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Browsing category: Uncategorized

  • May 23, 2011

    CSS is kicking my ass

    I’ve been wanting to learn more about coding for a while. Believe me, I harbor no delusions of becoming a ninja web designer/programmer but I did want to get up to speed with basic tweaks and being more comfortable in source code. I *think* I get the very basics of HTML, but CSS? No, I’ve officially come up against CSS and been forced to back down.

    Example of psd2temlates Css code

    Image via Wikipedia

    I probably knew just as much, if not more, about HTML 10 or so years ago. The days of geocities, and homepage.com. When I (and friends of mine) built websites for the hell of it. Oh, the days before copyright and plagiarism! Sound files, pictures, borrowed at random…I shudder to think how many rules my S Club 7 fansite violated (I grew up in the age of manufactured pop. Judge if you must). My first brush with CSS – I didn’t even know what CSS stood for then – involved me pinching the code for what was a really nifty nav bar back then – something like green text on yellow buttons, which hovered aqua. Or something equally garish. Somewhere in the haze of third year journalism, I also built another hideous site on Dreamweaver – based around TABLES, believe it or not.

    But times change, and we must move on. My brilliant idea to look at other blogs’ source code and play around with them at home (tweaking my Tumblr theme got pretty old, given its simplicity) quickly hit a snag when I realised that the done thing is to link to external stylesheets – stylesheets of course being the thing I really need to focus on.

    So while I toil away coding a super simple page from scratch, does anyone have any tips on how I might go about teaching myself some basic CSS?

  • May 22, 2011

    Link love (Powered by hors d’oeuvres and nude shoes)

    What. A. Week. Out at functions/events three evenings in a row (I always think I’ll be able to fill up enough to call it dinner, and I’m always wrong), and no days off at all for me as I’m on jury duty next week. Boo.

    On the plus side, I picked up a cute pair of ballet flats for just $10. I’ve never bought nude shoes before (they actually match my skin tone perfectly), nor the weird stretchy type (kinda like this, KWIM?) In fact, to be completely honest, I’ve been on a bit of a shopping bender. It’s not often I can kick myself into a shopping mood, so I’m trying to do all my wardrobe updating right now. While 99% of that has been secondhand, it’s still a financial ouch. I’m still yet to purchase new boots, and to see about getting my old ones resoled/repaired :sadface: I will tally up the damage…oh, at the end of the month, I suppose.

    How’s your week been?

    WORK

    Pretty Young Professional explains how pro-bono work can boost your resume.

    Susannah Breslin shares how she went from downsized to self-employed in four months.

    Hi, fellow digital types (waves)! Here’s how to explain the whys and hows of social media to your other half.

    Study Hacks looks at the habits of A+ students.

    Some great insight into office politics and the hiring game, via Financial Samurai.

    Dumb Little Man offers 5 tips on handling rejection like a pro.

    Amber interviews Amy on life as a high school teacher.

    Daisy blogs about techniques for writing a kickass resume.

    LIFE

    Geek in Heels is rethinking her role as a SAHM.

    Shannon is evaluating her friendships and consciously choosing to cull the negative ones.

    World as a Muse redefines her definition of success.

    Redhead Writing has a rad post on tattoos and life stories.

    Stratejoy founder Molly shares the things she lets lapse when life gets overwhelming.

    Walking in Heels on making the most of your precious time.

    Love Addict blogs about the perils of sharing domestic space.

  • May 21, 2011

    Reclaiming the weekends

    A variety of punpkins at the Portland Farmers ...

    Image via Wikipedia

    Things I must do once I have weekends back:

    • Visit the dentist (Both of us)
    • Get our amps fixed (Both of them)
    • Sort out my lifted guitar bridge without borking my entire instrument (a joint weekend project)
    • Hit up the drycleaners

    Things I want to do when I have weekends back:

    • Make regular trips to farmers markets (I get that most people hate grocery shopping, but I love taking my time to browse through produce and pick out the very best items)
    • Yum Cha. That is all.
    • Picnics.
    • Runs (with T, even?)
    • Tennis.
    • Day/weekend trips.
    • Try more crockpot recipes
    • Make pasta. And bread. And tortillas. And ice cream. And yoghurt. And sushi. All from scratch.
  • May 18, 2011

    100 in ’11: McCourt, Rand and Tartt

    Angela’s Ashes / Tis / Teacher Man – Frank McCourt

    Summary: Dirt-poor family with deadbeat drunk dad struggle to survive.

