tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-158778072012-02-01T03:17:14.456-07:00<< A glance at the myriad of things surrounding and shaping our everyday reality >>Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.comBlogger4791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-23902393172642130472012-02-01T03:10:00.004-07:002012-02-01T03:17:14.463-07:00

Bi-directional stupidity in action: two British nationals and the US rigid homeland security. In the words of Nelson Muntz: "HA-Haw!" (AND btw at 24 and 26 you don't qualify anymore as a teenager!!The full article here

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-90315923483071659462011-08-27T07:00:00.003-07:002011-08-27T07:07:11.286-07:00

After the quake that shook well all East Coast of the US, now we must prepare for a hurricane. Irene is a huge storm that looks like is going to sweep through the whole East Coast, despite mellowing down to a hurricane category 1 storm. The storm is suppose to arrive in the Chesapeake are (southern MD) around 2 AM tomorrow with winds up to 80 mphs. It's 10 am here and already is started raining..

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-22579854374208661302011-08-23T19:44:00.002-07:002011-08-23T19:59:45.547-07:00

Yes, it had to happen sooner or later. Did not happen while I was in Japan or in California, but here on the East Coast. I was in the house addition (1st floor) while the house started rocking. At first, I though that a big truck/SUV was entering the garage underneath the house. However, when the wall clock started to shake and make sounds from its pendulum I knew that this is serious. It took me

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-20877411415111694742011-08-21T07:39:00.002-07:002011-08-21T07:43:46.682-07:00

Got excited to see that the famous Crap Cleaner which is and has been forever in my Windows toolkit made the trip to the other side. As i morph more and more into an avid mac user, this makes me happy. HAd some alternatives, some even better, but also a bit dangerous in terms of tweaking registry entries (especially since from my experience things are far more complicated under mac osx than win),

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-36946778312814955442011-07-09T00:19:00.002-07:002011-07-09T00:22:05.120-07:00

Romania stayed the same..after almost a year from my previous incursion. Hot hungry and contrasting. Walking through the park and seeing all those high-school kids with music on their cell-phones speakers, you feel the distance, just like those bare footed kids playing in the dirt in rural Cambodia. There is nothing really in common except the language. Pretty slim girls hand in hand with

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-51509475588981461832011-04-01T13:18:00.001-07:002011-04-01T13:21:13.488-07:00

Read and judge for yourself (below). I personally am divided in assigning it either way. Competition is good and that's what we should aim for.http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/eight-windows-8-features-that-could-save-microsoft/

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-34824321069577341652011-03-22T07:58:00.001-07:002011-03-22T08:01:17.181-07:00

The Colbert ReportTags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-39479901936838272282011-03-04T08:16:00.004-07:002011-03-04T08:22:01.583-07:00

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-13315930618757736052011-03-02T11:44:00.002-07:002011-03-02T11:51:55.212-07:00

Mounting CD, DVD images can save you a lot of time...by not burning the content.XP has a nice toy tool for that, but unfortunately people have move on in terms of OS.So, quickly, www.raymond.cc does come up with a list of top 10 free utilities to mount an image. There are not all free however, worthwhile going through the list, and finding popular names at a certain point in time in my life.:))

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-41115931076060360672011-02-25T05:46:00.006-07:002011-03-04T08:23:44.160-07:00

Austan Goolsbee made a (ridiculous, in my humble opinion) appearance on the Daily Show. Is this the way an economists talks about deficits, productivity and something else, innovation or something?:))I was seriously disappointed. Have a look. The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cAustan Goolsbeewww.thedailyshow.comDaily Show Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogThe Daily

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-3157523160720472992011-01-02T21:23:00.001-07:002011-01-02T21:24:55.653-07:00

After 8 days of serious battling the flu, I was feeling better and ready to enjoy my trip across the pond to land of the stars and stripes. So, I went fully confident to a New Year's eve party close to Rockville, MD, a Romanian party that was. Unfortunatelly, nothing really went the way was supposed to. The delicious Romanian specialities were not delicious at all, scarce as hell and modified

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-34728157258481519842010-12-29T07:36:00.002-07:002011-01-02T13:14:51.613-07:00

Getting back to a bball arena was nice regardless of the quality of the game. Obviously, the Wizzards are not doing well for some number of seasons now (and they don't seem to have good rebounding perspectives either). On the other side, the Bulls are an up and rising team leaded by one of the best point guards in the game (D.Rose) and with some spectacular additions in the off-season (Boozer)

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-66293494599572603282010-12-13T15:50:00.003-07:002010-12-13T16:11:45.377-07:00

Well..in my opinion there is no comparison.Hated Entourage and the whole mess with migrating data from Outlook 07 to it (painful) now it is back to Outlook 07 format for mac as well. Plus all the Word Excel and Communicator (hmmm???) you want (the buffet is open gents). What I liked especially is that now the bright and yellow people at Microsoft actually made it easy to migrate data from

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-7239477320910068222010-12-11T02:22:00.002-07:002010-12-11T02:27:31.211-07:00

