The reason I haven’t written for a while is partly due to my busy schedule, but mostly because I’m not sure how much I want to say. Some of the things I’m starting right now involve collaborators and potential clients down the line. I’m not sure how I feel about blabbing on the Internet and leaving a permanent record. Here is one of the worst-case scenarios I picture: a client stumbles upon the blog, reads this post and exclaims “What? You mean to tell me that you have no clue about investing as of two month ago?” Or something horrid like that. It’s no fun writing with unease and too much self-censorship. So that’s why I haven’t been writing. I’m sure some experienced bloggers out there have thought about this and figured it all out. If you have any thoughts on this one, please do share.

So about investing, I’ve been talking to a friend of mine who is a money manager. Right now, I’m writing some code in attempt to help him automate some aspects of his trading. I’ve spend most of the last month learning about investing. The problem of stock prediction is a pretty complicated one, but I think using computational methods to aide human decision making seems like a good area to get started on. I’m currently working on ways to filter stocks down to a smaller pool of more promising ones. Then, handing the list off to my friend to do what he does best.

The other project I’m starting to work on involves marketing and event planning for a series of seminars a friend of mine will be teaching. It wasn’t long ago when I would meet a marketing person at a party, my eyes would glaze over and I would suddenly find the need to go refill my drink. These days, I would practically corner them and ask them so many questions that they think I’m either A) hitting on them, or B) involved in industrial espionage.

Besides investing and event planning, there is one more active project. I’m looking into starting a design firm that specializes in multi-media, technology driven art. I guess art has been one of my most lasting interests growing up. Back in twelfth grade, I had seriously considered going to art school. Since then, I’ve done a few paintings and craft projects. The interest was always there but I have no illusions about trying to make it as an artist. I think putting a team together designing and marketing technological art would give me just the right amount of involvement with art while leveraging my technical training and contacts. Now, this one is still very much in the concept phase. Right now, I’m mostly spending my time doing research online. I’m hoping to get some conversations started with area curators and corporate art consultants in the next few month.

That’s all for now. I hope I’m making sense OK. I’m home with a cold and feeling a little off. Well, time for some hot water and TV. And oh, I will probably write somewhat sporadically from now on until I figure out some of the questions I mentioned in the beginning.