Skype Beta for OSX.

Hey, this is cool. Skype Beta for OSX, finally. Talk to your family and friends for free over the internets. Almost makes the Cisco IP phone here on my desk obsolete.

Window Shopping II, or: I Can’t Afford It, Anyway.

Why is it that all the motorcycles sold on Craigslist in this area are crotch-rocket ego bikes worth more than my Jeep? All I want is a decent, running Honda CB350, or even a mid-70′s R60. Sheesh.

Window Shopping

If I ever get paid, and actually have money in the bank (gasp), this is a partial list of Stuff I’d Like To Buy:

• The birthday present I have picked out for my wife
• Life insurance
• A pair of dress chinos so that I don’t look like a bumbling hick on our client meeting next week
• A new pair of dress shoes to replace the 5-year-old Steve Madden knockoffs I currently own
• A pair of prescription sunglasses to replace the ones I lost in the taxi on the way to our hotel in Rome two years ago
• A set of iPod headphones to replace the ones I’ve got, which are fraying, cracked, and dynamically mismatched
• The ability to finally subscribe to satellite radio, putting the unit we’ve had since December to use
• Extra RAM, a new battery, and a CD-burner for the Thinkpad, which needs to be backed up

Supposedly, there’s a FedEx package on its way with my name on it. If it ever does arrive, I’ll be able to pay 1/2 my upcoming tax bill, the August mortgage, and at least some of my outstanding bills.

TechTool Protege

This little gizmo is a Firewire-based bootable flash drive which runs TechTool Pro. Genius.

The Design Curve.

I got a link to How to Ruin a Web Design from a client late this afternoon, and it made me guffaw, especially since they name-checked a similar article that our friend Shelly sent us this morning.

Providence.

I got an email yesterday afternoon with a signed proposal, something that will make the next couple of months very busy, and hopefully profitable as well. I can’t stress how much of a good a thing this is, considering the (in)frequency of checks coming in the door lately.

We seem to be fighting the familiar first-year battle of balancing our incoming and outgoing cash flow, something that leaves us both exhilarated and terrified at the same time. I think I could speak for the both of us when I say that we’re probably busier now than we ever were at 9-5 jobs, with the added roles of bookkeeper, project manager, systems administrator, and salesperson. However, having my best friend work over my right shoulder is a lifesaver—we each provide the other a welcome mix of business advice, sanity check, and aesthetic criticism at those points when judgement is impaired by stress, fatigue, or creative block.

At this particular moment in time, I’ll say that it’s been a great experience. I’ll also admit that I’ve got less in my savings account than I’ve had in ten years, I’m living week to week, and sometimes it takes me several hours to fall asleep at night on account of the worrying. However, I’ve got several long-term projects lined up that I’m excited about, a developing portfolio just about ready to promote, and the freedom to take in a half-price matinee on a Tuesday afternoon with my wife (not that we’ve taken advantage of that yet.)

Watts, Amps, and Ohms.

Here’s a pretty good explanation of the difference between watts, amps, and ohms. (I wanted to see how much less energy LCD panels consumed vs. CRT monitors. It led me here.)

Federal Judge Overturns Wal-Mart Bill

A Federal judge threw out the MD. Wal-Mart bill. I wonder who got paid off for this one?

Federal Judge Overturns Wal-Mart Bill

A Federal judge threw out the MD. Wal-Mart bill. I wonder who got paid off for this one?

Polaroid Transfer Tutorial.

How to do Polaroid transfers, for anyone who’s still got one in the closet (and $10 for a pack of film.) (via)