Give Thanks [2015/6/20]

Thank You Father for every blessing that You have given us. Let us not complain but be filled with joy. Father, let us pray more and spread the gospel to all nations.

1. Thank You Father for the lovely brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us love each other more and be more united in You, Jesus.

2. Thank You Lord for Your mercy. I realize that You give us warnings. Father, let us be more pure and holy. Father, let us fight sin and proclaim Your glory.

3. Thank You Jesus for the great online resources. I am learning so much. Thank You.

4. Thank You Father for Quora, where I can help others by answering questions. Jesus, let us pray more and do what pleases You/

5. Thank You Jesus for sending me souls that I can help. I cannot do anything without You. Lord, let us make all nations Your disciples.

6. Thank You Father for giving me the strength to battle sin. Lord, let me always be in You. Let me become Your holy bride.

7. Thank You Lord for great ideas. You are so faithful and generous. Please give us more wisdom so we can do glorify You.

Thank You Father for Your awesomeness. Let us love Jesus and our neighbors with all our hearts.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/27]

Jesus, let us be more loving. Let us love others as much as You have loved us. Please bless us and reside in us because we are weak and we cannot do it alone. Let us be stronger in You and spread the light to all nations.

1. Thank You Father for YouTube guitar lessons. You guys are the MVPs. YouTube really contributes to more knowledge and learning ^^

2. Thank You Jesus for overflowing ideas. Father, please give us more wisdom so we can glorify You.

3. Thank You Father for a great breakfast. COSTCO's pastries and lot of other goodies.

4. Thank You God for broccoli. It is healthy and relatively cheap. I should eat more.

5. Thank You Lord for Kindle and Elevate. Making me smarter and more interesting. woohooo.

6. Thank You Jesus for coffee. I love coffee. I should really learn how to brew more professionally.

7. Thank You Lord for better time management. Father, let use the time wisely. Let us give more time to You. Let us focus more on You and glorify You.


Thank You Jesus for another great day. Father, let us be more holy and pray more. Let us love more and make disciples of all nations.




From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/27[

1. Old computing languages do not because they are efficient and robust,

2. High blood pressure drug helped cure cocaine and alcohol addictions in rats. Hope it works with humans :D

3. Shoplifting costs $44 billion a year. Time to spend more on forensics and employees. Disgruntled employees steal. The reason why Costco has lower loss is because of the good treatment of their employees.

4. Millionaire helps rescue migrants at sea. This is what I call good use of money. I hope he inspires other rich people to help out more. After all, we all need to be more loving.

5. Family travels across seven countries without flying. Although this is quite impressive, I am not sure if it is good for the young children. Of course it is an experience but how much are the children learning and experiencing? Also, there is a difference of doing trips to maximize learning and cultural exposure and doing things just for the heck of it, which can be cool some times but not wise.



From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/26]

1. Swedish Fund decreases equity. I suppose this is smart with Greece and some kind of crisis that might happen but I am not sure if too active management is good for long term performance, specially for sovereign funds.

2. Kazakhstan produces 40% of uranium worldwide.

3. There are more roll-up than expected.

4. Making money using photos is quite challenging but once you put it online, it will work for you. Still learning the trade~

5. Elevate is well made app because it really tries to engage you to play the game and learn.



From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/26]

Father, let us be more humble and loving. Let us be strong and united in You. We love You so much Jesus.

1. Thank You Lord for COSTCO. Very good quality food/ products are low prices.

2. Thank You Father for the smooth ride and parking. I wish it was like this everyday in LA. Be always thankful :D

3.Thank You Jesus for giving me so many ideas. Father, give us more wisdom and let us use that wisdom to glorify You.

4.Thank You Lord for Lending Club help refinance others and make good profit. I love good finance.

5. Thank You Jesus for podcasts. I am learning so much from them.

6. Thank You Father for elevate App. I think I am getting sharper :p

7. Jesus, thank You for sending us a soul to our church. Let us pray for her and bring more people so that they can know You and glorify You.

Jesus, we just want to thank You for all Your blessings. Please call on us and we will serve You.



From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/25]

Jesus, thank You for Your love. Let us be more loving and forgiving. Let us not judge but love and embrace :D


1. Thank You Father for all those who fought our freedom during the Korean War. Father, let us not forget their sacrifices. Let us honor them by loving one another.

2. Thank You Jesus for email. We often forget how email makes things much easier and efficient. Thank You gmail :D

3. Thank You Lord for upwork. Aww finally, outsourcing and increasing the efficiency of research.

4. Thank You Jesus for Kindle. One of my best purchases. I love reading. I will also try to read more.

5. Thank You Lord for another good prayer session. Father, let us pray nonstop with all our hearts.

6. Thank You Jesus for forgiving our sins. Everyday we sin and yet You love us so much. Let us be holier and glorify You.

7. Thank You Father for weights. It keeps in shape. Man, I wish I had a gym but cannot complain :D Just do more sets.

8. Thank You Lord for Amazon. Wow....really makes things much more efficient. Also, we can sell things there. I need to do more research.

