August 30, 2003
The topic of the week among the elite group of designer-bloggers has been semantics and how they relate to valid XHTML and CSS. It all started with Jason Kottke pointing out that valid code doesn't necessarily imply semantical correctness. It has been further discussed at Stop Design, Superfluous Banter, and Simple Bits. Anyone who is interested in web development best practices should read all of these discussions -- they have proved valuable reading for me.
I started the journey towards web standards a few months ago, and my first real site developed with this goal was theplaceforcooks.com. The CSS for that site validates and the general template I built for the site validates, but not every individual page does. It was tough, and unfortunately I found that the error reporting on the W3C Validator Service isn't as helpful as I thought it would be. My next project was the redesign of the Esplodere Web Design site, which was a little smoother (thanks in part to my choice of a more fluid layout) and I'm feeling more comfortable with designing for standards each time I approach a new page.
And now semantics are the next step. The most obvious example is using CSS for layout instead of tables. This has caught on quite well throughout the design world, but as Jason Kottke mentioned you can still get a table layout page to validate in XHTML. There are even some big design shops still using tabled layouts.
An even better example of proper semantics is using (h1) instead of (span class="title"). Either tag can be rendered to look the same way using CSS but (h1) is more meaningful -- it more aptly describes the content contained between the two tags. I'm going to continue reading up on this and work to implement these practices into all of my designs from here on out.
August 29, 2003
Which one of these statements is untrue?
- I met Genia through her best friend, a co-worker of mine at Winn-Dixie.
- My first car spontaneously combusted in a parking lot at JSU.
- I got contact lenses when I was eight years old.
- I puked at Six Flags after riding the Mind Bender.
- My second car was hit on three separate occasions when it wasn't occupied.
- I dressed up as Bono for a Halloween party last year.
- The fastest I have ever driven is 118mph.
- I like the song "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany.
- Genia is the only girl I've ever kissed.
- My favorite beach is Bald Head Island, North Carolina.
(this meme discovered via Ben Henick)
August 27, 2003
This is a great shot I took of Genia this past weekend when we were in Atlanta. I love her smile in this photo -- this is one of those rare photos when my lack of skill didn't stop me from capturing how she looks in real life.
This afternoon I took a couple of shots on Lookout Mountain, the last of which is going to be used for a website I'm working on.
The Color Schemer - Online Color Scheme Generator is one of the most useful web tools I've come across in a long time. You can click on a color in the commonly used colors box or type in a HEX code and it will show 15 coordinating colors. From there, you can click to "lighten scheme" or "darken scheme" to help find just the right shades. For a web designer who trades in black, white, grey, and red, this is amazing.
August 25, 2003
"When Mormons talk about Kolob, that magical, heavenly place where God lives, I'm pretty sure they're just talking about Super Target." --Dooce.com
Genia and I spent the weekend in Atlanta visiting with some of our old KJT friends. We had a good time, as we always do with these great friends, and we also experienced a little bit of "homesickness" for Atlanta. There are things we love about Atlanta, and things we hate about it, but it was home for a little over two years. Generally coming into town for a short visit only reminds us of the things we loved -- the "bigness", lots of things to do, certain favorite places, swanky apartments, our church, and a good job market. We like Chattanooga, don't get me wrong, but isn't the grass always greener? When we were still in Atlanta, we couldn't wait to move to Chattanooga!
We really do have a nomadic streak. Every so often, we get restless and start wanting to move along to somewhere new and different and "more exciting." When we were living in Atlanta, and before I'd decided to return to school, I drew a map on our bathroom mirror and put stars on the cities we were interested in moving to. Charleston, Wilmington, Portland, Seattle, and San Diego, among others. Uncertainty about jobs and not knowing anyone are probably the only reasons we aren't in one of those cities right now.
Now that I've decided to finish up my undergrad work so that I can pursue a seminary degree, we have to be in one place for a solid three years. That place is probably Chattanooga. I've been accepted to Covenant, and while I turned down the offer for this fall because of Genia's pregnancy, I could probably start there next fall if I wanted to. However, the tuition is outrageous, and I don't think I can in good conscience take out that amount of student loans when I have a wife and child to think about. In all likelyhood, I'll finish up at UTC.
Then, of course, there's seminary. There isn't a seminary in Chattanooga that I would consider attending, and I don't know of a good one in Atlanta either. Emory, from what I understand, just has too liberal of a reputation. I've thought about Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, and there are other Reformed and non-denominational seminaries in various other cities. But are any of them in places we'd want to settle for good? Is it more appropriate to return to the place and the church that sent you to seminary? (My understanding of the PCA at least is that you have to be sponsored or recommended for seminary by a church body.)
