SomaComa™

Arab Money - Busta Rhymes

2008-11-09T07:09:00.001-05:00

I think everyone needs to see this.

Bill O'Reilly is a Cry Baby. I Have Proof.

2008-11-02T23:17:00.002-05:00

First of all, I never knew Bill O'Reilly got his start on Inside Edition. This clip shows an early Bill, a little rough around the edges, completely loose it after he has problems reading the teleprompter. I'm glad I don't work in the entertainment industry because if I had to deal with a douche bag like him yelling at me I would punch him in the face and wipe the floor with his shit eating grin.

Bill probably ran out of cocaine that day and realized that he was an impotent closet homosexual who panders to conservatives for attention. Way to go Bill. You fucking fruit cake. Much props to College Humor for hosting the video after YouTube took it down.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Sarah Palin Gets Owned by "The Masked Avengers"

2008-11-02T21:25:00.003-05:00

I don't believe she is this dumb. So these dudes "The Masked Avengers", a Canadian prank call duo, posed as Nicolas Sarkozy (president of France) and had a little conversation with Palin. Watch the whole thing, after the line "maybe you'll be president soon", she goes "maybe in 8 years". This chick is dreaming; NO ONE IS GOING TO VOTE FOR YOU - YOU ARE A DUMB CUNT!

Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out that this tape is with a fake Palin. However, at the end of the clip they say that the Palin camp has made a statement about the prank call, she is "mildly amused". I am having a hard time believing that she is STUPID enough to think that a PRESIDENT would talk like this. Mad props to "The Masked Avengers".

John McCain is a Liar, Coward, and a Piece of Shit Power Hungry Cunt

2008-10-31T15:30:00.003-04:00

It's a damn shame John McCain uses his POW status to try and lure the votes of red-state America. Obama did resort to a smear campaign but there was plenty of material that was at his disposal, only difference being the allegations against McCain are true.

He claims he spent 2 years in prison camp and constantly brags about how he was tortured the whole time. Now watch these videos and ask yourself what seems closer to the truth. He doesn't care if we keep our forces in Iraq for a 100 years? Is that alright with you? What a fucking weasel. How the fuck does middle-class "real america" voters fall for this bullshit? Please send this to any McCain supporters before the election - and note - these videos weren't produced by the "left wing liberal media conspiracy", they were produced by vietnamveteransagainstmccain.com (except for the last one).

Pride and Glory Movie Review

2008-10-31T11:54:00.001-04:00

Here's my summarized review of "Pride and Glory", the new cop-thriller with Ed Norton and Collin Ferrell. It sucked. An unoriginal bore-fest with one intense scene. What a waste of talent.

"I Don't Believe in Eye for an Eye, I Believe in 2 Eyes for an Eye" - Bas Rutten

2008-10-23T08:15:00.003-04:00

Bas Rutten is a MMA fighter who has released a series of videos on street fight tactics. As usual, the videos that aren't trying to be funny turn out to be hilarious. Thanks to Lasko, I found this video of Bas Rutten on his blog and decided it was very worthy of SomaComa.

In this video, Bas demonstrates how to win a bar fight. I feel so bad for his training partner and I wonder if there were any "out takes" where Bas actually "accidently" hurt the guy. All I know is that I don't want to be in a bar fight with Bas - EVER. This video also reminds us that you shouldn't get into a bar fight in the first place unless you are a complete badass like Bas Rutten. So next time I get drunk and I get beer balls and want to start some shit, I will be rethinking every move - knowing there are people out there like Bas who aren't hoping they don't get into an altercation, but wishing that they do.

Thanks again to Lasko, this video is not only informative, but absolutely hilarious.

Devin Harris Gets Swooped by Random Bloke

2008-10-14T15:23:00.002-04:00

Devin Harris gets swooped on by random bloke from London. The fact that he's wearing jeans and a v-neck is the best part.

My New Workout

2008-10-10T12:16:00.001-04:00

This video is so weird. I just hope to god that its fake.

Sarah Palin Gets Owned by Keith Olbermann

2008-10-08T22:59:00.003-04:00

Watch Olbermann's response to Sarah Palin's criticism of Obama for "palling around with terrorists". He does a great job at pointing out how she likes to play the gender card and how she fails in every regard at being anything close to a qualified Vice Presidential candidate.

Safe for Work Porn

2008-10-03T16:22:00.000-04:00

Another hilarious video, thanks to RP for this one.

See more funny videos and TBT Videos at Today's Big Thing.

The Global Financial Crisis of 2008

2008-10-02T12:10:00.005-04:00

The senate passed the bill and the House will most likely pass it on Friday. The media has embraced the "financial crisis", and by the media I refer to the 5 conglomerates that control all the media in America. When you hear news and analysis on our current economic situation always keep in mind that the wealthiest bastards in charge of these media conglomerates all have their own agenda. Watching CNN everyday I've realized that aside from the elementary overview of what's happening, the network doesn't really offer a clear analysis of the situation.

For those who want to grasp the details of our current situation (which shouldn't be any surprise - The New Paradigm for Financial Markets: The Credit Crisis of 2008 and What it Means by George Soros was published in May 2008) the media does not offer any substance. Another great book to read on the subject is Liars Poker by Michael Lewis. The story tells Lewis's first hand experience at the premier investment bank in the heyday of the 80s - Salomon Brothers. It discusses how the subprime CDOs were created, why they were created, and does an excellent job at explaining the details. This book should be read by the public to understand why CDO, subprime lending, and wall street greed has put us in our current situation.

The men that created these securities made BILLIONS of dollars. They had lobbyists working for them, bribing legislators to loosen regulations, in order to make more money. Michael Lewis breaks down the players in the Wall Street game, who have won handsomely, taken their rewards, and left long before the collapse in overtime. The middle class is shrinking, and the upper 5% is only getting richer and more powerful. What really "yanks my chain" is how ignorant the general public is - a.k.a the majority voters - and uninterested they are in the complexities of this economic fiasco.

In other news, I'm looking forward to the VP debate tonight, apparently so is majority of America. I hope CNN has their "Perception Analyzer" so they can help me form my opinion (/sarcasm).

Mac vs PC - Rap Remix

2008-09-24T10:42:00.004-04:00

This is kind of stupid and yet kinda funny. I'll give them a B for effort. The best part starts around 2:31, where they break into a modem-line sample. These guys put in a lot of work for the production, there are some many background dancers and small details in the video.

Things aren't looking good (Job Market Sucks!)

2008-09-23T16:38:00.005-04:00

I got rejected by that job in NYC because they wanted someone with more of a Computer Science background. Awesome - actually I kind of expected that. The more rejections I get, the thicker my skin gets. I remember the first time I got rejected from a job I was really keen about. As I read the denial email I got butterflies in my stomach and my immediate emotional outburst was a mixture of anger, frustration, and sadness. This time around I just read the email really quickly, grinned a little bit, responded with a nice "Thanks for your time..." email and that was it.

There wasn't any negative emotion. I am starting to become very stoic. I guess I'm also starting to realize how bad the economic environment is right now for a fresh college grad. I went to a Job Fair today in NYC and the line to get in and registered spun around the whole block. I waited for 45 minutes in the line and it still grew longer. Eventually I just gave up and left. Most of those in the line with me were experienced and I knew that the probability of me getting with companies at the career fair over them was very slim. Instead, I walked to a bunch of recruiters and headhunters in the city and created accounts with them.

I have a few more leads that I'm waiting to hear back from. Right now I don't know what to expect. I'm still applying to jobs and now I've started reaching out to alumni and contacts. As much as it sucks not having a full time with good pay and benefits, I'm thoroughly enjoying my free time trading, reading, playing basketball, and enjoying life as much as possible.

I'm lucky I have a family to support me right now, no mortgage payments, and no extravagant debt of any type. I pray for those who have recently lost their jobs and are dealing with some serious financial issues. I also pray that Obama wins this election and turns this country around. It will take more than 4 years but I have a lot of faith in Obama-Biden.

With that being said,

SOMACOMA OFFICIALLY ENDORSES OBAMA-BIDEN IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS! DO YOUR PART - GET OUT THERE AND VOTE! (UNLESS IT'S FOR MCCAIN!)

BPOnline Resume Scam

2008-09-20T23:58:00.002-04:00

If you get an email from xxxx@BPOnline.com then it is scam. I received this in my inbox tonight and several red flags went off immediately.

First when I tried to go to a bponline.com domain it was some bullshit fake ad template. Second, the letter tells you to email a "HRrecruiter" using a gmail account. Yea, that makes a lot of fucking sense, fucking assholes. Third, it lists almost every available corporate career and some mysterious third round draft type recruiting cycle.

Whoever sent this is probably trying to collect resumes from college kids and sell them on the internet. That's a cool idea but what pisses me off is how sloppy and shitty these scams are done. But I'd still bet they will get a good amount of responses.

Subject:British Petroleum JOB OFFER!!!

Sent By

"BRITISH PETROLEUM JOB OFFER"

On:

September 20, 2008 5:58 AM

To:undisclosed-recipients:;Reply To:bprecruitdesk08@gmail.com

British Petroleum Company wishes to announce to the general public
about its 3rd Quota Recruitment excise which is currently going on now.

