Day That Came… (and Went)
Tuesday, August 29th, 20068.00am: Prepared my passport and my visa
application photo… However, whether I need to go overseas is not confirmed
yet… anyway… It’s… …….More work? (Yes
milord)
application photo… However, whether I need to go overseas is not confirmed
yet… anyway… It’s… …….More work? (Yes
milord)
9.00am: Took a deep breath as I stepped
through the doors of the office. This is it, I thought to
myself.
through the doors of the office. This is it, I thought to
myself.
Had some work left over from the previous day (as
implied by the previous post.) Well, here I come to face it again,
to save the day… bringing
in the might, energy and fervour painstakingly summoned from several hours of
sleep…
implied by the previous post.) Well, here I come to face it again,
to save the day… bringing
in the might, energy and fervour painstakingly summoned from several hours of
sleep…
9.05am: Powered on the system again. The W
controller and the PC still won’t talk to each other. Thinking of
why… why? Okay, after some thought (in this situation, your thought speed
seems like an eternity, but when you look at your watch, you feel like
everything around you is rushing past in a blur and ripped pages are flying off
the calendar into space and distorted clockfaces with hands spinning away are
floating all around you) At the end of eternity, though, got an
idea: Hey, is it these W controllers that we got back were faulty to begin with?
How about trying with a new one? (Yeah, that should be
it!)
controller and the PC still won’t talk to each other. Thinking of
why… why? Okay, after some thought (in this situation, your thought speed
seems like an eternity, but when you look at your watch, you feel like
everything around you is rushing past in a blur and ripped pages are flying off
the calendar into space and distorted clockfaces with hands spinning away are
floating all around you) At the end of eternity, though, got an
idea: Hey, is it these W controllers that we got back were faulty to begin with?
How about trying with a new one? (Yeah, that should be
it!)
9.10am: Did the necessary setup and preparations
for the new controller…
for the new controller…
9.25am: plugged it in and turned on the power (ooh!
the anticipation!) And… laaaadies and gentlemen! Showtime!
the anticipation!) And… laaaadies and gentlemen! Showtime!
…It’s still the same!
At this point this is the time that your head keeps
on swimming (more like drowning) and you’re thinking: What’s going on? What
happened? Why is it like this? How can it be like this? Didn’t it work fine that
time? What the h3ll did I do that time that was different from this time that it
could work that time, and now, not?
on swimming (more like drowning) and you’re thinking: What’s going on? What
happened? Why is it like this? How can it be like this? Didn’t it work fine that
time? What the h3ll did I do that time that was different from this time that it
could work that time, and now, not?
Truth is, I had tested this out elsewhere on
another system like… a year ago (two eternities ago) somewhere else far far
away… and everything worked out fine then (even though I didn’t know I didn’t
know the details why it did, I didn’t realize… was just happy to get things up
and running) It’s like, during that time, I just popped in my software, tweaked
a few things here and there on the spot, got everything happily running
and then cheerfully saved my program in anticipation for the impending tasks two
eternities away (which came now)
another system like… a year ago (two eternities ago) somewhere else far far
away… and everything worked out fine then (even though I didn’t know I didn’t
know the details why it did, I didn’t realize… was just happy to get things up
and running) It’s like, during that time, I just popped in my software, tweaked
a few things here and there on the spot, got everything happily running
and then cheerfully saved my program in anticipation for the impending tasks two
eternities away (which came now)
.
At this point, the landscape changes into the
Olympic Arena. My teammate for the 4×100m relay has built up a
biiiiiig lead from the nearest competitor and is running and I’ve started my
pace-up as the anchor and I’m ready for the guy to pass me the baton for gold,
glory and country! And just then at the moment of passing, the scene freezes…
and then everything becomes slow motion… heartbeat soundtrack is playing in
the background… somehow, the anchor leg can’t run… can’t hold the baton
properly… *heart beats* *heart beats* cold sweat builds up… the audience
gasps in slow motion… the competitor is coming… and catching up fast…
*heart beats* *heart beats*
Olympic Arena. My teammate for the 4×100m relay has built up a
biiiiiig lead from the nearest competitor and is running and I’ve started my
pace-up as the anchor and I’m ready for the guy to pass me the baton for gold,
glory and country! And just then at the moment of passing, the scene freezes…
and then everything becomes slow motion… heartbeat soundtrack is playing in
the background… somehow, the anchor leg can’t run… can’t hold the baton
properly… *heart beats* *heart beats* cold sweat builds up… the audience
gasps in slow motion… the competitor is coming… and catching up fast…
*heart beats* *heart beats*
Not the first time I got this kind of feeling. It
feels like the anchor leg in that kind of situation and ……
feels like the anchor leg in that kind of situation and ……
But I keeping on reminding myself as I have psyched
myself up to do. Vigour! Vigour!
myself up to do. Vigour! Vigour!
