Booze and Hubris

Still AWOL. Open prices...10-17th just to be consistent

2005-08-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'm still on a trading vacation but these are the open prices for the past week or so. I am likely to be away from it for another couple of weeks.

10th August
EURUSD 1.2355
GBPUSD 1.7865

11th August
EURUSD 1.2382
GBPUSD 1.7965

12th August
EURUSD 1.2454
GBPUSD 1.8101

15th August
EURUSD 1.2454
GBPUSD 1.8161

16th August
EURUSD 1.2348
GBPUSD 1.8081

17th August
EURUSD 1.2357
GBPUSD 1.8091

Forex Open prices 7th, 8th, 9th

2005-08-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

7 August 0.00 GMT
EURUSD: 1.2331
GBPUSD: 1.7742

8 August 0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD: 1.2363
GBPUSD: 1.7855

9th August 0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD: 1.2355
GBPUSD: 1.7865

I'm not trading as I have tied up with some personal business and my broadband connection isn't 100% reliable. I hope to be trading live again by the end of next week.

5 August Forex

2005-08-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

GMT 0.00 Open
EURUSD 1.2385
GBPUSD 1.7803

I expected exhaustion today in the Euro and Pound which has happened but when the news came out of strong US payrolls, much higher than expectations I was thinking of 100-200 pip drop but what we have is a daily low <100 pips from the daily open and both sitting now around 50 pips from the open. Short term negative sentiment against the USD is stronger than I thought it was.

4 August Forex

2005-08-04T04:12:00.000-05:00

0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2329
GBPUSD 1.7781

Found a new trade style for multiday trades by a guy called Vegas called the Tunnel Method. Trade styles are dime a dozen but I like some of the features of this one, precise entries, high risk/reward and progressive money management. I had a read through of it at 4am yesterday so wasn't fully engaged but it seems a little too fluffy on the stops (is it the other side of the tunnel for Stop and Reverse or is it recent support/resistance?) for my liking but I'll investigate it. I like that the guy's attitude, he isn't selling it, doesn't care if you use it but investigate it and you may find something you like.

BTW
August 3 0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2191
GBPUSD 1.7712

I made some demo trades on the euro and pound. Catching entries on my trade style around 2.30am and taking profits on the euro at +30, +50, +80 and on the GBPUSD at +32 and +123, limiting out the last lots on the euro and pound while I slept.

Fire in the building

2005-08-02T15:17:00.000-05:00

No trades today as I had no electricity since yeterday afternoon. There was a fire in the top floor apartment around 4pm. Quite vicious (flames gushing 8 fett out of the window) but the FDNY did its normal superlative job and it was out quickly. Overload of a electricity point has been mentioned as one possible cause.
My apartment on the 3rd floor is a little damp and a spot of waterlogged sheetrock in the ceiling caved in and will be replaced. Electricity was off until this afternoon and everything smells of smoke.

0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2190
GBPUSD 1.7682

I haven't put a live trade on in around a week but that's OK. I haven't been completely paralysed. I have been demo trading on Windsor Brokers Mobile PocketPC trade platform. Its far from perfect but a solid 7 out of 10 in usefulness. The biggest problem is quickly executing a trade (either in or out). Interestingly it allows you to be in a trade in the same currency pair long and short at the same time (trading different time frames?).
Of course I have been a demo trading success. 12 out of 12 closed positions have been winners (1 of those at +0) with one trade still open (currently +67). I've taken the demo $50,000 account to $63,000 in week trading 2-6 lots/trade. I'll take it easy this week and next as I have a bit of personal business that'll be taking up my time until the middle of next week.

1 August Forex

2005-08-01T05:36:00.000-05:00

0.oo GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2122
GBPUSD 1.7551

No trades to date. No entry signals. It has been a solid long move on both pairs through the Asian session and into and through the European.

29 July Forex

2005-07-29T08:38:00.000-05:00

0.oo GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2127
GBPUSD 1.7546

No trades today either. 3 days in a row I've slept in (avoidance of market). Yes I feel better after a few good nights sleep but I am losing money. Yesterday's trading could have been good, 100 pips on GBP and 30 on Euro if I had the courage of my convictions, courage that has taken a vacation it seems.
There was possibility to pick up a short trade (+30 pips 1/2, +0 for 1/2) and long trade (+30 and still open) on the Euro this morning. I'll watch the market and get my head back in the game.

There is no doubt this relates to Tuesday's losses. Psychologically I want to be able to get to a point where I can reset the mental environment to neutral automatically after a losing day. Rationally I can, emotionally I can't, not yet. On the plus side I am getting better (psychologically speaking). I am not revenge trading in response to the loss, nor is the sky falling. Even the 3rd lossing trade on tuesday was in response to a signal, and was the same trade size as I usually do.
I can take a losing trade easily, a losing day of several trades is harder but the same principles apply.

28 July Forex

2005-07-28T05:54:00.000-05:00

0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2068
GBPUSD 1.7435

Market ranging for past 12 hours. A couple of entry signals, short and long but nothing worth taking until it decides a direction. I have a long bias though, due to yesterday's price action.
Price action on both pairs went long, though I didn't take trades. EURUSD breaking 1.2100, and GBPUSD breaking 1.7500.

27 July Forex

2005-07-27T06:24:00.000-05:00

0.00 GMT Open
EURUSD 1.2017
GBPUSD 1.7373

No trades to date. Entry Long on GBPUSD at around 1.7369 around EST 4.30am but not taken. Trend bias has been short for one (rational explanation) and I was burnt for 3 losing trades yesterday (irrational and the real reason) and consequently 'slept through' my 3am alarm so wasn't around to make the entry. Hmmm I never seem to sleep through my alarm and avoid making entries when I am on a winning streak...

Trade 1
GBPUSD
Entry Short 1.7370
Stop 1.7405
Limit 1: 1.7335
Limit 2: 1.7300
Limit 100: 1.7270

Results: +0. Went +22 post 8.30 news of strong US durable goods orders and moved stops to B/E. Stopped out on retracement in 10 minutes.

26 July Forex

2005-07-26T02:02:00.000-05:00

0.00 GMT Open

EURUSD 1.2042
GBPUSD 1.7435

Trade 1
EURUSD
Entry Long 1.2055
Stop 1.2020
Limit 1: 1.2093
Limit 2: 1.2128
Limit 100: 1.2161

Trade 2
GBPUSD
Entry Long: 1.7440
Stop: (and reverse) 1.7405
Limit 1: 1.7485
Limit 2: 1.7530
Limit 100: 1.7545

Results so far.
Out of the money on both trades. Stop and Reverse is a likely outcome but I am hanging tough with my stops. I took the position that the push through the daily open is legit trend and this push back short is just pre-news (European news at 4am EST) shenanigans. So far so bad though!
GBP hit entry prior to news, and EUR post news. Per my trade style I didn't exit.

Stopped out of GBPUSD -35
Stopped out of EURUSD - 35

Trade 3
GBPUSD Stop and Reverse
1.7401 Short
Stop: 1.7435
Limit 1: 1.7360
Limit 2: 1.7325
Limit 100: 1.7301

Trade 4
EURUSD Stop and Reverse
1.2019 Short
Stop 1.2044
Limit 1: 1.1981
Limit 2. 1.1955
Limit 100: 1.1919

Results
GBPUSD
Price hit Limit 1: didn't exit half, just held position, Limit to L2, Stops to B/E. Better than expected results on the UK CBI Orders at 6am and I am stopped out for +0 post news. Today is just not my day.
Went for the L2 win on the EURUSD also. It reached L1 (barely). Stops to B/E. Stopped out at +0.

If I had played my cards right I could have got +35 on GBP and +35 EUR and be square for the day. Trades perception OK (wins and losses), execution great, but accumulation/ money management has been the area I have let myself down today.

Trade 5
GBPUSD
Entry Short 1.7396
Stop: 1.7325
Limit 1: 1.7361
Limit 2: 1.7331
Limit 100: 1.7296

Results so far
Price action on EUR and GBP broke back under the round numbers and my trade style triggered an entry. Didn't make it out of the spread before reversing and instead as been threatening my stop. Sitting around 1.7410. Stop out is more likely than a limit with the price action I am seeing.
Stopped out -29. I'm calling it a day with 3 losing trades and 2 at +0.

25 July Forex

2005-07-25T00:04:00.000-05:00

25th 0.00 GMT Open

EURUSD 1.2059
GBPUSD 1.7389

Took entrys long according to my trade style around 4.30am EST this morning

Trade 1
EURUSD
Entry Long 1.2058
Stop 1.2025
Limit 1: 1.2091
Limit 2: 1.2124
Limit 100: 1.2158

Trade 2
GBPUSD
Entry Long 1.7380
Stop: 1.7330
Limit 1: 1.7430
Limit 2: 1.7480

I also took a short trade on the EURUSD prior to these longs. No entry signal going, just some short price action was going on and I took it. EURUSD Short 1.2035. It went my way a few pips and then retraced to my long entry. I stopped and reversed and took a -23 trade which is suitable punishment.
Trading without discipline the first trade of the week. I'm embarrassed for myself.

Update
Both trades aren't performing yet. Its been 5+ hours and Im +5-10 on the Euro and +20 on the GBP. Stops to break even in case of a short move, particularly by the EURUSD. Euro is in a narrow range struggling (and failing) to be interesting. At least the GBP is trying to break out.
Update to the update...some action on both pairs long. I just hope it sustains itself. C'mon Euro, you know you want to!

Results
Limit out 1/2 GBPUSD at +50. Stops already at break even. L2 is same as L100.
EURUSD stopped out +0 and closed GBPUSD +60. I get nervous when the Euro and the Pound are diverging and the Euro only been able to make a weak push long for the past 7 hours and is now shorting (below daily open) for the day. I'll be looking for entry short on the Euro.
I missed a suitable short entry on the EURUSD and it didn't get in. The GBPUSD only dropped slightly (would'vet have taken out my +50 stop) before pushing on to 1.7470. Saved 10 pips.
Average Trade 1: +0/lot, Average trade 2: 55 pips/lot.

22 July Forex

2005-07-21T23:48:00.000-05:00

0.00 GMT, 8pm NY time
EURUSD Open 1.2157
GBPUSD Open 1.7535

Trade 1
GBPUSD
Entry Short 1.7528
Stop 1.7571
Limit 1: 1.7485
Limit 2: 1.7442
Limit 100: 1.7428

Trade 2
EURUSD
Entry Short 1.2167
Stop 1.2192
Limit 1: 1.2132
Limit 2: 1.2107
Limit 100: 1.2067

Results:
Trade 1
Post entry, trade rallies to take out my stop by 5 pips. Result (-43).
Of course it fell after stopping me out to take out Limit 1. Close but no cigar.
I'm glad I was sleeping through this (set stops and limits and went to bed around 4.30 am EST). At least it didn't hit my stop exactly to the pip before retracing. You start to question the trading gods when that happens. Speaking of which it’s now approaching 10am EST, GBPUSD has breached L100.

Even though I was asleep, I went to bed with the trade against me without exiting or the idea of exiting in my mind. I'm happy with my renewed trade discipline, my behavior in the market, but not happy with the trade result.

Result
Trade 2: I set the wrong limit - it should have been L1 1.2142 (+25), which would have been limited out while I slept. Currently still open in the +20 to +30 range. Stops to break even.
Very quiet trading day so far.
Update. I was holding with an exit at 1.2104 (07 in my L2 plus 3 pip spread), to close 1/2 at +60 and moved stops to +30 (1.2134). Trade moved to 1.2105 before retracing. Exit position (both 1/2's) at +30.
Almost exited at 1.2105 and 1.2107. Price sat on 1.2105 forever too; it wasn't one of those too-quick-to-execute moves.

A trade stopped out, a trade with pips left on the table and so far in the red for the day. On the positive side I am buoyed by my behavior and trade discipline so far today. These are the habits to build a successful trading career on.

Update: EURUSD hit 1.2104 and then punched through 1.2100. Now heading towards Limit 100. GBPUSD has broken 1.7400. All this gives me further confidence in my trade style, matched with my increasing ability to execute the plan I am confident for a profitable week next week also.

FOREX Trades 20 July, 21July 2005

2005-07-21T15:36:00.000-05:00

One of the keys to being successful is how a trader handles taking a loss. Losses are inevitable.
Today I let me fear of taking a loss get in the way of execution. Yesterday I didn't take trade signals which was bad enough, today was even worse as I got into trades but got out at the first whiff of trouble. You'd think that the wins I took yesterday would give me confidence to hold to my trade plan. Crazily the opposite occured, and my discipline and execution went out the window as I worried about protecting yesterdays profits.

Firstly Yesterday's trades

Wednesday 20 July 2005
EUR 8pm NYC Open 1.2060
GBP 8pm NYC Open 1.7506

Trade 1
EURUSD
Entry 1.2063 Short
Stop 1.2087
Limit 1: 1.2034
Limit 2: 1.2008
Limit 100: 1.1963

Result:
Closed 1/2 at Limit 1. +26; stop to breakeven
Price to Limit 2, stop to +29
Stopped out 2nd 1/2 at +29

Trade 2: TRADE NOT TAKEN
GBPUSD
Entry: Short 1.7373
Stop: 1.7400
Limit 1: 1.7348
Limit 2: 1.7323
Limit 100: 1.7273

Result IF TAKEN
Close 1/2 for +25, Close 1/2 +100

Trade 3: NOT TAKEN (Literally out to lunch)
EURUSD
Entry Long 1.2062
Stop: 1.2042
Limit 1: 1.2085
Limit 2: 1.2110
Limiti 100: 1.2162

Result IF TAKEN
Close 1/2 for +23, close 1/2 +100

Trade 4:
GBPUSD
Entry Long 1.7348
Stop: 1.7315
Limit 1: 1.7378
Limit 2: 1.7408
Limit 100: 1.7448

Result
Close 1/2 + 30, stops to B/E
Price to Limit 2, Stops to +30
Price to Limit 100, Exit 1/2 +100

Daily trades
Average trade 1 (+27) average trade 2 (+65)
Average trade 2 (+63), average trade 3 (+61) NOT TAKEN

Obviously there are some issues I have with trade discipline. This was even more pronounced today.

