Personal
On Blog-vacation
09/August/2008 20:15
Going off the grid for a little while (vacation).
Back to blogging sometime in mid-to-late October
Back to blogging sometime in mid-to-late October
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Public Transportation Experiment!
30/June/2008 18:08
OK, so the monthly public transportation experiment
begins!
The rising cost of fuel, tolls and parking is costing me $90-$100 per week to go into work. In contrast, public transportation would only cost me around $40 for unlimited travel. That is a sizeable chunk of change!
In the past, I had used public transportation to come to school or work, but the overall cost at the time was more expensive than driving, and not as convenient! The train station was not near, busses took forever, and the cost was about the same as it is now. Back then I had no tolls (and when I did it was $2/day), gasoline was $20 to fill up for the week, and parking was $4/day for a grand total of $40-$50 per week. The speed/cost factor did not dictate a switch to public transport.
Now, on the other hand, it does. If this goes well, I may also trial it for the fall semester.
The rising cost of fuel, tolls and parking is costing me $90-$100 per week to go into work. In contrast, public transportation would only cost me around $40 for unlimited travel. That is a sizeable chunk of change!
In the past, I had used public transportation to come to school or work, but the overall cost at the time was more expensive than driving, and not as convenient! The train station was not near, busses took forever, and the cost was about the same as it is now. Back then I had no tolls (and when I did it was $2/day), gasoline was $20 to fill up for the week, and parking was $4/day for a grand total of $40-$50 per week. The speed/cost factor did not dictate a switch to public transport.
Now, on the other hand, it does. If this goes well, I may also trial it for the fall semester.
Slow, slow progress…
14/June/2008 06:17
Painting is going slower than I had anticipated.
On the plus side, I am done (or almost done) with sanding most of the re hard-to-remove paint off most of the wall. Now the hard part starts: using a heat gun and a scraper to remove pain off the door, door molding and window molding. Hopefully the weather this weekend will be sunny and I can get (most) of this done. I am looking forward to the cleanup, and the painting, so we can use our deck.
On the plus side, I am done (or almost done) with sanding most of the re hard-to-remove paint off most of the wall. Now the hard part starts: using a heat gun and a scraper to remove pain off the door, door molding and window molding. Hopefully the weather this weekend will be sunny and I can get (most) of this done. I am looking forward to the cleanup, and the painting, so we can use our deck.
I hate chain mails…
11/June/2008 18:08
Yes, I will be breaking the chain or rather the mesh!
The volume of chain emails that I get has gone down as people have matured in their email use, but I still get four or five chain mails per week. I realize that most people who send these emails our are doing so because they care about the subject, but simply clicking forward, without cleaning up the list of 100+ other recipients is simply unwieldy!
I am all for a good cause, but if it’s hard to read, it goes in the dumpster.
The volume of chain emails that I get has gone down as people have matured in their email use, but I still get four or five chain mails per week. I realize that most people who send these emails our are doing so because they care about the subject, but simply clicking forward, without cleaning up the list of 100+ other recipients is simply unwieldy!
I am all for a good cause, but if it’s hard to read, it goes in the dumpster.
Not a happy camper!
07/June/2008 18:23
OK...
I am not a happy camper!
My car made weird sounds when I turned the steering wheel. I took it to my local place for an oil change (regular maintenance) and asked them to look into it. They told me that the steering column was leaking power steering fluid and it will need to be replaced by the dealer. I am not upset that its leaking, after all my car is 8 years old, so some major maintenance is expected at some point. I am upset because in mid-february I paid close to $1000 for a new steering column at the dealer because the old was leaking.
So... they charged me for something they did not do, or the parts the put in were bad. I don't see anyway that my day to day driving could cause this damage, because it's the same route I have taken to work for the last four years! I filled up my power steering fluid and I will be going back to the dealer soon...
The other thing that went this past week was my hot water heater! Well, it was 14 years old, so it was expected...it's just an inopportune time.
Salavabitsch!
I am not a happy camper!
My car made weird sounds when I turned the steering wheel. I took it to my local place for an oil change (regular maintenance) and asked them to look into it. They told me that the steering column was leaking power steering fluid and it will need to be replaced by the dealer. I am not upset that its leaking, after all my car is 8 years old, so some major maintenance is expected at some point. I am upset because in mid-february I paid close to $1000 for a new steering column at the dealer because the old was leaking.
