Happy Thanksgiving, America!

Thanksgiving comes once in a year, but may the feeling of gratitude live in our hearts all year round. Have a Blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Black Friday Deals

I'm still awake at this hour because I just got home from my friends house, where we had our Thanksgiving turkey dinner. So I cast an eye over Black Friday offers. The only thing I needed at this moment was a new cellphone. So I went straight to www.fatwallet.com. Yep, that's the website I use when I want the best deals. Again, it did not disappoint me at all. Also for a quick view for the best Black Friday deals check out this website  www.blackfriday.us/

Good luck and happy shopping!

"Stay hungry,stay foolish"-RIP Steve Jobs

Photo credit ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Apple has more cash than Uncle Sam - Debt debate solved, Apple to the rescue!:))

Folks in the White House should be taking notice, because Apple now has more cash on hand than the entire US government. That’s right, Steve Jobs is the new Uncle Sam.

Apple has an astounding $75.88 billion in cash, while the United States only has $73.77 billion. At least now the US has someone to borrow from besides China.

More here

[via TNW, thanks for the image @jgns!]
More ....

Help bring jobs back to the U.S.A. Ask for an American!

I have not actually tried this, so I cannot tell you that it worked for me.:)

"Any time you call an 800 number (for a credit card, banking, charter communications , health and other insurance, computer help desk, etc) and you find that you're talking to a foreign customer service representative (perhaps in India , Philippines etc), please consider doing the following:

After you connect and you realize that the customer service representative is
not from the USA (you can always ask if you are not sure about the accent), please, very politely (this is not about trashing other cultures) say: "I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the United States of America ."

The rep might suggest talking to his/her manager, but, again, politely say,
"Thank you, but I'd like to speak to a customer service representative in the
USA." YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED TO A REP IN THE USA . That's the rule and the LAW..

It takes less than one minute to have your call re-directed to the USA . Tonight when I got redirected to a USA rep, I asked again to make sure - and yes, she was from Fort Lauderdale .

Imagine what would happen if every US citizen insisted on talking to only US
phone reps from this day on. Imagine how that would ultimately impact the number of US jobs that would need to be created ASAP..

If I tell 10 people to consider this and you tell 10 people to consider doing
this - see what I mean...it becomes an exercise in viral marketing 101.

Remember - the goal here is to restore jobs back here at home - not to be abrupt or rude to a foreign phone rep. You may even get correct answers, good advice, and solutions to your problem - in real English."


Collected via e-mail

2012 DV LOTERRY - rezultate

De astazi va puteti verifica statusul aplicatiei pentru  2012 DV LOTTERY aici .

Bafta tuturor aplicantilor!

Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." ~President Ronald Reagan

In a speech at the Brandenburg Gate commemorating the 750th anniversary of Berlin on 12 June 1987, Ronald Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev, then the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, to tear down the wall as a symbol of increasing freedom in the Eastern Bloc:


"We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! ~President Ronald Reagan

And that was the beginning....! Thank you  President Reagan!

Amintiri de la Super Bowl 2011

Si a fost si Super Bowl-ul 2011. Comentarii la cald? Pai ia sa vedem.Hmmm...se pare ca Aguilera a uitat(asta daca le-o fi stiut vreodata) versurile imnului SUA. Asta nu e deloc bine pentru cantareata, si nu cred ca acest incident va fi uitat prea usor.

Christina Aguilera botches national anthem at Super Bowl

 

Dar poate ca Deion Sanders are dreptate in tweet-ul asta:

"Y'all leave Christina alone i was just informed that was the remix. The nfl was running behind so she was sweet enough to help us out. "

about 2 hours ago via Twitter for Android
Deion Sanders

Apoi...sa nu uitam de castigatorii  Super Bowl-ului 2011 :Green Bay Packers. Cum toti din jurul meu erau fani Green Bay...a fost bucurie mare la finalul meciului.Tre' sa recunosc ca io nu inteleg nimik din ce se intampla pe teren,dar nah strig si ma bucur si eu cand ii vad pe ceilalti .:))))

Si sa nu uitam traditionalele  si celebrele commercials/ads de Super Bowl. Se pare ca FOX a castigat peste $300 milioane pentru reclamele de dinainte,din timpul si de dupa meci.

