Diary

TUESDAY, OCT 18

6:30 - 8:00 DO A BOOK ON COMMO BASIC'S GUTS? IT WOULD SATISFY THE INTEREST OF A LOT OF NERDS JUST TO SEE HOW IT WORKS! BUT IT'S NOT REALLY USEFUL. TO EXTEND IT YOU MUST BE AN ASM LANG PROGRAMMER. AND VERY CAREFUL. AND YOU NEED AN EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE, WHICH ARE SLOW ON COMMO 64. AND WORST, I MAY HAVE TO SPEND TIME ANSWERING NERDLY LETTERS. TRIPLE YUK!

THE EASY WAYS TO DO ASM LANGUAGE EXTENSIONS ARE DESCRIBED CLEARLY IN COMMO'S PROG REF GUIDE. AND PARAMETERS CAN EVEN BE PASSED WITHOUT MUCH TROUBLE VIA POKES AND A "SYS" (CALL).

SO I WILL FORGET ABOUT EDUCATING THE PUBLIC + REJOICE THAT SOMEONE HAS ALREADY EXTENDED BASIC, AND THAT COMMODORE WILL BE SUPPORTING IT. ALL OF THIS WITHOUT ANY EFFORT FROM ME (NOT EVEN A BOOK!).

I WANTED TO SEE IT DONE, AND NOW IT IS. AND IT GOT DONE AS FAST AS WE COULD HAVE DONE IT, ONE YEAR. AND IT'S COMPREHENSIVE AND UPWARD COMPATIBLE, AT LEAST IN FEATURES.

8-10:00 Mail, WSJ, Wash, Eat, Bob calls

10:00 - 1:00 Think about assets: MONEY IS NOT A CONSIDERATION. I DON'T NEED MORE MONEY. I SHOULD SIMPLY BE A GOOD STEWARD AND INVEST IT INTELLIGENTLY THROUGH INVESTMENT COMPANIES, AS I HAVE BEEN. ALSO, BE DIVERSIFIED. I HAVE REALIZED A SPLIT BETWEEN 1) BIG, NO GROWTH = INCOME 2) SOLID = GROWTH + INCOME [note with arrow to 1 and 2 with "income" marked out] FORGET DUE TO TAX [/note] 3) SOLID GROWTH = GROWTH 4) CAPITAL APPRECIATION VENTURE GROWTH = AGGRESSIVE (RISKY) GROWTH I DON'T WANT INCOME SO FORGET 1 + 2. I'VE REALIZED I'M A LITTLE TOP HEAVY ON 4 RIGHT NOW. I HAVE {AMER GAP PACE, GROWTH { AMER CAP VENTURE, LARGE COMPANY, AG. GROWTH LOAD { SCI TECH, WHICH HAS BOTH - SOLID AGGRESSIVE (and which I didn't have to pay commission on.) NO LOAD {VANG EXPLORER, "SMALL" COMPANY (EMERGING), AG. GROWTH I SHOULD GO FOR AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF VANGUARD WL MORGAN WHICH IS THEIR SOLID GROWTH (#3) FUND (ESTABLISHED, CYCLICAL + EMERGING INV). MY GOAL THEN IS $3000 THERE, AND THEN I'LL FEEL BETTER ABOUT PAYING YORK COMMISSIONS, AT 8 1/2%.

I ALSO REALIZED THAT I SHOULD GET A HOUSE WHEN I SELL THE BONDS, AND NOT BEFORE SINCE THE BOND INTEREST BECOMES TAXABLE IF I HAVE A MORTGAGE!

1-2 Lunch 2-4 Go to work, work Go to B. Daltons, return books Go to Gym 4-5 Work out Start to feel really depressed about fucking up 7 years ago. And now I have to live in cloudy, rainy grey Seattle four months out of every year, while Paul doesn't have to 5-11:30 Feel terrible. Very emotional. Talked with Bob. Drove "around Seattle" to Everett, Bellevue, Renton listening to karass tape. Starts to get dark early _______________________________________________________________________ Oct 19, Wednesday

An ugly morning. Realized several options 1) Work 1/2 time mid Nov - mid Feb 2) Desirability of playing for a few months: Music, NYC, Robotics, etc. I won't enjoy doing PF in this environment. Dark, dismal, damp, dreary.

I really can't do PF in this environment unless I have strong motivation. I am willing to do it, but only for a DOUBLING OF COMPENSATION. (Better than 50% incr in Salary + double options) And tell Bill I'm not out of my mind, and I really just want some time off, and now is a good time because I hate this time of year. ________________________________________________________________________ 10:30-10:45 Read WSJ. IBM introduces PC XT/370. 10:45 Finish laundry - put clothes away Pay bills Snack 11:30 Go to work "I might feel ok about 80-90K now but I won't when the project is half done + certainly not when it is finishing up. So go for $100K. To get it I have to ask for $64k raise. Saying DOUBLE is easier."

I sincerely don't mind not working at 68K for the next 3 months. Half of it is vacation anyway!

11/17: BUT THAT IS JUST AN IDLE THREAT. BILL WON'T LISTEN.

11:30am Work on IBM bugs. None turn out to be bugs. Home to Deluxe for lunch Work on Atari bugs Inform Howard Chan (reiterate: I hate 6502 bugs - forget Commodore) 5-11 Get PC Put disk in Take home try set up Dinner It doesn't work Take it back Remember switch settings! Take it home Do D+S demo. Color. WOW! 11-11:30 Realize that I really don't need much more cash, and it may be very hard to come by. But I do want a lot more $$, and only way to get it is Microsoft stock. Go for it? [noted at bottom of page with arrow here] I don't know how 11/17 [/note]

But I could've had it in 76! But definitely I wouldn't have done Ryan McFarland, HBS, Orange County, but rather I'd have been bored.