Entrepreneurship November 3, 2006
Posted by prex in City, Creativity, Ramblings.add a comment
Yes still sick…so bare with me. I can’t sleep, and I want nothing more then to be asleep right now. I was thinking about the chapter we read on entrepreneurship and business ventures that I have encountered. My favorite was a piece of investment property that my dad and I were looking at. Number were looking good on it and the area it was located in wasn’t to bad a few years off from being prime but it had a lot of potential. However the property also came with some interesting ‘landscaping’ shall we call it.
There were huge amounts of concrete in the back and to the side, encompassing most of the yard. This was an issue because due to the lay out this was a multi-plex facility we really ideally needed to figure out parking. My dad was frustrated because you couldn’t just have it hauled off you would have to have it demolished first and that just seemed to be more work then he wanted to do.
I really was excited about this property. I was the one who found it and did the research and what forth, I had the most time invested in it so far I wasn’t ready to get discouraged quite so quickly.
I keep looking at it and thinking and the whole thing starts to take shape in my head. We need parking, we have this obstacle in our way and it is going to cost money to have it removed. To me the concrete is starting to look an awful like a cubicle parking structure. All we would have to do it touch it up and throw a roof on. Not only would we not have to have it removed but we could charge more for the covered parking spots!
I was quite impressed with myself. Clearly if I am still telling you about it two years later.
I will try and see if I have a photo of it tomorrow.
Red Bull Soap Box Derby October 30, 2006
Posted by prex in City, Creativity, Loop, Out and About, Ramblings, Rants.3 comments
So for all of you that said you were thinking about going or said you thought about going… kick yourselves now. The races were absolutely insane cool. I can not even tell you adequately. That was the coolest thing I have done in a LONG TIME. I was impressed Red Bull did it up right…and not just because I got a VIP pass for the after party (yes feel free to hate me. I will share the details).
http://www.redbullsoapboxusa.com/
The cliff note version- races were not only judged on speed and design but what kind of show they put on before, during and after the race. There was also a peoples choice award (which went to WashU Students team). Cars had to roll on their own no engines ect and they dropped in off a forty foot ramp in the Muny lot in Forest Park.
They had no test runs. I myself knowing some of the drivers was a bit nervouse.
I will share a few of my personal favorites…
Superman-and yes a man layed down on top of him and rode him down. He wiped out and broke the dummy’s hand off but tried did finish but only before making the attempt to push with his feet look obscene. Great idea thought they were professional street luger’s and had a great idea if they hadn’t gotten messed up in the wreck. Another one with the same idea or a street luge that is worth noting– a team from St. Louis I don’t have pictures of was called Lucille. The team all dressed like blues brothers and one guy rode a guitar named Lucille down. They ended up being pretty fast I was impressed.
While I wasn’t impressed with the car initially hence I have no photo’s of the mini pope mobile this team was probably one of the top three best performance wise. They had an awesome skit. The car while seemingly boring white mini pope soap box actually had a level that he pulled and it kicked the car up into wheelie’s and another lever and the car rode on the two side wheels! It was fricken HILARIOUSE! Also he would get out of the car run along side and high five people and get back in! I loved it. AWESOME Job!
These guys were funny, the Drunk Elvis’s they were some semi corporate gig from California. They had some big financial backing, but they were drunk and they were all Elvis and they were funny. There was a wedding going on in the lower Muny lot after words and these guys go and take over the photo shoot. Great! Their car was FAST too.
Here is Big Sharks. While it isn’t as flashy construction wise other teams picked them to win due to the construction of the cart. They had like no show at all- it was more like lets stand around and act cool while everyone else who is cool is making us look like the dorks.
The first team to go literately disintegrated. Here is the picture recap.
Photo credit to Grant HoustonWhen they wrecked they had to spend a half hour cutting a whole out of the ramp putting in new ply wood and recovering it. I about lost it getting nervous after that one! Here is the carnage of the baby carriage…
Since I already borrowed a few of Grant s photo’s here is another few I borrowed and when I say borrowed I mean I am showing you without telling him….yet. love you Grant keep up the good work!
