October 31, 2006
Microsoft has released a new product by the name of Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007, which is a free accounting product for small businesses. According to Microsoft: Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007, financial management software is designed for millions of starting businesses and home based businesses that currently use pen & paper or spreadsheets to run their business. It provides a single place to manage the company’s business finances with the familiar look and feel of Microsoft Office system programs. Accounting Express imports from Excel, as well as Quickbooks and Microsoft Money. Accounting Express also has a pay counterpart, Accounting...
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October 30, 2006
If you plan to do freelance work as an artist, writer, graphics designer, developer or whatever other thing you're into, here's a list of the top 10 lies you'll be told by your clients and that could end up ruining it for you. 1. "Do this one cheap (or free) and we'll make it up on the next one." 2. "We never pay a cent until we see the final product." 3. "Do this for us and you'll get great exposure! The jobs will just pour in!" 4. On looking at sketches or concepts: "Well, we aren't sure if we...
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America is the only country to have voted against a proposed United Nations treaty aimed at controlling international arms sales. The proposed treaty, which human rights groups have promoted as a significant move towards keeping small arms out of conflict zones, was endorsed on Tuesday by 15 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, including the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, the South African archbishop. The resolution was adopted with 139 countries voting in favour of the motion, 24 abstentions and only one “no” vote. This reminds me of the movie "Lord Of War", and the quote: "...While private gunrunners continue to thrive....
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Posted on October 30, 2006 10:35 AM under:
Books
Ever since I read "The Alchemist", I've been wanting to read more of Paulo Coelho's books, and a few days ago, I started reading "The Fifth Mountain", which I finished yesterday. This book tells the story of the prophet Elijah, his flight from Gilead and the time he spent in Zarephath. Coelho delves into the prophet's character, revealing the thoughts, doubts, and discoveries that Elijah must have experienced as he struggled to find his course in life amidst the confusion of war and political turmoil. The story is really inspirational and as usual Paulo injects a lot of wisdom into...
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October 27, 2006
Ten common rationalizations people in the Information Technology world turn to whenever their authority or professionalism is challenged. They have been around as long as the modern computer and they transcend all cultural and industrial boundaries. What's worse, they have proven to be quite effective. 1. Our problems are unique 2. We never seem to have enough time to do things right 3. You are stifling our creativity 4. System design is an art form 5. Technology will solve our problems 6. A DBMS is a prerequisite for data base 7. There is an infinite amount of data in an...
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October 26, 2006
A list of the top 10 grammar mistakes that are generally found on web pages, and of course blogs as well: 1. it’s = it is 2. Web site (or page) vs. web site/page vs. Website/website (page) 3. Periods and commas: do they go inside or outside of quotation marks, or does it depend on the sentence? 4. E-mail vs. email, plus what is the plural of e-mail? 5. SEOs or SEO’s 6. Spelling 7. Hyphens 8. Their vs. there vs. they're / You vs. your vs. you're 9. Singular vs. plural 10. Commas It's true that these are the...
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October 25, 2006
Version 2.0 of Firefox, my favourite browser, which I totally recommend by the way, is finally out. I tested a couple of the beta versions in the past and liked what I saw; I can't wait to get home and install the final version on my laptop. This new version brings with it a number of new features, the ones I'm most excited about being the following: - Resuming your browsing session: The Session Restore feature restores windows, tabs, text typed in forms, and in-progress downloads from the last user session. I've been waiting for this feature to be added...
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This is a bit late, but well better late than never as they say, Eid Mubarak to everyone, I hope you all had a great eid, that God blesses you all and that you'll all be well and happy for many Ramadans and eids to come. The way we spent our eid wasn't much different than usual in the things we did, but very different in how it felt and in the meaning of it. This year our son Adam was with us, and so it was our little family going out together to visit the close family and wish...
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October 21, 2006
Forbes has released a list of the Top 40 Arab brands. The list includes several successful brands that have emerged from the Middle East and are making their presence felt globally. The list goes as follows: 1. Al Jazeera (Qatar) 2. Emirates Group (UAE) 3. Al-Marai (Saudi Arabia) 4. Al Arabiya (Saudi Arabia) 5. Afia (Saudi Arabia) 6. Americana (Kuwait) 7. Burj Al Arab (UAE) 8. Fine (Jordan) 9. Jarir Bookstore (Saudi Arabia) 10. Emaar (UAE)...
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October 20, 2006
"Each of us is unique; not one of us can be replaced. Each of us has a family, loved ones, friends and a life that is a web of caring, interdependence, and joy. When even one of us is killed or horribly injured for no justifiable reason, the damage affects countless people in addition to the primary victim. Sometimes, the survivors are irreparably damaged as well. Even the survivors' wounds can last a lifetime. This is of the greatest significance. There is nothing more important or meaningful in the world. No moral principle legitimizes our invasion and occupation of Iraq,...
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Posted on October 20, 2006 10:52 AM under:
Memories
Today at work while joking about something, the idea of morphing images came up (ok we're geeks!), and somewhere in the back of my head a little thread was launched down memory lane, reminding me of this short-lived TV series called "Manimal", that I used to watch in my childhood. The series was about a certain Dr. Jonathan Chase, a shape-shifting man who could turn himself into any animal to fight crime. The role of Jonathan Chase was played by actor Simon McCorkindale. Only 8 episodes were made of this series before it was axed due to poor ratings, which...