Short Listed Vancies:Consultant
Human Resources Officer
Marketing.
Account Executive.
Chief Accountants.
Engineering Managers Maintenance.
All Managerial positions.
Cost Engineer/ Sr Quantity surveyor
All Engineering positions
Chief Engineers.
Management and Project Management.
General Manager/Manager Engineering.
Project Manager, Exploration of Oil and gas fields.
Medical Officers.
Medical Consultants/Specialist.
Mining Consultants.
Engineering consultants
Financial Consultants.
Petroleum Geologist.
Welding and heavy fabrication.
Professional Executive Secretary.
Human Resources, Administration.
Medical Practioners
Data Processing officer

ETC.This vacancies are to fill up the offices of our newly opened branches
in the UK Resourceful applicant with qualified Grad/Result
should forward all qualification to the office of the Human Resources
Officer for Screening.

Stated Below is the full details to the HRD:Officer:Mr Allen Parker.
Email: bprecruitdesk08@gmail.com Do contact the department with an update of
your resume. Qualified
Applicant will be invited to London for their interview after
screening.

Regards,
HR Department.

My New Hobby

2008-09-16T14:58:00.003-04:00

Since I've been spending a lot of time at home during the day I picked up a new hobby: Aquariums and fish keeping. I got a 10 gallon tank off of craigslist for $10. The lady who sold it included everything: the light fixture, in tank filter with pump, some flake fish food, a siphon, a in tank heater, an air pump, an air stone, and some filter refills. I just bought some new gravel, a new 14W T8 Light, and a couple of fish. I'll post some pics of my setup soon. Having an aquarium is such a calming experience, especially the trickling sound of the water coming in through the filter.

I'm waiting to hear back from Hess on the 19th. I have a phone interview tomorrow with VMware which should be interesting and I am also waiting to hear back from Panasonic EWC group. After the recent bankruptcy of Lehman brothers I am starting to fear a total infrastructure collapse. I read George Soros' "The New Paradigm for Financial Markets" and everything he said seems to be coming true. Anyone who wants to understand what the overlying problems in our current financial markets should read this book: The New Paradigm For Financial Markets.

I'm keeping myself busy studying for GMATs, which I will take the last week of October (tentatively). I'm also doing a lot of trading, there are a lot of opportunities in the current markets, which contain dramatic market shifts. I made 32% for the month of September, with real money (GASP!) for once. I'm pretty proud of the performance and I'm learning a great deal from my trading log. However, there is always room for improvement. My goal is to attain consistent earnings of 30% every month until the end of the year.

I'm currently reading Market Wizards by Jack D. Schwager and The Scarlet Woman of Wall Street by John Steele Gordon.

Funniest Fucking Video of 2008

2008-09-06T17:31:00.002-04:00

Is what I will title this post until I find something funnier. Here's the synopsis. It's an Indian reality show where the the female co host curses out one of the contestant after he starts acting smart. She then decides to ice the cake and slaps the guy, immediately this dude slaps her back hard as hell. All hell breaks loose.

The male co host grabs the contestant and starts kicking his ass. Majority of the cast grabs this retard and starts slapping him. The best part of the video is that you can hear the female co host talking in the background while the other dudes are beating the retard. The retard starts to cry, while being cursed at in hindi, and that's what makes this The funniest video of 2008 (as of September 6th, 2008).

Thanks to RP for this video.

1 Month Post Graduation

2008-08-29T09:10:00.003-04:00

I haven't had much time to post. I've been busy studying for my GMAT, playing basketball, fishing, working on my screenplay/short story/movie concept, and a ton of other shit. Here's an update of my new routine that I've been following for the past week.

I've gone strictly protein/healthy fats during the week and I eat/drink whatever I want Friday night to Sunday morning. In addition to the diet, I've been running every day or playing basketball. Only thing I'm missing is weight lifting, which I will start with a gym membership mid-September. I've definitely noticed some results already. I've lost some fat and my footwork as well as speed have improved dramatically. Sticking to the diet is hard but I've noticed that the results are very worthwhile. Everyday I eat almost the same things with a little variation:

Meal 1 - 2x Eggs with Tomato and Cheese Omelet
- Cup of Coffee with a little cream (no sugar)

Meal 2 - Half a can of Tuna with Mayo

Meal 3 - Chicken (canned or fresh) with Broccoli/Brussel Sprouts
- Flaxseed Oil Supplement

Meal 4 - Half a can of Tuna with Mayo

Meal 5 - Fish/Chicken with Broccoli/Spinach/Sweet Potato
- Cup of Tea with a little cream (no sugar)

Meal 6 - Usually post workout so I sneak in some carbs
- Whole Wheat wrap with Refried Beans and Salsa
- 1 Cup Cottage Cheese

So basically I get less than 30g of Carbs during the week and almost all my calories come from Protein and unsaturated Omega-3 Fats. The first 3 days are rough but after that you get used to it.

My GMAT prep is going well. I've finished most of the Kaplan Comprehensive Prep book and will be moving to the 800 Score book. After I finish the second book I'm going to be taking as many practice tests as possible and analyzing my mistakes. I'm planning on taking the test in December. I want to get majority of the studying out of the way when I have free time because I know once I start work I won't have the energy to hit the books.

The interview I had in NYC went very well. I have a good feeling about and hopefully they get back to me before next Friday. Readers, keep your fingers crossed.

I have 2 birthdays to celebrate tonight so I'm trying to get my shit done early.

Top 10 Goals by Christiano Ronaldo

2008-08-17T07:44:00.001-04:00

'Nuff Said

Ouch! Olympic Weightlifer Janos Baranyai Dislocates Elbow

2008-08-13T23:16:00.002-04:00

That looked so bad. Did you see him twitching? Jeebus Christ.

Aziz Ansari Standup Collection

2008-08-11T11:37:00.002-04:00

I found several great Aziz Ansari standup clips. Enjoy.

Don't Drink and Blog and PIneapple Express Review

2008-08-11T11:28:00.002-04:00

I read my last post and it was scary. I didn't even remember writing it and my first impression was that someone hacked into my account and posted a parody of my bitching. Then I realized it wasn't a parody but myself acting like a whiny little bitch.

I saw Pineapple Express last night. The movie started out great but fizzled out in the second half. it had a great concept, casting, but it lacked character development. David Gordon Green, director, focused way too much on the "friends forever" emotional storyline without providing enough character development. The script was random and frenetic, but I think it could have been executed much better. Bottom line, this movie was a huge let down. Although it had a lot of funny parts and bits, it felt like a bunch of random sketches sewed together with a mediocre plot.

If you liked "Half Baked", which is still my favorite "stoner" movie and makes me tear up every time at the end, then you won't like Pineapple Express.

Fuckin' A.

2008-08-10T01:56:00.001-04:00

Fuckin' A man!

I just spent 5 years at school and you're telling me I can't land a full time job that I like?

Who's to blame? Partially myself, partially president Bush and all the assholes before him who grew the trillion dollar deficit. Also, all the assholes who created CDOs and managed package subprime mortages into triple AAA government backed securities.

Wait, what, you don't believe me, WHY DON'T YOU FUCKING READ THE NEWS YOU FUCK!

Pissed off I am says yoda.

I just don't want to live in my parents basement. :(

I'm so happy this blog is personal and doesn't have any readers at time like this.

To justify this post I just want to make it clear that I'm drunk as fuck and horny as hell.

Peace.

R.I.P. Bernie Mac - The World is a Less Funny Place Without You

2008-08-09T19:55:00.006-04:00

Bernie Mac died today.

From Wikipedia: "On August 1, 2008, Mac was hospitalized with - according to his publicist - pneumonia. The next day, responding to rumors that the actor was in "very, very critical condition", his publicist said that he was responding well to treatment, and should be released soon.^[4] On August 9, Bernie Mac died from - according to his publicist - complications of" pneumonia."

Death always puts things into perspective. Don't bitch about problems you face in life because life will never run out of problems, simply appreciate that you are alive and have the opportunity to face these challenges. Bernie Mac was a funny motherfucker. My most cherished memory of the Macman was in "The Original Kings of Comedy", when he talks about satisfying his wife in bed. He compares his performance to 2 rounds of heavy weight boxing, and urges his wife to stop screaming and hollering already and just come already.

Edit: Found the clip on YouTube - HILARIOUS!

"Three minutes, that's all I'll give ya, that's all I got!"

Bernie Mac was one of those dudes, those real dudes that you can relate to no matter how Hollywood or famous he got. His persona was so strong; when he's on stage you can't help but pay attention to what he says. I know I'll miss him making me laugh.

RIP Bernie Mac.

All By Myself.

2008-08-09T17:52:00.005-04:00

I'm at my brother's place in Jersey City this weekend. He's got a penthouse in this condo complex called Mandalay. I'm posting a couple of pics I found of the net, I'll post the pics I took later when I find the cable to transfer them from my digicam.

It's got a beautiful view, overlooking the Hudson river and the NYC skyline. I ended up not going to the All Points West music fest 'cause of complications. I had a few things to get off my head today, so lets get on with it.

What's the point of life?

Survival. There is no intrinsic "point" or "goal" or "meaning" of life. Rather, it is up to us to define our own meaning. Thus, the question doesn't have a definitive answer and depends who you ask.

What is art?

Art is a person's viewpoint. Humans have an amazing, unique emotion known as empathy. This allows us to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, giving us an impression of their state of mind. Art allows one to step into someone else's shoes and see the world from their perspective. Whether it be auditory, visual, kinesthetic, art allows an "artist" to provide their viewpoint to the public. Art is what makes humans different from animals.

