Tomorrow - 1st Aug - my new budgeting plans kicks in. Let's see if I can get my personal expenses under SGD450/mth.
austerity in financial planning..
31.7.11
forex trading
As part of the induction, we were introduced foreign exchange trading using Saxo Bank's platform. With a vague understanding of the drivers of currencies, we jumped straight into the tiger's lair. As there is only a prize for the winning team at the end of the 3 day session, coming in second is as good as coming in last. There is no glory in coming in second, people only recognize the winners.
With this in mind, we took few huge positions. This strategy is call putting all your eggs in one basket. We played it like a game. After 3 days of trading, we squared the account with 46% return and took home "The Wizard of Lies". Are we excellent traders or what? :D
we are more like high rolling gamblers.
No one remembers who came in second - Walter Hagen
With this in mind, we took few huge positions. This strategy is call putting all your eggs in one basket. We played it like a game. After 3 days of trading, we squared the account with 46% return and took home "The Wizard of Lies". Are we excellent traders or what? :D
we are more like high rolling gamblers.
26.7.11
humility
Some people takes longer than others to understand that everything good in life stems from humility. It changes the way you deal with people, it changes the way you handle situation. patience, respect, learning ability and leadership; all requires an element of humility.
you will understand that someday, and I'll be waiting..
you will understand that someday, and I'll be waiting..
24.7.11
how algorithms shape our world
[update] we should promote social responsibility awareness for algorithms. start a company.
how I wish I can still continue research in this area. now i'm just another IT guy..
week 1
First week of work was surprising fun. After all the presentation and talks, it seems like the company has thought out a very structured and benefiting graduate program for us. There were a few inspirational speakers. At the end of which I come up with some rules for myself.
1. Set your long and short terms career goals. Be clear.
2. Be proactive.
3. Smile and start making friends.
4. Be humble.
i think the 4th point in particular will get all of us far in every aspect of life. i'm counting on you guys to put me in place when necessary.
1. Set your long and short terms career goals. Be clear.
2. Be proactive.
3. Smile and start making friends.
4. Be humble.
i think the 4th point in particular will get all of us far in every aspect of life. i'm counting on you guys to put me in place when necessary.
time
Seconds ticks by with the regularity of a clockwork. After reading 10 ways our minds wrap time, I figured that the concept of time in our minds is relative to the amount of attention we place to details at that moment in time. The closing paragraph is still the best.
[quote]
The last words on time come from two great thinkers; first Albert Einstein:"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity." And finally, Douglas Adams: "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so."
[unquote]
Consistent with point 7. i should start paying more attention or very soon i would be 30.
[quote]
The last words on time come from two great thinkers; first Albert Einstein:"Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity." And finally, Douglas Adams: "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so."
[unquote]
Consistent with point 7. i should start paying more attention or very soon i would be 30.
20.7.11
14.7.11
Awesome #47 thesis submission
Exactly 4 years ago on this day, I landed in Paris to start my 2 years adventure in France. Today, 4 years later, I submitted my thesis. This seems more appropriate as a landmark moment than my actual commencement day.
14 July is such an important date for me. 14 July is...
AWESOME!
14 July is such an important date for me. 14 July is...
AWESOME!
13.7.11
valder fields
I was intrigued by this song precisely because I have no idea what the lyrics is about. I took the additional effort to search for some explanation on the internet and I found the Tamas Wells' blog.
[quote]
As a quick disclaimer, with all lyric writing there is a conscious level and a subconscious level. I don't say that in a pretentious way but simply to say that when you write a melody, the things that you sing are often complete nonsense. But.... sometimes in between the nonsense and stream of consciousness there is something that is you desperately want to express. So in a song like Valder Fields there is a stitching together of some of these moments within a broader stream of potential nonsense.
Some people would disagree and say that good song writing is about clear narrative or analogy but I prefer to stick to a method that is based in a degree of chaos. So for that reason I am not going to proceed to surgically dissect every word in the song and explain how it fits into some jigsaw puzzle esque coherent whole, but rather give you some ideas about what the song may be about.
So.... after that long preface and disclaimer, the song Valder Fields is about the tension between our life of responsibility and the life of chaos. There are many times that I feel like lying down and falling asleep on the warm concrete next to a fountain in the city square but I dont do that because I am late for a job interview or worrying about getting back to work in a department store (btw I dont actually work in a department store but i do know many fine people who do !) .
On the other side there are some people do live that life of complete abandon and irresponsibility but unfortunately they often find themselves locked up in psych wards after they get found lying asleep outside someones door in a bizarre gown or start crying uncontrollably when they say that they love their life.
So many of us end up living a life partway between responsibility and the chaos of complete abandon. I read a book by a Dutch economist who said that the "modern" man (or woman) is beset by the twin thrusts of modernity: one toward "progress" and a desperate striving for success (as we see in the way our global markets are structured with an absolute need for growth) and the other toward an ideal of individual freedom where we have the liberty to choose not to succeed or "progress".
So as I said people end up with a life partway between these.....Perhaps I am straying off the topic a little but hopefully that gives you a little more background to the song- or perhaps if you are reading this blog you may be more confused.
[unquote]
I Was Found On The Ground By The Fountain
about A Field Of A Summer Stride
lying In The Sun After I Had Tried
lying In The Sun By The Side
we All Agreed That The Council Would
end Up Three Hours Over-Time
shoelaces Were Tied At The Traffic Lights
i Was Running Late, Could Apply
for Another One, I Guess
after Parking Stores Are Best
they Said That There Would Be Delays
on The Temporary Pay
for Another One I Guessed
after Parking Stores At Best
they Said That There Would Be Delays
on The Temporary Pay
she Was Found On The Ground In A Gown
laying By The Field Of The Summer Asleep
staring At The Concrete, Trying Not To Cry
when Somebody Left His Life
she Would Never Sleep In A Gown
so She Takes His Keys To The Bedroom Door
takes A Step Outside, By The Fountain
gazing At The Field, What A View
what's your interpretation?
