Day 29/30: The End. The Children are Safe.

Last Chance to Donate!

Wow. What an adventure. We are finally at the end. Thousands of men will now finally rid themselves of the horrendous mustaches that we have been carrying for the past month. Rejoice! The children are safe! All in all, I have to say that my mustache growth was largely disappointing, and I will be thrilled to have a nice shave tomorrow.

A big thank you goes out to everybody who donated to me! And even if you didn't, I'm sure there will be new crops of people doing this every year! Together, you've helped me personally raise more than $420. And collectively, the Georgetown MBA team has raised more than $29,000, beating last year's fundraising total! Our team had, at last count, 96 members, so this works out to just over $300 raised per person.

While this has been fun, you won't catch me rocking a mustache ever again! For next Movember, I will be a staunch supporter of others, and help them to fundraise... just without the mustache. It was a little much, and by the end, it was annoying to have! Scratchy and tickly and weird!

This song perfectly sums up the relationship between me and my mustache:



And so, after 30 fun filled mustachioed days, this is where it ends! Next time you see me, I'll be clean-shaven.

It was good effort, but in the end, it just kindof looks like somebody sketched in some hair with a pen.

Day 28: Remember Remember the Cause Behind Movember

Donation Station!

Alright folks. Today and tomorrow are more or less your last chance to donate to the Georgetown MBA team and me!

We're in 23rd place nationwide, with a touch over $25K raised. A strong showing to be sure. If you've forgotten the point of all of this mustachioed madness, it is:

"Movember's primary objective is to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. We want everyone to know that most cancers are highly curable if caught in the early stages, therefore Movember aims to increase early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment. This will ultimately reduce the number of deaths from cancer."


 "There are still many issues to be addressed, particularly when it comes to diagnosis - a key focus for many Movember funded research programs. Today, there still isn't a test that accurately tells a man which type of prostate cancer he has, resulting in many men being over-diagnosed and having to undergo unnecessary and harmful treatment."
(Movember )

As I said in a previous post, I feel like your money is actually getting stuff done with this organization. Specifically, I pointed to their minimal administrative costs relative to other "charities" (Where the Money Goes).  I once donated $500 to Amnesty International- I then got $500 of various mail over the next two years asking for more money. Doesn't make sense. Let's not kid ourselves, no organization runs with 100% efficiency, but in spite of that, Movember is providing a huge stream of funding for researching male cancers. And, if the organization didn't exist, chances are that the funding would not either.

Granted, there's a lot of silliness that goes on with the constant Facebook floods of mustache update pics, but this is one of the few movements I know that can actually have tangible results while being fun and entertaining.

OKAY. So now, allow me to step off my soapbox. Today I wore one of the three ties I purchased on Black Friday. 

This one:

I then had multiple people comment that it was a "Republican tie." WHAT?! Seriously?! How can a tie be Republican? I bought it because red and simple is a traditional POWER tie. I thought it would be good for business formal situations! And it is! But apparently I also look Republican when I wear it... Go figure.

My roommate in particular, saw me wearing it today and commented: "Dude you look like you are a member of the Young Republicans." Sigh.

At the end of the day, believe me, I hate dressing up in business formal. I would prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt for all of my daily interactions for the rest of my life. Just this past Saturday night, I headed over to Liz's place. We were going to grab dinner, and then spend the night at her place. When I showed up she said:

"So... are you wearing that?"

(I was wearing a plain green t-shirt)

Me: "Um... yeah."

Liz: "You don't have anything nicer to wear?"

Me: "This is a nice t shirt!"

Liz: (Head in hands) "I want to wear something cute and we won't be able to eat anywhere because you are in a t-shirt!"

Me: "Well I wore a t-shirt because it's cold and I would just be wearing my fleece over it!"

Liz: "Good. Because we're going mountain climbing."

Liz is a good sport about my refusal to dress up voluntarily. I was not so lucky in the past. I once dated a girl who said to me one night when I asked what was wrong:

"I dressed up to go out with you tonight and you look like you are staying in to play video games!" I was wearing this shirt:

Fun Fact: I have this shirt in both black AND white, and still rock it with pride!

That relationship didn't last long. It was kindof doomed right when she said that. 