How do you get a job in New York City with a low GPA and no contacts?

I am trying several strategies and will have a definitive answer in the form of a short book, hopefully by the end of the year. There are many ways to accomplish this formidable task, one of them is to befriend a trust fund brat you meet at a bar with a lot of connections.

Why are people so pretentious and why do they take things so seriously?

People, especially those who are financially successful, tend to create a barrier to justify their pointless existence. This barrier allows them to believe, in a collective delusion, that what they do is important, they are better than others, and they have taken the right path. This delusion is perpetuated by surrounding themselves in an environment filled with people identical to them. Yes, all these six-figure folks from all the name-brand business schools really genuinely believe they are smarter and better than those that aren't. These people can be modeled as a random variable; they are all the same (mean = six figure salary, expensive material taste, strong urge to satisfy their boss) with a some variance (standard deviation = law firm or investment bank or consultant, BMW or Mercedes or Audi). Their perspective is that what they do is important, they are smarter than the "rest" of the world, and that they are justified for wasting majority of their lives tweaking 30 page excel files. They get off on buying expensive clothes, furniture, and have sacrificed their soul for material pleasure.

However, this is simply their perspective and a version of reality they put on like their suit every morning. What's that, you don't believe me? Well, imagine if there was a giant earthquake in NYC and everyone was fucked. What happens then? Every man, woman, child, living creature for themselves; we are back to our primal survival instincts and all these out of shape losers will most likely perish while all the blue collar workers will find a way to survive because they are physically superior. When the shit really hits the fan, it doesn't matter if you have $300 italian loafers and wear Ferragamo tie, you are just another sack of meat with an opposable thumb. (Yes, I have read the novel Deliverance, and if you haven't maybe you should)

What is my point? My point is that anyone who thinks they are better than others because of what they can buy, where they went to school, their job title, or the kind of car they drive are fascist, ignorant, dumb pieces of shit. We are all playing a role in this life. Some of us are given opportunities that others aren't and there is nothing wrong with capitalizing on them. However, there is something wrong with becoming a pretentious, "too cool for school", piece of shit.

That being said, I have been given opportunities and I will capitalize on them. Also, not all the professionals mentioned above fit the stereotype I have described. I have personally met many who are amazingly smart and down to earth at the same time. I have the utmost respect for these people and they inspire me to do great things. Life is what you make of it. We are all playing characters in this crazy twisted world; it is of no significance which character we play, only the passion and creativity we put into the role.

Desire, Ambition, Hunger, and Desperation.

2008-08-08T00:13:00.004-04:00

Have you ever wanted something really bad?

Something that you desire, crave, and long for. An ambition which is almost irrational and yet you feel like there is nothing that can stop you from accomplishing it. A desire which wakes up with you in the morning and fuels your dreams while you sleep. Yet, if someone simply gave you what you wanted you probably wouldn't crave it anymore. Rather, you crave the journey, the fight, the struggle, and all the hard work you have to do to accomplish your goal.

This is what I feel like right now. Every night I think about all the possibilities I have and instead of focusing on the negatives I reflect on all the opportunities. Next morning I capitalize and take every step possible in attaining this dream. This dream doesn't feel artificial and isn't composed of fake constructs such as financial incentives or material desires. Rather, this dream feels as if it were a part of me; almost as if I were born to manifest destiny.

Nothing can stand in my way. I will succeed and manifest my dream into reality. Anyone who challenges me will be shattered and anyone who doubts me will only make me that much stronger.

Seth Rogen Explains His Forumla For Fame

2008-08-07T17:47:00.004-04:00

That was an excellent title, a demonstration of alliteration. I have been searching the Interweb for this clip as soon as I saw it first on The Daily Show. Seth Rogen is hilarious and a huge influence. Check it out:

McCain's Subtle Obama/Paris Hilton Ad Gets Bashed

2008-08-07T10:11:00.002-04:00

Here is the original McCain ad subtly comparing Obama's popularity to socialite Paris Hilton and public icon Britney Spears:

And here is the spoof ad made by some people at Funnyordie.com. This is hilarious and I think Paris does a great job. People underestimate her power and her talent for playing herself. She's made a very lucrative career out of it, her name is a brand, similar to Donald Trump. Self-marketing is one of the most important skills one can possess, look at George W. Bush. How else can a Yale flunkie convince the red states that he's really a texas farmer?

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

All I know is that one guy went to Harvard Law School, served as editor of the Law Review, and has some semblance of logic and reason. The other guy seems like the prototypical power-hungry, old as fuck, married to a trophy wife who's abusing botox to the point her skin looks like it's about to tear off her face, say anything to win politician, and supreme asshole.

Oliver Stone's George W. Bush Biopic

2008-08-07T10:06:00.001-04:00

This looks great, can't wait to see it.

I am Going to See Underworld Live in NYC!

2008-08-07T07:55:00.003-04:00

I will be at All Points West Music and Arts Festival Friday to check out Underworld and Radiohead. It will be an excellent show. Hopefully it doesn't rain but even if it does I'll have a great time. Here's the Friday lineup.

Friday, August 8th
Blue Comet Radiohead "> Underworld "> The New Pornographers "> Michael Franti & Spearhead "> The Go! Team "> Bullet Girl Talk "> CSS "> Duffy "> Forro in the Dark "> Little Brother "> Queen of the Valley Andrew Bird "> Grizzly Bear "> Mates of State "> The Duke Spirit "> Lowry ">

All Points West is taking place outdoor at Liberty State Park, in Jersey City. The location is perfect, overlooking the NYC skyline. You can check out some pics here.

It's Official - I Graduated!

2008-08-05T13:44:00.002-04:00

After repeatedly checking the site for my final grades in a nervous, anxious fit I am relieved to announce I am OFFICIALLY DONE with my undergraduate career.

I will be going to the All Points West Music and Arts festival on Friday. That should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to Underworld and Radiohead.

Aside from that, I'm enjoying the pleasant weather, diligently applying to jobs and networking, and working out like a fiend. I've also been looking into tutoring part time to generate some cash flow.

God damn, it feels so good to sleep on a real bed again. The first night it actually felt uncomfortable because I wasn't used to the plush, soft, supportive surface. That changed the morning after when I didn't wake up with my usual back and neck pain. It's strange how your body gets used to a chronic pain and mentally you feel like you're missing something when the pain is relieved.

Experience is What You Get When You Did Not Get What You Wanted

2008-08-01T13:13:00.003-04:00

The quote is very trite and has been used many times as blog titles (just do a google search), but it signifies my current mood. Thus, I will also be using it as the title for this current post, although I try to "avoid cliches like the plague".

I have graduated college. I am currently unemployed. I have a long drive ahead of me back to NJ. I had such a different vision of my graduation. There was going to be a huge party with lots of booze and drugs and models, which I would arrange using my bonus from my lucrative IB entry level analyst title. After the party I would drive home and visit all my friends and tell them about my future plans. I couldn't wait to see some people and rub it in their faces. I wanted to show them all the hard work and dedication amounted to a certain level of financial success.

That was the vision. This was the reality. I spent a few days cramming for my last 2 final exams, very similar to my preparation practices the countless semesters before. After the finals I bought a 12 pack of red stripe, smoked some hi-grade, and chilled with some friends. I enjoyed knowing that these friends still had a few more semesters ahead of them, and after a few beers I made sure I made the announcement several times that I was done and they were not.

Graduation ended with a sizzle instead of a bang.

I am conflicted. I walked around campus and let it sink in that college life was over. Real life has started abruptly. Real life with real bills, real responsibilities, and real assholes. To further illustrate my conflicted emotions, I have used a chart:

Good Things			Bad Things

I will be moving back to NJ and enjoy what's left of summer			Leaving ATL, not having experienced many of the attractions of the city

I have no more tests, finals, homeworks to worry about.			I have to find a job. Hopefully it won't be a brain numbing office-jockey position.

I have my degree.			I don't have a job.

I don't have to pay rent anymore			I will be living with my parents during this "transition" period, forgoing many of my freedoms I've become accustomed to.

With no school, I have tons of time to work on many different projects.			With no school, I have no excuses on how I spend my time. My parents will be on my ass ALL THE TIME.

I will be hanging out with friends and family again. I will get some downtime.			I will be leaving a lot of friends in ATL, and I will have a lot of downtime. If I don't use my time wisely I will end up blogging as an excuse to being productive.

Seth Rogen and James Franco Smoke Weed on Live Television

2008-07-27T10:22:00.004-04:00

Let's face it, MTV has gone down the shitter. They used to have quality shows like Beavis and Butthead, Yo! MTV Raps, um.........what else..........all those wacky little commercials for MTV with the astronaut. Ever since MTV has been scooped up by Viacom, they have turned into complete crap.

I heard Rogen and Franco sparked up a jay live on TV during the MTV Video Music Awards. That takes some balls, I'm surprised MTV even let it air. As you know, MTV likes to be riskay to still appeal to their teen demo, but I really think that was pushing the line. I doubt that stunt was part of their dress rehearsal. Seth Rogen and Franco are funny as hell, can't wait to see Pineapple Express. It has received really good reviews and there is a strong positive buzz about the movie. Finally, a quality stoner movie, instead of that Harold and Kumar crap.

