RB log

Email from Sally

2008-01-29T10:40:00.000-08:00

Verbatim email that showed up from my sister this morning:

Hi Beck,

They put this is our daily news here at work. For the most part I remember not to say them, though sometimes my face says them for me. I'll have to work on that.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/01/24/worst.say.at.work/index.html

Oh, I was also listening to the radio this morning and they were doing a count-down of the top ten names for guys with large… uh you know whats - "Dave" was #1.

How's the family?

Mom and Dad need some entertainment. Maybe you should move to Portland and have a baby or something.

Love, Sal

Someone should make that point

2008-01-18T09:40:00.000-08:00

"For a brief, hopeful moment, I thought the filmmakers might be making a point about how the contemporary compulsion to record the world has dulled us to actual lived experience, including the suffering of others — you know, something about the simulacrum syndrome in the post-Godzilla age at the intersection of the camera eye with the narcissistic 'I.'"

-- from a review of the movie Cloverfield in the NYT

She's a little bit country...

2007-11-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

he's a little bit rock 'n roll.

The Dude and Maxine also got dressed up for Halloween. Poor dogs. But they're just so funny! Hah!

Pictures of the toothless giraffe

2007-11-10T10:58:00.001-08:00

I'm finally posting pics of the now legendary giraffe costume we made Sam for Halloween. Yes, I busted out the sewing machine, and Dave now has a special place in his heart for paper mache.

Sam asked specifically to have a removable tail (it safety pins on) so he could have the option of rocking the giraffe suit as jammies or casual wear after Halloween had come and gone. The top and bottom are made of polar fleece and pretty soft, so I guess I can understand that thinking.

P.S. Sam lost his first tooth a couple of weeks before Halloween. The new one is already halfway in, but it did make this giraffe a bit of a snaggletooth.

Are they telling us to shut up?

2007-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

Young Dad (the same one who fancies himself a musician) and family wrote us a note! It came through our mail slot late in the week. The handwriting makes me think it was probably written my Mrs. Young Dad.

The note reads:

"Hi All --

We're having friends with 19 month old twins to stay through Tuesday, I believe. They'll be staying in our middle room -- bedtime 8:00. Wake up time is usually 6:15 -- we'll see how they do in a new place. Regardless, we will do our best not to disturb you."

Is this a polite warning of possible noise to come? Or is this a passive aggressive command to be quiet between the hours of 8pm and 6am? They'd best look out having just set a precedent for note writing.

P.S. The guitar was going last night until 11:45pm, twins or no twins. I have yet to hear a baby noise come of of that apartment.

P.P.S. Yes, I was home on a Friday night, trying to sleep at 11:45pm. What of it?

Column on The Office

2007-09-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

One of my authors wrote this column that was printed in the Detroit News today, drawing some contrasts between the hysterical funniness of The Office and real life. Her book comes out next month.

From the men who brought you If I Had a Million Dollars...

2007-09-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

I recently posted about The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, the first book I worked on at my current job. The book is selling like hotcakes, and currently on several best seller lists -- including the New York Times business list.

The author is best known for a previous book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, which has sold over a million copies. A lot of people run across this book during training sessions at work. It's also a business fable, aka a short novel about people in an office that teaches management and teamwork principles through examples in the story.

We all (meaning my own work team) were forwarded this YouTube clip of the Bare Naked Ladies, playing a song they made up about the book. For those of you who haven't read it, they use actual terms from the book in the song (fear of conflict, lack of commitment, etc.).

http://www.youtube.com/v/QYo3IWt5sSw

Somehow, I never expected musicians to find inspiration in popular management books. I guess it just goes to show that understanding management principles is good for everyone.

You can see the fallopian tubes here

2007-09-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it's breast cancer awareness and supposed to look like a ribbon, blah, blah. However, I find it amazing that any designer could produce a corkscrew that evokes health class diagrams of the female reproductive organs so perfectly... yet with a modern, Ikea-esque flare.

ARC + RB

2007-09-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

I was just accepted into the Berkeley Board Fellows, an opportunity set up through the Haas Non-Profit Management program that allows MBA candidates to serve on the governing board of a local non-profit. "During the school year Fellows work closely with board members and executive directors, serve on board committees, attend full board meetings, and participate in special events and projects. Essentially, Fellows act as non-voting members of the board."

