Hi! I'm Horia Dragomir. I am a passionate web developer, snapshooter and guitar enthusiast based in Timisoara, Romania.

Zoe Keating – One Cello x 16

When I first got toe hear her music, I was blown away. I actually got from not knowing about her to ordering her CD online in five minutes. When the disk came in the mail, I was as happy as a little boy with a new toy.

I’ve given her music some time to settle in. Just to make sure it’s not infatuation. And not, it’s not. I’m listening to Fern, my favorite track, right now.

I cannot bring myself to describe Zoe Keating’s music any better than her, so just give her a listen.

But I will say this, it’s like being picked up by a murder of crows and taken high above the busy city, high up to a place where time slows down and you can let yourself feel each stroke and tap on her cello as if it goes through you, touching and moving around things you might have forgotten you had; and then, as one song ends and another begins, you find tears in your eyes because of something that’s neither joy nor sorrow — her passion.

Then you brace yourself for the next ride.

Posted on the 8th of February, 2010 | Feeling Smart? Comment!

Naysayers

Say you’re yearning for something you shouldn’t be after.

I mean, people frown upon it and facts lead you to believe it is no the right thing for you. Whats more, you even said you don’t want anything to do with it. And you make a big point of that, too.

In this case, seeking it would make you spineless and a hypocrite and a coward. Just like a person that’s quit smoking and takes drag, or buys a new pack. You fell of the wagon. At least, that’s how people will see it.

It actually takes great courage to give in to temptation. Few people realize that, and fewer still applaud it. It’s a nice way of taking responsibility. It’s a great way to make mistakes to learn from. Or maybe you get lucky and prove everyone wrong.

Kudos to you if you do it!

Posted on the 25th of January, 2010 | 21 Coarse Comments

The Ideal Breakfast

It’s morning and your alarm startles you. You awake to find yourself across the bed from her. You’re a guy, so usually, your first thought of the morning is “I need to pee” or “Fuck! What time is it?” if you’re me. But not today.

Gentle sunlight makes its way through the blinds and caresses her naked shoulder, thus making it glimmer in your hazy eyes. She slowly turns, and with the moves of a gentle cat, she draws near to smile you a “Good morning!”

It’s not sex, and it’s not love. It’s better than vitamin C on a harsh winter day. It’s better than sleep after a Mexican Drinking Night and better than water the morning after. You’re both still a bit dazed so everything’s moving slowly. It’s like the dread on a Monday morning combined with the hope of a Friday afternoon. Every sigh, arch and ‘oh’ is so mellow, yet every grip and thrust is stronger than Irish coffee.

The climax is like a slow dance at a highschool party, the shower after is an exclamation mark. You wear nothing but a t-shirt, to underline how naked your better-bottom half is. She is still naked, because she can…

Oh, right. Then, you eat your cereal, or whatever.

Posted on the 18th of January, 2010 | 10 Brilliant Comments

Being Wanted: Better Than Sex

It’s funny how the human mind works, really. But the female mind is simply fascinating!

Some people are results driven. They don’t like mistaking motion for action. They like finality, and are willing to go to extreme lengths just to see that happen. They make for great executives.

It’s funny that woman executives are more efficient than men in the same position. It’s funny because women really like mistaking motion for action. For them, it’s not about the end result. There might never even be a finality to their game.

Apparently, women really appreciate being wanted. And just that. When they catch on to a guy that fancies them, they will live in that bubble for as long as they can. It’s amazing to witness.

The best part is their genetic coding, which makes them yearn for stability — a nice, constantly safe environment to bring up the kids. It’s usually the good guys that project this sort of image. So, it’s quite understandable why they like feeling wanted by a nice, good guy. Or two, or three. Nothing needs to happen, though. It’s all motion, not action.

Women like getting bonuses. So they really dig it when one o’ them bad guys acts like he’s interested. Bad guys are just sexy, and dangerous, and wrong. But women love it. The perspective passion adds so much value that they overlook the instability that would come with such a relationship. Not to say that there will be a relationship. Whether that happens or not is irrelevant, so long as the woman feels desired.

But here’s the fun part: women love it when a bad guy, seems like he does not want them. Moreover, he seems to be making a point about how they do not want them. The girl’s reaction is sometimes the same one as when the bad dude does want them. This time, there’s no prospect of a stable relationship that would be good for their offspring. There’s no real promise of passion, either. There are no compliments to fuel the girl’s ego. But said girl is excited nonetheless.

