Foodspotting

I've been remiss in posting about this and figured it was time to do so...

I joined the beta version of this site a few months back and they've really been upping their game and making improvements and enhancements to both the website and iPhone application and I think everyone should sign up. Here's how it works...

You go to a restaurant or some public place serving food, take a photo of the specific dish you got, upload the photo to the site, write a little review (if you'd like) and then others can search for that specific dish (let's say, spicy tuna roll) or set a location (say, Huntington Beach, CA) and search for a food type (like sushi) or restaurant (like Tuna Town) or just search for all foods near them. Then when you find what you're looking for you can see an actual photo of the food and hopefully get an honest review of it and the restaurant. Users can also "NOM" a food, indicating it's one of their favorite foods and that they recommend it to other users and you can NOM other foods you've had though did not post an actual spotting of that food. You start with 10 NOM's and earn the ability to NOM more foods as you post more foods; it's pretty fun.

iPhone users have the added convenience of being able to upload photos and reviews directly from their phone, NOM foods and basically do everything the website allows but with the added convenience of being mobile; it's really slick. Restaurant information is available as well as tying into Google Maps in order to help you contact and find the place a food was spotted as well as see push pins on a map of all places near you that where food has been spotted.

It's super fun to see some of the foods that are posted from all over the world and get inspired to try something new or try a restaurant you'd heard of but never knew anyone that had tried it. If this picks up in popularity (if volume of food spottings and reviews is any indicator, it already has) then it has the ability to be an incredibly useful guide as you could go to a restaurant and see photos of dozens of dishes they have to offer and read unbiased reviews, all before the waiter even drops off a menu.

So, add something to the community and make discovering great food a super fun and simple process!

Sign up for free to become a Foodspotter...

www.foodspotting.com

iPhone application (opens a link in iTunes)

YouTube Tuesday: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.....

Besides Journey's "Separate Ways" is there a song, video and band that you'd put in the music time capsule as the entry for 80's hair band more fitting than The Final Countdown by Europe? I didn't think so. Here's what The Final Countdown has got in this awesomely, awesome video:

• BIG hair
• BIG outfits
• Androgynous lead singer
• The "goofy" band member, in this case the drummer with his oh-so-silly running shorts and bandanna
• Synthesizers
• Makeup
• High school A/V Club quality video effects
• Empowering lyrics and chord progressions
• Pyrotechnics
• 50+ piece drum kit
• Extremely confusing "story" to the video
• Gratuitous live concert footage
• Aerial band shots on the roof, taken from a helicopter
• Groupies
• EPIC guitar solo, with accompanying "lead guitar face"
• Band members holding gold albums for the press

If you find a better entry for the 80's hair band video to put in the time capsule, bring it...until then, it's The Final Countdown...

Holy sh*t I went to the greatest basketball school EVER

I'm done mourning KU's untimely loss. I'm moving on and after some choice comments from the ever classy MU fans and other people who just love to hate on KU at every misstep, I needed something to pick me up; remind me of how good great KU really is. So, I started digging around...

Here are some facts taken from the Wikipedia entry for KU Men's Basketball. If there was ever any doubt that KU is THE blue-blooded, undisputed alpha dog of NCAA Men's college basketball, just read this and if you're still not convinced then you're an idiot. In no particular order of importance with some pretty unbelievable facts highlighted for your convenience...

• Kansas leads Division I in all-time in conference titles with 53 in 103 years of conference play
• In the last two decades (ending with the 2009-2010 season), no team won more games than the Jayhawks, who won 571 games
• KU has the longest current streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances with 21

 sidenote: The NCAA Tournament was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and was the brainchild of coach Phog Allen (you're welcome, college basketball fans)

• Since the NCAA began seeding the tournament in 1979, KU has never been lower than an 8 seed (their average seed is a 3) and since that time KU has only missed the tournament 5 times
• Second-longest current streak of winning seasons, at 27
• First among Division I schools in winning seasons, conference championships and first-team All Americans
• Second in wins with 2003
• First in NCAA history with 91 winning seasons.
• KU has had the fewest head coaches (eight) of any program that has been around 100 or more years (the other "blue bloods" with 100+ year history: KY has had 22, UCLA 12 and UNC 18)
• They have reached the Final Four under more head coaches (six) than any other program in the nation
• Every head coach at Kansas since the inception of the NCAA Tournament has led the program to the Final Four
• Kansas has had four head coaches inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, more than any other program in the nation.
• Current longest home court wining streak @ 59
• 30 McDonald's All Americans
• 14 Academic All Americans
• 6 National Player of the Year honors
• 13 Final Four appearances
• 5 National Championships

Oh and it bears mention that KU is a magnet for college basketball coaching legends. Dean Smith and Adolph Rupp (2 of the greatest, coaches of all time) played @ KU under Phog Allen along with Dutch Lonborg, and Ralph Miller, all of whom have been inducted as coaches to the National Basketball Hall of Fame. In that regard, I guess Kentucky and UNC owe KU a pretty giant THANK YOU (they are, after all, the #1 and #3 winningest programs in NCAA history due mostly to the efforts of Rupp and Smith, respectively). How's this for small world: John Wooden helped build Memorial Stadium in 1929 after being recruited by Phog Allen to play @ KU. Oh and Larry Brown is the only coach to have won a championship in both the NCAA and NBA.

There you have it. Super stoked to be a Jayhawk it never ceases to amaze me at the excellence and tradition of Kansas Basketball.