Piedmont Healthcare is Owned and Operated by Satan

2008-07-25T11:40:00.005-04:00

Disclaimer: The following are the views and opinions of the individual, "SomaComa", his right to free speech is protected by the first amendment.

Summary:

I went to Piedmont Hospital on Peachtree in Midtown, Atlanta. I was there for a total of 2 hours. I received treatment in the ER for an allergic reaction. I had less than 5 minutes contact with Doctor Culbertson. I was billed $478 by the hospital and later I was billed $245 by Doctor Culbertson. I was never notified about the separate bill from the doctor when I left the hospital, it simply came in the mail and I had to deal with a billing service. I tried to contact Piedmont Hospital to find out how 5 minutes of a doctor's time could be worth $245 but I was constantly harassed on the phone. After getting 3 different phone numbers, all to contracted collection agencies, I was able to get the number of Sharon Owens, Director of Finance for Piedmont Hospital's Emergency Services. After numerous calls and voicemails, I have not been able to get in contact with Mrs. Sharon Owens. Piedmont Healthcare is a sham; they will charge you whatever they want and will not let you dispute any charges or even get an explanation of what you were charged for. If you are ever in the need of medical care in Atlanta, please avoid Piedmont Healthcare. I am not the only one who thinks Piedmont Hospitals Suck. If anyone at Piedmont Hospital ever reads this, and I hope to God they do, especially Doctor Culbertson and Sharon Owens, I want to let you know you successfully extorted an uninsured college student - I hope you sleep well at night.

Details:

It all started with a fire ant bite which resulted in a severe allergic reaction. I drove myself to the hospital at 2:00am. This was my first time EVER going to a hospital for treatment so I had no idea what to expect.

I get to the ER and everyone is staring at the hives all over my face, arms, and legs. It was not a pretty sight. The nurses at the front desk were sitting there lackadaisically and made small jokes about my condition.

Finally, after about 20 minutes one of them had me sit in triage. They took my vitals and asked me what had happened. I told them that I was bitten by spider while sleeping (turns out it was a fire ant). They give me an IV and pump steroids and benadryl into me. Almost immediately I feel very drowsy (due to the benadryl) and the nurse tells me to wait in the waiting room. IV still stuck in my elbow, I was NOT given a room, I had to sit there in the waiting room in one of the most uncomfortable chairs (similar to the small uncomfortable ones at McDonalds).

After about an hour and a half I woke up from a small nap. I asked the nurse if I could leave since I was feeling much better; the hives were gone at this point. She said the doctor needed to see me. I had to ask for a glass of water several times before anyone got me one. When I asked for some sheets, because it was freezing in there, the nurse gave me an attitude. Basically, I was treated like absolute dog shit.

Finally I see the doctor in a separate room (I guess this is where the $245 charge comes from). He asks me a few questions about the insect bite, the same questions I had answered for the nurse. Less than 5 minutes later I leave the hospital. Of course before I leave the billing department gets all my info, address, social, etc. (I should have ran the fuck out after I got fixed up, this will by my strategy next time).

The aftermath: I get charged $478 for the hospital's services. I am an uninsured college student so I have to pay all of it. Yes, I'm uninsured, YES THAT IS MY FAULT, BUT THAT DOESN'T GIVE THEM THE RIGHT TO CHARGE ME WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT - "A GROSS OVERCHARGE".

I try to get them to lower the bill but they don't budge. I don't have anyone to talk to except for the billing staff, which is like talking to an automated system with a GED and basic motor skills. I set up a payment plan and just grin and bear it, at least I'm alive.

It only gets better:

About 2 weeks later, I get another invoice from a separate billing company for $245 for "Culbertson". I think this is some mistake because I've already been charged $478 by the hospital. The hospital tells me that the doctor is charging me separately since it was an ER visit. Here's where it gets really shady: The hospital invoice says that I was in for ER LEVEL II. The doctor's bill says I was in there for ER LEVEL IV.

What gives? I spoke to the doctor for less than 5 minutes! What gives him the right to charge me $245? I want an explanation and try to get in touch with Culbertson. I'm given a supreme runaround by everyone, each telling me to call the other one to dispute the charge. Here is the beauty of the setup, since all the bills are contracted to different collection services I am shit out of luck. I can try to contact the hospital to speak to someone who can explain these charges, but I never will be able to get an explanation of why a doctor charges me $245 for less than 5 minutes of his time. Finally I'm given the number for Mrs. Sharon Owens - who to this day has not answered her phone or ever called me back. Apparently she's the "Director" of finance for Emergency Services at Piedmont Hospital.

The Verdict:

I was grossly overcharged for an allergic reaction treatment. I actually had less than 5 minutes face time with Doctor Culbertson. For a total of less than 2 hours at Piedmont Hospital, majority of which was spent in the waiting room in one of the most uncomfortable chairs, I was charged a total of $723.

I was charged $6.03 a MINUTE at Piedmont Hospital. Don't ever go to Piedmont Hospital or you will get Got as well. Doctor Culbertson and Sharon Owens and all the billing staff that gave me attitude over the phone, I hope you experience a taste of your own medicine in the future. It is against my nature to wish ill will on people but karma is a bitch. In conclusion, Piedmont Hospital is no different than the mafia who charge people for protection. They set the rates, and offer you no fair explanation of them, which is why PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY SATAN! Please take the time to call these assholes and let them know what they do is unjust: 704.873.4277

"I Got Got"

2008-07-25T11:12:00.004-04:00

There are many things unjust in our world. "Unjust", as in unethical, unfair, and absolutely wrong. As a citizen, a consumer, and an active mouthpiece I have decided empower myself by using my first amendment rights and publishing all the grievances I have. I have been inspired by Maddox. Enough with the funny video clips and the random bullshit - now it's time for me to GET those that GOT me. So without any more hype, I announce a new section on SomaComa "I Got Got".

Here are the following assholes who got me and I advise you to never do business with. I will provide details in separate posts:

Piedmont Healthcare (The whole damn network. I had the opportunity to get extorted by the one on Peachtree in Midtown)

Bodog.com (online gambling pieces of shit that aren't even legal in the U.S. and operate out of the Cayman Islands)

Georgia Institute of Technology (I wasted 5 years of my life here (not entirely, but I feel I need to focus on the negative for the sake of entertainment (how do you like these nested parentheticals, I learned these at Georgia Tech)))

Wachovia (A bunch of assholes pretending to have amazing customer service. They bought out my local First Union branch and ever since then it has been their mission to find ways to charge me fees and open multiple lines of credit on my behalf)

My Career Profile by Monster

2008-07-24T20:47:00.003-04:00

I took this quick quiz that Monster offers in order to learn which careers would be ideally suited for me. Here is the result - I am an "ENTP" (i.e. extroverted, intuitive, thinking, perceiver). I'd say this quiz works very well because all the jobs listed below would be awesome for me. I'm very keen on Investment Banking, Strategic Planner, Management Consulting, or Radio/TV Talk Show Host.

Life as an ENTP
(Extravert, Intuitive, Thinker, Perceiver)

People of this type tend to be friendly, charming and outgoing; quick-witted, energetic and irreverent; ingenious, imaginative and creative; curious, flexible and unpredictable; logical and analytical.

The most important thing to ENTPs is being creative, seeing possibilities and always having new challenges.

Great careers for ENTPs

Here are just a few popular and often satisfying careers for people whose Personality Type is ENTP:

Investment banker

Management / marketing consultant

Copywriter

Radio / TV talk show host

Real estate developer

Strategic planner

Internet marketer

Advertising creative director

Heath Ledger was remarkable in Batman Dark Knight

2008-07-22T19:50:00.003-04:00

I just saw Batman The Dark Knight, the highest grossing weekend opener at $155.34 million. It was a great film which included amazing visuals, excellent story, and brilliant performances by Christian Bale as Batman, and Ledger as the Joker. After leaving the film, I couldn't forget his performance. His charisma and energy made an impression. Even with his limited screen time, relative to the other leads in the movie, he held his own and then some. His performance was flawless; as a huge Batman (comic book) fan, I can't imagine someone playing a better joker.

RIP Heath Ledger 2008

He was a great talent.

"I'm not an economist, but I do believe we are growing" - George Bush

2008-07-15T17:47:00.004-04:00

I found this on Perez, see there is a reason to check out internet equivalent of tabloid trash.

Mr. Bush believes that he is "optimistic" and that the economy "isn't growing as it should". He is right he shouldn't talk about the economy since he isn't an economist. In fact, he's barely real; from what I've seen on Comedy Central he's really an immature cartoon who engages in hilarious antics.

Another opinion, that actually matters, from our Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, is that inflation is growing and was pretty grim about the medium-term outlook for the U.S. Economy. He also went on to say that the Fed was ready to continue to help large financial institutions to prevent any adverse domino-effect.

When the individual homeowner becomes delinquent on their mortgage, their house is foreclosed and auctioned. However, when the bank that backed that loan and trades that loan as a CDO, realizes the mark-to-market price was nothing since it was illiquid, and faces issues of solvency, the government steps in. "Too big to fail" - is a term I've heard often when discussing these issues.

I'm not sure what my views or opinions are. Things are murky right now. It sucks graduating into this stinker of an economic situation. Yet, I believe it might be an advantage to gaining an entry into finance firms, mainly due to less popularity among potential candidates.