9.Thank You God for Google. Yup, makes learning and finding information so much easier. Thank You Goodgle :D

10. Thank You Lord for making me exercise. Need to be healthy to love and serve others ^^

Father, we just want to praise You for Your glory. Let us be worthy. Let us carry the cross and truly glorify You.




From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2015/6/25]

1. America's recycling rate has decreased due to lower commodity prices. Ok, if other countries can separate recyclables, Americans can do so too. This will lower cost and make recycling more competitive. More fundamentally, we should consume and waste less. For other consumption, we should ask companies to use less packaging.

2. It is great that financial advisors are hopefully helping athletes given their not so stellar financial planning. I hope we teach about financial planning to athletes.

3.Some guitar videos for beginners are quite annoying because they either speak too fast, do not repeat, or do not show the finger positions.

4. The rich have gotten richer in the past five years. Thank you record low interest rates...Let's pray that the rich use their money wisely.

5.  Ghetto kids are a new sensation. I hope we can help more art/ performance programs worldwide. Also, thank you YouTube.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/24]

1. Thank You Father for a great haircut. Yes, I go to a shop near my house and it's great.

2. Thank You Lord for close parking. What a treat. But I still like walking. We all need to walk more.

3. Thank You Jesus for overflowing wisdom. You are so generous. Please give us more
wisdom so we can serve You.

4. Thank You God for giving me the strength to clean my room. Ahhh...so dirty. Why LA you have so much dust. Well, at least, I feel quite clean now.

5. Thank You Lord for good bible study. Let us know Your heart more so we can further Your Kingdom.

6. Thank You Father for more exercise. Yes, I need to workout more.

7. Thank You Jesus for everything. It is a blessing to know You. It is a blessing to have good brothers and sisters in Christ, a loving family, and great friends. Also, thank You for LA. I pray that LA becomes Your city, filled with light.

Jesus, let us always remain strong in You. We are weak yet in You nothing is impossible. Let us arise and shine the light. We will praise and glorify You, Jesus.




From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2105/6/24]

1.Fake bomb detector scam kills many in various countries. This is what I call heinous...I never condone crimes but this is really bad...

2. Rural US is having drug outbreak. We should really start treating the addicts. Busting will not be as effective. Treating the addicts and giving reasonable jobs could help. Let's pray for the Rural US areas.

3. Moderate workout promotes healthy life. Yup, encourage your neighbors and friends to walk a bit and do some push ups :D

4. Pension funds underperform....well, when people manage other people's money and there are no severe consequences...this is what happens. It is not that pension fund managers are evil, it is just that the incentives are not well aligned. Also, it is uncertain where the pension investment officers would be 20-30 years from now when their investment decisions are fully unraveled. Furthermore, the pension investment officers have a point that hedge fund do well in certain occasions. However, do remember that most hedge funds underperform after fees.

5. Nobody knows why we still sneeze when see bright light.



From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2015/6/23]

1. Shark attacks are very rare. You are more likely to get killed by a cow.

2. Korean English teacher makes $500K. She has talent in keeping the students engaged and I am amazed at her discipline. However, I am not sure if the students are learning as well.

3.Thailand still has severe human trafficking. Let's help stop human trafficking and pray for people's safety.

4. Startups in UK are making food deliveries more efficient. This definitely increases our utility and productivity. I just hope we create less mess. Should mandate all one-time delivery packaging be biodegradable.

5. A former football player created a $8 bn mortgage lender. This is definitely talent. I just hope risk management is good because fast growth may undermine risk control.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Thoughts on about Uber's Employee Case in California [2015/6/24]

California Labor Office ordered Uber to consider drivers as employees given the control Uber has over its drivers.

I am all about fairness and treating people generously. However, it baffles me that

California ordered Uber to consider drivers are employees. How does

Uber have  control over the drivers? The drivers can schedule their work hours and quit

whenever  they want.

No one forced them to drive Uber. I am perplexed how voluntary will to work for Uber

is considered Uber's control.

Some might complain Uber is the only source of income for some? Really?

Why can't you work in other jobs that may be you can be happier. There are also other

sharing economy companies. Plus, you can be entrepreneurial and start a business.

Honestly, I think the drivers  are unhappy about the lower than expected Uber earning.

In such case, the drivers should complain about misleading advertisements not switching

to employees. Also, if the drivers are concerned about health insurance and benefits,

Uber can create a insurance/ benefit fund where the drivers will automatically contribute

and the those benefits can only be accessed if the driver fulfilled certain requirements.

I am always for fair and reasonably generous treatment of people but this California Labor Office ruling is quite unreasonable.



From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/23]

Thank You Father for another blessed day. Let us be more loving and holy. Let us always praise Your name.

1. Thank You Father for Your overflowing wisdom. I am amazed how generous you are.

2. Thank You Lord for giving me the ability to discern good and bad. I am able to see the wickedness more. Father, let me be more brave and loving. Let me always keep my heart pure.

3. Thank You Jesus for boiling crab. Wow...pretty good food at a decent price.And it is not far from my house. Plus, we didn't have to wait long. Yay!

4.  Thank You Lord for my car and gas. They literally take me to places. But I still pray that we drive less and walk/ bike more.

5.  Thank You Father for upwork. Time to outsource some work and raise the efficiency overall and help those who need more employment. This is what I call value add.