Similarly, at the very first Finance Club meeting I ever attended, we were essentially given a dress code for meeting with the real life finance people. Black or Dark Blue suits, white or blue shirt, dark tie, shiny (polished) shoes. Suffice to say, that day I realized I would never have a career in Finance.

10:03 PM Update: Liz says- "STEVE. You look SO weird in these pictures. Maybe it's just my laptop screen but you look like an alien!"

Day 27: Daydreaming Paralysis

Only two days left to donate!

The amount of time I have spent distracted today is absurd. I am beginning to think I have one of those attention deficit disorders. This morning, I made it through my Marketing class, only to completely hit the wall in Stats. It does not help that Stats is ungodly boring. I don't believe there it is possible to make that class interesting. God only knows how I survived so many other equivalently boring quantitative classes on my way to (somehow) getting an engineering degree.

During Stats today, my thoughts were skipping around like a pinball machine.

Thoughts During Stats Class Today (presented chronologically)

1. Okay. I'm going to pay attention today.
2. I'm going to pay attention today.
3. Wait... I already know this this stuff.
4. I'm going to check Washington Post for a second.
5. Oh shit... What's going on?
6. God I hate Minitab. I'll just teach this to myself later.
7. Why do I come to this class?
8. Oh right... because I'm paying $100,000 for this degree.
9. Other people seem to be paying attention... What's wrong with me?
10. Seriously... EVERYONE else is paying attention...
11. Wait. ARE they paying attention?
12. It looks cold outside.
13. When do birds sleep? Is it too cold for them right now?
14. Oh my God... $100,000.
15. I need an internship or something to start paying back my tuition...
16. Why do I come to this class? 
17. Oh right... because I'm paying $100,00---------------------- 

ERROR! Oh shit... my brain has hit a circular reference!

Image Source

This is essentially daydreaming paralysis- the point at which the thousands of thoughts in your head mount an Invasion of Normandy on your productivity, rendering you completely immobile. 

We have come to kill your productivity!

As a matter of fact, I am in one of those ruts as I type, and I am really hoping that this blog is my escape pod back to a land where I can find my concentration and motivation!

Day 25: Writer's Block and Polar Bears

Donation Station

It's a funny thing. For how badly I felt like I needed Thanksgiving break, I do not feel very well rested. I believe the saying is "I need a vacation from my vacation!" Now we are right back in the scholastic swing of things, and I am very behind. I sense a lot of romantic nights spent with my accounting notes in the weeks ahead. At the end of the semester, I guarantee the action will be super hot. Because I'm going to light everything on fire. Accounting is the most frustrating subject ever. I like to compare it to Chinese. Whereas the English language has a very tangible number of letters (26), Chinese has thousands. And it's probably incredibly difficult to learn every single one. Likewise, in accounting, there are millions upon millions of accounts to keep track of, and I find myself frustrated and angrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

Right, so accounting sucks. 

(End Rant)

On a personal note, I am suffering from insane writer's block AGAIN today. I feel like David Duchovny in Californication. I'm a writer with out inspiration! I would like to say though that my life is way more together than Hank's in the show. But back to my point. Blogging for 30 days straight is really difficult. I have the Evernote application on my phone so that I can jot down a note whenever an inspirational idea hits. And then you know what happens? I look at my phone later and it says something like "that thing about polar bears."

And then I'm like: "What the fuck was I talking about? Polar bears?! Was I HIGH?"

And then because I have ZERO recollection of what I meant to post, I simply scan the internet for something interesting that involves polar bears.

And then I find a picture like this:

Polar Bear Swims for 426 miles

And then I think to myself: "Man... 426 miles. That's like from the North Pole to Annapolis. And Annapolis is close to DC. Which means we could have polar bears running rampant in DC."

And THEN, I think: "What would polar bears in DC be like?"

If I had to guess, I would say a 30% probability of this...

But a 70% probability of things turning out more like this...

Okay. So here's hoping that a polar bear doesn't get you! 'Til tomorrow!

Day 24: Picture of me with an elephant on my head

Donate Donate Donate Donate Time is Running Out!

