I’ve spent the better part of the past two months on vacation. It’s the first vacation I’ve had of this length since before I went to college. The best part of this time, surprisingly, has not been unwinding from the last two years of stress in the markets, but rather getting back to what I really enjoy doing: thinking. Think, read, think some more, read some more, repeat. Hopefully, I’ll care to expound on this at some point in the future.

But, for now, I’ve decided that I should just write. Following the “10,000 hour rule,” I might as well spend as much time thinking and writing as I can, even if some of it is boring (apologies in advance).

For now, my August rumblings:

- The Red Sox absolutely stole Victor Martinez from the Indians. To recap, the Sox traded Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price to the Indians for Victor Martinez.

Let’s consider this carefully. Masterson, while talented, probably never would have been a top reliver for us, nor anything more than a number 5 starter.

Nick Hagadone, while pitching well for class A Greenville, had only 10 starts since returning from Tommy John surgery. Sure, his ERA was under 3, and he struck out more than a batter per inning, but we’re trying to draw conclusions from a grand total of 25 innings. Since he joined the Sox system in 2007, he has logged a grand total of 59.1 innings. Scout him as much as you wish, but with less than a full season of results, I find it incredibly difficult to fall in love with a pitching prospect, even a fireballing lefty.

Bryan Price, similarly, joined the Sox system in only 2008 and has fewer than 150 innings of pro experience. We can almost throw out his college numbers, as he didn’t throw more than 11 innings until his final season in 2007. While in the Sox system, he did strike out more than a batter an inning and didn’t walk many. What was concerning was his ERA over 6.5 this year once he made the jump to Salem, but, given the secondary statistics, I find it hard to write him off.

I suppose what I’m saying, in a roundabout way, is this: we gave up a pitcher that had very low value to the Sox and two prospects that were at least 2 years from major league ready. Now, of course, no one wants to mortgage the future, but consider this: if Victor Martinez were to leave the Sox as a free agent after next season, the Sox would likely receive 2 compensation draft picks for him. We’d essentially get two prospects back (granted a year and a half behind schedule).

So, net net, worst case scenario, 1.5 years of Martinez for several years of Masterson, with a delay of 1.5 years and the obvious difference in salary. I’ll make that trade every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

- Something that we may need to consider in the offseason: Whether or not Mike Lowell becomes a quasi full time DH. I’d love to see him healthy and back at third, pushing Youk back to 1B, but as things stand now, that doesn’t look realistic.

- Is this how the Dice-K experiment ends? Honestly, two and a half months on the DL is ridiculous for a non surgery situation. I know the baseball culture as far as preparation is entirely different in Japan, but this stinks of someone, regardless of origin, not coming to work prepared. I don’t care whether he didn’t agree with John Farrell’s arm program or not, the onus was on him to find a way to come into the season prepared. Unlike the NFL, where contracts aren’t guaranteed, I have zero sympathy for baseball or basketball players, on guaranteed contracts, who loaf around during the middle of a long contract. Considering what a huge deal Japanese players in the MLB are back in Japan (when I’ve visited, the sports highlights shows devote an entire segment to the players in the MLB, showing EVERY one of the position players ABs), I’d have expected that he’d have the respect and the pride to bring his absolute best to the world stage.

- How good is Ellsbury going to be in another two seasons? I might be going out on a limb here, but I think he’ll be a more valuable player than Dustin Pedroia.

- I want to know what odds Vegas is making on Papelbon being a Yankee in 2011? It dovetails so nicely right now. Rivera looks excellent, but the pinstripes need bullpen help. Papelbon is going to go for the big payday, and with Daniel Bard looking like a better version with, ahem, control and a wicked curve, I can’t see the Sox stumping up the cash. Personally, I think closer is one of the most overpaid positions in baseball.

