Tag: boston college

Interview with Joe, the Most Annoying Person in the History of Humanity (Part I of II)

Below is a word-by-word transcript of an interview with Joe, who insisted on being interviewed as "The Most Fascinating Person in the History of Humanity" but who is anything but.

--I can’t believe I’m doing this This interview is going to be a complete waste of time.

It's not clear where the pull towards public service comes from, notwithstanding all my love for money.

My education probably has something to do with it. My alma mater, Boston College / Boston College Law School, instilled a call for service through an education grounded in

The Inimitable Fulfillment of Serving the Public (Part I of II)

I am an unabashed capitalist. I have helped mega-corporations raise billions of dollars. I'm an investor who shows little interest other than stock prices. I'm unapologetic in my pursuit of money and I don't particualrly think there's anything wrong with that.

Yet the greatest job fulfillment I

Joe Michael Sasanuma Obituary

Joe Michael Sasanuma, who earlier today died at the eternal age of 18, never had a moment in which he didn't enjoy life.

He lived by the words "What's the point of living if you can't feel alive?", a line fittingly taken from the James Bond movie "The World is Not Enough".  Of the many things

A New Beginning

This Friday will be my last day at Shearman & Sterling.  After seven and a half years, the time is right for me to move on.

When I reflect on my time at Shearman & Sterling, I realize how tremendously fortunate I have been.

I once heard that the average length of a career at a major

To Entitled Eagles: You’re Not Special

Dear Entitled Eagles,

Despite attending a prestigious university called Boston College, there are certain things that you are not entitled to.

First, you’re not entitled to any particular grade.  Certainly not an A or a B, or even a C+.

Grades measure your knowledge and abilities, however imperfectly.  If you exhibit superior capabilities, you get high marks.  If you exhibit deficiencies,

Things I Discovered by Googling My Name

Have you ever Googled yourself?

I have, but that probably doesn’t come as a surprise to many of you who know how much of a narcissistic egomaniac I am.

Even if it’s in your nature to be more humble and reserved than I, I still recommend that you occasionally run a search of yourself at www.google.com, if only

I’m Available to Give a Lecture on So Many Topics

One of the things I remain mystified about is why no one has ever asked me to give a lecture.  I would have thought that a person like me with an opinion on a whole range of topics would be hounded to share just a small portion of all the invaluable insight.

The only explanation I have for

To Underclassmen Eagles: Make Not Just Friends, But Friends Who Are Different

Dear Underclassman Eagles,

After you graduate from Boston College,  you'll realize that your years at Chestnut Hill shaped many aspects of your life.  The liberal arts education that instilled a sense of public service is one.  The life-long friendships that you formed is another.

As an underclassman, you're likely still building your circle of friends, and to those who

There is So Much to Love About Autumn

For me, the fall will always mark the beginning of a new year.  For nearly two decades, September is when I progressed one year in the educational ladder.  Now that I'm working,  fall is when I tack on another year in my experience as a working professional.  I've always loved this season because it's when

Living Life Without Regrets

I don't have a lot of regrets in my life.  If forced to name them, I have a list of three to choose from, but people laughed at me the one time I talked about how I forever regret choosing to study for my constitutional law exam instead of attending my very first Brad Paisley concert,

To Overachieving Eagles: How to Inflate Your GPA

Dear Overachieving Eagles,

Being a natural overachiever, many of you will seek to become the cream of the crop of American society by obtaining a degree that's even higher than the Bachelor of Arts, like M.A., M.D., J.D., M.B.A. or Ph.D.

As an overeducated double Eagle myself, I have some experience with knowing what it takes to

In Memory of John Ezzard (1984-2012)

John was a couple years behind me at Boston College.  I don't exactly recall how we initially met, but we quickly became close friends because I was Japanese and he was interested in Japan.

John had a great laugh.  He and I come from a different political mold, he of the moderate left and I of

Reading Isn’t What It Used to Be, and That’s a Good Thing

For the longest time, I had no interest in reading.  

I swear it started in high school, when novels like "The Grapes of Wrath," "Walden Pond" and "The Old Man and the Sea" sent me into temporary comas.  I think my experience proves that just because a book is a "classic" doesn't mean kids in

Let’s Stay in Touch

I am starting my new life in Tokyo, where new challenges await.  I'm really excited, but the move still feels quite surreal.  I don't think reality has quite sunk in.

Twenty-one years, 3 months and 10 days passed between my residency in Japan.  That's a long time.  I haven't felt nostalgic yet, but I've started to

If I had $50 million…

Last week, I learned of a ridiculous fact that Justin Bieber earned $50 million this year.  Besides making me think I definitely made a wrong career choice, it got me thinking about what I would do if I had $50 million...

I'll go to Monaco on a $1 million cruise trip and put $2 million on

What I Learned About Writing

I'll never forget the professor in my Legal Writing class in my first year of law school who said that English majors struggle mightily in the class.  It was a moment I realized that lawyers are one of the worst writers out of professionals whose job primarily revolves around writing.  Lawyers use "effect" as a

In Defense of My Education…

A couple months ago, I defended lawyers. To show that I can make myself even more lovable, today I defend my educational background, which I thought spoke for itself.  For this show of narcissism that's paralleled, y'all can thank my office neighbor, who, upon hearing the details of my academic history,  questioned whether I slipped through the

How I Became a Yankee Dixie

During my high school senior year college application process, a teacher advised me not to go to school in the South.  "You're Asian and you're Catholic," he warned, inferring neither is particularly welcome down in the land of the Dixie.  I dutifully complied, with my most southern application going to Washington D.C., rest to the

Oh How I Love Myself

I love myself.

