So I spent last weekend at the New York Comic Con. I’m not really a big comic book fan so I was there mainly for the movie and tv panels. I started at the Disney/Pixar panel for Wall*E and Prince Caspian. They showed off a few clips from Wall*E and they were hilarious. Definitely the best part of the panel, Pixar’s magic continues. Prince Caspian looks just like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with more action and fight scenes. They brought out some of the actors in the movie and they seem like really nice guys. One of them gave a hug to a fan. Nothing really of note here.

Next was the Battlestar Galactica panel but I’m just not a BG fan so I left to go to the exhibit hall and to get an autograph from Sid Meier. 2K Games was showing off the console version of Civ and it definitely looks like Civ Lite. I’ll still rent it to check it out but it’s definitely for gamers who aren’t hardcore Civ fans. So I stuck around watching people play and got in line to get Sid’s autograph. I got him to sign my Collector’s Edition of Civ IV which was really cool and I got a T-Shirt. This thing is the softest free t-shirt I’ve ever received. I wish all companies would take note and use softer cotton. As for the exhibit hall, it was ok. Like I said I’m not that into comics so it was really just booths to me.

Next I wanted to go to the Ghost Hunters panel but there was already a line starting for the Avatar panel so I had to line up instead. They did a really bad job at estimating how many people would attend the Avatar panel vs the Ghost Hunters panel (they overlapped). Ghost Hunters got a larger room but it was nowhere near as full as the Avatar panel. Don’t underestimate the dedication of pre-teen/teenage girls. No seriously, they played the trailer for the last four episodes and those girls just would not stop screaming. I couldn’t hear the dialogue. I’m really excited to watch the finale based on what I saw in trailer. Avatar is definitely worth your time if you haven’t seen it yet.

The last good panel I was at was for Harold and Kumar 2. We saw an extended trailer and it’s what you would expect from a stoner movie. Kal Penn and Neil Patrick Harris are really funny guys in person. Fans would ask them really stupid things. One fan asked NPH if he really did coke during the scenes for the first movie. NPH sarcastically responded, “Yeah dude I really did twenty takes of coke for the film.” NPH also recounted a story about the first movie. When the script for the first movie was written, NPH was written in as a character but he didn’t know it. He only found out from one of his friends who was auditioning for a part. His friend called him up, “Dude, you’re in this movie and it’s not good”. NPH says he started freaking out and calling around to find out more about the movie. When he finally read the script he thought it was hilarious and signed on. He’s happy he did because it allowed him to be on How I Met Your Mother.

All in all Comic Con was alright. I would definitely skip the video game panels next time. There wasn’t any new information released and they really didn’t have much content. It’s cool that they have Q&A sessions with the fans but I would rather not attend them simply because some fans ask really, really stupid questions. I also came across two insights while I was at Comic Con.

One, why do nerds not understand the concept of DEODORANT? Seriously if you’re going to be packed into an area with other people, please have the decency to use some deodorant. Some of you sweat…..a lot….and then you stink. Just use it, please.

Two, yes stupid nerds exist. The funny thing is how stupid nerds think they’re smarter than stupid jocks just because they’re nerds. Trust me, they’re not. They’re just as stupid as everyone else, nerd or not. Hey nerds. Pot. Kettle. Black.

As a follow-up to my post on music, there are a few other reasons why I don’t listen to as much current music as I used to. For one, I don’t have a car anymore so I don’t have a FM radio. It makes it hard to follow music when the main mechanism that feeds you Top 40 or Hip Hop doesn’t exist anymore. Add to that fact that you can’t exactly get reception on the subway and it doesn’t bode well for following current trends.

Instead what I’ve found myself doing is going back to my Pimsleur language CDs. A former co-worker of mine actually introduced me to them a while back. He was kind of a social retard as most smart people are. On his commute to work instead of listening to the radio or music, he would spend his time listening to the CDs and learning a new language. I thought it was a great idea and I tried to do the same thing but I just felt really weird talking to myself in a foreign language and I got funny looks from other drivers. So I put them away and went back to the radio. Now that I’m in the city though and the radio isn’t an option I’m listening to them again. I’m currently working my way through Mandarin now. I don’t feel as self conscience now since a guy talking to himself on the New York subway isn’t exactly strange.

