View Full Version : About ME! (Mark)
marcuslee
08-09-2008, 04:08
I haven't read all of the introductions in this section, but I have read a few. I guess it is time for me to introduce myself.
My name is Mark Lee. I live in Fort Worth, Texas. (USA) I am 27 (almost 28) years old. I have been married to my wife for almost 5 years. (Our anniversary is next month.) We don't have any kids yet, though we want some.
My very first experience with programming was in the 8th grade. My school had some ancient computers. This would have been 1995 or so, and we were working on computers that came out around the time I was born, early 1980's. That says a little something about the finances of the FWISD (Fort Worth Independant School District). :'(
Anyway, the class wasn't much of a computer class. There was some keyboarding involved since most of the students didn't even know how to type. There was a short stint with programming. I don't know what the language version was ... but, it had line numbers, so it was old. That was enough to spark my interest.
We didn't have a computer at home at that time, but some time later my uncle gave me one to play on. This would have been the same year, 1995, and it was a DOS machine. Anyway, it had QBasic on it. I did a few things with that program. Basically simple stuff, nothing fancy. I didn't understand most of it. But, I could figure out enough to change some of the settings of the games that came with it.
Do any of you remember the game Gorillas?
Well, I figured out how to change the color of the sky and so forth. That is the same basic way I program today. I usually have to start with help files and sample scripts. After I study a language for a while, I can do some stuff on my own. For example, I can do the usual things that I have to do with my business. I use Excel VBA, and I am beginning to use PHP for the web side.
But, the Basic language that I am most familiar with (until I grasp thinBasic a little more) is Liberty Basic. I have been pretty active on their forums in the past. I even wrote an article for their encyclopedia: Creating an Image Map (http://lbpe.wikispaces.com/Creating+an+Image+Map). But, I think I have found my new favorite language. :D
Mark :D ;D ;)
Edit: P.S. - My business website is: http://www.LeeWindowCleaning.com. There is a picture of my wife and me on the main page.
Petr Schreiber
08-09-2008, 09:00
Hi Mark,
very interesting.
Gorillas game is classic... I liked it a lot too. I remember friend of mine tried to sell me the source code in elementary school ;D.
Your article on image maps is interesting and very well structured in my opinion, once you will have some topic to cover in ThinBasic, I would be happy to have your article in ThinBasic Journal. Very nice writing style, illustrations, code samples - good job!
Your real job is quite dangerous. I would probably fall to vertigo immediately :)
Thanks,
Petr
marcuslee
08-09-2008, 13:58
very interesting.
Gorillas game is classic... I liked it a lot too. I remember friend of mine tried to sell me the source code in elementary school ;D.
Yeah, it was a good game. There is a newer version out there. I found it one day. Here's the link: http://www.oddsim.com/other/games.html
I hope you didn't give any money to that kid in school! :o
Your article on image maps is interesting and very well structured in my opinion, once you will have some topic to cover in ThinBasic, I would be happy to have your article in ThinBasic Journal. Very nice writing style, illustrations, code samples - good job!
I appreciate the compliment.
As far as the journal goes, I think it would be interesting if it came out a little more often, if there is enough interest in it. Even if I don't help write articles, I would be happy to proof-read, parsing English as I think you have phrased it before.
I assume English is a second language for some here. If not, I apologise. In any case, if English is a second language for some, it is amazing what you have been able to accomplish with thinBasic. I know for a fact that I couldn't do the reverse with your language. Stupid Americans!! :-[ Oh well, that's okay! :D
Your real job is quite dangerous. I would probably fall to vertigo immediately :)
Yeah, sometimes I don't like it either! :-X
Mark (AKA the one language American!)
ErosOlmi
08-09-2008, 14:24
... I know for a fact that I couldn't do the reverse with your language. Stupid Americans!! :-[ Oh well, that's okay! :D
The problem is that we are obliged to learn English if we just want to put our nose outside our boundaries while you already know one the most widely spoken language in the world and the one absolutely needed in IT world. There are few reasons why to study Italian other than cultural or personal motivations.
Ciao
Eros
Michael Hartlef
08-09-2008, 14:52
I can always blame my american wife... for my english skills ;D
Petr Schreiber
08-09-2008, 15:04
;D
I did not bought that source, it just motivated me to create own games :)
Timing for magazines is very tough thing - very good PCOPY magazine (http://pcopy.wikidot.com/) dedicated to BASIC programming also seeks the right timing. This is probably the most tough task.
Even with superb colective of authors working on Journal #2 I think the 1 - 1.5 month is reasonable time to do the job well. Setting too short period can cause big problems to magazine in case of period when authors are very busy with their real life jobs / studies. I think it will take some time to settle. So far the new Thinbasic - new Journal scheme seems good to me.
As I said, your article would be welcome as well, when you have time. Just beware I am really evil chef, waking up poor slaves contributors on midnight crying "WHERE IS THAT ARTICLE! IT SHOULD BE FINISHED ALREADY?!" :D quite often ( ok, bad joke, current contributors do not need any press ).
Bye,
Petr
Hey Mark,
Small world indeed. My name is Pipes and some of those computers that you were refering to are some of the computers I used
when they first came out. (Did you use a Timex Sinclair with a whopping 2K of memory?) That was way back when. Anyway...
I grew up in Gainesville, Texas Just North of Ft. Worth and went to high scholl in Valley View. Always nice to hear from a fellow Texan.
There's not many Texans here in Virginia which is where I've been since the eighties. Good fortune in your thinBasic endeavors.
marcuslee
08-09-2008, 20:52
Hey Mark,
Small world indeed. My name is Pipes and some of those computers that you were refering to are some of the computers I used
when they first came out. (Did you use a Timex Sinclair with a whopping 2K of memory?) That was way back when. Anyway...