Love for KU, as forged by playing in Basketball Band

There are 4 things that I truly love in this world:

Katie
My Family
Brisbane
The University of Kansas, most notably KU Basketball

I don't expect anybody to ever understand the last one on that list. There's a bond that was forged back in 1995 that continues as strong--if not stronger--to this day.

You see, every year I was @ KU I was in the Men's Basketball Band. I played at every home basketball game and traveled with the band to the Big 12 Tournament and NCAA Tournaments each year. I was spoiled. I came to expect that we would go to The Dance and with the exception of maybe 1 year KU was one of the 3-4 teams that the experts had picked to make a run to the Final Four. We never made the Final Four. In fact, in all but 1 year, KU was bounced in the round of 8 or earlier. So, you might say that the entire basketball experience was a disappointment but it was anything but. I'm a big "enjoy the journey, not the destination" sort of guy and the journey was filled with some pretty incredible moments that solidified my love for the University and the tradition of KU Basketball.

After a stinging loss to Rhode Island, their band had just finished playing some song and were celebrating wildly and we began to play our Alma Mater. About 3/4 through the song Rhode Island's band began playing some song (you're supposed to alternate playing songs); a shitty arrangement of an even shittier 70's or 80's uptempo tune, like Celebrate by Kool and the Gang. When we had finished and began packing our stuff I stormed to the other side of the court and got in the director's face and said "you're a f*cking no class asshole and you, your band and your University can go to hell..." He barked back at me and didn't think it was such a big deal to interrupt us during our alma mater and said I was out of line and their interruption showed no disrespect, which pretty much proved my point. After a generous middle finger and a few more pleasantries exchanged with him and other Rhode Island band folk I went back to mourn the loss and disappointment.

After that same loss I was standing with the rest of the band in the tunnel underneath the stands and Roy Williams exited the press room, tears flowing (as had become a common fixture of Roy Williams in the NCAA Tournament) and he walked towards us and shook our hands and as he shook my hand he looked me straight in the eyes with extreme sorrow and said "I'm sorry I let you down..." Jesus. Here's this guy who I looked up to as one of the greatest college coaches ever and he's sorry he let me down? Ugh...that was heavy.

Several years later when Roy bailed on KU to leave for UNC days after our loss in the national championship game to Syracuse, I wrote him a letter and told him that this time I was sorry he let me down. That's the kind of love and passion I have for Kansas Basketball...

In some way--large or small--I felt like a part of the tradition of the excellence that is KU Basketball and the University. I played a role in making the basketball experience a memorable one for each and every one of those players, coaches and fans. Allen Fieldhouse is a sort of place of worship for me. There were some incredible memories in that building, some tears of joy and sorrow and a lot of love shared by the rest of the people that were a part of that tradition both on and off the court, especially the countless friendships forged through playing in bball band.

When KU won the National Championship in 2008 I cried my brains out. Why? Because I was a part of that tradition. I helped make KU what it was in 2008 (however minuscule my impact may have been) and all my love and devotion to KU that had gone unfulfilled with a National Championship while I was there had finally come to fruition. I'd love to win that thing every year but even just winning it that 1 time was unbelievably special.

For all those reasons and hundreds more to list, I take anything KU very personally. Their loss in the 2nd round this past weekend was extremely difficult to handle. They were so good. They were hands down the best team @ KU in the past 15 years I've been a Jayhawk and head and shoulders better than any other team in the NCAA. Are they any worse of a team now? No way. The NCAA Tournament proves that the "best" team rarely wins. I'm extremely disappointed with their effort and that's what hurts. Had they played like they did in all but maybe 2 or 3 games this year there's not a team in the NCAA that can touch them. Sadly, they were out-hustled and outplayed by a team with nothing to lose and an incredible amount of luck on their side, which scrappy teams like UNI need to win games and I applaud them for their efforts; they deserved to win. It wasn't KU's day, plain and simple, and it came at the most inopportune time.

So, for all the KU haters out there... Ya know what: you're right that KU totally screwed the pooch; have your fun. But realize in the process that you're proving you're no different than Rhode Island's band: classless. Oh don't get me wrong, I loathe MU but I save that for when we meet. I'll talk all the shit I can when KU/MU meet or we play some other rival but any other time I'll keep my mouth shut, save for the funny harmless little joke here and there...but no hate. Hell, every year during the NCAA's I root for ALL Big 12 teams and their success until we meet (including MU); then I'm ready to kick your ass. We're all on the same team (Big 12) and what's the point in rooting for some other team's demise if you're not playing them?

I guess maybe I hold KU to a higher standard; one that's respectful of rivals, that doesn't engage in pointless mockery and hate for the purpose of being...well, hateful. KU always has and always will be the good guy and the good guy knows when his opponent is defeated and let's them stew in their misery, alone. I root FOR KU not against MU or some other team; that's a big distinction of school pride that I think is lost on many people out there and that's too bad. There's a finite amount of energy out there, so why waste it on all the negativity?

In the end, I'm proud to be a Jayhawk; to be part of a tradition of excellence that's enviable enough that rivals and jealous folks feel it necessary to point out at every misstep that you failed, whilst ignoring their own traditions of mediocrity, jealousy and hate. It was a really fun season to watch with an extremely disappointing ending but that's how it goes sometimes. I'm excited for next year and every year of KU Basketball, no matter the expectations or outcome, because KU Basketball is more than just X's and O's...it's all about LOVE.

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK

Tradezilla Part 4: It's ALIVE

 Hi. My name is Tradezilla and I'll be your bad-ass trading machine today.

With Tradezilla assembled and a quick double check of all the connections and power hookups all set it was go time: will it start?

