Tag Archives: experiences

Thoughts

People's obsession with new things

There I was, at a stop sign, when a truck carrying new cars passed by me, and it hit me (an idea, that is)! Not only did those cars have plastic foil on the body of the cars, but they had it on the wheels as well! You know, you’ve seen the white plastic wrap that new cars have on them – it’s there to protect them from scratches during transport. Now, they’ve got plastic wrap on the alloy wheels as well. I guess nitpicky people complained that wheels on new cars had scratches, and didn’t want to buy them anymore…

The point is, people everywhere are obsessed with things being brand new when they get them. They won’t even buy a toaster if the box has been opened. Forget buying a cereal box if it’s open. Jars of jam and bottles of milk even have warnings on them, that say we shouldn’t get them or consume them if the seal’s been broken.

Overall, our incessant desire for new, fresh, unopened products is good. It’s led to cleaner, more hygienic development standards in the food industry and as applicable, in all other industries. But I wonder, why don’t we all share that same desire for something new, fresh and unopened when it comes to the most important thing in our lives – our spouses? We blissfully accept used goods there, don’t we? Do we even question our spouses or sexual partners about their past history? Most people don’t. While they wouldn’t think twice about drinking an opened bottle of milk, they’ll gladly swap bodily fluids and subject themselves to diseases of all kinds, all for the sake a few frenzied, passing seconds.

Shouldn’t we have better standards than this? Shouldn’t we demand, of ourselves and of others (all of us), that we present ourselves at our (first) marriages as “fresh and unopened” as possible? Isn’t that the perfect gift we could give our spouses? After all, we’re not talking about a toaster or a VCR, that we’ll use for a few years then throw away, we’re talking about a lifetime of precious togetherness. Shouldn’t we come to the table with all our assets intact, not with some of them labeled “used goods” or “biological hazard”?

We’re so concerned about a scratch on a car, but we tend to forget about psychological scars and traumatic experiences that leave lasting marks on the minds of those who bear them. A shiny wheel is nowadays more important than a shiny, beautiful life, and being able to peel off the plastic wrap from a new car carries more bragging rights than being able to say you kept yourself whole for your marriage.

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Thoughts

Onion tea is really gross, onion tea I hate the most

Those of you who are regular readers know that I’ve been sick with some sort of flu-like viral infection – whatever it is, it’s nasty, and it still hasn’t gone away. As a matter of fact, it came back this week for another in-home stay. I’d like to evict it, but I don’t know how.

One “nice” fringe benefit of this thing is that I get to cough a lot, and my throat hurts when I swallow. My PCP says I shouldn’t worry – thanks, doc, thanks a lot! – because it’ll go away eventually. She didn’t prescribe any medicine at all – no antibiotics, no cough medicine, nothing… So, I had to resort to finding some sort of cure, and apparently onion tea is the thing for coughing. Everyone swears it works, although they say it tastes really gross. So, after much prodding from Ligia, I caved in and decided to try it out. Boy, is it nasty! I have to drink 2-3 cups a day, and I almost vomit every time. When you look at it, it’s innocuous enough, but the taste is what kills me. Photos don’t do it justice, but I posted two of them below anyway.

I really think the only thing that would do it justice is a poem. That’s right, a poem! Let’s call it Ode to Onion Tea. I wrote it last night after drinking a cup…

You onion stew, such vile brew,
You make me sick – a nasty trick,
I know.

There you are, a filthy cur,
You stand aloof, nary a spoof,
But real!

I’m all grossed out, your stench
Is all about, you lout!
Anon –

I’ll drink you now, I must,
I know, but I’ll wince, and pinch
My nose.

I can’t complain, th’effects are known,
They’re not a bluff; you heal
My cough.

But must you stink to heaven high
And taste a bit like stale lye
And when I gulp, I want to cry
Enough!

You leave behind a fart-like taste –
I kid you not, the aftertaste
Is smelly.

My pores now reek, right as they leak
In highest feverish pitch,
Of leek.

My urine smells of onions fried,
At least that’s what I hope!
Belied!

How gross you are, o how I wish
That something better did exist
To cure my ill!

The remains of the onion tea

Onion tea

Now, dear reader, after this, could you be able to drink this vile thing?

[The title of this post is a bow to Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005). The song lyrics in that movie were fantastic!]

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Events

Want to see Ligia and I on TV?

A few months ago, both Ligia and I got taped for a new show on HGTV called “I Want That! Tech Toys“, the kid brother, so to speak, of “I Want That!”, which is a wildly popular show. By the look of it, this new show is going to make it big as well.

