Deloris (My new bike)

Last week I purchased a new touring bike, an excellent purchase if I do say so myself. A 1991 Bianchi Peregrine. It is a steel lugged 26 inch MTB that I will set up for my summer 2010 tour. So far, none of my bikes have been named. . . I've decided this one will be named "Deloris." I got the bike from an old lady who owned the bike previously, her name was Deloris, so I figured it fitting for the bike to be named as so. 

Soon (before I go to Florida in January), she will be equipped with Yellow Planet Bike Fenders, a front Lowrider Axiom Rack, a Rear Aluminum Rack, and a Front Porter Style Add-On to the Lowrider.

This is a picture of another bike. Same Model/Colors. 

Where Am I Headed?

Lately my brain has been trickling with ideas for this summer, school, graduating!, and what i'm going to do after school. 

After my past summer my world has been a little rocked by what I would like to do with my life. I am still studying Business & Music and will have earned two bachelor's degree by the time I graduate, a BA in Business Administration & a BA in Music Business. Other than that, a lot of things are going to change...

This summer I am planning on touring for the whole 97 days of summer break. No, I don't have a lot of money but after this summer I will take a step in the direction of the "real world." I have been getting by doing medical studies and doing other odd jobs (substitute teaching) to produce the cash I have, which has gotten me by pretty well. I have no definite plans for the summer as of yet, just biking. If the Trek to Re-Energize can be pulled back together for 2010, I am all hands in for that (San Francisco to D.C.). If not, I will probably be following the Lewis & Clark trail from home (Missouri) to Washington, then north to Alaska. This trip is happening because it is my last summer with a big time gap where I will be able to do what I want without too many constraints for at least 5 or 6 years.

From Indiana

After this summer, I suppose the "real world" will be setting in. I will be either graduating Fall 2010 or Spring 2011. Either way, Fall 2010 will include more upper level business classes along with my Music Business internship. Needless to say, Fall 2010 will probably be a painful semester.

I have decided that after I graduate I will not be joining the Peace Corps,right away. Granted, that would be the optimal time to do it, I just don't see it happening then. After graduation I  will end up joining the work force, hopefully somewhere other than STL, doing something in the business field. Work for about 5 years then do Peace Corps. With experience in the business field i'll have a higher chance of doing what i'd like in the Peace Corps (Economic Development). 

After that will probably come Grad School but who knows?

Joan Osborne, The Holmes Brothers, & Paul Thorne

Possibly the most painful concert of my life. 

Granted it wasn't my style and it was free. It still was painful.

The Rules of Diplomacy

After a few conversations that have happened in the past weeks, a topic came up in my "Pricing & Strategy Negotiations" class that I thought was very relevant to keeping life in order.

Obviously, the main topic of the class is pricing, setting prices, and negotiating prices. Just this past week we started studying a chapter over "Price Competition," talking about positive sum, zero sum, and negative sum games in relation to pricing. Finally, we arrived at the "Rules of Diplomacy." These rules entailed how to react to competitors and the price wars that happen in the business world. They made a lot of sense and seemed like they could be applied to life pretty easily. 

The rules are as follows:

1.) Make your intentions & capacities clear.

2.) Be Consistent.

3.) React quickly to threats directed towards important aspects of your life (markets or accounts in the pricing game).  

4.) Don't hold a grudge.

I tried finding a "real list" of some rules of diplomacy (other than the board game) online but had no luck. These are from my pricing text book.

I'm not saying that I follow these rules every second of my life. I will say that if one were to follow these as close as possible, especially in a relationship or their social life in general, a lot of problems could be solved or altogether removed.

Will I try to follow these? For Sure, I feel like I do pretty well with them at this point in my life as it is. 

P.S. I now have a twitter, I caved. My Twitter.

For your listening enjoyment. . .