New Year Resolutions!

1. Learn Python
2. Learn Ruby (amazing)
3. Learn C++ STL (not just pretend I know it!)
4. Learn Inkscape (SVG absolutely rocks!)
5. Learn the KDE4 API / whatever needed to write my own KDE4 app.
6. Never remain in front of the monitor until I’m hungry again! (i.e. don’t stay all day)
7. Keep this blog alive!!
8. Finish USACO Training by February 28th and start working on infoarena immediately after

Things look forward to in 2007

1. KDE 4
2. Some new AMD CPU to kick Intel off it’s current leader position
3. Kubuntu Feisty & Feisty+1
4. 802.11n
5. Hybrid / Flash HDD
6. An affordable version of this baby

Summary of 2006

1. Best musical discovery
   Within Temptation
2. Best gadget bought
   Samsung YP-U2 Digital Audio Player (1GB). It supports OGG and resuming!
3. Most valuable skill learnt
   To ignore unimportant things and enjoy life no matter what. An idea from Tony Robbins’ program “Time of Your Life” helps: when you’re in an unpleasant situation, imagine what you will think about it in 10 years. If laughing about it is the first thought which comes to mind, why not laugh now?
4. Best site discovered
   last.fm
5. Most useful newsletter subscribed to
   SAT QOTD
6. Best book read
   A few: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (artistic), Modern C++ Design by Alexandrescu (programming) and Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life by Larry Winget (self-improvement)
7. Best piece of code seen
   dpkg -l |awk ‘/^rc/ {print $2}’ |xargs dpkg –purge
   This purges all removed packages on a Debian-based system. Found here.
8. Biggest disappointment
   Firefox 2.0. It brings nothing new to the Linux desktop except an ugly theme and more bloat. I switched to Konqueror and I only miss the cool find widget, Ad-Block white-listing and the StumbleUpon toolbar. Konqueror is blazing-fast on my KDE desktop.
9. Promises / resolutions not kept
   I committed to finish USACO Training by December 31st. I only got to level 5 though… Looks like some intense work due for January :O

ascending vs. wordpress

I wanted to share some thoughts about this blog. About the URL: ascending.wordpress.com. You think it’s easy to come up with a blog name that is simple enough, yet not already occupied by some other user? Unless you are one of the first (oldest) users, you know it’s not. I wanted a positive term this time, unlike my ex-es: no-light, notfree, helddown, inlovewithmysorrow. And I’m fond with my choice, “ascending” being positive and simple enough term to remember. The title and “tag-line” give hints about my interests in Linux and programming. Original enough, if you ask me :)

And a few thoughts about wordpress: The WYSIWYG editor beats the one on blogger any day. Image (and file!) upload is better, too. The only complain I’ve got is that for some reason the editor doesn’t appear at all on Konqueror (have to use Firefox for posting). Perhaps this is fixable. I also wish I could have FTP access to the server (to put my own plug-ins etc.) but I know I’m asking for too much for free. Bottom-line: I like WordPress. I like the fact that it’s driven by some sensible people and not a big corporation (google I’m looking at you). And the Kubrick theme is absolutely awesome!

Moment de inspiraţie (desprins din realitate)

Merg în rutieră (maxi taxi – na!). Şoferul fumează. Mă irită. Respir prin mânecă. Rutiera se opreşte şi intră două femei. Acestea discută zgomotos. În rusă. Rutiera se opreşte din nou la semafor. Văd un afiş pe fereastră (al primăriei): “Moldova – Patria Mea.” Patria mea… În rutieră intră doi beţivi. Se face verde şi mergem mai departe. Sună un mobil. Posesorul întârzie să răspundă – se preface că nu-l găseşte. Într-un final: “Alyo? Ya v marshrutke!” … Patria mea… Cei doi beţivi decid să coboare (au văzut un bar?). “Na astanovke pajalusta.” Femeile continuă să vorbească. Şoferul opreşte. Un beţiv: “Spasiba balişoe.” Şoferul: “Nezaşto.” … Patria mea. Moldova… Şoferul scuipă pe fereastră şi îşi aprinde încă o ţigară. Îmi ţin pentru un moment respiraţia, doar-doar se va limpezi fumul. Îmi las capul pe fereastra aburită. Văd luna… Moldova… Patria mea… Cu câtă plăcere mi-aş lua rămas bun!

La mulţi ani tuturor românilor!