Coherence is Overrated

Well, well well... what have we got here...?

2012-01-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

Insane delays in Blogger usage, I suppose.

I've come to realize that while I have the immense desire to write and share my (admittedly juvenile) thoughts with the world, my inability to do so in any consistent, regular manner stems not from a lack of writing skill; it actually comes from the complete absence of an impetus.

That impetus being, of course, substantial progress on any sort of initiative, project or other stated objective.

See, my take on the average person's desire to share information with others is that it is directly related to the amount of pride that person has in his or her accomplishments (or "expertise" on a subject). What, then, does that imply for the above average person? For those who hold themselves to high standards?

The barrier to entry is exceedingly high for people who are their own harshest critics. It's disturbing to write about deficiencies or disappointment, and if self-recognized accomplishments are few and far between, that leaves only meaningless rants against political parties, poorly understood economic systems, and large, multinational retail stores... and perhaps some other particularly uninsightful drivel (is that what this is)?

In any case, this epiphany has caused some significant re-ordering of my psyche. I continue to find it anathema to lower one's standards in the face of difficulty; however, I'm now of the mindset that instead of only sparingly sharing the lively highs while disavowing the bitter lows, it's appropriate to reflect on all happenings. How else can I face the gaps in my progression as a person if not in a public forum? I doubt anyone ever improved themselves in the shadows of their own room.

I'll take the good with the bad, the ups and downs, the successes and failures and ambivalent results and bundle it up into a partially legible, unstructured maze of textual mayhem for your perusal and commentary.

My end hope is that this becomes habitual - a cathartic ritual of documenting the goings-on of my life and reflecting, illustrating the evolution of my persona (hopefully for the better). That somehow, in an effort to generate relevant and interesting content, I learn to find contentedness with smaller wins and simpler things.

Wish me luck.

- Arpan

V2 update

2011-03-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the "V1 update," I really do find it easier to post when I get busy with work. I'll admit to not understanding the psychology behind this, but if someone can map it out in Excel, I'm sure it'll be much clearer.

I'm sure there is really only one thought running rampant through your mind right now; you're wondering why I'm so busy now. Well, one of the team's Senior Financial Analysts is leaving - it's unfortunate, because she's a cool gal and is good to work with. She's also got a ton of responsibility... which I'm inheriting.

I'll be able to offload some of my other responsibilities to a more junior analyst, but still, I'm taking over from someone three levels above and several years more experienced than me. I've never shied away from professional challenge before, but I'm reasonably certain this will be a tough one. Wish me luck.

On other fronts:

I'm learning Ruby on Rails to make a web-app tracker thing - still fleshing out the idea, but it's going to be awesome.
I've been exercising consistently, which I am happy about
I ate like crap this past weekend, which I am not happy about
I've been remiss in developing new hobbies and finding good communities to join, but I did buy a new guitar, which has been soothing for my soul
Road trip down to San Diego on the weekend of 4/22, so I'm definitely looking forward to that

That's all I got for now.

Cheers,

Arpan

V1 update

2011-02-03T08:34:00.000-08:00

Insightful note: For some reason, I find it easier and more compelling to post when I'm strapped and super-busy.

I haven't been working Annual Plan hours lately, and it seems that as a result, a general sense of malaise has befallen me. It occurred to me that despite my desire to do things outside of work, I really have no idea how to go about doing them when I have this "free" time. A part of it is, I'll admit, a reluctance to begin something that is likely unsustainable once work picks up again (as it did yesterday afternoon, a consequence of my inability to stay quiet during my 1:1s with the director)... but the other part is more insidious, more subtle, and more embarrassing.

It's simply laziness (though, I think, stemming from a nugget of 'fear of failure'). I've found recently that I've been self-selecting out of things and rationalizing them within the excuse noted earlier, but at its core, I think I haven't overcome that natural progression toward the path of least resistance.

To cite the obvious, I guess lifestyle change is harder than a blog post declaration exclaiming it.

No matter, this is an iterative process. Sheer bloody-mindedness (and better use of calendar) is required... and will be delivered.

Here's to a better V2.

- Arpan

Welcome to the first year of the rest of my life

2011-01-01T23:31:00.000-08:00

My roommate and I had an interesting discussion a couple of months back regarding the prioritization of objectives for guys our age. It seemed like, along with so many others at our level, we were at a perennial crossroads, but then we realized that at its core, the issue went deeper than just making trade-offs... it was about defining values.

I've probably mentioned the five pillars here before, but John and I came up with a categorization of the things that were important to us (personally, that categorization remains true) - in no significant order:

1) Navigate our careers
2) Improve our family relationships
3) Be diligent in developing ourselves (personal education, as well as being healthy)
4) Grow our social graphs
5) Find companionship

There's an underlying theory that if (1) - (4) are well-managed, (5) will likely happen on its own. I'm not sure of my stance on this hypothesis just yet, but it has potential.

In reflecting on the goals that I've committed myself to for 2011 (see below), I see that there's definitely a weighting on the first three with (4) coming in at a distance. I'm not sure how I'm going to resolve that, but I'm giving it a fair bit of thought.

I do absolutely find (3) compelling though, and to that end, I've given myself the minor directive that when reading on any topic, to stop opening up several unrelated books at a time and will instead focus on finishing one book within a reasonable time span. I tend to start five books and finish one, and I find that particularly useless.

Cheers,

Arpan

The Way of the Fonz (or the Three-Handed Clap)

2010-12-29T08:01:00.000-08:00

I've come to the decision that, under the assumption of being able to moderate shared information, having a proactive presence online is far preferable to not having said presence. In non-pseudo-MBA-speak, it means I'm going to have to update this blog more frequently as well as build out my own website (arpanagrawal.com)

Trust me when I say it's not a shameless plug - there's really nothing to see there.

But there's a greater decision I've come to, one which I hope and expect will have long-term benefits. In the timeless process of setting NYRs (New Years Resolutions: over-commit and under-deliver), I've realized that 2011 needs to be a baller year.

