Busy busy busy. When I got back from my Oracle course in J'burg I hit the ground running. I had two assignments due in the last week and a half and I have not had a moment to breathe.
One thing which really affected my relationship with computers was my close exposure to POSIX standards when working with Oracle which was installed on a Red Hat Enterprise Server.
The course lecturer helped me find a suitable copy of Linux. SLES 9, which as you can see from my little picture to the right, I have successfully installed.
I have not yet installed Oracle on it yet though. But its more the *ix operating system that has me enthralled. I have been compulsively studying operating systems since the course (which is good since one of my courses is on Operating Systems) and am planning to install Mimix soon. Mimix stands for Mini Unix and is a very well written small operating system which was created purely to teach operating systems. So thats quite exciting.
later...
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Off on course soon and Terri makes a video
Well I am quite excited because next week I will be attending a 5 day course on Oracle 10g. I have been wanting to do this course for some time now and am quite excited.
Durban has been very cold.
oh.... and Terri has made a funny video when she is sitting at her desk. Hmmm.
later...
Durban has been very cold.
oh.... and Terri has made a funny video when she is sitting at her desk. Hmmm.
later...
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Stevie and his world
Well my little brother Stevie, a.k.a, intrepid adventurer the Steve, a.k.a, professional actor Mr Steven Pillemer; has done some interesting work over the last few years.
I have told him that I will see what I can do about helping get hold of various material that exists "out there" for his showreel.
So far... not had time to do much. There was a crisis at work and I had been called in to help "save the day." I have a policy of not writing about work on my blog; so I will say no more except that the crisis involved over time and total focus on my part. As a side effect I have not done any tracking and phone calling yet.
Its a nice Sunday morning today. I have started reading The Fellowship of the Ring to Sandra. I have read her the prologue and the first chapter. It is delight, for both of us, now that her English is of the calibre to enjoy and understand the epic novel.
On my part I am reading Margaret Atwood's collection of short pieces called The Tent. There is something very melancholic about how the stories thread together; and it seems to scratch away at today's world with the screech of long haggish nails against a blackboard.
If the weather is good maybe we will go for a walk on the beach today.
later...
I have told him that I will see what I can do about helping get hold of various material that exists "out there" for his showreel.
So far... not had time to do much. There was a crisis at work and I had been called in to help "save the day." I have a policy of not writing about work on my blog; so I will say no more except that the crisis involved over time and total focus on my part. As a side effect I have not done any tracking and phone calling yet.
Its a nice Sunday morning today. I have started reading The Fellowship of the Ring to Sandra. I have read her the prologue and the first chapter. It is delight, for both of us, now that her English is of the calibre to enjoy and understand the epic novel.
On my part I am reading Margaret Atwood's collection of short pieces called The Tent. There is something very melancholic about how the stories thread together; and it seems to scratch away at today's world with the screech of long haggish nails against a blackboard.
If the weather is good maybe we will go for a walk on the beach today.
later...
Friday, April 21, 2006
Well, pesach is over...
Well Pesach is over and my brothers have returned to Capetown and all my cousins have gone home. Lee is currently working for Investec but is looking foward to heading to London soon.
It was nice having my family all around, full with life and buzz. I heard more about Stevie's holiday in Ethiopia and the conman who fleeced their one fellow backpacker of a large percentage of her travelling cash.
I heard how he was shown the supposedly legendary location of our holy ark of the covenant and I saw pictures of beautiful ruins. I also watched the trailer of a film in which he he has brief appearance. Interestingly, he even gets quite an appearance in the trailer. Here is the link . I kept watching it a few times as it was quite surreal to watch Stevie in a trailer.
Jonx had his camera and took some beautiful pictures of the family and the seder. Unfortunately he has only sent me a few via email with high compression.
Jonx.... send me a CD with all the pictures and at the original size! Please!
The seders were fun and I sang out of key as usual. I am now eating bread again. Back to work on Monday.
Soon there will be a wedding in July with even more family (my Israeli cousins will be here!)
C'est la vie...
