New line of books

I’m thinking of starting my own publishing company, specializing in books designed to give people the bare-bones information to keep computer systems running. The books would be a bit more complete than a HOWTO but favoring the day-to-day tasks over installation and configuration.

The target market is the poor schmuck who got stuck running Exchange (for instance) because the mail administrator got downsized. Poor Schmuck needs to know only the things that will keep Exchange up and running until someone with a clue can take over.

I think such a line of books might be successful in this kind of economy. If you’d like to write on a topic that might fit this mold, drop me an email and we’ll talk.

Highlights of 2008: Our move to downtown

Finally I present the biggest highlight of 2008: our move to downtown. This one event was the most profound change for us in 2008.

Over the past few years, I’d been pondering what life in Raleigh would be after cheap gas was gone, or after I had become too old to drive. I wanted to live someplace where amenities were close by, and by that I don’t mean a faceless strip mall. I wanted to find a place where we could retire, knowing that if we needed to we could get around without driving.
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The badge of unemployment

On my way home I picked up some takeout from a place in Cameron Village. Waiting for my turn to pay, I noticed a man holding the familiar MasterCard with the Cardinal photograph and “North Carolina” on it. It was an icon to the jobless in North Carolina: the unemployment insurance debit card.

“Hey, I used to have one of those,” I said to him, maybe looking to boost his spirits, or drum up camaraderie.

“Yeah,” he nodded, seeming a bit embarrassed. “The design industry isn’t doing so well these days . . .”

He trailed off, but it didn’t matter. I knew exactly how he felt.

“Good luck,” I offered as he turned to pick up his food, and he thanked me.

It’s tough out there and a lot of people are just barely hanging on.

Highlights of 2008: Rocket

I ended last year on a sad note when we said goodbye to my longtime feline companion, Smitty. Then in the following months we moved into a new home (and judged the kids ready for a pet), so we decided it was time to get a dog.

We met Rocket through a Lab rescue organization, and decided to “test-drive” him for an hour one evening. It wasn’t long after then that Rocket joined our family for good.

He’s led us on romps through the neighborhood, kept good company, become a great car traveler, learned a few tricks, and pretty much been everything we could’ve hoped for in a dog.

Paycheck!

I got my first paycheck in a long while today. What a feeling that is!

Social media madness

Two years ago my shipmate Dave Bullock signed me up to Facebook. I took a look around and forgot about it until another shipmate, Matt Feath, hit me up again a few weeks ago. Now I’m hooked, and I’m finding people I haven’t crossed paths with in many, many years.

I’d long ago set up a LinkedIn profile but have begun drifting away from it. LinkedIn began to seem kind of static. I use Twitter from time to time, too. I like the immediacy it offers. I don’t do much SMS texting but I can see that it would be a great tool if I did.

Facebook, on the other hand, offers what LinkedIn and Twitter do all in one package – plus so much more. So much more, in fact, that it could easily become a Major Time Sink.

I once scoffed at the idea that Facebook could be worth $15 billion. I’m not scoffing any more.