I’ve been sitting on this release too long, because of a very minor unreproducible (harmless!) bug that I’m trying to track down. Anyway, there’s no reason to hold out any longer. Those of you wanting to use the Tab, Escape, and Return keys in your script keyboard shortcuts will be happy with this release!

FastScripts 2.3.1

Version Changes:

• Allow return, tab, escape as keyboard shortcuts – the only key not supported is “delete”
• Fix a weird “only works every other time” bug with scripts that use UI Scripting for keystrokes
• Allow dragging of FastScripts note windows by holding command while clicking

Mike Zornek’s Child’s Play Day is wrapping up, and despite relatively little organization, it looks like a major success. My newest customers alone brought in nearly $250, all of which has been sent directly to the charity. I know of at least two developers whose contributions will exceed $1000, so I’m sure the event will be unanimously declared a success, and will substantially improve the lives of some deserving kids this year.

Major kudos to Mike for putting this together! And many thanks to the people who bought FlexTime, FastScripts, or Clarion over the past 24 hours. You rock!

It’s been heart-wrenching to follow the ups and downs of the James and Kati Kim family, who disappeared shortly after Thanksgiving and were missing for over a week before being found in the Oregon wilderness. While the sad story got a happy lift earlier this week with the discovery of Kati and the two children alive, James’s story came to an unhappy conclusion today when rescue workers found him, defeated by the woods he had gotten lost in.

It’s easy for me to empathize with James and his family, because he was “a lot like me” in some superficial but emotionally connective ways. He worked in the tech industry. In San Francisco. In a building across the street from where I used to work. With a lot of people who I know directly or indirectly. It was easy to envision myself driving along that mountain road and somehow letting one thing lead to another until the situation was dire. And that’s just too sad for words.

I was really hoping for a miracle.

It makes me appreciate the fragility of life, renews my respect for the wilderness, and encourages me to stop taking my own life for granted. And I want those near to me to keep living. Please.

More than that, James helps remind me how important everybody’s life is. Here’s a man I did not know, but whose story compelled me to hope beyond hope that he’d be found alive. All because the news stories and circumstances of his life made it easy for me to relate to him. Really easy. So I add my own condolences to the waves of concern for the Kim family, and hope in vain that nobody else dies before their time, at least for a while.

Mike Zornek had a brilliant idea for a way that independent software vendors could show a little holiday spirit this year. He’s put together a loose-knit collection of companies whose profits from sales tomorrow will be donated 100% to the Child’s Play Charity, which helps hospitals buy toys, books, and other entertainment for the kids under their care.

I love this charity idea because it gives small developers a chance to unite for a good cause, and because that cause is pretty universal and apolitical. Who doesn’t want sick kids to be as happy as possible?

I’m putting my products into the pool, so if you had any intention of buying them, do it tomorrow, December 7th, 2006. I appreciate that picking a 24 hour period and calling it “a day” can be tough to clarify internationally. So I’m interpreting it a little loosely and starting the “sale” right now. My online store includes a note explaining that the charity sales are in place, and I’ll take that notice down sometime after midnight tomorrow. While that notice is in effect you are guaranteed that 100% of your payments will go to the charity (i’m donating the difference in any PayPal or Kagi fees, so the total contribution will be exactly the cost of the product).

There are lots of other great companies participating, so if you’ve been considering any of the products on the list, tomorrow would be a great time to make the purchase!