    Frank McCourt’s memoirs of eye-watering poverty in Ireland had me bawling over my Sunday roast to T about the big bad English and the horrors of blind religion. (I’m not bashing Catholicism, but I am critical of drilling the mortal fear of sin into every child, while teamed with a woeful lack of education in some of life’s most vital matters. A recipe for disaster and unhappiness.) Those bloody Poms! I ranted to him. I can’t believe they did that to you! Oh, there was no shortage of things to get riled up about. The useless, drunkard men, for example.

    Two passages in particular stood out for me: the first is the part where Frank recalls licking the grease off the newspaper wrapping that had held some fish and chips; the second almost physically hurts me to type out, so deeply did it affect me – the dinner of corned beef which turns out to be nothing but a lump of grey fat with a tiny “nipple” of red meat on top.

    Food is such a central part of my life. I know that there are people, children elsewhere in the world everyday who don’t have enough to eat. And starvation hits you over the head all the way throughout Angela’s Ashes. More than the filth, more than the alcoholism, the hunger was what broke my heart chapter after chapter.

    Oh, and as for the other two – while enjoyable, I could take or leave them.

    Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

    Summary: The world is going to hell and only the ruthless but brilliant capitalists can save it.

    Forget 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World. Atlas Shrugged is in my eyes the ultimate dystopian novel. If ever there was proof that anything in extreme is to be avoided, then surely it is to be found in Atlas Shrugged. I’ll admit, as a lefty-leaner, I was horrified to realise just how much I sympathised with Rearden and Dagny at times – how logical and reasonable their thoughts and actions were, in comparison with their moralising, feeble counterparts. But seeing both sides of the coin is one of my strengths (weaknesses?); I’m all about cognitive dissonance. Chilling, terrifying, amazing.

    The Secret History – Donna Tartt

    Summary: Rich, bored, unhappy students who don’t fit in run wild, go too far and end up killing someone, secret-society style.

    I have seen this book described as summing up the liberal arts college experience. Well, we don’t have those here. I never even lived on campus, so I’m pretty poorly equipped to speak of such things. This is a tale for misfits, of pretension, of sheer stark raving madness, IMO (the shenanigans they get up to must be read to be believed, and what’s scary is that in context they don’t seem half as insane as they actually are). A tale of money and drugs and aimlessness. Sort of like Atlas Shrugged, I greatly enjoyed it but am still not exactly sure what to make of it.

  • May 14, 2011

    Link love (Powered by immunisations and new horizons)

    Question: How do you keep up with blogs? I’m a Google Reader addict, but I’ve noticed only a tiny percentage of my readers get here via G-reader (or, apparently any RSS aggregators).

    Also, who’s ever got a flu shot? Yes, I just pimped my immune system – my first one turned out to be relatively painless, and free thanks to work (I know you don’t believe in them SS4BC, but after my hellish 2010 I’m going to grasp any chance I can get at wellness – I got nothing to lose and everything to gain). 24 hours later I can lift my arm with virtually no ache and the cold I’ve been fighting all week is receding – although the latter I credit to my own copious drinking of warm fluids and keeping my chest warm rather than the jab, obviously.

    WORK

    Fajr guests on Yes and Yes with thoughts on freelancing on the side. (IMO, a great way to dip your toe in if feasible.)

    Buck Inspire says “Don’t quit your day job” in response to those who are thinking about full time blogging.

    Probably Tabitha explains her new career path and how she arrived at it – totally inspiring.

    FINANCES

    New fave professional blog: Bullish, this week featuring the argument for talking about money, because assumptions frankly benefit nobody.

    Krystal mulls over what it takes to be a PF blogger.

    Well Heeled shares her initial sub-$10k wedding budget.

    FOOD

    According to Wiki, Blondies are a southern dessert bar. Okay, I’m sold, especially if there’s peanut butter involved (via Joy of Caking).

    Tortillas are SO overpriced, but I’ve yet to tackle making my own. Lisa’s Foods shows me that I have no excuse.

    Cinnamon rolls have also long been on my radar, and now I have a new (yeastless) recipe to play with thanks to Iowa Girl Eats.

    The latest from D:ALS. Orange almond cake. Yes? Yes. I thought so.

    Pear walks us through the process of sushi-making.

    Any other lapsed Asians may appreciate the chance to reclaim lotus root with this recipe at Not Eating Out in New York.

    I’m also adding these potsticker dumplings to my folder (what’s with the name, anyway?).

    On a different note, Musings of an Inappropriate Woman has been doing the Live Below the Line challenge and here she reflects on the experience.

    LIFE

    Sarah at Yes and Yes responds to a reader (a Communications student, at that) question about, I guess, figuring crap out post-graduation (titled How to Become a Grownup).

