New Music Tuesday

First off, condolences to DJ AM's family. Adam you had a true talent to make any night a great one. You will be missed in LA, Vegas, and anywhere you spun.

Songs

Celebration - Madonna
She's back with a dance track that sounds like something out of her older stuff but it's Madonna so it'll play in the clubs and her fans will grab it

Uprising - Muse
Great intro and rock beat, I can see this song it tons of video montages the next few months or a hockey skate in song

Party in The USA - Miley Cirus
So I missed this one a few weeks ago, great summerific song that's beyond catchy, nice to have writers and people on instruments when you are a billion dollar franchise

I'm Alive - Kenny Chesney & Dave Matthews
The biggest artists on tour get together for a track, track is mellow and slo but it'll be all over country radio 'cause it's Chesney

Whatcha Say - Jason DeRulo
Another mediocre rap/dance song to waste time on the dial

Only Way You Can Love Me - Keith Urban
Good track, imagine some peeps in Nashville will have their first dance to this song in the upcoming months

Outside My Window - Sarah Buxton
The $80 music video with a cute girly song taht you Colbie Caillat fans will enjoy

House of Daggers - Raekwon, Ghostface, & Method Man
Wow! Wu-Tang Clan isn't back per say but at least reminds me of their heyday, would be all over radio if they played real rap, summer driving anthem although I'm not responsible for any speeding tickets

One Day - Matisyahu
Your Jewish like me and I loved your first album, but this song is underwhelming if that's even a word

Albums

Persona - Queen Latifah
Let Jamie Foxx and Will Smith be the true triple-threats, I'm out on this one

Artwork - The Used
The band seemed to disappear for a bit, but I wanted them be back just not so hard I need my hearing for shuffleboard in the old age home later in life

Rabbit - Collective Soul
Can't believe they are still around, but hey more power to them

Shaka Rock - Jet
I'm in on this one, love this band and you should be too, they aren't just some band they play in beer commericals

Props to Jay-Z on his $50 a seat 9-11 show at MSG

Why The Internet Is Killing Newspapers (Baseball Post I Promise)

The time is now 12:25 Eastern and Andy Roddick is still playing tennis in New York. He's up 2 sets but he is still playing. Additionally Justin Upton just hit a HR to tie the Dodgers-D'Backs game. I wanted to write this post about 45 minutes ago but as a baseball guy I waited until midnight to weigh in on the Thome-Garland-Contreras deals and more maybe. Most east coast newspapers have deadlines long before midnight so none of Roddick's match or last minute MLB deals will make the earlier editions of any paper let alone the late editions. I don't want to get into the newspapers today but maybe later this week.

Jim Thome - Congrats your in the NL back with Manny again, the guy hasn't played 1B in 4 years but still is great to watch during BP because he can mash, nice addition by the Dodgers and they apparently aren't paying all of his salary

Joe Mauer - Best hitting catcher of all-time, sorry Yankee fans, he's the MVP and potentially the best hitting catcher of all-time if he keeps this up, Twins fan enjoy him because he has Yankee written all over him in a few years

Jon Garland - Mr. Valencia is coming home and it's free for the Dodgers, huge upgrade over Padilla, and just read he literally walked across the field to join the Dodgers, how surreal growing up just minutes from the stadium, has had 32 starts a year every year since '02, will replace Wolf in rotation in '10 with a hometown discount after they buyout the option first which I now found out will be funded by AZ

Albert Pujols - I love the new commercial about fathers telling their kids about seeing the legends, the NL MVP until he gets injured, and be sure I'll be telling my kids

Zach Greinke - give him the CY Young now please even though his team stinks: lead American in ERA, ERA+, CG, Shutouts, WHIP, HR/9 and is 2nd in SO and K/BB

Dayton Moore - almost worked with him in Atlanta before I headed to the Dodgers, his deal reminds me of the Wall Street bonuses from last year though if you catch my drift

Brad Penny - Headed to the Giants behind Lincecum-Cain-Zito-Sanchez, if a team can make the playoffs without bats it's this one

Jose Contreras - Now a Rockie to replace Aaron Cook, Coors is not the place to be "figuring out" your stuff" but hey they can have Cuban baseball night next year

