Thoughts from our lives...

Take yourself out of context

2010-07-07T22:21:00.002+03:00

I'm back after a long absence. I hope from now on I shall start sitting myself in front of the keyboard more often and remember the joy of putting my brain down on paper. Well, on the screen anyway.

This is going to be a bit of an angry post, that I want to start with one of my favorite quotes. Aristotel once said "we are the sum of all the people we meet our entire lives". Lately I have found myself returning to these words more and more. One of the things that has struck me lately in the dating world is that people just can't seem to be able to get themselves out of their own way. Starting with all the movies and media that tell us to find our own way and to develop our own personality (and then buy the damn product!), it seems more and more people can't just sit back and enjoy life.

Ok, I probably have you wondering by now just what the heck I am on about. Let me spell it out for you: I am finding more and more people getting in the way of their own feelings. They become so set in their own ways that they just pass up opportunity after opportunity because "he is too tall", "she is not blonde", "he doesn't like the same restaurants as I do" and so on and so forth. Have we become so picky and peculiar that we just can't see the forest for the trees?

What ever happened to priorities? Or should I say, what ever happened to values and priorities that actually matter? Just think about this for a minute: are things like a bad joke, a wrong choice of shoes or some quirky taste in music so important for our happiness? What about the "small" things like getting along? Or like talking for hours and not being able to get enough of that person? Or maybe even having fun with his/her group of friends?

Somehow I thing we are missing the point in all this dating thing. We want too much from people who want too little.

Now let's try a bit of an experiment. Getting back to what Aristotel said, think about this: what would you be like if you had never met that one person who tends to get into you thoughts more often than food? Somehow I think this should be out guiding point for getting our heads and more importantly, our hearts back in the right place. Just imagine not having met that person. What would be different about your life? Would your opinions be different? Would your thought be more productive, more creative? Would you take better care of yourself? Would you be a better person?

As for me, I would just focus on that last question. Am I a better person, having met her? More experienced, definitely. More mature? Yes. But better? Or was I just trying to be a better person for her? Damn!

Talent

2010-02-01T22:07:00.002+02:00

Each one of us has an unique talent. I have always believed this to be true. And I don't necesarily mean an artistic talent. It could be something small, meaningless to the outside world. It could be something irelevant. It could be something silly, that you only do in the privacy of your own room. But everyone has a talent.

What is mine? I've often wondered. I can play a couple of instruments, I can make some pictures, I can even write sometimes. But I do none of those things very well. I can only do them... adequately. I believe my talent is expresing emotion. Passing on something unpalpable to another person, but at the same time something very real. A feeling. A smile. Sorrow.

So what is my problem then? Well, I can't seem to be able to do it consistently. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I have tried to figure out why, and the best thing I was able to come up with is... well, the lack of a proper medium of expresion. A way to send out whatever I want to express. So I have reached a decision. I shall be trying out an exercise. For one week, for the forseable future, I shall pick one emotion and try to express it in whatever way I can, without using the word to describe it. I'm not sure if this will work in unlocking the creative block I have at the moment. But it got me excited enough that I forgot I was washing my teeth for about 6 minutes. That's good enough for me.

So stick aroung. There may be some interesting post coming up soon.

Fat Frumos

2009-07-05T22:01:00.004+03:00

Se intampla intr-o vineri seara. Venirea serii m-a gasit in oras. Impreuna cu niste prieteni, cunoscusem un grup mai mare prin "prietenul unui prieten" si se intampla sa ne gasim cu totii in aceeasi locatie. Am intrat in vorba cu persoanele din stanga, din dreapta... cu cine se nimerea. Imi place sa cunosc oameni diversi si pareri cat mai variate. Fiecare perspectiva unica pe care o intalnesc, o consider ca pe o experienta care mi-a imbogatit inca putin viata si cunostiintele.

