Have you ever been in a situation where you said to yourself, "Ok, 30 more minutes of browsing/gaming and then I have to get away from the computer" only to find yourself STILL sitting at the computer two hours later? Well, me neither, but for you honest types out there :-) here is a handy URL that you can use to remind yourself.
http://e.ggtimer.com/30minutes
The beauty of this web site is that you can put in any length of time you want and will work. For example, if you put in
http://e.ggtimer.com/30
the timer will count down 30 seconds. You can also use hours, or mix minutes, seconds and hours all together.
http://e.ggtimer.com/1hour14minutes35seconds
I guess you could use this URL as a real egg timer, too!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Providing unsolicited advice ...
This morning, as I was working out by the beach (I know, life IS tough) I noticed a young couple sitting on the beach. The woman's body language was giving serious "I AM TICKED OFF AT YOU!" signs without saying a word or even looking at her boyfriend. The poor guy did not know what to do.
First, he was looking for shells on the beach. Next, he sat close to her but not quite within striking distance (as in - she won't be able to wack me from there). Then, he sat down really close to her but made sure not to touch her. Throughout all this time, she kept looking away from him and not saying a single word.
I thought to myself, I've got to say something to them, because this is just not healthy. By the time I finished my workout, the poor guy had walked away, looking back at her and hoping that she would follow him. No such luck.
So, I approached her and said "Look, you've been sitting here, mad at your "friend" for the last 30 minutes, you might want to clue him in why you are mad." "Oh, he KNOWS why I am mad," comes a snappy reply from the ticked-off lady. O-k, I don't think she's open to advice right now. Oh well, I'll share my wisdom anyways. "Look, let me share an insight from my 10 years of marriage. There is not point in being mad at him. It won't teach him anything. Tell him what you want and see if he is ok with it. If not, so be it. And stop brooding. It won't help you nor him. Look, you are on a beach and it is a beautiful day. Go and enjoy life," I said and walked away.
It did not appear that she go the message. Kids these days, they just won't listen to wise words from us elders. :-) I hope that some of my message kicks in for her at some point in her life. You never know how something you say can help someone else's life.
This afternoon, it was so hot that I decide to finally go to the beach. Yes, it took me a month to actually go to the beach! I went there carrying Edith's "Hello Kitty" beach towel. I was the coolest guy there, NOT!
Last time I checked the water here, it was pretty cold. So I went in with trepidation but was pleasantly surprised that water was just cool, not cold. In I went and it felt so GOOD! I really should have done this sooner but you can't do it all. Apply for jobs, cook, clean, talk to my Honey, workout, and there goes the day.
Temperatures are going down over the next few days, to a high of 17 C on Monday, which is higher than what Ottawa is getting these days but remember, it is summer here, and I want my 25+ temperatures. :-)
First, he was looking for shells on the beach. Next, he sat close to her but not quite within striking distance (as in - she won't be able to wack me from there). Then, he sat down really close to her but made sure not to touch her. Throughout all this time, she kept looking away from him and not saying a single word.
I thought to myself, I've got to say something to them, because this is just not healthy. By the time I finished my workout, the poor guy had walked away, looking back at her and hoping that she would follow him. No such luck.
So, I approached her and said "Look, you've been sitting here, mad at your "friend" for the last 30 minutes, you might want to clue him in why you are mad." "Oh, he KNOWS why I am mad," comes a snappy reply from the ticked-off lady. O-k, I don't think she's open to advice right now. Oh well, I'll share my wisdom anyways. "Look, let me share an insight from my 10 years of marriage. There is not point in being mad at him. It won't teach him anything. Tell him what you want and see if he is ok with it. If not, so be it. And stop brooding. It won't help you nor him. Look, you are on a beach and it is a beautiful day. Go and enjoy life," I said and walked away.
It did not appear that she go the message. Kids these days, they just won't listen to wise words from us elders. :-) I hope that some of my message kicks in for her at some point in her life. You never know how something you say can help someone else's life.
This afternoon, it was so hot that I decide to finally go to the beach. Yes, it took me a month to actually go to the beach! I went there carrying Edith's "Hello Kitty" beach towel. I was the coolest guy there, NOT!
Last time I checked the water here, it was pretty cold. So I went in with trepidation but was pleasantly surprised that water was just cool, not cold. In I went and it felt so GOOD! I really should have done this sooner but you can't do it all. Apply for jobs, cook, clean, talk to my Honey, workout, and there goes the day.
Temperatures are going down over the next few days, to a high of 17 C on Monday, which is higher than what Ottawa is getting these days but remember, it is summer here, and I want my 25+ temperatures. :-)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Letting off some steam
Last few days were busy and it looks like the rest of the week will be pretty busy with the job search. I had only 5 hours of sleep last night since I had to submit a job application before going to bed, and then had to get up early to get ready for a meeting with a recruiter.