So... they charged me for something they did not do, or the parts the put in were bad. I don't see anyway that my day to day driving could cause this damage, because it's the same route I have taken to work for the last four years! I filled up my power steering fluid and I will be going back to the dealer soon...
The other thing that went this past week was my hot water heater! Well, it was 14 years old, so it was expected...it's just an inopportune time.
Salavabitsch!
Painting is a no go - yet
26/May/2008 18:12
The art of the Business Card
24/May/2008 10:43
A few days back I was at an event where it was
appropriate to give out a business card - it was a
quick way to exchange information.
This however was my first time handing out my business card and it felt a bit weird, well...maybe not weird, but unnatural, or not second nature.
At moments I felt it may have been a bit forced, at other moments I felt a bit 'stop-and-go', trying to find the appropriate timing to exchange business cards.
So what was the lesson learned? The exchanging of a business card is an art that I have not mastered - time to practice!
On the upside, people seemed to like my moocards
This however was my first time handing out my business card and it felt a bit weird, well...maybe not weird, but unnatural, or not second nature.
At moments I felt it may have been a bit forced, at other moments I felt a bit 'stop-and-go', trying to find the appropriate timing to exchange business cards.
So what was the lesson learned? The exchanging of a business card is an art that I have not mastered - time to practice!
On the upside, people seemed to like my moocards
Not done yet...
22/May/2008 16:22
Painting!
22/May/2008 08:21
The cost of going to work…
12/May/2008 18:44
Well, today was sticker shock day! I knew it cost me
a pretty penny just to show up to work, but the costs
are going up! In 2007 it costs me under $50 per week
to drive into work. Today I went to get gasoline
($3.70/gallon), it cost me $47 to fill up my Beetle.
So I started pondering the updated costs.
$18.00 in tolls per week
$47.00 in gasoline per week
$35.00 in Parking costs per week
Grand total: $99
Now… rumors are that parking will go up to $12/day, and gas is slated to go into the $4/gallon range.
Update costs:
$51 Gasoline
$18 Tolls
$60 Parking
Total: $129/week
Jeez!
I think that over the summer I will trial taking public transportation ($163/month).
It adds 2 hours to my commute per day (4 hours of commute total), but the costs are insane!
So I started pondering the updated costs.
$18.00 in tolls per week
$47.00 in gasoline per week
$35.00 in Parking costs per week
Grand total: $99
Now… rumors are that parking will go up to $12/day, and gas is slated to go into the $4/gallon range.
Update costs:
$51 Gasoline
$18 Tolls
$60 Parking
Total: $129/week
Jeez!
I think that over the summer I will trial taking public transportation ($163/month).
It adds 2 hours to my commute per day (4 hours of commute total), but the costs are insane!
Expiring Miles…What’s that about?
11/May/2008 08:00
I just got my May statement for my Lufthansa Miles
& More account. I signed up with them because
they were my preferred airline when traveling abroad.
I also got a credit card (with an annual fee!!! – who
still does that?!) to earn more miles.
I checked my account on Miles and More and I see that my miles expire! Yes indeedy, they do expire! KLM-AirFrance’s miles don’t expire! Why do my Lufthansa Miles Expire? What a flawed business model! I think from now on KLM-AirFrance-Northwest will be my airlines of choice!
I checked my account on Miles and More and I see that my miles expire! Yes indeedy, they do expire! KLM-AirFrance’s miles don’t expire! Why do my Lufthansa Miles Expire? What a flawed business model! I think from now on KLM-AirFrance-Northwest will be my airlines of choice!
Got my cap n’ gown
06/May/2008 18:51
…and its got a hood!
Last year when I got my MBA I missed out on getting my cap and gown. I did not intend to go to the graduation, but I wanted it nonetheless since I paid for it. This year I do not intend to go to graduation either because I have to take a personal day from work in order to come to the place I work to walk in graduation – it’s a waste of a personal day! The good news though is that the ceremony for the college of management is at 1pm, and it lasts an hour! This means I can take my lunch hour and go celebrate a bit with my classmates.
Last year when I got my MBA I missed out on getting my cap and gown. I did not intend to go to the graduation, but I wanted it nonetheless since I paid for it. This year I do not intend to go to graduation either because I have to take a personal day from work in order to come to the place I work to walk in graduation – it’s a waste of a personal day! The good news though is that the ceremony for the college of management is at 1pm, and it lasts an hour! This means I can take my lunch hour and go celebrate a bit with my classmates.
