i'm reading "the paradox of choice" and just came across this very interesting paragraph on prospect theory:
..suppose you are one of a large group of participants in a study and for your time and trouble, you are given either a coffee mug or a nice pen. the two gifts are of roughly equal value and randomly distributed - half of the people in the room get one, while the other half get the other. you and your fellow participants are then given the opportunity to trade. considering the random distribution, you would think that about half the people in the group would be gotten the object they preffered and that the other half would be happy to swap. but in fact, there are very few trades. this phenomenon is called...
before i go on, anyone have any ideas why? post a comment if you do.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
attention span deficiency reversal
i'm putting myself through reversal of attention span deficiency training (RASDT). over the last few years of working at a .com, i've gotten used to having 6 browser windows open, each of them representing a thought, or a task. every email that needs my attention also has its own window, and there are other things, such as powerpoint, word, or visio files. and of course there's the leisure windows, for fantasy sports and the like. the end result is that i can't focus on any one thing anymore. while i was working, i'm sure 45% of my day was just spent flipping through the different windows, pausing to scan or think about each one for a few moments, then flipping to the next window. each time i flipped i would think, "i'll focus on this later."
the end result? i can't focus on anything. even as i write this blog, the temptation to flip to a different window and see if i've gotten any new emails, or if there's a new trade in my fantasy leagues, is overwhelming. so, thus the need for RASDT. step one: get through a magazine and retain some useful knowledge. today i tried businessweek's special edition on social security:
"To give America's struggling seniors a lifeline out of poverty, Franklin D. Roosevelt 70 years ago established the Social Security system. The program was never intended to be particularly generous - and even after increases over the decades, the average check totals just $14,000 a year. Yet Social Security remains a mainstay for America's 36 million seniors; two out of three count on it for half their income."
Did you fall asleep? Scan ahead to the next paragraph, this one? Click on "next blog?" If so, you may be in need of RASDT. When i have the program steps worked out, i'll open franchises dedicated to fixing this problem, a la jenny craig. "brian wey's attention span deficiency reversal training program." i'm gonna need some serious branding work before i can sell that in an infomercial.
Speaking of Social Security, it makes it much more fun to think about it in West Wing terms. If Martin Sheen read this article aloud to me, i might actually pay attention.
the end result? i can't focus on anything. even as i write this blog, the temptation to flip to a different window and see if i've gotten any new emails, or if there's a new trade in my fantasy leagues, is overwhelming. so, thus the need for RASDT. step one: get through a magazine and retain some useful knowledge. today i tried businessweek's special edition on social security:
"To give America's struggling seniors a lifeline out of poverty, Franklin D. Roosevelt 70 years ago established the Social Security system. The program was never intended to be particularly generous - and even after increases over the decades, the average check totals just $14,000 a year. Yet Social Security remains a mainstay for America's 36 million seniors; two out of three count on it for half their income."
Did you fall asleep? Scan ahead to the next paragraph, this one? Click on "next blog?" If so, you may be in need of RASDT. When i have the program steps worked out, i'll open franchises dedicated to fixing this problem, a la jenny craig. "brian wey's attention span deficiency reversal training program." i'm gonna need some serious branding work before i can sell that in an infomercial.
Speaking of Social Security, it makes it much more fun to think about it in West Wing terms. If Martin Sheen read this article aloud to me, i might actually pay attention.
unemployment and keeping busy.
..:: day 13 ::..
it's been nearly 2 weeks of unemployment, although it certainly hasn't felt that long. i've been keeping busy with travel, the past weekend was spent in lake tahoe learning how to cross country ski. it's actually really fun - you get the feel of speed without the feel of rushing toward impending death, which is what i get when i do anything downhill save biking. it's all about control. on a snowboard or skis, i have none. on a bike, with brakes, i do. also a bike doesn't weigh much, so if it falls on you or you fall on it, you won't do much damage either way. it's not like a 500lb ATV, which paul will attest to.
anyway, it doesn't feel like it's been all that long. i'm not terribly bored yet - it's been like summer or winter vacation where there are some things to do but not a whole lot, and most of the time is spent doing stuff i've been meaning to do but never really got around to it. little things. for example, i wanted to check out a parking garage across the street to see if it would be cheaper. under normal, employed circumstances, i would never find the time or a compelling reason to do so. but now it's something i do have time for, after morning coffee. the garage closes at 7pm btw, not worth the $100 savings.
