Category: Burningbird

Categories
Writing

Writing update

I just finished the final pre-review draft of my chapters for O’Reilly’s weblogging book, Essential Blogging.

Once the chapters from all the authors have been gently messaged by the wonderous editing talents of Nat Torkington (first rule of thumb — always suck up to the editors until the book is in production), the book is going online, hopefully sometime this week, for public review at the O’Reilly Network.

During the review, I’m pushing to finish Unix Power Tools 3rd edition. To help in this effort — UPT is an extremely large book — we just added a new author: Steven Champeon. If you’re a fan of DHTML, CSS, JavaScript, and so on you’ll most likely recognize Steven’s name.

I’m particularly glad Steven’s come onboard because he shares my interest and excitement about Apple’s incorporation of Unix (Darwin) into Mac OS X. A key difference between the third edition of UPT and the previous two editions is the new coverage of personal computer-based Unix flavors such as Linux, FreeBSD, and Darwin.

If I’m good, meaning I don’t spend too much time with this weblog, I should be finished with the rest of my writing for UPT by end of May and can then concentrate on finishing my beloved RDF book — Practical RDF. The review draft for this book should be completed by end of June.

I’m adding new material to Practical RDF specifically related to my weblogging experiences. In particular, I take on the Google Weblogging Effect, as well as syndication with RSS. I’ll have to send an autographed copy of the book to Dave, see what he thinks 😉

To test out the book code and examples, I’m incorporating material from it into my management of this weblog as well as my other web sites. Fun stuff, though the sites might get a bit hacked in the next month or so as I play around.

Three books for O’Reilly this year. Not bad. And with half a year to go, maybe I can add a couple more.

Categories
Diversity Writing

Of kitchen things

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

I love reading about everyday things.

Allan talks about a new Sushi restaurant opening in town that uses trolleys to deliver the food. I’m still trying to figure out how this system of food delivery is going to work. I’m visualizing this little trolley racing by, and having to grab food out of it, quickly, before it goes out of reach. However, we’re talking about food — sushi — that doesn’t necessarily grab that easily. In my mind I see nori and rice as well as bits of fish flying hither and yon.

Justin takes a sentimental journey through town and through memory as he prepares for a move. Speaking as one who has lived all over this country, it’s the small things — our barbers, favorite restaurants, and walks — you miss most when you move.

Everyday things.

My interest in reading about everyday things is especially heightened after I read one of Jonathon’s posts about Japanese women’s writing — books by eleventh century women authors. Today he writes about how women’s writing was considered inferior, joryu bungaku:

I would not understand until years later that, consciously or not, Rimer was following a long tradition in Japanese literary criticism which—using terms such as “joryu sakka” (woman writer) and “joryu bungaku” (women’s literature)—places most women writers in a separate (and implicitly inferior) category

A low opinion of women’s writing wasn’t limited to the Japanese; Western civilization also considered women’s writing to be inferior. For instance, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote:

“American is now wholly given over to a d____d mob of scribbling women, and I have no chance of success while the public taste is occupied with their trash — and should be ashamed of myself if I did succeed.”

Though Western women didn’t write in a separate language, as the Japanese women did long ago, they wrote of subjects considered of “lesser importance” — of life and love and everyday things. An indirect reference to this is made in Jury of her Peers, by Susan Glaspell. She wrote:

Nothing here but kitchen things,” he said, with a little laugh for the insignificance of kitchen things.”

Introducing my new weblog tag line: Nothing here but kitchen things…

Categories
Events of note Just Shelley

Earthquake!

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Just had an earthquake — my first San Francisco earthquake.

Strange experience!

Not a biggie — but shook the apartment. I’ve never been through one of the Seattle quakes, so this was my first earthquake. The ground does roll, doesn’t it?

more on the quake at USGS and SF Gate.

Update — I was the first source online to report the quake. You can all pay me now…

Just found out the quake was a 5.2, and occurred at 10:01 in Gilroy, south of San Francisco. This is a significant quake without being overly dangerous. Enough to shake but not shatter.

Reports of water pipe breakage, that sort of thing. My apartment’s on landfill, which might account for the “rolling” impression. I actually felt it in my chair before it rattled the door. Felt as if the floor literally rolled under me.

Sorry if I’m going on, but this really was a unique experience for me…

BTW — You’ll all be glad to know that I looked out the window and the Bay Bridge is still standing 😉

Categories
Just Shelley

For those about to rock!

Sometimes it seems that life is found moments of delight interconnected by serendipity.

I looked out my window this evening, astonished to see people everywhere, as well as boats crowding the harbor. Checking online, I found that there was a fireworks show in front of my place tonight, the KFOG Kaboom.

I could have watched the show at home, but what’s the fun of that?

I walked the few blocks down to the waterfront, merging in with a very good natured crowd. As we entered the viewing area, I heard a guy in low-voiced consultation with his wife:

“They’re going to be searching your purse up ahead.”

“It’s okay, I left the gun at home.”

I’m sure they were joking. Though, this is America…

Tents were serving beverages, including my favorite margaritas; I got into line, enjoying the voices and interactions of the people around me as I waited my turn. When I ordered my drink, the person serving gives me a big smile, and returns with my drink served in a double cup.

“You’re the lucky double cup.”

He then yells out to the crowd behind me, “We’re all out!”

I flowed with the crowd until almost to the water, finding a fairly calm and decent spot by the fence, listening to the music blaring out over huge loudspeakers. To the left was the Bay bridge, outlined in lights. To the right, a fleet of boats, most silhouetted in bright colored lights.

Rock n’ Roll! A Rock n’ Roll fireworks show. Better and better.

The DJ came on and introduced the station to the crowd and then yelled out “Let the fireworks begin!”

What followed was 20 minutes of the best fireworks show I’ve seen, perfectly correographed to the music. Smiley faces and gold waterfalls. Red hearts and purple and green planets admid silver galaxies. Around me was the happy and excited voices of the crowd, bodies swaying and swinging to the tunes, breathing in the strong sweet smell of canibus.

Well, this was a rock n’ roll fireworks show.

Finally, to the strains of “For those about to rock”, the finale: explosions of fireworks so large and so close, they lit the harbor as the crowds vibrated from the percussion.

When it was all over a 10 minute walk had me back in my own apartment as a quarter million people made their way home.

I love this city.

Categories
Burningbird Technology

Space? What space?

I was playing around with my server earlier, trying out some fun and interesting sounding new techie toys. Unfortunately, the new techie toys required ImageMagick.

Those of you with a Unix background are probably going “Oh, No!” about now. I knew I was pushing the bubble with this one, but you only live once.

Damn the server! Full install ahead!

— —- — —

Anyway, we’re almost back to normal. I’ve managed to save the server, and was able to repair the Apache installation. It was also nice hearing from the system kernel, all those “panic!” emails.

If you tried to post comments earlier during some interesting moments of turmoil and they aren’t showing up — Sorry! If you have a minute and wouldn’t mind reposting, I would be grateful!

The great thing about Unix servers is that you can do anything. The bad thing about Unix servers is that you can do anything.