I plug it into the wall and have the side of the case off to monitor what goes down as I flip the switch. I partly wondered if this was a good idea as stuff might come flying off or electric currents may arc wildly from a shorted wire like a Tesla machine.

Much to my excitement (and maybe even disappointment) it started up without issue. Part of me was hoping for a big old problem I'd have to spend hours fixing, but I got nothing. Actually it did pop up the black/white screen informing me that there was a problem with the CMOS settings. Pressing F1 took me to the BIOS and I made an adjustment to the system clock, saved the changes and exited.

It rebooted, again, and this time gave me the POST beep indicating that the MoBo was working properly and the monitor went black and simply said:

"Please insert operating system into boot drive."

That's it. That's it? I insert the Windows 7 disk, and about 10 minutes later I'm in Internet Explorer testing out my Internet connection, which worked without any problems?

There has to be something wrong, right? Nope. The whole process was strikingly simply and effortless. Maybe I got lucky, maybe I'm good; whatever it is I just built a computer in a couple hours and had it fully operational within 15 minutes of pressing the power button. The last XP install I did took 3-4x longer and I'm not sure if this quick install is due to Windows 7 or the hardware I'm using...probably a combo of both.

What's even better about this build is what I got and what it cost. Tradezilla cost me $718.15 including tax/shipping and bear in mind that I used my dual video card and an extra HDD from my old Dell.

I went to Dell and built a Core i7-920 with 6GB of RAM and the cheapest HDD and video card I could find and it came out to $1,133.14 with tax and shipping. Granted, this machine does include a 500GB HDD so there's some value there but at the same time it includes a basic single-output video card which is a step down.

Total savings: $414.99

What Tradezilla is missing vs. the aforementioned Dell:

 - 1-year warranty with Dell
 - Anti-virus software that cannot be removed
 - Various bloatware installed by Dell to run certain background programs and such
 - Proprietary motherboard and PSU, not easily/cheaply replaceable

Would I recommend building a computer to others? Absolutely! Are you kidding me? Look at how much money was saved and what I'm missing by building my own. Bear in mind that I DO have warranties for all the individual components of similar length as what Dell was offering but the difficulty comes in diagnosing the problems and getting the appropriate manufacturer to provide service. If you're a simple home user with no technical knowledge and call a friend or relative to diagnose error messages and such then this route isn't for you. You DO need to have some technical wherewithal and ability to do simple troubleshooting and such as you build and install stuff but that's it; no engineering degree required. It's a fun, very rewarding process and I'll be building all my PC's from now on.

Down the line I'll discuss the improvements in performance and such versus the old Dell but suffice it to say: Tradezilla is a total effing BEAST :)

Tradezilla Part 3: The Build

With all the parts here, it's time to build Tradezilla.

The ingredients necessary to make this dish

I didn't have too much in the way of concern going into the build as the entire process is pretty simple.

Virgin MoBo

First off, I installed the CPU into the socket on the motherboard. This was actually a little sketchy. The pins on the CPU (and there are a TON of them) don't sink into anything just they just press against and make contact with the socket. When you secure the CPU to the MoBo the device holding it down has a boatload of tension on it and as you swing the arm into the hook to hold it down all you can think is "how the hell is this right?!" But, it all worked out in the end.

Next up, CPU fan. Pretty easy. Although it makes solid contact with the head of the CPU it doesn't require as much effort in the way of connecting it to the MoBo, which I found surprising.

Onto the RAM. It's funny how much easier RAM can be installed when you're not digging your hands into a case like a surgeon reaching into a chest cavity.

Here's the completed MoBo, mofos...

OK, here's where we ran into the only problem I had with assembly: attaching MoBo to the case. I was an idiot and forgot to install the I/O panel on the back of the case so after spending 10 minutes trying to screw in a few screws that were just impossibly difficult to access I had to rip the whole thing out and do it again. Wah wah...

Power supply slid into place easily and here comes the fun part: attaching all the power leads. Finding the leads isn't the issue, getting the power to the leads with a bottom mounted PSU is where it got interesting. I sort of expected this as power supplies are normally installed on the top of the case and the power connectors on the MoBo assume this as well but with the bottom mounted PSU a couple of the cords had to be stretched out quite a bit. In the end it all worked out; w00t.

Optical drive, HDD were the last things installed and once those were in it was time to see if this thing works or is one of the most expensive paper-weights I've ever created (cuz there HAVE been other DIY jobs go awry...)

All the ingredients in the bowl...time to throw it into the oven and see if it cooks (lame, but effective analogy)

Last Tradezilla build post forthcoming...

YouTube Tuesday: This Too Shall Pass

OK Go! Makes super awesome videos. Check out their latest for This Too Shall Pass in which they build a horribly complicated, yet awesome, Rube Goldberg machine.

Enjoy!

Tradezilla Part 2: The Stuff

Here's a list of the items that I'm using to build Tradezilla.

CPU

 

1x - Intel Core i7 920 Quad-Core @ 2.66GHz

This processor is beast. It's quad-core and takes advantage of Intel's Hyperthreading technology so the least of my concerns in any task should be processing power. There are other processors out there I could go with to use on the motherboard I'm using but this one was a steal on sale for $200 and is widely regarded as the greatest value in the Intel lineup, if not on either platform. I went with Intel architecture because...well, I don't know why exactly. Every computer I have ever owned has been Intel (including the Macs) so I guess I'm just an Intel guy for life.