It was nice having my family all around, full with life and buzz. I heard more about Stevie's holiday in Ethiopia and the conman who fleeced their one fellow backpacker of a large percentage of her travelling cash.
I heard how he was shown the supposedly legendary location of our holy ark of the covenant and I saw pictures of beautiful ruins. I also watched the trailer of a film in which he he has brief appearance. Interestingly, he even gets quite an appearance in the trailer. Here is the link . I kept watching it a few times as it was quite surreal to watch Stevie in a trailer.
Jonx had his camera and took some beautiful pictures of the family and the seder. Unfortunately he has only sent me a few via email with high compression.
Jonx.... send me a CD with all the pictures and at the original size! Please!
The seders were fun and I sang out of key as usual. I am now eating bread again. Back to work on Monday.
Soon there will be a wedding in July with even more family (my Israeli cousins will be here!)
C'est la vie...
Thursday, April 20, 2006
15 kilos lighter
Well when I left for my holiday in Germany in January I was overweight. Even though I had been off the cortisone for over a year, the weight had not, as I had been hoping just magically fallen away.
So from the day after I got back I focussed on my diet to get myself to a healthy weight. Now on the 20th April I am 15 kilograms lighter. I am still not yet at my ideal weight but wow what a difference.
I have decided, well Sandra has decided, that I should maintain at my current weight for a while before losing the rest. She thinks this is healthier.
I am quite proud of myself and it feels good for my weight to be approaching what was once normal for me. (I still have approximately 8 kilograms to go to be what was once my normal weight.)
later...
So from the day after I got back I focussed on my diet to get myself to a healthy weight. Now on the 20th April I am 15 kilograms lighter. I am still not yet at my ideal weight but wow what a difference.
I have decided, well Sandra has decided, that I should maintain at my current weight for a while before losing the rest. She thinks this is healthier.
I am quite proud of myself and it feels good for my weight to be approaching what was once normal for me. (I still have approximately 8 kilograms to go to be what was once my normal weight.)
later...
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Two amusing links and some thoughts.
The seder in 60 seconds
bouncing Bush
Funny hey!
Tuesday night I was on a panel discussion about the Israeli Elections. It was a community consciousness raising exercise in order for us to think about and discuss the Israeli elections happening at the same time. I had to do some research, and interesting enough after only a few hours of research I had completely shifted my allegiance from Kadima to Avodah. I reckon given another week to research I may have ended up supporting Meretz.Naaaa... maybe not; as it was really Amir Peretz's biography and interviews which attracted my attention.
After the panel discussion a few people came up to me and said they really enjoyed what I had to say. The most delightful compliment was the observation that I brought topical information about Amir Peretz to the table; where the general knowledge about him by the people present was quite rudimentary. Thus I had provided knowledge of educational merit at a topical time when people were interested to learn! So I was quite pleased with myself....
I am also now pleased with the election results, especially now that with the soldiers' votes in the left alliance has 61 seats!
later...
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Nothing else matters
I took Sandra to the Metallica concert at the ABSA rugby stadium yesterday; and she loved it.
She closed her eyes, shook her head about and jumped up and down for hours.
As Metallica screamed at us: "Be who you truly are; for that is all that is real. Nothing else matters." Or something like that.
later...
She closed her eyes, shook her head about and jumped up and down for hours.
As Metallica screamed at us: "Be who you truly are; for that is all that is real. Nothing else matters." Or something like that.
later...
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Schwepppppppppps soda water.
Well, I was sitting drinking some Schwepps soda water when I idly looked at the ingredients label. The ingredients were carbonated water and buffer salt.
"Buffer salt?" I thought.
"I wonder what buffer salt is and why its inside the soda water?" I mused aloud.
Sandra was sitting, idly, on the couch.
"Oh..." she said, "...in chemical reactions a buffer is that ingredient you use to control and stabilise the PH."
hmmmmm....
"Buffer salt?" I thought.
"I wonder what buffer salt is and why its inside the soda water?" I mused aloud.
Sandra was sitting, idly, on the couch.
