Sometimes we can really predict the future. These days weather forecasters ingest massive amounts of data to come up with their forecasts. Admittedly, they are not always 100% accurate, but they are noticeably more accurate than they were say 20 years ago. In financial markets, the likelihood of being extremely accurate in predicting the…
Author: Saeed Amen
Data, General
What is “good” for a model?
by Saeed Amen •
If we have no reference, we have no way to compare. If you’ve never had a burger before, there’s no point of reference for what a burger tastes like. Of course, there will be other points of reference, maybe a steak you’ve had before? Or if it’s a veggie burger, then perhaps tofu? It isn’t…
Data, General
Machine learning for data cleaning
by Saeed Amen •
Every data scientist wants to do the fun stuff, ie. building models! You might be forecasting a variable. Perhaps you are classifying a variable into a specific group. Machine learning is usually part of this, whether it’s a simpler linear model or something more complicated that can take into non-linear relationships, whether that is a…
General
What have I learnt after 9 years of independence?
by Saeed Amen •
Over 15 years ago, I had seen the original scroll of On The Road by Jack Kerouac at the New York Public Library. A few years later, I finally read On The Road as it had been written in the original scroll. The “stream of consciousness” style was very different to anything I read before,…
Data, General
Machine learning in macro
by Saeed Amen •
There are buzzwords and there are buzzwords. The buzziest (if that indeed is a word) of buzzwords in technology is that of machine learning, whether it’s using machine learning to improve image recognition, natural language processing etc. Although, I’ve got to admit, there’s still a long way to go… I still repeatedly get advised to…
Data, General
Managing tickers for your data
by Saeed Amen •
We all want to do the cool stuff. We want to go on holiday, but maybe we’d like forget about the time it takes to get there. We want to go a nice popular restaurant, but maybe we’d like to forget about how the time it takes to queue we need to queue. We want…
Data, General
It’s all about the data
by Saeed Amen •
I used to be an avid Formula 1 fan. I do still watch occasionally, but admittedly not as much as usual. Ok, there’s only one driver in the car, so on a superficial level, it doesn’t appear to be a team sport. Each team has two drivers, and in many instances they will race each…
General, Python
Cutting compute costs and increasing speed
by Saeed Amen •
There’s a cost to everything. There’s no such thing as a free lunch (whether or not a burger is involved)! If you do want to get something for “free” (or cheaper), there might be costs involved in any case, like queuing, having to travel further etc. Sometimes, it’s just better to pay more to get…
Events, General, Macro
The 2022 Berkshire Hathaway Meeting
by Saeed Amen •
Walking around Omaha, there are reminders of the old West. In the Old Market district, the cobble stones remain, but the old style saloon bars are gone. In their place there are fancy restaurants and bars. There are sculptures of old Omaha, stagecoaches cast from bronze. The railroad is still there, but the original station…
Data, General, Python
Tips and tricks to make Python quicker
by Saeed Amen •
Patience is a virtue. We’re all used to waiting in line, being patient for our turn to come. The alternative is a lot of squabbling about queue jumpers etc. and would likely result in everyone waiting even longer, whether it’s queuing for check in, waiting to be served in a restaurant or so on. Is…