the clandestine world of key disks and license plates.
4.1 miles. I noticed my heart rate went way up--over 170--despite the fact that I didn't feel I was working that hard. I wonder if this indicates anything. I promptly went back to sleep anyhow.
Whoo hoo! Hollywood didn't need me for their judicial system today either.
Darin informed me recently that Final Draft had an update on their site, so I went to check it out. I've been experiencing a few weirdnesses with Final Draft recently and thought it might be an 8.5 problem. And indeed, one of the notes for Final Draft 4.1.7 mentioned 8.5 compatibility, so I said, "Okay then," and downloaded it.
My only peeve with this program is it uses a key disk and you get 2 installs per key disk; while I can understand they don't want everyone in Christendom (or Hollywood) giving away copies of their program (which they would), I'm still annoyed! To be on the safe side, I deinstalled the authorization before updating the program. Then I reinstalled the authorization.
Or tried to.
The Key Disk said, "Sorry, not an HFS disk!"
I've upgraded to Apple's HFS+ file system in addition to upgrading to System 8.5; I should have known that a key disk would find this too taxing.
I immediately fired off an e-mail to BC Software saying this was unacceptable.
They immediately fired back with, "You can send us the disks or you can stop by our office and get the upgrade."
Why you...I oughta...well, okay.
So I drove over there this afternoon, where they took my disks and gave me updated disks immediately, no hassle, smiling even.
The program reinstalled just fine. And now I have fresh new disks.
As I walked back to my car a guy--who I think works at BC Software--commented on my license plate. First time anyone's ever done that.
"I be writer?" he said. "I don't get it."
"I be writer...but, like, I can't form a sentence?" I said.
"Oh, okay," he said. He laughed.
I've had that license plate for 10 years now. I got it when I worked at Apple Computer. I wanted to get I M Writer, for "I am writer" and because I was working on Inside Mac at the time, but not surprisingly it was taken.
The vanity plate has reached its most perfect apogee in California. I'm always amazed when I go to other states and people just have what the state gave them. We're in our cars so often it's the only way to express ourselves. I've seen WRYTER, LV2SUE (on a Mercedes), AHKTOR...There are so many vanity plates in California that symbols have been added to the alphanumerics: a heart, a star, a hand. (I think there's another one too, but I can't remember what it is.) There are also the vanity backgrounds: Yosemite, the California otter, the California coast. Since these are the "environmental plates" (and cost more), you're basically hurting the state if you don't take one of them. Don't you feel guilty? I know you do.
As I've said on my pet peeves page, I hate the ones that mention what kind of car the plate is on (MYACURA), because...is the driver a moron who can't remember what kind of car he's driving? I also hate the vanity plates that are inscrutable to anyone but a select coterie (those the driver has told the Secret of the Plates). You're communicating to the world! Be clear!
Very embarrassing was the time I started sounding out the plate on the car in front of Darin and me. The plate was CZDADAY. I kept saying, "Cee's Daddy."
Darin finally piped up with, "Seize the day! It's, Seize the Day!"
Well, okay. Calm down. Sheesh.
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Copyright 1998 Diane Patterson
Send comments and questions to diane@spies.com