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| great news for 2004-05 |
| 04.30.04 (6:52 am) [edit] |
FROM DallasMorningNews.com
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Cuban: Core won't change
08:21 AM CDT on Friday, April 30, 2004
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
Owner Mark Cuban wasted no time confirming that the core of the Mavericks, including coach Don Nelson, is not going to change.
"I think we have the Big Three (Steve Nash, Finley and Nowitzki)," Cuban said following Thursday night's 119-118 loss to Sacramento. "And hopefully we have the nucleus for the next three. There are no plans to make any big changes. I'm not going to blow stuff up. That's why we have contracts with these guys."
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ok, back to work
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| drats... |
| 04.30.04 (12:34 am) [edit] |
OK, another Dallas Maverick season behind us. This is the first time we get bounced out in the first round in this amazing 4-year post season run. Darn Kings. We have now faced them 3 years in a row. What a crazy season. I guess the only good news is that I get to spend more time on launching my business and less time on basketball.... I can care less about the rest of the NBA season just as long as the Lakers do not win the title.
On to bigger and better things....my vice has been removed from my reality for now...until next season starts. I sure hope we can keep Daniels for next year.
I want to go outside and yell....
:cry:
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| Game Industry Research |
| 04.29.04 (1:47 pm) [edit] |
Today I spent an hour researching game companies in the San Diego area. I found several. Actually, I have a short list of 9 companies that I will contact soon. I am finishing up the academic year (AP Exams will be done in 10 days) and will be ready to put in more time towards my 2 ideas that will help me reach my financial goal of $1 Million within 5 years (stated earlier).
Idea 1: Real Estate Investing
Idea 2: Physics Seminars for Game Programmers
About 4 years ago in the summer I flirted with the game consulting idea for a local company that made a hockey game for the PS2. The shocking part of the deal is when I put my proposal together, it was agreed to. No negotiating. Damn. Could I have asked for more? I guess I will find out next time. It was luctrative..
There are tons of game companies here in Southern Cal. And a lot of the games need realism in their worlds to be successful. And, according to one game industry expert who I already interviewed in order to see if my product was worth marketing, the game programmers are lacking basic physics skills. This is where I will come in. I have been developing a product that will enhance the programming abilities of game programmers who create worlds which rely on visual realism.
So give me 10 days and when these AP Exams are over (I teach AP Calculus and AP Physics) I will have a lot more time to fully develop and market my product.
In the meantime...I have been reading The Number by Alex Berenson which covers some pretty eye-opening issues behind Wall Street. A very good read so far.
Tonight let's hope Mavs can take SacTown in game 5.
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| Business Magazines |
| 04.22.04 (7:14 pm) [edit] |
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So, anyone want to enlighten me as to which are the best of the major business magazines? I am starting a consulting business in the PC gaming industry. Thinking about Forbes and Inc. and also currently getting the Economist. What about Money? Fortune? Business Weekly? Ideas please....
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| NBA Playoffs |
| 04.17.04 (9:53 pm) [edit] |
I'm ready for the most exciting team (Mavs) during the most exciting season of sports: the NBA Playoffs. You can have your football and baseball. I'll take the Dallas Mavericks for my lone source of sports entertainment. My sports vice. Quite a fun one.
Last year's Dallas Maverick run was a blast. I still can't get over that 20+ point Spurs run in game 6 of the Western Conference finals to end our season.
Tomorrow we start it all over again. New Mavs players should make the difference. This team is deeper than last year's...and better. Looking for BIG games from Finley, Daniels, Howard, Nash, Nowitski, Jamison and Walker!
First round predictions: (West only...who cares about the East?)
Dallas over Sacramento
San Antonio over Memphis
LA Lakers over Houston
Minnesota over Denver
Second Round:
Dallas over Minnesota
San Antonio over Los Angeles
Western Finals:
Dallas over San Antonio
NBA Finals:
Dallas over Detroit
Looking forward to a nice championship run.
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| No reality TV, just REALITY! |
| 04.16.04 (7:21 pm) [edit] |
So I don't watch much TV, except maybe the Sunday NBA games on ABC (if Dallas is playing). No cable. Shady antenna to get reception from San Diego networks and that's about it. A DVD rental now and then. What is all the buzz about these new reality shows? Why do these people try to get on a show to make a million? Why not put that effort towards their own life and simply be more productive? And did you know that the average millionaire does not gamble?
The odds of landing on one of these reality shows is probably better than the odds of winning the lottery. But still, the bottom line is that your fate is OUT OF YOUR HANDS. That's a big deal for me. I like to be in control. Nope, not like a control freak. Just being in control....like guiding my own ship. Make the decisions. Do the research. Study what to invest in. Know what to avoid. Think for yourself. Decide. Grow. Take chances. This is my Reality Show, and it is getting good ratings by the audience, the man in the mirror.
So why all the buzz about me trying to go out and get a million dollars in 5 years? Money will not make me happy. This challenge does. And I will be able to do the things I want. More choices. I can help others or buy myself a plane ticket to Dallas to catch the Mavericks in the post season. Or I can set up a $10,000 scholarship for college students. Or I can leave a big tip at a restaurant.
