That's C as in "Career".
Some time ago I had my annual performance review at work. Besides telling how I have been doing at my work (I'm doing fine, no problems there), we also talk about what's going to happen in the future. And while there are nothing that major going on, there are some "minor" things. And I'm not sure that do I like them.
Sure, the changes might include a pay-rise (more than the standard raise that is). Or it might not. I'm not sure yet. And while the money is nice, I'm not sure that would it be enough to compensate for the change.
What is this change? Well, it seems that I will be taking over some "management"-duties. In other words: paper-pushing.
I'm a techie. I enjoy solving technical problems. And I enjoy working with technology. And while I would continue to do that, I would also be handling red-tape. Shuffling papers around, going through invoices, signing contracts...
Yes, it would be a nice addition to my CV and it would be a nice opportunity for me to grow as a person and an employee. But does that mean that I should like it?
Rationally, I should be very excited by this opportunity. More pay (maybe), more skills, more responsibility. But deep down I'm not that enthusiastic.
Those crazy Finns....
Finland is weird. Some time ago I told of Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning. An epic scifi-movie made by amateurs. The project took about 7 years to finish. Next, we had Lordi: A glam-rock band that went and won the Eurovision Song Contest by a wide margin. Could this get any weirder?
Why, yes it can! There's a bunch of Finns who are making a hi-caliber movie! I mean the kind of movie that could be watched in the big screen all over the world. That's basically unheard of in on itself! And its not just any kind of movie. It's an.... uh... epical kung fu movie. Yes, you read that right. The story apparently ties Finnish Mythology (The Kalevala) to Chinese Mythology, and delivers the combination with fistfull of kung fu. Come again?
I mean, think about it: Kalevala is not know for kung fu. Finns are not known for kung fu. Chinese ARE known for kung fu, but they don't have much to do with Finland or Kalevala. And yet, we have bunch of Finns shooting a kung gu movie in China, with Chinese and Finnish actors.
I'm serious, you can't make this stuff up!
Why, yes it can! There's a bunch of Finns who are making a hi-caliber movie! I mean the kind of movie that could be watched in the big screen all over the world. That's basically unheard of in on itself! And its not just any kind of movie. It's an.... uh... epical kung fu movie. Yes, you read that right. The story apparently ties Finnish Mythology (The Kalevala) to Chinese Mythology, and delivers the combination with fistfull of kung fu. Come again?
I mean, think about it: Kalevala is not know for kung fu. Finns are not known for kung fu. Chinese ARE known for kung fu, but they don't have much to do with Finland or Kalevala. And yet, we have bunch of Finns shooting a kung gu movie in China, with Chinese and Finnish actors.
I'm serious, you can't make this stuff up!
Say hello to the PLOW KING!
Last week I ordered a Nokia 770. It was delivered yesterday. And it absolutely kicks ass! Small device that has great web-browser, email, installable apps (word-processor, games, tools etc. etc.), great screen, Google Talk-client (in the next release of the OS) etc. etc. I have now used it for one day, and I'm already formulating a plan for the future uses of the device.
Besides the obvious (email, internet), I'm planning to use it as a mobile "reader". That is, I can use it to read PDF's and other documents while on the go. Documentation, articles, books... You name it.
Movies? Why not? Just transcode the movies in appropriate resolution, and get a big memory-card. Music? same thing (although I usually have my iPod with me). As an added bonus, the 770 is a great webradio-client, and you could stream your music through it if it's somewhere on the network.
Google Talk and IM. This is perfectly doable, assuming that the net-connection is there.
There are already tools that can tie the device to GPS-receiver, and display your location on a map (Google Maps for example). I don't have GPS, but 770 would still be a great Google Maps-client. And the software in question supports Google Maps automatically.
This is still missing, but... A Wikipedia-client. I know, Wikipedia is a website, and the "client" is commonly known as "web-browser". But it would be cool if there was an simple way to search for articles in Wikipedia without using a separate web-browser for it. Combine Wikipedia with Google Maps, you will never be lost, and you can actually learn something of the strange city you are in. All with one little device!
Games? I already installed NetHack on it ;).
Laptop. I'm planning of getting a Bluetooth-keyboard to go with the 770. At that point it would be a viable replacement for a laptop, since I could do things like word-processing on it.
The Nokia 770: The little device that could. It cost me 370€, but that's money well spent!
Besides the obvious (email, internet), I'm planning to use it as a mobile "reader". That is, I can use it to read PDF's and other documents while on the go. Documentation, articles, books... You name it.
Movies? Why not? Just transcode the movies in appropriate resolution, and get a big memory-card. Music? same thing (although I usually have my iPod with me). As an added bonus, the 770 is a great webradio-client, and you could stream your music through it if it's somewhere on the network.
Google Talk and IM. This is perfectly doable, assuming that the net-connection is there.
There are already tools that can tie the device to GPS-receiver, and display your location on a map (Google Maps for example). I don't have GPS, but 770 would still be a great Google Maps-client. And the software in question supports Google Maps automatically.
This is still missing, but... A Wikipedia-client. I know, Wikipedia is a website, and the "client" is commonly known as "web-browser". But it would be cool if there was an simple way to search for articles in Wikipedia without using a separate web-browser for it. Combine Wikipedia with Google Maps, you will never be lost, and you can actually learn something of the strange city you are in. All with one little device!
Games? I already installed NetHack on it ;).
Laptop. I'm planning of getting a Bluetooth-keyboard to go with the 770. At that point it would be a viable replacement for a laptop, since I could do things like word-processing on it.
The Nokia 770: The little device that could. It cost me 370€, but that's money well spent!
Innocence
I went shopping for movies last week. The first thing I picked up was "Spirited Away". It was on sale, so it was a no-brainer. After I had picked that up, I saw something that caught my attention: "Innocence" by Lucile Hadzihalilovic. the cover of the movie was full of snippets from praising reviews. I haven't heard of it before, but it seemed interesting. So I decided to risk it, and bought it. Yesterday me and the Mrs. watched it.
First things first: The Mrs. didn't like it. It was "too weird" and "boring". And I can understand why she feels like that. But there is something in the movie....
I'm not going to spoil the movie, so I'll just provide a general idea of the movie: It tells of a group of about 8-12 old girls who live in a strange boarding-school. New girls arrive to the school in coffins via underground tunnel. There's no apparent exit from the school, apart from those tunnels. Every year new girls arrive at the school (in coffins), and the elder girls leave the school to go "outside".
The girls live in five separate houses. Apparently the ages of the girls are one year apart from each other. Every day at 9pm the eldest girl of the group leaves to go somewhere, but she's always back before morning. During the day, the girls play and study dancing and biology. They can't leave the grounds of the boarding-school. They can't see their families.
Sounds simple enough? Not really. We are never told what's really going on. We are presented with questions, but we are never given any answers. Everything is open for intrepetation, and there are lots of details to intrepet. In a way, the movie presents a series of events to the viewer, and encourages the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
The movie is very beautiful. There's scene after scene of beautiful cinematography, and the movie lingers on those scenes, allowing the viewer to really take it all in. The dialogue is quite minimal, the viewer is encouraged to watch, instead of listen.
Is it a good movie? Well, that's hard to say. I can see why someone might feel disappointed. The movie is very atypical. It doesn't explain anything, it doesn't give answers to anything. After watching the movie, the viewer is left thinking "what the hell just happened? What's going on? What does it all mean?". While some people might feel disappointed, since we are grown accustomed to Hollywood-movies that are so obvious that the viewer doesn't have to think at all, there are those who can really appreciate this movie. I noticed that after the movie I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I just saw. And by "thinking" I don't mean "whoa, those special effects were cool!", but rather "what does it mean?". It's quite rare to see a movie like this these days.
If you want brainless entertainment, steer clear of this movie. If you want an "easy" movie, steer clear of this movie. If you want a movie that challenges you to think and draw your own conclusions, this is the movie for you.
First things first: The Mrs. didn't like it. It was "too weird" and "boring". And I can understand why she feels like that. But there is something in the movie....
I'm not going to spoil the movie, so I'll just provide a general idea of the movie: It tells of a group of about 8-12 old girls who live in a strange boarding-school. New girls arrive to the school in coffins via underground tunnel. There's no apparent exit from the school, apart from those tunnels. Every year new girls arrive at the school (in coffins), and the elder girls leave the school to go "outside".
The girls live in five separate houses. Apparently the ages of the girls are one year apart from each other. Every day at 9pm the eldest girl of the group leaves to go somewhere, but she's always back before morning. During the day, the girls play and study dancing and biology. They can't leave the grounds of the boarding-school. They can't see their families.
Sounds simple enough? Not really. We are never told what's really going on. We are presented with questions, but we are never given any answers. Everything is open for intrepetation, and there are lots of details to intrepet. In a way, the movie presents a series of events to the viewer, and encourages the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
The movie is very beautiful. There's scene after scene of beautiful cinematography, and the movie lingers on those scenes, allowing the viewer to really take it all in. The dialogue is quite minimal, the viewer is encouraged to watch, instead of listen.
Is it a good movie? Well, that's hard to say. I can see why someone might feel disappointed. The movie is very atypical. It doesn't explain anything, it doesn't give answers to anything. After watching the movie, the viewer is left thinking "what the hell just happened? What's going on? What does it all mean?". While some people might feel disappointed, since we are grown accustomed to Hollywood-movies that are so obvious that the viewer doesn't have to think at all, there are those who can really appreciate this movie. I noticed that after the movie I spent quite a bit of time thinking about what I just saw. And by "thinking" I don't mean "whoa, those special effects were cool!", but rather "what does it mean?". It's quite rare to see a movie like this these days.
If you want brainless entertainment, steer clear of this movie. If you want an "easy" movie, steer clear of this movie. If you want a movie that challenges you to think and draw your own conclusions, this is the movie for you.
Holy crap!
Finland just won the Eurovision song-contest. With record-breaking points apparently.
Un-fucking-believable!
Un-fucking-believable!