Along with the language tapes I’m having my PSP download some financial podcasts every morning so that I can keep track of news and developments. I’m considering getting a subscription like Audible so I can listen to business audio books on the subway. That will have to wait until I finish all the Pimsleur CDs though. No need to spend money on something I’m not going to use right away.

I was over at Just a Lark reading his blog about his musical tastes. Funny thing is Dawn and I were just talking about my eclectic music taste as well. I used to mostly listen to Urban music (Rap, Hip Hop, R&B) with some Pop, some Alternative, and some Rock thrown in. Basically anything that was playing on MTV. Lately though I haven’t been as into the music scene as I used to be, at least the current music scene. I feel like music has lost something lately.

Now sadly enough I do get my music from video games the way Lark used to. The only difference is that he would listen to the video game music created by the composer whereas I’m getting my music in the form of soundtracks to games like Karaoke Revolution and Rock Band. The variety of songs on the soundtracks expose me to artists that I really wouldn’t listen to. After singing and playing along to the songs in the game, I’m searching through the back catalog of classics; being a Vegas lounge lizard with Sinatra, dancing with the Jackson 5 and rocking out with Queen and the Police.

I’ve also noticed that I prefer songs that have a message. Some of my favorite songs in Rock Band are “Run for the Hills” by Iron Maiden, “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones, and “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by the Who. Those songs have meaning, they spoke out about issues. I miss when music had a message; when it had a purpose that was more than just selling records or making music videos. Are you listening RIAA? You want to know why people aren’t buying music? The “music” you put out now has no heart, no soul, no substance.

It’s been about 5 years since I’ve upgraded my old computer and it finally came to the point where it didn’t even meet the minimum requirements for games anymore. I was originally planning to wait until around September to upgrade my computer to make sure that it would be able to play Spore and Starcraft 2 at high quality. I was going to budget around $1000 for the upgrade. Those were my intentions however my compulsive spending got the best of me and I ended up buying a P-6831FX laptop from Best Buy last Friday.

I was bored at work and surfing the internet when I stumbled on this review. It had everything I would have liked to get in the desktop upgrade and the CPU was easily accessible for an upgrade if I chose to do so in the future. I rationalized the purchase to myself by telling myself all the pros of getting a laptop versus a desktop. “It’s portable so you can take it with you”, “It uses less power so it’s better for the environment”, “Your current setup of using the LCD TV as a computer screen and sitting on the bed makes it hard to do anything on the computer for long”. Yes I kept feeding myself reasons why I should get it and then when I went to Best Buy’s website it was on sale for $100 off. I couldn’t resist; lo and behold I was $1250 plus tax lighter in the pocketbook but now I was also 9.2 lbs heavier from the laptop.

The laptop itself is very nice, a bit heavy but then I really don’t intend to carry it around with me all that much, it is a desktop replacement after all. It will make it easier to surf the internet and watch TV from bed though. The screen is nice and bright and the graphics card is a 512mb 8800M GTS so I know it will do a good job with Spore and Starcraft 2 when they come out. And man the speech recognition software on Vista is really fun to play with. It will take some time to train it to my voice and speech patterns. I will start using it to write future blog posts. All in all, I am happy with the purchase (it really is a great value as far as specs vs price) although there are a few things I would liked to have done instead.

First off I shouldn’t have been so impulsive on getting the thing, it didn’t fulfill a need. I didn’t need a new computer now and easily could have waited for either prices to drop or for newer tech to come out. It also took a big chunk of my time from Friday night and Saturday. I of course wanted to play with my new toy (uninstalling bloatware, transferring my files over, and installing my programs and games) and put off studying for my exam. So now I’m back to 0 days without an impulsive purchase. Yes I did buy the laptop on Friday and I’m writing this on Sunday (I bought the Olympus E510 from Amazon today) but that’s a story for another time.