The Pope Mobile!
The People’s Choice Champion and WashU Student team Brainfart!
One of my very few complaints with the day was sure this is cute-but wasn’t very fast wasn’t a great show but won people choice award..why because in my opinion you got to text your vote to rbull 72855 as many times as you liked for free and basically they had everyone they know do it over and over again…and what else better do college students have to do. And while sure any team could have done that I don’t really feel that it was a good representation of the True Peoples choice award.
And while I am ranting my only other complaint on the day was the judges. They picked some pompous wanna bee assholes to sit up there and throw numbers up, they weren’t even paying attention half the time not that the scores really mattered in the end, it was more of a crowd annoyance the judged got boo’d more then anything else. I am telling everyone I know at Red Bull how I thought that whole “judge” thing was a pile of crap. Wanna be B list Celebs and girls who thought they were hot….they sucked I openly boo’d them. And I am done! -=D
You know your in a baseball town when a team makes a derby car of the old Busch Stadium back when the cards weren’t even going to make the Playoffs and then they get to race the day after we become the WORLD CHAMPION SAINT LOUIS CARDINALS!
It was a whole lot of fun for the rest of the race recap visit the WebSite. The guys that one had a pimp first class car. Was called fast food and it was Waylie Coyote chasing the Roadrunner it was SLICK and obviously fast. Cute old men did it! -=D
Big Shark ended up having one of the best wrecks of the day-it will make the commercial for TV-and yes they still managed to cross the line. Here is after carnage…
Thankfully no one was hurt during the course of the day. The whole event ( other then the texting and judges) was first class. Food, Beer Beverages, Sound System, Entertainment. KICK YOURSELF FOR NOT BEING HERE! Seriously! Tons of people came out. Was awesome.
The Vip after party was insane! They brought in red leather couches and flat screens all over the patio at the Muny and had Dj’s Bands and Catering, free food and Open Bar…YOU MISSED OUT!
Feel free to look into next years I hear rumor that it will Be in Seattle so far one a year this was the first ever in the States, there have been two previously in Europe. Flutogg is also worth noting that is the creation of flying machines they take and try to launch off an Air Craft Carrier!
http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com/
and here is Red Bull Wiki for most of what you ever wanted to know and more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull
I found sweet videos on YouTube check these out this is the best compliation I found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skQkczJYJQ8
and Big Shark Crash:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9_WeOxxvuA
The Pope Mobile doing thier thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcOIDP0gya8
This is a Great Compilation of the trucker- AND I make a cameo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JI5ytyDzBQ4
Cute Compliation Shows the winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p1bzJmIoTI
and the numerator:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJpK7If3mdU
and nice footage:(no pun intended -=x)
From the Loop and I am Proud April 3, 2006
Posted by prex in City, Loop, Out and About, Rants, Shopping.1 comment so far
I love St. Louis. I try to rep it up when ever I can. I support local business's. I'd rather pay more to the little guy then live in a world of boring corprate bullshit. So I love the loops. I love it'd ethnic, edgy, counter culture, cultured feel. I love that it is pretty much soo St. Louis. I even love subway and ben and jer-though they are corprate imports. I love the Tivoli. I am a movie addict and I am into artsy films. I belong to the St. Louis Film society. So I frequent alot of landmark movie theaters for films that aren't really mainstream. So Wesday I was doing my thing and went and saw Why We Fight at the Tivoli. A documentry on the Military Industrial Complex of the United States. I really liked it. (Insert war rant here.) I love my boys that are over there fighting and it is so emotional to let go of them and know they might not come back and they choose to go over, and it is over such stupid bullshit as proetcting our economy. *sigh* They frustrate me. Two of my silly best friends. Breaking my heart. Anyways I highly reccomend it.
