November 30th, 2009 von
Stephan
Today I had the pleasure of watching my bank account grew to an ammont, which I actually never had in my past career, in Germany it’s called Weihnachtsgeld and no matter how you call it, I think it is time for some good investments!
500 GB Seagate portable HDD

50€ for 500GB is a very good deal, despite the fact that I fell in a little love with the smaller version (with a size as big as a bigger wallet) I thought that I need something to back up my data in case of something hazardous (Police raid, summer or winter storm) and also as always IM RUNNING OUT OF MEMORY on my HDD drives. But 500GB, still enough for backing up and also for decrypt the whole drive with a 25+ password and you have a save and valuable device.
Goodyear Vector 5+ All Seasons Tires

Winter Tires, Summer Tires, two times a year you have to change them in order to withstand the elements. I don’t like changing tires a lot so I decided to add the all seasons tires to my buying cart. My philosophy behind this is simple, we don’t have much snow here and our winters are very british, not this cold and very wet so the really need for winter tires is not present FOR ME. In case we have deep snow here my opportunity is to buckle up the chains so I can go forward but I don’t see this coming with global warming in these days. Haven’t bought them yet, but I’m looking forward to this next week!
Stephan
["If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear!"]
Geschrieben in Worth the Experience!?, Products of Boredom, For ze Englisch reader |
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November 27th, 2009 von
Stephan
This show is so friggin’ awesome because I never encountered something more senseless (except Duke Nukem 3D) to laugh my way through the night
Here is a very graphic episode, title unknown
Stephan
["If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear!"]
Geschrieben in Products of Boredom, Oddities | WTF? |
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November 26th, 2009 von
Stephan
You know the times, where you want to type something longer on your laptop and anytime you brush over your touchpad you anger level rises?
http://code.google.com/p/touchfreeze/downloads/list
Here is the easy solution, works very well ! (But it needs to be deactivated during gaming!)
Stephan
["If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear!"]
Geschrieben in Uncategorized, How to|Do it yourself? |
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November 19th, 2009 von
Daniel
Solidarität mit den protestierenden Studenten in Österreich und Deutschland!
Zumindest mit denen die sich nicht künstlich bemüht über Bologna generell aufregen, sondern die Sache etwas differenzierter sehen. Denn einen gemeinsamen Hochschulraum in der EU zu schaffen, dass ist für mich nur die logische Konsequenz im Entstehungsprozess einer Europäischen Gemeinschaft - das schließt auch die Bildungspolitik mit ein.
Aber sieht es zur Zeit so aus als würde der Bologna Prozess bis nächstes Jahr in Deutschland abgeschlossen sein? Wohl kaum! 10 Jahre Reformen und man könnte meinen von der Sache mit Bachelor und Master hätte die Politk erst vorgestern gehört und gestern den dazugehörigen Äktsch’n Plan gebrainstormt.
Was ich mich frage:
- Wieso wurde beinahe jedes Studium auf drei Jahre “Pflichtverkürzt”? Und wieso wurde alles über einen Kamm geschoren? Während der eine oder andere geisteswissenschaftliche Studiengang vielleicht mehr Struktur gut vertragen hat, werden Naturwissenschaftler durch starre Pläne eingeengt.
- Wenn schon sechs Semester, wieso wird dann immer noch viel zu oft der Stoff vermittelt der früher acht oder zehn Semester in Anspruch genommen hat?
- Was ist aus dem groß angekündigten Stipendiensystem geworden? 40.000 von 2 Mio. Studenten erhalten zur Zeit finanzielle Unterstützung in Form von Stipendien. Das entspricht etwa 2% aller Studierenden - die große Laola-Welle ist das jetzt nicht, besonders wenn man bedenkt dass in neun Bundesländern Studiengebühren eingezogen werden dürfen. Während also bereits kassiert wird, heißt es an der Stipendienfront: Ist in Arbeit! Vorbild soll das Stipendiensystem sein, welches gerade in NRW anläuft und den besten 10% 300EUR im Monat in Aussicht stellt. Ab wann? Ich glaube das weiß keiner so Recht…ein Hauptgrund wieso ich mich mittlerweile im Lager der Gebührengegner sehe
- Nehmen die Länder eigentlich billigend in Kauf, dass Studenten jetzt zahlen sollen um “mittelfristig” eine bessere Lehre zu erreichen? Ein leuchtendes Beispiel ist die HS Niederrhein, unsere sympathische Hochschule op de Ekk, gleich die Straße runter. Über Jahre wurden Mehreinnahmen gehortet, bis 6.5 Mio € gesammelt wurden die “später einmal” neue Professorenstellen finanzieren sollten. Das Studenten damit Leistung bezahlen die sie selber gar nicht in Anspruch nehmen werden können quitierte Rektor Ostendorf mit den Worten “Dass derjenige, der uns finanziert Wünsche und Vorstellungen hat, die unseren entgegenstehen, ist normal”. Nachdem Bildungsminister Pinkwart ein Machtwort gesprochen hat wird jetzt panisch das Geld mit beiden Händen aus dem Fenster geworfen, ehe man noch genötigt wird selbiges an die Studenten zurückzahlen zu müssen
- laut einer OECD Studie aus dem Jahr 2006 investiert Deutschland lediglich 4,8% seines BIPs in Bildung. Der Schnitt liegt bei knapp 6% und ist ganz weit ab von den 7,5% die beispielsweise Dänemark ausgibt. Ein Schelm wer da denkt, dass die Studiengebühren die Ausgaben ersetzen sollen die eigentlich der Staat bereit zu stellen hat. Mit einem systematisch unterfinanzierten Bildungssystem volle Kraft voraus in die Wissensgesellschaft des 21. Jahrhunderts. Denn wie wir alle wissen: Den einzigen Rohstoff den Deutschland hat sind seine bestens ausgebildeten Bürger. In die wird auch bestimmt investiert, irgendwann… aber erstmal gibt’s ‘nen halben Dacia Neuwagen geschenkt wenn man seine alte Mühle zuvor verschrottet hat.
