Web Standards, Accessibility and Other Stuff

I read numerous RSS feeds, mostly related to front-end web development. But there are a few that I read that are not tech-related…

• Most People Are DJs - music and entertainment podcast
• Blaugh - comic of the blogosphere
• Word of the Day - from Dictionary.com
• I don’t like you in that way - celebrity dirt
• My photos on Flickr!

By the way, I use NetVibes, an awesome personalized “home page” which can not only read and organize RSS feeds, but also blogs, email accounts, social networks, search engines, instant messengers, photos, videos, podcasts, and game widgets!

Did you know that James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader from Star Wars, graduated from the University of Michigan? (My alma mater.) Awesome, go blue! Among 200 other films, television shows, and theater productions, the famous actor was in such “classics” as Conan the Barbarian and Coming to America!

In honor of my favorite holiday next week, Halloween, here is some interesting reading:

Some Halloween History

• Many experts believe the druids were the first to observe Halloween. Dating back to 700 B.C., they celebrated the festival of Samhain (the end of the harvest and a time to honor the dead) on November 1. In the ensuing years, the night before became known as the Eve of All Hallows, a.k.a. Hallow Even, a.k.a. Hallow e’en.
• Ever wonder how trick-or-treating got started? On the evening before Samhain, people left food on their doorsteps to keep hungry spirits from entering the house. Festival-goers started dressing in ghost, witch, and goblin costumes so wandering spirits would leave them alone. To this day, these are Halloween’s most popular costumes.
• The word witch comes from the Saxon word “wicca”, which means “wise one.”

Spooky Animals

• Black cats, those customary Halloween icons, were originally believed to be witches’ familiars, a kind of cosmic sidekick who protected the witches’ powers from negative forces.
• Some so-called vampire bats do drink blood, but they’re not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on cattle, horses, and birds.

Pumpkins and…Turnips?

• The biggest pumpkin in the world tipped the scales at a whopping 1,337.6 pounds. This gigantic gourd was weighed in October, 2002 at a pumpkin festival in Topsfield, Mass.
• Of all canned fruits and vegetables, pumpkin is the best source of vitamin A. Just a half-cup of the orange stuff has more than three times the recommended daily requirement.
• The very first jack o’ lantern was made out of a turnip.

So I traded in my beautiful “legend lime” colored Ford Mustang a few weeks ago for a 2-door Ford Focus. It was quite a bummer, but quite necessary financially now that I have two kids, and oh, I recently purchased a new Honda Rebel motorcycle! I get an incredible 70 MPG with that little bike which will save a considerable amount of gas. I commute almost 30 miles to work and the gas bill in the Mustang was hurtin’. No worries now when I drive either the Rebel or the Focus. The Focus gets almost 35 MPG highway when I’m not stuck in a traffic jam.

Every once in a while, one comes across an establishment that is unique and one soon comes to love. I recently discovered one of these places, Barefoot Coffee Roasters.

This coffee shop is unlike all others. First of all, they take pride in great coffee. In their words, Barefoot Coffee is great coffee, coffee as a culinary art and sustainability. The coffee is roasted right on the spot, and the coffee shop has won many awards. And besides coffee, you can purchase something to eat such as an oatmeal & raisin cookie (my favorite).

Just as good as the coffee is the atmosphere. There are always many “interesting” and “creative” individuals hanging out. Local art decorates the walls, and even some of the furniture is art. Even the walls of the bathroom are blackboards with chalk writings and drawings. The music is unique, hip, and no matter how diverse, always seems to mesh well with the atmosphere. In the outdoor seating, enjoy a smoke and/or listen to the guy with the acoustic guitar. Free Wifi is provided, which is essential, and the prices are reasonable.

If you’re in the South Bay area, make a visit to the Barefoot Coffee Roasters.

I’m not sure who loves this more, me, or my 1 1/2 year old son.

Good comic from Blaugh.com. Gotta love the internet/Star Wars combination…