Prin grupul vesel se regasea si 2 fete care atrageau atentia, e de ajuns sa spun, prin calitati fizice. Spre surpriza mea, cu una din ele chiar se putea purta o conversatie cu un nivel peste discutiile obisnuite despre haine, masini si cluburi, discutii care imi provoaca dureri neuronului. Din curiozitate, am deschis subiectul despre relatii. Evident, ca orice fata, aici am descoperit o avalansa de idei, pareri si convingeri. Intrebarile mele au condus discutia spre a afla ce anume se asteapta ea sa gaseasca in "jumatatea potrivita". Aici am intampinat aceleasi pareri pe care par sa le aiba toate fetele care atrag putin mai multe atentie decat restul oamenilor.

Se pare ca orice om din lumea aceasta merita ce e cel mai bun. In cazul de fata, Fat-Frumos, calare pe un Ferrari, cu palat si tot tacamul, si eventual sa fie si cel mai bun, iubitor si fidel sot din lume. Evident, nu acestea au fost cuvintele domnisoarei, dar citind printre randuri, cam aceasta a fost concluzia. Am masurat-o din priviri, observand hainele atent asortate (dar nu cu cel mai bun gust), unghiile viu colorate si parul foarte atent arajat, si ajungand la ochii caprui, m-a lovit o intrebare ca sunetul ceasului dimineata dupa o noapte lunga: daca ea merita toate acestea, Fat-Frumos oare merita tot ce are ea de oferit?

De aici am pornit a doua zi o polemica impreuna cu 2 prieteni cu o oarecare capacitate cerebrala. Am constatat ca toti 3 suntem intampinati de membrele sexului frumos cu aceleasi multiple doleante, aceleasi cereri continue si asteptari neasteptat de mari. Si pentru ce? Pentru 2 ochi frumosi si bine aranjati care doar stau langa tine si clipesc des si intelegator in timpul discutiilor din jur care nu reusesc sa le implice? Fetelor, pentru ca voua ma adresez acum, poate ca nu e frumos ca economistul din mine priveste aceasta relatie romantica ca pe o afacere, dar cum se spune mai trivial, noua ce ne iese?

Lasand deoparte glumele, apropourile cu tenta sexuala si ironiile, ajungem totusi la un concept care mi se pare cel putin de bun simt. Sunt de impresie ca indiferent despre ce ar fi vorba in viata, efortul depus pentru ceva trebuie sa fie egal cu beneficiile castigate.

Cred ca este destul de evident ca ma simt nedreptatit aici. Dar hai, de dragul echitatii, sa joc si partea cealalta a argumentului. Am citit un articol zilele trecute care spunea ca dorinta de a performa a oamenilor, si a barbatilor in special, este din ce in ce mai mica din cauza diversitatii posibilitatilor. In principal, tendinta unui barbat de a se perfectiona, de a face ceva in viata, de a fi mai bun, porneste din nevoia de a impresiona o femeie si pentru a o cuceri, sau a o pastra langa el. Dar cine mai depune efort acum, cand stie ca poate oricand gasi alta femeie in urmatorul bar sau club?

Asadar, este posibil sa fi intrat intr-un cerc vicios. Nici noi, barbatii nu purtam vina, dar nici sexul opus. O purtam cu totii? Sau calitatea oamenilor in general are de suferit? Este posibil sa ni se aplice si noua considerentele care spun ca nu poti avea si cantitate si calitate? Adica pe masura ce omenirea creste ca numar, si calitatea noastra, ca indivizi, sa fie in declin?

Working from my backyard

2009-06-06T16:05:00.005+03:00

The sun is shining all around me. I can hear some birds singing in the trees around my house. The air is lovely and the coffee next to me tastes great. Yet, at the same time, I am getting some work done while typing away on my keyboard.

The appalling traffic this weak got me thinking. Why are we not working from home this day an age? What are the limitations of your job that force you to physically be in a specified place? Well, apart from people who work in constructions, furniture moving and/or jobs that imply you have to move objects around to get things done, I a sure that 90% of us sit in front of a monitor all day, typing away, while taking the occasional phone call every now and then. And with the current Internet speeds and wide availability, anyone can remotely login from home on any computer, or just use your home computer as your primary work machine.

