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The Web Design Survey 2007

Posted on 24th April, 2007 at 7:47am by joel

Web designers everywhere need to take this. OK, they don’t need to, but it would be helpful.

Comments Off • filed under: webdev, graphic design

HB2Me

Posted on 4th April, 2006 at 4:24pm by joel

A quarter-century isn’t that old, is it?

No, I guess not. I’ll just take this one in stride like the last one. Hm, now that I reread that post, I can see that I was far more ambitious in regards to this web site a year ago. Whoops. I guess I’m just getting to old for this

Comments Off • filed under: ramblings

A Hero Departs

Posted on 6th March, 2006 at 11:09pm by joel

headline image for “A Hero Departs” Photos courtesy of the StarTribune

“Fellas, get on board, I’m going to carry the load.” – Kirby Puckett, in the clubhouse before Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

As a young boy growing up in Twins Country, no one embodied baseball for me quite like Kirby Puckett. From the smile to the high leg kick to the superhuman performances in center field, everyone with a glove, bat, and ball wanted to be Kirby. We bounced off chain-link fences trying to rob homers like he did. We kicked our knees to our chests and took gigantic swings to attempt to capture the source of his power. We hustled, we smiled, we played and played and played baseball. I only got to see him a handful of times a year—and then barely once or twice a season in person—but Dad, Andy, and I listened every day to the game on the radio and watched him in our imaginations. Kirby was baseball.

In spring training of 1996, he woke up one day and couldn’t see out of his right eye. Suddenly his 12-year career was over. For Twins fans my age, the mere idea of a baseball season without Kirby was unheard of. We’d never seen anyone else play center field or bat third for the Twins. Every day I would check box scores and league leaders in the paper to see how close he was to the top of the batting average, RBI, hits lists—but he wasn’t there any more. Something was missing from our national pastime, and he wore a huge smile and number 34. I’ll say it again, Kirby Puckett was baseball.

And now, he’s gone. Ten years ago, his career was cut short. Five years ago, he entered the Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility. And just a few short hours ago, Kirby entered heaven. If there’s any consolation, it’s that Bob Casey’s death last year means that as Puck passed through the Pearly Gates this afternoon, he did so to the sound of “In center field, number 34, Kirr-beeeeeeeeeyyyyyy Puckett!“

We’ll always love you, 34.

Kirby at the StarTribune

34 FOREVER

5 comments • filed under: sports

A Week With Family

Posted on 10th July, 2005 at 5:04pm by joel

headline image for “A Week With Family” A sailboat enjoys a fantastic day on Lake Avalon, Michigan

In an effort to relax, unwind, and refresh myself before starting my new job, I did some traveling with my mom and brother.

As far as I am concerned, there isn’t a place on earth nicer than my mom’s parents’ cottage on Lake Avalon in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula in Michigan. Grammy and Papa bought the little log cabin almost 30 years ago and they, their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have been enjoying it ever since. I hadn’t been there in two years, and a visit was long overdue.

Continue Reading “A Week With Family” ›

3 comments • filed under: ramblings

I am a statistic

Posted on 9th July, 2005 at 5:58pm by joel

You know, I always wanted to say that I contributed to something big at MIT. I didn’t go to college there (or even apply) and I know no one who did. However, I’m a blogger (more or less) and I can fill out a survey. You can do the same: