The Square Root of 1764 Is...

I was watching Arthur earlier today (yes I still watch that show) and Buster asked "the Brain" what was the square root of 1764. Unlike most people, I knew the answer without having to find a calculator.

The question of "What is the square root of ...?" is a common question people ask geniuses. I won't lie, I used to get this question all the time because I was a math whiz, but as a child, I was unable to recognize the simple pattern that existed in numbers. As a result, I never really knew the correct answer, just an estimate.

As I grew older, I soon realized that finding the square root of a number, which would have a rational number as the answer, was actually very simple, and here's how you can show your intellectual superiority to your friends by finding the square root of a number without a calculator, using the example of 1764.

When finding the square root of a number, there are two key components: the last digit (4) and the entire number itself (1764).

The last digit of the number can be used to determine the final digit of the square root. Since numbers are merely a set of patterns, you need only know the squares of the first 9 numbers (0 will always end in 0). The table below illustrates this point.

1 x 1 = 1	11 x 11 = 121	21 x 21 = 441
2 x 2 = 4	12 x 12 = 144	22 x 22 = 484
3 x 3 = 9	13 x 13 = 169	23 x 23 = 529
4 x 4 = 16	14 x 14 = 196	24 x 24 = 576
5 x 5 = 25	15 x 15 = 225	25 x 25 = 625
6 x 6 = 36	16 x 16 = 256	26 x 26 = 676
7 x 7 = 49	17 x 17 = 289	27 x 27 = 729
8 x 8 = 64	18 x 18 = 324	28 x 28 =784
9 x 9 = 81	19 x 19 = 361	29 x 29 = 841

Using the above method, 1764 has only two possible outcomes: _2 or _8.

The second component now lies within the enitre number itself. Since most people are familiar with the squares of the first ten digits, even twelve, we can use this information to determine that the nearest squares (of a multiple of ten) are 1600 (40x40) and 2500 (50x50). At this point, we realize that the first digit must be a 4_, since anything above 2500 would start with a 50, but because there are two numbers whose square ends in a 4, we must now determine if it is either 42 or 48.

The "distance" of the entire number will result in the final answer. In this case, the distance of 1764 is closer to 1600 than it is to 2500, indicating that the number is closer to 40, than it is 50. Therefore, the answer must be 42!

Here are some other examples for you to try:
3136, 6561, and 1849. You should get 56, 81, and 43. Try getting a friend to ask you what is the square root of ...? and see if you can solve it without using a calculator. As you can see, it's quite easy.

NHL Bans Fighting

Social Similes: A Parody of Our World - Set 7 Volume 1

Gary Bettman announced in a press conference earlier today that the NHL and AHL have agreed to ban fighting from their respective leagues starting November 1, 2010. Below is a written document of the entire press conference.

"Starting November 1st, the NHL will be fining players $2,500 or $500 for every penalty minute received in a fight. This move will serve three main purposes.

The first is player safety, which has been a top priority for the NHL. Last season, a handful of fights caused some players to miss lengthy time from the ice due to head injuries received from big blows or landing on the ice helmet-less. These injuries are potentially NHL-career ending and life threatening injuries which could be prevented by removing fighting from the NHL.

The second purpose is to create more offense in the games. By now removing unnecessary enforcers from the line up, a more offensively talented player can now enter the game and increase the offensive component in the game.

The third purpose is to prevent Sheldon Souray from fighting and making a fool of himself, potentially ending his NHL career on a whole different spectrum. After several hours of laughter, we as a league decided to make the unpopular move and ban fighting to protect players - players who are obviously unaware of their body's capabilities at the age of 34."

Gary Bettman also noted that the league may remove this ban in the near future if Souray were to retire from hockey altogether.

Make Three Paycheques a Month

In less than six months, weekly options have already surpassed the traditional monthly options in terms of volume. For options buyers, the minimal time value attached to the price along with the shortened time horizon during this continued bull market rally has made weekly options much more attractive.

