Recently in Wetware Category

The past weekend was another Chin TV weekend. Since I'm sort of late getting caught up on watching my favourite programmes (can you taste the britishness) every now and then I dedicate the entire day to watching what's left of the TV shows in my queue. This weekend happened to be Veronica Mars S1 and Heroes S2. I tried to follow VM a long time ago when I lived in Miami and Boca. But I just didn't have the time.
The advantage of living in a subtropical area is you have a reason to go out. To the beach, to the mall, to the race track, you just go somewhere. Paris is cold and gray at the moment. You only go out if you have a death wish and love the cold. Plus, getting Mac ready is like putting a coat on wet noodle. In the end I lose because all the time I spent getting him ready is for not. Now he's hungry/wet/sleepy and it all has to be undone. So TV weekend it is.

I did make it to the BHV. And bought power tools. Lots of them. I'm still on the look for SMD desolderers and extra fine point soldering tip. And some electronics to hack.

I can't wait for the next productive TV Weekend

I just took the time to upgrade my blog to Movabletype 4.0. It seems like it was ages ago I upgraded to 3.2 from 2.3. Before that I was writing blogs in pure html. Before I was really sure what blogging was. A lot has changed since those early days.

2007... for me it was one of the best years I've ever had. I got a real salaried job in Paris with a company that actually appreciates me. My son was born. And life in the Chin household is on track. It's been a hectic year too. I see that I wasn't posting as often as I wanted to on my blog. I still have the same camera that I started 2005 with, but I'm not taking as many pictures as I hope. I built a computer after sitting on the fence for ages (but it will never replace the love I have for a Mac).

Windows Vista proved to be as much of a disappointment as I had experienced it would be. I'm still burned that my laptop has a "Windows Vista Capable" sticker on the palmrest. Seriously, Microsoft, Acer, and I have a very different opinion of what capable actually means. I gave it a go, tried all the tweaks, but still couldn't get the performance that was mentioned on the brochure. Good thing it was a MSDN copy, because I would be really pissed if I spent money on it (which if you really think of it, I did)

I've come to the realization the Acura that I added to my resolution in 2005 wasn't going to happen in the near future. I'm a Parisian now. I'm limited to buses, the Metro, and Vespas. All the money I would need to finance, insure, and maintain a car are out of reach once you buy/rent property in the city. But you never know. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll buy a nice home with a garage and see to the car situation.

My son. he's growing up incredibly fast. It seems like yesterday I was coaxing him to drink a bottle. Now he's moved on to eating with a spoon. And he actually has preferences and not just fruity or chocolate milk. I guess as you get older times seems shorter. When I was a freshman in highschool graduation seemed a lifetime a way. When I was a freshman in college graduation seemed like a lifetime away. Now it seems like a year has gone by in the blink of an eye.

But this also affects how I see business. With my limited amount of free time I have more to do before the end of the day than I ever imagined. 30 days comes and goes so quickly. I'm glad I have my wife to help with keeping the bills in order. I used to laugh about subscribing to those automated bill paying systems (really, who would pay money for that?) but now the idea doesn't seem so far fetched.

The party in the appartement was a real blast. I used to try to go to the best places to spend new years eve: Times Square, South Beach, Champs Elysée, etc. But now I realize the best place to spend New Years is not with a crowd of strangers but with the ones you care about the most.

--Happy New Years

Virginia Tech. What else is there to say that hasn't been discussed on televisions, chatrooms, newsgroups, and among friends. I left that pokey town 4 years ago next month and I've missed the college town feel. But that was the old Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, crazed gunmen have a way of ruining that college vibe. I envision in the future secured campus, high fences, locked doors, and suspicious looks. Gone are the days when you could pop into a classmates room to pick up DiffEq notes. No longer will it be simple to borrow a car for the weekly beer run. For the current and next batch of students college life takes on a new meaning.
For me it was perfectly normal to go to pop into 7-11 to get vitamins for those all night crams. It was perfectly normal to go places we weren't supposed to go (I'm looking at you steamtunnels). And it was perfectly normal to have that guy in your dorm that looked a little crazy because he didn't take his meds. That guy is gone since no university is going to want to be associated with any student with a mental condition, at all.
33 stones for 33 victims. I include the shooter in that count. I think he was a victim of insanity. Something pushed a guy in college right over the edge into lunacy.

Through all of this. its still a good school and I can't wait for the day my soon goes to one of those institutions.

I'm back baby. I survived the Thailand heat and humidity and can truly say I'm ready for more. 2 week vacation wasn't long enough, next time I'll try and go for a serious amount of time to study buddhism or something along that line.
For now, I've got things to unpack. people to call. and get back to my dreary Paris dwelling until something better comes my way.

