| Editorial - 25 January 2007 |
| Got word today that one of my granduncles died this morning. I missed
seeing him at new year's due to the nightvisit to the emergencyroom for Eden's backproblems and sleeping it off during the day. Didn't seem that
big o' problem as our family usually gets together again a month later for my grandmother's
birthday. I was thinking of dropping by on a saturday a week after New Year. But I couldn't
do that because he was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems. A week later he caught
some kind of bug or virus and started having intestinalproblems. Couldn't even recieve a visit
from his own wife. And now he died. Strange to know I won't be seeing him again ... even if it was just twice a year. Bye. |
| Editorial - 23 January 2007 |
| When I ordered my new washing machine I got a phonenumber to call on
fridaynight. A computervoice would then tell me when the delivery guys would show up at our
doorstep. Sounds easy huh ? Guess again. Fridaynight I sat myself down next to the phone, dailed the number and listened to the voice - usually I only listen to the voices in my rice crispies, but that's another story - which told me to enter my accountnumber. After doing so I heard "your delivery will be between 5 hours 58 minutes and 8 hours 58 minutes". Okay ? Morning or evening ? And what's with the 58 minutes ? Couldn't you say "between 6 and 9" ? Anyway ... guessing the "5 hours 58" would most probably not be in the morning we went to bed. Only to be woken up around 7 by the doorbell ... "hello, delivery !" Damn. We were dressed, faces washed and had the corner in the bathroom cleared in less than the time it took them to take the elevator up to the fifth floor. Pretty darn fast I tell ya. A mere 5 minutes later the thing was installed and ready to go. But it had been a pretty rude saturdaymorning awakening ... |
| Editorial - 22 January 2007 |
| Two weeks ago I was standing first in line waiting for the salesguy to
stop selling a cellphone to someone. I wanted to order a washing machine and have it delivered.
Unfortunately the cellphone was out of stock, so they started calling other branches. When
salesguys start calling, time stops ... Anyway, after some waiting there was a line of at least
3 other people behind me. Most notably a woman, mid thirties, bleached blonde, pink shoes and
sweater, heavily washed faded jeans, non stop jabbering in her cellphone "no hun, I'll be late,
the line here's just waaaaaay too long, looks like these people here just don't wanna work or
sumthin" ... you know,
trailertrash. Really. Seeing the growing line another salesguy suddenly appeared from nowhere and wanted to help the next customer. Bitch immediately started talking to him. What ? Cut in line ? Make me wait ? Don't think so. "Sorry, but I was here first. I was looking for a washing machine ..." grabbing the guy by his arm, turning him away from her. Thinking "fuck off bitch". Obviously this was not to her liking. Grabbed her phone again and called the boyfriend. "You won't believe what just happened. 't Was my turn and someone cut in front 'o me. Again with the waaaaaiting !" Ignoring her ranting I ordered my machine and started filling out the paperwork for the delivery. Meanwhile the first salesguy found a phone elsewhere and that lady left. So miss caravan turned to him and said : "I bought a dvd-player here yesterday and it doesn't work. Cables are no good. And my neighbour (jimbob I presume) said I needed a startcable. Gimme one." Yes, that's right, she said "startcable". Meaning "scartcable". The correct english term being jumpercable, but in flemish they sound almost the same. A subtle difference, whole another sort of cable. Both salesguys and me could hardly contain our laughter. Especially when he said : "A scartcable you mean ? To connect the player to the television ?" and she replyed : "No, I said a startcable." I know it's not polite to laugh with people. Especially when it's all technical and stuff and it's not vital knowledge, but come on ... bitch had it coming. |
| Editorial - 21 January 2007 |
| I didn't think it was possible, but yesterday I saw an episode of The A-Team which I didn't see
when I was a kid. At least I think so. Can't remember seeing it. It was called "Chopping Spree"
and deals with carthieves chopping up expensive rides - Face's Corvette is used as bait.
Turned out to be an enjoyable episode 19 of season 2. Now if only the tv-stations kept rerunning more
episodes instead of always the same ones (Maltese Cow anyone ?) And in the evening I turned on " I, Robot". Alex Proyas' rather succesful attempt at a big budget Will Smith actionflick. Based on an old script, which got inserted with some Isaac Asimov ideas when the studio acquiered the rights on his novels, from 1995. Turned out ok. Especially visually. And it features Audi's. 'Nuff said. Smith's character drives an Audi RSQ, a specially for the movie constructed conceptcar which later turned into the new and flaming hot Audi R8. The name's based on the race car, but the road version does not look like it's related. Stays very close to the look of the RSQ though. Which is good. Very good. Anyone want to buy me one ? Taxes are around 4.000 euro / year ... same for insurance if you get full option omnium. But boy will it be fun to drive around ... |
| Editorial - January 17 2007 |
| Strolling around on YouTube
I stumbled upon this video of Rodney Mullen (wrongly described as Mullin in the video), the
street freestyle skategod. What he does with his board is beyond anyone's imagination. And
always slick, stylish and playful. As if it's that easy. The video is set to Run DMC's "My Adidas". Which brings back memories from my teenage years - long ago - when the first thing I did after waking up in the first days of the summer vacation used to be to get a tape (didn't have a cd-player yet back then) of either Public Enemy - their "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" - or Run DMC, put it in the stereo and crank up the volume. Letting the neighbours know I was awake and skating in the streets would commence. |
| Editorial - January 15 2007 |
| As I'm usually out "shooting" comedians on a sunday-evening, I tape the shows
on Kanaal Twee. As such I have the privilege of watching them at my own pace. "My name is Earl" and
"Arrested Development" are monday-night snacks during dinner, "Prison Break" and "Bones" were guilty
pleasures with the girlfriend - even though we stopped watching "Prison Break" as Kanaal Twee fucked
up their programming twice in a row - starting too late - and even recording half an hour longer didn't