6. Thank You Jesus for smooth ride and parking. I wish it was always like this. Normal speed and reasonable parking.

7. Thank You Father for my laptop. It makes work possible in most places. Thank You Wi-Fi. You are the MVP too.

Jesus, thank You for Your overflowing love and wisdom. Let us share Your blessing with all nations :D




From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/22]

Jesus, thank You for loving us so much. We just want to love You more. Be with us and use us to further Your Kingdom.

1. Thank You Father for a very productive day. Father, thank You for Your wisdom. Let me be more humble and pray more.

2. Thank You Jesus for the relatively pleasant ride to Wholefoods. Wow, almost no traffic and a quick shopping trip. My wallet cried but we had good food.

3. Thank You for good fellowship by sharing Try the World. Next time, we will prepare better :D

4. Father, thank You for wechat so I can keep in touch with my good Chinese friends :D

5. Thank You Lord for my new hourglass which helps me focus and reminds me to stand up and exercise.

6. Thank You Jesus for Stata and Excel. Yup, makes sure that work gets done and I don't starve.

7. Thank You Father for my loving family. Bless us so that we can be united under You Jesus and do great things in Your name.

Thank You Lord for everything. It is a blessing to be alive. Let us worship You more and become Your true disciples.

 

From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2015/6/21]

1. E-cigarettes are not as safe as thought. However, I believe that it will get safer with time. But more importantly we should just cut down on smoking

2. Mr. Ben Sansum lives a 1946 life style. Wow, this is what I call passion and dedication.

3. Jim Rogers expects financial turmoil soon. I agree with Rogers and I would take a closer look at Russia.

4, Stop losses save investors from momentum crashes.

5.  Arkansas can put tenants in prison for not paying rent. Wow...this is really crazy. Talk about being inhumane and absurd. We really need to change this law for the people and the economy. Thank you Vice for the nice piece.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/21]

Jesus, we just want to thank You for Your love. Let us be more loving. We are nothing without You. Please give us the strength to do Your work. Let us always be humble and loving.

1. Thank You Jesus for the morning coffee and Kale+grape juice. The kale+grape juice woke me up.

2. Father, thank You for giving me the discipline to maintain my blog. I will update it more timely.

3. Jesus, thank You for the wonderful worship. Let us be like Philip, always ready to proclaim Your Word. Let us be holy and filled with the holy spirit.

4. Thank You Father for sending me souls to help. Father, let me be more loving and wise. I lack a lot of love and wisdom. Please pour down Your blessings on me.

5.  Thank You Lord for giving me the strength to beat sin. Let me be holier and stronger in You.

6. Thank You Father for Tofu soup. So nourishing. Yup, LA has great restaurants ^^

7. Thank You Jesus for giving us so much wisdom. Let us really know Your heart and always
 obey and please You.

Thank You Jesus for everything. Let us be more loving and caring. Let us love our neighbors with our hearts :D




From Penguin Watch

What I have learned today [2015/6/20]

1. Can't believe that six brothers were confined in an apartment in NYC for 16 years. Thank God they had each other and stayed strong through movies.

2. Dutch are the tallest people. They have also grown the fastest. It is an interesting question why they are so tall hmmm...It should be somewhat tall people marrying tall people.

3. One can make money with Instagram. Implementation would require some deep thoughts and many trials and errors but let's be grateful that we can make money with instagram

4. Translating Duolingo articles that you have some knowledge makes translation much more efficient.

5. The game Fallout has a quite interesting story. I also like  the post apocalyptic technology.



From Penguin Watch

What I have learned today [2015/6/19]

1. Eating small amounts boosted progenitor and stem cell in several organs of old mice even in the brain! Eating 30-50% of the normal calorie intake with balanced diet decreases risks of illness. Yup, time to cut down on excess food. My body and my wallet will be smiling.

2.  Yes, lack of sleep makes you less productive. I rarely sacrifice sleep. Try to be productive while you are awake instead of just pushing the hours.

3. Children are being introduced to entrepreneurship. I completely agree that we should teach children about entrepreneurship and having them sort of practice at being entrepreneur. However, at young age, I believe that they may lack the emotional maturity and the concept of wealth. In such case, misguided entrepreneurship nudges may potentially not only waste the children's time, money, and talent but give a misconception about what entrepreneurship is. Yes, we should teach about being entrepreneur but ensure that they really understand what is going on.

4. Etsy bans sale of spells. Well, I guess it decreases fraud risk :p

5. Energy subsidy may decrease. Finally, less distortion int the market. Please let the market do what it does best, allocation of resources.




From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/19]

Jesus, thank You for everything. Let us love You more everyday. We are very naive and weak but give us the strength to be strong and truly glorify You.

1. Father, thank You for a very productive day.

2. Jesus, thank You for Your insights. Thank You for revealing about the world and Your Words. Let us serve You better with Your insights.

3. Thank You Lord for Youtube and other humor websites. It is a good break after hard work. Well, I will cut down a bit.

4. Thank You Father for coffee. I really enjoy drinking coffee while checking my email and planning my day.

5. Thank You God for the insights in Deuteronomy. I realize that You are a loving God despite all the curses that You mention. You remind of the curses because You don't want to be harmed. Also, thank You for always giving us another chance through repentance. We love You, Jesus.

