DaRoLLeR's Xanga

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Tue, 23 May 2006 10:46:25 GMT

Read about "The Cure for Information Overload":

http://info-scientist.blogspot.com/2006/04/cool-new-informatics-theory.html

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 10:20:01 GMT

Ever feel like there's not quite enough time in the day to carry out all your tasks, do work, have fun, or even sleep? Here's an idea I happened upon back in college, and to some degree I still support it, although I know it would require a great deal of change and most people hate change, because they feel uncomfortable dealing with it. But let's not get into a big psychological discussion about it.

Read about 'The 28-Hour Day": http://www.dbeat.com/28/

Harvard supports it too: http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1999/07.15/bioclock24.html

Happy 12th week to my car...

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 17:04:02 GMT

A little late but....

Go Steelers!!! Champs of Super Bowl XL!!! The biggest Super Bowl of 'em all!!

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 15:00:38 GMT

Here's to another new year. Welcome 2006, don't disappoint me too soon this time around. Let's make this a great year. *clink*

It's amazing how much can change in 6 months... Or 2 months... 1 month... Or even as little as 1 week. I don't think I've been through this much change in a long time. It's been great though, and I hope any more change comes as a good thing.

Some milestones..... Who knew that 6 months ago that I would be working at a little known spring manufacturer in Brooklyn, facilitating the process of making springs, then getting bored of it 4 months ago and re-starting the process of finding a new job, getting an interview and getting hired for a new job 3 months ago, starting a new job roughly 2 months ago, driving to work and breaking down one day 1 month ago, and replacing said broken down car 1 week ago. If someone had told me that I'd be going through all this, I would've thought they were crazy.

And now that everything is good and dandy, here's to the future. Can we see as far as 1 year in advance, maybe 2 years in advance, perhaps as far as 5 years in advance? What is in store for this hero? What will the crystal ball tell us today?

Hopefully good news. There'll be ups and downs, but as long as there is a general trend of ups (much like the stock market, inflation, or gas prices), I'll be happy.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 11:40:34 GMT

Wow, times flies by when you don't have time to keep track of it. Can't believe it's already August. Life just keeps going by with each passing day....

Anyways, since my last post, I've had a few good interviews, and got hired to work at this spring manufacturer (think F=kx) in Brooklyn. It's ok work, although the past few weeks have been a little slow, since it seems that many manufacturing plants take it easy over the summer. Work is somewhat starting to pick up again, but very gradually, so I guess I should be glad for the downtime.

Although I'm getting used to the daily grind, I feel like sometimes I've been dulled by the monotony and repetition. My schedule is just wake up, go to work, work, come home from work, eat dinner, sleep, lather, rinse, repeat... For some reason, there doesn't seem to be that much to look forward to anymore. So much time is spent at work that what little time is left is needed to recuperate and relax. I used to spend a lot of time browsing gadgets in anticipation of buying something new and nifty, but by now I already have most of what I want, and plus anything else I want to get is both frivolous and expensive (i.e. PSP). I don't need any computer upgrades, since I don't even want to look at a computer when I get home after spending an entire day sitting in front of my work computer. I don't play video games much either, because that'd involve sitting in front of a screen of some sort. I can't even bring myself to spare the time to watch a movie or dvd on tv because I don't feel like wasting 2 straight hours staring at yet another screen (plus usually it's a movie that I've already seen). The extent to which I watch movies is in the theater, when it has just come out and I go catch it with friends.

Pretty much all I have left right now to look forward to is sports activity like playing ball or biking, hanging out with friends, and planning out my future car purchase in the near indeterminable future. I get the feeling that I'm in need of social contact, mostly because I feel like I'm in a better mood after I've interacted with other people. It's like there's not much that can bring me joy anymore, especially after reading the following article, I probably won't want to go outside anymore: http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/health/ny-hscanc104377742aug10,0,1904215,print.story?coll=ny-health-print

And even though I'm earning money now, for some reason I feel like I don't have enough money... Perhaps it's because when I was earning little or no money, the things that I wanted were just slightly out of my reach, like an mp3 player or a gadget of some sort.... And now that I'm earning bigger bucks, I want bigger toys and gadgets. Maybe it's also due to the fact that I hadn't had any significant income for the 2 years since I graduated, and now that I am working, I feel like I need to make up the lost income for those 2 years... somehow. Even though my current job is paying way below what I should be earning. And I still have all those loans to pay off.

