Another day in the life of… Erik Briones

Blogging has been around for quite sometime now. But what is twitter? What is that blue bird icon doing in webpages?

My opinion is that, twitter is the new – blogging, bookmarking, rss feed – system.

It basically gives you instant info. Like MJ’s death was quickly spread around twitter, amongst my followers/ and people i follow group. And as a “Trending Topic”

SO i thought, should I continue blogging? or Just tweet my thoughts out. Say what I wanted to say within 140 characters. Naah Id rather blog about it. I will just make twitter a means for people to get to my blog.

Wel if you want to follow me. just click http://twitter.com/erikbriones

But like this blogs and my previous ones, my twitter updates are all dependent on my mood to write. Sometimes there are stuff to read there, sometimes it is as boring as hell. (but is it really boring there?)

Wikipedia is facing an issue regarding the use of digitized painting from the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). A wiki volunteer uploaded thousands of high-resolution images, which the NPG i think claims sole ownership from.

This is another web-copyright issue in my opinion.

Read more here

Wikipedia painting row escalates

Well, that’s a proof that cigarette is dangerous to your health! Buying a pack is even more hazardous than actually smoking it. Lol.

An odd news indeed. Visa admitted the glitch. Read more here http://www.bostonherald.com/news/offbeat/view/20090715nh_man_charged_23_quadrillion_dollars_for_smokes/srvc=home&position=recent

There seems to be a lot of passenger plane accidents/mishaps going on this year. Well I have not really followed “airplane crashes” from previous years but 2 Airbuses (Boeing planes) are already down, and now this one in Iran.

The main problem with a plane crash I think is it’s “survivability”. Compared to a plane crash, ships on fire or sinking will yield more survivors. That is just an observation. The crash in Yemen a few weeks ago has only one survivor. A 14 year old..

read more about the Iran plane crash from CNN news here.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/07/15/iran.plane.crash/index.html

Missing pages need not be boring! For years we know as web designers we can control 404 pages to redirect users to proper pages. Here are some of those not-so-standard and very creative 404 pages

From WebDesignerDepot

http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/07/50-creative-and-inspiring-404-pages/

Could be an early gift for me.. Got this from Engadget

by Thomas Ricker, posted Jul 13th 2009 at 7:33AM

It’s back. The Quanta assembled Apple netbook rumor that kicked off in March with a Commercial Times report calling for a Wintek-supplied touchscreen has returned… with a fever. China Times has now stepped in with a claim of a 9.7-inch touchscreen netbook to debut in October. CT claims that Wintek, and Dynapack have all received orders direct from Apple while Foxconn (not Quanta) will be the main manufacturer. It’s still unclear whether the reported device takes on the traditional netbook form-factor, goes convertible like the T91, or is a 9.7-inch slate like a giant iPod touch. In fact, the Chinese-language report translated into English refers to it as “Apple’s netbook (or a “tablet” as many call it)” only adding to the confusion. Regardless, we find it hard to believe that Apple would just follow the industry trends here. Then again, Sony did announce the VAIO W after rebuking netbooks as a race to the bottom thus leaving Apple as the only major without a low-cost netbook in its portfolio. But $800, if true, prices whatever this is right out of netbook territory — ultra-portable anyone?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/13/apples-9-7-inch-netbook-to-debut-in-october-for-800

This morning I was in a situation where I need to send one email to multiple email addresses that are in an excel sheet. There were like 3000+ recipients which I tried to send to. I used MS Outlook 2007 and added the recipients in Bcc so that they would not know who I sent the other mails to. The sending however failed. I think there are limitations set by an ISP or whatever.

The solution was Mail Merge. I took my lunch, and googled for the solution.

This example is from my own experience using Office 2007. It may not be literally applicable to other versions. (disclaimer)

1.) From the Menu click “Mailings”
2.) Click Start Mail Merge and choose Email
3.) Add Recipients, it is helpful if you have an Excel sheeet of the Email Addresses on ready. Or any portable db you can grab data from.
4.) Insert in the Document the body of your email, what you want to say etc.
5.) Click Finish and Merge > Send Email Message
6.) You will be prompted with a final “look” of your header email.
7.) Once it is starting to create the Mail Merge, you will notice your MS Outlook starting to fill up with items. Especially the Outbox and Sent Items.

I know it is not too detailed but I hope it helps.

I think this should be it.

re updated.

Link to my previous studies http://erikbriones.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/dubai-palm-vacations-logo/

A jobless man applied for the position of “office boy” at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. “You are employed.” He said.” Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as date when you may start.”……

The man replied “But I don’t have a computer, neither an email.”

I’m sorry”, said the HR manager, “If you don’t have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist, cannot have the job.”

The man left with no hope at all. He didn’t know what to do, with only $10 in his pocket. He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10Kg tomato crate.He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the Operation three times, and returned home with $60. The man realized that he can survive by this Way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US. He started to plan his family’s future, and decided to have a life insurance. He called an insurance broker, and chose a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied, “I don’t have an email”. The broker answered curiously, “You don’t have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?!!”

The man thought for a while and replied, “Yes, I’d be an office boy at Microsoft!“

Moral of the story:

*Internet is not the solution to your life.

*If you don’t have internet, and work hard, you can be a millionaire.

*If you received this message by email, you are closer to being an office boy, than a millionaire……….

Have a great day!!!

Pls Note: – Do not forward this email to me back, I’m closing all my email addresses & going to sell tomatoes!!!

We are in the process of creating a new website and logo for our vacation rental arm called Dubai Palm Vacations.

Here’s one of my logo studies and its color variation.

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just added, a variation, with a palm instead of the beach umbrella. im a bit tired now

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just added.

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add July 09

Do post comments! So I will know what to add/remove. Thanks!