Will Smith Explains His Secret to Success

2008-07-07T07:59:00.002-04:00

I found this video while reading some article on bodybuilding on the net. I agree with him completely on the two activities which he considers are vital to success. It amazes me how much perspective and intellect a major Hollywood actor like Will Smith has. I guess not everyone is Hollywood is a superficial, egotistic, insecure, hollow person.

Matt Lauer Reveals His True Thoughts on Obama

2008-06-30T11:56:00.002-04:00

Pay attention around the 1:00 minute point; this was bound to happen.

I am in Awe of This Dude

2008-06-30T11:33:00.003-04:00

Yes, he really just did that. This isn't some fake Kobe Bryant commercial type manipulation. This is that real deal holyfield; dude just cleared the bar - which is at the same level as his neck! I was thinking how the hell is that possible but after some thought I figured it out. He has really low body fat and some strong ass legs, probably a football, basketball, or track and field athlete. The wonders of the human body never cease to amaze me.

Larry David - Creator of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm Bears His Soul

2008-06-25T18:56:00.004-04:00

They say sometimes there's a thin line between genius and insanity. I believe Larry David has crossed this line at some point, then returned back to genius, and launched some very successful shows such as Seinfeld and Curb your Enthusiasm. Larry David keeps it real, he says that the character on "Curb" is what he really wants to act like. I think everyone has a little but of Larry David in them. His writing is sharp, witty, intellectual, and covers many random irrelevant topics. This series of interviews really reveals his wit and amazing sense of humor.

Studying for another test

2008-06-22T08:08:00.003-04:00

Another week, another test, one month out from graduation. I will be stuck in my room all day preparing for my Statics test. Some interesting articles to look at:

Inside a 9/11 Masterminds Interrogation
An NYTimes article about interrogating the alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

The Food Chain - In Fertile India, Population has outstripped Agriculture
Another NYTimes article, discussing India's potential for agriculture and the problems that need to be fixed.

Trading February 2008 +31% off $1,864

2008-06-18T12:45:00.003-04:00

I really enjoy trading options. It allows me to make bets on my conceptual understanding of markets. Examining the market players and broad sector trends I can bet on certain swings by using options.

I had less than $2,000 invested, with 11 positions, and I made an average of 31%. I am very proud of the performance since I was limited to cheaper option contracts, which were less liquid and didn't have much open interest.

For example, in February, amidst the sub-prime fiasco, I noticed the increased pessimistic outlook by the market on Financials and Home-Building companies. At the same time I noticed the increasing price of oil and commodities, which can be attributed to the lowering value of the dollar due to the Fed's interest-cutting action. There are dozens of reasons, during February, why the market was bearish on Home-Builders and Financials. Using George Soros's theory of reflexivity applied to the financial markets, I noticed market players overreacting to the situation and dropping the value of these stocks very quickly.

I shorted Financials (Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Country Wide Financial, XLF Financial Index) and Home-Builder related companies (Lowes). I was long on commodities and oil using powershares commodity ETF DBC. The details of my performance for February can be found on my trading site. The positions that didn't perform as well were the ones which strayed from the general broad sector theory. I mean I still made profit because my speculation was correct but they weren't as dramatic as the home-builder and financial shorts.

Lesson learned: Create a broad sector based theory of the market. Filter companies based on individual performance and select them to test broad sector based theory of markets. If initial theory is incorrect or timing is wrong, exit position, cut losses and move on.

Funniest Commencement Speech Ever

2008-06-15T18:36:00.001-04:00

Ali G is the man. This is his speech to the Class of 2004 at Harvard. Listen to all of it, wicked performance.

Part 1

Part 2

Check out 2 of my newest endevours!

2008-06-15T11:48:00.003-04:00

I am proud to finally launch

Ares Trading

and

SNH Fitness

Check them out... SNH Fitness for awesome training motivation and fitness logs.
Ares Trading for market insights, news analysis, and some trading ideas.

CompuCredit - Theory Proved Correct

2008-06-15T01:03:00.005-04:00

My position in CompuCredit (CCRT July 7.5 Puts) was doing really bad in May. I didn't cut my losses, and I was down 75%. Since I had until July I decided to ride it out, waiting for a market dip to cap off my losses. At this point CCRT was trading around $10 a share, I was feeling like a sap for making a wrong play, but I was willing to learn from it.

Well, now for the good news, on June 10th, 2:20pm the WSJ announced that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Federal Trade Commission were seeking more than $200 million from CompuCredit and two affiliated banks for "deceptive marketing of credit cards to borrowers with weak credit histories."

In addition, the article states:
"It is important for all consumers -- including those in the subprime market -- to have access to credit card products," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "But the marketing of these products must be truthful; it should not -- and cannot -- be misleading about the true costs and terms of the credit card."

Damn straight, those $100 set-up charges, monthly fees, ridiculous interest, and of course inactivity fees are an injustice to the sub-prime. It looks like things are changing already, ahead of the change of power in the White House.

The results of this news break - A 20% drop in CCRT's shares that day. The fundamental reasoning I had behind shorting this company proved true, and I'm glad I had the confidence to not panic and dump it. There's a lot more news associated with the case and I will summarize the key points this week.

So here is the recap and the game plan. Wait for more news to come out, probable it will be negative, and sell into a deep negative spike to lock in profit. I'm still down but it has come up since 75%. I'm confident this latest case will cause a sell-off by the third week of July.

Position Recap:

04/09/2008
+ 1 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ $1.43
-$143

04/10/2008
+1 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ $1.58
-$158

These two purchases average out to:

+2 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ 1.50
- $301

UNREALIZED PAPER LOSS:
As of 04/30/2008

2 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ 0.75

$150

- 151 (50%)

How does the world's greatest DJ make his hits?

2008-06-15T00:57:00.002-04:00

This guy plays at shows around the world. He has much respect in the Trance scene and is adored by countless globally. In this interview he explains the secret to his success and his DJing skills. I always knew there was a secret with that guy.

Time is passing by like the stars in the sky

2008-06-15T00:48:00.003-04:00

Another week is complete. Another 5 weeks until graduation, the importance of the event is grasping me. 5 years of hard work, in class, out of class, at work, at the apartment, and it has culminated to this final event. What do I do after graduating, what do I want to do? What do I see myself doing in the next 5 years? Am I climbing up the ladder leaning towards the right wall?

I want to travel to Thailand by the end of the year. I also want to take the GMAT and get it over with since they will last for 5 years. My worst fear is not landing a job when I go home. I have a feeling that I will end up in the west coast, I feel as if something is calling me there. The beautiful broads, the movie stars and the superficial lifestyle, and everything else that goes with it. The lifestyle you see in "Entourage", it's something every guy craves. The California weather is nice. Sunny days and cool nights by the beach, sipping mojitos, drinking Heineken and staring at the stars in the sky. Watching the day go bye.

Attack of The Fire Ant

2008-06-07T08:41:00.003-04:00

AAAAHHHHH!!! ATTACK OF THE KILLER FIRE ANT!

The worst week in the recent history of my life has finished. Starting Monday I had a really bad cold with a fever, body aches, and common flu symptoms. I wasn't able to make it to work and I had to study for a test on Wednesday. I managed to get rest and felt confident walking into the test on Wednesday.

Glancing over the test, I realize I know how to do all the problems but it would take me all the time in the period to complete it. Half way through the test all the mucus and bodily fluids built up in my system try to escape through my nasal cavity. So here I am trying to concentrate, sniffing up the heavy mucus which is dripping out of my nose. I'm having a hard time breathing and I'm getting so loud with the sniffing that I'm managing to distract myself from the test. By the end of the exam I threw in the towel, turned it in a few minutes early, ran to the bathroom and blew all the crap out of my sinuses for about 10 minutes.

I decided to go to the health center the next day and I got all sorts of meds. Cough syrup, throat lozenges, decongestant pills, allergy anti-histamine pills, and nasal saline solution courtesy of the student health fee. The good news was that I wasn't infected, the doctor said it was viral and that she had the same bug which took her about a week to recover from. So things were starting to look good. I was very happy I didn't have strep or any kind of serious sinus infection. I took off from work and rested most of the day, reading and watching movies.

Thursday night I am feeling much better and I can feel a lot of my energy coming back. Half way through the Lakers-Celtics game, I decide to go to sleep early, feeling pretty confident about returning to work the next day. I wake up in the middle of the night (1:00am) scratching my face, palms, arms, legs, and scalp. Scratching does not do my actions justice, it was more like I felt my outer epidermis layer was in flames and somehow my fingernails would put out the fire. At first I think I'm in a dream, more so a nightmare, but then slowly I realize that I'm awake and I'm still scratching away trying to put out the burning sensation all over my skin.

(courtesy of Wikipedia)
This wasn't my arm but mine looked just like it. The Urticaria (hives) was concentrated around my mouth, ears, throat, forearms, armpits, inner thigh, feet, and random areas on my torso.

I run to the bathroom and look at my face. It's bright red, swollen, with random white raised clusters forming. My ears are bright red with big red pimple looking bumps covering the surface. I take off my shirt and realize that this pattern of white raised bumps and reddish rash was covering my body. It looked like a topographical map of the world projected onto my skin, which was now feeling like I had been doused in hydrochloric acid. I take off all my clothes and realize that this rash is everywhere. At this point I think I went into a mild state of shock.