Coming from where I'm from there is two days on my calendar where I take time to reflect on the events of my past. Its not Christmas and New Years. Those have their own importance and I'll make that clear later. For me, the day is March 9th and November 17th. The two greatest rappers ever died less than 6 months apart. At the time I was a highschool senior, just itching to get outta Florida and go to college already. The rap game really changed after that for me. It went from "these niggas are loosing their damn minds" to "government conspiracy", and the "Tupac and Biggy is in witness protection because the record industry wants them dead." It seems the last one is the most correct and most flawed.

But back to March 9th, 1997 can you remember what you were doing that day? I had school, taking the bus to work (I had just crashed my car...go carrot!), and more work to do. Life goes on, but some memories stay with you for the rest of your life.
As for New Years, a lot of youth died for me on that day in 1996.

Another blaze in Paris has taken a few more lives. And it's nothing that couldn't have been avoided. I remember growing up and always having to endure another fire-drill in primary school. Career day was neat, the fire truck would come by. Some bright student would be selected/volunteer to try and put on a firefighter's coat/hat/trousers, it weighed a ton. And then they would tell us about making plans to evacuate the building, checking our smoke alarms, and doing simple things to extinguish a small fire.

And why was all of this done, simply accountability. Not for you and me, but for the insurance companies. I'm sure there was some number cruncher in the great halls of All-State or Metropolitan who thought it would be cheaper to install a $25 smoke alarm rather than pay out insurance claims all the time. And those massive fires at the beginning of the 20th-century moved the government to put in legislation on fire prevention. Smokey the Bear and Clifford the Dog, your message hasn't gone to waste. I'm still reluctant to start a campfire and I can STOP, DROP, and ROLL with the best of them.

So with four fatal fires this summer in Paris what has the government done to prevent this tragedy? Evict poor immigrants from their homes thats what. Most of the apartments were slums and I'm sure if they could have left they would have done it a long time ago. No, they are being evicted and put on the streets.

So come on France, where is the basic prevention? The programs in school, signs in the hallways pointing to evacuation routes, and those god-awful fire alarms that detract from the decor of dilapidated buildings. It's the 21st-century and people shouldn't have to roast because fire alarms aren't a requirement.

Have you had the Singapore Sling? If you're in Singapore you better do a Singapore Sling. We are famous for our Singapore Sling, have you had one yet? You gotta go to Raffles and have a Singapore Sling. No dammit! I'm not interested in the Singapore Sling or any other fruity, watered down concoction for that matter. Real men drink something mean and heavy, a Guinness, that fills you with piss and vinegar (I've always wanted to use that line). So no, no frikkin' Singapore Sling for me. Now the stingray and baby octopus I can eat everyday.

Singapore was great, and hot and humid and it seemed everytime I looked out the hotel window it just finished raining. But when the sun is out you are either prepared or miserable and hot. I managed to be both. It's a 40 frikkin degrees outside and everything is clinging to me. My shirt, khakis, and clothing in my nether-regions felt gross. But I behaved like a tourist and did the tourist things, didn't chew gum, found one store on the entire island that sold cigars (not very good ones) and drank myself sober with some flight crew. Next time I go back I think I'll try to buy some computer gizmos I saw for mad cheap.

By the way I stopped in Melboune for a brief out of the way minute and this is what I remembered of it... zzzZZZZzzzzZZZZ... The hotel bed was quite nice.

Cheers

Happy Fathers Day all you fathers out there.

Still kicking those tires and lighting fires. Besides my poor french grammar and etiquette I have learned a few things since I've been in France.

• How to start a fire with wood, matches, and a sheet of cardboard. This is as close to roughing it as I'm willing to get. I've grown up on propane grills and MatchLight briquettes, I thought that was easy, this is a piece of cake. Sometimes when I'm at a party or BBQ I get this urge to push the grillmaster out the way and show 'em how a real man gets the job done. :-P
  
• Driving in France: they have street signs, they have code of conducts, they even have someone directing traffic. It doesn't matter. The horn solves everything. Pedestrians in the way? Honk, it doesn't matter who has the right of way.
  

Mom peeped the website the other day. "You know, you should be careful what you write on your website someone might actually read it," she says. But whats the point of having a website if you can't make fun of yourself, your friends, and random internet shit. Besides, I could go on about random mundane things but isn't much more enjoyable to see if Joe is going to make it.

Now as far as France is concerned, besides the 35-hour work week my latest pet peeve is the crappy toilet design. Maybe they aren't all bad, but the ones I've used so far (it's a lot, me and french fromage aren't agreeing right now) suck ass. Whats the point of having water conserving toilets if you gotta flush thrice. On top of that you get 2 buttons, so you press one and wait, then figure what the hell and press the other. They both do the same damn thing. No indicator whatsoever as why you should press one or the other. I know they are for #1 and #2 so why not just write it on there.

I've been here, France, for almost a month. And there are just a few things I would like to get straight.

If you go to a foreign country, eventually, you'll have to learn to do things their way. I would like to assume that I'm open-minded, but being from the Etats-Unis and living in mqjor cities most of my life I've taken a few things for granted. Let's just say moving to the french country-side is more than a little culture shock.

