marginally subversive

And now... just for fun...!

My Ten Most Favorite Digital Things...: Part 2

This is part two of my ten most favorite digital things.  In the first part, I listed down in no particular order five digital things that I really loved.  I had the Yahoo finance pages with the advanced charting techniques, the Windows Live Services, my MacBookPro and OSX Leopard, my Nokia E90 phone, and the New Outlook and OneNote 2007 - all of which I really loved and enjoyed using.

Now, I am off to name the second set of the digital things that I really love - and I start off with...

Number 6:   C++. I know, I know.  It's not really something that I am good at - and it's not even something that I can see me using in the next couple of years.  But I am hinging on the possibility that with the more information coming my way - in the form of usage patterns, raw data on how people are using information on the net and how they are interacting with different sites - I think C++ will come in handy.  I have finished the first five chapters of my book - and am now into learning more about classes and objects.

Now some will probably say that C++ is too old - and that there are far too many other, more important and more up-to-date programming languages.  But for some reason, I have some affinity with C++.  It's probably because it's easy to understand - and from what I gathered, Office was built on C++.  (I could be wrong - don't shoot me!)

So I think that C++ will remain to be one of my favorite things - even if its applicability remains to be seen.  At least, I will have learned something.

7.  XLSTAT and XLMINER

I have personal subscriptions to XLSTAT and XLMINER - and when embedded into the new Excel 2007, XLSTAT becomes a real power-house.  I have not tried XLMINER on Excel 2007 - but the ability of Excel 2007 to manage so many rows and columns makes it easier for me to analyze different sets of data.  Back then, with Excel 2003 which I think accommodates only about 255 columns, I had to break down all my files into different sheets.

These days, I work and run my XLSTAT with ease on big files.

XLMINER, which still runs on my Office 2003 at my old personal PC, is still a gem.  Its neural networking capabilities, logistic regression, and classification routines are simply good and easy to navigate.  It's one helluva of tool that every data miner should have in their PC.  And I would gladly recommend it to someone interested in the field of datamining. 

My only gripe with XLMINER?  It can't manage much of the qualitative variables - or at least, I have not unlocked how to use qualitative variables just yet.  But all in all:  thumbs-up to both software programs.

8.  Apple Airport

I bought it, unboxed it, fired up the Mac, and set it up - all within 15 minutes.  Me the klutz when it comes to wires and setting up things managed to get it running.  And yes, it's now linking two personal laptops and two mobile phones in my apartment.

9.  Live.Com

Friends have been encouraging me to use Google Reader - but for some reason, I find it too ... blah.  Perhaps, it's just my personality.  I need some colors, some photos, some life in my news reader.  And Live.Com gives me that.

It allows me to customize my site (yes, I know - iGoogle does the same thing - but still... it's... bland!)  I like Live.Com:  it's now the default home-page on my laptop both at home and at work.  It summarizes the days news for me in various tabs - and the good thing about it:  I can preview the contents of the different subscriptions I have (and I have lots!).  If indeed the abstracts of the things I read intrigue me, then I would go off and read them.

10.  Lifehack.Org

OK.  I am one who does not really want to be told.  But seriously, LifeHack.Org gives me so many ideas on so many things.  Some of the articles I really like - like the latest entry on what to do if you're not really celebrating Christmas.  Others are way-off my field, I guess.  But that's the beauty of LifeHack.Org - it touches on things that are important to you directly, on things that may not necessarily be important to you now but could possibly be in the future.  My Del.Icio.Us account is full of LifeHack.Org tags.

I don't think any other website has been as cool LifeHack.Org.

Additional Stuff that I really liked...

I know the title says 10, but I need to mention two other services that I really liked:  LinkedIn.Com and PickTheBrain.Com.  You are probably very familiar with LinkedIn.Com - and if you are not, better go to LinkedIn.Com now and create your own profile.  I think of the different networking sites that I have joined, LinkedIn.Com perhaps was the most profitable in terms of generating "returns" on my efforts.  I have had several  requests for interviews and consulting projects through LinkedIn - all of which I had to turn down due to some reason or another. 

