Saturday, October 25, 2003

Pleasantly surprised at Radio Shack I was pleasantly surprised at the local Radio Shack today. I went in to buy a cheap volt-ohm-meter for a model train trouble-shooting. I paid with my Linux Fund Master Card (via MBNA). Now, usually I hand the card to a female clerk who typically says, "Oh, how cute" at the Tux mascot on the card. This time the young man behind the counter actually knew what Linux is, and asked some halfway cogent questions. Which is a real treat at a Radio Shack. I usually avoid them, but for a few things it's an acceptable source. I now have a slightly elevated opinion of this particular store. FYI, it's in the Freedom Centre, corner of Airport Blvd. and Freedom Blvd., in, yes, Freedom, CA. 10:54:24 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

Good advice for telecommuting How to Make Your Telecommute Work. Working from home is the future, and I am among its staunchest advocates. I not only report on this trend, I live it. By Lisa Belkin. [New York Times: Technology] Lisa provides some solid advice, including the part about getting out and seeing people. On my best days, after lunch--when I would otherwise be prone to taking a nap--I head out to the gym and get some exercise. But not every day is a good one, and I feel the pain in various ways. Also, for me the hardest part about telecommuting is staying in touch with the office in the informal ways that co-workers communicate--and even managers. It can be disconcerting to miss those meetings in the hall that occur without our knowledge, and yet it's assumed that everyone knows. Everyone doesn't know unless you keep up the contacts. I've found that instant messaging is very handy that way--we're writers anyway, so it's natural to talk with our fingers on the keyboard. And it's fun to make rude comments via IM during meetings. 10:37:13 PM    Questions? Comments? Flames? []

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