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Archives / 2005 / January

  • Learning ASP.Net

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    We are all beginners at some stage. It could be as a driver, a student, or a programmer. Maybe it's because I taught (longtime ago) computers and coding to many people, but I always like to help people who want to start with a new technology.

    So I would like to see more focus in the future for INDA members who are struggling with ASP.Net or .Net.

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  • INDA session - Another success :-)

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    Thanks to everybody for your participation in the session yesterday in Dublin. Nick Grattan from SoftwarePaths delivered a great speech on CLR and SQL Server 2005.

    I hope that this will encourage participants to try what they learned. I myself really now want to try my hand at this new approach to program SQL Server. Nick demonstrated that even CLR can help in some complex scenarios, T-SQL will still be a major component in SQL Server 2005.

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  • Thailand - Post effects

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    I waited one week before this, but I really feel down after such stress over Christmas in Thailand. I know I can't complain, I know a lot of people suffered from the events, but I feel really low, my wife seems to share the same feelings.
    We should have been there on the beach, and I still have to deal with that every day. Some sort of daily nightmares. Don't know for others 'survivors', but it's really take a lot on my behavior with my small world. My job is now just a job, all the people I see everyday seems to be so distant.

    I traveled a lot in different countries in the past, and I know for sure the holidays syndrome, when you are back, from a sunny place to a cold and damp place. But it's really the first time I feel like been displaced, like if I belong to somewhere else.

    I intend to go back soon for two weeks, and this is something which I really want to do. Maybe this time, at least it will be real holidays.

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  • Mac mini I bought one :-)

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    Just happens that my brother in law is working for Apple selling the Mac mini so I just bought one few minutes ago.

    Sad that they don't have special employee deals on this one, surely because it's too new. The bill come at a total of 702 euros, including the bluetooth/wifi card and the TV adapter, and there I am talking about the second model.
    Not bad at all. Thanks also to a strong Euro ! Sure it's not exactly top notch like some Shuttle PC but it's truely fanless and in my sitting room, no way I will install a noisy PC.

    Pity that Steve Jobs didn't decided to push more the concept of Mac mini as a media center. Maybe he just wanted to test the market and we surely can expect a more advanced version next year, a bit like the Ipod which is now at the fourth generation.

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  • Happy new year from Phuket Thailand

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    I would have surely wished a new year from Thailand in better circumstances, but life is buzzing again here.
    I heard via the web the RTE news from yesterday about the situation here. Sorry if I won't make friends with that, but the media in Ireland don't give a real and honest view about what's going on here.
    Yes a lot of tragedies are still happening here, but I repeat loudly that in Phuket we are not living in tents without water and food.
    Everybody here, locals and tourists are doing their usual business, one group selling the other one enjoying the sun and the beaches. Of course nobody forgot overnight the deaths but many here would like to see a bigger picture of what's really is the life here.
    We got like many people a sad but normal New Year dinner, and nothing ws missing on the menu, including lobsters and beers. It doesn't mean nobody are concerned anymore, but we just want and we have to live.
    Another thing I know for sure, is that in Thailand (I am speaking for only what I know and I am sure it's not the same in Sri Lanka) they need the tourists. If you have planned your holidays in Phuket, don't cancel them.
    If you do that, it could be the worst thing to do to their shaken economy. I was talking with a general manager of  a well known hotel here, and they have an estimated figure of 22 000 unemployed hotel and restaurant staff in one week. Even if you are scared by the sea (and I think it's largely exagerated), you still have a lot of things to do here.
    So please tell the media to give more hope and more positive reports, even if of course a lot of people are still missing.
    One example of a great strong character is Barry Murphy who has his girlfriend missing from Phi Phi Island.
    I met him yesterday, believe me he's well and even if he look a bit lost, he's one at the front to help and search for missing people. I don't know if I would be able to be strong as him if I lost someone close to me, but he's an example of what is truly a human spirit.
    To conclude this post, some recent pictures. (click on the pictures to see a bigger one)

      
    Beaches and tourists in Kata 1 January 2005

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