kindle revisited

I've been browsing thru gummy-stuff to see what may be of interest to kindle readers. I have the conversion from HTML to .prc format down to a Science. So far, I got me this stuff. I also downloaded a bunch of (free) ebooks by H.G. Wells. He's was such a neat writer.

 

the next POTUS?

 

E-Ink

So I turn off my kindle. Don't wanna run down the battery, eh? Then I look at it later and there's a picture on the screen. So I turn it off ag'in. Later, there's an image on the screen ... a different one, like this guy: Then I read that a still image doesn't draw any power. Huh? Then I read that the kindle has e-ink. E-who? You apply a static charge to some electrodes. The polarity changes from point to point. You got yourself a collection of pixels (in shades of grey). You turn off the power ... and the charged black & white particles stay put. Just like the images I'd scratch on the walls of our cave ... when I was young. So ... what's next? Mamma mia!

 

Kindle (again)

About four weeks ago I ordered one of them new fangled kindles. I got it yesterday and immediately looked to see how my financial stuff looked (after I had converted to an eBook format). WOW! Although I was a mite hesitant to spend the time massaging my tutorials before converting (since I had no idea what they'd look like), I reckon it'll be worthwhile to do more (and more). I won't be around that much longer so it'd be neat to have this stuff available to all, eh? Some tutorials don't look quite right, but then I discover that you can switch to landscape mode: Did I mention WOW! -------------------------------------- My wife has been reading a paperback by Ken Follett. The print is so small, she squints. (Price? About $8.) So I connected (wirelessly) to amazon.com and downloaded the book. It took about a minute. (Price? About $6.) The neat thing? You can change the font size. You can also look up words ('cause there's a built-in dictionary) and it remembers where you were when you stopped reading (then started ag'in) and you can even ask the kindle to read for you: Click a button or two and the gadget speaks! Did I mention WOW! Okay, so here's the thing: In the future, why would anyone buy a paperback? There's a significant cost for publishing, shipping & handling ... and the darn paperback don't talk good!

 

wikiHOW

I recently larned about a neat site where anybuddy can write articles on How To Do (almost) Anything: http://www.wikihow.com I even tried it meself: Stock-Correlation Try it! It's great fun.

 

Stock Waves

Recently I was looking at the graphical relationship between the price movement and a moving average ... for example: See anything interesting? For example, when the price moves above the moving average, the graph tends to be concave down. (When it's below the moving average, it tends to be concave up.) Suppose the price graph is described by P(t). Then positive or negative concavity can be measured by the second derivative, d2P/dt2. That suggests a neato differential equation where the 2nd derivative is proportional to the deviation from the moving average, sorta like so: d2P/dt2 = -k (P(t) - Po) where Po is the moving average and we see that the right side is negative when P(t) > Po. Anyway, I decided to play with that and discovered that I done did it before. ----------------------------------------------- Once upon a time, long long ago, I played with identifying "waves" in stock charts. I even wrote up a tutorial. Though it was entertaining (at the time), I didn't think it was gonna make me a jillionnaire. Good thing that, in spite of fading memory, I remembered that I'd already been down that road.

 

Buddhism (revisited)

Realizing that I know little about Buddhism (except that it predates Christianity and appears to promote a way of life rather than belief in a god), I browsed through the 15,000 eBooks that I bought for the Kindle I ordered. Alas, the folder with all the books on religion don't got nothing on Buddhism ... so I ordered another 100 eBooks from eBay (cost: $10) and they're all on Buddhism. I reckon I got readin' stuff to last a while:

 

