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Doc's Diary
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You've Changed 96% in 10 Years
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You're practically a new person these days, and no one from your past may even be around to notice.
You've moved on, changed your life, and totally transformed your personality - probably all for the better!
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| Okay... so, I committed myself to this...
For the first three people who reply to me and re-post this challenge, I will send you something. It might be something I've made, or something cool from my hidden stash, it might be a mix CD - or a rubber duck, a book I think you will enjoy, or something else that is awesome. Whatever it is, I promise that I will get it to you in 365 days or less.
The only thing you need to do in order to participate is to be one of the first three to reply to this, AND post this very same thing on YOUR live journal - 'cause its fun to give people stuff. God knows you have enough crap anyway.
The first 3 participants win! | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| 1. Do you have a college degree?
No.
2. What was the amount of your last electric bill?
$281.34
3. Do you have life insurance?
Yes.
4. How many hours per week do you work?
A pretty standard work week - 40 hours.
5. Have you ever attended a Toastmasters event?
No.
6. Favorite place to attend Happy Hour?
Out back by our pool.
7. How many miles is your commute to work each day (one way)
About 10 miles.
8. What time do you get up every morning for work?
Varies a lot, but on average I'm out the door by 9am.
9. What is your definition of sleeping in late?
NOON!
10. Do you check your cholesterol on a yearly basis?
Yes. Complete blood chemistry every year (probably more often).
11. How large was your first cell phone?
I resisted cell phones until 1998 - so mine was pretty small.
12. Does your employer provide good health insurance?
I think so.
13. Did you use the internet to write a research paper?
No.
14. Have you attended a HS reunion?
Yes. Left within 10 minutes. Didn't know a soul...
15. How many jobs have you held in your professional career?
5 as a programmer. The longest for Datapoint: 23 year.
16. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job?
Yes. Twice. By the same company. But both times they terribly regretted it and changed their minds. I still work for that company, and I fear that the third time will be different.
17. What is your favorite drink?
Beer: don't care what kind, as long as it's not root beer.
Mixed: the ones with 12 different kinds of alcohol.
Soda: eeuw.
Other: Iced tea, water, wine, wixy, .....
18. What is the most expensive bottle of wine that you have in your residence?
$6.99
19. Have you been divorced?
No.
20. How old were you when you stopped getting ID'd for Alcohol?
I STILL get ID'd for alcohol every now and then... but that's just cassiers flirting with me ...
21. Favorite casino?
They're all pretty much the same... as long as they have that 'smoke' thing under control, have a poker room, and keep those free drinks coming .. I don't care too much.
22. Are you happier now than you were in high school?
Yes. I was BORED back then ...
23 Did you ever have Hypercolor shirts?
No.
24. Do you remember when Michael Jackson was black and was attracted to older people?
Not really, but not because I would have been too young for that.
25. Do you remember when MTV actually played music videos?
What's MTV? Never watched it.
26. Have you had a will made?
Yes.
27. What music was in your cd / cassette player when you were 16?
When I was 16 there were no cd / cassette players.
But I would listen to my blues records.
28. Favorite fancy / upscale restaurant?
Meson in San Antonio, Texas. The chicken marsala is TO DIE FOR. Yums.
(The Margarita's there, however, are to die OF.. *shudders*).
29. How long has it been since you attended a kegger?
A WHAT?
30. Where were you when you found out about 9-11?
At work. Fairly early on. We had a TV in the break room and we all watched TV the rest of the day.
31. Do you have any children yet?
No. (yet??? How old do you think I am? Jeepers.. Gimme a break.. I mean.. JEESH) | | comments: Leave a comment |
| 1. Have you slowed down any since your little scare?
a. Girl, if I slow down any more, I'd be dead! ;-). Truthfully, sofar I have changed nothing to my life style. But I WILL be joining a gym real soon!
And I'm seeing a doctor again, who's working on getting my medication up to par.
2. You've seen a lot of the world, what is your favourite spot?
a. Tough one! One very special occasion was my visit to a Himba tribe village in northern Namibia. But then, I wouldn't want to live there after I retire. I think I would prefer to retire and live on a nice Greek Island! I've been to quite a few, and time simply flows slower there... everything is about taking it easy and relaxing.
3. You have been working with computers for a long time. When you first started, could you imagine that they would eventually rule the world like they do?
a. I think I've always been pretty aware of the enormous impact of computers in general. However, in no way did I foresee the incredible impact of "The Internet" .. not even in the early days (years even) when my job made me take part in helping developing it!