Thursday 21 July 2005
As I said, yesterday I took some wins (though not as many as I should have) and I was more focussed on protecting those profits today, than making any money. Unfortunately I was fearful like a little bunny and didn't let my trade develop to either hit limits, or stops. I got in and out of trades, for zero profit, came to my senses for a second and stuck to my trade plan and then got the heebeegeebee's again and exited the last trade of the day for an unnecessary loss.

EUR 8pm NYC Open 1.2142
GBP 8pm NYC Open 1.7404

Trade 1
EURUSD
Entry 1.2154
Stop: 1.2126
Limit 1: 1.2182
Limit 2: 1.2210
Limit 100: 1.2254

Results
Closed +0 on skittish exit
Results if had discipline to stick to trading plan.
Close 1/2 +28, stops to B/E, Close 1/2 +0

Trade 2.
GBPUSD
Entry 1.7430
Stop 1.7400
Limit 1: 1.7460
Limit 2: 1.7490
Limit: 100: 1.7530

Result:
Exit +0
Results if I had discipline to stick to trading plan
Close 1/2 +30, stops to B/E. Price to Limit 2, stops to +30. Stopped out +30

Trade 3
GBPUSD
Entry Long 1.7451
Stop: 1.7426
Limit 1: 1.7476
Limit 2: 1.7501
Limi 100: 1.7501

Result:
Close 1/2 +25, stops to B/E. Close 1/2 +0

Trade 4
GBP
Entry Long 1.7480
Stop: 1.7435
Limit 1: 1.7525
Limit 2: 1.7570
Limit 100: 1.7580

Result:
Skittish exit, 2 1/2s at -13. EUR set new daily low, breaking 1.2100 so I got out...
Results if I had discipline to stick to trading plan
Close 1/2 +45, stops to B/E. Price to Limit 2, stops to +45. Limit out +100

Daily result (-1)
Result if had stuck with trade plan
Trade 1 average (+14), trade 2 average (+30), trade 3 (+72)

I have to do further work on myself, to solve the fear dilemma. It has been a couple of good days for my trade style but a couple of poor days for my trade execution.
Results I got were +27, +65 and +12, -13 (total 91 pips/lot). Results I should have had were +27, +63, +61, +65, +14, +30, +72 (total 332 pips/lot) . These extra gains would have paid for trade that will inevitably go against me in the future when I am stopped out, and still leave me in profit. Without them I could be in the hole after those same inevitable losses even though I had a winning trade strategy.

If ever a self-review of my work identified a glaring problem to fix, this is it.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming

2005-07-21T15:09:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since I last wrote. A lot has been going on for me as I research and possibly prepare for a major change in my life.
The french connection, work, getting very serious about forex trading.

This blog, though temporarily put on the back burner is still important. I still plan to write commentary and whatever insight I think may be important (though in hindsight a lot of what I have written is eminently forgettable). In addition I am thinking of using the blog as an online FOREX trade journal. Detailing both my trades and my psychology at the time. FOREX trading has 3 steps to success.
Perception: Perceive a buying/selling opportunity. The trade style you use.
Execution: The discipline to execute the rules of your trade style, without fail or deviation.
Accumulation: Increase the funds in your account, using money management, stops and limits, taking profits.

East Village, New York City

2005-05-20T14:34:00.000-05:00

I saw this and thought of my time in the East Village in New York City. I moved to New York City May 1 2000 and to the East Village more by chance than design, and though I've lived in 3 different apartments, wait, 4, I have never moved out of the neighborhood. It has a laid back character, is eclectic and individualist and yet familiar and I haven't found any other 'hood or US city for that matter that's a good a fit for me.

When I arrived it had an egalitarian mix (at least a better mix that most neighborhoods below Central Park) of social classes and races, families and young room-mating renters and it even retained some of its dangerous edge, though by 2000 this was held more by perception than reality.

Though this has changes as the percentage of poorer working class and black and hispanic families is being eroded by the high rental prices and the influx of well, people like me who'll pay them. Nevertheless in 2005 it still holds onto its character, a mix of schools and performance spaces, restaurants and neighborhood gardens protected and cherished by residents. Sunny Summer afternoons on the grassy knoll in Tompkins Square Park full of chilled out residents, laid out next to homeless drug addicts. The latin music pouring out of stereos over on avenue C and D. The outdoor performances and block parties on 9th street between B&C. The brunches at 7A, the cocktails and rose petals at the downstairs bar at Chez Esada, the cocktails at any number of bars, bistros and restaurants for that matter - a procession of nights eating and drinking with lovers and friends, like a string of pearl memories.

I I was to buy a paver and write a note, what would I say as a short ode to my East Village experience? And who would be the audience to which it was intended, the casual passer by or another version of myself, in 20 years.

A long time between drinks

2005-05-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

So Wolfie went up, Bolton is on his way, Kansas is voting on teaching whether the world is flat, Frist is forcing the end of the Fillibuster to put right-wing scripturites on the Fed bench, the bankruptcy bill went though, drilling in ANWAR is on its way, as is the legislation to impose a National ID card. The presidency may be weakened by his losing battle over social security (in the bigger picture he's served his purpose and is now an expendable soldier to the cause anyway) but the extremists in the republican party are doing the macarena they're so excited with how things are turning out.

To put a zen spin on things we know the society generally moves in the direction of tolerance and inclusiveness with temporary blips in the other direction, for example the McCarthy witchhunts, or say, the Middle Ages. In the long run the worm will turn and America will reclaim what its losing and lost. To get their sooner, a valiant fight against what seems to be overwhelming odds is what is required. With Star Wars # III out in a couple of days, it can serve as a metaphor for those who oppose what is happening to get together to form into a cohesive force, a ragtag bunch of rebels if you like, because the dark side is here, its kicking ass and out to exterminate any dissenting thought.

It may be a long time before we raise our glasses and celebrate the power of Freedom overcoming Oppression again.

Wolf of the World

2005-03-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

What is going on? Where is the outrage from Democrats, the bloody yells from Europeans. The hissing from the balconies of the rest of the world?

Wolfowitz to head the World Bank? Somebody say it: You cannot be serious?!?!

Wolfowitz is a liar and a crook that subordinates the interests of the US, Europe and the rest of the world to the ideological Neo-Conservative agenda. He's a US Patriot? My ass he is. Is the prestige (what little there is left) in which the US is held by the rest of the world hurt by this move? You bet it is.

Let’s call this move for what it is: A play by the Neo-conservatives for another source of power. The World Bank is the perfect tool to blackmail, cajole, reward and punish nation states. Smaller nations in need of funding to lift their people out of poverty will be forced to acquiesce, remain silent and tacitly support whatever scandal-du-jour the Neo-Cons have set in motion.

McNamara used the World Bank in this role previously: Support the US in the fight with the communist scourge and you'd get funding for the bridges and dams your people need. Rally against US support of dictatorships in Latin America and South America that brutalized their own people, and no low interest loans for you.

