. 11-8.
BAT - It rained. They were athletic. We didn't play well. 11-4.
Dingwop - We handled our business in a game that was never close. 11-6.

I played pretty bad, but nobody played really well. Our goal this year was top 8 at Regionals. That didn't happen as we finished 11th or so. Definitely going to show some improvement next year, or I'm going to have to play coed to get my trip to Natty's. And boy I don't want to do that.

In other news, this week is finals. Dumb. I also got a job grading accounting papers in the Executive MBA program. Now I won't have SO much free time. Sweet.

Song Recommendation - Boy With A Coin by Iron & Wine

It ain't easy, but it'll be all right.

On my way home to catch the bus to Regionals, I stopped by Bloomington (yea, I know it is not on the way at all) to see Sara and catch the Shooter Jennings show at the Bluebird. I hate seeing shows at the Bluebird. The place is set up very poorly for a concert, but they tend to have great shows there. North Mississippi Allstars. Nickel Creek. JJ Grey. Grace Potter. Old Crow Medicine Show. I mean, real quality acts. So anyway, Sara and I are pretty big Shooter fans and this was a must see show. It was also fun to see him in his "element". The last time we saw him it was at Bonnaroo, and the crowd was a lot rougher tonight. Charles Manson look alikes. Meth-heads. Lots of what business people would call diversity. Well, anyway, it was a great show. Lots of fun.

Like I was saying, I'm making my way down to Louisville to catch the bus to Regionals. Well, I guess it's not a bus anymore. We were supposed to getting a tour bus with the co-ed team, for what would have been an epic journey. Something happened with the price though, and we had to switch last minute to vans. This is sure to be a cheaper option, but 11 hours in a van to Tulsa is a lot less comfortable than 11 hours in a bus to Tulsa. Regardless, everyone is excited about Regionals. We're seeded 10. Our goal for the entire season is top 8 in the Region, so that is easily within reach. We get to stay at an Indian casino. I've never been to Oklahoma. Lots of positives.

Song Recommendation - Hair of the Dog by Shooter Jennings

Outsourcing/Offshoring/Offsourcing

So, in my global strategy class we talked about one of my the most polarizing of all topics in the media (which then makes it political). The Topic? Outsourcing. Which is different than offshoring. Which if different than offsourcing. Specially, outsourcing is when a task is done outside your company. Offshoring is when the task is done outside the country (this does mean that another company does it). Offsourcing is the most accurate term for when a task done by your company is done in a different country by a different company. This is traditionally what people think of when thinking of outsourcing.

Anyway, a good discussion ensued. Most MBA students are for outsourcing/offshoring/offsourcing because they look at it strictly from a labor to cost perspective and the financial advantages that ensue.. I tend to agree. Then again, I wouldn't say I have been personally affected. If my dad worked on an assembly line, maybe I would have a different view. I think what most American's don't understand is that outsourcing/offshoring/offsourcing is not just a local event. When I was at TVS in India (who people think is the black hole of labor) they sent there engineering work to Japan and built a plant in Malaysia for labor cost advantages. I also think that Americans are polarized by it because we are in the wave where jobs leave. I would argue that our industries will stay competitive by adapting. No job is immune though. Doctors in India check x-rays for hospitals in America.

Song Recommendation - Sweets by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

(I saw the last 5 minutes of this crappy HBO show about married couples, and this song was playing in the background...crappy show, great song)