Blog

As one who has started to limit his time creating in part because of the nuisance/stress of typing, I love seeing exploration into alternative interfaces, especially ones that take more advantage of our full range of physical expression. [thanks to Steve Ivy for the link]

San Francisco is shrinking. In this Reuters story about newly released Census data, SF is even compared to Flint, Michigan and Gary, Indiana thanks to its incredibly vanishing population.

San Francisco, with a population of about 776,000 in mid-2002, joins some other famously depressed U.S. cities, including Flint, Michigan, which ranked 240 on the list with a population decline of 1.4 percent or 1,687 people, and Gary, Indiana, which came in at 227, losing 0.8 percent of its population, or 793 people.

And then the Census bureau announces that this extended urban area (aka, the Bay Area) is now officially known as the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area, . This was front page news in the (ahem) San Francisco Chronicle just over a week after the above Reuters story… although I’m guessing both tidbits came from the same release of Census info. Of course, it’s not like the government moved quickly on this decision.

San Jose surpassed San Francisco in population in 1990, but San Francisco had held onto top billing until June, when census officials decided to change the name.

In any event, I’m not planning on going anywhere.

Lots of different things come to mind when I think about this site, but my energy is quite directed right now at family and work, not always in that order, unfortunately. This site feels like a luxury. I’d prefer to create here, rather than simply comment, but opining on other’s work is sure a whole lot easier/faster.

Last night I was leaning in another direction, but after consultation with my sister Laura, who also has a 12″ PowerBook, and further review here in the house, I ordered the Incase Laptop sleeve.

Incase laptop sleeve is being used by Mike. Looks fine… looking at TidBITS didn’t come up with obvious alternatives. Google brought me to ACME MADE,Waterfield Design, Tom Bihn, and Booq. Not convinced yet, but so far leaning towards the last one — has a pocket and carrying handle, with detachable strap included, but still not unreasonably expensive. Suggestions welcome.

A good friend heard a radio interview today with the author of The Last Days of Publishing, a new novel in which “[a]n ex-editor laments the death of the book.” To my friend, the book sounded like a perfect fit for my father, who spent his working life in book manufacturing — his customers were publishers. My grandfather was a publisher, eventually starting his own small firm to publish textbooks. I work for a publisher, and I publish (?!) this small website. So, sounds like a novel of direct personal interest. I’m buying it for my father, and I’ll borrow it from there.

I found this same study noteworthy, but I didn’t realize there was a Slashdot thread on the study, emphasizing the marriage part, not the age limit.

I don’t have much interest, but I know people who do. Here’s a quote from a son of a flight instructor… a son chose not to learn how to fly, despite the obvious opportunity. Why? Because… “I don’t want to do something where the opposite of perfection is death.” Hmmm. How forgiving is your vocation or avocation?

I don’t know what iTopik is, but here’s the longest list of newsreaders I’ve seen. Not sure the “best” list is, yet.

The project is not done, but we reached a huge milestone today at work. In the larger scheme of things, not important, but to my focus, energy, and excitement… a big step. I’ll provide some details in the future, when it’s publicly disclosed, but I’ll get some closure over the next week or so. From here on in, it’s just color by numbers on this one.

I actually did ‘color by numbers’ pencil coloring when I was like 7 years old, at my mother’s parents’ house. Odd to remember that now. Still about the highest level of my artistic expressions, although I like the idea of taking interesting photographs… just not enough to carry a camera around.