Working hard on Finals!
03/May/2008 07:58
OK people! All men to stations! Finals are upon us!
Having already put the finishing touches on the projects for my two Instructional Design classes, I am now working on my Applied Linguistics final. Three essay questions, each a minimum of four pages in length (or is that max? hmmm), with references and citations, proper grammar, and spelling and of course logic! It will take me the whole weekend, and then some, to finish this monster!
Having already put the finishing touches on the projects for my two Instructional Design classes, I am now working on my Applied Linguistics final. Three essay questions, each a minimum of four pages in length (or is that max? hmmm), with references and citations, proper grammar, and spelling and of course logic! It will take me the whole weekend, and then some, to finish this monster!
From fridge to oven, in 3 days!
24/April/2008 22:27
It's almost April ?!
22/March/2008 07:59
It's March already?
02/March/2008 07:22
Happy New Year!
01/January/2008 09:57
Happy new year to all!
Well 'Turbulant 2007' is gone and a brand-new, unknown 2008 is here upon us.
I wish to all a happpy and prosperous new year.
When I was a kid today was the second of three opportunities to carol (the other two are Christmas Day and the 'theofania' - whatever that is in English)
Πάει ο παλιός ο χρόνος
Ας γιορτασουμε παιδία
Και του χωρισμού ο πόνος
Ας κοιμάται στην καρδιά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Χαρούμενη χρυσή πρωτοχρονιά!
Γέρε χρόνε φυγε τώρα
Πάει η δική η σειρά
Ήρθε ο νέος με τα δώρα
Με τραγούδια και χαρά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Χαρούμενη χρυσή πρωτοχρονιά!
Well 'Turbulant 2007' is gone and a brand-new, unknown 2008 is here upon us.
I wish to all a happpy and prosperous new year.
When I was a kid today was the second of three opportunities to carol (the other two are Christmas Day and the 'theofania' - whatever that is in English)
Πάει ο παλιός ο χρόνος
Ας γιορτασουμε παιδία
Και του χωρισμού ο πόνος
Ας κοιμάται στην καρδιά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Χαρούμενη χρυσή πρωτοχρονιά!
Γέρε χρόνε φυγε τώρα
Πάει η δική η σειρά
Ήρθε ο νέος με τα δώρα
Με τραγούδια και χαρά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Καλή χρονιά
Χρονιά πολλά
Χαρούμενη χρυσή πρωτοχρονιά!
Snoooooow!
16/December/2007 06:25
We've had our first real snow storms up here for the
Academic year...mayhem...simply...mayhem...
Took me more than 3 hours to get home last Thursday, and today almost got towed because my town declared a snow emergency as I was sound asleep (at my normal time)
Oh we.., at least some people are having fun...
Took me more than 3 hours to get home last Thursday, and today almost got towed because my town declared a snow emergency as I was sound asleep (at my normal time)
Oh we.., at least some people are having fun...
Greece, in flames
26/August/2007 09:51
Here is an image of Greece from space. Pictured are some some of the fires that are currently burning up the country.
I can't really describe the anger, and sadness, that this situation makes me feel. Whole villages have been burned off the map, people are losing their lives, property, livelihoods and precious forrest land. 150 fires started in three days, and it's suspected that all this is due to arson. Honestly, I don't know wtf is wrong with people. This year happens to be an election year, and you know that politicians will use this for political gain - I hope they don't, but I suspect they will.
Literal pain in the butt
21/June/2007 15:18
Last Friday I finally had my surgery to
remove the pylonidal cyst that had been bugging me
since February.
The doctor had warned me that post-op would hurt...and it would be a quite literal pain in the butt.
I went into surgery fearing the worst...anesthesia takes care of pain during surgery...but what about after?
Well...it darned sure is quite a literal pain in the butt...and I've gotten tired of resting on my belly and my side (because I can't really sit on my posterior just yet). The pain medication does take care of the pain, but it's percoset, which makes me a bit woozy. I hope I can sit normally again...sometime soon!
The doctor had warned me that post-op would hurt...and it would be a quite literal pain in the butt.
I went into surgery fearing the worst...anesthesia takes care of pain during surgery...but what about after?
