Thursday, April 23, 2009

Email

Date: April 23, 2009
Time: 10:36AM
Place: New York, NY

Electronic mail or more commonly known as email to most of us, how technology has improved over the years. Now you simply type your letters and messages click send and in a matter of seconds it is delivered to any part of the globe. Awesome is it not? People can stay in touch without the added costs and at the same time get be totally fed up of each other because of this convenience. It is particularly helpful to businesses because it has a tremendous impact on productivity and economics. Imagine having to call all the people who you now send emails to or having to go to the post office to send all these letters on a daily basis. The messenger’s job might become obsolete but at the cost of a better and much improved economy when all factors are taken into consideration. The flipside to this be would lack of exercise to the human body since instead of going two flights of stairs to deliver a letter or message, emails would do the job in a matter of seconds. It is also very smart since it can be configured to capture junk and place them in the junk folder. The sent mails go into the sent folder by default and incoming will automatically be delivered into the Inbox. For those of us who are not satisfied with these options, we can create folders and file emails to their preferences. To top it off we have the option of multiple web based email accounts which are free. Companies and businesses also use this to their advantage and it can be configured with any email client such as Microsoft outlook, Netscape messenger and Outlook express just to name just a few.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

My Job

Date: April 22, 2009
Time: 5:15PM
Place: New York, NY

My job is very special to me and I believe that I am married to it; I have to be on time, productive, friendly and call when I am running a bit late. Does this remind you of something? Now if I don’t do this I don’t expect to be treated in the same manner. I believe it is very important to perform at an exceptional level every day, my job is responsible for my welfare and livelihood and without it I would not be able to accomplish the things I want in life not to mention the necessities such as food, clothing and shelter. In all honesty I like doing my job almost all the time and I am lucky enough to have wonderful bosses and colleagues who make life so much more comfortable. I don’t have anyone looking over my shoulders and I am given the power and encouraged to make decisions and choices. This makes me feel very much a part of the wider family and not to mention important. It is good for my confidence level and boosts my energy thus increasing productivity. Very rarely would I feel discouraged or not wanting to be present at work. I always seem to have that positive feeling towards working and that was not always the case therefore it points to the environment that I am working in. We are quite often required to participate in training related to our work requirements and that I am sure helps tremendously. The wonderful part about this is that the majority of people who works here share the same feeling and since we are all from different cultures and countries it is difficult to say that we might be wrong.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Natural Disasters

Date: April 21, 2009
Time: 10:11PM
Place: Queens, NY

This is a force that man cannot prevent but have learn to live with it and take the necessary precautionary measures to safe guard his life until it is over. Some of these we are able to predict and through the medium of the media, advice the population of what measures are necessary. On the other hand some of them are not predictable and can cause great harm to infrastructure and human life. One of these would be earth quakes, unpredictable, and always leaves a very destructive path. I believe the most common one would be hurricanes and that has its season therefore we have ample time to prepare and prevent catastrophe unless people don’t heed the warning and try to brave the conditions; they usually lose and pay a very high price sometimes with their lives. Man cannot fight Mother Nature and if tries the battle will be lost even before it started, no matter how much technology is available as of now it is not enough. Don’t get me wrong technology does help and it has come a very long way as history will show and we are grateful for that. Hopefully in the not too far distant we would be able to come up with some magical instruments that would allow us to measure these calamities and thus create machines that present these in the future. We can at this moment work towards it and hope for the best.

Plants and Nature

Date: March 6th 2009
Time: 10:30PM
Place: Queens, NY

I have to say I love green and that means nature, yes it is true that whenever I get the opportunity I would venture into the woods (this would normally be when I travel away from New York) and just sit amongst the trees and take in the sights and sounds of mother nature, I just cannot get enough of it. The wind flowing through the branches of the trees and the birds singing it is such a beautiful sound that cannot be duplicated. In my apartment I have approximately ten plants that I care for and will be adding more pretty soon. At my desk in my office at work, I just added six plants that surrounds me and is the envy of my colleagues since they are so green and theirs are not. I just want to be close to nature as much as possible for I believe that our mere existence depends on it. The air we breathe, the vegetables that our body depends on, the water we drink and even the sunshine that burns us, yes we need these for our survival and so does the earth. As a people we need to be much more aware of our surroundings and pay closer attention to our actions towards it for most of us are very disrespectful towards the environment that we live in and that is very bad for us and future generations. No I am not even talking about global warming or even climate change.

Disappointments and Stress

Date: March 5th 2009
Time: 11:30PM
Place: Queens, NY

How do you cope with disappointments? What should you do and how should it be done to minimize the effects of stress that come with it? For sure I do not know the answers to these questions and I am certain that you would need the advice of a professional if the stress is too much. Everyone handles the stress that comes with disappointments differently and some unfortunately use extreme measures to combat that feeling. This usually results from failures as a result of lower expectations, for example lost of one’s job, house, car or even broken relationships to name a few. We all experienced this sometime in our lives and most of us would come out stronger and learn from this experience so that we would not fall into the same trap again. Remember repeated failures are not necessarily mistakes anymore and some us waltz through life enjoying the moments and hope that it will always be a piece of cake with icing at the top all the time. When these falls apart then we blame everyone else for our failures, If we can be responsible and accountable to for our actions that in itself will lessen the volume of stress that we place on ourselves and others and the world would be a much friendlier and stress free place to enjoy our lives.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Summit of the Americas

Date: April 20, 2009
Time: 5:30PM
Place: New York, NY

All the leaders of the Americas and the Caribbean (north, south and Central America) got together in Port of Spain Trinidad for a few days to discuss critical and not so critical issues. The hope is that these leaders would be able to create solutions for the welfare of their citizens. It was a much hyped summit taking place in one of the bigger islands of the Caribbean and the people of this region felt important and did not even try to hide their pride. You Trinidad I reality is a very small inland nation compared to other countries in the world, yes very small and they got this opportunity so the administration embraced it openly. They spent a fortune to accommodate the visiting leaders of their respective countries. My point is while a very big percentage of people is living under the poverty line (twenty percent approximately) in this oil rich country of 1.3 million the government don’t care but would spend five billion to host this event in extravagant style. That is politics and politicians at its best. Yes the world was watching because the United States president and the Venezuelan president were present (yes these two administrations were at it for a while) but if you watched the CNN reports I believe that most of the reporters did not even know where Trinidad was since they kept say Latin America, heck it is in the Caribbean. At the beginning there was so much hype to tackle the enormous problems that exists in this part of the world but strangely enough no one was reporting about any solutions that would be implemented at the end. Leaves one to ask what they really did for those few days at the expense of the taxpaying dollars? I hope we’ll get the answers pretty soon.

Foods

Date: April 19, 2009
Time: 9:30PM
Place: Queens, NY

Since I love to eat, yes you read this correct I said love to eat some people asks the question, do you eat to live, or live to eat and I am actually confused and don’t really know to answer. That is what my friend told me when I ask him, “how come you eat so much and yet you are so fit.” He does not even try to eat healthy or read the label that will allow him the option of knowing what is in the food. I am guessing that he has great metabolism and that helps. He works out quite often and actually confessed that he likes to exercise so maybe that is the secret to staying in shape and the food don’t allow him to put on weight. I recommended he checked a doctor because I once saw a commercial on TV some time ago where this guy was looking very healthy and fit but feel sick because his cholesterol was too high. I have not heard from him regarding this advice as yet. I always ask myself if he could have a medical condition or is this normal, it is very difficult for me to believe that normal people eat this way. But I guess he enjoys it and if it has no negative effects other than in his wallet then its ok. He has no preferences and would eat almost anything that taste good for him so maybe his digestive system might a bit different to the regular person. Well all in all he enjoys eating and it’s not costing me anything because the last thing I would do is invite him to lunch.

