Chastity

I saw her today at a reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man

No, you can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
And if you try sometime you find
You get what you need

I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need

Oh yeah, hey hey hey, oh…

And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, “We’re gonna vent our frustration
If we don’t we’re gonna blow a 50-amp fuse”
Sing it to me now…

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need
Oh baby, yeah, yeah!

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was “dead”
I said to him

You can’t always get what you want, no!
You can’t always get what you want (tell ya baby)
You can’t always get what you want (no)
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need
Oh yes! Woo!

You get what you need–yeah, oh baby!
Oh yeah!

I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands

You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

You can’t always get what you want (no, no baby)
You can’t always get what you want
You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yes…

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – Rolling Stones

Live in Paris, ’76

——

Hump day!  No projects (aka impending doom) due, for the moment.  Dragon Week party this Friday.  Alcohol-fueled, day-long Market Driving Strategies marathon on Saturday.  Not too shabby.

Welcome back to the blogosphere, Res I(p)sa.  Your cheery outlook has been missed.  Hope you plan on sticking around.

Today is a new day.

Dromedary

One! Two! Three!
To every broken heart in here
Love was once a part, but now it’s disappeared
She told me that it’s all a part of the choices that your making
Even when you think you’re right
You have to give to take

But there’s still tomorrow
Forget the sorrow
And I can be on the last train home
Watch it pass the day
As it fades away
No more time to care
No more time, today

But we sing
If we’re going nowhere
Yeah we sing
If it’s not enough
And we sing
Sing without a reason
To ever fall in love

I wonder if you’re listening
Picking up on the signals
Sent back from within
Sometimes it feels like I don’t really know whats going on
Time and time again it seems like everything is wrong in here

But there’s still tomorrow
Forget the sorrow
And I can be on the last train home
Watch it pass the day
As it fades away
No more time to care
No more time, today

But we sing
If we’re going nowhere
Yeah we sing
If it’s not enough
And we sing
Sing without a reason
To ever fall in love

Well we sing if we’re going nowhere
Yeah we sing if it’s not enough
And we sing
Sing without a reason to ever fall in love

But we sing
If we’re going no where
Yeah we sing
If it’s not enough
And we sing
Sing with out a reason to never fall in love
To never fall in love again
To never fall in love again
To never fall in love again 

“Last Train Home” – Lost Prophets

——

Some people call a spade a diamond, in order to deftly dodge reality for whatever reason.  Others call a spade a spade, just as they see it.  Me?  I’m of a special breed, and am apt to call a spade a bloody fucking shovel.  Sure, sometimes I lean toward the diamond mislabeling, and other times, I deal it straight up, but once you cross that fine line, it’s all downhill, folks.  Case in point: this past evening. 

I’ve been suffering the passive-aggressive, self-aggrandizing, glory-hogging tendencies of a fellow INSEADer (whose presence I’ve questioned since P1) for a very long time.  Yes; not INSEAD students belong here, and I wonder how some got past the multi-layered screening process.  There, I said it.  Anyway, the proverbial straw that broke my proverbial hump fell this evening, and boy, did it feel good to damn the torpedoes and flood the hatches. 

Sure, I could’ve probably handled the situation a little more diplomatically; hell, I’ve attended 2.5 periods of Organizational Behavior (OB) courses after all.  But I chose not to.  Why?  Because sometimes, you just have to lay down the law, else you risk losing all credibility.  And credibility, be it as a Glock-toting drug dealer on the streets of Johannesburg, or as an Eastpack-bearing interview seeker in the halls of INSEAD, ultimately counts for a lot more than most people know.  Plus, I’m tired of the cloud of muted whining, groaning, and mumbling that constantly surrounds this person, and tired of the passivity of said whiners, groaners and mumblers who choose to do nothing about this waste of an INSEAD slot.  So, foot, I’d like you to meet ass.  Game on.

Today is definitely a new day.  Welcome back, my dear friend anger.

 

 

Vendre

Every time I think of you
I get a shot right through
Into a bolt of blue
It’s no problem of mine
But it’s a problem I find
Living the life that I can’t leave behind
There’s no sense in telling me
The wisdom of a fool won’t set you free
But that’s the way that it goes
And it’s what nobody knows
And every day my confusion grows

Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I’m waiting for the final moment
You say the words that I can’t say
I feel fine and I feel good
I feel like I never should

Whenever I get this way
I just don’t know what to say
Why can’t we be ourselves like we were yesterday
I’m not sure what this could mean
I don’t think you’re what you seem
I do admit to myself
That if I hurt someone else
Then I’ll never see just what we’re meant to be

Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I’m waiting for the final moment
You’ll say the words that I can’t say
Every time I see you falling
I’ll get down on my knees and pray
I’m waiting for the final moment
You’ll say the words that I can’t say

“Bizarre Love Triangle” – New Order

I can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet. It’s one of my most favorite of favoritest songs. It’s almost the most bestest there is. You’ve got to excuse me; the head’s probably still a bit groggy. You know, too much Kool-Aid and all.