What happens is: the woman’s brain tricks her into believing the bad guy does, in fact, want her. Just that he might be playing bastard, which is the male version of playing hard to get. She will go ahead and do things that all women do: distorting reality to match her own ideas, see things that are not there as well as ignore whatever bit of information does not bode well with her fantasy.

Some women like to feel wanted, even if in their own imagination.

Posted on the 12th of January, 2010 | 17 Sexy Comments

Tech Support

I got a nice phone call the other day:

Hi, Horia! I have a problem.

Hello! Let’s see.

I have this Trojan notification from my antivirus…

What options does it give you?

“Copy(!) to Quarantine”, “Terminate” and *gibberish I could not make out*

Okay; click the Quarantine one.

OK. I clicked the red X and it’s now asking me if I’m sure. It also says that if I take no action, my computer could be at risk.

Right, click No, then Quarantine, then Terminate.

I clicked Quarantine and it’s not doing anything.

Click Terminate.

Nothing. Wait. It went away then came back again.

*I imagine they’re refering to the notice*
Please disconnect from the internet.

Okay, hang on. *I hear a lot of commotion* I closed Opera. And all the files. Now what?

Did you disable your wireless connection?

Why?

Please disable your wireless connection.

OK, let me start up Opera first.

Wait, no…

OK. Now, to disable the wireless, I need to plug out the black box from down there, right?

Erm, I guess that would work too. Go ahead.

Ah, I found the switch on my laptop. I disabled the wireless, but now I still get the notice.

Quarantine, then Terminate.

Ok, it came back.

Close Opera, please.

Ok. Wait, I can’t.

*I figure a download prompt is keeping them from closing the browser*
Press Ctrl + Shift + Escape for me, please.

So, C-T-R-L *sounds of them straining* Shift and.. what?

Escape. To the top left.

Ok. I get this funny window with…

I know. Click on the tab labeled “Processes” … Now find Opera.

Opera.exe!

Right. Now, right click on that.

Click or double click?

No, the right mouse button.

OK, I get a menu that..

I know. Click on End Process Tree

Right click?

No, regular click. Left mouse button.

OK. Hey, Opera disappeared.

Yes. Now start Opera again
*I figured a mallicious script on a website they were on was to blame. Opera can be set to restart with all the tabs from the previous session opened without prompt. To get rid of the tab, I had to throw Opera into error recovery mode so that they could select to start fresh, with no tabs. Otherwise the tabs would be loaded from the cache*

OK…

Now, a window should appear with…

*To herself* Tabs from previous session, OK…

No!

Oh, I get the notice again!

Yes, in the task manager, close Opera the same way as before.

Oh, I closed that window. How do I get it back? C-T-R-L…

Ctrl+Shift+Esc, Processes, find Opera…

Yes, yes. OK, closed Opera.

Start Opera again. This time, when the startup screen appears, wait for me. Okay?

OK. So, Tabs from previous session

Okay, anything but that option. Try “Start with Speed Dial”.

OK… It started. Hey, where are all my tabs?!

They needed to be closed. Do you remember the link in last tab you were on? Stay away from it!

I don’t remember.

Gah, well. What version of Opera are you using?

I don’t know.

Click Help, then About Opera.

Oh, OK. Opera nine point…

Upgrade! Go to Opera.com and download a new version, please. Opera 10.10.

OK. I’m on the site… Download..

Wait, didn’t you disable your wireless?

No, why?

Nevermind. Please scan your system to make sure the infection did not spread.

OK. But later. It makes my laptop run slow. Erm, Horia, thank you.

Don’t mention…

You don’t mind me calling you when I run into trouble like this, right?

No, I don’t. Because now you know how to fix this kind of issue. So when something like this happens again, you’ll know what to do and you won’t have to call me.

Erm…

Right, goodbye!

Posted on the 11th of January, 2010 | 7 Mouth-watering Comments

Because Small Talk Will Only Get You So Far

Do you really listen when someone’s talking to you?

When you’re having a conversation with one person, or more, you should be trying to analyze each single bit of information that comes out of their mouth. Piecing them together to form a tale or a great idea.

