A friend of mine decided to upgrade his PC as well, and since I recently built mine, he was asking me for pictures. I didn't see how pictures of my PC would actually help him, but since he's a very good friend of mine, I was happy to oblige.

And since I have the pics handy, I thought I might as well share it here as well....

But before I do, I just want to emphasize that, despite the extravagance, I've done everything possible to keep costs down on my rig without compromising quality.

* The AV receiver and speakers were a bundle deal from Sears of all places.

* The HDTV is actually advertised and sold as a computer monitor, but it IS a fully-capable HDTV and is absolutely one of the cheapest in its class! In fact, I think it's one of the best kept secrets in Best Buy, if you don't mind the relatively small screen size.

* And finally, I won't say I took the cheapest route with the PC, but I did try to keep costs down. The overall specs are considered average by today's standards, but it can do everything I can ask for and that's more than enough for me.

Also, all of the parts were bought with scalability in mind, so upgrading shouldn't cost as much into the future.

With that in mind, here are the pictures:







I'm sure I'm biased, but I think my set up is actually slightly better than some (but not most) movie theaters! Of course, the ideal seating is only for one person, but that actually helps a lot when it comes to minimizing costs.

Just the same, a part of me feels bad for spending all this money. Suffice to say, I'm done buying stuff I don't need for a very long time!

Sometimes, I get kind of down when I think about all the things that I feel like I should have accomplished by now, or that I should be smarter somehow, or make more money.... I don't feel very smart, or rich, or accomplished....

That's why I have to remind myself sometimes that "It is what it is." Sometimes, I just don't know what else to say other than that. I'm not Superman. I'm just a regular guy.

But then, maybe my mistake here is that I am blogging close to 1:30am in the morning. It's hard not to feel small when I am tired and sleepy. I feel like my life can never quite seem to come together, no matter how hard and how much I try.

Um, I guess I am rambling. But I am also learning to try to look at things on the bright side. The bright side is that my life really has hit a nice stride right now. Sure, it isn't perfect or without its concerns (especially with this economy), but... as my blog subtitle clearly states, "It Could Be Worse"....

I was in the grocery store earlier today, and there was this really obese man in a wheelchair, who couldn't reach the two bottles of Gatorade off the second to the top shelf. So he had to ask me to get it for him, which I effortlessly walked over and grabbed for him. As he turned around and rolled off, I couldn't help but think, "Wow, I can't imagine living like that. Being so big that it would be a challenge to even get out the house and go shopping, and I would also have to be confined to a wheelchair."

So... my life isn't perfect. But! It is what it is, and it could be worse. Sigh. I'm relieved, and yet.... I don't know. Ever look up at the faint blinking stars on a balmy summer night, wishing your life can get better somehow? Only to wake up the next day, back to the grindstone under the hot glaring sun, wondering if this is going to be all there is to it?

But, maybe that's not a bad thing. I do need to be more financially secure though. Then, maybe I can live my life, like this. With it being what it is right now. The truth is, I haven't been actually "happy", or close to it, until more recently. It seems to be a gradual, incremental thing for me. I think having this new PC helped a lot. You kind of have to understand that, until the past several years, I've always had a PC. I don't have any particular emotional attachments to machines or anything, but to me, it's always been my window to the world. It informs me and entertains me. It cheers me up when I am feeling down, and helps me keep in touch with people who matters to me.

Speaking of PCs, have you guys ever seen that crazy Intel commercial about the co-inventor of USB? If not,

click here and see for yourself. I think it's hilarious. Bonus geek points if you can tell me what's "wrong" with the commercial though. (Yes, you can look it up if you want. It's not a test.)

Well, perhaps that's a good, high note to stop my rambling.

Did the over-the-air digital mandate finally go into effect? I noticed that I completely lost my one analog channel. Decided to completely rescan, but still ended up with only 3 good channels. Oh well, I can't complain since it's free.

Wow, I had to double check this month's phone usage, because I really thought I made a mistake somewhere. But... apparently not. I used only $1.67 worth of minutes! I guess this makes sense because most of my conversations were through email. This pre-pay arrangement is really working out nicely for me!

There is an interesting eastern parable I've read once that, despite its arcane nature, has always stuck with me. As far as I know, it's based on a true story that's been passed down in oral tradition.

But before I start, perhaps I should explain what a koan is. A koan is a question, riddle, or parable with a moral lesson or answer of sorts. However, unlike western parables, it doesn't tell you what the lesson is. You are suppose to figure it out on their own, but by doing so, it helps to guide you closer and closer towards enlightenment.

A famous example of a (beginner) koan is, "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" For fun, would anyone like to take a stab at it?

So, as you can imagine, koans can be quite challenging. Some monks will meditate on it for years before they realize what the "answer" is suppose to be. As such, it also takes masters decades to craft one to pass on to future generations....

And that's why, in the days of ancient Japan, a remarkable rumor started to spread throughout the countryside. A young, traveling writer of sorts has been been dazzling people, and stumping monks, with his own koans! Many respectable monks have heard his koans only to excuse themselves without a further single word.

An eccentric monk by the name of

Shosan heard about this, and urged by his fellow monks, they decided to go visit him.