Should I choose to accept the position, I would be working with ARC Associates out of downtown Oakland. ARC is an organization that provides tutoring about 1,000 students in California, including helping with GEDs for migrant workers and organizing charter schools. It's a pretty good match, in terms of mission, as I had expressed an interest in organizations working to improve the quality of public education in California. I haven't heard of ARC before, though, so I have a little homework to do.

To be honest, I really wasn't expecting to get this fellowship. I'm a little dumbstruck... and totally excited! I hope we publish a "Boards for Dummies."

Beer pong, California Berkeley syle

2007-09-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

Somehow I've never got around to posting pictures of the beer pong table I inherited from Team Traille at the beginning of the summer. They left for high-profile international internships, and I scored their super sweet, handmade, pong table. Those Trailles always seem to have it all. But now the table is mine.

Anyhoo, as you can see for yourself, it is a glorious piece of equipment (only moderately portable, and currently living in Dave's "backyard"). I hope it sees some action at least a couple of more times before the season ends. The coming weekend might be a good one for pong, since there's no home game to get across the Bay for. Except Sam will be around, and he usually shows an unhealthy amount of interest in drinking games for a five-year-old.

We've got spririt! And Highlife!

How do you end a blog?

2007-09-23T11:38:00.001-07:00

I think the social phenomenon of keeping a personal blog as a hobby is coming to a close. I see more and more people worried about the personal information they are putting out onto the Internet, even if anonymously. I myself changed the URL for my blog several months ago (in hopes of making it a little less conspicuous in a search), a couple friends have password protected their blogs, and a lot of people have just stopped updating their blogs altogether.

Today I was asked to take a research survey about blogs and blogging. This question was included:

Why do you blog?(Please check all that apply.)
To express yourself creatively
To document your personal experiences or share them with others
To stay in touch with friends and family
To share practical knowledge or skills with others
To motivate other people to action
To entertain people
To store resources or information that is important to you
To influence the way other people think
Other (please specify)

The writing I have posted to RBlog over the past three years has been motivated at one time or another by each of above reasons. But, I've posted less and less lately. I think this is primarily due to two factors:

1) When you figure in work, commuting, school, homework, volunteer projects, sleep, and commitments I've made to Dave, Sam, and friends, I have less than 1 free hour per day during the work week, and I rarely want to spend it in front of a computer.

2) Many of the things I'm motivated to write about are not appropriate for some part of the audience that I know reads this blog. They are either too personal, too R-rated, could get me into trouble at work, or probably just not that interesting to you.

And so, in my mind this blog has become bits and pieces that get posted when I am in the mood, and mostly a way to keep in touch with the friends and family who still check it. That seems like a fine use for now, and there's always the possibility that somewhere down the line I will become a more active blogger.

There are some takeaways from my blogging experience so far. For a blog to have any sustainable life and be able to grow a relevant community around it, it needs to have 1) a mission statement-like focus and a reason for existing that goes beyond the ego of the author(s), 2) author(s) who post each day, 3) the freedom (usually created through the anonymity of the author) to be honest, interesting, express a unique personality, and cover personal topics that inspire genuine interest and passion in readers.

You are making me hate you and your electric keyboard synthesizer thing

2007-09-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

After three years of uncommonly good housing luck, my spree of domestic bliss may have just come to an abrupt end. Last month, new neighbors moved into the apartment below us. They are a very cute young couple with a very cute baby. You may assume that it would be the baby causing the problem, but you'd be wrong. The problem I'm facing is the dangerous amateur musician with a baby combo. I may never sleep past eight again.

It works like this. Young men in San Francisco seem to almost always see themselves as blossoming musicians. These guys are EVERYWHERE and incredibly difficult to avoid when selecting a) housing, or b) a boyfriend. Are you, reader, a male living in SF under the age of 38? There's an 85% chance you have some kind of musical instrument in your apartment and believe that its being there and the fact that you make it make noise sometimes somehow make you cooler.

One of the greatest mysteries around is why these guys think they need to bless the world to their musical stylings, because they -- almost without exception -- are not good. They play the same stupid song, or piece of a song, over and over and over and over. And then again. Twenty more times. Frequently they make the same mistake each time, too, which is a real treat for those of us forced by the proximity of our apartments to listen.

To validate my expertise in this area, I want you to know that I have lived with or next to, and/or dated guys who think they can play:

the piano
the guitar (x5)
the banjo
the mandolin
the drums
the xylophone
the saxophone
turn tables (not really an instrument, but equally annoying)

I digress... Back to the update on our new neighbor situation. Young Dad down there seems to have both a guitar (of course) and an electric keyboard synthesizer thing. And he likes to sing.

