The power of Stats

I discovered, not long ago, that there is a very useful "Stats" option in blogger wich provides you with very useful information.

For instance, right now, in two years of existence, Such is Life has been visited 666 times, creepy number, but quite a successful one, at least for me, considering the untimely updates. More than 300 of those page views took place in the last 30 days, which means my new year's resolution of posting more has paid some results in the short term.

I used to hate Statistics in business school, statistics sucked, it was just a bunch of ridiculous data to me. Then I discovered Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics and my views on the subject started to change. And then, then I clicked on the Stats button and I found out...

1.- That Such is Life has been read in 4/5 continents, North and South America included (Oceania, I still don't understand why you are not in my Stats).

2.- Someone found my blog by typing the words "ugliest feet" on Google.

3.- My sister is not an online phenomenon.

Finding number 1 was awesome, finding number 2 embarrasing and finding number 3 was just plain hilarious.

It seems, my sister makes only number 7 in my Top 10 posts list, and here is the proof:

So sorry sis, I tried, I really did!

Thanks to the Stats I found out United Kingdom and Denmark make #3 and #4 in countries with more pageviews, I get United Kingdom (more or less, I can imagine who could it be at least) but Denmark... you guys have to understand my insistence!

Anyhow, I must go now. Such is Life.

When the bosses talk...

...no matter how loud, children have to listen and...take notes.

Just a quick post, specially considering this late hour, to relate my hell of an afternoon/evening.

I had a seven hour meeting today, and I consider myself a survivour, only comparable to Bear Grylls. I was more of a spectator watching a dramedy (It got so tense sometimes I had to supress a laugh), listening and taking notes as the bosses talked (at all different volumes audible by human ears). Very instructive, promise!

I thank myself and Starbucks for the tall Capuccino I had right before the meeting, I was smart there, the other junior in the room was not that smart, and I watched him suffer for seven hours the slow attack of boredom and sleep.

He yawned, I rock.

And now I'm the one yawning, so, good night and enjoy the coming weekend (if you have nothing better to do, you could actually leave a comment during the weekend or read this strip by the Oatmeal, wich made me laugh at the realisation that is has all happened to me at some point in my life: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/printers, actually this is me right before my meeting:

As usual, picture is not mine, but his: http://theoatmeal.com

) <--- this bracket is totally intended and makes sense, so don't think it's a typo.

There you go, Such is Life!

P.S.: Denmark, I know you keep reading, so come on! Just say hi, pretty please... :)

Denmark

Ok, I really need to ask this, my curiosity itches really bad. Who is reading Such is Life from Denmark?

In any case, thanks for your 27 visits!

The 10 worst things that could ever happen to you... vol. II

Damn you Agnes for always knowing cute stuff that I ignore!! Just as I started the year with a new design for Such is Life and encouraged her to do the same with Chez Agnes, she tops my game and makes me discover Shabby Blogs...

This cute website has inpired my redecorating ambitions and I was determined to show you today the ultimate Such is Life, however, some things got in my way, mainly ignorance.

Totally frustrating, so here it goes:

THE 10 WORST THINGS THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO YOU (when you are trying to redesign your blog in an attempt to... to get more readers/comments/followers!)

1.- You discover the most amazing website a week after spending a whole afternoon redecorating your blog.
2.- Said website has not only backgrounds but also buttons and banners.
3.- You find a "Queen of Random" button that you must, simply must, have.
4.- Despite all the languages you speak fluently (two forms of elvish included) HTML is a language you totally ignore.
5.- You overestimate your computer skills thinking you can actually learn how to use HTML in two minutes.
6.- You copy the HTML text and decide you can paste it anywhere in the "Edit HTML" page and it will work.
7.- Your master plan obviously doesn't work.
8.- You mess up the prior HTML configuration of your blog.
9.- It takes you 30 minutes to fix the mess.
10.- You realise there is a restore button which would have avoided all the pain.

There should even be an 11th point: Your sister, the online phenomenon will simply remark on how boring this post is cause it is not about her.

Yeap! Such is Life!

New Year, New Look

A conversation with Daniel yesterday triggered my posting ambitions for 2011. I had been thinking about changing a few things about Such is Life lately, specially considering i just published 10 posts last year (which compared to 2009's 30 make me feel quite ashamed of my self).

So I start the year with new ambitions, and a new design for Such is Life (while I wait for greater things to come).

First, new column showing a playlist. I will update it as regularly as I can with monthly additions.

Second, well, you can all see the new humongous flowers. I think they are cute.

Third, I've deleted "I totally agree..." from the Reactions since no one ever used it and it messed the new layout.

Appart from that, I have some more genius ideas, like continuing with regular "10 worst things" posts and the fake newspaper articles.

2011, may I present the new Such is Life, I hope you two get along a lot better that 2010 did.

