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Katherine's blog

Obsessions: Thin films, writing, small business, and random web flotsam

November 23, 2001

 
Syracuse, Buffalo, Syracuse again, and back to Boston tomorrow. With decent weather this time, unlike last year's three feet of snow for Thanksgiving. Ate a fabulous feast yesterday courtesy of my brother-in-law and a most excellent Ridge 1993 Zinfandel. Spent more time than we planned upgrading and tweaking my father-in-law's, sister-in-law's, and nephew's computers, but everything now seems to be working right. A good trip, and I needed the break. I've got a ton of work piled up waiting for me, but it's still good to get away every now and then.

Nothing especially profound to say tonight, except that being able to update this page from literally anywhere with an Internet connection is nice. But dangerous. If you can update, does that mean that you must update?
posted 20:44 |

November 20, 2001

 
DRAM analysis article is done and posted in the subscriber section. Now I just need to send out the subscriber newsletter and I can sign off for the long weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
posted 20:58 |

 
Budding policy wonks should bookmark the Congressional Research Service page, which gives ordinary citizens access to the same analyses members of the US Congress turn to. I found it while looking for information on the Asian financial crisis, but there's plenty more there.
posted 18:45 |

 
Dainippon Screen isn't the only company developing supercritical fluids for fab applications, but it's one of the biggest. Its planned partnership with Kobe Steel should certainly help move the technology forward.
posted 10:54 |

 
Yes, everyone really does have a blog these days, including Julius Caesar. Bloggus Caesari chronicles the author's attempts to suppress the rebellious Gauls.
posted 09:10 |

November 19, 2001

 
Yay! First draft of the long-awaited DRAM industry analysis is done. I'm not sure how coherent it is or when I'll get to the revision (shooting for tomorrow) , but I'm over that horrible blank page hump.
posted 15:02 |

 
Japanese business just doesn't get it. Nikkei Business Daily argues that "Japan's future depends on the effective defense of production-floor expertise," and details some of the measures Japanese companies are taking to that end. Problem is, it won't work, as US companies learned back in the 1980s. Information is too portable and too valuable to be controlled that easily. The leading companies of the 21st century will be the ones that can innovate more rapidly than their competitors, not the ones who rely on walls to defend their existing expertise.
posted 10:40 |

 
How to double your site traffic: install a blog. Thanks to readers of this page, overall traffic has really taken off in the last couple weeks. And I haven't even told my subscriber base about it yet. Should have done this months ago...
posted 10:25 |

November 18, 2001

 
Learn about pines from the pine, and about bamboo from the bamboo. -- Basho
posted 23:54 |

 
How much are your civil liberties worth? Now might be a good time to think about that one. As the New York Times explains, "administration officials are determined not to let their hands be tied by the traditions of normal legal procedure or the rules of criminal law." Regardless of how you feel about military tribunals for terrorists (I'm ambivalent), it's worrisome when the people responsible for the US justice system express such contempt for its safeguards.
posted 21:26 |

 
No work and no updates yesterday. Spent all day yesterday and most of this morning at aikido classes. Now I'm stiff and sore and bruised in a number of places--especially my left knee, which I seem to have landed on at some point--but I feel good. I haven't been sticking to my usual aikido routine lately, so it's good to get back on track. At least until the Thanksgiving trip derails me again. Oh well.

Random interesting web pages department:
Diary of a Mad Monk is the online journal of an ex-priest who, among other things, has been invited to help with pre-excavation planning for the latest search for the Grail. He's a very introspective fellow but, so far, interesting.
posted 17:54 |

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