Play and Relax

Date: April 18th 2009
Time: 6:30PM
Place: Queens, NY

Today was the perfect day for play and relaxation, well of course after play you need to relax and renew the lost energy. Yes my play means physical and in the sun energy will be burned. I was out for about half day even though I was supposed to be reading, no stress I will catch up later tonight. I have a few people to meet and get a few important things done, but will take care of itself later. I caught up on some world news and sports on TV while I was relaxing. It is a good thing that I have the Fox sports channel so I can watch the English premier league and be entertained by some of the world’s best soccer players competing against each other on the big stage. It is an adrenalin rush every time two top teams clash. The world cup is not too far away, just next year and I am eagerly awaiting this much hyped event, to me this is the biggest sporting event in the world and it is worth the four years of wait. This evening came by really quickly and it is almost the end of another day. It shows that I had an enjoyable one since I did not notice how quickly it went by. I am planning to get enough rest this summer and also have maximum fun, it only happens once a year and it is not very long. I am now going to have a few refreshments and if all goes well I will be sleeping early tonight because yesterday I went to bed very late. I will need to be refreshed for tomorrow since it will be Sunday and most people will be outdoors and that is where I would like to be also.

Long Week

Date: April 17th 2009
Time: 3:30PM
Place: Queens, NY

As you will have noticed by now it is the end of the working week for most, yes it is Friday and that always comes out good. Even though I have an exam at school today just thinking about the weekend makes it the more exciting. The weather is supposed to be really nice with lots of sun and a chance of rain but I believe it won’t come since it is only a thirty percent. Yes I am tired after all I have been working all week and when added would amount to five consecutive days. The stress of having to travel on the subway and those of you who use New York City subway system in rush hours would definitely know what I am talking about. Yes it is very hectic, always crowded and sometimes the delays can really get to you but I have to give much kudos to the passengers, they are very polite and patient. To do this day in day out every day for five days is really asking a lot but we do manage somehow. To top it off they are seriously trying to implement higher fares so now we have to pay for their inefficiency and lack of vision in performing their jobs and when it amounts to losses we the paying public has to pick up the financial slack. So easy for them is it not? As a matter of fact too easy for them since they know all they have to do to reduce their deficit is to just raise the fare. Putting all of this aside I plan on having a wonderful and fun filled weekend in the park, taking advantage of the pleasure of Mother Nature. This doesn’t happen often and when it does as long as I have the free time I will use it to my best interest.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Weekend is coming

Date: April 16, 2009
Time: 3:19PM
Place: New York, NY

Yes it is the day before the unofficial start of the weekend which I usually look forward to and especially since the sun is starting to show itself more frequently. It means life is beginning to feel the pre summer excitement. I was actually having this conversation today with a friend whom I shared lunch with; she is from Morocco and was also in the excitement of the coming summer. The weather in her home land is very similar to what we have now. In the city and elsewhere more people frequent the sidewalks trying to catch rays of sunlight and I have to say it feels so good. This weekend I think promises, to be a good one, maybe no rain and warmer weather. That means it’s a park weekend, yes outdoors and fun stuff to do. Some will be setting up the BBQ grill for the first time this year while others will simply just play or run. Even walking is recommended because when the heat and sun really starts bearing down on earth you will have to take it easy. All the parks will be filling up early therefore one has to be out there to get a good spot and avoid the later rush. Hopefully the rain won’t come down but there are people who love that also and would stay out and get wet. In the Caribbean I would do something like that. I love when it rains heavily, I would go out and just get wet, it a good feeling and much fun. The weather there is always very hot and being in the rain will take the heat away somewhat. Summer is close and most people are looking forward to it especially on weekends when there is no work and all free time.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Lunch Today

Date: April 15th 2009
Time: 11:24PM
Place: Queens, NY

In our department two people were about to leave and one coming on board therefore we decided to have all three for lunch today and what a lunch it was. To begin with my boss was present so the two hours we sat in the restaurant was not a big deal, since silently it was authorized. One of our colleagues decided on Turkish and we all went along with it and that decision turned out to be a very good one for all of us. This I gathered from the feedback we all gave at the middle and end of the meal. Expensive it was but great tasting and definitely worth it. I have never eaten Turkish before and I have to say I was so impressed with the taste, now I am a fan and a returning one at that. It was ten of us and we could not finish the food so you now realize that the portions are also very big, we had to take some back. This is not the normal trend because usually when the food is so good the portions are small and the price is high. We had chicken, lamb and vegetables with lemonade. I ate so much that it made my journey back to work painful because we had to walk about eight blocks. I would definitely have to visit this place again in the near future but I also have to be careful since it will cost a sum. I thanked the lady who suggested this and we all promised to heed her advice the next time we are eating out as a group. This restaurant (I don’t remember the name) actually has a bar just in case you needed to quench your thirst with a drink of alcohol. Now I know why almost every lunch time this place is full especially with the recession and all.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

What a Day

Date: April 14, 2009
Time: 10.01PM
Place: Queens, NY.

After spending four consecutive days at home with no work or school to attend it is safe to say that I had a mini holiday. I could sleep late, go to bed late, indulge in a few drinks and hang out a bit. I did not party in clubs or even bars and yes I went to the park and ran around some; it was a good few days of sunshine even though there was some rain in the beginning. Today after all the fun I had to return to work and please don’t get me wrong I do love my job and most times look forward to my working days. I know at this time the recession is in full bloom and numerous people are without jobs and uncertain futures therefore I want to make it very clear, I am not complaining. I had a rather productive day and was able to accomplish much of what I had intended. Lunch was good for I choose to be vegetarian and had good company with pleasant conversation. I believe the time went by rather quickly today and that in itself shows that I was having fun doing my job. Most times when you are not enjoying what you do the times crawls but this is the exact opposite, before I knew it the clock was showing 4:50 in the evening. I left after six o’clock and got on the train, I took the opportunity to get some reading in regards to school and by the time I got off the train and headed home I had learned some of what I had intended to do. In a nutshell my day was enjoyable, productive and fun hopefully I can have all my days like this in the future. Yes I know somewhat wishful thinking but who knows.

