jan's diary

Click the image to read it.

New York Times is trying, for the second time, to charge its readers for reading their online version. The comments of its readers has been largely negative. From: you are charging way to much, to, goodbye NYT, I enjoyed the journey, but now I am going to other free sources.

Today I was met with the notice above when I had reached my 20 articles per month limit. What did I do? Did I sign up? Did I go elsewhere”? Did I create a new account for free?

None of the above. I simply clicked a button on my browser’s toolbar made by a Canadian programmer. It is called NYTClean and gives me free access as before.

The joke is on you, NYT!

This video has been seen more than ten million times on YouTube. New York Times article. The originating blog.

Les Luthiers is an Argentine comedy-musical group, very popular also in several other Spanish-speaking countries. Their outstanding characteristic are the home-made musical instruments (hence the name luthiers, French for “musical instrument maker”), some of them extremely sophisticated, which they skillfully employ in their recitals to produce music and texts full of high class and refined humor.

They are coming to Santa Cruz de Tenerife next week. If you want to laugh a bit, here are some more videos in YouTube you should look at:

• Las noches de Paris
• Lo importante que es saber idiomas
• A la playa con Mariana

If you want to see a funny interview, just click here.

This morning I had a job interview by phone with a school abroad. I got the interview after two of my referees had sent the school feedback on me. The interview lasted one minute.

- Good morning, Jan.
- Good morning, X.
- Is it true that you were born in 1952?
- Yes, that is correct.
- I am sorry! I just looked at your CV again. We are not allowed to hire anyone aged over 55.
- I am afraid I can’t do anything about that.
- I am sorry. Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

Monty Python has now their own You Tube channel.