It's all good, but 5 hours of sleep makes me cranky. The meeting with the recruiter went well, now they know what I am looking for. They seemed very professional and very competent, so I would not be surprised if over the next few months I get a job through them.
Anyways, the whole evening/morning thing was a lot of work and little sleep so I figured I had to do something fun to let off some steam. So, I went shooting! At a shooting range, that is. $75 will get you 30 shots with a 9 mm and 24 shots with a Magnum .357. Nice! It was kind of therapeutic, all this noise and gun smoke. The guys next to me were firing Magnum 44. Those things are LOUD even with the earmuffs on.
The following picture is of a target that I shot at from 15 meters with a Magnum .357, 12 rounds. You don't mess with Ivan!
It's all good, but 5 hours of sleep makes me cranky. The meeting with the recruiter went well, now they know what I am looking for. They seemed very professional and very competent, so I would not be surprised if over the next few months I get a job through them.
Anyways, the whole evening/morning thing was a lot of work and little sleep so I figured I had to do something fun to let off some steam. So, I went shooting! At a shooting range, that is. $75 will get you 30 shots with a 9 mm and 24 shots with a Magnum .357. Nice! It was kind of therapeutic, all this noise and gun smoke. The guys next to me were firing Magnum 44. Those things are LOUD even with the earmuffs on.
The following picture is of a target that I shot at from 15 meters with a Magnum .357, 12 rounds. You don't mess with Ivan!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Warren Buffet's Letter to Shareholders
I just finished reading an Warren Buffet's letter to shareholders that is issued in the Annual report of Berkshire Hathaway, the company which is majority owned by Warren Buffet.
It was a very enlightening read, especially when you are trying to learn how and where to invest. The great thing about Buffet's letters is that you get to see how he thinks, so that you can use that thinking for your own investments. The letter was a great read, and you too can read it here.
Buffet did have quite a few interesting comments that I wanted to showcase, just so you don't think he is a boring, financial guy.
"As we view GEICO’s current opportunities, Tony and I feel like two hungry mosquitoes in a nudist camp. Juicy targets are everywhere." -- GEICO is owned by Berkshire Hathaway
"Ben Franklin once said, “It’s difficult for an empty sack to stand upright.” That’s no worry for General Re clients." -- General Re is owned by Berkshire Hathaway
"Ajit came to Berkshire in 1986. Very quickly, I realized that we had acquired an extraordinary talent. So I did the logical thing: I wrote his parents in New Delhi and asked if they had another one like him at home." - commenting on a manager of one of his companies
"... the need for meaningful down payments was frequently ignored. Sometimes fakery was involved. (“That certainly looks like a $2,000 cat to me” says the salesman who will receive a $3,000 commission if the loan goes through.)" -- Buffet commenting on the pre-fab housing bubble in the 90s
"Lenders happily made loans that borrowers couldn’t repay out of their incomes, and borrowers just as happily signed up to meet those payments. Both parties counted on “house-price appreciation” to make this otherwise impossible arrangement work. It was Scarlett O’Hara all over again: “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” -- comment on the current real estate problems in the US
"Home ownership is a wonderful thing. My family and I have enjoyed my present home for 50 years, with more to come. But enjoyment and utility should be the primary motives for purchase, not profit or refinancing possibilities. And the home purchased ought to fit the income of the purchaser."
"Putting people into homes, though a desirable goal, shouldn’t be our country’s primary objective. Keeping them in their homes should be the ambition." -- Amen!
"... we are one of only seven AAA corporations in the country – our cost of borrowing is now far higher than competitors with shaky balance sheets but government backing. At the moment, it is much better to be a financial cripple with a government guarantee than a Gibraltar without one."
"The tennis crowd would call my mistakes “unforced errors.” -- commenting on his purchase of two Irish banks that lost over 90% of their value
"We never want to count on the kindness of strangers in order to meet tomorrow’s obligations. When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits."
"... our feelings about [derivatives] mirrored a line in a country song: “I liked you better before I got to know you so well.”
"From this irritating reality comes The First Law of Corporate Survival for ambitious CEOs who pile on leverage and run large and unfathomable derivatives books: Modest incompetence simply won’t do; it’s mindboggling screw-ups that are required." -- when you mess up, mess up badly enough, so the government HAS to help you
It was a very enlightening read, especially when you are trying to learn how and where to invest. The great thing about Buffet's letters is that you get to see how he thinks, so that you can use that thinking for your own investments. The letter was a great read, and you too can read it here.