Motherboard

1x - ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX

I chose this MoBo for several reasons. First, it was very highly rated/reviewed from many sources. It's an "entry-level" board but it's solidly built and some of the features it offers are only found on higher end boards which leads me to decision #2: price. I don't need a MoBo with all sorts of features that make it fantastic for overclocking and I have very limited I/O needs so some of the features found on boards well above this price point were a complete waste and I opted to budget the savings elsewhere.

RAM

3x - OCZ Gold Tri Channel PC10666 DDR3 Memory - 1333MHz, (2GB sticks, so 6GB total)

I've used OCZ stuff in the past and haven't had any issue and it's some of the cheapest RAM out there so it was the logical choice. There are faster speeds of memory but triple-channel DDR3 @ 1333MHz is basically twice as fast as I'm running right now, and 2x more RAM in total.

Graphics Card

1x - XFX GeForce 7600 GS / 256MB GDDR2

Part of the way I'm keeping the cost of Tradezilla down is by cannibalizing a couple parts from my current trading machine. One of the key parts I'm using is the dual-DVI video card (I have the OEM card which I will be putting back in that machine). It's nothing fancy, it just has dual-DVI outputs for my monitors. In the future I may add another dual card as the MoBo has 3 PCIe x16 slots on in, which means that I could theoretically run a 24 monitor setup (3x cards with 8 outputs) but even I can agree that's a bit overkill...for now :)

Hard Disk Drive

1x - Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200JD 320GB

This is another part I'm cannibalizing from the current trading machine. It has dual HDD's in it and by taking this one (currently used as a backup, which is now obsolete since the Time Capsule handles backups) the current machine will still be operational.


Optical Drive

1x - LG GH22NS40 DVD Writer

Past installing the OS, I don't ever see me using this drive. All the software I use is downloaded from the vendors and any ripping/burning of CD's and DVD's is accomplished here on the iMac mothership. I went with cheap and it just happened to be highly rated; bonus.

Case

1x - Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower

I had a few criteria when selecting a case:
1. Quality
2. Low price
3. Don't look like a computer gamer's wet-dream

This case satisfies all 3 criteria. It looks really nice/professional and it's from a very good name. It's a bit unorthodox as the power supply mounts at the bottom for better cooling and doesn't make the machine top heavy, so we'll see how that works with the build-out; might have issues with cable length. However, it has one feature that I will be changing. The 120mm fan at the rear of the case has blue LED lights on it, which I find extremely annoying. Thankfully, fans are dirt cheap so I'll just drop $5 and get one that won't look like I'm trying to start a dance party in the office.

Power Supply Unit

1x - Coolmax 500-Watt Modular Power Supply

My homeboy Kuka recommended a modular power supply as you can pick and choose which power cables you need and leave the rest off. This assists in not cluttering up the case with unused wires and provides a much smoother/cleaner airflow which assists in cooling. I calculated the minimum power requirements for this system and the most I could come up with by maxing the output of the components and such was 233 watts. So, 500W should be plenty. It was nicely priced and should I need to upgrade down the line it won't be a big loss.

Operating System

1x - Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

This was sort of a no-brainer. I have no real issues with XP other than the fact it downloads updates constantly and there is a 64-bit version of XP out there but I figured if I'm going for top of the line I should dabble in Microsoft's newest/best OS. It's 64-bit, rather than 32, which is fantastic. All the trading software I use is compatible with Win7, it will run faster, more efficiently and really take advantage of the hardware/architecture it's operating within. Win7 is basically what MSFT wanted Vista to be, which in time I'm sure will be known as Windows Me 2.0...and if you know anything about OS's you know that's a pretty shameful honor.

Miscellaneous

There may be little things here and there I'll have to get like extension cables if the placement of the power supply at the bottom poses a problem, extra case fans and such but for now before I start assembling everything this is it; this is the "meat" of Tradezilla. You technically wouldn't "need" anything else to build a machine and the components chosen here are all exactly what I want/need.

Tradezilla Part 1: The 5 W's

OK, let's do this!

Project codename: TRADEZILLA

Why

Well, I noticed a month ago or so that the charting was lagging BIG TIME on my current trading machine, like when the markets are really humming along and the volume is flying I might be 4-5 ticks and several bars behind what my execution software would display. They both get the same data from the exchanges but since the execution software is not charting/processing that data in any way, it's obviously to be trusted as the "real" price. I could remedy this by not charting as many instruments, chart resolutions and such but that sort of defeats the purpose of trading/monitoring multiple markets. Grated, this only happens in extreme circumstances and with some proper housecleaning and habits on the current trading machine (like not having tons of charts open at once) I could probably get by just fine 90% of the time. But, by upgrading my hardware I would see a quantifiable increase in performance and decrease in things like lag and probably be able to get by 99% of the time and have a platform that will let me grow and accomplish more tasks that I just cannot currently accomplish with my current setup.

What

We'll get into the specific components in a later post, but this is what the machine is going to be built around.

Intel Core i7 920 Quad-Core @ 2.66GHz

The Core i7 is basically the highest end "mainstream" processor that Intel makes, built on similar architecture to their highest end chips the Xeons which are used for servers and other processor intensive applications. This processor is built on the LGA1366 processor interface, which is where Intel is dumping all of their consumer product development and this processor is actually the "base model" processor built on the LGA1366 architecture. That's good because there is a clear upgrade path to follow including the forthcoming hex-core processors. I almost went with a Core i5 but the problem with that processor was that it maxed out at a slightly slower Core i7 processor built on a different architecture so there really wasn't an upgrade path to speak of. Spend about $100 more for a faster processor and a clear upgrade path? I think the decision was a no-brainer...

