Beautiful & Grotesque

I find this to be both exceptionally beautiful and rather grotesque.

Olga Kapranova at the 2005 World Championships in Baku (where she won the all-around title) on ball.

You should also take a look at her on the rope. Kind of gives new meaning to "jumping rope," I think. Can you imagine whiping out these moves (see in particular 0:51-0:52) at your New York Sports Club during the jump rope cardio class? lol You'll really crack up when you hear the female Japanese commentator just RAVING about her ("SO desinay!").

As you can see, they are sometimes better ballerinas than the dancers at the world's most famous companies. I find their turns and jumps really impressive. She also clearly has a dancer's body, standing at nearly 5'8" and weighing just 103 lbs.

And finally, Olga Kaprananova hoola-hooping. Turandot like you've NEVER seen it before lol.

VC

Preparing for Your Interview

One of the great things about the private sector, and I think management consulting places specifically, is that there is such a concern for efficient and effective hiring (well not just hiring, but everything) that they don't really try to hide the ball. It's all put on the table and you and they both work to establish whether or not there is a good match.

Anyway, you can check out this information on interviewing with McKinsey. It's funny that they have a video, practice case studies, a game etc. Yeah, definitely NOT the UN lol.

VC

You Know You're an Airhead When...

...When you pack EVERY electronic device known to man, including your camera charger, but then don't bring your camera.

I guess you'll just have to take it on trust that I'm actually in Amsterdam right now, lol.

After arriving I got a Dutch SIM card, called my friend R who I have mentioned is a total kindred spirit as far as our love of tennis, music, winter sports etc. is concerned and he picked me up about 2 minutes after I checked in to my shockingly-small hotel room (but at least it has wireless!) and we walked all around Amsterdam.

It was sweet of him to show me around, but I really didn't want a tour guide, and it was stressing me out that rather than me dashing from one place on my meticulously-planned list to another and then just meeting him for a snack or dinner or something he wanted to walk around and tell me "you should see X and Y and not Z" and I was just like "I NEED TO GET MOVING!" lol. So my first day was kind of a bust. I guess I only had 4 hours before things closed anyway, but still...It was also annoying me that he kept taking me to different gay places (like places with gay-themed books or DVDs...NOT PORN lol, but like the L-Word and things like that) and I just don't care about that stuff. Maybe if I had more time, but I need to be hitting-up the museums!

Anyway, he had a dinner-date and I was ready to relax a bit, so I'm back home now, sending out my first message, and thinking about where to have my first dinner here in Amsterdam!

VC

Dinah Shore Followup

If you haven't watched the Iranian clips that I posted a few days ago, then you really should.

I wanted to followup on my comments about how neat it is that Dinah Shore sang that Iranian song on her show in the 60s by adding that she was the daughter or Jewish immigrants. I mean, when you think about how much more open the world was, in some ways, decades ago it's just really shocking. The clip I posted has really low volume, so listen to it with headphones.

VC

VC as French Tourist

I think Dr. Juicy gets props for the most consistently hilarious replies to my blog and emails, especially because her replies are just SO her.

I sent an email to some friends/family about an interview I have that will be in French and English, and here is her reply. I thought it was really cute (and not a bad idea!). Reminds me of my folklorized lineage when I'd travel in the Middle East and was happy (especially for political purposes) to have people think I was 1/2 French lol. Note the comment at the end about my notoriously convoluted writing lol.

***

While you are away, speak only French. I’m assuming most tourists to Amsterdam do no speak Dutch, so instead of speaking English, speak only French. (And since Dutch is everyone’s first language, not French, they won’t immediately notice if you have poor grammar at first). Of course, you can also seek out French speaking tourists, and practice with them. Once you start thinking in French, you will be less nervous about your interview.

When you get back, we can eat at French restaurants every single day until your interview, and you can flirt with the waiters in French.

On a positive note, you will be less likely to over-analyze (i.e. use too many semicolons) in French!

Bonne chance!

DEBT IS GOOD

[From an email I sent to Curie & Co.]

So there was a meeting tonight where some guys from a law firm came to tell us all about working on the law side of private equity, and I learned that, by the logic of private equity, I totally rock. Why? Because I have a LOT of debt.

Here's how it works (Karen can skip this lesson, I'm sure):

In the private equity world, cash is BAD and debt -- or excuse me: "leverage" -- is good.

This is because you can get a higher rate of return on debt.

The logic is brilliant:

If I pay $200,000 in law school expenses with my own cash, and when I graduate am worth $250,000, then I have a net gain of $50,000 beyond what I paid out of pocket, giving me a rate of return of 25% on my cash investment.