Well...it darned sure is quite a literal pain in the butt...and I've gotten tired of resting on my belly and my side (because I can't really sit on my posterior just yet). The pain medication does take care of the pain, but it's percoset, which makes me a bit woozy. I hope I can sit normally again...sometime soon!
Debating the purchase of an N800
20/June/2007 17:27
With the unfortunate breakdown of my mac, despite the
fact that I can still get online with it, and
accomplish much (if not all) of the work that I need
to accomplish with my computer, the last four years
I've been completely wireless. I've been using WiFi
to get online, thus the notion that I would go and
seclude myself to another room every time that I want
to check out something on IMDb (or something else
online) seems rather foreign.
I spend far too much time everyday looking things up, checking forums, responding to email - making it inefficient to have have to seclude myself when I need to do one of these things. I was thus considering buying a Nokia N800 internet tablet. I can browse, have my RSS, my email, my internet life all at the palm of my hand. There are a few things though that I don't like about it though:
1. No PIM! I know that it is not meant to be a PDA, but a device of such size, and abilities, should have both a robust addressbook and calendar application! I know that there are a number of open source programs that can be installed, but some of these utilities should be pre-installed on such a device.
2. Apparent lack of mac compatibility. I would like to easily import and sync addressbook, calendar, notes, music, videos, and bookmarks with my Mac. Even though this device is mean to be used by itself, without the need for a computer and synchronization, it would be nice to be able to accomplish these tasks!
3. No TomTom! I would love to get a software navigation package for North America. I already have a bluetooth GPS unit, but no software is available (just software)
I spend far too much time everyday looking things up, checking forums, responding to email - making it inefficient to have have to seclude myself when I need to do one of these things. I was thus considering buying a Nokia N800 internet tablet. I can browse, have my RSS, my email, my internet life all at the palm of my hand. There are a few things though that I don't like about it though:
1. No PIM! I know that it is not meant to be a PDA, but a device of such size, and abilities, should have both a robust addressbook and calendar application! I know that there are a number of open source programs that can be installed, but some of these utilities should be pre-installed on such a device.
2. Apparent lack of mac compatibility. I would like to easily import and sync addressbook, calendar, notes, music, videos, and bookmarks with my Mac. Even though this device is mean to be used by itself, without the need for a computer and synchronization, it would be nice to be able to accomplish these tasks!
3. No TomTom! I would love to get a software navigation package for North America. I already have a bluetooth GPS unit, but no software is available (just software)
Home Cleaning - でございます！
08/May/2007 11:29
The result? Quite a few rooms are much more neat compared to before, cleaner, but not sparkling. I feel that warm fuzzy feeling again! You know! The one that you get when you do something and you can see noticeable results and someone appreciates the fact that you put effort into something. Yeah, that!
Oh, yes, I did make progress with
my ASP.NET work as well! It was slow...but made
progress none the less.
Looking for a job - for the first time!
08/April/2007 13:49
Hello, I am 26 and I am looking for a job for the
first time!
Yes, I know, this isn't the first time I have looked for a job, and whatever job I get will not be my first job ever - however this time period marks a seminal moment in my development as a professional and as a person since it is the first time I have applied to more than two or three places, and I am trying to figure out 'what I want to be when I grow up'. I started working 10 years ago when I was in high school, as an IT consultant of all things. However I was not looking for a job, it just fell in my lap and I loved it. However being a high school student, I could only work in the summer.
When I started college I started working on campus, but again the position fell in my lap as there are always workstudy jobs available on campus. Then, it wasn't a big leap to go from workstudy to full time employee - sort of a promotion really. Moving laterally within departments (for increase in pay of course) was the next move. In the mean time, I got my BA in computer science, my MBA, a couple of certifications and I am finishing up an MS in information technology. Education-wise I truly believe that I have out-grown my current job. This is not to say that the job I have is beneath me, to claim that would be arrogant and untrue - a job is a job.
However, there comes a time in a person's life where just going from job to job because it is convenient, or pays the right salary is no longer an option. Looking for a job that fulfills you emotionally, and fills your wallet with cash (to pay all of life's expenses) is quite a daunting task. Looking for a job - or rather a career, is like looking for love. It is a relationship, companies and the people that work for them have personalities, and those personalities must match and complement yours. They also have skills, wants and needs, and those must also complement what you bring to the table. A bad match can spell disaster both for the person applying and for the company (Enron anyone?).