Think about the big money teams:
Yanks clearly have the need and the money. Sox have less of a need, I’d argue, although they do have the money. The Mets appear to be set with K-Rod, although he will only have one year left on his contract in 2011. The Cubs always have to be considered, although with the current ownership situation, it is hard to tell whether they will continue to be relatively big spenders or not (and Kevin Gregg doesn’t appear to be the answer). Detroit, granted the picture may have changed substantially in the next 18 months, but given the economy there, I don’t see them spending big on a closer. I don’t think the Halos will go and spring for Paps; it just isn’t their style to go after a pitching splash. The Phils might get in on him if Lidge doesn’t right himself. I tend to think the Dodgers are out, as they look solid with Broxton.

So, in conclusion, I think the most likely suitors will be the Yanks and the Phils, with the Cubs and Halos as the dark horses. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be happy as a clam if the Sox keep him. Good relievers are hard enough to find, let alone elite ones and, even with all his faults, Papelbon is an elite reliever.

That’s all for now, more thoughts later.

For Christmas, I received an iPod Touch. I’m hoping it will inspire me to revive this blog.

As far as I can tell, it looks like I’ve left this place dormant for the past year. I suppose that’s to be expected once I got a job, stopped reading, and, to be honest, stopped thinking as much as I’d like. The thing I’ve learned most over the past 2 years is this: the real world is all well and good (you get paid, for one), but the pursuit of knowledge is far more interesting. If only there were a way to both get paid and pursue knowledge. Yes yes, I could go back to grad school, become a professor, etc etc, but let’s be honest, considering the amount of time that needs to be invested, you might as well write off a decade of your life. I’m unwilling to do that.

Which brings me back to the same life dream I’ve had for the past 4 years now. The struggle is how to turn that dream into a reality and avoid getting sucked permanently into the life I’ve created for myself for the time being. The old golden handcuffs dilemma. Somehow, I thought I’d be older than 23 when I first encountered this, then again, in my life everything happens far before it is supposed to.

I haven’t posted on this blog in quite some time. So, here’s a quick recap of what I did in the time between graduation in May 2006 and the present day.

June: Apply/Interview for jobs in biochem/molecular biology. Offers received.
July: Intern at an investment bank in London.
August: Decide that biochem/molecular biology is not for me. My major is now worthless.
September-December: Pound the pavement looking for a job in finance. Move to Manhattan for 3 months. Interview many places, many times, no offers. Sam Adams and I hang out on a regular basis.
January: I decide I need a backup plan, if I can’t get a job. Biz school or a Masters in Finance/Econ look like decent ideas. I ace my GMATs and prepare my applications.
February: Move back out to Boston. Job front looks barren.
March: Things begin to move on the job front.
April: Two interviews, offers within a couple hours of leaving each interview.
May: I prepare to work again. How do I do this? By staying up til 3 every night and waking up between 11 and noon every day. Seriously, I can’t wait to retire.

I did some other things here and there and dealt with various family issues, but I figured that’s a decent enough picture of my year that will not incriminate me (I hope). One thing I’m somewhat proud of is that I built my first computer. Well, to be precise, it’s not MY computer, but it was the first one that I built. So far, in the month since I’ve built it, nothing has blown up, sparked, or otherwise caused any destruction to itself or its surroundings, so I think its fair to call this a success. Now that I’ve jinxed myself, I fear for the well being of the computer’s owners.

I am actually in Paris right now, staying within 5 minutes walk of the Champs Elysees. My French is terrible these days. Six years of French reduced to almost nothing during the four years of college. I could barely buy two metro tickets without screwing up. How embarrassing. I take a tiny amount of consolation in the fact that I’m at least attempting to speak French, instead of being a stupid American pig and assuming that other people speak my language. Emphasis on tiny.

Anyhow, I think its time for me to go back to wasting time or, better yet, get some sleep. On second though, no to the sleep idea, yes to the wasting time.

I love Java.

