Farewell to Adroit Technologies, South Africa.
It turns out that the humans are not the most intelligent life on earth, and when it came time for a hyperspace overpass to be built right through our system, that, well Earth was in the way.
The dolphins had know about this for quite some time, and had tried to warn us, but we would not listen. Plans for the project had been on public display in the basement offices of the construction company's Alpha Centauri offices for the pre-requisite 6 month period, and so the demolition of Earth was all above board. The dolphins are quite friendly to us, enduring captivity, entertaining us and more, just to get close enough to get the point across! It is really a sad pronunciation on the state of man, especially when the planet gets destroyed, leaving only 2 humans alive....
[Paraphrased from the book : Hitchikers guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams(deceased).]
But this story has a happy ending (just like the one above eventually does), but the middle bit is just sad. I am going to miss this place, and the security it gave this little stick in the mud. Just the other day, I was trying to coax my Gran to visit us for a change, when she got stuck, in the mud-so-to-speak, and it was there, that I realized that I must have caught the disease from her. At least she still has her mind, which is more than 'I' can say for Conrad. In a desperate attempt to get my mind straight recently I have uncovered some long-lost treasures, so instead of running 4 miles every day to add 10 years to my life, and I am going to put the time I would have wasted running to better use. I am already playing less computer games, and more with water, dirt, lego, bikes and miscellaneous animals, try it. I am also moving into a work environment that will include more time at home, funny how things turn out.
Hello UK
Friday, April 28, 2006
Sunday, April 23, 2006
When is the time right
Looking back, I can see I should have made a move to the UK shortly after I visited on holiday in 2000. I really loved the poeple, and could forsee that given a layer of dark-gray I would still like the people. And since I am not a outdoor person anyway, the gray can stay out.
But I did not move back then, things are tightening up in terms of visas, and in reality I should have started ages ago with the visa, but work gets in the way when you really do haveto jump though hoops to prove who you are and why they thould let you into the UK. At least the system is fair, so I will get my chance. I know why I did no move 5 years ago, I had just baught a house, who buys a house and then sells it 3 months latter? Ah well, busy busy busy.
Linux. It is not half as daunting as it appears, turns out my exposure to UNIX servers while installing networks a decade back was not wasted. And it all works for the better. I Imagine I am going to get the hang of why Steven Covey says we need to move from dependence, to independence, and then get up to interdependence. Seeing all the mutual benefits possible if you just change your viewpoint to the other party is a bit unnerving. I still need to learn how to LISTEN!
But I did not move back then, things are tightening up in terms of visas, and in reality I should have started ages ago with the visa, but work gets in the way when you really do haveto jump though hoops to prove who you are and why they thould let you into the UK. At least the system is fair, so I will get my chance. I know why I did no move 5 years ago, I had just baught a house, who buys a house and then sells it 3 months latter? Ah well, busy busy busy.
Linux. It is not half as daunting as it appears, turns out my exposure to UNIX servers while installing networks a decade back was not wasted. And it all works for the better. I Imagine I am going to get the hang of why Steven Covey says we need to move from dependence, to independence, and then get up to interdependence. Seeing all the mutual benefits possible if you just change your viewpoint to the other party is a bit unnerving. I still need to learn how to LISTEN!
Friday, April 21, 2006
Awesome feeling young again
I listen to Keith Green, Carman, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W Smith... at the moment, got a new MP3 disc player in my car; crazy because I have to sell the car soon. Still figuring out how the play-list works on it, it just plays tracks in a random order at the moment, a bit annoying, but fun. Maybe if I read the manual (funny the wife was ragging me about that just yesterday?).
On the way home from a design meeting this afternoon, I got just the right random sequence building the mood I was feeling at the time. What to be young! Almost like the kid who suddenly finds, yea, I can do this! And then I can think of nothing else. Well I am talking about contracting work. It means dealing with people a bit more cleverly. Somthing Steven Covey talks about, getting to the interdependence level. Interdependence as a word has a bad rap, the connotation is of dependence, but my word would be co-opperation. but even co-opperation is weak in terms of what he is trying to really say. So the 7 habbits of highly effective people is turning into a monster book, which I am probably not ready for. Mainly because I suk at listening.
Well if you think I suk at listening, post me back your tips on how to become a good listener.