So where am I looking? Monster, HotJobs, Craigslist, HigherEdJobs and LinkedIn. I've sent out a number of resumes and cover letters, and I am still continuing to do so. It is not an easy task, and it's time consuming - but the rewards promise to be great. -- this is quite a learning experience! I am 26 - and looking for a job for the first time.
Yes, I know, this isn't the first time I have looked for a job, and whatever job I get will not be my first job ever - however this time period marks a seminal moment in my development as a professional and as a person since it is the first time I have applied to more than two or three places, and I am trying to figure out 'what I want to be when I grow up'. I started working 10 years ago when I was in high school, as an IT consultant of all things. However I was not looking for a job, it just fell in my lap and I loved it. However being a high school student, I could only work in the summer.
When I started college I started working on campus, but again the position fell in my lap as there are always workstudy jobs available on campus. Then, it wasn't a big leap to go from workstudy to full time employee - sort of a promotion really. Moving laterally within departments (for increase in pay of course) was the next move. In the mean time, I got my BA in computer science, my MBA, a couple of certifications and I am finishing up an MS in information technology. Education-wise I truly believe that I have out-grown my current job. This is not to say that the job I have is beneath me, to claim that would be arrogant and untrue - a job is a job.
However, there comes a time in a person's life where just going from job to job because it is convenient, or pays the right salary is no longer an option. Looking for a job that fulfills you emotionally, and fills your wallet with cash (to pay all of life's expenses) is quite a daunting task. Looking for a job - or rather a career, is like looking for love. It is a relationship, companies and the people that work for them have personalities, and those personalities must match and complement yours. They also have skills, wants and needs, and those must also complement what you bring to the table. A bad match can spell disaster both for the person applying and for the company (Enron anyone?).
So where am I looking? Monster, HotJobs, Craigslist, HigherEdJobs and LinkedIn. I've sent out a number of resumes and cover letters, and I am still continuing to do so. It is not an easy task, and it's time consuming - but the rewards promise to be great. -- this is quite a learning experience! I am 26 - and looking for a job for the first time.
Going to China?!
04/April/2007 09:24
The trip to China, a 10 day school sponsored trip (3
credits in international business) is now down in
price thanks to the Confucius institute!
The original price was $2500 + transportation costs...now it's $1000 ($1200 max) + transport costs (which might be around $1000.
Room, board, transport in China is all taken care of with this price... I had made up my mind not to take classes this summer, and I don't know if the class will count as an Information Technology class, but I am seriously reconsidering taking this class in China ...
Thinking hard... hey at least I will be away from the dysfunctional organization for 10 days and I will be exposed to a whole new environment
The original price was $2500 + transportation costs...now it's $1000 ($1200 max) + transport costs (which might be around $1000.
Room, board, transport in China is all taken care of with this price... I had made up my mind not to take classes this summer, and I don't know if the class will count as an Information Technology class, but I am seriously reconsidering taking this class in China
...
Thinking hard... hey at least I will be away from the dysfunctional organization for 10 days and I will be exposed to a whole new environment
My first job
17/March/2007 20:27
When I grow up I want to be...
10/March/2007 13:24
Quite honestly, thinking back, I never really had one
of those 'When I grow up, I want to be...' kind of
moments.
We never really discussed it in school (in Greece), I guess that's because your test scores determined what school you would go into, and consequently what you would study as a major, thus what your would do when you grew up. For those in the group that did not like what they tested into, there are always careers in sales and customer service. So I am sitting here today (doing homework) and I get this thought in my head...'when I grow up, I want to be a...' and I am trying to fill in the blank. It's really quite difficult to pick actually! I like many things, I can't just pick one, and if I were to pick one, chances are that I would get bored after a while, wanting to change gears into something else.
Any jobs out there fore someone that loves technology, blogging, gadgets, foreign languages and video games (among other things)? that will pay so that I can live above poverty level? There probably are - just need to
look closed, eh?
We never really discussed it in school (in Greece), I guess that's because your test scores determined what school you would go into, and consequently what you would study as a major, thus what your would do when you grew up. For those in the group that did not like what they tested into, there are always careers in sales and customer service. So I am sitting here today (doing homework) and I get this thought in my head...'when I grow up, I want to be a...' and I am trying to fill in the blank. It's really quite difficult to pick actually! I like many things, I can't just pick one, and if I were to pick one, chances are that I would get bored after a while, wanting to change gears into something else.