Something that I have seen also on Euronews powered by Google: stats on what people search (within Europe/US/etc). While it makes little sense in analyzing the top 10 for our "collective" search conscience (I cannot really identify that much with the latest Lady Gaga fetish video perhaps?) if this can be customized in terms of searches and coverage would make an interesting tool for cultural

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-2062533491532406842010-11-16T12:20:00.008-07:002011-01-02T21:42:01.329-07:00

What I did in two and a half days:day one: visit the rulous grouphad dinner khmer traditional restaurant (chicken amok+ palmtree wine)good nice hike intro to the templesday two:sunrise, small circuit bayon, tam prohm etc dinner with roy traditional khmer BBQlost driverday three:big circuit, angkor wat but no sunsetAfter a while the temples and ruins start to look the same even for the trained eye

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-65624443830827075482010-10-20T16:28:00.002-07:002010-10-20T16:30:55.437-07:00

4 days in London feels like a lot, but really, time really flies out there. Between museums, parks, outdoors and pubs it just evaporates into thin air and you feel like you haven't really done anything. While this feeling justifies your next visit of the briton capital, it is not entirely true. Just remember those long long walks you took from Shepherd's Bush all the way to the other side of

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-10636291735447436662010-09-26T10:19:00.003-07:002010-09-26T10:28:01.538-07:00

Just few of the LPs that crowded my Itunes lately with a ranking attempt based on a 10 point system:Tricky - Mixed Race (7.5 out of 10)Ministry of Sound - Uncovered (9 out of 10)Laroux- Sidetracked (6.5 out of 10)Underworld - Barking (8 out of 10)Sting - Simphonicities (8.5 out of 10)Roykshopp - Senior (8.5 out of 10)Linking Park - a 1,000 suns (8 out of 10)Inception - OST (7.5 out of 10)Guns n

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-71830102066709426352010-09-26T04:58:00.005-07:002010-09-26T05:29:25.273-07:00

Despite my best intentions of coupling several administrative efforts (getting the Dutch MVV visa and other "required" paperwork) with participating to a Romanian R&D and Diaspora conference, obviously things did not worked out that (wonderful) way. Thus, I had to come back for the latter now, at the end of September; Still, I enjoyed it much more than my previous Romanian interlude. To be

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-32740883288996342102010-09-11T01:28:00.005-07:002010-09-11T01:36:00.711-07:00

Today I had to buy a desk for my new apt. Surprinsingly, IKEA did not have more that 4-5 options for the lenght and width I was aiming for, so instead I opted for an almost mint white 2nd hand desk at a popular outlet here in Groningen. While finding it was exciting enough, bringing it back with one of the available cargo bikes at the store definitely topped that.These traditional bakfiets can (

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-64007452121015724822010-09-10T00:49:00.002-07:002010-09-10T00:56:35.328-07:00

Ever had a problem with deleting your photos by mistake. Not me. Until yesterday when I did the mistake of not respecting my usual routine: copy RAW files, convert them to JPGs, and then share them and format the CF card. This time around, I just wanted to show them to my gf, and at 1AM, i got carried out and just format the drive going with the loop in my brain. But, no drama!! there are plenty

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-22164851083342028902010-09-07T12:15:00.005-07:002010-09-25T14:57:42.439-07:00

Going back home becomes harder and harder every time. Perhaps is just that I am perceiving all those wonderful places I grew up as a stage that I shouldn't regress back to, perhaps it is just hard seeing your family and friends grow older and weaker and you also loose track of the new branches and offsprings emerging in your family; or perhaps it is just a sharp reminder of why you left in the

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-16953444205180749202010-07-25T12:52:00.003-07:002010-07-25T12:58:44.701-07:00

I would go as far as to call it the closest thing to Matrix that I have ever seen. The consensus is there: a smart, innovative, and thrilling movie, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually, according to the Rotten Tomatoes. The box office figures confirm also this. Despite its 2:30 hours, time flies by fueled by some memorable performances from

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-18212104597276494652010-06-29T12:00:00.001-07:002010-06-29T12:00:57.784-07:00

Getting back to OC was pretty fun as we haven't been here in a year. Definitely, this place puts the umm in the summer!! The private house and pool at Sunset Island, boardwalk buzz and plenty of waves and sun make it synonimus with summertime in many cases.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-61209408230405293782010-06-24T08:33:00.012-07:002010-06-24T18:40:50.722-07:00

Yesterday we decided to explore some more of the treasures buried in our host nation's capital. Despite a rough start in dealing with the (extremely) unpleasant people at the DC Metro who don't know how to step up from a monosyllabic conversation (and this is not just based on one experience), the day proved to be quite fulfilling. Very hot though..98 in the air..but who knows how many were there

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-86064190489844355472010-06-21T05:53:00.002-07:002010-06-21T06:00:21.714-07:00

My Isight just turns on at boot and the only way I can turn it off is to restart the computer (and even that doesn't take care of the problem). So far I haven't been able to find much info on this issue except this thread (link; link2) which doesn't prove to be much of a help anyways. Despite the fact that I am not employing the webcam almost at all, would be nice to have a functional one in case

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-32192372376302319682010-06-20T14:58:00.003-07:002010-06-20T15:09:42.349-07:00

