I’ve been putting off reading John Perry’s essay Structured Procrastination (via Disobey Nonsense Network). Turns out it’s not so much about the habit as it is about problem analysis, and as Mr. Iff says, it’s a good read.
Author:
Serenity
Perhaps it’s just me, but the theme music to Firefly reminds me of the theme to The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio plays (the Eagles’ Journey of the Sorcerer). I’m also in a small minority: I like Joss Whedon’s song (performed by Sonny Rhodes).
Don’t I know it
Peter Zale, Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet
Frame 1 A sign in the background of the coffee shop reads:Tech Worker Special: Get extra foam on your cappuccino for 10 shares of Lucent stock.HELEN Someone called me crazy today. SPENCER You're not crazy. Frame 2 HELEN How do you know? SPENCER You're too dull to be crazy.
Sundries
- Wil Wheaton: STFU. (as Shrek)
Two things, okay? Shut… up.
You tell ’em, Wil. - James Duncan Davidson: SmokeLanta. As Steve Martin put it,
Why, not at all! Do you mind if I fart?
- Slashdot: Canadian Arrow Taking Applications for Astronauts. (as Arnold Horshack)
Oh! Oh! Mr. Kotter! Mr. Kotter!
(as Donkey)Me! Me! Me!
- Jeanne Thelwell: Quite a week.
No one seems to think that teachers have anything to contribute to the discussion of what’s best for their students.
She certainly does. - Slashdot again: Escher’s Ascending and Descending. Saw similar practical versions of impossible objects in Games magazine years ago, but Escher in LEGO is too cool for words.
- CBC Radio: Books as Objects. Sounds like something a (certain) writer (who’s also a voracious reader) might like.
Responsible
Above all others, there are five people to be held responsible for my having any delusions of having the ability to write.
- Robert Enns.
- John Burke.
- Colette Smith.
- My parents.
All five of the above are teachers; the first three are specifically English teachers, and the latter two teach French, Spanish and other languages. More on all of them another time.
I’ve been finding it hard to update here regularly, but my desire to write has been rekindled by my friend Kym, in various different ways. Thanks Kym!
Writer
It’s intimidating to discuss writing with someone who’s been doing it for more than 15 years, particularly when my recent experience in the field is limited to less than eight months of short blurbs like this one, but I had another chance to do so tonight with my new writer friend. I love to hear the pleasure in her voice when she talks about her craft. Even her frustrations have a quality to them that says she loves what she does.
Were I any good at thinking on my feet, I’d have told her that. Perhaps I just have.
Taxonomy
I think it’s time for two new categories, Personal
and Writing
, but I don’t want to call them by those names. I’m now accepting suggestions for pithy quotations for each category and a short excerpt for the name. (Even I found Of all those arts in which the wise excel, Nature’s chief masterpiece is writing well
–category title Nature’s chief masterpiece
–from the Duke of Buckinghamshire Sheffield’s Essay on Poetry
too pretentious for my little chunk of cyberspace.)
Come together
SONICblue and TiVo have dropped their mutual patent infringement lawsuits: We believe our energies are better spent expanding the market for Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) rather than fighting each other… the overall success of the DVR category is what is most important to the companies at this time.
I was all ready to post some snarky comment about how DVR will never go anywhere because the competitors just aren’t partisan enough, but my heart’s just not in it. Instead, bravo to two companies who recognize that cooperation can be more productive than litigation.
Not gonna do it
For those who’ve asked, only one thing last Friday was work-related. (And thanks much for all the kind words.) I’ve stayed away from posting about goings-on at my place of employment, not because they’re particularly bad (they’re not, unless you look at the stock price) or uninteresting (they are… and I’m aware that that can be interpreted a couple of ways) or because it’s against some sort of policy (it’s generally not, as long as I don’t discuss what I’m making), but basically because this is a place that I don’t post about work.
Circular logic… you know, for kids!
Try running Win… nah, too easy
Yeah, that’s right, sendmail. See, I’ve been having a real good time with computers for about a month now, and I need a reason to hate them again.