On the way home from a design meeting this afternoon, I got just the right random sequence building the mood I was feeling at the time. What to be young! Almost like the kid who suddenly finds, yea, I can do this! And then I can think of nothing else. Well I am talking about contracting work. It means dealing with people a bit more cleverly. Somthing Steven Covey talks about, getting to the interdependence level. Interdependence as a word has a bad rap, the connotation is of dependence, but my word would be co-opperation. but even co-opperation is weak in terms of what he is trying to really say. So the 7 habbits of highly effective people is turning into a monster book, which I am probably not ready for. Mainly because I suk at listening.
Well if you think I suk at listening, post me back your tips on how to become a good listener.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
http://63.236.73.79/ & why log as zaphod?
I have had endless trouble with someone publishing a bad DNS record for the above IP which should point to codeguru.com. The fun part is that when one searches for anyone talking about a faulty site, the link usually points to the site. LOL.
So this topic is also a link http://63.236.73.79/, at least untill the IP changes. So why do I log? Is this a diary or is it art? Not art, Zaphod is an engineer. Engineers are creative, but not in a pretty kind of way. (Except when it comes to children.) Anyway, this engineer is trying out his creative side in getting some web-presence going, to establish a searchable name really.
What is Zaphod's real name? I suppose a book-link is in order here, let's google something up quickly. while that works, I will explain about a book-character that really appealed to me because he was funny, witty, and crazy in a benign kind of way (D&D non-lawfull good? like a rouge). Because zaphod has 2 heads and I only 1 (there are millions of people with duplicate personalities, did I mention that the book-character has a personality dissorder?. Well he does, if you want to bug the book, click http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/0345391802.html; To learn how fans of the series describe him, click http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/zaphod.shtml .
So this topic is also a link http://63.236.73.79/, at least untill the IP changes. So why do I log? Is this a diary or is it art? Not art, Zaphod is an engineer. Engineers are creative, but not in a pretty kind of way. (Except when it comes to children.) Anyway, this engineer is trying out his creative side in getting some web-presence going, to establish a searchable name really.
What is Zaphod's real name? I suppose a book-link is in order here, let's google something up quickly. while that works, I will explain about a book-character that really appealed to me because he was funny, witty, and crazy in a benign kind of way (D&D non-lawfull good? like a rouge). Because zaphod has 2 heads and I only 1 (there are millions of people with duplicate personalities, did I mention that the book-character has a personality dissorder?. Well he does, if you want to bug the book, click http://www.douglasadams.com/creations/0345391802.html; To learn how fans of the series describe him, click http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/hitchhikers/guide/zaphod.shtml .
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Programmable duck
Quite surprised when I discovered that not all programmers know what a duck actually is. Well I offer my definition, and some duck-hunting tips.
duck noun : Debugging tool; A peer who can listen and perhaps even read code over your shoulder. The duck simply peers over your shoulder and listens intently nodding at intervals while you explain the places your think the bug is lurking. The duck forces the debugee to travers all of the code, and not just the area where the bug is. Clucking quitely is acceptable, but the duck need not actually say anything. Eventually you spot your own bug.
The best ducks are usually junior programmers or peers who are bored. The duck must never try to find the bug for themselves. The duck should enter the workspace of the debugee and anounce themselves with a quack, anything more may be counter-productive. Ducks may offer suggestions on other bugs they found only after the core bug is sorted-out.
Speaking of hunting tips, anyone have job-hunting tips for work in the UK?
duck noun : Debugging tool; A peer who can listen and perhaps even read code over your shoulder. The duck simply peers over your shoulder and listens intently nodding at intervals while you explain the places your think the bug is lurking. The duck forces the debugee to travers all of the code, and not just the area where the bug is. Clucking quitely is acceptable, but the duck need not actually say anything. Eventually you spot your own bug.
The best ducks are usually junior programmers or peers who are bored. The duck must never try to find the bug for themselves. The duck should enter the workspace of the debugee and anounce themselves with a quack, anything more may be counter-productive. Ducks may offer suggestions on other bugs they found only after the core bug is sorted-out.
Speaking of hunting tips, anyone have job-hunting tips for work in the UK?