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October 19, 2006
You know what's worse than taxes? What's worse than tax is insurance. You got to have some insurance. They shouldn't even call it insurance. They just should call it ''in case shit.'' l give a company some money in case shit happens. Now, if shit don't happen, shouldn't l get my money back? -- Chris Rock - Bigger And Blacker (Full script here) I couldn't agree more... Insurance is the biggest scam ever created by man! What pisses me off even more is that somehow they've convinced everyone it's ok for them to steal our money!...
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Microsoft have finally released the new version of their still market-dominant browser: Internet Explorer 7. It's the first new version of the Web browser since Internet Explorer 6 launched in 2001 with the Windows XP operating system. Back then Microsoft basically had no competition left in the browser market and so it announced it wouldn't be releasing any more standalone versions of Internet Explorer, and that the next version would only ship with their next OS, which we know now by the name of Windows Vista. But since then Firefox surfaced as a strong competitor which has been grabbing up...
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October 18, 2006
Reality could imitate fiction... Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said. Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge. The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology. People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added. The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry...
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In an interview with the editorial board of the Bucks County Courier Times, embattled Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has equated the war in Iraq with J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." According to the paper, Santorum said that the United States has avoided terrorist attacks at home over the past five years because the "Eye of Mordor" has been focused on Iraq instead. "As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else," Santorum said. "It's being drawn to Iraq and it's not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want...
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» The Account Of The 1001 Troubles [Via: Houssein, Infinity, Kalima]...
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October 17, 2006
I wish that I could fly... Into the sky... So very high... Just like a dragonfly... I'd fly above the trees... Over the seas in all degrees... To anywhere I please... Oh I want to get away... I want to fly away... -- From the great song Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz from his album 5....
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Google will be partnering with EI Solutions, to begin installation of 9,200 (1.6 megawatts) of solar photovoltaic panels at their Mountain View campus. This project will be the largest solar installation on any corporate campus in the U.S., and maybe even the world. The panels will cover the roofs of the four main buildings of the Googleplex, and also those of two additional buildings across the street. There will also be a portion of the installation on new solar panel support structures in a few parking lots. The amount of electricity that will be generated is equivalent to powering about...
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October 15, 2006
"What we collectively choose to buy, or not buy, can change the course of life and history on this planet.'' -- From the (RED) Manifesto The (RED) project was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver, to raise awareness and money for The Global Fund by teaming up with the world's most iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT)RED branded products. A percentage of each (PRODUCT)RED product sold is given to The Global Fund. The money helps women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. Apple and Motorola began selling red-colored electronics in the United States yesterday to raise awareness and money for...
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October 12, 2006
"[S]hooting Palestinian civilians is not like shooting Vietnamese or Chechen civilians. The Palestinians aren't 'collateral damage' in a war against well-armed communist or separatist forces. They are being shot because Israel thinks all Palestinians should vanish or die, so people with one Jewish grandparent can build subdivisions on the rubble of their homes. This is not the bloody mistake of a blundering superpower but ... the deliberate strategy of a state conceived in and dedicated to an increasingly vicious ethnic nationalism." -- What is Antisemitism? by Michael Neumann; 4 June 2002. [Via: Lawrence of Cyberia] [Cartoon: Mr Fish, for Harper's...
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US researchers estimate that 655,000 Iraqis, or around one in 40 of the Iraq population, have died as a result of the 2003 invasion of their country, according to a study published today by the British journal The Lancet. [Via: The Black Iris]...
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October 11, 2006
The guys over at 43 Things have released a list of the the top habit goals from the site's users, including: - Stop procrastinating: 11615 people - Drink more water: 7309 people - Take more pictures: 6598 people - Save money: 5554 people - Read more books: 5120 people - Exercise regularly: 4023 people - Eat healthier: 3923 people - Wake up when my alarm clock goes off: 3759 people - Quit Smoking: 3555 people - Spend less time fooling around on the net and more time actually working: 3258 people Really interesting... Being a non-smoker and therefore not having...
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Yahoo and Yahoo Telemundo are creating a digitized time capsule that will beam onto an ancient pyramid in Mexico and into space. Yahoo began accepting submissions of photos, video, sounds files, video and text yesterday and said in a prepared statement that the purpose was to join the "past and present with the universe's potential future by sharing today's culture on Earth with other life that may exist light years away." The time capsule is meant to document the good and bad of life around the world in 2006. Yahoo said it expects the time capsule to be the largest...
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October 10, 2006
Posted on October 10, 2006 03:14 PM under:
Cinema
A couple of days ago, I watched "Miami Vice" upon the recommendation of my friend, the owner of the rental store, who said he enjoyed it a lot. The movie features Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx, and is written and directed by Michael Mann. After seeing it, this is one movie on which I agree with the movie critics who gave it a hard time. It has almost nothing to do with the 80's series, other than the names of the series, the city and the main characters; it feels like it goes nowhere, and it's quite boring for an...
