Rinsefirst

Over the last few weeks, all the various design/web standards blogs have been talking about this funny new feature of IE that allows the web developer to specify what version of IE they want the site to render in. Of course, it would seem that most of the web community hates this idea for one reason of another… Whether it’s the fact that it’s not standard (and if the all the browsers MS made were following the standards this wouldn’t be needed anyway) or just that they think it’s going to cause more web developers to be lazy and not fix their code for the future, etc.

In fact, my mind is drawing a blank, but I may have already said something about this here on this site (or maybe it was in a comment on another site).

In any case, I have now decided that although I believe there should be some standard behaviors for all browsers to follow, just to keep everyone sane, I am no longer in support of making things follow standards for the sake of following standards. In fact, I don’t think I’ve been this way for awhile.

The truth is this: If microsoft followed the standard, they wouldn’t have some of the cooler things you can do with a website at this point… For example, in IE you can customize the color of the scroll bar. You can cause your page to transition differently from page to page. If I remember correctly, they were even the ones that started all the favicon additions you see in all the modern browsers. The fact of the matter is… these were all features that were outside the HTML standard persay. Things that spurred innovation and outside thought into the web community…

I am now of the thought that if you can break the standard in a “different” useful way, I’m not sure it’s a bad thing. If that means creating a meta tag that allows you to defy what is right, so be it. If that means creating some non-standard CSS, awesome. If you can find a way to do it still inside the standard, even better. But whatever it is MS, keep adding features that the web developer community hates. We may continue to hate you. We may think you are the bane of our existence because of all the crap you make us go through to build a site, but the more I think about it, you have brought some rather interesting things that users love to the table… And even if they didn’t last, someone needs to be thinking outside the box.

I like to think I’m fairly risk-adverse… Some would say I’m too risk adverse, but to be honest, I love the balance I have in my life. I love knowing that for the most part, nothing I do will directly result in anyone (including myself) ending up dead. It’s part of the reason I never want to be a cop… The odds of me shooting someone are relatively high

But from time to time (and I’m pretty sure this happens to someone at some point), you are brought into someone else’s risk-gone-wrong. For example, you may see a car accident happen due to some reckless driving and then be called on to help them. You may see a bridge collapse and be called on to help because you were the last car off the bridge. You never really know when your going to be called on to help someone in a dire situation.

Case in point: this morning.

My parents have been out of town on a “second honeymoon” of sorts. I’m here by myself, and when that is the case I generally stay in my room and work on my computer. My parents, being the smart people they are, decided that this 2 week break would be a perfect time to get some warranty work done on the house (mainly fixing some sheet rock stuff that has cracked, etc since the house was built).

This morning, one of the sheet rock guys came to finish up some stuff. I, like always, stay out of their way, just hiding in my room. I was simply playing some poker and listening to a phone conference when I heard a relatively loud BANG followed by HEEEELLLLLPPPPPP and then another HELLLLLPPPPP.

Immediantly I’m running out of my room, running up the stairs trying to find where this guy is. I run up the stairs looking where I expect him to be and find him not there… He see’s me though and yells help again, drawing my head immediantly to the situation at hand.

He was hanging from the rafter in my living room (about 20 feet off the ground). The ladder had collapsed from under him, and somehow, he managed to hold on. I quickly try to get the stupid ladder under his feet again, but this is one of those giant metal ladders that generally should be put up with more than one person. However, I inch it up the wall and brace it with all my weight because I couldn’t get it back at an angle that would work for him perfectly (he had it leaning against the rafter when he started, which was the first mistake). In any case, in all the madness, he drops a sheetrock bucket or something, nailing me in the head (go figure, but I mention it because anything hitting me in the head these days is pretty funny), but after about 20 seconds of heart pounding cooperation, we get him down safely.

More than enough excitement for me today.  In fact, I’m still trying to wear off the adrenaline like an hour later.

The funny part (if there is one) about the whole thing, was what happened once he was on the ground again. It was one of those situations where I’m not sure either person knew what to say… We stood there simply in shock for a better word. We decided to take down the ladder for the day and to not try that again without some better form of security. Can’t remember the last time I was in a situation where neither party knew what to say…

Now the only question that remains… What are we going to do about the dent in the floor? I don’t think replacing the floor is an option… Hmmm maybe I’ll move a couch. (the object that hit my head, hit the floor, and metal meeting wood leaves pretty good dent… Still not sure how metal meeting head does not…)

This can’t be true.

