2015/02/27

High frequency trading

The High Frequency Trading is an exemple of Artificial Intelligence used for financial trading.

The Artificial Intelligence is everywhere...

A computer algorithm surf the internet to have news about different compagnies, and trade on every news it can find if it determines that the price will raise and sell if the price gets lower.

I did thought that an algorithm based on the concept of the Artificial Intelligence would exists, but I didn't think it was existing and operational since 1999. But now I know...

But since nothing is perfect, a lot of organization say that the High Frequency Trading is the caused of the Flash Crash on May 6th, 2010.

Happy learning.

2015/02/26

Importance of tea


Ok, that podcast is not only about tea. It's about taking time with people too. The tea ceremony is only an excuse to gather and do something together.

Rich Roll: Zen & The Art & The Importance of Living tea

This is a great introduction to the world of the tea and even more.
Aaron Daniel Fisher, now know as Wude, explains a lot about the tea, the tea ceremony and everything that goes around. He founded the Global Tea Hunt, an organisation devoted to the education and preservation of the living tea. This is amazing how some simple tree leaf can generate.

For the tea lovers, I found this free magazine The Leaf.

I didn't know a lot about tea, but now I feel I have a start and it gives me the curiosity to learn more.

Happy learning.

2015/02/25

Process flow

This is an amazing TedTalks. Tom Wujec explain how describing the process of making toast can help us understand how to simplify some processes, and even how to help people communications.

Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast

This have me thinking about teaching. If you want to teach something, you need to make it simpler, for the neophyte can easily understand. If you can explain something in 5 to 13 steps, it should be easy to understand.

Something that amazed me, is that in group, the language is an obstacle to quality and the speed of execution. Now I understand a bit more why my Aikido sensei (Labelle Sensei) always asks us to practice in silence.

Yes, things in this world are more related than we might think.

Happy learning

2015/02/24

My beginning at being better...

This post is more about myself, how I manage to get here. What I did to try to be a better me, an healthier me.

It all started in September 2013, when I found the NerdFitness group and Steve Kamb. Then I installed an app to count the steps I was doing in a day.
And I started to do a basic fitness program that I built. Only with my body weight.
I like the NerdFitness approach, setting goals and earning points to get to the next level, just as in a game.

In November 2013, I bought a FitBit One. The OMS says that we should at least do 10 000 step per day (Page 9). So I just set a goal of 5000 step per day, since in a normal day I was doing only 3000.

In March 2014, I increase the step goal to 7500 step per day.

In April 2014, I started to run, because walking was not enough. To complete a faster lap I needed to run.

In October 2014, I increased the step goal to 10 000 step per day, or more 70 000 steps per week. Because some days, I simply can't do.

In December 2014, I decided I had to train my brain too, so I started to listen to TedTalk. Trying to listen at least one a day. I did manage to do it most of the days, while driving to work. And then I found a  podcast called The School of Greatness.

In February 2015, I decided to share the knowledge and the inspiring Podcast that I listen.

And this is were we are.

So I wish you and happy learning in a healthy body.

2015/02/23

The mind set to build a business and life you love.


This episode is very inspiring, I wish I could have listen to it 25 years ago...

I do think that some stuff in this episode would be great for kids to listen. It could be inspiring and it could help the teenagers with negative attitude about school and some teachers.
Yes, I do understand that not all the teachers are great teacher. But the attitude and mind set of the student does impact the performance of the teacher, and the learning.


How to Build a Business and Life You Love with Marie Forleo

I like Marie's mind set.

Thanks Lewis for this interview.

2015/02/22

Bio-Shock

I just finish a 2007 game called BioShock.

The story is very good. You survive a plane crash in the water, and find a underwater city. And you take part in a fight between 2 factions in the city. The story doesn't let you choose your side, the story goes as you go for the "good" side.

The Wiki page, it's said that the game based on on the ideas of Objectivism as highlighted by Ayn Rand. With a small knowledge on the subject, I could summarized the game as the worst exemple that could happen if we would let our economy be managed by the objectivism philosophy. A bit like describe in the novel Atlas Shrugged.

So I just added the book in my "To Read" list. I'm curious about a novel that would have a story that would look like BioShock.

Happy learning...


Rich Roll

The episode is about Rich Roll, a normal fast food eating guy, that at 39 was short breath after climbing half a stair, that transforms itself into an Ultra-Athlete at 46. That's an amazing make over.

Here is his bio: Rich Roll

The transformation of this guy is amazing.

Rich Roll: From Fast Food King to the Vegan Ultra-Athlete

The interview is very inspiring. Inspiring anybody to get better, to take our lives into motioned have an healthier life. If this guy was able to complete a UltraMan, anybody can if they want, it just takes time and hard work.

I started to listen to his podcast The Rich Roll Podcast, they are more zen and spiritual then the School of Greatness. And more pro-vegan, publicizing the vegan ways. But still very inspiring.

The episode with Kyle Thiermann is very inspiring. Here is Kyle Thiermann presentation at TedTalks.

2015/02/21

Calming yourself

I like the iOS apps called Calm.

They have a web site too.

It's an apps that wants to helps you relax.

