I was just getting ready to compose a thoughtful dissertation on the second episode of The Apprentice 2 when some actual work got dropped on my desk. So let me just toss out a few thoughts quickly and then run with them blindly without taking any time to judge whether they have any inherent worth - which, incidentally, is exactly what is so idiotic about these contestants' behavior so far. It's not just them, really, the more I am around corporate business types the more I realize that they never have much clue about what they're doing, but they think that simply being hyper-aggressive about whatever will lead to success, even if that whatever is actually an empty mess of gibberish. Which seems like it is probably and unfortunately true a lot of the time, at least until you run into some fellow jerks who are being hyper-aggressive about something of substance. I work around consultants, though, so nothing of any real substance or worth ever strays into my airspace. A perfect example from the show of the majority of people in the pods surrounding me right now is Ivana, with her writing of equations along the lines of "tasty ice cream + hungry people = success" and saying she thinks this is a powerful business model for the team or whatever. She is now my most hated contestant and really deserved to be fired last night. However, Corbin Bernsen did make an unforgivable mistake. At first I thought Donald was a bit crazy and just trying to do something shocking for people to talk about, but the more I think about it my opinion is changing. In business or anything else you need to take full advantage of any gifts you get, and arrogantly saying I'm so good I don't need the immunity (or, going back to Ivana, I am too good to use my feminine wiles to sell gelato and I do not want to win that way) is about the stupidest thing you could possibly do. It's as if a football team scored a touchdown on some bizarre fluky play and the coach said don't give us the six points, we don't want to win that way. If that ever happens, it should be considered a forfeit, and no matter what the score was at the time the win should go to the other team. Also, it is just atrociously bad manners to refuse a gift. Ok, I've got to do some PowerPoint now, check back a little later for the remainder of my brainstorming.