PickTheBrain.Com is rather a different breed.  It's more of the personal-development site, minus the preaching.  I am too hard-headed to be preached to - and I guess too cynical to even consider the "field" or the "spirituality that surrounds us all".  But PickTheBrain.Com is quite interesting as it focuses on achieving balance.  Their latest entry as of this writing talks about Self-Actualization and exercising, which I thought made sense.

I am sure there will be more useful stuff coming around and bubbling up in the near future.

My needs?  They're very simple, really.  Anything that would get me going and make me more efficient in managing my life and achieving that balance between work and personal life - that's good with me.  (Oh, Facebook is cool - but for now, I guess I don't really see the value in it for me save for wasting some time in the office when there's a lull in between projects - or mass-broadcasting everybody to leave me alone as I am trying to beat a deadline.)

That's it for now!

Christmas Around the World 2007 - A Personal Project

OK.  It's 20 days before Christmas - and I am sure that some malls around the world are now bedecked with decors.  I am doing a personal project - to get as many Christmas-related photos as possible posted on this page that I created on Flickr:  Christmas Around the World 2007.

Why?  There's really no reason why - I just thought it would be great to document how Christmas is like in 2007.  If this is successful (and I sincerely hope it will be), I'd like to be able to do this again next year - wherever I may be.

I am currently in Singapore - so most of my photos would be here.  But I honestly hope that people in the Manila (HOME!), in Cebu (MY SECOND HOME!), in New York (MY FAVORITE CITY), in San Francisco (MY SECOND MOST FAVORITE CITY), and in London (WELL, MY MOST ADMIRED CITY) and of course, from Singapore (HOME BASE) to contribute. 

It's an open-group - so come one and come all!  Post your photos online!

View this photo

Bitchy Question of the Day: If you are that smart, why are you not with McKinsey and the like?

Somebody bitchy sent me this email last night:  If you are that smart, why are you not with McKinsey and the like?

Well, put it this way:  When I graduated from University, one of the big four consulting companies approached and wanted me to be a part of their team.  It was a company that everybody - from Management Engineering, Business Management, Economics, Psychology, and Organizational Development graduates - wanted to get into because "it looks good on the resume".

I refused.

Me and one of my best friends - who now holds a Ph D in Mathematics and Marketing Science - were smirking:  The measure of your being good is getting into the big four; the measure of your being great is being invited to get into the big four, having the option of saying no, and exercising that option.

So...  what was the question again?

 

 

Technorati tags: McKinsey, Accenture, Andersen, Andersen Consultnig, Deloitte, BCG, Working Life, Consulting, Career shifts, Career management, Insights on Human Behavior

del.icio.us tags: McKinsey, Accenture, Andersen, Andersen Consultnig, Deloitte, BCG, Working Life, Consulting, Career shifts, Career management, Insights on Human Behavior

OK... it's been an emo weekend...

Since my friends have been telling me that my blog posts have been really "oh so serious" - and I really can't think of something to talk about that is remotely related to work (which I guess is a good thing...), I am going through more of YouTube stuff that I found over the weekend.

This - I picked up - not because of the video, but because of the song.  It's the song There's a Fine, Fine Line  from Avenue Q.  I saw Avenue Q, the musical in Las Vegas at the Wynn Hotel - then I saw it again on Broadway when I was in New York.  I would say that it's one of the most beautiful, most innovative, most creative, and most controversial musicals I have ever seen.  (Think of this:  Jim Henson puppets making love onstage...  Not a nice picture - yeah?  But watch Avenue Q - and it'll be a blast!)

OK.  Enough of that.

For those of you wanting thinking I have lost it, nope:  not yet.  It's just a slow weekend.

 

By the way, I have no idea where the video came from. But this is the only decent copy of the song I can find on YouTube.

If you know what the video is all about, let me know?

Technorati Tags: Avenue Q, Musicals, Entertainment, Play Play Play

And this one goes to...

... my buddies from the UM Singapore office:

To the ladies:  Take heed...  Beep it out!  (And nope, not all boys are poopie-heads!  I ain't one... not anymore!)

To the guys:  You commitment-phobic people...  what can I say?  I'd say just get it on!

And a few more YouTube vids I liked...

Evanescence - I am sure you've heard of them.  This video is for "Bring Me To Life" - acoustic version.  I have always Evanescence.  I think the name in and of itself brings to mind something, mmm, profound and deep.  Their first album spun daily in my CD player.

Hope you enjoy this one!