A new technology on the energy front

Well, this sounds too good to be true, so I'm going to hold my excitement until I see some examples, but this technology could actually be able to replace the internal combustion engines in personal transport. These dudes in the US have designed a new type of battery that they claim could charge in 5 minutes for $9 (US) and would then power a car over a 500 mile journey. They also claim that this technology would deliver that power in a way that would " a 4 person sedan drive like a Ferrari", which isn't much depending on the Ferrari.
This technology would basically make hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, and quasi-turbine engines obsolete all in one swift stroke. Still, it's not impossible, see for yourself:
CNN Money Article

Torrent Site Rankings

This is a brilliant listing of the quality of various Bittorrent sites. Out of them I've only used Mininova. Please try them and let me know if you agree with the rankings!

http://comparebt.blogspot.com/

Top Gear update

Well as many of my faithful readers already know. Richard Hammond has been seriously injured in a jet-car crash while filming for the show. He was trying to set the land speed record for the UK in a jet powered dragster. On what was supposed to be the last run of the day he lost control of the car and crashed. He was conscious when people got to the car and is now in stable condition in Hospital. Hopefully we can have him on the programme next month when it comes back on telivision.
Right now Hammond is actually the number 1 news story in Britain (it's the top headline on the BBC website)
For more info.
Original Post
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5367516.stm
http://www.finalgear.com/

You know you're a geek when...

... the other geeks on Slashdot are making fun of you for not having a life.
http://slashdot.org/articles/06/09/20/1552236.shtml

C'mon, study

Well, the weekend was a complete write-off as far as CFA studying is concerned. This weekend is going to have to be better. I'm starting to get that panicked feeling in my gullet, which is not conducive to effective studying.
So, I read funny things to calm me down. Like this list of the most dangerous things to Americans. Apparently most Americans need to be more concerned with their local police force than with Al Qaida.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71743-0.html?tw=rss.index

Ahhh... Waterloo

Well, since I'm going back to Waterloo for 2 or maybe 3 weekends this month. Plus with the realization that this is the 2nd frosh week that I have not been around for since I started Waterloo in 2000, I have grown a little nostalgic.
Then my friend Annie emailed me this link (Thanks Annie (she's in England!!))
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3379318756649188453&q=waterloo+university
I recognize tons of people in this video!!!

And, if anyone from Walk/Ridesafe checks my blog, here is a video that Jesse Ariss made:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6609862159221878352&q=waterloo+university
I also recognize tons of people in this video.

Awww... well, maybe I'll do a masters. Then learn to hate the school because all of my friends have left.
Cheers!

Actually, it's not the AE86

The Corolla SR5 was an 1989 model. So, it's built on the front wheel drive AE92 platform. But, they did only want $500 for it. However, needless to say, I didn't purchase that flaming piece of crap.
Anyways, then I went and played poker at Bleachers. I managed to come 3rd. But, before we started one of the guys who normally bounces at the bar on Saturdays came over and asked me if I wanted a job on Saturdays working with him. So, I told him I'd think about it. But, I realized I'm not going to be in Midland for the next 5 Saturdays. So, I need to let him know that I won't be able to do it. Still, it's nice to be asked!!

Yep, the Corolla SR5 is the AE-85

So, the Corolla SR5 is not the super sporty version AE-86, it's the more pedestrian AE-85. But, it's still RWD. So, if I can get it for $200-$500 I'll still consider buying. Then Dad and I can spend the winter tearing out the engine, brakes, suspension, transmission, and differential. Then next year we just replace it all with parts from sportier cars. I do hope it's standard though. Then I can drive it for a bit before we start hammering on it.
I'd love to take some pictures of the Corolla, and my Pathfinder for that matter, but my camera is CRAP!! I was looking at a Canon and a Sony on the weekend. I'd have probably bought the Sony on the weekend, except they only support memory stick duo making them completely useless to me. It's amazing how Sony took all the worst features of Wintel, and all of the worst features of Apple and managed to combine those features in their products. They have both the traditional unreliability of wintel as well as the incompatibility of apple and gave them both to their PCs. I think I'm going to have to wait a while for the price of the Canon I was looking at to drop. Although, I may just go buy it tonight. Who knows.

Truck!!

Well, my friend Cynthia drove me to Newmarket/Aurora to pick up my Pathfinder on Saturday. It's working great. Everything runs awesome, the 4 wheel drive system is good, the engine is powerful. The only real problem that I've noticed so far is the smell. It was a smokers car and it shows. There is that sort of stank smell kicking around. But, there's also a film of slime on everything in the car. I imagine it's the liquified ashes of 10 years of cigarettes. On the bright side, it's a leather interior, so the smell is mostly confined to surfaces, not embedded in the upholstery.
However, it may be time to buy another car. I was driving around in Midland last night and I stumbled across a Toyota Corolla SR5 for sale. This was the last "sporty" model of the Corolla that had rear-wheel-drive. It may even be built on the legendary AE-86 chassis (I need to look into that, it may also be an AE-85). But, either way, if the frame is in good shape and I can get it for $200-$500 then I might have a 3rd car in the driveway by tonight. The Corolla along with the Tercel and the Pathfinder. That won't piss my landlord off at all.

Ethics Schmethics

I've been studying the Ethics section of the CFA for the past few days. What a load of crap. Especially now that I'm into the Corporate Governance sections. The notes are talking about "provisions that should be included in a strong corporate code of ethics". Obviously a code of ethics won't change whether or not people do unethical things. "Oh, well, I was going to secretly funnel millions of dollars out of the company, but since that sign on the wall told me not to, I won't". I mean, come the fuck on, it's just going to make people work harder to avoid getting caught. I think it's far better to have a lack ethical code. Then if someone is a thieving prick, it's easier to catch them. You just have to keep good records. Record-keeping is far more important than a code of ethics. I know I do things a lot differently when I know I'm being watched.
To paraphrase something I heard the other day "If you're ethical because of the money, you'll be unethical for more money."