I got a bit busy yesterday, and so no updates. Sorry.

The company I work for is preparing to release a major new version of our software. It’s all very exciting, because though small, we’re a leader in our market. Perhaps the leader. And the process of releasing it is my responsibility, so it keeps me busy.

Since there were no links yesterday, let me throw out a few here, showing the software tools I’ve been using to make my job easier. The first set comes from Indigo Rose, a small developer in Canada. I regularly use their two flagship products, Setup Factory and AutoPlay Studio. Setup Factory is a wonderful cheap alternative to the expensive resource-hog installation wizard most large software products use. AutoPlay Studio is a very easy-to-use tool that creates programs that run automatically when a CD-ROM is inserted into the drive. I know many people (including most potential readers of this page) shut off the autoplay option in Windows, but for my customers it’s very important.

Another tool I’ve begun using is Bridge, by Kemma Software. Bridge is a help-desk call logger and issue tracker that has all the features of the large multi-thousand dollar packages but is a fraction of the price. I haven’t used it very long, but it’s already been wonderful for me.

The Southeast’s infatuation with all things NASCAR has gone too far. I just went to get a soda out of the soda machine downstairs (Peter, it took about two minutes.), I saw in the snack machine bags of racecar-shaped Fritos. Cheddar cheese flavored. And these were being sold in a white-collar professional environment. Vroom vroom! Go Jeff Gordon!

I’ve played a bit with the color layout. Please [let me know](mailto:ewagoner@partnersoft.com?subject=Kestrel’s Nest) what you think. There was a small typo in the old code that made Netscape display the background as anything from white to a dull orange. It should be a nice brown, now. And I never did like all the hard rules everywhere.

I watch Space Ghost every week on the Cartoon Network, and have for years. While watching this weekend, I saw promos for two new Yogi Bear episodes to be shown this Friday on the Cartoon Cartoon show (10pm Eastern). Very strange looking Yogi Bear cartoons. I was overjoyed to see that they were done by John K., the creator of Ren and Stimpy, another of my favorite shows of old. Joy! These are tapers, for sure.

More budget-conscious managers may prefer to cope by only upgrading crucial applications such as tallow and sundials. But a congress of philosophes estimates coordinating even this small effort may cost as much as a bucket of lard per serf.

From Preparing for domesday: the year 1000 problem.

SAW YOU AT BOOKSTORE, or maybe farmer’s market or do-it-yourself car wash. You had brown hair and some variety of bluish shirt or jacket. I was probably wearing a cowboy shirt or turtleneck. I caught your eye, you either smiled or coughed. Please call. 33452

Blessed are the cheesemakers, for they shall inherit the earth.

Oh my, this is too funny. I hate to use a phrase like “too funny,” but this really is.

We, the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation are in love… with you!

Call 1-800-578-7453. It’s the customer line for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp, the makers of Kool & Lucky Strike. Asked an incredulous executive at another tobacco company, “What are they smokin’?”

Call the number, and then read about it.

HighSchoolAlumni.com apparantly lists every school in the country. After agreeing to a “Terms and Conditions” list as long as my arm, you can place your contact info on site so your classmates can find you.

At my recent reunion, I was (still) “the computer guy,” but three of my classmates have beaten me here.

Happy Birthday to me…

Why www.28.com takes you to baby pictures, I have no idea. I just tried it to see what’d come up. Now I know.