He asked the writer to recite one of his koans. Happy to oblige, he does so. As he is doing so, Shosan pushes the writer. The writer is confused by this action. Shosan then calmly states, "Please continue." Perplexed, the writer continues to recite his koan, and Shosan pushes him again. The writer yells, "Why did you do that?" "Your koan?", Shosan replies. Cautiously, the writer attempts to finish his koan. But as he tries to do so, Shosan jumps him and starts thrashing him. His fellow monks jumps in to restrain Shosan.

As Shosan is dragged away, he yells, "Beginners should not write their own koans!"

Get it? Yes, Shosan was one crazy monk. But besides that, the real reason why other monks couldn't seem to grasp his koans, and the real reason why they ultimately had to excuse themselves was because there was nothing there to get. The writer was a fraud who was self-deluded into thinking that he was on to something, and therefore, he was better than everybody else.

And in his self-aggrandized ignorance, he also failed to realize that he managed to insult and belittle a very sacred institution in Zen Buddhism. To monks, koans aren't stuff we read and giggle about in a fortune cookie. Rather, it's more like me coming along and claiming that I have written my own Bible, Torah, or the Qu'ran.

Throughout my life, that story has always stuck with me. It has kept me humble (believe it or not ), and made me question everything in my life... but in a good way! Whenever I start to get too smug and think that I've got something all figured out, I would stop and ask myself, "Am I writing my own koan?" Do I really have it all figured out, or have I only deluded myself into thinking that?

Although I learned of this story through martial arts training, as you can tell, this parable applies to everything else in life as well, including personal finance. Is there a reason why I am bringing this up? Maybe. But first, what IS the sound of one hand clapping?

Just updated my net worth for the month. For once, I wasn't sure where I'd end up. I spent a lot of cash on the new PC, and the market seemed kind of flat to me.

Surprisingly enough, my net worth still went up, and kind of substantially even.... I wonder if I miscalculated somewhere? Hmm, no, the numbers look right.

Ok, it looks like this month's stock trading is sort of panning out. Most of the gains is being driven by my current stake in Conoco Philips. The price of crude has been rising for the past couple of months.

While I'm at it, is anybody else paying more at the pump as well? I am, and it's getting high enough that I may have to rebudget yet again for gas....

I'm starting to slow down considerably in terms of trading. I used to trade as much as once every few days. Now, it's getting to be as long as an entire month. Hey, for a guy that can trade once every few days, that's a long time.

Even though the stock trading is buoying this month's figure, because of the new PC purchase, things are still going to be tight for me for a while. But that doesn't mean I regret this purchase! Quite the opposite, in fact. I actually feel... kind of happy? Either that, or it's just the euphoria playing tricks on me.

Wow, I'm so sleepy and tired right now. Staying up way too late tinkering the PC. Hope everyone have a nice weekend.

Halloween might not be here yet, but I am just loving this free avatar maker called

Zombatar!

Basically, it's a freebie to promote this incredible game called Plants versus Zombies (PvZ for short). I tell you, I am ridiculously addicted to this game, it is that awesome!

You can try the game for free, but the full version is only $19.99, and it's worth every penny in my opinion. HOWEVER, why pay even the full price when you can get for half price instead?

Basically, you need to download and install Steam, a front end client for a bunch of games. Once installed and an account is created, you can buy PvZ within Steam for only $9.99!

Why is it half price in Steam? Not sure. Maybe zombies have ate the brains of the Steam guy who priced the game.

Edit: Here's an unrelated extra video on a great team.

Have you guys seen this thread yet? At first, I thought it was a joke, but I think he's serious. I guess even street criminals need personal finance advice.

Tempting as it may be, I decided not to respond. There's not too many options... well, legal ones anyway. Even fleeing would violate his parole... although he's already broken that so.... About the only legal thing he can do is turn himself in. At least, behind bars, he has a fighting chance of keeping his knee caps, but he doesn't seem to be hip to the idea. Get it? Knee caps? Hip? Ok, that was terrible.

So yeah, I didn't want to suggest anything illegal. The last thing I want to do is give him bad ideas running through his head. Sorry.

Anyways, moving right along, building that PC has put a severe dent into my budget. So, I'm revisiting every line item in my budget yet again. See if I can't find a way to shoulder the drop. Oops!

Focus! Ok, holiday budget. That's looking good so far. It's a small item on the list, so there really isn't anything I can do about that one. Besides, I need that to stay where it is as a sort of micro-emergency fund, to buffer against abnormal dips in my budgets. That's usually when I slightly over-spend on the kids or something, so I'm not using it to spend on myself or anything. You have no idea how many times that's saved my butt over the years. Argh!

Phone and internet! Actually, I've cut that back as far as I can also, especially with the phone, which averages less than $10 a month at this point. I admit the internet is the second slowest speed, not the slowest, but there's hardly any elbow room on the slowest speed....

Help, I've fallen into the pool of poorly pondered puns and I can't get out! Please slap my hands before I cut off my nose to spite my face!

Forgive me, community, for I have sinned. I built a PC over the Memorial weekend.... It costed $1000. Yes, will someone in the back please open the window and let in some air for the lady that just fainted?