Matt Kemp - Been a huge fan for years, next year the whole country might actually know him because he's going to be first round in fantasy, he's a special athlete and a heck of a nice guy too, him and Ethier make Manny (Mr. DH) the worst OF in LA

Scott Kazmir - Welcome to Cali! The Angels grabbed you to replace John Lackey next year and if you pitch like you use to it'll be a great deal because it was a salary dump

Billy Wagner - Why didn't you almost not drop your no-trade clause? Hapless Mets or playoff bound Sox

Yadel Marti - Hope everything is OK with you getting American citizenship because it would have been nice to see you pitch down the stretch here

Question of the night: The best rotation for the month and the playoffs? 5 games in the first round is going to make the playoffs fun (Newbies in bold)

Lee-Hamels-Blanton-Happ-Pedro/Moyer
Billingsley-Kershaw-Wolf-Garland-Padilla/Haeger (DL-Kuroda)
Lincecum-Cain-Zito-Sanchez-Penny
Carpenter-Wainwright-Pineiro-Smoltz-?
Jimenez-Marquis-Hammel-De La Rosa-Contreras (DL-Cook)

CC-Burnett-Joba-Pettitte-Mitre
Beckett-Lester-Wakefield-Buchholz-Tazawa
Verlander-Washburn-Jackson-Porcello-Robertson
Lackey-Santana-Saunders-Weaver-Kazmir

Note I'm finishing up here at 1 AM with Roddick closing out and the D'Backs-Dodgers in extras, thank you Internet

TV This Week

Fall Premiere Weeks:
CW: 9/8 so next week I'll peek at their fall lineup
NBC: 9/13
ABC & CBS: 9/21
Fox and everybody else: scattered so they'll go last next month

as for this week....

Greek (Monday 9 on ABC Family) - a hidden gem of cable for all you people who are bored without Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, and 90210 is back for its season premiere

Ultimate Cake Off (Monday 10 on TLC) - For those of you who like "Ace of Cakes" here's a new show for you

Shaq VS (Tuesday 9 on ABC) - Why? Why? Why? Why? (I sound like Nancy Kerrigan I know) but seriously who wants to see this I'd take a comedy or reality show from Shaq but you wonder why TV execs have such a short life

SYTYCD (Wednesday 8 on FOX) - So You Think You Can Dance Greatest Hits, FOX filler until new shows come out later this month

Buried Alive (Thursday 9 on NatGeo) - How to get out of an avalanche, good to know if you are not part of the 50% dead on contact

Dog Whisperer (Friday 9 on NatGeo) - I've seen this show before and if you haven't just watch it once, good for dog lovers

At The Movies (Syndicated) - NY Times AO Scott & The Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips bring back the all important two movie thumbs

Reality Hell (Saturday 10:30 on E!) - OK it's a fake reality show (they all are I know), a bit mean in all, but worth 22 wasted minutes for the reaction when the reality "stars" find out they've been punked

Last Minute Fantasy Football Notes (I'M BACK!)

Kickoff for the season is just 10 days away and I know some people are drafting this weekend. I always thought it was fairest to draft the last weekend because it's takes out injuries from preseason (Matt Cassel) and allows for position battles to get settled. Most importantly it takes out the possibility of a waiver wire champ. This is the guy in the league who everybody hates because you draft one month out and every time some move is announced he's all over that guy. I posted my review 2 weeks ago here on my blog, so look to the right toolbar for "fantasy football preview".

Here's some nuggets you should know before you draft:

Brett Favre & Michael Vick - have jobs now and are moving up draftboards (Why you'd draft them who knows?)