When

Now. Like, I started this project yesterday by acquiring a case, processor and power supply sort of NOW! The motherboard, RAM, operating system and optical drive were ordered today. I hope to have the project complete within a couple weeks and while I want it done ASAP I'd rather take my time and do it right and since I already have a machine that works pretty well there's no urgency.

Who

George Bush. No, me you fools! I'm building it with the help and support of 100's of 1000's of other homebrew enthusiasts out there that can offer help and advice along the way.

Where

Deleware...street! OH!! Man, you totally fell for that one. I got you good blog readers...

It might be a couple days until I post again on TRADEZILLA as I'd like to have all the components here and get a group shot before we assemble everything. So hang loose and we'll talk more homebrew PC's shortly...

Who needs Dell?

First off, hey everybody. I haven't been blogging as of late, but you knew that. It's been a very busy/exciting time for me and while I have lots to talk about I've just not made the time to do it on here...but that will soon change. Anyway...

I'm fed up with Dell, people. Let me explain...

A little over a month ago I ordered a new computer from Dell. This machine was going to replace my current trading setup as I'm running into limitations that just cannot be addressed by throwing more RAM in the box and wiping the drive of all the bloatware and such; there are legitimate bottlenecks and constraints on what it can do and what I need it to do. It literally took 4 attempts (3 online and 1 on the phone) to place the order and the phone call involved no less than 13 transfers and 1.5 hours of my time. This was the beginning of the end of my relationship with Dell; a relationship that has spanned 15 years and at least 8 computers, maybe more.

So, the order was finally placed with an estimated delivery date of 2/25. Well, 2/25 comes and the date is pushed to 3/4. 3/4 comes and the date is pushed to 3/11, no explanation offered by Dell. In order to keep the order active I had to tell them to move forward or else cancel the order. After pondering the whole situation for a while I came up with the difficult decision.

I broke up with Dell. Their customer service during this process was abhorrent and this was NOT the same Dell I fell in love with 15 years ago; quite divergent, actually. But, I think the thing that pissed me off the most was the creation of the computer I wanted/needed. It was impossible. I had a list of items I wanted and didn't want and I could not create it no matter how hard I tried, what avenue I used, who I spoke to. Dell force-feeds you what they think you want based not on the customer desires but on things such as profit margin, availability of components, partnerships, etc. I'll save the conspiracy theory talk but to sum it up, Dell was just NOT a fit for me anymore.

That's it. No more Dell. The problem still remains that I need a new trading machine, so what am I gonna do? To put it simply: I'm going rogue; a maverick, off the radar. I am building my first PC. This is simultaneously super exciting and scary as hell. But, this way I will be building EXACTLY what I want with no compromises whatsoever.

Details of the build are forthcoming and I'll be documenting the entire project from start to finish and figure this is a good way to get me back into the blogging groove...

OK, next time we'll detail what I'm building and kick this thing off proper-like!

YouTube Tuesday: This is the Best Burrito I've Ever Eaten

Sticking to the Perry Gripp theme from last week's video (not posted on Tuesday, but you can figure it out) we're gonna highlight one of my favorite Parry Gripp tunes. Don't ask any questions about what his fascination is with small rodents, cute pets and burritos; I have no idea, he's just a weird guy that writes really fun, annoying tunes that you're simultaneously stoked and annoyed to get stuck in your head for the entire day.

All you really need to know about this tune is that it is ultra radtacular (I made that word up and have been saying it a lot in the hopes it catches on...do your part, people).

Enjoy!

BONUS VIDEO!!

Since you didn't get a YTT last week, I'm sharing a 2nd bonus video, which happens to be a classic from back in '08 (I assume that's long enough in the past to qualify as a classic...). This one needs no explanation...more Parry Gripp...best ringtone ever...

It's not a giant iPod Touch

So this past week Apple unveiled their newest creation the iPad. As with ALL newly unveiled Apple products there was much disappointment and bitching by the Apple haters of the world. Let's get to the crux of what the haters are standing on.

It's a giant iPod Touch.

That's it. People don't like it because they perceive it to just be a huge iPod Touch with a much bigger screen and price tag; nothing new, whatsoever. I won't argue that from an aesthetic and possibly even current functionality standpoint the iPad is anything more than an iPod Touch, but is that such a bad thing? I mean it's larger and allows the user to interact with, input and experience things on the device that they never could on an iPod Touch. You can edit photos on the Touch, create a symphony and draw out blueprints for your new house on the touch but would you? Why stop there. Did you know that you can compose a 500-page book on your Motorola RAZR flip-phone using the T9 text input method? I mean why do we need the iPad if these arcane, inferior devices can already do this stuff??

 

iBegToDiffer

Think about the iPod. That device was created 9 years ago. 9 years...and now it is the de facto portable music device, a name as ubiquitous as Kleenex or Xerox. The development of that device is staggering...yet people want to call the iPad a failure before it even hits the shelves? If there's 1 thing you ever learn from this blog, learn this: people always have and always will be DUMB.

 

Hi. We're the iPods. We're 9 years old and we rule the world.

People also complain about the features, or lack thereof. This boils down to a huge misconception over what the iPad was going to be and a difference between certain individual expectations and what was originally planned by the people that actually developed the product.See, the haters wanted the iPad to basically be an iMac or MacBook without a keyboard; a fully functional computer that could replace your current machine. In fact, the iPad is meant to augment your desktop and/or laptop computer by providing certain mobile functionality that the form factor of a laptop cannot provide, or more accurately, provide as well as the iPad can.