To her credit, I have not heard the baby once. But she is equally guilty, for people with babies and small children become accustomed to waking up at 6am or earlier (even on the weekends). This family is no exception, I'm sure. As a result, Young Dad downstairs believes that electric keyboard synthesizer practice at 8am on a Sunday is okay. After all, he's probably been up for hours!

Honestly, it's enough to make me want to buy a treadmill and start jogging up here at 10:30 each night.

LUNAFEST is coming up

2007-09-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine heads the branding group for LUNA Bars (the lady-version of Cliff). She asked me to help spread the word about their annual film festival. I've heard it's always a very fun event. Here are the details:

LUNAFEST, is having it's annual premiere at the Herbst Theatre here in San Francisco on October 4th. The evening consists of of a VIP reception and a 90 minute program of award winning films all by, for and about women (and they are all excellent films). All proceeds of the event benefit Breast Cancer Fund.

Event:
Thursday, October 4th
Herbst Theatre San Francisco (War Memorial Building)
6:00- VIP reception with food, wine and lux goody bag
7:30- Film Screening, all attendees a goody bag

Prices:
$75 for VIP reception and films
$20 for films only
$10 for students

Check out the films and our new site at: http://www.lunafest.org/the-films.cfm

Go to the Cole Street Fair

2007-09-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, September 23 is the Cole Street Fair. 10am - 6pm. The Cole Street Merchants hold an annual "Heart of Cole Street" fair. From what I hear it's pretty fun times. Plus, the PTA will be out in force, fundraising PTA-style:

"Every year Grattan Elementary has a booth, this year at the corner of Parnassus & Cole. We sell baked goods, this year graciously donated by Il Fornaio and the Owens Family (rooms 106 & 208 ) and lemonade donated by Trader Joe's. We also sell our Grattan t-shirts/sweatshirts, and share what makes Grattan great with the community."

You know you want a Grattan sweatshirt.

Did I mention Dave and I joined the PTA? Dave will be manning the bounce house.

Holy crap!

2007-09-18T16:08:00.001-07:00

It finally happened! KFed has been granted temporary custody of the Spears children! The Superficial reported it earlier today!

This is in no way surprising! Not even a little bit! And yet, I'm still feeling the exclamation points. It's one of those things we've all been waiting on and expecting for so long that when it finally happens you just can't believe it. Like passing the bar, or getting engaged.

Oh, hush. I'm totally kidding about the engaged thing.

Stupid maternal instincts

2007-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling kinda upset in the last hour and when I stopped to think about why, I realized I am sad that I don't get to go pick up Sam today. I keep wondering how kindergarten went and what he did at school today. I am missing him.

I miss him?

Yes, I miss him.

I miss a five-year-old boy who picks his nose and makes me literally crazy with frustration 75% of the time we are in the same room.

Good god, what is happening to me? Ugh.

Go Bears!

2007-09-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a lot of school spirit this morning, but it's not related to football or my deep love of Cal Band. Haas was ranked second in the nation in this year's Wall Street Journal ranking of b-schools! We beat out Harvard (#14) and Stanford (#19), and moved up three slots from our fifth place ranking last year. Their article mentioned, "Harvard University and Stanford University -- two schools that typically rank low despite reputations for academic excellence -- again were criticized for what recruiters said were their students' inflated egos and excessive expectations." Take that, you intellectual snobs!

The WSJ ranks the schools based entirely on feedback from recruiters hiring candidates out of the schools, so you could argue this list actually means something.

Congrats!

2007-09-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today was a huge day for both Scotty and Turd! They both passed the bar and are now officially attorneys. The state of Oregon says so.

Congratulations you guys -- the summer of torture paid off. Crack open a beer, or fourteen.

Ahhhh!

2007-09-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up at 4:30 to drive Dave to the airport (he's now on a guy's weekend to catch the Michigan vs ND game tomorrow). I then proceeded to work a thirteen hour day without leaving my desk, and I just ate enough Chinese food for a family of three. Literally.

Surprisingly, despite all that, I feel pretty awesome. I think it's because for the first time in possibly three months, I do not have any huge responsibility left untended to, weighing on my mind, and causing me extreme amounts of stress. Of course there are a couple of little things*, but nothin' that can't wait.

Obscene amounts of Eric's, a quiet apartment, the couch, some crappy TV... so much happiness.