So what are the advantages? One I have mentioned already: traffic. Unless you live in a hotel or have an unusually large family, the trip to your office should not take you across more than 2-3 people away, compared to the hundreds of people you come across daily on your way to work. Not only that, but I can get out of bed at 8:45 and be at my desk by no more than 9 without too much hassle. And if you have a laptop, you can actually start work right in bed. Even more so, you save money on transport. Let's face it, no matter what your chosen mode of transport is, unless it's your own two feet, you have to caugh up some cash in order to use it.

Secondly, for most of us, a house is the largest investment we will ever make in our lifetime. So why not make good use of it? Plus, since it is your own house, you can organize your workspace whichever way you see fit. You can personalize your work gear to suit your needs as well. Do you need 3 monitors to get the job done? No problem, just buy them and get them working. Does a small netbook work for you? That is fine as well. The way I see it, your employer should not have any problem with the gear you use as long as you get things done. Plus, now you don't need 12 different suites just to look good every day. Nobody cares if you're sitting in your pajamas while you're in your own house.

Now of course, there must be a downside. The greatest disadvantage of working from home is the lack of social interaction that you normally get when going to work. But perhaps the employees not hanging around the water cooler is not such a bad thing, now is it. In fact, an employee that does not require an office, can basically work around the clock since he or she doesn't need to go home and doesn't waste time by hanging out with the rest of the staff may just be what employers need. Maybe they should, in fact, consider that as a viable option for the future.

Maybe not

2009-05-12T00:43:00.004+03:00

M-am gandit ceva timp cum sa incep acest post. Dupa ceva meditatie, mi-am dat seama ca cea mai buna modalitate de inceput este sa va prezint sursa mea de inspiratie. Este un clip din filmul "25th Hour", un film despre care nu voi discuta prea mult din simplul motiv ca nu mi-a placut foarte mult. Dar acest clip mi se pare absolut genial (Link YouTube).

Desi nu traiesc in New York si nu sunt familiar cu etniile si categoriile de oameni descrise acolo, pot cu siguranta sa ma identific cu gandirea dublurii din oglinda. Urasc cocalarismele si fitzele de 2 bani ale unor ignoranti neducati care au impresia ca banii ii fac mai destepti. Urasc modul in care isi lipesc ochelarii de parul gelat cand se suie in masina, desi afara e un soare orbitor si locul lor ar fi mai potrivit pe nas. Urasc aerul de superioritate al femeilor din cluburi. Trezeste-te draga mea, nu vei fi bagata in seama toata viata doar pt ca arati bine! Urasc oamenii foarte culti care isi plimba aroganta cu mainile la spate atunci cand vor sa epateze cunostiintele lor in fata "muritorilor de rand".

Urasc oamenii mici si lipsiti de caracter, care incearca sa ti se bage sub piele cu complimente ieftine doar ca sa-si serveasca propriul lor interes si sa poata avea al doilea pai in suc. Urasc interesul manifestat ascuns si indirect al celor care se cred prea destepti pentru lumea din jur. Urasc femeile care nu se pot stapani si se culca cu primul barbat care le abureste, chiar daca prietenul/sotul le asteapta acasa ingrijorat. Urasc barbatii care se dau mari cuceritori fata de prietenii lor, laudandu-si dezgustator calitatile de amant in fata prostilor care ii asculta cu ochii si gura cascate. Nu sunteti decat niste dobitoci de care "e doar gura"!

Urasc mizeria si acceptarea tacita a celor din jur fata de mucurile de tigare aruncate in nesimtire. Urasc nesimtirea si prostia, dar numai in combinatie cu aroganta si impresia de "las' ca stiu eu". Urasc incultura afisata cu obstinatie de cei care incearca sa-si ascunda propriile complexe aruncandu-le in fata la altii. Urasc idiotii care opresc pe verde doar ca sa vada "o bunaciune" trecand prin fata masinii si urasc "bunaciunea" care se simte gadilata in orgoliu de saliva de pe barba a idiotului care apare la vederea ei. Opriti-va pe trotuar si luati-va in brate! Faceti un cuplu perfect!