That doesn't necessarily mean living the baller lifestyle (though that wouldn't be unappreciated); I need to build a base for my expectedly vast wealth. To that end, I'm committing myself to (effective Jan 1, 2011):

(1) Diligent expense tracking
(2) Hoarding cash in an effort to angel/seed invest some $15,000 - $20,000 across 2 - 4 small companies as possible.
(3) Leading the revitalization of and kick-starting the growth of my family's business.
(4) Setting the example for my family by getting healthy
(5) Another promotion (preferably March, more reasonably October)
(6) Fully investing time and effort into this experimental part-time consulting partnership

It's going to be a ridiculously busy year, but as I like to say, "Go big or go home." I'd go stir-crazy at home, so there's really no choice but to go big. Here's to Rockin' the Fonz in 2011.

Cheers,

Arpan

With or Without You

2010-08-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

I took the plunge and left my car at my parents' this weekend - I'm officially going car-less for the foreseeable future. I don't know what else to say except:

I'm so excited,
and I can't hide it...
I'm about to lose control and I think I liiiiiiiiiiiiiiike it.

Yes, I know, it's a different song than the title of the post, but I'm starting to go through withdrawal, so deal with it.

Cheers,

Arpan

Missing: Legacy

2010-08-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

I wonder if, one day (when I'm rich and famous), entrepreneurs and students will do Google searches on my name and click on the sponsored results.

I sure hope so.

Really though, I've been plagued by thoughts of my legacy lately. What am I leaving behind? Whose lives will have been impacted by own? I'm not even picky any more - I'll take an evil legacy; just give me one, damnit!

But... legacies need to be earned, don't though? So the better question is, how do I build my legacy? Do I become a humanitarian and help the ignored like Mother Teresa or the Ultimate Indian, Gandhi? Or do I pursue the noble goal of being filthy rich and let my infamy precede me, a la Rockefeller or Carlos Slim?

My greater concern though, is that to have a true legacy, it's not enough to be great - one must be exceptional. Think of all the greats who have been supplanted: Pete Sampras overwritten by Roger Federer; Jack Nicklaus overwritten by Tiger Woods; Ron Jeremy over written by Tiger Woods; Metallica overwritten by anything that doesn't induce bleeding ears.

I guess my lesson is that aiming to be like Warren Buffett or William Henry Harrison is not big enough.

Here's to being the next Napoleon (Dynamite)

- Arpan

Masochism isn't just a way of life - it's a credo

2010-08-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

I like work - really, I do. I like the intensity, the pressure, the demand for performance... does this make me a masochist? Does enjoying the lethargy resulting from sleepless nights producing analyses and recommendations and presentations for the until-then uninformed make me - dare I say it - a workaholic? I don't jest when I tell you that I feel a connection to my laptop as deep as any bond of friendship I've ever formed. Is it wrong, damnit, to love Excel like a mother, a giver of life and to whom all gratitude should return?

If so, then I don't want to be right.

Just kidding.

Work is interesting, but I feel a little sickness in my stomach when I start to associate with Ha's core value system, "I don't work to live - I live to work." I like looking at data and teasing out relevant insights at 11pm as much as the next neurotic guy, but really, enjoying it is problematic.

In summary -

Problem: I'm starting to find staying late at work increasingly acceptable.
Solution: ??? This is where you come in. Help!

- Arpan

May and mid-June Updates

2010-06-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

I've come to the decision that rather than stress over the lack of consistent updating going on here, I'll ignore my inability to generate meaningful content on a daily basis and instead return to the roots of this blog - incoherent ramblings on a semi-regular basis. In no particular order, ongoing happenings and things that I have found interesting:

- PChau noted that the vast majority of people are unwilling to ask for help, while in an ironic twist of humanity, the vast majority of people are happy to provide help when asked. He said it was from a study cited in a Stanford lecture - if I'm able to find the source, I'll post it here

- Wikinvest launched their portfolio management/tracking tool (which pulls data from various brokerage accounts). It's not very good, but it is tangible, which is leagues ahead of mine. Honestly, I'm a bit discouraged, as I'm sure they're following the launch-and-iterate methodology here (which means the next version should be substantially better). Still, I'm confident that I can create something more useful, accurate, intuitive, and user-friendly.

- Signs of a second U.S. recession are still low, as I've seen a pretty fair increase in job postings, but I think this optimism will be short-lived, particularly for large, U.S.-based multinationals. The Euro's volatility carries increasing sentiment that at least one EUR-country will fail within the next year, also sheds light to the contributing underlying economic implications. If the EUR declines through 2H-2010, I think we'll see large companies stop hiring pretty quickly.

- Have made little progress in my reading goals lately. I really need to set aside time to do that

- I still really want to know who Equity Private is... and if she's single.

- Getting back into the swing of things with golf. Went twice in the last three weeks, which is actually more than I went the entire three months prior. I'm hitting the ball quite well, but the 5-iron needs some practice.

- John and I gave a solid three days to paying attention to the four pillars, but our focus has fizzled out. Need to get back on that horse.

There's more (there's always more), but mayhap I'll save that for a later date.

Cheerio,

Arpan

Working and reading

2010-04-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

Reading a book about Ben Franklin - I'm only 70 pages in, but he's already pretty much a bad-ass by age 17. Color me inspired.

One day...

2010-04-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

... I will become consistent in updating this blog.

Recent updates:

- I have an idea for a portfolio management web-app that I want to build. Had a great talk with Jeff S today about his start-up and his process for figuring stuff out. He's definitely come a long way and learned a number of tough lessons, which is great, because I received some good advice from him.

- Quarter-end is tiring (thank G it's over now) - I'm a bit sick right now, but it doesn't detract from the pleasure I feel that I don't need to do more RV stuff for presentations/calibration/all-hands... for at least 2 weeks.

- Also want to pursue the omelet truck idea - there is significant potential here.

- Had a great time at James's wedding this weekend. It was pretty awesome.