If, on the other hand, I pay $50,000 in law school expenses with my own cash, and leverage the $150,000 from a bank with an interest rate of 10% upon graduation, and (like in the last scenario) I'm worth $250,000 when I graduate, then I have to give the bank $165,000 and would have a net gain of $35,000 on what I paid out of pocket, but now my rate of return is 70% on that cash investment. Not only did I get more for my cash investment, but while I was using debt to pay for school I could use my still-free cash to get utility in OTHER ways.

Private equity is the new Secret. (Oprah joke)

VC

Followup: Kelly v. Fantasia

I just want to say that as much as I love my mother, I think maybe she's being sarcastic and trying to push my buttons on this Fantasia-Kelly thing.

I mean you look at this duet between the two of them that same night on "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child" (one of my favourites since I was about 13, and I always envisioned it as a duet, so this was cool to find) and Kelly basically does laps around her. You can hear a lot more creativity in Kelly's vocal runs, several instances where Fantasia screams through a note she can't really hit and then 2 seconds later Kelly nails the very same note (see 2:17-2:21 for a really clear example of this), and I think Kelly's tone, on just a given note (forget lyrics, or embellishment) is so SO much better than Fantasia's. Fantasia's voice gets very thin and shrill and Kelly's voice is really rich.

Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KilWXTaa8_4

VC

EMERGENCY VOTE -- ALL MUST PARTICIPATE

This is 10 times more important than the presidential election. This is a vote that is dividing a family (which since we were really small to begin with, means there's almost nothing left).

Here is the email that I sent to my mother and sister. It's self explanatory, but I want YOUR opinion...not based on what you've heard on the radio, or what kind of style you prefer -- based on vocal ability. It's a question of virtuosity with no room for a plurality opinion. Email me where YOU come down on this issue:

***

[My original email to Sis and Mom]

Kelly's Versatility

Sis can you BELIEVE mom still refuses to admit that Kelly is an amazing vocal talent?

It makes me love her less (mom, not Kelly).

In fact, I'm not even going to invite mom to my wedding with George (Clooney) if she's not going to get along with Kelly, who will of course be singing.

Ok so look at these three lives clips:

1. Kelly as a country hick with a crazy powerful voice in a tribute to Reba just a few months ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh1W5iEw9KQ

2. Kelly as more glamorous and Maria Carey-ish in trio with Reuben and Fantasia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RxwuGeumLg

3. Kelly as Motown black woman (I LOVE her outfit in this one, too -- liked her look a lot more back then):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaWNiqUerp0&mode=related&search=

***

[Reply from sister]

I'm soooooo glad I get to be at your wedding! Thank goodness I have good taste.lol.
xoxoxoxo

***

[Reply from mother]

I just listened to each of these and she is crappy. If you want to love me less, go ahead. I mean, didn't this just demonstrate to you that she isn't even in the same league as Fantasia?

***

Where do YOU stand? Tread carefully.

VC

Iranian Stuff

This clip is of an Iranian comic, Max Jobrani. It's SO TRUE what he says about stupid Americans being confused by Iranians calling themselves "Persian." The guy my mom was with when I was growing up told us he did that because it was better in business lol. This guy (Omar Djalili) is way more funny lol.

This clip is of Dinah Shore singing an Iranian love song on her television show. When we think about "progress" and the development of the US over the past FORTY years, we should think about what people would say today if Rosie O'Donnell whipped out an Iranian love song on The View.

VC

Hymn of the Huh?

Just so it's clear (in case you didn't get to the bottom because it seemed too messed up), NO "Hymn of the Pearl" was not something I wrote, having totally lost my marbles at 4am. It's just a poem I read and really liked and sort of identified with, so I took it and made some VERY small changes (mostly references to "mother" I kept, and "father" I either changed to "mother" or "family"). That's about it :) Read it, though, it's good.

Amy Winehouse Obsession, Cont'd

Guide to my really long posts about singers you may not care about or have the time to listen to = Only listen to what you can. Obviously I choose this stuff because I think it's good, but we all have different taste and tolerance for this stuff. If I had to choose only two things for you to listen to (so about 5 minutes of time) I'd say to listen to the link I did to "Rehab" live, and "Back to Black" recorded. If I've already emailed you "Back to Black" recorded (which is like 3 of you) then listen to "Valerie" :). And you should also read the lyrics for "Tears Dry On Their Own" at the end of this post (I did them myself! lol).