.
.
An experienced engineer/boss/director once told me,
"You need the Engineering Thinking(tm)
(drumroll/fanfare/thunderclap)…" Well, preliminary engineering thought
processes have been stated as mentioned above.
"You need the Engineering Thinking(tm)
(drumroll/fanfare/thunderclap)…" Well, preliminary engineering thought
processes have been stated as mentioned above.
Faced with this kind of thing repeatedly…….
it feels like you’re dying many times, have died many times before, am alive
right at this moment, but facing an impending death… again…
it feels like you’re dying many times, have died many times before, am alive
right at this moment, but facing an impending death… again…
Brings to mind The Nameless One of
Torment fame. Died and resurrected again and again but lost all memory
of his past life(lives) each and every time.
Torment fame. Died and resurrected again and again but lost all memory
of his past life(lives) each and every time.
.
.
One thing that we can be certain of is, especially
when we are responsible for a part of a big whole (hole?) and when we put
everything (the whole shebang) together…
when we are responsible for a part of a big whole (hole?) and when we put
everything (the whole shebang) together…
The whole thing won’t work.
The whole thing won’t work right from the
first flip on the power-on switch.
first flip on the power-on switch.
What exactly won’t work
though, is uncertain.
though, is uncertain.
So, succinctly: (from UB’s Little Red Book of
Quotations, QOTD, or: Revelation(s) of the Century )
Quotations, QOTD, or: Revelation(s) of the Century )
What we can expect
with certainty is something unexpected certainly will
happen.
.
I commented to my friend (also an engineer) once:
"You know, they should make a movie about engineers called Smocks".
Smocks are those all covering Electro-Static Discharge (ESD)-safe clothing that
one wears to a clean room. I don’t have many occasions that I need to wear
smocks and am thankful for that. I have a strong dislike of wearing smocks (more
like a strong dislike of the work that comes when having to wear
one).
"You know, they should make a movie about engineers called Smocks".
Smocks are those all covering Electro-Static Discharge (ESD)-safe clothing that
one wears to a clean room. I don’t have many occasions that I need to wear
smocks and am thankful for that. I have a strong dislike of wearing smocks (more
like a strong dislike of the work that comes when having to wear
one).
Why?
"You know, just like doctors have movies about them
and a series called Scrubs".
and a series called Scrubs".
To which she replied,
"But being an engineer is so boring! Who would want
to make a movie about engineers?"
to make a movie about engineers?"
I must say that I reserve my comment on that. I
leave it to the esteemed readers.
leave it to the esteemed readers.
Come to think of it, what would a series such as
Smocks have for their episode scripts? Perhaps… perhaps some of you folks
already have some in mind.
Smocks have for their episode scripts? Perhaps… perhaps some of you folks
already have some in mind.
Any hotshot producers interested in taking this up?
(dj ubill picks up a guitar in the background and strums…… singing *I’m
no Superman*)
(dj ubill picks up a guitar in the background and strums…… singing *I’m
no Superman*)
Oh yeah, just remembered that another friend of
mind told me before that the heroine of Flightplan is an engineer.
^___^ I went to watch the movie shortly after. Engineers never looked so good
(not just speaking of aesthetic terms — the whole portrayal was
inspiring.) Spirited performance by Jodie Foster, although, if it were
me, I would think it have been more prudent to have bashed the villian’s face in
when having the fire extinguisher in hand (not that I could have, I’m squeamish
at raw, freshly-squished brain tissue) and good, non-run-of-the-mill storyline
and plot twist.
mind told me before that the heroine of Flightplan is an engineer.
^___^ I went to watch the movie shortly after. Engineers never looked so good
(not just speaking of aesthetic terms — the whole portrayal was
inspiring.) Spirited performance by Jodie Foster, although, if it were
me, I would think it have been more prudent to have bashed the villian’s face in
when having the fire extinguisher in hand (not that I could have, I’m squeamish
at raw, freshly-squished brain tissue) and good, non-run-of-the-mill storyline
and plot twist.
Probably then, that means I could save the world
one day by deciding which wire to cut to disable a doomsday device placed in
countdown mode by crazed terrorists.
one day by deciding which wire to cut to disable a doomsday device placed in
countdown mode by crazed terrorists.
But probably, I’ll have the same thoughts toward
that responsibility as my thoughts now: When there’s a problem… I don’t
want to be there (to handle it). Multiplied by a magnitude of six billion (6 x
10^9)
that responsibility as my thoughts now: When there’s a problem… I don’t
want to be there (to handle it). Multiplied by a magnitude of six billion (6 x
10^9)
The problem with a whole system is that, after
assembling everything together, there’s many things that could be causing the
undesired phenomena. Software (program), Hardware (peripheral settings and
configuration) and/or Wiring (somewhere miswired, and concealed). When
you think about it, you just can’t help but suck in a deep,
deeeeeeeep breath.
assembling everything together, there’s many things that could be causing the
undesired phenomena. Software (program), Hardware (peripheral settings and
configuration) and/or Wiring (somewhere miswired, and concealed). When
you think about it, you just can’t help but suck in a deep,
deeeeeeeep breath.