All right, that's all I can share without having to kill you.

Cheers,

Arpan

Wicked

2010-02-13T07:11:00.000-08:00

I saw Wicked this past week and it was epic. Absolutely unbelievable. The singing, the sets, the overall ambiance... Teal Wicks played Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) - I have nothing but the utter admiration for her. She tore it up.

Some evidence of her awesomeness.

If you get a chance to see the show, especially with Teal as the lead, I strongly recommend you man up and do it.

Cheers,

Arpan

Anxiety, thy name is Finance Rotation Program

2010-01-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

As you may have heard, or read, or inferred, I'm in the Finance Rotation Program at Le Goog. This program has since been consolidated into the "Smart Start" Program or something like that, but since I'm part of FinRo, we can assume that my Program is better.

Anyways, we're rotating groups now and I'm moving from the really very interesting and engaging side of product finance (Checkout) into Corporate FP&A (and I have no adjectives for the new role, as I haven't actually done any work in the group yet). This is a great opportunity to gain a new experience, but at the same time, crazy pressure to pick things up damn fast and not screw up.

We regularly present materials to the CFO, the Audit Committee, the Operating Committee, and the rest of the Finance organization, so it'd behoove us to stay on top of our game. My game, in particular, is very, very, very rookie. Am I nervous? Yes, as hell. Am I still going to Rock the Fonz? Ayyyyyyyyyyye.

Wish me luck,

Arpan

Coding part 3

2009-12-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

I realized that I should also include the assignment that I'm working on, since that's the true test of whether or not I'm actually producing what I'm supposed to be producing.

Problem 2:
Write a program that computes the sum of the logarithms of all the primes from 2 to some number n, and print out the sum of the logs of the primes, the number n, and the ratio of these two quantities. Test this for different values of n.

My code:

# Remember that log(x) is actually ln(x) (log base e)

a = []

a.append(2)

a.append(3)

i = 5

prime = 1

values = log(a[0]) + log(a[1])

n = eval(raw_input("Please enter N, the upper limit (greater than 3): "))

# Yes, this is weak sauce, but I'm not up for exception-handling at the moment

while i <= n:

for item in a:

if (i%item) == 0:

prime = 0

if prime == 1:

a.append(i)

values += log(i)

i += 2

prime = 1

print a

print "Sum of log of primes: ", values

print "N: ",n

print "Ratio of sum/n: ", (values/n)

Thoughts?

- Arpan

Adventures in Auto-Suggest (1/?)

2009-12-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...

- Arpan

Primes part deux

2009-12-25T00:57:00.000-08:00

Um... haha...

I realized that my code was taking forever because I forgot one teensy little line... two, actually...

Revised below. Yay!

a = []

a.append(2)

a.append(3)

i = 5

prime = 1

while len(a) < 1000:

for item in a:

if (i%item) == 0:

prime = 0

if prime == 1:

a.append(i)

i += 2

prime = 1

print a

{Yes, I know the assignment calls for the 100th one specifically, but it's just the last element in the array. Deal with it, elitists.}

Hooah!

- Arpan

MIT OCW

2009-12-25T00:39:00.000-08:00

So I've started this OCW business with MIT and it's intriguing. I'm taking the ground-level programming class and one of the first assignments is to use python to print the 1000th prime (it's 7917, btw). I thought, So I've started this OCW business with MIT and it's intriguing. I'm taking the ground-level programming class and one of the first assignments is to use python to print the 1000th prime (it's 7917, btw). I thought, Okay, I'm familiar with Python, but programming logic eludes me, so let's give this a shot.

My first code iteration went like this:

a = []

a.append(2)

a.append(3)

i = 1

j = 5

primestate = 1

while len(a) <= 1000:

if j%2 != 0:

temp = []

while i <= (j/2+1):

temp.append(j%i)

i += 1

for item in temp:

if temp[item] == 0:

primestate = 1

if primestate == 0:

a.append(j)

del temp

i = 1

j += 1

primestate = 1

print a

Then I thought to myself... WTH am I doing?? So, before I ran it to test, I changed the code to:

a = []

a.append(2)

a.append(3)

i = 5

prime = 1

while len(a) <= 1000:

for item in a:

if (i%item) == 0:

prime = 0

if prime == 1:

a.append(i)

i += 2

print a

which is (hopefully) way more efficient and logical. I'm running it right now - it's taking a while, which makes me think that this is in no way efficient or logical, but here's to hoping.

Perhaps some engineers can comment on ways to improve?

Thanks,

Arpan

Spelling Enemy

2009-12-24T23:35:00.001-08:00

I just read my last post and was horrified by some of the spelling mistakes. I hope to never repeat them. In other exciting news, I'm back in San Diego for winter holidays (read: WFH three days next week, then coming back the week of the 4th). That's three days to wrap up Q4 goals...

Crap.

Ah well... Christmas day tomorrow... I'm excited (forget Santa - the Chargers are playing!)

Also, I've decided that I'm going to really dedicate some time to exploring MIT's OCW - wish me luck.

- Arpan

I have moved!

2009-11-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

Just an update - I've moved to the city (San Francisco) and it is great. I've only been up here for a week, but it's just so much cooler. When I first moved up, I had to pick up some minor furnishings, and on my way to the store, I saw/experience more general weirdness in that short period than I had in six months in Sunnyvale.

Anyways, that's part of what makes it great. I fully intent on taking some time this weekend to explore the city and spend some time outside of the apartment.

Good times ahead.

Cheers,

Arpan

Economist wins again

2009-11-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

- Arpan

It's that time of the year again...

2009-10-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

No, not Christmas in July! It's time for us to pick our Rotations...

What this means is that coworkers become enemies; friends become enemies; brothers and sisters become... enemies.

Not really, but drama makes it better. The reality is that our groups are intracompedent (intra-competing-dependent). If we intend on leaving our current groups and continuing in the Rotation Program, it's in our best interest to pump it up so that others mark it as their top choice and the "pumper" has a greater chance if receiving his/her top pick.

