Makiko Itoh : Not a nameless cat.

My recent jury duty experience.

To "Victoria": I tried to email you back but your email inbox is full.

So it's really you, not me.

A recent article in The New Yorker dissing Amazon's Kindle made me snort with sarcastic laughter. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Given the current state of the economy and so on, I've become increasingly aware that, as far away as it might seem to be, I should really plan ahead for when I am no longer able to work and earn a living. But still, I know that I am not very well prepared, and my savings are not nearly what they should be.

But today, I heard something that has really affected me.

Well, forget the last post. Just Stuff I Like hasn't worked out at all, because other things have gotten higher priority now. For the moment Twitter is where I spout my short thoughts, and I'm back here for longer stuff, eventually.

Where previously, little fragments of ideas may have gradually accumulated, building up to a big idea in the recesses of your mind, participating in Twitter drains away those ideas as soon as they float by. At the end, you are left with an empty void, and a vague feeling that something is missing.

It was quite heartbreaking to see Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang have to pull out of his Olympic event due to injury. I have to admit that I am now very curious to see how his country reacts to a fallen hero with such big expectations on his shoulders.

Tech support, especially by phone, needs to seriously screen the callers beforehand for their level of knowledge. This would save a lot of time for both sides.

How many times have we called up tech support and had to endure going through the steps of inanity?

Yes, I know how to reboot the computer or modem.

Yes, I have already checked for loose plugs/cables.

Yes, I know the difference between Windows and Mac.

As the owner of a couple of mildly popular blogs (not this one,obviously) I, like many others, get my daily dose of PR email. I usually skim and dump them. Most of them are barely worth that amount of attention. (I don't even count the lame ones sent to the address where the domains are registered, asking for a 'cooperation' (translation: link exchange) with a "top rated web site with a Google PR of 0". Huh?)

Amen.

I've had the pleasure of being informed that my pages do not validate a number of times. I suppose it's because way back then I used to write about web design and stuff, and my old articles are still floating out there on the interwebs. Guess one reason why I've basically stopped writing about such things.

(I know exactly where and why my pages don't validate. Go away.)