What about schools? Bailey will be starting Kindergarden while I'm in seminary (am I old or what?). For whatever reason, I think it would be nice for her to grow up mostly in one place. To have some roots. Some kids thrive on change, but if she's anything like us, she won't be the type that makes new friends so easily, and sticking around somewhere would be beneficial. Choosing that place will be tough -- school will be a big factor, and so will church.
Maybe I'm looking too far down the road. Today's troubles are sufficient in themselves, right?
August 21, 2003
With the college football season rapidly approaching, I've been hearing alot about my favorite team, the Auburn Tigers. Last year they had a pretty good season, with a couple of disappointing close games. This year the excitement is building as they are ranked #6 in the preseason poll and picked to win the SEC. Last year, watching Auburn games were more fun than ever thanks to the one and only Andrea Yeaman, Auburn fanatic and all-around hilarious friend. Sadly, we left her behind in Atlanta, and Genia is a Crimson Tide fan, but I'm still going to follow my team. I wonder if there is an "Auburn place" in Chattavegas like The Bucket Shop in Atlanta?
With all this talk about the virtues of Diet Coke, I thought I would take an opportunity to defend the honor of the one drink to rule them all, Coca-Cola Classic. The Coke website says it best:
Dr. John S. Pemberton knew what he was doing when he trademarked Coca-Cola in 1887. Coca-Cola is without a doubt, the most popular drink in history. Nothing tastes quite like it.
Now, I'm not going to claim that popularity necessarily means one thing is better than another. For example, Britney Spears (Pepsi spokeswoman, coincidentally or not) is wildly popular. Yet her music sucks. There is a difference in the application of popularity in her case. Her music is force-fed through all channels such as radio (Clear-Channel) and television (MTV). An impressionable youth hardly stands a chance of avoiding her music, and has to go far out of his way to find a hidden gem like Pedro the Lion or Far Star. Moving from pop back to soda, Coke and Diet Coke are equally accessible, as are Pepsi and Diet Pepsi in most countries. There are plenty of soda choices, and people overwhelmingly choose Coke.
Then there's the taste itself. Coke is sweet, but not too sweet. And the burn... the way it lights up your throat when you swallow it. There really is nothing like it. Diet Coke is too sugary and a little flat tasting. Pepsi is too sweet and has no discernable bite. Dr. Pepper, while not bad, just doesn't compare. Go to the gas station and buy a cold Coke in a glass bottle. That is the finest drink on the planet, in its purest form, and surely it is heaven sent.
Finally, consider this: Bono didn't sing "If Diet Coke is a Mystery..." did he?
August 20, 2003
A Boston family is holding auditions for potential suitors for their 22 year old daughter.
Single males between the ages of 21 and 30 with a steady job, a love of children, strong morals, and no criminal baggage were encouraged to appear at the family's home in Southbridge earlier this month. To be considered, each suitor must present Wood with a headshot photograph and a short essay on why he would be perfect for Devlin. Interest in movies, horseback riding, dogs, and long walks are pluses; only serious applicants need apply.
This, of course, got me thinking about my own daughter. Since Bailey's still in the womb for another 15 weeks, she's a loooooong way off from marriage (if she doesn't enter a convent), but when the time comes, this fortunate young man is gonna have to deal with me. I'm not going to be Robert DeNiro from Meet the Parents, but there are a few requirements if he wants my blessing. In fact, the whole thing might go a little more smoothly if we start the selection process now. There are some baby boys at Rock Creek... maybe I can meet their parents and see if they believe in arranged marriages.
Via Obscure Store I found this article about the 10th ranked foosball player in the world. Dave Gummeson started playing foosball when he was 13 and turned pro at the age of 16. He's 41 now, and almost gave up the sport a couple of years back.
"I realized, though, that I really missed the competition," Gummeson says. "I played Little League and stuff like that when I was a kid, but I was never really above average at any other sport. I'm very competitive by nature, and I just thought, what else am I gonna do where I can be competitive at this level? I like the hand-to-hand, head-to-head nature of the game; it's like a combination of chess and pingpong.You may or may not see foosball as a sport, or even something worth getting competitive over. I disagree. When Joel and I hit the table here in my office (an excellent gift from my father-in-law) all hell seems to break loose. We're fierce about it -- concentrating, stomping, jumping, shoting, you name it. I've come to accept that he will beat me a good six games out of ten, but that doesn't stop me from getting pissed when I miss a "sure thing" goal or let an easy one of his through.
