jalanco

I woke up today, and why you should, too.

One day, if we wait long enough, The Boring Company technology will be boring technology.

There are number of places in the US where it is legal to walk around outside with a drink. New Orleans is the place I'm most familiar with but there are others. Some people forget that the US is not a monoculture.

One of the truly greats. Perhaps my favorite short-story writer along with James Tiptree, Jr. Here are three stories you need to read right now if you haven't: 1. "Repent Harlequin," said the Ticktockman., 2. Jeffty is Five, and 3. I have no mouth and I must scream, which contains one of the most memorable similes that still sticks in my mind: "the sliding cold horror of a razor blade slicing my eyeball." I'm doing this from memory but I think it's pretty close. And Isaac Asimov, who couldn't have been a more different writer from Ellison, really seemed (from his writings) to love the guy.

Actually I didn't think of that. I was thinking more of a magnetic nozzle. But yeah if you can steer a fluid with embedded magnets you should be able to accelerate a fluid with embedded magnets, right? :) or maybe not. I have no idea.

I wonder if you replaced the abrasive material with a ferrous material could you direct the stream with magnets? I guess the material would first have to be charged. And would the water flow follow the [hypothetically] focused stream of ferrous material? I need some coffee.

Here's an actual chat transcript of me trying to cancel my membership. Yes I sound like a dick robot, but I become a dick robot when I'm forced to contact the company--instead of just clicking a button--to cancel my membership:

info: Hi, we are currently helping other customers in line ahead of you. We'll be with you as soon as possible.

While you wait, you can try our community forums where experts are online 24/7.

info: You are now chatting with 'Mahesh'

Mahesh: Hello! Welcome to Adobe Customer Service.

Mahesh: Hi there.

jalanco: Cancel my membership.

jalanco: Are you there? Cancel my membership. info: Your chat transcript will be sent to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx at the end of your chat.

Mahesh: I will check and help you.

Mahesh: I see that you have the Creative Cloud plan (one-year) annual commitment subscription with the monthly payment option under your account.

Mahesh: I am really sorry to see you go.

Mahesh: May I ask why you are choosing not to maintain your membership?

jalanco: Please cancel my membership. I don't have a lot of time.

Mahesh: An annual subscription requires a commitment for the full year and monthly payments.

Mahesh: If you decide to end a one-year membership before the 12-month period is over, you are charged 50% of the remaining amount left on your commitment.

Mahesh: In this case, if you are willing to cancel your annual subscription now, you will be charged an early termination fee of USD 250.00.

Mahesh: Is that fine with you?

jalanco: No it is not fine with me. Cancel my membership.

Mahesh: I see that you've purchased a subscription with an annual commitment with a monthly payment. Since you wish to cancel the subscription before the end of one year period, you will be billed 50% of your monthly rate for the remaining months in your annual commitment.

jalanco: Cancel my membership.

Mahesh: Okay, do you wish me to cancel the subscirption with the early termination fee of USD 250.00?

jalanco: No. Cancel my membership. I didn't agree to that.

Mahesh: http://www.adobe.com/misc/subscription_terms.html

Mahesh: Please view the above link to see the terms of the annual commitment subscription that you have under your account.

Mahesh: I understand that you would like to cancel your membership, and I will take care of that for you. However, would you be willing to maintain your membership through your annual commitment & avoid the early termination fee if I offer you the next month of your membership for free?

jalanco: No. Cancel my membership immediately.

Mahesh: I can understand your concern, please allow me a moment while I check for any exception for you.

Mahesh: I am happy that I was able to make an exception for you. I have successfully canceled your Creative Cloud membership (one-year) annual commitment subscription without any early termination fee of USD 250.00 as an one time exception only for you as goodwill gesture.

Mahesh: However this exception will not be done again for you.

Mahesh: Is there anything else I can help you with?

jalanco: Thank you. Nothing else.

Mahesh: Thank you for contacting Adobe. We are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Goodbye!

Reading this made me think about the hard problem of "removing" yourself from the internet. I don't think it is possible. But I do think there might be an opportunity for a service that creates so much conflicting and false information about a person that it is not possible to know the truth about them: false addresses, phone numbers, credit histories, you name it. Just a thought.

It's been years since I've read it but "On Writing" is still one of my favorite books of all time. It's worth reading whether you write much or not. His description of the time he was struck by a van (and nearly killed) while walking down the road near his home with his head in a paperback book is alone worth the read. He said the guy driving the van was reaching into a box of raw meat and tossing chunks to a dog in the back of the van and didn't see him walking on the side of the road. He said it was like a scene from one of his novels. I recall that he also goes into some detail about how he struggled through a long period of near poverty with his wife Tabitha always supporting him and staying by his side. So she deserves tremendous credit for his success. For me the book was more about persevering through the struggle to create in general.