Bad Day
I know most of the stuff that I post here is sort of whimsical and of a humorous nature. Well, today I am just not feeling it. I'm not sure I want to put this out there for all to see, but things have been a little hectic for me and I am not sure how to deal with it. It is very hard to watch someone that you love going through something very painful. Especially when you also have a personal stake in the situation. I guess you just have to keep moving forward, but sometimes isn't that the hardest thing of all. Making progress and feeling normal again. So far, I have been pretty lucky in my life and don't think that I am not aware of that fact, but sometimes things just suck. I guess in the end you hope that there is some sort of grand plan that we are all following, but sometimes it is extremely hard to see it. I suppose for me, this is one of those times.

Trojan Horse
So, got into work this morning to find an email detailing our holiday schedule. It seems as though management has decided to give us about 16 more hours of vacation than they had originally given us. Now, while I am entirely grateful for such a gift, it does leave me a little suspicious as to what their intentions are. Believe you me, I work in an industry that is all about the almighty dollar so I am a little concerned about this extra paid time off. They also mentioned that another token of appreciation would be coming to my house over the holidays. I hope it isn't a pink slip.

Car Trouble
Yet again, my car is acting up. That isn't the best part, though. The best part is that supposedly my boyfriend, who is now my ex-boyfriend, changed the sparkplugs in my car a couple of months ago when we were dating and apparently replaced them with sparkplugs that are not designed for my car. You know, I guess that is just the way things go in life. You think you might finally be getting ahead to be smacked in the face with such idiocy. I guess people are right when they say that something can be too good to be true. Although I don't know who those people are. Although, it is nice around the holidays to shell out $500 to fix a car that shouldn't really be having major problems in the first place. Oh well at least this time at the mechanic stuff wasn't stolen out of my car by the workers. That is a good sign, right?

Today's Activities
I got to spend today in lovely Northern New Jersey. Montvale to be exact. I must admit that the place doesn't have much, but it does have a really cool shopping plaza that also includes Anthropolgie. I have to give props to that store because it is actually more hip clothing that is made for women who aren't built like 12 year old boys. You know, made for women that actually have hips. That is one of the many reasons I enjoy that store. Another is because I found this really awesome pair of jeans that have some type of velvet-y feel and a really cool rinse. So, if you get a chance, hit Anthropologie!

Technological Advances
Well, here I am at work, unable to connect to anything on an internal server. No outlook, network, or intranet. Now, the scary thing is that I absolutely cannot be very productive without access to any of these things. What does that say about our dependence on computers. Quite a lot if you ask me. At this point to remain productive I think I might have to resort to cleaning out my file cabinets.

48 Hour Family Ties Marathon
This has to be the coolest thing that I saw on TV all of last week. A 48-hour marathon of one of the greatest sitcoms of all time. While there are many episodes to choose from that were good, I would like to note especially the episode where the entire Keaton family, with the exception of Mallory go to their Grandma's house. Mallory stays behind to work on a paper for school about the Louisiana Purchase which was not in fact about shopping in Louisiana. So, she and Skippy go into the basement to get some of Alex's old papers and end up getting locked down there. Chaos ensues wherein the water heater gets busted forcing both of them to don chipmunk costumes. Then they have this heartfelt talk still wearing the chipmunk costumes and fall asleep. They are rescued the next day of course, but the best part of all is that they weren't really locked in there in the first place. They just didn't know how to get out. That is awesome.

Microsoft's new policy aims to broaden licensing
This is taken from the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah)

December 4, 2003, Thursday
SECTION:
BUSINESS;
Pg. E03

By Helen Jung Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will open its portfolio of patented technology for use by academic researchers and make it easier for companies -- including competitors -- to license its intellectual property.
The company said the changes are designed to respond to other technology companies who have wanted Microsoft to license its patented technology. Other companies, including IBM, have long made their intellectual property available.

"A number of other industry leaders have done (this) for a number of years and in some cases decades," general counsel Brad Smith said. "We're joining their ranks today."
The move comes as the company faces potentially severe penalties from the European Union over alleged anticompetitive behavior, that could include forcing the company to disclose more of its technical information in its Windows operating system.

Smith noted that the new licensing program satisfies some of the long-standing concerns from European regulators, but said it is not directly aimed at the European inquiry.

"This kind of step is consistent with the kinds of steps that others in the industry including our competition and some in government have been encouraging us to take," Smith said, "but this is something that has been in the works for some time."

Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., announced two programs.

The first is a royalty-free program, in which the academic community may access its portfolio of copyrighted and patented technology for noncommercial use and research. Microsoft had previously allowed only limited access.

The second is for commercial companies wanting to license its technology.

Microsoft on Wednesday announced two specific technologies available for licensing -- one for file transfers and one that makes reading text on computer screens clearer. But Microsoft is "open for business in terms of licensing our intellectual property," Smith said.

The move reflects that Microsoft is genuinely trying to change its ways, said Joe Wilcox, an analyst with Jupiter Research.

"This is a company that historically has been very, very tight with its intellectual property," said Wilcox. "And now it's realizing that it has something valuable that it can offer to industry, government, educational institutions and that sharing is a good thing -- for the company image, for fostering cooperation with other companies and for advancing technological adoption that also benefits Microsoft," he said.

"Microsoft is maturing and is beginning to recognize it must take more of a leadership role."

Indies Win Court Decision
For those of you who were unaware, the big motion picture studios were seeking to create a ban on video screenings of movies that are in contention for certain awards, such as the Oscars, Golden Globes, etc...with the claim that these videos often create an opening for movie piracy that can hurt some of the releases. However, this ban is thought by the independent filmmakers to actually cause more harm than good. Check out this story for more details.

Judge's Ruling

Body Pump Class
Today I decided during lunch I would be good and attended a body pump class at the local gym. Man, was it hard. It also probably didn't help that I hadn't eaten anything and therefore was getting the shakes during some of the exercises.
All in all, it was a good experience, but the instructor was one of those people that us more...ahem...actionally challenged people...like to hate. She was all buff and stuff in her workout pants and tank top. Looking pretty much like she could beat the living daylights out of anything she came across. She also had all this energy. That same type of energy that on the one hand makes you want to pat her on the back and on the other, much more dominant hand, makes you want to smack her. Luckily for me, after the class was over, I pretty much couldn't lift my arms to do either. Speaking of which, I have to rest from typing now. Man, that was one insane class.

Cool Site
If you like the entertainment industry, I just wanted to point out this site, Zap2it

Hope you like it too!