Donald Brown - Getting a ton of carries in Indy and Joseph Addai is getting old

Brandon Marshall - my fellow UCF Knight has gone crazy, but I already knew that and his draft status if falling daily so a huge risk/reward

Domenique Hixon - NY Football Giants #1 WR

Edgerring James - Now with Seahawks, might get goal-line carries

Michael Crabtree - sign already, no contract so worthless for now, draft Josh Morgan instead

Ahmad Bradshaw - Grab him in the 10th, returning kicks and playing the Derrick Ward role great late value

Antonio Bryant - TB QB stinks no matter who it is and I heard the word "scoping" and it involves his knee

TB & NO RB's - I'm out on all them both have announced a 3 ring circus at RB which will kill their fantasy value

Glen Coffee - Mr. Preseason at RB at least wrestles some carries from Gore

Ray Rice - Becoming "the man" in Baltimore plus great for PPR leagues

Brady Quinn - he's starting in CLE so if you play in 2 QB leagues he's now draftable

As a follow-up to last week's article here's a great read advocating a WR friendly draft from Jamey Eisenberg at CBS (http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/fantasyfootball/story/12125935) where he notes that "By our count, only seven teams won't use a tandem or running back by committee going into the season (Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Jacksonville and St. Louis). Every other team will use at least two running backs in a prominent role. " so that means draft Cedric Benson, Matt Forte, Kevin Smith, Ryan Grant, Steve Slaton, MJD, and Steven Jackson because outside of that everybody is sharing so grab Smith, Grant, and Benson because they go outside the first and are great picks for your team.

PS If you are still playing baseball (1st, 1st, 3rd - thank you) Brad Penny is a Giant and worth a flyer due to the division and park. Also Gutierrez is closing in AZ now.

Blogcation

Back on August 31st with a full week of posts as I'll traveling to to the "Black Rock"(ville), Hartford for college, and AC this week while daddy stays home with mommy...

Time for Basterds

First off, the Avatar trailer is out and Mr. Cameron it looks like a kids movie. I'll see it when it comes out anyways, it's James Cameron people.

Inglorious Basterds - I'm all for Holocaust movies because I think as the survivors die off it's important to remember as Jew and human what happened but a Tarantino-Nazi movie seems too interesting to pass up like I think I'll have to see

Post Grad - the girl from Gilmore Girls (Alexis Biedel) in the easily written girl moves home after college to find job, man, and life story

Shorts - a kiddie movie about a boy with a wishing rock

X Games 3D - heard this movie was cool, but really who is going to take the time

The Marc Pease Experience - Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzmann star in a movie about a kid in the high school musical who never grows up wish they had the marketing budget to get the movie a bit bigger pub

World's Greatest Dad - a Robin Williams comedy, wow he's fallen off the map but hey this why there's NetFlix to catch up with our lost comedic heroes

Safe Stocks for the Long Haul

In the interest of full disclosure I'm not legally certified to be giving out stock advice, but it's the Internet, why not? I did work at UBS for a semester in school and have been playing the market for 13 years. I'm not sure what shape this posting will take each week but I'll focus on upcoming IPO's I know for sure and give out general investing advice. Today I picked a few for the long term.

The best stock search program on the net is Kiplinger's stock finder program. It allows you to search up to 10 criteria including PE ratio, rolling earnings, dividends, and so much more for every stock out there. If you have the time to "play" on it you probably don't have much use for a broker except to let you know about newer companies. Today, I punched into Kiplinger looking for the following criteria:

Dividend greater than 3%
5 year annualized return more than 10%
Consecutive years of earnings growth greater than 5

and I found a whopping 3 companies

Chevron (CVX) - 4% dividend, 11% annual return, and 6 years of earnings growth
oil baby its a neverending cash cow and with that dividend it'll pay you to keep it that way

Darden Restaurants (DRI) - 3.1% dividend, 12% annual return and 12 years of earnings growth
Red Lobster, Oliver Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and more plus they support UCF

NSTAR (NST) - 4.7% dividend, 10% annual return and 7 years of earnings growth
MA based energy company that you've probably never heard of, good work Sox fans

The World Is aTwitter

So I figured I'd have to weigh in on Twitter. For the longest time I was against the whole thing. I kept saying all it was is an AIM away message for all to see. They have over 50 million users worldwide so I wanted to see what the fuss is about. I joined to much chagrin and suffice to say I get it but it's not for me. It's cool to follow some celebs and writers. I like the idea and the concept, but my daily actions are not important enough to update constantly nor so do I care what Ryan Seacrest or Ashley Tisdale are doing right now (well Ashley's plans can include me if she wants) This was coming at some point we live in a 24-7 newscycle filled with Blackberries. I think Twitter was onto something but I think they are headed for some troubles down the road.

