Two Times Royksopp 18 Feb 2009
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: berlin, concerts, germany, krakow, music, poland, royksopp, selector festival
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Life can be really surprising :) Last week I have discovered that Royksopp is going to concert in Berlin in April. Not waiting too long as soon as tickets were available, two days ago I bought a ticket for this event. Today I have found it in my mail box and what do I hear in Polskie Radio Euro? Bartek Czarkowski has just said that Royksopp is going to have a live performance during one of summer music festivals (Selector Festival) in Krakow, Poland. The place where I had spent almost two years before relocating to Berlin. Isn’t it ironic? (yes, that’s from Alanis’ song). Well, yes it is and it seems that I might be able to see Senor B and Senor B on stage twice this year. Nice surprise. “What else is there?”
7 things you may not know about me 21 Jan 2009
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: 7 things, biochemistry, douglas adams, hints, star trek
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One of my friends posted on his blog a list entitled ‘7 things you may not know about me’ and he suggested me to do the same. Here it is! I admit it was a great fun to choose facts to fill this list.
1. My favorite science fiction saga is Star Trek. The Next Generation series to be more precise. Once you become a trekkie, you always will be one. Why did I like it so much? It was simply a visualization of my life attitude. To discover strange new worlds, to boldly go where no one has gone before! I still believe we can do it. Whether you discover wonders of biochemistry in nanoscale, gaze at stunning astronomical phenomenon, or try to understand everyday world around you.
P.S. In late 90’s I was a very active member of Polish Star Trek fan club called POGF (Polski Oddział Gwiezdnej Floty), even acting for some time as the First Officer and I was responsible for organizing one of most successful fandom convents in year 2000.
2. The most important book I have read in my life (except “Biochemistry” by L. Stryer) is “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy” (and further parts) written by Douglas Adams. It is pointless to explain why. Read it and follow its path, or die unhappy. Thank you Michal for the opportunity of meeting you and for giving me the book.
3. My first real, official and paid job was a position of sailing instructor during summer sailing camps, when I was 17 years old.
4. I’m sure not many of you know that my first trip abroad happened when I was 19. I travelled to Stuttgart, Germany to see the total solar eclipse of 1999. Amazing 2 minutes and 17 seconds, worth travelling for several hours there!
5. I bought my first mobile phone on Decemeber 21st, 1998. It was a huge Motorola CD160. It had an extendable antenna and you could replace its accumulator with 4 AA-type batteries. That was the first step towards being a mobile freak.
6. Many of my friends think I like to travel but the truth is that until the age of 25 I really hated moving outside my hometown, Wrocław. Since that time I have been addicted to flying.
7. If I could have a house in a place of my dreams it would be.. somewhere in Biskupin area in my hometown Wrocław. I hope it will come true as I have promised myself to live in good health at least till year 2061, to see the Halley Comet twice in my life.
What would you say about yourself?
Merry Christmas! 24 Dec 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: christmas
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The time is near. People are travelling back home. We are all waiting for the first star visible on Christmas Eve evening sky. Please forgive me a lack of political correctness. I won’t wish you Season’s greetings I will say Merry Christmas Everyone!
P.S. Remember that most probably you will see a planet Venus instead of “real” star.
Wrocław Halloween Critical Mass 1 Nov 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: bike, critical mass, masa krytyczna, rower, wrocław
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The last Friday of October. Good weather for this time of year. At about noon I’ve come to Wroclaw. Hey, wait.. isn’t it the day of the Critical Mass? Yup, it is! The Mass starts at 6 PM! I mailed my friends but they won’t be able to join this time. Tomorrow (Nov, the 1st) is the All Saints Day, a bank holiday, so a lot of people leaves the city. That’s actually what I was afraid – intensive traffic and only numerous bikers? How was I surprised when it appeared to be a contrary! The road traffic was at best moderate and I’d say they were more than 60 bikers!
The fun begins! This particular mass was different because we rode to the hospital. A few days ago one of Wroclaw’ bike community activists has been hit by a car. We were going to visit him. Ring, ring! Here we go! Different people, different bikes, all cruising slowly along the streets. The Reagan’ Rondo – cars hoot as we are doing our second round. The Grunwaldzki’ Bridge – I think this was the only place where we really ‘did’ the traffic. Finally we were close by the hospital. Cezary waved from a window then called one of organizers so we could hear greetings from him. Parking lot guards were totally frightened, maybe because one of bikers had a Halloween pumpkin, with a real candle inside(!), on his bike. It looked really cool! At the end we drove to the Main Square to make a round and a small happening.
The Mass’ GPS track and some photos can be found in here.