There's a lot of reasons as to why I ended up going with such an expensive option, but I think the lengthy technical details would bore most of you. Suffice to say, I chose this route because I think it actually made the most sense in terms of total cost of ownership over the longer term. This new PC has effectively replaced three other aging hardware that I will no longer support and/or upgrade. The downside, of course, is the painful upfront cost.

But that's not the real reason why I'm writing this. Even though I THINK I'm making a rational choice, I am nevertheless filled with a profound sense of dread and fear. Because, that's so much money that I feel like I shouldn't be spending, and it's such a huge blow to my budget too....

Although a small part of me is jumping with glee over a new PC, the truth is, I have this irrational fear that it's all a part of this weird spending karma, where it's going to eventually catch up to me and doom my future.

Does anyone understand what I am saying here? Does anyone else feel that way too? (Edit: In retrospect, my past PCs were bought using credit cards and student loans. So, perhaps it's not completely irrational. This new PC was bought without going into debt or breaking the budget.)

Granted, it didn't stop me from buying the PC, and I don't plan on returning it. But still, it's just weird because I can't seem to be fully happy if I don't buy something I want, and I can't seem to be fully happy when I do buy it. I'm a very confused and unsettled person.

For what it's worth, I also sold my Xbox and all of its games, because it's one of the hardware that the new PC replaced. The money I got back from it helped to defray the cost of the new PC.

I debated whether to make this entry or not, because I am normally very guarded and private. Still, I sense no harm in doing so....

Last weekend was my birthday. I think my mom is the only real life person that knows this. She even tried to call and left a voice message singing happy birthday. Kind of dorky I thought, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I will be sure to thank her when I get the chance.

To be frank, I find my birthdays to be depressing (though I enjoy other people's birthdays just fine). I just can't help but feel that another year has gone by, and I wonder what progress I have made with my life? I'm officially 35 now. Aren't people suppose to have gotten somewhere and done something with their lives by now?

For my own birthday, I decided not to worry about the budget for one day. So, what did I do? I still followed my budget. Well, I suppose that's an accomplishment eh? It appears that I can't help but be a tightwad. Honestly though? I just couldn't think of anything that I wanted. I suppose that in itself is a good thing too.

My net worth has also noticeably increased over the past few years. I am happy about that, although what I am doing is still catching up on basic living requirements. Plus, I can't expect my current living arrangement to last, and my car will break down eventually....

Even if (ok, when) I do finally meet my financial savings to meet basic living requirements, will I find happiness in that? Seriously, what am I suppose to be doing with my life? What's wrong with me? I should be happy with all that I have, but it seems I'm still in the dumps for some reason.

Blasted birthdays.

Wellll, if there's one thing I have learned, it is that no matter how blah I feel, if I don't work on it, it's still not going to get any better. And of course, misery in financial security is still better than misery in financial insecurity.

So, my goals to hit before the big Four-O still hasn't changed: Full savings to pay for a car with cash up front. Enough savings for a condo deposit without ever having to deal with PMI and such. Ideally, it'd be great if I can save enough to buy an entire condo, cash up front.... I'm not saying that's what I plan on doing, but it sure would be nice if I have at least have the means to pull that off. It's something to shoot for.

You know, I seem to be making a lot of melancholic posts lately, so in an effort to balance out this one as well, here's yet another funny cat pic.



Edit: Found another funny one that I just had to share.

For those who don't already know, I track all of my personal finance on my iTouch.

The current software I am using is Splashmoney, and 99% of the time, it's a robust software that handles its job swimmingly.

However, 1% of the time, it acts funny. How so? Some charges would become deposits or checks. Other times, some transanctions that goes from one to account to another would disappear or change.

1% may not sound like much a big deal, but when your entire personal financial system depends on it, 1% is a very big deal!

And I'm not being unrealistic either. I've NEVER had a glitch or problem with Pocketmoney back when I used it on a Palm PDA.

But the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back is when at one point when I was changing a transaction on it, it kicked me out of the program completely! The software crashed on me! Unacceptable!

So, now, I am downloading several other alternative softwares to see what can take its place, especially Pocketmoney for the iTouch. Hopefully, this version will perform as admirably as its older brethren.

Yeah, I know. I write a lot of non-pf stuff here, particularly complaining about my ex. I understand it's not particularly endearing to see someone who is willing to turn their blog into a toxic dumping ground of negativity.

I guess I do it because this is the online place I feel most comfortable with disclosing personal details. Plus, I'd rather vent here than have it affect my real life somehow....

I also hope that people will understand that I don't hold women in general to the same light as my ex. You see, my ex is a um special case in that she suffers from clinical-level anxiety disorders, where it's bad enough to induce regular intervals of panic attacks.

Panic attacks are pretty serious stuff, as anyone who has experienced one can tell you. For those who don't understand this, the best way I can explain it is that it's like having your own personal waterboarding... where in the brief moments of sheer terror, you experience the sensation that you are going to die. Your heart is racing out of control, your vision is blurring out, and you can't breathe. The result is powerful enough to pretty much freeze you in your tracks, even though it looks like there's absolutely nothing wrong on the outside.

Now, imagine that happening to you on a bi-monthly to bi-weekly basis, and in between the attacks, you're living in dread not knowing when the next one will strike.