6. Thank You Father for supermarkets near my house. Yes, sometimes it is annoying to carry stuff for 20 minutes. But I get my exercise and I walk.

7. Thank You Lord for Kakao. Always a pleasure to be connected with friends from far far away.

Thank You Lord for being so loving. Thank You for your insight. Let us know more about You so we can glorify You more.





From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/18]

1. World largest magazine collector. Hope the magazines become digitized soon. It will be great for research and a great inspiration for artists.


2.Softbank is going to sell robots. This is great hopefully robots can help take care of the elderly and the young.

3. There is big debate about overtime. I believe that payments should be fair. So if the firm owes overtime, it should pay overtime. If it cannot afford to do so then they have to change the business model.

4. Yup, I need to need to learn photography.

5. Yes, we need to grow the pie before we can all share somehow. I agree that we need to help the poor but we need to first focus on creating value. I pray that we all become more loving.




From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/18]

Thank You Father for Your overflowing love. Let us become more loving :D

1. Thank You Father for your unending wisdom. Thank You for letting me see the truth and be able to understand Your law better.

2. Thank You Jesus for a lovely weather. A bit hot but still nice.

3. Thank You Lord for Kindle. I love reading lying down on my bed.

4. Thank You God for YouTube. So much information and distractions. Haha...I should cut down a bit.

5. Thank You Jesus for podcasts. I am learning so much from them.

6. Thank You Father for giving me the wisdom to invest. I wish I could have done more due diligence but oh well...I diversified at least.

7. Thank You God for good restaurants. I love good food.

Thank You Jesus for everything. Let us be more thankful everyday. Let us serve you better everyday.



From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/22]

1. Expect hiccups and side-effects from virtual reality. I think we should be careful when testing new technology but I believe

2. Schmidt Pain Index is a pain measure created by Schmidt who described the pain for different kind of insect bites and stings. This measure probably has some bias since it is based on one person but I admire Schmidt's passion. This is what I call research :D

3. I guess smaller bags does make things more efficient in flying. I think we should just buy and use less stuff and live a more simple life :p

4. Carnival is building a ship that can have more than 7,000 people. I believe the cruise industry will enjoy some uptrend with the new richer Chinese and Indians going cruises but I am not sure if we need mega ships. I think the economy of scale is almost negative in mega ships due to risks of contagion, crime, and safety.


5. $195 million home for sale in LA. I like big homes but this seems way too expensive. I am pretty sure there are better investments than buying $195 million home. You can buy islands, ranches, castles, and doomsday bunkers and you will still have money left over.

 


From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2015/6/17]

1. NYC may build an underground park. This would be great not only for the city but may help less hospitable areas create their own green environment.

3. Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), where one sees only flaws in their physical appearance may be more common than we thought. We really need to care more for each other, make sure our brother and sisters remain strong.

4.  Awww cute new octopus~

5. Maria Sharapova is the wealthiest female athlete. I think she manages her brand very well. Also, she is extremely disciplined. I will not be surprised if she later engages in other ventures.



From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/16]

1. Wow...Groupon has improved substantially. I am amazed! I remember only seeing mediocre deals.

2. Swimming ponds are more environmentally friendly :D

3. Amazon building app that lets people deliver packages. This is awesome. Make distribution less costly and people can make some side money. More flexibility :D

4. There are more roll-ups then the data bases show.

5. Most financial articles are really devoid of meaningful content...just catchy titles.



From Floating Forests

Give Thanks [2015/6/16-6/17]

Jesus, we want to thank You for Your glory. You have died for our sins in the cross and You will return to restore everything as You have intended. Let us always be joyful and thankful :D

1. Father, thank You for enabling me to understand You better. Even when annoying things happen, I am able to love You and keep Your commandments. Well, I did get annoyed but I repented. Thank You Jesus :D

2. Thank You Jesus for your overflowing wisdom. Thank You for letting me see the truth. And thank You for so much help on research.

3. Thank You Lord for giving me the strength to pray. Let us pray more together and truly become Your disciples.

4. Thank You Father for Your calmness and peace. Let us be more holy in You so we can serve all nations.

5. Thank You God for a smooth ride and parking. Wow, if everyday was like this in LA, it would be really fabulous.

6. Thank You Lord for great fellowship. Let us be more united under You.

7. Thank You Jesus for the daily bread. Ahhh...so nourishing. Should go shopping more often.

We want to thank You for everything Jesus. Let us be more like You everyday. Let us love our neighbor with all our hearts.





From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/15]

1. More Chinese buying online. Wow, change is happening very quickly in China. Well, I am not that surprised seeing Xiaomi and how quickly wechat developed. I pray that the Chinese democracy also develops more quickly :D

2. Gun maker, Colt, is going bankrupt. Well, I guess the assets are still valuable. The gun market will be fine. I guess we will have a good article about Colt's demise soon.

3. Plantation started in the Mediterranean when the Crusaders started planting sugar.

4. There is a shortage of truck drivers. Not the best life but better than being unemployed, also a lot of time to think about things and plan one's life.