Well, after much anticipation, I FINALLY saw Skyfall today and... I don't know. I thought it was good, but I didn't think it lived up to all the hype. Personally, I liked Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace better. But overall, I can't complain- My life is unquestionably better with more Bond in it.

In other news, my Packers are getting absolutely destroyed by the Giants. I despise the New York Giants. They are NOT EVEN FROM NEW YORK. They are from East Rutherford New Jersey. Any place in New Jersey is bad, but East Rutherford seems like a particularly barren wasteland. Anyway, I hate that team. The Packers cannot ever seem to beat them when it counts and as a fan, this is psychologically taxing.

SO, this is it! We are finally in the last week of Movember! Georgetown MBA is ranked 20th in the country, slightly ahead of Men of Campbell's Soup who are at #24! A strong finish is required though so if you've been holding off on donating, now's your time to shine!

And for those of you who HAVE donated, you are fantastic and wonderful. Um... so anyway, I appear to be suffering from some major writer's block today so I apologize, but that's it for today's post. Also, I may or may not be ending this post early because Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is on in the background, and Indie is about to be lowered into the pit! Ahhhhh I MUST watch!

"You drink blood, and you not wake up from nightmare"

Day 22: The Epic Battle of Black Friday VS My Wallet

Remember to donate here! Only 7 days to go! 

Oh Black Friday. How you tempt me with your teasing ways and sexy deals at every turn.

I've been Black Friday shopping & watching Top Gun (Goose is in the background)

Unfortunately for many of us, and myself included, the battle against Black Friday has a predetermined outcome every year. You and I both lose. That is, I end up spending an obscene amount of money. As I finish this post, at 12:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, the carnage has just ended.

Total Damage: $498... ouch

Now, because I know my mom will inevitably read this post and FREAK out, I will attempt to justify my purchases.

Mechanic (Oil change, new battery terminals, window motor repair): $180
Not much can be done here. As you know from my last post, I had every intent of replacing my battery myself, but that got stopped cold in its tracks. A good chunk of the $180 came from fixing my broken power window. Some people might have been fine living with an inoperable front passenger side window- but after waiting three months to see if I could "deal with it," the answer became clear.

Kohl's Black Friday Deal: $50 for a super cute sweater
It's getting cold out and I need sweaters! I have... one sweater currently. Today I purchased two. It had to happen. This one is cashmere. It was like a million dollars off. I agonized over the decision before I finally concluded it was a good deal.

Macy's Black Friday Deals: $50 for a super cute sweater, $30 for super cute boots, $27/ea for three ties
I have spent the last 6.5 years before grad school working in construction. That means I wore jeans 90% of the time, in combination with either a company t-shirt or a polo shirt on days when I dressed up real nice. As a consequence of this, I never really needed ties. The only ties I had were outrageous colors- White, Bright Pink, Orange, ETC. More for the discotheque than the business formal event. So, I had to finally shell out for some businessy ties. You know, standard red, and blue type ties. Believe me, nothing infuriates me more than having to spend money on a tie- It is a small piece of fabric that has zero functional purpose whatsoever. But, I get it that society requires us to wear these leashes so that the corporate "man" can pull us around. I consider $27 for a tie obscenely expensive, but unfortunately, of the ties I was seeing today, as you decrease the cost of the tie, the appearance starts going downhill too. 

For example, $27 got me this:

Simple. Professional.

Whereas, other stores were offering these $12 door busters. The only doors being busted related to this tie are when people are trying to flee from its ugliness. 

Vomit paisley. The "in-thing" for 2013?

Finally, I got some boots for $30. I already own a pair of boots like these that I love. And to increase my arsenal for only $30 is a no-brainer.

Levi's Black Friday Deal: $27 for 559 Relaxed Straight Jeans
This is only the second pair of jeans I've bought in the last two years, and they were dirt cheap. Again, no brainer.

While you and I know that $27 for a pair of Jeans is an awesome deal, my mom likes to say the following to me: "So Steven, how much did you pay for those jeans?"  When I tell her, usually $40-50, she replies: "You know how much I paid for mine?" No Mom, I don't. Please enlighten me. "Nothing. I paid nothing, because they are your old jeans." Great Mom. Gold star for you. 