It's bad enough that, in the entire time we were married, she has to take two medications every night to subdue those symptoms. The first is to ease the anxiety that leads to the panic attacks. Unfortunately, there are severe side effects that includes sluggishness, loss of libido, weight gain, and depression severe enough to lead some to suicide. So, a second SSRI is taken to at least ease the depression/suicidal aspect. Not much can be done about the other symptoms though....

Now, mind you, I've never held that against her. (That's also why I've never brought it up before.) Nobody is perfect right? What matters is that, when you love someone, you accept them as a whole package deal, and do what you can to help take care of them. And besides, she already sought treatment and medication.

So, why am I bringing this up now? For one thing, I am tired of being blamed as the sole cause of our marriage's failure. While I confess I am flawed and have done things I am not proud of, I don't think I am the kind of monster that my ex has told our co-workers, friends, and family that I am. Instead, I believe that my flawed are amplified and skewed because of her anxiety.... (And for that matter, whatever happened to those days when I have been good? Why are they conveniently forgotten?)

But the main reason I am bringing this up now is because I heard a disturbing rumor that an employee from her company did not get on an airplane because this person had a panic attack. Consequently, only their luggage made it, and that luggage had to be flown back.... Coincidence?

Come to think of it, the last couple of times I've interacted with her, she did seem thinner and unusually hyper.... Being off medication would also explain why my ex is acting so squirrely on me, such as telling me one thing, and then changing it without telling me.

So, why would she suddenly stop taking her medicine? Very simply, it's because she's in her 40s now, but her boyfriend is about 12 years younger. Perhaps she's worried about her libido and weight, and if so, the only answer that I know of is to stop taking medication....

If so, she's hurting herself by risking more panic attacks, and not only that, but it could also negatively impact the way she raises our children, which is what truly concerns me.

If she has indeed stopped taking her medication, I hope that someone will catch that (perhaps even by reading this blog entry) and coax her back on again.

Having a problem doesn't make one less of a person. Worrying about your relationship is perfectly normal. However, not taking the proper medication is not the solution, and in the long run, will only make things worse, not just for herself, but also for everyone around her.

Well, if you've managed this far, I thank you for listening, and here's another cat pic for your troubles.

A brilliant triumph in longitudinal study... and one of the best internet news article that I've read in a while.

LINK

according to Patrick Munro of Expert Village.

It's a video Q&A, but to summarize, his "best personal financial advice" is a simple two-parter:

1. Keep your expenses low.
2. Avoid risk.

Simple, straightforward, and yet, profound, thought-provoking, perhaps even controversial.

I do kind of wish that he would elaborate on the risk part. Clearly, he is very conservative. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but to me, the point isn't to avoid risk at all, but rather, to find the most approriate risk that still offers optimal gains. That and being too conservative also introduces a certain types of risks as well, such as inflation risk.

But anyways, while the advice simple enough, I don't think its depth and importance should be underestimated.

So, what do you guys think of his "best personal financial advice"? Also, he has several other video clips that may be of interest to you.

Not a good title, but easier to find for future reference.

Last weekend, my ex-wife had her masters graduation ceremony, and I couldn't be happier for her. Naturally, she wanted the kids there, but it was my weekend with them.

So, she called me earlier and asked if our oldest son (almost 19 years old) could drive the kids to the ceremony. I told her that it's much easier if I were to drive them there. There's no need to coordinate two cars, waste gas, and anyway, it's close to where I live and I certainly don't mind helping out. She was reluctant at first, but eventually agreed and said that she would email me the address when she finds out exactly where.

Fast forward to last weekend when I went to pick up the kids. The email never came by the way, so I thought maybe she left the printed instructions with my son. When I got there, my son insisted that he drive his car so he can drive the kids to her graduation ceremony. I was perplexed as to why, and after some prodding, he finally told me that he didn't trust me, and was afraid that we would end up arguing again.

Two things. First, I am really hurt that my son doesn't trust me and feels that he has to insulate two grown adults from ever having any contact with each other. I can't even imagine why I would want to get into a fight with ex over something like this. It's her day, and I'm just playing chauffeur. I thought I was being nice and helpful. Besides, even if we somehow end up arguing, is that really a bad thing? Sometimes, they are inevitable if it means to resolve issues between people.

However, I admit that I AM quite upset about something: My ex lied to me. She said she would provide driving instructions, but nothing was ever provided. Instead, the plan got switched without me knowing until the last minute.

See, this is why my ex drives me nuts. She may seem like a reasonable and communicative person at first, but when it's all said and done, it HAS to be her way or the highway. And if that isn't bad enough, it's often made out to be MY fault somehow! I have been lied to, but the plan was switched because I am somehow untrustworthy? Do you see what I mean?

It really hurts. How do you raise a proper family if we can't even manage something as simple as a 15 minute car ride?

In the past, I would have let stuff like this slide. After all, it's only a car ride right? No big deal, there are bigger things to worry about. Just take a deep breath and move on. Tomorrow will be a better day.

But you know what? That's exactly what went wrong with my marriage. I let too many little things slide, without ever addressing the potentially serious underlying issues, and enabled my ex to simply do whatever she pleased, all the while taking the blame for it.

