Go back up your computer.

No, don't read this message. Go back up your computer. Come back when you're done.

This public service announcement brought to you by my cooling fan, which decided this morning was a good time to seize up. A Pentium 4 runs WAY too hot to do without a fan for any length of time.

My last backup was last Friday, and I was able to get my most critical work since then off before things went completely south. So I'm able to be reasonably cheerful, breathe a sigh of relief, and remind you to back up your computer.

Now.

ESPN, of all places, has an interesting interview with Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, The Tipping Point and other books. Blink is about how sometimes people make better decisions when they act on instinct instead of cautious deliberation. In the interview, Gladwell notes that instinctive decision making only works for experts, because they've internalized their knowledge. Much of the hype about the book seems to have missed that point.

Carly Fiorina has resigned as chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, citing strategic differences with the board. This shouldn't be surprising, given HP's soft performance since the controversial merger with Compaq, but it is. Many other CEOs have kept their jobs, and huge bonuses besides, even in the face of far worse numbers.

Fascinating. Thinking Machine 4 is an artwork masquerading as chessplaying software. As it thinks, it sketches its thought process on the screen. Not a terribly strong program, but that's not really the point.