(For those of you who have no interest in software development whatsoever I’d advise you to skip the first couple of paragraphs as they may just cause your head to explode). After a lot of pain, tracing code, monitoring processes on different servers etc and trying to figure out why the deployment of our application is failing on the Live servers, but working correctly on both ours and the clients test environments; I think I’ve finally figured out the problem.
Firstly it seems that whoever wrote the code in the first place; has a policy of just swallowing exceptions and not handling them correctly. If there were 12 commandments to be followed in software development, “Thou shall not swallow exceptions” would surely be one of them; if these exceptions were handled in the first place, we might have picked up the cause of the problem a lot more quickly. Secondly the issue that we have been experiencing seems to be the result of different customized settings on the servers, specifically with regards to date formats…at least now we know what the problem is and can hopefully resolve it relatively quickly.
Speaking of date problem’s I can’t remember the last time I went on a proper date. Do people even go on dates anymore? Think the last one I went on was before I left for Joburg and that was quite some time ago. I’ve been so busy with work and having a torrid love affair with my computer that I haven’t had a chance to even realize how long it’s been. Hmmm perhaps it’s time to put myself back into the game…all work and no play is certainly making Jack (or in this case me) a dull boy!
Anyways the sun was out in full force today! I reckon all the positive thinking and wishing for the worst of winter to pass us has finally come to fruition! If I could have, I would have most definitely snuck down to Camps Bay for an afternoon siesta on the beach, but unfortunately being office bound this was out of the question. I did, however, manage to sneak out the office briefly and wander down Kloof Street to grab some lunch!
Ahhh fresh air! It really was therapeutic to get out of the office, even if it was for only 20 minutes. I believe the fresh air does one a world of good, and it sure beats breathing in that lovely, bacteria laden, possibly virus infected, recycled stuff that goes around the office (as is accustomed to centrally air-conditioned environments). Definitely going to add a mandatory out of office time in the future and would seriously recommend it to everyone else too.
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th! I’ve never been a superstitious kind of guy…until today! Somehow everything that could possibly go wrong at work did. To spare you from the boring details I had to deploy an application to a client site, but it was impossible to get right due to the corporate red tape that is associated to big companies .
The gist of my problem was, I was not allowed to log on to a PC that was sitting right next to me, but instead had to phone some dude, who is located offsite i.e. not in the same building and ask him to remote terminal service into the PC and do the deploy for me. To add to it we encountered some problems with the PC which we could have changed there and then, but because of all corporate bureaucracy. I would have had to get about 10 documents signed by higher powers, to authorize the changes ARGGGGGGG! (Some of the IT jargon has been simplified for the sake of understandability).
Anyways also had some code issues from the team in India, so had to stay in late, to finish up some work. Was supposed to go to some party with Infected Mushrooms(?) Mate! I don’t have a clue who they are, I think they could be some Trance act from Israel? But Xav, Action Dan, Sabine and the rest were going so it would have been stellar!
Oh well I suppose it could have been worse…I could have been stabbed by the two guys having a brawl outside my office as I left…
Last night however was great, a group of us decided to check out Jade for a Thursday evening out on the town, also we wanted to celebrate Sabine’s new found freedom as she finished the last exam of her University career. I always enjoy going out more when I have some great company, especially when the company is a bevy of beautiful women! Jade is surprisingly busy on Thurday evenings…considering the fact that it is a school night, but I suppose I can’t pass judgment since I was there too.
Hip hop seemed to be the flavour of the evening, and the other Kast sister (Sabine and Stef’s mom, who could pass off as their sister), Ingrid showed us how it’s done on the dance floor. I flail around like a fish out of water, but at least I try…I think I’m just lucky that I have a little bit of timing from playing guitar and skip rope jumping so I don’t appear to be a complete retard…or do I? Someone would tell me if I did right? Cos seriously it ain’t cool to let a brother hang like that.
The gist of my problem was, I was not allowed to log on to a PC that was sitting right next to me, but instead had to phone some dude, who is located offsite i.e. not in the same building and ask him to remote terminal service into the PC and do the deploy for me. To add to it we encountered some problems with the PC which we could have changed there and then, but because of all corporate bureaucracy. I would have had to get about 10 documents signed by higher powers, to authorize the changes ARGGGGGGG! (Some of the IT jargon has been simplified for the sake of understandability).
Anyways also had some code issues from the team in India, so had to stay in late, to finish up some work. Was supposed to go to some party with Infected Mushrooms(?) Mate! I don’t have a clue who they are, I think they could be some Trance act from Israel? But Xav, Action Dan, Sabine and the rest were going so it would have been stellar!