Monday, April 10, 2006
E-mail hell
Once had a stretch at work where none of the mails we were sending got delivered, all blocked because of some spam rules. Well it happened to me when I set up a yahoo.co.uk mail account. Zaphod happily sends off mails trying to find anyone in the UK who is at least interrested in offering a professional 'hacker' from South Africa a job. To no avail, my messages either bounce or go into the bit-bucket.
bit-bucket? Too much of my life has been running into the bit-bucket, it is a plain old waterproof receptacle used to catch overflow punched-tape. Not so usefull these days I suppose, and even though I never used a punched-tape I feel cheated. We think that all the work we do is important, if it were not, why would we do it? And the prize little bits get thrown away like luke-warm swill.
At least I figured out a temporary respite while the folks at spamcop decide on how to not block all the free e-mail account domains out there and risk the kind of blocking trouble that existed with aol accounts a few centuries back. AOL had to exist as a totally seperate empire of users for a while, quite a laugh because of the unwarranted 'villification'. So now I got gmail, but do not bother asking me to give you an invite. I discovered that some folk were using invites to invite themselves, and then selling the extra invites off of each account on e-bay and the likes. I wonder if e-bay has e-sharks?
At least there is no permanent harm done, if we all understand that the fellow behind the hamburger stand is not actually out to give you food-poisoning, it can be the start of a beutifull relationship. After my forray into free mailboxes I am working on free FTP space, if only I could use the same people who do my mail, since I have only just started to actually trust them.
bit-bucket? Too much of my life has been running into the bit-bucket, it is a plain old waterproof receptacle used to catch overflow punched-tape. Not so usefull these days I suppose, and even though I never used a punched-tape I feel cheated. We think that all the work we do is important, if it were not, why would we do it? And the prize little bits get thrown away like luke-warm swill.
At least I figured out a temporary respite while the folks at spamcop decide on how to not block all the free e-mail account domains out there and risk the kind of blocking trouble that existed with aol accounts a few centuries back. AOL had to exist as a totally seperate empire of users for a while, quite a laugh because of the unwarranted 'villification'. So now I got gmail, but do not bother asking me to give you an invite. I discovered that some folk were using invites to invite themselves, and then selling the extra invites off of each account on e-bay and the likes. I wonder if e-bay has e-sharks?
At least there is no permanent harm done, if we all understand that the fellow behind the hamburger stand is not actually out to give you food-poisoning, it can be the start of a beutifull relationship. After my forray into free mailboxes I am working on free FTP space, if only I could use the same people who do my mail, since I have only just started to actually trust them.
E-mail hell
Once had a stretch at work where none of the mails we were sending got delivered, all blocked because of some spam rules. Well it happened to me when I set up a yahoo.co.uk mail account. Zaphod happily sends off mails trying to find anyone in the UK who is at least interrested in offering a professional 'hacker' from South Africa a job. To no avail, my messages either bounce or go into the bit-bucket.
bit-bucket? Too much of my life has been running into the bit-bucket, it is a plain old waterproof receptacle used to catch overflow punched-tape. Not so usefull these days I suppose, and even though I never used a punched-tape I feel cheated. We think that all the work we do is important, if it were not, why would we do it? And the prize little bits get thrown away like luke-warm swill.
At least I figured out a temporary respite while the folks at spamcop decide on how to not block all the free e-mail account domains out there and risk the kind of blocking trouble that existed with aol accounts a few centuries back. AOL had to exist as a totally seperate empire of users for a while, quite a laugh because of the unwarranted 'villification'. So now I got gmail, but do not bother asking me to give you an invite. I discovered that some folk were using invites to invite themselves, and then selling the extra invites off of each account on e-bay and the likes. I wonder if e-bay has e-sharks?
At least there is no permanent harm done, if we all understand that the fellow behind the hamburger stand is not actually out to give you food-poisoning, it can be the start of a beutifull relationship. After my forray into free mailboxes I am working on free FTP space, if only I could use the same people who do my mail, since I have only just started to actually trust them.
bit-bucket? Too much of my life has been running into the bit-bucket, it is a plain old waterproof receptacle used to catch overflow punched-tape. Not so usefull these days I suppose, and even though I never used a punched-tape I feel cheated. We think that all the work we do is important, if it were not, why would we do it? And the prize little bits get thrown away like luke-warm swill.
