Wow, it is seriously about time.  Those annoying images that you have to type in the squiggly letter to prove you’re not a computer could be a thing of the past.  This seems to me to be much more enjoyable.  Google engineers have discovered that it is difficult for computer to determine what is right side up.  Take the following example:

Google uses this to prevent bots, imagine millions of objects, which is right side up?

This is a pretty good idea, I’ve often thought of symbolic logic as being a good replacement…. like, which picture is an urban environment?  or, which picture has a cat in it?  but, this is even simpler.  Koodos to the google, let’s see how if this holds the test of the wild ala how it fairs when there are hundreds of thousands of hackers trying to crack it.  Let’s hope well, I hate those darn squiggly letters!

[ CNet ]

Alex Wilhelm has a great post encouraging the government to invest in startups instead of funding insolvent mega corporations.  Small business aka main street is the backbone of America and it can be the phonix that rises from the ashes and spurs the recovery.

Yesterday the landlord at our NYC apartment started bringing people by to view it in anticipation of our move at the end fo the month.  I must say, I wasn’t quite prepared for that being the trigger that made reality set in.  We’re really moving.  It has been almost six years here.  A place which I have loved living more than any other.  Maybe it’s because it’s the first place my wife and I moved in together after getting married.  Maybe it’s because it’s New York.  Maybe it’s because the neighborhood has grown up around us w/ constantly new and interesting things popping up.  Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older.  Whatever it is, I will be sad to leave.

It is, however, time for change.  We’ve become too entrenched.  Too comfortable.  This isn’t the end and there’s much more to do.  We have a baby on the way and it’s time for things to get interesting again.  I’d like to take some new ventures w/ the business, in addition to the adventure of having our first child.  I am looking forward to being back in Austin around long missed friends and family.  The anticipation of being a father is extremely exciting and the anticipation of having some freedom to try new things w/ our business is too.

Still, it is bitter sweet.  And right now as we spend our final month as New Yorkers, that reality is settling in.

In describing the experience with 605 Peacock Ln aka The Peacock Four, one critical piece of information has been at the crux of this entire disagreement.  That’s the option period.   In a recent e-mail Perry Henderson said:

Example #2:
The seller requested meditation, to sit in front of the the buyer to discuss the release of EM and the concerns. The blog version doesn’t reflect this.

This implies a fundamental misunderstanding of the option period.  When you exercise the option period of the TREC residential condomenium sale (resale) contract, it reads specifically that “seller grants buyer the unrestricted right to terminate this contract.”   Here is the exact language from the contract signed:

Option Period Language (click to enlarge)

As you can see, the idea that they would try to force us into mediation or do anything OTHER than return the earnest money immediately upon us terminating the contract, is in itself a violation of the contract.  The fact is that to this day they still won’t even say “we should have just returned your earnest money, we’re sorry” which shows the complete dilusion that still exists on the part of the seller and his agent.