4. What is the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
a. I guess most (north?) American people would shudder when I said 'horse meat', but then, to me, that was not unusual at all. We had it a lot.
So I would have to say: As a young kid, in the winter, I had a coat which had some kind of furr on its collar. In church, during sermons, I would get SOOO bored that I ate that furr off of my coat's collar.
5. Are you going to retire soon?
a. I wish, but I don't think so. I could be jobless soon, but I couldn't afford to retire: Suze KEEPS buying the wrong lottery tickets! | | comments: Leave a comment |
| 1: What did you miss experiencing because you picked the wrong door that morning? (I've tried to figure it out, but I couldn't).
Answer: As a commentor on my blog (http://claessen.com/blog) correctly guessed: "the ultra-violent chemical reaction of liquid oxygen and something called RP-1"
2: Are most Dutch as fiercely pro-intellect, pro-atheism, and anti-supernatural as you are? (In my experience, this is true, but my experience is limited to about 4 dutch men, which is hardly a large sample).
Answer: I think you're indeed facing a sample issue. While I think the Dutch, or more generally, Northern European people, are, on average, less 'anti-science', less 'religious' and more level-headed regarding the supernatural (than the US), I don't think 'most' are as fierce in these matters as I am. But that's probably because I'm UNUSUALLY fierce in these matters. A more general attitude towards these issues in the Netherlands is "who cares?". Quite frankly, an attitude I had myself when I still lived there.
3: How is your health these days?
Answer: Blood pressure and cholesterol through the roof, diabetes out of control, fitness non-existant, weight not ideal ... but I feel absolutely great!
4: Why "dutchdoc"? Or I suppose more specifically, why "...doc"?
Answer: Right, "Dutch' is obvious .. the standard answer to the remaining question is: "Dopey and Grumpy were already taken".
5: What was the first hobby you took up with any seriousness, but have since put aside? Is there any likelihood that you will return to it one day?
Answer: I don't think I've ever been very serious about ANY of my hobbies and if I had, I probably wouldn't have put them aside. Since it has to be something I have done, but put aside, I would say, dabbling in electronics as a teener, you know .. building superheterodynes and stuff. I seriously doubt I will ever pick it up again. I became a software guy instead! ;-) | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| Alrighty, here are the questions for Courtly:
1. If someone would offer you an all-expenses paid 10-day trip to the International Space Station .. would you go?
2. You and your wife travel a lot. You have mentioned a few times that you need some time to 're-adjust' to eachother when you are 're-united'. Can you explain that? (I'm sure you're not talking about that 'put-the-toilet-seat-down' thing). When Suze and I are re-united after either one of us has been travelling, it always immediately feels as if we've never been gone.
3. Jobwise, would you prefer to remain 'technical' or would you rather grow into a managerial or executive function?
Bonus request:
Please answer two more unasked questions. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Okay... here are the questions for Suze:
1. WHAT was in that HUMONGOUS box that arrived today for you .. from shoes.com?
2. Do you, even if slightly, have a preference for a boy or a girl as grandchild? Or is it 50/50, as long as you get to thoroughly spoil it?
3. Where should our next cruise be to? The Mediterranean or the Caribbean?
Bonus question: If you could eavesdrop on your colleagues when they're talking about you: what would you expect to hear? | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| Rules: (simplified)
1. Ask me to ask you at least 3 personal question, and I will ask them.
2. Answer the questions: either in my blog, or in yours. Preferrably in both.
3. Post these rules in your own blog. | | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment |
| 1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
"What's Daniel Graig doing here?"
2. How much cash do you have on you?
I'm not allowed to have money. The accidental cash in my wallet is there for my wife to take it. NOT for me to use it. This has been made very clear to me.
3. What's a word that rhymes with "DOOR?"
Whore.
(I like to "shock" every now and then in my online presences. You WERE shocked I used that word, right? Or at LEAST be a bit offended? Please?)
4. Favorite planet?
So far, Earth. It has some nice feautures (like a breathable atmosphere) that I really enjoy, even though it has some less desirable features as well, like theme parks and New Delhi.
As for Suze's answer that nothing comes close to Earth... I REALLY REALLY hope she's right!
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
Suze. She's the ONLY 'missed-call-person' on that very long list.
I'm not quite sure why I HAVE a cell phone.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
Ring tone?