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Some of the scientific reasons for having sex: - Sex helps boost the immune system. - Sex helps boost longevity. - Sex helps ward off cancer. - Sex results in a more youthful appearance. - Sex helps reduce stress. - Sex helps fight depression. - Sex helps coping with middle age. - Sex is good exercise. - Sex helps in losing weight. But who needs scientific reasons? [Via: Houssein]...
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So the rumours were true and Google has officially announced that it will be acquiring YouTube for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community. YouTube’s 65 employees will remain with the company at YouTube’s San Bruno headquarters. It also looks like Google will continue to maintain its own online video business, which I'm not too sure is a good idea. According to Internet research firm Hitwise, YouTube has about a 46 percent share of the online video market. Still, they haven't proven their ability to make...
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October 07, 2006
Posted on October 7, 2006 02:47 PM under:
Books
An interesting free online event for all Paulo Coelho fans... At 3 PM ET (7 PM GMT) on Wednesday, October 11th, Paulo Coelho will be discussing his books and answering readers' questions online. To participate in this free event, readers will need to register and login at 3 PM ET (7 PM GMT) on October 11th. Here's the event's registration page. Throughout this web event readers can submit questions to Paulo and hear his responses. The questions will be posed to Paulo by a moderator --- Beliefnet Spirituality Editor Valerie Reiss. While Paulo is talking, participants can view a slide...
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Posted on October 7, 2006 01:21 PM under:
Cinema
I finally got to rent and watch "Click", featuring Adam Sandler, Kate Beckingsale and Christopher Walken. "Click" tells the story of a workaholic architect who gets hold of a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices wrecking havoc to his life. I saw the trailer for this before its release and it looked really cool, then it came out and was met with mixed reviews, some positive and some not so, but me being an Adam Sandler fan, I kept looking forward...
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October 06, 2006
I don't think there's anyone in this world who hasn't played around with building paper airplanes at some point in their life. It's one of those irreplaceable, unforgettable childhood joys. A few guys at work have been going at it this past week, coming up with new models and ideas every day. That inspired me to do a little search online for some paper airplane models and techniques, and here are some of the links I came across: - Paper Airplane Designs - Best paper airplane in the world (or so he says) - Best paper airplanes - Amazing paper...
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The experiment was a success: The Palestinians are killing each other. They are behaving as expected at the end of the extended experiment called "what happens when you imprison 1.3 million human beings in an enclosed space like battery hens." These are the steps in the experiment: Imprison (since 1991); remove the prisoners’ usual means of livelihood; seal off all outlets to the outside world, nearly hermetically; destroy existing means of livelihood by preventing the entry of raw materials and the marketing of goods and produce; prevent the regular entry of medicines and hospital supplies; do not bring in fresh...
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October 05, 2006
Posted on October 5, 2006 09:29 PM under:
Tunisia
The team at KEN (Khadra Environmental News) have launched a web design contest for Tunisian youth who are web design amateurs or professionals with less than two years of experience. The idea is to get these web designers in touch with Tunisian NGOs in order to help them create official websites and successful online presences to promote their services and projects. The resulting websites will be evaluated by an evaluation committee (50%) and voted upon by the public (50%); the winner will receive a 500TD Award, and the first runner up a 250TD award. For more information on how to...
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Google is trying out a new search service designed to make it easier for computer programmers to find bits of code online. Google Code Search will make it easier for software developers to find programming code directly, without having to trawl through groups, forums, and discussions to find it. The search engine is aimed at both professional programmers and students or IT enthusiasts who want to improve their coding and software development. The search also allows programmers to look for specific coding terms, restrict the search to certain computer languages, or look for bits of code that fall under a...
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Posted on October 5, 2006 11:15 AM under:
Cinema
Last night, I finally got to watch the third installment of X-Men movies; X-Men: The Last Stand (X3). This movie was directed by Brett Ratner after Bryan Singer, who directed the first two movies, left the franchise and moved on to the Superman movie franchise. I wasn't expecting much from the movie, especially that the feedback I got from some people I know who saw the movie before me wasn't that positive, but well it turned out a lot better than I thought, and I ended up really enjoying it. In fact I think this is the X-Men movie I...
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October 04, 2006
And so The Church of Google has come to be, grouping members who believe Google is the closest thing to an actual God. The Google Trinity consists of the Internet, Google Search Engine and the Web Browser (Such as Firefox, Opera & Safari but NEVER Internet Explorer) The church's site even has a page where they state the proofs that Google is God. Not to forget the 10 Commandments of Google. Google being God, the church's FAQ page says it's only obvious that Microsoft is Satan. There's even a Google afterlife, as by uploading our thoughts and opinions onto the...
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October 02, 2006
After a while of blogging, many bloggers start thinking about what opportunities they have to make money with their blogs. Many people draw a very rosy picture of it and say that there is a lot of money to be made off a blog, but in the end of the day, that's not fully true. How much any person can make from his blog depends on the blog, the topics he discusses, how many visitors he gets daily, how much effort he puts into it, how well he sets up his money-making options and a bunch of other things. In...
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Very funny and true... [Via: And Far Away, Manalaa]...
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