Urasc toti blogarii si toate pseudo-vedetele care afiseaza opinii scandaloase doar pentru a parea originali si emancipati. Ce ati spune de putin bun simt si responsabilitate in formularea unei opinii? Doar sunt sute/mii de naivi care mai si cred ceea ce spuneti! Urasc femeile care conduc incalcand toate regulile de circulatie si bun simt in timp ce vorbesc nonsalante la telefonul scump, dar pe cartela, iar apoi parcheaza in mijlocul strazii si se asteapta ca toti sa fim "ok" cu asta. Urasc formula "ok" si ma urasc cateodata pe mine ca o folosesc din complezenta. Sunt 2 litere care alaturate denota doar simplitate in gandire si dorinta de a te conforma la o cultura mai subtire decat o coala de A4.

Iubesc faptul ca pot spune ce am spus mai sus fara sa ma simt vinovat. Cred si sustin faptul ca toti avem dreptul sa spargem niste capete din cand in cand. Problema e sa nu devina un hobby.

Unelte noi

2009-05-12T00:35:00.002+03:00

Acest blog a pornit initial din dorinta mea de a ma juca cu Nokia N810, dar mai ales cu nevoia mea de a scrie din cand in cand. Desi pe drum am realizat ca acel micut tablet nu este cea mai potrivita unealta pt job, dorinta mea de a scrie ramane neschimbata. Drept care, am decis sa schimb ce nu se potrivea in peisaj. Nokia N810 ramane intr-un sertar, iar Asus Eee Pc 1000H ii ia locul de onoare la masa de scris. Si acum, cu unelte noi, sunt decis sa pornesc la drum din nou. Promit sa fiu mai creativ, mai stupid, mai logic si mai ales mai prezent pe viitor.

Fantasy: Drumul spre varf

2009-01-25T20:17:00.004+02:00

Apa se aude trecand peste tabla usilor. Motorul face cel mai mult zgomot, dar 100 de metri mai incolo... liniste. Vegetatia inconjoara stancile care se gasesc in jur, ca o ceata verde care a cuprins tot ce nu e apa. Turez usor motorul. Simt cum cauciucurile musca incet din noroiul din fata, apoi lasa raul in spate. Masina urca usor panta, printre copaci si eu aud cum apa se scurge de pe metal si simt cum calc iarba si tufisurile mai mici cu anvelopele groase.

Ajung mai sus si deja ma trezesc inconjurat de copaci. Technica moderna lucreaza din greu sub mine, impingand o adunatura de fiare mai adanc in inima organica a muntelui. Curand, ma trezesc inconjurat de copaci si de sunetul frunzelor fosnind usor. Deja tunetul apei se aude ca un zumzet undeva in spate, iar lumina care razbate printre frunze este de ajuns cat sa imi aleg drumul cel mai bun.

In fata mea se vede o zona mai lina. Aici opresc masina si ma dau jos, cu aparatul in mana. Opresc motorul si ascult. Liniste. Un miros usor de muschi de copac imi patrunde in nari, si vantul printre ramuri imi gadila auzul. Ma duc putin sa vad de unde am venit. Daca nu s-ar vedea urmele ramase in urma masinii, nu as putea crede ca cineva a trecut pe aici vreodata. Fac repede cateva poze, apoi urechile mele prind un fosnet usor mai departe in padure. Inghet langa un copac si astept. In scurt timp, un iepuras sfios isi face aparitia dintre niste frunze. Alearga putin, se opreste si adulmeca. Eu ridic incet aparatul in dreptul fetei si declansez cateva cadre inainte sa vad o coada care dispare intr-un tufis! Curiozitatea nu ma lasa si verific repede ce am prins. Da, este acolo. Incadrat prost, putin miscat, dar l-am prins!

Ma uit la ceas si ma sui inapoi in masina. Nu e timp de pierdut. Pornesc mai departe printre copaci si merg pana incep sa las padurea in urma. Doar niste copaci razleti se mai vad acum, iarba facand loc trunchiurilor. Dupa cateva ore de noroi, iarba si cateva stanci razlete, brusc in fata mea nu se mai vede decat cerul. Opresc repede si ma dau jos sa investighez. In graba mea, nu mi-am dat seama ca deja eram in varf!