I recently got an Ipod touch for my birthday and I started to use it and frantically look for the best available free APPS for it. While there is a lot of info on many websites, still I couldn't come up with a nice and independent review of the best "free" apps for apple devices. Below is a list of my findings in these 2 and a half weeks of my i-experience (not a ranking, but a list, so ignore

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-37473937836046654002010-06-19T06:10:00.002-07:002010-06-19T06:17:20.941-07:00

Finally, the usual cracks in the top case of the white MacBook have caught up with me. Despite taking excellent care of my laptop, I guess that the crack-less 1 and a half year was as good as I could have streched it. Moreover, biking all the time with the thing on my back probably did not help either. Oh, well, everything turned out better, and whiter (exchange the keys also) after my visit to

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-60236569729876112672010-06-14T19:14:00.007-07:002010-06-19T06:57:53.878-07:00

I wanted to get to the Arboretum in DC for some time now..finally we did it, and it was great.In a hellish heat (so humid also) we still enjoyed some of the dozens of Bonsais on display (three collections: Chinese, American and Japanese) both indoor (with flowers) and outdoor ones. I am really a big fan of Bonsais and seeing work from 1800s really impressed me. The Japanese ones were gracious and

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-51354305610860751512010-06-11T06:41:00.003-07:002010-06-20T13:48:27.596-07:00

Yes, despite being here in the US and watching the games with a cup of coffee instead of a more natural fitted choice (beer, do-oh!), I am still excited to see the Big Soccer Circus. Naturally, Romania freakked up again and is not in the tournament but this does not prevent me to watch and enjoy. On my way to the Netherlands and also being a big fan of their ever since Van Basten and Gullit were

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-60026933932950286922010-05-31T21:02:00.003-07:002010-06-20T14:16:03.485-07:00

Beantown is so nice in the summer. It just made me regret that we only had a day to capture its flavor, and this one proved to be swamped with T-storms. I did not end up close to Davis Square and where I use to live (Somerville) but downtown Boston was just as good. Strolling along the Charles river and the cute streets in the BackBay was a joy, and grabbing a bite in familiar places is just as

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-39426665566268950372010-05-18T22:26:00.008-07:002010-05-22T23:16:55.814-07:00

for some reason the capture is reversed..still funny enough

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-41099388199920097442010-05-15T22:25:00.004-07:002010-06-11T20:09:29.242-07:00

The weekend started already yesterday with the showing of a famous Romanian movie (that I haven't seen yet) called "California Dreamin" by one of the best Romanian directors (Cristian Nemescu), who left this world a bit too soon. (www.imdb.com/title/tt0449573).Today was a great day, when I got the chance to surf for the first time in my life, courtesy to Glenn and Marius. It was a perfect day for

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-8320284228093892822010-05-13T19:57:00.003-07:002010-05-13T20:10:13.196-07:00

For LeBron James this could be the end of his careers with the Cleveland Cavaliers. I was happy for the Boston Celtics, because I usually cheer for the underdogs and the old "Big Three" in Beantown deserve another shot at the title. However, I still like the Lakers to win it all. However, today there was no wining spirit in the Cavs, especially in the second half; they even looked ridiculous in

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-14854723637921904432010-05-09T14:51:00.003-07:002010-05-09T15:29:52.653-07:00

Finally, the Celtics came out blazing in a must win game in Boston; as a result, the series with LeBron's Cavaliers are now even at 2 a piece. Good for the show, and the overall sympathy with the underdogs. Stellar for Rondo who put up all star stats, Tony Allen and Big Baby Davis, who finally showed some guts coming of he bench; not so good for Pierce and KG, who looked tired and old. However,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-47799791857473494142010-05-09T11:21:00.005-07:002010-05-09T11:26:54.895-07:00

Today I went back to San Francisco a couple of years after that 2008 January when the ASSA conference was hosted here. And for all it's worth, I decided to take my bike; however, I was not sure if that would be wise or not, considering all the hills around. To my relief, biking around proved to be quite fascinating, either crossing the Golden Gate or just gliding through cars and buses downtown.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-5198731399205277812010-04-11T22:13:00.003-07:002010-06-20T14:49:58.929-07:00

I had mixed feelings about going to Stanford and about how the university will appeal to me. The "Farm", e.g. the big green campus of Stanford, that looks indeed like a farm, would surely mean something very different from the MIT (tall, rather ugly/communist buildings) or Harvard (nice and classy, rather small) campus and I wasn't sure what to expect. Bikeless in Stanford is indeed terrifying,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-86244149682333521902010-03-15T14:21:00.003-07:002010-03-15T14:38:44.636-07:00

Only today I got to finally burned a DVD on my MacBook after about a year and a half of usage. Deh, a 1 TB external HDD comes in handy and I do not watch many movies on the computer these days. I just wanted to hear some music on my loudspeakers instead, so I went for it. Two things: 1. burning a DVD/CD on a MAC is way easier than Win (dummies, welcome!) 2. again, there are some software/hardware

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-42812900577486824292010-03-12T21:37:00.005-07:002010-06-20T14:35:27.341-07:00

