The Occasional Masthead

So. The old man is finally dead

I have felt very bitter about the evil old man for many years, in part because of the fundamental cruelty of the universe in granting him so many extra years that my father did not have.

The praise in the media, and the start of the historical revisionism regarding his career, is leaving a sour taste in my mouth. I particularly shudder when I hear is catch phrase “don’t you worry about that” being treated as cute and folksy and endearing. It’s not. It was always a cynical and vicious put down: “You don’t need to know the answer to that, it’s not your place. Go about your business and your little life, and we’ll do what’s best for us, and maybe for you. You don’t count in this state, and you can either live with it or leave”

I have come not to bury Joh, but to dance on his grave. No praise or good will from me.

Not mine — it’s my right knee that’s kaput — but our cat, Miss Kitty. Go figure that one out. This is, of course, the same cat that sprained her back some years ago…

Thank goodness for Dr Leigh, Super Vet.

Of course, while we’re waiting to see if she’ll need knee surgery (reconstructive surgery for a cat. Welcome to the 21st Century), we’re following her around to see how she’s walking, sitting, running and jumping. Which is quite difficult, since she’s asleep approximately 98.7% of the time.

Tip of the hat to the Getting Things Done and 43 Folders crowd, but there is one problem with their ideas I’m feeling at the moment: the stuff to get done really breaks into three groups. Stuff that Must Get Done, Stuff that Should Get Done, and Stuff that You Want To Do. And the related problem is that there might be more time required for this Stuff than there is time left over from non-trivial things like working in order to get the cold hard cash to feed the cat.

Update, Thursday, 07. April 2005,

I went and start reading the Quicksilver documentation today, and I will try to get my head around it and fingers used to it. It will just take the discipline to remember to use it. The very little amount of playing I’ve done suggests that it will be a seriously useful thing.