BUDDHISM

BUDDHISM IN A NUTSHELL Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering exists 2. Suffering arises from attachment to desires 3. Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases 4. Freedom from suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path the Eightfold Path Right View Right Thought Right Speech Right Action Right Livelihood Right Effort Right Mindfulness Right Contemplation Characteristics of Existence 1. Transiency 2. Sorrow 3. Selflessness Hindrances 1. Sensuous lust 2. Aversion and ill will 3. Sloth and torpor 4. Restlessness and worry 5. Sceptical doubt Factors of Enlightenment 1. Mindfulness 2. Investigation 3. Energy 4. Rapture 5. Tranquillity 6. Concentration 7. Equanimity Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind. Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done. In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true. Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent. Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good. You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. ** ---------------------------------------- ** Once upon a time I wrote what I thought was a reasonable & succinct goal in life: At first I was concerned that maximizing happiness for "yourself" was (perhaps) misplaced. However, I doubted if anyone would adopt such a "rule of life" unless it included such a goal. Now, I see that Buddha and I agree, eh? Of course, there are other Rules of Life (practised by many): # If thou art strong, bully the weak. # If thou art weak, chastise the strong. # Covet thy neighbour's possessions. # When vocabulary will not suffice, swear. # Be wary and abusive to those who differ from thyself. # If thou hast strong beliefs, proselytize. # Be a hypocrite, for then thy true self is hidden. # Speak, do not listen, for the world is thy stage. # Ravage the Earth, for it is infinite in resource. # Accumulate wealth, for it commands respect and envy. These lead me to write this.

 

Biblical Gods

Old Testament and New Alpha looked haggard. "I tried. It was an experiment that failed," He said. Beta smiled. "We have time. Try again," She said. Alpha shook His head, the long grey hair falling in random curl to His shoulder. "You are so easily discouraged," Beta whispered. "Again. One more time. Please." "I suppose ’An Eye for an Eye’ was not the ideal philosophy," Alpha said. "Nor ’Turn the Other Cheek’," Beta said. "We’ve both made mistakes." "Yes, but it was my idea, wasn’t it? A foolish game." Alpha reached down and waved His hand and the universe collapsed to a point. Again.

 

Islam and Politics

I'm told that one should never discuss (in a public forum) politics sex or religion. I'm not sure why. Anyway, let's talk about religion: RELIGION Here, the Qur'an says: So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks ... and here it says: Nor will they cease fighting you until they turn you back from your faith if they can. yet we read here: ... whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Seems inconsistent, eh? So, does Islam promote violence in order to promote the religion? How about these quotes: Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. click And fire came forth from the presence of the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. click Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. click Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock! click Conclusion: Ignore violent components of any religion and examine those who currently practise it -- not the radical proponents, not the wierdos, not the extreme fringe groups, but the vast majority of proponents. Okay, now on to sex politics, eh? POLITICS How about a government where: 1. Politicians don't make promises they won't keep. 2. They don't support legislation meant to improve chances of being re-elected. 3. Don't make public statements which are the converse of private statements. 4. They don't sling mud at opponents to win popularity among the feeble-minded. 5. They exercise political power for the benefit of the whole population rather than exclusively for their own self-interest. 6. There is no need for re-election funding. 7. There is no need for lobbying. Hmmm ... how about a benevolent dictatorship? Alas, where does one find benevolence -- in politics? P.S. Plato (427-347 BC) said of democracy: "... brings to politics all kinds of power-seeking individuals, motivated by personal gain rather than public good. Democracy is thus highly corruptible. It opens gates to demagogues, potential dictators, and can thus lead to tyranny. Plato’s main charge against the democracy he knows from the ancient Greek political practice is that it is unstable, leading from anarchy to tyranny, and that it lacks leaders with proper skill and morals." and "Most people, corrupted as they are, are for him fundamentally irrational, driven by their appetites, egoistic passions, and informed by false beliefs. If they choose to be just and obey laws, it is only because they lack the power to act criminally and are afraid of punishment" I especially like this one: "Opinions overcome truth in everyday life. " Love that guy!

 

Mosque, eh?

I find it incredible that there's so much flack over the (possible) building of a Muslim "mosque" near Ground Zero. Many compare it to the (possible) building of a Japanese religious structure near Pearl Harbor. Impossible, right? Statement by Feisal Abdul Rauf: "It is not a mosque, although it will include a space for Muslim prayer services. It will have a swimming pool, basketball court, meeting rooms, a 500-seat auditorium, banquet facilities and many other things a community needs to be healthy. The center will offer theatrical programming, art exhibitions and cooking classes. These are amenities missing now from this part of the city. And, yes, the center will have a public memorial to the victims of 9/11 as well as a meditation room where all will be welcome for quiet reflection. The center will support soul and body. The center will be open to all regardless of religion." Arguments: Anti-mosque: Muslims should be sensitive to the feelings of Americans and build elsewhere, even though they have the constitutional right to build ... Pro-mosque: Americans should promote the building to demonstrate American freedoms and to improve worsening relations with the Muslim world ... In 1998, bin Laden said: "... the United States has been occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people, terrorizing its neighbors ... ... Americans' continuing aggression against the Iraqi people ... huge number of those killed, which has exceeded 1 million ... in compliance with God's order, we issue the following fatwa ... kill the Americans and their allies." There is little point in arguing that the U.S has provided immense aid to Muslims of the Middle East. There is little point in arguing that the U.S has protected countries of the Middle East from aggression. There is little point in arguing that the U.S is motivated by Christian ideals. There is little point in arguing who is responsible for this attitude toward the U.S. ... BUT, can we still wonder why?