Great NEW stuff from EMANCIPATOR.You will like this..I guarantee it.Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs (2010)TRACK LIST01. greenland02. black lake03. jet stream04. kamakura05 all through the night06. old devil07. nevergreen08. ares09. rattlesnakes10. bury them bones11. vines12. hill sighed13. siren14. safe in the steep cliffs

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-66251058697001697712010-03-10T21:01:00.003-07:002010-03-10T21:26:59.613-07:00

After some heroic battles with my reluctant self, I managed to pull through and finally attend a NBA game. There were a couple of failed attempts back when I was in Troy to go to some NETS games (back then Vince Carter was still on their roaster and they almost had championship a pedigree) but for some reason or another, I still ended up on the couch. So now, in Boston, I had to go and check it

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-91722287497516054932010-03-05T17:14:00.004-07:002010-03-05T17:22:24.999-07:00

You all remember Gorillaz, that virtual project of Damon Albarn (Blur) that involved over time famous third parties such as Del tha Funkee Homosapien or Mos Def. The had a couple of great runs back in the early 2000s ("Gorillaz" and "Damon Days"). Now they (he) are (is) back with a new release called "Plastic Beach". Guest performances by Snoop Dogg, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Kano, Bashy, Bobby

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-33435830366473014182010-01-21T13:38:00.004-07:002010-01-30T15:10:46.272-07:00

After all the bad weather I encountered in DC, Atlanta and finally in Europe, two things are obvious: the love/joy of cold weather diminishes significantly with age, and secondly, I need to make more north-south trips rather than going back and forth on the east-west axis. Moreover, it is pretty clear also that climate change is quite real, weather shifts have become something common (I remember

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-20794328475580908222009-12-30T08:47:00.003-07:002010-01-22T20:15:19.848-07:00

The Holiday season is usually a good opportunity to check out the new releases. Besides seeing the the "squeakquel" of "Alvin and the Chipmunks" with the kids, Avatar was something that I wanted to experience, especially after all the commercials and noise about a cinematic revolution. So, here it is: nice movie, a mixture of a sci-fi, action with a love story lining. Reminded me of Apocalypto

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-58885964779680430362009-12-28T13:07:00.001-07:002010-03-05T17:24:55.103-07:00

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-9758923725983064142009-12-07T06:55:00.002-07:002009-12-07T07:12:22.901-07:00

Since now I am in Boston, it is a lot easier to exercise my right and duty to vote in the Romanian Presidential elections 2009. And more over this year things seem to be pretty tight. Although most Romanians do not believe in either of the two candidates left (Basescu and Geoana), still vote in the spirit of choosing the lesser of the two evils. I subscribe to this view; however, I am not even

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-27681822994973916362009-11-25T16:44:00.004-07:002010-03-05T17:57:44.107-07:00

The Fall/Winter season is obviously not the best one to visit Romania. Cold weather and muddy roads contribute tremendously towards a grim & gray vision of it. This time I only got as far as the capital city (Bucharest) and the trip was mainly dictated by a dental emergency, and I barely got to see some family in these short 5 days spent there.Still, anything is better than nothing. When I think

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-15087153307928918712009-10-18T15:26:00.002-07:002009-10-18T15:35:24.681-07:00

Unfortunately, I forgot all about it. Remembered only today around 3 PM and that only because I saw that this is going to be the last sunny day for a while. So I should get outdoors asap, especially when considering what tough times lie ahead in terms of personal workload. Got to the Charles river pretty late coming from Cambridgeport, which probably wasn't the best itinerary anyways. I managed

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-83339401258484559712009-10-18T12:56:00.002-07:002009-10-18T13:01:44.928-07:00

No matter how much (most of us) want to hold on to summer, and this year, even fall would be good for mid-October, winter seems to be closer than ever this year. After the sudden disappearance of summer in mid-August, also fall seems to fall short this year. Today, I notice the first snow flakes making a first appearance within the light drops of rain. Woow, I should get my boots and cap.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-85339990073294209562009-10-04T12:32:00.008-07:002009-10-10T07:30:34.008-07:00

Well, there are a lot of things to learn every day. And one of them today was to NEVER use Budget Truck again. I would personally advise staying away from them since my experience was truly despicable. Besides the fact that they probably always charge you more than what your reservation shows, they also gave me a bigger truck (at no additional cost:)) just the extra $20-$25 bucks for the gas,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-60381350272003915772009-09-19T15:54:00.005-07:002010-01-22T20:27:25.202-07:00

Boston seems a lot nicer once you get to Cambridge. On my last visit, I had an interview at Harvard and I was in and out real quick. Red line, silver line, Logan, Albany, not much to see and touch. This time I actually got to experience Boston. From the daily commute (I was staying in Natick with a friend, 45 min to South Station) to the peripheral neighborhoods (Quincy, Medford etc.) I tried

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-58992004730359630002009-09-09T15:30:00.001-07:002010-01-22T20:38:33.753-07:00

Yes, it is magical. and yes, it is today. Article on Yahoo:Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application. As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-44612636696014062512009-09-05T18:37:00.004-07:002009-09-05T18:44:41.797-07:00

