It's even worse than it appears.
Drummer testing is going well, still more features in development, but it is pretty stable. So I'm looking for more people to join the test group. I'm looking for people with either blogging experience or scripting experience, best if you have both, and even better if you've done development in Frontier. Think of Drummer as the continuation of the blogging work we were doing at UserLand before we took the turn toward Manila and Radio. Drummer is unabashedly about the outliner. It's the most fluid way to write, and I want to hook it up to as many rendering engines as possible, using open protocols, as possible. I see outlines as the center of the writer's universe, but you already knew that if you read my blog. Send an email or DM on Twitter if you're interested. Not guaranteeing access, and not saying when. We're still a ways from opening up to the public. #
I'm reading Player Piano, Kurt Vonnegut's first novel. I probably read it before, but didn't remember. It's a slog unlike later Vonnegut novels. This was Vonnegut before he was Vonnegut. His writing is very relaxed, American, and irreverent. And very much his. If he wants to go to some weird place in his story-telling he just goes there. I think the peak of this was Breakfast of Champions which was about a character he invented (of course all fiction is) but he writes about how he invented him, and why. It's hard to explain. But in Player Piano, he's sticking to the basics of novel-writing. Only hints of a Vonnegutisms to come in later writing. It's dull and my mind wanders while reading it. I guess that's the thing about later Vonnegut writing. He gets your full attention while you're reading. More than other writers. #
Repubs are the American Taliban. #
As a lifetime Mets fan, I'm glad the players pointed out that other fans are being assholes. I'm glad because I want to let the players know that I used to mow Mets' players lawns in the 60s. I went to games with my parents, uncle, grandfather, brother. We had a slogan "Shea Stadium Rules" which meant that even if we had our differences underneath it all we're still rooting for the Mets. So-called "fans" who dis the team when they lose really are Yankees fans and they should just go to the Bronx and shut the fuck up. The Mets philosophy stands, the Mets are the Mets, win or lose or whatever. #
  • When I listen to a Daily podcast I often want to say "no it doesn't work the way you say it does." #
  • For example, they said today that the age of American solving problems by going to war is over.#
  • Oh really? Yeah, we thought that too after Vietnam. Lotsa luck.#
  • The interviewer asked the reporter what we would do if there was a future terrorism attack inside Afghanistan.#
  • Reporter began "Sadly..."#
  • Oh really? Their new government is, as far as we know, a terrorist organization itself. So it seems a terrorist attack against them is something we'd support, not want to prevent. It certainly isn't our job to save them from terrorism. #
  • And btw, all the time the reporters are fussing about Afghanistan, and they are doing a lot of that these days after years of completely ignoring it, Haiti is in a world of hurt. Maybe we should save some of our sympathy and good deeds for them?#

copyright 1994-2021 Dave Winer.

Last update: Tuesday August 31, 2021; 8:33 PM EDT.

You know those obnoxious sites that pop up dialogs when they think you're about to leave, asking you to subscribe to their email newsletter? Well that won't do for Scripting News readers who are a discerning lot, very loyal, but that wouldn't last long if I did rude stuff like that. So here I am at the bottom of the page quietly encouraging you to sign up for the nightly email. It's got everything from the previous day on Scripting, plus the contents of the linkblog and who knows what else we'll get in there. People really love it. I wish I had done it sooner. And every email has an unsub link so if you want to get out, you can, easily -- no questions asked, and no follow-ups. Go ahead and do it, you won't be sorry! :-)