...Money Never Sleeps

I recently watched Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which is actually Wall Street 2. A continuation directly following when Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is released from Prison from his conviction on Insider Trading among other things. His only daughter (and only living offspring) hates him and wont give him the light of day. However the man she is engaged to, Jacob, (Shia LeBouf) is also a Wall Street player, and better yet, he's pretty good at it. Jacob and Gekko "trade" eachother, Jacob attempts to re-unite him with his daughter, and Gekko gives advice on how to further his career. The firm Jake works for just went under and worst off, he squandered his recent 1.4 Million Dollar Bonus. He eventually seeks out the man who destroyed the company he worked for, the CEO of another firm Bretton James (Josh Brolin), and looks for revenge while working for the new company. Jacob attempts to do all this while trying to secure 100million for an alternative fuel company he has nested a good deal of his nest egg in. Everybody wants something, corporate executives, family members, but what exactly does Gordon Gekko want? Does he want to reunite with his daughter or does he secretly yearn to be back on top?




My Take: Overall I thought this was an excellent movie. Anytime Oliver Stone does a movie, expect it to be good. This is a continuation of Wall Street, but you don't have to watch the first one to understand the second. It has good twists, although if you really know Gordon Gekko, there's not too many surprises, but they are presented in an excellent manner.
 The Pros: The cinemetography was really good. Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin and of course Shia LeBouf are great in their roles. It definitely gives insight about the state of the economy and what happened in 2009. The soundtrack is great and mostly consists of david byrne/brian eno songs when they collaborated in 2008, but it fits really well.
 The Cons: I like movies, so I'm a critic, and even though there may be more cons than pros, it is still an excellent film. That being said, I feel like the ending was very Hollywood, almost like what everyone was rooting for, which doesn't seem to fit into a "stone" movie, but I still enjoyed it. The characters at the Federal Reserve and the Treasury were fictional, so if you knew who the actual players are/were it can be confusing, but I think stone made it that way because the story itself is..well..fiction. There were a few minor plot errors, like a few things didn't add up, but all in all nothing to get in a twist about.

 It's a great film, I suggest you watch it, you might actually learn something.

...what Meetings 101 is.

So you've read my travel 101 post and either thought I know what I'm talking about or I'm just another disgruntled traveler angrily pushing his way through a crowd in an airport looking like a kid who didn't get anything from the candy section of the grocery store. Honestly it doesn't matter cuz I'm posting on Meetings 101, Deal with It. Rock N' Roll.

When I travel for work 30-75% of the trip consists of personal meetings with people. Let's face it, personal meetings with people you don't know in places you've never been is not easy, it's downright uncomfortable. As someone who hates to be uncomfortable I have developed processes to make the awkward a little less...well...awkward :)

So I will start with the assumption that your meetings are already scheduled, because I am not going to tell you how to do that...I mean I gotta keep some trade secrets right?



1. Reconnaissance: So you don't know where you're going. You got the address and a GPS, because you followed Travel 101 step by step and got one. But do you know what building? Do you know where to park? Do you know what suite? If you got time, and instead of watching Idol, take a trip to tomorrow's locations and scope the scene, if anything just so you don't get frazzled before the meeting, trust me you'll be more comfortable.

2. Timliness is idiotless: Arrive too early and experience awkwardness waiting around an uncomfortable lobby. Arrive late and look lazy and unorganized. They say in an interview arrive 15 mins early. In a business meeting I arrive between 30 seconds and 3 minutes early. I'll sit in the parking lot instead of having the receptionist call the person I am meeting early so I have to make them feel obligated.

3. Know who you are meeting: I can't stress this one enough. We live in a time of information, do some research on who you are meeting. Don't stalk them, I don't want you following them home and digging through their trash. But you can log on to the company website and get their profile or find a picture. Gather intelligence when entering the lobby or persons office. Take note of pictures and culture. Look for wedding rings or a lack thereof. One example: last month I was in a meeting and at the end I gave him a tote bag with our logo on it and said "Give it to your wife", then immediately noticed he didn't have a wedding ring. If I could have slapped my hand on my forehead right then I would have, but my hands were full.

4. Know your information, if not, it's okay to say "I don't know"...: "but let me get back to you on that." I work in a field where if I meet with people I need to know a lot about what I am presenting and the information is relayed to others in almost the exact fashion I give it. Therefore it either needs to be extremely accurate or vague enough where I don't give misinformation. The best thing to do is to study what you are selling/presenting and know everything about it. Can't teach this one, you'll learn as you go.

5. Shake hands before AND after: Hello I am ____, cue firm hand shake. I really appreciate you taking time out to meet with me, you must be busy. It was great meeting you, thanks again, cue firm hand shake. Enough said, its business practice, I always thought this was obvious until I saw people not doing it. What's this world coming to?