Bear in mind, it was all rumors and conjecture. Apple until the actual day of the unveiling event hadn't made 1 public statement about iPad; it was one of the closest held secrets in the history of computing and all the specs, functionality, release date and such were placed on the iPad by the public at large, not Apple. Hell, Apple even created a Delaware LLC to register certain trademarks prior to the launch. The name of that company? "IP Application Development, LLC." Get it? IPAD.

The final complaint is that Steve Jobs claims that this product is "revolutionary" and probably the most important product he's worked on, which when you think the thing is just a big iPod Touch makes sense. What people fail to recognize is that Rome wasn't built in a day; they view development like the alphabet and believe that anything less than "Z" is a failure. The iPad hit like a "K" and that's totally fine, maybe even expected.

 

Revolutionary

Think back to 1984 when Apple released the Macintosh. There were computers that were faster, had better monitors, more features, etc. That product was revolutionary and while you sort of understood that at the time it took years and years of further development to realize what the original Macintosh was: truly revolutionary. I believe in 10 years we will look back at the iPad and Steve Jobs and say "that sonuvabitch did it again." We don't realize that something is revolutionary until after the fact when it's been proven; look at the Macintosh. The potential of this device (whether you think it's a giant iPod Touch or not) is immense.

Imagine the applications in academia, where Apple decided to focus it's efforts 30+ years ago. Think about carrying around this device and having all your textbooks on it...from every semester you were in school. Furthermore, imagine the possibilities of multimedia textbooks. Chemistry students could be reading about various compounds and have a 3D, interactive display to learn from in the classroom or wherever they may be. Music students can compose directly on the tablet and collaborate in real time with other students in schools thousands of miles away, art students can have fully interactive versions of the worlds greatest works...I mean the possibilities in academia are endless. Fancy yourself a chef? How cool would it be to have a recipe with videos demonstrating various steps in the recipe like how to tie up a roast or the correct technique for folding egg whites into a souffle?

Can other devices (including laptops) do these things already? Sure. But can they do it as well as the iPad will? No way. I keep coming back to the original Macintosh and how similar this device is from a "revolutionary" standpoint. Apple's ability to innovate and lead the world from a technology perspective is absolute and anyone who thinks that the iPad is a failure, not revolutionary or that it's just a giant iPod Touch is a fool and I ask that you go back to Windows 95 or Windows ME where you belong.

Does it have shortcomings? You bet. Is it something I would buy right away? Probably not; I want to see how well it does out of the gate and where they focus development efforts and then hop on board. Bear in mind that I LOVE being on the bleeding edge of technology and have purchased the first generation of more technologies than I care to admit so maybe I will jump right in but I still think there are a few things I'd like to see Apple address and I'd also like to see if they decide to make the wireless capabilities available to other carriers besides AT&T as I fear that this is going to piss people off even more than they already are with the iPhone exclusivity. In the long run this will damper the 3rd party development efforts of this device, which is where the true potential lies.

Assuming you made it this far, you need to watch this awesome video by Parry Gripp from the band Nerf Herder. He makes all these super fun, catchy songs about the most random things and the iPad was his latest inspration. Listen to the lyrics. While they are really silly and comparing the iPad to nachos may seem ridiculous, the message is actually pretty spot on...

Online Anonymity

Ridiculous update:

Turns out if you sign up for an xbox Live account online you cannot merge that account with your local account easily or for free. Microsoft will let you merge the 2 accounts for 800 xbox points (about $10) and a completely confusing and unnecessary process. So, while I still have the cashbutter gamer profile I most likely will not be using it. I, instead, have come up with new account originated through the xbox (not the xbox website) which merged my old/local account information and will be using the accurate and appropriate gamer tag:

theREALbmills

I have login credentials at dozens and dozens of websites. They always ask you for a username and on every single site I am either:

bmills
or
bmills313 (if bmills isn't available)

For our 3-year anniversary, Katie got me a wireless adapter for XBOX and Modern Warfare 2 which I'm super stoked for. Part of the reason is that I'll get to play some MW2 and other games against Kuka back in Missouri, who will kick my ass but all in good fun.

Enter my online registration @ the XBOX Live website. I'm filling out the usual form entries and then it asks for a username. XBOX Live has been around for a long time so I believe that the chance of bmills being available is 0% (and I was right) so then I default to my bmills313, which is my birthday concatenated to bmills; it's never failed. Much to my astonishment:

Sorry, that username is unavailable. Please choose another.

Are you F'n kidding me?? Has Barney Mills born on March 13th been playing HALO for 3 years or Betty Mills who lives at 313 Elm Street beaten me to the punch??

[sidenote: I went and looked: bmills has no information on their profile. bmills313 looks like some fratboy who has his motto listed as "Big Daddy B." Ugh...he's ruining the bmills313 moniker.]

All of this got me to thinking: is it time for a change? Should I assume an online identity that offers no clues to my actual identity like millions of other people out there? I mean, how may people are really named "cutie girl" or Warhammer" or any of the millions of other completely anonymous usernames out there? If millions of other people can hide behind their "handle" and be complete A-holes and make themselves look like total douches, knowing there is absolutely no chance that anyone will know who you are and how to find you to make you say those nasty comments in person...then why can't I? Alter egos or 2nd identities are all the rage, I just never hopped on the bandwagon because I don't hop on bandwagons.

OK, so I'm not gonna be an A-hole and I won't shout bigoted and extremely hurtful comments over the headset while I pwn n00bs and become part of the fabric of online gamers, but the change should do me good, at least in online gameplay.

