I've been a nail biter from a very young age. I'm not sure whether it's triggered by nerves, boredom, or stress. All I know is that through my childhood I never had nice nails and it didn't bother me. My mom would paint nasty tasting polish on them, but it didn't stop me for long. The habit stayed with me as an adult. I've had successful periods of quitting this disgusting habit, but I'm still a nail biter. In fact, I started the habit back up at the beginning of the year. Now, I find myself chewing gum every chance I get the urge to nibble on my nails in order to let them grow. It's helping, like it always does for me. Another trick I use is to paint them a new color every Sunday. They are finally getting long enough to paint... growing past the tip of my finger. That's a real victory for a serious nail biter. I hate painting my nails when they're short enough to tell that they've been chewed. I'll be painting them for the first time this growth spurt on Sunday and I know my mom will be happy when she notices.
I have a confession to ad to the confession: I usually always nibble on my pinkies. When I'm in a growth stage, I don't scold myself for it as long as I leave my other nails alone.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
No Cable, No Problem
I've been without cable for 7 months and I don't miss it. It not only saves money, it also saves time. I can't even imagine how much time I wasted on watching stupid TV shows just because they were on. Granted, I probably spend most of my freed up time taking more naps. At least I think that's time better spent than before. I'm also able to focus more on school work. I like to search the web for interesting articles and research random things like where boats in marinas go to dump their sewage.
In years past, I used to be a TV junkie. I'd watch almost anything. Not anymore. Now I use my mom's Netflix account and I watch some shows online, but it's nothing compared to the amount of shows I kept up with before. I don't watch the news anymore and I don't watch sporting events unless I go to my parents or the local sports bar. I follow them online instead. After the show of my life ended in May of 2010, something changed for me. No other show seems to come close to the character developments and smart, quick plots that challenged me to interpret their meanings. People love to hate it, but "LOST" is unquestionably the best in my TV show collection. It's a show that takes time to understand and interpret by re-watching it over and over again. It was a lovely love affair that's for sure.
A few shows I keep up with now are "Two Broke Girls," "The Big Bang Theory," "Vampire Diaries," "The Following," and "Arrow."
In years past, I used to be a TV junkie. I'd watch almost anything. Not anymore. Now I use my mom's Netflix account and I watch some shows online, but it's nothing compared to the amount of shows I kept up with before. I don't watch the news anymore and I don't watch sporting events unless I go to my parents or the local sports bar. I follow them online instead. After the show of my life ended in May of 2010, something changed for me. No other show seems to come close to the character developments and smart, quick plots that challenged me to interpret their meanings. People love to hate it, but "LOST" is unquestionably the best in my TV show collection. It's a show that takes time to understand and interpret by re-watching it over and over again. It was a lovely love affair that's for sure.
A few shows I keep up with now are "Two Broke Girls," "The Big Bang Theory," "Vampire Diaries," "The Following," and "Arrow."
Monday, May 5, 2014
Crappy Cinco de Mayo
I haven't had a day this bad since my big flare of 2012. I'm scared. I'm in denial. I went to work this morning, but my stomach was in so much pain that I couldn't concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing. When folks said, "Good morning," all I wanted to do was cry. Thankfully, I was able to go home and sleep. On the drive home, I held the seat belt off my stomach with one hand as I drove with the other. My nap was interrupted with trips to the bathroom much like the night before. This will go away. I shouldn't freak out. I'll be better tomorrow, right? My stomach is feeling a little better since waking up from my nap. It doesn't mean I want to get up and move. I'm hungry, but I don't want to eat. I just want to sleep until I'm better.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Why?
Why am I unbearably tired? Why do I struggle to wake up? Why do I find it such a chore to do everyday things like shower and get dressed? Why does exerting energy one day take it's toll on me the next couple of days? Why does this have to be my normal? Why do I try hard to look alive and energetic around family and friends?
Google the Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino. It does a pretty good job at explaining what it feels like to be me lately.
Google the Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino. It does a pretty good job at explaining what it feels like to be me lately.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Kim Makes me Proud...Again
It has been a long time coming, Kim will be graduating with her A.A. degree from Seminole State College tomorrow. The graduation will be held at the CFE Arena at UCF, my home away from home. Kim has worked unbelievably hard to do her very best in every class she has taken. She consistently forwent fun in order to study more. I have great respect for her work ethic and her ability to chase her dreams fearlessly. She's graduating as a member of the honor society Phi Theta Kappa and she's also graduating summa cum laude, which is the highest of three degrees of praise as noted on a diploma. That's my sister!!! In the fall, Kim will begin her undergraduate studies at UCF by pursuing a degree in Sport and Exercise with Specialization in Human Performance. Her dream is to become a physical therapist and this is the next step for her to get there. We're going to downtown Disney to celebrate today! She told me last night, "Not even this rain can erase the smile from my face." I love her!
