it's an educational experience

my favorite word is

2011-06-23T00:17:00.002-04:00

ing

ruby on rails error database

2011-06-17T23:39:00.001-04:00

add your own:

http://errors.merklproductions.com/

announcing...

2011-03-27T14:32:00.001-04:00

The new merkl productions website is now up:

http://merklproductions.com

Enjoy the picture of the hermitage, all the way from St. Petersburg, RU.

Brandon

Nice quote

2010-12-18T23:27:00.003-05:00

This is a classic problem that eventually faces most successful computer platforms. The danger is not that RIM is about to collapse, but that it'll drift into in a situation where it can't afford the investments needed to succeed in the future. It's very easy for a company to accidentally cross that line, and very hard to get back across it.

~Michael Mace

S&P 500 vs. commodities and currencies

2010-11-14T15:13:00.004-05:00

Ever wondered what the S & P would look like if it were denominated in gold (AMEX:GLD), euros (FOREX:USDEUR), or in oil (AMEX:USO)?

Look no further:

S&P versus gold

S&P versus euros

S&P versus oil

How does this work?

Create an account with http://stocknalysis.com/ by starting at the create login page.

First, using stocknalysis.com you can track individual ETFs that track certain indexes or commodities. Pick the ETF that you want to see priced in some other denomination. For the examples above I chose the S&P 500 tracking ETF: (AMEX:SPY).

Second, select a stock/ETF that you want to price the stock/ETF from step #1 in. I chose the ever-popular gold ETF (AMEX:GLD).

Third, create an analysis by clicking the new analysis link.

Fill in the following fields

And instead of the "$" field pick any currency or any ETF that you chose in step #2.

Viola! You should now see the graph that represents ETF#1/ETF#2

Note about currencies listed in stocknalysis.com: currencies are listed as 6-character strings (e.g. EURUSD), where this represents the first currency priced in the second currency (e.g. Euro's priced in dollars). So when you want to price the S&P 500 in Euros, you need to divide:

A: S&P 500 / dollar <-- This is the SPY etf

B: Euro / dollar <-- This is the EURUSD currency pair

C = A / B

C: S&P 500 / euro <-- This is the derivative price created by stocknalysis.com

nice quote

2010-10-23T14:35:00.001-04:00

You get what you reward and deserve what you tolerate.

the principle of progression

2010-06-27T13:44:00.005-04:00

My sound property lists "the principle of progression" as:

An appraisal term which states that real estate of lower value is enhanced by the proximity of higher-end properties.

Contrast this with the "principle of regression" as:

An appraisal term which states that the value of higher-end real estate can be brought down by the proximity of too many lower-end properties.

Unifying both of these principles is the "principle of conformity" which is stated as:

The idea that a house will more likely appreciate in value if its size, age, condition and style are similar to, or conform to, other houses in the neighborhood.

Major Currency Pairs

2010-06-22T00:44:00.001-04:00

Major Currency Pairs start your FOREX analysis on stockNALYSIS.com.

Use currency trading trend following techniques to crowdsource the analysis of stocks.

Volcanic ash comes back to bite Ryanair

2010-05-15T20:16:00.001-04:00

Italy today fined the Irish airline Ryanair three million euros over the airline's failure to assist passengers after their flights were canceled due to volcanic ash last month. According to the civil aviation authority of Italy, ENAC, there were 178 cases of passengers not receiving mandatory assistance, such as accommodations and food, after Ryanair canceled their flights. Such assistance is required by European regulations to be given to passengers who have chosen to be re-routed. ENAC noted that despite the situation, most other European airlines had succeeded in fulfilling their obligations to passengers. The agency was especially critical of the treatment of passengers at Rome's Ciampino Airport. Ryanair had no comment on the announcement. In its statement announcing the fines, ENAC said that "fines totalling around three million euros for 178 violations of its legal obligations to assist passengers in cases of flight cancellations" had been imposed on Ryanair.

2010-05-14T19:35:00.001-04:00

Look at what the market is doing today... http://stocknalysis.com

Seattle real estate

2010-04-19T23:37:00.004-04:00

More info on "Buying your new home":

Looking for a new home can be an exciting and challenging experience. Having a real estate professional that takes the time to understand your unique needs and lifestyle is important.

Our associates work hard to not only find the perfect home for you, but also to handle every last detail of the purchase process, from negotiating the terms of sale to recommending moving companies.

To help you get started on buying your new home, take advantage of these valuable resources.

Learn more about Puget Sound Waterfront property by visiting mysoundproperty.com

who knew? - more tales of Puget Sound Property

2010-04-11T20:13:00.004-04:00

In the quest to build mysoundproperty.com, I've been working on tying up all the loose ends left over from our installation prior to moving over to Ruby-on-Rails. One of the things I've been kicking around is...should i use some nifty .htaccess redirects to map subdomains to individual controllers. This would mean my current urls that look like http://mysoundproperty.com/app/email_dean would turn into http://app.mysoundproperty/email_dean (which doesn't work). Dean Orrico's blog would become http://blog.mysoundproperty/dean instead of http://mysoundproperty.com/blog/dean. I like this just from more an aesthetic viewpoint, but i think in rails management of the subdomains isn't exactly straightforward.

This would be nice as we'd like to put up some content specific pages dedicated to the Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Edmonds, and Mukilteo areas. In this case you could imagine that the town names could be subdomains with several actions associated with each, such as community, news, market, etc. This would map nicely to http://mukilteo.mysoundproperty.com/community.

Anyhow, just some thoughts for this Sunday. Until next time...

PS somehow our random searches are still rocking:

Priniciple of Regression

Wraparound mortgage

Accelerated cost recovery system

real estate search - Puget Sound waterfront property and Kirkland real estate

2010-03-26T03:39:00.002-04:00

Part 2: As you know, I've been working a bit on mysoundproperty.com which is a pretty unique real estate search site dedicated to the Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Edmonds, and Mukilteo areas. Last time I mentioned the real estate defintition: "Principle of Regression." Well let me tell you about how are google rank shot through the roof for that term. We are now #5 for the term "Priniciple of Regression" I think. I wonder what will happen if I start blogging about other real estate terms like "Accelerated cost recovery system," who knows, the world?

On a more serious note, Dean has been working hard on keeping everyone up-to-speed on the startling real estate advice from banker Brent and what is going to happen now that the FHA has signaled efforts to manage risk.

Rachel continues to amaze with her depictions of ribbon art (for lack of a better term) and her passion for "Exploring Everyday Luxury in Seattle." Meanwhile, Tim blogs on a recent staging that did for some sellers in Woodinville.

I'll post back when additional search capabilites roll out, but for now check out the main real estate search page. Learn how to perform due diligence on Puget Sound waterfront property with an emphasis on Seattle's waterfront real estate market.

my sound property - puget sound waterfront property and Kirkland real estate

2010-03-13T13:30:00.007-05:00

I've been working a bit on mysoundproperty.com which is a pretty unique real estate search site dedicated to the Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Edmonds, and Mukilteo areas. We've been working on a real estate glossary to help folks out with crazy real estate terms like: "Principle of Regression", which I had no idea what it means until earlier today. Led by Dean Orrico and his team, this website has all of the offerings of a modern competitive real estate search site.

Who created this stunning design you ask? Well, it was none other than the talented (and Emmy award nominated) Jesse Orrico. Contributers to the My Sound Blog include Rachel Lund and Tim Foley.

I'll post back when additional search capabilites roll out, but for now check out the main real estate search page. This site also targets puget sound waterfront property with an emphasis on Seattle's waterfront real estate market.

financial instruments

2010-02-21T22:59:00.002-05:00

check out the highly page ranked: financial instruments definition page at stockNALSIS.COM

exchange wiki pages now up

2010-02-12T23:31:00.003-05:00

London:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/LSE

AMEX:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/AMEX

New York Stock Exchange:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/NYSE

NASDAQ:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/NASDAQ

OTCBB:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/OTC

FOREX:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/FOREX

Hong Kong Stock Exchange:

http://stocknalysis.com/exchange/HKEX

still trying to get the wiki up to speed...

2010-02-11T22:55:00.002-05:00

Do I need wiki links for every stock and every profile page? I think so...working &raqou;

and now the Hong Kong Stock Exchange

2010-02-07T16:26:00.002-05:00

introducing the hong kong stock exchange

search integrated with wiki

2010-02-07T15:08:00.001-05:00

no article (note related stocks section):

NYSE

wiki article

exchange traded funds

interesting movements

2010-02-05T22:35:00.000-05:00

TTEG:

http://stocknalysis.com/analysis/206?name=TTEG+turbine+truck+engine+analysis&stock=TTEG.OB

ARSEUR:

http://stocknalysis.com/security/FOREX/71540?name=ARSEUR

SPY:

http://stocknalysis.com/analysis/211?name=strong+dollar&stock=SPY

stock/financial wiki

2010-01-31T22:28:00.000-05:00

check out the new wiki on stocknalysis.com

euros for sure

2010-01-30T17:05:00.001-05:00

Another revealing search: get all the Euro currency pairs here

all of the US dollar currency pairs here

new searches

2010-01-29T13:26:00.004-05:00

http://stocknalysis.com/search/at

the dot coms

a whole bunch of powershares

twitter integration going well

2010-01-27T23:25:00.002-05:00

Take a look at the new search url madness:

http://stocknalysis.com/search/npr (takes you to generalized results)

http://stocknalysis.com/search/oil (takes you to a stock ticker that is a direct match)

http://stocknalysis.com/app/searchanalyst/bmerkl (takes you to a member of stocknalysis.com)

http://stocknalysis.com/app/searchanalyst/AlyciaWest (takes you to twitter profile page, if you are not cool enough to have a stocknalysis.com profile page)

enjoy the merkl stock madness!

stocknalysis integrates with twitter

2010-01-23T18:30:00.002-05:00

check this out: the new twitter integration at stockNALYSIS.com. This is a nice way that we've been keeping track of our FOREX friends and other traders over in London.

We're looking to integrate some other exchanges...any ideas?

google rollup

2010-01-17T19:02:00.002-05:00

Just using a little help from advanced-web-metrics to perform roll-up tracking on all of my individual accounts. I just have one for merkl productions left to go and then I am all done.

Woot! here's to the three day weekend.

2009-12-29T16:04:00.001-05:00

Need to update http://stocknalysis.com

mlbrowser.com

2009-12-27T21:58:00.002-05:00

I managed to move the old ml.wikibrowser.net over to its new home at mlbrowser.com . Linking to a specific page (i.e. http://mlbrowser.com/dt/en/begin ), will boost the overall rankings of this term "begin" on the top 100 page . For the newest terms look at the new 100 page.