I start getting cold sweats - whole body flushed and sweating profusely but internally I felt extremely cold and weak. I resist the urge to scratch and try to control my breathing. This really helped me get through the situation. I noticed a lump in my throat and a minor difficulty breathing, I could tell something was seriously wrong. I focus on my breathing and try my best to stay calm. I jump on WebMD and look up my symptoms - Hives. OK - I'm having a severe allergic reaction, excellent, got that figured out. Next, I step through all the symptom checklist provided by WebMD.

As soon as I select the option stating that the hives were around my face, throat, nose and mouth, WebMD tells me contact medical professional immediately. Now I get really worried. After reading some more I learn that an anti-histamine would help calm the allergic reaction. Luckily we had some Claritin, so I take one, take a hot shower, and check to see if there is any progress. The itching went down slightly, the hives on my hands went away but the rest of my body and face were still messed up. The part that really scared me was that I still felt a lump in my throat and had a really shallow breath. This is around 3:00am, I finally decide to drive myself to the emergency room and get it looked at.

I get to the emergency room. They give me steroids and benadryl through an IV. All my anxiety and panic dissipate into a slightly inebriated, drowsy, deep-sleep type feeling. The nurse tells me to wait in the in waiting room and that my conditions should improve, she tells me she'll check with me in an hour. I knock out in the waiting room, from the effects of the benadryl. She comes back wakes me up and my conditions (THANK GOD) had improved significantly. The doctor tells me almost verbatim what I read on WebMD, writes me script for steroids (Prednisone 40mg a day) for the next 5 days. I go home and find it very difficult to sleep, maybe from the stress, maybe from the steroids and the benadryl wearing off, perhaps a combination of all the factors.

By the morning, around 7:00am, all my hives had disappeared completely. There was no SIGN that anything at all had happened to me. I was perplexed - What had caused this crazy allergic reaction, which had me thinking I was close to death?

I noticed a bite on my knee and at first speculated it might have been a spider bite. Investigating my room I found tiny ants roaming around, with no particular source of concentration in any area. Using google I found that these weren't ordinary ants - they were fire ants, popular to Southern states and able to cause severe allergic reactions.

I'm feeling a lot better now, hives are gone, cold is on the way out. I'm taking steroids for the next five days which is acting like a stimulant and helping me document my catastrophic near-death experience. It boggles my mind that something so small can affect the human body in such a dramatic way. I'm never sleeping on the floor and I'm never underestimating an insect again.

Sick Again, Feeling Better

2008-06-05T11:45:00.002-04:00

Well it seems I relapsed from whatever I had last week. This whole week I have been miserable with body aches, sore throat, runny nose, and a heavy fever. My condition has improved through lots of green tea, vitamin C, and fish oil. I also went to the health center today to get some meds and a note for missing class.

2008-05-20T23:18:00.003-04:00

I'm back.

My golf lesson started today. My instructor reminds me of Larry the cable guy physically and through demeanor. He's quite funny and makes the two hours pass by effortlessly. I hope I'm able to actually learn some golf this summer.

My finance part of the blog will be moved to a different wordpress site and taken more seriously. This blog will just document my day to day musings, writings, ideas. Since I don't have cable anymore I've started reading again. I'm hoping I'll be inspired to write some over the summer. I will post whatever I come up with here.

School is going well, been going to class and taking copious notes. Work is going well too, except it's really boring. I need to send out applications to all the other opportunities that are out there. I don't want to be stuck working in the South. It's a lot slower and I would just honestly rather work in the North.

Watching "The Darjeeling Limited" online streaming... will post a review...

My CCRT Position is Sinking

2008-05-09T17:52:00.004-04:00

I am down nearly 50% since my purchase on March 10th. I have to cut my losses this coming week. This is my best option because CCRT is performing decent compared the the Financial sector, specifically the Yahoo credit services index.

Menta Capital LLC has been buying up CCRT, most likely contributing to its recent popularity and rising stock price. They bought 49,800 shares and reported it a day ago 05/07/08 which perfectly coincides with the acquisition trends in the stock price. What happens next week when CCRT is back on the market at 10.50? Will other big players devalue the company due to its obvious weaknesses and risk exposure? I don't think the stock price will stay above 10, the question is how far will it go down, and in what time span, before the end of June?

It didn't hit 08Q1earnings May 7th, and it dropped ~7% that day but it has been above 10 since then. I have until the third week of July for this option and I think a dramatic pullback would not be surprising. Still, I want to get out of this position and move on to a different play. Chalk it up as a loss on the big board and move on. This is one of the few times I'm glad that this is all paper.

The gameplan:

Watch the markets this week and forecast general trend. Follow the financial sector and compare CompuCredit's performance with the pack. If it looks like it's outperforming and there is no chance any major news announcement to come the following 2 weeks, I will find a good selling point and cut my losses short.

If CompuCredit appears weak int eh financial sector, specifically credit services industry I will think about holding on to it. This will be decided based on what news events, announcements might lie ahead. If there are indicators of a broad market pullback based on high oil prices, economic indicator releases, I think I will still have a chance to make money.

Try to cap loss at 10%. If it looks like it's only getting worse sell immediately at 50%. Don't wait for any chance of being in the green. It's too risky, just get out of the position and move on. Fast, aggressive, next play, next spin.

2nd to Last Semester Done

2008-05-05T21:25:00.002-04:00

My results for Spring 2008 are in:

ECE 4175 Embedded Microcontroller Design with Professor Peatman - B (4 Credits)

PST 3127 Ethics with Professor Hans Klein - A ( 3 Credits)

ECE 4884 Senior Design with Professor Schlag and Whit Smith - A (4 Credits)

That gives me a 3.63 GPA - the best GPA I've EVER received at Tech. This is the result of picking an awesome senior design group and applying myself in school. I was also working about 15 hours every week this semester and tutoring. I've turned a new leaf, I'm shooting for the stars from here.

A State of Trance Episode 350 is Awesome!

2008-05-03T08:22:00.002-04:00

I finished downloading the 350th episode of Armin Van Buuren's "A State of Trance". For those that don't know, ASOT is a live trance radio show hosted by world renowned DJ Armin Van Buuren. It is simulcasted live over the internet as well, catering to its world-wide international appeal.

This was the 350th Anniversary episode with several guest DJs, including John O’Callaghan, Aly & Fila, Nic Chagall, DJ Shah, and Markus Schulz. This set is 8 hours long, yes..... 8 HOURS OF TRANCE. Taking place live from Club Noxx in Antwerp, Belgium, it is my favorite live set of the year. The file is some 660 MB and is available here.

Download each RAR for Part 1, 2, and 3. Then extract part 1 into a folder and the whole file should be ~660MB. Enjoy.

My Schedule This Summer

2008-05-03T08:17:00.002-04:00

I am two classes shy of graduation. So, in 3 months, I will FINALLY graduate my undergrad engineering program. Here's what my summer schedule will be like. This is just a framework, needless to say, there will be many adjustments.

CCRT CompuCredit Short Play

2008-05-01T04:01:00.003-04:00

So currently my CCRT Puts are down slightly around 2% but I am still betting that I will be in the money by July. The current stock price is $8.08 as of the 4/30/2008 close; my strike is at $7.50. The Q1 earnings come out May 7th after market close. Depending on these numbers I will be able to decide whether I want to continue holding on to my puts or cutting my losses short.

Bid/Ask Spread is HUGE. Currently the contracts I hold (CCRT July 08 7.5 Put) have a bid price (sell) of $1.35 and ask (buy) price of $1.60

Based on technical indicators and the general line of business CompuCredit is in, I am betting that the stock can fall much further.

Position Recap:

04/09/2008
+ 1 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ $1.43
-$143

04/10/2008
+1 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ $1.58
-$158

These two purchases average out to:

+2 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ 1.50
- $301

UNREALIZED PAPER LOSS:
As of 04/30/2008

2 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ 1.35

$270

- $31 (10.3%)

Stressed Out is a Terrible State of Mind

2008-05-01T03:48:00.002-04:00

I have heard the saying that you can never control what is going to happen to you, you can only control the way you react to the event.

This is very true, in the sense that no matter how meticulous your plan is, something unplanned will always arise. In such situations it is a waste of time, energy, and resources to be "stressed out". Being stressed out is simply a state of self-pity. I learned this after experiencing my 10th semester in school dealing with finals.

I get very stressed out over tests and it is something that I have to actively improve upon. This semester I learned that you can simply prepare for tests and then take them. If you prepare in an organized, effective manner then taking them should be a breeze.

My goal is to keep a balanced calm state of mind, instead of being uneasy and stressed out. This doesn't just apply to school but all situations in life, when dealing with unforeseen obstacles. Just like Bruce Lee said the mind should be like water, you put water in a kettle, it becomes a kettle, you put water in a glass, it becomes the glass: shapeless, formless, undisturbed. My goal is to analyze every situation and act with present mind and a high level of confidence instead of simply reacting and following the path of least resistance.

In such a state of mind, every present moment of life is absolutely critical and yet totally insignificant - a way of life very few people can truly attain.

More trades, More money, after Finals

2008-04-24T08:31:00.002-04:00

Recently I haven't been able to actively trade as much due to a lot of other responsibilities. (Finals!). Once I finish up this semester I will have a week off and I want to come up with some really great trade ideas. I have been following current events and news daily so I have a lot of ideas. Given some time, I will research the best plays out there and post them here, along with my rationale for each trade.

This will tentatively start May 1st, 2008, just 6 more days!

