The tech guy next door

BY ANSWERING a knock at the door yesterday, I nearly became The Tech Guy Next Door.

So, there was the neighbour on the doorstep holding a brand new laptop and asking if I could help her set it up because “it’s all so confusing”. Well, yeah, it’s complicated, duh! That’s why I get paid to work with them nine hours a day for five days of the week. And, that’s why you should not take it as granted that I would happily agree to spend two hours of my week-end sorting out your computer problems for free.

I managed to fend her off with the excuse that I was expecting guests for dinner. But, that was a very close escape, as she seemed very convinced that I had to help her — she came prepared with a bunch of games that she wanted me to install.

Anyway, she has probably managed to get her new toy working, but since she is bound to have problems — it’s a Windows laptop, after all — I think it’s about time I start rehearsing appropriate responses for the next time she comes knocking.

Eddy.

Slap the nerd!

Oh, man! This is the coolest Flash game ever. Slap the nerd impressed me so much that I had to blog about it after my first go at it. I know, I’m one of those nerds, but then when else do I get to slap one of my own kind?

Enjoy!

Why is programming so hard?

AVINASH, here’s a blog that will surely interest you about the apparent difficulty in learning to program. Is it that some people cannot formulate algorithms? Or, is it the programming language that makes it so difficult? The author tries to answer these questions.

The author also mentions the 20% Rule, whereby 20% of students easily understand programming and 20% are hopeless cases. Does this mean that the remaining 60% are average programmers? Does a similar proportion exist among professionals?

Eddy.

What does dying feel like?

IF you have ever wondered what dying feels like, you will find your interest in the New Scientist article, How does it feel to die?.

The article describes various dying processes in great detail. These include drowning (which I find particularly intriguing: 55% of drowning victims were good swimmers and died within 30 to 90 seconds a mere 3 metres from safey), bleeding (which is described as more alarming than painful), and falling from great heights (which is the nastiest way to die).

The author rightly warns that the article may not be appropriate to everyone lest they suffer a stroke. Which, incidentally, is also covered.

Eddy.

Red October

OCTOBER seems to be a seasonal hurdle for me, what with all the expenses on TV licensing renewal, yearly water bill, insurance renewals, and — a new addition — the re-mortgage.

To begin with, I’ve been sick most of last week, suffering fevers on two consecutive nights and becoming so alarmed as to dispense instructions to Priscilla for the odd chance that I should, erm, pass in my sleep. Luckily, I’m still alive. But, even now, I still have some remnants of flu, mostly a constant runny nose and an urge to sleep.

Thankfully, as we crawl towards the end of Red October, things seem to be looking up.

Our washing machine broke a month short of two years, which I deemed un-acceptable. Backed by Consumer Direct, I made a claim for either a full refund, or a replacement, to Argos. They’ve now agreed to not only replace the faulty machine, but also to give us an upgrade to the latest model and refund the call-out charge of the engineer. Albeit we’re still waiting for delivery, but it is a win in my book. Me 1, retailer 0.

It’s not very often that the taxman sends you cheques, yet this is exactly what happened when I was sent one as refund of excess tax payments. That money will probably be taken back just as quickly as it arrived, though. Still, for now, me 1, state 0.

Once I had my palm read by a Sikh who charmed me with a small red stone and too-good-to-be-fluke guesses of my name, date of birth and other supposedly secret personal details. At the time, I was having some issues, the outcome of which I was curious about. He said, “Don’t worry— If you survive October, everything will be alright.” I thought he meant that October, but it looks more and more like it is an annual recurrence — my own Red October.

Eddy.