For options writers, the 5-day life of the calls and puts gives longer-term stock holders the ability to make money every week without capping gains. It's quite common for an options writer, especially long-term holders who generate income via the covered call strategy, to see 17 days later that their covered call is deep in the money, capping their gains. This common problem has pushed many traders to head towards the weekly options, which allows the investor to gauge the value of the stock on a weekly basis and gives investors the opportunity to roll out or roll up their call.

Over the past month, big-name technology equities have posted decent weekly option premiums. Last week, Netflix, because of earnings, allowed an at-the-money options writer to make over $700 per contract, when the stock was trading around $155. That works out to 4.5 per cent in a week. That's more than some people make on a two-week pay cheque! In general though, most of the options trading at the money are providing about 1.5 per cent return for the week.

October 29 options for some larger name equities priced in the $100 range, which I find the most suitable for myself because of the lowered costs on options commission per contract, are paying out about $200 today. The table below illustrates how weekly options on some majorly helds could pay out 50 to 75 per cent a year without capital appreciation.

Stock Name	Current Price	Strike Price	Option Bid	Weekly Return (%)
Bank of America (BAC)	11.15	11.00	0.34	1.70
General Electric (GE)	16.12	16.00	0.23	0.74
Intel (INTC)	19.92	20.00	0.13	0.65
Microsoft (MSFT)	25.25	25.00	0.57	1.27
Microsoft (MSFT)	25.25	26.00	0.18	0.71
Baidu (BIDU)	109.90	110.00	2.08	1.89
Goldman Sachs (GS)	157.56	160.00	0.96	0.61
Netflix (NFLX)	166.59	165.00	4.20	1.57
Netflix (NFLX)	166.59	170.00	1.83	1.10
Amazon (AMZN)	169.38	170.00	2.33	1.38
Apple (AAPL)	310.26	310.00	3.25	0.96
Google (GOOG)	617.90	620.00	5.50	0.89

If you would like me to continue posting the weekly numbers for the above equities on this blog, or include other stocks, please let me know and I will do this every Monday.

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- Return (%) assumes only the option premium received and subtracts assignment differences if the option is in-the-money.
- Option premiums will differ every week due to outside factors, including, but not limited to volatility, news releases, dividend payments, mergers, etc.
- Prior to implementing option strategies, discuss all trades with your investment advisor. The information provided is not designed to be professional advice, but shared stories of personal strategies that have worked over the past month. Past performance is not indicative of future gains.

NFL Aggressively Tackles Hits to the Head, NHL Should Follow

Unlike the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Football League (NFL) took one giant leap tackling the issue of hits to the head (the controversy that has brewed is a completely different topic one I most likely will discuss). Meanwhile, the NHL, after contemplations for five years, has seen very little progress in protecting players, especially hits to the heads.

The baby steps taken by the NHL started with a round table discussion leading to the current $2,500 fine players receive with a possibility for a suspension. Considering all players make more than $500,000 US per year and there are 82 games in a season, these fines and suspensions are a drop in the bucket. It will not serve as a deterrent and is nothing more than a public relations strategy aimed to please the media and the fans after devastating hits to Savard and Booth plagued the image of the NHL last season. Does the NHL take its fans as dummies?

Meanwhile, the NFL decided two days ago that fines would be handed out to hits to the head, or helmet-to-helmet hits, which might actually make an impression. Meriweather (New England Patriots), Robinson (Atlanta Falcons), and Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers) all received fines of $50,000 to $75,000 for the latter.

Both leagues are starting to crack down on dangerous hits because of the potentially life-threatening and most certainly life-altering hits that are taking out men from their careers. Take for example Marc Savard (Boston Bruins) who was hit last season and has not played an NHL game since. And just last weekend, a college football player, Eric LeGrand, was paralyzed from the neck down after his helmet went head first into a kick returner's body (see video). On a side note, thoughts and prayers to the LeGrand family and hopes he will one day walk again.

