A Bloy and his Blog

My creative energies have been in a bit of a diminished state lately. Why? Probably because it’s the busiest time of the year at work and I am getting increasingly eager for spring and warmer weather to be here on a more permanent basis.

That brings up the question, how do you give those creative energies a boost? One of things I find useful is browsing the web (okay, that’s no big surprise). With that in mind, there are a few new links that I’ve recently added to my page of web sites I visit on a regular basis. First, the css Zen Garden and the CSS Vault are collections of standards-based web sites and designs that have been accumulated specifically to inspire creativity.

read the rest of: Better creativity through web surfing

A recent visit to a new auto mechanic (for an expensive repair) got me thinking about trust. How do you decide to trust someone? Once you get to know a person that decision does get easier, but what about the people you’re unfamiliar with, or those you are unable to get to know? There are a lot of people in our lives we must trust, even though we have very limited information about them. Having to decide if the car mechanic is trying to rip you off, if your doctor is the best qualified to treat you or if a certain politician is the best leader can be very difficult.

read the rest of: Who do you trust?

On Sunday most of my family got together to celebrate the baptism of my grandnephew, Adam Bloy. It was the first chance I had to meet the newest member of the Bloy family. Here are a few pictures to commemorate the occasion.

read the rest of: Hello Adam

Almost everyday of my adult life, a clock radio has awakened me with the sounds of National Public Radio. One of my favorite parts of the day is spent lying in bed for a little while, listening to the best news and commentary in the media today. After 25 years, today was Bob Edwards last day as host of NPR’s Morning Edition. Listening to Bob’s authoritative and comforting style every morning was like hearing your father tell you about the events of the day. I also enjoyed the way in which he injected his wry sense of humor into Morning Edition — a unique and welcome trait that other hosts and news anchors often do not share.

Thank you for waking me up and filling me in, Bob. Good luck with the next phase of your career.

This post is inspired by the weblog, Ref Grunt. I couldn’t agree more with the librarian from that site when he writes: “Some days I love working the reference desk, some days I hate it and it’s often the same day.”

In the Morning

“My computer froze.” I’ll reboot it for you sir.
Information on the Coral Castle in Florida.
“How do I download to a floppy disk?”
“A window popped up that said I won a prize.” I think that’s an ad. If I were you I would not give them your email address.

read the rest of: A day at the reference desk

Wouldn’t the world be a whole lot better if people just wouldn’t be grumpy? That might be asking a lot for some, so how about just one day? Surely you can be pleasant for one day. Okay, you’re thinking, I can try (and don’t call me Shirley).

That’s the premise of the third annual Great American Grump Out next Wednesday. For 24 hours on May 26, people are urged to abstain from being grumpy or crabby. Can YOU meet the challenge?

I was driving to work today listening to my latest CD purchase, The Very Best of Jackson Browne, when the song “Lives In The Balance” came on. Jackson Browne was inspired to write that song by the political events of the Iran-Contra scandal in the mid 1980’s. As I listened to the lyrics I was struck by how a song written 18 years ago was so appropriate for today. In particular, the final verse is especially relevant for 2004.

read the rest of: Lives In The Balance

Today I finished a new design for the site that showcases my web design work, www.BloyDesigns.com.

I’ve been meaning to give that site an overhaul for a while now. The new version makes much better use of screen real estate, which was my goal to begin with. I’m pleased with how it turned out. Although I understand there currently is a display problem with a certain, outdated Microsoft browser for the Mac (which shall not be named). Hopefully I’ll have that fixed soon.

Oh and in case anyone’s interested, the panoramic picture at the top is Plum Lake in beautiful northern Wisconsin.

Update: February 9, 2007
As of today, the domain BloyDesigns.com no longer exists.
Information about my web development work can be found on my resume.

It’s funny how certain music can really fit the moment you are in. I had one of those experiences the other day, listening to a CD that was recommended to me by one of my favorite library patrons.

The Delays debut album, Faded Seaside Glamour is filled with excellent pop melodies and jangly guitars that sounded great to me while I was driving home on a beautiful summer evening. The music fit perfectly the movement of my truck, the warm breeze flowing through the windows and the gorgeous sunset I was driving towards.

read the rest of: The Delays

Right now, we’re smack dab in the middle of Summerfest here in the Milwaukee area. Last night I was at an outstanding show where Burning Spear (a.k.a. Winston Rodney) and his band performed one of the best reggae concerts I’ve ever attended.

read the rest of: Burning Spear, Reggae Zen Master