Re: Happy 2009 Winter Solstice!

[Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

 > From: "Mike M." <http://profiles.yahoo.com/handmeat>
 > Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:28:56 -0800 (PST)
 >
 > btw i have a friend with a 3GS and he knows a trick to hold google maps in the 
 > cache so if you are going to go somewhere w/o connectivity, you can preload 
 > them and turn off data connection (or something) and they stick around.  he 
 > just got back from a trip around the world and used the feature a lot.

OK.  But, I'm still not gunna get an iPhone.  More below.

 > ----- Original Message ----
 > From: Mike M. <http://profiles.yahoo.com/handmeat>
 > To: Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>
 > Sent: Mon, December 21, 2009 11:23:56 PM
 > Subject: Re: Happy 2009 Winter Solstice!
 > 
 > Hey Robert,
 > 
 > Good to hear from you as always.
 > 
 > Regarding the bike - chains do stretch, and replacing chains every
 > year (of normal use) is part of normal bike maintenance.  When they
 > stretch too much, it affects the wear pattern on the rear chain wheel
 > and front sprockets, and makes it so a new chain won't fit properly
 > anymore.  However, you can always replace the chainwheel and front
 > sprocket, particularly if you have a nice frame, or frame that fits
 > you well, or a frame that you are otherwise attached to for whatever
 > reason.

Yeah.  Or I can just live with the stretched chain, as I've done with
every other bike I've ever owned.

 > Generally I take my bike in once a year and pay the $150 or
 > so to have a full tune up;

That's a 30% of the cost of the entire bike.

I suppose that's equivalent to replacing the bike every 3 years, then.

 > I consider it cost of ownership, and my
 > bike lasts a long time (and are safe, and don't break down in the
 > middle of nowhere on me).

I've never had a chain break or slip.  Ever.  The only "break down" I've
had was when my tire exploded because the tire itself was old.  (The tube
was fine since it was self-sealing.)

 > Regarding the AP - good choice to upgrade to WPA2.  WEP is fully
 > broken (read: hackable) non-encryption.  I actually know the guy who
 > wrote the tool that proved it was broken, he started a wireless mesh
 > networking company in Seattle called Coco Communications.

Groovy.  I hope wireless mesh becomes wide-spread.  It's a good idea.

 > I don't
 > know what a Netflix Roku is though I'll have to check that out, as I
 > may become a netflix member soon.

If you do, we should become "Netflix Friends" so you can see my movies and
I yours.

 > Regarding iPhone - the 3G (i think) and 3GS (i know) have a camera.
 > FM receiver? feh.  Not surprised you don't use it much. Apple
 > proprietary-ness does suck but the fact that they use that "business
 > model" and are still wildly successful tells me that there is
 > something special about that device.  I'm probably going to get one
 > soon (I've had a iPod touch as a development device for a few months
 > - haven't done a whole lot on but it's a pretty cool device).

Why not get a Droid?  My co-worker has one.  It does have fewer apps, but
the ones it does have are pretty nifty.  And it's completely hackable and
open.

In fact, in theory, I could run Android on my Nokia Internet Tablet.  If I
ever get tired of it in its current form, I'll probably do that.  Android
is Debian-based as well.  Thankfully.

 > As for
 > OGG.. haven't played with the media API.. however I imagine it'd be
 > possible to write a custom app to play files in any media container,
 > you just probably wouldn't be able to a) share/sell it on app store
 > b) sync your tunes via itunes.

Yeah.  'Cept I don't have any AAC iTunes music (Noelle does, however).
Just podcasts.  Some podcasts offer both MP3 and OGG, but OGG is a good
idea so it's worth supporting.

 > Regarding news from my end.. lots of major life changing news for a
 > change..  after many years of drifting aimlessly from job to job, and
 > ending up hating most of them, or at least hating the idea of
 > working, and consequently suffering from a chronic existential
 > crisis, I ended up getting married in June to a long time friend of
 > mine.. you and Noelle have both met her actually..  Sachie, my
 > long-ago ex girlfriend from Japan who lived with me in
 > Fremont/Capitola/where-I-live back in '92-'94.

Yeah, I think I remember her.

 > We parted ways for
 > several years in the mid-late nineties, hooked up again in 2001 when
 > she was visiting my parents, and started travelling together to
 > Hawaii annually over the past few years ( she is a Japanese citizen
 > and has lived in Japan all this time).

Wow, that is quite a change.  Glad you're getting hitched to someone you
know well.

 > Last April in Hawaii we basically had a moment of truth where we
 > acknowledged to each other that we expected we would end up with each
 > other.. and as you know, we're not getting any younger (I'm 41, she's
 > 39), so we decided to take the plunge.  In our case marriage does
 > have real a tangible benefit as it will allow her to immigrate to the
 > US and live/work as a permanent resident.  Her immigration process is
 > almost complete - she has a Jan 4 2010 interview at the US Embassy,
 > Tokyo, which is mostly a formality, after which she'll have a 2 year
 > conditional green card, which can be adjusted to a 10 year green card
 > in the months prior to its expiration.

Cool.  Hope she'll like the US.  BTW, we live in the Japantown section of
where-I-live.  You should visit us some time -- she may feel right at home!

 > So I'm pretty excited about starting a new life with my new wife, and
 > am feeling much more optimistic about the future than any time in the
 > recent past.  As part of this new life I'm also committing to working
 > full time, and I have just landed a full-time job at Amazon.com after
 > contracting there for six months.  I know you were one of those
 > Amazon.com boycotters, but phooey, that ended a long time ago..

I still boycott them.  I think I've bought 1 thing from them ever.

But, I still use their wishlists and rate items.  I like that part.

 > it's
 > a decent company, the work I'm doing is interesting, and basically I
 > felt very fortunate to land a high-paying contract over the summer in
 > this economy, I took the job even though it didn't sound that
 > interesting.. it turns out the work is right up my alley, and they
 > were sufficiently impressed with me to make very competitive offer
 > for perm, so I'm feeling pretty fortunate overall.  Now it's just up
 > to me to actually follow through and stick with it for a couple years
 > - I haven't had a job for more than 9 months in over 10
 > years.. haven't had a reason to.. I think I have one now.

Don't have children.  My usual advice.

 > Oh.. didn't mention.. I'm programming in Java.. hahah... man.. I
 > never thought I'd say that.

Well, I occassionally must program in C#.  So there!

 > I will hold my head up.  It's.. not that
 > bad.  I'm glad I learned/am learning it.. definitely has broadened my
 > horizons, especially after working so much at MS which was a lot of
 > great experience and a lot of skill depth but not much breath.  I'm
 > glad I waited until now to learn it though..  sounds like it was a
 > real mess of a language until recently (last ~2-3 years).

Yeah.  Still needs work, but it's not bad.

Actually, C# isn't bad ('tho it has some funky conceptual "features", sort
in the way C++ does).

 > Take care
 > 
 > Mike