Until next time,

powered by merkl minimalism

2009-12-09T09:50:00.002-05:00

I am trying to get rid of that logo in the upper right corner.

I want it to say powered by Merkl Productions or something.

Any ideas?

edit: now that I change the blog the former title of this post was slightly misleading and could be taken out of context. it has now been changed to reflect the actual name of the frame...bcm

google rankings

2009-12-04T22:26:00.002-05:00

Well when your google rankings on your blog slip off of the top ten page, it means it is time to post.

Since I have changed my blog layout around a bit, I wanted to draw your attention to my recent works:

merkl productions

which is a gathering place for some of my prime sites:

ruby on rails deployment

machine learning exemplary

information processing

i love blogs...

2009-11-09T03:10:00.000-05:00

...i only wish I could eat them.

everybody's a critic

2009-10-29T00:29:00.002-04:00

“Criticism is a study by which men grow important and formidable at a very small expense. The power of invention has been conferred by nature upon few, and the labor of learning those sciences, which may by mere labor be obtained, is too great to be willingly endured; but every man can exert such judgment as he has upon the works of others; and he whom nature has made weak, and idleness keeps ignorant, may yet support his vanity by the name of a critic. “I hope it will give comfort to great numbers who are passing through the world in obscurity, when I inform them how easily distinction may be obtained. All the other powers of literature are coy and haughty, they must be long courted, and at last are not always gained; but Criticism is a goddess easy of access and forward of advance, who will meet the slow, and encourage the timorous; the want of meaning she supplies with words, and the want of spirit she recompenses with malignity.” ~ Samuel Johnson

2009-10-23T13:40:00.001-04:00

I live with the understanding that my caffeine supply will never run dry.

when wikipedia doesn't work

2009-10-23T00:39:00.003-04:00

I guess I am a little incensed by the way that people use Wikipedia sometimes. The all-mighty wiki should be an entry point into a subject, not a end all be all. What is frustrating is folks taking material from Wikipedia out of context when they don't have a lot of background on the subject matter. With a lot of work left in this PM i leave it at that. adios

2009-10-10T19:09:00.001-04:00

Doing some seo on http://stocknalysis.com

2009-10-06T09:41:00.001-04:00

Trailing stops or currency conversion? Which should be the next feature on http://stocknalysis.com

2009-10-02T19:13:00.001-04:00

Looks like quiet a few sell orders are popping up at http://stocknalysis.com. Target prices deserve a look!

2009-09-30T09:59:00.002-04:00

Merklproductions.com is now live!

2009-09-29T12:10:00.001-04:00

Survey: should chainofthoughts.com make a comeback?

2009-09-27T14:03:00.001-04:00

Making updates to stocknalysis.com. Now price targets are included with every analysis.

2009-09-27T00:52:00.001-04:00

Blogging off of the phone is nice. Short posts to follow. Jameson Merkl says hello world...

the demise of chainofthoughts.com

2009-08-01T18:25:00.002-04:00

this is the sad state of affairs after my webhost lunarpages.com decided that the were going to move my dedicated host from one datacenter to another in Las Vegas. Now I know that moving servers is a difficult and tedious, but really, is it that hard? Come up with a back up plan, back up all the servers you are going to move, move the servers, if problems happen, you have the backup, everyone is happy.

So what actually happened was: moved servers, problems happened, oops. No backups. Sorry, Mr. Merkl, no can do. So the discerning reader might ask, what about performing your own backups? Well, truth be told I was performing my own backups, using a back up script supplied by said lunarpages.com via CPanel. Let me say I wasn't impressed, but only after i realized that the backup script supplied was erroring out on the 40+ Gb chainofthoughts.com database. Ouch! It would have been nice to know this before digging through the server logs in some sort of vainglorious attempt to show the server hosting company i was upholding my end of the bargain. Alas, we will start from scratch, but it will take it a while to get back to the 10,000 visitors-a-day high mark that we set a while back. Bummer.

Until next time,

like this

2009-05-18T23:45:00.000-04:00

http://www.lapix.ufsc.br/fibertracking/

blog update

2009-02-07T23:20:00.001-05:00

i just updated my blog, check your phone.

obama

2009-01-21T00:58:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 United States Other stories from United States 20 January 2009: US Senator Ted Kennedy collapses during inaugural luncheon 20 January 2009: Obama succeeds Bush as 44th president of the United States 20 January 2009: Barack Obama sworn in as 44th President of the United States 20 January 2009: Obama's Inaugural Celebration "We are One" attracts 400,000 20 January 2009: Steelers, Cardinals win championship games to advance to Super Bowl XLIII ...More articles here Location of United States To write, edit, start or view other articles on United States, see the United States Portal Today, the official ceremony ushering in Barack H. Obama II as the new president of the United States took place at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. A 21-gun salute, as well as the playing of four ruffles and flourishes and "Hail to the Chief", marked the moment he assumed power from his predecessor, George W. Bush. President Barack Obama being sworn in at the inauguration Bush's second term as President of the United States, which began on January 20, 2005, expired with the swearing-in of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, at noon EST (UTC-5), under the provisions of the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Bush performed his final official act this morning, welcoming Barack Obama and Michelle to the White House for coffee before the swearing-in, shortly before 10am EST, and then accompanied them there by motorcade to attend the ceremony. Last week, Bush had made his farewells to the nation in a televised address, saying that the inauguration turns a page in race relations. "Obama's story — his black father was from Kenya, his white mother from Kansas — represents "the enduring promise of our land," said Bush. Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday called on Obama to seek "understanding, co-operation and peace" among nations. "I offer cordial good wishes, together with the assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will grant you unfailing wisdom and strength in the exercise of your high responsibilities," the Pontiff said. [edit]Oaths of office The National Mall gates at the inaugural ceremony opened early, with official introductions beginning around 11:30am EST. On the west front lawn of the U.S. Capitol, Senator Dianne Feinstein provided the call to order and welcoming remarks, shortly after followed by invocation by the Rev. Rick Warren and a musical performance by Aretha Franklin. Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr., a Democrat, who was elected Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, took his oath of office, succeeding Dick Cheney. Biden took his oath at 11:57am EST from Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. U.S. service members prepare for the 56th United States presidential inauguration rehearsal in the west steps of the United States Capitol Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2009. Image: Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo, U.S. Air Force. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Glover Roberts, Jr. then administered the oath of office to Obama, under Article II, Section 1, Clause 8. "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. So help me God," Obama swore, using the 1861 President Lincoln Inaugural Bible. First Lady Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama and daughters Malia Ann and Sasha, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi were among the record-setting crowd of over 2 million people, including more than a million people that filled the National Mall. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in a wheelchair, having pulled a muscle in his back while moving, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Obama has decided to follow tradition and use his full name, including his middle name Hussein, regardless of its past and presentuse by detractors as an effort to slander his image. The advanced scheduled program stated that the inaugural address was to be delivered by "the President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama." [edit]Obama's inaugural address Wikisource has original text related to this article: Obama succeeds Bush as 44th president of the United States The President delivered his inaugural address in front of Capitol Hill with the theme "A New Birth of Freedom," commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, said Feinstein. Obama focused on the restoration of public confidence and personal "responsibility," reassuring recession-weary Americans they can rebound from hard times. He conveyed to the world his desire to fix a battered U.S. image overseas. He asked the nation to reject the "culture of anything goes" and to restore a national value system that honors responsibility and accountability. Elizabeth Alexander recited a poem, followed by the benediction by Rev. Joseph E. Lowery. The National Anthem was thereafter played by The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters." Over 200 million viewers worldwide had watched inauguration videos and live streams provided online by a number of news organizations and online video broadcasting companies over the internet. The event was also available live to select iPhone users. [edit]After the ceremony Obama's presidential limousine, a 2009 Cadillac Following his speech, President Obama escorted former President George W. Bush at 12:53pm EST as they left for a departure ceremony. Bush drove off, ending his 8 years as president, with Obama waving goodbye from the courtyard of the US Capitol. At 2:35pm EST in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, at the inaugural luncheon attended by

Obama, it is reported that Ted Kennedy had a stroke. Paramedics arrived and took the senator to a hospital. A parade extended for over two hours in the afternoon. It included 15,000 people, 240 horses, dozens of marching bands, two drum and bugle corps, and one mariachi band from Espanola, New Mexico. Just after 4pm EST, Obama and his wife joined the celebrating crowds on Pennsylvania Avenue. After a short time waving to the masses, they returned to the Presidential Limousine, a 2009 Cadillac, which transported them to the White House. The First Limo has replaced President Bush’s Cadillac DTS Presidential Limousine that rolled out in 2004. Mr and Mrs Obama plan to attend a total of ten official inaugural balls, including the Neighbourhood Ball, the Obama Home States (Illinois and Hawaii) Ball, the Biden Home States (Pennsylvania and Delaware) Ball and the Youth Ball. American R&B singer-songwriter Beyonce has been planned to perform the first dance song. The Obamas will return to the White House, their new home, following the last ball.

dissertation meets chain of thoughts

2008-11-12T02:40:00.000-05:00

http://www.chainofthoughts.com/cgi-bin/ex.cgi?n=merkl_phd

enjoy.