I wonder if its possible to use a non-newtonian fluid to construct a bulletproof vest. I will study up on this. For those of you who aren’t familiar, non-newtonian fluids are fluids that change their viscosity based on the strain rate. Basically, it means that its a fluid in which you can submerge yourself in if you do so slowly, but can run across like Jesus, if you do so fast enough.

While my initial inspiration in writing this blog was to discuss whatever was on my mind, I’ve come to the realization that I am too scatterbrained to really inspire anyone to read what I have on my mind. As such, this blog will be split into separate blogs on the main subjects that I feel I am most likely to write about on a regular basis. This blog may remain the location for my more personal musings and miscellaneous thoughts.

Okay, it is necessary to write this. Terry Francona needs to be fired or at the very least he needs to get his head on straight.

He has mismanaged the Sox time after time this season. This, for me, is the last straw.

Sunday, August 21st. Sox vs. Yankees. The sox have lost the first 3 of the 5 game series to fall 4.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. The Sox desparately need a win. Schilling pitches an absolutely inspired game, going 7 innings, giving up 3 runs, despite a 45 minute rain delay. He hands a 5-3 lead over to the bullpen.

Tito brings in Timlin in the 8th. I can understand the logic of this, initially. But, if he’s going to do this, he should be committed to letting Timlin go the whole inning. As we will see, he was not. Timlin lets the first two batters reach, and then he brings in Lopez, the lefty, to face Giambi, who walks to load the bases. Tito then brings in Papelbon, who gives up a sac fly to get the score to 5-4, and then strikes out the last 2 to get out of the inning. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Papelbon gives up the lead. Not Tito’s fault there, directly, but we can argue that he tired by the time he faced Jeter.

Tito, I know you probably won’t read this, but I’ll say it anyway. The Sox NEEDED this game. Papelbon was the only rested pitcher in the pen. He is also your ACE in the pen. If you’re going to go down, you go down with your best. I can understand if Papelbon was tired, if he had pitched once in the last 2 days and didn’t have all his gas in the tank. Then, you make a committment to only bring him in in the 9th with a lead. But, this was not the case!

There was your first chance you had to win the game, Tito. That was mistake number 1.

Next, bottom of the 9th. Ortiz on 2nd after he reached on an error and some serious hustle. Manny on first after an intentional walk. Youkilis up. We all know that Youkilis does not bunt well. We all know that Papi is slower than my mom. You know your bullpen is wasted, Papelbon is done after throwing nearly 50 pitches. You cannot win this game if it goes into extra innings. You have a golden opportunity to score a run.

What do you do here? One or both of two things. First, pinch hit for Youkilis with Alex Gonzalez who has 6 sac bunts this season, compared to Youkilis’ ZERO. Tito, some elementary math, 6>0. Second, Papi is slow. If you have Gonzalez bunt, you can pinch run for him with Hinske. Yes, I know that Hinske is no burner, but he had no other options, considering that Gonzalez, Coco, Cora, and Kapler were all already in the game. If you choose not to pinch hit for Youk, then put Gonzalez in for Papi.

Well, in case you were wondering, Tito didn’t pinch hit for Youk. Youk bunted right back to Rivera, who forced Papi at 3rd. A passed ball moved Manny to 3rd and Youk to 2nd with one out. You got lucky that Manny got to third off the passed ball. If Ortiz/Gonzalez is on third when that happens, run scores, game over.

That was your second chance to win the game. There’s your second mistake.

So, now, Manny on 3rd, Youk on 2nd, one out. Lowell has been intentionally walked to load the bases. Kapler should be coming to the plate. But wait, you pinch hit with Hinske, a LEFTY against Rivera. Now, let’s think. Rivera has an absolutely nasty cut fastball, his signature pitch, which saws off lefthanded batters. Yes, Hinske was 3-8 against Rivera before, but, let’s not be myopic about this. Rivera, over the past 3 years, has held lefties to a .204 average, .239 on base, and a .247 slug. Righties have not lit him up, but at least they hit .221 avg, .290 on base, and .295 slug.

