I think that feeling stems from the way my second grade teacher scolded me for my precocious objection to her rule that “you can’t subtract a bigger number from a smaller number.” I went in knowing about negative numbers and I came out embarrassed and confused and unable to trust teachers.

I vowed that I would quit school as soon as I could. Fortunately I forgot about my vow until my third year in college.

Jeffrey just wants to chase a ball.
Nothing else matters except cars driving by.
That, and a shady place to drink and rest.

Nero wants to be fed.
After that he wants to clean his teeth in your hair.
He is gato loco.

Hazel is gata loca.
Usually she spies and hides.
When she comes around it’s a treat.

They want you to know
they will be enjoying their holidays this year
and so should you.

12 weeks

It kicks like a 6cm mule. Very good to watch on the big screen.

The first thing you did wrong was to pick a margin so greedy as to be unjustifiable. Many consumers know or at least feel that half a dollar is too much to pay for a gigabyte of network traffic. Moderately savvy consumers would complain if rates were more than a few cents per gigabyte.

The second thing you did wrong was to try to profit most on the subscribers most likely to feel the inequity. The more bandwidth a person uses, the more likely they can understand their own usage habits in terms of gigabytes; the more likely they have a reality-based idea of the costs; the more likely they are to voice their righteous complaints publicly, educate other consumers, and threaten to subscribe elsewhere.

Many of them also know that they are good customers; they don’t consume your low-value, high-cost call center or web portal resources, they just want cheap, reliable bandwidth. These are the very people you should have favored when crafting your rate plans. Instead you underestimated and insulted them. Now they are clamoring to the competition, it is time to show them consideration. Whatever rate you settle on, it well be easier to swallow because it involves a concession. It was wise of you to test high rates on small markets.

The trump card that allows free consumers to demand a fair deal is the ability to decline the deal. Are consumers free if they believe your service is a necessity of life? Assuming people need your service, you can get away with outrageous rates if the competition colludes rather than competes. This would leave an opening in the market for low-rate providers if you hadn’t already locked it shut by lobbying for fixed-cost regulations that only established providers can afford. You’re pretty smart after all.

The first thing I pack is my Griffin Elevator laptop stand. This elevates the display so I don’t hunch quite as much compared to using the laptop directly on the table. It also places a large empty space next to the bottom of the laptop, helping it stay cool with less fan noise.

The stand is made of three light-weight parts that fit in the front pocket of my backpack. The aluminum legs act as rigid compartments for other gear, like my power supply and mouse. Since I plug in at home most nights after coworking, I keep a second power supply at my desk to save time.

My favorite mouse is the Logitech VX Revolution laptop mouse, which I also use at home. I bought many mice before this one, and I haven’t tried a new one since.

I also carry an Apple USB Keyboard. It’s thin, durable, and reliable, and it goes everywhere with me. I chose USB instead of wireless because I like having a numeric keypad. It also has two USB ports. This lets me install the mouse dongle just inches from the mouse so I never have RF interference issues.

When my wrist hurts from repetitive strain, I also pack a Wacom Bamboo Fun pen tablet. It’s not as good as a mouse for most things, but it’s a capable and comfortable alternative for those bad wrist days. The Bamboo tablet is both inexpensive and slim, making it a fine travel companion.

My bag? It’s a Timbuk2 Hacker Daypack in ballistic nylon. I carry two laptops (a 15-inch Mac and a 9-inch netbook) everywhere in this bag, and I still have room for other gadgets and accessories. All I need is a table, a chair, and maybe a 24-inch monitor.