5. You can make gunpowder out of urine.

 

From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/15]

Thank You Jesus for everything. It is such a blessing to know You. Let us know You more so we can do Your work better. We are so meek and naive but God please make us more holy so we can shine Your light.

1. Father, thank You for giving us overflowing wisdom. Let us be wiser so we can live by Your Word.

2. Jesus, thank You for giving us a better perspective, enabling us to see beyond the deception. Thank You Father for letting us see the truth.

3. Thank You Lord for a great prayer session. Father, we pray that we become more like You. We pray that we can be more loving.

4. Thank You God for giving me time to practice the guitar. I still have a long way to go but just being able to make sounds is already very satisfying.

5. Thank You Jesus for a productive day. I did research, practiced the guitar, and read learned new things.

6. Thank You Father for LA. It is a good city, we just need to be cleaner and more focused on You.

7. Thank You Father for giving me the heart to pray. Let us pray more instead of complaining.

Father, thank You for Your unending love and wisdom. Let us become the light and the salt of this world. Let us stay strong and truly bless all nations.



From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/14]

Lord, thank You for another blessed day. Everyday is a blessing. Please bless us and let us share this blessing with all nations.

1. Thank You Father for the awesome worship. Father, let us pray more. Let us pray for our neighbors and all nations.

2. Thank You Jesus for giving us so much wisdom. Father, we will be the light of the world. Give us the courage and the fortitude.

3. Thank You Lord for good fellowship. Let us be stronger in You, Jesus.

4. Thank You Father for the discipline to keep working. Lord, thank You for giving me the discipline.

5. Thank You Jesus for helping me the learn the guitar. I have no idea how I will move my left finger but I know that You will help me.

6. Thank You Father for LA. Yes, it is dirty and congested. But love the weather and there is great food.

7. Thank You Lord for banana, orange, and blue berry. I love these fruits. Cheap and very nutricious.

Father, let us always praise You and know You better. Give us Your heart so we can do great things in Your name.




*From Penguin Watch

What I have learned today [2015/6/14]

1. Esports is growing. I like to watch some tournaments time to time. But I am always concerned about rigged matches. It is even easier with Esports.

2. Nobel laureate resigns after sexist remarks. There should definitely be more women in science. In terms of sexism, well, we should just be more respectful. Let's assess by merits and abilities not gender.

3. Hollywood makes a lot of remakes because they are safe and cheaper. Yup, best investments!

4. Retailers' flexible schedule are exploiting retail workers. I doubt that this trend will stop. If wages rise, they will systematize or automatize process, further decreasing number of workers. Retail is only going to get more competitive.


5. Alibaba plans to have a streaming service. This is a good move because Alibaba realized that it has to compete by content. I see Alibaba making its own production like Amazon and Netflix. This will be a great plus for all consumers. For investors well...content takes time to develop so Alibaba will spend lot of money before you see tangible returns.






*From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/13]

1. Hand sanitizer may increase absorption of BPA, an endocrine disruptor. Yup, just wash your hands with soap.

2. Polar bears eating dolphins. Hope dolphins start eating other things by coming out of the water.

3. Virgin hotel is tuned to women with great attention to details. I think Branson is really smart and looks like the hotel will do well given that women have more income and would like to have a better stay.

4. US Tax system is messed up with massive dead weight losses. Intuit and tax preparers should stop lobbying for tax deregulation. We should just have a flat tax and may be a sin tax and extremely high penalties for tax evasion.

5. China may be more innovative than US due to "shared intellectual properties." I am not so sure about this assessment. I am sure right now they are being innovative because they are exploiting past IPs but without proper IP protection, I doubt that the innovation can continue. Remember that property rights are the fundamental for capitalism and productivity.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Quick IPO Analysis: Rapid7 [2015/6/13]

Today, we will look at the prospectus of Rapid7, a cyber security IPO.

I have learned about this IPO filing through Google Alerts. Thank you Google. Google

Alerts is  a good way to be on top of news and investment ideas. But just make sure that

you don't subscribe to too many alerts then it gets annoying.

1.3,900 customers over 90 countries. 30% of Fortune 1000. Wow, compound 35% growth from 2011 to 2014

2. Gartner Inc estimates that by 2020, 60% of enterprise information security budgets will be allocated for rapid detection and response approaches. Data Corporation estimates that the overall market for security data and analytic is $12.6 bn in 2015.

3. Emerging growth company. Lot of R&D expense due to intense competition.'

4. Wow, such a long risk section but nothing so out of the ordinary.

5. High renewal rate (85%). Also, security services tend to be sticky. Expanding gross margins :D

6. No red flag in the notes.

**Assessment

Pros: High growth, expanding margins, good industry :D Also, helps the world. Cyber security will only become more important. Potential acquisition target by competition or just large tech firm (e.g., Microsoft).

Cons: No high level manager specializing in technology (No CTO). Usually, you want some tech personnel at the top but I guess the executives have tech experiences.

I am not totally sure about the security product but I love the growing revenue and expanding gross margin and the increasing R&D/ marketing. These measures are likely to help Rapid7 grow more quickly.

I need to do more due diligence but it may be a good buy.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/13]

Lord, we want to thank You for everything. You are such an awesome Father. Let us become more loving. Let us serve You more. Jesus, we love You!

