Mar 29, 2009


The whole Mac vs PC is a discussion I experience almost every day. Ever since I started working as the internal IT in a consulting firm (with some really fantastic people), the discussions are usually about usability.

It's like a tennis game, every feature played like a ball being hit back and forth between the PC and the Mac guy. So when Quicksilver was mentioned, my reply was Launchy. Although not as powerful, it still remains a decent tool to run applications (I'll be trying another one called Skylight). When I want to open Word, I just hit the shortcut combination, the box opens and I start typing W, O, R... and hit enter when the app I was looking for shows up. The same goes for Microsoft Expression Design: D, E, S, I... and there it goes.

The app is Open Source and I have to contribute to the project considering that I don't even let their ADs show up thanks to Add-Art and NoScript in Firefox and they know it, judging by the message in the AD placeholder...


I am happy that the keyboard is being given a chance to make work/life with a computer a liiiittle bit less annoying.

n.-

Mar 8, 2009

it took a while but I finally did it

Going up...

It took 3 years. 3 busy years to finally do what almost anyone from Bavaria or Munich experienced more than once.

One of the perks of working for a company owned by snow fans, is the nature of the team-building activities. So, with a couple of months of anticipation, came a great.. no, a fantastic weekend in the snow in Tirol, this time at the Stubaier Glacier.

The last time I expected to crash my nose in some snow was almost 2 decades ago, when at primary school, we'd travel to Fiesch in Switzerland for winter holidays. Back then, I basically learned how to do the snow-plow... and it sucked!

The plan for this weekend was to try to be part of the "cool" crowd and give Snowboarding a shot. Circumstances dictated that I'd be going for ski and I have to admit that it was awesoooome (to be spoken out with a high-toned voice)! Wow, what a rush. All of a sudden, those 2 plastic and metal laminated feet extensions just chewed that snow and took me down-hill. It was then that I realized that the whole secret of skiing is to know how to turn and brake.

One 2h ski lesson for beginners was a bit short for some of the stuff we exposed ourselves to and of course, we felt the consequences. They were just not bad enough for us to keep on doing it more and more and in the end, I am proud to announce myself as a skier! A basic one, but still a skier and I will NOT be looking into snowboarding for a while.

I am totally open to skiing now. Without any gear, it gets expensive: pants, gloves, goggles, jacket, boots, skis and helmet for the hardware. Then comes the ride TO the mountain and the skipass to be allowed all the way UP, around 3011m today.

My current leg muscle pain is attached to good memories so I don't think I'll be complaining about them.


Servus,

n.-