Create a USB bootable stick manually...

Partition

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nobody@nowhere:/$ sudo fdisk /dev/sde

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sde: 15.6 GB, 15610576896 bytes
64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 14887 cylinders, total 30489408 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x196065d9

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System

Command (m for help): n
Partition type:
   p   primary (0 primary, 0 extended, 4 free)
   e   extended
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 1): 
Using default value 1
First sector (2048-30489407, default 2048): 
Using default value 2048
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (2048-30489407, default 30489407): 616447

Command (m for help): n
Partition type:
   p   primary (1 primary, 0 extended, 3 free)
   e   extended
Select (default p): p
Partition number (1-4, default 2): 
Using default value 2
First sector (616448-30489407, default 616448): 
Using default value 616448
Last sector, +sectors or +size{K,M,G} (616448-30489407, default 30489407): 2013183

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sde: 15.6 GB, 15610576896 bytes
64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 14887 cylinders, total 30489408 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x196065d9

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sde1            2048      616447      307200   83  Linux
/dev/sde2          616448     2013183      698368   83  Linux

Command (m for help): t
Partition number (1-4): 1
Hex code (type L to list codes): b
Changed system type of partition 1 to b (W95 FAT32)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/sde: 15.6 GB, 15610576896 bytes
64 heads, 32 sectors/track, 14887 cylinders, total 30489408 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x196065d9

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sde1            2048      616447      307200    b  W95 FAT32
/dev/sde2          616448     2013183      698368   83  Linux

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.

WARNING: If you have created or modified any DOS 6.x
partitions, please see the fdisk manual page for additional
information.
Syncing disks.
nobody@nowhere:/$ 

Format
EXT4:

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nobody@nowhere:~$ sudo mkfs.ext4 -L stickroot /dev/sdf2

FAT32:

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nobody@nowhere:~$ sudo mkfs.msdos -n STORAGE -F 32 /dev/sdf1

Staging
Make a staging tar ball by removing content in the following directories

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/boot
/boot/grub 
/lib/modules/

Grub
Install Grub:

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nobody@nowhere:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/stickroot/ /dev/sde
Installation finished. No error reported.

Get UUID:

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nobody@nowhere:/media/stickroot/boot/grub$ sudo blkid /dev/sde2
/dev/sde2: LABEL="stickroot" UUID="714de0e8-738b-4823-9019-3b0344153050" TYPE="ext4"