another example, i'd been meaning to call and change my auto insurance policy because i have a ridiculously low deductible that costs me a fortune, but i never bothered to change it before. now that there's no income, it was one of the first things i did.
i've had the time to watch all of the episodes of the west wing on dvd over again. what a brilliant show. it actually warrants a second viewing, with the fast dialogue and sometimes complex issues. i'm glad i invested in the dvds...unlike alias, which will probably never find its way back into my dvd player. unless i'm hospitalized for an extended period of time, knock on wood.
it's been nearly 2 weeks of unemployment, although it certainly hasn't felt that long. i've been keeping busy with travel, the past weekend was spent in lake tahoe learning how to cross country ski. it's actually really fun - you get the feel of speed without the feel of rushing toward impending death, which is what i get when i do anything downhill save biking. it's all about control. on a snowboard or skis, i have none. on a bike, with brakes, i do. also a bike doesn't weigh much, so if it falls on you or you fall on it, you won't do much damage either way. it's not like a 500lb ATV, which paul will attest to.
anyway, it doesn't feel like it's been all that long. i'm not terribly bored yet - it's been like summer or winter vacation where there are some things to do but not a whole lot, and most of the time is spent doing stuff i've been meaning to do but never really got around to it. little things. for example, i wanted to check out a parking garage across the street to see if it would be cheaper. under normal, employed circumstances, i would never find the time or a compelling reason to do so. but now it's something i do have time for, after morning coffee. the garage closes at 7pm btw, not worth the $100 savings.
another example, i'd been meaning to call and change my auto insurance policy because i have a ridiculously low deductible that costs me a fortune, but i never bothered to change it before. now that there's no income, it was one of the first things i did.
i've had the time to watch all of the episodes of the west wing on dvd over again. what a brilliant show. it actually warrants a second viewing, with the fast dialogue and sometimes complex issues. i'm glad i invested in the dvds...unlike alias, which will probably never find its way back into my dvd player. unless i'm hospitalized for an extended period of time, knock on wood.
Monday, January 24, 2005
links.
some photos from december and january:
taiwan:
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=okmezhb.birgpdyj&x=1&y=f6jjpz
vegas:
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=okmezhb.33cu2ku3&x=1&y=uwaz08
taiwan:
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=okmezhb.birgpdyj&x=1&y=f6jjpz
vegas:
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=okmezhb.33cu2ku3&x=1&y=uwaz08
Thursday, January 20, 2005
stress.
people in today's world are under way more stress than they used to be, even say, 10 years ago. off the top of my head, let me think of a few things that we worry about these days that we didn't used to have to worry about:
..:: don't get fat, because you need to look like a magazine cover. wear branded clothes, because if you don't look cool enough you'll never get into the hip clubs. get into the hip clubs, because anyone who doesn't is a loser. practice good hygiene - you need to floss, exfoliate, brush, apply, rinse, repeat, scrub, gargle, trim, moisturize, all that, every day. eat right - count carbs, count calories, count empty calories, count pounds. eat less meat, eat less cholesterol, eat whatever the AMA, the AHA, the FDA, and dr. phil tells you to. stay on top of current events and entertainment, otherwise you'll never have a conversation at a party again. have a good job or career, otherwise you'll never have a conversation at a party again. take exotic vacations, otherwise you'll never have a conversation at a party again. accept that you'll never being able to buy a home. accept that you'll never be able to save enough for retirement. accept that you'll never be able to save enough for your kid's college education. accept that you'll never be able to save enough to get that new BMW that comes out next year. stay on top of technology, because if you have a cell phone the size of your palm people will laugh at you. check your voicemail immediately. check your email every day. spam. respond immediately to whoever wants to reach you at any time of the day. find and retain a great spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other. exercise, but do it properly. don't get hurt without insurance. don't drive a car without insurance. don't rent, buy, lease, sell without insurance. don't sign your name without consulting a lawyer. don't worry about your credit score, because your FICO score is what matters. don't bother buying anything unless your FICO score is high. don't run up too much debt, otherwise your FICO score will drop. don't miss any payments, otherwise your FICO score will drop. don't give out your social security number, and make sure you shred any documents with your name on it. don't get phished. don't get a virus. don't get spyware. don't smoke. don't breathe second hand smoke. don't breathe second hand smoke on the person next to you, and don't curse, fart, burp, look them directy in the eye, shake their hand, give them a hug, just be prepared to make some witty comment about the weather.
deep breath.
ok i feel better now. i think i'll go have a beer.
ps. thinking about hip clubs, has anyone noticed that the only people in the world that are PAID to exercise their prejudice are the fucking bouncers at clubs? i want a job where i can routinely dismiss people that are fat, skinny, black, white, yellow, ghetto, ugly, noisy, trashy, or whatever strikes my fancy that particular day. "today is the 3rd friday of the month...no lesbians today."
by the way, if you're a little asian man, every day is the 3rd friday of any month.
you have just been ralamed.
..:: don't get fat, because you need to look like a magazine cover. wear branded clothes, because if you don't look cool enough you'll never get into the hip clubs. get into the hip clubs, because anyone who doesn't is a loser. practice good hygiene - you need to floss, exfoliate, brush, apply, rinse, repeat, scrub, gargle, trim, moisturize, all that, every day. eat right - count carbs, count calories, count empty calories, count pounds. eat less meat, eat less cholesterol, eat whatever the AMA, the AHA, the FDA, and dr. phil tells you to. stay on top of current events and entertainment, otherwise you'll never have a conversation at a party again. have a good job or career, otherwise you'll never have a conversation at a party again. take exotic vacations, otherwise you'll never have a conversation at a party again. accept that you'll never being able to buy a home. accept that you'll never be able to save enough for retirement. accept that you'll never be able to save enough for your kid's college education. accept that you'll never be able to save enough to get that new BMW that comes out next year. stay on top of technology, because if you have a cell phone the size of your palm people will laugh at you. check your voicemail immediately. check your email every day. spam. respond immediately to whoever wants to reach you at any time of the day. find and retain a great spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other. exercise, but do it properly. don't get hurt without insurance. don't drive a car without insurance. don't rent, buy, lease, sell without insurance. don't sign your name without consulting a lawyer. don't worry about your credit score, because your FICO score is what matters. don't bother buying anything unless your FICO score is high. don't run up too much debt, otherwise your FICO score will drop. don't miss any payments, otherwise your FICO score will drop. don't give out your social security number, and make sure you shred any documents with your name on it. don't get phished. don't get a virus. don't get spyware. don't smoke. don't breathe second hand smoke. don't breathe second hand smoke on the person next to you, and don't curse, fart, burp, look them directy in the eye, shake their hand, give them a hug, just be prepared to make some witty comment about the weather.
deep breath.
ok i feel better now. i think i'll go have a beer.
ps. thinking about hip clubs, has anyone noticed that the only people in the world that are PAID to exercise their prejudice are the fucking bouncers at clubs? i want a job where i can routinely dismiss people that are fat, skinny, black, white, yellow, ghetto, ugly, noisy, trashy, or whatever strikes my fancy that particular day. "today is the 3rd friday of the month...no lesbians today."
by the way, if you're a little asian man, every day is the 3rd friday of any month.
you have just been ralamed.
sure signs you're getting old.
here's a list, in no particular order:
..:: your back hurts for no particular reason. for example, the other night i lay down in bed and i could feel my back cramping up. c'mon!!! if i can't lie down what the heck am i supposed to do about my back?
..:: you don't like drinking ice water anymore. room temp or warm water for me please. likewise, eating cold fruit hurts your teeth.
..:: you need to put lotion on after showering. i recall being a kid and having snake skin, not giving a shit, and being happy about it.
..:: every pair of shoes has a specific purpose. you have your running shoes. you have your basketball shoes. you have the shoes that go with these jeans but not the other pair, you have the formal dress shoes, you have the work dress shoes, you have the walking shoes, and you have the pimp shoes that you can't wear because they hurt your feet like a mofo.
..:: when you travel you carry enough battery charge cable to lower yourself out the window down to the ground floor of your hotel.
..:: if something isn't in the exact place where you think it is, you're screwed, because you'll never remember where you last put it. oh and by the way it annoys the heck out of you.
...more as i think of it.
..:: your back hurts for no particular reason. for example, the other night i lay down in bed and i could feel my back cramping up. c'mon!!! if i can't lie down what the heck am i supposed to do about my back?