Opresc iar motorul si calc pe stanca dura de sub mine. Ma uit in jur. Se vede doar soarele care incepe va disparea in curand si muntii din jur. Nu se vede nici o casa, iar raul este deja un firicel de apa care brazdeaza muntii si apoi se duce spre campie. Satele se vad in departare ca niste adunaturi de pietricele in jurul firului albastru. Un varf in departare este acoperit si acum de "zapezile vesnice" care rezista chiar si acum, sfidand soarele care a ars pe cer toata ziua. Aici sus, aerul e mai tare iar astrul luminos nu mai are autoritate. Aici nu ajunge decat vantul si frigul. Si acum... eu!

Respir adanc, parca incercand sa iau cu mine tot ce vad. Fac repede niste poze si mai arunc o data privirea in jur sa iau cu mine o imagine mentala cat mai exacta. Apoi ma sui iar pe scaunul moale si pun centura. E timpul sa ma intorc. Maine dimineata trebuie sa fiu la birou.

Viitorul proiect

2009-01-17T15:55:00.003+02:00

Pentru ca toti avem nevoie de o provocare noua din cand in cand pentru a putea merge mai departe, m-am decis sa incep o serie de povestiri scurte si pur fanteziste. Ele nu vor avea legatura in nici un fel cu realitatea si preferabil nici cu vreun film sau carte cunoscuta. Ele sunt doar o creatie a imaginatiei proprii si las la latitudinea voastra sa le interpretati cum vreti.

Pentru a le deosebi de celelalte posturi, vor contine in titlu "Fantasy: " urmate de titlul povestirii. Enjoy!

Primul gand in romana

2008-12-22T21:58:00.003+02:00

De cateva zile imi umbla acest post prin cap si abia acum mi-am gasit curajul sa-l pun pe ecran.

Totul a pornit de la o cunostiinta de-a mea care citeste multe bloguri. Si prin multe, vreau sa spun exagerat de multe. Nu numai ca urmareste un numar considerabil de site-uri zilnic, dar tot descopera si citeste unele noi. Din cand in cand imi mai arunca si mie cate unul. Majoritatea mi se par banale, dar unele din ele chiar sunt interesante. Din pacate, in aproape toate ma lovesc de o problema care ma tot sacaie, ca mustele care tot vin la mancare cand tot ce vrei sa faci este sa iei o cina linistita la iarba verde.

Problema este... blogger-ul roman. Vedeti voi, un blogger este o specie aparte. Este un animal social, care traieste printre noi si se hraneste cu cuvintele si faptele noastre. Sta ascuns in spatele unor ochelari (fie ei de soare sau de vedere) si isi etaleaza cunostiintele de pseudo-intelectual care se mai nimereste sa fie si destept uneori, ceea ce-l face si mai pericolos. Pentru ca vedeti voi, blogger-ul roman este specia aceea care stie sa critice absolut tot ce vede cu un talent rar intalnit. El se plange tot timpul de trafic, de coada de la alimentara, de apartamentul prea mic si monitorul prea mare, de figurantul care isi parcheaza masina scumpa pe trecerea de pietoni, de batranul care se misca prea incet la piata si ii lasa timp de un post pe Twitter scurt si acid. El stie tot ce trebuie sa fie si tot ce nu trebuie sa fie. Stie solutia crizei economice desi e absolvent de politehnica si experienta lui economica se rezuma la deschiderea unui cont la banca. El stie cum se poate rezolva traficul din Bucuresti, desi experienta lui in logistica se rezuma la strangerea de cumparaturi in cosul de la Carrefour. El stie ce politicieni ar trebui sa fie in ce posturi desi, ati ghicit, a dedus asta din stirile de la ora 19.

Initial, cand gandeam acest post ma gandeam ca blogurile au ajuns atat de banale si de comune incat bloggerii suntem noi toti. Un fel de "blogosfera reflecta societatea". Dar scriind aceste randuri si analizandu-ma chiar si pe mine, blogul este altceva pentru majoritatea. Este o modalitate de a ne publica frustrarile. La ce ne pricepem noi oamenii cel mai bine, daca nu la a critica si a face bucati tot ce ne gadila "simtul penibilului"?