Cateva din preferatele mele:
Doritos




Volkswagen ( am pus clipul intr-un post anterior)
Bud Light




Pepsi max



Bridgestone



Coca-Cola



Chevy Cruze



Si multe altele....!
Atat pentru astazi. :) Predau legatura....!:))))

Pilot delays takeoff -Way-To-Go Southwest

Pilot's Unusual Move: Delays Takeoff for Dying 2-Year-Old's Grandfather

Impresionant!

Pledge of Allegiance

La scoala unde voluntariez si ii invat pe cei mici calculatore,exista asta in fiecare clasa.De curiozitate i-am intrebat pe copii daca stiu sa-l citeasca(au 6 ani),si de fapt mi l-au recitat din memorie. Bravo lor!

O scurta poveste despre The Pledge Of Allegiance.

"Calendarul chinezăresco-bloggeristic"-hop si noi

Desi de obicei nu fac chestiuni din astea(cika), ca tot m-am imbuibat romaneste de Craciun ,ma bag si eu in ciorba Chinezului ,care ciorba este sponsorizata de tiparo.ro .
Propun ca luna februarie (ca este luna in care moi isi serbeaza ziua de nastere) sa apartina bloggerilor romani din SUA. Care sunt aia?Pai bine bre,cum care?Aia care scriu numa' nasol despre Romania,aia de au plecat  pe unde i-a dus norocul(asta suna a basm de Petre Ispirescu ha) si care mai ales au uitat de unde au plecat(parca asa era,nu?:)))) .Asa ca ta-ra-ta-ta bloggerii romani din SUA:
Dani , Cristi , Vali, Ina, Ana-Maria, Mircea, Cristina , Lola, Dan, Ionela  etc.si cu voia d-voastra stimati telespectatori Diana.Imi cer scuze bloggerilor din Sua pe care nu i-am mentionat(Shame on me!).
De ce  fac propunerea asta? Ca sa continuam prietenia traditionala si sa aprofundam cooperarea dintre cele 2 popoare pretine: roman si american lol:))))) Glumesc!
Pentru ca mi s-a parut o idee buna si mai deosebita! Nah ca am zis-o!:)

Google Buzz Class Action Settlement

Se pare ca s-a ajuns la un settlement pentru class action-ul Google Buzz. Iaca si  e-mailul primit de la   Google de catre fiecare utilizator gmail din US.

"Google rarely contacts Gmail users via email, but we are making an exception to let you know that we've reached a settlement in a lawsuit regarding Google Buzz (http://buzz.google.com), a service we launched within Gmail in February of this year.

Shortly after its launch, we heard from a number of people who were concerned about privacy. In addition, we were sued by a group of Buzz users and recently reached a settlement in this case.
The settlement acknowledges that we quickly changed the service to address users' concerns. In addition, Google has committed $8.5 million to an independent fund, most of which will support organizations promoting privacy education and policy on the web. We will also do more to educate people about privacy controls specific to Buzz. The more people know about privacy online, the better their online experience will be.
Just to be clear, this is not a settlement in which people who use Gmail can file to receive compensation. Everyone in the U.S. who uses Gmail is included in the settlement, unless you personally decide to opt out before December 6, 2010. The Court will consider final approval of the agreement on January 31, 2011. This email is a summary of the settlement, and more detailed information and instructions approved by the court, including instructions about how to opt out, object, or comment, are available at http://www.BuzzClassAction.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This mandatory announcement was sent to all Gmail users in the United States as part of a legal settlement and was authorized by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043 "
 
Si de fapt de unde a plecat totul:
 

But, how did it all start?