Monday, April 13, 2009

My Easter Monday

Date: April 13, 2009
Time: 10:00PM
Place: Queens, NY

Until my friend mentioned it today I had no clue that today was Easter Monday, I knew it was Monday and I did not have to work but that was about it. Yes I got up a bit later than usual and completed my laundry in good time. I took the opportunity to do a few chores that was actually pending for more than it should. I tried to catch up on home work that needed to be done and even though I am a bit dissatisfied with my effort I did manage some of it. I had a relaxing day, read the online news and caught up with emails on all my accounts. I knew I could have done more but I also needed to rest some since I do not always have free time for myself anymore. After lunch took the time to visit the car wash and gave my car a much needed cleaning both inside and out. Now I bet it feels much better, for me it feels much more comfortable to drive. I visited a friend later in the day and even though I only needed to drop off a package she insisted that I stayed for dinner and a drink to which I was much obliged. I had spaghetti and a shot of vodka, it felt good but at the end I was a bit full and I dislike that feeling. It slows me down and that makes me very uncomfortable so I was a bit irritable when I got home. Now I am much better and after I am done with this blog I am off to bed, I need to catch enough sleep so that I will be prepared for my first working day of the week tomorrow.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Saved at Sea

Date: April 12, 2009
Time: 8:36PM
Place: Queens, NY

Awesome!!!! I bet that would be a good try at describing the feeling of the released Captain and his family. He was rescued by the United States Navy from the Somali pirates who held him in captivity for at least a week. This was reported today on all the networks and I have to say from my perspective I was very elated by the news. Three of the four pirates were killed and the other is in captivity, I believe they got what they deserved even though I am not a fan of violence and killing but this seem to be the last resort. What a world we live in when you cannot even do your job without being harassed in such a way in this part of the Globe. Imagine the relief felt by the captains family and close relatives and even him and his mates. Now he can go back to his regular life and get some much needed rest after such a horrifying ordeal, and maybe get some counseling so that he can be normal again. To me it does not matter how much training you received previously because, at the end of the day you are as human as much as anyone else and this type of stuff will play on your mind therefore you have to be careful otherwise it can stay so fresh in your mind that a permanent phobia will be instilled and you would never be the same again. Obviously this captain and his ship’s crew are real heroes for what they did and experienced there. From me to them I say thank you for being so brave and having the back of each other.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Driving

Date: April 11, 2009
Time: 11:32AM
Place: Queens, NY

I love it, yes I mean driving and I can even do it when I am tired because since I was a kid I loved driving. I was never one to overdo with the speed and I am proud to say in all my years of driving I have never received a speeding ticket as yet. When I say love to drive I mean long distances but that also has a limit because even though I have done as much as sixteen hours nonstop I do prefer four to six. That is much more fun since by the time you start getting tired the journey is almost complete. I like to sing because most times I am by myself and that does not sway my concentration. Most times I would be over the speed limit but never in an erratic manner. Accidents I try my best to avoid, actually am very scared of these, injuries and inconveniences is not what I look forward too. I would usually drive to Boston since I have quite a few friends there and it is only approximately four to four and half hours, ideal I would say. This allows me to spend weekend and be back in time for work on a Monday morning. I want to actually drive to Canada this summer while stopping off in Niagara for a few hours, for this I would company it is a bit longer and without company might b=become somewhat boring. How much can I sing to myself without getting fed up? Yes I know I am not even an okay singer that is why I would only torture myself. Looking forward to the summer and even though there are no concrete plans (I dislike making plans especially way ahead of time because it takes the excitement away) just knowing that I will be doing something makes it more exciting.

Easter

Date: April 10, 2009
Time: 5.50PM
Place: Queens, NY

I have to say I am not Christian even though I a have been to church several times in my life and even attended an Anglican Elementary school in my time. Easter to me is just another holiday and so I treat it since I have the luxury of a day off from work and school, now that is what I call a day off. I don’t have a schedule to follow or timetable to keep. It is a pleasant day also, good weather and plenty of sunshine and to top it off it is also a non working day for two of my friends. Now that could be a bit too much since the drinks and “old talk” would start flowing, to combat this I choose to fast so that I would not be pressured into partaking in the drinks even though I will stay in the company of these two. It is always very funny and exciting to listen to these two guys because they always have the stories to tell and my god it is always so darn funny. One of them is a Christian but I don’t see him doing anything different than us on this day therefore I believe he is not too much into the religion but strangely enough he attends church most Sunday mornings. I should start church again, I actually have been thinking about it and yes by that I mean Christian church and no I do not mean I am going to convert, I just want to be in the congregation where knowledge is be expounded if not then I will just not return for seconds. The one thing I cannot stand is hypocrites fooling bigger ones or trying to do so for a small fee and yes it applies to all folks of all religions.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Asteroids

Date: April 9, 2009
Time: 10:29PM
Place: Queens. NY

I listened attentively to my classmates in tonight’s groups speeches and even though they all had their strengths and weaknesses this one relating to asteroids caught my attention, here I want to indulge a bit and say what I think and know about this topic. It is very fascinating just thinking about huge rocks miles in size with burning flames floating in deep space at great speeds, really incredible. I do not know much about these but it excites my mind by just thinking about it. The grave danger about these is that sometimes they pass too close to earth and thus creating fear in the minds of those that track and study them. It can create havoc and destruction of an incomprehensive magnitude to life on earth. This is the greatest fear amongst us. There is some prediction when the next one can actually hit the planet earth and even though the odds are really small that does not make it impossible. I have no idea how man is going to prevent or combat such forces of nature; to me it looks bleak if such a catastrophe happens. I believe it was reported on one of the major networks that the next time for one of these to pass us closely would be 2014, now that is pretty close and it makes one nervous since we have not heard or seen any major development in the works that can prevent this if it actually happens. Hopefully we can avoid such an event or at least it will be one time when we would be happy to say the researchers and scientist were dead wrong.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Eating too Much

Date: April 8, 2009
Time: 4:00PM
Place: New York, NY


I think that most of us would agree that over eating only feels good at the time of consumption and your taste buds might be the only beneficiary at the time. The after effects we all could do without and I am not referring to the quick state of our metabolism but rather the slow sleepy feeling that comes after, the lazy droopy movements that the body moves with. Yes I know we agree because at some time or the other we indulged way too much and I am not even including drinks here. Today actually I had a very big lunch, the food was awesome and I kept eating. I actually had seconds and third not forgetting desert. I tried walking it off but that did not help much. It made me feel heavy and slow and taught me a good lesson that I should learn to curtail my greed for good food. In my case though I usually run for at least five miles every two days therefore I burn the extra calories even though that doesn’t give me an excuse to stuff my stomach as much. I do not for the hell of it want to have a big belly and I believe that food can do that to you if one continues to have such big meals. The theory is that beer would normally be the culprit but that could be wrong because anything that goes into your stomach in big volumes can cause it. This can also result in health hazards if left unchecked. My advice is eat in moderation and if it is that good then have it in small portions a number of times instead of big portions just a few times.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Passwords

Date: April 7th 2009
Time: 5:20PM
Place: New York, NY

How many do we need to know? In this age of technological advancements everything you do requires a password. I have used up all that I can remember and it gets so frustrating that I refuse to enter anymore. For instance I am at the bank to withdraw some cash, I am in line to the teller, out of nowhere this very attractive girl comes directly to me and asked “are here for a transaction?” to which I answered yes. She now asks me to come into her office so she can explain to me how to use the ATM machine. I told her that I do know how but choose not to. She was confused; I explained that I would rather wait a few minutes more and have an interaction with someone real who I can talk to. I am not one who believes in these technological machines, as a matter of fact I am kind of scared of them. We had a lengthy conversation and she actually did share some of my concerns and to make things even more interesting she were beleived in much of what I said. Well that was her personal opinion as opposed to her professional job requirements. She was almost tripped over when I mentioned that I have never ever used an ATM system no matter where I am in the world. To her that was impressive and I could not see the big deal about it. Why are we so dependent on these systems? Can we not manage our meager finances on a day to day basis, I think it is relatively easy and personally believe it is the correct thing to do especially when a machine charges you a fee to withdraw your own money.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Movies

