Some notes from `rolandinsh`

Some months ago, when Google transferred all feeds from feedproxy.google.com to feeds2.feedburner.com, they changed RSS and atom feed address too. During that process I choose my feed address as refreshing, but there were also some Israel’s web page with same name on old feedburner’s service (feeds.feedburner.com). So during these changes, Google everything messed up. And some of my RSS/email readers got news in ivrit.

Here is my present from Google

Hello,

First of all, thank you for using FeedBurner and AdSense for feeds. We really appreciate every minute you spend using our services.

We also know you’ve come to depend on us to deliver your feed reliably without ever requiring you to change anything (unless you want to). Unfortunately, due some poor planning on Google’s part since you created your new feed, http://feeds2.feedburner.com/refreshing, we have been forced to change its address to http://feeds2.feedburner.com/refreshing2.

WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
We have worked hard to ensure that any feed that already exists on feeds.feedburner.com cannot be created in the new Google-hosted feeds environment, feeds2.feedburner.com. However, a few feeds, including your own, did end up with the same address on both sides. We’ve used an automatic conflict-resolution system to determine which feed’s address to change, and the choice ended up being this feed.

(…)*

So I was waiting, waiting, … nothing for some 3 months. Only yesterday I’ve got package from US. At first I didn’t know about any package, which I should recive from US. As far as I could remember all my Internet shopping was inside Europe.

You can buy them on www.google-store.com

After all this my RSS address id feeds2.feedburner.com/refreshing2

Yesterday (May 31, 2009) Riga was under label “Go Blonde!“.It’s fundraising charity event in Riga, organized by Latvia’s Blonde Association, aims to get funding to build playgrounds for children with special needs. I posted this blog entry on allvoices.com too, so some more pictures You’ll find there too.

Colors of Blonde Weekend – white, pink and red

As said organizers of event there were 35 teams with 10-20 blond girls from whole Latvia (source: LETA). Even if one of  the main aim was charity for children, blond girls wanted to show, that they are smart enough too. With this event girls wanted also show that Riga is attractive tourism city and hope that tourism will break decreasing economy of Latvia.

Go Blonde on last weekend of May

This year “Go Blonde!” parade was organized first time in Latvia, but Blonde Weekend will be held every next year in Riga on last weekend of May, promised Latvia’s Blonde Association.

Weekend of “Go Blonde!” included tenis and golf tournaments on Sport day, fashion day and of course Blond parade full with positive emotions and humor. And final ball with nominations of “Blonde – leader“, “Blonde – journalist“, “Blonde – Lawyer“, and more…

More about “Go blonde!” (Latvia’s Blonde Association) on GoBlonde.lv, which is the first international office in Latvia after International Association of Blondes main office in Sofia.

More: video on telegraf.lv http://cli.gs/aGga2h and NRA.lv http://cli.gs/pVDAa7.

PS No wonder that Riga is known as city of most beatifull AND smart girls ;)

Photo: AFP PHOTO/ ILMARS ZNOTINS (Photo credit should read ILMARS ZNOTINS/AFP/Getty Images)

More photos from Gints Freimanis:

UPDATE: Blond map of Europe from eupedia.com

In beginning of May with my girlfriend we went to Athens, Greece, where spend our vacations. Only after coming back we found out, that during vacation travel to Greece, we haven’t spoke about economic crisis. Only during guided tour to Meteora (Kalambaka, Greece) our guide aware us about “poor people with soft hands“. But in Greece I noticed difference between “poor people”: while in Greece they are trying to sell You some little things, in Latvia don’t, just begging.

Right offer in right place!

But I liked how they were selling on streets, with good marketing. For example, when people need to go up to Acropolis, people are selling water and sun umbrellas, but during rain – umbrella. Need to tell, that during our way up, temperature was +32° Celsius (while in Latvia just +15°C). Right offer in right place! There are more examples, but these were most interesting.

After my EVS, I knew that I will come back to Greece, so this was my come-back to Greece after 3 years. Things didn’t change much in Athens. And I was guiding my girlfriend and her mother. But about that trip I’ll write later.

More images from trip on flickr.com Trip to Greece 2009.

There is no such expression like “economic crisis”*

How we all know in there is “economic crisis”*, what makes nervous not only employers, but workers as well. If some employers just delay with salaries, then some are simple dismissed from work.

If some time ago delay could be connected with inflation (as it was explained) then now economic crisis. Somehow now situation looks oposit. If some years ago it was easy to get any job (we can do this now as well), then now we’ll need think twice before quit. For employers this mean more larger arbitrariness. Now it’s very easy to be in job-seekers row which in last months are becoming bigger.

For me it look like, that more secure feels workers, who are working in two or more places, or even are self employed. Like me.

Speaking about employment. Since mid-October I’m self-employed. So I can make out bills. :) Currently already starting to think about my own mini-company just like my sister did by establishing StudyStart.

And how sure about your future are you?

* in Latvia there is no such expressions like “economic crisis” or any crisis in general. More: Juris Kaža “Repression of Free Expression in Latvia” in his Free Speech Emergency in Latvia blog.

PS for government of Latvia: this is not about economic crisis in Latvia ;)

How it all began? So we, me and Roland, decided to use that moment when the days of cheap airfares and go to Bremen to enjoy last autumn days.

Arrival

Hostel we reserved (hostelbookers.com) already one month in advance and it was 10 min drive from the airport and the center of Bremen (Bremen Southend Hostel, southendhostel-bremen.de).

The flight went smoothly and already in Bremen, we decided that weather is too good to go with public transport and went on foot, enjoying the Bremen office and later residential areas. First, we wanted to go to Hostel, but because we did not have a city map, we went to the center of Bremen. First we saw a bridge over Weser river with small market under bridge. There was able to buy clothes, shoes, lamps, of unknown origin discs, toys and everything that in the home can be found. Next to the main square, on Saturday morning in full swing at the beautiful St. Petri church was another market.

There was able to taste fruits, cheeses and German favorite dishes. We both didn’t taste this time, because the row was too big, and if you do not know exactly German, then read descriptions and titles of food is not possible. As has been thoroughly tourists we ate nearby in the “Subway” sandwich and salad fast food restaurant. My very surprised, that a normal coffee shop, with ordinary dishes there is a rarity. There is generally sandwich, pizza and kebab street-shops on every corner.
Continue reading ‘Weekend trip to Hansa-city Bremen’