And why?
The story might surprise you -- and, at the same time, will likely not be much of a surprise at all.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 17 million underemployed college graduates.
Over 317,000 waiters and waitresses have college degrees (over 8,000 of them have doctoral or professional degrees).
80,000 bartenders have degrees.
18,000 parking lot attendants are college grads.
When it comes to law school, obviously, after investing a few hundred thousand dollars in a J.D., students are highly concerned with post-graduate employment.
Any reasonable assumption would hold that Harvard Law students Eva Hibnick and Ben Osborn are no different, and didn’t relish the idea of working at the Olive Garden (DRI) or Taco Bell (YUM) after they received their sheepskins.
Eva Hibnick? Ben Osborne? Who?
Let’s backtrack to February this year.
On February 9, Eva Hibnick, a second-year student at Harvard Law, logged onto her Gmail account and saw that she, like Gmail’s 31.2 million other users, had been automatically signed up for Google Buzz.
Hibnick, not realizing how to deactivate the service, complained to classmate Ben Osborn about what she deemed a privacy breach.
Being an ambitious young Harvard man, Osborn suggested to Hibnick that she may have a legal case.
Osborn took his idea to Professor William B. Rubenstein, for whom he happened to be working as a research assistant, learning the ropes of Rubenstein’s specialty -- which happens to be… class action lawsuits.
Rubenstein contacted Washington, D.C. attorney Gary Mason, and, in short order, Eva Hibnick filed suit against Google in California’s San Jose federal court on behalf of 31.2 million people that may or may not have had the same complaints as she -- with Rubenstein and Osborn serving as independent legal consultants.
Hibnick alleged breaches of several federal laws, including the Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and the Federal Stored Communications Act, as well as California common and statutory law.
Not a bad endeavor to include on the resume of a fellow like Ben Osborn, who would be graduating only a few months later.
Or Eva Hibnick, who is due to graduate this spring.
Or William Rubenstein, for that matter. According to his faculty page, he has a sideline gig as an expert witness in class actions.
He was apparently quite impressed with Osborn’s go-getter attitude.
"[Osborn’s] identification of this as an issue reflects the fact that these social networking sites are a concern of the student generation,” Rubenstein told the student paper. “The most important thing about this case to me is the initiative my students have shown.”
Osborn even admitted he wasn’t certain if Google had intentionally violated users’ privacy.
“I don’t know what Google’s motive is in all of this,” he said. “I think they were just trying to jump-start their social network.”
And could someone about to graduate Harvard Law with a boatload of student debt have been trying to jump-start his career?

La plimbare cu "masina" prin Pasadena

Din ciclul "Mare-i gradina ta Doamne,si multi au sarit gardul". Poze din "arhiva" personala.

In benzinarie:

"Eee...parca nu e asa rau!" s-a ganditul omul nostru,si a plecat mai departe. 

Cum sa obtii pasaport romanesc la Consulatul Romaniei din Los Angeles

A venit si timpul acela cand brrrr trebuie sa iau iarasi contact cu birocratia romaneasca. Adika trebuie sa-mi schimb pasaportul,pentru ca-mi expira in cateva luni. Asa ca am inceput research-ul pe internet.
Lucky me ca am Consulatul General al Romaniei in Los Angeles la cateva mile . "Consulatul General" mi se pare un titlu prea pompos,avand in vedere ca ultima data cand am fost acolo(ceva alegeri prin 2007 cred) abia l-am gasit .Se afla intr-o cladire mare de pe Wilshire Blvd.(in  cladire se mai afla si  consulatele altor tari) ,dar din exterior nimik nu tradeaza faptul ca in aceea cladire ar fi vreo misiune diplomatica romaneasca.
Statele care se afla sub jurisdictia consulara  a Consulatului Romanesc din Los Angeles sunt:CALIFORNIA,
WASHINGTON,MONTANA ,OREGON ,IDAHO ,WYOMING ,NEVADA ,UTAH ,COLORADO ,
ARIZONA ,NEW MEXICO
Asadar daca locuiesti intr-un stat care se afla sub jurisdictia  consulara  a Consulatului Romanesc in Los Angeles,si vrei sa obtii un pasaport romanesc ,cam asta ai de facut:
1)Intri aici si vezi care este orarul la consulat.