homework

2008-10-15T21:57:00.009-04:00

Homework. Compound word. Part home, part work. In a way implying that it is you that is doing it, and that it is also going to take some effort. [edit: it has also been duely noted in the comments that "homework" implies an offsite assignment]. Facts are facts, and opinions are like noses: everybody has one and they all stink. So let's break down some internet rumors, and dispel the myths and analyze the facts. Let’s not copy and paste somebody else’s “facts” and suppose them as our own. First let’s look at some good ole' American values. [Courtesy of Aunt J] There was a time when able bodied individuals that needed something, went out and got it. They worked two and three jobs, rode the bus or walked and saved every penny rather than looking for the government to solve all their inefficiencies, (living beyond their means). Sometimes, when things get a little tight, you have to give up a few of your daily necessities (cigarettes, beer, fast food, etc..) to make ends meet. Maybe move to a smaller, less expensive place. It's called sacrifice. How you manage [key word here] your life shouldn't be a burden to your neighbor - or anyone. Opinion. The facts are that Americans are hard workers, in fact in GDP dollars per capita, we make more than any other country on the planet. However, we are losing out on efficiency to Norway, maybe we need to give up a little bit more beer. No one is slamming sacrifice, but let's make sure that people who work hard get rewarded. People at the top of the food chain sacrifice too, it's just that they sacrifice vacation houses (remembering of course that John McCain has 8, citation below). No one is "qualified" to be middle class. It's not a "right". It is a measure of achievement. Something you've earned. Nothing more than a label applied by the liberal media and others to differentiate the have's and have not's. Poof, you're middle class. Feel better? Now you have joined a higher tax bracket. Still feel better? Can't wait to hit the upper-middle class. Are we there yet? Is this truly defining your life? A label? What's wrong with being comfortable, warm and happy? Plan that out. Opinion. Middle class isn't a right to be sure, but weren't we just talking about sacrifice? Middle class isn't just a label. You can measure it. If you sacrifice to get there is it a bad thing? No, tons of people sacrificed meals out, entertainment, and extras to get there, and so they deserve it. The problem occurs when the GINI index (that's the measure of the richest 20% of the population to the poorest 20%), starts increasing dramatically as it has from the 70's. This means that the rich are getting richer, at the expense of the poor (and middle class). This has pretty important implications for people at the top of the food chain, and at the bottom. It means, in no uncertain terms, that not all Americas are getting equal opportunity. McCain has been "in touch" for over 70 years. His constituents have re-elected him many times. He must be paying attention somewhere. There was a time, however, when single moms and groceries and new baby shoes were irrelevant to him. He was living on mud floors, in filth with no toilet paper or medical attention. He was preoccupied with trying to stay alive. About the only thing he did have was strength of character and a strong faith in God. Think about how long five and a half years is. I was a single mom for many ,many years. It's a choice. You make it work. Opinion. McCain is not in touch with the average American. He's one of the richest senators in the millionaires club which is the US senate. Do you fly around in a private jet? I don't. Do you own 8 houses? Nope. Or forget how many you have? Does your spouse have a net worth of $100 million? Not mine. No one bashes McCain's service to his country, but, and this is important, that doesn't necessarily mean that you are qualified to be President. Similarly, I'm not qualified to be president, just because I have survived grad school. Faith is God is a great thing to have in a President, but while most people feel that it is "necessary condition," most would agree it is not "sufficient condition" (please see this). 1. He holds sacred the lives of unborn babies. Nope, this is mostly false. He, for one, almost picked a pro-abortion VP, he tested the waters first to see if it would work and it didn't. Also, he's definitely not as strong on others in regard to Roe v. Wade. 2. He is deeply rooted in service to our country and American Patriotism. Sure. No one disputes this, however, this is not a pre-condition for presidency. 3. A war hero, decorated serviceman. Over 5 years POW. Sure. See point above. ZAP (bad joke, I realize). 4. He supports parents rights to chose the education for their children. Sure. This isn't disputed, and Obama or others would not take this away. 5. He understands that Muslims, guided by the Koran, have been reigningterror on the world since before the 10th Century.The first war ever waged by the USA was against Muslims in the Barbary Wars. circa 1795 False. What about the American Freakin' Revolution? There are at least 5 wars prior to the Barbary Wars, which are pretty miniscule in American history, all told (more people die in traffic accidents per day than in both Barbary Wars combined, uh, 35 Americans total). America has to get off of its duff, and stop being freaked out by people who live in caves and mud huts. Heck, we stood down the Soviets with tens of thousands of nuclear warheads in the Cold War. Americans need to consider the enemy by putting the history into some quantifiable perspective. 6. It is proven he is a US citizen, born in the USA. Full disclosure. Half truth. US citizen he is, born in the USA he was not. Try Panama. 7. He has no problem saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and salutes the flag. Fact. So do I, I started saying the pledge of allegiance in the 1st grade. 8. He has a lifetime of experience in leadership. shall I go on? Fact. This can be said of anybody that has had a supervisor position and continued to climb. Why is Sarah Palin a joke? Have you been watching CNN? They can't explain it either - they just say, "she's a joke" like that means something. If she's a joke then why does she embarrass you? Why does she make you feel ashamed? Fact: She is a joke. She has been the butt of some serious joking for her Miss Teen South Carolina-like TV appearances. Time to catch up on the news: Palin: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/25/palin-talks-russia-with-k_n_129318.html http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/24/eveningnews/main4476173.shtml http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNHgJH2680 Fey: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/13/tina-fey-as-sarah-palin-o_n_126249.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/27/tina-fey-as-sarah-palin-k_n_129956.html She is a mother, wife, sister, daughter. She was concerned with issues at her child's school and joined the PTA. She saw corruption in her town government and ran for city council. Fact. Mother. Daughter. Wife. Sister. Grandmother? She saw corruption, and then became part of the problem. She knew she could make a difference and ran for mayor. Someone noticed what an amazing woman she was and convinced her to run for higher office. Apparently a couple of times. Gee - she's so scary...She's a small business owner, went to college, loves her family and has been married to her high school sweetheart for over 20 years. She believes in God and country. Likes to hunt and fish. Sounds like a multi-tasker - just like me! Wow! I'm not scared. And best of all, she is in a great position to lead the economic shift to make America less dependant on foreign oil. So, let's see...you could say that rather than sitting around bitchin' about life, she kinda gets in there and gets things done. I want a woman like that helping to run our country!! You betcha! Fact. Hunting and fishing doesn't get you to the White House. Also, having people believe in you is wonderful unless it's for the wrong reasons. She also went to 4 colleges, does that make her smarter than the rest of us? The fact that she is governor of Alaska makes her “an energy expert exactly the same way the king of Saudi Arabia is an energy expert — by accident of residence.” George Bush can hardly make his press secretary speak for him let alone pull McCain's strings. McCain is hardly a puppet. He is most certainly his own man. Last time someone manipulated him they had to hold him prisoner, break both arms and a leg, beat him until he couldn't stand. Now that's a puppet. Absolutely helpless. But he didn't belong to George Bush. He was an American soldier and a prisoner of war. Fact. McCain is certainly his own man. He has bucked his party on quite a few issues, and almost teetered on becoming a Democrat. Interesting that while most of the time, the nation prefers someone with resolve (remembering how Kerry got eaten alive for being a "flip-flopper"), now McCain is somehow a national hero when he changes his mind. Also, see CFR point that follows. Grandma Jo's cousin was a prisoner of war. I'd love to tell you about him. He wrote a book about it. It is very difficult to read. Very graphic. Very sad. Her uncle Bill died on the beach at Normandy. He came home in a box. I have his medals, letters and GI diaries. He gave his life for his country.Would you like to know more about him? He was a very sweet young man. Not sure if this is fact or not: interesting story, but mostly irrelevant. Steer clear of storytelling for better political debate. Tell me why Obama should be president? Tell me 8 good things about him. State your facts - site your sources. Try to omit the name calling and at least spell the candidate's names correctly. Then let's have more conversation. Fact. For one, it is "cite" your sources, and name calling is un-called for in any debate. Opinion: 1. Obama is the antithesis of the policies George Bush, who has currently the lowest ratings in presidential history. If Bush is currently sitting at about 20% approval, then perhaps Obama stands a chance at getting upper 60% approval, who knows. 2. An Obama presidency, would end spending abroad in Iraq, at the widely quoted rate $10 billion a day. Perhaps, some of this money could go to rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, to clean up some our hurricane messes, or to pay down the national debt. Just a thought. 3. An Obama presidency, would see more of your tax dollars wind up in the US of A, via a healthcare plan, for a health care system that certainly needs fixing. 4. Obama seeks to reduce the amount of inequity fueled by tax loop-holes for the mega rich. I quote: All corporate income taxes--including giant corporations and the smallest of businesses--account for only about 14 percent of federal revenues raised in the year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Most federal taxes are paid by individuals, while fees and other taxes make up the rest. While the official corporate tax is high, compared to other countries, there are so many loopholes in the code that many companies pay little or no taxes. The General Accounting Office reported recently that more than half of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes during the boom years of the late 1990s, and those that did were able to shelter much of their income, generally by claiming deductions and credits. The GAO report showed that 61 percent of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes from 1996 through 2000, a period of rapid economic growth and rising corporate profits. An estimated 94 percent of U.S. corporations reported tax liabilities amounting to less than 5 percent of their total income in 2000. Indeed, small corporations were more likely to avoid taxation than large ones, the GAO said. From: http://econ4obama.blogspot.com/2008/10/debate-fact-check-highlights.html 5. Obama is highly educated. Graduated from Harvard, president of Harvard Law Review, and taught constitutional law at University of Chicago. One this last point, noting that this is a better bullet point on the presidential resume, diacritics aside, than being imprisoned by no fault of one’s own. 6. Obama hangs out with economists (and they seem to like him), a good call for the guy that will be overseeing aspects of the world’s largesteconomy (John McCain, by the way, thinks that your economic problems might be psychological). 7. Obama wants to finish off the Taliban and other insurgents in Afghanistan, where the fight should have been kept, and won long ago. 8. Obama is a family man, who has only been married once (unlike his opponent), has two daughters who attend public school, and has a consistent track record of achievement, while keeping the little guy in mind. Maybe once we get the ones that are only concerned with helping the rich get richer while watching the poor continue to struggle then we can all breath a little easier for once instead of bouncing checks just to put gas in our cars or formula for our babies or food on our table or to keep the lights on in our homes. That's what I'm looking forward to. See point 3 above. Look up the parameters for being considered middle class today..........NONE of us qualify.....well maybe a couple of us just barely make it.....but not most.......we are considered poverty level and there is just something terribly wrong with that. Much agreed. See point above about the GINI index. No reply is necessary, I know how I will be voting on the 4th and it won't be for another BUSH puppet that's for damn sure!!! Question: who was the first BUSH puppet? Also, voting has been moved to the 5th. A vote for OBAMA is a vote for socialism. Look up the meaning of that and see if you like it. A vote for socialism is a vote __________. These kinds of arguments don’t really work, it purports, that there is no alternative. Will Obama force every aspect of socialism down our throats? No. Silly in fact to believe that the president would have that much sway. Remember, the president doesn’t write the law, he or she just enforces it. A vote for any ticket other than the McCain/Palin ticket is a vote for OBAMA . Faulty dilemma. Again. Is a vote for Ralph Nader a vote for Obama? No, really it would be more of a vote for McCain. A vote for Bob Barr would be more of a vote for Obama, but honestly, if we had a stronger third party, we’d have more options anyway. A vote for OBAMA will have the most Liberal government in place in the history of this Nation. Think about it. Government left to make all decisions for you. No debate. A Liberal house, senate and oval office. No balance. No brainer. For at least 4 years. Opinion. Speaking of no brainer, McCain was apparently last in his class. All for one and one for all - think about that, too. Any good you do in your lifetime - turn it in to your government and let them redistribute it as they see fit. You have no choices. - Schools, healthcare, taxes, on and on. Opinions. This is fear mongering at its finest. Actually Obama is for charter schools and quite a few improvements to the education system. Look these things up - see who sits where and what that's all about. CFR - Council on Foreign Relations Sure, CFR is scary, but seriously? Both candidates are card carrying members. Puppets? Perhaps. Social Democratic Party Fact. Their logo is a hand holding a flower. How does this relate? Your next president will put his hand on a book and swear to protect the Constitution. Which book will he chose to place his hand on? Obama was sworn in on the Koran as Senator. Fiction. This was Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison. Let's reduce the military - open up the borders and free think our way into a "global community". All for one...!! Your neighborhood, your community, your livelihood - no longer yours. Your employer's hands bound to hire who the government dictates he will employ. Your wages determined on a scale by liberal lobbyists controlled by unions that take up to 10% of your earnings off the top and call it "job security". You are literally taxed to a point of suppression. Opinion. More scare tactics. This is not part of his platform, which makes Obama either the sneakiest candidate ever or the speaker of this gibberish creatively very wrong. Get out your history book - or go online..educate yourself...figure out what you truly believe in and then figure out what is best for your children - those who depend on you to make their future a better place. Fact. Education pays. Tawdry internet rants don’t. PS, I am online, I’m reading this, right? You think Sarah Palin is scary? Look at Joe Biden. Read about him - anywhere. Who is third in line to the presidency? Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the house. - You think Sarah Palin is a whack job? Opinion. Remember the name calling thing a while back? Well Anne Coulter is pretty scary. This election holds the most crucial decisions we will make in our lifetime. Who do you want calling the shots? Who do you want protecting your family at the borders and beyond? Who do you want representing you and what you stand for - in your heart?? In your child's heart? This is a fallacy called “Appeal to Emotion” and I don’t buy it. If you don't know - you best be educating yourself and those that matter. This is real and once it's over - it's done. I hope it matters to you. Opinion. Reading one online source (the free republic, in this case) hardly constitutes an education. You “best be” getting an education via the more traditional approach, by learning from someone that has credentials, or by reading authoritative authors. I don't agree with all of John McCain's policies - but I know he would not disrespect anything about America. Opinion. Not disrespecting America is great, but a rather boorish reason to vote for someone. He is the only choice that will stop the Obama insanity. Faulty dilemma, again, there are other people to vote for. What has Obama done in his lifetime that makes anyone think he can lead our country - direct our military and put a face on our nation? Are you aware of where his political start came from..how it developed and his "socialist"connection in Chicago? See points 1-8. Also, “socialist” isn’t a bad word. Jesus was a socialist, for example. Also, John McCain and Obama voted for the $700 billion dollar bailout. You don’t get more socialist than that. Barack Obama is for sale - to the highest bidder - he'll talk to anyone -Muslim - extremist - doesn't matter. False. The article doesn’t offer any more facts on the matter, just more opinion. He has never done anything for this country - for his state of Illinois or for the city of Chicago that was for the good of ALL. False. This is a blanket statement, which remains unproven. Only for the betterment of Michelle and Barack Obama, advancing the ideals of extremists set on punishing "white America". For what? That doesn't matter. Just stand up - and step on someone to advance hate-filled ideals. This he has done. That is on his record. False. Citing the same poorly written for the 2nd time is not adding to the debate. White America? America is getting browner, better get over it. Read between the lines - I encourage you to get a political education. It will affect everything in your future. Done! I encourage you to do the same! hugs, Aunt J Kisses, Brandon

