I used to make a long list of URLs.
I delayed opening those links to add them to an internal procedure.
When I opened them, because years passed, some of them were no longer relevant.
If you postpone a task long enough, it might solve by itself.
Non-practice
Arriving on time
Sometimes, if you’re on time for a meeting between a few people, you’re already late.
The reason? You’ll miss the quite pleasant discussions prior to the meeting.
This is one of the reasons why online meetings tend to be stressful – everyone is on point, trying to focus on getting a result.
A better solution? Give some time for small talk, for chit-chat.
Dr. Stelian Gomboș: Mănăstirea de la Curtea de Argeș – Loc de odihnă al regilor României
Biserica (Catedrala) veche a mănăstirii
Fostă capitală a Țării Românești, municipiul Curtea de Argeș, s-a bucurat de-a lungul timpului de statutul de „oraș regal”, reintrând în atenția istoriei odată cu urcarea pe tronul României a Regelui Carol I (1839-1914). În perioada domniei Regelui Carol I, la Curtea de Argeș a fost construită calea ferată care leagă orașul de Pitești, a fost ridicată o gară monumentală și a fost refăcută biserica Mănăstirii Curtea de Argeș, cunoscuta ctitorie a lui Neagoe Basarab, căreia i-a fost adăugat un palat devenit una dintre reședințele familiei regale. Însă, poate cea mai importantă decizie a fost aceea ca frumoasa catedrală de la Curtea de Argeș să devină necropolă regală. Astfel, Regele Carol I, Regina Elisabeta, Regele Ferdinand și Regina Maria, Regele Mihai I și Regina Ana își dorm somnul de veci alături de Neagoe Basarab și familia acestuia.
NGOs: Project matched by company X – a strong argument
For NGOs, I find that donation-matching is a strong incentive to donate.
So, if I’m an NGO and I want to get more donations, I could use it quite a lot if I would be able to convince a company to do matching donations.
It’s likely not an easy task, but it could be worthwhile.
Multiplying the good in the world.
Watching movies for conversations
I have this habit – I want to watch movies to be able to carry a good conversation.
I think this is part of my job – I work in online marketing, I need to know what’s in popular culture.
This doesn’t mean watching all of the superhero movies, but, still, I need to know the basic stuff.
I heard Bogdan Naumovici saying (approximate quote): “I watch advertisements, it’s part of the job description” (he’s in the advertising business).
The Oxford comma
I like the Oxford comma a lot:
In English-language punctuation, a serial comma (also called a series comma, Oxford comma, or Harvard comma) is a comma placed immediately after the penultimate term (i.e., before the coordinating conjunction, such as and or or) in a series of three or more terms. For example, a list of three countries might be punctuated either as “France, Italy and Spain” (without the serial comma) or “France, Italy, and Spain” (with the serial comma).
(via: Serial comma – Wikipedia)
I tend to overuse it.
I don’t think we have it Romanian, but I started using it there, too.
Also, I tend to use the Oxford comma even when there are only two items. “A, and B”.
Despre școala online
Eu fac o facultate, la vârsta mea. :) (39, fac 40 de ani în mai)
Și m-a amuzat (neplăcut) că facultățile, la modul general, nu prea aveau voie să facă cursuri fizice, acum, brusc, de pe o zi pe alta, nu mai au voie să facă cursuri online – BREAKING Sorin Cîmpeanu: Odată cu încetarea stării de alertă, se anulează atât toate restricțiile, cât și toate facilitățile din școli și universități. Dispare obligativitatea măștii pentru elevi, iar universitățile nu mai pot organiza cursuri online / Masca în școli se păstrează cu titlu de recomandare – Edupedu.ro.
De la obligatoriu cursuri online la interzis cursuri online.
Asta din 8 martie, anunț de o zi (7 martie), cu aplicare imediată. Ulterior, s-a permis o perioadă de tranziție.
Studenți din alte localități/țări, care s-au bazat că studiile sunt online, și care cu siguranță vor avea probleme în a găsi rapid cazare? Irelevanți.
7 martie a picat în a 3-a săptămână de școală la facultate, cum e să afli “de mâine veți fi obligați să veniți la școală, cu o scurtă perioadă de tranziție”?
The meanest person in the world
Sometimes, in Orthodoxy, there’s a reference like “I am the meanest person in the world” (there’s even a movie on that – The Meanest Man in the World (1943)).
An Orthodox should refrain from judging others, and focus on the mistakes of their own.
Yet, how do I view this – “I am the meanest person on Earth”?
You have just two big options in life:
- Do as much good as you can. Most people are guilty of not doing enough good.
- Manipulating, doing politics, when doing good. So, you start a project and take shortcuts to get to your goal. Or make mistakes, trying to do good.
We’re all guilty of either not doing enough good, or of doing good while burning bridges (shortcuts, errors).
Georgia O’Keeffe // “It’s not enough to be nice in life. You’ve got to have nerve.” (via »)
The two types of errors
There are just two types of errors:
- I did something I didn’t want to (vice); or
- I did something I shouldn’t have done (not wise enough).
The solution to vices is the continuous try to beet the vice. Trying to be virtuous, avoiding falling.
The solution to mistakes is to constantly develop yourself – constantly read about health, for example. Or focusing your mind on being productive.
So-and-so number of persons and a Romanian were hurt
Some news really focuses on the “Romanian” part.
It’s quite obvious when there is a large number.
A hypothetical example: “1,000 people wounded, among which 2 Romanians”.
OK, I understand the fact that we are Romanians, but this way of looking at things makes us look superior – “Romanians matter more for us”.
Why? What’s the Romanian bigger value than other people’s?
At the recent Winter Olympics, there was news like “The only Romanian in the race got 9th place” (or so). OK, I can understand that.
But when there are casualties involved, it just sounds cynical “1,000 people and 2 Romanians” devalues those people, at least in my opinion.