8 Ways to Sunday

I’ve been hearing about Skype for about a year now, but had no idea what it actually was. The O’Reilly Network just put an end to my ignorance with the article “What is Skype,” by James Gaskin.

Perhaps the coolest thing about this free telecommunications tool — aside from the fact that it’s free — is how secure it is. Instant messages, file transfers, and voice calls all use 256-bit encryption. For stronger encrypted communications than that, you’d need restricted-access military equipment. No doubt the Department of Homeland Security is going to be all over this, demanding backdoor keys and whatnot, once they realize how popular Skype is becoming.

Updates

• 9/12/2005 @ 8:36 AM — According to CNet News.com, eBay has agreed to purchase Skype for $1.3 billion in cash and another $1.3 billion in stock.

I hope to one day write a novel and have it published. Everyone with such hopes should read this, believe it, and live it.

(Props: Grumpy Old Bookman)

This is where my mother and I are staying while she visits doctors in Tucson:

The front entrance as seen from the courtyard at dusk. Click for slightly larger version.

Beats the hell out of Motel 6, that’s for sure.

Hotel Schmotel Tucson Hospitality Inn is a non-profit hospitality house especially for seriously ill people receiving treatment in Tucson and their caregivers. It’s kind of like a B&B in the way it’s set up, and only costs $35 per night. (Update: The hospitality house where we stayed has changed its name from Hotel Schmotel to Tucson Hospitality Inn as of late 2005.)

I’d hoped to take more pictures by now, but for now all I’ve got is the exterior shot above and this photo of the kitchen:   (more…)

After many moons in development, Textpattern is finally and officially “finished.” Debuting at version 4.0, it looks like a much more mature and feature-rich CMS than the one I tinkered around with about a year ago. TxP has sprouted a handful of new developers since going open-source, and its community now boasts a plugin repository, a wiki, and even a magazine.

I’ve been looking around for a Movable Type replacement to power my photoblog, and WordPress doesn’t quite fit the bill. Now that it’s all grown up, Textpattern might be just what I’m looking for. Once I can set aside some time, I’ll have to take it for another spin.

(Props: hicksdesign)

I made this:

The cover of Bill’s forthcoming book of short stories (click for a larger version)

Bill’s first book of short stories is coming soon, self-published via Lulu Press. It’ll be available via Lulu’s online store and on Amazon.com for about $10. I did the book and cover design, and it looks pretty damned good if I do say so myself.

The pencil sketches you see on the cover were done by Amber Govert, the sister of one of Bill’s former students. Her drawings also illustrate several of the stories found in the book.

On a side note, I know I’m behind on the promised Tucson trip update. I promise I’ll get something up here about our medical travel adventures by the end of the week!

Updates

• 8/20/2005 @ 12:40 PM — Lulu has been in the news lately. For more info about this new self-publishing company (kind of like CafePress for books, but more professional results) you can read articles in Time magazine, Britain’s Sunday Times, and the Sydney Morning Herald. (Props: Lulu Developer’s Blog)
• 10/16/2005 @ 5:23 PM — I forgot to post this earlier, but the book is now very much available. You can buy it now at Lulu.com. There are still some problems with the Amazon listing for the book, but those should hopefully be fixed sometime this week.