Umbrella of Job Creation: direct quotes from Sarah Palin

2008-09-30T11:56:00.003-04:00

With special thanks to...

Turbine Truck Engines...interesting.

2008-08-21T12:44:00.002-04:00

Mr. Michael Rouse, CEO of Turbine Truck Engines, Inc. (OTC:TTEG) is pleased to announce that the introduction of the company's Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine Engine to Asian automotive manufacturers has been extremely well received. Visionary Equity Group has opened dialogue with several major automotive engine manufacturers including two of the major industry leaders with facilities supplying consumer demands throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim. "While it is premature to speculate as to the outcome of ongoing talks between our company and the Asian automotive sector, the interest expressed is very encouraging. Visionary has professionally introduced our company and the positive aspects associated with the many commercial applications of our proprietary engine design," commented Mr. Rouse. "It is likely that I will soon be visiting the region for the next level of talks and, it is hoped, to secure a formal agreement," he added.

About Turbine Truck Engines, Inc.

Turbine Truck Engines, Inc. is a technology company focused on the development, manufacture and testing of its New Energy and Environmental Efficient Truck Engine intended for mass market in the United States and abroad. This new engine design can utilize any known fuel source (gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, hydrogen, methanol, ethanol or LPG) or fuel mixture, yet needs zero coolant, lube oil, filters or pumps. The unique, lightweight turbine design has few moving parts, significantly reducing maintenance costs. The innovative cyclic detonation process produces a complete combustion of fuel-oxidation mixtures, resulting in greater fuel economy and fewer harmful exhaust emissions. For more information concerning Turbine Truck, Engines, Inc., kindly visit our website at www.TTEngines.com.

more...

introducing...

2008-06-20T02:03:00.001-04:00

stocknalysis - the collaborative stock analysis tool

limited to super-users right now, more functionality coming soon

IEEE at last

2008-06-09T11:40:00.002-04:00

Our UWB paper is finally published:

There are many challenges in building an ultra-wideband (UWB) indoor local positioning system for high-accuracy applications. These challenges include reduced accuracy due to multipath interference, sampling rate limitations, tag synchronization, and antenna phase-center variation. Each of these factors must be addressed to achieve millimeter or sub-millimeter accuracy. The developed system architecture is presented where a 300-ps Gaussian pulse modulates an 8-GHz carrier signal and is transmitted through an omni-directional UWB antenna. Receiver-side peak detection, a low-cost subsequential-sampling mixer utilizing a direct digital synthesizer, high fidelity 10-MHz crystals, and Vivaldi phase-center calibration are utilized to mitigate these challenging problems. Synchronized and unsynchronized experimental results validated with a sub-millimeter accurate optical tracking system are presented with a detailed discussion of various system errors.

more...

News Browser

2008-04-14T12:19:00.002-04:00

Well just like our friend the Wiki Browser, I now have a new friend called News Browser. Same principle, just different content, namely the news. A couple of things are still broken, but feel free to check it out and let me know what you think.

please discover

2008-03-14T17:58:00.001-04:00

Friends and family-- I am sending you a brief email to let you know about a website developed by Michael Kuhn and I that offers a unique way to browse and view amazon products. If you are interested in purchasing the products, the payment, processing, and shipping go directly through amazon (helping your local grad students with some referral $ in the process). Any which way, it doesn't cost you any more, and it helps us out, so it shouldn't have any drawbacks. First, a brief tour... The main page is located here: http://discover.chainofthoughts.com On the main page, the top-rated products are shown on the left (click on an image anytime to go to amazon for more details, or to purchase). Related tags to these products are located in the center. On the right top products by category are located in the directory structure (click the pluses to expand). To perform a search type anything in the box at the top and hit enter. After that the top products related to that search appear on the left, related tags in the center, and categories of top products on the right. If you click a tag, it is exactly like performing a search. So often it will help you identify other related products (based on two actors in the same movie, musicians who have collaborated, or book author's etc). Finally, the box at the bottom shows you in which category you are searching (starts off at "All"). For example, if you want to search for DVD's only, click the "DVD" link at the bottom. This will make the word "DVD" larger at the bottom indicating all the results on the left and the tags are in the category (note that the categories on the right will still search in their respective categories). Take care, brandon + mike PS if you have any feedback on making the site more intuitive or navigable. Please feel free to drop me a line.

[untitled, naturally]

2008-02-12T18:10:00.002-05:00

It was the spring of 2005. The waves of paranoia began to creep towards the orifices of my mind. Who was I? What monster had I just tamed? It all began as a topsy-turvy race to the bottom, as they say. Complete disregard for anything pure or holy, just a mad trip as close to the edge as any man dared. Impossible, you say? Daren't you look over the edge, because in this political desert there was only one way out: straight up. Words and meaning ceased to have the undying perspective that the normative human might endear. The ether was thick with a melodramatic monologue that reiterated our need for escape. The pandemic was upon us, with mutilating fears getting ever closer. Rambunctious behavior was not frowned upon in this distant land, but encouraged; as a car with no wheels might get laughed at in the real world, so too would restraint in ours. Chaos lurked around every corner, edges and blips in our vision created lapses in intelligible thought. Streaks poured down from the blue and white ceiling that was the sky. Cracks in the dirt ebbed as though the crests might overtake my khaki boots. And a barely detectable zephyr, frowned on my nape in humble disapproval. I had been walking for hours, along a path then unknown to me. Paramount to my efforts was a greater force, nay a greater evil, holding me back. Saturated with colors and light, destitute zombies crowded my space. It felt tight, constricting almost, but just a touch beyond claustrophobic. Plodding on, the only real danger on the horizon was the cerebral nonsense that now came and went intermittently. Far from believable was any sensation originating from outside the humongous valve of my perception. Suddenly from afar, the screen or whatever it was, became clouded with all manner of letter-like symbols. Glyphs of all nature descended to my position, which according to a causal bystander, might not be moving at all. The zombies began swatting at them fiercely, but I mentioned that it might not be worth it, since we really couldn't be too sure how long it would last. Enough! I cried a last. It, which was the matter that I just couldn't put my finger on despite how long I had been trying in this place where everything deceptive and unusual crowded for my instant attention in vain, was now here. In the nomenclature of our time, it might have been too delinquent to actually show itself, opting instead to present only edges of itself at a time. That might have been the odd characters that we saw before, I mused. No one replied. Everyone or everything else in my little scene seemed contrived, convoluted, and muddled by the violence that was their self-will. I continued on for what might have been an instant or a day, depending on your point of view. However, tragically, I could only view into the great magnificence that was my own soul, and perhaps worse, I accepted that. The experience would grant me vast amounts of relief, in hindsight, that I had really found "it." The belief that I was there, famine and all, in the pockets of recollection that I could muster, was a satisfying mental game. For at last I have come to a point, the singularity of existence, when one can (and does on a regular basis) probe one's own collective consciousness shared as a wholly owned subsidiary of one's perceived self. In the parlance of jaywalkers and truck drivers, it was "level" that we were on. Clearly, in this game, we were on level one. Chasing zombies from this level, and thinking about it in the least intuitive way possible might get us to level two, depending. Depending, of course, if the great entity would allow it.

and now...