Vieles davon hat mich bereits 2006 abgeschreckt in Deutschland zu studieren. Den Master fest im Blick, mehren sich aber in mir die Zweifel: Solange jedwede Anzeichen eines Kurswechsels fehlen sehe ich mich auch da nicht in Deutschland immatrikuliert.
Hier mein kleines Kontrastprogramm aus den Niederlanden: Als ich mein Studium 2006 anfing war ich nicht - wie es seinerzeit an vielen deutschen Hochschulen der Fall gewesen wäre - Teil des ersten oder zweiten- sondern der fünften Jahrgangs. Mit den ersten Alumni kam auch Weißheit - unser Studienprogramm war bereits aus den gröbsten Kinderkrankheiten raus und reichlich umgestaltet worden. Studiengebühren gibt es zwar auch in den Niederlanden, und das mit knapp 1500€ pro Jahr sogar nicht zu knapp. Aber die breite Masse erhält eine Studienförderung des niederländischen Staates von rund 1000€. Das macht ein Studium in den Niederlanden, was unter Ausstattungs- und Betreuungsaspekten ohnehin oft attraktiver ist, sogar günstiger als beispielsweise in meinem Heimatland NRW - Rüttgers sei Dank.Leider wurde die Studienförderung für all diejenigen die ihr Studium 2007 oder später angefangen haben abgeschafft und durch ein Kreditsystem ersetzt. Doch selbst unter diesen Umständen rühre ich immer noch die Werbetrommel: Deutschland, Du kannst noch was von deinen Nachbarn lernen!
Daniel
Geschrieben in Career Advisor, ÄUSSERN! |
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November 15th, 2009 von
Stephan

Sang Kim RN
Cardiac Telemetry Nurse
Snowboarder
Terry Misener RN, PhD
Dean, School of Nursing
Retired Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
Yuri Chavez RN, CRNA
Nurse Anesthetist
2:54 LA Marathon
Roland Jomerson RN
Post Anesthesia Recovery Nurse
Decorated Vietnam Combat Medic and Retired Major, U.S. Army
Don Mucciprosso RN
Poison Specialist Nurse
Harley Rider
Walter Moore, Jr. RN
Intensive Care Unit Nurse
U.S. Navy Seal Team One
Bill Maddalena SN
Student Nurse
3rd Degree Black Belt Kenpo
L. Rey Ariola RN
Cardiology Nurse
Rugby Right Prop
Jason Scott Carrick SN
Student Nurse
Basketball Power Forward
For more men in nursing!
Stephan
["If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear!"]
Geschrieben in Nurse talking... |
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November 11th, 2009 von
Stephan
Every man has to face one challenge in his life…he will at least once be invited to a wedding party which has no great expectations for him. It will be boring, it will be just fulfilling his duty…but there are ways to survive.
Definitions and Beforehands
The first thing you have to clear up for yourself is how the boredom factor of the wedding will be…the determinants of the facts are the following
- Weddings which are away from your home so that you have to take a room or at least a sleeping place are usually more boring than other weddings.
- Weddings which you can attend with your first officer of choice OR girlfriend are usually more entertaining than if you are invited alone or just because you are the boyfriend of x…
- Do you know the bride? Do you know the pair? If you have a semi-relationship to the pair, the boredom factor rises
- What was your first reaction as you heard from your invitation? The more bad-ass the reaction will be, the higher the boredom.
- Are any other people around you know? When was the last time you had contact with them? Try to remember your social network
Planning and measures beforehand
The very important thing you have to do is to plan your logistics
- Plan your arrive and your leaving very narrow, no extra day to spent in the woods. If you plan very close you always have to say “I have to leave, I have to work next day
- It is better to come with train or plane because they don’t change their schedule…if you choose to be individual, your schedule is determined by many factors
- Know the schedule of the wedding, it is crucial ! If you want to cheat you have to know WHEN to cheat.