It's a good way to learn to relax yourself and it's quite easy. Even my 12 years old daughter like it.

They don't say it, but its meditation... But it's still great. When I have problems sleeping, I get out of bed, and go for a 5 or 10 minutes of Calm.

Falling a sleep is easier afterward.

You didn't sleep enough? A 5 minutes of Calm helps me be more focused and more productive.
What it does to the body? I don't know it yet. It's maybe a placebo effect, but it feeling good. But this is like everything in life, it takes practice, you might not feel anything at first. But after a 10 days streak, I started to feel something, to feel better.

Happy learning

BeagleBone Black

My brother is working on a project with a BeagleBone Black. That's a nice piece of electronics, a small computer.

I decided to buy one, and I bought Simon Monk's book: Programming the BeagleBone Black: Getting Started with JavaScript and BoneScript .

I will need to buy a breadboard to be able to do some projects, but I'm using it as a Linux server for now. It's a cheap way to own a server for some small projects.


2015/02/20

Learning Ruby


I was invited to a free training organized by Railsbridge Montreal.
So I started to learn to code in Ruby.
And I found an article about the Best Tech Skills Resume Ranked by Salary in 2014.

Here is a game I was introduced at that event. You need to code in Ruby to move the character.
Ruby Warrior

Ruby is simple when you know a little of programming, it looks a lot like Java or C. And at the event, it was introduced as a easy language to start programming.

Rails is a framework with the basic component to start a web page.

Deep Learning: computers that can learn

This TedTalk did inspire me a lot. I always loved Artificial Intelligence, it's one of the things that brought me to go into computer programming.
Now Jeremy Howard talks about Deep Learning, which is a part of artificial intelligence or a type of artificial intelligence.

Deep Learning is part of our daily life, and we don't even know it. Or not realize it.


After listening to his TedTalk, I did start to look more about Deep Learning, and I found 2 courses about the subject. One at MIT (available on YouTube) and one at Stanford (available on iTunes U).
Both are great schools, and they do not approach the subject the same way.

This course at Stanford (Machine Learning) is more mathematical, more algorithms. And the one at the MIT (MIT 6.034 Artificial Intelligence) is more about logic and flow.

I'm listening to both of them, but I need to do the homework to be able to follow, because it starts to get hard core at the third course.

Happy learning to you all!!

2015/02/19

Beware of the pitchforks!


This is a great TedTalk. It's mind opening about the power of the people. We might not have a lot of money but yourselves, but together we do buy more stuff than a single millionaire.

Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming

I do like the way this guy present the situation and tells us about the economy of our country.
Rich people need to pay their taxes (all of it) and help their country to grow healthy.

2015/02/18

Engineering wonders of the past

Building for ages, building something that lasts, that has always fascinated me.
Now a days, almost everything is expendable, has a limited time usage. We even talk about programmed obsolescence in our products.

This TedTalk is about the opposite, and even better about the wonders of engineering of old times.

To create for the ages, let's combine art and engineering

I like the idea of counting the miracles needed to achieve a Wonder of the World (The Pantheon is not one of the 7 Wonders of the World).

Why don't we build buildings like that?
Ok, I live in the north and when I woke up this morning, the thermometer was showing -22 Celsius. I'm not sure that the Pantheon had a heating system.

Have a nice listening, and happy learning!

Mind VS Medicine

Wow, this podcast is inspiring. I just bought the Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself book, and I can't wait to find some time to read it.
I even dropped the book I was reading... I usually put the book on my "To Read" list and then I pick a new one from the list when I'm done with the current one.

Lissa Rankin: How to Heal Yourself with the Power of Your Mind

And I just found that she was on Tedx (Thanks Lewis)
Is there scientific proof we can heal ourselves? Lissa Rankin, MD at TEDxAmericanRiviera
The shocking truth about your health | Lissa Rankin | TEDxFiDiWomen

The idea of being able to heal yourselves has always been a fantasy to me. I have never have been a lot sick, but I always wish I could have the healing power of Wolverine. But we are not talking about something like that. It's something less grandiose, but still amazing like curing a cancer.

And the interview with Lewis Howes, Lissa is saying: "if you have a broken bone, go see a doctor. It will heal better with proper care."

It's more about the placebo and the nocebo effect. And how the mind can change the effect of a medicine or a treatment.

Thanks again Lewis Howes for bringing Lissa Rankin to my knowledge.

2015/02/17

Master your memory with Jim Kwik

I stumbled across this podcast on YouTube and it called me. Use more of my memory. I have a good memory for number, but for names and words, sometimes I forget some.

The podcast episode is great, gives you tip about enhancing your memory.
Some of the tips are known to a lot of persons, but sometimes. Or I should say most of the time, you don't use it.
But some were new to me. And I hope I will remember to use those tips on a day to day basis.

3 Ways To Master Your Memory and Unlock Your Inner Superhero

I so much enjoyed the episode that I decided to listen to the whole podcast. Two weeks later, I'm now at the episode 15. And I decided I would write a blog post for each episode that made me learn something great. The podcast is called the School of Greatness, so I might write a lot about this podcast. But I listen to other podcast too, and some TedTalks.

So I hope I will be able to convince somebody to listen to one of those great and inspiring podcast.