Re: Mike McQueen new email

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert ()]

 > From: "Mike M." <http://profiles.yahoo.com/handmeat>
 > Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 13:06:57 -0800 (PST)
 >
 > >     * Plop down into another position.  Within days of finding out that So_ny
 > >       was laying me off, a recruiter contacted me about a software engineering
 > >       position at Tell_me.  As some of you may know, I have always been
 > >       interested in speech recognition technology and been keen about Tell_me.
 > >       I enthusiastically interviewed there and got the position -- I was
 > >       unemployed for just 5 days.
 > 
 > i know a couple ex-Tell_Me'ers (ites?). both are
 > sys-admin types.  both worked there for several years
 > and vested a bunch of options.  both are hopeful that
 > someday Tell_Me will IPO and make them rich.

I'm not too hopeful.  I just heard that there is a hiring freeze here.

 > >     * Commuting
 > >       * No views of mountains.  My new commute takes me to Mountain View
 > > 	and is a much longer commute.  I commute either via light rail,
 > > 	which in total is a little over 1 hour, or via Caltrain, which in
 > > 	total is a little under 1 hour.  (I must ride my bicycle when
 > > 	taking Caltrain, so I get some exercise as well.)  The upside of
 > > 	my longer commute is that my magazine collection has actually been
 > > 	shrinking because I finally have time to read!
 > >     * Bicycle
 > >       * Had just about enough.  I was getting sick to death of having to
 > >         repair the tires on Noelle's old Peugeot bicycle, which I was
 > >         using on my commute, and invested in a new bicycle.  I bought a
 > >         Trek 7300 "commuter" bicycle, women's frame.  It's definitely the
 > >         best bicycle I've owned thus far.  It's comfortable and a pleasure
 > >         to ride.  It also seems to be more robust than the Peugeot -- the
 > >         tire rim has not yet dented despite encountering several obstacles.
 > 
 > so, i probably told you before, but i finally bought a
 > car (old used camry) oh maybe 3-4 years ago now.  the
 > sad truth which i hate admitting is that it improved
 > my life.  especially since i lived on the eastside and
 > all my friends were in seattle.  i live in seattle now
 > and rarely drive it, but i'm still glad i have it.  i
 > tried the bike-only thing, maybe i'll go back to it
 > someday, but i guess i just got tired of riding my
 > bike all the time.  bummer.

Boy, I remember you were riding a lot.  It sounds like you got burnt-out.
So, you're probably ahead of me by several miles :-).

 > > * Clothing
 > >     * Birks won't cut it.
 > 
 > I bought a pair of Chaco synthetic/rubber flip flops
 > for $50 last summer.  i have worn them for probably
 > over 365 days since then, and they are still in damn
 > good shape, though i've had a couple minor foot
 > related accidents in them (due to my own clumsiness
 > mostly).  for flip flops, these are exceptionally well
 > made.

Interesting.  I think my feet have formed to Birkenstocks, 'tho.  Maybe
someone will come up with a patent-free design which is exactly the same
as Birkenstocks :-).

 > > * Television
 > 
 > one of these i still don't have, and i believe my life
 > is better for it (still).  however, i have been
 > downloading & watching various series on my computer. 
 > i've seen several seasons of Alias, 24 (just because
 > so goddamn many people recommended it - after all the
 > episodes i've seen, i'm still kinda 'meh' about it),
 > CSI Miami (I really enjoy it for some reason),
 > Sopranos, and Battlestar Galactica.  Oh, and i watched
 > one season of "House, M.D.", which I enjoyed.

My mom's really into House.  It is pretty good, but we just have
higher-priority Netflix things to see.

 > > Software
 > >    * PC
 > >      * Linux
 > 
 > I'm actually writing this on a Ubuntu box.

My high school friend also is running Ubuntu (Kubuntu, actually).  I
discovered that Ubuntu doesn't work on my computers because the hardware
is so old!  Do you believe that?

I'm doubtful that I'll ever run Ubuntu -- I think I'll continue to stick
with Debian because I can continue to have complete control over my
system....

 > I've run a
 > linux box for several years, but only ever to run 1
 > app on it, i rarely did anything else.  My last job,
 > over the summer, was at a linux shop, so I "learned
 > linux development", and got a lot more familiar with
 > the user environment as well - I had just never
 > learned anything about Unix really.  So, anyway, I'm a
 > semi-newb-linux-geek now.  I don't go too crazy with
 > it, but I do regularly use my linux box as an actual
 > functional piece of general purpose computing
 > equipment.

Actually, we're starting to use Linux at work (they mostly use Solaris).
Sadly, it's Redhat.  But, at least it's GNU/Linux...

 > good to hear from you as always robert, hope things go
 > well at tell_me and with your other pursuits.  sounds
 > like you're working hard a lot and you should stop
 > doing that :).

I keep trying to tell them that...

 > say hi to noelle for me, and wish her
 > well for me too.  looks like you guys live in a neat
 > part of SJ.  not the most culturally active city in
 > the world, and very very spread out and therefore
 > difficult to bike around.

It's surprising how easy it is to bike around, nevertheless.  Being almost
completely flat helps.

 > is there any mass transit
 > patch between milpitas and fremont these days along
 > 880?

No!

 > i guess there used to be the bus,

Yes, the 180 bus (whose stop is very close to our place, thankfully).
There is talk of BART coming to SJ, but only time will tell -- I'm not too
hopeful.

 > but i'm not
 > even sure they had bike racks on buses back when i
 > lived there.

They have them, but there's only enough for 2 bikes.  So, it's usually
hit-or-miss.

 > i forwarded your mail to mike hamrick.  interesting
 > story about him, when I was looking for a apartment to
 > rent in seattle over the summer, i was waiting outside
 > one place for a manager, after i had dialed him on the
 > security box.. and i scanned the other names on the
 > box.. M. Hamrick.  so i called it, and lo-and-behold,
 > it's Mike.  so we chatted briefly.  I haven't been in
 > voice or physical contact with him in probably over 10
 > years.  and I rarely send him email.  i knew he lived
 > in seattle but didn't know where.  so I promised to
 > email him sometime, which I haven't.  i suck at
 > keeping in touch.

What's his e-mail addr?