 "Working hours: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Monday through Friday

The Consulate General will be closed on the public holidays (American and Romanian)For further information, please call 1-310.444.0043, Monday through Friday, until 4 p.m"

Comentarii:Deci...orar de 3 ore/zi de la 9am-12pm.Program de femei gravide as zice.Buuuun.Ai si un numar de telefon:1-310.444.0043 la care poti suna de luni pana vineri ,pana la ora 4 pm. Ma intreb daca o sa si raspunda cineva, dar inca nu am incercat asa ca ...sa nu ma grabesc cu concluziile!
2)apoi aici pentru informatii despre cum poti sa obtii un pasaport,si ce acte ai nevoie.
Comentarii:daca esti "cetatean roman cu domiciliul in SUA' e musai sa te prezinti la consulat pentru ca..ta-ta-ta-ta pasapoartele sunt biometrice .Si e nevoie de tine in persoana ca sa-ti ia informatiile biometrice(poza si amprente).Iar actele tre' sa fie in original.

Citesc mai departe:
"ATENTIE!!!
In cazul in care intentionati sa va deplasati la sediul consulatului general pentru procesarea cererii de pasaport/ titlu de calatorie, va rugam sa contactati consulatul general in vederea programarii zilei si orei! "
Chestie care mi se pare de bun-simt ,adika mergi cu programare !!Buuun.
Citesc mai departe:
"Modalitati de contact:

Telefon: (310) 473.8061
Email: consulara@consulateromania.net; consulat@consulateromania.net "
Deci un numar de telefon si 2 adrese de e-mail Cam putin daca ma gandesc ca in aceste state tre' sa fie cel putin cateva sute de mii de romani,dar nah...sa fie!
Si citesc mai departe:
"Atentie:

Cererile pentru eliberarea pasapoartelor/titlurilor de calatorie se vor procesa numai in zilele de LUNI si JOI, cu programare prealabila si prezenta personala la Consulatul General din Los Angeles, cu documentele necesare, in original. Precizam ca in zilele de LUNI si JOI NU se vor executa alte activitati si servicii consulare (procuri, inregistrari de acte civile etc.) Celelalte servicii consulare se vor executa in zilele de MARTI, MIERCURI si VINERI intre orele 9:00 – 12:00, cu exceptia sarbatorilor legale. "
Ahaaaaa...stiam eu ca va urma ceva "romanesc" ,pentru ca totul incepuse prea frumos. Deeeeci  daca vreti sa va schimbati pasaportul la Consulatul General Romanesc din LA, o puteti face DOAR luni si joi,intre 9 am -12pm(asta daca aveti norocul sa nu fie vreo sarbatoare -romaneasca sau americana). Iar Luni si Joi nu puteti face alte 'treburi" pe la consulat, ca nu se executa! Asa ca daca mai aveti si alte acte de rezolvat ,tre' sa mai stati o zi prin LA.:)
Acte necesare :

1.Documentul care atesta domiciliul permanent in SUA sau care atesta aprobarea din partea autoritatilor SUA a dreptului de sedere legala, in original.

Documentele acceptate cu acest statut sunt:
   -Pasaportul american valabil;
   -Certificatul de naturalizare
   -Resident Alien Card valabil
   -Permanent Resident Card valabil
   -Alte documente valabile, emise de autoritatile americane, privind aprobarea dreptului de sedere legala pe teritoriul SUA.

2.Cartea de identitate valabila emisa de autoritatile statului de resedinta (state ID), in original sau/si permisul de conducere SUA valabil (driver’s license sau non-driver ID), in original.


3.Buletinul de Identitate sau Cartea de Identitate romanesti, in original.
Aceasta nu se aplica pentru cetatenii romani care au inscris in pasaportul romanesc la rubrica domiciliu “Statele Unite ale Americii”.
Nota : La primirea noului pasaport cu domiciliul in SUA, persoanele care aveau inscris in vechiul pasaport domiciliul in Romania au obligatia sa predea cartea (buletinul) de identitate

Comentarii: Io nu cred ca mai am CI-ul romanesc(de fapt nu stiu pe unde e) si nici nu am mentiunea de CRDS(cetatean roman cu domiciliul in strainatate ) pe pasaport. Ce-o sa fie..ce-o sa fie?:))))
4.Certificatul de nastere romanesc, in original.
Nota : In cazul in care numele actual al solicitantului este diferit de numele inscris in certificatul de nastere, este necesara prezentarea documentului romanesc in baza caruia s-a produs schimbarea numelui in Romania ; acest document poate fi, dupa caz: certificatul de casatorie romanesc sau hotararea judecatoreasca de schimbare a numelui pronuntata de o instanta romana. Orice alt document eliberat de o autoritate straina trebuie sa fie transcris in Romania.