2007-11-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

Mike and I have been sweating away at our latest and greatest creation: discover product browser

People who know me might think that this is an interesting project given my stance against mass consumerism (see Hannah Montana), but really if people are going to buy something from amazon anyway, it might as well be from me. Mike has some great screenshots on his blog that worth checking out of the great band Weezer.

Enjoy, and let me know how you like it ~ brandon

Chain of Thoughts in the News!!!!

2007-11-13T13:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a nice list of places we've shown up recently:

Instructional Video
The Beebs
National Novel Writing Month
WebUpon
smashingmagazine.com
poeticcode
NYU.EDU
mywebround
ahds.ac.uk

iNTRODUCING

2007-10-07T00:33:00.000-04:00

my latest:

Wiki Browser

Comprehensive list of bad ideas

2007-09-08T19:47:00.001-04:00

If it's not comprehensive enough add your own...

read more | digg story

[no title]

2007-09-06T18:07:00.000-04:00

Is Our Children Learning?

the gold standard

2007-08-26T14:14:00.001-04:00

An almost hysterical antagonism toward the gold standard is one issue which unites statists of all persuasions. They seem to sense - perhaps more clearly and subtly than many consistent defenders of laissez-faire - that gold and economic freedom are inseparable, that the gold standard is an instrument of laissez-faire and that each implies and requires the other.

In order to understand the source of their antagonism, it is necessary first to understand the specific role of gold in a free society.

Money is the common denominator of all economic transactions. It is that commodity which serves as a medium of exchange, is universally acceptable to all participants in an exchange economy as payment for their goods or services, and can, therefore, be used as a standard of market value and as a store of value, i.e., as a means of saving.

The existence of such a commodity is a precondition of a division of labor economy. If men did not have some commodity of objective value which was generally acceptable as money, they would have to resort to primitive barter or be forced to live on self-sufficient farms and forgo the inestimable advantages of specialization. If men had no means to store value, i.e., to save, neither long-range planning nor exchange would be possible.

What medium of exchange will be acceptable to all participants in an economy is not determined arbitrarily. First, the medium of exchange should be durable. In a primitive society of meager wealth, wheat might be sufficiently durable to serve as a medium, since all exchanges would occur only during and immediately after the harvest, leaving no value-surplus to store. But where store-of-value considerations are important, as they are in richer, more civilized societies, the medium of exchange must be a durable commodity, usually a metal. A metal is generally chosen because it is homogeneous and divisible: every unit is the same as every other and it can be blended or formed in any quantity. Precious jewels, for example, are neither homogeneous nor divisible. More important, the commodity chosen as a medium must be a luxury. Human desires for luxuries are unlimited and, therefore, luxury goods are always in demand and will always be acceptable. Wheat is a luxury in underfed civilizations, but not in a prosperous society. Cigarettes ordinarily would not serve as money, but they did in post-World War II Europe where they were considered a luxury. The term "luxury good" implies scarcity and high unit value. Having a high unit value, such a good is easily portable; for instance, an ounce of gold is worth a half-ton of pig iron.

In the early stages of a developing money economy, several media of exchange might be used, since a wide variety of commodities would fulfill the foregoing conditions. However, one of the commodities will gradually displace all others, by being more widely acceptable. Preferences on what to hold as a store of value, will shift to the most widely acceptable commodity, which, in turn, will make it still more acceptable. The shift is progressive until that commodity becomes the sole medium of exchange. The use of a single medium is highly advantageous for the same reasons that a money economy is superior to a barter economy: it makes exchanges possible on an incalculably wider scale.

Whether the single medium is gold, silver, seashells, cattle, or tobacco is optional, depending on the context and development of a given economy. In fact, all have been employed, at various times, as media of exchange. Even in the present century, two major commodities, gold and silver, have been used as international media of exchange, with gold becoming the predominant one. Gold, having both artistic and functional uses and being relatively scarce, has significant advantages over all other media of exchange. Since the beginning of World War I, it has been virtually the sole international standard of exchange. If all goods and services were to be paid for in gold, large payments would be difficult to execute and this would tend to limit the extent of a society's divisions of labor and specialization. Thus a logical extension of the creation of a medium of exchange is the development of a banking system and credit instruments (bank notes and deposits) which act as a substitute for, but are convertible into, gold.

A free banking system based on gold is able to extend credit and thus to create bank notes (currency) and deposits, according to the production requirements of the economy. Individual owners of gold are induced, by payments of interest, to deposit their gold in a bank (against which they can draw checks). But since it is rarely the case that all depositors want to withdraw all their gold at the same time, the banker need keep only a fraction of his total deposits in gold as reserves. This enables the banker to loan out more than the amount of his gold deposits (which means that he holds claims to gold rather than gold as security of his deposits). But the amount of loans which he can afford to make is not arbitrary: he has to gauge it in relation to his reserves and to the status of his investments.

When banks loan money to finance productive and profitable endeavors, the loans are paid off rapidly and bank credit continues to be generally available. But when the business ventures financed by bank credit are less profitable and slow to pay off, bankers soon find that their loans outstanding are excessive relative to their gold reserves, and they begin to curtail new lending, usually by charging higher interest rates. This tends to restrict the financing of new ventures and requires the existing borrowers to improve their profitability before they can obtain credit for further expansion. Thus, under the gold standard, a free banking system stands as the protector of an economy's stability and balanced growth. When gold is accepted as the medium of exchange by most or all nations, an unhampered free international gold standard serves to foster a world-wide division of labor and the broadest international trade. Even though the units of exchange (the dollar, the pound, the franc, etc.) differ from country to country, when all are defined in terms of gold the economies of the different countries act as one-so long as there are no restraints on trade or on the movement of capital. Credit, interest rates, and prices tend to follow similar patterns in all countries. For example, if banks in one country extend credit too liberally, interest rates in that country will tend to fall, inducing depositors to shift their gold to higher-interest paying banks in other countries. This will immediately cause a shortage of bank reserves in the "easy money" country, inducing tighter credit standards and a return to competitively higher interest rates again.

A fully free banking system and fully consistent gold standard have not as yet been achieved. But prior to World War I, the banking system in the United States (and in most of the world) was based on gold and even though governments intervened occasionally, banking was more free than controlled. Periodically, as a result of overly rapid credit expansion, banks became loaned up to the limit of their gold reserves, interest rates rose sharply, new credit was cut off, and the economy went into a sharp, but short-lived recession. (Compared with the depressions of 1920 and 1932, the pre-World War I business declines were mild indeed.) It was limited gold reserves that stopped the unbalanced expansions of business activity, before they could develop into the post-World Was I type of disaster. The readjustment periods were short and the economies quickly reestablished a sound basis to resume expansion.

But the process of cure was misdiagnosed as the disease: if shortage of bank reserves was causing a business decline-argued economic interventionists-why not find a way of supplying increased reserves to the banks so they never need be short! If banks can continue to loan money indefinitely-it was claimed-there need never be any slumps in business. And so the Federal Reserve System was organized in 1913. It consisted of twelve regional Federal Reserve banks nominally owned by private bankers, but in fact government sponsored, controlled, and supported. Credit extended by these banks is in practice (though not legally) backed by the taxing power of the federal government. Technically, we remained on the gold standard; individuals were still free to own gold, and gold continued to be used as bank reserves. But now, in addition to gold, credit extended by the Federal Reserve banks ("paper reserves") could serve as legal tender to pay depositors.

When business in the United States underwent a mild contraction in 1927, the Federal Reserve created more paper reserves in the hope of forestalling any possible bank reserve shortage. More disastrous, however, was the Federal Reserve's attempt to assist Great Britain who had been losing gold to us because the Bank of England refused to allow interest rates to rise when market forces dictated (it was politically unpalatable). The reasoning of the authorities involved was as follows: if the Federal Reserve pumped excessive paper reserves into American banks, interest rates in the United States would fall to a level comparable with those in Great Britain; this would act to stop Britain's gold loss and avoid the political embarrassment of having to raise interest rates. The "Fed" succeeded; it stopped the gold loss, but it nearly destroyed the economies of the world, in the process. The excess credit which the Fed pumped into the economy spilled over into the stock market-triggering a fantastic speculative boom. Belatedly, Federal Reserve officials attempted to sop up the excess reserves and finally succeeded in braking the boom. But it was too late: by 1929 the speculative imbalances had become so overwhelming that the attempt precipitated a sharp retrenching and a consequent demoralizing of business confidence. As a result, the American economy collapsed. Great Britain fared even worse, and rather than absorb the full consequences of her previous folly, she abandoned the gold standard completely in 1931, tearing asunder what remained of the fabric of confidence and inducing a world-wide series of bank failures. The world economies plunged into the Great Depression of the 1930's.

With a logic reminiscent of a generation earlier, statists argued that the gold standard was largely to blame for the credit debacle which led to the Great Depression. If the gold standard had not existed, they argued, Britain's abandonment of gold payments in 1931 would not have caused the failure of banks all over the world. (The irony was that since 1913, we had been, not on a gold standard, but on what may be termed "a mixed gold standard"; yet it is gold that took the blame.) But the opposition to the gold standard in any form-from a growing number of welfare-state advocates-was prompted by a much subtler insight: the realization that the gold standard is incompatible with chronic deficit spending (the hallmark of the welfare state). Stripped of its academic jargon, the welfare state is nothing more than a mechanism by which governments confiscate the wealth of the productive members of a society to support a wide variety of welfare schemes. A substantial part of the confiscation is effected by taxation. But the welfare statists were quick to recognize that if they wished to retain political power, the amount of taxation had to be limited and they had to resort to programs of massive deficit spending, i.e., they had to borrow money, by issuing government bonds, to finance welfare expenditures on a large scale.