..:: you don't like drinking ice water anymore. room temp or warm water for me please. likewise, eating cold fruit hurts your teeth.
..:: you need to put lotion on after showering. i recall being a kid and having snake skin, not giving a shit, and being happy about it.
..:: every pair of shoes has a specific purpose. you have your running shoes. you have your basketball shoes. you have the shoes that go with these jeans but not the other pair, you have the formal dress shoes, you have the work dress shoes, you have the walking shoes, and you have the pimp shoes that you can't wear because they hurt your feet like a mofo.
..:: when you travel you carry enough battery charge cable to lower yourself out the window down to the ground floor of your hotel.
..:: if something isn't in the exact place where you think it is, you're screwed, because you'll never remember where you last put it. oh and by the way it annoys the heck out of you.
...more as i think of it.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
unemployment and vegas.
..:: day 6 ::..
oops i've skipped from day 2 to day 6. reason being, i've been in vegas the last 3 days. oh the irony, to go to vegas immediately after quitting my job. being unemployed, however, did provide a convenient excuse not to do anything. i don't really gamble, but now i can say, "well i really shouldn't play because i have no income," as opposed to "i really don't want to play because i'm scared of losing all my money."
i went to vegas for good reason tho, my roommate's bachelor party. that must've been the tamest bachelor party in history. no drugs except for about 2 rounds of drinks, no strippers, no rudeness, and heck, even no swearing. my roommate doesn't swear - he says "freak" instead of the f-word. fuck me. tho i noticed if he actually said "fuck" instead of "freak" he'd cuss more than anyone i know.
i've never been to a club with 10 guys and no girls before. it's really quite sad, when you have a circle of guys on the dance floor, sorta dancing, most of them just doing a guy head bob or sort of gyrating to the music. none of the guys had any game - actually most of them had steady girlfriends and weren't looking to cause any trouble. paul actually came out the winner for the weekend, getting the phone number of a pretty cute girl who's also from the bay area. i excused myself constantly to go to the bar or text message diana.
vegas was interesting. the best part was going on atv tours - tho it was kind of funny, about half the group will never get on an atv again after that. some of the guys got hurt, had to bail off their machines, or in paul's case, he was trying to get up a hill and somehow slid off the hill and into a ravine, where carey had to climb down and pull him out. i was way up the trail taking pics of the nevada skyline, oblivious to the minor crisis going on below. what a good friend am i. =) i'll post the picture i took while paul was pinned under an atv soon.
i have never been as exhausted as i was the last day in vegas. jetlagged, staying up late at night, and having a 285 lb. bed-mate that snores like a mu'fugger really didn't help (don't ask), and i was on my last legs of energy by the end. i think on the flight back i kept pitching forward in my seat, so the guy next to me kept pushing my head back, and finally pushed my seat back for me so i'd stop pitching forward. i really hope i didn't drool on myself, because i don't remember anything about the flight.
all in all it was a good trip to vegas. both the bachelors, carey and josh, are good guys that will do well, i think.
i have been summoned for jury duty on february 14. bloody marvelous. happy valentine's day to you too.
oops i've skipped from day 2 to day 6. reason being, i've been in vegas the last 3 days. oh the irony, to go to vegas immediately after quitting my job. being unemployed, however, did provide a convenient excuse not to do anything. i don't really gamble, but now i can say, "well i really shouldn't play because i have no income," as opposed to "i really don't want to play because i'm scared of losing all my money."
i went to vegas for good reason tho, my roommate's bachelor party. that must've been the tamest bachelor party in history. no drugs except for about 2 rounds of drinks, no strippers, no rudeness, and heck, even no swearing. my roommate doesn't swear - he says "freak" instead of the f-word. fuck me. tho i noticed if he actually said "fuck" instead of "freak" he'd cuss more than anyone i know.
i've never been to a club with 10 guys and no girls before. it's really quite sad, when you have a circle of guys on the dance floor, sorta dancing, most of them just doing a guy head bob or sort of gyrating to the music. none of the guys had any game - actually most of them had steady girlfriends and weren't looking to cause any trouble. paul actually came out the winner for the weekend, getting the phone number of a pretty cute girl who's also from the bay area. i excused myself constantly to go to the bar or text message diana.