5.Certificatul de casatorie romanesc, in original (pentru cei casatoriti sau vaduvi); sau, dupa caz, sentinta de divort romaneasca ramasa definitiva, in original (pentru cei divortati) sau certificatul romanesc de deces pentru persoanele vaduve, in original.
Nota: Se primesc numai certificate romanesti de stare civila in original (nastere, casatorie, deces), cele straine vor fi inregistrate in evidentele de stare civila romanesti, conform prevederilor Legii nr. 119/1996.
In cazul in care casatoria a fost incheiata in SUA, certificatul de casatorie american va fi mai intai transcris (inregistrat) la autoritatile romane; in baza inregistrarii, primaria localitatii in care solicitantul a avut ultimul domiciliu in Romania sau misiunea diplomatica elibereaza un certificat de casatorie romanesc. Numai acest document este acceptat la solicitarea unui nou pasaport. (a se vedea sectiunea Transcrierea/ inscrierea actelor de stare civila straine).
Persoanele care au divortat in strainatate vor proceda conform instructiunilor de la sectiunea privind “Recunoasterea hotararii de desfacere a casatoriei pronuntata in strainatate”, iar persoanele care doresc sa-si schimbe numele pe cale administrativa in Romania, conform instructiunilor de la sectiunea privind “Schimbarea de nume”.
In cazul in care exista necorespondenta intre numele/prenumele sau datele inscrise in diferite acte, este necesara mai intai efectuarea indreptarilor erorilor materiale sau a corectiilor de rigoare, conform prevederilor legale.


6.Pasaportul anterior (expirat sau inca valabil si care trebuie schimbat/reinnoit)


7.In cazul declararii FURTULUI pasaportului simplu, este necesara prezentarea dovezii eliberate de organele de politie a statului de resedinta, cu traducerea efectuata de un traducator autorizat cu apostila.


8.In cazul DISTRUGERII pasaportului simplu, se va prezenta pasaportul distrus sau deteriorat sau fragmente din acesta, cu conditia ca acestea sa cuprinda elemente care sa faca posibila identificarea documentului.


9.MONEY ORDER pentru Romanian Consulate, cu taxa consulara la zi.


Pentru cei care vor calatori in Romania in curand,si au pasaportul expirat pot solicita un"Titlul de calatorie"- care este un document valabil 30 de zile de la emitere,si tine loc de pasaport pentru un drum dus spre Romania .Mai multe info  titlu de calatorie.

Si am ajuns si la intrebarea  "how much?" Raspuns:125 para baby!:))
Aici costuri pentru toate serviciile consulare.
Informatii despre personalul consulatului aici. Va rog sa cititi resumeul consulului. :))) Va las pe voi sa trageti concluziile.:D Si cateva informatii despre activitatea consulului Ghenea:
Consulul Romaniei la Los Angeles acuzat de frauda
Comunitatea romaneasca cere demisia consulului din LA

P.S.O sa revin cu un update dupa ce o sa "beneficiez" de serviciile consulatului.

Dictionar "Romglish"

Cred ca ar trebui sa apara un nou dictionar al limbii romane.Mai exact un dictionar "romglish".Ce e asta? Pai atunci cand adaptezi un cuvant din limba engleza,si-l faci sa sune cumva ...romaneste. Opusul a ceea ce facea Coana Chirita cu al ei "furculition".
Asa ca sa-i dam bataie.
- a se exita
- a fi depresat/a
- practichez 
- confuzat
-a cancela /cancelez

O sa mai adaug pe parcurs si altele,in functie de cum mi le amintesc,aud sau/si eventual inventez. Astept propuneri si de la voi ,ca sa-l facem cat mai complet.

P.S. Postul este un fel de pamflet,asa ca trebuie tratat ca atare.