But what if we don't plan on leaving our current group?

And this, folks, is where I find my conundrum. I've greatly enjoyed my experience on the Checkout Finance team, and if I were offered the opportunity to stay for the next rotation, I'd be very hard-pressed to say no; but, there's something about walking outside of the comfort zone to take on a 9-month experiment in a different group that I find compelling.

Let's take some risk, eh?

On a sidenote, Le Goog is hiring. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG

Cheers,

Arpan

I will be on this...

2009-09-23T08:59:00.001-07:00

... list, someday. Of course, I could edit it now, but I won't. Give me ten years, and you'll see my name in at least three of the sections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_Americans

- Arpan

Apocalyptica

2009-09-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

is awesome... that's all I got today.

Cheers,

Arpan

Day 3.25

2009-09-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Found a place in the city (Bayside Village); J-dub and I applied, waiting to hear back. Move in is 10/14, so methinks I'll take a day off le Goog and get my movin' on. I'm really quite excited about getting out of the South Bay, so good times ahead.

Doing day 1 of Better Man today (building core values) - let's see how that goes. I want to make today productive, and also get some guitarring in (it's been too long, Betsy. I'm sorry).

Cheers,

Arpan

Day 1.5

2009-09-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

It's tougher than I thought. Haven't even touched the Better Man stuff, though I'll blame that on moving from my place to my cousin's. I did learn a lesson though - badassery is a ongoing process. One can't be a badass without continuous contribution to the cause. It's probably too much to hope for daily badassness progress as of yet, so I'm scaling back to weekly.

Although, I will say, if I work out, rip through 10 reviews, put together metrics, and finish peer reviews by 7p tomorrow... that'd be pretty badass :)

- Arpan

Day 0

2009-09-14T07:42:00.001-07:00

I started reading this ebook - 30 Days to a Better Man - on a lark, but it's actually quite interesting. It's less about machismo and more about character, integrity, and other essential traits that defined the men from the days of yore.

I like it.

In the spirit of the Better Man guide, I'm going to blog about my efforts to become a better badass, not merely a better man (though I'll keep a log of how I'm doing with the Better Man teachings too). Some of these efforts (and lessons learned) may be contradictory to the Better Man lessons, but that bridge will be burnt to the ground whenever I get to it.

I actually haven't yet done anything to today to increase my badass points, but when I update this later, hopefully I'll have a lesson to share.

Cheers,

Arpan

Welcome Back

2009-09-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

'Lo. I'm back. I've realized that my inactivity on this blog was a result of my inability to find things interesting, but I've made a sincere vow, along with my good friends, to pursue an interesting life to the best of my ability. I shall post more regularly, if only because that'll be an 'interesting' endeavor ;)

I kid you not. I'll clean out this post with a quote, but expect a posting sometime in the near future.

A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice. - Bill Cosby

Better Off Ted = Win

2009-04-23T21:29:00.001-07:00

http://abc.go.com/primetime/betteroffted/index?pn=index

This is why

2009-04-19T17:26:00.001-07:00

woot.com continues to be awesometastic.

(Reprinted without permission)

The Bangor night was like ink. Moonless. Cold. The young boy slowly awoke to the scratchings against his second story window. Scratchings and whispers.

Timmy… Timmy…

“What? Who? Who’s there?”

Timmy… it’s me… Billy…

“Billy? But… that accident in the ravine three days ago… they said you were dead!”

No, Timmy… I’m here… I want to play…

“Play? Billy, it’s four in the morning! And you’re hovering! And you’re wearing a black cape with a red silk lining and talking in a weird voice!”

Open the window, Timmy, so we can play! We can play forever now! I’ll teach you how! Just open the window!

“Billy… is this because I got that refurbished XBox?”

What? No, Timmy, it’s because you were always my best friend! It has nothing to do with all the fantastic games you can play or the twenty gig hard drive built in. We can just play cards or something if you don’t believe me. Open the window, Timmy! Open the window!

“Because, see, Greg was here just the other day.”

Greg? That kid in our class? Didn’t he die in that car wreck last July?

“Yeah, he’s apparently a zombie now. Came back and wanted me to let him in so we could play online with XBox Live. He said he was just trying to eat my little sister’s brains but he didn’t even ask me where her room was. Kept me up all night.”

Foolish Greg. A lord of the night such as I would never pass such an opportunity by.

“Yeah, Peter tried that line too.”

Peter? The boy who-

”-vanished in the forest in autumn? Turns out he got bit by a werewolf. He came over last full moon and said something about ‘the hunger’ and ‘sharing the rapturous cloak of the divine Selene’ but all we did was watch my dvds. They look great in 16:9 widescreen because the XBox supports up to 1080p high def and 480p standard but… I mean, I gotta go to school still and you guys are really imposing!”

Timmy, listen to me. The power of a lord of the night dwarfs any mere werewolf. I shall offer you the Dark Gift myself. We will share dominion over the-

”-mere humans who can’t appreciate the blah blah blah. Simon and Lucy Jenkins tried that last week. Remember them? They got sucked down a sewer and then bonded to an alien spider-thing covered in ooze. It was so gross, they got it all over the patio. And just last Friday some crazy high school girl said that if I let her play, she’d let me take her to the prom!”

Covered in blood?

“Yeah! You know her?”

Dude, she’s wild after a few drinks. You should have said yes.

“Really?

Okay, Timmy, look. I’m not gonna keep pretending that we were close when I was alive. But think about it. What happens if your refurbished XBox gets the Red Ring Of Death? Or the even stranger Red Light Of Death? Who’s gonna help you then? You’re gonna want someone like me, someone who can command the dead to do his bidding, someone who can raise it back into an admittedly unholy but perfectly useable mockery of life. So let me in, huh, pal?