August 19, 2003
Here I am, Chattablogs!
Every entry previous to this one is from my old blog. Many thanks to Josiah for importing them into MT for me.
I've been planning for quite some time to convert this blog from Blogger to Moveable Type. I finally started getting around to it this week and decided to join the local blogging community over at Chattablogs. My new blog will be debuting there later this week. Part of the move will include creating a new name for the blog -- "John & Genia Weblog" just isn't very catchy. Josiah, the Chattablogs founder, suggested I call it Not Wearing Pants. I love it -- it's humorous, and it works as an homage to my work-from-home status. I'm also mulling over a couple of other names, and I thought I'd take a little poll. So take a look at the following list and leave a comment telling me which one you like best.
Not Wearing PantsUpdate: I guess it's obvious now that I chose to go with "Friday Night Running." Trust me, "Not Wearing Pants" was a close second.
Friday Night Running
The Static and The Radio
August 16, 2003
No, it doesn't have anything to do with Dubya, and no, I'm not serious. But these rolling hills and this peaceful beach make me think Prince Edward Island would be a pretty nice place to vacation at least.
Lately I've really been into the song "One Tree Hill" from U2's The Joshua Tree. I was playing around in Photoshop and put together this wallpaper as I was thinking about the song. Click on the picture to get a 1024x768 version of the wallpaper.
August 15, 2003
I noticed that I've been posting a lot of music links lately, so I almost decided not to post this one, but it is simply too good not to share. So here it is, Tori Amos performing "Running to Stand Still" live at Red Rocks. (bootleg courtesy of Instant Sunshine, reported by @U2's Off the Record)
August 14, 2003
Rich from Dead Yet Living recently interviewed me, asking five probing questions. If you'd like to know a little more about me, read on. You can also have me interview you if you're interested.
This is a great idea I found out about on Dead Yet Living and I had to jump on the bandwagon. Here's how it works:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment saying ?interview me.?Another not so official rule is that you do some research of the person you're interviewing, which makes for more interesting questions. My interviewer, Rich from DYL, followed this rule well.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions (not the same as you see here).
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
1. You've been married for three years. Were all the nay-sayers right? Why or why not?
Ah, those pesky nay-sayers! I can't imagine what the last three years of my life would have been like if Genia and I had followed "cultural wisdom" and waited until we were older and richer to get married. There's something fundamentally different about living your life while having a girlfriend and sharing your life with your wife. I'm a big believer in marriage. It's wonderful, and I wouldn't trade Genia for anything in this world. On the whole, we've had a pretty easy time of it. No major catastrophes or anything, just trying to figure out our place in the world and the Kingdom, and helping each other along the way. The biggest surprise and challenge we've had thus far was finding out Genia was pregnant. It was completely unplanned and the timing was flat out bizarre. To believe that God orders our steps is to believe that He likes messing with our "plans" sometimes. I was in the process of being accepted to Covenant College for the fall !
semester when we found out Bailey was coming.
2. In your FAQ you and your wife seem rather open about the fact that you have sex, which I guess is okay since you're married. Is this something you feel strongly about? Explain.
Well certainly the comment in the FAQ was lighthearted. (True, but lighthearted!) I'm not really the kind of person who talks about something that personal openly. The only person I can think of that I've had a real conversation about sex with is my brother, who is also married, and even that was weird. I'm pretty sure that wasn't what you were asking, though. Is sex something I feel strongly about? Sure. It's not the most important aspect of a marriage, but it is highly important. It's one huge thing you share with your wife that you don't share with any other person. It's a tangible way of affirming your bond as husband and wife. It can make you happy when you're sad. I'm saying too much...
3. What is your reaction when you find yourself "losing" a friend? You know, you just grow apart.
It's sad, but I understand that it's natural. People change and grow and move and all sorts of things happen. Sometimes there's a desire to try and get back what you had, but that doesn't happen in most cases. I think it's harder for me because I don't make friends easily.
4. What are your aspirations concerning your up and coming daughter? How are you striving to help these to come about?
There are so many things I want for Bailey. Most of all, I want her to love God. Of course that's the one that is most not up to me. I can encourage her to do so, read the Bible to her, pray with her, take her to church, and I will do all of those things, but it is up to the Holy Spirit to draw her. I want her to be a real disciple, something I don't currently see myself as, incidentally. I also want her to be intelligent and creative. She'll have some of that in her genes, and I'll encourage those things by reading to her, getting her involved in art and music, and finding a way to provide an excellent education for her. I want her to be a person who loves people tremendously. She'll get a caring and tender heart from her mother, I'm sure, and I'd like for us to teach her to put that love into action through service. Oh, and I want her to have her mother's beautiful green eyes. Not much I can do about that, though.