My mom also likes to do this with sunglasses, phones, computers... okay- Anything and everything.

Misc. Amazon purchases: $80 total for bike helmet, shirt, and a scarf
C'mon! Everybody needs a helmet. I have fallen in love with my bike the past few days. What a great mode of transportation- Unfortunately, I was rolling helmetless which, in DC, means that it is only a matter of time before you crash and die! SO, this crucial piece of equipment is finally on the way. 

Which leaves us with the shirt and scarf. Total impulse purchases for a total of $30. 

All in all, it's been a successful Black Friday for me. I probably overpaid a bit for the sweaters, but I feel pretty good about all the other purchases in terms of not getting ripped off. 

Day 21: Thanksgiving, Biking, Compression Shorts

Today would be a good day to be thankful for my blog. You can show your appreciation by donating to my Movember Campaign! Donate Here! I should note that from a business perspective, Movember is fantastic because compared to other organizations for a cause, they really don't spend that much on fundraising... because the MUSTACHES do the work!

Happy Turkey Day everybody!

Get it?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh Lordylord, I kill me.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Today, I am thankful for everybody and everything in my life because I am genuinely, for the most part, a happy person, though Liz will no doubt remind me of this the next time I totally freak out because of stress. 

So this month of November, I mean Movember, also happens to be the "Month of Volunteerism" at the Georgetown McDonough School of Business. So, this morning, I volunteered by helping out at the SOME (So Others Might Eat) Turkey Trot race down in Freedom Plaza. My volunteering experience was a touch complicated though because of something that happened yesterday.

For the past few weeks, I have noticed that my car is fighting a little bit harder to start every time I turn the ignition. So, I diagnosed it as the 5+ year old battery reaching the end of the line. This left me with two options- have the battery replaced somewhere or replace it myself. Well, for once in my life I decided to try and fix my car myself. I went to Advance Auto Parts, purchased the battery, and then they said: "Would you like us to install it for you?" At this point my brain screamed: "YES!" but I didn't want to seem TOTALLY incompetent so I said: "Yeah, I mean I might as well if you're offering." And so they sent out a very socially awkward 18ish year old guy to tend to my battery. Upon opening up the hood, the guy just looked at me and said: "Holy corrosion. When was the last time you touched your battery?" The answer, obviously was never since I have an irrational fear of somehow being electrocuted by it, or the battery exploding and showering me with acid. 

To make a long story short, my positive battery terminal is completely fused to the battery, in an acidy hardened mess. The 18ish year old just looked at me and said: "Man, I'm sorry, I can't get this battery off, I would take your car to a mechanic ASAP and get them to replace the terminals... They'll probably need to saw it off."

Well fuck. That's where self motivation and initiative gets you. To the damn auto shop. Well, they couldn't tend to my car yesterday, and so it is sitting outside my house- I plan to drop it off somewhere tomorrow but don't want to risk it dying on me before then. AND SO TO RETURN TO MY ORIGINAL STORY, I biked to the Turkey Trot this morning. I woke up at 4:30 AM, left my house at 5:00 AM, and arrived at 5:30 AM- If you didn't know, I get everywhere early. Because 10 minutes early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable. I learned that little gem from my kung-fu school.

At 5:00 AM, the temperature in DC was roughly 40 degrees, but factoring in the wind chill I felt while riding at the speed of lightning, I experienced a "Feels Like" temperature of -300 degrees. This is roughly the temperature at which you have a 99.99% chance of spontaneously cryogenically freezing. When I arrived at the Turkey Trot, I went about my volunteering duties, helping people get their bib numbers, etc. As I did this, I couldn't help but notice that the runners were, for the most part, insane in how little they were wearing. I saw my biggest fashion pet peeve numerous times. What is that?

It's this:

Guys wearing compression shorts as shorts. Just DON'T DO IT! The above picture looks relatively innocuous, but the image has clearly been airbrushed or something- When this happens in real life, let's just say there is nothing left to the imagination. Compression shorts alone is akin to indecent exposure. Shame on you if you do this.