Admittedly, I am not entirely innocent either. I didn't communicate well, and my bottled-up frustration would sometimes spill over in anger and frustration... which she uses those moments of poor reaction as the reason why I am such an unfit husband and father....

Well, not anymore. Since then, I've learned that it's not healthy to bottle up even little things inside, and that it's better to vent them in healthy manners. Like blogging for example, if you readers don't mind.... I'm also trying to communicate and work issues out as much as possible, even if they can be difficult.

The perfect irony though, is that they think I've only become angrier and more bitter as time has gone by, when in fact, it's actually quite the opposite.

I think it also helps to chronicle it, because in the past, I have a tendency of forgetting little things like this, and if it ever pops up again where I am being blamed for it, I typically don't remember enough details to defend myself.

I'm so glad that I don't drink. It wouldn't be pretty.

There is no such thing as quickies for me on a Monday morning.

* The stock market is pulling back today. I'm not be surprised considering the run we've had last week, but I didn't sell.

* Just realized that one of my low beam headlights have gone out. Great, another $50 down the tubes. (Update: Only costed $12! Oh yeah!) However, it's going to be an easy fix that I can do on my own, so I should be glad that it won't cost even more....

* I splurged and went to see Star Trek last night. I don't do this often because I think theater prices are insane.

However, I heard that this movie was so good, it needs to be seen on the big screen. So... ok, off I went.

And yes, the movie really is phenomenal. Ten minutes into the movie, I was already tearing up. I think even non-trekkies would like this, though those familiar with the original series will likely enjoy it the most.

* Hulu is expanding their line-up, with Disney and I think ABC jumping onboard! Sweet, I love Hulu. I still have a lot of shows to catch up on....

All-in-all, my life is really quiet right now. Maybe too quiet? Nah! It's certainly better than having drama. I really do need to step up my financial progress though, especially on a sluggish Monday morning.

There seems to be quite a bit of talk about money and attraction/love recently, so I'm going to spout a crazy little thing here. A completely unsupported, personal pet theory about the evolution of human beings as a social organism, on the matter of gender and money. Yes, it's only a hypothesis, but then, this isn't an academic study (thank goodness). It's just a guy, on a blog, with maybe a bit too much time on his hands.

To start, I too believe that men's eligibility and attractiveness was originally based on their physical abilities. This isn't too hard for me to believe because, although the name escapes me, I remember seeing documentaries on TV about indigenous tribes that still exists today where men's attractiveness are indeed based on their physical abilities as a hunter. Naturally, a good hunter is better able to feed his family. Heck, I'm a guy and the idea of another guy able to bring me food seems rather desirable to me too. I'm look at you Mr. Papa John pizza delivery man.

But seriously though, much of the world has modernized from our hunting/gathering days, and though physical prowess remains an attractive quality on a primal level, I believe it is the ability to generate income that has rationally displaced physical hunting skills as the characteristic of choice in mate selection. Sure, swiping a credit card is not as sexy as shooting a dangerous beast and dragging it home for a meal, but the result is the same: Bring home the meat. Feed the family.

And ladies, please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that women are shallow or anything. There always seems to be such a stigma about the attraction of money, but seriously, when have you women ever been attracted to a guy who is just down-right lazy and won't work to help pay the bills? Contrast that with a man who is driven and passionate about something, and is able to help keep the electricity on and food on the table? Am I right?

Plus, I don't think money is the only factor. While I'm sure money plays a part, I also believe looks play a part, as well as social skills. However, I think the biggest factor is how much you care about a woman (or just people in general). I really do. I believe an average guy who makes average salary but cares very deeply about a woman is going to win out more consistently than a good looking man with a large salary who cares very little about the same woman. However, that still goes back to my original point of being able to care for the family (with or without the presence of children). Because, basically, to care is to provide....

Another layer of "complication" in our modern society is that a lot of women are also "hunters" now, in that they too are professional money-makers, and therefore, do not need to rely on men as much for financial support. However, I don't think that eliminates the attractiveness of a man who can make his own money, does it? If anything, it's simply lower in terms of priority next to other qualities that a woman would find attractive.

In the end, I don't think the fundamental principles of attraction has changed at all. Human beings still strive to find in one another the "fittest" for them in terms of mate selection. The only thing that's changed is the qualifications of fitness, such as displacing hunting skills with financial skills....

Uh, this is kind of an awkward entry for me to make because I don't want to pretend that I've got women all figured out or anything. I have a failed marriage, and now I'm thinking of being single for the rest of my life anyways. Again, please keep in mind that it's just a guy with a blog and too much time on his hands.

Oh but one last thing for us guys: Please don't fake any of this stuff! Don't bother trying to look like you have money, that you work out, and you give a crap about somebody if you don't. Unfortunately, some Players are good at these deceptions (for a short while), but in the end, nobody likes to be deceived.

I've been in a blah mood lately. Neither excited nor depressed about anything in particular. Just... here.

In my book, no news is indeed good news, but blahness is a bland gruel that makes one yearn for some zest in their palette. And oh, and what dangerous yearning it can be if I am not careful.