AMY WINEHOUSE

I'm not sure how much I've written about how much I like her. Sometimes she's quite average (mostly because of the choices she'll make in a song), and I don't think lyrically she rises to the level of a Fiona Apple (then again, most people don't), but she is VERY good. Congrats on her recent Brit Award :) I also think she *could* be really pretty. Sometimes it's like she just checks out in the song, but when she really sings her power is a little bit wow.

Two songs of hers not to miss are "Rehab" and "Back to Black."

You can see the video for "Rehab" here and a really good live performance (LOVE seeing live performances of my singers!) here. She is AMAZING in the live performance from 2:30 to 3:03. I love the lyrics about "I'd rather be at home with Ray...there's nothing you can teach me that I can't learn from Mr. Hathaway." Some of you know how much I love Donny Hathaway, and her reference to Ray Charles is great, too. One of my favourite parts of the recorded version (the non-acoustic version) are are the brass and bells; you can see that there are sort of three different themes going on (from 0:00 - 0:30, 0:30-0:57, and 0:57-1:10) that then get repeated, and it's the second one that has the bells that I love (hard to hear in the recording, and not in the live version at all). Really great :)

You can see "Back to Black" live from her US premiere at Joe's Pub here in NYC here. It's REALLY a bad quality recording, though (on someone's mobile) and there' s no video for the single, yet. You can hear the proper recorded version here, but there's no video with it (and the person who made posting called it "Back to Back" lol). THIS IS ONE OF MY CURRENT FAVOURITE SONGS.

I'd say that my top two singles so far are definitely "Rehab" and "Back to Black," but she has a lot of other great songs. In this cover of "Valerie" she really shows off her vocals...it's probably the best of all the live recordings I can find online -- love 1:18-1:23.

FINALLY, the reason I was going to make this post in the first place, before I got totally carried away, is that I really like the lyrics for another song of hers, "Tears Dry On Their Own." There's no video and no good live performance but this one (wouldn't Dr. Juicy look really good in that dress!?); here are the lyrics:

All I could ever be to you is a darkness that we knew,

And this regret I got accustomed to.
Once it felt so right, when we were at our high,
Waiting for you in the hotel at night.

I knew I hadn't met my match,
But every moment we could snatch,
I don't know why I got so attached.

It's my responsibility.
You don't owe nothing to me,
But to walk away I have no capacity.

I don't understand:
Why do I stress the man,
When there's so many bigger things at hand?

We could have never had it all.
We had to hit a wall,
So this is inevitable withdrawal.

Even if I stop wanting you,
And perspective pushes through,
I'll be some next man's other woman soon.

I'll cannot play myself again,
Should just be my own best friend,
And not fuck myself in the head with stupid men.

I wish I could sing no regrets, and no emotional debts,
'Cause as we kiss goodbye the sun sets.

So we are history.
Your shadow covers me, the sky above ablaze,
Only lovers see.



VC

Why I Hate Lou Dobbs

He's gone this week, and it always cracks me up when he comes back from these little vacations so CLEARLY having had work done.

Anyway, take a look at the poll question for today. This is why I hate Lou Dobbs. Talk about a leading question:

QUICKVOTE

Do you believe illegal aliens should be eligible for in-state tuition at American colleges and universities while U.S. citizens are denied the same privilege?



VC

Running List: Ironic US City Names

VC is announcing a new (its first?) running list: Ironic US City Names.

First on the list:

1. Enterprise, Alabama

VC

PS: I hope this doesn't seem too insensitive to the victims of the tornado there. To everyone from Enterprise, Alabama reading this blog, you work it!

REALLY EVIL SPAM

I just got the most evil piece of spam mail. It's structured to look like an anonymous email from a concerned coworker...luckily I don't work so I knew it was fake. Imagine how much this could hurt people -- particularly those who should not be losing weight:


Hi there, I hate to be the one but when people continue to talk about your weight issue, we'll it just disgusts me. Whether you know it by now, people are always chattering about one another at work but you come up more than enough. I wasn't the happiest or best fit up until a year ago or so but that changed. Thanks to my dam brother-in-law. Anyhow, it was for the best. What I am saying is you need to do something and I was saved a year ago and maybe I can make the same difference. Try this stuff out, I took it on the idea it's just more junk but it worked great. I see more positive reviews on it nowadays and makes me feel even better. So, I am encouraging a change, not only in the chatter around here but in you personally.

-Anonymous for now
(using an anonymous email website to send this btw)
When it helps/works just send a memo with the name "Angel"
in it. Then you can take me out to lunch to thank you.

Website---celefbriingo.com

HOW AWFUL IS THAT!?

VC