Jean-Claude's Radio Weblog

Sat, 08 Mar 2003 12:17:44 GMT

World of Ends

What the Internet Is and
How to Stop Mistaking It
for Something Else.

by
Doc Searls and
David Weinberger

Tue, 04 Mar 2003 01:54:36 GMT

Sooner than expected

Against all odds, Object First With Java, A Practical Introduction Using BleuJ, the book that I have ordered last Sunday (February 23) arrived Friday (February 28). I didn't expected it so soon. I took a good look at the book this weekend. It has 13 chapters. I think that if I read a chapter a week (which includes doing the exercises and everything), I should have read it all by the end of May.

Frances and I went to Montreal, to spend the weekend and we brought Laurence back with us to Saint John for March break. Even though I have to work the rest of the week and I expect to be very busy, I am very happy that the LADIES are on vacation.

Jean-Claude

Sun, 23 Feb 2003 20:04:01 GMT

Something Meaningful

I need to start focusing on something that is meaningful to me. I need to start concentrating on learning something new. So I decided that it's time that I should seriously seek to get certified on Java.

Just learning a new programming language, especially in Java's case, is not enough. Java is an object-oriented programming language. Design considerations are as important if not more important than knowing the language proper or any of the APIs that goes with it.

There are lots of resources out there. Namely, there is a simplified development environment named Bluej that is specially geared at teaching object oriented programming using Java. It looks like it's something that I could live with it. Consequently, I decided the buy the book Objects First with Java A Practical Introduction using BlueJ by David J. Barnes & Michael Kölling that goes with it and formally start my process of learning the object oriented programming using Java.

I will buy the book today and I think I might use my weblog to track my progress.

Jean-Claude

Sun, 23 Feb 2003 11:53:44 GMT

Atomic Bombing: How to Protect Yourself (1950 survival guide)

Enjoy!
Jean-Claude

Fri, 21 Feb 2003 23:34:22 GMT

God creates Canada . . .

Frances brought this home today . . . enjoy!

Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Heaven, God went missing for six days. Eventually, Michael the archangel found him, resting on the seventh day. He inquired of God, "Where have you been?" God sighed a deep sigh of satisfaction and proudly pointed downwards through the clouds, "Look Michael, look what I've made." Archangel Michael looked puzzled and said, "What is it?" "It's a planet,"replied God, "and I've put LIFE on it. I'm going to call it Earth and it's going to be a place of great balance." "Balance?" inquired Michael, still confused. God explained, pointing to different parts of Earth, "For example, NorthernEurope will be a place of great opportunity and wealth while Southern Europe is going to be poor; the Middle East over there will be a hot spot. Over there I've placed a continent of white people and over there is a continent of black people," God continued, pointing to different countries. "This one will be extremely hot and arid while this one will be very cold and covered in ice."

The Archangel, impressed by Gods work, then pointed to a large landmass in the top corner and asked, "What's that one?" "Ah," said God. "That's Canada, the most glorious place on Earth. There are beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, streams and an exquisite coastline. The people from Canada are going to be modest, intelligent and humorous and they're going to be found travelling the world. They'll be extremely sociable, hard working and high achieving, and they will be known throughout the world as diplomats and carriers of peace, i'm also going to give them super-human, undefeatable ice hockey players who will be admired and feared by all who come across them."

Michael gasped in wonder and admiration but then proclaimed; "What about balance, God? You said there will be BALANCE!" God replied wisely. "Wait until you see the loud-mouth bastards I'm putting next to them...."

Jean-Claude

Thu, 20 Feb 2003 16:01:30 GMT

Frances Ann Wants a Cell Phone

Frances wants her own cell phone. She says that now that her COOP course that she is teaching takes her all over town, it is too inconvenient to be searching for a phone everytime she needs one. We will end up having two cell phones on one account. We will share the minutes. Ok as long as we do not call each other's cell phone. Because if we do, we will be eating up twice as many minutes. More on this later!