5. What is the most dire need of evangelicalism today?
I think I could safely say that it would be discipleship. Serious study of the Word of God and disciplined efforts to follow its teachings. That's the most dire need of my life. For the first few years of my faith, it seems like I was "blown by every breeze" and I really want to be grounded in knowledge of solid doctrine and practice. I think that could be said of many Christians.
If you'd like to ask a follow up question, post a comment and I'll answer it there. If you'd like for me to interview you on your blog, post a comment and I'll start working on questions.
August 12, 2003
There's an extremely lengthy discussion going on at MetaFilter about sex and abstinence before marriage. It all started with this article from the Seattle Times about a Christian couple who will have their first kiss at their wedding ceremony. Not surprisingly, the majority secular crowd at MetaFilter has not only mocked the couple for their extreme take on abstinence, but also the idea of waiting until marriage at all. It was unsurprising but still disappointing how lightly sex is taken by the participants of the discussion.
Chastity and fidelity are hardly even considered virtuous to the secular world anymore. I definitely commend the couple for taking seriously the Christian belief that sex is reserved for a husband and wife only. One common objection to this belief is "what if we aren't sexually compatible?" Honestly I think that's bunk, though. If two people love each other and are committed to working together to make a life, with some practice and patience they can have a fulfilling sex life even if it isn't hot the first time -- or the first twenty. Aaron interjected this relevant scripture into the MetaFilter discussion:
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." --Psalm 84:11I personally find the "no kissing" boundary the couple in the article set for themselves to be a little extreme, but they aren't saying it's absolute truth, just a personal conviction. Besides, the general logic is solid -- setting boundaries a little farther out than what you definitely don't want to do. If they set their boundary at "heavy petting" how likely is it that they'd be able to refrain from going just a little farther in the heat of the moment and having sex? But if they cross the line and kiss, they may be disappointed in themselves for a time, but they have still kept true to the major commitment of abstinence. I learned this general concept of "moral margin" from Andy Stanley at North Point and I think it's worthwhile.
The article had a passing mention of a social researcher who claims that religious couples often have longer lasting marriages. This was discussed somewhat at MetaFilter, but I don't think anyone hit the nail on the head. The only people who gave any creedance to the claim only went so far as to say that two people who share religious beliefs are alike enough to have a good chance of making it work. This, of course, denies any power in the religion itself. Here's what I believe: if two people who come together in marriage are committed to a faith in Christ, to loving each other as they love themselves, to sacrificing for each other and submitting to one another, to patience, kindness, and faithfulness, then their marriage will work out. It's not easy but it is that simple.
August 08, 2003
PasteMusic.com has three mp3s from Over the Rhine's upcoming Ohio. Take a listen. My favorite of the three is "Show Me," an upbeat alt-country and gospel laced track, and I really like "Suitcase," a simple piano ballad of love about to be lost.
Today is the one year anniversary of my weblog, which is pretty cool. What was I blogging about one year ago today?
August 8, 1961: David Evans is born in Barking Maternity Hospital, East London. In case you're wondering who David Evans is, he's that guy in U2 that's always wearing a skull cap and holding a guitar... Happy Birthday, Edge.I also mentioned news of the rumored single "Electrical Storm" and my enjoyment of the movie Signs. One year later, I'm still talking obsessively about U2, as well as other music and movies. I've expanded into religious and political topics and tried to open up about personal things as well. This week I actually managed to blog at least once a day -- we'll see if I can keep that up for a year.
RazorMouth author P. Andrew Sandlin explains that we must have a greater impact on the culture before we will be able to have a greater impact on politics.
When Royal Ruckus is winning Grammies, when Brian Godawa is garnering Oscars, when the Bahnsen Theological Seminary is populating Churches, and when the Center for Cultural Leadership is training congressmen and college professors, capturing the governor�s mansion will be a cakewalk.He's specifically talking about California in this column, but the application would be practical in any state.In the battle for our society, culture, not politics, is central.
August 07, 2003
What do you get when you hook up a web form to an LED display screen and set up a webcam to show the world what people are posting? Even cooler is Speaker's Corner in Huddersfield, UK, where you can submit a message by web or sms and have it shown on a LED screen in the town square. (via metafilter)
August 06, 2003
Yes, that is my sister, affectionately known as "beastie." In less than two weeks, she's being released into the wild at The University of Alabama. I couldn't quite convince her to attend UTC, but I do hope she'll be happy at Bama. As long as she stays away from sororities and frat boys, she should be fine, right?
