September 2002

Header Memory Lane
There’s a new interface for the Headers page—and there are quite a few of them. Some highlights: see the old “pageboy” haircut from January 2000, and see when I got my haircut in August 2000, a great picture of Jenny and I in Washington State from our trip in March 2001, a great picture of flowers, also from March 2001, something with Frank and Christina, an upside down flag, a downbeat Nietzsche reference, something green, a great Christmas tree, something with me in headphones, the first one following the separation, and the most recent, Onward.

I get a lot of joy doing those headers. They are mini-creative projects. Tiny digital artifacts that make me happy.

Kynn is going to go to the Middle East and be smart. Cool!

Site Bugfixes and Upgrades!
Yesterday, Tom Bickle pointed out a bug in my site for Netscape 4.79. Yikes! And me of Mr. Super-clean-accessible code! Thanks a million Tom!

In other news, yes, several very kind people have complimented me on the new site header. Thanks. I’m also making subtle changes all around the site. New imagery on the FAQ and in the Words sections. Words has gotten a layout shift, too. tell me what you think.

Deli and Old Friends and Connections
Yesterday I had lunch with some friends from High School.

I don’t keep up with people from High School.

The way I think of my formative schooling years, I have almost no desire to be reminded of how I felt about myself. And more, how I took to heart the judgements of the great mass of kids in school.

I’ve been out of High School for 15 years now. As I type that I’m quite amazed. It’s not that I feel old, it’s just that so much has happened in that time.

So it’s all the more fascinating to me to have friendships that seem long since passed, and have them be renewed. It was a delight, really. More camraderie, and good talk with people I’m comfortable with, can only be a good thing. All that, and food at Milton’s, a great restaurant, deli up in Del Mar.

Another renewed relationship is with a a woman I worked with at UVa, oh, 10 years ago. she contacted me just the other day. This is another blessing of this blog. I of course write about my troubles, and so she wrote me with her own troubles. We spoke on the phone a bit later, and she’s going through marital ickiness. I feel for her.

Here’s where I complain about the fact that things never get to be easy.

But the books I’ve read indicate that life is hard, and this is what strengthens our character. It is the struggle to overcome our own fears and doubts, and the challenges that we have every day, that makes us better people.

I know that I’ve improved myself while under the stress of the past four months.

But it would be hard for me to imagine a life where life was that stressful, all the time. I think people do it though. “Lives of quiet desperation,” it is said.

For me, I can’t stay quiet.

The key is to retain hope, and to share the journey with people on the same trip.

I have no wisdom today.
Last year Jenny and I woke up to her Mom leaving this strange message on our answering machine to stay out of government buildings. We turned on CNN and the news was trickling in.

I’d like to say at this point that nostalgia is stupid. No television show can encompass terrorism. It is folly to think we will find closure or simple answers. As the line in Full Metal Jacket goes … “It’s a shit sandwich and we’re all gonna have to take a bite.”

Beware anyone who is using the memory of a year ago to sell you something. Whether that something is war, or a new car, or insurance, plastic flags. Beware people who wrap themselves in the flag. Even with the best intentions, blind patriotism is not a positive force for a democratic society.

Americans are great not because we’re so good at rallying together. We’re great because we can dissent, speak up, and still be United States.

Last year after Jenny picked up the phone and talked to her Mom on the phone, I immediately checked my email. My sister was working at the Smithsonian at the time. Her office was right on the Mall. In Washington D.C. I recieved this email, sent to my parents and to me.

Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 7:01 am
From: Kelly
Subject: Re: today

Dear Mom and Dad, Joe and Jenny,

We just heard the news about the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
They’re evacuating Congress right now. I’m kinda nervous about this whole thing.
Take care of yourselves and stay out of federal buildings.
Call me when you can… I can imagine it’s going to be crazy trying to get home today on the metro.

all my love,
Kel

...
I wrote her back as soon as I read it and told her to be safe and that I loved her. I was scared for her. She replied with this:
...

Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 7:56 am
From: Kelly
Subject: Re: today

Thanks for responding.
They’ve told us to leave the building. I’m going home. 703-XXX-XXXX. I’ll call when I get home.
I love you.
kel,

Again, I have no wisdom today. I’m not trying to evoke anything. I did not lose anyone close to me in the events. But I wanted to record my thoughts and memories on this for posterity. Here’s last years September 11 post.

QOTD: At one time, I wore bolo ties.

(no other comment is necessary)

Stray Items (Lots of these today)

Hit Charade: The music industry’s self-inflicted wounds.

Bud Plant: From the front lines at the 2002 San Diego Comic-Con (from August).

Apple’s mysterious Marklar, OSX on x86.

What is an otaku?

On Sharing with a Partner:
Share with me that you’re a human being. is the sentiment people want. (via a friend)

“Coffee”
So yesterday I chatted with Joanie, another San Diego Blogger. It was quite good conversation. She’s been reading my travails for some time, and had some interesting perspectives on it all. She herself is in the midst of a separation, and is having adventures of her own. She seems a genuine person to me. She’s charming and funny and definitely has opinions I disagree with vociferiously. She’s also a nice person, which makes her sound dull, but she’s clearly not that.

Anyway, I had Chai, and she had some kind of Strawberry shake thing, and we chatted for several hours at a local Coffeehouse. Entirely pleasant.

Joel talks about Platforms in the software business. Interesting… As a platform vendor, you’re only as successful as the people who build on you.

A more subtle problem is when platform vendors don’t think they have a platform, they think they have an application. Read the whole thing.

Christina in the New York Times!
Christina Aguilera Returns, Her Image Remade