 

the Dilbert Rule

Scott Adams (author of them Dilbert cartoons) has suggested a trading scheme based upon the presumption that people make irrational decisions based on big round numbers. The scheme goes like this: 1. When the DOW is exactly 300 points below a big round number such as 10000, 11000, 12000, etc., buy the DOW. 2. When the DOW rises above its big round number by 300 points, sell everything. Examine the chart of the DOW, over the past 10 years: (Click to enlarge.) Look at the green and red lines that straddle the big round numbers (lying 300 points to either side) then decide whether to adopt the Dilbert Rule. ------------------------------------------------------------- It's a neat idea, so I wonder if there's lots of prices/values congregating near them big round numbers, so I count the number of DOW values in bands of 100 points and get this: (Click to enlarge.) Seems they is lots of prices half-way between them big round numbers, eh? ------------------------------------------------------------- Ron McEwan sent me this neat chart of the S&P500 (plotted on a log-scale): It likes to hang out with them powers of 10, eh? So I take a peek at the DOW (logarithmically speaking): Conclusion? In the year 2051, the S&P500 gets to be 10,000 ... and the DOW 100,000. P.S. On the planet Oznop, inhabitants have 9 fingers. The major stock index (the Wod) is attracted to powers of 9. ------------------------------------------------------------- In the log-scaled charts above, the vertical scale is the logarithm to the base 10 (not labelled 2, 3, 4 but rather 102, 103, 104) Since you can change [log to base 10] into [log to base B] just by dividing each [log to base 10] by the [log to base 10 of B], then the vertical scale just gets expanded .. but the shape of the chart don't hardly change. I got me a spreadsheet that'll do that for the DOW, here: http://www.gummy-stuff.org/Excel/logDOW.xls and for the S&P here: http://www.gummy-stuff.org/Excel/logSP500.xls Y'all can change the base of the logarithm. For example, using the base 9 gives: and Them powers of 9 look pretty attractive, eh?

 

Perseids

A couple of days ago I see a shooting star. Well, maybe not. It turned out to be a component of the Perseid meteor shower located (roughly) in the direction of the constellation Perseus:

 

eBooks (revisited)

Slowly, slowly I convert gummy-stuff tutorials to .prc/Kindle eBooks: Financial stuff On an eBook forum (where I mentioned the financial stuff), I was asked "Why just Kindle?" 'course, the (correct) answer is that I'm too old, too tired and too lazy to do more. I was also given some good advice: "Put the images on a separate page, delete the greek ..." Alas, I'm too old, too tired and too lazy ...

 

eBooks, eh?

Since I'll be ending my long winded sojourn with gummy-stuff.org, it makes me happy that it'll be hosted elsewhere -- hence will survive me. Then, it occurred to me that maybe a gaggle of eBooks on financial stuff may be in order, so I whipped out my mobipocket to see how difficult it'd be to convert my tutorials to eBooks. Turns out to be a piece o' cake! Mobipocket converts directly from HTML. Here's my first attempt: http://www.gummy-stuff.org/eBOOK-Investing-Intro.prc

 

Kindle

So I ordered one of them thar Kindle things: I reckon it'll arrive in early September and it'll hold 3000+ eBooks and it's got 3G wireless connectivity and it'll speak the text. Mamma mia! So now I gotta learn how to change my novels (finished and otherwise) to eBooks. I've started here and (pray) hope they can be read by eBook readers - like Kindle. P.S. If'n anybody wants to create and/or read eBooks: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/DownloadSoft/default.asp?Language=EN