I write this from the latest MacBook Pro. I’ve been running this as my primary machine for almost a month. When I’m not grinding out the latest soon-to-be-released I-swear-I-am-on-schedule book in a coffee shop, I sit at my desk and plug the MacBook into a Studio Display. This braided black cable does it all: video,… more
The first book I purchased for myself. When I understood the science fiction genre. Getting beat up as a kid and how the marbles helped. My favorite pen. When I learned why typography mattered. Why I care about bears so much. Why Tribeca matters to me. When I was a kid, I had nightmares. Saying… more
Welcome back. In our 46th episode, we’re talking about the new shelves in the cave. They’re big. Like huge. It’s so good to be talking with you all again. Spend time with Lyle and Lopp talking about important things. Enjoy it now or download for later. Here’s a handy feed or subscribe via Overcast or… more
First-year of college at UCSC. First computer science class. Introduction to Programming. The language: Pascal. Failed it. Failed it badly. Knew I was going to fail it halfway through the class. This was my chosen profession. I’d been a grocery store clerk, a butcher, a video store clerk, the guy who backs up the system… more
Morning. I sit down at my desk. Meeting starts in thirty seconds. Let’s run through the pre-meeting checklist: Turn on the video. Am I presentable? How’s the hair? And the outfit? Right, I look like I’m working. Start the call. While in the green room, make sure the camera is on and the microphone is… more
Rands HQ continues to experience unprecedented usage. We’re in week five of shelter in place and the home office is poppin’. As described earlier, I did an intense clean of the office two weekends back and am happy to report that the tidiness remains primarily because there’s a night 15-minute cleaning window where all things… more
The best part of a deep cleansing of the space is the next morning. You don’t get a sense of the total difference while you’re doing it because you’re there for each part of the gradual change. After a night’s sleep, you forget a bit, and the results are shocking. (click for larger versions) I’ve… more
I love my Cave. Earlier this week, I finished the book. This is the third book I’ve mostly written in the Cave. There’s been lots of outside writing spots, coffee shops, vacations, and airplanes, but the bulk of the work has been completed right here. Sitting in a hoodie, coffee to the left, Bear fired… more
(Ok, first hit play on the above video. This article has a soundtrack.) In World of Warcraft, Darkshore is the first major city outside of the Night Elf starting area and stands in dark contrast to the mystical and deeply saturated pink realm of Teldrassil. It’s where you discover that the game is full of… more
It would appear there are not a lot of written words here recently. Appearances are deceiving. There are lots of words and they look like this: I’m winding up a three-week vacation which has been focused on getting the next book in shape. My definition of “in shape” is “I can kind’a sort’a see the… more