I grew up in Gainesville, Texas Just North of Ft. Worth and went to high scholl in Valley View. Always nice to hear from a fellow Texan.
There's not many Texans here in Virginia which is where I've been since the eighties. Good fortune in your thinBasic endeavors.
Well, hello fellow Texan. Never actually stopped in Valley View (though maybe at a gas station), but we pass through it anytime we head up to Oklahoma. (Or, at least we pass the exit for it)
Texans tend to stay in Texas. You are of the minority, I would venture to guess. Although, if the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn't mind leaving.
I do not know the names of the computers we used. One might have been the Lisa II computer from Apple. Others might have been cousins to either the TSR-80 or Commodore series. I don't know for sure. Back then, I didn't know much about computers. And, I haven't seen a picture since then of exactly what we used.
Mark :)
marcuslee
08-09-2008, 21:01
Even with superb colective of authors working on Journal #2 I think the 1 - 1.5 month is reasonable time to do the job well.
Oh, I must have got the wrong impression. I thought it would be longer than that. No, no. A couple months apart is just fine. I thought it might be once every 6 months or so. Oh well!
As I said, your article would be welcome as well, when you have time. Just beware I am really evil chef, waking up poor slaves contributors on midnight crying "WHERE IS THAT ARTICLE! IT SHOULD BE FINISHED ALREADY?!" :D quite often ( ok, bad joke, current contributors do not need any press ).
Maybe I don't want to work for you! :P (Just kidding!)
I may write something later, but I think what I want to focus on right now is writing short scripts, some which might be put in the help file. The tips and pointers I get from doing that will be very educational for me.
Thank you for all your help. (That goes for everyone!)
Mark ;D
Yo Mark,
You can take the man out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of the man. ;D
List of ancient computers that got me started :
Timex Sinclair, 2k of memory
Atari 800
Atari 130 XE
Commodore SX64
Commodore 128
Amiga 500
Amiga 2000
& numerous IBM Compatibles
Then I really got the bug and had to play the 'keep up with technplogy' game as it is today. Always seeking the next biggest and better computer. I think if
I could swing it, I'd have a Super Computer... (Lord help me :D)
Never actually stopped in Valley View (though maybe at a gas station), but we pass through it anytime we head up to Oklahoma.
Making me homesick dude! ;)
Good fortune on your thinBasic endeavors ;D
marcuslee
13-09-2008, 14:17
Didn't want to make a new thread for this, but it doesn't seem to fit anywhere else, either.
Just got good news this morning. It's about 7:00 AM here. My wife is pregnant. We are guessing about 5 weeks along.
I just had to tell someone. So, you all should feel privledged. You know before either of our parents.
Mark ;D
P.S. - And, the hurricane named Ike is about to hit us. Thankfully, we are several hundred miles away from the coast, so it will be weaker when it hits us in a few hours.
Petr Schreiber
13-09-2008, 14:30
Hi Mark,
thanks for the very nice news, I guess you are now smiling and cannot stop it :)
The hurricane does not sound very good, probably better to stay in house.
Petr
Hi Mark
Congratulations! You are aware that babies turn into teenagers. Had I known that my babies were going to be teenagers, I think I would have put alot more thought into it before I had so many. ;D
Good fortune with the hurricane. My relatives in Houston are getting blasted at this present time.
Michael Hartlef
13-09-2008, 20:04
Hey, congrats to you and your wife. That is the best thing in the world.!!!!!!
And goog luck with the hurricane.
Michael Clease
13-09-2008, 23:46
Congrats on the baby, I have a nine month old and my advice is to get them in their own room as soon as possible and routine is everything. Anyone that says you must feed them every 4 hours without fail is talking rubbish, after about 3 week my little one was going through the night (7 pm - 7 am) and it was about 2 months until she was in her own room.
When your little one is born if people want to give you gifts ask for nappies and baby wipes, you will need lots :D
last tip never give them a dummy or in american pacifier I have a friend that gave their child one and she gets up every couple of hours to put it back in the babys mouth to stop it crying. just say NO.
I am sure other people with kids will give you tips.
Regards
Mike
Michael Hartlef
13-09-2008, 23:53
We had the same, after 3 weeks my son sleeped through the night. It is important to put the baby in its own room early as you (as a couple) need time for yourself too. My son got his own room with 6 months, but only because we moved and then had another room for him. Before there was simply no space, but we moved the bed out of the bedroom i think with 3 months.
marcuslee
14-09-2008, 00:58
We had the same, after 3 weeks my son sleeped through the night. It is important to put the baby in its own room early as you (as a couple) need time for yourself too. My son got his own room with 6 months, but only because we moved and then had another room for him. Before there was simply no space, but we moved the bed out of the bedroom i think with 3 months.
My mom just told me that I moved into my own room when I was 5 days old, and I went to church for the first time on the 6th day. They were working from a biblical schedule. :D
Thank you, everyone, for the kind words. And, the tips. "Nappies" - we had to laugh at that. Must be an "English" word. ;) I don't know about you, but we we speak American. ;)
As for the hurricane:
So far, we haven't had much rain though our neighbors to the south (Houston & Galvaston area) can't say the same thing. I have an uncle who lives in east Houston, and we heard that everything is well with him and his family ... except no power, and probably won't have any for several weeks. :(
Mark :)
ErosOlmi
14-09-2008, 09:22
I'm a bit late but I'm happy the same. Comgrat!
Having a baby around is one of the best experience in the world even if your free time will be reduced a lot. And when he/she will be 2/3 years old it will be even better.
I can always blame my american wife... for my english skills ;D
hahahahah keep it up dear :D:D