    A Cat of Impossible Colour shares some great quotes about writing and inspiration.

    And Geek in Heels shares a neat online tool for SLR newbies.

    Will I ever feature a roundup without linking to APW? Not if they keep churning out amazing stories like this – a tale of loving and standing by a recovering addict.

    Hannah Katy penned my favourite Mother’s Day post of all. Read it here.

    Bonus: a video via Molly at These Little Moments of her friend’s marriage proposal! It kind of reminds me of the proposal in Meet the Parents. (But I gotta say. Is this where you eat your lunch in primary school? That’s kinda depressing. One thing I love about the NZ schooling system is from your first year to your last, you go outside to eat. Where, exactly, is up to you, be it on the field, outside the library, by the gym, the benches between F and G blocks…It’s not so much fun when it rains, of course, and you have to take refuge in the hall or the classroom. But y’know, that NEVER happens, especially in Auckland…)

  • May 12, 2011

    What it means to have a communications degree

    SO YOU HAVE A COMMUNICATIONS DEGREE - WHAT NOWAs a comms grad, I’m used to being mocked and looked down upon. Being one of the supposedly more intellectual types in high school, the reaction to my choice was pretty predictable. Why not go to a more prestigious university? Because it doesn’t have a communications course and I can’t do what I want to do there. Why not do a BA – isn’t that the same thing? No. And between paying for an arts degree with no clear end goal, and a scholarship for a comms degree with a defined major (in my case, journalism), the choice was easy. Had I gone the other way I would probably have close to zero realistic employment options now. I say this without intending to contribute to the arts hate. Communications and Arts are often seen as waffly, copout options. Which stems from ignorance, really. Degrees in architecture, med, law – they all offer pretty clear cut pathways. So, I’m here to say…

    Comms grads are:

    Images of custom amirugami, an amirugami gradu...

    Image via Wikipedia

    • Editors
    • Writers
    • Publicists
    • Designers
    • Marketers
    • Advertisers
    • Producers
    • Managers
    • Consultants

    Just to name a few options.

    They may work in radio, TV, magazines, digital, or newspapers – or they might work in politics, nonprofits, education, startups or big business. The 2.0 world is a media-savvy world – and every organisation needs to communicate with customers, stakeholders, the press and more.

    Some even make buttloads of money. Just like the humble arts grad, we have a lot of transferable skills. We also learn a ton of practical skills. Internships and work experience are part of the whole package, and we learn to use industry-standard software – programmes that are actually in use on the job.

    So if you’re thinking, “I have a communications degree – now what?” let’s be honest, you’ve probably left it a bit late, but as you can see, there’s no shortage of possibilities.

    While the narrow focus of the Communications faculty sometimes frustrated me, it was also a blessing in some ways. It’s industry-focused, kind of like a trade (which makes sense as some of these are professions once learned by on-the-job training or apprenticeship but now require a qualification in most cases).

    So, what are some of the lesser known facts/job options in your field? The older I get, the more careers I learn about – so many more exist beyond the ones you learn about growing up.

    (In response to Darwin’s Money. Krystal also presents her view here.)

  • May 10, 2011

    Best eats in Auckland


    If like me, you’re all about the bursting flavours of various ethnic cuisines, and budget conscious, you should try:

    New Flavour, 541 Dominion Rd

    I am reluctant to divulge what I consider one of Balmoral’s better kept secrets, but I suppose the word is slowly creeping out. You like dumplings? Me too. A  full plate will set you back just $8 here, and they do plenty of other greasy Chinese dishes at a similar price. Forget Burger King, come here for a late night chow – they’re open from 5pm to 3am. Nope, not a typo. Also down on the next block is a similar Chinese place (I forget the name) which also does excellent food, and the menu is almost identical.

    Angie’s Kitchen, 17 Mount St, CBD

    This hidden Malaysian gem is authentically awesome, friendly and gentle on the wallet – we’re talking $10-20, which is as good as, if not better than, food court prices. That said, I’ve been here three times recently and did find their fish curry variable in quality, unfortunately.

    Satya, K Rd, Great North Rd and Sandringham Rd

    South Indian food is one of my favourite cuisines, even if the spices do sometimes play havoc with my insides. Suffice it to say that I want to try everything on their menu. They also do takeaways, although you may have better luck dining in at peak times from what I’ve seen and heard with my own eyes – it’s insane.

