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I'm rich beeeeotch!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:22:33 GMT

Last week, while I was on vacation, I decided to invest some money in well-known companies that have a good dividend yield. I ended up buying shares in American Electric Power (AEP), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), and Verizon (VZ).

Currently, I am in the green on all of my new investments. I'm up $4.33 with AEP, $9.49 with JNJ and a whopping $26.02 with VZ.

Previously, I had bought shares in Apple (AAPL), General Electric (GE) and Honda (HMC). I'm currently up 49% with AAPL, 14% with HMC and I'm down 31% with GE.

In spite of the economy, actually, because of fall then recovery of the stock market, my portfolio is up 9.28% or $783.57.

Buying up Apple and Honda during the low points last year so far as turned out to be a very good move. Buying GE has not yet gone well for me, but even in spite of that, I'm still doing well enough, considering.

In other financial news, I'm still in love with T. Rowe Price's "Select Mid Cap Growth II". It has consistently performed well for me and it currently has the 2nd best YTD return of all the funds available in my 401(k) plan.

Obsessed with the new Hybrids

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:50:15 GMT

I've been more or less obsessed with the new Honda Insight and 3rd generation Toyota Prius. I figured that one of these two vehicles would be my next car. I'm a big fan of Honda, so I figured that the Insight would be more of what I was looking for. But, I could not dismiss the Prius because of its 50 MPG rating, greater horsepower, and larger size.

I've watched tons of videos about each car on YouTube, including a very long press conference about the 3rd generation Prius. But, I hadn't seen either vehicle in person, until today.

I was at the local Honda dealership, having some maintenance done on my car. While on the lot, I checked out the Insights they had and became disappointed. I had no idea how small the Insight was. I knew it was smaller than the Prius, but I didn't expect it to be smaller than the Civic. It's similar in size to the Honda Fit, which is smaller than what I want.

So, even though it pains me to say it, the Honda Insight is not for me. It is considerably smaller than what I want. From here, I can see myself either going with the new Prius or just keeping my '03 Civic until something better comes along. Or, maybe I would consider the Civic Hybrid, who knows.

Canadian Eckhart Tolle Interview

Mon, 25 May 2009 17:29:34 GMT

I liked the part of this interview where he is talking about the differences between the east and west coast as well as the difference between Canada and the US, and his discussion of why he lives in Vancouver.

Pepsi Throwback / HFCS

Mon, 25 May 2009 14:02:22 GMT

I bought a 20oz bottle of Pepsi Throwback yesterday to go along with my pizza.

I don't drink regular Pepsi very often; it is only when I can't get a Coke. My usual stance on drinking Pepsi is that it's too heavy and sugary. After drinking more than 8oz or so, I can feel it churning in my stomach and the sensation is best described as: "Uggh... Why the hell did I drink that?" (To be fair, drinking roughly the same amount of most any other regular soda often has the same effect on me.)

With Pepsi Throwback, the experience was completely different. It tasted much like regular Pepsi, but like something nature actually intended us to consume rather than something fabricated in a laboratory to taste like something we were meant to consume. There was no aftertaste, it didn't feel heavy like regular Pepsi, and I never felt like it was going to war with my stomach. It was actually a decent beverage.

I wish Coke and other beverage companies would catch a hint and drop the high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in favor of actual sugar. One: because HFCS is worse for your health than sugar, and two: because sugar tastes better.

From an article explaining why HFCS is worse for you than sugar:

The theory goes like this: The body processes the fructose in high fructose corn syrup differently than it does old-fashioned cane or beet sugar, which in turn alters the way metabolic-regulating hormones function. It also forces the liver to kick more fat out into the bloodstream.

The end result is that our bodies are essentially tricked into wanting to eat more and at the same time, we are storing more fat.

The Product of 2,000 Engineers

Sat, 09 May 2009 03:05:25 GMT

Here is a link with a shorter video of a Toyota employee giving an overview of the 2010 Prius from the business perspective.

It was very interesting to me to see the decision making process that drives Toyota and it was interesting to get a sense of Toyota's priorities, goals and vision.

Misheard lyrics

Sun, 03 May 2009 21:42:16 GMT

Up until about 5 minutes ago, I thought Weezer's "My Name is Jonas" contained the line: "They're fresh out of Bentleys" but it turns out, it's actually "They're fresh out of batteries".

I still like my version better, even though it makes no sense.

Rupert

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:05:55 GMT

I often use the name "Rupert" when I am placing an order for food. (It's a Fight Club reference that I don't think anyone has ever picked up on.)

It's the only name I've ever used when I've ordered food at the taco / burrito place near work. I go there often enough that the owner and some employees there know me as Rupert.

