Weird dream

I had a dream last night that really confused me. In the dream, I found out through Facebook that a very old friend of mine died. (Let's call her Mary because I'd rather not reveal her real name here). I was devastated. I went to some sort of memorial service for Mary and I cried the entire time. I remember saying, "I cannot believe that Mary is gone. I've been crying for the past six hours." I found it odd that every one else there (who coincidentally were friends I know now, who never knew and have never met Mary) was very calm and didn't seem too sad. People were even laughing. I said, "Why are you all so happy? You should be sad!"

I saw people whispering and giggling. In walks Mary wearing thick black eye makeup and a black dress and says, "I'm not dead! We played a trick on you!" Obviously I was very hurt by all this. Everyone was laughing because I believed that Mary was dead. I ran out crying while everyone continued to laugh.

I'm not really sure what this dream means and why I had it. I hadn't been thinking about Mary that much so I don't know why she popped into my brain. I don't know what it means if you dream about someone dying. It's probably not a good thing. All I know is I woke up crying from this awful dream and I wish I could understand my brain sometimes.

web standards

Despite the fact that Blogger doesn't really pay attention to them (it's true, my blog failed the W3C validation), I've begun to really pay attention to web standards when putting my websites together. I depend on The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is the shadowy council of wizards who through archaic rituals and naked rain dancing decide the fate of web-design failures. No not really. According to them:"The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C's mission is: To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web." w3.org Although, I like my definition a lot better.

These standards serve as guidelines for developers of Web applications and sites so they (the developers) can build their sites according to those standards. Usually this will ensure that any browser will see the site the way the developer had intended. So even though your site may look beautiful in Firefox, it could look like week old, regurgitated pizza in Internet Explorer (more on that later). But who cares? Why should paying attention to such things really matter? If you have a site, chances are you are providing something. Whether it's a portfolio, a store, a witty blog entry (ahem), or an insipid game, people are going to be viewing your site. So if they saunter on over to your "insert website here," and it looks like the Internet blew up, you are going to lose your audience.

I'm always surprised by the fact that web accessibility is ignored (purposefully or not). A lot of people are still unaware of how important these web standards are, or they assume more people are following them. If you are one of people that believe web standards are universally accepted and implemented and designers/developers strive to maintain the best possible quality in their work, well then you (and me unfortunately) are living on another planet.

Apparently here on Earth, the population of designers and developers who are standards-aware represent a very small percentage of those in the web business. I'm not going to raise my banner and throw a parade in celebration of the fact that I have mastered the web. Even though my code passed validation, there is still a lot more that I can do to make my sites truly accessible. There is a huge learning curve when it comes to the web and I will be a perpetual student. New technologies are sprouting like dandelions. Many developers are set in their ways for the most part. If they are smart and flexible, new technologies won't throw them. However, if they are like the many who remain stubborn, they will continue to churn out crap.

Then there is the other side of the coin - the people like me who look at web design as an art form. I may not do it the right way but I'm always trying to better my work. The problem now for me is finding a balance between my art and the skeletal structure of it all.

So, how do we ultimately find that balance? People need to take a step back and think about why they aren’t following the guidelines that have been in place for some time. Maybe they’re afraid because they know how guilty they are and are afraid of change and fear they may lose business if they do something too radical. Maybe they just don’t know what to do, or perhaps they are just lazy.


Adhering to web standards doesn't just mean making a site compliant. It is a way to provide the best quality possible and accessibility for all. When you make something, whatever it may be, you don’t want to use duct tape where nails should be used or glue where something needs to be welded. Implementing the right tools for a project is just common sense, especially if you want it done right. Usually, paying attention to them as best as you can fixes most problems for web projects. This not only ensures the longevity of a project but easy maintenance.

Now lets talk about Internet Explorer. I've already expressed my general hatred of Internet Explorer, so I won't really go into that much. It has only been recently, that I realized complying with the W3C's standards would make that much of a difference in IE. It wasn't until a site I was working on just flat out didn't work in IE. I knew about the validator but I only ever used it for CSS, which was always perfect. When I ran the site through the validator and had it fix all the errors, the site actually worked. Aside from a few things being a little off; it looked the way I had intended. Everything was where it should be. That doesn't mean I have a new love for IE, it just means I can barely tolerate it a little more than I used to.