Admittedly, my spending activity has spiked recently, but it's over stuff that I've been putting off for literally years. I think now is a good time to finish taking advantage of "recession sales" before they dry up. Have you noticed that they're going away or is it just me? I know Men's Wearhouse has ended their buy one get one suit deal. I'm glad I got what I wanted out of there before then. Bed Bath & Beyond no longer honors expired coupons....

But by and large, I'm focused on saving, and it's not exactly all that great for the case of the blahs.

There is something that I've always wanted to do though: Buy a house. Been looking into that. If I really, really buckle down and eat my bowls of blahs three meals a day, I can buy a house as early as six years from now. Ten years if I want something reasonable that doesn't involve mouse traps and returning fire from rival gangs that think their bland oatmeals are better than my bland gruel. Gruel up, oats down, Special K.

So, you may be thinking, "What the heck is he talking about six to ten years?" My own safehouse, holmes. In cash! We're gonna cap The Man, Mr. Mortgage in the knees and send him face down in a bowl of blahs, South side style yo. But doing that is gonna get me six to ten in the joint. Know what I'm sayin'? You dig? You gettin' down jiggie-shizzle wit' it?

Ok, I don't know how in the world I ended up trying to talk gangsta'. I'll stop now.

Seriously though, don't worry. I'm haven't forgotten to have fun, but yeah... I dream of a house some day... in cash. I wonder if that's even possible? I wonder where I'll be, job-wise, in six to ten years from now? But I do know it's also going to require a lot of blah days like this one....

Oh, and last entry I said I'd try to be extra frugal this time. Well, I ate a can of soup last night that's been sitting in my pantry for quite some time. Next time, I'll actually try to make sense. Peace!

Soooo I am actually writing this entry on my iTouch while lying in bed in Snoopy pajama pants. Why am I doing this you ask?

The weather has been heating up, and in an effort to stay cool while keeping the electric bill down, I thought I'd give this a try....

Yeah, I admit having an iTouch in the first place is anything but frugal. It seemed like a good idea at the time since this is how I manage all of my personal finance as well as essential data that I carry with me.

But the cool part (pun intended) is that I don't have to turn on my heat-producing monitor, old PC, and if desired, my speakers just to post this entry. In fact, start up is pretty fast!

The only thing that is not very fast is my thumb typing. On a regular keyboard, I type about quick enough to think freely if that makes any sense. Here, I stumble slightly while thoughts are briefly placed on hold. So, this isn't ideal for long entries such as this one.

What is also limiting is the fact that my "viewing window" if you will is quite small and does take some getting used to.

I suppose all this isn't too bad that for light use, but I would trade a kidney if Apple came up with a larger version with higher resolution. I actually wrote to Stebe Jobs once for that. For an "iTouch HD" with a full-blown browser so I won't have to constantly zoom in and out, and rumor has it a similar "iPad" is in the works but rumor are Anything but reliable....

Ok.I am rambling, thumbtyping on an expensive gadget while making an entry that has nothing to do with frugality. Yep. I am a bad boy. I'll try to he extra frugal in my next entry....

Ever heard of This American Life by Ira Glass?

The giant pool of money is an hour-long radio documentary on the subprime mortgage and CDOs.

You can listen to it online for free with the "full episode" link. Alternatively, you can also download a PDF transcript if you prefer to read it.

I may have mentioned this already, but I also track my cellphone minutes. Because it is pre-pay, I am interested in finding out just how much per month do I actually use.

I've only started tracking a couple of months ago. In the first month, I used 120 minutes, but last month, I only used 30 minutes!

At $0.09 per minute, last month's phone bill comes out to be only $2.70!

Of course, whenever my friends call, I don't try to hurry them off the phone or anything. That's what the minutes are there for, so we always talk for as long as they like.

Still, last month's phone bill total was a very nice, small figure! I really am liking the way my pre-pay phone is working out.

First, and biggest issue. I've always had problems with this house's central AC. Basically, it doesn't work, other than to sap out a lot of money in electric bill while trying to pretend to work.

The summer heat just arrived, and as I sit here, practically naked (try not to gag ) with a fan running and yet still sweating, I am seriously considering what to do next.

First options is to get an HVAC guy out and inspect my unit. How much does it cost for someone to come look at and repair the central AC? Is it even worth it since I don't even use most of the house?

The second option is, and this is the one I am leaning towards, does anyone have any experience with "portable" air conditioners? It's basically a window AC, except it sits in the room with a hose running out to the window. The Homeowner's association doesn't allow window AC, but they're willing to let something like a portable AC squeak by because it doesn't stick out.

The only problem is the upfront cost. The unit I am realistically looking at is $500. There are cheaper, but I've read scathing reviews about how poorly those ones are built, and that they will not last.

The other thing is my electric bill. In the summer months, they are literally FIVE TIMES higher than the winter months. (Well, to be exact, my winter electric bill is around $20-30, and my summer electric bill is around $70 to $120, but normally hits $100.) Is that normal for you guys? If not, it could translate to as much as $300 I am losing due to the defunct central AC. It would also well-justify the cost of a portable unit....

Oh, and before you mention it, yes, I've done all the self-repair tips I can find online. Still no dice. I don't know, what do you think?

Since the first question is so long, I'll keep the second one super short. Basically, I've got olive oil stain on a silk shirt. Although it's considered blasphemous, I tried to wash it out with the washing machine, but still no luck. Am I stuck having to dry clean it? Will that actually get the stain out? Is it expensive to do that, or should I just never wear silk again?

