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Mac Girl
Written on byI’m a Mac girl. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m one of those people who loved Macs even in that dark period prior to the half-dome iMac and first iPod. I’ve used Macs for as long as I can remember. And as my beloved 12″ PowerBook G4 nears the end of its lifespan, I […]
Nighttime Aircraft Noise
Written on byA study has shown a correlation between the sound of aircraft noise at night — not loud enough to wake you, but loud enough for a physical response — and a rise in blood pressure. I’m not surprised. I grew up near an airport and the quality of my sleep was definitely dependent on the […]
Six-Word Memoirs
Written on byThe legend says that Hemingway was given the “impossible” task of writing a life story in only six words. His answer: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” That’s the basis for the Six-Word Memoirs on Smith.com. Some are funny, others sad, and some just make you wish you knew more about the writer’s backstory. I’ve […]
Going Live!
Written on byI’ve finally redesigned my website using Joomla, an open-source content management tool. I have to admit that there were more than a few things that were counterintuitive in the system, but now that I have the site set up, maintaining the content should be simple. Notice that I say “should be” because after all, it […]
Electoral Compass
Written on byDid you ever wonder how closely your beliefs align with the various candidates? Try the Electoral Compass. It’s a quick way to see where you fall on the political spectrum.
Websites
Written on byJust as the proverbial cobbler’s son has no shoes, it’s extraordinarily difficult to keep my own website current. I initially set up my website a decade ago, using some hardcore HTML and frames that were common at the time. It was large, unwieldy, and no matter what I did to update the design, still managed […]
Cool New Tool
Written on byI’ve discovered the coolest new tool for managing projects and generally organizing the stuff that I need to do my work. It’s called Scrivener, and this thing rocks. A client sends me a project. As my resource material, I have five websites, three PDFs, a slide deck and four Word docs. Normally, I would have […]
Vaccines
Written on by“Vaccines don’t cause autism, do they?” asked my sister-in-law, as she was strapping her 4-month-old son into his car seat for a doctor’s visit. “No,” I replied. “Promise?” she asked. What could I say to that? No, I can’t promise. No, I have no idea if he’ll end up with autism, or what the cause […]
Lost and Found
Written on byThis is a great story about the quest to reunite a digital camera with its unknown owner. This sort of thing can only happen with digital technology. Several years ago, while sneaking in a few extra days off at the tail end of a business trip, I bought a disposable Kodak camera. Taking a break […]
In the Air
Written on byI’m working on a solution brief about voice-over-wireless-LAN in medical centers for a company that provides wireless network security. Before your eyes cross and you tune me out entirely, I can assure you that there is something interesting here. Imagine your wireless network at home, or at the office. There are dead spots, places where […]