meJoe.com

Some people call me “cheap”.  Most people call me “cheap”.  I have financial goals that I want to meet.  Modesty is at the heart of this endeavor and is reflection on how I prefer to live.  So I read on these topics often.  A recent article that I especially enjoyed is Understanding the Seven Habits of Wealth. The article takes some excellent life aphorisms and applies them to the world of personal finance.  Here are some of them.
On hard work - By working hard, old man, I hope to make something good one day. I haven’t yet, but I am pursuing it and fighting for it. — Vincent van Gogh

On modest living - A just and reasonable modesty does not only recommend eloquence, but sets off every great talent which a man can be possessed of. — Joseph Addison

On balance - The word ‘happiness’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. — Carl Gustav Jung

AIR judging form (Excel) and FAQ.

Firefox web developer tool bar has everything you need to evaluate your site.

Knowbility Presentations

• Basic Accessibility 2007
• Advanced Accessibility 2007

Cool videos about people overcoming disabilities with technology

Section 508 Checklist

I thought it would be a cute title.  The Tenors I refer to however are not the favorite singers, but the advocates of accessible web design practices.  These are the three groups that for some reason have a stake in creating Web sites that intentionally or unintentionally meet best practices for accessible Web design.

Some background on accessible design.   Accessible design essentially refers to making websites that can be accessed by a wide variety of users with varying degrees of abilities.

The three bed-fellows are:

• Web developers - It makes the code maintainable
• Marketers - Search engine optimization
• Accessibility advocates - It is ethical

I love to think about accessibility in this way because it almost always allows me to discuss accessibility from a viewpoint that matters to my audience. The developers love to use techniques that enhance their code.  Business people are concerned with reaching customers.  Accessibility advocates have those with disabilities in their hearts.

The funny part is that really each group has their own name for about the same set of practices.  They are standards based code development, search engine optimization and accessibility.

I recently heard a great interview with Tamora Pierce about writing fantasy books for girls. The interview was on To the Best of Our Knowledge. Tamora talked about the changes girls go through as they hit puberty. She has visited various schools and commented on the difference between all-girl-schools and coed schools. Girls up to 6th grade are confident, full of energy and inquisitive. When they hit 7th grade, it changes. She does not see this missing energy in all-girl-schools as much.

If you have a young girl you may find her bibilography of interest.

A good friend of mine from high school is getting married in Italy soon. Thanks to MySpace, her and I were able to reconnect after many years. I visited her about a year ago in Palo Alto were she works at Google.  Congrats Angela!

Wow, this is one of the most interesting terms I have come across of recent.  The Hedonic Treadmill essentially speaks to that never ending pursuit and later readjustment to happiness.  An example, you drive a 93 Honda Civic.  You want to drive a 07 Scion tC.  You work hard, take on some debt, and finally get it.  You are happy, for a little while, until next year’s model looks even better.  This is the treadmill at work.  A good definition, “the tendency to adapt quickly to changed circumstances.”

Somewhat depressing for some is the fact that Michael Eysenck adapted the term to its most modern definition.  He uses it to explain that humans have a predisposed level of happiness, determined by genetics.   What does that mean?  If you were born happy, you’ll be happy throughout your life.  If you were born sad, well don’t try and look on the bright side because it won’t help very long.

Not sure I want to agree with this old chap.