6. Leave promptly: and always thank the receptionist or person who brought you to who you were meeting. Sometimes people will ask their receptionists how the visitor carried themselves, how they treated the front desk and what they did while they waited. It says A LOT about a persons character.

7. Thank you letters/notes/e-mails: Always send a follow up, even if the meeting didn't go well. Never burn a bridge even if they diss you. You'll never know when you'll need to call upon this person again and if the last point of contact is a memorable thank you note, it will likely go in your favor.

 Hope this information is useful, if not, follow me anyway :)

...what travel 101 is.

So I do a little bit of traveling for my work. I travel approximately 6 weeks from September through November and 2-4 weeks in March and April. I travel far away, so I frequently use planes and rental cars. This past trip especially has encouraged me to share my insight on travel and how to make it pleasurable, fun, but most of all productive. I do not claim to be a professional traveler, but I have been doing this for four years now, so I've picked up some stuff.

I will start with the planning and implementing and go from there, some of these sugesstions are more important than others:

 1. Booking flights/hotels: Kayak, Orbitz, Priceline, all of those providers are great way to find flights but are not necessarily the cheapest way. What these sites do for us is search multiple airlines/hotels and gives us options. Booking directly through the Airline or Hotel is usually the same cost, and they offer protection. For example, if you book through orbitz and your flight is cancelled, theres no notification except on the flight screen. If you book directly through let's say US Airways, you get a text, email, phone call the second it happens. Plus you have more protection for cancellations and monetary replacement.
      Planes: One-Stop is cheaper than direct, if you can afford to miss a flight or get delayed, it's worth the saved money.
      Hotels: Know the city you are going to! Know the danger areas, the places with food close by. If you're going to a major city, consider the suburbs, cheaper and safer. IMPORTANT: Never stay on the 1st floor if you can avoid it. People can see you from the lot, you can see them. Nothing is worse than headlights from a businessman coming in at 2am shining in your window. You can request at the hotel counter to not have a 1st floor.

 2. Airport Parking: Living in Charlotte, Long Term parking is $4.00 a day. Parking in Boston is $24 a day. Therefore plan ahead in your route to the aiport if it is going to cost you a lot of money. When I lived in Boston I always parked at the T-Stop for $5.00 a day and took the subway to the airport, little extra time, lots of saved money.

 3. Airport Navigation: No need to get to the airport two hours early, sitting around an airport stinks. An hour early max. Know which Gate you are going to and if all the terminals connect, that way shorter lines at security can save time. If the terminals don't connect, sorry looks like you gotta wait in line.
    Security, nothing is worse than being behind some person in security who has no idea what to do. As I am waiting in line I move all my items that go into the bin into one pocket, that way when I get up there I just unload everything in one action. My Shoes are already off, belt, glasses, everything people. If you have a Jacket, it goes in the bin, if you have a sweatshirt that zips up, goes in the bin.

  4. Airport Bars: Ahhh mimosas and bloody marys, the best part of an airport, if you can afford it. But here's some tips. Don't get hammered before you get on the plane, they may not let you on, I've seen it. Also, that means you're going to have to pee, and if you have a middle or window seat, that means pissing off the person next to you, which I guess is better than pissing on them :)

  5. Zones: Zones are key. Know what Zone you are. If you have luggage that will go in the overhead, and you're the last zone, expect EVERYTHING to be full. Grab a yellow ticket and leave it outside the plane, pick it up when you land in the boarding area. Trust me, otherwise your trying to jam it in, and everyone backs up behind you, then you realize it wont fit and you'll have to do what I just explained, but fight your way back to the front of the plane, not worth the headache.

  6. Ettiquitte: Sit quickly, if your row is full, buckle up, if not, wait, because someone will be by to sit in the empty seat. And don't talk to the person next to you about your kids or how great your life is, us travelers are frustrated we can't teleport where we wanna go and we don't wanna hear that garbage, we really don't. Leave quickly, remember where your overhead items are, get out quick, everyone behind you wants off.

  7. Rental Cars: You've landed, yay! Now you need a ride. This is important, forget gas mileage, safety or anything, you want speed, power, looks, color, and accessories. Red, and white cars scream rental. A red Chevy Impala is always a rental car. I go black and blue. If the rental guy offers you a car and you don't want it, say "what else ya got?". Me? I choose my car based on three things, no white or red cars, satellite radio and Ipod plug in.

  8. GPS. You need one, get one. Buy one, its worth it. My GPS has free traffic indicator for life. It's perfect, lets me know whats up ahead so I can plan.