Wolfie will replace McNamara’s 'Communist Scourge' with 'War on Terror', which has been a Neo-Con guise since the quick destruction of the Taliban of Afghanistan back in 2002, and in doing so will go farther from the United States guiding principles than McNamara ever did.

This is gangster politics. My neighbor’s house was torched and his money taken? No Officer, I didn't see nothing. I got this broken kneecap falling down some stairs. Veto this nomination before Wolfowitz and the Neo-cons expand their business from grand larceny to loan-sharking and extortion.

The US has an amazing capacity for good in the world. It also has an amazing capacity for evil. Unfortunately the US people only allow themselves to believe the first half of the story.

One last thing. In every report I read that there is an unsaid understanding that European heads the IMF and an American heads the World Bank.
The Europeans should unilaterally blow the lid of this 'understanding' like Bush unilaterally blew the lid of say, the 'Nuclear Test Ban Treaty'.

European's, veto the nomination and if you're feeling particularly enlightened get over this odious US-Euro colonial attitude and nominate a talented candidate from Africa, India, China, Thailand, Vietnam; nominate a talented individual which has lived with and overcome grinding poverty and who's country is going through a similar process.

Amy Said

2005-03-11T11:44:00.000-05:00

I am back from London and Dublin and had Amy over for a quick meal before we went around to C-Note to hear a friend of hers sing.
I had just had a grocery delivery so I had stuff in the fridge and I ended up throwing stuff together and making a Warm Spinach and Scallop Salad. She liked it so much Amy said I had to post the recipe to my blog. It was pretty tasty and its super easy so why not.

Here goes:
Warm Spinach and Scallop Salad.
Ingredients (all of which are available at Freshdirect)
4 Oz Bag of Mixed Spinach Salad (basically spinach & different kinds of lettuce)
3 large stalks of Basil leaves
1/2 Red onion
1 Tomato
3 cups Baby Yukon Potatoes
1 Lb fresh Scallops
1 large Portobello Mushroom
1 Large Clove Garlic
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
1 Big Clove of Garlic
Salt and Pepper.

Its pretty filling and serves 2.

Boil the Potatoes whole in a large pot. I like to do a couple of pounds at a time and refrigerate the rest, great for reheating/sautéing for a quick addition to other meals. The potatoes are small and firm and 10-15 minutes should be enough, or until you can get a knife in and out of one smoothly.
While the water is heating/ potatoes are boiling roughly cut up the Mixed Spinach Salad and Basil and throw into a bowl. Dice the red onion and cut up the tomato into small chunks and throw on the salad (we'll toss the salad later).
Chop the Mushroom into bite side pieces and put in a separate bowl, crush and dice the garlic and cut the scallops in 1/2 if they are big ones and put them in another bowl too - all for easy access later.
Now the hot stuff. Heat a fry pan, add the olive oil and sautee the garlic (though save a little garlic for the vinaigrette), then add in the mushrooms along with S&P to taste. Cook on a med heat until sautéed through and when done put in a small bowl to cool.
The potatoes will still be cooking and the scallops will only take a couple of minutes so you might as well make the vinaigrette.
Choose a small, sealable container. Pour in 1/2 Balsamic, 1/2 Olive Oil, throw in the garlic, salt and pepper. Seal and Shake. Done.
When the potatoes are done take out of the pot to cool. Throw the Scallops in the pan you cooked the mushrooms and cook on a med/high heat. Add Cracked Pepper and Salt and cook these bad boys until brown then toss and do the other side.
Roughly cut up the baby potatoes (you may like to add butter to them to melt through and add S&P - I do) and then throw on the salad. Throw the cooked Scallops on the salad too.
Toss all the salad ingredients thoroughly, mixing everything gently and let it stand for a couple of minutes letting the spinach wilt a little with the heat and generally warm through.

Get those salad tongs working and put the salad on 2 plates/bowls. Shake and pour over the vinaigrette and you're done.
From going to the kitchen to put the pot on to boil to sitting down to eat should be about 30 minutes, 40 tops. If you can chop, boil and panfry, you've got the skills to make a pretty tasty meal and a great way to impress the ladies.

Artful use of Language

2005-02-21T10:27:00.000-05:00

Here is a great article on the Right's use of language to frame the debate on their terms. Something every lefty politician and activist looking to enact change should read.

Who wants to live forever?

2005-02-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

I've come across articles like this for the last year and when ever I do I am reminded of Ron an executive I worked for back in Australia, a mentor of sorts, who was popping supplements and this, that and the other thing to combat ageing and death while he waited for life-extending technology to come to fruition.

I hope it works (he's a seriously nice guy) as I have my own delusions of grandeur and near-immortality is the only way humanity could travel the huge distances to other stars and planets. I do like to travel...

But I have no illusions. With human nature being what it is, there is a better than even chance immortality would be the death of us.

Here's another article pondering various futures.

Puncturing the Investing Myths

2005-02-06T13:59:00.000-05:00

I was out for coffee with Sherri last night and while we were chatting we got on to the subject of investing and getting investment advice.
The first thing I suggested she do was read Henry Blodget's articles on Slate a series of articles called - Wall Street Self-Defence. As an ex-insider he dishes it out, both puncturing the myths on investing and candidly gives you tips on what you should and should not do.

The List of the first 12 Wall Street Self-Defence posts are here, and 3 other Wall Street Self-Defence articles are here, here and here.

Fiji Fantastic

2005-01-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

Its been a long time between posts. Besides slacking with a lack of things to say, my other excuse was that I was away in a conference in Fiji.

Overall the trip was great. The resort we were staying at, 25 minutes out of Nadi was excellent (I met a guy who had been traveling around Fiji for a month who said it was the best he'd seen in the islands) though I was surprised by the lack of night life in town. It seems neither the local Fijian population or Indian (Hindu and about 48% of the pop) drink alcohol so bar, resturants and clubs are lacking, at least in Nadi. As a result we spent every night at the resort, bar one. Fiji isn't an atypical backpacker stop-over either, say like Bali or Thailand. I'd recommend those that like a drink or two buy a couple of bottles at duty free - it'll save you hundreds on pricey resort priced drinks, though if you're anything like us you'll spend that too.

There were a couple of gripes from the group, mostly revolving around service. The first thing you've got to prepare yourself for is 'Fiji time', service is very friendly but also very slow. Personally I didn't mind that much and only got frustrated when I was on a schedule. In fact it was peaceful to zen-out with quiet thoughts while the waitress took 10 minutes to come over and see if I would like a drink or a bite to eat.

The conference content was in the main useful, informative and applicable for my NYC business though for me the time spent talking with colleagues was the key benefit. Overall everyone got on well with only one or two minor dramas.

We took a day trip out to one of the small islands which was a crowd favorite and the weather was warm to hot without serious humidity, though as its rainy season we had pretty regular downpours on quite a few of the days. On the Booze angle (as in Booze and Hubris) we had a Kava ceremony as part of the day trip. Made from the powered root of the Kava plant and mixed with water, Kava contains no alcohol though its effect is is soothing and relaxing...and numbs the inside of your mouth. The Fiji Kava didn't taste too bad (its like chewing a dirty branch), at least compared to the Vanuatu variety I had a couple of years ago that was plain nasty.