Friday, May 2, 2014
Regression Analysis
I learned some pretty cool things this semester from my financial models class and I want to highlight some of my favorite models. So, I'll start with regression. What the heck is regression?
Regression is a statistical measure that attempts to determine the strength of the relationship between one dependent variable (usually denoted by Y) and a series of other changing variables (known as independent variables, or X). It attempts to fit a model to observed data in order to quantify the relationship between the X variables and the Y variable. The fitted model may then be used either to merely describe the relationship between the two groups of variables, or to predict new values. I hope that's not complete gibberish to you.
Open this link to look at an example: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JFx1Oa8K8XF6W2F6Qze9wSvLRVy1-ISU49uZuE0J9h0/pubhtml
You may have to scroll up and down by using the arrows on the keyboard in the example. I had to publish the example in Google Docs because I couldn't figure out how to upload the excel file, so if you want to try to run the regression just copy and paste it into excel.
In order to be able to run the regression in excel you'll need to download the Analysis ToolPak by clicking file, options, Add-Ins and then select Analysis ToolPak and click go. Check mark the Analysis ToolPak and click ok. This will create a new tab at the top called Data. In the Data tab at the far right select "Data Analysis" and find "Regression" in the drop down menu and click ok.
For the Input Y Range select the price label and all of the prices.
For the Input X Range select the square feet label through the land label and the 40 cells below.
Check mark the Labels options. This will make it easier to read the regression results.
Make sure New Worksheet Ply: is selected before clicking ok.
Look at that beauty above! That's the regression output.
R Squared = .619, which means that this model explains 61.9% of the price. It's the measure of fit.
The coefficient for the intercept is the alpha and the coefficients for the x variables are their betas, so the equation we would use to appraise a home is as follows:
Price = 48,348 + 33*square feet + 4,941*water front -5,585*school zone + 6,263*land
I could go on and on about all the numbers in the regression, but I think I'll stop there. If you managed to stay with me all the way through, thank you.
Regression is a statistical measure that attempts to determine the strength of the relationship between one dependent variable (usually denoted by Y) and a series of other changing variables (known as independent variables, or X). It attempts to fit a model to observed data in order to quantify the relationship between the X variables and the Y variable. The fitted model may then be used either to merely describe the relationship between the two groups of variables, or to predict new values. I hope that's not complete gibberish to you.
Open this link to look at an example: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JFx1Oa8K8XF6W2F6Qze9wSvLRVy1-ISU49uZuE0J9h0/pubhtml
You may have to scroll up and down by using the arrows on the keyboard in the example. I had to publish the example in Google Docs because I couldn't figure out how to upload the excel file, so if you want to try to run the regression just copy and paste it into excel.
In order to be able to run the regression in excel you'll need to download the Analysis ToolPak by clicking file, options, Add-Ins and then select Analysis ToolPak and click go. Check mark the Analysis ToolPak and click ok. This will create a new tab at the top called Data. In the Data tab at the far right select "Data Analysis" and find "Regression" in the drop down menu and click ok.
For the Input Y Range select the price label and all of the prices.
For the Input X Range select the square feet label through the land label and the 40 cells below.
Check mark the Labels options. This will make it easier to read the regression results.
Make sure New Worksheet Ply: is selected before clicking ok.
Look at that beauty above! That's the regression output.
R Squared = .619, which means that this model explains 61.9% of the price. It's the measure of fit.
The coefficient for the intercept is the alpha and the coefficients for the x variables are their betas, so the equation we would use to appraise a home is as follows:
Price = 48,348 + 33*square feet + 4,941*water front -5,585*school zone + 6,263*land
I could go on and on about all the numbers in the regression, but I think I'll stop there. If you managed to stay with me all the way through, thank you.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Semester in Review
Wow, it's May already! I have challenged myself to blog every day in May. Don't worry I'll understand if you can't keep up. After all, it's unlikely I'll run out of things to write about. On the first post of the month, I'll bore you with my review of this semester and each of the three classes I took.