*Personal marketing plan required by Haas for On Campus Recruiting, developing versions of my resume appropriate for applying to positions in HR and education organizations, laundry and straightening the apartment before Sam gets dropped off tomorrow morning.

Back to school

2007-08-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

This week is back to school for me. I've been thinking a lot about how happy and gleeful all y'all who are not headed back to school right now must be feeling. Amongst you: Turd, JT, Scotty, Julia, and all my Haas cohorts who managed to wrap up their MBA requirements last summer. How I envy you!

Actually, it's not that bad. The classes I'm taking are interesting and I dig the professors, especially the young, funny, intellectually hot one. It's just rough getting used to the 9am to 11pm work to school schedule again. After a week or two I will be so sleep deprived I won't notice it anymore. Nor will I notice that my underwear are on inside out or that I haven't checked my voicemail in eight days.

This back to school season has been a touch more exciting than years past, because my little friend Sam started kindergarten on Monday. Needless to say, it was an exciting event for all. Watching him go through the excitement of picking out a "big kid" backpack (the backpack is totally rad -- dark green camo print with florescent orange accents) and then getting the jitters the night before and deciding all the other kids would think his backpack was stupid and make fun of him for it brought back a lot memories. Being new to this de facto parenting thing, I forgot to take pictures in the morning on his first day of school (will he be able to claim negligence later in life if he doesn't have a photographic record of his first day of kindergarten?), but I do have this to offer up -- the Grattan Elementary school song...

I'm Happy

It will beat all your expectations, I promise. I think it might make the Top 40 next week.

Digestive woes continue

2007-08-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Things aren't getting much better inside my digestive system, but on the bright side they're not getting worse either. I think my doctor might be onto something with the no dairy plan. Those MDs -- they know stuff. I discovered this the hard way.

I woke up around 2am on Monday night to find that my roommate had just stocked up on a brand new quart of 2%, and, predictably, I fell off the wagon. I drank about half of it before I went back to bed (sorry, Nadia). It was so delicious and refreshing, and it answered every craving I'd been having for the last two and a half weeks. The milk binge did result in extreme "problems" about 12 hours later, though. As a result, I'm back to avoiding all things dairy (aka all things good).

I think I've finally grown accustomed to soy milk in coffee, but there's just no replacement for cheese. As is evidenced by the fact I've lost 15 pounds since June.

Not too shabby

2007-08-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

A review of the first book I worked on in my current job was published in the Wall Street Journal this week.

I feel like I'm bragging about my report card

The results are in

2007-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

So, I took the tests. When it came down to it, I figured I would kick myself if I walked around with a tapeworm for years because I didn't take a few disgusting and logistically difficult tests when the doctor asked me to. I will spare you further details. They all came back normal and I don't have any parasites.

I'm still on my no dairy diet, and other than that things seem to be improving. The non-dairy lifestyle has made me extremely sympathetic to the lactose intolerant (it's a miserable way to live) and extremely resentful of vegans. I can't understand why anyone would willingly choose a life without cheese. I've seen those cows running around Point Reyes, and they look well cared for and damn happy.

I read this article yesterday with extreme envy. I'd give anything for a huge glass of milk.

It got better

2007-08-07T11:43:00.001-07:00

They made the Greendimes service (the one I wrote about that takes your name off mailing lists so you don't get random junk mail) cheaper and easier. This is from their latest newsletter:

"GreenDimes is now a $15 one time charge instead of $36 every year. None of you, our existing members, will be charged again. We also have a $5 refer-a-friend bonus and a store with new products. All of the tools we have built are still yours, but for free, forever.

We're going to monitor mail preference lists every single month to make sure your name and address are not on them. And as always, if you have questions or if you feel like you're continuing to get junk mail, contact customer service and we'll be happy to help you. Nothing has changed from a service perspective, it's just cheaper and easier than ever before."

Sweet! Makes sense to sign up for this service. It's good for you and good for the environment.

Stupid ethics

2007-08-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

I wish it wasn't completely unethical to post some of the book proposals and emails I get everyday at work, because, man -- there is some high entertainment value there. Basically, it's all rooted in laughing at someone's genuine book idea, though, so it's pretty much evil entertainment. Arguably the best kind.

That's the thing about book publishing. It's such a fine line between being a creative genius and a complete and total nutjob. It might not even matter if you're a complete at total nutjob as long as you're a skilled self-promoter with some business sense.

Speaking of, here's a website I stumbled across today: www.animalsign.com.