Enjoy!!

Happy belated (though not much) 2011

- Dinner with family - Check!
- Unusual party with friends - Check!
- Breakfast/lunch - Check!
- Afternoon nap - Check!
- Belgian hot Chocolate - Check!
-  New Year's blog post - ... no? What happened?

I have no excuse, as usual, I've been caught up with real life.

It's not that I don't want to wish you all a Happy New Year, just that I've been getting lazier and lazier as of late and the result has been that I've missed my traditional new year's blog post for the first time in four years...


2010 has been difficult, as years pass by things don't seem to get easier, I did not expect that to happen, but I seem to have a little trouble coping with drama. Everyone around me has been through some ups and downs, and sometimes staying in the sunny side of life is more of a challenge than usual. Little by little you start to find out you may not be as good a person as you thought, and putting a blindfold over your eyes is the easiest way out in the short run, but not so easy in the long term. Still, as a whole, 2010 was a good year.

Baby steps at work that seem to lead me at an unusual pace towards I still don't know what, but something I certainly like. Family crisis that end up in this quiet and peaceful saturday afternoon. Victories and losses, love and other disasters, the fight against the elements, I have to confess putting it all in one blog post is a great responsibility, and I may not feel up for that job right now, I am still sleepy, and I am not that good of a blogger to keep everyone as interested as I wished.

So, after the self examining first paragraphs, without further ado, here it comes:

Happy New Year everyone! I'll be brief, I promise. To my sister, the online phenomenon, I hope 2011 brings you a very successful thesis, an even more amazing paper and a choice of post-doc up to your genius and standards (that meaning, nothing less awesome than Milan). I hope I'll be able to post our training success during 2011. And by this time, next year, we will proudly anounce how we ran for 10km on New Year's Eve (the popular San Silvestre Vallecana).

To my Sws, girls and boy, you are all amazing, and although 2010 brought us some drama in many ways, I am glad we have all learnt how to dance the rain. You always have a smile on your face and a willing ear and shoulder, and you all deserve the best for 2011.

To my school friends, to Ro, gone and come, 2011 is the time of change and challenges, so suit-up and start the new year with your usual smile you deserve the best of years!!!

To my favourite couple, I just hope 2011 sees us together more often either here or in Frankfurto, we will visit soon (no Ebbelwei Express this time, promise!!).

To my little sis overseas, I hope 2011 is plain awesome, just like she is. I miss you dearly and hope to see you soon, very very soon.

To Ines and Álvaro, the best of years, you guys are essential to keep my feet on the ground. 

To the amazing O'Donoghues and Whytes, all the best for 2011, a trip to Madrid must be part of your 2011 calendar!

Friends and coleagues, can't see you as just coleagues, thanks guys for making my long long days so much fun and a little less long.

To all the rest, to Ana, Alba and Inés, my dear Hoyas...

As always, please do not feel offended if I forgot to mention you, I still wish you all the best for 2011, may these new 525.600 minutes be AWESOME!

Latest News!

JUNIOR LAWYER BURNS DOWN FIRM'S BUILDING


Sources close to the firm claim she suffered temporal alianation due to a failure in her personal computer.

Late this Sunday evening, young lawyer M burnt down the building of the law firm where she worked. After what M claims was a series of catastrophic coincidences, the 25 year-old girl burnt to dust a well-known law firm in downtown Madrid.

"It is all Hp's fault" she insists. It all started early on Saturday morning when her computer's charger broke down and she had to go back to the office to take another one and keep working on Sunday. The first signs of madness turned up as she tried to park her car in one of Madrid's best known shopping districts, full of Chirstmas shoppers at the time. "Right then I wished I was the Grinch and could steal Christmas and get rid of all those shoppers and lights and cars...", minutes later, as she tries to get in the building, she realises she forgot the access card home and has to beg the security guard to let her in. "She seemed completely normal at the time" claims the security guard that let her in who barely escaped the arsonist, "I wish I had known then what was about to happen".

Already angry with all the time lost and the need to check her email, M tried to open Outlook several times with no success. As she rebooted her computer she realises things are not getting any better. "One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency" could be read in the girl's computer screen. It seems more than one disk needed to be checked for consistency.

Forty five minutes later, no progress achieved, M grabs a coleague's lighter and sets fire to a stuck of papers. The building, full of papers and computer devices burnt to dust in a couple of minutes. No lives were lost in the incident.

The arsonist was arrested as she tried to burn yet a second building, a department store close to the law firm. "They made me pay 4,6€ for one hour of parking space, I couldn't use my affinity card and by the time I got to the toll, it was out of order and lifted so anyone could get out for free. I believe I had an excellent excuse..."

As she patiently awaits to be taken into custody she holds a peaceful smile on her face. "At least I can take the rest of the evening free, awesome!".

Such is life.