❤ 80’s snyth-pop.

So according to Dorothy, the lyrics I post “don’t help new students at all.” Except for Cyndi Lauper, of course. Well, thank the god of groundhogs that there are bloggers like Necromonger around to take care of that underserved market segment. They’re a little too panic-elastic for my price point.

——

I think I’ve fallen in love…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…with the vending machines on campus. Not just any ol’ vending machine, mind you, but the “special” ones which dispense delicious hot beverages. The convenience of being able to get a cappuccino, mocha, hot chocolate or even tomato soup in a little plastic cup with nothing more than 0.40 cents in your pocket is fantastic. I mean, this ranks up there with hot breakfasts and a thriving second-hand book market. Unfortunately neither of these exist here in our little bubble, but one can only wish for so much at any one time, right? “Ixnay for wishing for more wishes!”

So yeah, the library gets really boring at this time of night. I wish the rest of these bookworms would go home so I could streak through the stacks. First one to get from America-Abacus to O.E.C.D.-Omega without getting nailed by the shade-on-the-portly side security guard wins a little steaming hot cup of hot cocoa! Seriously though, what’s up with the late-night crowd here? It’s like Cheers, only with overly-studious faces, and devoid of beer, Ted, and people who know your name. I think I’ll start working at home again, but doing that brings up a whole other grain silo of problems.

But I shall not dwell on these, for tomorrow is a new day.

Steps

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick,
And think of you
Caught up in circles confusion –
Is nothing new
Flashback – warm nights –
Almost left behind
Suitcases of memories,
Time after –

Sometimes you picture me –
I’m walking too far ahead
You’re calling to me, I can’t hear
What you’ve said –
Then you say – go slow –
I fall behind –
The second hand unwinds

Chorus:
If you’re lost you can look – and you will find me
Time after time
If you fall I will catch you – I’ll be waiting
Time after time

After my picture fades and darkness has
Turned to gray
Watching through windows – you’re wondering
If I’m OK
Secrets stolen from deep inside
The drum beats out of time –

Chorus:
If you’re lost…

You said go slow –
I fall behind
The second hand unwinds –

Chorus:
If you’re lost…
…Time after time
Time after time
Time after time
Time after time

“Time After Time” – Cyndi Lauper

——

I was going to post the lyrics to The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside,” until I read them and realized that they’re not exactly right for the moment.  For such a catchy song, the words sure are depressing.  Yes, yes, I know.  “Pot, I’d like you to meet kettle…”

03:59

Oy, vey.  I’m out of candles, this report is coming together slower than I had anticipated, and I’ve got class in 4 hours.  But there’s a giant, themed party at Tavers tonight to look forward to, so I’m going to shelve the Sonites and Vodites for now and head to bed for a short nap. I hope this doesn’t turn into one of my trademark 8 hour deals.

For today is already here; and it is a new day, after all.

Color In Between the Lines

If I should stay,
I would only be in your way.
So I’ll go, but I know
I’ll think of you ev’ry step of the way.

And I will always love you.
I will always love you.
You, my darling you. Hmm.

Bittersweet memories
that is all I’m taking with me.
So, goodbye. Please, don’t cry.
We both know I’m not what you, you need.

And I will always love you.
I will always love you.

(Instrumental solo)

I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you’ve dreamed of.
And I wish to you, joy and happiness.
But above all this, I wish you love.

And I will always love you.
I will always love you.
I will always love you.
I will always love you.
I will always love you.
I, I will always love you.

You, darling, I love you.
Ooh, I’ll always, I’ll always love you.

Whitney Houston – “I Will Always Love You”

Yeah, it’s cheesy, but hey; it brings back faint glimmers of a wonderful evening, and I’ll take every little bit I can get my hands on.

——

0, 17, 28, 32, redline <shift>; 36, 42, 61, redline <shift>; 67, 76, 82 redline <shift>, one eye on the broken yellow lines, and the other on the lookout for boars. Takeaways: My transmission is still crying. Long, deserted forest roads are great. Diesel motors are fun. They’re even more fun when you’ve got a leased car.

The P1s of Villecerf hosted the “Integration Party” at their lovely stone-walled compound on Saturday night. I have to say, it was pretty fun. Well done, guys. Thanks for giving me a great excuse to procrastinate on everything that I was supposed to do this weekend. The good times are soon to stop, though, as I feel this was the calm before the storm.