In an article from Wired titled Why Internet Explorer 7 Will Break the Web (10/13/06), writer Michael Calore discusses Microsoft's backwards way of approaching the WC3's standards. Even though this article is two years old, the truth it spouts still holds true today. IE 7 is slightly better than it's older siblings, but it still does not match up to its cousins Firefox, Safari and Opera. Calore writes,

Microsoft's next generation browser is due to arrive in a week or two (October 18 is the word on the street), so you'd better prepare yourself for the inevitable meltdown. Much has been made about Microsoft's employment of a backward process for rolling out Internet Explorer 7. The IE7 team asked web developers to download the browser and test their sites against it. Here's the exact wording from a post on the Microsoft Developer's Network published yesterday, October 12: Prior to deployment of IE 7, we strongly recommend that you test your Web sites, extensions, and applications to make sure they are ready. Microsoft recommends that Web sites and applications are ready for the release of Internet Explorer 7 this month.

Way to go Microsoft. Not only is it backwards, but it's just plain ludicrous. Calore agrees with me, "This is totally backwards!” he writes, “Isn't this exactly the scenario that web standards were put in place to prevent?" Microsoft is a member of the W3C, but typical Microsoft likes to dictate his or her own rules. They feel that since their browser is used by approximately 80% of the web surfing public, they can do whatever they feel like. Even issue silly hats with each new user if they wanted. "

(Can I just have the silly hat?)

“To be fair,” Calore continues, Internet Explorer 7 offers more support for web standards than previous versions.” Despite all of this, you still need to do a bit of tweaking to get sites to look identical in Firefox and IE. Apparently people have been complaining and Microsoft actually listened. According to another article from Wired.com, IE 8 will actually adhere to web standards. Scott Gilbertson writes,

Microsoft's Internet Explorer team has backed down and announced that the upcoming IE8 will support established web standards out of the box. The news reverses Microsoft's earlier decision that, while IE would bring improved support for web standards, those features would be disabled by default ... IE8 will still feature three rendering modes, a "super standards" mode, where pages are rendered according to web standards, an IE7 standards mode, which mimics the incomplete support in IE7, and what Microsoft charitably calls IE6's "standards mode" The key change is that by default IE8 will render pages using the "super standards" mode, which means that if you've been creating webpages based on the W3C's established guidelines, IE8 should handle your site without issue (assuming IE8's standards support is as good as the IE8 team is promising).

Excuse me while I laugh. I feel that it would be a cold day in hell if IE actually worked the way it is supposed to. It will also make my job as a designer a lot easier. However the chance that the general web surfing public will download the new IE is very slim. Some people are still stuck on using IE 6, and in some cases IE 5. So while IE 8 may eliminate many issues that its predecessors had, there’s no way of knowing that it will run perfectly. Look at what happened with Vista.

The moral of the story is if Microsoft adhered to the standards from the beginning (which coincidentally, they helped to develop) then we may not be in this situation today. Why is it that Firefox and Safari can work so perfectly and IE is like the retarded kid on the back of the web design bus? (Yeah I'm going to hell).

While I, and many other designers long for a design utopia where everything works, it may be a pipe dream. Microsoft always promises diamonds but we usually end up with rusty fake gold that turns your fingers green.

Anyway, I think I've said all I can about this topic. I'm going to get back to work now - which would involve tinkering with HTML code to make sure it works everywhere. Maybe I should hire those wizards.

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this

On one of the blogs I frequent, I found a rather interesting link. At first I thought it was a joke, but much to my surprise, it wasn't. American Apparel the LA based clothing company known for it's beautiful cotton, is notorious for it's advertisements for web and print which more often than not border on, well, lets say erotic. The photographs are usually pretty tasteful, but have a hint of naughtiness which make you take a second glance. I would have expected a boob in a photograph before I saw this.

Apparently, American Apparel is selling vibrators now. Oh I'm sorry, massagers. This is the item in question:



The description, (in case you don't want to go to the site):

Hitachi Magic Wand Massager

This old school hand-held massager has been around for more than 25 years, with good reason. Its low vibration works as well on your sore back as it does in the bedroom. If there is any doubt, google it for worldwide rave reviews.

