In their ever-increasing goal on complete music homogenization and greed, the RIAA-sponsored SoundExchange Royalty Program has strong-armed a new ruling through the United States Copyright Royalty Board that basically starts charging all webcasts of music a fee for doing so, on a per-listener, per-song basis. Continue reading
Lately, I’ve felt under the gun almost constantly, which is weird because while some of the stuff I’m doing is really important, most of it is stuff that I WANT to do, but can’t seem to get time to accomplish. On my to do list are: Continue reading
It’s unbelievable. When my wife told me last evening what had happened at Virginia Tech, I was stupefied. 30 dead, 32, 33. And no real answers yet. How did this happen? What happened? I did what thousands around the country did, I’m sure – do I know anyone there? Is there anyone I have to check on? When I got home, we watched as the tragedy’s scope unfolded … and then something else, something darker, started to happen. Continue reading
Everyone’s heard the jokes about the DMV – the lines, the ‘smiley faces’, the bureaucracy. And to be honest, I’ve gone through it all, especially having moved so often between 1994 and 2002. But my wife’s experience over the last 7 days is so ludicrous, that I can’t help but laugh – except not around her because she’s far from laughing about it. Continue reading
I had a pretty weird and disturbing dream last night. Well, my dreams are usually weird – my wife is scared to hear them anymore – but this one was one of those that you have, and then you can’t shake when you wake up. This one started as one of my normal bizarre dreams (family, strange house, dogs, concrete construction and Santa Claus mugs – you know, normal). But then it drifted into frightening, a terror dream that I won’t soon forget, as much as I’d like to.
Last night I had some ‘me’ time after a long day with a big headache – which meant a stimulating game of Civilization IV. I know, I know – you’re probably jealous, but please try to contain it.
Actually, I think it was 50% needing to get away from a concept I’ve been working on (the usability of ‘tabs’ and how we can design in a tab-centric world), to help things get a little clearer. Other projects I have on my “To Do” list: Continue reading
Well, today was one of those “I’ve got good news … and I’ve got bad news” sort of days. But in an effort to be more positive about things, I’m going to try to do what they call in all of those silly ‘Better Management” books, the Oreo Cookie method and sandwich the bad items in between good ones, where possible – or at least look at the bright side when I can. Continue reading
One of the side effects of Adderall and having four pets is that my sleep patterns haven’t been the greatest. We’ve done what we can to minimize the ‘disturbances’ that 2 dogs and 2 cats can make: removing collars and tags, ‘relaxation’ treats, tiring them out before bed. But I was still being woken up nightly 2-3x by doggie emergencies, frolicking or fighting felines or the odd sound in the night. I was getting exhausted, so the doctor prescribed Lunesta, which had worked well when I really needed to get some sleep. All was well and good until I switched insurances with the new job, and the new insurance company denied my refill, saying that I hadn’t used cheaper alternatives first. So last night, I had to try Ambien instead. I’d tried it in the past but hadn’t liked it because I found it hard to wake up from, but I figured I would give it another shot.
Man, did it mess me up. Not quite “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”-style tripping, but definitely on the “Cheech and Chong” level. I was completely unbalanced and I swear that I was hallucinating on the stuff. I’m in the bedroom getting ready to slip into bed, and the sheets were moving. Now, I have to admit that I’m not sure whether I was more freaked out or enjoying it, but I’m fairly sure that I’m not looking forward to that effect every time I take the stuff, either. It’s like Sleepytime Crack™.
Good God, people – get a frickin’ life. I am so sick of entertainment news – especially inconsequential entertainment news – being reported as though it should matter. Since when was a pseudo-celebrity like Anna Nicole Smith worth the gargantuan amount of coverage she’s been getting? Continue reading
Okay, it now qualifies as f@#$in’ cold out. You know it’s bad when you can’t even do the 4-block walk from the train to work without stopping into a cafe for a tea and a thawing. I’m so glad my wife suggested the sweater instead of the t-shirt and collared shirt thing. It’s even cold IN the office, especially my little corner of it. But I’ve come up with some ways to keep yourself warm, at the office, at home and in between: Continue reading
