Scooped!

Well, all my work into BrainDump is apparently for naught. VoodooPad already does it all. Oh well.

I actually hadn't worked on the app in several weeks. Still... rats. This is the first time I've been scooped in software creation. It's frighteningly close to what I had in mind, but I guess if you like both Wikis and Macs, many core design decisions are pretty obvious.

Well, in a way, it lets me start using my application right now, without even having to write it first. So that's pretty nice, I guess, cuz it's a great idea.

Last of the books

I finally sent out the last of my comp copies today. (It turns out that I had 15 books, not 20; I discovered upon opening the second box that it was only half-filled.) I mailed it to James Lileks. I had the idea to do this even before I was done with the thing, because, when struggling to finish MOSXiaN, I took buoyancy from reading his own weblogged hair-tearing over his Interior Desecrators. And plus also I just love reading his stuff in general, which touches from time to time on how much he loves Mac OS X. So.

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Still kind of bummed, vaguely, about the plug getting pulled on BrainDump. (Just where did my market-research Google searches go astray, before I started? Sheesh!) I really want to write a Mac app, and that was a good idea for one, darn it. Too good. Well... I'm actually starting to wonder if I mightn't someday write a Mac app for work, since Macs, especially PowerBook G4s, are ubiquitous at ICCB. (I actually didn't know how pervasive Macs were in the bio/chem research field until I came to HMS, but every one of these software vendors makes a Mac version of their stuff if they know what's good for 'em. I found it surprising, and delightful, sure.)

I'll write an email forthwith to my boss, just to lob the idea into his cranium. I mean, in theory I could make a CamelBones app using all the HTS/Chemistry/Biochem Perl modules that Jeremy and I are making. Why not?

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Today is moving day for N. I'm sitting on my bed listening to he and two friends drag stuff around (and sometimes take breaks to play with my PS2, which is cool 'nuff). I finally spoke with my next landlord finally, and was told that I could start moving in now if I paid half a month's rent, which is certainly fair, but I haven't decided whether or not I want to do this yet. I mean, it would grant me a lot of convenience, but I don't know if it's $600 worth of convenience. I am nonetheless leaning in that direction because I am super-lazy boy.

(no subject)

N has... not quite cleared out, but the apartment no longer contains his computers or the squishy parts of his bed, and I know that means that he's effectively re-based. (Before he left he retooled my router to work by itself, and even renamed the wireless network from 'morgul.net' to 'jmac.org'... heh.) So I am truly alone in this apartment for the first time, and I've been walking around freely with all the doors open, and gee whiz, it's suddenly all much smaller and rather lonely, really.

On the other hand, I am allowed to drive again, since his car no longer pins mine into the driveway. Hallelujah. (We were actually pretty cool with each other about playing musical cars when necessary, but I nonetheless felt progressively worse each time I asked him to move his car for me (in part because I knew that meant he'd ask the same of me some hours after my return) that I just gave up on driving completely, and haven't driven since, I dunno, end of March? Not even for groceries. whee Already I'm considering making a victory lap over to Shaw's for a six-pack of frozen burritos or something.)