Read this book the first time to learn various punctuations from a variety of sources including AP, APA, Chicago, MLA, and a panel of expert in the field. Knowing the different conventions will help you punctuate with confidence. Read it the second time to learn June Casageande’s clear, concise, and comprehensible writing style. Keep it closed by your desk for punctuation reference.
When Advanced Web Design, a course I supposed to teach this semester, got dropped just a few days before the first class begin, I was devastated. Not because I did not get to teach, but because I needed a four-credit course to finish my Master of Arts in Graphic Design in the fall. Teaching was to be counted toward my studio elective class.
Out of desperation to fill in my elective, I proposed to write a little book on web typography. To my amazement, my professor accepted it and agreed to be my advisor. Even though this is something I am passionate about and have wanted to do it for a while, I had never written anything longer than a blog post. Though I am not a writer, I would like to take on the challenge.
One of the reasons I wanted to write this book is to scratch my own itch. In recent years, typography is exploded on the web, but I haven’t found a book that teaches me professional typography and shows me the CSS techniques at the same time.
When Jason Santa Maria released his book On Web Typography last summer, I was thrilled. Finally someone who is well respected in the industry wrote a book on this topic. On Web Typography is an excellent read and I highly recommend it, but Jason chose to leave out the codes. His reason is that the codes will get outdated quickly and he wanted his book to stay relevant for years to come. I understand his intention.
As for my little book, the primary purpose is to get an “A” for my four-credit independent study, but I would also like to publish it online. It won’t be printed or in an e-book format. I have decided to publish it in HTML for three main reasons: it could be read on any device; I have control of the design; and I can continue to update it as the codes continue to change.
The book will be online in early May. I will model after Mathew Butterick’s approach on how to pay for this book. All contents will be available for you to read. If you like what you read, you can pay for it in any amount you like to support. The book will be out in early May.
From content to media to performance, Dutson’s book covers all things responsive with the right balance of strategy and techniques. The discussion on sliders alone should be read by the decision makers and conditional JavaScript (also on sliders) should be read by the developers. It’s a good source to pass around with your team.
Jazz fans will be disappointed in Diana Krall’s latest release, Wallflower, once again. She offers no sense of swing and no chops on the piano. At 50 with a dozen albums under her belt, Krall needs to prove no further that she has skills. In covering hits from the ’70s and ’80s, Krall sets out to please no one else but herself.
With Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word,” she takes the opposite direction from the original. Whereas Elton soars on the chorus, Krall drowns deep down as if she is totally burned out. With John and Michelle Phillips’ “California Dreamin’,” she sounds completely fatigued in the beginning against the dead-slow string orchestration. Even when the arrangement switches to bossa nova, she has no motivation to push her delivery. With The Eagles’ “Desperado,” her voice gets so harsh that she could almost passed for Ryan Adams.
Krall is a “Superstar” and she also understands that “Loneliness is such a sad affair.” Accompanied by David Foster’s sensuous but passive orchestration, Krall gives the Carpenters’ ballad a new sense of sultriness. On the title track, Bob Dylan is heard in Krall’s delivery, but with a sense of exhaustion.
Other than the rock-up “Yeh Yeh,” a duet with Georgie Fame himself, Wallflower is a slow burner. The songs are familiar and you will be disappointed if you’re expecting some innovative reinterpretations. If you’re in the mood to hear your favorite songs covered in the most intimate and sullen ways, however, you’re in for a relaxing treat.
From two-bit word to long-short combo to three-part paragraph, Stephen Wilbers offers clear, insightful techniques for improving your writing skills. As someone who is still struggling to learn English, I find his advice to be helpful. I read through the entire book, but skipped the exercises and further thoughts. As recommended by the author, I’ll definitely reread it again slowly and go through everything in the book.
The second edition of Peter Gasston’s The Book of CSS3 is worth a reread. Because CSS has been evolving in the last four years, he revised and updated many new features. If you want to catch up on the latest CSS properties, this book is for you. I intended to use it for my Advanced Web Design class.
A week before vacation, Đán slipped and landed face down on the slippery floor at a Pho joint. His lips bled and swollen.
At the airport last Wednesday, he ran into the window like a bird crashing into glass. He looked like he had half a lime in his forehead.
At the resort, I kept warning him and brother not to jump on the bed, and course they didn’t listen. On day four, he landed on the concrete floor with his forehead again. The impact also made his nose bled.
On a way home, we stopped by a Pho place (a different one), he decided to open a closet door and got his finger jammed in between. The result was that he slept in the car and all night long.
Five days of vacation just flew by. We had a great time at the Memories Splash, a kid-friendly, all-inclusive resort. Our daily activities were pretty much the same.
I woke up around 5:30 in the morning, went to the balcony, breathed the morning wind, and worked on one of my independent studies. Đán got up around 7:30 and we rode the shuttle around the property. We enjoyed seeing the animals including ducks, chickens, goose, and peacocks. Đán wanted to be a peacock and referred to himself as: “I am with the blue feather on my butt.”
Around 9AM everyone went to breakfast. My favorite dishes were fried eggs and omelet (ham, bacon, mushroom, jalapeño, green pepper, onion, corn, and tomatoes). I always loved passion fruit and tropical juices. I even bought along chia seeds to mix with the juices for detox.
After breakfast, we headed to the beach. The kids had fun playing with the waves while I had my fun at the bar. At noon, we grabbed quick bites like hamburger, panini, fries, and ice cream before heading to the water park. The kids enjoyed the water park the most. Around 3PM, the kids took a nap and then we moved to the kid’s pool closed by our room.
Around 7PM, we headed to dinner. At 10PM the kids went to bed. I retreated back to the balcony to do my own work until midnight.
The funniest moments were when Đán crashed at dinner table two nights in a row. Because he didn’t take a nap and he spent all day in the water, he fell asleep as we were just started to have dinner. Đạo loved every activities at the resort. As for us parents, we enjoyed seeing the kids having fun. I had my fun too. My wife was just fantastic. Thanks mommy, for the great memories.
In two more days, I’ll be on the beach sipping mojito. We will be in Punta Cana for a few days to get away from the snowy, icy weather. My plan will be drinking, eating, and playing with the kids all day long. At night, I’ll go to the bar to work on my projects for independent studies. And yes, my projects are approved.
Since the class I was supposed to teach this semester got dropped, I am now taking on two independent studies. The first one is an independent project research (one credit) for my final thesis in the fall. I know what I wanted to do and I hope that it will be approved tomorrow.
The second one is a challenge, but it is something I wanted to do for some time. It’s a four-credit study. I am thrilled about it. I just hope that I can complete it on time.
My time for the next three months will be devoted to these projects when I am not working, not with my family, or not sleeping. It looks like things are turned out well after all. I knew I should have been more relaxed and stayed calm.