Don't be so humble - you are not that great

2010-06-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Bangor university to do a stock market challenge as an economics school trip. I thought it would drag on and be a pointless waste of time but I was completely wrong (and I'm never wrong!) we were in teams of 5 and each team consisted of a finance manager, an investment analyst, a media analyst and two floor traders, a buyer and a seller. I was the buyer floor trader, a role that I had been assigned as it didn't sound important enough for the rest of the team members, and a role that I thought would be boring and lots of hard work. Hard work it was, but boring. . . it was far from it! I loved every second of it! Running to the pit so I could buy the shares at the lowest possible prices before they rose, arguing with the investment analyst on what shares we should buy, and fighting with the other traders to buy the shares first! It was brilliant! The speed at which we worked was phenomenal, there was no time to waste mourning over failed investments, you just have to get on with it and make sure you aren't sitting on a pile of money, cos you cant make money unless you invest it! The speed, stress and pressure can be intolerable at times, but I loved it none the less! The amounts of money we were working with were more than id ever imagine making in 2 minutes at the stock exchange! Its amazing how much money is just thrown around the market, thousands become meaningless!

The day really gave me something to think about, high pressure is an environment Ive always enjoyed working under, and I was going to pursue that pressure by becoming a doctor, but after today I think that the stock market could be the way to go for me. I love stress and the prospect of high risk betting with someone else's money thrills me! There is nothing that I can think of that I would enjoy more, so maybe, just maybe, I wont be a future failed economist. . . . maybe ill be a successful, retired at 30, uber rich economist!

Economics, now THERE is one thing that i can blag!

2010-05-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

In my pain and misfortune I found myself in yet another economics exam the other day. The exam is split into 2 parts the first being a multiple choice and the second essay questions. the multiple choice is not as fun and easy as it sounds, oh no sir, these questions are completely solid and I mean solid! these you cant blag, this is where you actually have to know something, or at least have an educated (hopefully!) guess.

After completing the multiple choice, I turned to the next section where you have a choice of 2 essay sections, I chose what I later found to be the harder of the 2. The whole question was about the car industry, which I know little about but the women's rights in the workforce looked really boring. I had completed the first 3 questions worth 5, 8, and 12 marks and was about to start the big 25 marker when I realised that I could answer this question with no economic knowledge and with little more than common sense. And that I did. A risky move I will admit but this was a resit and the first time round I had used every little bit of economic knowledge and understanding I had to give what I thought was an award winning answer, only to be disappointed on results day. What have I to loose?

I'm actually excited for my results this time, not the best time to conduct experiments during A level exams but alas, my timing has never been perfect!

Until Results day!

Rowan - (Future Failed Economist)

This is Bush!

2010-03-31T12:17:00.000-07:00

Everyone has things that remind them of their early childhood and this is one of mine, Bush. More specifically The Science Of Things album and even more specifically the song warm Machine. Whenever I listen to it, it reminds me of sunny days spend indoors with my dad whilst I played games and he fixed computers (He used to work as a BCM Team mamager at Deutch Bank). The song also reminds me of Barbeques, circuit boards, my old dog Calypso and my old back garden :). . . . . . . . Happy Days.

This is the Album cover:

This is Bush:

And this is Warm Machine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CujybgG6zCo

These are the lyrics:

I memorise the basics

Making strange faces

Tread slowly for i know
There's a thousand miles to go
Without blinking
Gravitate spacewards find a home for the head from my basement
No darkness ever left
This is the night this is the sound here comes the warm machine
Such a warm machine
Feeling warm
Some days are playful
Making play faces
But we will not let it through
The darkness and the sense
Of being born to lose
This is the night this is the sound here comes the warm machine
Such a war machine
This is the life
This is the ground
Here comes the warm machine
Such a war machine
If we never know we can only feel
I'll take the help i'll take a slice
Warm alright now cos i feel alright
I memorise the basics
This is the night this is the sound here comes the warm machine
Such a warm machine
Such a war machine
Such a war machine

Im not actually obsessed with Bush even though it does seem it with all the pics and links and crap, but I just felt like sharing a memory. They are a really good band and The Science Of Things is a awesome album, you should give it a listen.

2010-03-30T06:34:00.000-07:00

For some reason I have a thing for hot air balloons. I think they are both beautiful and fasinating. Whenever I see one im captivated and will watch it for hours. In my opinion they are one of the most amazing inventions of mankind.

Did you know they are the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology? Nor did I. In the UK a person commanding a Hot Air Balloon must have a valid Private Pilot's License issued by the Civil Aviation Authority specifically for ballooning, I just think thats funny :)

For some reason ive never been compelled to take a ride in one. Im quite content to remain on the ground and to watch them in all their splendour and glory. Maybe one day I will explore the heavens in one, but for now, im happy to watch.

थिस इस interesting

2010-03-26T04:59:00.000-07:00

one. . .two. . .three. . .FOUR!!!

Four is the only number in English that has the same number of letters in its name as the number itself!
This pointless phenomena also applies to German, Dutch and Afrikaans where the number four is vier.

Someone out there makes their living counting the number of letters in numbers and seeing if its the same as the number itself. Makes for an interesting conversation i suppose, but what if he/she looses count? back to the job centre methinks!