1. Thank You Father for being able to serve the street people at Skid Row. Father, let us be more loving so that they can know You better and be healed.

2. Thank You Jesus for giving me the strength to practice the guitar. I am very slow but with Your help, I will make progess ^^

3. Thank You Lord for a great breakfast. Fried rice and donuts Yummie :D

4. Thank You Father for an awesome bible study. Let us become wiser through Your word Lord.

5. Thank You Jesus for Kindle. I am definitely reading more.

6. Thank You  Father for credit cards. They make spending easy, have fraud protection, and give rewards. I will start investing in credit card companies, once I understand the business better.

7. Thank You Lord for living in LA. Thanks to the port, deliveries come quite quickly.

Thank You Jesus for giving me strength to stay strong in You. Let me us beat sin through Your Word. Holy Spirit help us so we can glorify Jesus.




*From Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/12]

Jesus, we just want to thank You for everything. You are such an awesome God. Jesus please give us the strength and the wisdom to be more holy.

1. Thank You Father for a relatively productive day. Father, thank You for your generosity.

2. Thank You Jesus for Your overflowing wisdom. I have so many ideas because of Your blessings.

3. Thank You God for another relatively wet day. Wish it would rain heavily.

4. Thank You Father for giving the will to buy a guitar and play it. Please give me the talents so I can glorify You.

5. Thank You Lord for YouTube so many nice Guitar videos. Wooohooo. Now I just need to be disciplined.

6. Thank You Jesus for giving me the power to beat temptation. Father, let me be more holy everyday.

7. Thank You Father for Amazon. Amazon really knows how to satisfy customers.

Father, thank You for Your unending love. Let us share this love with all nations. Jesus, let us be more loving everyday.




From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2015/6/12]

1. We still don't know much about water. Shocking that we don't know the exact mechanism of water evaporation.

2. A cute observation finds that firms or teams with blue logo seem to underperform, I am sure color has some effect on things but....doubt that it undermines performance.

3. Shops in airports are placed in areas with highest foot traffic and make sure your impulse buy is fulfilled by exposing the shops as much as possible.

4. Libraries and cities cannot track art well. Time to systematize and automatize the city's collection.

5. 175 Quadrillion Zimbabwean dollar is worth $US 5. Yup, this is what happens when you print out money like crazy....And it is happening all over the world, money printing. We'd better stop before we have 500 billion% inflation.



*From Penguin Watch

What I have learned today [2015/6/11]

1.  Paul Elliot Singer is waging a proxy war on Samsung. This is awesome for Korea because finally we will have better corporate governance. However, I am doubtful whether Singer will be able to win. I think he will probably settle for some profit but this will certainly wake up the board in Korea.

2. Scientists find that fluid injection can cause earth quakes. Yup, fracking can cause earthquakes. I don't suggest banning fracking but more caution is needed.

3. Wenzhou  is so heavily indebted that it may go bankrupt. Is this a danger signal about China's real estate crash?

4. The straightest roads are in Midwest America. Too straight roads can create accidents as the driver becomes bored/ distracted and swerve off road.

5. Clinical trials need to take more account of patient behaviors.




From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/11]

Thank You Father for another blessed day. Let us be more thankful for everything. Jesus, let us always walk with You.

1. Thank You God for the sort of wet weather. A bit cloudy but I like it. Sometimes a little cloud can calm you down :D

2. Thank You Father for the pleasant drive to COSTCO. Got a bit annoyed because some people really do not know how to drive well.

3. Thank You Jesus for Ferrero Rocher....Yummmmie...

4. Thank You Father for the wisdom that you so generously give us. Thank You for Your insights! I will live by Your Word, Father.

5. Thank You Jesus for helping me catch up with all the podcasts. It is good time to be learn because there is so much good material for free.

6. Thank You God for good fellowship. Father, let us unite under You so we can stay strong and glorify You.

7. Thank You Lord for good strong legs. I love walking. Although my friend thinks 20 min walk should require driving, I disagree. Walk and burn the fat and save the planet :D

Thank You Jesus for everything. Let us always be more thankful. Let us not forget how You have saved us from death and gave us a new life and new purpose. Let us glorify You and hasten Your return.




From Floating Forests

Give Thanks [2015/6/10]

Thank You Father for giving me the strength to beat temptation. Lord let us become more holy everyday. Let us be more loving and worthy.


1. Thank You Jesus for the overflowing ideas! Thank You so much for the overflowing wisdom.

2. Thank You Father for giving me strength to beat sin. Jesus, please make me more holy so I can glorify You.

3. Thank You Jesus for a great bible study. Father, let us study Your word more so we can be wise and do your bidding.

4. Thank You Lord for a nice chat with brothers. Let the fellowship grow so our love can grow :D

5. Thank You Jesus for Kakao. So awesome to talk to my mom on Kakao. Man, have we advanced a lot.

6. Thank You God for sort of rain. A bit more rain would be great so we can wash down the pollution.

7. Thank You Jesus for awesome praise song. Let us really live by these lyrics! Live for one thing! I live for this! One thing!

Father, we just want to thank You for everything. Let us be more loving and let us serve you better.