Date: April 6th 2009
Time: 9:54PM
Place: Queens. NY

I don’t feel it anymore and don’t know why. Maybe because school is taking all my money and yes that would mean I am broke or is it my timetable is screwed and no free minutes are left for the taking. It could just be that the movies now are not appealing to me anymore/ just can’t get a handle on this. Well I hope to god I am not losing my groove. Scary right let me see since I am not sure I will not just go out of my way to prove a point to myself that I could not make in the first place. I have not been to the movies in quite some time may a year but guess what do enjoy a movie playing to cable or DVD so there it is I am quite normal. Blame it on the financial situation and lack of time to spend. See I already figured it out. Now I am not going to change this anytime soon because I am not even getting a tax refund, bleak isn’t it. Well at least I am contended and happy; yes you better believe it because it is quite true. I can’t say I am not looking into the future to the time all of this will come to an end and I will be able to spend time out again and have vacations and not have to worry about school and assignments. Just thinking about it makes the heart smile. Those of you who in the same situation would know exactly what I am talking about how it feels, I say don’t worry too much because before you know it this time would be gone right by. We are all going to be just fine, just stick to it.

New Stadiums

Date: April 5th 2009
Time: 3:00PM
Place: New York. NY

So we have two new baseball stadiums therefore none of the base ball fans can be jealous of the other. You are pretty much sure that that won’t be a topic for argument when fans verbally clash. I guess it is going to be all quality baseball rhetoric. Hopefully these stadiums will bring some good results or even a championship to the city; we have not had one of these for a while especially from the Mets. I think it is about time for them, they have very loyal fans who fill the seats from game to game therefore it is about that time to reward them. Win something will you. Or how New Yorkers love their baseball and a subway series is the best way to climax it all. Forget the Knicks for they don’t seem to be interested in wining anything just by the way they play the game and maybe the administration is not to focused on getting championship rated players in Madison square garden therefore our hope lies with baseball. Remember the Giants were the team to bring home the prize therefore let’s not put too much pressure on them even though we won’t mind another one. This will give us a chance to once more visit the canyon of heroes and participate in all the fun filled activities like drinking beer and behaving idiotic. I just can’t wait, so guys please go out there show them what you are made off.

Weekends Free……………Until

Date: April 4th 2009
Time: 1:00PM
Place: New York. NY

Well now I can safely say that I have my weekends free once more, well until next semester who know what the schedule would look like? I feel alive again especially when the sun is hot and there is not rain hanging around to dampen my spirits. I can wake up when I feel like it even though I am usually an early riser but what I am trying to say is that I don’t have an early morning schedule to follow. Yes that could have the potential to add unwanted stress. I still have quite enough assignments to keep me busy and yes I plan on finishing all on Saturdays and if not along the evenings but not on Sundays. Sundays are for me to relax and hang, live again so to speak. I worked extra hard to complete my Saturday class so as to prepare my schedule the way it is now therefore here is evidence enough that hard work do pay off. Time to catch up on the fun again and get out of the house and actually feel the wind and hear the sounds of nature, well that is whatever New York City have to offer in that department. I have to say it is an exciting feeling and I am going to enjoy it until timetable changes again. Hope it will be accommodating and not include weekends but who knows. I guess I will have to do what is required and that is school first. Yes it is a big sacrifice but we knew this even before we signed so it is just to be brave and own up to it. I guess what I am saying is I have to be mature and responsible, in the long run the dividends will be very rewarding.

Predictions

Date: April 3rd 2009
Time: 12:00PM
Place: New York. NY

Have you heard? Scientists have predicted that in approximately thirty years the human civilizations as we know it will be extinct on earth, or as more commonly known to us the world will end. I guess if all human life were to end well yes the world has ended for us because more than likely we won’t know what is left. If you think about it when one dies the world has ended for that person right? Well back to this topic, it all has to do with our lifestyles and habit which is gradually destroying the earth in the form of global warming. This causes the glaziers to melt thus causing sea level to right and likewise temperatures. I do not have a handle on this so mi won’t try to speculate. I am just saying here what I heard on the news and read in the newspaper or web and it is scary to say the least. Just think about it no more future generations? Well if it is our fault I am not surprise since I can see daily how we are destructive animals and some won’t even care about their actions. It scares me to see parents, yes people with children not caring about the environment since it is their children who will inherit the earth in the future. I believe since I was a kid I have been hearing about this warming trend, sometimes I believe and other I have my doubts. Well just to be sure I am trying to contribute in whatever way I can as an individual. For instance try not to have the tap running when I don’t need it, avoid wasting paper or driving when I can take public transportation. Yes I believe if we all do our little part collectively it will add up to make a huge difference.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Approaching summer in NYC

Date: April 2, 2009

Time: 2:24PM

Place: New York, NY


This morning started off a bit on the chill side therefore one had to dress accordingly, but as the day wore on and the sun started shinning it became quite nice. Yes spring is here and you can see the relief on the faces of New Yorkers as you walk the streets. It is a big difference from what you were accustomed to in the cold winter days. People seem to have that extra bounce in their step and no one wants to eat in their offices anymore, oh how the weather can affect us all especially if you just got out of a cold winter. I guess people in the warmer climate would take this for granted, for they enjoy it daily, imagine when the rain falls on a really hot day that would be a bad one for them but for us it’s cold with rain or snow what a difference. Just writing this makes me start thinking of a Caribbean vacation soon, beach, and sun and not to mention the drinks to go with it. I tell you if you have experience it before it is definitely a different kind of high. Today we choose to have lunch outside in a restaurant on 2nd avenue and yes the place was busy, it actually did not reflect the state of the economy at all. Well it is not all summer like weather yet, since as soon as the sun sets it is a bit cold again but a little patience will get us some really good weather soon. Most people I know already started planning their three months of good weather and this has nothing to do with vacations, you see the schedules are already reflecting where the next BBQ would be held, and whose back yard would be chosen. It is a very comforting and exciting feeling especially when the winter seemed so long. I am definitely looking forward.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Computer & Viruses

Date: April 1st 2009

Time: 3:00PM

Place: new York, NY

Computers and the viruses that affect them, amazing isn’t it. I remember once I was working in a Hospital some time ago and the computer fell in front of a doctor who said “well if that was a patient I would be sued” and we replied “ well computers also get viruses you know” and he remarked “do they bleed?” we all had a good laugh. They don’t bleed but for sure they can get sick from the viruses and that is why they die or fail to operate as they were programmed to. Every so often there is a new virus ready to attack and we have to be able to counter that by using antivirus software. If you are not protected, within hours on the web your system will be so affected with viruses that it will never be the same again. You will need to come up with a few hundred dollars to get it repaired which is not even the worst part. You run the risk of losing data which in most cases is priceless. I always wonder if there is a connection between the virus creator and the antivirus creator, don’t it look a bit questioning or is it just me. It is a really annoying experience to have your system infect by some unknown virus and then all these popup appears and most of it is in a sexual nature. Why? Why can it not be popup with good humor or Macy’s sales or something of that nature? Troubling is it not? To top it off you have to keep your antivirus update every other day or even though you purchased the software and configured it, your system could still be infected. This thing is confusing and adds stress to our already stressful lives. Hopefully in the future something more powerful will be created, but why would they?