The Tarahumara are an indigenous people of northern Mexico and are renowned for their long-distance running ability. Originally inhabitants of much of the state of Chihuahua, the Tarahumara retreated to the Copper Canyon in the Sierra Madre Occidental on the arrival of Spanish explorers in the sixteenth century. The area of the Sierra Madre Occidental which they now inhabit is often called the

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-5487288006735898752009-08-31T20:47:00.003-07:002009-08-31T20:55:17.755-07:00

Clever. Subtle. Dark. Divided. I got to watch the first episode of "Dexter" at a late hour in the night, back home in Romania, when I needed something to put me to sleep. Usually, TV does pretty well in this respect. However, with Dexter it was different, despite the fact that I was watching an episode from the 3rd season. Now, I got into it and started to watch Season 1 & 2. The story of a

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-78872661991182274722009-08-29T09:15:00.013-07:002009-08-29T14:53:13.592-07:00

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles (2008)Flying Lotus, (born Steven Ellison) is an experimental multi-genre music producer, disc jockey, and laptop musician from Winnetka, California. His debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research Records in 2006.[1] He is most famous (yet also uncredited) for the music in many of the segues of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim,[2] and he has also contributed remixes to

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-80265136561452165882009-08-28T10:23:00.007-07:002009-08-28T20:11:22.774-07:00

After all the OS problems I had, it came to partition issues as well. Somehow, my external drive, formatted as two 500 GB NTFS drives, got into trouble. Originally, the drive was formatted using the disk utility in MacOSX as FAT32 and then to NTFS in Win XP. Then I couldn't mount it in Leopard, so I decided to fix NTFS under Win; that didn't help at all in terms of Mac OS mounting but the drive

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-84841391536172478742009-08-27T13:52:00.004-07:002009-08-28T20:30:54.224-07:00

Well, today was definitely a good day for Romanian soccer. All Romanian teams, except FC Vaslui, entered the groups of Europa League (the new competition that replaces the former UEFA cup). CFR Cluj dominated the Bosnians from Sarajevo 2-1 and qualified without problems; Steaua won also on Irish turf against St. Patrick Saints (2-1) after a categorical win in Bucharest, while Dinamo pulled down

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-4426028391297004442009-08-24T18:01:00.001-07:002009-08-24T18:04:14.152-07:00

Today I finally decided to get rid of my old XP installation under bootcamp and replace it with a fresh, this time NTFS installation. So, I booted in Mac OSx and I used Bootcamp assistant to delete the bootcamp partition, but when I booted back ...surprise-surprise the whole disk was unmountable...and worse of all...un-fixable with the limited disk-utility from the MacOSX DVD.So..right now I am

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-90295322868236980852009-08-22T18:44:00.008-07:002009-09-01T12:30:56.024-07:00

After all the trouble and frustration that I had this summer with my MacBook (namely Mac OSX 10.5) I was terribly good to see it back again, up and running at its fullest, after reinstalling it. Moreover, today I spent the afternoon putting the rest of the pieces together: the necessary applications.This post is meant to show some of these best (that I know of) programs which really bring the Mac

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-56986278905571966862009-08-20T20:02:00.004-07:002009-08-20T20:06:51.515-07:00

To install a fresh copy of Mac OSX isn't at all complicated. Although in my case, having Kernel issues resulted in actually wiping my old system, still, the process is easy and straightforward. And more than that...quite fast. After checking the installation DVD for consistency (which you may skip) for aout 10-15minutes, it takes about 30 more minutes to have the system up (then, it depends how

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-9303316382947415342009-08-14T07:24:00.007-07:002009-08-20T19:58:56.202-07:00

Since I was so late in booking my Chicago trip, the round-trip flight to Albany would have been around $500, way to much for my carved-up ex-graduate student budget in between..everything. Thus, the natural way, in this economy, and in any other one for me at least, was to cut down costs. and I did it by booking a nice couch seat with our friends from Amtrak. Friends indeed. For $80, an

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-67724002613615041352009-08-14T07:24:00.005-07:002009-08-20T19:42:27.419-07:00

Chicago is a great city! I have to say this from the start, since it really got under my skin. Forget NYC, forget Boston, all these stuffy over-crowded East Coast cities. There is no way to compare the El-train and its "tour de force" around the Downtown loop, where you can almost touch the people working in those offices and almost get the feeling of being on some sort of urban roller-coaster.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-86682137419936844202009-08-10T10:31:00.004-07:002009-08-20T19:10:09.060-07:00

Another big conference that I had the chance to attend: Academy of Management meeting. Despite the last minute decision which yielded significant logistic complication, and even a bit of desperation in terms of finding some decent accommodation in Chicago in less than a week, again, I am perfectly at peace with my decision. Going on your own buck is always tough, and usually these expenses add up

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-75842273429175366062009-08-04T14:11:00.003-07:002009-08-04T14:16:30.677-07:00

It seems that Google plans to release its brand new OS late 2010. With Windows 7 and the next Mac OSx on the market it's going to be interesting, to say the least. And of course, Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, getting more and more user friendly and capable of handling various hardware, the circle will be complete. I, for one, will enjoy it: more competition, more power (to the consumer).