7. What shirt are you wearing?
Had to look. It looks like a salmon colored polo shirt. I just noticed I'm wearing it inside-out.
8. Do you "label" yourself?
Yes, I label myself as truly unique.
9. Name the brand of the shoes you're currently wearing?
Merrell.
10. Bright or dark room?
Bright. Except when I want to sleep or have to develop/print film, but that last thing hasn't happened in the last 36 years.
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
She’s awesome.
12. What does your watch look like?
It's a Coleman digital dual time clock with all kinds of functions that I have never used and probably never will use.
This one is actually for left handed people (which I'm not).
It costed $19.99.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Installing postfix on my Ubuntu machine so that my php scripts' mail function would actually work.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
Happy Friday (from Laurilee).
15. Where is your nearest 7-11?
Can't be more than a few miles away, but I truly have no clue.
16. What's a word that you say a lot?
That would actually be "actually"
17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
Suze.
18. Last furry thing you touched?
Clyde. Actually, he was touching me.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
I do quite a bit of drugs. 7 or more different ones (including vitamines). I'm not sure what they all are .. Suze just tells me to take them, so I do.
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
None. This is 2007 for crying out loud.
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
My first year must have been pretty darned interesting.
22. Your worst enemy?
My own laziness. But then, being overly active has its drawbacks too.
23. What is your current desktop picture?
I KNOW there must be a picture somewhere on my desk, but I can't find it right now. I'm sure it's Suze's picture.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
"You missed him by two minutes" (To my boss inquiring about the where-abouts of my roomie)
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
I already am able to fly. In fact, I do it frequently: I'm a Gold Member now.
But I don't particularly like it, unless it's business class.
So, I'll take the million.
26. Do you like someone?
Whom are you referring to? But in general, yes, there are quite a few people I like.
27. The last song you listened to?
A "for four hands" piano sonata by Carl Czerny in my car. Played very loudly.
28. What time of day were you born?
I think somewhere around 6am. That was the last time I got up that early.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
Never happened to me: they don't sell beer in vending machines. Would this ever happen to me, I would shrug and walk away: it's not like I wasted a fortune (they don't sell diamonds in vending machines either).
36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
Somewhere on a wall in the garage.
High up, to make sure nobody would see it.
37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Python seems to be very hot these days, but I wouldn't mind extending my knowledge of Perl to the 'fluency' level either.
38. Would you move for the person you loved?
I moved for far less compelling reasons. So, yes, absolutely. After all, she moved for me! TWICE!
39. Are you touchy feely?
I can be, as well as feeling touchy.
40. What's your life motto?
Don't sweat the small stuff, nor most of the big stuff.
And above all, keep things simple.
You have to play the hand you were dealt.
41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
There's nothing I have ON me at all times. I shower every now and then.
42. What's your favorite town/city?
Probably the one I know best and have the most memories of: The Hague.
43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
A news paper in May 1998: See #2.
44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
That must have been many years, if not decades, ago. I'm not sure I even CAN still write.
45. Can you change the oil on a car?
ON a car? I could probably wipe it off, but why would I replace it? What's that oil doing on a car anyway?
46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
That she went to a 'girls-only' kinda high school, while I was sent to a 'boys-only' lyceum.
I'd say, that killed the affair right then and there, but quite frankly, she may not have been aware of this 'love', let alone an 'affair'.
47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
'Know about' as in "have names and birth/death dates": 17th century, but eventually my family goes back all the way to slimy eukaryotes, but then, so does yours, your dog's and that of the cockroach you just killed.
48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
Suze's brother's wedding. Wore my wedding suit. Everyone else did (dressed fancy, NOT wearing my wedding suit)
49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
Not really something ON my body, but something being part of it: my throat.
50. Have you been burned by love?
A little, I think .. see #46. To indicate how bad is was: I don't even remember her name! | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| The (not-so)fright flight saga continues ...
As mentioned in the first part of this story, the mystery fifth member of this group was waved through the security checkpoint without any incident.
One may have wondered about this, since I clearly mentioned that the security folks were heavily profiling!
There was a reason the fifth guy wasn't bothered:
He was blond and had blue eyes.
And his code name, that I promised to reveal, was 'Dutchdoc'.
And before you fearfully and astonished ask me 'Are YOU a terrorist? We had NO idea!" .. no, of course I'm not a terorrist.
Nor were my 4 companions terrorists.