What really happens is: you stop at the first keyword you hear. You then remember a story you can tell that’s somehow connected to the idea. Are you familiar with this feeling?
“Boy, just wait until I tell them this. They will so think I’m awesome when I’m done! They have to, because I do…”
You know, you’re thinking that story is so damn awesome that people will be awestruck.

The problem is, by the time you’ve thought all that, and ran the story through your head, the other person has exhausted their idea. And you missed out on all that! They took the blank stare in your eyes as a sign of you being uninterested with the particular subject. And they moved on, changing the topic, most likely.

Then you smuggle your little story into the conversation. It’s only slightly pertinent, but you make a big point as to how all-relevant it actually is. That same thought is still pounding in your head. “When I finish this story, boy, will they ever think I’m cool!”

That’s one of the things I hate about conversations today. With some people, it’s not an actual conversation, they’re just waiting for their turn to speak!

If you’re looking for great conversation, you shouldn’t need to look further than the people you already know. Just listen to them. Well, most of them.

Posted on the 8th of January, 2010 | 18 Arrogant Comments

One Year Later

Yes, more than just keyframes and echo`s is now one year old!

And, in no particular order, I’d like to thank:

The old friend, for talking to me
Ralu, for reminding me how silly teens can be
Flavia, for the awesome tricks she can do
Karina, for making it big
Andreea, for the laughs, the field trip and the countless heads-up
Iordache, for the great tales
Paul, for being helpful — always
Beth, for the long Skype sessions and for always pushing me and for teaching me
ily, for taking me dancing
Anda, for making me pass the test
Bogdan, for becoming something awful
Sibi, for the beer and cold cuts
Tudor, for welcoming me back
Claudia, for the occasional bash
Johnny, for the occasional funny link
Codru, for being curious
Radu, for being down-to-earth
Dan, for his irritating tone
Randall, for xkcd
Sorin, for the serendipity
Alena, for reminding Alen who I am
Alen, for teaching me passion is not always about things you like
Delia, for still being hot
Muse, for the melodic new album
Mada, for understanding I love my sister more than her
Kumm, for a night to remember
Marius, for the long cigarette breaks
Andreea, for being the cutest boss
Radu, for his interest in my vision on HIV
Razvan, for showing me skill without passion is useless
Andreea, for moving out and staying away
The two hotties in Budapest that thought I was gonna snatch their purses
Ada, for the promised beer
Romy, for the morning laugh
Andreea, for the smirk, innocent flirts
Steve, for Digsby
John Resig, for having time for it all
Mike, for turning into his younger brother
Alex, for the awesome stones and jams
Andrei, for reminding me to keep in shape
Andrei, for always reminding me of Marie
Simona, for trying to get me
Andrea, for her ever-present PMS
Maria, for the awesome workshop
Anda, for coming back from the dead
Corina, for I can never remember who she is
Laura, for the person behind the ass and pierce
Adriana, for being caught in the same corporate shitstorm
Radu, for all the coffee
Adriana, for quitting and showing me it can be done
Denisa, for missing that train
Alina, for being childish beyond belief
Liz, for following the road I set her on
Iasmina, for the promise I’ll have to keep
Anca, for calling me “daddy”
Camytzi, for teaming up against Clawd
Scott Adams, for the awesome ideas
Ioana, for the nice warm hug
Dana, for her passion for photography
Oana, for coming to her senses before I had to perform an intervention
Roxana, for showing me why I like small teams
Eszti, for the ring
Mara, for being both hot and smart
Todo, for sticking to what she knows and believes
John, for the trips to the store
Roxi, for that great snow fight
Radu, for showing me how important passion (or lack thereof) is
Mirciu, for outgrowing his brother
Marian, for those great drummer talks
Andy, for the man-hug
Chris, for finally sending me a reply
Teo, for the invitations to see Canada
Opera, for never stopping the innovation
Steven Wilson, for giving a damn, and a great show
The hot waitress in Van Graph, for guessing what I’m gonna want
Delia, for still being hot, again
Octav, for remembering he owes me money from two years ago
Jess, for the old-school shows
Deme, for watching
Jason, for the coffee in downtown Budapest