So at least American Apparel is being a little tongue-in-cheek and realizes what women actually use this thing for. But I'm still a little confused. I go into American Apparel to buy tshirts, not sex toys. Either they are trying to broaden their horizons, or they're just being silly. Also, 50 bucks? I'm pretty sure you can get this exact device (or a comparable one) at Target for less money. And really, everybody knows why you may own one of these. You're not being very inconspicuous if you do.

So, when American Apparel starts selling dildos and porn, then I probably won't shop there anymore. Although I would like to see the thought process of someone who would buy that stuff though. "Hmm I need tank tops and a new sex toy ... and socks." Until that day, I may just ignore this bit of information and continue to shop there. Although, the chances of that happening now are a little slim.

hi supernintendo chalmers!

I'm in love. I didn't know it was possible to love a hunk of plastic this much. No, I'm not talking about anything dirty; I'm talking about my brand new Nintendo DS. (By brand new, I mean used, but it's in pristine condition and it’s new to me). I never wanted a game boy when I was a kid. While I enjoyed playing Kirby on my cousin's, I never had much interest in owning one, nor could I convince my parents to buy me one or any other system, like the SNES or N64. Their argument always was "you already HAVE a game system" meaning the old school NES. Which, I did revive in middle school playing The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3, and the old standby Tetris. I got a PS1 in High School, playing only Spyro, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy 8 & 9 - then abandoning it because I lost interest and I have the attention span of a goldfish. Despite that however, I'm surprised I played them for as long as I did.

And then there was college. I had weird periods of downtime. I longed for a SNES and a stockpile of games to not only waste time but also keep me from doing my homework and you know, friends and a life. But I lacked the funds. I think my average bank balance throughout college was 300 bucks. I discovered Emulators! Whoever developed this very illegal bit of software should be crowned and worshiped by people like me - poor, game hungry college or post college students. I have NES, SNES and N64 emulators on my computer. Come and arrest me Nintendo.

So anyway, I've wanted a DS for a while. I don't know what sparked it other than how cool it looked and it's portable. I think the final push was a commercial for the New Super Mario Bros. game. There is a power up where you turn into a Mario who has essentially taken growth hormones and grows to 5 times his normal size. There are many other enjoyable aspects of the game too. But there are too many to list.

Having beaten the game however, I am quite sad. I'm going to miss that fat little Italian stereotype in red pants. The good news is, I have Mario Kart and Tetris on their way, and as of today I own the Simpsons game. It's like the XBox game but bitty and DS'erized. It's really fun; so far I have played as Homer, Bart and Lisa. If I can play as Maggie, I will be a happy bunny.

I now have something new to spend my money on. Although, I don't think I can ever spend enough money on gadgets (I'm going to buy a new ipod eventually, I just bought headphones, and there's an LG cell phone calling my name, aka taunting me until my contract is up and I can trade in my current phone for the new shiny one).

So, I'm going to geek out with my DS and see how much of my life I can destroy.

Albums I love: Part 1

I've been listening to a lot of music lately. I've rediscovered some albums that have lain buried on my hard drive for an immeasurable length of time. However, I am quite glad I have gone through this process. Listening to these old albums has been like visiting old friends. We spend time and commiserate together - sharing old wounds and emotional baggage, as well as reminiscing about the good times and those little bright spots in life. I thought I might share some of these albums with whoever may read this in the next few entries and explain why each one means so much to me.



Alanis Morrisette - Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

Alanis' 1998, sophomore, often lesser-known, underrated, neglected release is probably her best to date. Yes, we all loved Jagged Little Pill, but it is a one trick pony. The girl can't stay angry forever. I have a very dear friend that says "but I like angry Alanis." While "angry Alanis" is good for certain times of the month or when the world is continually fucking you over, it's hard to deal with that kind of raw emotion all the time. No one can stay perpetually angry forever - naturally whatever is fueling that fire eventually dies out. We grow, we evolve and we reflect. This is why I love Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. Where Jagged Little Pill often lashed out - meaning to leave gashes in the psyche of whom they were directed, much of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is about reconciliation: with parents, with lovers, with the fears and weaknesses that Alanis saw in herself. Also, reflecting upon the fact that what was said in a time of youthful angst, faded away with time and age.

