January 12th, 2008 mel
I see that WordPress has yet another update. This time it appears to be a security upgrade. I never did upgrade from the previous update, but I’m glad I didn’t because it would have been twice the work.
Another program I’m toying with is called Scrivener. It’s a writing program and I can see, even after three days, why it has become so popular. You are not crammed into fitting in with the way the program works. Here’s the sales pitch:
Writing a book, short story or research paper is about more than hammering away at the keys until it’s done. Research, scrawling fragmentary ideas that don’t seem to fit anywhere yet, collecting faded photos from old newspapers, shuffling index cards to find that elusive structure - most writing software is only fired up after much of the hard work is already done. Enter Scrivener: writing software that stays with you from that first, unformed idea all the way through to the first - or even final - draft. Outline and structure your ideas. Take notes. Storyboard your masterpiece using a powerful virtual corkboard. View research while you write. Track themes using keywords. Dynamically combine multiple scenes into a single text just to see how they fit. Scrivener has already been enthusiastically adopted by best-selling novelists and novices alike - whatever you write, grow your ideas in style.
I already have a very nice writing program called Ulysses, but I have never felt comfortable with it. It seemed too rigid. Other than the corkboard, Scrivener doesn’t really have anything different in terms of features. It just seems easier to work with. Well, I have 30 days to play with it… excuse me, 27 days. Around $40.
Meanwhile, I should upgrade WordPress - maybe this weekend.
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January 8th, 2008 mel
I have been on hold now for 20 minutes with Time Warner Cable trying to resolve an issue dating back to October 15th.
I could not see any video on demand (VOD), because 10 minutes into a movie, the picture would start to break up (microblock) and eventually the sound would go. I had techs come out 3 times. One changed the wiring inside the house. One changed the wiring outside the house, and one changed the set top boxes. On the last visit, the tech saw that the issue was not resolved. That was on Nov. 24th. He called the IT department and said it had to be resolved from their end at the IT department. Sometime in December I decided to chance a movie again…. This time it worked.
So, I figure I am supposed to get a credit for not having the service available from Oct. 15th to whenever they fixed it,… which was NOT on Nov. 24th. Fortunately, the last tech gave me the IT ticket number. The problem is that TW has it in their records as being resolved on Nov. 24th, and whenever any of the TW personnel call IT, they get put on hold.
So this last encounter lasted 32 minutes of my life (which I will never get back). Theoretically, I will get called back (tomorrow?) with the correct date… I hate Bureaucracy.
Posted in observation, shout | No Comments »
January 6th, 2008 mel
Happy New Year!
I am so glad 2007 is over. Call me silly for believing that just by passing an arbitrary date on the calendar, I can start anew, but there’s something comforting about having a start date. Anyway, welcome 2008.
I’ve come across two really nice pieces of software.
The one I have used the most thus far is 1Password. It’s a program that keeps your IDs and passwords available to you for websites, but secure on your keychain (if you haven’t guessed, we’re talking Mac software). It will also generate secure passwords for you and since you don’t have to remember them, they can be really secure. If you get a chance, check it out. I believe there is a 30 day trial period, but beware, once you start using it, you won’t want to be without it. About $30.
The other piece of software that I have just been using for a day or so is Things. It is still in beta and is free until sometime in the spring of this year. It’s a glorified task manager, but the key word is glorified. Well designed and easy to use. I didn’t feel like I had to totally learn the program before getting it to make a difference in getting my life organized. All of a sudden, things did not feel so overwhelming. I’m not an expert on task managers and I don’t have a lot of experience with them, so there may be a program that is better than this one, but I’d pay for this program as soon as it becomes available.
Posted in announcement, software | No Comments »