Shorting Sub-Prime Credit Card Vendor CompuCredit

2008-04-24T07:52:00.003-04:00

The Trade:

04/09/2008
+ 1 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ $1.43
-$143

04/10/2008
+1 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ $1.58
-$158

These two purchases average out to:

+2 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ 1.50
- $301

UNREALIZED PAPER PROFITS:
As of 04/24/2008

2 CCRT July 08 7.5 Put @ 1.65
+ $29 (9.63%)

I still have 85 days till expiration and I believe I will be able to lock some decent profits (+20%) in the near future.

I have plenty of time to claim a realized gain (3 Months). Currently my position is up, the contracts are selling for $1.65 as of (03.24.2008 Premarket). The stock is at 7.42, so I'm already in the money. I learned many things with this option, which I will be discussing. In addition, I believe that I should hold on to these contracts longer in order to lock up a realized gain because of the following:

1) CCRT is a player in the Sub-Prime lending fiasco. Their main business is distributing credit cards to Sub-Prime individuals. Their 52 week range is 38.57 - 7.02. That being said, 7.50 is not the lower bound, and I have left myself plenty of time to be well into the money. Currently the market is actually making some positive moves, but CCRT is still in a slump. With a BETA of 1.34, when the market hits a bearish dip (caused by some overreaction to earnings, news, oil prices, or simply 'cause traders are bored and can't find anything worthy to buy in the current marketplace), CCRT will tank even harder. This will be followed by more analyst downgrades, which will add to the downward momentum.

2) It was downgraded on February and March by Credit Suisse and Jeffries, respectively. Yet, the rating is still "Hold" and "Neutral" by both these firms. This tells me that they still haven't admitted that this stock was a huge dud and that they goofed up big time. Interesting to note that these downgrades changed their opinion from a "Buy" and "Outperform", after the stock went from some ~38 highs to ~7 lows within a year. I can't wait to see what these analysts think about this company, their insight is so valuable...

3) Although my original notion was correct, it is much harder getting large profits with this stock's option. Why? Major reason, I think, is that it has a 351 Million market cap, which puts it in the small cap category. Consequently, CCRT options aren't traded that heavily and have relatively low open interest (number of contracts actually on the market). This makes it a not so liquid option, thus causing the spread between the bid and the ask to be very high. For example, as the current stock price is 7.42, the July 08 7.50 Put Option has a Bid of 1.90 and an Ask of 1.65. That means that you are facing a 13.15% loss as soon as you purchase the option because of the spread. Also, the delta is very low, so it requires a large change in the stock price for a gain in the option price.

Finally, as I stated before I am waiting for a down day in the market where financial are hit hard. I believe this will cause CCRT, a sub-prime credit card company (wow, talk about the wrong business to be in right now), to reach new 52 week lows, cause a spike the volatility, hopefully gain open interest, and will be my selling point for my puts. The trend wasn't hard to find, it had just crossed its 50 day moving average early March.

I Can't Wait For This Month to be Over!

2008-04-16T21:55:00.002-04:00

So....Let me recap what I have left to do this month.

My senior design final project demonstration and report.

My Embedded MCU Design project.

An 8-10 page paper on how the media treats stories differently, depending on whether the subject is an ally or enemy of America. Wow, what a controversial subject... not.

And then, of course, my one and only final.

Also, I won't be able to celebrate 4/20 this year due to unfortunate circumstances. It will be postponed to a later date. (4/22).

What is "The American Dream"?

2008-04-14T13:20:00.002-04:00

What is the American Dream nowadays? It doesn't mean having a house with a two car garage, a white picket fence, two and a half kids, and a pet dog named spot anymore. So what does it mean?
Today - 2008 - What does the American Dream stand for?

Pam from the Office

2008-04-09T13:13:00.005-04:00

I have to admit I have a thing for Pam (played by Jenna Fischer) from "The Office". I'm not the only person who has a crush on her either; I know this from all the other blog posts about the same topic on the internets. It's not a sick celebrity obsession type thing, more like a little crush on her character. She always plays it so cool, and has a great sense of humor. Also, I'm positive that the producers use make up to make her look less hot than she actually is - you know to make her more appealing to the middle-of-the-road broads.

What sucks about "The Office" and Pam is that it leads you to believe that there are chicks like that in the "real world" office. The truth is there are NO people like that working in the office. Instead of being a quirky atmosphere filled with jokes and sarcasm, my experience in the "real world" office consists of hours of UN-productivity and forcing myself to fake-laugh at co-workers lame jokes. Yes, the truth is the real office scene is more like "Office Space", and is able to suck your soul everyday at work.

Okay, enough about Pam and "The Office".... More to come soon.

"Coffee is the great incentivizer in the office" - Michael Scott (Season 1 Episode 1)

Quick Cash with GE Calls

2008-04-01T13:35:00.003-04:00

The Trade:

03/28/2008
+ 2 GE May 08 38 CALL @ $0.89
-$178

04/01/2008
-2 GE May 08 38 Call @ $1.48
+$296

Total Profit: $118 (66%) 4 Days

Why?

I was doing some reading about GE and its performance in the market. Fundamentally the company is sound and Fool has some great information on them. There were a lot of technical indicators that GE was poised for a bullish move. I would go over them but I would just be regurgitating what I read on Trading Goddess. After doing some more research I decided to open a position which would capitalize on any short term upside move by GE. I did this by buying naked calls, near the money, and about 2 months to expiration (allowing me plenty of time to be right or dump my position and cut losses). I also did this on a down day, to capitalize from the lower call prices. Like life, timing is everything with options.

Today, the start of the second quarter, resulted in a nice rally for the markets. Hopefully this isn't some kind of cruel April Fool's joke, and the markets will be able to continue this trend. Yesterday, my position was at a 0.5% loss. I had set the stop loss at 8% so I waiting patiently either to cut my losses or capture some gain. The market rally today helped GE rally 3% and my contracts were up 66% (the awesome effect of leverage).

The stock has passed my strike price ($38/share), and I still have a whole month to go before the May expiration. Yet, I sold of the position because you never know what is going to happen in these markets. It is best to be disciplined and take realized gains rather than watch it turn into losses. I'm happy collecting 66% in 4 days and moving on to the next pick rather than brood over "what-if" situations.

Lesson: Make a pick based off strong fundamental and technical indicators. Looking at the chart, when the share price crossed the 50 day moving average, and created the double cup, the bullish elements were clear. Also, if I had more conviction I would actually short GE today by buying some near term, in the money, puts. Stick to the game plan. Get in, get out, either with gains or a capped loss.

State of Trance Episode 300

2008-04-01T00:03:00.001-04:00

Video Above: Fly to Colors(Signalrunners Remix)-Markus Schulz

01. Intro
02. Sarah McLachlan - Fear (Hybrid Sumtin Remix)
03. Dave Gahan - Dirty Sticky Floors (Junkie XL Remix)
04. Jose Amnesia feat. Jennifer Rene - Louder
05. BT - Mercury and Solace (BT 12″ Mastermix)
06. Holden and Thompson - Nothing (93 Returning Mix)
07. Nathan Fake - Outhouse (Main Mix)
08. Markus Schulz pres. Elevation - Clear Blue w/ Andy Moor vs. Orkidea - YearZero (Accapella)
09. Cass and Slide - Perception
10. Salt Tank - Eugina (Marcel Woods Remix)
11. Three Drives - Sunset On Ibiza
12. L.S.G. - Netherworld (Vinyl Cut)
13. Robert Gitelman - Children Of The Sun
14. Tranquility Base - Razorfish (Above and Beyond Progressive Mix)
15. Jan Johnston - Calling Your Name (The Thrillseekers Vocal Mix)
16. Sarah McLachlan - Fallen (Gabriel and Dresden Anti-Gravity Mix)
17. Bossanova - Stonecold (Agnelli and Nelson Remix)
18. Solar Factor - Urban Shakedown
19. Fictivision vs. Phynn - Escape (Fictivision Mix)
20. Above and Beyond feat. Zoδ Zohnston - No One On Earth (Gabriel and Dresden Club Mix)
21. Aria - Dido (Armin Van Buuren’s Universal Religion Remix)
22. Rank 1 - Such Is Life
23. Kansai - Remember This Night
24. Vincent de Moor - Fly Away (Cosmic Gate Remix)
25. DJ Ton T.B. - Dream Machine
26. Marco V - Loops and Tings Relooped (Marco V’s Original Mix)
27. Marco V - Tolerance
28. Push - Strange World (2000 Remake)
29. Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun (Tiδsto Remix)

2nd hour
Menno De Jong Guest Mix
01. Menno de Jong - Nolthando (Original Intro Mix) [Intuition Rec.]
02. ID - ID [Intuition Rec.]

Marcel Woods Guest Mix
01. Marcel Woods - ID
02. Solee - Impressed
03. M.I.D.O.R. - Intellectual

Sean Tyas Guest Mix
01. Sean Tyas pres. Logistic - One More Night Out
02. Vincent De Moor - Fly Away (Sean Tyas Remix)

Aly and Fila Guest Mix
01. Andy Prinz - Quiet of Mind (Aly and Fila Remix)
02. Mark Eteson and Jon Prior - Dynamic Stability (Aly and Fila Remix)
03. Aly and Fila pres. A and F Project - Uraeus (Frase Remix)

I fucking love this session. Great Armin Van Buren mix.