First, Quantitative Business Tools II, as I've called it before ECO 3411 was downright horrible. I'm still not sure what this class was supposed to be about. Was it statistics or was it economics? I don't even think the professors knew what material to teach or how to teach it. I managed through the semester with a professor change halfway through. They both sucked equally. I spent the whole time wondering if the knuckle heads were ever going to start teaching something. They never did. I didn't read the book the professors co-authored together because it was even more unbearable than the class itself. They spent most of the lectures bragging about how this isn't how your typical Quant II class is taught at other institutions and they made it sound like that was supposed to be a good thing. I don't think they ever proved their point. I got through the semester by teaching myself from the sample projects, homework, and practice exams. I even carried over some things I learned from Financial Models and applied it to some of the stats we did using regression. I'll be doing a post about the regression model tomorrow, so get excited. I learned nothing from this class. It was a waste of time and money.
Second, Legal and Ethical Environment of Business, aka Business Law, aka BUL 3130 was a really interesting class. It was all concepts, which is okay I just prefer to deal with numbers and math and money. I didn't get the professor I registered for because he passed away a few days before the semester started. R.I.P. Dr. Lako, I heard you were one of the best at UCF. The professor I had flew by the seat of his pants. He lectured 3 hours every week without any prompts or power-point. My writing hand got conditioned to taking notes for three hours. Although if I could do it again, I'd use my computer to type the notes like a savvy high-tech student. He's a practicing lawyer so he was able to give real life case examples from his experience. Two life lessons I learned from this class are to never co-sign for anyone and to always get a prenuptial agreement. Other things I learned about were contracts, the UCC, consumer protection laws, property law, businesses and their formation and their advantages and disadvantages. People are crazy, this world is crazy and our laws are sometimes even crazier. Cabbage heads, which is what my professor liked to call jurors, will most likely be complete, unpredictable idiots. If you don't believe me, I'll give you a case example that will blow your mind. Just ask.
I saved my favorite for last, Financial Models, FIN 4453. The professor for this class was one of the best I've had at UCF, Yoon Choi. He knew the material well, was a natural lecturer and was even unintentionally funny. He's been published in financial magazines and has attended meetings with top financial experts that are famous in the finance world. He's brilliant and his passion for the subject definitely was contagious. I'll be posting some of my favorite models I learned in later posts. I learned simple and multiple regression, solver function, matrix algebra, sharpe and Jensen ratio to value a mutual fund, and style analysis. These were juicy with numbers just like I love. It was challenging and great!
First, Quantitative Business Tools II, as I've called it before ECO 3411 was downright horrible. I'm still not sure what this class was supposed to be about. Was it statistics or was it economics? I don't even think the professors knew what material to teach or how to teach it. I managed through the semester with a professor change halfway through. They both sucked equally. I spent the whole time wondering if the knuckle heads were ever going to start teaching something. They never did. I didn't read the book the professors co-authored together because it was even more unbearable than the class itself. They spent most of the lectures bragging about how this isn't how your typical Quant II class is taught at other institutions and they made it sound like that was supposed to be a good thing. I don't think they ever proved their point. I got through the semester by teaching myself from the sample projects, homework, and practice exams. I even carried over some things I learned from Financial Models and applied it to some of the stats we did using regression. I'll be doing a post about the regression model tomorrow, so get excited. I learned nothing from this class. It was a waste of time and money.
Second, Legal and Ethical Environment of Business, aka Business Law, aka BUL 3130 was a really interesting class. It was all concepts, which is okay I just prefer to deal with numbers and math and money. I didn't get the professor I registered for because he passed away a few days before the semester started. R.I.P. Dr. Lako, I heard you were one of the best at UCF. The professor I had flew by the seat of his pants. He lectured 3 hours every week without any prompts or power-point. My writing hand got conditioned to taking notes for three hours. Although if I could do it again, I'd use my computer to type the notes like a savvy high-tech student. He's a practicing lawyer so he was able to give real life case examples from his experience. Two life lessons I learned from this class are to never co-sign for anyone and to always get a prenuptial agreement. Other things I learned about were contracts, the UCC, consumer protection laws, property law, businesses and their formation and their advantages and disadvantages. People are crazy, this world is crazy and our laws are sometimes even crazier. Cabbage heads, which is what my professor liked to call jurors, will most likely be complete, unpredictable idiots. If you don't believe me, I'll give you a case example that will blow your mind. Just ask.
I saved my favorite for last, Financial Models, FIN 4453. The professor for this class was one of the best I've had at UCF, Yoon Choi. He knew the material well, was a natural lecturer and was even unintentionally funny. He's been published in financial magazines and has attended meetings with top financial experts that are famous in the finance world. He's brilliant and his passion for the subject definitely was contagious. I'll be posting some of my favorite models I learned in later posts. I learned simple and multiple regression, solver function, matrix algebra, sharpe and Jensen ratio to value a mutual fund, and style analysis. These were juicy with numbers just like I love. It was challenging and great!
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