  9. Food. If you get per diem like I do. Eat cheap, that way you actually make money on food.

  10. Receipts. Keep track of everything you bought, even if you don't need to, this helps for budgeting and planning for later trips.

 11. Promotions. Take part in every promotion. I'm a frequent flyer at three airlines, have hotel points at Marriott, Hilton, and Holiday Inn. I have a TGI Fridays Card, and grocery cards at 12 different stores. Know where you're going, because if you travel like I do, the free stuff just loads up.

  Hope this was helpful, next blog post. Meetings 101.

people are cruel

So I am driving to go play some golf at the Athletic Campus of the school I work for, upon pulling in to the 300 acre complex I see what looks like a car run over a cat. I immediately pull over to check on the animal because the car kept going. Just as I am getting out I realize that is in fact the little cutie above being dragged by the owner, the leash attached to the bumper. I freak out and jump out of my car waiving my hands and screaming but they didn't see me. So I get back in my car and floor it to follow them and warn them. I get to the entrance of the complex when they turn and the leash let's go. This poor little girl just sitting in the street like nothing happened, bleeding like crazy. I just sit there petting her and don't know what to do, eventually another guy comes over and I ask him to call the cops and get a towel. I put her on the towel and look for broken bones so I know how not to hold her. She's all torn up, bleeding so much. Eventually the cops come and I agree to take her to the animal hospital. It's amazing shes alive, a little bit of road rash but no broken bones. The picture above is about 4 hours after, shes still a little groggy from medication, and has to stay three days. In South Carolina you don't need tags on a dog, so we don't know who owns the dog. The hospital placed an add in the paper, after three days if no one comes forward she comes home with me. I don't want the owners taking this dog back, so I got my fingers crossed. If I keep her I'm calling her Tess. :)

ONE (Dependent on None)

Up yours Mac, I'm the Doc
Shangfu on the mic baby boy can't I rock?
Ever since sandwich(?) they can't see my bandwidth
There's only a few cats I ain't been to the band with
You'll never know just who I show up with
The love is strong, the coffee we sip on
Can't go wrong when the music is the common bond
The savage beast can't even compete
9th grade I wanted to be EST
Fight over Michelle against steady beat
Live the glamorous life with cool Seger to start off pop-art like Biz Markie

Jim and I mix it like Jeff Cash and Mizz that was '87, for those thats 21

Don't have to use my hands or a gun, I'ma be one, dependent on none

...what an opportunity cost is.

A dark sedan pulls into a gas station parking lot, a lot like any other, you know, the one with the broken pump that you always seem to pull up to, a bag on it that reads "try another one idiot". Except attached to this gas station is a coffee shop, a coffe shop that shouldn't be there, one put primarily on this Earth for people to drive by and say to themself "really? a cafe THERE?". A couple in their mid 30's gets out of the car parked within poorly painted lines and enter the shop. They order their drinks of the caffinated category and sit alone in the corner.

Claire: [Smiling wide]: I knew this was a good idea, once I saw the sign for Emerald City I knew we'd have to go back to where we first met.
Mark: [Grinning slightly]: You know, I'd be a millionaire if I never met you.
Claire: [from smiling to somber and looking down]: That's not what you're supposed to say in a situation like that.
Mark: [Serious]: no, I mean I'd be a millionaire if I never met you.
Claire: [looking pissed]: You're  jerk!
Mark: Remember that day, the day we first met, in this dingy cafe, on a hot Friday four years ago? You were sitting right over there [points across the room], wearing that blue blouse you wore the first time you met my parents.
Claire: you're still a jerk.
Mark: [laughing, smiling] Well what I never told you was, every day for two years I walked into that gas station on my lunch break and bought a lottery ticket, same numbers. 7, 14. 25, 42, 53, 11. But on that day when I walked in and saw you through that tiny hallway between the station and the cafe, I knew if I didn't go over to you right away there'd be a chance I'd never get that opportunity.
Claire: and?
Mark: and on that day, July 25th, 1983, 7,14,25,42,53,11 was the winning ticket, it would have won 36.4 million dollars.
[Claire's mouth drops open, she does not respond]
Mark: What I am trying to say...is opportunity cost. The thing that I gave up in pursuit of something else. I gave up 36.4 million dollars to be with you.
Claire: What am I supposed to say to something like that?! I'm sorry?!
Mark: [grins] Don't apologize, I took a risk every day for two years buying a ticket, but on July 25th I took a different risk.
Claire: [Still in shock] Well was it worth it?
Mark: put it this way, you're the only winning ticket I need.
Claire: [laughs hard] At least you wont forget our anniversary!

...what a choice means.