Yesterday, after I ordered my tacos, one of the employees asked me:

"Rupert, would you like a fork with your tacos?"

I was thrilled. It was as if it were my real name.

Pleased by the recent stock market rally

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 19:22:39 GMT

Really cool talk about communication between bacteria

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:06:29 GMT

I <3 HMC

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 01:09:53 GMT

How to make money in a down economy

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:35:40 GMT

Taxes

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 18:06:30 GMT

I finally did my taxes yesterday. I had done many prior years' taxes using H&R Block's "TaxCut" online, but I tried using it yesterday, and it gave me some crap claiming that my Roth IRA contribution numbers were messed up. I didn't see that I had filled out anything incorrectly, and it wasn't clear to me exactly what I needed to change.

So, I gave up on H&R Block's software and decided to try TaxACT, having seen many ads for it. I found TaxACT to be simple and easy to use.

I had to report a Traditional IRA conversion this year, and it wasn't clear to me at all how to do that with H&R Block. With TaxACT, I just had to answer some simple questions and fill out some forms, and it took care of everything for me. It also handled my state filing, which cost more, but I preferred the convenience.

One thing that I actually enjoyed about doing my taxes was seeing how much money I made with my money last year. I made a fair amount of money through interest, and I made more than twice that through buying and selling stock. I think I've finally reached the point where I've made up for all the money I lost in the stock market at the beginning of this decade, and I did that even in spite of last year's economic downturn.

Religulous

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:43:20 GMT

The Wire: Season 3

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:57:47 GMT

The things that make me right for this job... maybe they're the same things that make me wrong for everything else.

Work of Art

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:57:14 GMT

I've been seeing some hype about the video game Killzone 2 (video review) recently. I checked out the review, which complemented its design and stunning visuals.

Watching this review reminded me that I'd like to do something like that--to create a piece of software which was more about the experience it gave the user than a practical function. To create something that could be admired for the thought and creativity that went into it, as well as for the quality of the final product.

More about learning a new programming language + API

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:44:17 GMT

The books I ordered still haven't arrived (I went with the "SuperSaver" shipping so that it would be shipped via the US Postal Service (so I wouldn't have to drive to the UPS office to pick up my package)). This leaves me having to learn XAML / WPF / C# mostly through Google searches.

I find it frustrating to learn things this way because it feels like trying to find your way around a room in the dark. I know it would be much easier if I had adequate lighting, but I don't, so I have to make due.

The whole experience got me thinking about the learning process in general. Surely there must be a more efficient way of getting knowledge into my brain.

As I'm reading a technical book, I often find myself thinking: "Blah, blah, blah, I already know this, get to the point already, you don't need to hold my hand through this" or "Wow, I didn't get anything practical out of that, that was a complete waste of time".

When I'm searching for information through Google, I may end up with a solution to my specific problem, but this creates considerable gaps in knowledge and is an excruciatingly slow way to assemble the big picture of how concepts relate.

Ash Wednesday!

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:24:08 GMT

Elizabeth Gilbert on Creative Genius

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:15:54 GMT

Relying Too Much on Google Search

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 01:27:40 GMT

I found myself spending a lot of time performing searches on Google. I was trying to learn some technologies (C++/CLI, C#, XAML, WPF).

Normally, I would refer to a book, or I would have began by reading a book, chapter by chapter. But, I had no book available, so my only option was to keep looking up things on Google.

I felt like I was pestering Google:

Google, how do I do this thing I'm trying to do?

No, no, those answers are useless, give me something relevant.

Ok, so no one knows how to do what I'm trying to do. Time to give up.

Google, what if I did it this way, how would I make it happen if I wanted to try it like this?

Can I get that in cornflower blue? Excellent.

For this period, it felt like my productivity and value as an employee was not based on what I knew, but how effectively I could use Google to solve my problems for me. It did work, I was able to make progress towards my goal, but I felt that this was definitely not the best way to learn a programming language or API.

I was frustrated by the gaps in my knowledge and felt that, even though I appeared to be getting the results I wanted, I had very little understanding of what I was actually doing. I expect this to bite me in the ass later or I'll at least look back on the mess I've created and think "My god! This is shit. It would have been so much better if I had done it this other way."

To remedy this situation, I ordered two books:

Programming WPF by Chris Sells and Ian Griffiths

C++/CLI in Action by Nishant Sivakumar

If they arrived immediately, it would not be fast enough.

Car Envy

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:51:50 GMT

I had an opportunity to drive a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid this weekend, and I gladly seized it.

