It's tax time in the U.S.! I have already filed my personal ones for last year, but still have to do the ones regarding the organization I work with.
By pure coincidence I just came across this site that I thought of sharing since it offers interesting insights and comparisons about tax payments in all the countries of the world.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Momentary traffic delay....
......in southern Albania, as reported by MailOnline - News:
Road hog! Sow stops to feed her eight little piggies in the middle of the road
Road hog! Sow stops to feed her eight little piggies in the middle of the road
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Albanian tradition on film
One entry at this year's Berlin Film festival by award winning filmmaker Joshua Marston, entitled "The Forgiveness of Blood", deals with an old tradition that unfortunately still lingers on in today's Albanian world.
It was reported by Reuters as a ".... familiar tale of territorial rights and family honor but it is told well and the film features appealingly natural performances by non-professionals."
Today's news is that the film has won the 'Silver Bear' award for 'Best Script' by Californian Joshua Marston and Albanian Andamion Murataj.
One day I'll take time to tell a similar story that belongs to my ancestors, which, however, I've learned about only a decade ago!
It was reported by Reuters as a ".... familiar tale of territorial rights and family honor but it is told well and the film features appealingly natural performances by non-professionals."
Today's news is that the film has won the 'Silver Bear' award for 'Best Script' by Californian Joshua Marston and Albanian Andamion Murataj.
One day I'll take time to tell a similar story that belongs to my ancestors, which, however, I've learned about only a decade ago!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Temperamental mouse...and cat!
The other day I finally had to give in to my capricious computer mouse! It had been bothering me for a few days since it wasn't responding quickly to my commands, and it would freeze once in a while. I cleaned it again and again, then I substitute it with another one I forgot I had at home, but the results didn't satisfy me.
I was in the midst of a lot of computer related work, but decided not to waste any more time, and go crazy troubleshooting. I dropped everything and went out to buy a new mouse. For other reasons related to my present computer, already loaded with additional USB attached peripherals, I knew I couldn't purchase a wireless one. I was surprised when I got to the store where I found only 2 brand names to choose from in the optical type, corded category, while the shelves displayed loads of other wireless units.
Speaking of wireless, this brings to mind a funny accident recently related to me by a dear neighbor of mine, who purchased a computer and learned to manage its use and email at the good age of 85.
One day she noticed that her cat was playing with something, but she didn't pay much attention to it. When she decided to use her computer, however, she came to realize that her mouse was gone! Embarrassed, as she told me, she had to engage some help not only to find the mouse that was abandoned by her cat underneath a piece of furniture, but also to make it functional again. Displacement of a wireless gadget is something that one would never think about it, right?
I was in the midst of a lot of computer related work, but decided not to waste any more time, and go crazy troubleshooting. I dropped everything and went out to buy a new mouse. For other reasons related to my present computer, already loaded with additional USB attached peripherals, I knew I couldn't purchase a wireless one. I was surprised when I got to the store where I found only 2 brand names to choose from in the optical type, corded category, while the shelves displayed loads of other wireless units.
Speaking of wireless, this brings to mind a funny accident recently related to me by a dear neighbor of mine, who purchased a computer and learned to manage its use and email at the good age of 85.
One day she noticed that her cat was playing with something, but she didn't pay much attention to it. When she decided to use her computer, however, she came to realize that her mouse was gone! Embarrassed, as she told me, she had to engage some help not only to find the mouse that was abandoned by her cat underneath a piece of furniture, but also to make it functional again. Displacement of a wireless gadget is something that one would never think about it, right?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Emotions
Modern technology never seizes to amaze. Just learned that one can visit several museums around the world without even getting up from the chair one is using while surfing the net.
Here, as an example, very a pro-po of today's festivity, is a brief view of works by Jean-Honore` Fragonard, entitled "The Progress of Love", which are displayed at The Frick Collection in NYC:
This great art project, powered by Google, offers incredible zoom levels of the works, and includes audio commentaries
Happy St. Valentine's Day everyone!
Here, as an example, very a pro-po of today's festivity, is a brief view of works by Jean-Honore` Fragonard, entitled "The Progress of Love", which are displayed at The Frick Collection in NYC:
This great art project, powered by Google, offers incredible zoom levels of the works, and includes audio commentaries
Happy St. Valentine's Day everyone!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Webinars
Noticing a proliferation of offers of online presentations of all sorts, recently I decided to take advantage of some of them, especially the free ones, regarding subjects of my interest and mostly related to my work.
They are usually about one hour long and one has to register in advance to participate, when scheduled. They are not interactive, but one can submit written questions, via a chat format, to a moderator that will then address them for a proper answer from the speaker(s). Although I realize that such offers are done to attract customers, the ones I participated in so far have been surprisingly worth while, and very informative; thus, the good experience I realized from them has overcome my initial skepticism of possibly being involved only in advertising.
What I also appreciate is that if one cannot participate, once registered, the audio and visual presentations are made available later on, online, coupled by email offers of answering additional questions, if necessary, and soliciting feedback evaluations.
Last night I had an even more pleasurable experience of this type from Roots Magic, the software that I use to maintain my family data base. I cannot dedicate much time to my hobby of genealogy, but, once in a blue moon, I add more data to the large collection I started a few years ago, when this software was supplied by Family Origins. They share the same author, who changed the package name when he greatly expanded this application that now offers quite a few sophisticated features.
