Author: F C

Amazing Race 7 started yesterday. Thankfully, there are a minimum of models and aspiring actors this time around. There are actually teams that have real foreign language skills! Anybody notice the free “mata de coca” drink they were giving out in front the zip line clue? It’s tea made from the leaves of the plant used to make cocaine, supposingly useful for altitude sickness. And no silly cruises or vacations this time for coming in first:

Inca dude: Welcom-me a [sic] to Cuscu, Peru!
Phil: Debbie and Bianca…… You’re Team number one! (music swells, girls scream).
Phil: Now, I’ve got some good news for you guys. As the winners of this first leg of the race…
[the girls are staring expecting some vacation package]
Phil: … you have won $10,000.
[the girls stare with their jaws dropping]
Debbie: No way! No way! Are you kidding me?
Phil: It gets better… $10,000 each, a total of $20,000.
[mad jumping up and down]

That was enough to convince P– we should try out for #8 with her sister and her sister’s husband.

No more pictures for a while — I totaled my digital camera during the last snow storm. It was either a static shock or some water, but all of a sudden there was a big flash of light and the camera started to smell like smoke. Too bad, I had gotten over 7,000 photos out of that, which was a great investment. Have to find another camera before the next trip.

As for Oscar commentary, not too much interest in who actually won, but Chris Rock showed that he can get down to business. Maybe he got himself disinvited to Oprah’s house, but anyone that can bring in the Oscars 20 minutes early is a genius. Also, a great shout-out to Brooklyn at the end!

One of my law school friends took me on a mysterious meeting to check out “e-business” marketing opportunities. It turned out to be one of those multi-level marketing schemes, although it seems to be technically legal. However, it is an accounting mess. The independent business person has to buy $250 of stuff from themselves each month to gain points toward bonuses. The bonus is in the $40 range at that level. So, you’re paying $250 plus the startup fees to make $40. They don’t encourage marketing the product that they nominally sell, they encourage franchising the business to others. In addition, the high grossing products are not really the stuff that is sold at retail, but the franchise training stuff to continue in the business. Don’t know about this one.

Sunday began with an ultra early ultra late Chinese New Year’s dim sum with P-‘s dad. Chinatown was swamped with an array of dragon dancing parading. Then we went up to Time Warner Center with P-‘s brother as he hadn’t seen it yet. Williams-Sonoma had noodle soup and a olive oil bar on offer for snacking. Upstairs we checked out Borders, which had a not so good selection of Japan books. Then it was down to Whole Foods and Jamba Juice. By the time we got out it was about 4 PM, where we entered The Gates at W 65th Street. If the whole point was to get everyone out into the park in freezing weather the middle of February, it definately worked. For every serious comment about its artistic merit – the sun gives it a great hue, it looks like a orange highlight through the park – there were some knocks, such as it looked like bath curtains and it made the entire park look like a construction site. Microsoft missed a co-branding opportunity: it could have been called The Bill Gates. We made it all the way up to Belvedere Castle, where we could see the largest swarth of orange as the sun set. Ultimately, I thought it was good for New York to rediscover the park.