I bought this album in 8th grade. Looking back I'm surprised my immaturity did not hinder my love for it. Although, I did not truly understand the themes and metaphors which drench this album at the tender age of 14. It took me quite a while to really absorb the magnitude of this great piece of work. As I grew older, it was as if the songs grew with me. They mean more to me as time goes on and I continue to mature. Perhaps I am really biased.

This album spawned from a battle Alanis began to have with herself. Endless touring led her to question whether or not singing was something she really wanted to pursue for the rest of her life. She had a choice to quit and leave JLP as her only American hit. Being the feisty chick she is, she decided to stab that doubt in the gut. Many fans believe that this conciliatory, cryptically introspective and a bit disturbed approach is a failure. Or they haven't listened to the album at all - which I feel is a greater tragedy.

It is clear that Alanis seemed for feel more comfortable in her own skin; which becomes even more symbolic when she appears nearly naked in her video for Thank U as well as the CD's disk cover. This is a heavily loaded metaphor for the entire collection of songs. She is displaying her raw vulnerability in a way not seen in her previous work. It is as if she is saying "here I am, displaying myself in my purest form for all to see. this is all I am, don't judge me too harshly"

This metaphor becomes even more apparent when the musical structure of each song is dissected. Instead of falling back the go-to grunge rock elements her first album relied so heavily on, she experiments with ambient sounds, Middle-Eastern type music (which the album is littered with) and synthesized electronic pop. She also stripped down many of the songs - most notably on track six, "That I Would Be Good" - an extremely soft and restrained, heartbreakingly beautiful track which delicately touched piano and her take on the flute.

It almost feels as if this work was a moment of seizure, where the Universe's essence is expressed through each note, lyric and melody - which is most apparent in the stream of consciousness type lyrics in songs like "The Couch," and "I Was Hoping."

Each track (save the closing track, "Your Congratulations" which, if you're not in the mood for a lament about being accepted by people, not to mention Alanis singing in a higher register which may explode your brain, might be a horrible end to a beautiful record.) is a beautiful little work of art. Truly, I do not expect anyone to take my word for it. What does my opinion matter? However, if you were or are a fan of Alanis Morisette, do yourself a favor and listen to this album. Some may say it lacks the punch of JLP, but I think they fail to realize it's punching in a totally different way. And to my dear friend who loves angry Alanis, may I just say that perhaps you should give, wiser, kinder, gentler Alanis a shot. She may prove to be a better companion to have around.

I will admit one downfall of this album: it is a lot to handle. As previously mentioned, a lot of the lyrics are in stream of consciousness style. It seems like a lot of what Alanis was going through came gushing out of her all at once. This can be daunting for someone not prepared for it. One, very wrong iTunes reviewer says "keep it to yourself Alanis!" claiming that the album is "for diehard fans only" and "it is hard to take Alanis Morisette as a legitimate songwriter when she insists on writing such clumsy lyrics. Using ten dollar words to give the impression that she's sophisticated or when all else fails making up words entirely (ie:"renunciate") ... Essentially what we have here is Alanis' diary put to music which can hardly be considered a masterpiece. Though a few of these songs tell some very intriguing stories , Alanis leaves little room for listeners to enjoy these songs on their own terms. ... This album alienated a great number of people upon release and it comes to no surprise that Alanis hasn't been able to regain her popularity. These "songs" belong inside Alanis' journal , not on an album released to the commercial public."

I'm sorry, what? Isn't the most heartfelt music intended to be personal? Isn't it not also true that JLP was extremely personal and raw? Also, Alanis is incredibly intelligent so those "10 dollar words" are probably not just being used to make her seem smarter. To say that this album sucks is unfortunate; to not give it a fighting chance is also unfortunate. I feel that if she stayed angry, intending to gouge out the eyes of men everywhere, I think people would grow quite tired of it. She might receive more criticism like "all her albums are the same - she's always angry." Personally I find it much more interesting to watch an artist grow. Also, so what if she makes up words. Shakespeare did it! He made up about 3,000 of the words we use today. Many of them didn't catch on at first, but they exist today regardless. Who cares if Alanis Morisette tries to do the same?

