Spent the weekend visiting Krissa’s mom for the first time. (We’ve met before, of course, but she moved to Wisconsin in 2001 and I’ve not visited her there before.) Didn’t take the computer, and her mom’s computer stays up for less than 3 minutes before BSODing if you’re using IE. We installed firefox, which seemed to help as a stopgap- no BSODs after we installed it.
With no computer, and no TV in the house, I got a lot of reading done.
- Innovation and its Discontents: interesting book, with serious analysis of the flaws of the patent system and potential cures. Interestingly, makes a strong argument for software patents, once the other problems of the patent system are fixed.
- Finished Design of Everyday Things. Not what I’d recommend as the first usability/design read for computer people (others have a lot more pragmatic things to say) but it was definitely interesting.
- Neil Gaiman’s Smoke and Mirrors– a fun, light read.
- All The President’s Men: like Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, the echoes of Nixon in the Bush team’s attitude towards the truth and the media are creepy.