Would I go again? I wouldn't say no, though only if I was already in the South Pacific.
I'm not a resort kinda guy, but if I was to do the resort thing again and still based in NYC I'd likely go to the Caribbean, Mexico and South/Central American first because lets face it, traveling all that way is a bitch.

What's the matter with America?

2004-12-31T11:50:00.000-05:00

The supposition in Thomas Frank's illuminating 'What's the matter with Kansas?' is that the red state's lower income, blue collar workers are voting against their economic & social self-interest by voting Republican.

Perhaps there is a deeper cultural issue at play: an American hatred of the poor and being poor, which has bubbled up from the depths of the cultural psyche in a coarsened and brutal Bush America. Bush, his staunch Republican's and their social and economic policies are perhaps progressive manifestation of this deep rooted American idealism that getting rich is the only thing of value and those that don't are contemptible.
(As a side note Salon has an interesting article on the ideological contrasts between the US and Europe and the gathering strength of a more united EU.)

When I read about an increase in Americans in poverty and the working poor, the elimination of financial services and support to its soldiers and their families and so many other examples the death of an already threadbare social safety net for its American citizens cannot be too far away. A death by a thousand cuts.

The thought that America hates its poor isn't mine. It was expressed back in 1969 but Kurt Vonnegut in his classic 'Slaughterhouse Five'. Tellingly, this opinion was detailed by the greatest of traitor, an American Nazi in Hitler’s service. As if only one so treasonous to mainstream American idealism and its self-view could express the awful truth. I have included the passages below.

"America is the wealthiest nation on Earth, but its people are mainly poor, and poor Americans are urged to hate themselves. To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, “It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.” It is in fact a crime for an American to be poor, even though America is a nation of poor. Every other nation has folk traditions of men who were poor but extremely wise and virtuous, and therefore more estimable than anyone with power and gold. No such tales are told by the American poor. They mock themselves and glorify their betters. The meanest eating and drinking establishment, owned by a man who is himself poor, is very likely to have a sign on its wall asking this cruel question: “If you’re so smart, why ain’t you rich?” There will also be an American flag no larger than a child’s hand — glued to a lollipop stick and flying from the cash register."

"Americans, like human beings everywhere, believe many things that are obviously untrue, the monograph went on. Their most destructive untruth is that it is very easy for any American to make money. They will not acknowledge how in fact hard money is to come by, and, therefore, those who have no money blame and blame and blame themselves. This inward blame has been a treasure for the rich and powerful, who have had to do less for their poor, publicly and privately, than any other ruling class since, say, Napoleonic times.
Many novelties have come from America. The most startling of these, a thing without precedent, is a mass of undignified poor. They do not love one another because they do not love themselves. Once this is understood, the disagreeable behavior of American enlisted men in German prisons ceases to be a mystery."

"A prison administrator dealing with captured American enlisted men for the first time should be warned: Expect no brotherly love, even between brothers. There will be no cohesion between the individuals. Each will be a sulky child who often wishes he were dead."

Dell Axim X50 Usability Update

2004-12-29T10:10:00.000-05:00

The Axim has worked out like a charm on my trip to Europe. Battery life was superb (being able to read ebooks for 6-7 hours straight on flights/trains for instance). The WMA playback is great and I'll be getting a 2Gb SD card to put all my music on it and all the features worked like a charm.
Wifi access is the only drawback. There were fewer hotspots in Europe than I hoped for and the ones that were avaiable were fee-for-service rather than open sites like I hoped. This is hardly Dell's fault though and it will improve.
What Dell could do better is information on using the Dell WLAN Utility and Odessey Wireless Utility, the Help is very unhelpful and when I did find a fee-for-access site I couldn't get the system to access it. Obviously I'm doing something wrong but no amount of playing around could make it work which is unusual for me.

Overall 4 1/2 stars out of 5.

Back in the U.S.S.A.

2004-12-29T09:56:00.000-05:00

My trip to Europe was a blast, particularly Nice and Christmas with my Brothers wife's family in Scotland with fine wines and Goose for Christmas dinner.
Apart from a dodgy chicken salad sandwich I grabbed in Marseille prior to may train to Narbonne everything went smoothly. My Brother and his wife have entered the dual worlds of London Real Estate and DYI, moving into a 1750s cottage in Chesham in North West London, and at the same time getting a puppy, a fearless and unbelievably cute Irish Terrier named George.

Discoveries:
The choice to stay in apartments rather than hotels was inspired and will be my first choice for travel accomodation in the future.
By some quirk of economics, every third shop in Nice is a pharmacy.
Catalan Spanish is unreasonably difficult to understand.
Don't drive in England if you don't have to. Through a illustration of the Butterfly effect the entire nation turns into a traffic jam if a lorry decided to flip over, which they do with surprising frequency during Christmas holidays.
How much I miss unsalacious and reasonable media coverage of the world's news and events. Getting media coverage on world news and events.

EURUSD: Where Can It Go - 1.30 or 1.40?

2004-12-07T18:53:00.000-05:00

DailyFX has an interesting article breaking out the factors impacting short term moves, up or down, in the Euro-US Dollar. As of this post the EURUSD is trading around 1.3425.

Currently I am long in both the EURUSD and GBPUSD.

Europa Travel on the Web

2004-12-06T15:45:00.000-05:00

I'm just putting the finishing touches on my European trip. I have no idea how I did this prior to the web but for posterity's sake here are some of the links I used.

For all the bargains on the web I pretty much use United Airlines for return flights to London these days. Their schedule is good, I get Flyer miles and I've found their prices are usually among the lowest for direct flights. For bargains its worth checking out 1-800 FlyEurope and MSNBC's Bargain Travel section frequent lists up-to-date discount travel offerings as well as articles to spark some good ideas to get off the beaten track.

Websites for hotels in London are bountiful, I've used Hotels.com and Londontown in the past, though this time I used Discount City Hotels to find something to meet my location requirements.

Booking air travel around Europe from London to Nice and from Barcelona to London was easy, cheap and flexible, and for train travel through France to Spain I used Rail Europe, though it was sometimes glitchy and not as intuitive as it could be.

In Nice I am staying at a serviced apartment on the Promenade Des Anglais and for my night in Narbonne, I found a Bed & Breakfast site for all of France and booked a room. In Barcelona I am looking at serviced apartment options at Holiday Rentals, though I could go for a B&B as there seemed to be tonnes of options using a 'Barcelona B&B' Google search.

Resistance is Futile

2004-12-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a very interesting tale about Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' and how it almost wasn't released by Columbia back in 1965.

Axim X50 PocketPC - Set up and Usability

2004-12-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

I've had the Axim X50 PocketPC for less than 24 hours and am trialing as many functions as I can, partly because I'm geeky, partly so I'm not caught short on my trip to Europe in around 10 days.