From Chicago Wildlife Watch

What I have learned today [2015/6/9]

1. Junk food is addictive because of massive scientific research. And this is why firms are very reluctant to change ingredients because even subtle changes repels consumers.

2. Snails are going extinct. Ok time to preserve them by collecting them from remote locations. Well, at least there are some snail farms too.

3. Wow presidential campaign spending is approaching 1 billion. Wow, this sounds like some dead weight loss. Less media more substance please...

4.  Pimped up vans may raise productivity. I think this vans are awesome, specially for cities like heavy congestion like LA.

5. Jack Ma says life is better when he was poor given that being rich involves much more responsible and serious decision making. I completely agree with MA, being rich is not easy...but I think he can start giving away his money and things will be easier.



From Snapshot Serengeti

What I have learned today [2015/6/10]

1. FIFA pays more than hedge fund. Wow...really...We really need to demand reforms in FIFA. Thank You USA for helping bringing it down.

2. Benz is the most popular car featured in raps. They have Tesla but no Prius. Thought it was funny.

3. Microsoft's Surface is cool and will likely raise productivity. Just amazing to see Microsoft getting back in the game.

4. Mold produces various pigment to protect itself? Well, we actually don't know yet. Just interesting. We really need more research.

5. Anomalies in the market come and go as investor exploit the inefficiency but then abandon after the strategy is not so profitable. In essence, always leave when things are hot and come back when it comes down. Yup, be a contrarian.



*From Floating Forests

Give Thanks [2015/6/8-2015/6/9]

Father, we want to thank You for being such an awesome God. Jesus, let us always give thanks to You. Let us always walk with You and love You more everyday ^^

1. Father, thank You for another productive day. Thank You so much for Your wisdom. You are such a loving and generous God. Father, let us use this wisdom to further glorify You.

2. Thank You Jesus for the great worship songs. Let us always adore and praise You just as the lyrics say.

3. Jesus, thank You for the rain. It was not much but still I think the air got a bit cleaner. Please pour down your mercy on us.

4. Thank You Lord for LA. Despite the pollution, congestion, and other issues, it's still a good city. Jesus, please help us heal this city. Let LA become holier. Let love and mercy overflow in LA.

5. Thank You Father for water, electricity, and internet. Let us really be thankful for everything that You have given us.

6. Thank You Jesus for the daily bread. Always thankful that I have my meals.

7. Thank You God for close parking. Not so far this time.

Thank You Jesus for everything. Let us praise You always. Let us serve all nations and pray for the restoration of Israel.




*From Penguin Watch

What I have learned today [2015/6/8]

1. Bloomberg published the list of cities that young people cannot afford. Well, then time to either having multiple roommates or moving a bit far from the expensive cities. I hope better public transportation alleviates some rent pressure. Well, with autonomous cars, it will really change the game because people can afford to live more farther since they won't need to drive anymore.

2. US is paying down its credit card debt, sort of. But the credit card default rate is lowest since 1995. Yay! I highly suggest those that have decent credit scores to refinance their debts using LendingClub.com.

3. Bar tenders are becoming popular and deserving more respect with the rise of hipster and people just caring more about quality. Personally, I think this is a good in the sense that bars are providing more utility but in a Christian perspective....hmmmm...I am not so sure. As long as people drink more responsibly, this would be a good thing. I guess I will pray more ^^

4. Always wash your hands and if you are sick stay at home. Don't go around infecting others.

5. Don't short on valuation....Don't short Shake Shack..



From Penguin Watch

Thoughts about Scott Galloway's Interview [Part I] [2015/6/9]

In Masters of Business Podcast, Scott Galloway discusses trends and the future to come. Galloway predicts the following.

1. Companies will need both online and offline presence to be successful. Walmart and other traditional retailers may be catching up with Amazon.

2. People with the right skills will get more rewards while those who do not have these skills will struggle more.

3. Elite companies will create their own systems, separating themselves from the state.

4. Top schools will dominate the education market worldwide.

I agree with Galloway in that other firms are catching up with Amazon quite quickly. However, I think Amazon is really good at its game and will probably be fine. Just this month, I saw same-delivery, host give-away, and a more targeted Amazon offers. So I remain optimistic about Amazon [I also own Amazon shares].

I have been saying this for a while but I will repeat. The smart people will reap more fruits and the less smarter individuals will have less. This seems unfair but actually it is fair because you are being compensated for your abilities. In the old days, even though you are bright, you could not utilize your talents but now with internet and technology, you can arguably be more productive and earn more.

In terms of the less skilled people, well, it may seem like a bad situation but I disagree. As long as you have the discipline and you are dedicated, I think everyone will be fine. There are lot of free resources online. You can take courses online from the best schools online through Coursera and edX. You can learn foreign language using Duolingo. You can also learn coding through codeacademy.
Furthermore, just do a google search and you will find blogs and YouTube videos filled with great information.  Hence, as long as, you are willing to work hard, you will be fine. You will not be rich but you will have a reasonably decent life.

Yes, I agree that technology companies are building their own bubble by building state of the art campuses and providing majestic benefits. However, I disagree that they are fully separating themselves from the state. They just can't. How are they going to make money? Also, if you are isolated from the world, you will not have the insights and you will probably be disconnected from the customers, and eventually suffer losses. So I agree that firms are somewhat insulating their employees for higher productivity but I doubt they can be fully separated.