Jean-Claude

Mon, 17 Feb 2003 01:04:43 GMT

Saint Valentine's day Weekend Mahogany Manor Bed & Breakfast Stay

Last December there was a Bazaar organized as a fund raiser for Saint John High School. Frances Ann, my spouse, teaches there. At the bazaar there was an auction. One of the item open for bidding was a night for two at the Mahogany Manor Bed & Breakfast. Against all odds, she won the bid and we decided to go this weekend.

Large rooms, nine foot ceiling and tall windows; this house was built quite some time ago. They do not make them like that anymore. The hosts, a couple of middle age men, were genuinely nice and made our stay memorable.

We had an excellent evening: Diner at Chruch Street Steak House and early evening movie: About Schmidt

Once again, especially this weekend, Monday will come too soon.

Jean-Claude

Sat, 15 Feb 2003 14:49:29 GMT

A Soldier's Viewpoint on Surviving Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Attacks

Interesting reading ... Hope never to go through that!

Jean-Claude

Sat, 15 Feb 2003 13:33:32 GMT

The Cold and Frances

The cold might stop Frances from going to work (she works as english teacher at a local high school here in Saint John, NB) but I will not stop her to go shopping early on a Saturday morning. Specially if ther is a 50% to 75% sale going on. It is currently -24C outside . . . in the sun.

Jean-Claude

Fri, 14 Feb 2003 01:43:37 GMT

Got the most thoughtful and original card/photo album that reminisces on our 7 years together from Frances Ann for Saint Valentine's day.

Incredibly busy day today. Got up at 02:00, left for work at 03:00. Got there at 05:00. PassCode to get in the building did not work. Lucky me, someone got out and that created an opportunity for me to get in. Worked on final touch to presentation and walked up to training room in the other building that our company has in Moncton, NB. Did presentation in front of 6 persons. Finally took the road back to Saint John at noon. Bought some flowers, card, candle and heart shaped balloon to Frances for Saint Valentine's day.

It is so cold out there (-20C to -30C), it's not even funny.

Jean-Claude

Thu, 13 Feb 2003 02:05:33 GMT

Still busy writting a presentation. Somebody gave me a 720k diskette instead of a 1.44M. I save my presentation on it. My computer can not read those. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! I should have just emailed myself instead. Because of that I will have to get in to work very early tomorrow . . . after an 1.5 hour drive.

Looking forward to the weekend.

Jean-Claude

Wed, 12 Feb 2003 01:04:54 GMT

This is a picture of Laurence & me taken in 1998

Challenge of the week: SQL Fundamentals of querying, a presentation still currently in gestation for Thrusday & Friday of this week; . . . getting everything . . . hardware, software and presentation . . . ready in time.

Ok, I am not sure that I am of the blogging type. This is suprising because I am normally quite willing to comment about things. I think I am intimidated by this new medium. Lucky me, nobody is reading . . . at least for the moment.

From now on, I will blog everyday. Going through the process on a daily basis . . . this will be the only way that I will be able to tell if this is for me. I must say that I have learned and quite a few things since I have discovered Weblogs.

Jean-Claude

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 00:44:53 GMT

This is a picture of Laurence, Frances & me:

Jean-Claude

Sun, 02 Feb 2003 09:15:37 GMT

Counting the days?

This is day one after the shuttle disaster . . . and I am not feeling any better.

Are we going to start counting the days after this disaster. And, at the same time, entertain a sort of countdown to the a war that each day seems more unavoidable.

My heartfelt sympathies goes to the family, friends . . . and colleagues of those astronauts who died.

At this time, 2003 does not look good!

Sat, 01 Feb 2003 14:56:05 GMT

Well I guess that's it! This is the start of Radio's 30 days evaluation period and my first post.

This is a new world to explore and like Russ Lipton says, I will have to find my voice.

. . . Oh my God!!! I just received telephone call from Frances's father telling me to turn on the TV! It appears that the Space Shuttle might have missed re-entry and is burning . . .

Jean-Claude

Jean-Claude's Radio Weblog

World of Ends

What the Internet Is andHow to Stop Mistaking Itfor Something Else.

by Doc Searls and David Weinberger

What the Internet Is and
How to Stop Mistaking It
for Something Else.

by
Doc Searls and
David Weinberger