Bianca, because I can finally remember her name
Adi, for showing me there is fun after marriage
Tudor, for being young
Yoyo, for always making me laugh
Rob, for the laughs, the talks and the pancakes
Andrea, for her warm body and stormy mind
Andra, for the invitations to see Tennessee
Florentina, for finally leaving me alone
Bubu, for at least trying to stay in touch
Ilina, for the fiery fight
Richie, for being wise, and being there
George, for the awesome board game
That Pakistani that served us the crepes
Anda, for rocking out
My brother, for showing me the ropes
Ionut, for finally getting the hang of jQuery
Razvan, for letting me know I should cut down on the fags and start eating more
Bubu, for learning a thing or two about property
Simm, for being a chipmunk on speed
Anna, for the exquisite photos
Alex, for moving on
Andrei, for his much younger girlfriend
Pucca, for her funky chicken
Diana, for not letting go
Andrei, for trying to make us speak the truth
Anca, for the tequilla
Ted, for not forgetting about me
Donald, for the shared passion
Marian, for learning how I like my Cuba Libre
Cosmin, for the cool projects
Victor, for recommending Tweetie
Iancu, for not freaking out when I would spend the night coding at the office
Carmen, for the vodka, again
Daciana, for that nice set of balls she has
Iulia, for reminding me of that faithful summer
Oana, for following her dream and always getting lost along the way
Cinzia, for keeping him happy
Alina, for documenting my front-row-center position
Dani, for the fat and phat jokes
Gloria, for her silhouette
Roman, for letting me know what I missed out on
Theresa, for creating a Skype account just so she could be my side at odd hours
Eva, for just being cool
Julie, for keeping on the right track
Nada, for getting me confused, again
Ami, for being ye small
Silvia, for being bigger than her sister
Cipri, because we all need to laugh
Mile, for believing
Roxy, for the ever-sexy fat lips
Fla, for finally getting up on his feet
UOvi, for bringing me to the blogmeet, and for the countless beers
Moni, for the early coffee
Cristi, for asking me for advice
Bogdan, for sharing the newbieness
My sister, for coming back home
Riki, for how nice our asses fit together
Dada, for the questions asked
Nia, for getting to London
Hera, for the impressive pumping
Timmy, for not selling out and for hardening up
Dani, for never letting go
Alina, for trying to get me in trouble
Vlad, for never letting go
Flavia, for her joyful spirit
Cristi, for the high hopes
Andra, for thanking me for setting her on that great path
Cristi, for the unforgettable photo shoot
Silvana, for giving up while she was way behind
Petre, for being picked on
Vita, for the pep-talks
Robert, for being the coolest teacher in private
Mihai, for showing me what a coward can do
Ale, for teaching me about Chinese
Cata, for the drenched talks and keeping my hands tied
Nicoletta, for the uncontainable laughs
Andrei, for taking it like a man
Raluca, for bringing the camera
Mary, for doing what she does best
Simona, for the movie talk
Dani, for having a soft nose, and not knocking me out after I broke it
Jimmy, for reminding me of Targu Jiu
Nico, for growing up
Melinda, for the interest
Senta, for the joyful laughter
Cezar, for the talk and the camera talk
Serafin, for being my sysadmin from far away
Diana, for realizing coding is not for her
Ruxi, for the promise of another great summer
Clawd, for the man behind the jokes
Codruta, for the invitation to see London
Cristina, for that pose I will never forget
Joanna, for getting back in touch
Simo, for recognizing me
Blogu, for sharing his tent
Vuco, for telling me to get some sleep
Brenn, for the shows and the beer
Seth Godin, for the ponder
Oana, for gaining weight
Cristi, for the t-shirt talk
Peecock, for the freedom to laugh
Dee, for coming to me when it comes to IE
Flavius, for the strong dose of selfishness
Andy, for the heads-up on the new Scottish
Ovi, because thank you
Ami, for learning I drink Carlsberg by the litre
Timeea, for not getting drunk
Ramona, for finally speaking the truth
Andreea, for that three-hour long swim
Irina, for finally getting to meet
Aghi, for the sorority invites
Bleau, for all the great ideas
Liviu, for being like my dad
Horvath, for the giggle
Laura, for still looking like a bitch
Dora, for making me tear
Vali, for his loud voice
Ioana, for learning and believing
Theo, for not letting go and for the jams
Adriana, for keeping my dear friend company
Paul Houle, for the great IDE idea
Alexandra, for coming back
Andie, for showing us that the freaks can make it big
