It's now official: the Federal Reserve Board will authorize an $85 BILLION loan to AIG.
Wow.
Things are really spiraling downward for our financial industry. The fact that the government has deemed it necessary to bail out a private company speaks volumes. And now, car makers Ford and GM are asking good ol' Uncle Sam for the same sort of treatment while they deal with "tougher fuel-efficiency regulations." Hey guys, what the hell were you thinking going the SUV gas-guzzling route? Talk about short-sightedness. Yes, there was demand but what about having vision? What about checking out what your competition is doing (ahem, the Prius?).
Hey, how about a bail out for me? My Amex card was declined at the pump this morning and I had to use my debit card. Ouch.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hiatus...
I haven't posted anything to this site in the past couple of months. Why? Tragedy struck my family when a car accident almost claimed the life of my little five year old girl. 4 doctors told me that she was lucky to be alive. 1 doctor actually used the word "miracle".
Yes, it was a miracle. And I am humbled by the power and the mercy that God showed me and especially my little girl. He knows how much I love her and he answered my prayers. He has been with her every step of the way, and I am grateful. I want to devote more time to this blog, and I will...although right now, things are a bit hectic. If you are interested in reading more of the incident, you can visit:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sofiafiallos
Take care and God bless,
Qiuvo
Yes, it was a miracle. And I am humbled by the power and the mercy that God showed me and especially my little girl. He knows how much I love her and he answered my prayers. He has been with her every step of the way, and I am grateful. I want to devote more time to this blog, and I will...although right now, things are a bit hectic. If you are interested in reading more of the incident, you can visit:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/sofiafiallos
Take care and God bless,
Qiuvo
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Rant
- Jack-in-the-box Ultimate Cheeseburger has overtaken Mickey D's double quarter pounder with cheese in Qiuvo's fast food power rankings. Congrats to Jack and his team for their menu improvement as well as some very clever advertizing.
- Kim Kardasian's booty has bounced J-Lo's booty off Qiuvo's power rankings! Still, she falls waaay short in the talent department.
- The curse of the big Webbino is finally broken!!! Not only has Don Nelson raised the Golden State Warriors from the ashes of mediocrity, he has finally broken the curse that plagued the Warriors after C-Webb split town in the first place. Even though the Webber experiment didn't work out, the fact that Webber and Nelly buried the hatchet and smoked a peace pipe guarantees that the Warriors will not suck so much for a while.
- Whatup with Mormon Elders getting around town in bikes? If there's one thing the LDS Church is good at, it's making money. So how about upgrading to Vespas?
- Ok, I play guitar, so I thought I'd be good at Guitar Hero...NOT! I'm ok in Intermediate, but I still haven't beaten Slash. My kid, on the other hand, who doesn't play guitar, absolutely buries me on GH3. Just more proof that the older you get, the faster you reach the point of diminishing returns on anything.
- Has there ever been a book or movie named AmeriKKKa? That would be cool title for a movie about race relations in the 60's.
Until next time,
Q.
- Kim Kardasian's booty has bounced J-Lo's booty off Qiuvo's power rankings! Still, she falls waaay short in the talent department.
- The curse of the big Webbino is finally broken!!! Not only has Don Nelson raised the Golden State Warriors from the ashes of mediocrity, he has finally broken the curse that plagued the Warriors after C-Webb split town in the first place. Even though the Webber experiment didn't work out, the fact that Webber and Nelly buried the hatchet and smoked a peace pipe guarantees that the Warriors will not suck so much for a while.
- Whatup with Mormon Elders getting around town in bikes? If there's one thing the LDS Church is good at, it's making money. So how about upgrading to Vespas?
- Ok, I play guitar, so I thought I'd be good at Guitar Hero...NOT! I'm ok in Intermediate, but I still haven't beaten Slash. My kid, on the other hand, who doesn't play guitar, absolutely buries me on GH3. Just more proof that the older you get, the faster you reach the point of diminishing returns on anything.
- Has there ever been a book or movie named AmeriKKKa? That would be cool title for a movie about race relations in the 60's.
