At least I got some writing done. (2003/12/10)
Today was our “settlement hearing” in Seebach v. MCU. That’s the event where the lawyers go head to head in an iron cage, trying to find a number they can both live with.
[read more...]MCU coughs up the money. (2003/12/10)
No, not my money. We’re still going to have a hearing about that. But apparently, now that word’s gotten out that they’re losing cases on this, they’re pretty eager to pay money; they settled with one guy for $1,200 in the last couple of weeks. So, if you have old junk faxes from Mobile Cellular Unlimited, don’t throw them away!
[read more...]Weirdest research ever. (2003/12/08)
So, I’m going to be writing the user’s manual for a guitar. So, as part of my research for this job, I, uhm, I moved a bunch of synthesizers upstairs and hooked them up.
[read more...]Tech Central Station: "We don't know how you got on our list, but we don't spam." (2003/12/05)
Boy, that’s useless.
[read more...]Lawsuits are hard work (2003/12/02)
Just for the record:
[read more...]Sorry, out sick again. (2003/11/29)
Actually, I’m mostly better. Stomach flu of some sort; out cold for about a day, suddenly feeling almost well again.
[read more...]I think I'll call it a "Bertrand Russell Party" (2003/11/27)
One of the miseries of the “holiday season” is the tendency for people to find themselves, unexpectedly, with nowhere to go. There is something horrible about the day when all your friends are visiting their families, and you are alone. This happens to different people every year, for different reasons. Perhaps a sibling is visiting Puerto Rico in late december. Perhaps a dispute over whether or not a loved one is a suitable partner has created a rift. Does it matter? There it is, December 24th or 25th, and there’s no one to spend time with; just an empty house, perhaps with a forlorn tree, which you are increasingly aware is already dead, even if it doesn’t know it yet, and which will shortly need to be thrown out.
[read more...]Finally. (2003/11/26)
So, in 1996, I was a real jerk. Some newbie posted what he intended as helpful advice to comp.lang.c. I insulted him at some length. A while later, he posted pointing out that I had been right… but a phrase stuck in my head.
[read more...]Metanoia update soon (2003/11/23)
I have to go scan the pages, but pretty soon, we have the long-awaited metanoia update. If the secret to a happy ending is knowing when to stop the story, well, we just missed our chance.
[read more...]Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be tech writers. (2003/11/21)
Here’s the trick. It’s not hard to write about things you know. What’s hard is writing about things you don’t know. To do this, you have to learn things, quickly. You have to beat the self-evaluation problem. You have to know what you don’t know, so you can figure it out, so you will know it. You have to learn to recognize blind spots.
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