Dupa aceasta ventilare de frustrari de mai sus. Incep sa-mi pun problema pe care am ajuns sa mi-o pun destul de des in ultima vreme: "ce castig eu daca fac/citesc/discut asta? Cu ce sunt eu mai castigat, ca persoana, daca stai de vorba cu omul acesta?". Si mai ales, cand postez: "ce am creat eu cu acest cuvinte?". Pentru ca vedeti voi, dragilor, mie nu imi plac persoanele care comenteaza. Mie imi plac persoanele care creaza, inventeaza, isi folosesc experientele personale pentru a scoate ceva mai bun din ele. NU cei care distrug pentru a se evidentia.

Nota de final: Eu nu urmaresc bloguri personale decat 2. Nu le voi numi. In rest, cele pana la 40 si ceva de bloguri din Google Reader-ul meu sunt doar de stiri.

Marketing, legal lies?

2008-07-12T19:55:00.002+03:00

Ok, the title may be a little harsh. Marketing is not, per say, lying. It is simply a way to present the truth in a better light.

Me, for one, I am a very picky buyer. I study products and competing products for a long time before shelling out the money, so that when I get something, I have ass few surprises as possible. Yes, that takes a bit of fun out of the purchasing process, mainly discovering your new toy and what it can do. But since I try to hang on to products as long as possible, I am in that owner-product relationship for the long haul. That means I want to know if what I buy is going to serve the task I need it to.

To make a long story short, when I buy something, I try to find out as many details about it as possible. That means first going through the brochures, the manufacturer`s site and afterwards I head over to reviews and forums. Overkill? Maybe.

Now why do I need so many sourcesof information? Because the manufacturer is not always very straight forward about what they can do. For example: Nokia says on it`s site that some of it`s mobile phones have "integrated handsfree". After some searhing and reading a User`s Manual, I realised that "integrated handsfree" is in fact, the simple loudspeaker. Now woldn`t that be straight forward? Isn`t that easier to understand?

Just like that one, I have come across many more examples. Now why is it that some guy in the marketing office decided that "loudspeaker" sounds bad and that "integrated handsfree" sounds a lot better? Not only doesn`t it sound better, in my oppinion, but it sounds confusing. Some of my friends actually asked me if the phone has a bluetooth handsfree inside it that you can take out and use. I just can`t believe that marketing is about selling products while taking advantage of the uninformed client or the one that doesn`t have the time to look up a lot of information about a certain product.

Has misleading the client become the standard now? Why not make clear staements about a product and rely on people not paying attention to details to get products out the door? The bad part is companies are not really the ones to blaim, in my oppinion. We are, because we are letting them get away with it.

Privacy vs. advertising?

2008-07-11T00:23:00.003+03:00

I have been slacking off lately, but now I am back in full swing. Here is one ideea that caught my eye in the last few weeks: identity theft. It seems to be the big problem that has been circulating the net lately, and I thought I'd have a crack at it.

I'm not going to talk about "phishing" or "hacking" or any other name similar to these, as how identity gets stolen is not the issue I am after. It is what happens with it after it gets stolen that concerns me.

First of all, I want to make it clear to everyone what "identity theft" means. It is when another person gets hold of your personal details like name, address, social security number, credit card number, or any other personal information.

I have recently read a lot of stories about ISP's and a number of companies that are meant to keep your personal data, well... personal, that are selling this information to advertising companies. Yes, that's right. Advertising companies are paying a pretty buck for your personal information. That is because the latest online trend is targeted advertising.

Now this is where a moral dilema comes into play. The fact that these companies are selling your information without your knowledge is clearly wrong. But on the other side, privacy advocates are jumping on advertising companies for gathering any information about the individual user. This, for me, is another extreme. I would much rather have advertising companies gather information about me andshowingme targeted advertising that have them not do that and show me aderts about... cooking pots.

