All posts by Jonathan

XRAY your writing

A couple of useful links for web developers…

XRAY is a brilliant little bookmarklet. Just click it, and then click on any element in the web page you’re viewing. XRAY will show you information on class, ID, inheritance hierarchy, position, size, margins, padding, etc.

XRAY works with Firefox, Safari, Camino, and Mozilla. Found via Zeldman.

Better Writing Through Design from A List Apart makes a case for focusing on the written word, and gives tips on writing better copy for your website.

Great web design reflects the way we interact, and the primary vehicle for that interaction remains text. We share, we chat, we comment, we tag, and we do it all via the written word.

Thoughts on Harry Potter

Two years ago when I got to the end of “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” the sixth book in the popular series, I was most annoyed. It was the first book in the series that didn’t stand out as a complete story on its own. It ended sadly and abruptly and left me hungry for the rest of the story. I couldn’t believe I had to wait for the next book to find out what happens.

I thanked ArmlessBear for not giving any spoilers away in her post, and I won’t here either. But I just finished reading the final book in the saga, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and I was not disappointed.

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Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger

Ryan Adams new disc, Easy Tiger, has been out for a few weeks now, and it’s been in heavy rotation for me. Prior to this CD, Ryan Adams was releasing music at a very quick pace (three hit and miss albums in about a seven month period). Adams and his band, the Cardinals, took their time with Easy Tiger (it’s been a year and a half since the last release), and the result is the most solid Ryan Adams disc since 2001’s Gold.

The albums starts off with “Goodnight Rose,” a rocking promise of the good music to come.

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A Lake Mendota weekend

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Last night I went with some of my family to watch Rhythm & Booms from the other side of Lake Mendota (along Observatory Drive). The fireworks display was pretty good, and it was fun being outside on a beautiful evening. While listening to the radio before the show (the display is choreographed with music over the radio), we heard the announcer say it was the “largest annual event in Wisconsin.” I beg to differ.

Picnic Point on Lake Mendota

It was another gorgeous summer day today, so I returned to Mendota, and went for a long bike ride along the lake. One of my favorite places to ride in Madison is where the bike path runs along the lake shore in the middle of the U.W. campus.

I ended up biking for most of the afternoon. I stuck to the shore as best I could, riding through where the rich people live, and made it up to the northern side of the city.

After I got home, I decided it had to be one of the best rides I’ve done this year.

Brewers and Giants slam it out

A day off for me, and a last minute idea sent Dad and I to Miller Park yesterday afternoon, where the Brewers beat the San Francisco Giants, 7 to 5. It was a fun game. Some of the highlights included:

  • Bill Hall’s grand slam home run for the Brewers in the first inning. He ended the game with a career high of five runs batted in.
  • After thinking the game would be a cake walk for Milwaukee, we got a little nervous when the Giants hit their own grand slam home run in the sixth inning.
  • Barry Bonds being booed by the fans when he was put in as a pinch hitter (his only at-bat, he hit a double on a error by Rickie Weeks). I was disappointed he didn’t stay in the game, so we could heckle him some more.
  • A great play at home plate by pitcher Brian Shouse to prevent the Giants from tying the game.
  • Rickie Weeks making up for his error by hitting an RBI double.
  • A revolving door of 11 pitchers playing for both teams, including a save from Milwaukee’s hot reliever, Francisco “Coco” Cordero.
  • An attendance of over 35,000 people (we were very surprised at the size of the crowd).

Box Score: Brewers vs. Giants, June 20, 2007.