- Don’t regret your selfishness, if you really don’t relate to this wedding, they can take a shit on your presence, so you just play the row-filler. Time is crucial in these days and you have to manage YOUR time.
Strategies by location
Church
- Be on point! Don’t waste any time by coming to early to sit in the front row, the pair won’t even recognize you because they are to busy remembering one,maybe two words or reading some speech from a card.
- If you are late you can choose a row far behind, away from interested people, lenses, photo- or videographer who can document your mental absence
- Look for a small book or something familiar to entertain your brain, hide it in the singing book.
- Pick out random people sitting in the church and try to guess their biography just based on their appearance, inner laugh guarantee. Put them into funny categories like “This is the guy who works in an office, but tries to fullfill his dream to be the handyman at home by wasting his time to add a not-necessary room to this house”
- Be familiar with the church code of conduct….know when to stand up and when to shut the fuck up
Wedding Dinner
- Pre-plan the fact, that you need to ask for a place close to the buffet or kitchen, you will be served first in general and the faster you eat the earlier you are gone
- Really use the dinner time, use it to stack up your body fat for at least a week, if you live alone you’ll appreciate a good, warm middle class dinner FOR FREE
- Study the menu so you can chose effective!
- Ask everyone you seem to like about the day program, try to inform yourself about the enemy and it’s logistic so you can make an escape plan.
- Enjoy the eating, it will be the best thing of this day so really enjoy it and spent time with the dinner, there is no reason to panic here!
Wedding dance/Wedding games/Photograph shoots/wedding gifts
- There will (hopefully) be many people around.
- Now comes the bastard trick: Be a photo - poser if it is important to you that somebody notices your presence. Be a poser, try to be surprised if the picky and gay photographer will take a picture but use your chance. If you are on 10-15 photos per 100 shots your presence is well documented and many people think it was important to you
- Be one of the first group or individual to hand out the gift, be the smug and be one of the first, you can make on “CHECK” more on your list
- I don’t like dancing, I hate it and the best trick about avoiding it is getting stuck into semi-deep conversations with wedding guests you really don’t know and which are easily fooled by your words. Try to look enthusiastic. Also you can hide near the buffet and if the danger is coming go to the buffet and pick something random, people won’t bug you with dancing.
- The best chance to escape is the phase where it starts to loose up and the chained husbands start to get drunk. Be around with a beer or more , if you are determined by another person get drunk as fast as a british mate, so you are the first guy to get sick from drinking or feeling not so well. If everybody is lightly drunk, ESCAPE
- Many people are afraid from saying goodbye to the main host so they will notice your absence. Try to expand the time you are present in the room so the main host won’t notice you so much and by the right timing just disappear without saying sorry, if you document your presence well and loose enough traces, they won’t notice your escape
- Even if they notice you escaped, who gives a shit?
If you make it right, you did your duty VERY well and also you save your time from boredom!
Stephan
["If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear!"]
Geschrieben in How to|Do it yourself?, Lessons Learned |
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November 5th, 2009 von
Daniel

Ever ridden in a London cap? Unfortunately I never did - despite living in that city for a brief, but exciting period of time. I was more of the bus riding type of guy. Now I was fairly surprised recently - twice in the same week actually. The reason was: I passed a real black cap - not necessarily worth a blog entry. UNLESS you are on your way to a Dutch uni.
The first encounter got me day dreaming. I was imiganing a real English gentlement, wearing bowler and suit, somewhere in Central London. He waves a taxi, takes a seat in the back and tells the driver: Good day lad! To Mönchengladbach, please!”. That must have been happening just a couple of hours before the London Cap encounter on the Autobahn. Of course we all know that this scenario is one of the rather less probable ones… and how even worse the chances are that an Englishman would be able to pronounce this tongue twister name of a city. Could have been Düsseldorf or Cologne as well, certainly a German town as it was going the other way, appearently coming from the Netherlands. The license plate was yellow with black letters! The second encounter later that week took some of the magic away. I could clearly identify it as a Dutch license plate.
Still wouldn’t you wanna know how much it would cost to just hop into a London cap and drive to Germany? For the sake of simplicity the calculation does not include the farry transport or a ride through the Eurotunnel. Just the roughly 550km from London to Mönchengladbach. Then this great endevour should cost about £1,40 initial fee and about 80 pence per kilometre. Et voilà: We have £441, or let’s just make it £450 including a tip. Better not apply any percentage rules here as we still need money for the cap ride back to the Island - which will be costly enough.
I am already looking up the farry travel price… ^^
Daniel
Geschrieben in Oddities | WTF?, For ze Englisch reader |
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