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-9640689912384223592009-08-02T19:09:00.004-07:002009-08-20T19:23:28.922-07:00

What is better than a hike in the beautiful neighboring Catskills? Well..not many things. Having said that, obviously I couldn't pass that easily such an opportunity when my friend Carlos invited me to come along a group of friends and other RPI students. It was a bit wreckless (I mean the forecast was 80% chances of rain throughout the day) but it proved to be better than expected. Despite our

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-65615606331466489552009-08-01T12:31:00.004-07:002009-08-20T20:32:14.382-07:00

I always loved Barcelona. Such a vivid city, rich culture and historical heritage in a perfect blend with a modern society and an exquisite night life. Love the palm trees and the Mediteraneean buildings. The Gothic remains my favorite part of the city and I just love walking there, even during night time, and getting lost in the myriad of small streets and corridors. The port is another thing

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-90982226690759592252009-07-29T09:25:00.001-07:002010-06-20T14:57:40.664-07:00

Initially I was thinking to give an extensive review of the options that I have tried and came across; but now, due to the lack of time, I will just get to the point. Out of all that I have searched for, and believe me I did a lot of it, you couldn't beat NET 10 (net10.com). 10 cents a minute and 5 on the SMS. Recharging cards with 200,300 and more minutes but better than anything, just buy a new

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-64084058814315742582009-07-27T11:06:00.003-07:002009-08-24T13:50:01.603-07:00

It was time to try another Argentinian wine after my previous great experience (with a Malbec, again). Gouguenheim has a dark red color, and a rich and strong taste. Aromas include scents of plums, black cherry, black currants, chocolates and violets. Round and supple with a long finish, just how I like it. Overall, a good wine for $ 12. Would buy again.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-86999355606570386472009-07-23T07:23:00.006-07:002009-08-01T12:29:48.476-07:00

The very next day I arrived back in the US, we headed south towards Virginia to enjoy a day at Kings Dominion, close to Richmond, VA. This amusement park was the closest option available to Southern Maryland, about two and a half hours drive. Right from the bat, I must mention that this was my first time in such a big park and also the first roller-coaster ride I even had. Thus, at least you can

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-14150054257794558642009-07-21T07:17:00.004-07:002009-08-01T11:54:27.994-07:00

√ Mac OSX Leopard quit booting on me unexpectedly and it was really bad. The only thing I got from it was a cold screen asking me to reboot. No safe mode, no single user, nothing worked and I had no options beside the Mac DVDs, which obviously I do not carry around for a two week trip to Europe. Moreover, apple resellers are scarce in Romania. I was lucky enough to get to one in Cluj Napoca and

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-40839224066291807182009-07-02T13:32:00.002-07:002009-07-02T13:35:25.741-07:00

Nice break from the usual web-surfing day: HERE

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-57677188556090619292009-06-07T13:01:00.004-07:002009-08-20T19:46:33.597-07:00

A new spectacular environmental film that benefits from some great aerial images of Mr. Arthus-Bertrand co-produced by EuropaCorp and Elzévir Films with the final goal of raising awareness of the impact of global warming and human activities on our planet.Better yet, the movie is FREE on youtube to watch: here.I will come back with a review after I see it.Finally, saw it. Great landscapes and

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-84916119832935325872009-06-07T09:09:00.002-07:002009-06-07T09:18:13.689-07:00

Finally, the "Alien" did it. Although older, and obviously showing much more emotion than in its early days, Roger Federer pulled out its easiest victory in the 2009 Rolland Garros tournament, against Robin Soderling (no.23), the man who made him a favor by eliminating his nemesis, Rafael Nadal. Rafa gave him rough beatings in three previous finals here in the French Open, and his invincibility

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-22690541956968332262009-05-31T15:28:00.004-07:002009-05-31T15:48:20.417-07:00

This week provided a perfect medley of showdowns in several sports/countries. It all started this Wednesday with the Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United. The multi-mediatized battle between the two superstars (Messi and Ronaldo) was way below the expectations, while the game itself was pretty good. In the end, Barca got the win, but mostly because Man U was unable to

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-84846659204028493542009-05-10T08:29:00.005-07:002009-05-10T08:32:33.263-07:00

When I left my house this afternoon heading towards Albany the sun was shining, despite the rather strong winds outside. However, things got ugly when I got there and most of the people at the Tulip Festival were already bailing out. By the time I swam upstream the rivers of people heading for downtown, the first drops started already. In the next half an hour the skies were pouring and I started

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-23386704315659807812009-05-01T08:12:00.001-07:002009-05-01T08:14:06.875-07:00

Throughout this first round NBA playoff games, no other series was more exciting than the Bulls versus Celtics one. With things tied (3-3) after 6 games and 7 over time periods, flagrant faults, blooded towels and fierce battles underneath the rim, the Heroes (7th seeded Bulls) are keeping their hopes alive in, what will probably be, a spectacular game 7. Not to be mistaken, I didn’t like the

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-50126552390112818242009-04-29T10:00:00.003-07:002009-04-29T10:09:40.924-07:00

Again a weekend full of football-istic events. After watching most of a new becoming classic Romanian derby between Steaua Bucharest and CFR Cluj that ended in an unfortunate draw for both of them, Sunday was the day of the semis in the intramural soccer competition here at RPI. After wining the C league last season and clinching the first spot in the B league this year (undefeated), the