The french gov't is really for the people. It's almost embarrassing how much more service they receive versus the US. The joke is, and I heard this from the Brits, is the french are either on holiday or on strike. It was funny, until there actually was a strike (it involved some holiday, working, the elderly getting money, a rabbit jumping out of a hat, and a talking dog; in that order) and I couldn't use the post office, half the stores were closed. I don't know who is worse with holidays, the brits or the french.

I'm using dialup now. For most of my young life I've been influenced by the silent hum of ethernet, DSL, and QAM (cable speak) so using AOL is like eating with my hands tied. Just remember...to...disconnect...the line. I haven't heard a modem squeal (like a pig) in years.

The shops actually close here. When I first got here I was pretty frustrated at not getting pizza at midnight, the Carrefour (think Walmart) actually closed on Sundays, and the video store not being open on sundays. And lunch...2 hours. Depending on which side of the counter you are on this could be good or bad. I was talking to an acqaintenance about what he does with his two hours. I've grown up on 15, 30, or 1-hour lunches. As far as time spent I could budget my ass off, but 2 hours...after 1 hour I'd be itching to go back to work.

The french keyboard is totally f***ed. No QWERTY here, I'm relearning from scratch how to type. The number keys along the top don't work unless you hold shift, I can't find the dollar sign (this affects me since most of my clients are still US-based) so if you see random errors or funny characters you'll know why. And DOS is completely useless (US keyboard mapping, but the physical map is french) so I'm doing a lot of pigeon typing.

Now on to the house. While Kamala is away I've decided to get from under the computer desk and be functional. The house needs a lot of repair. And I'm learning to read instructions (in French mind you) for tools and hardware I have no idea what they do. And I worked in a hardware store, Hah!

A bientot!

I released the apartment. Packed my things, and rearranged my life. Then on top of that I left town in haste. I'm in europe right now and lovin' it!

Au revoir!

Friday was one of the most important days for me in my life. I had taken all of thursday to sit down and decide what I really want. Some of it made me sad, a lot of it made me happy. I used to tell people nothing ever comes easy if it's ever worth it. Sometimes you try as hard as you can and still end up losing in the end. While I haven't lost anything important, yet, I still think what is and isn't worth it to me. I've got a bunch of applications on my desk right now. Some are to companies and some are for NGOs.
In a few days I will have to pack up everything that I've worked hard for and put the important things in the trunk of my car. The others will have to be sold, parted out to friends, or put up in storage. Nothing ever comes easy and dammit if I haven't acquired a lot of things the last few days. In a few days I'll be taking a road trip to see my knew environment. And make a final decision if I'm really going to go through with it. Or will I just bum off the 'rents for a little while.

It seems when one opportunity falls flat on its face, two or more spring up in its place. And many more are coming along. I would like to thank Kamala for sending me an angel when I needed it the most. I've accepted a job offer, tentatively, and I'll have to make a decision by the end of the week.
Now I feel more confident about my situation. And it sorta of changes everything,.I have two good roads to choose; one will make my career in the direction, the other will alter my life.

I had a job interview yesterday. Actually, not a real job interview but one of those phone screenings to make sure you are who you say you are on your resume. The interviewer was really good, got me on a lot of questions and even helped me through some of the answers I should have known, but couldn't put it into words. After that interview I learned my lesson, I will no longer be using Intellitype (bad Joe, bad Joe).

And then it was the final question that really got me. The one that is never supposed to get anyone because it's so simple that even your grandmother would know the answer, Inheritance: using one class, the base, to provide methods, properties, and other members to a derived class.

You know, like when you "inherit" property. Duh.
Excuse me while I sit in the corner.

Here's hoping that the interviewer can see through my faux pas and take me seriously.
Salute!

Last weekend I drove up to see my brother in Savannah, GA. He was suffering from a spider bite, a brown recluse spider bite. All things considered, it was pretty nasty but the doctor at the hospital was able to patch up the hole it left in his arm. Yes, a really big hole.


Needless to say, I was grossed out when I saw the wad of gauze fall out of the pocket in his elbow.

Coming soon...my amateur pictures of Savannah and the river district.

If there is one thing that always happens in life, invariably we as humans will grow to be attached to another being (hopefully not blood related) for a serious amount of time. But in the meantime we put ourself in the market and engage in train dating. And that is where I'm at, sort of.

I guess I'm fixated not necessarily in dating but in taking the time to find out what I want. And that includes everything: dating, career, finances, and location.

If you haven't figured it out bionic.homeunix.net has been replaced with www.joechin.com. This is my experiment in fully exposing my thoughts and myself to the internet to see what bounces back. No more anonymous postings behind the blue flicker of the monitor. I've been travelling, physically and mentally, to explore new ideas.

So stick around. I'll be adding photos, news on the internet and whatever else interests me.

Signed,
da General