At least I figured out a temporary respite while the folks at spamcop decide on how to not block all the free e-mail account domains out there and risk the kind of blocking trouble that existed with aol accounts a few centuries back. AOL had to exist as a totally seperate empire of users for a while, quite a laugh because of the unwarranted 'villification'. So now I got gmail, but do not bother asking me to give you an invite. I discovered that some folk were using invites to invite themselves, and then selling the extra invites off of each account on e-bay and the likes. I wonder if e-bay has e-sharks?
At least there is no permanent harm done, if we all understand that the fellow behind the hamburger stand is not actually out to give you food-poisoning, it can be the start of a beutifull relationship. After my forray into free mailboxes I am working on free FTP space, if only I could use the same people who do my mail, since I have only just started to actually trust them.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Ugly critters change spots
The littlest critter in my picture below has tonsilitis, so we spend almost all night awake. This is not normally a bad thing if it was not accompanied by the anxiety I have surrounded myself with. But it's my own fault really.
You do not know how to say this, when you go on a LSD trip (not drug) it actually stands for Look See Decide. And leave your home country for a while and see how a move from Africa into the hubof thinkgs in England suits you. Maybe it does not, but maybe a leopard from Africa can change his spots and do well in the UK. But we will give it a try, for a while at least. It's not really called emigration either(that takes about a decade), it's really a long holiday. But a year-long holiday with lots of paperwork.
I first went to the UK (without children) in May 2000, and the weather was awesome (I latter learned someone had forgotten to turn on the rain-machines). Initially anyone who leaves home is branded a traitor or weak (we even called them chicken-runners a long time ago). But age has taught me otherwise, so I am going to at least satisfy my curiosity.
Hoe weet die afrikkanse boertjie dit is somer in Engeland?
Die reen is warm!
And this is not how I was taught afrikaans!
Wat beteeken agtermakaar soos in "'n klomp agtermakaar cowboys"?
Brokeback mountain showed me that it actuall means agter behind-makaar each other. Like rear-gunners.
WOW it's a rude world, and the sad thing is if you do not cheat on the slides, you never get a chance to go on the round-abouts latter. I always though it was unfair, but when I was in the army we had a saying as jy dom is moet jy maar kak, roughly translates to "If you are stupid, you are going to have to be strong enough to take the shit". Well I must say going on a long holiday from home involves a lot of leopard-like skills. Amongst them.
1. Get a VISA
2. Get a airplane ticket
3. Get a job
Now the fun part is you actually need item 3 to get number 1, but you also need item 1 to get number 2, which scres you around because item 2 costs less if you get it first; but it's not such a big deal anyway. But in terms of my own security I want number 3 first.
Catch-22 they call it
You do not know how to say this, when you go on a LSD trip (not drug) it actually stands for Look See Decide. And leave your home country for a while and see how a move from Africa into the hubof thinkgs in England suits you. Maybe it does not, but maybe a leopard from Africa can change his spots and do well in the UK. But we will give it a try, for a while at least. It's not really called emigration either(that takes about a decade), it's really a long holiday. But a year-long holiday with lots of paperwork.
I first went to the UK (without children) in May 2000, and the weather was awesome (I latter learned someone had forgotten to turn on the rain-machines). Initially anyone who leaves home is branded a traitor or weak (we even called them chicken-runners a long time ago). But age has taught me otherwise, so I am going to at least satisfy my curiosity.
Hoe weet die afrikkanse boertjie dit is somer in Engeland?
Die reen is warm!
And this is not how I was taught afrikaans!
Wat beteeken agtermakaar soos in "'n klomp agtermakaar cowboys"?
Brokeback mountain showed me that it actuall means agter behind-makaar each other. Like rear-gunners.
WOW it's a rude world, and the sad thing is if you do not cheat on the slides, you never get a chance to go on the round-abouts latter. I always though it was unfair, but when I was in the army we had a saying as jy dom is moet jy maar kak, roughly translates to "If you are stupid, you are going to have to be strong enough to take the shit". Well I must say going on a long holiday from home involves a lot of leopard-like skills. Amongst them.
1. Get a VISA
2. Get a airplane ticket
3. Get a job
Now the fun part is you actually need item 3 to get number 1, but you also need item 1 to get number 2, which scres you around because item 2 costs less if you get it first; but it's not such a big deal anyway. But in terms of my own security I want number 3 first.
Catch-22 they call it
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