“Billy, I’ll tell you what I told that mummy-priest made from the soul of Betty Jenkins on Tuesday. My XBox is covered with the optional SquareTrade warranty that I remembered to purchase separately at the time of checkout for an additional $19.99. That means if it fails during the warranty period, I don’t have to worry. So let me go back to sleep, okay? The swamp monster born of the fire that took the life of a vengeful Bobby Smith always shows up at dawn and I have a math test.”

Timmy. Timmy, wait! Just an hour, Timmy, that’s all I want! Just let me play a little bit! You won’t even know I’m here! Timmy! Timmy! Let me in, please, Timmy! Please!

“Man, I wish we’d never moved to Maine.”

Economist.com wins again

2009-04-15T09:01:00.001-07:00

As the increasingly violent war for my soul progresses (between pornography and The Economist), I've come to realize there is no good reason why we can't all get along. That said, this post is about The Economist, and later posts may or may not be about porn.

This week's Economist.com articles are great, as always. I'd like to draw particular attention to:

http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13446612, which is potentially the way newspapers may be saved. If so, this could be a great win for WB (Warren Buffett, not Warner Bros.)

Also, its continued focus on Japanese business concepts - http://www.economist.com/business/management/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13480663

More to come later.

Enjoy,

Arpan

2009-04-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Apparently it is tradition for people who are joining the Checkout Finance team to do a sort of 'Welcome Dance'. To celebrate my arrival, I did this (sans partner).

<
I want to say that I was like Will, but I think I was more Carlton. Nonetheless, I think it went well.

- Arpan

F is for...

2009-03-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

How interesting: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123852657881174747.html

Looks like Mr. Yu has a habit of CFO-ing companies that will never be profitable. Well done, sir.

- Arpan

Venture Me

2009-03-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

Le Goog (my humble abode) had an interesting announcement yesterday. We've known about this internally for a little while, but the specifics eluded us (e.g. it's a $100mm fund). Nonetheless, my efforts over the next couple of years will be focused on joining this elite group of elitists and then raising the elitism bar.

Bonne chance (to myself),

- Arpan

W0000000000000000000000T

2009-03-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

shirt.woot.com is having a woot-off!

enjoy,

arpan

Just a Caucasian

2009-03-22T16:11:00.001-07:00

Enjoy,

Arpan

Whose Line?

2009-03-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Enjoy,

Arpan

Too Damn Funny

2009-03-18T13:11:00.001-07:00

So, I'm now a fan of woot.com (thanks to Dennis and Ramin), and the method they use to describe the product for sale is absolutely ingenious. I've copied the description from today down below - Note: I intend no copyright infringement, in case this is protected material.

-----

Mean Girls

“What’s wrong, Jolene? Why are you crying?”

“Oh, Pamela! No one came to my party and I don’t know why! I think it’s because of my name. People think every Jolene is sleazy or something.”

“What? That’s ridiculous!”

“You mean people don’t think that?”

“No, everybody thinks that, it’s just not why people stayed away from your party. I mean, it’s a party, you know, of course you’d want the slutty girl there!”

“But I’m not a-”

“Jolene, I think the problem is your phone. Do you have a GE DECT 6.0 Phone & 7” Photo Frame?”

“Well… no.”

“Honey, that’s got to be it, then. The GE DECT 6.0 Phone & 7” Photo Frame is your ticket to being popular. It’s a phone and a digital photo frame, all in one! Here, take this one I’ve got in my bag.”

“Thank you, Pamela, but… are you sure that’s the reason? It seems like a really strange thing and I’ve never heard anyone at school talking about it.”

“Jolene, listen. Aren’t I the most popular person in our whole class?”

“Well… I guess you are.”

“And aren’t my parties always the best parties anyone has ever seen? Go on, say yes, we both know you’re going to anyway.”

“Well… I guess they are.”

“That’s not a yes, Jolene.”

“I… yes, Pamela.”

“That’s better. Now trust me, Jolene. The 7” screen size makes it easy to see photos that you can load with SD, XD or MS Memory cards. It stores up to a hundred images and you can even use it as a Caller ID feature. That way you can tell which of your many boyfriends is calling so you won’t mix them up and say the wrong name.”

“Pamela! I’m not like that! Just because of my name everyone thinks I’m a terrible person! I just want to have a party like other people! I just want friends!”

“Oh, honey. There, there. Let it all out. It’s okay. Hey, do you know you can also use the built-in GE DECT 6.0 Phone to have a conference call? Like the one I arranged the night of your party with everyone you invited? That’s why nobody came, Jolene! Because they all liked me better!”

“Wh… what?”

“I heard my boyfriend saying that he thought you were pretty, and I can’t possibly risk losing the status that comes from dating the quarterback. So I sort of let it drop that everyone knows what a girl named Jolene is like. And you know what? They all believed me because of how popular I am. Oopsie! Didn’t want you to find out like this!”

“Pamela! I thought… aren’t you… you’re my best friend!”

“I know, sweetie, I know. And I will be still, I promise, after you’re gone.”

“Gone?”

“You can’t stay here now, honey, you’ve got a reputation. But once you get settled you can put my picture in this GE DECT 6.0 Phone & 7” Photo Frame and we can call each other every day after school! And we’ll tell each other everything! I’ll say how popular and beautiful I am, and you can say how you’re trying so hard to fit in but not really sure what to do to make new friends. It’ll be fun!”

“How could you do this to me, Pamela?”

“Oh, don’t be so sad, you little tramp, you’re getting a GE DECT 6.0 Phone & 7” Photo Frame out of the deal. Listen, I have to go, I’ve got an appointment to give your father these doctored images that prove you’re pregnant. Honey, stop crying, I bet your new house is gonna be really nice.”

“Pamela… I don’t know what I did, but please, please, you’re my best-”

“Of course I am, Jolene! That’s why you can trust me. You’ll see. Anyway, sorry about the lame party and how everyone thinks you’re a hooker now. One day it won’t matter. Unless I happen to call ahead to your new school just to be safe. But maybe I’ll forget, right? I’ll be so busy all summer long, having party after party. Anyway, enjoy your GE DECT 6.0 Phone & 7” Photo Frame! Bye, Jolene! Write me! Mmmwah!”