    Jai Jalaram Khaman, 570 Sandringham Rd

    JJK serves up vegetarian Gujarati fare (even my caveman, bloody-steak-devouring partner loves it) at more than reasonable prices. Their mixed thali dishes are great fun to tuck into – almost like yum cha. The proprietor is charismatic and welcoming, and will happily take you under his wing with recommendations and promises to give “the best deal”. Try one of their special packages. Don’t even worry that you don’t know what 99% of it is – just go with it.

    Angus Steakhouse, 8 Fort Lane, CBD

    But when you are in the mood for a huge, juicy hunka beef, you can’t go past the Angus Steakhouse. They are of truly enormous proportions, to be selected by you and cooked there in front of you. And of course, there’s all-you-can-eat salad.

  • May 9, 2011

    100 in ’11: Zusak, Shriver and Summers

    Up there behind food, books have to rank as the second love of my life. So, with my 100 books in 2011 challenge in full swing, you’re in for a treat: recaps of some of my best reads every month or so!

    Here are three novels I recently ploughed through:

    The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

    Summary: WWII through the eyes of a young girl and the residents of her sleepy suburban street.

    Despite a slow start, The Book Thief slowly reels you in before proceeding to wring out your heart. I really can’t say more than that. A must-read.

    We Need To Talk About Kevin – Lionel Shriver

    Summary: A mother comes to terms with the fact that her son is a psychopathic mass murderer.

    What shapes us most: nature, or nurture? Are some people just not cut out to be mothers? Can one fake a maternal bond, and what are the consequences when a child feels unloved and unwanted? These are the questions Shriver tackles head-on. Kevin is a bad seed, but his mother is far from blameless. Just how far he will go to take everything she has – until all she has left is him – is as tragic as it is frightening.

    Cracked Up To Be – Courtney Summers

    Summary: Disturbed Miss Perfect finally cracks – but why?

    After such heavy reading, I desperately needed to lighten up. This was the first YA novel I’d touched in forever, and in comparison to what I’d been reading, it seemed insanely short. While the subject matter is dark, Parker is intensely intelligent, self-aware and in possession of a wicked tongue. Watching her manipulate others while trying to come to terms with her buried secret is painful, but Summers makes it clear that there’s hope for Parker yet.

    What have you enjoyed lately – any recommendations?

  • May 8, 2011

    Link love (Powered by fresh blood and gleeful song)

    Whenever a new team member comes on board, I remember why it is I could never become a teacher. I’m terrible at explaining things, I’m a control freak, and have to resist the urge to everything myself. But nevermind, because at the end of the week I came home to Glee and chocolate cookie ice cream. Also, I finally finished learning the Incubus song I’d been working on for farrrrrrr too long. WIN.

    LIFE

    Totally identified with DC Princess’s post on sharing the news of her engagement with her family.

    Romance is about the little things, writes Revanche.

    I’m a great reader. Also, an amazing RE-reader. But I never thought about why that is, until Lesley blogged about the comforts of a well-loved, well-thumbed tome.

    Clare and I have both been reflecting on the future of our niche-less blogs (I still wish I’d come up with Never Niche first!).

    Kind of old, but I only just encountered it this week: Helen Jane reminds us to STOP negatively comparing ourselves to others (I know I do it. It’s easy in the PF world. And the fitness world. And the “lifestyle design” world. And the mommy blogger world. And the crafty/house love world.)

    Sometimes you need to centre, find yourself and cut out the dark thoughts, says Lindy.

    Not That Kind of Girl is back with a list of things she worries about.

    WORK

    SheBloggs on QR codes, resumes and how to make one.

    In her latest “journalism sausage” post, Susannah Breslin talks about the difficulties faced by those covering war – and porn.

    Jezebel’s Anna North talks about writing in your spare time when writing is your day job, too.

    You must read this inspiring tale at Financial Samurai. GO.

    MONEY

    FruGal has some cheap and easy cocktail ideas for us.

    Hot on the heels of my latest pang of first world guilt, JD tackles the thorny issue of spending and its moral implications.

    FOOD

    Despite getting into the royal wedding despite myself, I seem to have missed the hoopla about the wedding cake. Biscuit cake? I’m there.

    We all have our page turners – scary ingredients that make us skip to the next recipe.

    Little House on the Southern Prairie on the things you should know before making mozzarella from scratch.

    * * *

    Now, I’m not about to get all up in your grill with masses of wedding links, but I just had to share these two:

    Happenstance Wedding on all the wedding stationery crap she’s eschewing (my frugal, minimalist and lazy self wholeheartedly applauds!)

    And a totally awesome Q&A from A Practical Wedding on inviting your doctor, on photographers not blogging about you, and the topic closest to my heart – DANCING. Or not.

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