Office ADD

Setting Expectations

2007-12-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

Relevant office reading material

2007-11-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

5 Lessons Fantasy Football Has Taught Me About Investing

2007-11-14T23:34:00.000-08:00

I've played Fantasy Football and I've invested in stocks and let me tell you, there's a similarity between the two. Stocks, like football players, have a value and that value rises and falls over time. Here are five lessons that I've learned from "investing" in players on my fantasy team and how I apply those strategies towards the market.

Stay on top of your portfolio and adjust if needed - What's one thing that you absolutely must do every week in Fantasy Football if you want to have a chance? It's check and adjust your lineup before the games. Injuries and bye weeks are the two biggest gotchas that can kill you if you don't stay on top of them. Every week I plan at least two reviews of my team minimum to make sure who's able to play and who's not. Once early in the week, for bye teams and injuries (to see if I need to pick someone up), and another later in the week for game time decisions. Letting your team run without tracking its performance is only going to result in loses. The same is true with your investments. Don't buy something and forget about it, you need to make sure it's not slowing down over time due to "injures" with the company. Just don't fall prey to he next item.

Don't over-adjust your portfolio - Every league has a guy that drops and add players 2-3 times a week. The hot sleeper last week is the first addition to this guy's team and one off week from a player means an immediate drop from that team. What's the problem though? This person is never giving his team a chance to perform. He's picking up players that were probably not drafted by anyone and hoping that those players outperform the guys that everyone else is keeping. Adjustments are good for consistent poor performers but you have to give them a chance before you give up on them. The same can be said with stocks, time has shown that sticking with a consistent performer during a downswing can save the money that might have been lost had that stock been sold at it's low. Buy low and sell when it's high, not when its low, unless of course the stock is consistently under performing and you see no signs of improvement.

Penny Stocks can make you rich, but most likely they'll make you regret buying them - Every week there are so called "sleeper players" that are poised to have a big game. The great thing is that these players are probably available to pick up and put on your team. Just like penny stocks, everyone has an opinion or a "hot tip" that they know about. However, if the only basis for buying a stock, or picking up a sleeper is the fact that someone else recommends it, you could be in for disappointment. Most penny stocks fail and it's a very risky investment. More often than not sleepers rarely work out the way they should and it's up to the investor to do the research and make sure the pick up is worth the risk.

Know the competition, know the company - Each week I set a lineup based upon the best players I have on my roster, and the best match-ups those players have in terms of the teams they play. I may have a very good running back but if he's playing the number one defense in stopping rushing yards, I may consider other options that week. Also, during the drafts, if you are on the fence between two RB's that are pretty much the same in ability which would you prefer, the one who's team is focused on throwing or on running the ball? The point here is that a good player is affected by the strength of schedule and the rest of the players on his team. The same can be said for stocks. If there's a company that's looking good, how does it line up against the competition? What is the strategy of that company for the next few years and do you agree with it?

The "Experts" aren't always right - In fact they are quite often wrong. I've been burnt before where every so-called expert picks a player to have an insane day against a struggling team and he turns out to have 2 fumbles and barely any yards. There's a reason they call it "Any Given Sunday". No one can predict the future and even though there's less of a gamble with investing, there's still risk and at the end of the day you have to go with what you believe is the best choice. After all, it's your money.

Guitar Queer-O

2007-11-13T18:51:00.000-08:00

Guitar Hereo ROCKS! South Park ROCKS! Combine them and it's got to kick ass.

The Genius that is Robot Chicken

2007-10-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hard Meets Soft

2007-10-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

For more, check out www.itgetseasier.com.

Test Your Zombie Survival Likeliness

2007-10-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Question:

Look around you....wherever you are at this very moment, (presumably in front of a computer somewhere), you find out that the world is being overrun by zombies. What do you do to protect yourself and survive?

Discuss:

There are obviously many ways to attack the situation but this is exactly the discussion we recently had the other day.

Option 1: Since we live in San Diego, I suggested grabbing a shotgun from the nearby shooting range and then traveling down to the bay and stealing a boat. Of course then I started picturing a nice yacht, with a sweet bar, lots of food and perhaps a jet ski. Then you could just wait out the chaos "in style."

Option 2: This involves grabbing a co-worker's van and heading over to the nearby Home Dept for supplies, including hacking weapons like axes and such. Then, by staying mobile in the van, we could protect ourselves with the weapons as needed.

Option 3: Plan ahead. I recently came across this Emergency Zombie Defense Station by John Lucas.

Every office should have one. Potential lawsuits be damned with having multiple weapons in the office. I think most people would agree that zombies in the office is a much bigger issue.

Who's got a better suggestion?

More Favorite Things ...

2007-10-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

More inspiring thoughts to get out there and "frack it".

