Web Standards, Accessibility and Other Stuff

This is a great time of year for sports fans. The NHL playoffs are entering the second round (go Red Wings!); the NBA playoffs just started (go Pistons!); and baseball is in full swing, (pardon the pun).

I tried going to a Detroit Tigers baseball game last Friday, but the weather was actually nice and there were only standing room tickets left! So my mom, wife and I (don’t laugh at me!) went to Greektown to eat, hit the Casino for a few, and even made it to the Old Shillelagh for a brew (yes, another great pub!).

Beer is good. Web programming is enjoyable (usually). So why not put the two together during the Refresh Detroit monthly meet-ups? I am a co-founder of the local web professional group, and I’m usually the one to make the final decision on where we’re meeting. A pub has many times been the answer!

We’ve met three times at Stout Pub in Brighton, Michigan. This month’s Refresh Detroit meeting (April 25) we’re meeting at the Claddagh Irish Pub in Livonia. Good beer, good food, good times.

A few of my favorite beers are (from light to dark):

• Shipyard Light
• Old Speckled Hen
• Guinness Stout

So I’m in California for 1 1/2 days to meet with an awesome financial web company, Yodlee. Silicon Valley is so cool. Overall, the trip has gone pretty well so far, but without the usual inconveniences:

• Airport security confiscated my hair gel and toothpaste. How stupid! Do I look like a freakin’ Muslim terrorist?! It’s bad enough we have to all take off our shoes. Pew.
• The flight attendant was old, fat, and very unfriendly. She bumped my elbow quite abruptly when I was playing an important game of solitaire on my PDA, and she didn’t even think of apologizing!
• The hassles of renting a car. And at the San Francisco International airport, you don’t have to shuttle-bus off-site to the rental car lot, but there’s very long tram ride to a massive facility. And that’s after you’ve solved the lengthy maze to even get the the tram.

I’m feeling guilty because I haven’t done a Web Axe podcast in over 2 weeks now. I don’t make any money from it, but the Feedburner subscription rate is growing and I’m feeling responsible for providing more than just a web accessibility news post. And today, I was named in the Top 5 design podcasts for designers by Dustin Brewer (you can Digg the article here), so I’m feeling the heat!

Gotta get motivated again. Like most folks, I’ve just been so busy lately with higher priority work, family, etc., you know how it is. Well, I have a podcast lined up for tonight, as I’ve been pushing it off for the last 4 nights…wish me luck…