Capitalogix

Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night ... in the Market

The length and staying power of the recent market rally says something about how crowds work, and why the majority of traders are often wrong at turning points in the market.  The following video makes the same point, a different way. 

This video was filmed during a live taping of Oprah. It shows the Black-Eyed Peas, performing "I Gotta Feeling". It starts with a lone dancer (and I suspect some of it was planned). Yet, it is fascinating to watch what happens when other people feel the urge to get in on the fun ... and it doesn't take long until the animal spirits spread through the mob.

Pretty cool ... 

Here is the original version of that music video.

Related Info.

• Here is a link to the band's website.
• Here is a link to other Black-Eyed Pea Videos.
• Here is a site that has some song samples.

A Bohemian Rhapsody in Three Parts

Compare the original to the Muppets' version and a parody. Some things are classic. Some things are good enough to stand-up no matter who performs it.  You be the judge. 

A Little Background.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song written by Freddie Mercury, originally recorded by the band Queen for their 1975 album A Night at the Opera.

The song is a parody of a rock opera and has a very unusual musical structure for a piece of popular music. Its three different sections have no chorus but both a cappella and heavy metal arrangements. Despite this, it was released as a single and became a huge commercial success, marking a decisive point in Queen's career.

The single was accompanied by a groundbreaking "promotional video", which helped establish the visual language of the modern music (and helped make the music video a must have accessory for any performer).

Muppets - Video of Bohemian Rhapsody:

The Muppets have created their own version of Queen's classic song and video.  This version has very quickly gone viral, as people around the world flock to see it.

The Muppets released their version of Bohemian Rhapsody as a funny and endearing tribute marking the 18th anniversary of Freddie Mercury's untimely death. 

While there will never be another Freddy Mercury, neither will there be another Gonzo, Fozzie Bear nor Miss Piggy.  Here is their attempt at rock opera:

Bohemian Bankruptcy - A Tragedy by Drag Queen.

This, completely different, take on the classic is a witty parody of our economic times.

The Original: I Saved the Best for Last.

Here is the original.  After all this time, it still speaks for itself.

Here is a link to that video with the lyrics superimposed.

Here's a List of Fun iPhone Apps Worth Using

I wanted to create a list of the coolest iPhone apps. However, cool doesn't necessarily mean useful. Instead, this is a list of the applications that I use most.

This week I'm listing the lighter and more fun iPhone apps.  Here is the link to the list the business and productivity apps that I use most.

I limited myself to the top two applications per category.  Hope you find some cool stuff in here.

Social Media

• Facebook
• TweetDeck

Food & Fun Finders

• Yelp
• IWant

Games: Strategy

• Flood-It
• Block-Out

Games: Puzzle

• Sudoku
• DropSum

Games: Pattern Matching

• Moonlight Mahjong
• Triazzle

Games: Text

• TextTwist Turbo
• Scramble

Music

• Pandora
• Rhapsody

Photo Fun

• Photo fx
• ColorSplash

Health & Fitness

• iFitness
• Lose It!

Relaxation

• Pzizz Relax
• Ambiance

Sports News

• Sportacular
• Plusmo Football Plus

Shopping

• SnapTell
• Amazon.com

Even if you don't have an iPhone, check-out the links to see what is available.  I am amazed at how much of my computing and basic research are now done on a Smartphone.

That's it for now.  Let me know if I forgot your favorite or you found something worth sharing.

Timeless

Listen to the clever word-play in this Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye duet and you'll hear the seeds from which a bunch of modern music sprouted from ...

If this doesn't make you feel better after you watch it, please contact me and I will send the fun police by your house!

(hat tip to Perro Grande)

Click here for more Louis Armstrong music videos.

So Bad, It's Good

Microsoft has a new product that people use to create a new genre of really bad music.  I have to admit that I enjoy it, even though it's like watching a train wreck.

Microsoft just released Songsmith, a product where you sing the words as best you can, and its software supplies computer-matched musical accompaniment. The truth is that it probably has some pretty advanced technology.

It has become trendy to take a vintage rock video, strip out the instruments, and then let Songsmith process the classic song in "unexpected" ways.  So, if you want to hear the Police's song, Roxanne, differently than you had before ... Songsmith is the right tool for that job.

To make things worse (or better) Microsoft's promotional video for Songsmith is so bad that it is painful to watch.  It is so campy I suspect it was done intentionally to generate buzz. You've got to see it to believe it.

Here is the direct link. 

For the record, I'm a fan of Microsoft.  It may not be a popular position to take, but I like and use lots of their software.  They come up with many innovative things.  The ad, above, may not be their best effort. So watch and listen for yourself?

Here is the result of Songsmith processing the classic Police song, Roxanne.

Remember, you get to choose lots of options, like tempo, style, and instruments.  So, someone wanted it to sound like this.  Still, it speaks for itself, doesn't it?  Here is the direct link.

Here's one with a slightly better result ... Oasis' Wonderwall.

Here is the direct link.

Here are a few other links worth checking.  Remember, real music sounds better when this stops.

• Here is a link to a Techcrunch article about Songsmith and its ad.
• Here is a link to a collection of other horrific Songsmith versions of Billy Idol, The Cars, etc.
• Here is a link to more strange re-mixes.
• Here is a link to a spoof of the ad that isn't politically correct, but you may find funny.
• Here is a link to Microsoft's product page for Songsmith.
• And if you still want more, search for "Classic Hits by Microsoft Songsmith" on YouTube.

Resonant Chamber

This Animusic video is mesmerizing.  The animation is better than what you find in many video games and adds something to the music, which is pretty good in-and-of itself. 

The video was not animated by humans.  Instead, the studio that created this video invented an animation engine that analyzes the notes in a piece of music and the engine's algorithms animate from there.

