I heard this story from a new colleague at my firm.
He went to HBS. He used to run a B-school bingo game during class. It works like this: everyone who wants to play throws in a buck and is given a bingo card. Each square on the card contains a contestant’s name.
As [...]
Does anyone know of a Metro-North application for a blackberry?
I’d like to press a button and see the next 10 trains leaving grand central for stamford. Bonus points if I can see which track they leave from. I can’t believe I’m still whipping out a paper schedule (made from a real [...]
I’m getting back into consulting, and it’s really good.
The days are long, but I’m learning a lot and enjoying my teammates. I was staffed on a fascinating client and I’m able to use some of my past experience, so I feel like I can really add value right away.
There are some interesting dynamics on the [...]
This is the future of herbietown. Posts from the blackberry curve. You know, in between studies.
Sure, there are soul crushing moments.
But I get to solve complex problems and craft compelling storylines with brilliant people.
The part I like most is sitting around and discussing abstract ideas. Working to develop a bulletproof line of reasoning. All in the name of client service.
Too tired to explain more, but I’ll come around.
I went through a 2-3 week period where I was completely obsessed with vanity plates. In Hanover, it sometimes seems that every idiot on the street has a vanity plate. So I did some research and published my results.
I think vanity plates are only appropriate when they reflect true vanity.
My father’s vanity plates [...]
Walking to work for the first time in 2 years was a very strange feeling.
Maybe it was because of the huge blisters that have magically appeared on my feet. My perfectly honed Rainbow flip-flop callouses were no match for the dusty Ferragamo dress shoes. At least now I know where the first aid [...]
While doing research for the next brilliant Herbietown post, I came across these bumper stickers from The Onion. I burst out laughing and almost spilled wine all over the place.
Not sure they’re very politically correct, though.
I’m going to be a father.
Tonight, for the first time, I felt some real fear about this. I am going to be responsible for the growing creature inside Greta’s tummy. Every waking moment, for the next twenty years, will be consumed by this creature’s needs.
Holy &*%*$*%!!!
Not sure why it hit me tonight. [...]
I start a new job on Thursday. I’ll admit to being a little anxious. Will I like the work? Am I smart enough to do the job? Will people like me? Will the hours/travel destroy me?
But my biggest fear is much more basic: how will I remember all the new names?
I’ve always been terrible at [...]
Well, the new car has been christened. I took a picture.
My friend Ben drives around with full cleaning supplies in his car, for situations like this. I know, because my wife recently threw deli meat onto the front hood of his BMW. At the next stop, he pulled out a special rag and a squirt [...]
In heavy traffic, are you the type of driver who zooms past everyone in the breakdown lane? If you are, I’d really like you to comment here, and tell me what goes through your mind as you pull out onto the shoulder. Do you think to yourself, “I’m better than everyone else here, why should [...]
We did it. We bought a new car.
It was a frustrating experience. First, most of the salesmen we encountered were pushy, ignorant (or stupid), and unethical. Second, the pricing was opaque and deliberately confusing, which made it difficult to know whether we were getting a good deal. And finally, there [...]
I finally listened to Nancy’s entire interview that I posted about yesterday, and I am floored by the similarities between our experiences.
Nancy unexpectedly joined her family’s business (newspapers) as an idealistic recent college graduate. So did I. Nancy took her job very personally. So did I. On one occasion, Nancy found [...]
Our friend Nancy was interviewed on NPR!!
I was a little disappointed that she didn’t follow my advice and try to imitate Diane Rehm’s husky voice, but nevertheless, it’s a cool interview.
Click here to hear Nancy talk with guest host Aaron Henkin.
You’ve probably read by now that Fake Steve Jobs was discovered. A senior editor at Forbes named Daniel Lyons has been writing a fake blog in Steve Job’s voice, and it attracted widespread attention in Silicon Valley and the media.
This is something I could aspire to. For 14 months, Lyons churned out brilliant satire and [...]
I know, I know, I have an unusually pronounced jawbone already. But that’s not what I’m talking about.
My friend Roman (boy this first-name-only business is pretty anonymous, eh?) introduced me to the Jawbone bluetooth headset. Somehow it cancels ambient noise.
The website has cool demonstration videos and is generally well designed. I think I read about [...]
A few months ago, our Francis Francis espresso machine conked out. We returned it to Williams Sonoma and received $530 in store credit. For the last few months, we’ve been looking for a good espresso machine (and subsisting on drip coffee).
On the advice of our favorite Tuck professor, we visited the restaurant supply [...]
My friend Tim went to a Sonic Youth show last week. They played one of their old albums straight through from beginning to end.
There are certain bands that I would love to see in this format: Outkast, Violent Femmes, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, and obviously Nirvana and Sublime (if [...]
We just got home from the Super Stop & Shop in Stamford.
I usually HATE grocery shopping with Greta. This is mostly due to male laziness. But I realized today that part of the reason I abhor grocery shopping is that I have no control over anything that happens. Greta decides what we’re [...]