Read this...
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/07/16/
and scroll half way down the page to the Twitter post

First off, as I reminder never make your password to your server password if you are a big company. Secondly, I do think Microsoft-Google-Yahoo-Facebook will duplicate the technology or attempt a buyout real soon. They can't compete with the big boys. They have constant outages and much like Facebook haven't monetized their product yet. Somebody will buy them and figure out how to make some dough off it or if Twitter gets smart they'll call the SEC tomorrow to IPO their little company in order to compete.

I'm going to go and update my Twitter. No really I'm not, but if you care to follow me it's davidesimmons for your 5 tweets a week. Twitter-like apps are here to stay, I just won't be an active participant.

PS http://twitterholic.com/ for all the top Tweeters

Favre signs for 25 million dollars

I wasn't suprised to see the Brett Favre unretired for the 3rd time. The thing that did suprise me was the dollar values. I'm not a big business of football guy (baseball is my sport) but was still suprised by the dollars. Brett wanted to play there and only there. I would have given him a $3 million dollar base pay and $500,000 per start personally. They took a huge risk on the field because of the "calcification of labrum" as they called it during the press confrence. I dug a little deeper to find that next year isn't guaranteed but then again neither are most NFL deals. This is why I also said the best sport to be an agent is baseball due to no salary cap and guaranteed contracts. The Favre deals calls for $6 million guaranteed and another $6 million if he plays. He could get injured in which they just cut him. So $12 million for 1 season of Favre assuming he's healthy.

From a business standpoint this looks to be a fiscal home run so far. I know that the team could have probably made the playoffs without him. But, I would make the argument you'd have to sign him due to the Bears getting Cutler could lead to knocking out the Vikings and that's why they "had to do it" from a football standpoint not just a business standpoint.

The Vikings are at $3 million and counting in tickets so far it's been reported
3,000 FSE x 10 games x $73 average ticket price = $2.19 million in season tickets
10000 individual tickets x $73 = $730,000
Plus Sponsorship
Plus Merchandise
Plus Suite Revenue
Plus the ancillary income (concessions and parking) of the above tickets
and the potential postseason kicker

The Vikings will sell out every game, have the #1 selling NFL jersey, be on TV more than ever (NBC flex will add them), and plus have a legitimate shot at the Super Bowl. This is going to really well for business side no matter what because the Vikings will collect all the money and breakeven before the first snap but I question from a football standpoint how good a 39 year old with a messed up labrum can do for you over the 5 month NFL season. The Vikings rolled the dice and for that I give them props for that.

The problem with green startup companies

There are 3 things you need to run a successful startup company:

1. Good idea
2. Money
3. Business talent

It's very tough to find any of these 3 attributes in a startup company. As as an entrepreneurship major, I look around the landscape and find many people with great ideas but they are mom and pops without any money. I see people throwing money at green ideas that just don't work. The worst are companies who actually have a good idea and solid backing but yet lack the business acumen to bring it to the forefront. I do not want to sit here and rip on some companies because I believe in what these companies are doing and hope they can find there way.

I don't think the greenboat has left the yard yet. The industry is still an infant and calling in to get their flight plans. As I mentioned a few weeks back most Americans can't name a pureplay green company. I think it's going to take a few IPO's to catch to really get the ball rolling. Hoepfully, with the sucess of the OpenTable and Rosetta Stone IPO's in the recent months the heyday for IPO's will come back.

Two companies I'm looking at to IPO soon are solar panel maker Solyndra and smart grid company Silver Spring. Solyndra recently secured a $535 milion loan guarantee from the government in March. Not bad for a 4 year old company from Fremont. They use a propietary technology to make the best solar panels and have opened offices in Munich and Taiwan. Silver Spring Networks is fixing the smart grid. They have the Kleiner Perkins stamp of approval. There software and services will reduce carbon emissions and increase this countries energy efficiency. Here's to hoping the "green collar" economy is our new economy.