Set-Up 1:
- Installation and ActiveSync went smoothly.
- All internal Apps seem to be working well.
- I installed SPB's PocketPC Plus Demo which looks useful (To open multiple Pocket IE windows, access to internal functions on the front screen and monitor battery life while using applications).
- I installed Mobi Pocket reader to read Ebooks.
- Wifi works fine but the Dell WLAN auto-selects Wifi sites which is a problem as it often selects a pay-for-access point I don't want rather than other free access points in the 'hood.
- Website access is slow but so far I don't know whether that's due to the Wifi connection (poor) or the PocketPC.
I had trouble with the Pocket IE Browser; it couldn't find sites, even some of bookmarks which came with PIE.
- I installed a demo of NetFront's 3.1 browser with Java support but had problems there too accessing sites. You can find a review of NetFront 3.1 here.
- Couldn't access Gmail site from either browser
- MP3 playback via the Windows Media Application was crap, playing only a few bars of a song before cutting out.

With so much not working and in a fit of frustration I Hard Reset and un/reinstalled ActiveSync on the PC and started again.

Set-up 2:
- ActiveSync was a breeze again.
- I installed SPB's PocketPC Plus demo, Mobi Pocket Reader and NetFront 3.1 demo browser again.
- This time there was no problems with either browser accessing sites though Gmail can't be accessed and there are (unsupported) functions on other sites that I can't use, but that was expected.
- Both Browsers worked fine though NetFront's is more usable. Neither replicates the ease or flexibility of the desktop browser, which in my case is Firefox.
- To work around the Gmail problem I found the Gmail-Lite site to log into my Gmail account.
- I tried to set up Gmail POP3 access using an Outlook account but I haven't been able to get it working yet, though corporate email accounts both over ActiveSync and Wifi work without any drama.
- I was able to access and link to streaming audio (via NetFront, not PIE) over Wifi from TripleJ
in Australia which was a pleasant surprise.
- I was able to trial MGForex's wireless trading site via NetFront and execute orders (I was unable to access site prior to the hard reset). Though the internal charting is woefully inadequate for any serious technical analysis it could still be a useful tool on the road.
- I downloaded an E-book from the New York Public Library without a hitch, though Mobi Pocket Reader may take a little while to get used to.
- I have installed Skype for PocketPC for free phone calls over Wifi but haven't had a chance to use it as yet.
- Cisco's Odyssey Wifi Client is also installed as well as Dell's WLAN utility on this version of the Axim X50 which seems to offer the ability to choose the wifi access point I want rather than automatically. I'll trial it later.
- I haven't re-trialed MP3 playback as yet.
- Wifi access is slow but acceptable. I have yet to try it with better quality connections.

First Glance Conclusions:
Firstly, I don't know why there were so many issues during the first install and I still have occasional glitches during the second, both of which are a little disconcerting as it lowers my level of confidence in the robustness of the platform.
Battery life, particularly during Wifi usage could be a problem and something to monitor while I'm on the road.
Nevertheless things seem to be working well on the second go-around, the design is great and functionality is high. Undoubtedly I'll purchase full versions of NetFront Browser and PocketPC Plus.
If it maintains it's stability from now on I'll be able to carry in my pocket the tools to perform at least 80% of my office work which I consider to be a major success.

** Update 6 December **
For Gmail access I've started using Mail2Web instead of Gmail-Lite, the interface is better and its a quicker load.
I'm having no trouble playing WMA files under Windows Media but MP3 files are still a problem. Microsoft wouldn't sabotage a competing non-MS standard would they? Bastards.
Everything including Netfront 3.1 and PocketPC Plus is installed and running smooth.

Internet and the Media

2004-11-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

I caught yet another talking head-fest on C-Span last night reflecting on the Internet and the Media. It had the usual suspects to cover the bases: some guy from the Washington Post, some Professor of Media from some University, the guy who got fired from Sinclair for pointing out the wrongness of showing an Anti-Kerry movie just prior to the election, Ana Marie Cox of Wonkette who must be the most over-exposed person in media right now (move over Jon Stewart) and the surprise of the bunch Author and Satirist Joe Queenan.

Invariably it was interesting but in that looking up your own bum with a mirror and a flashlight kind of way. Unfortunately Ana Marie seemed flat but that is unsurprising as she's probably said all she had to say in the previous weeks in front of podiums and microphones. She kept trailing off; her incomplete sentences ending in dead air, like so much talk about so little was inane, but it had continued and stopped becoming funny and playful. Somehow she became the Queen Guru of the internet media with keys to the kingdom, when all she wanted was to have a giggle with dick jokes and commentary.

I hadn't come across Joe Queenan before but I liked the cut of his jib. He seemed to treat the proceedings with the right degree of gravitas, providing pointed commentary and satirical detactment where necessary. He had some good one-liners too. I've always been attracted to blustering windbags who skewered cherished truths, like when I found P.J. O'Rourke's All the Trouble in the World in the mid-90's and laughed so hard I cried. I've bought most of the work P.J has put out since then and recently browsed his latest book at Barnes & Noble's which supported Bush and the war. Unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to buy it which comments on my own lack of detachment on the subject. I couldn't help thinking that as a Republican and conservative what P.J. ought to do is write about the follies of neo-con Bush Administration. Good lord, if ever there was subject in need of his talents.

EURUSD: Where do we go from here?

2004-11-30T08:14:00.000-05:00

EURUSD broke 1.3300 this morning prior to the preliminary US Q3 GDP result which are due out in 15 minutes, which for me is a little surprising as I expected a little more consolidation around 1.3200 in the 24-48 hours leading up to the news. GBPUSD is hovering just below its February 2004 high of 1.9140 (a 12 year high).
Stephen Roach, the chief economist at investment banking giant Morgan Stanley had some incendiary comments about the US economy, which, if they play out means that this period of weakness of the USD is just the beginning and it will continue. I'm going to look for some contrarian opinion to Mr. Roach's though I will discount anything from or affiliated to the Bush administration because their 'Emperors New Clothes' version of reality, policy and government.

Dealing with Dell

2004-11-24T13:42:00.000-05:00

The first purchase from Dell is likely to be my last, no matter how good, or bad, the Axim handheld turns out to be. Infuriating customer service is not what I expected from one of the world's largest consumer electronics companies nor is it anything I will put up with.

In the age of instant communication spanning the globe, its hard that something as humble as a credit card can be such a large fly in the ointment. When I purchased my Dell Axim I used an overseas credit card, a Visa Card which has a particularly good Points program which I am racking up to redeem for a world-wide trip one day. Everything was going swimmingly in the purchase process and I dutifully called the card services number after the purchase to verify the overseas card, as is Dell's process, was told everything had gone through and I waited for the order to arrive.

Arrive it did not. I checked my order online on the day it was due and discovered the order hadn't been processed, so called Dell in a mild simmer. After much time explaining the situation to the rep and much time on the phone I was told my bank in Australia was holding up authorization and I would have to call them. What?! My temperature on the increase, I explained that in no way could it be my bank holding up purchase and I asked to speak to the manager to find out the reason for the problem, but was told there was no one there I could talk to.