Since today is the last paycheck of the month, I decided to go ahead and update my net worth early.

This month has been an especially good month for me, thanks largely to Mr. Market. But I did help a bit too, trying to be frugal.

Well, actually, I've been rather spendy recently, snapping up the last of the "recession deals" on my list. It really is a shame that I'm neither in the market for, nor can I currently afford a house right now. This year seems like a particularly good year to buy.

But most of my days are small struggles with my budget, trying to keep the costs down as much as I can while trying not to get too discouraged because, sometimes, it doesn't seem like it's going anywhere.

That's why this month's net worth is particularly encouraging. It's motivating me to want to go even faster.... I WANNA GO FAST!

Stock-related entry. Read at your own risk.

I was at a K-mart (or Kmart) over the weekend, and as I strolled across the remnants of a once mighty discount business that could have stood toe-to-toe with Wal-mart, I wondered just what happened to them?

Although wikipedia's information should always be taken with a grain of salt,

I nevertheless found it quite informative. Gleaned from wiki's entry, there are several important insights as to why the business have failed:

"In the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the corporate office shifted much of its focus from the Kmart stores to other companies it had acquired or created...."

So, right off the bat, K-mart appears to be doomed the moment management lost interest in this business....

"Unlike its competitors Wal-Mart and Target, it had failed to invest in computer technology to manage its supply chain."

Perhaps, due to the above reason, it did not evolve to become as efficient its competitors.

"Furthermore, Kmart maintained a high dividend, which reduced the amount of money available for improving its stores."

I couldn't look up on what exactly was the historical percentage, but here's a classic example of how sustained high dividend isn't always a good thing....

"In a scandal similar to that involving Enron, Conaway and Schwartz were accused of misleading shareholders and other company officials about the company's financial crisis while making millions and allegedly spending the company's money on airplanes, houses, boats and other luxuries."

Management has always been a key factor one needed to look at, but as an individual investor, I know that if I was looking at them at the time before the scandal, I could not have predicted that it would come to this. Sort of goes to show why stocks can be such a risky gamble, because things can still go awry even when you research everything....

"On May 6, 2003, Kmart officially emerged from bankruptcy protection (...) Lampert took control of the company and began to run it for profit instead of sales.

So, I assume this part is why K-mart is no longer known for its discount prices and blue light specials, and by now, we all know it's stuck between a rock and a hard place against Wal-mart and Target.


In hindsight, there's so many good lessons here for investors to take away from. None of them are terribly difficult, and chances are, you may already know about them. Still, these signs are important enough to keep in mind, and it especially hits home for me whenever I walk through a K-mart....

I was just perusing through some of the Carnival of Finance-like posts from other blogs (not from any blogs here), and um, how do I put this?

I am reminded again that there's no minimum requirements to have a financial blog. In other words, I can easily set up a blog like here, and fancy myself as an "expert"... like here.

By the way, I know I'm not an expert. I'm just a guy, trying to get through life. I blog as a way to express online what I can't always do in real life, as well as to sort of chronicle something that is important to me, which is my financial journey.

And yet, to be blunt, there are some people who are much less informed about financial matters than even I, but are parlaying themselves as financial experts, and giving out all kinds of semi-misleading advices. (Let me say again that none of these blogs are from here.)

Let me also add that these sort of blogs and entries are in the minority. Typically, I've enjoyed these sort of Carnival articles.

You know, I was actually quite reluctant to make this post, because as a rule, I don't like to criticize other people. If anything, I prefer to be someone who is known for being supportive and helpful, not critical.

Still, where else would I be able to get something like this off my chest except... here? I just hope that people will keep in mind the age old Latin warning, "Caveat Emptor" when they read about financial advice, including ones from me.

Speaking of rides, did you know that even wealthy people are feeling this recession? And that there are also a lot of "bargains" for the filthy rich out there? I remember seeing several examples of this, but this

buy one get one yacht free deal is, by far, one of the most over-the-top I've seen and I just have to share it.

* The topic of why leveraged ETFs should not be used for long-term investing has come up in the past before, and

I found a relevant article that I wanted to save here.

* A comical but ultimately grim reminder of not letting one's feelings cloud our judgment when it comes to making rational trading decisions. Investing psychology chart.

* Note to self: Study OAKVX more in-depth later. ER obviously too expensive, but I think they've got the kind of thinking that I would like to help pick my own stocks.

* Not really investing-related, but this article really blew my mind.

"Last summer, Congress passed the Hope for Homeowners Act, setting aside $300 billion to help people refinance into more affordable mortgages. But the program has been a total flop.

When it was first introduced, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the program could help 400,000 people keep their homes.

But more than six months after the program was launched, the Federal Housing Administration says only one homeowner has made it all the way through the government program and received the FHA guarantee. "

This entry is going to focus mostly on trading and investing, so please feel free to ignore if you are not interested.

But, if you're still here, I'm going to try to make it as brief and interesting to you, the reader, as possible.