Oh well I suppose it could have been worse…I could have been stabbed by the two guys having a brawl outside my office as I left…
Last night however was great, a group of us decided to check out Jade for a Thursday evening out on the town, also we wanted to celebrate Sabine’s new found freedom as she finished the last exam of her University career. I always enjoy going out more when I have some great company, especially when the company is a bevy of beautiful women! Jade is surprisingly busy on Thurday evenings…considering the fact that it is a school night, but I suppose I can’t pass judgment since I was there too.
Hip hop seemed to be the flavour of the evening, and the other Kast sister (Sabine and Stef’s mom, who could pass off as their sister), Ingrid showed us how it’s done on the dance floor. I flail around like a fish out of water, but at least I try…I think I’m just lucky that I have a little bit of timing from playing guitar and skip rope jumping so I don’t appear to be a complete retard…or do I? Someone would tell me if I did right? Cos seriously it ain’t cool to let a brother hang like that.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Bon Appetit
Two things in life are certain: Death and… I make the best damn Lasagne... Now you may probably think that I’m exaggerating here but it’s true, the only reason I haven’t publicized this before is because I don’t want Italians to be ashamed that an Asian dude makes better pasta then them…although everyone knows that the concept of Pasta actually came from the orient…noodles…anyone?
After having a pretty tough week, being sick and working way too many hours, my work somehow decided to stick the guy with the flu in an ice box…well it was close, it was actually a server room filled with computer equipment and some insane cooling equipment to keep the equipment from overheating. I don’t know, but I think someone out there has it in for me; and wants to see if I’ll catch pneumonia. Anyways for some reason when I’m sick I seem to crave comfort food.
There are one or two dishes I enjoy more, but in general Lasagne is pound for pound my favourite meal. So on my way home from work I decided to pick up some goodies to make some. Finding me in the kitchen these days is pretty rare, it seems that I’m always preoccupied with other stuff…but it doesn’t mean I can’t cook.
The mere fact that I enjoy food so much would suggest that I should be pretty good at combining flavours and delivering a pretty tasty meal but where I’m good in that department I’m completely lacking in the technical department and pretty darn clumsy… I once somehow spilled an entire pot of boiling water on myself…I was just extremely lucky to be wearing the thickest jacket imaginable, and it saved me from certain, 3rd degree burns.
I also tend to use all the wrong utensils, for example when I cook I love using pots. I don’t like pans even when it comes to frying stuff. Which I suppose is not so weird, considering my mom refuses to use any other knife to prepare food with except a trusty bone cleaver…I think it’s an oriental thing and should probably follow suit, but I’m not going to risk my fingers seeing that I’m already very accident prone.
I digress, my point was that if you do find me in the kitchen I like to make it count and I’ve probably made enough Lasagne to feed 8 people…I’d let everyone taste some but it’s actually that good, that I fear I’d be hassled ad nauseum, for the recipe… which I carry with me to the grave by the way. So without further a due, I have some eating and sleeping to attend too.
After having a pretty tough week, being sick and working way too many hours, my work somehow decided to stick the guy with the flu in an ice box…well it was close, it was actually a server room filled with computer equipment and some insane cooling equipment to keep the equipment from overheating. I don’t know, but I think someone out there has it in for me; and wants to see if I’ll catch pneumonia. Anyways for some reason when I’m sick I seem to crave comfort food.
There are one or two dishes I enjoy more, but in general Lasagne is pound for pound my favourite meal. So on my way home from work I decided to pick up some goodies to make some. Finding me in the kitchen these days is pretty rare, it seems that I’m always preoccupied with other stuff…but it doesn’t mean I can’t cook.
The mere fact that I enjoy food so much would suggest that I should be pretty good at combining flavours and delivering a pretty tasty meal but where I’m good in that department I’m completely lacking in the technical department and pretty darn clumsy… I once somehow spilled an entire pot of boiling water on myself…I was just extremely lucky to be wearing the thickest jacket imaginable, and it saved me from certain, 3rd degree burns.
I also tend to use all the wrong utensils, for example when I cook I love using pots. I don’t like pans even when it comes to frying stuff. Which I suppose is not so weird, considering my mom refuses to use any other knife to prepare food with except a trusty bone cleaver…I think it’s an oriental thing and should probably follow suit, but I’m not going to risk my fingers seeing that I’m already very accident prone.
I digress, my point was that if you do find me in the kitchen I like to make it count and I’ve probably made enough Lasagne to feed 8 people…I’d let everyone taste some but it’s actually that good, that I fear I’d be hassled ad nauseum, for the recipe… which I carry with me to the grave by the way. So without further a due, I have some eating and sleeping to attend too.
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