Under a gold standard, the amount of credit that an economy can support is determined by the economy's tangible assets, since every credit instrument is ultimately a claim on some tangible asset. But government bonds are not backed by tangible wealth, only by the government's promise to pay out of future tax revenues, and cannot easily be absorbed by the financial markets. A large volume of new government bonds can be sold to the public only at progressively higher interest rates. Thus, government deficit spending under a gold standard is severely limited. The abandonment of the gold standard made it possible for the welfare statists to use the banking system as a means to an unlimited expansion of credit. They have created paper reserves in the form of government bonds which-through a complex series of steps-the banks accept in place of tangible assets and treat as if they were an actual deposit, i.e., as the equivalent of what was formerly a deposit of gold. The holder of a government bond or of a bank deposit created by paper reserves believes that he has a valid claim on a real asset. But the fact is that there are now more claims outstanding than real assets. The law of supply and demand is not to be conned. As the supply of money (of claims) increases relative to the supply of tangible assets in the economy, prices must eventually rise. Thus the earnings saved by the productive members of the society lose value in terms of goods. When the economy's books are finally balanced, one finds that this loss in value represents the goods purchased by the government for welfare or other purposes with the money proceeds of the government bonds financed by bank credit expansion.

In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value. If there were, the government would have to make its holding illegal, as was done in the case of gold. If everyone decided, for example, to convert all his bank deposits to silver or copper or any other good, and thereafter declined to accept checks as payment for goods, bank deposits would lose their purchasing power and government-created bank credit would be worthless as a claim on goods. The financial policy of the welfare state requires that there be no way for the owners of wealth to protect themselves.

This is the shabby secret of the welfare statists' tirades against gold. Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. It stands as a protector of property rights. If one grasps this, one has no difficulty in understanding the statists' antagonism toward the gold standard.

###

Alan Greenspan
[written in 1966]

republican iowa straw poll vs. google straw poll

2007-08-12T17:27:00.000-04:00

Iowans by the Bus-Load

Here are the results from the Iowa straw poll for the republican candidates:

1. Mitt Romney (4,516 votes) [rented buses, subtract 2000]
2. Mike Huckabee (2,587 votes)
3. Sam Brownback (2,192 votes)
4. Tom Tancredo (1,961 votes)
5. Ron Paul (1,305 votes)
6. Tommy Thompson (1,029 votes)
7. Fred Thompson (203 votes)
8. Rudy Giuliani (183 votes) [ouch]
9. Duncan Hunter (174 votes)
10. John McCain (101 votes) [hang it up, man]
11. John Cox (41 votes)

taken from:
http://www.iowagop.net/shownews.asp?artid=20

The Algorithm Sez:

Continuing on, i wondered how the candidates faired in google....
First, by quantity of search queries thanks to google trends:

1. Ron Paul (most searches)
2. Mitt Romney (most news)
3-11. Awash in a sea of noise...

Next, by total number of matching pages (not that this is a completely pure heuristic for web support, but it can't be that be bad either):

Google Searched...Results
"fred thompson"...........6,790,000
"ron paul"..................4,760,000
"mitt romney"..............2,730,000
"sam brownback".........2,360,000
"john mccain"...............2,340,000
"rudy giuliani"..............2,220,000
"tom tancredo".............1,870,000
"tommy thompson"........1,750,000
"mike huckabee"...........1,740,000
"duncan hunter"...........1,430,000

Will the real Fred Thompson please stand up?

Aha! So by now the critic inside you is thinking that sure these results are interesting, but isn't there a pretty high chance that there is more than one "fred thompson" here in the US that is skewing the results (and perhaps a vanishingly small number of "mitt romney" named-alikes floating around)?

So, why don't we normalize the results by the number of people in the US that we think have that same name. For this exercise, we'll use the handy stats at namestatistics.com for first name and last name prevalence rates. Then we'll multiply them together (under the assumption that the uniqueness of first names is independent of last name), thus finding the joint probability that a candidates full name is found. Given this, we can multiply by 300M people in the US, thus finding the "expected" number of people in the US with the same name. By then dividing the original google results, shown above, by the expected number of people we can achieve a "normalized" set of google results. In other words, this would be the number of web pages that google knows about per person with the name as one of our candidates.

Candidate	First (%)	Last (%)	Expected number of US citizens	Normalized Google Results
fred thompson	0.251	0.269	2025.57	3352.14
ron paul	0.072	0.027	58.32	81618.66
mitt romney	0.08*	0.0005	1.2	2275000.00
sam brownback	0.092	0.0005**	1.38	1710144.93
john mccain	3.271	0.009	883.17	2649.55
rudy giuliani	0.034	0.001	1.02	2176470.59
tom tancredo	0.117	0.0005**	1.755	1065527.07
tommy thompson	0.112	0.269	903.84	1936.18
mike huckabee	0.189	0.001	5.67	306878.31
duncan hunter	0.007	0.069	14.49	98688.75

*firstname=Milton
**denotes that this is the smallest percentage listed at namestatistics.com, name was unfound

Ok, so given the above analysis, one would think that all 2025 Fred Thompson aliases have contributed 3352 webpages on average? I think not, but it does seem to describe Romney's and Guiliani's general popularity (sorry John).

qualifying

2007-08-11T20:41:00.000-04:00

My Phd qualifiers are about 16 days away, and here is the breakdown:

3 Written Tests, 3 Days, 4 hours apiece, 3 subjects, 3 Oral Exams several days later...

...1 Answer: Am I qualified to be a PhD candidate?

While I think so, it remains to be seen whether I can convince the professors here at the University of Tennessee. That being said, I have figured out that between my undergraduate and graduate career, i have taken approximately 71 finals. So if passing 71 college level exams isn't enough to prepare me for 3 measly tests then I don't really know what will. Despite my levelheaded overconfidence, I am still studying like mad.

THE SUBJECTS:
In my case, i am going for the first subject in each row: biomechanics, bioinstrumentation, controls

The quandry:
Leaving town on a major business meeting the week before. Can you spell "yikes"?

Until next time, which will be post August 29th, hasta la vista...

Candidates@Google: Ron Paul

2007-07-22T12:21:00.001-04:00

Ron Paul is a pretty incredible candidate. His vision of our country is backed up by solid historical facts not your typical political rhetoric. The video is a bit long, but it is worth a listen...

maths

2007-07-19T10:38:00.000-04:00

I thought this was hilarious, perhaps it my mood at the time...

Dvorak update

2007-06-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

I can now type quarter speed (15 wpm) in Dvorak vs. Qwerty (54 wpm). My mission is to be fully switched over and comparable speed by the end of summer.

Dvorak Keyboard

2007-05-20T22:23:00.000-04:00

I thought this was pretty interesting:

http://www.theworldofstuff.com/dvorak/

Chain of Thoughts

2007-05-12T18:02:00.001-04:00

Wherever you may be, you may need to jot down a jumbled list of related thoughts. Association is a powerful concept, see how association based writing can reshape the right whole half of your brain (for us left-brainers). Collect your thoughts using small strings or pictures related to your words. Be apart of the collective consciousness.

read more | digg story

huge url

2007-05-11T22:12:00.000-04:00

http://www.hugeurl.com/?ZjRmZTlmYjhhOGU0MjhhOWRjY2EwOGQyOWNk
MDE2MDMmMTAmVm0wd2QyVkhVWGhUV0docFVtMVNXVll3WkRSV1ZsbDNXa2M1
V0ZKc2JETlhhMXBQVmxVeFYyTkljRmhoTWsweFZtcEtTMU5IVmtkWGJGcHBW
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V2JrSkpXbFZhVDJGV1RrWlRiVVpYVFZkb00xWkVTa3BsVmtweVdrWm9hV0Y2
Vm5oV1Z6RTBaREZrUjJKSVRtaFNWVFZWVlcxNGMwMHhXWGxOVldSb1lYcEdl
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MTBVMU14VlhoWFdHaFlZbXhhVlZsclZrdFhSbXhaWTBaa1ZsSnNjRWhYVkU1
dllWVXhWMWRzYUZkTmFsWk1WakJrUzFOR1ZuUlNiR1JwVjBVME1GWkhlR0Za
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Q1YxWXpVbkphVjNNMVZXeENWVTFFTUQwPQ==

found:

http://www.hugeurl.com/?NDJmZDdmM2Q2NTBmNWE0MzgxNTVhZmE5MDhhN
zQ2NTMmMTImVm0wd2QyUXlVWGxXYTJoV1YwZG9WVll3Wkc5alJsWjBUVlpPV0
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VpGT1ZCUlBUMD0=

Wow! Hillary in some mad 2000 style

2007-05-06T01:25:00.001-04:00

Lest we forget where she's been, a little history. Pictures and quotes galore await you. Maybe this should be filed under comedy?

read more | digg story

strassen's matrix multiply in c

2007-05-05T14:32:00.001-04:00

While this may sound like some sort of odd symphony, its actually a pretty cool (ok, well mathematically speaking) way to multiply two matrices reducing the typical number of multiplications required. For square matrices of size N, multiplication usually takes 2N^3 (N^3 multiplications) operations. Strassen's method now only takes N^2.81 multiplications, so this is a pretty big amount only when the matrix sizes are quite large. A more complex Coppersmith-Winograd algorithm has now got it down to N^2.376 leading some to theorize that the ultimate limit may be N^2. Anyhow the c-code that I implemented follows the standard BLAS calling convention, with a few extra parameters. I implemented C=alpha*C + A*B. Where all the matrices need to be square and size: 2^M, where M is some arbitrary integer. Alpha can either be 1 or 0, depending on if you want the results accumulated into C or not, respectively. The code and documentation are now uploaded to my code archive page.

sorta thought this was cool

2007-04-27T13:06:00.000-04:00

Chain of Thoughts has now just recently hit an all time high in the Alexa rankings.

We are at rank 333,000 for our 3 month average, while the one week average is hovering around 140k. We thank everyone who contributed to the huge response of the Virgina Tech Wall of support and uploaded their many schools logos to participate.

virginia tech

2007-04-17T10:43:00.000-04:00

As students poured out their hearts, they made a massive collage of VT related condolences. Over 100,000 hits were logged in the first 24 hours following this event.

pictures @ chainofthoughts.com

2007-03-28T21:13:00.000-04:00

Check out the new picture uploading, collage-making, and tagging functionality at www.chainofthoughts.com. It's sweet, it's simple and it's whatever you want it to be (literally).

My friend Emam came up with a nice algorithm to do the tiling of the images, so you can see above a nice example using some pictures from my trip to Singapore. The images get bigger as you click on them (and they move towards the top), so it is an interesting natural voting process.

enough

2007-03-19T18:46:00.000-04:00

Ga!! Who posted all that ugly code?

Get that out of here, just mollify our minds with a nice picture will you?