Any jobs out there fore someone that loves technology, blogging, gadgets, foreign languages and video games (among other things)? that will pay so that I can live above poverty level?
There probably are - just need to
look closed, eh?
Widgets, Dashboard, Sidebar...
08/March/2007 16:46
I've been using 'widgets' for a while now. in QNX, I
had the sidebar, which I disabled because I really
hated the fact that it took up so much real-estate!
When MacOS X 10.3 came out with dashboard, I really liked it and I started using widgets again - especially mail notifiers, adsense, analytics and machine stats. On windows, there was no equivalent (built-in) until Vista came out with the sidebar. I updated to vista on my work machine a few weeks ago, and gave the sidebar a whirl - and ever since I have not been able to being myself to turn it off! I really hated the taking up of space on QNX many moons ago, but now with the ability to see what's in my gmail-box, and what's new in my RSS aggregator, I think it's really useful.
Now I am a bit torn. I like the ability to put away my widgets when I am not using them, like the MacOS' dashboard, but I also like having some widgets visible, sort of like Classic's Desktop Accessories (DAs). I downloaded Yahoo! Widgets and I find it interesting that there is an HUD (Heads up Display) mode, but there is also the ability to have them floating around. I find, though, that I quickly get fed up with the floaters and I just shut down Yahoo! Widgets.
Now the main reason I got Yahoo! Widgets, was to get a Y! mail widget that told me not only how many messages I have, but also what the subject and sender of those messages are! Something that did not come with any such widget...
eh... this was a pointless post...(did it make sense?)
When MacOS X 10.3 came out with dashboard, I really liked it and I started using widgets again - especially mail notifiers, adsense, analytics and machine stats. On windows, there was no equivalent (built-in) until Vista came out with the sidebar. I updated to vista on my work machine a few weeks ago, and gave the sidebar a whirl - and ever since I have not been able to being myself to turn it off! I really hated the taking up of space on QNX many moons ago, but now with the ability to see what's in my gmail-box, and what's new in my RSS aggregator, I think it's really useful.
Now I am a bit torn. I like the ability to put away my widgets when I am not using them, like the MacOS' dashboard, but I also like having some widgets visible, sort of like Classic's Desktop Accessories (DAs). I downloaded Yahoo! Widgets and I find it interesting that there is an HUD (Heads up Display) mode, but there is also the ability to have them floating around. I find, though, that I quickly get fed up with the floaters and I just shut down Yahoo! Widgets.
Now the main reason I got Yahoo! Widgets, was to get a Y! mail widget that told me not only how many messages I have, but also what the subject and sender of those messages are! Something that did not come with any such widget...
eh... this was a pointless post...(did it make sense?)
A day at the hospital
28/February/2007 16:09
Feel like a truck has run over me...
07/February/2007 15:35
Got my license renewed!
09/January/2007 10:01
Happy New Year!
01/January/2007 11:43
Happy New Year to all!
Πάει ο παλιός ο χρόνος, ας γιορτάσουμε παιδιά
και του χωρισμού ο πόνος ας κοιμάται στην καρδιά.
Καλή χρονιά, χρονιά πολλά, καλή χρονιά χρόνια πολλά
χαρούμενη χρυσή Πρωτοχρονιά.
Γέρε χρόνε φύγε τώρα πάει η δική σου η σειρά,
ήρθε ο νέος με τα δώρα, με τραγούδια με χαρά.
Καλή χρονιά, χρονιά πολλά, καλή χρονιά χρόνια πολλά
χαρούμενη χρυσή Πρωτοχρονιά.
Μα κι αν φεύγεις μακριά μας στην καρδιά μας πάντα ζει
κάθε λύπη και χαρά μας που περάσαμε μαζί.
Καλή χρονιά, χρονιά πολλά, καλή χρονιά χρόνια πολλά
χαρούμενη χρυσή Πρωτοχρονιά.
I know...it's all Greek to you
Πάει ο παλιός ο χρόνος, ας γιορτάσουμε παιδιά
και του χωρισμού ο πόνος ας κοιμάται στην καρδιά.
Καλή χρονιά, χρονιά πολλά, καλή χρονιά χρόνια πολλά
χαρούμενη χρυσή Πρωτοχρονιά.
Γέρε χρόνε φύγε τώρα πάει η δική σου η σειρά,
ήρθε ο νέος με τα δώρα, με τραγούδια με χαρά.