Furthermore, let’s consider the situation more carefully. Bases loaded, ONE OUT. While Hinske has been hitting better this year than Kapler, over their careers, they are essentially equal hitters. Kapler, besides being right handed, has the advantage of significantly more speed. Finally, and this is the kicker for me, Kapler consistently strikes out at a rate of 15% of his at bats. Hinske strikes out at a rate of 23% of his at bats. That’s a full 50% higher strikeout rate.

Yes, I know, statisticians claim that strikeouts aren’t nearly as bad as people think, that productive outs are overrated. Well, with the bases loaded, 1 out, bottom of the ninth with the potential winning run on third, I want the hitter to make contact and put the pressure on the Yankees to force the runner at home, turn the DP, or throw the run out at the plate.

What does Tito do? He pinch hits for Kapler with Hinske, who strikes out on four pitches, swinging through 3 fastballs at the top edge of the zone as Rivera climbed the ladder on him. Then, Mirabelli, swinging at the first pitch, grounds out WEAKLY to Rivera.

Maybe I’m forgetting something, maybe I’m forgetting the magical run of 2004, and maybe I’m overlooking the fact that players make plays, not the manager.

But, doesn’t it strike you, when you think about it, that Tito has been the beneficiary of great teams, and not vice versa? Put Jim Leyland at the helm here and do you think the Sox would have played like this?

Managers put players in positions to make plays. They put them into positions where they can succeed. It is then up to the players to execute. A manager who repeatedly sets up a player to fail will lose the faith of that player. A team whose manager repeatedly sets them up to fail will lose faith in the manager.

Tito Francona played not to lose. He left the pressure on the Sox to outplay the Yankees, over and over again. If you’re going to lose to a team like the Yankees, then you might as well go down with all guns blazing. You want an example? The Florida Marlins of 2003, who walked into punched the Yankees in the mouth to win the World Series. Or, how about a better example, the 2004 Boston Red Sox. The team who looked a 3-0 series deficit in the eye, took a shot of Jack Daniels, and said “Why not us?”

Think back to the memorable plays of that series. Game 4, Sox down 4-3 to the Yanks in the bottom of the 9th. Millar walks. Tito pinch runs with Dave Roberts. Does Roberts stay on first and wait for a hit? No. Roberts went on the first pitch. Rivera knew it, Torre knew it, everyone in Fenway knew it, and everyone watching that game knew it. Roberts put the pressure on the Yankees to make a play. Yes, Roberts does have superior basestealing speed and talent, but he still put the pressure on the Yankees to make a play. He put pressure on Posada, who everyone knows has an average throwing arm and inconsistent footwork behind the plate, to make the throw down. The throw was a good one, just a little bit to the third base side of the bag. That was all Roberts needed. If Roberts gets thrown out there and the Yanks sweep the Sox, no one says anything. Yes, we got swept, how pathetic, but at least we went down being aggressive, playing to win. I promise you, if Roberts doesn’t steal and the Sox end up losing the game, everyone would have pointed to that moment…the moment when the Sox had a chance to make the play, to put the pressure on the opposing team, and they failed to do so.

Now, let’s rewind back to Friday afternoon. The storyline going into the series was about how the pundits didn’t think the Sox pitching, particularly the bullpen, could stand up to the Yanks. Wait a second, the Sox had an OFF DAY on Thursday. The Yankees, on the other hand, ran 4 pitchers out of the pen, Villone, Dotel, Myers, and Bruney for 6 innings in a 12-2 loss to the O’s.

Then, in game 1, with the Sox trailing 4-3 going into the top of the 7th, having gotten unexpectedly good pitching from Jason Johnson and Kyle Snyder, Tito elects to leave Snyder in. Okay, explain this to me, we have Johnson, Lester, Beckett, Schill, and Wells pitching in this series. Clearly the strength of the rotation lies in the last 3 pitchers. You don’t wait to use your bullpen on the days that Schill and Beckett are pitching. You find a way to win one of the Johnson and Lester games. You lose both, and you let the Yankees put the pressure on the Sox to win 2 or 3 out of the last 3 just to keep pace. Tito leaves in Snyder in game 1, who gives up 4 runs in the 7th, essentially ending the game for the Sox. Yes, this is hindsight, but, notice that Tito brought out Delcarmen to relieve Snyder AFTER Synder gives up the 4 runs in the 7th to stretch the NY lead to 5 runs. Yes, the Sox offense is formidable, but is it worth it to run Delcarmen out there to try to keep it within 5 runs with only 9 outs left??? No, bad call Tito. If you’re going to use Delcarmen, Hansen, or Timlin, you do so when the score is 4-3. Once the score gets to 8-3, you concede the game, and you save the pen. You let Seanez or Tavarez take the beating. Tito ended up bringing in Seanez later in the game, and he gave up 4 runs to put the game truly out of reach going into the bottom of the 9th.

Second game, Lester gets knocked around, Tavarez stops the bleeding for a little while. The Sox offense wakes up and gets a lead, with the score 10-7 going into the 7th. Tito has several options here. Bring in Timlin or Hansen. Now, while it would have been nice to have the option of using Delcarmen, Tito had already messed that up in game 1. So, between Timlin and Hansen, who do you pick? Yes, it’s only the 7th inning, but consider this, if Hansen struggles, there is no one to bring in to stop the bleeding. Timlin is notoriously bad at preventing inherited runners from scoring. While he has only allowed 3 of 17 inherited runners to score, this seems to be an abberation, considering that over the past three years he has been with the sox he has allowed nearly 40% of inherited runners to score. His career average is above 36%. Hansen, on the other hand, has only allowed 2 of 12 inherited runners to score this year, and 3 of 15 overall. While admittedly this is a small sample size, it supports the common perception of Timlin as a guy who has to start an inning, and Hansen as more of a guy who can come on in the middle of an inning, especially with his stuff, and get the final out.

Finally, and here’s the kiler for me, you’ve just conceeded the first game to the Yanks. You cannot conceed the second, because that puts your behind the 8 ball over the next 3 games. You have to run out your best middle reliever/setup man, namely Timlin. Also, you want someone who has experience, and 40 year old Timlin has that in spades.

Hell, if that isn’t good enough for you, bring in Foulke. You activated him to pitch. Use him. If you absolutely are sure that Timlin must pitch the 8th, and Papelbon the 9th, then bring in Foulke in the 7th, with Hansen as backup. Yes, he’s coming off the injury, but if he’s active, you might as well find out what he’s got now, rather than using him as a Tavarez/Seanez mop-up guy.

Just in case you weren’t watching, Hansen only got one out, gave up 3 baserunners. Timlin was called in after him, let the 3 baserunners score, and then let 4 more runs in, giving the Yanks a 14-10 lead. Foulke came in to start the 8th inning and pitched 2 innings, giving up no runs, one hit, and two walks, with one strikeout.

Game 3, we lost because of Beckett’s pitching, plain and simple. But, what I don’t understand is why Tito brought in Delcarmen to relieve Beckett, with runners on and the score 6-5. I made the claim earlier that Hansen is better at preventing inherited runners from scoring than Timlin. Well, let’s compare that to Delcarmen. Going into that appearance, he had allowed 11 of 19 inherited runners to score. If Tito is such a stathead, which is why Epstein likes him, why is it that he seems to ignore the statistics that matter most. Yes, I know, a statistic can be brought up to support nearly any decision. But, doesn’t it stand to reason that certain stats, i.e. Rivera’s performance against ALL Right handed and Left handed hitters trumps his performance against Eric Hinske, considering that he’s only faced Hinske 8 times? Likewise, while we are dealing with small sample sizes with Delcarmen and Hansen, doesn’t it make sense to look at the emerging trends?! I haven’t run a t-test or any statistical analysis, but 2 for 12 (3 for 15 career) versus 11 for 19 (12 for 22 career) seems to be an obvious trend.