WoW Goes Mainstream

2007-10-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

So how do you make an extra buck or two if you're a big time World of Warcraft, warcrafter? You hook up with a major car manufacturer and create a video.

Best line, "Did you see me lay down the law? I am the lawgiver!"

Jean-Claude Van Damn!! That's embarrassing

2007-10-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Little known fact, the 80's movie Breakin' has an opening scene in it staring none other than the man who kicks ass in Bloodsport. Although he's not really looking so tough here, what happened Jean-Claude?

(click on the image below to see Van Damme Van Dancin')

These are a few of my favorite things...

2007-10-13T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Motivational" posters you may not have seen.

More Favorite Things ...

The Foils of Fantasy Football

2007-10-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Even though TO and the Dallas Cowboys won the game they had an off-day so who pays?

Pduddy is paying that’s who. Seems Lord of War and Pduddy, master of Halo Combat Evolved on the PC, engaged in a little Fantasy Football side-bet last Friday. LoW wanted to wager souls, for a week, but Pduddy pushed back with the result being that the winner would have the loser at his beck-and-call for the remainder of the week (i.e., after Monday night football). Pduddy was feeling pretty confident in his picks and a fair amount of trash-talk ensued including a Google map complete with schedule and dietary requests. Pduddy was pretty darn confident Lord of War would be making Subway sandwich and yogurt runs for the next four days.

Come Monday morning Pduddy was 30-plus points down but with three players in the Monday night game he was positive he’d close the spread and win the bet. Pduddy boasted that Terrell Owens would likely score at least 3 TDs, run 100 plus yards and that alone would make him the winner. More trash-talk, recommendations to memorize the routes to favorite destinations, preferred toppings, etc. Okami may have helped fuel the fire but it was all in good fun; after all, who doesn’t enjoy a good rivalry on the field of competition?

So today we find that while the Cowboys won Pduddy’s players apparently had the night off. Where was TO in the game, as LoW eloquently pontificates, “upon analyzing the stats --even a KICKER scored more than TO -- relegating him to the poorest scorer of the match.” Now Pduddy is Lord of War’s manservant, an Office ADD Mr. French.

Rocky (kind of)...

2007-10-06T13:01:00.001-07:00

Machinima and Halo 3

2007-10-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

A recent office conversation ...

From a recent MediaPost article:

But one place where the game [Halo 3] really innovates is in the Theater feature. The Theater allows you to record your exploits in the "Halo 3" campaign or in multiplayer, play them back, screenshoot them, and then collect them from Bungie.com through your "Halo 3" Service Record.

Cobignis:
“Anyone up for a Halo machinima?”

Lord of War:
“F’Yea! That would be a blast! What do you use to record/edit the clips?”

Cobignis:
"I don’t know but I bet the authors of this book do, http://www.machinimafordummies.com/."

Okami:

This is easy to do, it requires 4 simple steps:
1) Buy an Xbox 360 = $499
2) Buy Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 = $60
3) Use the record feature of Halo 3 = $0
4) Enjoy videos of Pduddy slaughtering the rest of us = WTF, we spent $550 to watch reruns of Pduddy kicking our butts?

Pduddy (subtle as ever):
“I suck at games on the 360 but I’m pretty sure if I carry a gun and someone else carries a camera, the camera guy is going down.“

FRREEEEDOM! (from Microsoft Office)

2007-10-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

Word of the Day
OpenOffice: that's all you need to know. Oh yea---and that it's free.

I've been working with it for about 3 months now and it has completely unshackled my chains from the oppression of having to having to shell out $499.95 for a pretty package that will bloat my hard drive and provide me new functions that I won't use 95% of the time.

I haven't run across a Microsoft Office document (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access) that this rebellious software can't open or save back into MS format. Oh yea--and it's free.

The Dogs of Our Lives...

2007-10-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

There was Dasher and Dancer, Fletch and Mr.Pickles, Buddy and Sammy, Ricky Bobby and Rudy... but do you recall the most adoptable pet of them all?... Dreyfuss the gold-chow-shepard! He has a very silly grin, and if you ever saw him... you'd even want to invite him in...

After many months of searching for the right pet companion, our meticulous search had ceased. Although he isn't perfect, we have a hunch he'll fit in perfectly! Aside from being extremely friendly, he is affectionate, playful, sweet and he displays the kindest disposition despite his unpleasant past experiences.

A certain individual has been giving me a load of crap for meeting so many dogs (Lord of War, you know damn right who you are); he even went as far as to call me a "K9 Hussy." But it doesn't really matter much now that I have opened up my home and heart to Dreyfuss... Thus, it was worth going through so many dogs to find the right one... Like sands through the hour glass... so are the Dogs of Our Lives!

