What messianic compulsion causes you to think that you are the only one in peril of not meeting your timely commitments, that while humanity is facing Armagedon, you alone will deliver or at least have an excuse that even you believe?

I'm hinting at something, re: CD+. As it turns out, various combinations of capital letters and expensive logos have been slow to agree on delivery dates for certain essential technologies, which has caused consternation in our camp as we scramble to find replacement schemes. I think that the aformentioned dingbats are striving to create a "level playing field" for commercial art, which I read to mean making the market safe for mediocrity. Independence Day will have special significance for me this year. Industry Standard or not, this train is leaving the station.

I'm not a Lucy fan, but I do remember the pie factory skit. When it is discovered that you have little time, everyone's reaction is, "well since you'll be gone, you better take care of all this stuff that you would have done had you been here". The harder you work, the bigger the pile gets.

I'm speaking at a conference in Washington and there are rumors (common, I'm sure) that I will be getting my picture taken with the speaker of the house. I feel confident in stating that neither one of us has the faintest idea why.