Yesterday I decided to reload this software that I had registered in the past, but lost last year when my computer system was restructured. At the supplier's site I discovered that the author started, since this January, to conduct regular online presentations about his product. Therefore, I further decided to refresh my knowledge about its use by viewing the first introductory webinar.
It was the best 75 minutes spent (re)learning something I thought I knew, and was flabbergasted by the in-depth and thorough coverage of all the basic features, with step by step visual examples and explanations! Wish that some bigger suppliers of hardware and/or software could learn to imitate what this smaller company is doing in the field of online presentations. Kudos to Roots Magic and its author!
They are usually about one hour long and one has to register in advance to participate, when scheduled. They are not interactive, but one can submit written questions, via a chat format, to a moderator that will then address them for a proper answer from the speaker(s). Although I realize that such offers are done to attract customers, the ones I participated in so far have been surprisingly worth while, and very informative; thus, the good experience I realized from them has overcome my initial skepticism of possibly being involved only in advertising.
What I also appreciate is that if one cannot participate, once registered, the audio and visual presentations are made available later on, online, coupled by email offers of answering additional questions, if necessary, and soliciting feedback evaluations.
Last night I had an even more pleasurable experience of this type from Roots Magic, the software that I use to maintain my family data base. I cannot dedicate much time to my hobby of genealogy, but, once in a blue moon, I add more data to the large collection I started a few years ago, when this software was supplied by Family Origins. They share the same author, who changed the package name when he greatly expanded this application that now offers quite a few sophisticated features.
Yesterday I decided to reload this software that I had registered in the past, but lost last year when my computer system was restructured. At the supplier's site I discovered that the author started, since this January, to conduct regular online presentations about his product. Therefore, I further decided to refresh my knowledge about its use by viewing the first introductory webinar.
It was the best 75 minutes spent (re)learning something I thought I knew, and was flabbergasted by the in-depth and thorough coverage of all the basic features, with step by step visual examples and explanations! Wish that some bigger suppliers of hardware and/or software could learn to imitate what this smaller company is doing in the field of online presentations. Kudos to Roots Magic and its author!
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Offline
Yesterday morning I had the unpleasant surprise not to be able to be online. The cable company that also furnishes TV in our building, went kaput, due to damages to their outside equipment, which required special intervention and replacement of ruined connecting parts.
For several months now our entire neighborhood has been affected, one way or another, by continuous underground work on the part of different city agencies furnishing water, electricity, telephone, etc. The multiple snow falls during the past one and a half month, on top of all the digging done by the above, have added additional discomfort in walking around these obstacle courses!
I watch TV only in the evenings, but I do use the internet cable connection all day long, and being without it for more about 40 hours seemed like an eternity!!
Thank goodness, we came back online by midday today.
For several months now our entire neighborhood has been affected, one way or another, by continuous underground work on the part of different city agencies furnishing water, electricity, telephone, etc. The multiple snow falls during the past one and a half month, on top of all the digging done by the above, have added additional discomfort in walking around these obstacle courses!
I watch TV only in the evenings, but I do use the internet cable connection all day long, and being without it for more about 40 hours seemed like an eternity!!
Thank goodness, we came back online by midday today.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Messy, messy, messy!
Just restocked the fridge in view of tomorrow's forecast: more precipitation expected!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
A ray of hope?
Another huge snow blizzard has just swept across the US again,and, here in NY, the streets are now also completely covered with ice since the temperature continues to be subzero. The storm's path has extended from the north all the way down into Texas and Mexico, which is a very unusual pattern.
Over 10,000 flights were canceled since yesterday around the country, house roofs are buckling under the weight of multiple layers of precipitation, power lines downfalls have put thousands of people in the dark and cold, hundreds of cars got stuck for hours with motorists inside (200 automobiles in one major highway in Chicago alone!), thousands of emergency calls asked for help, and now even pieces of ice are falling onto streets from skyscrapers. There does not seem to be an end to all this mess, and, as I am writing, the weatherman is tracking the 9th storm that should be upon us by Saturday!
Meantime today, at the Staten Island Zoo, as per tradition, the well known groundhog "Chuck" has emerged from his 'lodging' under the scrutinizing eyes of children and was hailed by our Mayor because he did not see his shadow! It's said that this means we can expect an early spring! As per statistics his record is 80% correct. Should we believe him?
[pictures from the Staten Island Advance]
Over 10,000 flights were canceled since yesterday around the country, house roofs are buckling under the weight of multiple layers of precipitation, power lines downfalls have put thousands of people in the dark and cold, hundreds of cars got stuck for hours with motorists inside (200 automobiles in one major highway in Chicago alone!), thousands of emergency calls asked for help, and now even pieces of ice are falling onto streets from skyscrapers. There does not seem to be an end to all this mess, and, as I am writing, the weatherman is tracking the 9th storm that should be upon us by Saturday!
Meantime today, at the Staten Island Zoo, as per tradition, the well known groundhog "Chuck" has emerged from his 'lodging' under the scrutinizing eyes of children and was hailed by our Mayor because he did not see his shadow! It's said that this means we can expect an early spring! As per statistics his record is 80% correct. Should we believe him?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