I find comfort in listening to music where someone is lost or in need of guidance, or on the way to finding a solution. It's like someone is sharing the pain or problems that we go through in life, and that we can all find the solution someday.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Sun, 16 Jan 2005 02:30:13 GMT

Go Steelers!!! Black and Gold, on the road, look at them goes, defeating their foes!!! See ya at the Super Bowl!!

Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it? Over 6 months of no updates... Mostly cuz there hasn't been anything worth updating with... Unfortunately, 2004 was a washout for me, professionally, since I managed to still not get a job this past year.... Yes, I am still unemployed.... How disappointing. To want to do something and be denied the chance, because of reasons out of anyones' control (i.e. the economy), is quite a depressing feeling. You start to question yourself of your qualifications and whether or not you're cut out for this, but I know I can; I am cut out for this: I want to succeed. And yet, I am still unemployed. Is it my fault? The fault of the companies or of the economy that governs them? I admit, I have been somewhat picky; I would really rather not do someone elses crapwork for shitty pay just so I can gain experience. What kind of experience can I get re-doing or modifying someone elses drawings? How to draft or CAD better? And what am I in this for? Experience? That's pretty much worthless if I don't actually learn something. Money? Couldn't I just get any old job doing anything for spending money, as long as I can get by? If so, then why'd I spend all my teen years buried in books, when I could've gone out and actually maybe enjoyed myself? I mean, it seems that my college degree isn't doing me any good at the moment, hasn't been for the last 2 years, so why? A better chance.... at what? How many people are out there without jobs or a lousy job, all because of the economy? Don't the numbers show that we're really in a recession, and yet our Executive Branch of the government keeps insisting that the economy is on the rebound, has been for months, or years, and that jobs are constantly being created.... Unemployment is dropping, but not because people are getting jobs, it's because people have been on unemployment for so long that they no longer qualify, and they can't find new jobs and/or have given up on the job search. And on top of that, those who are working are paying for a dying F.I.C.A. system that won't be able to support them with Social Security when they get old and retire. So because of the government's misplanning, all the money they're collecting from you for your retirement won't be there when you retire. Isn't that nice of them? So now we're all individually responsible for our own retirement planning, by saving through IRAs. A step which will make the government even more poorer, since they won't have income from taxing the paychecks of the working public.

On another note, I went to see "White Noise" this weekend. Is there any way of getting your money back once you realize how much the movie sucks? I mean, the plot tugs at your heartstrings and all, and it sure does introduce you to the concept of E.V.P., but other than that, most of the time it just feels quite lame. Is it supposed to be a horror film, or what? And people were screaming for no reason other than a sudden flash of light or something like that. Ah wells. There was a trailer for "The Ring 2". Now that seems like a good horror flick.

Oh, and for those of you who did go see "White Noise", I'm typing in the dark and I'm realizing that as I'm finishing this up, it's about 2:29AM.... Uh oh... Nooo!!!! Ahhh!!! ***%%%&&&&~~~ @@@##### !!!!^^^^$$$

Saturday, May 22, 2004

Sat, 22 May 2004 00:21:16 GMT

From "The Week" (by way of USA Today):

One out of five people throughout the world - 1.1 billion people - lives on less than $1 a day.

Wow, that is quite impressive, considering that you know all of us Americans probably spend like many times that amount, on food, technology, entertainment, etc... Compared to those who can't afford to spend that much money, we must seem like millionaires.

On another note about money: I recently received my bank statement, from my *unnamed* bank. In addition to my usual checking and savings account statements, I found a few additional lines tacked onto my account summary. It seems that my account has grown in size by about $9,000. Apparently, someone elses retirement account contributions was mistakenly (?) linked to my accounts, leading to the error. I wonder if they'll catch it. I'm sure they will eventually. And don't worry, I'm not gonna go out and spend that money, cuz I know they'll figure it out eventually and have me pay it back.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 23:27:07 GMT

The Average Guy, courtesy of Men's Health magazine

The average guy was in the best shape of his life at age 23. (Damn, I'm just about in the best shape of my life??)

The average sedentary guy loses 1 pound of muscle mass each year. (Here's a reason to start moving around, dudes.)

The average guy's testosterone level decreases by 1 percent each year after age 40. (Hmm... better make the most of what I've got then, eh? )

The average guy has 13-inch biceps. (Whew, glad to be above average here...)

The average guy can do 36 crunches in 1 minute. (I think I can, I think I can...)

The average guy can do 27 pushups. (No problem!! )

The average guy can bench-press 93 percent of his body weight. (Wow... haven't benched in a while... Plus, this comes out to about 175 pounds... )

The average guy has a 41-inch chest.

The average guy's back is 16.2 inches wide. (Can't measure back there... )

The average guy has 20.4 inch thighs. (Do most guys care much about that?)

The average guy has a grip strength of 110 pounds. (I wonder how you'd measure that...)

The average guy stands 5 feet, 9.1 inches tall and weighs 181 pounds. (Slightly above average in both catergories. =P)

The average guy's body-fat percentage is 19.7. (Dunno how I'd measure this myself.)

The average guy's biggest decade-to-decade jump in body fat occurs between his 20s (16.6 percent) and 30s (19.7 percent). (Cuz we get lazier, don't we?)

The average guy will stick to a diet for 1 month. (We're dedicated when we need to be.)

The average guy consumes 2,618 calories a day. (Wow, seems like a lot.)

The average overweight guy wants to drop 23.4 pounds. (Glad I'm not that overweight.)

The average guy will try two diets in his lifetime. (Interesting...)

The average guy's body-mass index is 26.6, and his waist size is 38.8 inches, up from 37.5 inches in 1988. (Wow, some huge people out there...)

The average guy can run 1.5 miles in 12.5 minutes. (Never tried...)

The average guy, when seated with his legs forward on the floor, can reach 1.5 inches beyond his toes. (I can't see... I think I can... )

The average guy has a vertical leap of 19.5 inches. (I can't measure this myself...)

The average guy can cut his heart-disease risk 20 percent by burning 1,000 to 2,500 calories a week exercising. (Cools...)

The average guy's VO2 max is 42.4. (However you measure this...)

The average guy who belongs to a gym has been a member for 5.4 years. (Not a member of a gym...)

The average guy is more sedentary when he's cohabitating than when he's unattached or married. (So... this means that cohabitating with your soon to be significant other makes you more lazy, doesn't it?)

The average guy spends 3 hours and 48 minutes a week doing moderate to vigorous activity. (I think I do enough...)

The average guy's favorite gym equipment: the barbell. (Ditto)

The average guy's least favorite gym equipment: the treadmill. (Ditto)

So.... are you guys out there average??

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article/0,2823,s1-3-0-0-1265,00.html

Sunday, April 04, 2004

Sun, 04 Apr 2004 21:17:13 GMT

STAIND - SO FAR AWAY

This is my life
It's not what it was before
All these feelings I've shared
And these are my dreams
That I'd never lived before
Somebody shake me 'cause I
I must be sleeping

Chorus
Now that we're here, it's so far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes, one life contained
They all finally start to go away
And now that we're here, it's so far away
And I feel like I can face the day
And I can forgive
And I'm not ashamed to be
The Person that I am today

These are my words
That I've never said before
I think I'm doing okay
And this is the smile
That I've never shown before
Somebody shake me 'cause I
I must be sleeping

Chorus (altered)
Now that we're here, it's so far away
All the struggle we thought was in vain
And all the mistakes, one life contained
They all finally start to go away
And now that we're here, it's so far away
And I feel like I can face the day
I can forgive
And I'm not ashamed to be
The Person that I am today

I'm so afraid of waking
Please don't shake me
Afraid of waking
Please don't shake me

Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Tue, 30 Mar 2004 23:45:58 GMT

Coping with Unemployment

On a daily basis you check your email to see if your sixteen different job search agents returned that dream job. You send your resume to at least five positions a day. Heck, you even look in the Sunday newspaper! The media tells us that the economic recovery has begun. Companies are hiring. People are optimistic. Yet you are still unemployed.

If you’re out of work, particularly if you’ve been looking for a job for quite some time, it's easy to get discouraged. After all we define ourselves so much by what we do. How many minutes after you meet someone for the first time, do you ask him or her, "so what do you do for a living?"

Even those that support you, family and friends, can unintentionally create problems. How many times as a job seeker have you heard, "so, have you found anything yet?" If you’ve been unemployed a while, it’s easy to take that the wrong way.

The purpose of this article is to give ideas on how to create a great attitude that can help you cope with being unemployed and set the stage for job search success.

Budget

Now that may sound fairly obvious, but you need to understand what your expenses are and how you can control them. Do you really need two ISP’s? Can you really watch all those channels on premium cable? Or how about that daily double decaf soy latte down at Starbucks? You need to prioritize where you are spending your money.

There are certain expenses you may not be able to control such as rent or a house note. But for expenses like credit card debt, examine your statement to see if you ever automatically signed up for a payment protection plan. Chances are your credit card company may have enrolled you, if your balance has been over a certain amount. Take advantage of that, many of those plans will allow you to suspend payments temporarily.

