Grant Hansen Number 3?

Grant Hansen number 3? Come on! If a reservoir is going to share my name, I would think it should top the list, especially in Utah! This seems to be a pretty popular fishing spot, and why wouldn't it be? Grant Hansen doesn't just give you a fish ... he teaches you HOW to fish. Anglers interested in trying to bait some game fish should check the weather first.

Lately the number 3 isn't so bad. Number 3 seed Novak Djokovic just ousted my favorite Rodger Federer in the Australian Open semis. (Rodger has been sick, we all know it.) But still, Novak's time has come and this weekend will tell if he makes it by the towering Jo Wilfried Tsonga. I'll be watching. Oh, and I predict that, yes, the glamorous finals match between Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharipova will go, you guessed it, 3 sets.

Let us also not forget how the New York Giants won three amazing games to make it to the Super Bowl when no one thought they would. It'll be interesting to see how they fair against the New England juggernaut.

Still, I have to see about making the Grant Hansen Reservoir number one. You know, just because.

Internet Explorer 8 passes the acid test

I can't believe it. Have my hopes and dreams come true? Word has it, Internet Explorer 8 will be standards compatible. So they say.

What does this mean to a Web developer like myself? For one, it means my life just might be so much easier. For too long I (and so many Web developers alike) have had to battle incompatible browser behaviors of IE6 and IE7 (which is so much better than IE6) by jumping through hoops to fool the browser. That's right, we have to use hacks. Although we try to avoid them, some/most times, hacks are essential. If only everyone used Firefox or Safari. But maybe, just maybe, soon enough I won't mind if people are using IE, so long as it's IE8.

For those of you not familiar with Web development, imagine you're trying to please everyone in your family by building a new family room. You spec it out so that it's 10'x10' and customize all the furniture and entertainment around those measurements. Measurements should be pretty standard, right? Wrong.

Imagine now if the males in your family over 35 see 10'x10' as 9'.7"x11.2"; the males 34 and under see 10'x10' as what it actually is (because that's my demographic!). Now, the women are another story. They see 10'x10' as 10'1"x9'9". You know, just to be difficult. However, the males over 35 and all the women see all the furniture as their proper measurements. So, how do you fit custom-sized furniture into their non-standard size rooms?

You have to fool them. For the males over 35 you figure out a way to secretly change their prescriptions on their glasses so they see the world in focus. For the women, well, good luck. You might have to change your vision to meet theirs. Whichever route you take, the end result has to be a 10'x10' room (or rather, a 10'1"x9'9" room since you won't win the battle). Then you can customize your furniture and entertainment to fit inside it.

Now try to imagine a world where everyone sees the same; all is in focus. That is what Web standards tries to ensure. There will always be little browser differences that most of us can live with. And if IE8 really does see straight, all that tomfoolery won't have to happen.

We'll see what happens, and how long it'll take people to dump their older version of IE. In the meantime, I will keep my dream alive.

Forest through the fog

This really isn't a forest. In fact, it's only a strip of 50 x 200 foot land with some trees. However, on a foggy day, it is hard to see through the trees. Better that way I think.

The Savellis

With a snowstorm heading our way, I was outside looking toward the gray sky to see if much had changed. From my vantage point I saw another one of Papa George's metalwork. He built the house; I have no right (nor desire) to take the sign down. Although, I must admit, a G. Hansen one would be pretty cool.

Let the cat out of the bag

Madison loves tiny spaces. Here she found my just emptied Brooks Brothers bag and nested in it for a little while.

Sticker bush

I was reading a photography blog (of course, I can't remember which one) where I saw a cool photo that looked like a painting. I wanted to try to replicate that style, so I kept playing around. I think this came a little close -- at least the background.

Diesel powered

This morning Diesel was outside running around like a little mad man. I set my shutter speed real slow and kept the aperture small. I did my best to keep up with his speed as he zoomed around, creating this nice image.

Buddy

Please read the full Buddy Hansen tribute page.
Buddy Hansen: May 30, 1995 – January 3, 2005
Forever in my heart and mind. I miss you.