The dangers of taking a break
I work. A lot. And I associate with people who work a lot. One of my friends, a pretty high powered engineer, just got back from vacation, and he’s having trouble getting his head back in the game. “I’m still like — wow, it’s sunny today … let’s go out with the dog and make [...]
Modern patronage — support independant musicians and get cool prizes
Used to be, artists survived using patronage, where one rich person would support them just “because”, or for the prestige of being the one who enabled this talented person to create their art. Long ago that system gave way to big companies basically enslaving their artists, but now that the internet has begun changing the [...]
Back after four years
OK, so I’ve dropped the ball on updating Chaos Magnet. Yes, it has actually been four years since I last posted. Even I couldn’t believe it! I won’t bore you with what the last four years have been like. Suffice to say I’ve moved three times (or is it four) and I’m happy to say [...]
Where we go from here
At the end of the year, I always get a little philosophical. I think about where I’ve been and where I’m going. I especially think about it when I’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m really tired — so I’m thinking about it right now. I’m not really thinking of making any [...]
And we’re back!
Yes, yes, I’ve been gone all summer. Amazing how things can get away from you! So where have we been? Let’s just say it’s been really busy. What have we been up to? Well, aside from personal issues, let’s see.
Stop! Or my mom will blog!
Well, it was bound to happen. For years, my mother has been saying that she doesn’t understand what I do, and there’s no point explaining it to her. When I was a teenager, I had to stick pieces of masking tape with numbers on them to the computer so my parents could figure out how [...]
What makes a good blog?
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about blogging, and about how to do it better. I’ve come to the very obvious (in retrospect) conclusion that in order to have a good blog, you have two choices. You either have to write interesting, deep commentary, or link to items that are interesting in their [...]
The New Orleans Public Library Needs Books
I received this on one of the author mailing lists. [NOTE: Please check out the site for the latest instructions. I've seen other messages asking people to have their own book sales and send the money instead.] =========================== The New Orleans Public Library Needs Books =========================== New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and [...]
The week from hell
Oh sure, everybody TALKS about the week from hell. But this has got to be it. Reality check: Sunday: The father of the two children my wife and I care for is rushed back to the hospital from the nursing home. Monday: My son Sean announces that it looks like he’s going to Iraq. Tuesday: [...]