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/St.Louis/St.Louis_Frameset.htm
Trailor:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/whywefight/
So I am walking down the loop crying and bitching out my friend for being a marine after the movie (isnt that nice of me to be supportive) it is around 9:ish at night. People out flyering I am used to it. I spend alot of time on the loop. My sister manages a store there, which i work at sporadically but have a huge loyalty too. As well as all my friends that I have made from being a loop rat and hanging out at my sisters store. I am collecting the flyers and carrying bags from shopping earlier that day- proof I am a shopping addict and I support the loop. Take the flying-walking talking…and then about at Sunshine daydream a girl offers me a flyer i go to take it and realize it is the same one, do her a favor spare wasting a copy I tell her no thanks I already have one,keep walking.
The girl who appeared to be all of 15 says "No bitch go up to that store up there."
The store is relatitivly new. I havent been in it yet, but I had been meaning to stop by and check it out, espcially after the flyer from the first gentleman. I shurg it off and keep walking acting like it didn't happen. Her friend gets in front of me while she kinda pinned me in from behind and gets in my face aggressivly and saying "Go in the fucking store" While the first girl knocks the ponytail out of my hair. So she didn't quite hit me, but hit me! WTF what a way to run a business and get people in to your store. I am so shocked I don't do anything but laugh and keep walking my friend on the phone, who was the resident bad ass in highschool is freaking out hearing all of this. I am like whatever, I can't belive that just happened! So I go to Jimmy Johns and get a sandwhich. I go home and tell my sister what happened and she cant belive it either. I resolve to find out who owns the store and speak to them about it. Not so much that I care about what happened to me, but that I love the fricken loop. And what if it had been some one else. My worst fear is that it had been or will be somone else. Some one, thier first time on the loop, and thats thier experice. Makes me sick to my stomach. These small local business's work hard, and atttracting people and promoting and foot trafic alot goes into it, and no little punk girls should be out ruining that.
Flash forward to Saturday. I worked for my sister all day and then headed over to FiFi's to hang out with Kelly untill she closed. While in there Martina who cuts hair inbetween Kelly's Store and My sisters comes in with friends and starts ranting about the Antagonist- the store who the little girls where repersenting. I asked what it was like, they said nothing special and make fun of a few things, and then I relay my story from the other night. They also are shocked…but really who isnt. That was some random experince. Kelly informs me she knows who owns it. I ask if she can put me in touch and she is already dialing her phone. She talks to them for a second and says "here is the store manager they seem really intrested in hearing your story". I relay the story..and they apologize, i get the feeling he is afraid i might press charges or something. But I keep saying I don't care, just wanna protect the loop. He thinks he knows who i am talking about and will handle it. So I guess I did my part. I may still check out the store…probabaly not. But who knows. I still love the loop. These stores I highly recommend from my story! -=D
Fifi's- www.myspace.com/fifis
Big Shark: www.bigshark.com
Mangos For nukes….This one goes out to Steve… March 21, 2006
Posted by prex in City, Out and About, Triva.2 comments
Sooo, inspired by Steve's blog..I braved it home in the snow, ice and other wise elements to have my heart ripped out… My internet is gone. SOOO, my sister and I needing out nightly fix of interneting it up- snag the the four wheel drive and head to where else….Coffee Cartel. Maybe I will meet someone sketchy to write about..I can hope right? Time for a mango smoothie and maybe a wrap in the mean time…I will be sure to keep you all updated….and I forgot my camera at home dah! /delete /re-roll
Ahhh Yes 12:16 my first encounter. As i order my Strawberry Mango Smoothie the nice Gentle Man in black leatherpants behind me in line says, "Mango?" I respond, "Strawberry Mango". I am quite sure he could sense the giddiness in my voice. He asked me if I knew what that mango was worth. I told him no…not quite sure where all this was going. He then informed me that in his current affiars class they were studying that G. Bush traded Nuclear information to India for mangos and that I had better enjoy my smoothie. About this time my smoothie is placed on the counter and I take a sip and smile and say "Totally worth it." All the while questioning this. I am pretty concerned and envolved in enviormental issues, this has my curosity..sure enough… I return to my seat google it and here you go… Mangos for Nukes! Enjoy