"Oh..." she said, "...in chemical reactions a buffer is that ingredient you use to control and stabilise the PH."
hmmmmm....
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Bad Mazel Good Mazel
Well this morning I had bad mazel. Just low level bad mazel. I woke up went into the toilet and broke the toilet lid of the whatever-you-call-it. Well actually it started the night before when we saw that the toilet had started leaking water constantly - which is not good. I therefore jimmied the thingimajigi-a-ma-bobbie inside the top part of the toilet (you know - where the water and the plastic floating thingimajigi-a-ma-bobbie is ...?...) so that water would not fill the whatever-you-call-it.
Oh... and my alarm went off this morning to wake us up to get to shul; but the volume was turned to zero. Does that count? If an alarm goes off and makes no sound - is it still an alarm? Anyways.... so I woke up late and in a daze wandered into and went to the toilet. And of course the toilet would not now flush. So I had to lift the top of the whatever-you-call-it and then something unmazeldik happened and it fell and broke.
My airconditioner also broke this week. Its hot in Durban.
Well its Purim soon and thats all about mazel... kind of approriate I guess.
later...
oh... and later we realized we could have just turned off the tap that allows water to the whatever-you-call-it and if I had done that I would not have needed to jimmy the thingimajigi-a-ma-bobbie. Blech...
Oh... and my alarm went off this morning to wake us up to get to shul; but the volume was turned to zero. Does that count? If an alarm goes off and makes no sound - is it still an alarm? Anyways.... so I woke up late and in a daze wandered into and went to the toilet. And of course the toilet would not now flush. So I had to lift the top of the whatever-you-call-it and then something unmazeldik happened and it fell and broke.
My airconditioner also broke this week. Its hot in Durban.
Well its Purim soon and thats all about mazel... kind of approriate I guess.
later...
oh... and later we realized we could have just turned off the tap that allows water to the whatever-you-call-it and if I had done that I would not have needed to jimmy the thingimajigi-a-ma-bobbie. Blech...
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Stock Market Investing
Recently I decided to take more interest (pun intended) in the stock market. I participated in the MAM Game; and although I came no where near winning the game - I took a healthy profit on my initial investment of R1800. (A little over 200 Euros or approximately $300.) I also saw the top 50 in the competition all took profits of over R10000. (A little over 1000 Euros.)
This as all definitely made me want to take even more interest.
So I now attended a course with my brother and father on how to use the basic indicators (trend and cycle indicators) to predict price movement and the applicable entry and exit points. I hope to have the software soon so I can continue to take more interest in the stock market.
later...
This as all definitely made me want to take even more interest.
So I now attended a course with my brother and father on how to use the basic indicators (trend and cycle indicators) to predict price movement and the applicable entry and exit points. I hope to have the software soon so I can continue to take more interest in the stock market.
later...
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Thursday
Well its Thursday again and the wheel keeps on turning. I have finished two UNISA assignment already and have now started on my third. Sandra has settled back into the routine of lectures and daily studying.
We have booked tickets for St Petersberg Ballet peformance of Swan Lake on the 2nd May. We are greatly looking forward to that.
Sandra is studying in the air conditioned bedroom and I am going to go join her now with my text book.
later...
We have booked tickets for St Petersberg Ballet peformance of Swan Lake on the 2nd May. We are greatly looking forward to that.
Sandra is studying in the air conditioned bedroom and I am going to go join her now with my text book.
later...
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Scrambled Kefir Eggs
For those who do not know; Sandra has become a Kefir culturer. And every day I enjoy the product of her work (normally at breakfast time.)
This evening I was asked to quickly make a supper. So I made scrambled eggs with tomato, bell pepper and onion. But when I beat the eggs before adding them to the pan I added a little of our new "secret" ingredient. I did this without telling Sandra.
I later served supper. Sandra initially was a bit nonplussed about the idea of scrambled eggs for supper. But after she had her first taste, she said to me:-
"How did you make the eggs taste so nice?"
And I replied:-
"Kefir".
later...