That brings us back to game 4, which I’ve already dissected.

So, now that I’m almost done with my Harp Lager, and the clock is about to strike midnight, I think I will wrap up this ramble. The Sox lost tonight. That, in of itself, even to the Yankees, is no big deal. What bothers me, what should bother you, and what should bother the players, management, and ownership of the Boston Red Sox, is the uninspired, passive, and lackluster play of its players. Today, the Curt Schilling of 2004 came back from the seeming grave of the 91 mph fastball to remind us of his true greatness, evoking memories of championships won. David Ortiz got to 2nd base on a ball that got by Giambi at first, motoring his 6′4″ 230 pound frame into a headfirst slide. Youkilis, Lowell, Loretta, Manny, and even Wily Mo also continued to grind out at bats, fouling off tough pitches, working counts and generally hustling around. Kapler quietly went about his business like one of the last Dirt Dogs, hustling on every play he was involved in, playing his role as a utility outfielder/pinch runner/defensive replacement.

But, for all the talent on this team, I have to question the passion of the players. Yes, I know, I am not a professional athlete, I don’t know what it is like. But, I ask, do they know what it is like to be a fan? Yes, baseball is a job for them, but last time I checked, the people I know who are most successful at their careers are the ones who are most passionate about it, the people who have an emotional attachment, who CARE about their work. Somehow, I wonder if Trot wasn’t silently being shooed out the back door to make room for Wily Mo, if Tek weren’t so quiet and injured, if Millar or Mueller or Arrojo were there, that this team wouldn’t be playing with a bit more passion, more urgency. Say what you will about Millar’s decline, Arrojo’s declining success in the NL, Tek’s off year, and Trot’s injury history, there is no question in my mind that they understood, that they still understand what it means to be a Boston Red Sox, to carry the hearts and dreams of all “Red Sox Nation” on their backs. These guys understood it. Schilling understands it. Delcarmen undoubtedly understands it, since he’s a Boston kid. But, it seems that too many of them don’t.

Theo has done what he has promised, largely. He has not mortgaged the future at the expense of the present. His additions to this team have been carefully calculated, low risk, high upside transactions that will set us up well for future seasons. Hinske provides a nice insurance policy at third, for when Lowell leaves. Wily Mo is either a trade chip or a Trot replacement, and you can’t help but see the similarities between him and Papi and how he has thrived being around Ortiz this year. Delcarmen and Hansen have bright futures, as do Lester and Papelbon. But, right now, the present does not look bright to me.

So, I’m in London now, doing a two week internship at an investment bank. I’ve spent time in essentially every division of the bank, M&A, Restructuring, Equity Research, Convertibles, High-yield and distressed. The only things I haven’t done, as far as I can tell, is treasuries, credit derivatives, or equity derivatives.

But, the real point of this is not to talk about my internship, its about my life. I’m presented with two paths right now. I’ve got seven interviews set up at Harvard for research positions in some really great labs. But, at the same time, it’s being made fairly clear to me that I could work in investment banking and make a damn comfortable living doing so. And so, the question I now have to answer is this: all things considered, intellectual interest, financial compensation, geographical location, time demands, and so forth, do I want to go into banking or science?

Let’s break it down. I’ve been trained in science and I’m good at what I do. But, finance has been my hobby for the past 2 years, and I’m pretty good at that too. Science has the clear advantage when it comes to the emotional feeling of having done something good for humanity at the end of the day. But, by contrast, how warm and fuzzy does that make you feel when you’re living in a hovel, with cockroaches in your cupboards? Going back to the first hand, how does that money feel when you’re alone or you work hours that preclude you from having a family? Then again, there really isn’t a huge difference in the hours between science and trading, at least not at my level.