help. Last week the fifth season of "24" started and I have just watched the tape. Only two episodes in - let's say "two hours" even if it's a mere hour and fourty minutes - and I'm already hooked. Halfway through my heart was racing and the back of my head was tingling. Always a sign I'm enthralled. Damn, why is that show always so powerful for me ? Addicted to the action, not caring about inconsistencies ... like a rabbit watching the headlights of oncoming traffic. This'd better be good ... but I think it will be ... with Jack spouting one liners as "The only reason you're still conscious is because I don't want to carry you." and already a hefty bodycount. By the way, has anyone noticed that Cloe's loginnumber is JJ72 ? Is that a reference to the band JJ72 ? |
| Editorial - 10 January 2007 |
| Last night Steve Jobs talked about new products. Most fanboys and bloggers were
following weird little sentences ("he's wearing a black shirt" - "it's a phone !" - "I want this")
streamed from the auditorium. I was watching tv and chasing my cat out of the christmas tree. I knew
I'd be able to read all about it in the morning. So that's what I did. And to be frank I wasn't completely amazed. By now everyone predicted there'd be an iPhone (can we call it like that ?) and it would be sleek and stylish as ever. And it is. I don't own any Apple products (too expensive for my taste and there are equal or better alternatives), but I do appreciate their styling now and then. And I will admit their products work intuitive and good. Just making sure no one thinks I'm bashing their stuff in the next sentences ... The iPhone doesn't impress me enough. It looks good, functional and complete. But is it ? Will it be good ? Lotsa people having been doubting it and I mainly agree. The touchscreen will get scratched, it won't work if you fit it with a protective case and no matter what, the screen will always be too small to watch videos on and to type on the keys displayed when you'll be using it to surf the web. Will it be functional ? Most probably as all Apple products are. But will it be enough to replace your phone ? That's doubtful. You'll always have people screaming it works better than anything else, but that's what you hear from every new product. Some people type messages of 160 characters in less than 20 seconds on a normal cellphone. Some people type away on their Blackberry like there's no tomorrow. It all depends on what you're used. The iPhone as well will win over some people. But lotsa people ? Will it be complete ? No. It'll be an mp3player, but it has less storage than an iPod. It'll be a videoplayer, but you won't be able to store too much on it. It will surf the web. But let's be honest, nobody uses their PSP for that anymore. And that's what all the hip kids were going to do when the PSP was announced. And it'll be a phone. For the american market. Combined with Cingular. It won't be for sale in Europe until the end of 2007. Will any of our providers support special functions or will it be a very basic cellphone ? Costing a ten fold of a basic Nokia or Sony Ericsson. Retailprices are set for 499 and 599 dollars. Usually prices in Europe are set by removing the dollarsign and adding a eurosymbol - thus creating a hefty extra cost. And they won't be allowed to sell it combined with a subscription. - again elevating the price. This way the 500 or 600 dollars may become something around 700 or 800 euro. No one buys cellphones that cost that much. 550 seems a maximum anyone pays for a tricked out phone with lotsa gizmos. It'll be too pricy. I'd rather buy a cheap phone (around 100 euro) and a seperate (smaller) mp3player (with triple or more storagespace) costing around 300 euro. That way I will only have spent half the amount. Which I can use to buy music online. Oh wait ... no ... the Apple store has some nasty protection scheme embedded ... meaning I can't use my legally bought music on another machine. Better just get the cd's than. And rip 'em myself ... old skool style. |
| Editorial - 7 January 2007 |
| Since the previous "new job attempt" sucked, I'm starting another one as of
2007. You may remember I was asked for a job for
a sportsgambling site, but those guys had me jumping through hoops and be online 24/7 without being
paid. All in the name of some sort of testing. After a while I said "fuck this, enough with the tests
and what more" and ended all contact. No more mails, cleaned out the Messenger-contacts and went back
to couch-surfing. Most work was done anyway and the site was up and running. They never even bothered
contacting me again. Guess they screwed me over. Got them back : still have their laptop. Weird people. Decided to take a job doing some work for Holiday Cars - a competitor of my previous employer. As of the first of January, I'll be setting up their new belgian website. A dutch version and a french one, both also for direct customers and for partners. Mainly translating, checking the workflow, testing the bookingengine, iron out the quirks. Really looks like I always roll into jobs like those : set up a new system. Anyway, last tuesday was day one on the job and immediately the last one for that week. When waking up wednesday the nasty viral infection from Eden also got me down. Felt it coming tuesday, but ignored it. Alas that doesn't always work. Pretty funny starting a new job that way. So I spent the rest of the week in bed asleep or on the couch watching the second half of "The 4400" season 2, the beginning of "Millennium" season 3 (mainly reruns as I've seen them in 1999), some episodes of "Seinfeld" and "Sledge Hammer" and the first half of season 1 of "Entourage". I rarely watch shows on tv these days. Dvd's are more fun. Weekend was spent shopping for food - which was a too big strain for Eden's back so she was confined to the couch afterwards - and doing some cleaning. Yup, kinda boring. |
| Editorial - 5 January 2007 |
Cough. Sneeze. Another cough. And a sneeze. Yes, that's right. I'm sick. Two
days before new year, Eden caught a viral
infection causing sneezing, coughing and the need for a lot of sleep. By sunday she felt better and
we started preparations for dinner that evening -
Manuel and his girlfriend S. we're coming over. Unfortunately right before leaving for some last
minute shopping (fresh vegetables and all), one really hard sneeze threw out her back. Don't exactly
know how it happened, but from one minute to another she couldn't walk or stand up. Had to lay in bed
for the rest of the day. Get some rest, relax the backmuscles. |
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