Most people don't think about choices, two paths ahead, one was taken and that's that. But I recommend to sit back one day and attempt to reflect on as many choices you've made in your life, and think about how some of them may have changed your life forever. If you'd made the decision to wear blue, maybe she wouldn't have noticed you and you wouldn't have the white picket fence with three kids and a sedan. If you'd worn red, maybe you'd have met someone else and have a docket of court papers discussing custody and alimony. I'd like to think that the majority of choices we make are in fact insignificant molecules on the course of time, of life. Instead I think there are a collection of tiny choices that ultimately lead to the life changing choices, stay or go, live or die, run or fight. These choices in my eyes are unseen to even the trained eye, and that through our own subconscious our fates are sealed. I'll give you an example, lay one out for you, one from my own personal collection of weirdness and irrationality, a spinning vortex of hot mess that eventually plays its way out to a nice flat pile of...well hot mess.
Spring 2002, I go with a friend to his older brothers college for a weekend. Being 16 and easily coaxed into doing pretty much anything I decide to go and pary into another dimension, two days, probably only like 8 beers and a speeding ticket later, I am back at home saying to myself, "that was the best time in my life, that's where I'm going to college".
Fast forward a year and a half, walking on campus past the admissions office I see a sign "want to get paid to give campus tours? See Admissions". I joined up, got the job and worked there on a hardcore level for three years. Graduated, started working Admissions elsewhere, and for the past 4 years, thats what I've been doing and plan to do for a good while.
So is it safe to say if I never went to that party I'd not be in college admissions? Or if that party was at Framingham, or Bridgewater, I wouldn't have seen that sign and I'd probably be doing nothing close to Higher Education Administration. All because of one college party, I began on a path towards my career. Ever make a decision for all the wrong reasons that seems to have panned out?

..the Eels are a good band.

Nope, I didn't mean the Eagles, like our beloved Dude, I hate the Eagles. What I don't hate is a good indie song, and in my eyes this is a great definition of one. A weird drum machine type background, decent rythym, solid lyrics and a sound that makes it impossible not to groove to. So without further ado, for your listening pleasure, The Eels - Love of the Loveless

...here are a couple good films.

I'm not usually into film noir, especially not ones that have come out in the past thirty years, but I do fancy myself a movie fan, so I give them all a shot. Anyway over the last two years I came across two movies I have come to enjoy so I figured I'd pass them along:

1: Assassination of a high school president (2008):



A straight to DVD movie with Bruce Willis and Mischa Barton? Yep. That happened. Not because the movie blew and distributors didn't want to show it, in fact it did very well at Sundance. Instead the company that made the movie went bankrupt. It grossed something like fifty thousand dollars, which means it's likely you didn't see it. I'll let you in on the scoop, leave you wanting, then the next time it's on Starz Comedy you'll think twice before switching it over to Cake Boss.

A sophomore, Bobby Funke (Funky as he comes to be known), writes for the school paper at a richy richy private school in a town near you. He has aspirations and all the qualities of a film noir protagonist, the calm but tough attitude, and he always seems to know what to say. Principal K (Willis) uncovers one day that precious cargo has gone missing, SAT exams, and this former desert storm high school administrator ain't takin' nothin' from anybody. Then Bobby is approached by the typical hollywood movie hot popular chick and asked to recover the tests because the hot popular one (Barton) knows she aced it. Bobby uses all his investigative skills to uncover the class president as the likely suspect and pins him for the crime. He is immediately catapulted to stardom, parties, popularity, and he might even get the girl. However an unfolding of events reveals that maybe Funky has pinned the wrong douche, and sets on a course to find out the truth. He wont like what he comes up with, but it's good shit.

You'd think a film like this would be lame, because well, it sounds pretty lame, but in fact if you know what film noir is, it is actually done quite well in my opinion. But what do I know?

2. Brick (2005)



Joseph Gordon Levitt, before he went all Dicaprio in that film you may have heard that I can't think of right now, was in a limited released movie. He's really the only well known actor in this, another guy (who plays Tug) is in that new movie 11:11, which will be good too. Yet another film noir, detective story, an epic search for the truth in the seedy LA burbs where drugs, popularity, and money rule over all.

Levitt plays Brenden, a junior or senior at a high school somewhere in LA. He used to date this chick but before summer she split to go get loaded on H with this stoner monkey Dode. School starts in the fall and Brenden is contacted by his former love and she sounds in trouble that seems to involve a Brick of H. In an effort to find out what is going on Brenden rarely goes to class and snoops around looking for her. They eventually meet up and she makes it sound like nothing. The next day she's dead in a drainage tunnel, Brenden finds her and begins his quest to find out who did it. It takes him infiltrating a drug, ring, beating up football players, stoners and dealers, but he finds out whos behind it all, and its not who you think.

You'll like em, netflix em, look for em on Demand, trust me, if you don't...oh well.