---------

- Arpan

Give Credit Where it's Due

2009-03-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is ridiculously awesome. I saw it on my buddy's site (sumeetjain.com), and thought it'd be apropos to post it here.

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

Enjoy,

Arpan

Elitism is Good for the Soul

2009-03-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Studying for the CFA Level II... Apparently, getting the charter makes one Elite.

I always thought that elitism was something that you were born into, but apparently, due to the recession, the doors have opened up. :)

- Arpan

Lynch the Funny

2009-03-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Stephen Lynch is hilarious.

"3 Balloons" is probably his best record to date. Totally worth it.

Enjoy!

- Arpan

God of All Things

2009-03-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize I hadn't posted this.

Read (and enjoy, damnit!)

http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/2008ltr.pdf

Escape From Reality

2009-03-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

Movies are great. I also so The Escapist (2008) which is...

amazing.

An absolutely gripping movie that is supremely presented and has fantastic acting.

- Arpan

All the Rage

2009-03-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

This is quite possibly the best movie I've seen in recent history.

The Rage in Placid Lake (2008)

FERG

2009-03-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Hahahahaha. Craig Ferguson is just too damn funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYZM30GHXj4&feature=related

This is a non-injecting area

2009-03-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13237193&source=hptextfeature

G-lorious

2009-03-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

G-Mail keyboard shortcuts are awesome!

Log-in -> Settings -> Keyboard Shortcuts on

Enjoy!

- Arpan

Fresh On The Boat

2009-03-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is ridiculously relevant.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20090303/bs_bw/feb2009tc20090228990934;_ylt=AvPvuHtKtMH8cLREKsSCMZcDW7oF

- Arpan

Buffett Admits Mea Culpa

2009-03-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Ouch. I still trust the guy, but it's been a hard year...

http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid={7DDFC3D1-E25A-4950-819E-FA81BB9F9CBF}

Garfield - the funny version

2009-02-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

I may have posted this before (but I don't think I did) - I'm a big fan of Garfield Minus Garfield. It's perfect if you need a downer or, on the flipside, something to remind you why your life is freaking great. So much so that I bought the book. I'll needlessly inform you that I haven't paid for music, movies, or even p0rn in many years, so the fact that I bought this book should be testament to its quality.

Enjoy :)

- Arpan

Insanity/0

2009-02-19T07:42:00.001-08:00

I've decided to merge the two greatest concepts (ever) into one uber concept:

Infinsane

This is "Infinite" (+ly, adv.) + "Insane" (adj.)

Example of usage: "Infinsane is one infinsane word, dude."

Similarly, these are infinsane (not that I have anything against them, but the description is so appropriate).

Important Things

2009-02-18T22:39:00.001-08:00

Demetri Martin is funny as hell (note: not Hell).

Enjoy,

Arpan

Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?

2009-02-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

This is ingenious.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/18/drunk.amputee.payout/index.html

Idiot (the man). Fools (the jury).

Best,

Arpan

UIS = Sweet Goodness

2009-02-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

The UIS 4th Annual Financial Horizons Conference is upon us. Take a trip to http://uisconference09.com to get more details and register (it's totally free).

Productivity Sweet

2009-02-16T12:57:00.001-08:00

I will be productive today. I will be productive today. I will be productive today...

Rinse & Repeat.

- Arpan

Checked out

2009-02-15T22:30:00.000-08:00

Found out my next finance rotation. It's Checkout. I'm excited about this.

Partially because it's a strong finance-business partnership and the responsibilities look pretty sweet, but also because it's an underdog product with a kick-ass manager. I rotate in April, and I think I can safely say that the next year or so should be solid.

Now, off to learn MySQL...

- Arpan

Oh, you K-Fed you

2009-02-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

Actually, I don't think there's any K-Fed news out there now, but back in the day, when he was a hot topic, I wrote this tribute rap. I think we're all agreed that he was tragically underrated and epically talented.

About this rap: It's rather good, if I do say so myself. However, in true K-Fed style, some of the words don't rhyme, some of the grammar is a bit... off, and beats and rhythm change intra-verse. Respec'

This is: "But It's Okay," and K-Fed's free to use it whenever he wants. I've even included a section for a special guest singer (in parentheses).

-----

4 and 3 and 2 and 1 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4,
Y'all know tha score!
K-Fed in the house, yo,
representin', y'know,
Gonna bring down tha roof around all you hatahs!

Because none of us is playin' around,
We all know Britney was jerkin' me around,
But it's okay cuz I'ma take that bitch to town.
I'm not foolin' around.

No, see, I'ma teach my kids how to live it,
You gotta pump it and dump it,
hit and quit it and break off wit it,
Y'all can see how it works out:
I got 5 mil in my wallet and a Malibu house.

Or maybe not, my lawyer ain't exactly sure,
but I can tell you that KFed is madder than never before.
Like Rocky Balboa I'ma come out in the ring,
and fight and fight until that ho lets me keep my ring.

I mean, man, y'know, it hurt that when I heard that day,
When I got the text message that she was runnin' away,
But it's okay,
cuz no one had to watch my rage escape,
I cried and cried, the tears all over my face.

But it's okay, cuz I'm still a superstar,
and if not, I still got my hot mama named "Shar"
Except she may not like me no more cuz I'm not so rich,
Well you know what? I don't need that bitch.
Yes I do, I'm sorry, Shar, will you ever forgive me?
You mean so much, can you ever forgive me?
For my sake, and our kids' sakes, too.
I forgot their names, but they mean as much to me as to you.

(Thas right, thas right, Shar, KFed cares,
This is Vanilla Ice, I just finished fixing my hair,
You know I didn't steal that song from Queen,
I'm just a lean, mean beat-producin' machine.

Can ya feel it? I'm throwin' down, yo,
Just wanna support KFed, yo,
Go K-F go K-F go! Go K-F go K-F go! Go K-F go K-F go!
Federation Style.)