I did call my bank (at no little expense) and yes, after 20 minutes on the phone found out that the purchase was waiting in authorizations but due to a hold put on by Dell, not the bank. I sent a couple of emails back to folk at Dell who had 'helped' with my order and went to bed. This morning, I checked my order status and discovered the order, which at purchase time been A-OK, had arbitrarily been canceled and I not informed. Shaka Zulu!!

I called up Dell, and as calmly as I could I replaced the order with purchase using a US card (and getting quoted $80 more in the process which I successfully fought) and went on my way with a loathing for Dell which will continue, I am sure, for years to come.

Let me state that their was nothing wrong with the card (I purchased $700 in flights a couple of days later among other things), there was plenty of funds and all that. Let me also state that I have had problems before using the card in the US, though only once. After purchasing several flights with Orbitz (using the same card over a year period) I was booking another flight with Orbitz when the system rejected my overseas card. I called and was told there was a change of policy to overseas based credit cards. I haven't been back since.

I appreciate a company should has security and anti-fraud measures in place, and I laud Dell for the extra step of verifying my overseas credit card in the purchase process. But the system has to work and if there is an issue I should have been contacted (eg so I could use another credit card or told there would be a delay if extra processing time was needed). The combination of poor processes and automaton customer service reps without the tools needed to accurately inform me of the problem or help with it means I'll never buy Dell again.

I am expecting delivery next week. God I hope this Axim isn't a piece of junk.

Without Tethers

2004-11-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

Besides wanting to shamelessly rip off Woody Allen with the title, I've gone and purchased a new Dell Axim X50 Handheld and delivery is due today. It was a toss up between Dell and HP IPAQ but the Dell won out as reviews have been positive and though the IPAQ's power /features were marginally better the Axim, at $340 was around $300 less.

Its not my first time with a handheld, I had a Handspring Visor Prism a couple of years ago but when I dropped the damn thing at JFK the screen stopped working and though very useful on business trips I'm mainly office bound so it wasn't worth it to replace.

The key feature I'll evaluate the Axim on it the usability of its its internal wifi and web based applications. The Pocket Internet Explorer doesn't look promising as it doesn't support Java but there may be a work around. I'm sticking with the base model for now before I launch into accessories but if it works out I'm likely to get a 2Gb SD card to turn it into a music/ video player and ebook reader among other things.

EURUSD: Come Fly With Me

2004-11-23T11:23:00.000-05:00

The same day as my last post on the subject EURUSD established itself above 1.3000 and today its flirting with 1.3100 (its reached 1.3104). GBPUSD is now hovering around 1.8700 up around 200 pips from last week.
The rise in the Euro has been slower than I thought but it is moving nonetheless. Supposedly there are short position stops in the 1.3100-1.3150 so if they are triggered it may rocket from there, perhaps to the 1.3300 level.

Talking Heads

2004-11-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

How validating it is to be well, validated.
Last week Charlie Rose (on PBS) conducted a panel discussion with the heads of Cisco (John Chambers), Intel (Paul Otellini), Google (Eric Schimdt), Yahoo (Terry Semel) on IT's coming attractions. These high priests of IT invoked the glorious vision of our shared future around the corner, as well as the threats to that vision.

My validation comes from their comments about the necessity for fast and cheap broadband to the populace which underpins the next stage in evolution. Their comments dovetail with my own about the Australian and New Zealand broadband marketplace, which is orders of magnatude behind US infrastructure development.

For all the US's gains these guys are seriously worried about the slow uptake of broadband in the US and about falling even further behind. On the plus side they were looking 12-24 months ahead where we will have broadband pipes 10 times the order of magnitude I have now (1.5Mbps), but wireless. With the average user enabled with that type of access revolutions in education, healthcare and every other human endeavor and industry takes place. Obviously these guys are preaching to the converted.

The areas where government should take action to combat the threats to US leadership was articulated by John Chambers, Cisco President & CEO who called for a national broadband policy (the US is the only country in the G8 without one), policies to encourage education in Math & Science and a change in Immigration policies to encourage foreign born Math & Science post-graduates in these fields to stay in the US rather than force them to leave after their studies. Green card anyone?

Hopefully Audible.com will post the panel discussion on its site for download soon.

Single Malted

2004-11-18T17:15:00.000-05:00

Ardbeg 10 Year Old.

I have drunk various single malts over the years including copious rare and expensive ones at after-hours 'training sessions' at a 5 star hotel bar where I worked at in my early twenties. But single malts just weren't my thing; too potent and overpowering to the senses and too imbued with both snob stuffiness and the fond memories of a dear grandfather. This was a serious drink.

When my brother married a lovely Scottish lass in early 2003 the families traveled from around the globe and gathered in a small village a couple hours north of Edinburgh. I found a flight on Air Iceland via Reykjavik to Glasgow which allowed me to stay over in Reykjavik and enjoy that city's charms (but that's another story) along the way.

Eddie my brother's future father-in-law introduced me to Ardbeg. Eddie, though no caricature, to my eye is a quintessential Scotsman, an ebullient man possessing humor, humanity, canniness and smarts. He loves his family, his Glasgow Rangers, his work and his Scotch. On the night before the wedding the family and guests who had come up to Scotland early met for drinks and a large group dinner. After dinner filled with good humor we settled in the hotel lounge and Eddie introduced us to round after round of Scotch encouraging us to try them all, filling us in on each ones history and character as he regaled us with stories of his family and Scotland. Ardbeg was his personal favorite, lighter in color and less overwhelming than others I had tried.
More importantly, the celebratory nature and warmth of the occasion threw off the baggage I had associated with Scotch, and by replacing those feelings with ones more joyous and jovial, it became mine.

So if you want to give single malts a whirl give Ardbeg a try, though stick with the 10 year old if you're new to Scotch. At a recent Poker night I tried an 18 year old Ardbeg (thank you for your hospitality Ekow) and honestly I couldn't tell the difference, but that fault is mine not the Scotch's. The 10 year old is decently priced (around $25 last time I picked up a liter bottle at Duty Free) for premium Scotch.

Here is slightly wistful yet informative article about single malt Scotch and Scotch tasting by Slate's David Edelsen (with links to other sources) including a tasting review of Ardbeg.

After the wedding Eddie presented me with a bottle Ardbeg as thanks for being in the wedding party, and I have had a couple of other bottles since, along with many happy memories.

Shatner in '78. God Bless America

2004-11-17T17:45:00.000-05:00

Someone, somewhere, deserves a medal. This video (Windows Media File) of William Shatner back in 1978 goes beyond funny into a whole new incomprehesible world.
Shatner doing a boofed up lounge singer act, except its a dramatic spoken word version of 'Rocketman'. I could barely watch.

Paring an Apple

2004-11-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

It has been over a year since Apple came out with its phemonmenally good looking 15" and 17" G4 Powerbooks. Why am I still waiting for Windows based manufacturers to come up laptop with a similar sexy form factor matched with future proofed grunt?