According to headlines on Google News, despite the end of the writers strike, Fox has decided to postpone 24 until January of next year (yes 2009).

Now let’s think what that means…

1. The technology will be at least a year older… I mean seriously, who would have that model of Dell computers in 2009?
2. We will have to wait at least 2 whole years to figure out what is exactly all going to happen that might just end the world this year.
3. We won’t have anything good to watch on Monday nights until 2009.

Blah…

And their excuse is so lame…. They “committed to airing it for 24 episodes straight” and they “don’t want to air it into summer.” Of course not… So do this Fox… Just air two episodes back to back on Monday nights like every other week… Heck you don’t really have anything else worth watching on Monday nights anyway (or perhaps try Sunday nights, there’s even less to watch then.)

Oh well, I just like to complain.

So we filled the primary league (Who is David A.?). In any case, draft is slated for 8:00pm Tuesday evening, I’ll see that group then.

The Yahoo group is still open and open to everyone… So come join that one was well if you haven’t done so already.

You have been invited to join jjdb210’s Private Group in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Auto Racing.

In order to join the group, follow the link above, or go to the game front page and click on the “Sign Up” button to create a team. After completing registration, or if you already have a team, click the “Create or Join Group” button and follow the path to join an existing private group. Then, when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 27986
Password: rinsefirst

We can move to the tropic city.

Busy busy busy.

Hey all, it’s that time of year again for the 4th Annual “Race”first fantasy leagues to startup.

This year, Nascar changed their drafting system… No more of that auction madness that we’ve all looked forward to the last 3 years… In fact, it now looks like it’s just a regular old run-of-the-mill draw style. They also opened it up to all 8 team leagues instead of 6… So, that said, we have not 1 but 3 additional slots (4 if you count the fact that John has not joined yet). That said, Here is the invite… come and be one of the remaining people (and John, you really need to sign up… soon). Right now the draft is scheduled for 8pm tonight (sunday night). I might push that back if we still don’t have 8… I don’t want it to be a “public” league. In any case… Here’s the invite:

The following is an invitation to play one of NASCAR.com's Fantasy Sports:

Justin would like you to join Racing Draft and Play
and play in a designated league:

http://fantasy.nascar.com/racing/draft

When prompted, use the following information to join Justin's
new league:

League Name:      4th Annual RaceFirst League

League Password:  rinsefirst

Now… All that said… I wasn’t to happy to find that Nascar made this more a game of luck than normal for the beginning of the year… So I’ve also opened up a second fantasy league… This one powered by Yahoo. All are welcome to join in this one… It has unlimited spots, no draft, and is probably the simplest setup as far as fantasy Nascar goes… All that said… Here’s the invite for that:

You have been invited to join jjdb210’s Private Group in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Auto Racing.

In order to join the group, follow the link above, or go to the game front page and click on the “Sign Up” button to create a team. After completing registration, or if you already have a team, click the “Create or Join Group” button and follow the path to join an existing private group. Then, when prompted, enter the following information…

Group ID#: 27986
Password: rinsefirst

So there ya go… Let the party begin!

Oh: By the way… Dale Jr. Won the Budweiser Shootout and Happy Birthday Joel (I was at Joel’s party instead of watching the race).

I’m now two days back on my Blogging to the money posts… I apologize… It will probably be another 2 days before I get back to it.

This week has been one of those weeks where it was just event after event of things that I had to do… Life doesn’t slow down, and either do I.

Today, it was a funeral. Amber’s cousin of 27 years (Mike), died of a heart attack last Saturday. The wake and funeral were today, and my poorly dress self was there to support Amber for the day. I didn’t know Mike all that well, but from what I heard, me and him would have gotten along great.

I thought of a few things tonight as well:

• If I die young, it just isn’t as cool for other people… It has never really bothered me, but it just wouldn’t be as cool I like to think it would be
• That we can all do a little better to support one another.
• That kids are very innocent, but can be very very smart.
• That I don’t want my funeral in a funeral home unless it absolutely has to be.

That’s all I can write at the moment… I have work to do… Perhaps more later (or perhaps I will just edit this post).