The NHL's lack of response to this situation, a situation that has been on the forefront of hockey for years now, has left many fans and commentators wondering if their recent fines and suspensions will really crackdown on hits to the head. I think not. It's no secret that players of the NHL want hits to the head removed, including Doan and Gilbert who were suspended and fined respectively, yet players continue to do so. Yes, the sport is very fast. Yes, players are acting instinctively. Yes, big hits are often praised. Yes, players are responsible for their positioning. But those are not excuses for blind side hits to the head and other dangerous hits.

I've heard the mantra that a player in a vulnerable position should also be blamed, but is this really fair? A player in a vulnerable position, whether it be in the NHL or NFL, is in that position for a reason. He is trying to make a play to create offense or catch an errant ball. A massive hit by a 250 pound player is not required. A person whose center of gravity is elevated and balance is unstable needs barely a tap to knock them over. And an average hit to the torso would do enough to prevent the play from going forward.

Major injuries that ended Lindros's career a decade ago is not a joke anymore. Players are now forever changed on and off the ice. Significant research and better information about brain injuries are now available and all sports, and every job for that matter, should take better control of these situations. If the NHL really wants to adress hits to the head, let's not charge players with fines even I could afford. Let's hit them with massive fines like the NFL. It won't take long before a star player like Crosby or Ovechkin takes an illegal hit and gets removed from the game altogether. That won't be good for the NHL's marketability, that won't be good for anyone really.

The Dow Jones: Evolving Beyond Its American Industrial Roots

Consisting of just 30 companies, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, also known as the Dow Jones or just "The Dow", is the most highly-regarded and most followed financial index in the world. Its components tend to represent the current make up of the American GDP, accounting for shifts in production and services produced in America. For example, the Industrial Average was created in July 1884 and comprised of just 11 companies. During this time in American history, expansion of transportation via the railroad system was the main driver of the American economy. As a result, Charles Dow created an Industrial Average which was heavily weighted towards the rail road companies. Western Union and St. Paul (today merged with Travelers Companies) were the only non-railroad related companies, both representing finance.

Since 1928, the Dow Jones has consisted of 30 companies. Unlike its origins, today's "Industrial" portion of its name mainly holds tradition, with companies in the field of finance, retail, pharmaceuticals, and food bearing a larger portion of the Dow. These companies include Bank of America, Wal-Mart, Pfizer, and McDonald's, better representing today's current composition of the American economy. They can be found in the heart of down towns of metropolitan cities, in strip malls of suburban neighbourhoods, and concentrated commercial areas of small towns. The American economy has grown well beyond its industrial roots, focusing heavily on services and consumer goods, now the biggest driver of American GDP.

But over the past two years, America has struggled to emerge out of a economic hardship, dare I say recession? Meanwhile, the Dow Jones and other American financial instruments have soared since the financial crisis of 2008 that triggered a near collapse of the American empire. And why? Low interest rates and a dropping US currency has helped add to boost the value of many investment vehicles, but the bulk of the growth in the market is the continued global expansion of the 30.

Companies like McDonald's, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard began expanding to the Far East more than a decade ago, and investments in Asia, mainly China, are starting to pay off. China continues to develop economically at double digit growth, very similar to the early 1900's of the United States, as well as Canada. But the major difference is that China had 1.2 billion people at the turn of the century when it was becoming a more capitalist country, and Canada and the United States had less than 1/10th of that, roughly 85 million.

Middle-income earners in China now have the luxury of better food, computers, vehicles, and furniture, trying to emulate the American way, which was once the envy of the world. As a result of this increased power, middle-incomers in China have given American companies more and more money by purchasing their goods. And more jobs in China are being created by Dow companies than are being created in America by all companies combined. As we head into 3Q earnings season, we will see many companies post profits that would have been unattainable in the 1980's during economic hardship in the United States.

Disgruntled traders have mistakenly shorted the market basing their strategies on a distressed American economy. Perception is reality, not always. Traditional trading methods may have proven profitable, but globalization has weeded out poor traders unwilling to admit to the reality of the 21st century.

Over the past year, earnings reports from multinationals have been stellar, but many admit that less than half their revenues now stem from America. And with Q3 earnings now underway, we could soon see more conglomerates share this information.