Tuition Increase

Date: March 31st 2009

Time: 3:00PM

Place: new York, NY

I need to ask the question why the need to increase tuition at this time, especially now with the recession in full swing and the economy deteriorating daily? Where are people going to come up with this extra money when they already have bills to pay that are actually on hold? I think they are really asking us to drop out because it is almost impossible to come up with anything extra. The future already looks bleak and with no jobs in sight after graduation where is the work or is it just a faithful promise to those of us who will be graduating. Now don’t get me wrong here since I am most certainly willing to continue but if the money is not available how can we continue in school? Are they giving us grants? The minute I saw this email I was hoping it to be a spam but it seems real enough. I am totally stressed and confused about this whole thing, especially when you are working your behind off and looking forward to the day when you will successfully graduate and then this happens. I am hoping for the best since I am going to give it my utmost honest effort but who is to say I was not doing that already. Hopefully someone will come to their senses and realize now is not the time and recall this or find some other way to create their finances. When I signed up I do not recall anyone mentioning increases anytime in the future and if this is supposed to happen do they just send an email out of the blue? Ridiculous I would say.

Monday, March 30, 2009

The Price of Oil

Date: March 30th, 2009

Time: 2:59PM

Place: New York, NY

The price of Oil fluctuates so regularly that it seems the Gas station prices keep moving up and down weekly and when you think the price of gas is actually cheap and affordable, it increases rapidly. It’s like taking the bus to work in the morning and noticing the price at a certain number and when you ride through that same route in the evening the price is higher. You just can’t keep up with these things, and since I am car owner I pay particular attention to this. You see I started this habit ever since the price of Oil went to above a hundred dollars and that allowed the price of gas to increase to more than four dollars a gallon and I am referring to the cheapest (regular), this was bit insane since one could not afford to drive long distances anymore or you would certainly have to pay close to a hundred to fill up any six cylinder car. Now it is a bit better as compared to before when sixty to eighty dollars would have filled up your tank, now it is much cheaper at forty therefore that allows enough to be spend on other things like beer and fast food. Let’s all hope that the madness stays in check and even though it stays at about two dollars a gallon that to me is okay, yes I can tolerate it but won’t mind a bit if it goes under. Does anyone know why this happened all of a sudden? I mean why did it go so high and rapidly decreased, does it have anything to do with the global economy? I am guessing maybe.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

News Today Concerning Laptops

Date: March 29th, 2009

Time: 7:35PM

Place: Queens-NY

Today I read in the news that HP is coming out with a safer and affordable battery for Laptops, now this is very good news because in the past you always heard of the disastrous stories of batteries exploding and sometimes catching fire. Most time though these batteries would not give much life after maybe a year and one had to purchase a new battery if you wanted to work off electricity. This sounds great since you have the option now of getting three years of warranty, in this case you would be comforted by the fact that you are covered for three years in case it fails. It is reported that this will be available later in the month. The battery is supposed charge at a much faster rate even reaching eighty percent in approximately thirty minutes as opposed to the regular ones that take maybe up to hours to charge. Now this is believable since they are offering the three year warranty to back up their promise. I know this good news for laptop owners especially the ones that use it for work and have to travel in cars, trains and airplanes while catching up on pending assignments. With today’s fast paced environment this is definitely medicine to the ears of the IT industry. Now we just have to be patient and hope they are correct it their assessment.

World Cup Qualifiers

Date: March 28th 2009

Time: 9:00PM

Place: Queens-NY

It was do or die coming down the stretch for the United States men’s soccer team in El Salvador today. After seventy minutes of play the US were b trailing by two goals to nil and things look bleak at that point but they somehow managed to find the strength from within and in the seventy seven minute scored and then again in the eighty eight minute to tie the game. El Salvador has to be disappointed after leading so strongly and playing with so much strength and speed in front of approximately thirty one thousand of their home fans. They took control of the game early and I guess that is what caught America by surprise. The Americans only started taking notice that this game could be a defeat after the second goal and that helped them to understand that they needed to step up their game if they wanted to compete, that they did and it shows the character these players. The competition is now beginning to take shape and if you were following the qualifiers you would now understand how important it is for each team to get maximum points especially at home games if they wanted to increase their chances of getting to the big stage in South Africa in 2010. This is the last stage of qualifiers and out of six teams, three and half will qualify. The first three will go to South Africa and the half will have to play a home and away game against a South American team which is almost impossible to win therefore it is so much more important to be in the first three.

Off day

Date: March 27th. 2009

Time: 10:54AM

Place: Queens-NY

Yes today feels so good and it is not just because of the weather (60 degrees with sunshine), you see I am off today from work and that allows me to sleep a bit later than usual especially since I had classes last night and went to bed late. I have a lot of assignments to catch up on and to also complete my tax returns therefore it is not at all a free hang out type of day but I rather being home and doing this than working. I also have to attend classes later today and tomorrow, therefore I needed to catch up on some sleep, I tend to do this whenever possible since the opportunity is far and few in between. I feel good and I am ready to start my Math assignments with a target to get done before I leave home later. It is a pity that I cannot go outside and enjoy the weather for some time since I have used all my minutes wisely, wow sounds like minutes on a cell phone huh. Well now you know, got the picture right. In between I will try to get some brain rest by turning on the TV and try to relax a bit to avoid being burnt out or bored of doing the same thing too long. You know that can become a problem and maybe even create a phobia for future studies therefore I have to try and avoid this as much as possible. Well now I am off to get some breakfast and start with my daily schedule.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

New Boss

Date: March 26, 2009

Time: 3:43PM

Place: New York, NY.


My boss picked up a new assignment last year and everyone was very sad since we all thought that she was irreplaceable (definitely no one can replace her), she was so caring and open to suggestion, humble and very professional. She always took the entire group to lunch and insisted on paying (we were about ten) even though we would start an argument she would end up winning and paying. She is now stationed in China and seems to be enjoying, she sent us pictures showing where she visited and the house she bought. She even visited the birds nest (the Olympic village) and her crew seems to be wherever she goes because they are all in her pictures. The funniest thing about this is that she looks very much Chinese but do not speak the language. She was born is Brazil to Japanese parents and is married to a Brazilian. All her kids were also born there. We keep in contact via email to let her know how things are proceeding here. It will never be the same. After about three months her replacement arrived and she seem friendly and always carries a smile with her, she is also Asian and to announce her arrival she took all of us to lunch today, sounds familiar; maybe it’s an Asian cultural thing. Well I am not complaining by any means, we all got along quite ok and even though it is still very early I believe that it’s going to be just fine. She seems to have a good work ethic and a great sense of humor which makes life at work less stressful. We would have to wait and see what the future holds but as of now it seems bright, I guess only time has the answer we’ll see.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

