Ho, ho! Merry Christmas. And thanks for the welcome back, Garret and Hal!
Would you ride a bus in Jerusalem? Fear Itself is a long article about learning to live in the age of terrorism.
I found this in Jason Kottke’s Best links of 2004. BTW, I would ride – but I haven’t been to Jerusalem since 1989.
Martin is thinking as hard as ever about how to write and how to live.
Well… looks like I’ve been busy working a long time. 
It’s now 2004, almost 2005. I have a new girl friend: Petra. I work with new things for the same people. I read a lot, think a lot, dream a lot. And I still wonder about almost everything.
Christmas last year I was a triple Santa. First at my ex-girlfriend’s place, then at my brother’s and finally over to Petra’s brother. Kids everywhere, and some small enough to be true believers.
Christmas this year I’m off to my parents in the morning: great aunt Karin, 100 years old, is going to read for us. Then on to my brother’s traditional extended Christmas lunch. And after that Petra will drive me to her father – where at least nine kids are waiting for Santa. Well… lots of fun, all of it!
But tonight I am by myself, tired and grumpy after a few weeks of very hard work. Looking into myself. Gathering strength. And smiling at myself… I haven’t learned a lot, really. But I’m still trying.
Two new discussions about literature, life and interesting ways to tell not exactly true stories: Shishosetsu and the myth of sincerity and Is it fiction if it says fiction on the cover?
BookFilter discusses books, magazines, authors, publishers and ponies. It is one of several community sites built using FreeFilter.
Some articles make complex technical subjects sound easy: The Power of XmlElement Parameters in ASP.NET Web Methods.
Via Drew’s blog
A Primer on Python Metaclass Programming.
Maybe this one won’t seem easy without some prior knowledge. 
I haven’t felt like weblogging for a while. Mostly I’ve been too busy feeling good: working hard, seeing old friends and new people and swimming a lot. And sometimes I’ve been sad – but facing sad things can be well spent time, too.
Found another discussion of fiction (and online writing in particular) as honesty of a different nature.
Being too literal about truth is boring and impossible: everyone is telling stories – that’s what makes us human. But all the best stories were told because someone cared.
Unfortunately, the first round of antibiotics doesn’t seem to have cured my ear.
Jill Walker recently started an interesting discussion by revealing her recent breakup in a very subtle way.
Via Det perfekta romrummet, I find a new magazine with some fascinating speculation about next-generation social values.
In summary: the world is so unpredictable that young Americans will become conformists prepared to rule the world, Germans just conformists and Swedes subcultural has-beens. We’ll see about that, I guess… I’m just an aging gen-X:er, so what do I know? 
On my way home from a long stormy walk (it’s winter here again!), I saw two very small, very brave little kids street-dancing by themselves, mixing "Thank you for letting me be myself" and new stuff on their box. The cold didn’t seem to bother them and they were good!
I was already in a happy mood but that clinched it: this spring will be great!
Hal is linking to a common favorite today. Matt Rossi has found a new home and an awesome URL for his demented meanderings: onceinoticediwasonfireidecidedtorelaxandenjoythefall.
BTW – Hal, I really appreciated your kind words a little while ago.
Exactitudes is "[...] an almost scientific, anthropological record of people’s attempts to distinguish themselves from others by assuming a group identity"
Via Neablog
API Changes between versions of the .NET Framework.
Via ScottW’s ASP.NET WebLog. I may not join the Borg anytime soon… but I work a lot with C# right now, so I am really glad there are plenty of DotNet webloggers around.
My old HyperCard hero Dan Shafer and Robert Scoble disagree on Open Source
Kevin Altis: Python is an Agile programming language!
Do people tell their diaries the truth? I always do, of course 
. Via mymarkup.net
Got an enthusiastic SMS from a very old friend last week and went to see Tiny Dynamite (Dynamit in Teater Galeasen’s Swedish version). She was right.
First some good work. We had five hours to put together a release today and we did.
Then I started my weekend with another long massage session. I was surprisingly relaxed when it started, so we went deep.
George Orwell, in 1946: Politics and the English Language
Is there still a place for tragedy in modern society? Via Dangerousmeta
War Watch, a daily look at claims and counter claims made during the media war over Iraq. Brittish newspaper The Guardian is looking better and better. Found via the online journal of the Swedish journalist trade union
Perhaps it’s just my recent ear inflammation. But all week I’ve felt intense waves of love and sadness. Last year ended the way it had to – but I still don’t understand what hurt so much. And it’s not for lack of either analytical ability or soul-searching.
I do know that the never-ending lies wore me down. When even good memories are suspect, it’s hard to learn and forgive.
I once bought a t-shirt that said: Understanding Is Love. Perhaps I shouldn’t have – because I believed it. That’s what I wanted to do and what I wanted done to me. And I still do.
Who the fuck says truth is boring and passion comes from telling interesting lies? Not me. I’m free and I’ll die burning with passion, not just hoping I got away with one more lie than the other assholes.
Be careful about what you find via Google. From The Register
BBC chiefs stress need to attribute war sources From The Guardian
Bottom Line in Mind, Doctors Sell Ephedra
Had stressful fun at work today, trying to put another Monday release together.
Right now I have four developers, but two start working for other customers next week. It’s been a pleasure working with them, I only wish I could have them a little longer. Tomorrow will be intense.
BTW, I’m surprised the antibiotics kicked in so quickly. Yesterday I almost fainted after walking four blocks to the doctor, then spent all day in bed. Of course, I’m very tired today and my ear still hurts – but overall, I feel almost well again.