They were just four co-workers from our software design center in Noida, India, (I have now removed their names from the first part of the story:
I didn't feel comfortable using their real names), who worked here in Palm Bay for a few weeks with some of my team's members on various issues.
They were returning home, and I travelled with them to attend a design review meeting at said development center.
As for the reason for telling this story I have to add this: some of my Indian co-workers had purchased some electronics gadgets here
like games, portable dvd-player and cell phones -yeah, I guess we pay them too much ;-)-. They were very thrilled about this and while we were seated, waiting for the plane to take off, they were showing eachother stuff, handing the gadgets back and forth, pointing, giggling and overall being very excited.
Nobody seemed to care and nobody asked them to quit doing that.
HAD someone told them to stop passing these gadgets around, chances would have been that some of them wouldn't have immediately realized what was being asked of them: Their English is, well, slightly different, from what's commonly used here in the US.
Since I have SEEN this I IMMEDIATELY knew what happened when I read the first stories of Northwest flight 42 that returned to Amsterdam after some passengers 'displayed behavior of concern' (passing around cell phones).
Again: security theatre.
I can understand that the onboard Air Marshall (yes, there was one) was alerted by this and payed some attention to it.
Had he DONE this, calmly and without panicking, I'm almost SURE he would have recognized the innocent nature of the whole thing.
But to recommend to the captain to return IS panicking. (And I won't even go into the absurdity of the Dutch police holding and questioning these 12(!) kids for TWO days, without realizing these guys were just passing around gadgets).
I guess this is all a matter of training.
The security theatre is becoming rampant. Last Saturday there were SIX flights being diverted here in the US, one for something silly as a woman filing her nails!
We need better training for air marshalls and cabin crew:
- If a guy tries to set his shoe on fire: sure, take him down.
- If a woman doesn't realize you're serious when you tell her to quit filing her nails .. diverting the flight is over-reacting.
- If a an elderly American woman goes to the bathroom 'too often' .. NOT a reason for TWO airmarshalls to tackle her and make the plane land.
- If you find dynamite in someone's luggage: yes, that's a reason for concern and requires some investigation.
- Taking someone into custody for bringing two tubes of toothpaste on a plane .. you need training! (What's wrong with holding on to the toothpaste
and returning it after the flight). | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| I have decided to maintain a blog under my real name, rather than Dutchdoc...
So, from now on, all my readers (both of them) can read my rants and raves here: http://claessen.com/blog/
Blogroll me ...
Add my rss feed to your reader ... | | comments: 10 comments or Leave a comment |
| It was somewhere in February 2005.
A true story.
I was in line at the security checkpoint at Melbourne (Florida!) Airport. After a stopover in Atlanta, I would soon be on a transatlantic flight.
In front of me, at the security checkpoint, were four guys who were very obviously traveling together.
I estimated them to be in their mid-twenties, conservatively dressed and clearly from Middle Eastern descent. Well.. Middle East.. they could have been Afghani or Pakistani too. But you know what I mean. NOT a group of four guys you want to see board YOUR plane! I mean.. four guys with blond hair and blue eyes... sure... But this.. MAYBE not!
Understandably they were VERY closely scrutinized by the security folks. Every single one of them had their carry-on luggage hand searched, were thoroughly frisked and even had to take apart their cell phones. On top of that: they were treated RUDELY! Barked at. Two of them were visibly angered by the whole ordeal and the other two just giggled. But all four of them endured the whole thing remarkably patiently.
Was this profiling? Of COURSE it was. And I have to admit, legal or not, I don't care! Profiling, despite being racist, in a way, simply makes sense.
Does that make me a racist? I don't think so. Just careful. It's all a matter of statistics.
Anyway.
As I now know, the first names of these four Pakistani-looking 25 year olds were: (8/29: names removed. No longer relevant to the story, besides I shouldn't have used their real names, especially not in this context).
What was NOT obvious about this whole thing was that there was actually a fifth member traveling in this group.
He followed the four from a distance, watched with interest when they were being frisked, barely noticeably shook his head, smiled, joked with the security officer when he put his THREE laptops on the conveyor belt, and was waved through without any further incident.
I remember thinking: THREE laptops, isn't that a bit suspicious?
Apparently, it wasn't.
The five of them would fly to Paris.
And from there, according to their tickets, on to New Delhi.
As for the name of this fifth guy, let me just suffice by giving you his 'code' name...
(to be continued) | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
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