An Experience at the Dentist

Date: March 25, 2009

Time: 8:38PM

Place: Home-Queens – NY

The most difficult part is lying on that dreaded chair waiting for him to actually walk into the room. His assistant (forgive me for not knowing the medical term that they are referred to) asks you to stay calm and she will proceed to x-ray your mouth while you wait patiently. This is how the kid related the story to me, he is always afraid and this happens for each visit which usually takes place twice a year. Open. Open wider, that is how he knows that someone is about to intrude into his mouth and disturb his teeth. This is usually done with minor pain because it is only a routine visit but the trauma he experienced previously stays in his mind every time this procedure is about to take place. No one is in the room except him, the assistant and the dentist. He is left alone in a strange room with strangers who most likely will cause him pain while his mother sits outside in the waiting room. This maybe is more painful than the actual process, feeling alone and abandon, no one to hold on too. I can somehow relate to this because even though I am much older and have been through much worse, it still scares me especially when he says open or even open wider. I am not making out my Dentist to be a bad guy because he is actually very caring and would interrupt every so often to ask if I am ok to which I would always reply yes. This I do because I just want to get it over with and head out of there. To be honest most of my visits are very pleasant.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Some Advantages of Wired Vs Wireless Networks

Date: March 24, 2009

Time: 2:42PM

Place: New York. NY


We don’t just go wireless because wireless networks also have disadvantages as compared to wired networks. Physical fix wiring connections are not prone to interference and the bandwidth does not fluctuate as opposed to wireless networks which can be affected by these therefore in this area. Wired networks tend to be much more reliable than wireless. Unless there is a problem with one of the network cards (NICs), the cabling, the switch or hub (all hardware) wired networks will deliver to its full potential all the time. On the other side wireless signals can be distracted by walls, distance, floors and by its immediate surroundings. You don’t have to worry about networking signals travelling through the air and being intercepted by intruders who were not intended to access the network especially if the network is not protected as in the case with many home networks. Wired networks are usually faster in terms of speed than wireless. Wired network adapter cost less than wireless therefore cost is also a factor. While wireless networks have their pluses wired networks are still the better choice for reliability, security, speed and in some instances cost.

Monday, March 23, 2009

As promised – The history of Horoscopes

Date: March 23rd. 2009

Time: 4.23PM

Place: Work – New York-NY


It is said that horoscopes began with the ancient Greeks thousands of years ago. It started with information regarding when to plant crops and when is a good time to harvest, if you ask me I would say this is definitely strong superstitions. They took the position of the Sun and planets had how it affected one’s life. It would let you know what future events would happen depending on your date of birth. Some also believed that the future cannot be predicted but they could use the information to predict possible influences that the planets would have on one’s life. Later on people in China and after that Egypt started practicing astrology. The word Astrology means “Science of the Stars” and is a Greek word. A person’s horoscope is also call a birth chart. They selected twelve months and assigned the twelve zodiac signs depending on what month and date you were born. This they did by taking into account the position of the planets at the time of year you were born and somehow this allowed them to can predict your behavior and intelligence. I have read not only my horoscope but all twelve and did not notice anyone had anything negative, now if this is true it simply says that us humans were born good people but later on in our lives some of us changed our behavior to become bad. I do not know why did happens, is it the way one adapts to society or is it bad parenting. I have no answer since I do not know. But I can definitely tell you that this part of is very true.

Hangovers

Date: March 22nd. 2009

Time: 1.09PM

Place: Home- Queens - NY


Hangover, what do you think guys, is there a cure because we sure do need one. It feels so good and causes so much fun when you indulge and we all know what happens next morning. We make so many promises that this will never happen again, it will be the last time I drink this stuff and guess what as soon as we forget we go right back and commit the same sin only to suffer again. If you are not careful it will get to the point where you will have one too many and that is when the hangover starts developing to rear its ugly head at wake up time. You can’t eat or drink anything since that would be an excuse for the body to reject it and it comes out right away only to increase the pain and suffering. Why can’t one drink socially? Wasn’t that reason why this was invented in the first place, I believe so. It confuses me because the taste of this stuff most times is awful yet people flood the bars so frequently and indulge in loud conversation that sounds more like an argument. They are totally out of character since not so long ago they were in offices and homes where the quiet was a way of life and now after a few drinks all that changes. Maybe people drink so that they can let it all out and for that period of time to be stress free, well except for when the hangover takes control. I have heard it said that the best remedy for hangover is one more drink when you wake up, how is that possible even if it will work the thought of it, the taste especially would definitely make you want to bring it back out. I am not sure because some people behavior just confuses me.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

The mystery about Global Warming

Date: March 21st 2009

Time: 8:30PM

Place: School- Devry- LIC- NY


What do you think about all the fuss about global warming? So many controversies for and against this that leaves one very confused, some winter days the weather is warmer than usual and changes to very cold rapidly, there is drought in some parts of the world and too much rainfall elsewhere. One thing leads to another. I believe that this was happening since I can remember and if science has improved so much why anyone can’t come up with a definite answer instead of all this controversies to confuse us folks. Is there such a thing as global warming or not. Now it seems as though when any unexpected weather pattern happens it is credited to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere and the prediction is dire. They make us believe that the world would turn upside down, life as we know it would not be the same again. As a matter of fact it sounds more like a painful process and causes one to be very skeptical when looking into the future. Now I believe that we should take care of the environment as its citizens by doing the stuff that we can control, for instance recycling and contain pollution as much as possible because it our home to live and should be left as pure as possible for the future generations to come but the way it sound from researchers and scientist it makes one think that there is hardly any earth left in a matter of years for anyone. The more I read is the more I begin to believe that this is actually happening and the more scared I become because, it sounds like there is no hope. The future according to them looks really bleak. Now the opponents of global warming do not have any answers either because their theory is that they also believe that the atmosphere is warming but, it is natural. Wow very comforting, it seems as though there is no real answer and we just have to wait and see, not a good solution for something as big and bad as this. Now I have no knowledge of this topic therefore I am just expressing a personal opinion.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Love for Sports

Date: March 20th. 2009

Time: 4:01PM

Place: Work -New York. NY


Yes sports, most people I know and hang around with also love sports and this love started most times at childhood. Now, I am not so much into it other than running to stay fit and a little pickup soccer and softball cricket. Apart from that I do not watch too much of the teams that I used to like, as a matter of fact the only time I would sit in from of the TV would be for major tournaments like the world cup (soccer) and the Olympics. At a younger age I always found time to be in front of the TV for most of the teams I like and would even venture out to the park to see them live. You see I begin to realize that I expected my team to win no matter what and if they did not I would be so depressed that sometimes appetite for food or anything else would be gone. Then I started not paying attention to these games and teams because I did not want to feel this, it was not a pleasant feeling and I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. The sad thing is I know quite a few people with this problem and they would argue their point even if their team is on the losing end. Tragic is it not? I started to read about it the day after and the results affected me less, yes this I could handle. Now I don’t care who wins or lost to me it is just a game and as a spectator it should be fun and a good sport don’t matter who wins or loses. I guess this type of thinking comes with one’s maturity. I enjoy it better now.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Horoscopes