In fact, yo yell you the truth, I never found any harm in some company gathering information about my navigation habits or search queries. If you really think about it, it is ultimately in my best interest. I don't know about you, but me, for one, I am not selling trade secrets online or searching for state secrets. But I am tired of looking at all sorts of adverts concerning a lot of things I am not interested about.

On the other hand, I am not on the same side of companies that gather information about me withouot my knowledge. Just give me an option: "would you like your browsing habits to be recorded anonymously?". In fact, I am willingly participating in a regular survey done by a specilalised company. If taking 15-20 minutes out of my time means a some company will make a better, or euphemistically speaking, a perfect product for me, than I cannot see the harm in information gathering. Do you?

Love... and other tragedies

2008-06-02T23:01:00.003+03:00

Quite a bit title there. I mean there have been hundreds of books on the matter. Thousands of songs. Almost 2000 years of more or less known history, yet we still strugle with this matter.

First, let's get one thing straight. I am not pretending to be some sort of expert on the matter. Yes, I have looked up some information on the matter, but in general, this problem gives me as many headaches and sleepless nights as it probably does you. So let's see what brought this on...

I came across this quote byGeorge Bernard Shaw said:

There are two tragedies in life. One is loosing your heart's desire. The other one is loosing it

I must confess these 3 sentences had me pondering for days. Yes, the first tragedy is pretty much obvious. Loosing a loved one is something horrible that unfortunately all of us have to go through at some point. How that person that we care about departs our life, wether it is death, a relationship ending, or some other cause I cannot think of right now, the result is the same: we end un grieving.

But it is the second sentence that gets me. Acording to Mr. Shaw, finding your heart's desire is pretty much a tragedy. Tragedy as in something really bad. Now I know I have you thinking.

Let's beak that train of thought for a second. Have you ever been in love? Chances are, yes. If it was unrequainted love (meaning love not returned by the other person), well... we just found our first meaning. How much of a tragedy is it when you love someone and they don't love you back? It is really bad, I'll tell you from experience. Because just like most feelings, love needs to be shared. But unlike other feelings, it needs to be shared with just that one special person. If they don't mirror you feelings, you just end up feeling worse than you ever did.

But somehow I don't think that's what Mr. Shaw had in mind. It must be awful to be famous and have people interpret your every word and pry out new meaning from between punctuation marks. So let's get back on track here. What he probably meant is falling in love with someone who falls in love with you as well. That person that you just want to stare at all day long, while kissing, holding hands and mumbling silly phrases to eachother. That person whose voice you want to hear behind every corner when they are not around. That person who can lift your heart up with a smile and make it fall down with a few words...

What does psychology tell us we fear as much as something bad or painful happening? The fear of something happening. In other words, we are just as afraid in those fractions of a second when we realise we are actually falling down some stairs, as we are when thinking that we could fall down the stairs. Don't you just love the human brain?

Basically, the same principle can be applied to love itself. The tragedy when finding your heart's desire is the fear of loosing that person. Ironically, that is also one of the best parts of being in love: that feeling you get when you can't wait too see your loved one, a feeling that is partly coming from the fear of loss.

An old saying goes something like this: "A man with nothing to loose is very dangerous". I tend to disagree: "a man with something to loose is more dangerous, because he will do anything in his power not to loose that precious object". Not as catchy, but a little more accurate. But when it comes to this subject... I would much rather be a man with something to loose...

Time

2008-05-28T13:08:00.003+03:00

That's right, you read the title correctly. Yesterday, I found myself typing away in a messenger conversation while catching up on my RSS feeds on one monitor and watching a video on the other. Last week, I was answering a phone call (yes, I do use a handsfree) while fidling with the car`s AC system and changing lanes at the same time. What a little Napoleon I`ve become, you must be thinking to yourself at the moment.

But the number of tthings I can do at the same time is not my point here. It is a rather strange contrast I have found while looking around. I am not alone in performing multiple tasks at the same time. We all do this. And because of the way their brain works, women are better multitaskers than men.

