Month: July 2003

Categories
Books

Cut the wires

I’ve spent too much time in technology recently, but after the work on the server today, I can take a break. Not too long a break because I have promised essays, for poets and other mad, bad, sad people.

Loren started a review of Catch 22, and I wonder whether to add my own thoughts as he moves along. It’s been years since I’ve read the book and I told myself at the time, “This is it. I’m glad I read it. I won’t read it again.” However, to effectively comment, I do need to read it again.

In his initial reading, Loren didn’t care for the book. Being in Vietnam at the time, his reaction is not surprising. Even now, after he’s learned to respect the work, he writes, …it’s obviously not an easy novel to read.

It’s funny, or perhaps it’s not, but books that have a social conscious can either trip us up as we read past, laying us out face first in the stirred up dust at their feet; or their words can pad softly in on little kitten feet, like Carl Sagan’s fog. I found To Kill a Mockingbird to be one of the quiet ones, and can read it again and again.

Catch 22, though. It forces you, who sits in comfortable chair and lays in comfortable bed, to get into the mind and the world of hell created when paper generals shout out, “Bring ‘em on!”

Reading Catch 22 again. Hmm. Will I make it to the library tomorrow? And if so, will I find the book on the shelves? I couldn’t find Catcher in the Rye last time I looked. Maybe I’ll be lucky this time. Oh, No! Wait! That’s wrong!

Would you believe… I’ll be lucky this time?

Categories
Weblogging

Your edit does not make my edit

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I wanted to commiserate with Mark Pilgrim. It must feel that he’s being bombarded right about now because of recent edit watch activities. I feel sympathy for Mark, but I still don’t agree with blindly tracking other people’s edits. Not for punitive reasons.

However, having said this, I see no harm in copying what another person writes if you’re responding to it in comments or in your weblog. After all, if each of us has the right to make edits, each of us also has the right not to make edits.

As an example, if I write something, and you respond to it, just because I edit my posting doesn’t mean you have to edit yours. If I ever delete a posting, note that I never delete the individual file, so your link won’t go dead. I figured that’s the price I pay for not being more careful with what I write.

Categories
Weblogging

Emailing a weblogger

There are few things more irritating then to always get your spam email, but to not get other email you’re expecting; you don’t know if there’s something wrong with your email system, the other person’s email system, or they’re just too busy to respond.

My email program put an email from one person I had expected a response from last week into the junk email folder, for no reason I can understand. I didn’t discover it until tonight when I was looking for another email from another person in response to a question. Which I didn’t find.

If I have learned one thing in my 2+ years of weblogging – if you want to get a response from a weblogger, ask the question in their comments. Otherwise, between spam filters and erratic email systems, as well as limited weblogger time and attention, you might as well send paper planes into the void for all the response you’ll get.

I hope I never get so busy, or so rude, that I don’t respond to emails, even if it’s only to acknowledge that I’ve received them. If you don’t hear from me, always assume the email is lost and resend it.

Categories
Web

One of those days?

Have you ever had one of those days?

One of those days when you’re faced with trying to get a whole bunch of moving parts working together such as on a web server, and there’s a hundred million possible combinations of Things you Can Do, but only one works?

And have you had one of those days when all combinations of Things don’t seem to work and you find yourself getting really angry at, in order:

  • The ISP
  • The creators of each of the technologies
  • Tim Berners-Lee for starting all of this
  • Edison for inventing electricity
  • Galileo for insisting the world revolves around the sun, thus opening the door to science, leading to an increased interest in technology
  • Your parents for having you
  • President Bush, because you’re always angry at President Bush

Have you ever had one of those days when you realize that the solution is doing this little tweak here, and that tiny one there, all nicely documented in the installation and configuration instructions – which you decided NOT to read, and which would have only taken about an hour and you’ve spent probably three days doing it the hard way?

Have you had one of those days when you realize this and you spend the next hour BASHING YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL for being so stupid?

I’m not saying I’ve had one of those days. Just asking if you have had one of those days.

Excuse me, but I have a headache. I’m going to bed now. No, no! I know the way. Thank you.

Categories
People

Kick butt, Ann

Chris Locke dropped a note about Ann Craig having surgery today for melanoma.

I am glad that Chris make this publication. There was rumors that Ann was laid up because she was carrying Chris’ babies – all eight of them – from a previous liason. However, she wrote me in an email that she never really has met Chris Locke – it was a figment of his imagination after he’d sucked down a really bad cup o’ joe at Starbucks.

Really, Chris has never gone out with any blonde – they were all in his imagination. There was a red head that took pity on him and went out with him once; we don’t know how the date went because she hasn’t talked since and when you mention Chris’ name she screams and runs from the room.

Seriously, if you can’t tell from this get well message that Ann has the most wonderful, whacky sense of humor, then you need only look at this picture at Gary’s.

Laughter is the best medicine, and here’s wishing Ann loads of it. Best wishes, Ann, and hope you’re back up and running quickly.