So what username did I go with? Well, let's evaluate who I am and we'll come to an appropriate alter ego. I am:

1. A fan of humor
2. A trader
3. Not afraid of ridicule
4. Inspirational; I'd love people to speak of me with great respect and envy
   

So with all that said, I give you my XBOX Live "Gamer Tag"

cashbutter

How about that?! OK, let me explain. When I first started learning about commodities trading I went through the CME's website and reviewed all the different commodity contracts out there and bar none, my favorite contract has to be "cash-settled butter" for obvious reasons (as noted above). Yes, you can trade butter; a lot of it, if you happen to be interested. In fact, here are the "udderly awesome" contract specifications from the CME's website (<-- get it, udderly...cuz it's butter and butter comes from...nevermind):

Contract Size	20,000 lbs. of Butter ( ˜9 metric tons)
Product Description	Grade AA Butter
Pricing Unit	Cents per pound
Tick Size (minimum fluctuation)	$0.00025 per pound (= $5.00 per contract)
Daily Price Limits	$0.05 per pound above or below the previous day's settlement price, with multiple expansions. No limits in the last 5 days of trading. See CME Rule: 5602.D

It's perfect. Seeing as I don't plan on playing a ton it should provide the occasional chuckle and maybe I'll even be mentioned in circles on the XBOX Live community as "The Butter Guy" or something else that accurately describes the awesomeness that is my gamer tag and the extreme envy that it conjures up in the minds of those late to the great GamerTag land-grab.

So, add me to your friends list on XBOX Live and prepare to be pwned by the uber-awesomeness that is cashbutter !!

YouTube Tuesday: Economics Rap

Ever wanted to know basic market theories created by the most famous 20th Century economists of all time but were afraid to ask because the subject is so daunting, boring and confusing? Do you like learning lessons and hearing tales spun by lyrical rap? If so, I think I've found the perfect video for you...



Learn more about the economic theories behind John Maynard Keynes and F.A Hayek at the Econstories website...

http://econstories.tv/home.html

California rains FTW

You win, California. Your aquatic display of fury from the heavens over the past 48 hours is by far the craziest, most absurd and impressive rain I have ever experienced. What's that? The worst has supposedly not arrived yet? BAD. ASS.

Sure, many people in Southern California are saying that right now but I'm different. Remember: for 25 years of my life I lived in either the Midwest (Minnesota and Kansas) or up in Seattle, neither a stranger to wet weather. This, folks, would make either locale blush.

This is in Huntington Harbor, just a couple miles from here. Yeah, this is California.

Sheets of rain pounded the area for hours, a tornado flipped over a car and damaged several buildings in Seal Beach / Sunset yesterday, Delaware Street in front of our place turned into the Delaware river (didn't Washington or some guy cross that?) with the raging water breaching the curbs that consider a lot of water to be a couple dudes washing their trucks on a Saturday afternoon. There was rampant flooding on giant streets you'd never imagine would flood and the building next door under major rennovation couldn't hire enough day labor to bail water from the newly poured concrete patios.

Hey Bro, I borrowed your car but I don't remember parking it so badly...that must be some good weed

All in all, it was killer. Maybe the best part is that I sat here all day, indoors sipping pot after pot of Gyokuro tea; I did not venture outside other than the occasional peek out the front door to make sure the potted plants weren't potted buoys.

 San Clemente Pier. That right looks killer...literally.

I did have to venture out yesterday to the office to pick up a package and was reminded what horrible drivers Californians are when it's not 72 and sunny. In heavy wind and rain I'm not sure that Beach Blvd. (the giant, arterial road here in HB) got above 30mph (normally people are pushing 55-60) and I didn't know that the windshield wipers on some of these cars could move that fast nor that people could press their face that close to the windshield and actually drive.

This photo pretty much exemplifies the typical SoCal driver. Nothing like taking a compact car through 3-feet of water on an off-ramp.

In any event, I loved the last 48 hours and look forward to more. If Southern California exhibited more crazy weather like this and we experienced a few days of panic and concern because it's not 72 and sunny I think it would do everyone good; I know I'd love it. Here's hoping this El Nino year delivers even more craziness...

 This, people of California, is a tornado

YouTube Tuesday: Food, Inc.

A month ago, I watched the following film. I read Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma a while back so I was very interested in Food, Inc. as my Generation Y desire for visual media yearned for something more than just pages on a Kindle.

I'm not going to go vegetarian or protest food companies but this film and Omnivore's Dilemma has really made me become far more active in choosing what I put in my body and what companies I endorse. This film (or preferably the book) should be very important to you, regardless of what you choose to eat. The information in this film is just as important and eye opening to vegetarians as it is to omnivores. There's a pretty f*cked up world that we are forced to be a part of whenever we seek nourishment that's controlled by a handful of companies and regulated by the people who used to run those companies. You truly have to wonder who is looking out for us, the consumer, and for those of you with children I implore you to do what you can to ensure that your children are nourished with the right calories and don't fall prey to cheap/empty calories that lead to things like diabetes and other illnesses as well as contributing to the overall obesity of this nation, which is a byproduct of the cheap, processed calories that our government has pushed on us our entire lives.

I realize that going to an all-natural diet and making many of the changes in this film is very expensive from a cost standpoint but you owe it to yourself to try. Try cutting out high-fructose corn syrup for a week and watch your weight and overall health improve. Eat fresh vegetables, plant a garden to eat in-season vegetables or at least fresh herbs (for those with limited space); every little thing helps. And while I disagree that you cannot put a cost on your health (it's just not feasible for 90% of the people in this world to eat as Food, Inc. would recommend) I do agree that every single one of us can make better decisions when it comes to nourishment.