After volunteering ended, I biked home- another 5 miles, except this time, it was UPHILL and the circumstances had drastically changed. It was now 50 degrees, and I was overheating. At one point, I moved to the sidewalk. Up ahead of me was an old couple (70s?) walking their dog at an agonizingly slow pace. I eventually caught up to them, and was barely able to wheeze an "ON YOUR RIGHT" because the uphill climb was beating my lungs to death. It took about an hour to pass them, and it was at that point that I realized I was actually moving only slightly faster than they were. If they were a 10 on the scale of Agonizing Slowness, I was a 9.93, and very close to achieving their level of mastery at moving slowly. The best part though, is that as this all unfolded, I still found it in my heart to be angry at them for moving so slowly on the sidewalk! God I'm awesome.

Day 19: Can you smell what my mustache is cooking?

Oh hey guys, here's my picture for today. AWESOME right? Yeah, it filled in really quickly. It's pretty "heavy metal" looking right? Also, I've been lifting a lot recently.You can probably tell. I also got a badass tattoo on my ginormous bicep. Funny story- Yesterday, a tornado was coming at me, but then it saw me, and turned the other direction. Yeah, fuck you tornado!

Alas... I am not THE ROCK. I am scrawny... 

... but my mustache ain't!

Day 18: Oatmeal

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

Only 11 days to go! It feels like just yesterday I started this magical adventure, but here I am, 19 days later, taking names and kicking ass. I know that just yesterday, I blogged that I felt manly and awesome with my mustache. Well, that was before I ate oatmeal at 10:00 PM last night.

Quaker Instant Oatmeal is BOSS. And when I make my instant oatmeal, it's an exercise in FEEL. Do I read the suggested directions on the box for Microwave Preparation? No. Fuck directions. I'm a MAN. So, I tear open TWO packets, pour the contents into a bowl, and then fill the bowl roughly halfway high with 2% Milk. And then it's into the microwave it goes. 2:30 later, it's time to rock. I grab a towel, and carefully extract the bowl. At this point, the oatmeal is still pretty watery from the milk, but when allowed to let cool for a few minutes, it quickly solidifies into the perfect texture for consumption.

And this is where the mustache interfered. Every spoonful, I ended up with oatmeal attacking the highway between my upper lip and nose. Am I a sloppy eater? Yes, I typically find myself unable to eat without making a complete mess. Should I wear a bib for all meals? Probably. So, it was not a surprise when at the end of my oatmeal meal, I looked like a mess, with more oatmeal than hair forming my mustache. It was a bummer because it detracted from my overall oatmeal experience. 

And so the bipolar mustache experience continues. I'm like Carrie from Homeland. Manic, then depressed, then manic, then depressed. The mustache is playing with my mind and soon I might require shock therapy to get right.

Day 17: Manly Mustache

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

Another day of growth is in the books. My mustache is becoming thick and luscious. Last night I was at the bar, and hundreds of people complimented me on it.

One person even commented "Sir, how do you achieve that voluminous magnificent mustache?!"

And really, how do I reply to that? Well, I simply say: "Thank you, thank you- this [as I point at my mustache] is all natural my friend."

Of course, it's not all natural, because as my mustache has grown into its own, I have treated it like a king. Each day in the shower, I shampoo it and condition it, treating it with equal respect as the hair on my head. I think it is that love and tenderness that is particularly responsible for my mustache attaining greatness.

You know, having a mustache is quite strange. In the beginning, I felt a little dirty. I was a little scared that people would judge me for it. But now, I'm proud. I feel manly. I feel unstoppable... I feel like... I feel like this:

Day 15: Sick as a dog

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

Appearances can be deceiving. Because while I may not look like I am dying in the above picture, I am sure I am dying as I seem to have contracted the cold from hell. 

You know how when you get sick, you can usually blame it on someone? Maybe a co-worker, classmate, family member, etc? That's a great feeling. Because then when you inevitably spread the contagion, you can be like: "Look man... it's not my fault, PERSON X gave this to me." Well this time, I have NO idea where I got it from. Nobody else in my life seems to be sick. So for I think what is the first time in my life, I feel like I am the source of the contagion! It's quite the burden. But what's worse is that I don't have the slightest clue of where this cold came from. I'm typically a healthy person. I mean, yes, I ate three Crunchy Taco Supremes for lunch yesterday, but it's not like I'm going around licking the escalator rails at Metro stations... Hmm... but maybe the Taco Bell employees are. Actually, now that I think about it, it has to be Taco Bell's fault. 