The key to a budget is to put it on paper. Whether you create an Excel spreadsheet or scribble it on a note pad, having something that you can look at and change is a great help in developing a budget that will last.

Routine

What does being employed really do for us? Besides a paycheck, it gives us a schedule. Being unemployed should not be different. You should stick to the same pattern you had when you were working. Resist the nightly temptation to watch Leno and get plenty of sleep instead.

During the week, actually set your alarm clock. Pick a time to get up and get ready as if you were going to work. Does that mean you need to put on business professional clothes? Not necessarily, but hey, if it helps keep you focused then why not.

Being ready for work every day means that you can respond to an interview request quickly. Also, by keeping a schedule, you will have an easier time transitioning back to the work world. And you won’t scare your new co-workers by looking like a sleep-deprived zombie your first week on the job.

Exercise

If you’ve been unemployed for any length of time, you’ve probably become use to wearing your sweats or some other sort of casual clothes. Funny, when you go to that interview, your suit feels a little tight. Although you wish you could blame your dry cleaner for shrinking your best interview suit, you know you can’t.

You don’t have to join a gym. You can exercise by taking a walk in a nearby park or dusting off that old Richard Simmons tape. In addition to exercise, watching what you eat can help as well.

Regular exercise and consistently eating right can help make sure that interview suit fits a little better. But it’s the added bonus of staying healthy during a stressful period in your life, that’s most important.

Keep informed

Watching the latest Jerry Springer or keeping up with All My Children is not something that will keep you informed on the world around you. Staying up to date on current events in the real world is what keeps you connected.

Whether you read the paper, surf the Internet, or frequent your local library, challenge yourself to learn about what is going on in the world. At the very least make sure you keep current on business trends. Being unemployed means that you need to be keenly aware of factors that are affecting the marketplace, especially in your industry.

Doing research can give you ideas on what industries are growing and what companies are hiring. And you will also be able to engage in the “small talk” that often precedes an interview. Whether it’s the recent landing on Mars or discussing the 11 Oscar Nominations that Return of the King received, chitchat like that can help ease the tension when you’re meeting a recruiter or hiring manager.

Volunteer

When you’re working, you always say to yourself, "I think this organization or cause is worthwhile and I should really help out." Perhaps while you were working you helped with your money, now you can help with your time.

Becoming a volunteer should be a commitment that will last beyond your unemployment. So examine it seriously, before you decide to do it. Most organizations that rely on volunteer help will welcome anyone, no matter how much time he or she donates. But again, explore carefully how you can contribute during your unemployment and then what you can do after you start to work again.

Besides being a wonderful networking opportunity, it is great to have that sense of accomplishment. Try this site to help find that right volunteer opportunity: www.volunteermatch.org.

Support Groups

No matter how well meaning your wife, husband, parents, in-laws, or friends are, if they aren’t unemployed, they will find it hard to understand what it’s like to be out of work. That’s not to suggest that their support is not needed or welcomed, but sometimes you need to seek out others who are also unemployed.

This idea may seem overly dramatic and some folks may not need it and that’s okay. For those that do just remember to start simple. If there were other people that were laid off from your company, call them first. Check in on them. Find out how they’re doing. If you think it would be worthwhile to get together, then do it.

Some people you encounter will be negative, frustrated by their lack of success in finding work, they will likely try and infect you with their bad attitude. The long-term value outweighs the risk since this can be another networking opportunity. After all a job that might not be a fit for them, may be for you and vice-a-versa. And it is reassuring to know that there’s another person or group of people going through what you’re going through.

Entertainment

Yes that’s right, entertainment! You need to find a way to have fun. Whether it’s reading a book, playing a game, or watching TV, you need to work at making sure that some form of entertainment is part of your week.

You need to figure out a way to include entertainment in your budget. Even if it means clipping coupons, going to Happy Hour and eating bar appetizers at half-price, or waiting until that first-run movie hits the cheap theaters, you need give yourself permission to relax and enjoy life.

Looking for work is a full-time job. Like any job, you need to have a break. So don’t short change yourself and feel guilty about goofing off every once in a while.

Whether it’s managing your budget or planning something fun, the goal is to keep you focused. Without that focus it is easy to get discouraged.

The bottom line in keeping a positive attitude while you’re unemployed is to remember the bigger picture. People get interviews because their skills match the job requirements. People get jobs because they have great attitudes.