Yeeeah, dat was Ice, an' he's all cool,
his mama didn't raise him to be no fool,
that's why I say he's my brotha
but from a different motha
but of the same general color. Black.

But it's okay, I didn't ask for this crap.
So I'ma pop out and work on another rap.
It's all good cuz my minds is like a steel trap,
Peace, Love, and Da Gap.
Peace, Love, and Da Gap.
Peace, Love, and Da Gap. Ugh.

Le Golf

2009-02-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

I've been learning how to play golf over last couple of months (unfortunately, not too consistently, due to work/personal traveling). It is surprisingly difficult. My "coach" - a good friend of mine from UCSD - is quite good, but given that I only play once/week (if that), I haven't progressed much. In fact, many times it seems like my game has regressed.

So much so that I look like Charles Barkley (without the associated prostitute acquisition scandal). I think I'm going to start going twice/week, but doing that, with all the other stuff to do, seems rather ambitious.

Well, here's to hoping.

- Arpan

Blog-ojevich

2009-01-31T09:13:00.000-08:00

Delayed at SJC due to insane fog, so I thought I'd just point out that former Governor Blagojevich has a fantastic, fantastic head of hair.

I think the comb-over hides the horns pretty well.

- Arpan

People Watching...

2009-01-31T07:30:00.001-08:00

Sorry for the lack of blog activity recently. Work has been uber-duber and other responsibilities have been clamoring for attention. Without further ado...

I'm flying to San Diego today and while at SJC, I'm participating in the long-respected art of people-watching. I'm changing things up a bit though, by writing the things I'd say (if I wasn't born a lion with no courage).

This is real-time.

To the middle-aged man in the tracksuit and an old-school Sony Walkman: Mad props.

To the on-the-go lady (why is she on-the-go on a Saturday?) who is tearing down the hallway with a suitcase and bag in one hand, and two stacked coffee cups in the other: Go, sweetheart, go! You've made it this far, just a bit- oh... can we get a mop please?

To the pilot with the leather jacket and aviators walking down the Highway to the Danger Zone: 'Nuff said.

To the misunderstood goth fellow: Sorry, dude. I'm more a fan of Baroque.

To the Peter Boyle lookalike: You're alive! Is Ray really all that funny? By the way, I hated Taxi Driver.

To the little kid who just sneezed on me: Thanks, you little bastard.

To the man with the awesome multi-colored motorcyle shirt: Well... at least it's not NASCAR.

To the lady who has a hot, and legal (I think), daughter: Um... this is awkward...

More to come later.

Hasta luego,

Arpan

Are you infected with the Gobama virus?

2009-01-18T17:41:00.001-08:00

I'll admit, I'm sick and tired of the media's fascination with Barack Obama, particularly CNN's fanboy-like adulation (see CNN on TV or read any of the last two days' front page articles, like this: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/18/obama.cool/index.html). It's not that I don't like Obama (actually, I don't), or that I'm conservative (I'm not), but I really don't think his train ride from Philly to DC (covered in extensive detail by CNN) is actual news.

Why? Because presidents move into the White House every 4 to 8 years, and it's just not that big of a deal. Additionally, most media outlets are making all sorts of goofy comparisons between Lincoln and Obama, but they're stopping just short of completing the tribute. Why? Because Lincoln, of course, was white (also, he led this country into a civil war and, well... he was assassinated).

Frankly, the media's hoo-rah-rah about the President-elect being black is plain silly. I don't think it's a mark of progression to pat ourselves on the back for electing a half-Black American, because, if we were really making headway, we wouldn't see the need for self-congratulation.

America: Oh, we're so radically progressive. We've elected a non-white male to be President!

Britain: Yes... you are fantastic. Hullo, have you met Margaret Thatcher?

India: Yes, America, well done. Namaste, have you met Indira Gandhi?

Can people just let Obama actually accomplish something before he's hailed as the next messiah? (keep in mind, Alberto Gonzales and Janet Reno also went to Harvard Law)

Ending this rambling, yet factually true and moderately cohesive post,

Arpan

BORE-ack Obama

2009-01-18T11:32:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now to write a full post about how annoyed and bored I am with Barack, but I'll have a moderately substantial post sometime this afternoon. Suffice it to say, I am both annoyed and bored re: Obamania.

- Arpan

The Hip-Hop

2009-01-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

Why can't more rappers be value-adds to the world?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL3lhm6oy5I

- Arpan

And the winner is...

2009-01-16T14:41:00.001-08:00

The Economist (Wow, two posts in one day. That's how good The Economist is)

Two Heads are Better than One

2009-01-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

My friend, also in the Analyst program, sent me this article (it's a result of the news that 100 Google employees would be let go). That's unfortunate, but this article is funny.

------

NEW YORK (AP) - Earlier this morning Google Inc.announced that it will no longer carry two founders in its ranks as the recession dampens business at the Internet search company. This decision follows news last week of a government filing from Google showing significant cutback in temporary employees and news that it will be cutting 100 recruiters from its work force.

"Given the state of the economy, we recognized that that we needed fewer people focused on the same decisions," Laszlo Bock, a Google vice president, wrote in a blog post released this morning. "Having two founders just didn't make economic sense. Twice the healthcare, twice the perks, twice the cost. And why does a company really need two founders? I think we'll be okay with just one."

Laszlo affirmed that the company didn't have plans to announce any further cuts at this time. But in recent months, Google has taken measures such as reducing the hours of its food service and giving employees cellphones instead of year-end cash bonuses.

"I believe that scarcity breeds clarity," commented Sergey Brin, one of Google's founders who will be affected by this decision. "Next week Larry and I are looking into the possibility of a siamese operation so we can share many of the same body parts and functions - allowing us both to continue our work at Google. Hopefully this solution works out."

Sergey and Larry have garnered a lot of support for such an operation. "Our strong desire would be to keep the minds of both Larry and Sergey, but only in one body," wrote Google's vice president for engineering and research, Alan Eustace. "They have both contributed so much to this company. We would hate to see one of them leave."