Goals and Future Plans

I feel like I’ve been spinning my wheels lately, like I’ve just been going through the motions of life and not really getting anywhere. When I get like this it helps to put down my goals and thoughts to sort everything out.

Goals for the Rest of the Year

First up, I plan on passing the CFA Level II exam this June. I signed up for a Weekly Study Course and I’m determined to finally pass this stupid thing this year. I may commit seppuku if I don’t pass.

After that there is a CAIA exam that I plan to take in September. The CAIA exams are easier than the CFA exams so a three month study period should be more than enough to pass. CAIA stands for Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst, it’s the designation that’s used mainly for hedge funds.

After that I intend on studying for the GMAT to get started on applying to NYU for their MBA program in Quantitative Finance which is basically financial modeling. I probably should be taking this slower but in my own mind, I’m behind where I feel I should be so it’s time to bust my butt and catch up.

I’m also going to start listening to my Pimsleur language mp3s. I’m going to start learning Mandarin and Cantonese to get in touch with my dad’s culture and to prepare myself for one of my long term goals which I’ll talk about below.

Future Plans

As for my plans further out I’d like to be completely debt free by the end of the year. After that I’ll start saving money and investing again. I’d still like to be able to buy a place here in NYC although I do have plans to move sometime in the future.

I’d like to expand my horizons further and move to Singapore eventually. My thinking is China will eclipse the US eventually and I’d like to have a head start on working in that economy. It would also set my (future) kids up to have the best opportunity available to them, like what my parents did for me when they immigrated to the US. It will be a while before I move to Singapore but it’s definitely in the back of my mind and I’ve started to think about the logistics of it.

So those are my plans for the foreseeable future, what are yours?

So it’s been a while since I’ve posted but I’m still alive. Just drowning in video games and getting into the holiday spirit. Pretend this is a stream of consciousness piece of writing because my thoughts are going to be all over the place.

Video Games

So I was playing Halo 3 for the past month. I recently stopped to play Super Mario Galaxy. I’m beat the game yesterday and I’m finishing up the 120 stars the first time through. Next on the list is Rock Band. I was planning on going to the midnight launch at Best Buy tonight but I got an email from Amazon saying they shipped out Rock Band on Saturday. Get this, they shipped it out of Reno…. if I was still in Reno I could have driven to the Amazon warehouse to pick it up. I could be playing it right now although it would mean I’d still be in Reno.

Video Game Launches

One of the cool things about being in New York is the midnight video game launches I get to go to. So far I’ve attended the Halo 3 launch, and the Super Mario Galaxy launch. The Halo launch was huge and I got tons of free swag like t-shirts, stress balls, and a hat. The Mario launch was kind of a let down after going to the Halo 3 one but I got Super Mario Galaxy two days before the release date so that was pretty cool. Events like these never happened in Reno. One of the advantages of living in a big city.

New York

The city is starting to decorate for Christmas. The Tree at Rockefeller Center went up about two weeks ago and they’re currently decorating it. The lighting is the end of the month and I intend to go with camera in tow. I’m really getting into the Christmas spirit. I hated when it snowed in Reno but I’m really hoping it snows here. Just something about the city screams Christmas. I still can’t believe my friend Ryan lived here for a year and then decided to move back to Reno, I think he’s on crack. There’s way more to do here and that includes the women who are smarter and hotter than anything Reno could offer.

Thanksgiving

I can’t wait to have an actual Thanksgiving dinner. My family used to cook turkey when I was younger but lately they’ve given up on the cooking the turkey whole and have gone to turkey curry. Since my girlfriend and I won’t make it back to Reno until February to visit family we’re going to cook Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves. I can’t wait, turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, mmm… I’m drooling just thinking about it.

I will not rest until I am at least a Major online.