Alexandra, for the cab rides
Simon, for treating me as an equal
The cute waitress in Van Graph, for the discount
Crispy, for the awesome talks
Mirela, for liking Manson
Alina, for the old-school email conversation
Stefan, for the crash course
Elena, for not letting her other name stop her
Andrei, for that close-to-stone
Razvan, for being himself, and losing in style, twice
Ioana, for manning up
Alex, for finally burying the hatchet
That guy from Bucharest, for getting us in 15 minutes before the gates opened
Alex, for giving me a better cause
Andrei, for proving how secure Opera is
Simona, for the occasional bit of wisdom
Mircea, for always wearing a suit
T-Shirt Hell, for the great marketing move
Ildi, for making a Cuba Libre almost half-price for one whole week
Andy, for letting me walk her home
Max, for never giving up on me
Andreea, for remembering she owes me a Wilde book
Cristina, for the never-ending surprise
Amalia, for reminding me I was stupid once too
Vlad, for quitting while ahead
Raul, for having the balls
Laura, for turning me down
Hanti, for getting an awful haircut at the same time I did
Florin, for learning that I want a Cuba Libre
Adeline, for being clumsy
Cartitoi, for the backgammon
Julie, for putting on weight
Andrei, for being a pillar of seriousness
Alexandru, for the cool project
Bogdana, for her lovely watch
Anca, for being a hot boss
That old man in Budapest, that set us in the right direction
Dan, for the cool project
Cami, for her young lust
Oro, for keeping me company at The Rock House
Iovan, for becoming sensible again
Gabi, for the cool drumming, and cutting his hair
Lavy, for showing me which way to not go
Ionut, for teaching me a lesson about being lazy
Nuzzu, for being there when it matters
Barcelona, for the stunning everything
Alexandra, for being as tall as I am
Armand, for being ever-slow
Andrei, for the countless means of communication
Arthur, for the true smile
Diana, for being special, even though I never told her
Simona, for that cold night
Corina, for grabbing my ass at the right time
Ale, for the person behind the boobs
Monica, for failing my course
Raul, for the brawn and the nice New Year’s Party
Google, for letting me use their everything
Andy, for taking them home, so I may walk
Alexandra, for showing me both sides
Adi, because I know too well
Amplifier, for the collector’s CD and the handwritten postcards
The Dragon, for leaving me alone this time
Victor, for finally loosening up
Laura, for finding an ancient photo of me
Georgiana, for telling me to stay away
Mirela, for learning my name
Madalina, for that lovely neck of hers
Calvin, for putting me in the fast lane
Crina, for the unfathomable interest
The Strassers, for the awesome hospitality
Adi, for the great music talk
Mom and Dad, for putting up with my crap
Richard D Worth, because jQueryUI
Andrei, for Google Wave
Marian, for not shoving things down my throat
Elena, for getting to shake my hand
Rodica, because Java’s not that bad
Peter, for starting the eye-craze
Activestate, for Komodo, my trusted tool
Dorian, for his interest in Agile
Michael, for speaking up against evernote
Flavius, for learning from me
Iza, for knowing what it’s like
Iza, for keeping my dear friend company
Casandra, for thefeminist talk
Pera, for the inspiring book
Shawn, for the awesome funnies
Jorn, for the great articles
Larisa, for being in the same huge room with me
Nebu, for her birthday
Dojo, for the handshake
Cristian, for the Apple/thankyou talk
Brad, for being the humane client
Jeff Atwood, for answering, and shouting out
Jon, for the kick-ass Opera revamp, and for talking to me
Mamama, for being herself and calling me out

I know this is not everyone, so if you’re not on this list, nag me!

See you next year!

Posted on the 25th of December, 2009 | 14 Smart Comments

It’s Complicated

A week ago, Horia went from being “single” to “it’s complicated” and you instantly had an opinion about it. Especially the ladies.

Now, let me explain. I don’t have a complicated relationship with a girl. No, not even her! And I do not have a complicated relationship with a guy either. Although recent evidence might suggest otherwise.

I just decided I have a very steady relationship with code and coding.

I love its braces, its commas, its mood swings and its get-things-done take on life!

While it’s very rewarding, it is time consuming, and it does have its limitations. And yes, I’m thinking sex-wise.
But then, you can’t have it all; can you?

So, it’s complicated!

Posted on the 14th of December, 2009 | 21 Intelligent Comments