Until next time,
Q.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Fast Food
I recently saw Supersize, the documentary that harps on the fast food industry, and in particular, McDonalds. Talk about depressing. Not that I have fast food all the time, but I'll throw down once in a while. This culture of instant gratification is tailor made for the fast food industry so it is easy to fall into the fast food trap for the sake of convenience. But let's face it, it's not just convenience. Sometimes, you just have to have a big, fat, juicy burger.
Here's some personal observations:
- Best Fast food burgers
1. Carl's Jr 6 Dollar Burger. I like all of their variations: jalapeno, portabella mushroom, guacamole, etc. If you want to be extra naughty, make it a double. The most over-the-top I've had was a "Double six dollar PASTRAMI burger".It was damn good, but the food coma that follows is not very pleasant.
2. Fat Burger: Double Chili Cheese King Burger. Talk about over the top, but it's damn good.
3. McDonalds: double qarter pounder with cheese and Jack in the Box: Ultimate Burger.
---
Best Sub fast food place:
1. Togo's: hands down, best pastrami for a big franchice joint.
2. Quizno's: Really good flavor but vastly over-priced. Frankly, it takes the joy out of eating there.
3. Subway sucks...correction, Subway in the Bay Area sucks. It seems like the only people buying Subway franchises are skimpy folks who pass their skimpyness on to the consumer.
The best Subway I ever went to was in L.A., in a strip mall owned mostly by Magic Johnson. That place did not skimp. While there, try Magic Johnson's TGI Fridays. Again, no skimpiness there.
- What is up with McDonalds Filet of Fish costing over 3 dollars? This should be in their dollar menu.
- With all the fast food bashing going around, why don't these fast food joints offer things such as whole wheat buns and decent vegetarian burgers? A turkey burger on whole wheat buns doesn't sound bad...
More to come...
Here's some personal observations:
- Best Fast food burgers
1. Carl's Jr 6 Dollar Burger. I like all of their variations: jalapeno, portabella mushroom, guacamole, etc. If you want to be extra naughty, make it a double. The most over-the-top I've had was a "Double six dollar PASTRAMI burger".It was damn good, but the food coma that follows is not very pleasant.
2. Fat Burger: Double Chili Cheese King Burger. Talk about over the top, but it's damn good.
3. McDonalds: double qarter pounder with cheese and Jack in the Box: Ultimate Burger.
---
Best Sub fast food place:
1. Togo's: hands down, best pastrami for a big franchice joint.
2. Quizno's: Really good flavor but vastly over-priced. Frankly, it takes the joy out of eating there.
3. Subway sucks...correction, Subway in the Bay Area sucks. It seems like the only people buying Subway franchises are skimpy folks who pass their skimpyness on to the consumer.
The best Subway I ever went to was in L.A., in a strip mall owned mostly by Magic Johnson. That place did not skimp. While there, try Magic Johnson's TGI Fridays. Again, no skimpiness there.
- What is up with McDonalds Filet of Fish costing over 3 dollars? This should be in their dollar menu.
- With all the fast food bashing going around, why don't these fast food joints offer things such as whole wheat buns and decent vegetarian burgers? A turkey burger on whole wheat buns doesn't sound bad...
More to come...
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Halleluia!!!!
Ok folks, I signed an offer letter with a great Software company in the Bay Area. I will be starting work next week, so I'm really excited about the opportunity. I was fortunate enough to receive 3 offers around the same time, and I must say, faith and prayers played a huge role in my success with the job hunt.
I'm not going to lie; there were times when a sense of desperation came over me and I felt helpless and vulnerable, but these were the times when I would talk to God at length and somehow come through the storm ready to deal with my set back. In the end, I had to let go and fully put muy trust in God, believing that he would open a window to make up for the closed door of my unexpected unemployment. It was only when I put my full trust in the Lord that the "floodgates" opened and I received the 3 job offers. I went from stressing about my unemployment to stressing about which job to take and who I would reject. All three companies were terrific for different reasons, and all the hiring managers and recruiters I spoke with were awesome individuals. When all was said and done, the company I chose felt like the right choice, and I am once again flabbergasted with God's goodness and the uncanny way in which He answers prayers.
If any of you find yourselves going through a storm, if you find yourselves alone, scared, or down for the count, trust in God! He will see you through. He will put people in your life, or put you in the right circumstance, or he will simply comfort you and build your strength. Trust in Him!
I normally don't write about religious themes, but today, I felt compelled to do so.