Four
The Doctor recommended this, so I'll have a shot:
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. A "jack-of-all-trades" for the county of Ilmajoki
2. Computer-assembler
3. IT-support specialist
4. IT-professional
Four movies I would have watched over and over:
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. BladeRunner
3. Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
4. Matrix
Four places I have lived:
1. Koskenkorva
2. Helsinki Metropolitan Area
3. Kerava
4. Järvenpää
Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation
2. Lost
3. Babylon 5
4. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Did I mention I'm a nerd?
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Sweden
2. Mallorca, Spain
3. Estonia
4. Ummmm, Finland?
Four websites I visit almost daily:
1. arstechnica.com
2. slashdot.org
3. theinquirer.net
4. www.hs.fi
Four of my favourite foods:
1. Pizza (in all shapes and sizes)
2. BBQ
3. "Chinese"
4. Lasagna
Predictable? yes.
Four things I want to do before the end of the year:
1. I would like to learn a new skill
2. I would like to repay my student-loan in full
3. I would like to get a new and interesting job
4. I would like to buy a new car (like I wanted to do last year, and year before that....)
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. A "jack-of-all-trades" for the county of Ilmajoki
2. Computer-assembler
3. IT-support specialist
4. IT-professional
Four movies I would have watched over and over:
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. BladeRunner
3. Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain
4. Matrix
Four places I have lived:
1. Koskenkorva
2. Helsinki Metropolitan Area
3. Kerava
4. Järvenpää
Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Star Trek: The Next Generation
2. Lost
3. Babylon 5
4. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Did I mention I'm a nerd?
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Sweden
2. Mallorca, Spain
3. Estonia
4. Ummmm, Finland?
Four websites I visit almost daily:
1. arstechnica.com
2. slashdot.org
3. theinquirer.net
4. www.hs.fi
Four of my favourite foods:
1. Pizza (in all shapes and sizes)
2. BBQ
3. "Chinese"
4. Lasagna
Predictable? yes.
Four things I want to do before the end of the year:
1. I would like to learn a new skill
2. I would like to repay my student-loan in full
3. I would like to get a new and interesting job
4. I would like to buy a new car (like I wanted to do last year, and year before that....)
It's not racism, dammit!
OK, this thing is one of my pet-peeves: people not knowing what "racism" means. First things first: what IS racism? Racism is discrimination based on race and/or ethnic background of the individual. And racism is bad, mmmmkay?
Simple enough, yes? I think so. And we still have people calling some things "racism" that clearly are not. An example. So Googles "Summer of Code" is off-limits to citizens of Iran, North-Korea and other countries that US Administration thinks is "supporting terrorism". Roozbeh then asks " Please tell me how this is not racism?" (I would, but there's no way to comment on your blog-entries Roozbeh!). Simple: the discrimination is not happening because of race or ethnic background, it's based on nationality. South-Koreans can take part in SoC, yet they are of same race as their brothers north of the border are, who can not take part. Iranians are not discriminated because of their race or ethnic background, they are discriminated because of their governments (true or perceived) policies.
Now, feel free to disagree with the policy of Google (which IIRC is mandated by the government). But DON'T start calling it "racism"!
This is a rather mild example of this "neo-speak". Quite often I see people who live "alternative" lifestyle (vegans, hip-hoppers etc.) talk about "racism" when they are subjected to prejudice because of their lifestyle. Prejudices are bad (yet we all have them them, in one way or the other), and racism is a form of prejudice. But not all prejudices are racism! And that fact seems to be beyond the grasp of many people!
Hey white boy! Just because your white roommate said some nasty comments about your taste of music does not mean that you were subjected to "racist taunts"! Racism is a serious problem, and I get annoyed when people dilute the term by calling all prejudices "racism". Just because someone dislikes some type of music, does not mean that the person is a "racist".
So get your terminology straight, dammit! End rant.
Simple enough, yes? I think so. And we still have people calling some things "racism" that clearly are not. An example. So Googles "Summer of Code" is off-limits to citizens of Iran, North-Korea and other countries that US Administration thinks is "supporting terrorism". Roozbeh then asks " Please tell me how this is not racism?" (I would, but there's no way to comment on your blog-entries Roozbeh!). Simple: the discrimination is not happening because of race or ethnic background, it's based on nationality. South-Koreans can take part in SoC, yet they are of same race as their brothers north of the border are, who can not take part. Iranians are not discriminated because of their race or ethnic background, they are discriminated because of their governments (true or perceived) policies.
Now, feel free to disagree with the policy of Google (which IIRC is mandated by the government). But DON'T start calling it "racism"!
This is a rather mild example of this "neo-speak". Quite often I see people who live "alternative" lifestyle (vegans, hip-hoppers etc.) talk about "racism" when they are subjected to prejudice because of their lifestyle. Prejudices are bad (yet we all have them them, in one way or the other), and racism is a form of prejudice. But not all prejudices are racism! And that fact seems to be beyond the grasp of many people!
Hey white boy! Just because your white roommate said some nasty comments about your taste of music does not mean that you were subjected to "racist taunts"! Racism is a serious problem, and I get annoyed when people dilute the term by calling all prejudices "racism". Just because someone dislikes some type of music, does not mean that the person is a "racist".
So get your terminology straight, dammit! End rant.