Our P3 schedules are starting to pick up, with a torrent of deliverables coming due in the next week and change. Those taking Market Driving Strategies (great class, great professor; you know you’re in for a ride when a mechanical engineer is teaching one of the best marketing courses at INSEAD) have their giant company report due on Friday. Those (un)fortunate enough to be taking the very, very, very academic Corporate Entrepreneurship (as much as I’m on the fence about this one, it’s also a great class, even though it’s taught by a LBS strategy wonk with a penchant for black pants of the tight and tighter variety) have a paper due in a few hours, which I should probably get around to writing sometime.

What with International Political Analysis presentations, the resuming of Macroeconomics lectures after a week-long hiatus, and the whole pool of “oh, you mean there’s more to life than INSEAD” thoughts doing a leisurely breaststroke through my head, I’m not sure when I’ll find time to breathe until P3 is over.

A good friend who I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing in a handful of years asked me tonight, “DTLF, what do you want out of this? Really. Rationally. Think about it. Think about how you’re going to get it, and if it’s even possible. Will it make you happy? Then think about how much you’re willing to give up in order to get it.”

It was sound advice, albeit a bit trite. So, what if I know what I want, know it’ll bring a little (ok, maybe more than a little) zest to this blogger’s existence, and am willing to lay it all on the line to get it, but haven’t the foggiest about the rest? Thinking it through, rationally, makes perfect sense, but rationality and reason are the bane of passion and life; so I’ll play the hand, short-stacked, against the odds, and pray for Lady Luck to smile on me, just this once.

Hit it, dealer.

Walkin’

I nearly blew out my knee getting up from the couch to fish for a fresh pack of smokes just now. Ah, the things I do for stuff that I know is so very, very bad for me. Welcome to a slice of the DTLF life. Ice cream will cost you a little extra; a dame blanche might just blow your bank, and your mind.

Last night was a good night, by all technical definitions: Had an interesting chat with the BCG folk who came to campus for a pre-recruiting season schmooze-fest, followed by an interesting new venue, interesting people, interesting unexpected use of one of my INSEAD-qualifying languages, all laced with free-flowing beer, wine, and whiskey.

This post almost sounds upbeat, so I’ll qualify it with a DTLFism. The Chinese have a saying, “May you live in interesting times.” What isn’t commonly known is that this proverb ranks high on the list of the worst curses one can wish upon another.

It’s funny the things you remember, and the things you take for granted: Glittering eyes, alive with mirth and dancing with life; clouded sockets streaked with tears, and stained with regret; lustrous hair smelling of comfort and affection; wild anger and base pettiness; true understanding and unmasked emotion; frank apologies tinged with pity and sadness.

The whiskey ad says, “Keep on walking.”

The shoe ad says, “Just do it.”

First one step, then the second.

——

Time is never time at all
You can never ever leave without leaving a piece of youth
And our lives are forever changed
We will never be the same
The more you change the less you feel
Believe, believe in me, believe
That life can change, that you’re not stuck in vain
We’re not the same, we’re different tonight
Tonight, so bright
Tonight
And you know you’re never sure
But you’re sure you could be right
If you held yourself up to the light
And the embers never fade in your city by the lake
The place where you were born
Believe, believe in me, believe
In the resolute urgency of now
And if you believe there’s not a chance tonight
Tonight, so bright
Tonight
We’ll crucify the insincere tonight
We’ll make things right, we’ll feel it all tonight
We’ll find a way to offer up the night tonight
The indescribable moments of your life tonight
The impossible is possible tonight
Believe in me as I believe in you, tonight

Smashing Pumpkins – “Tonight”

Scales

Though I have no musical talent to speak of (this is the blogger who has trouble playing a kazoo), I’ve always been a sucker for six-strings and ivory keys.

Johnny boy, you’re a star.

——

This Romeo is bleeding
But you can’t see his blood
It’s nothing but some feelings
That this old dog kicked up

It’s been raining since you left me
Now I’m drowning in the flood
You see I’ve always been a fighter
But without you I give up

I can’t sing a love song
Like the way it’s meant to be
Well, I guess I’m not that good anymore
But baby, that’s just me

And I will love you, baby – Always
And I’ll be there forever and a day – Always
I’ll be there till the stars don’t shine
Till the heavens burst and
The words don’t rhyme
And I know when I die, you’ll be on my mind
And I’ll love you – Always

Now your pictures that you left behind
Are just memories of a different life
Some that made us laugh, some that made us cry
One that made you have to say goodbye
What I’d give to run my fingers through your hair
To touch your lips, to hold you near
When you say your prayers try to understand
I’ve made mistakes, I’m just a man

When he holds you close, when he pulls you near
When he says the words you’ve been needing to hear
I’ll wish I was him ’cause those words are mine
To say to you till the end of time

Yeah, I will love you baby – Always
And I’ll be there forever and a day – Always

If you told me to cry for you
I could
If you told me to die for you
I would
Take a look at my face
There’s no price I won’t pay
To say these words to you

Well, there ain’t no luck
In these loaded dice
But baby if you give me just one more try
We can pack up our old dreams
And our old lives
We’ll find a place where the sun still shines

And I will love you, baby – Always
And I’ll be there forever and a day – Always
I’ll be there till the stars don’t shine
Till the heavens burst and
The words don’t rhyme
And I know when I die, you’ll be on my mind
And I’ll love you – Always

“Always” – Jon Bon Jovi

——

If your seesaw is perfectly balanced, and you want to keep it that way, do not come to INSEAD. If you’re willing to push the boundaries of your comfort zone, every single moment, every single day, then heed the siren’s call. What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger, right? I sure hope so.