vegas was interesting. the best part was going on atv tours - tho it was kind of funny, about half the group will never get on an atv again after that. some of the guys got hurt, had to bail off their machines, or in paul's case, he was trying to get up a hill and somehow slid off the hill and into a ravine, where carey had to climb down and pull him out. i was way up the trail taking pics of the nevada skyline, oblivious to the minor crisis going on below. what a good friend am i. =) i'll post the picture i took while paul was pinned under an atv soon.
i have never been as exhausted as i was the last day in vegas. jetlagged, staying up late at night, and having a 285 lb. bed-mate that snores like a mu'fugger really didn't help (don't ask), and i was on my last legs of energy by the end. i think on the flight back i kept pitching forward in my seat, so the guy next to me kept pushing my head back, and finally pushed my seat back for me so i'd stop pitching forward. i really hope i didn't drool on myself, because i don't remember anything about the flight.
all in all it was a good trip to vegas. both the bachelors, carey and josh, are good guys that will do well, i think.
i have been summoned for jury duty on february 14. bloody marvelous. happy valentine's day to you too.
Friday, January 14, 2005
unemployment.
..:: day two ::..
day one of being unemployed passed without being too boring. it was day one after all. the important thing i'm finding, is to still have goals for the day. for example, yesterday's goal was to get a haircut. not a spectacular goal, but nonetheless one that required some planning in advance. (the haircut turned out to be too short by the way.)
on the way home i stopped at border's to look at some books. at my mother's recommendation, i bought a book called "the alchemist" by paulo coelho. it's a fable about a young man's journey to realize his life dream. actually it reads kind of like a children's story, but still good for adults. i'm about halfway through and will attempt to post some profound thoughts on the book when i'm done. the other book i bought was "the paradox of choice," about how too much choice can be harmful - "how the culture of abundance robs us of satisfaction." i'm looking forward to reading this one.
goal of day 2 - get through some of the easier items on my ever-growing to-do list, the financial survival to-dos, such as reduce my car insurance. there's no reason why i need a $250 deductible when i'm not using my car for anything more than driving to the golf course. come to think of it maybe i should just trade in my car for a golf kart. i'd be classified a low-emissions vehicle and get unfettered use of the carpool lanes. i'd also get killed, but oh well.
other goals for the day, go to the gym, and read some more of these books. i intend to be border's best friend for the time that i am unemployed. oh, come to think of it, i should do some research on potential jobs.
pausing for a thought here: i want to make sure this time i am doing research on jobs, not looking for jobs. maybe what i need to do is make a checklist that i'll take into phone interviews to ask the interviewer about. for example, for my last job disaster, i didn't really check to see how my future group interacted with engineering. if i had done some more prying, i might've found out that my future group had no respect or bargaining power with the engineers and therefore had a miserable time getting anything done. big, big red flag.
day one of being unemployed passed without being too boring. it was day one after all. the important thing i'm finding, is to still have goals for the day. for example, yesterday's goal was to get a haircut. not a spectacular goal, but nonetheless one that required some planning in advance. (the haircut turned out to be too short by the way.)
on the way home i stopped at border's to look at some books. at my mother's recommendation, i bought a book called "the alchemist" by paulo coelho. it's a fable about a young man's journey to realize his life dream. actually it reads kind of like a children's story, but still good for adults. i'm about halfway through and will attempt to post some profound thoughts on the book when i'm done. the other book i bought was "the paradox of choice," about how too much choice can be harmful - "how the culture of abundance robs us of satisfaction." i'm looking forward to reading this one.
goal of day 2 - get through some of the easier items on my ever-growing to-do list, the financial survival to-dos, such as reduce my car insurance. there's no reason why i need a $250 deductible when i'm not using my car for anything more than driving to the golf course. come to think of it maybe i should just trade in my car for a golf kart. i'd be classified a low-emissions vehicle and get unfettered use of the carpool lanes. i'd also get killed, but oh well.
other goals for the day, go to the gym, and read some more of these books. i intend to be border's best friend for the time that i am unemployed. oh, come to think of it, i should do some research on potential jobs.
pausing for a thought here: i want to make sure this time i am doing research on jobs, not looking for jobs. maybe what i need to do is make a checklist that i'll take into phone interviews to ask the interviewer about. for example, for my last job disaster, i didn't really check to see how my future group interacted with engineering. if i had done some more prying, i might've found out that my future group had no respect or bargaining power with the engineers and therefore had a miserable time getting anything done. big, big red flag.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