Anyway, I recommend you all do some lines of zinc, Vitamin C and anything else that boosts the ol' immune system because you don't want this. 

You've been warned!

Day 14: 5 Hour Energy will energize you to death!

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

It was pointed out to me via Facebook today that :

... and this comment is actually a correct correction. It appears I totally jumped the gun in comparing MSB to the Death Star. SO, allow me to simply state that it is "Star Wars-esque" in its appearance. I believe that is accurate to say.

Moving on, 5-Hour Energy is suspected in having a role in 13 deaths in the US over the past four years (NYT: Caffeinated Drink Cited in Reports of 13 Deaths). It would not shock me to learn that this stuff kills you since it looks weird, tastes weird, and smells weird. Also, when you consume 345290908102934824334203840923% of your daily recommended intake of something, no matter WHAT it is, it is probably not good for you.

I have a friend who we'll just call... oh I don't know, Dave, who is particularly fond of energy drinks. In fact, at work, Dave kept a fully stocked mini fridge of "rip-it" energy drinks. The fridge was officially named the "Department of Energy." I often remarked that Dave's bloodstream likely consisted of  >40% energy, and that it couldn't be good for him.  SO DAVE, if you are reading this, you may want to tone down the energy consumption in light of the above article! And because Dave was the first big donor to my Movember fundraising campaign, I will end the lecture here!

Moving on to my mustache pic for today, I feel like I'm getting somewhere. You'll notice that I have alternating emotions of success and failure from day to day- I can't explain it. BUT, I feel like people can actually notice my mustache from a few feet away now, so that is encouraging.

Day 13: Business School or Death Star?

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

Good Lord. I'm stranded at the McDonough School of Business building slaving away over Corporate Finance. I will say this though- Late at night, the business school has a sort of "Death Star vibe" going for it thanks to the giant atrium and cool lights. 

For the sake of comparison:

Pic Link

The one prominent difference between the business school and the Death Star is that the Death Star is filled with stormtroopers late at night whereas the business school is full of sleeping Asians (Asians Sleeping in the Library). JUST KIDDING- the crowd who end up sleeping here are actually very diverse, consisting of countless ethnicities beyond Asian.

Another similarity between the school and the Death Star is the bridge at the fourth floor.

Again, striking similarity:

 

Without a doubt, you'll find me emulating Luke on our bridge when Finals come around. At that point, jumping might be a better option than cramming my head full of Accounting jargon.

**UPDATE**
I left the building around 10 PM. I'm now back in my sweet attic, and can complete this post in peace as I kick out the jams.

Day 8: Runnin' Down a Dream

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

Though I am currently raising money for men's health and Movember, it's with sadness that I must announce that I have been an absolutely perfect model for unhealthy living. For the past few weeks, I have:

• Drank more coffee than water.
• Scavenged for leftover pizza from various club/group/association meetings on campus. (This is essentially the grad school equivalent of being a bum and rummaging through trash cans.)
• Avoided strenuous exercise like the plague.
• Eaten almost exclusively at restaurants, made possible by the dirt cheap rent I am paying for my sweet attic (See end of my Day 5 Entry).
• Embarked on a three day drunkfest at the end of last week.

In spite of all of these events which suggest that I should be ballooning in size, I have somehow lost 11 pounds since school started. I think it's largely because I am eating much less overall (but cold pizza when I do), and walking to and from school everyday with a backpack that most of my fellow students suspect "contains my life."

But tonight, I declared war on my unhealthy lifestyle. My thought process was simply: "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. It's Movember and I'm determined to get in shape. And it's going to happen in ONE NIGHT!"  So I went running.

Now, when I run, I outfit myself very specifically. And one thing I never leave home without  is a pair of compression socks.  These things are amazing. A few years ago I used to knock out 10 mile runs easily, but then my body broke down while marathon training. This brought foot problems, back problems, shin splints, you name it. But the compression socks fixed the feet and shins!

Anyway, when I showed up at Liz's place ready to run, she looked at me and said:

"No hay trabajo aquí, señor," implying that I looked like a Mexican day laborer in search of work.