The companies of the Dow Jones reliance on the American people for profits will continue to diminish if China's expansion is for real. In a not-too-distant future, the Dow Jones, which will still consist of 30 of the largest and best American companies, will no longer represent the state of America, but represent the global economy and how the shift of power has moved to the East.

Consider this: America's estimated population is about 310 million, about one quarter of the population of China, and only 4.5 per cent of the world's population. The Dow Jones, which turns 126 years old this month, has seen itself start off as a railroad heavy index focused solely on American growth turn to a more consumer-based index focused on global expansion. Over the next 126 years, there will be major changes in the world and the directional flow of money. It is highly conceivable that growth in every part of the world will be fairly equal, meaning the 30 companies of the Dow Jones will earn only 5 per cent of their income from America and evolve well beyond its American industrial roots.

Double Down Comes to Canada

"What? The Double Down is only available in the US? Aww..." is something I said, along with millions of Canadians dying to try the unhealthiest looking burger, if you can call it a burger, ever. After six months of excruciating pain, KFC, part of Yum! Brands [YUM:NYSE], announced Double Down Sandwich is arriving north of the 49th parallel on October 18.

The Double Down Sandwich, contains two strips of bacon, two slices of cheese, and sauce ensconced between two chicken breasts, instead of the traditional bun. But before you become the head spokesperson for healthy living and condemn this sandwich, this heart attack-inducing burger's "nutrition" is comparable to many other burgers in the market.

The Double Down contains 540 calories and 32 grams of fat, healthier than the Whopper from Burger King, boasting a calorie count 670 calories and 39 grams of fat. It is also similar to the Big Mac, containing 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. But the Double Down contains 1,310 mg of sodium, almost half the maximum required daily intake of the average person. So the sandwich would give you a stroke before you clog your arteries.

KFC also admits that this sandwich is not a healthy choice, claiming it as an indulgence food, not a replacement item.

The lines at KFC on the first day of release probably will not be as chaotic as the lines at the Apple store on the first day of a release filled with hypnotized tools of marketing, but be prepared to wait a few minutes in line, most likely surpassing the average Toonie Tuesday line.

Will I try it? Probably, but only half a burger, because I don't really like the taste of chicken, but I definitely have to try one. KFC claims it will be temporary, but if it is as successful as it is in the US, don't be surprised if the Double Down becomes a staple in the KFC menu.

Budweiser Rules

We've all seen the ads, but who here remembers all the rules? I don't know where Budweiser Canada came up with these but it's definitely caused a buzz throughout consumers.

I've compiled a list of all the rule numbers I've seen and will update this as soon as possible, even if it takes us ten years. Nearly all the links are sourced back to Budweiser Canada's Facebook fan page videos, with some linking to other sources. Some rules were not available on video and were witnessed from other Budweiser sources, such as, but not limited to, their website, newspaper or print advertising, online banners, and radio. If you know of any rules, please comment and I will update as soon as possible. Please post real "rules" only. Thanks.

Rule #12, Buds don't let buds drink and drive
Rule #15, It's not over, till it's over
Rule #16, Keep the faith (unverified)
Rule #19, Keep your friends close
Rule #20, Keep your enemies closer
Rule #23, Leave no man behind
Rule #26, There are no small victories
Rule #32, Live the dream
Rule #34, Be a gentlemen
Rule #36, Show your true colours
Rule #37, You can't win if you don't get in the game
Rule #38, Make the call
Rule #41, Take one for the team
Rule #42, Take it in stride
Rule #47, Own the party (website)
Rule #48, Chart a course
Rule #72, Live Large (unverified)
Rule #73, Go Big or Go Home (unverified)
Rule #75, Buckle up
Rule #76, Choose your friends wisely
Rule #79, Set the pace
Rule #88, Sundays are sacred
Rule #93, Seeing is believing
Rule #95, Party as hard as you work (unverified)
Rule #99, Follow detours
Rule #117, Cut loose (Calgary Stampede banner)
Rule #145, Rise to the occasion
Rule #186, Don't pay for something you can get for free (website)
Rule #196, Bring your game

(Last updated Apr 5, 2011)