Buffet did have quite a few interesting comments that I wanted to showcase, just so you don't think he is a boring, financial guy.
"As we view GEICO’s current opportunities, Tony and I feel like two hungry mosquitoes in a nudist camp. Juicy targets are everywhere." -- GEICO is owned by Berkshire Hathaway
"Ben Franklin once said, “It’s difficult for an empty sack to stand upright.” That’s no worry for General Re clients." -- General Re is owned by Berkshire Hathaway
"Ajit came to Berkshire in 1986. Very quickly, I realized that we had acquired an extraordinary talent. So I did the logical thing: I wrote his parents in New Delhi and asked if they had another one like him at home." - commenting on a manager of one of his companies
"... the need for meaningful down payments was frequently ignored. Sometimes fakery was involved. (“That certainly looks like a $2,000 cat to me” says the salesman who will receive a $3,000 commission if the loan goes through.)" -- Buffet commenting on the pre-fab housing bubble in the 90s
"Lenders happily made loans that borrowers couldn’t repay out of their incomes, and borrowers just as happily signed up to meet those payments. Both parties counted on “house-price appreciation” to make this otherwise impossible arrangement work. It was Scarlett O’Hara all over again: “I’ll think about it tomorrow.” -- comment on the current real estate problems in the US
"Home ownership is a wonderful thing. My family and I have enjoyed my present home for 50 years, with more to come. But enjoyment and utility should be the primary motives for purchase, not profit or refinancing possibilities. And the home purchased ought to fit the income of the purchaser."
"Putting people into homes, though a desirable goal, shouldn’t be our country’s primary objective. Keeping them in their homes should be the ambition." -- Amen!
"... we are one of only seven AAA corporations in the country – our cost of borrowing is now far higher than competitors with shaky balance sheets but government backing. At the moment, it is much better to be a financial cripple with a government guarantee than a Gibraltar without one."
"The tennis crowd would call my mistakes “unforced errors.” -- commenting on his purchase of two Irish banks that lost over 90% of their value
"We never want to count on the kindness of strangers in order to meet tomorrow’s obligations. When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits."
"... our feelings about [derivatives] mirrored a line in a country song: “I liked you better before I got to know you so well.”
"From this irritating reality comes The First Law of Corporate Survival for ambitious CEOs who pile on leverage and run large and unfathomable derivatives books: Modest incompetence simply won’t do; it’s mindboggling screw-ups that are required." -- when you mess up, mess up badly enough, so the government HAS to help you
Friday, March 6, 2009
Keep on sending those resumes
Man, is it ever exhausting to look for a new job. Call this person, send that resume, apply to that posting. Oh well, if I wanted it easy I would have stayed where I was! :-)
I can tell that I am in a country with primarily British population when I talk to Mr. Brown right after I finished my conversation with Mr. gray. Funny! Well, when you're looking for jobs (my LEAST favourite activity in the world) you look for anything to cheer you up.
The weather for the past week has been pretty bad. It actually reached 13 C. I know, the Canadian readers are already throwing tomatos (that's how they spell it here) at me. It was also extremely windy, the kind that turns the ships upside down.
I just found out that Monday is a holiday here. Oh well, more time to research our trip to Malaysia. I know, I know. I cannot stay in one place for too long. But why would I if I have the opportunity to travel. Traveling to Asia is so cheap from here. A round trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is AUD$380 (~CAD$300). Who would not go for that kind of price? Damir says: "ME!" he he
OK, I have to go work out now. All this trip planning and job applying has delayed my 8 am workout to 4 pm. At least the wind has died down and the temperature is 21 C. BEAUTIFUL! Here's another reason to be mad at me, next week the temperatures are going up to 33 C. Woohoo!
I can tell that I am in a country with primarily British population when I talk to Mr. Brown right after I finished my conversation with Mr. gray. Funny! Well, when you're looking for jobs (my LEAST favourite activity in the world) you look for anything to cheer you up.
The weather for the past week has been pretty bad. It actually reached 13 C. I know, the Canadian readers are already throwing tomatos (that's how they spell it here) at me. It was also extremely windy, the kind that turns the ships upside down.
I just found out that Monday is a holiday here. Oh well, more time to research our trip to Malaysia. I know, I know. I cannot stay in one place for too long. But why would I if I have the opportunity to travel. Traveling to Asia is so cheap from here. A round trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is AUD$380 (~CAD$300). Who would not go for that kind of price? Damir says: "ME!" he he
OK, I have to go work out now. All this trip planning and job applying has delayed my 8 am workout to 4 pm. At least the wind has died down and the temperature is 21 C. BEAUTIFUL! Here's another reason to be mad at me, next week the temperatures are going up to 33 C. Woohoo!
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