Although I give off the impression that I have a lot of self-esteem, I actually see myself as being very insecure. Somehow I’m managed to trick myself into using my insecurities to better myself and to challenge myself to grow. For a lot of my friends raising a family, growing old, and having close friends is enough for them to be happy in life. I don’t begrudge them in anyway; everyone has different things that make them happy. However the thing that makes them happy is my biggest fear. My biggest fear is to be like everyone else, to be average, to only live my life out without making a lasting impact on the world. History is one of my favorite subjects. I loved reading about the people that came before and the lasting impact that their lives had on the world. I want people in the future to look back at my life and be inspired by the things I’ve done and the impact that I’ve had. The fear of being average is what drives me. It makes me push myself into doing things that take me out of my comfort zone because I feel it’s the only way for me to grow.

I was talking to my friend Amanda and she wants to move from Reno and go to New York as well. Her boyfriend Mike is a little hesitant about it because Mike has built up a social network and he’s comfortable in Reno. He grew up there, his family is there, and all of his friends are there. I know how he feels because I was a little hesitant about moving but I am very glad I did. It’s not easy taking that step but once it’s done you gain a small measure of confidence and wonder why you were so hesitant before. Hell I’m already thinking about all the places I want to visit/live.

On that note if anyone wants to see the world and save money, one of the blogs I read has a post about living abroad as an English teacher. I wish I had thought of doing this sooner so I could have traveled the world on someone else’s dime but I like my current direction and I’m already in the financial capitol of the world, leaving now would be a step back from my goals. For anyone else though I highly recommend considering the possibility. You can find the post at here.

LendingClub

LendingClub was started through Facebook and as of right now only Facebook users can join. The basic premise is that it is p2p lending. Say you want to borrow, you go through a credit check and get assigned a grade and given the amount of money you can borrow and at what interest rate. You then place up a loan request with some information (what you’re using the loan for, your interest rate, your credit rating, your income, etc.) and the lenders can choose to fund your loan request in whatever increments they choose. Everyone wins. The borrowers get a loan at lower rates than they would get at banks and the lenders get a better return than they would just a regular savings account. If you’re the risk-averse type, you can lend at rates as low as 6.45% to the best credit ratings (better than the 5% you’ll get in high yield savings) or you can fund the riskier loans like mine (because of all my debt my loan rate is 16%). Lending club takes a 2% fee of your loan amount but it’s a small price to pay when my highest credit card is at 25%. I couldn’t consolidate all my debt but this will cut my interest payments immensely. As of this time CA and NV people can’t be borrowers but they can be lenders.

Obopay

Even though I got screwed because they raised their bonus for signing up from $5 to $10 I still got free money from them. It’s a service that lets you send money from person to person using your cellphone. You can also request a debit card from them. They’re backed by Citi and Verizon so it’s not a scam or anything like that. Like I said the bonus is now $10 to join and I’m adding them below.

So one of our support reps in the UK went on paternity leave this week so I’m coming in at 7am to cover. Man am I tired. I used to work this same shift in Reno and I forgot what it was like. It is peaceful in the office though with no one here.

  Mariners vs Yankees or Stranglehold

So in my infinite wisdom when I bought my baseball tickets I saw that Monday’s game was at 1pm and I didn’t want to miss work to go to the game. So I bought tickets for Wednesday instead. A month later I remember about Labor Day and that’s why the game is being played at that time. Doh! Compounding this mistake is the fact that Monday’s pitching matchup is Felix Hernandez against Roger Clemens. Wednesday’s matchup is a bunch of no namers. On top of this Stranglehold comes out on Wednesday so I won’t be able to play it until Thursday at the earliest. So bushi.

Need Vacation Badly

So I’m taking a vacation the last week of September for a couple of reasons. One I need one as soon as possible because I’m starting to burn out. I haven’t taken a real vacation since October of last year when we went to Vegas and even that was only for a few days. I’ve gone on trips to NY (when I still lived in Reno) here and there but it was always work or moving related. So for my vacation I am going to do absolutely nothing. I’m just going to stay at home, sleep 12-14 hours a day, and play video games. Halo3 comes out that week but I’ll probably be finishing up on Eternal Sonata with my girlfriend.