As an educator and researcher, I agree that the top schools will take a larger portion of the education market through online courses and satellite campuses. But given that these schools have to maintain somewhat of a brand exclusivity, I doubt that there will be an oligopoly. I do agree that they will earn tremendous amounts of money and force smaller schools out of business  but it is doubtful that they will dominate the education market. In addition, I expect other institutions to participate in the education market and compete with the colleges, which will actually drive up competition and quality. A good example is data camp and Udacity which is already providing awesome data analysis courses.

In sum, I strongly believe that the future will be more rich yet extremely competitive. Those with the right skills will leverage their abilities and make tons of money. The rest will be fine as long as they are willing to commit and keep improving themselves.




*from Snapshot Serengeti

Give Thanks [2015/6/6-2015/6/7]

1.  Thank You Father for a wonderful worship. Always so grateful for our church. Let us always abide in You, Jesus.

2. Thank You Jesus for the wonderful food. Ahhh...so good.

3. Thank You Lord for the awesome fellowship. It is nice to have a big lunch and then BBQ for dinner. Yup, I was filled to the top.

4. Thank You God for another productive day. You are so loving and generous. Thank You so much for Your wisdom.

5. Thank You Jesus for the lovely weather. I absolutely love the breeze. What a pleasant touch of the wind ^^ Wish there was more fresh air but let's be thankful.

6. Thank You Father for Kakao. So nice to be able to call my parents and have a great time together.

7. Thank You Lord for my desktop. You are really a good desktop. Thank you for making my research possible ^^ I love you too, Laptop, Kindle, and tablet ^^ And special thanks to smart phone :D

Thank You Jesus for all Your blessing. Father, let us pray more and be more loving. Let us serve more :D

 

*From Floating Forests

What I have learned today [2015/6/6-2015/6/7]

1. Some Kindle books really have weird format. Amazon should either fix them or warn the readers and give a discount.

2. Japanese commercials can be quite interesting. I guess some are quite creative but others are like hmmm....we need to work more on mental health?

3. Explaining programming and statistics can be quite more difficult.

4. A lot of finance and financial planning blogs seem to go dormant not only due to lack of content but just being too general. Some also sound like announcement boards rather than a place of communication and discussion.

5. SEC may demand more information from audit committees. I think more information would not hurt, specifically given the importance of the audit committee. It would be great if the SEC mandated the disclosure of potential issues discussed by the audit committee.




*From Penguin Watch

Give Thanks [2015/6/5]

Jesus, we just want to thank You for everything. Let us sin less and let us become more holy everyday. Father, let us abide in Your Word.

1. Thank You Father for the great conference. I have obtained great ideas. I have also confirmed that we still need to learn much in finance and accounting. Father, give us the wisdom to do good research and glorify You.

2. Thank You Jesus for the almost no traffic ride to Pasadena. Wow, only 20+ minutes. I wish it could be always like that. I would go to Pasadena and hang out :D

3. Thank You Father for dinner. I love cooking. Wish I had more time to cook something more fancy but I am grateful for a daily bread.

4. Thank You Lord for Amazon Prime. Ahhh so nice to see interesting documentaries. I really think you can learn more from seeing good documentaries and doing your own research on the web then going to some mediocre school.

5. Thank You God for my bed, so comfortable.

6. Jesus, thank You for the lovely breeze. I really like the cool breeze. I feel so refreshed.

7. Father, thank You for electricity. After seeing how hard it is to make a bread toast even by an Olympic cyclist, I realized that we are truly blessed. Thank You Jesus!

Father, let us always be thankful and be the vessel of Your blessings. Jesus, let us not forget how much You love us and Your calling. Let us serve all nations and pray for the restoration of Israel.




*From Snapshot Sergenti

What I have learned today [2015/6/5]

1. There is technology to stop drunk driving by detecting alcohol levels in the car.

2. Best checkout line is a serpentine line, which substantially reduces waiting time.

3. Apple Pay is not taking over other payment systems due to lack of information gathering with the retailer and the equipment cost. And it has no rewards....

I think Apple Pay will offer more rewards and possibly share information with partnered retailers. For now, I will happily invest in credit cards because I see them coming up with their own version of mobile pays soon :D

4. Brains forgets information to make retrieval more efficient.

5. Conferences are most helpful when you network. The content is also useful. But getting inside information is truly valuable. Better improve my networking skills.




From Snapshot Serengeti

Relearning R sessions 0: Setting up

I have decided to relearn R because I love R yet I forgot so many times. I first learned R

as a freshman in college and it was disastrous. Second time that I learned R was in

Bayesian statistics. It went well but then I forgot.

Third time, it was for a statistical learning class and I loved R and R studio but then I

forgot again. So this time, I will do it properly.

For starting let's install R. This version is for Windows and if you use another operating system then you can find the other versions.

After downloading R, let's install R studio. R Studio provides a beautiful interface, making

easier to code and analyze :D

If you installed R and R Studio, then you should see a screen like this

 



Now we are ready to go on a journey to learn/relearn R :D