Month: October 2003

Dear Alex Gonzalez,
Don’t worry about everyone who wants to kill you right now.
Fundamentals, like using your body to back up a routine ground ball, or using two hands to handle that ball, are totally overrated.
Signed,
Bill Buckner.

“We’ll be coming to you in just about two minutes, Wil.” The producer’s voice was strong and clear in my headphones,
“Okay,” I said. I spoke slowly and deliberately, in an effort to hide my nerves.
“Hold on,” he said, and clicked off. There was a brief silence, and then I could hear live programming.
I adjusted my headphones, and looked down at my hastily-scrawled notes. I lifted my microphone, and prepared to send my voice out to 150 million people.
One hundred.
Fifty.
Million.
People.
All over the world.
I was about to file a report with the prestigious World Service of the BBC.

When I was up at Screen Savers a few months ago (maybe even longer) I stuck an Obey WWdN sticker on their camera boom.
I just saw that Sarah Lane took a pitcure of my sticker and put it in her photo blog.
Man, I really gotta get one of those camera phones. I hear that Verizon (the devil I know) has some deal where I can get one for 100 bucks . . . but I dunno if it’s worth it.
(thanks to MobbyG for the head’s up!)

Quickly:
SGVLUG went really well last night. I wasn’t 100% perfect, and scared as hell, but I think I entertained everyone, and even informed a few people.
After, we went over to the Burger Continental on Lake for burgers and beer. Here’s a tip: don’t get Guinness in a pitcher. It doesn’t handle the trip from tap to pitcher to glass very well.
I’ll give more details next time I update, which will prolly be Monday. I think I’m taking the weekend off from everything so I can spend it with my wife. We just filled over 100 Dancing Barefoot orders, and now we’re going to a movie, then to dinner. I love starting the weekend early!

I hope to post some recollections about my work with the BBC later today, but until then, I have an announcement to make:
Tonight, I will be speaking to the San Gabriel Valley Linux User’s Group about my experiences writing Dancing Barefoot.
I’m nervous and excited, because this is my LUG, and I’ll be speaking to people who are far more skilled in the *nix world than I am.
Here’s what their site has to say about the appearance:

Topic: How I Used Linux to Write and Publish Dancing Barefoot
In this short talk, Wil Wheaton dispells some FUD about word processing on Linux, explains how he used Open Source tools to write and publish his book, and reads a short selection from it.
Actor, Blogger, Author and Linux Weenie Wil recently published a collection of autobiographical short stories called “Dancing Barefoot.” In this presentation, he will talk about how he used Open Source tools to write, edit, and publish the book, specifically OpenOffice.org, Kwrite, and the gimp.
Wil will bring a few copies of his book to sign after the presentation.
Wil Wheaton is best known for his acting work as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek The Next Generation, and the classic Rob Reiner film Stand By Me. Most computer geeks, however, know Wheaton as a frequent poster at Slashdot, Fark, and his own website, wilwheaton.net. Wil is a passionate Linux advocate, and has spent countless hours trying to dispell Microsoft FUD. He’s been responsible for fives of Linux converts. He is also a card-carrying member of the EFF, FSF, ACLU, and a vocal privacy advocate. Though it’s only been available online, and has recieved virtually no mainstream media attention, Wheaton’s first published book, “Dancing Barefoot,” has sold out three printings, and is set to reach a mainstream audience later this year.
He lives in Pasadena with his wife and her two children, and frequently hikes to Echo Mountain.

Directions to the meeting are here. If you’re in or near Los Angeles, I hope you’ll stop by and laugh at my jokes.