Whassuupp? (Updated for 2008)

See it at YouTube (Embedding videos doesn't seem to work anymore?!)

First passed around by Ranjit.

Apple

I purchased some Apple (AAPL) stock yesterday. In part I purchased it because it was under $100/share and I thought it would appreciate in value. In part I purchased it because I watched the video of Jony Ive, Senior Vice President of Design, at Apple talking about the new 13.3" MacBook (go here, then click "Watch the video"). While watching the video I realized that he was proud of it. It also occurs to me that in an era of never ending cost reductions, Apple just increased the cost of manufacturing the MacBook for an incremental increase in quality. I don't see other companies doing that. I think I will hold on to my Apple stock.

CDO's and Credit Default Swaps

I know this is so 2 weeks ago, but I found these video primers on the web about what collateralized debt obligation's (CDO) and Credit Default Swaps are:
http://vimeo.com/1876936

I also watched his video on Naked Shorts, but found that less illuminating.

9lbs 2oz

I apologize for not posting sooner. All the days run together when you are at the hospital. I honestly thought it was Monday today until I talked to QuasiPfred on the phone. The good news is that Jacob was born at 5:02pm on 10/17/2008. The bad news is that he will have to stay at the hospital for a while. When he nurses he stops breathing for far too long and his blood-oxygen saturation gets far too low. I guess this is common in premature babies but rare in full term babies like Jacob. Anyway, the part of his brain that forces him to breath when there is not enough oxygen in his blood is not fully developed yet and he will need to stay in the hospital until it is. The good news is that as long as he is in the hospital and hooked up to a blood-oxygen saturation monitor he is not in any danger. Also, there is no reason to believe that he won't get to go home fairly soon. But enough about that, here are the pictures:

Dow at 10,000

I just wanted to share this blast from the past with you:



This video is from 1999.

the politics of homogeneity - why we fail

I thought this was a beautiful illustration of why our congress doesn't reach across the aisle to achieve compromise. We've gone from a primarily moderate House to a wholly partisan one. It harkens me back to the "Why We Fight" documentary about why our politicians have evolved completely to reside in the back pocket of the military-industrial complex (these companies make sure they have investment in all the states.) What results, without tacit, real differences in dealing with all-powerful lobbyist groups, is that Congress instead reflects the increasingly partisan social agendas common to the community which they represent. It's the worst of all worlds - no compromise on social agendas that divide the country but lots of compromise to appease our corporate masters. No wonder people are angry - they just haven't been able to internalize what it is they're really angry about.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/bigsort/archive/2008/09/30/30-years-and-three-reasons-congress-imploded.aspx

No slowdown for Nintendo

So what if the Dow has lost over 700 points two times in as many weeks. Nintendo is selling game consoles like hot cakes. That is, at least according to this article on CNN's site.

I guess game consoles typically do alright in recessions:

Fils-Aime says he’s confident that both the DS and Wii will do well even in a depressed U.S. economy. “The video game industry has weathered recessionary times fairly well,” he notes. “I think a $130 DS as the big holiday gift for a child is something a parent can feel good about.” Nintendo will debut more than 200 games for both gaming platforms this fall, such as Personal Trainer Cooking for the DS and Ubisoft’s Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party for the Wii.

Who knew?