Dtae: March 19th. 2009

Time: 11:45PM

Place: Home - Queens - NY

What do you make of this huh? Some folks read this daily but I think this should be for entertainment purposes only. Have you ever try reading your horoscope on yahoo and later in the day read it from another website or newspaper and realize that it quite different. Well I have noticed that the last time I checked. Now if this is the case how can you even begin to be a believer in such erratic reporting? Yeah I know it brings a smirk smile to your face and it should. How did horoscope come about? Let me guess some wise guy long ago come up with a big very bright idea and thought he/she can let people know what is going to happen or along what lines their daily lives will be like and the funny thing about this is that some people actually read believing that it would happen, superstitious I tell you but guess it happens to me sometimes too. How did they come up with the symbols and the names I would love to know, maybe I can do some research on this topic and blog the results later on, I think that would actually clear up a lot and make me a stronger believer or maybe not. Let’s see, honestly speaking I do read my horoscope sometimes and It has never been close to what it predicts, therefore how should I place faith in this. Look out for my research findings.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wireless connectivity - Broadband

Dtae: March 18th. 2009

Time: 7:58PM

Place: Home- Queens- NY

Wireless broadband can connect a home or business to the internet or a local network, it has the capability to access printers and share files over a network and works as well as any connection. It is very convenient since there is less hardware to install especially at the front end which makes it easier to work with for administrator and users alike. This technology will be around for a long time because it is presently becoming more popular as time goes by and in almost every company or household you can visit it is more than likely to be there. You can avoid having to run patch cables under your desk and having a Laptop with this type of connectivity is very rewarding since you can actually move around freely in meetings at home as long as you stay within the range and this is what most users want most. I know most of you who are using an internet connection would surely want to have this installed for all the conveniences that come with it. Just be careful and secure your wireless router to avoid anyone getting into your net work without permission. It is very straight forward and the directions come with the manual. Just read and implement and you are secure.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Trying Times

Date: March 17th. 2009

Time: 11.25PM

Place: Home- Queens-NY

What is it with the world today every which way you turn there is political turmoil, suffering, lack of basic necessities, hunger, civil war, drought, war and civil unrest just to name a few. Is it because of mans attitude towards each other, is greed or is it what is written in the scriptures. I know this could be a heated debate from all angles but I am not trying to answer these questions because I have none. It is just that if you keep up with current affairs you’ll notice that it is happening daily yes daily and there seem to be no answer or stopping any time soon. Even today in the news today you would notice that the unrest in Madagascar has resulted in the President announcing his resignation, is this, the new trend of how officials and administrations would be allowed to govern? It seems very common lately well at least to me. If you keep count the number might be a bit tall of how many governments are in power without being elected by the people. I have to say that this is a bit scary and if it doesn’t slow down or stop then the next would think it is quite ok to do the same. What is the role of the United Nations in all of this and the so called developed nations, do they just sit back and allow these things to happen and when they eventually do take a stance it is the wrong one. What is all the fighting for? Maybe to cont6rol population growth, I don’t know just a crazy thought. I guess these question would be left unanswered because if there was an answer why is it not being implemented you know it could actually save lives and make the world a much more peaceful place for all of us. On the other hand if there is an answer and it not being implemented then I guess we are in for a bleak future if this continues to happen.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Springtime is upon us

Date: March 16th. 2009

Time: 10.15PM

Place: Home - Queens - NY

Do you feel it, I bet most of us do because it is beginning to warm up gradually and I must admit it feels way better than the colder weather we endured previously this past winter. I know I am already putting winter in the past even though it is not officially over as yet but that tells you I am impatiently awaiting spring and the summer where life begins again. I am already trying to create time in my so busy schedule to accommodate some sought of recreation, be it in the park or just finding fun things to do outdoors. Being indoors for most of the year is no fun especially with limited sunshine and not much to do other than trying to stay warm and comfortable; thank god for TV otherwise most folks would run out of stories to tell. Boredom would’ve been the norm and life without the little comforts as we know it would have been totally different. Hey don’t ask me because I have no clue maybe reading some deep history would shed some light to this. This summer providing I have the time I am planning to participate in club cricket (softball) and soccer at my job even though it sounds more like wishful thinking it actually feels good to know that I at least have some fun plans. My present schedule does not allow these activities as long as we only have 24 hours in a day, therefore I would have to sacrifice some of these plans when time comes and that makes me feel dejected a bit, but knowing that we would be having longer brighter and warm days makes for a better feeling and attitude towards life.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

De-stress

Date: March 15th. 2009

Time: 1:01pm

Location: Home - Queens - New York

Between full time school and full time work life can get a bit stressful both mentally and physically and if one don’t take the necessary steps (especially in the early stages) to eliminate this, the level can increase to the point where you would not only fail, but be burnt out and then your energy level would drop. You are now at the risk of harming your system. You get the picture because after that the body is much more prone to sicknesses and diseases. I find myself in the situation, and with school, work and assignments there is practically no time for recreation. We all know the saying that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” well in this case the name Jack represents all of us who are in this boat. To counter this I would occasionally try to do something that I think would be fun which, would take my mind away from everything else and help me relax. This to me is medicine for the mind body and soul. For instance after class on a Saturday I would just call anyone I am close to and drive to maybe Boston for the remainder for the weekend and just have plain old fun within the lawJ. You see I love driving especially if it is within six hours, I can have conversation, laughter (best medicine) and catch up on old times during the journey (driving), not to mention listening to my favorite music. At this time you do not even think about work, school and assignments. This is the ideal medicine for de-stressing one’s mind. I hope you noticed that I am not even at my destination as yet, and there is another one of my friends who I have not seen for a very long time. We all get the picture therefore if you are under some sought of stress you can do things in the company of people you enjoy and most likely it will help you tremendously. Try it you might be in for a very pleasant surprise.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Telemarketers – The Nuisance

Date: March 14th. 2009

Time: 9.45pm

Location: Home- Queens-NY

Peoples information are so easy and affordable that it has become really too easily available to almost anyone who wants to contact you. Almost all the time (in my case all the time thus far) when a telemarketer calls your phone number, it will be a call you don’t want or need and it has become such a nuisance because these calls usually happen when you are at home relaxing or just doing something that should not be disturbed by anyone except friends or family. I have noticed that if you pick up the phone and do not say anything the line will be left unanswered because most of these calls are from machines and are voice activated. If I do not recognize the number the call will not be answered from end for I believe that if I had just missed a call of importance a message would have been recorded on my phone system. This should not even have to be this way since now in my own domain with my own phone for which I pay the bill, I have to play “cat and mouse” with in coming callers. I believe that most of you will agree and maybe not with the way I handle this but at least with the discomfort of knowing that companies do not care about ones privacy, they fully well know they are calling you at home. Now I am getting calls on my cell phone, not as many but still this were not happening previously. It is a darn nuisance and should be totally banned and be outlawed. That is just my take on this.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Currents Events – News