At any rate, Ligia got invited to demo a portable keyboard called the Yamano Hand-Roll Piano (a bit of a misnomer, since it’s not a piano, it’s a keyboard). At any rate, what makes it an interesting product is that it’s truly portable: it rolls up into a tight little package, which you can carry virtually anywhere. It’s also powered by batteries. The keys are made of rubber with touch sensors underneath, so if you spill something on it, you don’t have to worry. It’s even got a MIDI-out port, in case you’re interested in that sort of a thing. The only thing that’s missing is the tactile feel of a real keyboard, which, I have to say, is a fairly important thing for the more serious piano or keyboard players. But this keyboard is great for beginners. So… to make a long story short, Ligia and one of her students, Peter, got taped for the show, and the episode just aired on HGTV. I uploaded the particular segment of the show where Ligia is featured to YouTube, and you can view it below.

What about me? Well, I got invited to demo a cool product called the Nabaztag Smart Bunny for the show a month after Ligia got taped. I demoed it, and also wrote a nice lengthy review here at ComeAcross for your enjoyment. The show in which I appeared aired after Ligia, and it’s still on the air, as a matter of fact. The segment where I talk about the bunny is also uploaded to YouTube, and you can view it below.

Hope you enjoy them! I know we enjoyed getting taped, it was a fun little experience, and we are grateful for the opportunity! You wouldn’t believe it, but just to get that 1:25 minutes of live TV, it took over three hours for each of us. It’s the setups for the different shots and the re-takes that take so long. You’ve got to make sure the lighting’s just right, that the angles are correct, that stray objects aren’t in the shot, so on and so forth. Hey, and did you know that one of those Beta video cameras they use to film you for TV costs over $60,000? Better not drop them!

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Reviews

Riding on the CFR

While in Romania to take care of family matters, I’ve had the displeasure of riding on the CFR (Caile Ferate Romane), which can be translated as the Romanian Ferovial Transport, or Romanian Railroads. Its equivalent in the States is Amtrak. They’re both state-run, and that’s where the similarity ends.

There are four classes of trains that run in Romania. I’ll give you the four Romanian terms, then explain what each means. The following trains are available: InterCity, Rapid, Accelerat and Personal.

  • InterCity: clean, relatively fast train; more expensive than others, routes are limited to certain cities, and during certain times of the year.
  • Rapid: the term means “fast” in Romanian, and it’s a misnomer. It’s not fast, and it’s not clean. As a matter of fact, it’s downright disgusting on most Rapid trains. Some are indeed acceptable, but that’s about the nicest thing one can say about them. The Rapid is cheaper than the InterCity and more expensive than the Accelerat.
  • Accelerat: the term means “acceleration” in Romanian, and it’s somewhat true. The train stops (a lot) then it accelerates back to its usual speed, which is a snail-like 40-70 km/h. It’s not clean, but it’s somewhat cheaper than the Rapid.
  • Personal: the term means the same thing in Romanian as in English. It’s a train meant for moving people back and forth, as compared to goods/merchandise. If you’ve ever seen a cattle train, the similarities are striking: the wagons are rusty, hot, dirty, and smelly. It’s also slow as molasses, and stops at every possible station, sometimes even in the middle of nowhere. It’s the cheapest train one can get a ticket on, and it’s also a train one should avoid at all cost.

There are also two price-levels on Romanian trains: first class, and second class. Unless one is talking about InterCity trains, the two are misnomers. On most trains, there is no difference between first class and second class but the price. Indeed, first class is filthier than second class. At any rate, if it’s possible, one should avoid second class, unless one enjoys the smells of stale beer and spoiled food, and the possible unwelcome odors of perspiration (there is no air conditioning on any train, in any class, except on the InterCity.) I should mention these are identifiable odors. There are plenty of mystery odors that I dare not guess at.

Why am I writing this? Because as I mentioned at the start of my post, I’ve had the distinct displeasure of having to use rail transport while in Romania, and I can tell you that the experience stinks, both literally and figuratively speaking. To illustrate my point, I took photos, which I’ll display below.

The one highlight of our trip was the InterCity, which was indeed clean and looked and smelled adequately in first class. The experience was on par with American Amtrak standards. The only negative thing I can say is that the paper in the bathroom ran out during the trip. Thankfully, it was the paper towels that ran out, not the toilet paper. Here are some photos.

For most of our rail travels, there was no InterCity service on the routes we needed to take – these were major cities, by the way, Iasi being one example. What’s more, we travelled overnight, but there were no first class sleeping accommodations. We had to use the regular first class. One would think that since this was an overnight train with no sleeping wagons, the chairs in first class would recline, so one could get some sleep. Well, you’d be wrong if you assumed that. They reclined about two inches, just enough to put one in an uncomfortable position, halfway between upright and reclined. The conditions were miserable. There was visible filth and muck on the floors, chairs, headrests, walls, bathroom – just about everywhere.

On the seat assigned to me, wet engine grease was smeared on the backrest. There were more stains of unknown nature on the seats. The bathroom floor and walls wore caked patches of filth and who knows what… Keep in mind this is supposed to be 1st class! To add insult to injury, our window was stuck open, all night long. And… it also rained. It was the train ride from hell.