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-70911729116419682462009-04-25T16:41:00.002-07:002009-04-26T11:53:10.849-07:00

First day to enjoy wearing shorts outside. Actually at 86 F you have to. I took a long walk in the Prospect Park. Lots of people outside enjoying the weather, a cold brewsky and the occasional sports. Finally we can forget about the awful winter and grey skies. Summer is here to stay,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-73825494985124845122009-04-20T07:05:00.003-07:002009-05-02T21:19:35.514-07:00

This is a rich Malbec wine boosted with small amount of Bonarda (10%) and Shiraz (15%). Very enjoyable aromas combining plums and berries with black pepper and anis. Worthwhile those $16.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-40112416360360806212009-04-19T20:05:00.003-07:002009-04-19T20:06:26.664-07:00

A very nice Sunday afternoon concert back at the Troy Savings Bank Hall featuring one of the best US brass ensembles, the Burning River Bass. A bunch of talented artists with an inspiring performance including pieces from Rachmaninoff (Vespers), Shostakovich (Concerto in A minor) and Prokofiev (Kije’s Wedding). A touch of classical brass music was given by the Suite for Brass by Bach, while the

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-47416283895103482472009-03-31T07:16:00.004-07:002009-03-31T07:30:26.025-07:00

I have been quite a GR fan considering his earlier work (Snatch, Lock,stock..) but I never stop wondering if something ORIGINAL is going to emerge in one of his dark-humor-gangster movies. So far, nada. RockNRolla is just emulating his previous movies, just as Snatch did to some extent with Lock, stock.. However, it is fine; I mean it would have been surprising to see something different. I guess

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-54237616098155536632009-03-29T12:17:00.003-07:002009-03-29T12:29:01.906-07:00

Yesterday was a full soccer day.The Romanian national team had a huge game (of surviving the qualifiers for the World Cup 2010) against Serbia at home, in Constanta. Unfortunately, we lost 2-3, partly due to some dubious refereeing and partly due to the inability of getting a good and motivated team on the field, which has been a long lasting problem of the current coach. Which should have been

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-80455735269154093122009-03-28T09:55:00.002-07:002009-03-28T09:57:52.887-07:00

Lights are going out across the world this Saturday as millions of homes and businesses in major cities went dark for one hour in a symbolic gesture to highlight concerns over climate change.In Australia, floodlights of the Sydney Opera House were extinguished as the city's iconic harbor kicked off events for Earth Hour, a day-long energy-saving marathon stretching through 88 countries and 24

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-4892309246355671692009-03-28T08:07:00.003-07:002009-03-28T08:11:30.014-07:00

Last Friday the series finale for Battlestar Galactica aired on Sci-Fi. After a week, I also caught up and watch it, finally. However, just like most viewers, my opinions are divided. While the whole plot was pointing towards some last stand hardcore battle between the volunteers from the Colonies (including the “good” cylons) and the “bad” cylons, things got surprisingly twisted several times,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-45545778331027446512009-03-26T14:27:00.002-07:002009-03-26T14:30:33.745-07:00

Advertised as the "People's Car," the Tata Nano launched this week in Mumbai amid controversy. Many have decried the arrival of the world's cheapest car as an "eco-disaster," citing the hundreds of millions of potential new drivers that Tata's affordable price tag will generate and the resulting increase in carbon emissions. Meanwhile, proponents argue that the Nano has the potential to replace

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-78969933107331137732009-03-13T15:58:00.003-07:002009-03-13T16:07:13.834-07:00

Finally I seized the chance of watching this multi-acclaimed award winner film. I was looking forward to it even before the Oscars, as I've heard a lot of things about it and watched a couple of interviews with Patel on some late night shows (Jimmy Kimmel Live and the Daily Show).The movie was everything that I hope for: a simple yet powerful story of a guy who makes it out of the slums of Bombay

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-52259577061270094752009-03-13T15:49:00.004-07:002009-03-13T15:57:50.227-07:00

Jon Stewart throws some serious and deep punches at CNBC's (almost whining) Jim Cramer at his joke of a show "Mad Money". There are no excuses and ways to bounce the fault on what are some quite obvious (huge) mistakes this guy has done in the past.The full episode is HERE.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-67910729270517320382009-03-01T10:21:00.002-07:002009-03-01T10:27:39.172-07:00

The Prodigy is back with a couple of new releases for the fans out here. I didn't know what to expect after their former releases which were controversial to say the least, even among Prodigy-fans.With these two, I would claim that they are making a run for the past, going back to the sounds that have consecrated them, crazy beats and a mish-mash of styles (drum and bass, punk, old school rave).