All these computers, smartphones, networks and other devices have given us "the power of multitasking". "Perfect", some of you will say. "Now we can get more things done in less time". That would be the common logic behind this, wouldn't it? Well... no. That's in fact very far from the truth.

Now here comes the paradox. The more time you actually spend multitasking, the less time you seem to have for anything else. Nonsense, you say? Let's look at the actual facts:

Let's say you often listen to or watch a show. Chances are, you can get it online, either stream it or download it. Add in a multimedia player or a decent smartphone, and you have the recepy for taking that show with you and enjoying it on the train, on the bus, taxi, or whatevr form of transport you take to the office each day. While doing that, you`re missing out on the world around you: that new amazing building they just finished a few blocks from you. That coffee shop they opened round the corner from your office. That beautiful girl that sat next to you on the bus.

Still reading? Let's take some other example. Your boss sends you on a three day business trip. But you still have to finish that project for the meeting on Tuesday morning. So you inform him you cannot do both. You are only human. So you end up going on that business trip, you get to visit a new town, do some business and still have some time so enjoy the trip. But wait! How about that $3000 lap top that the company gave you? You can take that with you, and after a day of changing planes, checking into hotels and sitting down with some people in a meeting, you can get back to your hotel room, have a few cups of coffee and finish your project for Tuesday morning! Horray for you, you amazing multitasker, you! Now you can even work on your lunch brake in that coffee shop they opened round the corner from your office.

The point of all this? Is technology bad? Not always. You also got to follow your show while on the road and kept in touch with your family back home, thousands of kilometers away. The bad part is... we haven't figured out a way to use it yet. Yes, I have a mobile phone that enables me to talk to whomever I want whenever I want, but do you always want to be reached at all times? Maybe you are just trying to relax during your holiday, or trying to go through a nice family dinner without having your boss asking you where you put that file.

Technology is ultimately usefull. It is here to make our lives easier. Now we just have to figure out how. We need the appropriate mannerism on how to integrate technology in our lives.

Standardisation

2008-05-24T01:14:00.003+03:00

I follow the courses of an economical university. among these courses, I have found many interesting concepts: globalisation, consumer preferences and marginal consumption. While we have studied those for obvious economical reasons, I have also found in them a... human factor.

Sure, in "consumer preferences" it is quite obvious. If a person likes a product, wants it and can afford it, chances are he/she will buy it. But in other concepts it is a bit more elusive. Still it is there. But what amazes me is that, with all the mathematical and economic formulas and calculations, human reaction is still a big factor in economy.

But one concept that I haven't seen yet is standardisation. Strangely enough, it is a concept that seems to have engourged us all, but no one seems to notice. It starts off with the toothbrush that we use every morning. It has been standardised to fit in a certain toothbrush category. Soon to follow, is the breakfast that we all have. We all eat it on some form of table. Again we all seem to agree that a flat surface with 4 legs is just the right thing for the job of sustaining our food , books, laptops etc.

Once we get in the car, the standardisation continues: seatbelt, chair (leather or the cheaper stuff), steering wheel, conveniently "standing apart" by the use of a different brand's details embeded in it. And then the road signs. Then the... well, you get ideea.

We all silently sucombe to these standards. We all accept them. We sometimes throw stones at those who break these norms and standards. Other times, we praise them. When a man runs a red light, he's penalised. When an artist thinks up some new form for a table, he gets acclaim for it.

Why do our reactions differ when being confrunted with the same concept? Well, some standards are there to prevent us from hurting, bothering or getting in the way of eachother, while others just arise because of common practice. So I guess one could say we just have... standard reactions.

Welcome

2008-05-21T00:48:00.003+03:00

Whenever a new blog is started, all the wannabe bloggers try to explain themselfes in the first post. Obviously, I shall not be the exception from the rule.

So why did I start this? because I love to write, firstly. Secondly, I will be conducting a sort of test. For those mildly interested in technology, this will be a tech test: I shall attempt to run, manage and post on this page soully from my Nokia devices (my N810 and my E90, soon to be replaced by a N95 8GB). For those of you not proned towards chips and wires, this shall be more of a self-exploration.

So, for now, sit back and enjoy. Pleasent reading!