Ah, Bill Gates can help us:

CELL Processor -- Matrix-vector multiply

2007-03-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

The following code segments show how to multiply a vector by a matrix and subtract the result from another vector (c=c - A*b). Notice explicit calls to spu_idisable() and spu_ienable(), this adds about .3 GFLOP/s to the total shown below. SPU Code:

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

void spu_dgemv_tile_notrans(double *A, double *B, double *C)
{
//this function achieved: 1.3325 GFLOP/s

//disable interrupts for better performance
spu_idisable();

//explicit typecast of original data into array of vector doubles
vector double* Av=(vector double*)A;
vector double* Bv=(vector double*)B;
vector double* Cv=(vector double*)C;

//zero value
double zeroD=0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000;

//declare temporary variables
vector double Tv = {0.00000000000000000000,0.0000000000000000000000000};
vector double Tv2= {0.00000000000000000000,0.0000000000000000000000000};
vector double Mv;
vector double Mv2;

//byte swapping patterns: pattern0 takes first two values in a double vector...
//pattern1 takes second two values in a double vector
vector unsigned char pattern0={0x00,0x01,0x02,0x03,0x04,0x05,0x06,0x07,0x10,0x11,0x12,0x13,0x14,0x15,0x16,0x17};
vector unsigned char pattern1={0x08,0x09,0x0A,0x0B,0x0C,0x0D,0x0E,0x0F,0x18,0x19,0x1A,0x1B,0x1C,0x1D,0x1E,0x1F};

//index variables m rows, n columns
unsigned int m;
unsigned int n;

for ( m=0; m<16; ++m){
for (n=0;n<16;++n){
//processes two columns on one row of A, stores subtraction in temp variable Tv
Tv =spu_nmsub(Av[32*m+n],Bv[n],Tv ); //#1

//processes two columns on next row of A, stores subtrction in temp variable Tv2
Tv2=spu_nmsub(Av[32*m+16+n],Bv[n],Tv2); //#2
}

//put first two values of Tv and Tv2 into Mv in order: [Tv[0], Tv2[0]]
Mv = spu_shuffle(Tv,Tv2,pattern0);

//add result to proper posistion of C vector
Cv[m]=spu_add(Cv[m],Mv);

//put second two values of Tv and Tv2 into Mv2 in order: [Tv[1],Tv2[1]]
Mv2= spu_shuffle(Tv,Tv2,pattern1);

//add result to proper posistion of C vector
Cv[m]=spu_add(Cv[m],Mv2);

//reset both temp variable vectors to zeros throughout
Tv=spu_splats (zeroD);
Tv2=spu_splats(zeroD);
}

//re-enable interrupts
spu_ienable();
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following code segments show how to multiply a vector by a matrix's transpose and subtract the result from another vector (c=c - A'*b). In this case the data is set up better to use spu_nmsub( ... ) without as much data shuffling. This increases performance relative to the non-transposing version posted above. SPU code:

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

void spu_dgemv_tile(double *A, double *B, double *C)
{
//This function has achieved: 1.4670 GFLOP/s
//disable interrupts, this allows for greater performance
spu_idisable();

//explicit typecasting into array of vector doubles
vector double* Av=(vector double*)A;
vector double* Bv=(vector double*)B;
vector double* Cv=(vector double*)C;

//define temporary variables
vector double Mv;
vector double Mv2;

//define byte swapping patterns, pattern0, takes first array value from two vectors.
//pattern1 takes second array value from two vectors.
vector unsigned char pattern0={0x00,0x01,0x02,0x03,0x04,0x05,0x06,0x07,0x10,0x11,0x12,0x13,0x14,0x15,0x16,0x17};
vector unsigned char pattern1={0x08,0x09,0x0A,0x0B,0x0C,0x0D,0x0E,0x0F,0x18,0x19,0x1A,0x1B,0x1C,0x1D,0x1E,0x1F};

//define index variables, m=rows n=cols of A
unsigned int m;
unsigned int n;

//put first two values of Bv into temporary variables
Mv=spu_shuffle(Bv[0],Bv[0],pattern0);
Mv2=spu_shuffle(Bv[0],Bv[0],pattern1);

for ( m=0; m<16; ++m){
n=0;
//process two columns on one row of matrix A
Cv[n] =spu_nmsub(Av[32*m+ n ],Mv, Cv[n] ); //#1

for (n=1;n<16;++n){
//process next two columns on same row as above
Cv[n] =spu_nmsub(Av[32*m+ n ],Mv, Cv[n] ); //#1

//process first two columns on next row
Cv[n-1] =spu_nmsub(Av[32*m+16+n-1 ],Mv2,Cv[n-1] ); //#2

}

//process last two columns on same row as above
Cv[15] =spu_nmsub(Av[32*m+31 ],Mv2,Cv[15] ); //#2

//re-initialize temp variables for next iteration, by putting next two values of Bv into Mv and Mv2
Mv =spu_shuffle(Bv[m+1],Bv[m+1],pattern0);
Mv2=spu_shuffle(Bv[m+1],Bv[m+1],pattern1);
}

//turn interrupts back on
spu_ienable();
}

//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In both of the above examples the SPU's recieve the data from the PPU with the following lines:

mfc_get(spuA, (unsigned int)spu_dgemv_args.ppuA, 32*32*sizeof(double), 0, 0, 0);
mfc_get(spuB, (unsigned int)spu_dgemv_args.ppuB, 32*sizeof(double), 0, 0, 0);
mfc_get(spuC, (unsigned int)spu_dgemv_args.ppuC, 32*sizeof(double), 0, 0, 0);

And a corresponding call to push the data back to the PPE:
mfc_put(spuC, (unsigned int)spu_dgemv_args.ppuC, 32*sizeof(double), 0, 0, 0);

On the PPE the data is sent and received using:

ppu_dgemv_args.ppuA = ppuA;
ppu_dgemv_args.ppuB = ppuB;
ppu_dgemv_args.ppuC = ppuC;

assert(spu_group_id = spe_create_group(SCHED_OTHER, 0, 1));
assert(spu_id = spe_create_thread(spu_group_id, &spu_dgemv, &ppu_dgemv_args, 0, -1, 0));

spe_wait(spu_id, NULL, 0);

...with the overall performance being measured using the SPU decrementer.

Hope this example helps, let me know if additional snippets are required to understand this problem. Enjoy!

here are some interesting ways to obliterate a language

2007-03-12T10:33:00.000-04:00

french
german
italian
japanese
chinese
korean
portuguese
arabic
russian
spanish
and the punchline: english

gender knee -- in reader's digest

2007-03-08T16:05:00.000-05:00

I thought this was pretty cool...look at those femoral components, boy do they look sexy...

chain of thoughts

2007-02-24T15:22:00.000-05:00

Now the real "chain" is here.

The new added feature to my website is here. If you have cookies enabled and a modern browser, you should be able to see a "chain of thoughts" along the top of the screen as you continue to click through different words. Let me know if it is not working; I have tested it on a number of OS's, but not all.

post a picture of you longest chain in the comments section. Note: clicking on an item previously in the chain, will reduce your chain to a smaller length. So shoot for unique words and phrases.

cheers,
brando

new feature: backlink

2007-01-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

Backlinking....by request.

So now you can link back to where you came from, it is sorta like a complicated back button....anyhow check it out.

yours, brandon

features to come:

delete IP (so you can delete all the info related to your IP address, see this)
IP alias (so you can rename yourself something non-numeric)
Blogger/Myspace toggle so the blog code will work either place
some editing features (ie if you mispell something)
RSS feeds for the recent updates as well as for individual pages
megan suggested searching (how are two ideas related? what is the connection)
some web 2.0 stuff hopefully if i can figure out some ajax

recently...

2007-01-05T13:35:00.000-05:00

recently:

what the GoogleBot thinks
66-249-65-176
Nietzsche
furnaces
religion
american bucks
happy new year
english
prime rib
drugs

blog code....get your own

2006-12-15T16:14:00.000-05:00

ideas

knowledge understanding concepts methods thoughts models places ideas inventions research solutions problems image reason self-reflection science philosophy reflection people hunch feeling plan scheme hallucination hello ta ta ta hearsay rodger nothing cheese mouse things streams of conciousness colors experience communications words shit so should i add one word or a brandon merkl rules of ideas foo blah randomness subvert intention boredom weird caffiene intrinsic perfection sphere form function self-doubt confidence power Alcohol Art think inside the box add a word add a phrase test new people blog code comments crazy

and now for something new...

2006-12-11T20:20:00.000-05:00

Dear all-

I have tried to formulate my ideas and I am always confounded at how easily they slip away (it is for this reason that my blog is subtitled as such). To aid me I have created a little experiment using the powers of MySql and a little bit of perl. Won't you please aid me in my experiment? As such, it is an experiment in being you: your collections of knowledge, the associations you hold in your head, and most of all your wit and creativity. Call it a slimmed down wikipedia or an exercise in recording our collective consciousness. Call it what you will, its not exactly boring, but it is hard to give up...

The rules of the game: be "nice" (not in the social graces sort of way, but in the this-computer-doesn't-yet-know-everything-about-punctuation sort of way). Other rules include being specific, and well, probably getting an entry going for "rules of ideas." Also, we don't yet have a spell-checker (man google has made us all lazy), so be on your best spelling behavior. In the words of a wise man: remember, if it doesn't work, it's probably broken.

You can start with your name:

You can start from scratch or you can start from the beginning whatever you do start with some ideas.

happy day...

2006-12-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

another place my name popped up: gender knee

recent vists to wikipedia

2006-11-27T23:32:00.000-05:00

received...

2006-10-25T20:29:00.000-04:00

Thank you, and you know who you are...

(there's only three people I know that know that 'robot' is a czech word)

netflixin' it

2006-10-23T20:56:00.000-04:00

So when you check out my new background, what do you think of?

Well it just so happens that it is some real-live data coming from the recently announced netflix prize. Anyhow I am a willing participant and am going to give it a go. No promises as of yet, but I sure do hope that at least my score makes it onto the leaderboard at some point, to earn me some free publicity. Who knows, maybe I'll even snag a cool $1M. I can't really divulge any of my secrets here, but its no secret that my (as well as most other contestants) code is taking light-years to run. Anyhow, 'nough ranting, I'll keep you posted on the up-and-comings. If I ever do make it on the leaderboard, I'll post here with a screenshot to preserve the memory.

paper trading

2006-09-14T09:28:00.000-04:00

so you want to bet on indices, eh?

(click to enlarge)

So recently, several of us here in TN embarked on a paper trading adventure. Above is an image that will update as frequently as possible (maybe even daily), with the purpose of showing our progress (or lack thereof). It is worth noting that we all started off with $105k, about the middle of August. Currently, my portfolio is hurting a tad due to my trial (and subsequent error) with some options. Anyhow, the current computer-generated portfolio follows, with no recommendations or guarantees expressed or implied.