In closing, this album is an unsung gem and has become one of the many segments to the soundtrack of my life. I would love to share the album with you, but I think some government officials might come after me. Instead, go over to iTunes and sample the album. You may obtain it whatever way you see fit. I really hope you won't be disappointed.

Way to go America!

I was watching the news last night with my mom. Betwixt reports of a baby killed by a cult and something else just as gruesome, a story was presented about a gay marriage bill in Pennsylvania. I support gay marriage, or at least the rite to a civil union, so the story intrigued me. I was rather disgusted to find out it was yet another hateful bigot making a big stink and someone's words blown out of proportion.

Gilbert Coleman Jr., a black pastor from Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, recently attended an Appropriations Committee hearing on a bill that would outlaw and snuff out gay marriage in the state of Pennsylvania. Senator Vincent J. Fumo opposes this bill. During the heated debate in which Coleman said that gay marriage is wrong and should not be allowed, Fumo said , "What you are advocating here is that we take away the rights of a minority. And I don't think that's right. If we introduced a bill on slavery, it might pass. That doesn't make it right." ""I doubt that, sir," responded Coleman.

"Oh, don't bet on it in this General Assembly," Fumo fired back, "I know some people up here, especially on a secret ballot, it would be almost unanimous."

Coleman said Wednesday, the day after the debate that the comments "certainly came out of leftfield" and were misguided. However he was not angry "because of the source where it was coming from. They came from an angry man, angry over his own personal situation."

Also on Wednesday Fumo said that he was "obviously exaggerating to make a point. If a majority would vote to approve slavery -- as was done once in this country -- that wouldn't make it right," he continued. "I wanted people at the hearing to face the fact that denying human rights to any group, including homosexuals, at any point in our history, including in 2008, is wrong."

There was of course a backlash to these comments. People stating that Fumo went too far stating that renouncing gay marriage equates to legalizing slavery. Mr. Coleman certainly thinks so. I hate to say it, but it's exactly the same thing and I agree whole-heartedly with what Senator Fumo said. If this bill were to pass it would be denying a group of American people a basic human right. Gay people are no different from everybody else, save their sexual preference.

Granted, their choice of lifestyle is very different from the norm in this country. But we can't all be bible thumping football loving republicans now can we? It shouldn't matter who they love or have sex with. They were born in this country and therefore as American citizens should have the same opportunities and privileges as everyone else. The situation concerning black slaves and gay people is essentially the same - a minority is being oppressed and is viewed as less than human.

Situations like this really make me ill. Leave the gays alone. They are just trying to live their lives like everyone else. I dream of a world in which prejudice is dead. A world where fundamental christians shut the hell up and leave people alone. Jesus never said "hate everyone who isn't like you," he said "love thy neighbor." How difficult is that to accomplish? Loving each other is easier than hating each other. It takes more energy to hate. I hope that Pennsylvania really pulls through on this vote. While it failed me in the primary election, allowing Hilary Clinton and not Barrak Obama to win ( don't even get me started on that), it voted for John Kerry for president four years ago. So I'm holding on to that little glimmer of hope that PA will make the right decision, as it did that day four years ago.

all quotes found here

shameless plug

I have been involved with an audio podcast drama for a couple months now. I have a role in the cast (although my character doesn't show up for another 3 episodes) so I'm admittedly biased. Even if I weren't I would still support this. My good friend Scott Carelli of podcasts Two Geeks (along with Ben Nobblit) and Couch Surfing(along with John Pavlich), created this audio drama with some of his fellow podcasters. (while I have these links on here, you would do well to go check them out!) I've been invested in this project for about a year when Scott mentioned it to me over Myspace, even moreso now since Scott and I talk on Skype on a daily basis. I've seen this little podcast grow and mature. Even if I weren't in the cast or so invested as I am now, I would still be plugging this. I think the writing, the story, the characters and the humor are top-notch. I also think it's a brilliant idea in general.

So if you're one of those people who likes to laugh and enjoys geek references out the yin-yang, please check out Geek By Night, especially since the first episode debuted today! You can get the feed via itunes or go here to get the show in other formats. Do it now!

Shameless plug over.