[quote]
As a quick disclaimer, with all lyric writing there is a conscious level and a subconscious level. I don't say that in a pretentious way but simply to say that when you write a melody, the things that you sing are often complete nonsense. But.... sometimes in between the nonsense and stream of consciousness there is something that is you desperately want to express. So in a song like Valder Fields there is a stitching together of some of these moments within a broader stream of potential nonsense.
Some people would disagree and say that good song writing is about clear narrative or analogy but I prefer to stick to a method that is based in a degree of chaos. So for that reason I am not going to proceed to surgically dissect every word in the song and explain how it fits into some jigsaw puzzle esque coherent whole, but rather give you some ideas about what the song may be about.
So.... after that long preface and disclaimer, the song Valder Fields is about the tension between our life of responsibility and the life of chaos. There are many times that I feel like lying down and falling asleep on the warm concrete next to a fountain in the city square but I dont do that because I am late for a job interview or worrying about getting back to work in a department store (btw I dont actually work in a department store but i do know many fine people who do !) .
On the other side there are some people do live that life of complete abandon and irresponsibility but unfortunately they often find themselves locked up in psych wards after they get found lying asleep outside someones door in a bizarre gown or start crying uncontrollably when they say that they love their life.
So many of us end up living a life partway between responsibility and the chaos of complete abandon. I read a book by a Dutch economist who said that the "modern" man (or woman) is beset by the twin thrusts of modernity: one toward "progress" and a desperate striving for success (as we see in the way our global markets are structured with an absolute need for growth) and the other toward an ideal of individual freedom where we have the liberty to choose not to succeed or "progress".
So as I said people end up with a life partway between these.....Perhaps I am straying off the topic a little but hopefully that gives you a little more background to the song- or perhaps if you are reading this blog you may be more confused.
[unquote]
about A Field Of A Summer Stride
lying In The Sun After I Had Tried
lying In The Sun By The Side
we All Agreed That The Council Would
end Up Three Hours Over-Time
shoelaces Were Tied At The Traffic Lights
i Was Running Late, Could Apply
for Another One, I Guess
after Parking Stores Are Best
they Said That There Would Be Delays
on The Temporary Pay
for Another One I Guessed
after Parking Stores At Best
they Said That There Would Be Delays
on The Temporary Pay
she Was Found On The Ground In A Gown
laying By The Field Of The Summer Asleep
staring At The Concrete, Trying Not To Cry
when Somebody Left His Life
she Would Never Sleep In A Gown
so She Takes His Keys To The Bedroom Door
takes A Step Outside, By The Fountain
gazing At The Field, What A View
what's your interpretation?
the pi manifesto
A long overdue post. The Pi manifesto was written in defense of Pi and in response to
- The original article
π is wrong written by Bob Palais (published in 2000/2001). - The Tau Manifesto written by Michael Hartl (launched on June 28th, 2010).
- The video Pi is (still) wrong by Vi Hart (uploaded on March 14th, 2011).
what do you love?
I would say, this is more likely a fun project taken on by Google developers rather than a sales capturing product. 'What do you love' is a search that shows you all the aspect of a search the user might be looking for. Type in dance and you get results showing you Dance schools on Google Maps, dance videos on Youtube, links you to Google calender to plan a dance event, dance blogs, translate the word dance into 57 languages, email, images etc etc... It's basically shows you everything; things that you might be or might not be interested in finding.
Try it here(link): What do you love?
kind of messy isn't it? you get bombarded with too much information. symptoms of data asphyxiation..
destiny
In his self introduction, he calls himself a “technomad” - a full-time technology-enabled globe-trotter. Brendan Lewis is doing what I have not the courage and am not able to rationally convince myself to do. He traveled the world for eight years. That’s 416 weeks, or almost 3,000 days. On his website "Fluent in 3 months", he listed 29 lessons learned in traveling the world for 8 years straight. Here, I highlight a point which I totally agree with.
According to him, "Destiny is used as a cop-out and standard excuse by most people for why they don’t do something with their lives.... Destiny may sound pretty and romantic when talked about how couples were meant to be together, but its other forms are bullshit excuses and unverified self-fulfilling prophecies."
Harsh words? People would naturally take the path with less resistance. Destiny provides them with the most convenient excuse to rationalize their failures and lack of courage to try. Even in relationships, destiny only acts up to the point when two people meet. Everything else after that is dictated by the desires and actions of both parties. I'm not a psych, but I think I can safely say when someone says 'You are not the one' deep down it just means 'I do not want you to be the one'. I won't rule out the element of luck totally. But opportunities are created by hard work; the harder and smarter you work the more opportunities will present themselves to you.
come Monday marks the end of my 309 days of holiday. corporate life..
4. There’s no such thing as destiny.
According to him, "Destiny is used as a cop-out and standard excuse by most people for why they don’t do something with their lives.... Destiny may sound pretty and romantic when talked about how couples were meant to be together, but its other forms are bullshit excuses and unverified self-fulfilling prophecies."
Harsh words? People would naturally take the path with less resistance. Destiny provides them with the most convenient excuse to rationalize their failures and lack of courage to try. Even in relationships, destiny only acts up to the point when two people meet. Everything else after that is dictated by the desires and actions of both parties. I'm not a psych, but I think I can safely say when someone says 'You are not the one' deep down it just means 'I do not want you to be the one'. I won't rule out the element of luck totally. But opportunities are created by hard work; the harder and smarter you work the more opportunities will present themselves to you.
come Monday marks the end of my 309 days of holiday. corporate life..
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