* So, I think everybody is familiar with the Sharpe Ratio, but what if you're only interested in the downside volatility? The gains can be anything for all I care, it's the downside risk that I care about, right? Well, I just learned that there is a modified version called the

Sortino Ratio, which calculates for that.

* By the way, ever heard of the Amaranth Gamble? The link will tell you more, but basically, it's one of those hedge funds that didn't use futures to hedge against risk. Rather, it used the same futures to leverage massive bets with little regard for risk.

In other words, no matter how good someone is, no matter how "sophisticated" the trading strategy or the instrument may be, trading with little regard for risk is ultimately a recipe for disaster. It's an important lesson all traders and even investors should take to heart.

* Finally, I don't know how seriously you want to take this, but I thought this is, by far, the most amusing stock pick I've ever seen. Text equivalent articles are available, but the stock picker in the video is what makes it so funny. Check it out!

Perhaps that's a terrible title, and I apologize. I'll try to make it quick.

* Wikipedia has an interesting etymology for the entry

piggy bank. Go check it out!

* I tossed out a couple of Blockbuster coupons. Why would I want to pay $1.99 discounted price for DVDs when I can get about the same for $0.99 at Red Box? Sometimes, a deal still isn't a deal.

* Wells Fargo stock jumped to over 30% yesterday. I wasn't in it. I weep.

* Probably noticed by now that I've made some color changes on the blog, as well as added some links that I like. Please let me know what you think of it.

* How do you keep birds out of air vents? I read that the best way is to put a wire mesh over the vents, but what if the vents are second story high and you don't have any means of reaching it?

* Ok, there is absolutely no rhyme or reason why I should even be aware of something like this, but I thought this is the prettiest baby crib I've ever seen. And that's my insane moment of the day.

The current economic recession is deep. Deep enough that some are already speculating it will shape and define the decade to come.

Good! I had lamented before that, once the economy is in recovery, the lessons of this recession will be forgotten. I feared that people will go back to their old ways of super-sizing everything from cars to credit card debts.

Fortunately, that appears less and less to be the case. In fact, as I was listening to the radio, they brought up a buzzword that I really like: The New Normal.

Still, as the radio program begs the question, how has this economy affected your every day life? What is your New Normal?

- - -

Since I'm asking, I suppose I should also be the first to answer. The truth is... besides worrying about becoming unemployed, I can't say the economy has affected me that much. Don't get me wrong though. It could have, but I already turned frugal as a result of my divorce, before the economy got really bad. But if that had not happened, then yes, I think the economy would have had a bigger influence on me.

Actually, and at the risk of stabbing myself with fateful irony, perhaps this economy HAS influenced me in a rather peculiar way. Despite being re-born as a frugal person, the economy is quite the consumer's market right now. There's just so many good deals out there that I ended up spending on a lot of stuff that I've always wanted, but kept putting off.

20% off for micro-fleece Snuggies blanket with sleeves and super absorbent made in Germany wonder towel Sham-Wows at the local Bed Bath and Beyond? Heck yeah, sign me up! Just kidding.

Anyways, back to the question for you, has the economy changed you somehow, and if so, how?

I've been casually looking into Bug Out Bags (BOBs for short) lately. The basic idea of a BOB is, in the event of an emergency, you can grab this one bag and, as the name implies, bug out.

Although it's unlikely to run into an emergency like a house fire, if a fire should occur, can you honestly say that you know, in the heat of the situation (haha, punny), exactly what to get and can get to it quickly? I certainly don't. Yet.

Not that it's actually advisable to be sifting through your drawers and closet during a fire in the first place, but what if most of your essential belongings are already gathered up into one easy, convenient carrier, ready for you to grab on your way out? That's what a BOB is for, and I think it's something everyone should consider....

Unlike some survivalists out there, I don't really have a hard and fast rule on what should or should not go into a BOB. I think it should depend on what emergencies each household believes they may run into, and how far they want to take this.

I do think all BOBs should have a small amount of cash, for one thing. Nowadays, it should also contain your flash drive of important documents (which can and probably should be encrypted). It should also contain at least a pen and a sturdy note pad of some sort.

Of course, one can expand to other things such as flashlights, multi-tool, first-aid kit, fire starter, water decon tablets, solar charger, spare cellphone charger, hand crank radio, etc etc. Here's an example of a

wilderness survival BOB that I think is fairly well-thought out.

But for most of us? We don't need to go too far with it (unless you want to). The upside to keeping ours minimal is that we can also store most of the items in a fairly small pouch that will not be too cumbersome. For women, it could be as simple as a small purse, and for men, maybe a fanny pack. Keeping it small also makes a bit easier to hide, since a BOB is not something you want a burglar to easily find in plain sight.

Other containers that are worth considering are bookbags, vest or jacket, and brief-cases.

So, do you have a BOB? What else do you think is important or you already have in your BOB?

John Templeton was a brilliant stock investor who lead a long and distinguished career, and was one of the early pioneers of the mutual fund. Like Buffett, he too was a Billionaire that lead a life of thrift and philanthropy. He recently passed away on November 2008....

However, Mr. Templeton's legacy lives on, and thanks to

Get Rich Slowly, there is a link to a free PDF book from him. Though the book is short and the advice is simple, I think these are the kind of words that all investors should know and live by.

Anyway, here's that PDF link.