God is good.
God is love.
God bless you all!
- Qiuvo
I'm not going to lie; there were times when a sense of desperation came over me and I felt helpless and vulnerable, but these were the times when I would talk to God at length and somehow come through the storm ready to deal with my set back. In the end, I had to let go and fully put muy trust in God, believing that he would open a window to make up for the closed door of my unexpected unemployment. It was only when I put my full trust in the Lord that the "floodgates" opened and I received the 3 job offers. I went from stressing about my unemployment to stressing about which job to take and who I would reject. All three companies were terrific for different reasons, and all the hiring managers and recruiters I spoke with were awesome individuals. When all was said and done, the company I chose felt like the right choice, and I am once again flabbergasted with God's goodness and the uncanny way in which He answers prayers.
If any of you find yourselves going through a storm, if you find yourselves alone, scared, or down for the count, trust in God! He will see you through. He will put people in your life, or put you in the right circumstance, or he will simply comfort you and build your strength. Trust in Him!
I normally don't write about religious themes, but today, I felt compelled to do so.
God is good.
God is love.
God bless you all!
- Qiuvo
Friday, January 25, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
On the Job Hunt
Ok, so the last 2 posts took a while. I wasn't kidding when I said I was looking for work, so my time has been sporadic. Taking care of 2 little ones while job hunting eats up a lot of time. Anyway, I'm still looking, and I am now finding out that job hunters are subject to location prejudice.
At a recent interview in Foster City:
"You live in [insert Boondock city here]?"
"Yes, I do."
"That's really far, isn't it? How long did it take you to get here?"
"Oh, maybe an hour and five minutes."
"What, were you going like 90 miles an hour the whole way?"
Bastard.
I almost nailed a job in Sunnyvale. I think I would have nailed it if I hadn't lived where I live. My commute was a big concern to 2 of the 4 people who interviewed me. I tried to pull out all the stops:
"Oh, I'm used to it, I've been doing it for years..."
"I really enjoy commuting, it gives me an opportunity to think and reflect on what needs to get done..."
"This is a great opportunity...I would definitely consider relocating to be closer to work..." (I know, this one's lame. I might as well tell them, "Yes, it's a long as commute, don't hire me."
But anyway, I can't blame hiring managers for being concerned. They don't know me from Adam, so they don't know that I rarely ever miss work, even when I'm legitimately sick. In the past four and a half years, I've called in sick maybe twice.
So what should I do--should I fake the address in my resume, and then do the ol' switch-a-roo once I've signed the employment paperwork? Nope, not going to do it. Bad karma.
I've been praying for a job. I'm a bit stressed out, but not as much as I would have thought a couple of years ago. I have this feeling that God will put me in the right place at the right time.
Well folks, time to work on a thank you email--a follow up from an interview I had in San Jose last Friday.
Until next time,
Q.
At a recent interview in Foster City:
"You live in [insert Boondock city here]?"
"Yes, I do."
"That's really far, isn't it? How long did it take you to get here?"
"Oh, maybe an hour and five minutes."
"What, were you going like 90 miles an hour the whole way?"
Bastard.
I almost nailed a job in Sunnyvale. I think I would have nailed it if I hadn't lived where I live. My commute was a big concern to 2 of the 4 people who interviewed me. I tried to pull out all the stops:
"Oh, I'm used to it, I've been doing it for years..."
"I really enjoy commuting, it gives me an opportunity to think and reflect on what needs to get done..."
"This is a great opportunity...I would definitely consider relocating to be closer to work..." (I know, this one's lame. I might as well tell them, "Yes, it's a long as commute, don't hire me."
But anyway, I can't blame hiring managers for being concerned. They don't know me from Adam, so they don't know that I rarely ever miss work, even when I'm legitimately sick. In the past four and a half years, I've called in sick maybe twice.
So what should I do--should I fake the address in my resume, and then do the ol' switch-a-roo once I've signed the employment paperwork? Nope, not going to do it. Bad karma.
I've been praying for a job. I'm a bit stressed out, but not as much as I would have thought a couple of years ago. I have this feeling that God will put me in the right place at the right time.
Well folks, time to work on a thank you email--a follow up from an interview I had in San Jose last Friday.
Until next time,
Q.
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