Frat Boy Dad by College Humor

2008-03-26T02:45:00.002-04:00

This is an average funny video. The funniest parts are at the end. The baby is doing a keg stand while being breast fed. The boy is being paddled by his family in the dark basement. The funniest part was right at the very end where he drugs his wife.

This guy reminds me off this dude I knew freshman year. I would wake up in the middle of the night to take a leak and I would see this guy in the hallway shirtless, with a box of fried chicken and fries, and couple of cans of bud light. He didn't make it very far, pretty sure he either dropped out or got kicked out.

Back in Atlanta

2008-03-23T12:59:00.006-04:00

I drove 851 miles from New Jersey to Atlanta, Georgia. It took me roughly 15 hours. I didn't have a camera otherwise I would post some pictures of the journey. This was the second time I traveled by car such a long distance by myself. It was not as bad as the first time. I didn't feel my mental alertness hitting a wall and my eyelids didn't weigh 10 pounds like it did last time towards the end of my trip. I drank 2 coca-colas, 2 cups of coffee, and 1 medium iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.

I avoided a ticket by following a speed racer who got pulled over right before me. This decoy strategy works quite well, but you must keep at least 3 car lengths of distance between yourself and the decoy. Stay in the left lane and speed as much as you want. As long as the car in front of you is going slightly faster, most likely he will be pulled over first. Worst case scenario if you do get pulled over, you can attempt to use the excuse that you were just following the flow of traffic.

Since I don't have anything entertaining to mention, I will leave you with this: REAL HOMER and Van Damme from Blood Sport.

Grid - Will it be The Next Best Racing Game?

2008-03-20T12:09:00.003-04:00

I want to have an HDTV, Surround Sound, and a nice Futon ready for this game before Summer time. It looks so amazing, will probably be better than GT5. I want a PS3 with the force feedback steering wheel and pedals. Why you ask? Because I want to experience the adrenaline rush of racing without investing the money in cars or risking my life.

Fed Rate Cut of 75 BPS Like Putting a Band-Aid on a Cobra Bite

2008-03-19T08:42:00.012-04:00

Ben Bernanke and The Fed cut the Federal Funds Rate, also known as the benchmark rate by 75 basis points. The markets rallied heavily after the announcement at 2:15pm, after gaining steam early from the anticipation of the cut. This is a typical bear market rally, strong, short, and sputtering, the traders seem to be jumping on a trampoline. It is inevitable that the gravity of the situation, that is, oil being over $106/barrel, Gold being over a $1006/ounce, and a struggling dollar, will soon send the market plunging back down. As the Fed Rate declines, the value of the dollar falls. It has been steadily been cut over the last 6 months, in order to increase the supply of money and help a regressing economy.

Although wall-street was hoping for a larger cut, the market rallied tremendously, spurred by Lehman and Goldman earnings which beat the street's expectations. This rally, dubbed Turnaround Tuesday by CNBC, follows a dreadful Monday where Bear Stearns announced it did not have cash to continue day to day operations (liquidity crisis). Through a cash infusion sponsored by the Federal Government, J.P. Morgan Chase purchased the investment banking giant at $2 a share, total cost approximately $260 million.

As the chart shows the DOW, S&P, and Nasdaq all rallied, with leading gains in the financial sector (XLF), which has been taking it on the chin for the last 12 months . The other sectors are illustrated by the spider ETFs: Energy (XLE), Technology (XLK), and Healthcare (XLV). It is interesting to note that Healthcare had modest gains compared to other sectors, even though it is fundamentally poised to have the strongest growth in our future economy.

The cut boosted the markets simply because future value changes with the Fed Funds rate, which affects valuation. It is a short term fix to a growing crisis in our economy. Politicians, CNBC, and others with their own agenda want you to believe everything will be okay. However, your personal economy is the most important factor, regardless of how the overall economy is doing. The fact is that the overall economy will dictate your personal economy and you will notice, no matter how minute, the elements of the global economy affecting your daily life (your personal economy). If the amount of money you use to fill up your tank continues to rise, while the price of your food and essential daily services (food, energy, living expenses) increases, and you face employment issues (laid off, fired, can't find a job), you will be crippled by the cobra's poison.

You will spend less money, trust the government less, and this will reflect the consumer confidence index and all the other economic instruments, which will simply validate that we are in a shitty economic state. A completely autonomous free market economy does not work. There need to be constraints, governances, and issues that have to be addressed for the efficient use of capital.

I heard an economist from Wachovia stating that individual Americans would be facing an economic crisis similar to that in 1991 and 1982-1982. Americans have a short memory. The times are certainly going to get hard in the distant future. Previous Fed Chairman Allan Greenspan never cut the Fed Funds Rate more than 50 basis points at a single meeting. This is a sign that we are in a desperate situation.

As far as investing is concerned, these volatile markets are an excellent opportunity to make some cash. I'm not speculating doom and gloom scenarios, just my two cents on the rate cut and the current state of affairs with the economy.

Human Giant Season 2 March 11th @ 11PM on MTV !

2008-03-05T14:11:00.007-05:00

Warning: Don't watch these clips at work without headphones... NSFW

Human Giant is a sketch comedy show on MTV. The group consists of Aziz Ansari, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer (The dude from the VH1 Best Week Ever Show), and Jason Woliner.

The sketches are hilarious and very original, surprising it was picked up by MTV. They're doing a lot of promos and really trying hard to create a buzz so best of luck to them. I don't know if the show will be popular but it's already created a cult following. It's just wacky, sardonic, and....HIGH-LARIOUS.

I think these skits are a lot funnier online 'cause they're not censored. Without the curse words, the extremely wild content lacks that extra comedic punch.

Here are some of my favorite clips:

Season 2 Clips

Will Arnett has a threesome with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Viral Video Competition.

It's funny 'cause it's so true. 15 minutes of fame as Warhol had once said has now become 15 seconds of internet stardom.

Semi Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind

2008-03-02T02:29:00.005-05:00

This song defines a period of my youth. Minus the crystal meth and everything except for the catchy melody. It was ingrained into my mind by countless repetitions of pop radio. Over and over again, repeated by pop radio for like 6 weeks atleast twice a day.

lyrics:

I'm packed and I'm holding,
I'm smiling, she's living, she's golden and
she lives for me, She says she lives for me,
Ovation, She's got her own motivation,
she comes round and she goes down on me,
And I make her smile, It's like a drug for you,
Do ever what you want to do, Coming over you,
Keep on smiling, what we go through.
One stop to the rhythm that divides you,
And I speak to you like the chorus to the verse,
Chop another line like a coda with a curse,
And I come on like a freak show takes the stage.
We give them the games we play, she said,
I want something else, to get me through this,
Semi-charmed kind of life,
I want something else,
I'm not listening when you say, Good-bye.

The sky it was gold, it was rose,
I was taking sips of it through my nose,
And I wish I could get back there, Some place back there,Smiling in the pictures you would take, Doing crystal myth,
Will lift you up until you break,
It won't stop, I won't come down, I keep stock,
With a tick tock rhythm and a bump for the drop,
And then I bumped up. I took the hit I was given
Then I bumped again, And then I bumped again.
How do I get back there to,
The place where I fell asleep inside you?
How do I get myself back to,
The place where you said,
I want something else to get me through this,
semi-charmed kind of life,
I want something else,
I'm not listening when you say, good-bye,

I believe in the sand beneath my toes,
The beach gives a feeling, An earthy feeling,
I believe in the faith that grows,
And the four right chords can make me cry,
When I'm with you I feel like I could die.
And that would be all right,
All right, When the plane came in,
She said she was crashing, The velvet it rips,
In the city we tripped, On the urge to feel alive, But now I'm struggling to survive,
The days you were wearing, That velvet dress,
You're the priestess, must confess,
Those little red panties,
They pass the test, Slide up around the belly,
Face down on the mattress, One,
Now you hold me, And we're broken.
Still it's all that I want to do.
Feel myself with a head made of the ground,
I'm scared but I'm not coming down.
And I won't run for my life,
She's got her jaws just locked now in smile
but nothing is all right,
All right, I want something else,
To get me through this,
Semi-charmed kind of life,
I want something else,
I'm not listening when you say, good-bye.

Very creepy claymation video

2008-03-02T02:14:00.003-05:00

This is going to make me dream about black holes and Satan. I can't imagine children watching this shit on a Saturday morning. What the hell were they thinking when making this? Yeah, this will be a great way to teach kids about God. It's like a bad acid trip mixed with a Saturday morning cartoon.

If anyone knows where this video is from please let me know.

Jack Nicholson wants HIlary as President

2008-03-01T19:03:00.004-05:00

Jack Nicholson is supporting Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Primaries. He has decided to make it official by making this weird ass endorsement video. Unfortunately, Jack, like most celebrities, has forgotten that no one gives a shit about who he supports.

For the record I don't support Clinton. And I hopped off the Obamawagon a long time ago. I think Ron Paul has some decent ideas but I don't agree with his pro-life stance. It's going to be close race between Hillary and Obama for the Democratic candidate, but the White House is guaranteed to them this year. They would have to really fuck it up lose to Republicans this year.

I just don't see Obama winning. I mean how are we going to let a black man into the white house who's begging for "change".

I didn't come up with that joke but will take credit for it.

SomaComa has started

2008-02-28T21:56:00.004-05:00

The site has been created. I will try to post frequently, the goal is an average of 2 posts per day for the year of 2008. Ambitious yes, but definitely an achievable goal.