Fascinating; check-it-out for yourself.

Here is a direct link to the video on YouTube.  Animusic has their own YouTube Channel.

"Stand By Me" Music Video from the Playing for Change: Peace Through Music Project

I saw this and thought it was worth sharing.  It is a video of different musicians, around the globe, combining their talents to create a worthwhile version of of the classic "Stand By Me". 

Here is the direct link to the video.

"Playing for Change: Peace Through Music" isn't really a documentary as much as a global concert film, recorded on the streets of New Orleans, Barcelona, South Africa, Tibet and elsewhere.  The filmmakers (Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls) traveled across the globe, finding musicians to record versions of "Stand By Me" and Bob Marley's "One World" by themselves, and without any of the individual musicians ever having met each other. The finished project combines these performances to create an a "music video" of these artists playing together on these inspirational songs, as well as playing their own music.

The purpose of the project is to help impoverished people in the areas visited, and to show how music brings people together regardless of their cultural differences.  Find out more at Playing For Change.

Tune-Up Your iTunes Music Collection, Automatically

For years I took my music collection for granted. I ripped many of my old CDs to disk, and simply allowed the computer to save the information anyway it chose to. Over time, it became clear that there were mistakes, missing information and, in general ... a mess.

After several limited attempts to clean my collection manually, I started looking for a better way. I certainly found something that worked for me. It's called Tune-Up.

Tune-up is a software add-on designed to clean your iTunes music collection. For me, that means fixing and standardizing the artist, album, song titles, and other data that helps me find the right music for my mood. I also appreciate how well it finds and updates cover art for songs and albums.

Tune-Up accomplishes a lot of its magic by connecting to various data services (like Gracenote's MusicID).  While Tune-Up does most of the heavy lifting, I appreciate that it allows me to have the final say. It's very easy to accept its suggestions; yet, I still have the ability to ignore or override it based on how I want my music categorized.

There's also feature that recognizes the song you're playing and displays other relevant information, like related concert dates in your area, links to videos by the artist, and recommendations about other songs or albums you might like.

Bottom line:  This tool saved me a lot of time and works better than the other tools I've tried.

If you don't use iTunes, or just want to check-out another good alternative, you can also look at MediaMonkey. And if you want a clean your music collection by finding duplicate tracks or to clean-out entries where you deleted or moved the actual music file, I recommend looking at Marklesoft's Dupe Eliminator.

Help Your Body to Calm Down - And Your Mind Will Follow

 

Trading is often stressful. Learning how to handle the emotional and physiological response patterns is an important step toward long-term success.

During market turmoil, sometimes I notice the seeds of fear, uncertainty, and doubt in my body. Rather than succumbing to this, I have developed a number of coping practices and techniques.

• The first is simply to follow our trading rules and trust in the process;
• The second is to rely on automation as much as possible;  and
  
• The third is to recognize that my body's cues are an important signal for me to take action.

One of the best ways of coping with stress, for me, is to exercise regularly.

Have you ever noticed how animals shake or tremble when they are traumatized? These physical activities may be nature's way of helping discharge stress hormones, purge excess energy and release muscle tension.

For humans, exercise is a pretty close analog to this. I know that I feel better after an hour of brisk activity to get my heart rate up, to sweat, and then to calm down. Somehow this tells my body that the agitation was expected; and now the relaxation is a good and appropriate response, too.

Another technique that works for me is to use music enhanced with tones to help me meditate or relax.  An example of this is the Centerpointe Holosync package.  Another set that I enjoy is Hemi-Sync music from the Monroe Institute.

When I get really stressed, though, my wife tells me that it's time for me to use my "light and sound machine." I think my using it helps her as much as me.

As the name implies, it combines visual and audio stimulation.   So, how does it work?  The short answer is that brain activity naturally falls in-sync with lights flashing at a certain frequencies. And you can encourage certain brain wave patterns by controlling the frequency, color and intensity of the pulses.  Supplementing this with a similar technique based on sound compounds the effect. 

Most of these devices include small LED lights mounted in a pair of eye glasses and headphones. The lights and sounds synchronized by a small control unit.  The mind machine that I use, called a Procyon, includes 50 unique, pre-programmed light and sound stimulation sequences within its internal memory, each designed with a specific goal in mind (for example, relaxation, concentration, accelerated learning, creativity, or rejuvenation). Procyon also has the ability to synchronize with audio material on a CD or MP3 - or with AudioStrobe programs.

Behind your closed eyelids you will see a kaleidoscope of color, layers of fractals and a variety of screensaver-like imagery. Once you get used to it, the experience is quite pleasant. 

It's pretty foo-foo; so I'm not going to pretend that this is 100% scientific and logical. Nonetheless, I believe that it is a lot more than a placebo.  Why? Because I have empirical evidence that it works.

Most importantly, I feel better after I do it. In addition, a biofeedback machine (which measures brain waves, pulse, galvanic skin response and other stress indicators) confirms that the light and sound machine works dramatically and quickly.

It works on almost everyone I've watched try it (and I've done this with CEOs, programmers, traders, staff members, and a bunch of others). However, it does not work on people who fight it.  And I am amazed at how many people fight it, initially.  After a few minutes, most simply let go and let the technology un-ruffle their feathers.

 The possibilities are great, and the technology is effective. However, the only way to truly appreciate the light sound experience is to try a mind machine for yourself.

Pilobolus: Things Aren't Always What They Seem

In trading, recognizing that things aren't always what they seem is a big part of the game. 

Here is a clever video that plays on that concept. It is from Pilobolus, a talented dance and performance art troupe.

Here is the direct link.

And this one has an unexpected ending.

Here is the direct link

Also, here is a link to their performance at the TED conference. (TED)

And here is an article about the "magic" of Pilobolus worth looking at. (CBS)