Nintendo Wii Remote Jacket Offer

2007-10-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

According to support.nintendo.com, “Nintendo is now including the Wii Remote Jacket for the Wii Remotes in all new hardware being shipped.” If you already have a Wii in your office don’t despair, you can order Wii Remote Jackets at no charge by clicking here, make sure you have your Wii serial number ready. The Wii Remote Jacket appears to add some cushion and extra grip to the remote, nothing like a little extra protection when engaging in office boxing or a heated game of golf.

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Update on Rudy

2007-10-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who participated in the Rudy poll. Today we received an update from WookieBee on Rudy the dog that made us reconsider his suitability as a pet. Turns out, Rudy has not yet been “socialized” and that he is in fact a feral dog from Los Angeles.

Now I’m not saying that you should just give up on a dog because of a few issues, but a feral dog, from LA, really? That’s the dog that brings home gifts after a day at play; gifts of dead kittens and lawsuits. Do you really want to go to sleep at night with little Rudy at your feet, only to be woken by the froth dripping from his rabid mouth as he peers into your sleep filled eyes with demonic intensity? The answer is unequivocally “no”.

So WookieBee has moved on to Dreyfus, a socialized dog just looking for a good home a dose of Benadryl.

Is it healthier to boil or nuke a hot dog?

2007-10-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you probably know, California is very much into the healthy lifestyle. Exercise and nutrition are at the top of most minds here in San Diego and a recent article in The Reader proves just that. As you can see, the discussion below weighs the various cooking options of properly preparing a hot dog in the most healthy manner.

Stay Classy San Diego.....

(click on the image to enlarge)

It's an ADD Paradise!

2007-10-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Bright Colors!
Swirling Shapes!
Fried-Something-on-a-Stick!
Nothing beats a street fair to satiate the ADD monster. It's a Festivus for the Rest of---Can't talk! 'Gotta go!

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Top 10 Reasons to Play Halo Combat Evolved

2007-09-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot of hype right now with the launch of the latest version of Halo which is likely to be the merchandizing franchise of the decade. While all the fanboys are at home playing Halo 3 and clogging up Xbox Live we think you should stay at the office and hammer your associates on Halo Combat Evolved. Here’s why:

10. Twenty bucks cash American for the full game, easily acquired at most purveyors of digital violence and the occasional corner mini-mart.

9. No fancy packaging to pay extra for and scratch your disk, and even if the disk is scratched there’s a truckload more where that came from.

8. Get your groove on with keyboard, mouse and your office laptop; Halo Combat Evolved runs on darn near even the lamest of standard issue office computers.

7. Playing on the office LAN is cheaper than a subscription to Xbox Live, and the IT guy loves it when you call in for support on hosting a game.

6. When you travel on business you can take Master Chief and the whole gang with you and play the campaign game during boring meetings and conference calls (hint, turn the sound off).

5. There’s something extremely satisfying about fragging the jackass that was giving you crap in a meeting earlier in the day.

4. Playing Halo capture the flag is a great way to foster teamwork and problem solving for groups, e.g., “you shoot the bastard while I get the flag.”

3. Blood Gulch, everyone knows this map and if they don’t its pretty easy to learn so get out there, run around and give the experienced guys something to shoot.

2. When you have a really bad day hearing “killing spree” in your headphones makes the world seem just a little better.

1. If you and your office crew are cheapskates you can download the demo and duke it out in Blood Gulch for FREE!

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Important Public Service Announcement

2007-09-26T14:01:00.001-07:00

This short film features valuable information on how not to have your pride and self-esteem handed to you in a bloody gift box by PDuddy.

What's ADD without caffeine?

2007-09-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article on why your coffee sucks and how to make it better.

Link: How to make great coffee

The Plight of Rudy

2007-09-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

WookieBee is looking for a new dog to add to her family. She originally had her hopes set on Mr. Pickles but he was hit by lightning while being run over by a PETA van. I think it was Karma for naming the dog “Mr. Pickles” but WookieBee is understandably upset.

Along comes Rudy a Labrador brindle mix –that’s what the pet shelter people said. That’s an odd description as brindle refers to the markings not the breed, so Rudy is really some kind of mutt with brindle coloring, which really shouldn’t be a problem.

So the group here took a look at the pictures and I thought he looked kind of cool, maybe like a dingo, as in, “the dingo ate my baby.” Lord or War, being an ass, said Rudy was “fugly” and looked like he had “crazy eyes.” PDuddy seems to be staying out of the debate for now.

The question is, should WookieBee rescue Rudy and provide a loving home? Use the poll to vote on Rudy’s future now.

Fantasy Football Freaks

2007-09-24T12:58:00.001-07:00

Try sporting one of these rings at the clubs next time you go out, and count the digits you leave with.

Of course you'll need to win your league first.