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-15715338682306248152009-02-27T10:16:00.003-07:002009-02-27T10:20:40.812-07:00

This morning I started by peaking at this movie while doing some chores around the living room and ended up immersed in a couch and fully absorbed by the depth of this movie. Darren Aronofsky, the director of "Pi" (1998) and my fav "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) makes a statement with this one as well. $35 million for a love poem to death as the Washington Post called it, but again, in my opinion

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-47490321042817769212009-02-20T18:06:00.001-07:002009-02-20T18:07:42.845-07:00

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-47469480026741173252009-02-17T16:19:00.004-07:002009-02-17T16:30:42.988-07:00

It started with the PlayStation skills where Tony Parker or Moe Williams did not really make and effort to compete, followed by Jason Capono's froze in the 3point shoot-out against some famous-but-not-for-3-point-shooting oponents like Mike Bibby or Danny Granger, to Saturday's climax when Nate Robinson fully employed the power of Kryptonite (he was all dressed in green with green sock, shoes and

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-82820987696791801202009-02-15T15:06:00.003-07:002009-02-15T15:11:17.145-07:00

After beating Romania in a friendly soccer game last week, Croatia beat us also to a rightful place in Guiness World Records book for the longest sausage in the world. Romania held the previous record with a decent wurst of about 392m. However, Croatians took it to another level (530m) and used it to feed pairs of hungry Valentines.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-15429575346298295542009-02-14T20:05:00.002-07:002009-02-14T20:06:16.332-07:00

Naturally, I was expecting traditional violins and uillean pipes and Irish flutes, maybe even some bodhran (percussion), but I got much more than that. One of (if not) THE best concerns I had the privilege to assist to. The Dublin Philarmonica was great and I think that the difference was made by the unconventional program which included traditional Irish songs performed by a regular Irish band,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-53826011757956011932009-02-13T13:05:00.003-07:002009-02-13T13:11:59.642-07:00

Well, after the Hudson miraculous landing, last night another incident happened here in NY. A Continental connecting flight between Newark, NJ and Buffalo, NY crashed close to its destination. Unfortunately, the death toll is significant (50), raising again questions and worries. I also flew these small jets a lot between Albany and Washington or Chicago, mostly Delta and United, but occasionally

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-67524600652426147022009-02-12T18:49:00.008-07:002009-02-13T13:17:25.980-07:00

Like many (probably?) migrating from Win based machines, I never got comfortable (and tried, for that matter) with Itunes. I really am used with Winamp's versatility in terms of what to play, when and ease of switch and cancel etc. Moreover, I DO NOT like to: copy/duplicate my files just for the sake of a player, map all my music into playlists and stuff, because I am quite flexible (from minute

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-2942631158305157372009-02-10T10:02:00.002-07:002009-02-13T13:12:16.819-07:00

This is my first trial of Alice White from South Eastern Australia. Is a decent and inexpensive dark red wine with reasonable aroma more towards the cherry like taste due to the composition: the mix is 65% cabernet and 30% shiraz. It has a clean taste, not complex but pleasant. But again, I like shiraz a lot, so I might be biased. Anyways, for $8 is worth trying.

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-76145916757925533942009-02-08T17:29:00.002-07:002009-02-09T18:01:15.109-07:00

This week brought some great NBA games that give a small preview for what is about to come in the playoffs.1. Lakers finally beat Celtics at the Garden (110-109)After losing in Los Angeles, on Wed the Celtics and their fans were eager for revenge. But Kobe & Co. didn't agree and won in OT. And that even without Bynum, the big body, and lately big scorer, for LA. Boston did commit several faults

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-43454948168074753512009-02-08T12:29:00.005-07:002009-02-08T17:33:16.820-07:00

Since now I am doing a paper on the tire industry, this is a pretty funny and relevant (to me at least) commercial for Bridgestone tires. Naturally, it was first time aired during the multimillion Super Bowl commercial breaks.Take a look:

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-72572077015167694932009-02-08T10:05:00.012-07:002009-02-08T10:36:07.803-07:00

Although I haven't had much time lately to listen and experiment, I look forward to going over some of these albums and EPs:1. Mr. Scruff - Ninja Tuna (2008): I have listen to some of his track and there are some nice & interesting collaborations with Quantic and Roots Manuva, among others, but the main musical lines are preserved throughout the album.2. DJ Kentaro - Trust (2008) In this EP,

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-29009341575397834512009-02-08T09:49:00.003-07:002009-02-08T10:02:57.816-07:00

Well, it has been a while. About 1 1/2 years to be exact, since I haven't been at a concert here in Troy. It almost happened last Fall, but I had to travel to Netherlands and I had to cancel in the last minute. Other than that, again, mostly out of town and sadly, busy with other stuff. So, this was a nice way to remember "the old ways" and I think I miss these "getaways"; after all they are good

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-68171273435304900372009-01-20T11:57:00.004-07:002009-01-31T11:37:48.004-07:00

Barack Obama ..the 44th US President...and the 1st Afro-American one...the inaugural speech.Link:

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15877807.post-86527827519152448182009-01-18T21:15:00.005-07:002009-01-18T21:20:47.858-07:00

When I saw this picture, I immediately felt home sick. All the beauty that Europe has to offer, and all those special small coffees in special small squares and streets that do not have to be proud of their heritage going back multiple hundreds of years. It is normal there, ya? Anyways, who knows...summer doesn't seem that far..at least after January and the cold waves pass:))..so..there is

Sorin Krammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07588926431781134450noreply@blogger.com0