This evening I was asked to quickly make a supper. So I made scrambled eggs with tomato, bell pepper and onion. But when I beat the eggs before adding them to the pan I added a little of our new "secret" ingredient. I did this without telling Sandra.
I later served supper. Sandra initially was a bit nonplussed about the idea of scrambled eggs for supper. But after she had her first taste, she said to me:-
"How did you make the eggs taste so nice?"
And I replied:-
"Kefir".
later...
Friday, February 10, 2006
Monday, February 06, 2006
How about this cartoon of Mohammed!
I quite liked that one. For those who have still not seen the cartoons that the Islamic world is making so much violence about; here is a link.
And if you want to know the whole story and context of these events, click here.
And if you want to buy the t-shirt click here.
Oh, if you were wondering what the piglet reference is about click here.
hmmmm.....
Sunday, January 29, 2006
In transit...
I am in Dubai Transit and its really weird. Its 2:30 am in the morning and there are thousands of zombie like people wandering aimlessly around, occasionally buying something from the innumerable shops selling anythings that is shiny and glittery.
Its weird.
The flight to this zombie shopping paradise was uneventful. Watched some movies and ate some food. Leg space was great...
We just spent out last dirham we had left over from our visit here not so long ago on two cups of Starbucks coffee. And now I am standing at the Samsung free internet space whilst Sandra stares aimlessly at the strangeness.
Still 20 minutes to check-in. Dum dee dum. Be Boop.
Sandra and I are now going to check in...
See you from the other side of the equator.
Its weird.
The flight to this zombie shopping paradise was uneventful. Watched some movies and ate some food. Leg space was great...
We just spent out last dirham we had left over from our visit here not so long ago on two cups of Starbucks coffee. And now I am standing at the Samsung free internet space whilst Sandra stares aimlessly at the strangeness.
Still 20 minutes to check-in. Dum dee dum. Be Boop.
Sandra and I are now going to check in...
See you from the other side of the equator.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Hmmph...
This morning I woke up and saw to my left a bundle of blankets that I decided not to disturb. First I lay for over an hour without moving staring at the ceiling trying to fall back to sleep. Then eventually... very very slowly... I inched my way off the bed... and then in the absolute darkness I searched for my tracksuit pants and my shoes; which was no easy task in the dark. Eventually I then, quiet as a mouse, slipped through a crack in the door - so no light could slip in. The bundle never stirred, never moved and most importantly did not get irritated and angry with me.
Very proud of myself I walked though the kitchen into the eating area and discovered Walter, Martin, Doris and Sandra all eating breakfast.
Hmmmph...
I spent most of the day watching BBC and CNN and listening to their commentary on the dramatic democratic revolution in the territories.
Hmmmph....
Well day is done, and we are packing to go homewards.
Very proud of myself I walked though the kitchen into the eating area and discovered Walter, Martin, Doris and Sandra all eating breakfast.
Hmmmph...
I spent most of the day watching BBC and CNN and listening to their commentary on the dramatic democratic revolution in the territories.
Hmmmph....
Well day is done, and we are packing to go homewards.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Back in Germany again...
The drive was uneventful. Sandra seems adamant that tomorrow will be spent here in this house and then of course on the next day we head homewards...
I am being called for supper...
I am being called for supper...
On the way back to Germany...
We are about to leave for Germany. Walter and Sandra are busy packing the car and we have all just finished breakfast. Five of us (Walter said he was not interested) chose numbers for the Swiss Lotto for 220 million Swiss Francs (give or take a few million); if any of the chosen sets come up we will split the money five ways.
Once back in Germany we will spend the next full day in Germany, I am hoping for chance to to go the Cologne art museum, but it seems we may just spend the day in the house whilst Sandra sorts Sandra stuff out. I am not in charge of this day. But I am still hoping a little...
later...
Once back in Germany we will spend the next full day in Germany, I am hoping for chance to to go the Cologne art museum, but it seems we may just spend the day in the house whilst Sandra sorts Sandra stuff out. I am not in charge of this day. But I am still hoping a little...
later...
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