About Me

Hi, and welcome to my blog kebabShopBlues!

My name is Nigel Rheam and I live in North London. My first computer was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum when I was about 12, but despite this early start I did not really get involved in programming and more technical thoughts on computers until a few years later. One thing led to another, and I ended up programming IBM Mainframes, then Unix / Oracle RDBMS, then primarily web-based applications, and now I am primarily programming in C# / ASP.Net and working closely with Sql Server.

Why the Blog?

I guess that it is because I sometimes see things that I have an opinion on, that I want to discuss or consider more fully. I always believed that you could prove to yourself that you understood something if you could write a program to do it. In the same vein, if you can communicate a thought well in writing, then perhaps you have thought it through well? Nevertheless, some of my more rant-like blog entries should undoubtedly carry the warning:

This post has not been fully thought through!

Furthermore, this may well turn into a clipboard of some of my ideas for further development.

A lot of my ideas centre on programming and computers, but also any aspect of life that consumes my time! Hence the title of the blog; cooking is not something I spend a great deal of time on, instead I have the kebabShopBlues ~ visiting fast-food establishments far too often.

A Bit more about my Personality

I’ve always considered myself lazy – but the kind of lazy that acknowledges that other people should be allowed to be too. That means, I am very dedicated to getting computers and systems to work in constructive, and hopefully time-saving ways. This does not always involve hectic coding or advanced use of several applications; sometimes it is as simple as an index of a paper filing system.

Two aspects of my character that often are at odds are a pragmatic streak, opposed by a desire for perfection! Another two contradicting aspects are that I can be very serious, yet I try not to take things too seriously. So that’s all clear then.

I consistently fail to write short sentences.

Things I Enjoy

My interests are wide ranging and perhaps indicate that I can be a little fickle with some interests. I tend to enjoy certain activities in concentrated doses.  So for example, I like to read a lot and quickly, but then I might not pick up another book for weeks. Same goes for photography, various other artistic attempts like painting, and I enjoy riding motorcycles. Sometimes I ‘DIY’ (Do It Yourself – Home Improvements) in my spare time, and occasionally I even enjoy it 😉

One thought on “About Me

  1. Hi Nigel, just wanted to say thanks for posting the images of the timer manual.
    I’m somewhat like you in having bursts doing different activities and then guilt at having a sit down.
    I just built an irrigation system to water around 30 plant pots and hanging baskets from bit’s of pipe and a washing machine water valve. I had a couple of timers but not the instructions……thanks. its now all automatic and has to be because I would forget most days.

Comments are closed.