Memorial Day Weekend 2010:RIP and may God bless the memory of all who gave their lives. Every day is Memorial Day.

To those who paid the highest price for our freedom,
I can think of nothing more important to say than these two words:
 
THANK YOU

CALIFORNIA'S WAR DEAD


Coming here from Vietnam, I felt he was protecting the freedom I had gained. I'm very proud of what he did. — Dung Dang, father

I consider Joe to be the brother I never had. He was the most passionate, unbelievably loyal man I've ever met. Guys like him don't come around very often. -Erik Vendt, college best friend and two-time Olympic silver medalist

Engraved on the Korean War Memorial:

Canada healthcare vs. US Healthcare-Premierul Williams - din N.L. Canada- s-a operat in US

O noua lovitura pentru democratii din US,care se lupta sa schimbe sistemul de sanatate din US,dintr-unul bazat pe private insurances intr-unul condus de guvern(brrr scary).  Cred ca decizia premierului Williams a mai adaugat niste intrebari pe lista pentru cei care vor sa introduca socialized healthcare in US.. De ce s-a operat premeirul Williams in US?Se zice ca sistemul medical din Canada este cel mai bun cel mai bla-bla bla-bla(BS-uri de stanga) ,iar cel din US trebuie schimbat. Si atunci ce credeti despre gestul premeirului Williams?
Cateva articole despre asta Premierul Williams din N.L. Canada programat la operatie in US si
Premierul Williams se resupereaza dupa operatia de inima din US
P.S. Ca o parere personala,cred ca sistemul medical din US este cel mai bun din toata lumea,calitatea serviciilor fiind cu mult peste orice alt sistem medical din lume.Trebuie umblat la malpractice suits( care ridica pretul malpractice insurances la 6 digits si in consecinta duce pretul serviciilor medicale in sus) si cei neasigurati voluntar (si aici nu vorbesc de milioanele de ilegali care beneficiaza de sistemul medical fara sa plateasca nimik, umfland facturile celor care platesc) .
In cifre proportiile arata cam asa(aproximativ):din 250 milioane de americani,50 milioane nu au asigurare medicala.25 milioane(minim as zice eu) sunt ilegalii.Din cei 25 de milioane ramasi,cca. 15 milioane au acces la asigurare medicala cu costuri minime,dar din diferite motive nu o acceseaza.Si atunci ramane o categorie pentru care musai trebuie sa se faca ceva:cei cu boli cronice.Pentru ei trebuie gasita o solutie. Dar....acum vin si va intreb: de ce trebuie sa se schimbe un sistem care functioneaza pentru mai mult de 80% din populatie? De ce nu se gaseste o solutie pentru cei 20%?

Economia Americii: up or down?

Luna ianaurie este una din lunile cele mai grele pentru toate  companiile,firmele  adika pentru economie in general. Magazinele au cele mai mari "sales" din an ,ceea ce le ajuta cumva sa se mentina pe un trend pozitiv, sau sa "break even(profit zero)". Despre angajari nici nu se poate discuta in aceasta luna,in economia de acum.
Si totusi eu personal am vazut oameni care s-au angajat luna asta. Pentru ca urmaresc anumite site-uri de joburi(deh e bine sa fii tot timpul in cautare de ceva mai bun)pot sa spun ca joburile sunt ceva mai numeroase decat anul trecut in aceeasi perioada,si ca sunt firme care angajeaza . La compania unde lucrez eu(un corporate cu peste 150 de locatii) se fac angajari in continuare. Chiar asa,daca vorbiti engleza la un nivel avansat, aveti skills in vanzari si locuiti undeva aproape de Sherman Oaks,Culver City(in general in LA County) si  aveti nevoie de un job,scrieti-mi. Poate va pot ajuta.
Eu personal SPER ca economia sa-si revina cat mai repede. Si cum California este un barometru pentru USA, SPER sa fim pe trend ascendent.Si daca se va intampla asta curand,nu e pentru ca guvernul de clovni de acum ar fi facut ceva in acest sens.Ci e pentru ca americanii sunt educati in acest spirit,adika sa-si  continue viata si afacerile indiferent de "intemperii".