Bike racing season 2008 is finished 4 Oct 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: bikes, cycling, mio fujifilm bike maraton
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Friends and colleagues ask me if I have in plan more racing on my bike this year. I thought that such a rainy and lazy Saturday is a good moment for looking back at racing season A.D 2008. Generally it’s finished. Most important races incorporated into Mio Fujiflim Bike Marathon are past now. This year I was able to start in only 8 of 12 races, but as the final rank is better than previous one I feel satisfied. There were some other bike events satisfying as well. All those events fortunately brought no big bike failures, no new scars, but instead a lot of adrenaline, pleasure and fun! I’m really happy I was able to participate in two road cycling events too and I feel hunger for more in next year.
Now it’s time to say “Thanks!” to those who made it possible: my family, friends, newly made biking friends, amazing bike workshop’s staff, and my company. What to do now? Start training, Buahahah!
Lance is back! 10 Sep 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: cycling, lance armstrong, lance armstrong foundation, livestrong, tour de france
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Today’s sport news no.1 is the official announcement from Lance Armstrong that he’s going to join the peloton again! It’s not yet sure what team he is going to join, or which races, except Tour de France 2009 he is going to participate in, but this fact has really shaken the world of cycling today.
I received this information by mail from Lance Armstrong Foundation very early in the morning today, while I was going by train for a mountain bike ride. Reading that Lance is going to fight for his next great win really helped me spinning the wheel uphill. What more can I say? LiveSTRONG!
Reuse, reduce, react.. 6 Sep 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: ecology, environment, global warming, greenhouse effect, poland
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Sometimes I feel like a weird boy surrounded by mature, serious people, having their own “real” problems. I’m talking about acting everyday for our environment. What do I do in particular? Well for example..
- I wear my backpack every time I go shopping to reduce number of plastic bags needed,
- I reuse those bags by disposing them as garbage bags,
- I turn off the light and switch off all not necessary electric appliances at home, or at work,
- I think how to reduce usage of electricity, for example by replacing ADSL modem and wireless router with only one device, having only one power supply instead of two. I even try to reduce ironing all of my clothes if it is not really, really necessary ;-)
- I use only public transportation or use carpooling.
I could continue this way for a long time, but it really doesn’t matter. What matters and what is really sad is that most of people around me don’t see the point of those actions. It’s not surprising considering they just don’t see any reason to react. It’s much easier to make fun of people do not supporting the theory of evolution, while in the same time they are denying the existence of global warming. I really appreciate those who reuse, reduce and react!
iPhone 3G in Poland! iPhailed? 22 Aug 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: iphone, iphone 3g, mobile, nokia, phone, poland, Technology
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Oh my, it’s here! After a few months of waiting and a few weeks of rumours about Polish carriers’ offers for iPhone 3G it is finally out now! Yesterday at midnight Polish mobile networks Era and Orange have started selling iPhone 3G.
How it was? Well, I’d say that iHisteria has turned out to be an iFailure. PR people were even paying some teenagers, to form fake queues in front of Orange shop in Warsaw. There were some promo shows in the city center, but not too much people were interested in. Maybe they were interested in concerts and free gifts, but not in spending several hundreds polish zlotys on Most Wanted Gadget A.D. 2008.
Today I really enjoyed reading post about night premiere of iPhone 3G in Czech Republic. I really love the part about who’s going to buy it. Then I went to the kitchen and look what I have found in a newspaper..
P.S. Photo taken with Nokia phone, which I’m not going to replace with iPhone.
Quick and Dirty 9 Jul 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal, Professional.Tags: english, grammar, grammar girl, make it green, podcast, podcasting, quick and dirty tips
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I’m not sure if podcasting is still so “cool, trendy and edgy”, but I personally have podcasting “hype”. The problem is that finding really regularly updated and what’s more important interesting, educating and entertaining podcasts is really hard. What’s my place? quickanddirtytips.com! This page allows listening, subscribing, or even checking podcasts’ transcripts about serious life areas. My favorite one is Grammar Girl led by Mignon Fogarty. She talks about interesting, sometimes intriguing, but always very funny English language challenges. I also enjoy the newest Q-n-D podcast called Make-it-Green Girl dealing with environmental problems. Maybe you will enjoy any of those podcasts as well?
Funny ‘serious’ technologies 9 Jul 2008
Posted by Dexter in Personal.Tags: 2D, 2D codes, data matrix, funny, i-nigma, qr codes, technologies
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It is really remarkable that some really ‘serious’ technologies are very often used for totally different and funny applications. Have you noticed that more and more products, like home appliances and electronics devices are marked with 2D (two-dimensional) codes? These codes called QR codes or Data Matrix are two types of hiding important information about products in black and white dots. How to use it in a funny way? Try some free 2D services like i-nigma.com which are allowing creating and decoding your own matrixes. What’s funny about it? People are now putting codes on T-shirts, web pages, backpacks to say in a silent way about you, something funny, or even offensive. Try it!
