... and another boarding request

[peterh]

Hi... Peter here, a coder from The Netherlands, who recently stumbled over this story through a link on Jenner's DocRat site. I was fascinated immediately, and still am.

[Kona]

Being only the quarterdeck watch, it’s not my place to welcome you aboard, sir, but I’ll send a message to Captain Everett and offer you a chair and a cup of tea while we await his return. Most of the crew and passengers seem to be ashore, but we do expect them eventually.

Have a scone, sir; they’re delicious!

[peterh]

Reading some of the other introductions, particularly ASoriano's, I realised that I never *properly* introduced myself.



So, here goes.

I'm a coder from the Netherlands. My main recent expertise in coding is interfaces -- between disparate software, not user interfaces. As of November 1, that is about to change as from then on, I'll be hired by another company - who is after my expertise in coding in the oldfashioned COM world as well as in my .NET expertise. I've been around long enough to have coded using punched cards, so there. In the past 30 years, I've been doing other things in coding as well, so I'll probably find some sort of bearing in my new job as well.

I am currently 52 years old. Ask me again 2 months from now and the answer will be 53, though. Due to my genetics, I've got all my scalp hair left and it's growing out at an alarming rate... and due to my age, it's all grey. I try to keep it in check.



Doesn't always work, so every now and then I look like a crazed scientist. Bhaaaahhahaaa. No facial hair, though. If I would grow facial hair, I'd be in need of a divorce lawyer.

I am addicted to many things.
One is coding. At one point in my career, I ended up being CIO in a privately owned company. That was when I decided that I should stop whining about missing the coding bit and effin' DO something about it. So I put my career in reverse, and got back to doing what I really liked. I don't make as much money as I used to, but I enjoy my work a *lot* more, so I'm not complaining.

Another addiction is music. My musical taste is varied, but the focus is on jazz. You can wake me up in the middle of the night with John Coltrane (no introduction needed, I hope) or Allan Holdsworth (who is every bit as groundbreaking, but, since he's refused to die yet, lacks recognition. See http://www.therealallanholdsworth.com. His music WILL be played at my funeral.)

And yes, yet another addiction that has stuck around is photography. In fact, that is the trade that I was formally educated for, and earned my bread and peanut butter with, for a couple years. Until I decided that I severely disliked the Dutch photography incrowd, which was (and I have reason to suspect still is) best described as "arrogant nose-up see-how-good-I-am". That, apparently, is typically Dutch... in the international photography community, anyone else (be they English, French, American, German, Japanese, what have you) was always helpful and encouraging. I don't know what it is with Dutch and art... but it puts me off.

Another addiction is my grandchildren. There's four of them. Last time I saw any of them was 3 days ago, and it hurts already. Bring on the weekend.

[Kona]

An honor to make more of your acquaintance, Peterh. Life has obviously blessed you in many ways.

I salute your boldness in posting your fine portrait in what is usually a privacy-obsessed medium. There might be a place for a “Forum Member’s Pictures” thread, if enough are interested, but those tend to be populated mostly by the young, beautiful or both. Or by pictures taken with Brownie cameras or stock model photos cribbed from the internet.

As if your credentials as an educated and accomplished man of science and letters wasn’t already established here, you have certainly cemented them now. Paul must accept that he has launched more than a unique genre of fiction; he has founded a salon.

[peterh]

I salute your boldness in posting your fine portrait in what is usually a privacy-obsessed medium.

I'm not that easily obsessed. I would be worried if my social security number or my bank account details would be in the picture somewhere. I really can't see the privacy issue of a simple portrait (or, as in this case, a self-portrait).
If I'd have the looks of, say, George Clooney, the equation might have worked out differently... but this is not the sort of picture (or the kind of guy) that is cause for intimidation or any questionable fantasies, so I think I'm safe.