Fortunately, at this point I was able to consult
with some very experienced and helpful seniors, and although they could not
solve my problem for me (The Chosen must fight their own battles) the
clues that they provided (like the advice from the Oracle from The
Matrix) were able to provide me with some direction, and much-needed
hope.
with some very experienced and helpful seniors, and although they could not
solve my problem for me (The Chosen must fight their own battles) the
clues that they provided (like the advice from the Oracle from The
Matrix) were able to provide me with some direction, and much-needed
hope.
Okay, so after that brief reverie I try out with
various versions of my program trying to figger` out what makes it tick that
time and whether I did anything to stop it from ticking happily still.
Until I am reminded that it’s time for lunch
12.30pm Okay, doing something different always makes me think
better.
various versions of my program trying to figger` out what makes it tick that
time and whether I did anything to stop it from ticking happily still.
Until I am reminded that it’s time for lunch
12.30pm Okay, doing something different always makes me think
better.
And so, good weather today… after tanking up on
calories… back to the grind with axe in hand. ~1.30pm
calories… back to the grind with axe in hand. ~1.30pm
Following the direction given by the first
Oracle (hey, remember, even the Matrix had two incarnations of the Oracle) I
delved through deeper documentation ~2.00pm on how to use (when
everything else fails, read the instruction manual) the hardware that I had on
hand. As the first Oracle was busy saving the other side of the world, I was
thankfully able to turn to the Oracle (second incarnation) ~2.30pm to
confirm my suspicion and act on solving it.
Oracle (hey, remember, even the Matrix had two incarnations of the Oracle) I
delved through deeper documentation ~2.00pm on how to use (when
everything else fails, read the instruction manual) the hardware that I had on
hand. As the first Oracle was busy saving the other side of the world, I was
thankfully able to turn to the Oracle (second incarnation) ~2.30pm to
confirm my suspicion and act on solving it.
~3.00, ~3.30pm? Did the necessary
preparation for the next crack at it…
preparation for the next crack at it…
~4.00pm Got a call to go out into the
field just as I got the last of the preparations complete. What’s left to do…
with the plug in my hand I flipped on the power switch…
field just as I got the last of the preparations complete. What’s left to do…
with the plug in my hand I flipped on the power switch…
……..the flash of indicator lights concurring
with the agreeable friendship between the electronic devices were like Christmas
lights to me.
with the agreeable friendship between the electronic devices were like Christmas
lights to me.
…Behold!
The direction as given by the Oracle(s)
were true!
were true!
Electronic devices were merrily talking to each
other again. Balance has been restored to The Equation.
other again. Balance has been restored to The Equation.
And I could go out into the field for whatever
needed to be done.
needed to be done.
::: Epilogue :::
And, as the sage advice goes:
Those who forget the mistakes of
history are compelled to repeat them
history are compelled to repeat them
And as every engineer knows, a good practice is to
- Do documentation. So, doing
documentation now. As in, now.
documentation now. As in, now.
This is by no means the
season-ender though. Tomorrow, back to the battlefield for me
again. Does it seem strange… or even unacceptable… to you that,
…….one day has passed, just like this, and yet, there is still more to do?
season-ender though. Tomorrow, back to the battlefield for me
again. Does it seem strange… or even unacceptable… to you that,
…….one day has passed, just like this, and yet, there is still more to do?
The title character looks up at the sky which has
already become dark.
already become dark.
"Is this it?"
"Is this cycle of "birth, torment, death and
rebirth" without the memory of `past lives`(and torment and
deaths)…………. all there is?"
rebirth" without the memory of `past lives`(and torment and
deaths)…………. all there is?"
Remember that, whatever convenience that you
have in the comfort of your own home now, some engineer somewhere out there in
some third-world country with cheap labour and no minimum wage (no floor) paid
for it through some arcane rituals involving blood sacrifice
and soul torment. Think about it, and do remember this in your
prayers tonight. (Maybe then I’ll strike the lottery and sip pina coladas on
some sunny tropical island. Some other sunny tropical
island.)
have in the comfort of your own home now, some engineer somewhere out there in
some third-world country with cheap labour and no minimum wage (no floor) paid
for it through some arcane rituals involving blood sacrifice
and soul torment. Think about it, and do remember this in your
prayers tonight. (Maybe then I’ll strike the lottery and sip pina coladas on
some sunny tropical island. Some other sunny tropical
island.)
With love from
`ub~