If you want more information, check out the Food Inc. website http://www.foodincmovie.com/ or check out the book Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

Anyway, get you some Food, Inc...and start becoming more concerned about what you put in your body.

How to make a Michael Cera movie

I love the guy, but this is so true...

Don't be THAT guy: Eager Elevator Entry

OK, it's time for a new regular installment here at übersurf. You see, I'm an extremely level-headed, accommodating, understanding guy. I listen to and appreciate different points of view, cultures and social dynamics whether I agree with them or not.

However, I'm also an extremely critical guy with no tolerance whatsoever for stupidity, ignorance, unbelievably selfish acts and so forth. One of my favorite sayings is "don't be that guy" when speaking to people about the actions of another in social situations. You know the guy; we've probably all been THAT guy a couple times and felt badly for it. The thing is, these people don't give a damn or are clueless about what they're doing.

So, the first "don't be that guy" in our new series is the:

"Eager Elevator Entry" Guy

Here's the setup...

Your luck is running out when you hit the lobby, Leprechaun...

The elevator arrives (let's say in the lobby) and the bell rings alerting the waiting riders that their vertical chariot hath arrived. The people eager to get back to work (or wherever they're going) rush to the doors of the elevator, before they've opened, standing just a foot or two from the door. As the doors start to open, THAT guy starts walking into the elevator, completely oblivious to the fact that elevators are multi-taskers that transport people up AND down.

Any one of these guys could be THAT guy...

As THAT guy enters the elevator, he's met by the people that rode the elevator down (our leprechaun above) and he becomes a log-jam that prevents the people from leaving.

I love a good elevator stampede

The worst part is, THAT guy almost seems annoyed that he has to move and that these fools are freeloading on his elevator.

STEP...AWAY...FROM THE ELEVATOR DOORS...

So, people, don't be THAT guy. When the elevator bell rings, let the doors open and see if anyone comes out. Then, enter the elevator...and wait for THAT guy to greet you on whatever floor you're headed to.

YouTube Tuesday: Simmer down now...

When we were driving back from Seattle Katie plugged in her iPod and  had a big collection of SNL skits on there that had us LOL'ing the whole way home. One skit in particular has been making the rounds here at the house: Simmer down now.

So, without further adieu, simmer down now...

Oh yeah, it's a new decade PART 3

For the final installment, some final thoughts on the decade that was.

I guess the overall theme to the decade was "changes." Transitioning from college life to the working world, immature college kid to adult, moving intra and inter-state, several new careers and all sorts of stuff in between it was a decade of changes far more than any other time in my life.

Were they all good changes? Yes, or rather, they were all necessary. I realize there are a lot of changes to come and the changes in my life over the last decade have prepared me more so than any other time in my life.

If I had to give my overall satisfaction with the 2000's a grade I'd guess I'd go with B maybe B-. I don't have many regrets--regrets that are actually worth being regretful over-- and I feel I capitalized on a great deal of the opportunities presented to me over the last 10 years. You always wish you could have made more money, spent money wiser, visited this place or that place, ket in better shape and such but overall I have no complaints. I met some amazing people and save for the core group of KU people I met in years prior and a handful of people from other decades, pretty much everyone I call a friend now was introduced to me in the 2000's.

I didn't get involved in politics or religion whatsoever in the 2000's and I'm fine with that; maybe even better for it. I start to notice more of the impact politics and religion has on the world around me and it sort of scares me. I've always been somewhat naive to both topics and exposed to them on a very limited basis my entire life but now that I'm on my own and have my own things to worry about I'm realizing the importance of things such as politics and religion have on my life. I still have no aspirations of making either a very integral part of my life though I can see myself getting more involved in the political side of things, ensuring a better place for myself and my family, and becoming more spiritual (not religious) and looking inside myself for the strength and wisdom I know is there.

The last few years have taught me some important lessons regarding fiscal matters that were all but ignored for the majority of the 2000's. It's funny how you learn to save an spend more wisely when your income stream is limited and you live in the most expensive place in the US. I'm hopeful that the lessons I've learned as of late will translate to the years ahead, no matter how much money I may make...though I might ditch generic stuff for the name brands, given the opportunity. LOL

Love-wise, I'm set. I look forward to the future with Katie and learned some valuable lessons in the 2000's.

Career-wise, the 2000's were a really exciting ride. I start at a dot-com in KC and I end as a trader in my home-office in HB. I'm really glad I got to experience the workplace but even more glad that I got out. The bulk of the decade was taken up by Arcadia Capital and it was fun, though I realized pretty quickly into that endeavor it was not what I wanted to do. I spent the better half of the decade looking for new things to do and ways I could make a living, ultimately falling into the profession I believe I was made to do. I see trading as a vehicle to deliver me to the places I want to be and accomplish the goals I want to accomplish and not just from a dollars and cents perspective.

Going forward into the 2010's I look to be even more of an adult and begin to explore new worlds around me and capitalize on the opportunities already presented to me early in this decade. I have no doubt that I am positioned in such a way that I am mentally, physically, fiscally and spiritually ready to face the challenges and capitalize on opportunities the 2010's will present me so I'm very excited for what the new decade holds.

So, it was fun 2000's...but I've gotter bigger and better places to go and plenty of photos, knowledge, wisdom and memories of the times we spent together...and for that, I will be forever grateful.

bmills