Καλή χρονιά, χρονιά πολλά, καλή χρονιά χρόνια πολλά
χαρούμενη χρυσή Πρωτοχρονιά.
Μα κι αν φεύγεις μακριά μας στην καρδιά μας πάντα ζει
κάθε λύπη και χαρά μας που περάσαμε μαζί.
Καλή χρονιά, χρονιά πολλά, καλή χρονιά χρόνια πολλά
χαρούμενη χρυσή Πρωτοχρονιά.
I know...it's all Greek to you
GreekPod might be happening!
21/December/2006 09:19
Heard back from JapanesePod101.com (more specifically
from Peter-san), and they have been looking for
people to expand the learning methods from
JapanesePod to other languages! Pretty cool!
As soon as I tie up loose ends
with school and work I will get in contact with
peter to see if this is something we can
accomplish (yay!)
As soon as I tie up loose ends
with school and work I will get in contact with
peter to see if this is something we can
accomplish (yay!)
No more waiting...
11/December/2006 09:10
Turkey Preview Day!
22/November/2006 10:16
The day before Turkey Day!
I am not a big Turkey fan, but what the hey!
Eat, Drink and be Merry!
Took the day off work today (although I do have to work on Friday - which is fine, I am more productive when other people are not around)
Working on Projects today - taking a small break from my T-Mobile project, but is starting to be written today, and I am also continuing with the writing of my IT strategy project.
It will be a busy day...along with trying to help out around the house (if I can manage to actually help instead of creating more work )
Alright - back to work....
I am not a big Turkey fan, but what the hey!
Eat, Drink and be Merry!
Took the day off work today (although I do have to work on Friday - which is fine, I am more productive when other people are not around)
Working on Projects today - taking a small break from my T-Mobile project, but is starting to be written today, and I am also continuing with the writing of my IT strategy project.
It will be a busy day...along with trying to help out around the house (if I can manage to actually help instead of creating more work
)
Alright - back to work....
Getting better...
07/November/2006 12:51
Neck is getting better, although I still feel like
someone's stabbed me with an ice pick... (at least I
am walking less like Mr. Roboto today compared to
yesterday and Sunday).
Car is in the shop, good thing is that the part is under warranty, so it will be relatively cheap to fix. The bad thing is that I have to use public transportation today and tomorrow - this will be an experience!
Car is in the shop, good thing is that the part is under warranty, so it will be relatively cheap to fix. The bad thing is that I have to use public transportation today and tomorrow - this will be an experience!
Pain in the neck...
06/November/2006 09:34
...literally!
For the last couple of days I feel like such an old man!
My neck hurts, I cannot turn my head without experiencing pain.
Generally when I get this I have slept in a weird way (like sleeping on my arm) but it goes away in a day.
It's been two days already!!!
...maybe I am just impatient...
For the last couple of days I feel like such an old man!
My neck hurts, I cannot turn my head without experiencing pain.
Generally when I get this I have slept in a weird way (like sleeping on my arm) but it goes away in a day.
It's been two days already!!!
...maybe I am just impatient...
Go paperless!
04/November/2006 12:27
Recently I've noticed many companies asking me to go
paperless, stop my paper bill, and signup for
automatic payments!
While this is quite convenient, if it works properly! If you go paperless you get email notifications with a URL to go to a secure site to view your bill.
If you've got an over-agressive spam filter those notifications go to the trash. Ah! This is where the automatic payments come in! You can link your account to a bank account or credit card to have your bill automatically paid! Again this is a nice feature, but your bill paying is automatic so if you are one of those "out of sight, out of mind" people, you might just forget that you're hemorrhaging money. Let's not get into disputes over billing errors and automatic payments.
One thing that really annoys me, is that as a consumer I don't get a price break when I stop my paper bill and/or go automatic.
You are cutting back on the costs of paper, printing, mailing and processing when you do this. Why should I not get 1%, 2%, 5% off (or whatever is fair) my bill when I do this?
What is the incentive? I like my paper bill because it is a reminder to pay up, and it gives me an opportunity to review my expenditures.
If things are online, or in a non-tangible form, then I have less of a reminder that something needs to be taken care of. So if there is no incentive to switch, why do it?
While this is quite convenient, if it works properly! If you go paperless you get email notifications with a URL to go to a secure site to view your bill.
