Previously…
An easier Internet Explorer experience
If you didn’t already know, I’ve been a professional Front–End Web Developer for about 13 years now. In that time, I’ve seen a lot of horrible practices come and go — tables for layout, JavaScript image rollovers (for important navigation, … Continue reading
CSS3 Enterprise
Using CSS3 in the workplace with minimal trouble & strife About this article Web Designer Magazine approached me to write a CSS3 article back in February 2011. Having spent the last few days making a client’s site looking good in … Continue reading
Learn to Code
I came across this new resource earlier today: Make your New Year’s resolution learning to code. Sign up on Code Year to get a new interactive programming lesson sent to you each week and you’ll be building apps and web … Continue reading
2011 Came and Went
I didn’t blog in 2011. Not once. It’s not like nothing happened; it was eventful. I got married. I wrote some stuff. I took my Wife to Paris. The Child left the little pond to become a Big Fish. I … Continue reading
s/2010/2011
After not blogging for a few months, I figured I’d finish the year off and see the new one in.
Back in the UK
Back in the gloomy UK after a week in the Mediterranean sun… and boy, does it suck.
The sun was relentless, the pool wasn’t too busy, the sea was crystal clear (and full of colourful fish!), the San Miguel was cold, and the veggie paella was gorgeous.
Season 4 of Mad Men
Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve finally managed to get The Missus (@loveli) to watch Mad Men. She sat and watched all three seasons back–to–back on the iPad.
Foundation Mac OS X Web Development is six
Wow. My calendar tells me Foundation Mac OS X Web Development is six years published, today. That seems insane.
On the run
As I approach 40, I’ve been more aware of the extra weight which seems stuck around my middle region. I decided something had to be done, so I started running.
Hello iPad
Recently, I’ve been needing to do a serious amount of cross–browser testing for the current freelance gig. Read about the options available, and how it cost me over £700 before I even got to a line of code.
My Teenage Soundtrack
Today, my iCal flagged up David Lee Roth’s Eat ‘Em and Smile album as being 24 years old. TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OLD.
Good. Grief.
tweet_this()
Through the magic of Twitter, I saw Jack Osborne tweet about a few lines of code he’d found to add a “tweet this” button to WordPress posts.
I thought I’d share it here.
Server Switch
I’ve been a customer of (mt) Media Temple since 2001. Originally, I was just hosting one site for myself. These days, I host a load for myself, but also a load more for friends, family, and clients.
REWORK review
I recently finished reading REWORK, the new business book from 37signals. Here are some thoughts on it.
bizpond
Last night was a nice, summer evening. Perfect for a BBQ. Handy, as bizpond (@bizpond) held their launch party & BBQ at the Pitcher & Piano, down on Newcastle Quayside.
SuperMondays: SuperFreelancers
Last night was SuperMondays: SuperFreelancers, held at the Culture Lab in Newcastle. There’s a clue in the name, but last night’s was all about Freelancers.
The Codeworks Summer Net-Together
One of the things I like most about living in the Gateshead/Newcastle area is the large amount of networking events. Yes, you usually see the same faces at each event, but they’re a good bunch of people.
Green Day, Glasgow
The real reason for coming to Glasgow was to see Green Day. This was Li’s 30th birthday present. She’s been a fan for about 15 years, yet never managed to see them live before.
Paul McCartney, Glasgow
We came up to Glasgow for a Green Day gig. I’d noticed that Sir was playing last night, just down the road from where we were staying. So, phone calls were hastily made and we came up early for Sir’s gig.
DIBI Videos
I recently wrote about the excellent DIBI Conference. Now, a little later than they’d planned, they’ve put the speaker videos online for all to see.
New look
I thought I’d have a look at the new version of WordPress this weekend, which has led to a new look for my site.
Thinking Digital 2010
Thanks to a friend donating his ticket, I attended the third Thinking Digital conference during the past couple of days. Having previously missed the first two, I was finally able to see for myself how awesome it was.
DIBI Conference 2010
Yesterday saw hordes of geeks filling the Sage in Gateshead. It was the very first DIBI Conference and it was awesome.
Thoughts on jQuery 1.3 with PHP
As mentioned in a previous blog post, I’m doing some book reviewing again. I prefer the blow–by–blow reviewing style, so here are my thoughts on jQuery 1.3 with PHP
Upcoming Book Reviews
As if I didn’t already spend enough time with geeky books, I’ve just taken on some review work for Packt Publishing.