After she made fun of my awesome stache, she got deathly serious, and said:

"I am not going out with you dressed like that."

"But Liz, we are going running- my socks are function over fashion!"

"Clearly" she replied.

After running, we went to the local Whole Foods and she really pleaded with me to leave my socks in the car or at least roll them down. But, because I enjoy being a contrarian, I pulled my socks up as high as they went and strolled into the store- LIKE A BOSS.

The mustache is coming along people! It's really happening!

Day 7: Seven Days of Sexy

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

"An old Greek source comments that 'many people have good natural abilities which are ruined by idleness; on the other hand, sobriety, zeal and perseverance can prevail over indolence"

(Tortoise and the Hare- Wikipedia)

Truer words have never been spoken ladies and gentlemen. For the month of Movember, I personify zeal and perseverance. I also personify sobriety when I am not drinking. CAN I grow facial hair? Kindof, but not really. Am I going to TRY? You bet. I'm going further than trying though. I'm doing. Like Yoda. 

Today marks seven days of wondrous growth. Even Liz thinks its wondrous. Tonight she said to me: "My birthday is coming up. And you can't be in any of the pictures." There was sadness in her voice. But she later explained that it was because my mustache made me beautiful. And because her birthday is her special day, she couldn't have me upstaging her in the photographic memories. I completely understand. I guess Liz didn't explicitly say this to me. But because I understand women, I understand the implicit communication. It's a lot like the phenomenal blockbuster from 2000:

In other news, today I had a mock interview with my career coach. He said that I am very verbose and should become a Russian novelist. He said I go into a lot of detail, and while entertaining, interviewers may want me to get right to the point. I scoff at this feedback. Russian novelist?! Have you READ "Anna Karenina?" Tolstoy is garbage. Anna, the main character commits suicide by throwing herself in front of a train. And then you know what? There's like a kajillion more pages of insufferable shit to wade through before you get to the completely unsatisfying end.

Oh yeah. *Spoiler Alert*

I'm way better than a Russian novelist.

Day 6: 6 Days to Acquire a 5 O'Clock Shadow

Remember to donate here:   http://mobro.co/stevedasgupta

Hello readers. Do you know why I continually highlight my stache in these pictures of me at my most disheveled? It's because I trust you. I trust my readers. My feelings for my blog readers can best described by this song:

Important Video You Need to Watch

Pay attention to the lyrics. They will change your life.

ANYHOW... Yesterday I was participating in what every God fearing American does while watching the election. Playing the "Ballot Cam" drinking game. The rules were simple (and created by an innovative Iranian man in a moment of pure genius). Whenever the CNN Ballot Cam came up (see Exhibit 1), you were required to drink from your All American PBR (Sidenote: For all you MBA folks, check out my very official "case write-up" on PBR from 2010: PBR Post: American Revival)

Exhibit 1

The Ballot Cam game was very fun. I would say it is most like the Big Lebowski drinking game where you drink every time the Dude has a White Russian.

Anyway, in between rounds of Ballot Cam, my inquisitive CFA Level II German friend said to me:  

"Steve. Does it matter if I donate $1.00 thirty times, or $30.00 once?" 

I said: "No man. I think it's the same thing."

Friend: "But doesn't VISA charge a transaction fee every time I donate?"

Me: "Let me get back to you..."

Okay. So, I researched this. I'm not 100% sure if this is the correct answer, but I feel pretty confident that VISA assesses a flat percentage fee regardless of the transaction cost. 

(See VISA Section from the following link: Credit Card Processing Fees -The fees seems to not exceed 1-2% total per transaction. Because its per transaction, you CAN donate $1 to me 30 times, and it will be the same donation as receiving $30 once, assuming undiscounted cash flows)

Anyway. After my friend asked me this, I said: "Why does this matter anyhow?!," to which he replied: "I just want you to see how much I like (ed: or dislike) each post."

What friends I have! Don't worry about the transaction fees- just cough up the donations!

Finally, one last comment on the election before I call this post done- Did anybody else see this? This was a screenshot from the Washington Post on my iPad around 12:20 AM today. Perhaps they could use an Editor?