Streams of Consciousness

Regression analysis is a modeling technique for analyzing the relationship between a continuous (real-valued) dependent variable Y and one or more independent variables X1, X2,...,Xk. (Regression analysis is a 'method' of determining and understanding any relationship between a dependent value and one or more independent values.) The goal in regression analysis is to identify a function that describes, as closely as possible, the relationship between these variables so that we can predict what value the dependent variable will assume given specific values for the independent variables. (The ultimate goal of regression analysis is to be able to predict the dependent variable, when given the independent variable values. In order to do this, a function must be established that reflects the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables.) In any regression model, there is an element of systematic relationship between the dependent variable and th...

When I was young, relatively speaking, I did not pay much attention to politics, and probably did not understand most of what I heard. I remember always rooting for the underdog, as I have in other fields as well, such as sports. Now, I pay attention. However, I feel increasingly frustrated, confused and anxious when I read political material. I look back on my youth with a longing for the time when the right thing to do was simple to understand, if not always simple to choose. Almost every time I read the Wall Street Journal opinion pages, I become internally hostile to the writings. It's not so much that I disagree with the policies that they are presenting, but I vehemently dislike the manner in which the arguments are framed. They are polemical, there is no doubt, but also usually contain criticisms of people, if not outright personal attacks. Sometimes these criticisms are subtle satire. Other times they are outwardly blatant. Being the WSJ, the opinions publ...

Here is a hypothetical situation, to help me better understand my job: My wife and I enter a Sprint store and mention to a clerk that we would like to buy a phone for each of us, and sign up for Sprint service. The clerk informs us that we can do this, but first we have to fill out some paperwork and an application. We will out the application, which includes our social security numbers. The clerk enters the information into his computer, and a few minutes later he tells us that we have been approved for two phones on our account. We are not required to pay a deposit. He then assists in activating our phones, and we are on our way, with new service from Sprint.

Work related entry: Yesterday, I began my new job at Sprint. My new position is as a Revenue Consultant in the credit strategy department. Here is some terminology that I picked-up on yesterday, and my understanding of the meaning of such terms. Risk Segmentation: This refers to the general strategy of segmenting the customer base into different categories. The categories reflect different levels of risk that the customer poses to the company. Such risk includes the possibility that the customer will not pay his bill, the possibility that the customer will fraudulantly use the services. Basically, the risk that any customer poses to Sprint is a risk of extra cost and lost revenue. Lightbridge: This is the third party vendor that 'scores' a potential Sprint PCS customer. The scoring is done via research using the potential customer's social security number, and other information. Sprint utilizes a two-dimensional risk assessment for each customer. One dime...

Last night, my sister Lynae and I took my son Dominic to see the movie Brother Bear. He did not seem too excited about going to the movie, but once we got there, we had a blast. We all enjoyed the movie about a young man that is transformed into a bear so that he can better understand the interconnectedness of all living things. My diet this week has been terrible. I must begin to exercise more control over my taste buds and hunger pangs. I have been exercising on a regular basis, but exercise is only half of the equation when I'm trying to lose weight and stay healthy. I received a bill today from LabOne for bloodwork done back in June of this year. I don't know why my insurance hasn't paid. It is tedious dealing with insurance and medical bills. I guess I am going to have to call LabOne to see if the charges were even submitted to my insurance, because checking my files didn't reveal any payment or denial for these services. I hope I don't get stuc...

As of this date, I hold 70 shares of stock in Cisco, the network gear giant. I have been accumulating these shares for about 2 and a half years. I bought my first Cisco shares in January of 2001, during my MBA finance class at Park University. One of our assignments was to chose a company to follow throughout the course of the semester, and give regular updates to the rest of the class on the company's financial events, conditions, etc. When I chose Cisco, after doing a little bit of research, I found out that the company had loads of cash and no long-term debt. This intrigued me, since most of the other companies I looked at were knee deep in debt. Because of the lack of debt, I thought that this seemed like a company that would be safe to own, even during a tech recession, when sales and profits were declining industry wide. Yesterday Cisco announced its first quarter results. These results exceeded analysts expectations, and the share price jumped to 22.90, making my h...

I have finally arrived in blogworld, later than many, but sooner than most. I am excited to be able to share my thoughts with the world, though nobody may ever read what I write. At least it is a way for me to organize my thoughts, and force me to write critically about issues.