August 05, 2003
Yesterday I went to Barnes & Noble at Hamilton Place to buy a book to start reading to Bailey. After searching for a while, I purchased The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Last night I read the first chapter... something tells me I'm going to enjoy this more than our baby is, at least until after she's born.
Jeffrey Overstreet of Looking Closer brings us a review of Over the Rhine's new double album Ohio. From his account, this is not an album to miss and stands as possibly their finest work to date.
Even more of a must read is Overstreet's revealing interview with OTR songwriter Linford Detweiler about the new album and why he was "born to be a songwriter." On the subject of songwriting, he said:
It goes back to that metaphor of having �ears to hear and eyes to see�� there are these little clues, these little snippets of the eternal that are constantly coming into focus for a few moments and then disappearing. I often wonder how much we miss.At one point, Linford says that "Jesus kept turning up on this record" and went on to describe the feeling of being "haunted by Christ":
I guess our prayer would be that if we are haunted by Christ, which of course we are, that it is the Christ that declared obsolete forever the �kill or be killed� approach to resolving differences, the Christ who turned over the tables of those who were trying to make a buck off!Discussing his Christian faith, he said:
of salvation. The Christ that turned water into exceptionally noteworthy wine. That�s the Christ that I want to be haunted by, that I would welcome� I would welcome that Christ�s influence on any song.�
That�s a kingdom that I still deeply believe in, in terms of where I am with Christianity, in terms of growing up in the Church. In some ways it�s hard for me to get really interested in this idea of getting right with God so we can be whisked away to heaven, and experience eternal bliss. But when I start thinking in terms of there being a kingdom that could come to earth to resolve all of this madness, that�s what I start getting excited about, that�s what I start remembering. I start remembering that, yeah, people could die for this.�There is something potentially revolutionary going on that can heal deep-seated violence and roots of bitterness that seem to poison our best efforts.That's the kind !
of kingdom that excites me as well. "Heaven on earth, we need it now..."
August 04, 2003
Part of me is pretty nostalgic, and I tend to think of myself as being someone who likes to keep a good friendship going. With all the big things going on in our lives right now -- moving to Chattanooga, starting a business, getting ready to have a baby -- I have been thinking about getting in touch with some old friends. I'd like to hear what's going on in their lives, and fill them in on what the years have brought into my life as well.
As I was searching for one friend's email address, the thought occured to me that I am utterly findable on the internet. If you go to Google.com and type in "John Hawbaker" this weblog comes up as the very first result. If anyone I've ever known wanted to get in touch with me, they could do so in a matter of minutes. Why then am I going to the trouble of trying to find them? On the other hand, are they thinking the same thing in reverse?
In particular, this morning I was trying to find the email address of a guy who was in my wedding party. This was three and a half years ago, and I know we've both moved a couple of times since then, but I didn't even get invited to his wedding last fall. The only reason I found out what the date was is hearing it from his ex-girlfriend who I ran into at a restaurant. Am I being a "good friend" by assuming he just didn't know where to send an invitation, or am I being naive? Why do I even care three years later?
By means of all created things, without exception, the divine assails us, penetrates us, and molds us. We imagined it as distant and inaccessible, whereas in fact we live steeped in its burning layers.
-- Teilhard de Chardin
August 01, 2003
Via the Friday Five
1. What time do you wake up on weekday mornings?
I have to be at work at 8am, but since I work from home, I don't usually get up until 7:45am.
2. Do you sleep in on the weekends? How late?
On Saturdays I have to work at 7am so I actually get up an hour earlier. Sundays I usually get up around 8:30am or 9am to get ready for church.
3. Aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning?
Well, I usually grab some orange juice, my standard breakfast.
4. How long does it take to get ready for your day?
If I'm actually getting ready, as in to actually leave the house, 45 minutes.
5. When possible, what is your favorite place to go for breakfast?
Cracker Barrel for pancakes.
An interesting read, this article in England's Spectator discusses the cultural divide between the North and South in the United States. The author's premise is that the US is still divided along the Mason-Dixon line when it comes to honour and how to respond to an insult. In a few short paragraphs, he takes this premise and relates it to the Civil War and current American foreign policy, including our preemptive attack on Iraq.
Last Thursday night was the grand opening of Mia Cucina, the new gourmet cookware store and cooking school in North Chattanooga. The store and demonstration kitchen are amazing, so if you're in the area, stop by. Also, check out the just released cooking class schedule for September. Genia and I are thinking of taking one of these if time permits -- the hardest part would be choosing which one.