This blog is all about me, which is why I love it and I need people to read it, comment on it and love it.

If I'm partaking in a conversation, I need to be the center of attention.  I need people to laugh at my stories and show interest in what I say

It’s March Again and It’s Madness, Frozen and Fantastic

It's March again and you know what that means.

March Madness

Frozen Four

Fantasy Baseball

The sports trifecta.

It's sad to know that I've reached a point and career in my life where no one bothers to invite me to fill out a bracket unless I beg.  So I just created a league and cajoled my colleagues to join.  As

A Thirteen Month Anniversary for the Blog

Today, this blog turns 13 months old.  I would have celebrated the one year anniversary if only I had remembered to celebrate it.  That I'd forgotten is actually fitting for this rather irrelevant blog.

In 13 months, I have written 76 posts, averaging nearly 6 posts a month.  While the pace has slowed, I've tried to

I Try to Kid, But I (Sometimes) Have a Point

For better or for worse, I seem to leave a distinct impression on people, although I can't tell whether the impression I leave is good or bad.  One week into my foray into law school at the particularly liberal Rutgers of Newark, people started coming up to me and saying, "So you're the new conservative,

To Future Eagles: It Does Indeed Suck to B.U.

To a Future Eagle,

Congratulations on your acceptance to Boston College!

The odds are that in the past year and a half, you carefully researched BC's academic program, spoke with the students already attending, and toured the school to get a feel for the campus so your choice to attend the school is a result of thoughtful

Maybe This March Will Be Mad Enough For BC To Make A Real Run

It's that wonderful time of the year again, when America's economy loses an estimated $4 billion in productivity with no help from a recession because employees obsess about college games to which they have little to no connection.

And it's not just at work either.  I remember when I was in high school, classmates brought in

25 Random Crap About Me

My sister, that bored nincompoop, created Note in Facebook with a list of 25 random facts about herself and then created a "rule" under which an unfortunate soul who was tagged will have to do the same thing.  Presumably this is the most modern rendition of the cursed chain letter so the failure to respond

Law School Rejection That Was Well Planned

It's that time of the year again when college and grad school applicants are beginning to get anxious.  Law schools, with their rolling admissions, tend to decide the fate of the applicants several weeks earlier than others.

I am happy to report that the two friends I know were applying to law schools were admitted to

Eagles in SI, Memories of an Umbrella and Business Attire

I received this week's issue of Sports Illustrated yesterday.  I read SI on my commute, always in the same order:  the back page column, the front page photos, and then the "Players" section, which is increasingly becoming my favorite after the departure of columnist Rick Reilly.

For the first time that I can recall, the topic

Futility in Writing Effort

When you're an attorney, you're almost expected to be published.  In two law-related jobs that I've held, one of the first questions I was asked was "Were you on a law journal?"  I managed to survive at the law firm and with the judge despite my answer in the negative, but I could always see

On the Debacle Firing of Boston College Football Headcoach

You can't make this stuff up.

Boston College football's head coach Jeff Jagodzinski, affectionately known as Jags, will be fired by Boston College after proceeding to interview for the New York Jets' vacant head coach position even after Athletic Director Gene DeFelippo warned him doing so would lead to his termination.

This bizarre turn of events came

On Being 18 – Again and Forever

I was called "Sir" again.

I ordered a sandwich at the firm's cafeteria and the guy gave me my order by saying, "Here you go, Sir."   It was deja vu.  Three years ago, when I was in law school, I ordered a sub at the dining hall on main campus (where undergrads eat) and I was

On Random Thoughts BC

$10 million for each ACC team?  Wow that's a lot of cash.  And I know exactly where that $10 million went.  A million bucks on a staircase and now $10 million on a building that's already standing...  Hmmm...  All kidding aside, $10 million on restoration of Gasson Hall is a money well spent.  The building

On a Good Shellacking Leveled Against BC Football

This one was just painful to watch.

I knew the Eagles were in trouble when V-Tech marched right down the field with little resistance on its first drive.  The BC offense just isn't built to come back from big deficits, and the first drive was just too easy.

On BC’s Thanksgiving Win

It was an impressive win.  It wasn't miraculous, like last week at Wake Forest.  It wasn't dominating, like the week before at Florida State.  But the victory sure was methodical, the defense dominating, the offense sufficient, converting two turnovers while committing none, and the coach making aggressive calls.  It wasn't an easy win, but it

On Holy Shit (Part II) Boston College Football Victory

24-21, BC over Wake Forest.

Yesterday, I would've told you this is as expected.  After how the game transpired today, this is another "Holy Shit I Can't Believe They Pulled It Off" game.

Which victory was more unlikely?  BC's come from behind victory at Virginia Tech last year that required two touchdowns and an onside kick in

On a Job Well Done by the Boston College Football Team

"Well done" best summarizes what I want to say about BC's 27-17 victory over the Florida State Seminoles, the team that ended BC's unbeaten streak last year and the team that seems to perennially underperform.

Against a team that wins on the running game, the defense's performance was extraordinary.  FSU's leading rusher of the game was

On Thoughts About the BC-VTech Game

Whether you call the ACC mediocre or competitive, the result is the same: BC has a shot of making something happen despite Crane at QB because anyone can beat anyone in the conference (and yes, that includes Duke).

To say that I was pleasantly surprised by the game's result is an understatement. I made the four
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