New Google CFO Patrick Pichette applauded their decision to do what they can to contribute to Google in the most efficient way possible. "In this environment, our focus should be on doing things intelligently. And to set an example for the rest of the organization, we're eliminating some of the waste in upper management. Feed the winners, starve the losers."

------

- Arpan

P.S. I hate ValleyWag.

Funny article

2009-01-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

This is hilarious:

http://www.cracked.com/article_16954_5-reasons-megatron-should-have-fired-starscream-years-ago.html

That is all.

- Arpan

KNOLedge is power?

2009-01-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

I like Wikipedia; nay, I love Wikipedia. It rocks my world (and hence, my boat), on a daily, perhaps even bi-hourly, basis.

That said, there's a new player in town, and I promote it not just because it's a product of my company, but because of articles like these:

http://knol.google.com/k/antonio-centeno/mens-suits/27cl1pj4s2ovi/7#

Google's Knol site is a collaborative forum ("happy place") where experts and recognized authority figures can post articles on a myriad of topics. It's much like wonderful Wikipedia, but the affectionately coined "Wkpd" (er, just now coined by me, and probably never to be used ever, ever again) allows any logged-in user to edit articles, so there's potential for misuse. Indeed some "celebrities" have come under fire for editing their own Wkpd entries (Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, did it too).

Read a knol, and see how your life changes.

Working on being a rock star,

Arpan

Hi-yah!

2009-01-13T08:54:00.000-08:00

I had my first Aikido class today. It was awesome. I am now able to absolutely destroy anyone I am in hand-to-hand combat with, provided they are weak, moderately unintelligent, and stand in one spot for approximately ten seconds. Seriously, if they grab my wrist just right, I can end them.

I am a force you do not want to reckon with.

Also, my wrist is swollen because one of the other newbies used a freaking death grip. It's probably the first time I've ever seen my brown skin turn red.

Nonetheless, Aikido = Ai-awesome, and I am definitely going back.

Over and out,

Soon-to-be Sensei Arpan

Economist = Sweet, sweet awesomeness

2009-01-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

Much like Equity Private (I love her, probably to an extent that is unhealthy), I am a big fan of The Economist magazine.

The following link is but one part of a much larger fascination with the best news publication in existence.

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12904699 (subscription may be required)

- Arpan

Ice Cream. You Scream. Zombies & Fear...

2009-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

My roommate watched Resident Evil: Degeneration yesterday evening, and I was scared by the 10 minutes that I saw. Not by the movie itself, but because what scares me about zombieism is the epidemic aspect of it. No idea where it started, no idea how to end it. Also it reminded me of The Polar Express, and that was scary as well.

So, I was prompted by this very real fear of a zombie uprising to create a list of things I fear (not exhaustive, by any means).

I am afraid of:

- Zombie uprisings
- Gerbils
- Drowning
- Clowns
- Jail
- Using someone else's toothbrush
- Some men
- Some women
- Some in betweeners
- Scuba diving
- Ebola
- Bungee jumping
- Having bad coffee
- Having no coffee
- Spiders
- Giant spiders
- Certain types of shadow puppets
- Toddlers
- Getting any part of my male anatomy stuck in a zipper
- Being anywhere without an internet connection moderately close by (e.g. Kansas).

Do you have a list?

- Arpan

Chargers lost day 2

2009-01-12T10:25:00.001-08:00

Still depressed... More substantive post to come later (about zombies and fear)

- Arpan

Chargers lost

2009-01-11T21:01:00.000-08:00

And now, I shall cry myself to sleep. Posts tomorrow or something. Urgh.

- Arpan

Oh, Stevie...

2009-01-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary - I hate my MacBook Pro. I really do. I want a PC, because it actually has a usable version of Excel.

- Arpan

Hammertime

2009-01-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

As a result of my frenetic and obsessive, sado-masochistic relationship with coffee, I wasn't able to sleep last night. When situations like these arise, I turn to the Internet for its myriad of offerings to dull the mind. Unfortunately, I started looking at WikiInvest, and couldn't stop. I love that site.

Tired, but CHARGERS!!!!!!!! mania is keeping me alive,

Arpan

Chargers game

2009-01-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

OMG

Chargers vs. Steelers game on Sunday, January 11th, 1:45 pm PST, on... CBS? or Fox, one or the other. This game will be much, much, much, much better than the other game on Sunday, which features NFC Team A vs. NFC Team B (riveting, I know).

I am nervous, and it is not even Sunday yet. Actually, I've been nervous since we won the game against the Colts, but I play things cool, much akin to James Bond, but only if James Bond was really a cocktail-like mix of ninja and Australian, and by Australian, I mean Indian.

Will reading about RJR Nabisco's unfortunate demise soothe my frantic nerves, or will downing a medium-sized hammerhead coffee do the trick? I'm not sure, so I'll play it safe and do both.

Good luck, my dear Chargers, and may you Rock the Fonz against the Steelers.

Until next time,

Arpan

First Post. Yay.

2009-01-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

There comes a point in every man's life when he looks at himself in the mirror and wonders what it's all about. In an effort to find an answer to this haunting question, I've decided to start blogging. Welcome to my world.

Comments are on and unmoderated, so those of you who are compelled to leave a message may do so at your leisure. I'll respond as best I can, but no guarantees as far as legibility and relevance are concerned.

Also, I am sometimes exceedingly cynical and sarcastic, and though this may befuddle you initially, we'll become BFFs soon enough and shall have no problems interpreting each others squeals of joy and such.

I listed some topics at the top of the main page re: some of the things that I'll likely be addressing on (in?) this blog, but the content will in no way be limited to those enumerated. I'm interested in all sorts of things, and I like to read, so I'll try to incorporate other stuff that I come across. Let me know if this blog becomes too theme-heavy or one-sided, and I'll swiftly take care of it... by banning you... :)

I'll be back,

Arpan