All change
A fair bit has happened in the last few months, so I thought I should update here. We moved further North to Gateshead, so that I could be nearer to my job. Last week, after a few months of bad … Continue reading
The Joan McCartney Memorial Guitar
A.K.A. the Fender Jim Root Telecaster, but I bought it with money My Nan™ left to me in her will. Legend.
Blue LEGO™
Once upon a time, Jonathan Gay wrote: Macromedia Flash began with a few bits of colored plastic. And upon reading John Gruber’s “Who Can Do Something About Those Blue Boxes?”, it looks like that’s how it’ll end.
Engagement
Those of you who know me in real life will probably know that my Nan died last week, passing away quietly in her sleep. Born Joan Frances Farley in 1923, she went on to be a nurse and saw loads … Continue reading
Minus Favour
The last real band I was in was Ladder, back in 1996. Now, apart from a brief reunion with the lads to play at the wake of two mates a few years back, I’d not played a proper gig in … Continue reading
Battlestar Galactica
Here’s my final review of Battlestar Galactica, now that it’s finished: Seasons 1 + 2 = WIN! Seasons 3 – 5 = FAIL! I’m done.
Lost Time
I lost roughly three hours today. I was copying some files from my old PowerMac (AKA: the Smurf) to my MacBook, when the connection suddenly dropped. Turns out the Smurf had a kernel panic. D’oh! “No problem,” I thought, “I’ll turn it off and on again, and then carry on where I left off.” But no.
Kernel panic on reboot. Every time. Even when trying to boot from a DiskWarrior DVD. Hmm.
35 interesting things about computers in the movies
I found this lying around, thought I’d share. High tech equipment is often driven by a computer with a DOS prompt. (see RoboCop). High tech companies don’t do offsite backups of the data (see Terminator 2). All media devices are … Continue reading
Money For Old Rope (& I)
Whilst wandering around the local Zavvi during their administration/closure sales, I spotted a bargain: Hitchcock 14 Disc Box Set. All discs have extras in the form of behind the scenes interviews with any actors who are still alive, Hitchcock’s daughter, etc. Great value. Anyway, me and The Missus decided we’d watch them in chronological order (as listed above). We’re only three movies in and already we’re loving it.
Saboteur & Shadow Of A Doubt are both black and white movies, and both amazingly old in every way (which caused us to giggle more than a little bit, sorry). The next movie we watched was Rope. From the minute it started, we could tell things had stepped up a little. Apart from being in “glorious technicolor”, everything was just so much more… Hitchcock. The classic Hitchcock tension was there; the acting was worlds apart from the previous movies; the music wasn’t totally 40’s, etc. Each scene was one long take, which would last around ten minutes, as that was the average length of film in the camera. I wonder how many modern actors could last that long without fluffing their lines. We were both totally gripped and thought it to be most excellent (and, like, totally bodacious, dude).
It soon struck me that I’d love to have the money to fund a remake.
Happy Birthday, Jimmy
My favourite guitarist and slight hero, James Patrick Page, Esq., is officially a pensioner today. Keep on rockin’ that Les Paul, Jimmy.
2008 Round-up
2009 arrives tomorrow, rendering 2008 obsolete. While there are still a few hours of it to go, I thought I may as well do an end–of–year roundup and make myself feel important in the process.
Installing MySQL for Mac OS X Leopard (10.5)
Back in 2004, I wrote Foundation Mac OS X Web Development for friends of ED. The book covered all aspects of web development on the Mac OS X platform and sold well around the world. At the time of writing, Mac OS X was at version 10.3 (Panther). The majority of the book still holds up today, but for one wildly out of date section: installing and configuring the MAMP environment.
I figured it was time to address this on my blog. As well as updating these instructions, I’ll be covering the much requested setting up of virtual hosts.
Train vs Snow
I got myself to the train station this morning and stood in the freezing cold for ages, waiting for my train. And waiting. And waiting. Then one of the other people at the platform wandered over to me and said … Continue reading
Sigur Rós Winner, Neil Walker
After some furious Ebay bidding, our signed Sigur Rós “Hlemmur” CD/DVD was finally won by Neil Walker, who paid an astounding £360 for it. Well done, Neil!
It is happening again…
I decided to start blogging again. Mostly to rant about things that get on my tits, I suspect. I’m not sure how often this will get updated, or if anyone other than colleagues and friends will read it, but here … Continue reading