of Microprocessors

weeks ago, the new "target=" _blank?V Series" of grand pianos featuring a PC2
sound engine.
Towards the end of the day I compose a sort of newsletter ("Factory Facts"),
which contains answers and solutions to the morning's e-mail plus a list of
questions and issues from the factory. It arrives in Waltham about the time people
there start trickling in. I usually leave about 7:00PM but often much later for the
20-minute bike ride back to the apartment the factory has provided.
SONIK : How have you found the food in Korea?
HAL : I'm basically an omnivorous person and so am willing to try most anything
that's presented. Generally I find that the food is excellent and even the most
humble of restaurants serve tasty meals. The food is definitely spicy and it's not
unusual for a five-course meal to be completely red with red pepper. Kimche is
really very good after a short acclimatization period.
Fish and mollusks of all kinds are the primary protein sources although chicken
and more recently pork and beef are becoming common. Koreans really don't
distinguish among breakfast, lunch and dinner - hot fish soup for breakfast is as
likely as boiled barley might be for dinner. The food is largely fat-free and
healthful if one steers clear of the 3-layer pork, fried chicken in bars, and
American pizza chains that are invading the country.
Skim milk, however, is unheard of. Koreans are really into whole foods - whole
fish in soup, a whole chicken boiled in your bowl, and whole shrimp inside a
thick breading among others.
However I do miss some staples that are difficult or expensive to get here - peanut
butter must be imported and honey, while domestic, is quite expensive.
SONIK : When you look at your career to date; what is it that you think stands out
the most?
HAL : For sure my 1980 "Musical Applications of Microprocessors" book is the
most significant accomplishment and is directly responsible for where my career
has headed since then. Actually the impetus to write it came from a friend whom
I'd only met by mail.
He had written a couple of technical books himself and suggested I contact his
publisher. At its peak it sold about 200 copies per month, which amounted to a
nice end-of-year bonus for a while. It is long out of print now after being bounced
among 3 different publishers so the rights have reverted back. I still get occasional
e-mail requests for photocopies.
But even before that I believe I had a significant role in the development of East
coast amateur computing in the 70's and especially musical applications of the
same. This through (MTU), editing "The Computer Hobbyist" magazine/