Then, lets consider the issue of “what if I made a mistake?” What if I made a mistake, and it turns out that I chose the wrong path. How easily can I cross back over? Well, right now, I have an inroad into finance. But, that road won’t be here in 5 years, after I’ve been tarnished by research. By the flip side, if I go into banking for one year and decide that I hate, it is fairly simple for me to play it off as my “year traveling in Europe” and move right back into a lab.

Let’s also consider my social health. If I go into science, I will do so in Boston, where I have plenty of friends. If I go into finance, I will probably head to the world capital of finance, London, UK, where I know no one.

As you can see, many variables play into this decision, and frankly, I think I need a Monte Carlo equation to solve it all.

Different people give me different advice. Some people have clear biases, either because of their relationship to me, or because of choices they made in their own lives. But, even acknowledging that, it seems that one thing is agreed upon: I have the temperment, personality, and intelligence to be very successful at banking. While I may have the intelligence for science, it is less clear whether I have the patience and the temperment to do that well.

Now, let’s look further into the future. If I go into research, it will be 8 years (2 research assistant, 4 PhD, and 2 postdoc) before I even get, with luck, my own lab. After that, I spend probably the better part of 5 years setting my lab up and building the prestige of my lab. Even after all that, I still will only be an Assistant Professor somewhere, making an inflation adjusted 60k or so a year. My dream of starting a biotech firm where I employ brilliant people and give them free reign to do research to improve the quality of human life? That fizzles and dies, unless I turn out to be incredible in trading my personal account using equities.

Now, let’s go the other way, I work in investment banking for the same number of years, 13. I’m 34 and filthy rich. Provided that I haven’t let money corrupt me, it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier for me to start a biotech firm with that kind of money at my disposal.

In a strange way, the analogy of my cell phone reflects this choice. Since the moment I got here, I had a desire to get a cell phone and a prepaid SIM card for the 2 weeks I was here. I was encouraged to get one by several individuals that I met. So, the Sony Ericsson w810i caught my eye. But, as anyone knows, phones in the UK, especially with the exchange rate, are terribly expensive. I could easily afford it, but I resisted it, because, especially if I was going into research, it was fiscally irresponsible. I went back and forth many times.

But, even as I retell this anecdote, I think it should be clear that I’ve already chosen the finance path. After all, I do have a brand new Sony Ericsson w810i in my pocket…

So, I’m back in California for the time being. I spend most of my waking hours applying for jobs, studying for the GREs, or reading. It’s actually been a good time, even though I’m always tired, because I’m learning.

While the market has been taking a beating, I’ve been out of it, thankfully, and using the time to study. It’s very enlightening to read what other people think about stocks, the efficient market hypothesis, and the ways to successfully “beat the street.”

At the same time, though, my mind has been thinking up all sorts of things that I’d like to do. I think I may want to run for political office sometime in the future. Scary huh? I also would like to go into business. I think solar energy generation, waste management and recycling, and public transportation would be very interesting businesses to manage. I’ve also been toying with the idea of starting my own website or publication. I think that, especially in this information age, we have this overload of information, but the level of analysis has not caught up with the information deluge. I started toying with this idea a while ago, but I think it’d be great to have a website or publication where it was commentary and analysis of various happenings in the world. Something like a cross between Maxim, anandtech.com, and CNN with better analysis. A site you could go to get the news, but more importantly, get analysis and intelligent discussion, and LEARN something, and also read reviews of cool products or industry developments.

I guess, the more I learn, the more I get older, the more it seems apparent to me that people don’t think, don’t analyze and question as much as they should. We do too much learning passively, rather than actively processing information ourselves. This really bothers me. Life is empirical. We shouldn’t just be sitting back and watching it pass us by.

I know this hasn’t been a very coherent or organized blog. It’s my 21st birthday. I guess I should be happy, but I’m not. I’m not unhappy, exactly, but I’m not happy like I should be on my birthday. Oh well. Time to start drinking.