In case any notebook designers come across this post I want a thin Windows based desktop replacement that looks cool, has all the bells and whistles but doesn't require regular chiropractor visits. Is this too much to ask?
PS If someone can show me how to use all my Windows apps (a major investment) on the Apple without the tradeoff of performance degradation using Virtual PC, I'd switch in a second.

About the closest I've found to a thin, lightish laptop on par with the 15" Powerbook is the X1000 series from Compaq but it is woefully underpowered to take seriously. Sony's X505 is stunning but too small and the IBM 15" T Series targetting the business market seems like a good option but lacks any hot-rod upgrade path. As for the other major manufacturers they seem to have stuck with the same ole stodgy look of the past decade.
Niche providers Alienware and Voodoo are in a space race putting out powerful offerings targetting hardcore gamers but they're still thick, boxy and in the heavy 7-12lb range (compared to 5.7 and 6.9lbs for the two Powerbooks).

So I wait for the next round of models; perhaps someone will come out with new thin designs in concert with PCI-Express, but as PCI-e runs faster its likely to run hotter making that combo seem unlikely to me.

Absinthe Visions

2004-11-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

On my last trip back from London I picked up a bottle of La Fe'e Absinthe at duty free. I've been curious about the tales of the hallucinatory effects (most recently portrayed Moulin Rouge) of the active incredient Wormword and thought I should give it a go, plus the flaming green and gold eye on the label looked pretty cool.

Its a green liquor 45% alc by volume (90 proof) and traditionally poured over sugar into a strainer a top a glass and mixed with 4 parts ice water. Like Pastis and Ouzo it clouds to a milky-water color and like these two tastes of Aniseed, those less biting and harsh.

The taste was pleasant enough and the effect was a dull warming of the body and mind. It seems like the ideal drink to share with a couple of close friends on a chilly night. To get any hallucinatory effect would likely require drinking the entire bottle, but drinking the entire bottle of anything would probably have the same effect.

Broadband Monopoly killing Australia

2004-11-16T19:50:00.000-05:00

In response to a Sydney Morning Herald article titled How Long is a piece of Telstra ADSL string? by Greg Eaton which was commenting on the (nefarious?) incompetence of Australia's monopolisitic Telstra, I wrote him back with the following response:

I read your article with interest and a little despair. I am an expatriate based in New York who just last week had my Verizon (local phone provider) ADSL service upgraded from 728kbps to 1.5Mbps for the same price ($US40/month). I could also have chosen to pay an extra $US10/month and got 3Mbps download but 1.5 is fine for now. Importantly there are no usage caps.

The reason for my despair is that the lack of progress in the development of fast and cheap broadband Internet access in Australia (and for that matter New Zealand) remains a key reason why I can't consider coming home anytime soon.

Fast, cheap broadband access has changed the way I live. Broadband is driving mobility, freedom and innovation in every area of daily life and the opportunities to improve my life around the corner are astounding. I won't compromise. It'd be like moving to the dusty outback where even going to the store is a chore.

If I do leave the US, I am more likely to consider moving to the UK to tap any number of competitive offerings in the deregulated marketplace, or perhaps France where 2 or 5Mbps broadband, 100 TV channels, VoIP phone with free local and long distance calls, free Wifi connection, all in the same box is available for €30 a month. France! Mon Dieu!

The government should not just deregulate the monopolies of Australia and New Zealand's broadband marketplace but change public policy to actively encourage and invest in reform. It is as necessary to have these global links and infrastructure built for the populace as it was to build road, rail and air transportation links, electricity and irrigation infrastructure in 20th century.

There are technologies leveraging existing infrastructure like broadband over powerlines in trial here in the US or cheaper alternatives to cable and even DSL like WiMax coming down the pipe and I would encourage public funds being invested in testing whatever alternatives there may be to get the people moving faster, sooner.

Perhaps a rural farmer with his rolling vistas and gravel roads looks at city life with a level of dismay at its speed and hustle, and can't understand the big attraction, and perhaps some readers won't understand the benefits of all broadband, all the time. But the country life, for all its charms, has limited opportunity and that's the reality faced by Australasians in the 21st century without parity in 1st world infrastructure.

EURUSD...Enough Already!

2004-11-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

The EURUSD has been consolidating in the 1.2850 - 1.3000 range for a week and a half and I for one am ready for a breakout (it reached 1.3007 a 9 year high). Considered opinion has a long bias and I already have a small long position at 1.2926 (break of prev year high) held since last week. If technical indicators are in agreement I plan to add to on a breakout of the range long or stop and reverse on a breakout short with trailing stops.

Democrats Road to Damascus

2004-11-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

It has been said that Democrats look down their elitist noses at the red state Republican voters. To the red state republicans the archetype Democrat is synonymous to Saul, who viewed early Christians as heretics and was bent on destroying them and their way of life.
The language of the persecuted underdog in firebrand speech from right wing conservatives is as unmistakable as it is erroneous.

It could successfully be argued that the Democratic party with the legacies of FDR, Truman and Lyndon Johnson have done as much, if not more to promote Christian virtue and raise up their fellow man as their Republican counterparts. That is if this was a reasoned rather than emotional political climate.

Nevertheless this political and social dynamic is in play and it is the Republicans that have seized the language, emotion and empathy of the disenfranchised and raised itself to the most powerful incumbency.

The Democrats Road to Damascus does not involve the conversion to Christianity like Saul who became Paul, because in this most Christian nation they most likely already are. The conversion I speak of is the conversion from talking about politics and policies in intellectual language to that of the emotional, invoking the wellspring of Democratic values, foundations and inspiring core beliefs that will in turn better America and its American citizens.

To that end I suggest Democrats promote political leaders with the ability to communicate in emotional language and conviction rather than the insider political operatives, policy wonks or fatally uncharismatic junior senators from New York who currently lead the party. These leaders with the common touch (though uncommon talent) should then be sent into the wilderness of the red states not to engage with policies and positions but to listen; to the concerns, the language, and yes, the nuance of their red state brethren.

Democrats have a tremendous record of using the tools of government to improve the American people's lives but until they find the lost language to frame the debate on their own terms, their shared experience of being American will always come across as a dispassionate intellectual connection rather than an emotional one. Until Democrats effect this change they'll be a lost voice in the wilderness, relying on the flaws and mistakes of the Republicans to move the sentiment of the voters rather than their own powerful virtues.

Best Easy Cocktail

2004-11-16T16:48:00.000-05:00

Best Easy Cocktail.
Moscow Mule
1 part vodka (any premium brand)
4 parts Gingerale (as dry as you can find)
1/2 shell of lime
Ice - Cracked, if possible (small cubes will dilute the drink too quickly).

Fill highball glass with a couple of large chunks of Ice, pour over vodka, ginger ale and squeeze in the lime juice and gently stir. Serve with a 1/4 shell of lime and a swizzle stick.
The bite will keep you refreshed and sharp and the vodka will give you just enough kick to warm you up: its a great drink for expansive Q & A conversations (and first dates).

There are currently 5 to 10 million blogs out there according to todays C-Span seminar on the digital world organized by the Library of Congress. With all of that ephemera out there the chance of someone coming aross my musings are slim to none but I add my voice to the conversation nonetheless.