Adjusted and ranged.

Fire for effect.

—-

P.S. – Congratulations on Boston and the rest, Dr. O. Reading the news made me smile. I’m so proud of you.

Please Do Not Use Permanent Markers On The Whiteboards

You say that we’ve got nothing in common
No common ground to start from
And we’re falling apart
You’ll say the world has come between us
Our lives have come between us
But I know you just don’t care

CHORUS:
And I said what about “Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”
She said, “I think I remember the film,
And as I recall, I think, we both kinda liked it.”
And I said, “Well, that’s the one thing we’ve got.”

I see you – the only one who knew me
And now your eyes see through me
I guess I was wrong
So what now? It’s plain to see we’re over,
And I hate when things are over –
When so much is left undone

{CHORUS}

You say that we’ve got nothing in common
No common ground to start from
And we’re falling apart
You’ll say the world has come between us
Our lives have come between us
But I know you just don’t care

{CHORUS}

“Breakfast At Tiffany’s” – Deep Blue Something

———-

02:04 (GMT+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

46 hours to make a potentially life-altering decision. The blue smoke of burning leaves over a mist shrouded Seine make for some stunning sunrises. Guess I’ll see another one soon, though it may be one of my last in this country.

Mull, mull, mull. Someone needs to grate some cinnamon on my head, stuff me full of cloves and simmer for 20 minutes. I’m sure I’d make a tasty mulled wine.

On second thought, a little bit of sugar is probably in order, to cut the bitterness.

“It’s the bottom of the 9th, the score is tied, it’s time for the big one.“
“You up for this one, Maverick?“
“Just a walk in the park Kazansky.“

Overcommitment

Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye

And roped me in
So, mesmerizing, and so hypnotizing,
I am captivated, I am

{Chorus}
Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I’m right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

So clear
Like the diamond in your ring
Cut to mirror your intention
Oversized and overwhelmed
The shine of which has caught my eye
And rendered me
So isolated,and so motivated
I am certain now that I am

{Chorus}

So turn
up the corners of your lips
Part them and feel my finger tips
Trace the moment fall forever

Defense is paper thin
Just one touch and I’ll be in
Too deep now to ever swim against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away

{Chorus}

Slight hope
dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption…

“Vindicated” – Dashboard Confessional

———–

This is going to be a crazy week. Actually, it’s going to be a crazy 4 weeks from here on out. Here’s to overcommitment.

P3 1/2

There’s half of P3 left. See, the glass can be half full. Actually, wait…

So we’ve got a “Macroeconomics in the Global Economy” quiz in a few hours. Our professor is a Frenchman with a US PhD and an accent that people generally find hard to place. It’s kind of a mix between Sylvester, Elmer Fudd, and Pepé Le Pew, if that makes any sense.

No? I didn’t think so either. His accent, combined with his manic level of energy and engaging personality make MGE one of the more interesting core courses (read: one in which there aren’t more than 3 sleepers at any one time), though the class’ placement in P3 makes it a tough sell, as there are so many other things going on, like the 3.14159 million electives with which we all loaded up . Was that one giant run-on, or just my serial comma fetish manifesting itself?

Electives are everything and nothing like I thought they’d be. The results of a very scientific poll that I conducted (ex. Q1: How bad does XYZ class/prof/workload suck?) are in, and half of all students in any one elective hate their class/prof/workload, while the balance won’t stop raving about how good life is. After all, electives are what we came here to for, right? I’m pretty content with my line-up, and can’t say it wasn’t what I expected. I’ve generally shied away from the oversubscribed (and over-hyped, in my opinion) courses and tailored my P3 towards subjects in which I have a real interest in A) learning about, B) working with/in, C) A&B.

But like all things INSEAD, there isn’t enough time to take everything I want to, so I’ve got to be picky and choosy about how I stack my P4 and P5 schedules so as to focus on classes/activities/people that I consider an important part of my INSEAD experience. I’ve already seen and experienced the results of what happens when you neglect any one of the three, and trust me, it’s not-so-nice.

Way to end on a high note, huh? Off to read about how an increase in government spending in a small, open economy affects the real exchange rate of the local currency.