My connection was unbearably slow so I called Cablevision to bitch. I was shocked to hear they had recently upgraded my bandwidth. Nice! Why can’t a feel the increase? The customer service person sent me to SpeakEasy to run a quick speed test. Apparently, my 5-yr old Linksys router could only handle 50% of the speed. I unplugged the router and was shocked by the speed of the Optimum service. I went from 539k to 1554k download. Now, what’s Linksys phone number?
Wired has an interesting piece on Pitchfork’s ability to create something out of nothing. It seems Broken Social Scene owes them a big thank you. Serendipity played a big part in introducing the band to Pitchfork in the first place. This makes me think, when flooded with new music how does an editor chose to write about just one? Is it the CD package, or is it a title of a particular track that peaks curiosity?
Do you discuss your stock picks with your friends? If you do, you may be interested in some of new collabrative sites like SocialPicks, Feeling Bullish, Bullpoo, Gradr, Stocktickr and Digstock (via Techcrunch). Personally, I see this catching on with advisers and analysts more than the individual who has to manage yet another research tool. The high-priced newsletter model is losing momentum in the Internet Age. Even the older generation of investors and active traders is electing to find it online before reading it in print. Although reading the daily paper is a great way to start your morning, trading decisions can be made faster from a couple of good links to reputable sources.
The common opinion and criticisms around a particular stock can be found on countless blogs and message forums. Finding that knowledgible group of people, with historic perspective, formal financial creditials, and a consistent yeild, is the trick. Where’s my “circle of trust” — respected individuals surrounded by qualified content (statistical and fundamental) that supports one’s opinion on a particular position? Yahoo Finance and Google are heading in that direction but it’s still 3rd-party content. SocialPicks surrounds the individual with the sources that matter most to him which reduces the noise and strengthens the circle. Now, can I link my preferred trading account to my SocialPicks account to enable one-click trading?
Baron turned me on to the Drive-By-Truckers about a year ago. Sense then I’ve become a huge fan, caught the live show at the Warsaw in Brooklyn last November too. The new stuff is good, but it’s missing the rawiness of the last record. Regardless, the Truckers are my own R-rated Tom Petty with the perspective of Tom Waits. Truck on my brothers.
“…They write about the South as they see it personally, and about themselves as they’ve been shaped by living in the South. This is a considerable accomplishment, one very few present-day regional bands manage to achieve: It adds depth to the characters in their songs, and it gives their personal, more openly autobiographical confessions impossibly high stakes.” - From Pitchfork’s review of “A Blessing and a Curse
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve managed my blog responsibly. Sean reminds me of that often. And he’s right, I have plenty to share and should do it more often. Finding the time has always been so difficult. Much has changed, and even more will be changing in the very near future.
Now is the time to step away, plan, balance, prioritize, and look towards the future as a place that will be bright and full of new challenges. It really is about connecting those dots and working with people you respect, trust, and who continually inspire you to be extraordinary in everything you do. It’s time to get started, again.