If you've got an over-agressive spam filter those notifications go to the trash. Ah! This is where the automatic payments come in! You can link your account to a bank account or credit card to have your bill automatically paid! Again this is a nice feature, but your bill paying is automatic so if you are one of those "out of sight, out of mind" people, you might just forget that you're hemorrhaging money. Let's not get into disputes over billing errors and automatic payments.
One thing that really annoys me, is that as a consumer I don't get a price break when I stop my paper bill and/or go automatic.
You are cutting back on the costs of paper, printing, mailing and processing when you do this. Why should I not get 1%, 2%, 5% off (or whatever is fair) my bill when I do this?
What is the incentive? I like my paper bill because it is a reminder to pay up, and it gives me an opportunity to review my expenditures.
If things are online, or in a non-tangible form, then I have less of a reminder that something needs to be taken care of. So if there is no incentive to switch, why do it?
AK & Kristin now married!
01/October/2006 20:28
Hard drive crash!
26/August/2006 12:46
Ouch!
My hard drive crashed and I lost all my data...needed to do some reconstituting of the website.
I did have some backups, but I was not backed-up enough...
I was working on a Classical Greek Grammar...that's gone...must start from scratch! (and I was 80% done! arghhh!)
No more messing around! I got a 500GB hard drive to do more comprehensive backups
My hard drive crashed and I lost all my data...needed to do some reconstituting of the website.
I did have some backups, but I was not backed-up enough...
I was working on a Classical Greek Grammar...that's gone...must start from scratch! (and I was 80% done! arghhh!)
No more messing around! I got a 500GB hard drive to do more comprehensive backups
Triple digit temps
02/August/2006 08:50
I-90 connector tunnel closed indefinitely!
16/July/2006 11:20
All rigghhhty then!
Safety over convenience. I agree, but this MAJOR fuck up is adding an extra hour to my commute each way!
Now they are examining more tunnels because they might suffer from the same problem - tunnels which I use!
So I might die, be injured, or just inconvenienced and lose a couple of hours of my life each day in traffic.
Maybe its time to invest in some audio books - at least educate myself while driving...
Safety over convenience. I agree, but this MAJOR fuck up is adding an extra hour to my commute each way!
Now they are examining more tunnels because they might suffer from the same problem - tunnels which I use!
So I might die, be injured, or just inconvenienced and lose a couple of hours of my life each day in traffic.
Maybe its time to invest in some audio books - at least educate myself while driving...
Second automotive repair not performed by my father
21/June/2006 10:49
My back tire was in bad, bad condition, so I took the
day off (or part of it anyway) to get my tire
replaced.
The culprit for the tire's bad condition is that the car is nor properly aligned! As a matter of fact my front wheel also was starting to show early indications of the back wheel's ailment.
So I dropped my car off, bright and early, at the goodyear repair shop down the road, and was given a two hour quote for things to be done.
It has been 2 hours and 20 minutes - still not done... argh!
My dad is an auto-mechanic, but he lives a bit far away - so having him look at the car is not viable at the moment (oy!)
Anyway - let's see the quality of work that comes out - I am optimistic
The culprit for the tire's bad condition is that the car is nor properly aligned! As a matter of fact my front wheel also was starting to show early indications of the back wheel's ailment.
So I dropped my car off, bright and early, at the goodyear repair shop down the road, and was given a two hour quote for things to be done.
It has been 2 hours and 20 minutes - still not done... argh!
My dad is an auto-mechanic, but he lives a bit far away - so having him look at the car is not viable at the moment (oy!)
Anyway - let's see the quality of work that comes out - I am optimistic
Flood! Flood!
15/May/2006 10:40
Verrücktes Wetter!
14/May/2006 11:22
Taxes | Done
09/April/2006 14:57
Tax Time!
07/April/2006 14:45
It's time to do my taxes...
Like a typical procrastinator, I got the software (TurboTax) - installed it and waited.
Then I tried to do my taxes, filled out my general information....got to the W2s...and I freaked - for no reason - just got intimidated.
So tomorrow is the rematch! Taxes - I'm coming after you...with revenge!
Like a typical procrastinator, I got the software (TurboTax) - installed it and waited.
Then I tried to do my taxes, filled out my general information....got to the W2s...and I freaked - for no reason - just got intimidated.
So tomorrow is the rematch! Taxes - I'm coming after you...with revenge!