Monthly Archives: April 2013

I hate you, smartphone! Recap…

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I decided to get rid of smartphones. I bought a cheap phone (Nokia 100) and a Tablet (Asus Transformer) instead and thought I would carry the Tablet if I need Internet and stick to the phone otherwise. Then a good friend needed a phone fast so I traded the N100 for pizza and some beer (yeah, it really is THAT cheap).

Yesterday the screen of my HTC Desire cracked. Again. While driving my car. I put it under the armrest in the middle between the seats and when I arrived it was lying in front of the back seat with the screen cracked… Maybe it was my unusual reckless driving, I tried to figure out the top speed of the pornstyler. This was a failure as well, too much traffic and too many idiots on the autobahn. At least it runs 190km/h (GPS measured) and it was still accelerating. And the breaks are fine as well…

Anyways, a realized that a 10″ tablet with a keyboard is not just looking like a subnotebook, it in fact is one. So I don’t just carry it in my jacket… I wanted to get a replacement for the HTC fast so I did two things which I normally don’t: I synched my whole phone with google and I went to “media markt” to buy a (Google/LG) Nexus 4 Tablet Smartphone.

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The HTC Desire is not a small phone but it looks just silly beside the Nexus

While synching the phone was quite unspectacular besides the bad feeling giving my data to google the shop visit was. The price at the “media markt” online shop was 349€ if you pick it up in one of their stores. Since I didn’t want to give my personal data to “media markt” as well I just went to the shop. 395€ for the phone. Well… I asked an employee if I really had to order online to get a normal price. He was quite helpful, had a look at the website, adjusted the price in his software and that’s it. So if you just walk in and buy the thing they just rip you off big time. Interesting. I thought about buying some HDMI Adaptors (20€ each) and some Crimp Connectors for the car stereo (6€ each). But since these items are sold on the internet for maybe 2€ / 10 Cent I changed my mind quickly. So Dear Idiots: Please stop buying overpriced crap at “media markt”! Just imagine a world free of ridiculous “media markt” stores and silly “media markt” advertising… You can do it! Well, alright. You probably can’t because you’re stupid… My bad…

 

The Kfz Zulssungsbehörde again…

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Last time they forgot to transfer the admission for the hardtop and the cabin for the taro to the new papers. I got around pulling a number this time by telling the guy for the appointments that my time amount isn’t unlimited and that they messed up (in a polite way). He sent me to a accountant who was on holidays and gave me the wrong desk number. The person on the desk wouldn’t belive my story and asked if I had the printed email with me. Nope, but I’ve got a computer and internet access with me.

Now I’m waching two Employees since almost an hour taming the software beast to add two lines to the papers. Luckyly I brought a computer. Back in the days this was made by hand (or typewriter) and signed with a stamp. A matter of minutes. Now it takes 3 manhours (them two and me waiting) to copy&paste two fucking lines. Also funny: They scan every page but they can’t access it. If I hadn’t brought the old papers from the 90s they wouldn’t have known what to write. I’m amazed. Where is all this german efficiancy gone?

Just when they were about to finish a third person came and told us that I should have been at her desk hours ago. She wasn’t very impressed when I told her that nobody told me to do so. It really drives me nuts if the government wastes my money to pay people to waste my time… I can do this myself….

Travel vehicle buy try #1 failed…

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"Muckelchen" on the first pit stop

“Muckelchen” on the first pit stop

Well. After not finding a decent van I thought about just buy anything which comes for a decent price and then sell it again if I don’t like it. Then I saw the following combination on the web: VW Taro (badge engineering at it’s finest, it is a Toyota Hilux which was put together in Hannover, Germany by VW). On Top of it a Tischer Cabin originally for a VW Caddy (small pickup on the golf I chassis). To cut a long story short: The state was not exactly as mint as advertised. There were some leak issues which were hidden under a second wall. Also the Hilux is not quite comfortable for a guy with almost 1,90m of height. And I realized that the cabin is to small and that I want a bathroom on board. And a motorcycle. And a bicycle. And other stuff. So I have to get a decent sized van.

Today I sold the cabin for a decent price to a guy from the VW Caddy forum. If the Hilux is hitting the price I expect I will make a small profit with this failed buy. So all in all this buy wasn’t a total fail after all since I learned a lot about my expectations on a travel vehicle, (hopefully) didn’t loose money and got to visit a good friend who is living nearby the place where I bought the car. So it feels almost like a win while it is technically a fail (on acquiring a travel vehicle).

Caffeine Reduction Day #2-#4

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Boring. On day #2 I had a cup of coffee because it was offered to me and I forgot that I didn’t want one. When it was served I thought it would have been impolite not to drink it. Day #2 ended with some alcohol and the night was short because I had a very good conversation with a friend until five in the morning and we had appointments on the very same morning as well. So I drank some mugs on day #3. Day #4 also started with two mugs.

I think I will stop blogging about this topic until something interesting happens. So far it works out as expected, a drastic reduction which is quite easy to maintain. And most coffee I drink really is shitty. It’s time to learn how to brew decent coffee. Since I won’t drink that much anymore the price per mug doesn’t really matter….

Caffeine Reduction Day #1

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„Rehab is for quitters“ – Hank Moody

I’ve been drinking too much coffee. 10+ mugs on a working day wasn’t good for my stomach at all. After recognizing that I don’t have sleep problems on vacation I’m trying to dial in on the reason for not having a good nights sleep when working. Work isn’t exactly satisfing at the moment, an NDA stops me from blogging about it but let’s say the project I’m working on at the moment is more or less a failure (that actually made it to nationwide news, so I’m allowed to tell). This probably is one reason. But maybe caffaine is as well. Alright, I’m not good in quitting stuff but I’m very good at reducing. For example I never quit smoking. I’m still smoking on rare occasions. Its no problem at all to not smoke for a week or two but saying that I quit would mean permanently which would mean that I either stick to it or feel very bad for not doing what I’m saying. So I will not stop drinking coffee. But I will reduce my consumption drastically. From gulping back to enjoying. Only drink good coffee and not the shitty free coffee at work.

Day 1, 13:40

Got up at seven, took a shower, went to work. Had a couple of fennel teas. No caffeine yet. I feel sleepy and have slight headache. I’m unsure if work or the lack of caffeine is the reason. I think I should go on vacation and find another project. Funny how all thoughts are leading to „the plan“. BTW: 22 working days left… And lunch break is over, back to work…

Day 1, 14:40

Still sleepy. Probably just dehydration. If you drink much coffee on a regular basis it hydrates as well even if people tend to tell you the opposite.

Day 1, 15:51

Drank a bottle of water and more tea. Still sleepy, slight headache. The colorcoding of my pee suggests it’s not dehydration. Am I experiencing withdrawal symtoms? Hmm.

Day 1, 21:00

Slept for an hour after work. Will head out to the supermarket to hunt down some food. Still tired. Tomorrow I’ll be on the road for about five hours, that will be hard without coffee. And without a decent stereo in the car.

Day 1, 22:16

Still tired. Let’s see how tonight’s sleep will be. Since I do not have to work until Wednesday it will probably be fine.