Nov. 7/10. As I watch Virginians butchered by the Union Army on the Battlesfield of Gettysburg and have a twinge o pride for the passionate underdog.

At the beginning of the relationship, have them do something slightly inconvienent and out of the way for you.

If it's business and you have a rapport and a developing relationship. Ask them to introduce you to someone you want to know at the company. Ask about something that shows a willingness to include you in their work reality. Make sure it's something you ask for that must be ACTED upon or not. This is a test or worth.

In personal relationships, like endless back and forths in online dating that go nowhere, ask for a favor that benefits you personally and has little or no interest to the person you are testing. If you like records ask them to check out the local record store. Ask her assessment of the people who work there. What were they like?

If she's too busy, you're already worth nothing to her and you can expect to be walked on and marginalized for the relationship. Cut off all communication immediately and completely. You've already given too much of yourself and your time by putting yourself out there. Cut your loses and move on. Give that person NOTHING.

In the work situation you are in the process of gathering intelligence. A coworker who fails the test may not be an enemy, but they should be comsidered useless to you as an ally. Keep moving and play the numbers. If you are a freelancer, it's probably not going to be regular work. (Note: Don't expect a relationship from single or random job. Just work is good.)

A final note: Stop giving it away. Stop wasting time on people who don't waste time and care back on you. Just stop it and start testing the value and worth of others to find the gems. Save yourself from users and wastrels, the eternally damaged and endlessly complaining, the unsatisfied who make you the answer and suck on you until you turn bitter. You owe it to you. Figure them out before they get to you. You stick out. You're easy prey.

Oct26/10. From my bathroom sink:

Athens | June 17,10

I am much too big a fan of Google Docs. With the exception of having terrible printing exports and settings, having all my documents online is an amazing conveinence. Having access to documents anywhere vies against sharing documents with anyone as collaborators for which is the bigger convenience.

Whoa be the day Google gets eViolated (you peeped eViolated here first BOYZ!) by cybercriminals...it will happen and I am crossing my fingers, praying to Jeebus, my Gmail and Google Docs, and now Google Calendar and Sync don't fall flaming out of the sky with it.

And then there is the big brother aspect of Google, recommending counselors or branded therapies when you get a troubled email from a friend or lover? Just creepy.

But then, in the usual understated way, I run across this today. Google Docs now supports at least the VIEWING of ANY DOC on your F-IN' computer? These guys have the programmer slaves in the basement working 23-6, I swear!

This means photopresentations can be uploaded (not that I couldn't create them in Docs with their presentation program anyway) and any other kind of document on my computer can be handled by Google Docs. Wow.

I knew computers had a long way to go, I just did not know how far they would go. Thank god it's all happening before the 2012 Oil/Religious/Nostradamus Apocalypse! A couple of more years to appreciate this amazing technology before the energy runs out and we're all riding bikes to the farm.

At least animals won't be locked in factory farms anymore. That kind of karma you can't put a price on. I might even give up Google Docs for that.

Next: Google Sync almost makes Paper Toast! But I still have a Quo Vadis dammit, and I like it.