Again, to recap, these photos were taken in 1st class, on a Rapid. I also had the displeasure and discomfort of riding on a Personal, in 1st class. I dared not take photos. I recoil at the memory of that horrid experience. It was all you could imagine about a filthy train, and more. It stank horribly, it was hot, even with all the windows open, there were odors galore, the seats were stained, and you could scrape the muck off the armrests, the floors and the windows… did I mention it stank?

As a native Romanian, I am ashamed to write this post. I thought long about whether or not to publish it, but I decided for it. The CFR needs to be shamed into fixing what’s wrong. No company or organization should be allowed to run trains like this. It’s absolutely unacceptable that trains and wagons meant for transporting people should be this filthy, this disgusting. And when one pays a premium for 1st class, no matter which train that 1st class is on, they should get premium service and accommodations, not muck, filth and engine grease.

The InterCity service is obviously done right. Sure, if one is picky, they can still find hygiene lacking here and there, but overall, it’s a good thing. So the CFR knows how to do something right if needed. Why not take that same level of service, and expand it to the other trains in their fleet? In a country where most people travel by train, it’s unacceptable that one should put up with the inferior accommodations and service that’s so predominant on today’s CFR. Do you know what the conductor said when I pointed out the window was stuck open? He shrugged his shoulders and moved on! Is that acceptable? I think not!

The CFR also has a welfare program for certain retired people and their spouses. I believe it’s limited to those who served in the military. They get 12 travel passes a year, which allow them to ride for free on any train, in any class they desire. While it’s a laudable program, because it makes travel possible for those who may not be able to afford it since they’re on fixed and very limited incomes, it has its shortcomings. People from all walks of life can use the passes, and they usually end up in 1st class. Who wouldn’t take a seat in 1st class if they could get it for free?

What this means, and I’ve seen it myself, is that someone from the country, used to working in the field, ends up in 1st class. Mind you, their hygiene is not the same as that of a city fellow. They’ll spread on three seats and sleep, with their shoes on. They usually smell, and their shoes are dusty or muddy. Imagine what this will do to a 1st class compartment, and to those who paid a premium in order to get better accommodations. It destroys the whole rationale for purchasing a 1st class ticket in the first place. Why should I pay extra to get a nice, quiet seat, when I’m going to have to smell some country folk with no manners?

This ends up being a losing situation for the CFR. People who usually travel in 1st class choose other means of transport, like the car or the airplane, and 1st class becomes a commoditized product, where any smelly Joe Blow from the country can get a seat. The CFR then ends up losing funds. It’s no wonder things go down the hill. I think the travel pass service should restrict the seating to 2nd class. Or, there should be special wagons set aside in each train, with seating reserved for those with free passes. Those who wish to pay a sum to upgrade to 1st class seating can do so. This will end up filtering out most of the abusers of the system, who, unwittingly or not, ruin the experience for the regular paying travellers.

Furthermore, the CFR should take its job of ensuring quality accommodations seriously, and invest in proper sanitization of all compartments, including all the nooks and crannies. It also better make sure there’s plenty of paper in the bathrooms, and they’re clean and usable! This is basic stuff, but they seem to forget about it when it comes to any other train but the InterCity. That’s not right! Finally, they should retrofit all trains, especially 1st class compartments, with air conditioning! It’s absolutely unbearable to travel by train in the heat of summer without A/C. We’re not in the 19th century anymore. A/C shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be a necessity where mass travel is concerned.

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Thoughts

HP to cancel telecommuting for its IT division

In a move that stunned its IT workforce and the public, HP’s new CIO announced it will eliminate telecommuting for most of its IT folks. They’ll be forced to come to work at some 25 offices in various locations around the world. If they don’t, they’ll be out of a job without severance pay. Due to its previous policy of encouraging telecommuting, HP now has employees spread as far apart as the East coast when the job is on the West coast. If such employees want to keep their jobs, they’ll have to uproot their lives and families, which is just plain silly.

As a past IT Director with change management experience, I can say the following:

  • 180-degree turns are traumatic, and don’t turn out well. This is one such change, and it will be messy and painful. It will alienate a lot of bright folks. From a management standpoint, it’s not right. Change is best done gradually, and by co-opting people.
  • Making the bright people come into the office in order to straighten out the poor performers, as HP’s CIO hints, is yet another silly decision. Yes, I can tell you certain IT personnel should be on-site, but not everyone needs to be there. If HP’s IT workforce is peppered with poor employees, this is a recruitment/management issue, not a telecommuting issue. The decision is a non sequitur. If your tire is flat, plugging the exhaust pipe won’t solve the problem. Seems to me a much better solution would be to pair up the poor performers with good performers who live in the same area, and have them work together on issues, whether it’s at someone’s home or my IM/phone. Training would also be another solution.

Overall, I think this is a pretty rude change in policy, and not well thought out. It was done namely for the sake of shaking things up, not because a specific goal needed to be accomplished.

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