Date: March 13th. 2009

Time: 4.44pm

Location: Home - Queens-NY

I am totally baffled by the way these crooks are only being exposed because of the economic situation or so I believe. I am referring to the Bernard Madoff's scandal (if I may call it as such) and the Stanford fraud. They are both similar because they fraudulently robbed folks of billions of dollars and that is the confusing part to me. The question is how were this allowed to go undetected for so long and for so much money. Stanford is a culprit of approximately 10 billion and Bernard Madoff in excess of 50 billion. Mind boggling and totally beyond me, in my personal opinion I don’t believe that there is any available punishment to match this crime as per the law. I know you are innocent until proven guilty but Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty today and his lawyers are presently in the process of filing an appeal as per yahoo news. Here is the link http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090313/ap_on_bi_ge/madoff_scandal_appeal. If successful he may stay out of jail. The next question is what happens to all the people who invested their hard earned money? This is a very bad situation for all those people who lost their money and I believe all their life savings and maybe have to start from the bottom again. At the present time it is not even easy to do that since the recession is in full stride and more people are losing their jobs daily. I just hope that something can be done to remedy this situation and help these folks and also to implement measures and maybe even laws that would prevent this in the future or make it almost impossible to be repeated.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Class Tonight

Date: March 13th. 2009

Time: 12.20am

Location: Home - Queens-NY

Tonight my Speech275 class was very interesting and a little different from the first night; it was not the typical walk to the front and give your speech for the allotted time, even though this was part of it we had a turn of events when some of the student tried to leave for personal reasons while class and speeches were in session. I personally believe that this was a bit disruptive to the speaker and as a person paying attention it bothered me but then again this is my personal opinion. Voices were raised when the professor told the class that all who did commit this act would need to go back to the front and speak again, none of the victims were pleased about this and we had a bit of an uncomfortable situation where one of the student got thrown out of class as a result. This I thought was very unfortunate and could have been handled different with cooler heads. In future I would like to see some sought of rules implemented so that students would know what their limit is while class is in session. You see other classes would permit such behavior and unconsciously people would do things that might not be tolerated by other professors as is the case tonight. I am not taking sides and if you were to ask me I would definitely side with the professor because we as a class need to support each other and pay attention when someone is speaking because we would want the same attention when we are peaking. At the same I would say again that we are all adults and I believe that the whole confrontation could have been avoided. Maybe I am wrong.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

My Today

Date; March 11th 2009

Time: 10.09PM

Place; Home - queens - NY



I am off. Yes I mean not working, I took a day off or should I say I swapped Friday for today so I can catch up some pending assignments and avoid having to wait for the end of the week to do it. I don’t like the last minute attitude it causes increased stress which I could certainly do without. I am in the process of completing the assignments and some online exams. At the same time I just noticed that my neighbor and good friend is also not working today so we decided to cook lunch (well he did) and have a few beers. I made it clear that I will available only after I am done with my work which is the main reason why I am home today. I did complete my work and will proceed to indulge with my neighbor and his colleague from work.

cheers

The noticeable effects of this Recession

Date: March 10th 2009

Time: 9.43pmPlace:

At Home - Queens, NY

Previously when I took public transportation (MTA Trains) to work it used to be so packed, some days you had to wait on another train to get on and at other times if you did manage to squeeze yourself in the door, getting a seat was just a wishful thought. I remember the sidewalk was so crowded and at lunch time the wait to be seated in a restaurant could go up to half an hour this we endured since it was more or less the same everywhere else in midtown Manhattan. I endured and accepted this as part of living and working in this city and never thought that it would change in my life time. You see even though the recession took its toll gradually this trend did not follow pattern (I might wrong but this is how it played out to me) but very recently I noticed that the opposite is happening and it is very glaring. I know that the News networks did report a drop in restaurant income and also for other stores and companies but again it’s only very recently that I noticed this glaring difference. Now I can go directly to my table and be seated for lunch and wow what a difference on the subway, I am always seated now. Don’t get me wrong there are still some odd days that the crowd shows up but definitely not as frequently as before. Yes folks I am now convinced that we are experiencing something different and it is not looking good. Maybe it took a while to hit me because thank god I am still working or maybe it is because I am slow? I remember reading a quote once (I don’t remember who wrote it) “a recession is when your neighbor loses his or her job and a depression is when you lose yours. Maybe it could be that I was in such a mindset, I am not saying its right to think as such but that is what happened to me. Now I know better.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Date: March 9th 2009

Time: 9.43pm

Place: Home - Queens, NY


This article relates to the link at the end of this blog. Before reading it I had not paid much attention to the stem cells research, this I beleive makes for good reading since for me it now clarifies how much the administration influences the decisions made by scientists. In this case it is being reversed to allow scientists to work freely and make the necessary decisions as per their research and findings and even though they will be monitored they won’t be controlled by politicians as in the past. The article allows you to see the future benefits for people suffering with diseases that are painful for the patients and their loved ones. I believe it is a good thing even though I have not read much of this but anything to do with curing ailments and prevent human suffering I am all for it. Even though there is much debate and opposition about this, if you are not taking life to experiment then why not. It is definitely a controversial subject and one that needs alot more indept studies, but if not given the resources and time then we may never know fully how effective it could have been. People will be divided by the morality of such a research but I am all for it as long as it sustains life and not destroys it. As I said previously I have not put much time and research into this but I am willing to commit to such an experiment for future generations and present, if it can be effectively implemented soon. Just think about it people suffering from diseases such diabetes, cells that could help those with Parkinson's disease or maybe even Alzheimer's, or new nerve connections to restore movement after spinal injury. Would this not be the ultimate break through, I strongly believe it should be given a try and I will be reading much more to back up my vision on this. Here is the link to the article that shows the present administration is in favor of supporting stem cell research.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090309/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_stem_cells

Cheers

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Day After - Relaxation

Now that I am actually home and don't have to either go to school or work, you can guess because its Sunday, relaxation day. I can wake up late, and I know most of you can relate to this especially if you are working with a hectic schedule. I can relax and watch TV or go to the park if the weather permits and today its behaving nicely, even though its cloudy, the temperature is 61 degrees (F). I do have multiple assignments to accomplish but I am careful to not be burnt out by just sitting in front of the computer. Today I am hanging out with a few friends to share in laughter food and beer, one of the guys is a really good cook and I look forward to this meeting. Later this evening I will return to assignments and try to get done as much as possible because I do not want to let it accumulate for later in the week and then it becomes a headache.

If anyone is interested in football (soccer) may I mention that the qualifying stages around the world is presently happening and this is very exciting to a football fans especially if your native country of even your adopted country is in this stage. I remember in the introductory speeches (yeah how can I forget) some of the guys did mention soccer as a hobby. Its a known as the beautiful game to the world and most watched spectator sport.

A Very Hectic Saturday

Date: March 7th 2008

Time: 11.04 AM

Place: Home - Queens NY

Yes today is turning out to be a very hectic and busy day for me, you see I have a class in Math that will take up the entire day. This starts at 9AM and will complete at 5pm. I plan on getting as much done as possible since I will be allowed to complete this class as soon as I can. for those of you who have not done Math114, be prepared since it is not as easy as I thought. It actually started off simple but got more difficult as I progressed. I am hoping that this is only temporary. I would definitely need a scotch on the rocks as soon as I park my car at home (No I do not drink and drive) to relieve this stress and guess what, I tried it before and it works for me. My biggest mistake was taking this for granted and I know those of you who has done it before would laugh at this blog thinking why he thinks its so difficult. Well you see I am aiming to complete this in either three or four weeks as oppose to eight since this will allow me to concentrate on my two other classes that do not give the option of finishing before time. Good idea I think because I did it before and it worked great, you just need time management and plenty of discipline with a little input from the unseen.