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No ringtones, email, or GPS. No earbuds. No playlist. I left that device at home. My heart, lungs, and motion are the rhythm. Pushing, pulling, lifting, sweating. Faster and further. My body strains, getting stronger. I hear you, pain. But I’m not listening. Thoughts swirling around study and contemplation. Ideas emerge and sharpen. Excitement builds. This dream–almost... continue »
There you sat, excited and accomplished. A carefully selected orator reciting a commencement address to the class of 2010. Your dreams are fresh, vivid, and tangible. It feels as though the world is at your fingertips, and the possibilities are endless. Capture this feeling. You will need it again countless times in your journey. You’ve reached this milestone, now your quest begins... continue »
No one likes to be wrong. It hurts. You repeated “Achilles, Achilles, Achilles” in your head while raising your hand in 7th grade math class. No, Timmy. Pythagoras created that theorem. And a pile of bricks lands on your ego. It will be a while before you muster the courage to raise that hand again, even if you’re dead certain of the answer. But why does this... continue »
Just like that it happened. In an instant. Thwick! And the blood flowed. I had cut my finger while washing a chef’s knife. Badly. The flesh lay open, drooling crimson over the sink and counter. As I hurriedly searched for a towel or tourniquet, it hit me. That was a dumb — and totally preventable — painful mistake. I had allowed myself to become stressed about something... continue »
A new year is upon us and our eyes are gleaming with optimism and opportunity. But simply put, New Year’s resolutions are usually doomed to failure . Regardless, I’ve chosen to post mine here as a public reminder to hold myself accountable. Because, as we all know, promising action without accountability is wasted breath. Focus on the positive Listen to, and be true to... continue »
Who hasn’t been frustrated by a “press one for English” menu system? Over time, these systems have become more sophisticated. Voice recognition, caller ID, and detailed research and analysis of caller feedback have all done their part, but we still don’t like the ‘auto-attendant’. It would be easier for police to find speeding highway drivers if there... continue »
Walking from my couch to the kitchen, it hit me. I had just been watching “Up” , specifically, the scene when our protagonist finally musters his moxie and buys tickets for a trip to “Paradise Falls,” the dream destination he shared with the love of his life, Ellie. In the scene, just after he secures the arrangements, he takes Ellie to the place where they... continue »
This is the well known mantra of corporate governance at Google. Without a doubt, Google has the majority of mind and market share for many of the tools we use everyday. Services like Maps, Gmail, Docs, Reader, and Wave (not to mention YouTube) are becoming woven into the very fabric of how we use the Web. Ever hear someone say, “just Google it” when they mean ‘search’?... continue »
It's Blue Beanie Day on the Web and we've all joined the fray by donning our indigo toques and updating our avatars. But what does it all mean? Advocacy without action is meaningless. The purpose of Blue Beanie Day is to raise awareness and adoption of Web Standards . We all updated our Twitter avatars and placed the azul cap on our Websites to show support, but how many of... continue »
There is a lot of commotion over the state of markup specifications these days. Many strong opinions have been voiced, and objected to vehemently. The debate has raged for years and shows no signs of slowing. You may come away from the banter asking “which is the one to rule them all?”, or perhaps your opinion is already solid. You want to use XHTML 1.1? Go for it. HTML 4.01... continue »