Previously, I had driven the 2nd generation Prius, so I found myself comparing the Civic Hybrid to the Prius. The Civic had many qualities that I liked over the Prius. I felt the Civic was more comfortable to drive, I liked the visibility in the Civic, the shape and size of the dashboard area looked more appealing and less alien than the same features in the Prius and I preferred the Civic's normal automatic transmission shifter over the Prius' weird rubber-banded knobby thingy.

I preferred the Civic's acceleration over the Prius. The Civic was smooth, like a regular automatic, while the Prius felt a bit jerky when the gas motor would come on or go out. In the Prius, I was uncomfortable with the disconnect between the gas pedal and the engine, while the Civic seemed no different than a regular car.

One problem with the Civic was that the gauges were very distracting, far more distracting than my ScanGauge. As I was driving, I really had no desire to watch the road at all, the numbers and meters were too interesting. I constantly wanted to see how well I was driving so I could get the highest MPG possible.

One of my favorite features of the car was the USB ports inside the center console. Finally! Someone got iPod connectivity right. You just put your iPod in the cubby, plug it into the USB port, then control it from the buttons on the steering wheel or the stereo. I was impressed.

The overall experience left me wanting to get a new car, and left my car looking very pale in comparison (even though these two cars happen to be exactly the same color).

Google PowerMeter: I'd love to have something like this

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:14:18 GMT

On Quality

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:32:55 GMT

I happened upon a news posting today about how the 2009 Chevy Silverado (aka the GMC Sierra) scored poorly, worse than nearly all of the 2009 model year small cars tested, in a side impact crash test (press release + crash test video) conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

This is why I get upset whenever I hear someone claim that "all cars are the same these days" or that "GM is closing the quality gap with Toyota". These claims are not true. Crash testing like this proves it.

The only way it would be possible for GM to close the quality gap with Toyota was if the quality of Toyota's vehicles declined substantially, which I believe would be unlikely.

The quality of a company's products are the result of the company's corporate culture: GM could have never produced the Tundra and Toyota never would have produced the Silverado.

To produce something of quality, the whole corporation must pursue quality in every decision it makes. The whole corporation must set high standards and be unwilling to go back on them when challenges or opportunities for short-term profit surface. When an opportunity arises to cut corners, they must not be cut, no matter what the short term gain might be. There must be a mindset of continual improvement and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

If a company which had been one which allowed or encouraged cutting corners or had continually set the bar at mediocre, (the kind of practices which lead to mediocre or sub-par products) it would find it very difficult to move out of that place. Workers who had become accustomed to not trying very hard, not challenging themselves or overlooking flaws would oppose management which suddenly directed them to put more effort into their jobs or go about their work with a completely different mindset. The more workers at the company, the more resistance to change there would be. Even at a relatively small company of 1000 employees, changing the corporate culture would be like trying to get 900 out of a random sample of 1000 smokers to quit smoking indefinitely.

So, over a period of decades, GM's market share erodes while foreign automakers eat GM's lunch.

Perhaps it is time to wash my car

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:49:13 GMT

Body language as an indicator of socioeconomic status

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:09:33 GMT

From physorg.com:

The results, reported in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, reveal that nonverbal cues can give away a person's SES. Volunteers whose parents were from upper SES backgrounds displayed more disengagement-related behaviors compared to participants from lower SES backgrounds. In addition, when a separate group of observers were shown 60 second clips of the videos, they were able to correctly guess the participants' SES background, based on their body language.

The researchers note that this is the first study to show a relation between SES and social engagement behavior. They surmise that people from upper SES backgrounds who are wealthy and have access to prestigious institutions tend to be less dependent on others. "This lack of dependence among upper SES people is displayed in their nonverbal behaviors during social interactions," the psychologists conclude.

Love for the iLife

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:27:38 GMT

Yesterday, I wanted to figure out how to transfer my digital camera movies to my iPhone. I had all of them imported into iPhoto, but they weren't showing up in iTunes and I couldn't figure out why they weren't appearing on my phone.

I had the idea to see if I could get my movies into iTunes by using iMovie. When I opened iMovie, it automatically detected my digital camera movies from iPhoto and made them available as clips in iMovie. From there, all I needed to do was to make an iPhone (3:2) project, assemble my movie, then "share" the movie with iTunes.

Once in iTunes, I only needed to drag the movies I wanted over to my iPhone.

I was very pleased how well the movies came out on my iPhone. The quality was only slightly diminished from my source video: 640x480 at 30 fps (roughly DVD quality video). Additional artifacts and blurriness were not noticeable in most vidoes and I did not see any color / contrast issues. The video was dramatically superior to the same videos when uploaded to YouTube.

Now, wherever I go, I'll have my vacation videos with me, and I'll be able to whip them out at a moment's notice.