There is a stack of papers on my desk, neatly sorted and stapled. A year and a half of submitting umpteen identical copies of government reports will give you stapling skills such as the world has never known. I read all three of Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire mysteries … [Read more...] about random musings
Mothers and sons
Conversation between a co-worker and her son, as reported to me this morning: Mother [in the car]: Oh damn! I forgot my jacket. Son: Why? Mother: I don't know, I just did. Son: I know why. Mother: Why is that? Son: To cover up that ugly dress. And your armpits. … [Read more...] about Mothers and sons
Research
I'm in research mode for my current novel-in-progress. Do you know of any autobiographies or online journals/accounts written by people who became legal guardians of younger siblings after their parents died? Let me know! … [Read more...] about Research
Speed Up Your Site
Book review #2 for today. Unlike Designing With Web Standards, this one wasn't enchanting enough that I read it cover to cover. In fact, after the first chapter I started skimming. Kept skimming. Slowed down long enough to read the chapter on search engine optimization, most of … [Read more...] about Speed Up Your Site
Going from HTML to CSS
Via Simon Willison, I found what's probably a Godsend for people just learning CSS: how to duplicate old-school visual effects without using those attributes (align, height, width, marginheight, center) that you aren't supposed to use anymore. Someday (this week?) I'm going to … [Read more...] about Going from HTML to CSS
Catching up
The previous entry was #400 in the Movable Type database. It seemed like a good place to pause and catch up with my real life. Spent Saturday evening with Lisa, buying music and renting a movie. We are no longer allowed to go to the video store together. Inevitably we will walk … [Read more...] about Catching up
Designing With Web Standards
I've been reading Jeffrey Zeldman's new book, Designing With Web Standards, in my spare moments at work. It's delightful (as tech books go). It makes me giggle at least once per chapter. If you're already a convert to CSS/XHTML design, this book might not do you much good, … [Read more...] about Designing With Web Standards
Selling through iTunes
CD Baby tells us how iTunes works from an indie industry-insider perspective. Fascinating. … [Read more...] about Selling through iTunes
The Italian Job
Do not let anyone tell you that this movie is anything other than delightful. It's funny. It's fast. The plot is satisfying, with a minimum of the plot holes heist-caper flicks are prone to. If the second half is somewhat predictable, the first half makes up for it. And while I'm … [Read more...] about The Italian Job
Blackened skies
The street lights outside my office have turned on again, and it looks like night out there. The day started out reasonably sunny—a little cloudy—but two hours later, we're completely covered in black clouds that look like they could start spitting out tornadoes any … [Read more...] about Blackened skies
