Cardinals World Series Rally Song

The Cardinals are going to the World Series! This could be their 11th World Championship! In honor of the Cardinals making it this far, and hopefully continuing to win, I wanted to share this video:

Mid-Week Update

I’m writing this on the plane again.  That seems to be happening a lot lately.  Maybe a new trend?  I should really get better at posting during the week… hopefully I’ll be able to get into a groove/pattern with my travel and make that start happening.

Last weekend was great.  I was able to explore areas of St. Louis that I had really wanted to see.  Friday night I went out with some friends around Laclede’s Landing in downtown St. Louis.  I found some great places and a club and was able to enjoy music and dance – I was really looking for that.  Saturday night I explored the Delmar Loop at night with some friends.  It wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped, but still nice.  Sunday I played disc golf with a friend at a part nearby, which was a lot of fun.  I definitely have room for improvement though.

I spent the week working in Baton Rouge, LA.  I like the office there and have now met the Louisiana Healthcare Connections staff, with the exception of some consultants and contractors.  I definitely have a lot to learn still but things are beginning to make sense and fit together.  My projects are expanding and I am starting to talk to providers on the phone – although if they ask me questions, I still often don’t know the answers.  That will come though.

This healthcare business is extremely complicated.  There are so many moving parts and I am glad to be able to see what that looks like “on the front line” – i.e. in the field.

It seems though that many providers are missing what many today to be standard pieces of a business – most specifically email.  I have also been told by some that they do not have email at home or work.  My worldview is certainly challenged by this and I need to make sure that I understand context and culture to effectively serve the people with whom I am working.

I’m a bit surprised to say this, but so far I actually like Baton Rouge.  People are just incredibly friendly.  Even people at bus stops say hello as you walk by!  I stood at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center.  I was a big fan, mainly because of the people.  It did have free internet and bottled water, which was nice though.  If I am there for a while, I hope to explore the city somewhat, even though I also kind of like spending time in the hotel.

I still need to convince myself to go to bed earlier.  I wish I wasn’t tired so much.  This week was better, but I need to get better about that.  I also need to start going to the gym.

Tonight, I am going to the baseball game.  I won tickets from Centene!  I am little worried that I will miss picking them up though because my flight is late.  Hopefully it works out!

‘Til The Morning We Dream So Long

I have a new song stuck in my head.  And I like it a lot – but, more on that later.  I’m about to begin week four (of ten) of Spring Quarter.  I knew this quarter was going to fly by, but wow!  I have no idea where the time is going!  I feel like it should be week one still – my classes still seem to be starting up and wham!  The work hits.  I am researching for several projects right now, doing a case competition, planning an awesome Diversity Summit, looking/interviewing for jobs, and trying to make the most of my time here with my Denver friends.

Yesterday was interesting.  I had conversation throughout the day that made me want to go back home post-graduation to rejoin friends and family there.  Then I attended Shabbat 200, the University of Denver’s largest Jewish event.  Chabad plans it every year and we had a great turnout.  I spent time with great people (Jewish and not Jewish) at the event and afterward that caused me to reexamine my convictions from earlier in the day.  I know these major decisions should not be based on chance encounters or single events, but I have been extremely fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people wherever I have lived.

No decisions yet.  Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to make some decisions on my post-graduation future very soon.  I am ready to end the uncertainty.  Regardless of what happens, I know that I will have to work hard to maintain relationships.  But they are relationships worth maintaining and that really is the point.

Lupe Fiasco has an incredibly catchy song right now: “The Show Goes On.”  It’s a great song and actually has a pretty good message.  It is also rather relevant in that it causes one to evaluate the reasons why we act the way we do.  It is definitely worth checking out (note that the language in the video and lyrics below is explicit):

LA-SER

Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!
Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!

[Lupe Fiasco Verse 1]
Have you ever had the feeling that you was being had
Don’t that sh-t make you mad
They treat you like a slave, with chains all on your soul,
And put whips up on your back,
They be lying through they teeth
Hope you slip up off your path
I don’t switch up I just laugh
Put my kicks up on they desk
Unaffected by they threats than get busy on they ass
See that’s how that Chi-Town made me
That’s how my daddy raised me
That glittering may not be gold, don’t let no body play me
If you are my homeboy, you never have to pay me
Go on and put your hands up, when times are hard you stand up
L-U-P the man, cause a brand that the fans trust
So even if they ban us they’ll never slow my plans up!

Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!
Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!

[Lupe Fiasco Verse 2]
One in the air for the people that ain’t here
Two in the air for the father that’s there
Three in the air for the kids in the ghetto
Four for the kids who don’t wanna be there

None for the n-ggas trying to hold them back
Five in the air for the teacher not scared to tell those kids thats living in the ghetto that the n-ggas holdin back that the World is theirs!
Yeah yeah, the World is yours, I was once that little boy
Terrified of the World
Now I’m on a World tour
I will give up everything, even start a world war
For these ghettos girls and boys im rapping round’ the World for!
Africa to New York, Haiti then I detour, Oakland out to Auckland
Gaza Strip to Detroit, say hip-hop only destroy
Tell em’ look at me, boy!
I hope your son don’t have a gun and that would be a D-boy

Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!
Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!

[Lupe Fiasco Verse 3]
So no matter what you been through
No matter what you into
No matter what you see when you look outside your window
Brown grass or green grass
Picket fence or barbed wire
Never ever put them down
You just lift your arms higher
Raise em till’ your arms tired
Let em’ know you’re their
That you struggling and survivin’ that you gonna persevere
Yeah, ain’t no body leavin, no body goin’ home
Even if they turn the lights out the show is goin’ on!

Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!
Alright, already the show goes on
Alright, till the morning we dream so long
Anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up
Just remember when you come up
The show goes on!

Zip Codes

Forbes recently published a list of the most expensive zip codes in the United States.  The only one that is included from Missouri is Ladue with the average home price at $1.06 million, actually down 4% from a year ago.  That’s still not too shabby I would say!

The most expensive zip code is 91008 – Duarte, California with the average home price of $4.28 million.  Check out the whole (searchable) list here.

Quote #15

My English friend on an experience after a group of us picked him up at the airport:

“This is a taste sensation!  Give that man a medal!”
– Jack Caine

The place of this occurrence was John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis.

All Sport

Just a quick thought:

I had All Sport today for the first time since (probably) elementary school.  Most people, I am sure, have never heard of All Sport but it is a sports drink similar to Gatorade and Powerade (but not as good).  When I attended Camp Sydney R. Baer at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in elementary school, All Sport sponsored Sports Camp, a camp that the JCC also had in conjunction with Camp Baer.  They advertised on the back of their camp shirts.

What a blast from the past…

I thought I had forgotten this.

First Day At Build-A-Bear Workshop

Today was my first day at my summer internship at the World Bearquarters of Build A Bear Workshop in St. Louis.  I am working 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  I definitely enjoyed myself, but these full work days will take some getting used to.  I had to add extra time to drive in traffic and dress up.  I have a professional email address (@buildabear.com) and voice mail.  I felt like that should be someone else, not me.  I guess we all have to grow up sometime.  Luckily, I work at an exciting place so I can still be a kid sometimes.

When I got to work, we had orientation and a tour for all of the interns.  We met first in the boardroom where there was a folder with my name labeled “International Intern Bear”.  I was pretty excited.  I was pretty busy today.  I learned about the 4-5+ projects I will be working on, met a lot of the staff, sat in on conference calls and meetings, etc.  I learned about the international franchising process, about Build A Bear operations, expansion/franchising plans in Mexico, Brazil, and South Africa, and sat in on meetings with the team that runs the Build A Bear stores in Germany.  I will be joining them again for much of the day tomorrow.

So far, so good.  Build A Bear seems like a great place.  They people seem really nice.  I definitely have already learned a lot and I know this summer will be a great learning and growth experience.  I am sad not to be back at camp this summer (I am staying in touch with the people there and plan to visit several times), but Build A Bear seems to have been the right choice for my future so far.

Build-A-Bear Internship

This summer, I will be working as the International Business Intern at Build-A-Bear Workshop.  Their World Bearquarters (clever, isn’t it?) is in St. Louis.  I will be working for the Director of International Franchising and Operations and the Director of International Marketing and Product Development.  I’m super excited for this great opportunity.

I have often heard good things about Build-A-Bear and learning from a growing, unique, exciting international company will be a great opportunity.  Throughout the 10 week program, I will likely post updates on the experience/opportunity and related information about the company.

Here are some links related to Build-A-Bear

The Company Website

The Interactive Online World

Stock Quote

Facebook

Twitter

My offer letter for my internship with Build-A-Bear came with "Messenger Bearemy". How awesome is that?!? I'm going to like working for this company.