The portfolio consists of the following ETFs:
(AMEX:EEM) iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Indx
(NYSE: EWJ) iShares MSCI Japan Index (ETF)
(NYSE: IDU) iShares Dow Jones US Utilities Index
(NYSE: IYC) iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Services Index
(NYSE: IYE) iShares Dow Jones US Energy Index
(NYSE: IYF) iShares Dow Jones US Financial Index
(NYSE: IYG) iShares Dow Jones US Financial Services Index
(NYSE: IYH) iShares Dow Jones US Healthcare Index
(NYSE: IYJ) iShares Dow Jones US Industrial Index
(NYSE: IYK) iShares Dow Jones US Consumer Goods Index
(NYSE: IYM) iShares Dow Jones US Basic Materials Index
(NYSE: IYR) iShares Dow Jones US Real Estate Index
(NYSE: IYT) iShares Dow Jones US Transportation Index
(NYSE: IYW) iShares Dow Jones US Technology Index
(NYSE: IYY) iShares Dow Jones US Total Market
(NYSE: IYZ) iShares Dow Jones US Telecommunications Index

Today 9/18/2006 trade executed:

Security: EWJ Number of Shares: -1551 [have=0, need=-1551]

Security: IDU Number of Shares: 331 [have=425, need=-94]

Security: IYC Number of Shares: -40 [have=160, need=-200]

Security: IYE Number of Shares: -36 [have=-142, need=106]

Security: IYF Number of Shares: 32 [have=7, need=25]

Security: IYG Number of Shares: -28 [have=0, need=-28]

Security: IYH Number of Shares: 156 [have=28, need=128]

Security: IYJ Number of Shares: -106 [have=0, need=-106]

Security: IYK Number of Shares: 546 [have=173, need=373]

Security: IYM Number of Shares: -217 [have=0, need=-217]

Security: IYR Number of Shares: 282 [have=629, need=-347]

Security: IYW Number of Shares: 35 [have=-161, need=196]

Security: IYY Number of Shares: -109 [have=-59, need=-50]

Security: IYZ Number of Shares: 875 [have=1229, need=-354]

Cash: $18.9977

*negative numbers represent short positions

jfk to bos

2006-09-09T13:58:00.000-04:00

Just got back from NYC presenting some our work at a conference there. It was a good experience, I forgot just how much I love the city. Going to Boston in 2 weeks, which should also be excellent. In Boston I will attend an Ultrawideband conference which should propel me on my way. Anyhoo, more later. auf wiedersehen.

our casa

2006-08-19T17:02:00.000-04:00

Click the photo...for more

amazing...the power of AOL spilling the beans

2006-08-17T20:51:00.000-04:00

his bullets

are you a pirate?

2006-08-15T20:56:00.000-04:00

So eating some wings with my wife at bw3's, my wife suggested that we text people asking if they were pirates...to see what kind of responses that we would get. Well what follows is the reponses. I think that most of the people assumed that the text was misdirected; so on my next experiment will be a more directed, less avoidable question. So all of you on the list, beware!!!!
ARRGGG!!!!

The list is in order of response time…rating scale is completely arbitrary, vote for your favorite pirate below in the comments section.

ep
What?!? Please explain

-pirate rage at question-asking=85, engineering specification points=100

jh
you bet your ass!

-Brash display of pirate masculinity=95, boldness=75

jf
what?

-Feigned confusion=95, pure honesty=100, pirate club cardholder=33

ls
ha am i? If you say so :)

-willingness to go to pirate school=75, need for identity crises intervention afterward=100

mk
uhh. sure...

-hesitation=65, powerful uncertainty=97

mm
[not appropriate for blogosphere]

-creativity=75, unexpectedness=100

rc
Yargh!

-aptness=100, succinctness =78

ml
what

-lack of capital letters or punctuation=100, real confusion=37

rt
It depends man :)

-avoidance of the question while winking=88, wondering about the nature of the dependence=98 ;)

sw
Haha maybe?

-go with the flow attitude=80, good humor=65 (more hahahahhahahaha’s would have helped)

ms
Maybe, who's askin' matey?...

-inherent skepticism known only in very tight pirate circles=93, pirate speech=96

dh
Do not understand the question

-interesting approach to non-traditional question=43, response that begs a response=75

tv
pittsburgh ?

-nailing the pirate codeword for the secret treasure entrance=100, hesitation befitting of a non-pirate=57

cs
sup dude! I might be a pirate...

-pirates might disagree=66, beach-bum-like attitude that most pirates aspire to=100

saw
pirate you say. I think not

-pirate I say=100, pirate=0

ek
Captain sparrow is what most call me

-pirate=100, wow=97

r. kay
It is a possibility

-secret treasure a possibility=99, pirateness=39

jd
arg?

-self-questioning originating from pirate childhood=77, piratehood=96

jj
How am i not a pirate
YAR

-emphatic YAR=91, to go where no pirate has been before=94

rw
Yes. Arrr.

-straight to the point=77, a pirates lawyer=97

kl
What?! Are you a pirate?

-of course I am a pirate=100, what?! Are you a pirate?=100

i like this...

2006-07-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

This appeals to my cybernetic side...

<>

it's beautiful...

2006-07-25T22:33:00.000-04:00

Fresh out of the sock drawer...the latest research, which, being unpublished, cannot yet be discussed. Coming soon!

amazing amounts of hogwash

2006-07-21T22:14:00.000-04:00

http://www.gravitomatic.com/blog
For those viewers back home, you need to read this for the *complete* background.

gm:
Space flight limitations
As it follows from one of our previous posts, human body need 56 kcal/hr or 65 W/hr of energy in order just to sustain its temperature, not talking about any movement, blood pumping, etc. As simple geometry calculates if we have gravitational energy output of 41 W/hr per cm² at the Earth surface and assume linear regression with distance then it would drop 100 times at the distance of 100,000 km from Earth and 900 times at 200,000 km. I highly doubt that our body will be able to function at this distance. We can not undertake any serious space mission till we identify this energy and learn how to build generators of it for our spacecrafts life support systems.

bm:
The Earth-Moon distance ranges from about 360,000 to 405, 000 kilometers, and man as been to the moon. What is the point you are trying to make?

gm:
Did they???

emam:
I think they did not land on the moon yet it is another game of the us goverment.

gm:
As I see it, US Moon missions to be considered as "claims", not as "facts" since we can not verify it from independent source. Russian space tracking system came online in test mode in February 1973.

bm:
I think it would be hard to take the ethical higher ground on this one; on this very same site you were the one making "claims" about nutrition and the human body, and trying to pass them off as "facts."

--------------------------------------------------------------------
bm (in an email):
I'd like some more info as to how this process actually works.
Thanks,
Brandon

gm:
I'm just wondering why would you be interested in how it actually works if you declared it "hogwash" already??

-------------------------------------------------------------

gm:
The average human weighs about 70 kg (155 lb). I found my average meal size to be 700g (1.54lb). My normal eating habits are to eat twice a day: 700g * 2 = 1400g or 1.4 kg (3.08 lb). In addition to this I drink about 1.5 kg (~ 0.4 gal or 3.03 lb) of liquid a day. If I add this up it totals 3 kg (6.1 lb) of food and liquids being added to my body everyday. Through my visits to the restroom I find that my body releases about 2.4 kg (5.3 lb) of waste by-products in the form of both liquid and solid matter. Therefore, I am left with only 600g (1.3 lb) of matter in my body.

The human body is 70% water[1] with the rest being elements like carbon and nitrogen. Now we know it takes approx. 1 kcal of energy to heat 1kg of water by 1Cْ and that it would take much more energy to heat the same quantities of Carbon and Nitrogen, but for simplicity sake let’s assume it’s the same. So body specific heat would be assumed at 1 kcal/kg C (1 Btu/lb F).Forensic Medicine estimates that a dead body will lose heat at a rate of 0.8K (0.8C or 1.44F) per hour [2] ; for our bodies to remain at a stable temperature of 36.6C (98.6F) we need to generate at least 0.8 * 70 = 56 kcal/hr (223.2 Btu/hr) or 1344 kcal/day (5356.8 Btu/day). That is the equivalent to burning 136g (0.3 lb) of gasoline a day according to Energy Science[3] just to maintain body temperature, it does not account for any heat loss during breathing, moving or other activities.
So if 2000 cal diet is anywhere near reality it leaves us with negative balance of 1342 kcal/day. Where is our body gets this energy from?????

bm:
buddy, I think you are a little confused with your units. The human body does not operate in an energy deficit. The food calories (the 2000 in you example) are actually kCals, please see this excellent article for a reference.

merkls (potentially) new abode

2006-06-28T21:04:00.000-04:00

it is almost official...

mucking about

2006-06-13T11:14:00.000-04:00

I just thought the title was a cool phrase, maybe indicative of my general state of mind. I want to delve into some crazier statistics/signal processing thoughts that have been plaguing my brain for many months, unfortunately I am stuck doing more mundane, but necessary things. I think today I am going to just do what I want, and write off most of the things I should probably be doing. Anyhow, today is a day to take care of el numero uno, and other people can deal with it. Yikes, that may sound scary but it isn't really. I'll listen to some Jack Johnson, read some Tin Drum, and all will be well...

more on gender knee

2006-06-09T18:43:00.000-04:00

http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/stocks/healthcare/10289580.html

here's a quickie

2006-05-22T23:24:00.000-04:00

Education Outfitter's first real link from the world-at-large, woohoo!
found here and when it rains it pours:
- and here
- and here
- and here
- and here
- and here

ughhhh

2006-05-18T09:11:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile...

After surviving finals and rubs with corporate america (the story is better over the phone), I am back in the hot seat. Though not much has changed externally in the past month, I have been reformulating my track through life. Maybe it was a track that was there all along, and now I am finally recognizing it, or maybe it is new; who knows? Anyhoo, I think I would be pretty dissatisfied settling for an easy job with easy money; no, my track is the harder, less followed one. Where it might take me I do not know. Today again I work, bidding my time against others. This time will eventually end, closing with the knowledge that another time is near.

the internets

2006-05-02T16:45:00.000-04:00

it seems applicable that I should post this here:

The vote is coming up this week so be sure to do this and also check out:

while you are at it.

This is serious.

Analysis Name
Long Term Stability (days)
Med Term Range (days)
Signal Frequency (days)
Priced in $