Bottom line is that money yields more choices. And it grows. Reminds me of one of the best books I have ever read: The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. Read it. I'll compose a book list later but this one sticks out the most on financial wellness. I'll never forget the first time I had all of my college debt and moving debt payed off and I started to save my income. The first time I set $20 into my ING Direct online bank. At the time it was 6% interest or so. After 2 weeks I made 2 cents in interest. It was the biggest 2 cents in the world. My money was making money for the first time in my life. No more college loans, no more accumulated credit card debt. All my purchases were paid off each month (with cash back from Discover to boot!) and all extra cash started to go into the interest drawing account. And then something funny happened: The interest I was making started to grow also! Yeah, we all know this stuff....and we learn it in school and hear about it from our parents. But when the gold that you made in interest starts to lay their own little golden eggs, something odd happens inside. Do it. Experience it for yourself. Stop borrowing and start saving. Interest rates suck right now but your money still grows. I highly recommend the Clawson Book because it teaches several fundamental lessons that start you off in the right direction. Then the momentum sets in. Combined with good spending habbits (you gotta read The Millionaire Next Door or The Millionaire Mind) and even more savings, I was even more prepared to make my first home purchase. And that has made all the difference. Risky, but now something else happens: I pay myself rent money. And that is empowering.
The "Haves" and "Have nots". That is our society. The side we fall into is the side we chose. Decipline, thriftness, and hard work, as well as the desire to make something in the world...to take the world for a test drive instead of sitting back and watching OTHERS on TV make their world amazing. That's my reality show. Stay tuned.
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| The challenge |
| 04.15.04 (9:52 pm) [edit] |
So here is the challenge. I made somewhat of a bet with someone who happens to be well known. I would like to keep his name private for now because like I said before, talking about something sometimes takes the place of doing that something. Anyway, he is definately a mover and shaker in the business and entertainment world. He also has a charity set up, which I almost applied for. But instead of trying to get financial assistance from him, I said that I would leave my 35k teaching job and have a million dollar net worth within 5 years. I also mentioned that he was a great motivator for me and I wanted to meet him some day. He replied via email saying "go for it". All I asked for in return for this challenge to myself was a simple lunch or dinner meeting with him when I have my task completed. Why? Well, he is someone I look up to and we have very common interests. I feel a kindred bond from within.
So, again, like I mentioned in an earlier post, I like sticking my pride out there on the line. I had no idea that he would have read my email, let alone reply. And then he replied with the "go for it" and "let me know when you get the mil" and it made things more concrete for me. Funny, some people can just go out there in life and do amazing things. Yet some sit back and think about the things they could do. I got tired of just thinking about them, and now I have decided to do them. And now someone I deeply respect knows that I have made the claim of a million within 5 years. And it is a bit scarry. Seriously. I recall the moments after his reply how I started thinking: "damn...now I have to get off my rear and do these things I know I can do".
I love this challenge. Yes, I will miss teaching (I went down to part time for next year) but in the long run, I may build my own school. Like I said before, this is going to be fun. I have felt such a change from within already. The tide is changing. And the view is getting sharp.
To be continued....
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| yoda's words of wisdom |
| 04.15.04 (8:56 am) [edit] |
Remember the second Star Wars movie [i]The Empire Strikes Back[/i]? Yoda is teaching Luke Skywalker cool mind tricks and rapping about philosophy. Luke says something like "try" and Yoda pops back "Try not. Do."
Try not. Do. More effective than Nike's "just do it" because there are no shoes to sell. (or should I have said "smell?")
Try not. Do.
Simple words from a simple little green fella in a fictional movie. But it makes sense. This blog site is somewhat mirrored in the phrase. I have been, for years, always thinking and speculating on what I could do with my life. I think. And think. And get quite creative. But I kept failing on the "Do" part.
Why?
In the movie [i]Holiday[/i] (Hepburn and Grant, 1930's) Grant's character is discussing his future. He states that he wants to live life first and figure things out. He wants to determine now WHAT it is that he will eventually be working for when he starts on his real career. This news comes as a shock to the 'society' family who cannot understand why 'poor johny' would not want to take a glamorous banking job for his future father in-law.
In these past 10 years I feel I have done the same. I never had a burning desire to go out and stake my claim in the world. I was quite content with thinking about life and determing priorities. I was ok with middletown.
Now, Yoda's voice is in my head. [b]Try not. Do. [/b] Can you hear him? I started the blog here. I have had such great success in the past at putting my pride on the line and then following through. This blog site is my documentation on my efforts. No one who knows me will know my plan (except for a very few very close friends). And I have not told any family members about my goals. I'd rather DO THEM and then talk about them after they have been accomplished. I heard once that talking about something sometimes takes the place of doing that something. So this adventure will be viewed later by my family and friends at this web address. And they will see the changes in me along the way. And I'll keep the secret here.
It should be fun.
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| the launch |
| 04.14.04 (4:48 pm) [edit] |
The movie [i]Joe vs. The Volcano[/i] is the inspiration for the title of this site. The 1990 Tom Hanks film appears to be a silly, light-hearted romantic comedy, but actually threads a chilling message to anyone letting life pass them by. For now, I'll just say you should go rent this movie and we can talk about it later.
I am jumping into the volcano. I have decided to start working for myself and leaving a life of 'coulda woulda shoulda' far behind. I decided to go part time at my current job, and I will start to unfold a life that will create a "constant state of amazement" (from the movie). I will try to document my thoughts, goals, and challenges on this site. Later I will have a published account of these changes. I expect adventure and I look forward to 5 years from now when I can look back from a different view. It starts here.
jumping.
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