Using JQuery

So, our final project consisted of creating a simple game of Tic Tac Toe using jQuery. It was fun -- yes, fun -- watching the project take shape. At first I wondered how on earth a functional game of tic tac toe was going to arise from a few broken blue lines, but as time went on, it became apparent that this was a powerful tool. I'm proud to say my game is fully functional -- you can see it here -- and available for immediate competition.

Please don't assume that simply because I enjoyed coding this game that it was easy, or even enjoyable the whole way through. I had a small bout of trouble, which, because of the way I'd formatted the code, was difficult to find. Thankfully my programmer husband was here, and was able to help me spot the flaw almost immediately (a rogue - when an = sign was what I actually required). Seeing how a simple typo could throw off your entire design was quite an experience; I'd never appreciated before how accurate programmers have to be in order to show off their wares.

An Interactive Website

An idea I had about an interactive site using JavaScript to keep track of "real time" information came out of the cross-country road trips I frequently take. A centralized, up-to-date traffic site would be fantastic; I envision the site encompassing all of the interstates in the US, as well as the scenic bypasses and major arteries in various cities across the nation. I'm not entirely sure HOW this could be done, but I think it would be a fabulously useful tool. I know the state of Colorado has a site (the DOT site for the state, I believe) that updates on weather closures, but I'm thinking beyond that -- traffic accidents, regular rush-hour snarls, and what not. This would be very useful not only for the traveler, but for those locals who are caught in rush hour and need to find a way through.

Saw "The Social Network" Tonight...

...and I was quite impressed. Unlike a lot of movies that are put out today, this film didn't hold back -- it was unabashedly smart; the dialogue was fast and the story complicated, with the added benefit of being (at least partially) true. For those who don't know, "The Social Network" tells the story of the founding of everybody's favourite social network site, Facebook, from its not-so-humble beginnings on the Harvard University campus to its current reign as king of the online social networks. In addition to delving into just how Facebook was formed, from idea to fully-functional application; the film also treats viewers to a somewhat disturbing behind-the-scenes look the legal and personal troubles plaguing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

If you're interested in an intelligent, fun, GOOD movie, despite the not entirely likeable main character (there were times I cringed and turned away from the screen, disgusted at Zuckerberg's actions), I would certainly suggest you spend the $10 for a ticket to see this film. Chances are you won't come away thinking of Facebook the same way you did when you walked into the theatre.

Creating Cascading Style Sheets

Well, I'd have to say this was the most difficult project thus far. Following along on the video was one thing, but coming up with new, different ways to style my Index page was something else! I found it rather tedious to keep up with all the various tags and methods of styling I was using; I ended up paring it down quite a bit because it all became rather ... crowded. I suppose this means I belong in the "Less is More" school of thought when it comes to webpage design, and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.

I thought it was nice to be able to give the site a little bit of flavor; the colours and fonts were a nice added touch to an otherwise bland site. I enjoyed adding the background, but that I did using Nvu, the page designer I like (because it's incredibly easy, and you have access to the source code [unlike some editors I've used]). All in all, this assignment was challenging, yet interesting -- I think I'll probably use this method of coding again in the future, but I have a feeling I'll REALLY need to practice before I go "public" with my skills.

Creating an Interactive Website

Thanks to my Exploring the 'Net course I'm enrolled in this semester, I had the privilege of learning how to create an interactive web page. First we learned how to use the JotForm website to create forms for use on a website, but then came the fun part -- learning how to programme our own forms using the HTML language.

To be honest, I was surprised at how simple it was to create forms "from scratch". It took maybe 10 minutes of coding to put it all together, and the result was a nice, neat form you can see here. I think this will be a very useful tool in creating and maintaining a fully-functional photography website, complete with forms customers can use to comment on or order prints.

The Web & The Media

The Internet has had a profound effect on the media. Many people now have the ability to access their local newspaper online, and -- a big bonus over print media -- the ability to access newspapers from across the nation, even around the world. In fact, as I write this, I'm simultaneously watching election results roll in on the Boston Globe, Arizona Republic, the Dallas Morning News, and MSNBC. The opportunity to access such broad sources of information simply didn't exist before the web brought the far reaches of the globe to our fingertips mere moments after, for instance, the election results are reported. Citizens living before the dawn of the Internet age had to wait days to learn whether the Dems had in fact retained control of the Senate.

Blogging has also had a far-reaching effect on the media. No longer are professional news organizations the end-all, be-all of news; citizens now have the option of tuning into ordinary citizens who were physically there as the news broke and blogged about it later. Twitter feeds and Facebook postings have a similar effect; we no longer have to wait until we get home and turn on the television to find out what events happened around the world that day. With Internet-enabled cellular phones, this generation is always connected -- and that's just the way we like it.

Time to Get on My Soapbox

Yes, I admit it -- I'm nothing but a big kid, and I'm SUPER EXCITED for Halloween! Today's been a day of putting the finishing touches on our Halloween display (we put on a "haunted house" for the neighborhood kids each year), getting my costume together, and carving jack o'lanterns.

Working at a school, I was able to see firsthand how the youngest generation celebrates (or doesn't celebrate, as turned out to be the case at our school). Halloween parties and the wearing of costumes are no longer acceptable in the school district where I work (perhaps because I live in the so-called "Bible Belt"), and it's ... well, it's sad, really. In a pathetic acknowledgement of the holiday, the past week was "spirit week", which meant the students got to wear crazy socks and a school t-shirt.

When I was a child, we had costume parades, a party complete with treats, decorations, and celebratory music, and even a bobbing for apples contest at school. I personally don't see what's harmful about letting children celebrate an ancient Celtic holiday that's fun and harmless... though I have no trouble seeing the harm that can be caused by convincing children that those who celebrate the holiday are spreading "evil".

For what it's worth, I wish each and every one of you a fiendishly delightful Halloween, full of spooks and treats, games and fun!

Testing, Testing

Yes -- today I am testing. Checking out the new Add this button ... here goes nothing!

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'Tis the Season...

To get sick! School's started, and with the kids crowded into classrooms upwards of eight hours per day, the germs are beginning their annual resurgence into the human species.

As a new teacher's aide, I've found myself battling the bugs that come with the territory that is elementary school. A simple cold found its way from some surface -- a hand, a pencil, or perhaps even a book -- into my body, and from there it was a losing battle. I have a weakened immune system thanks to a genetic condition I was lucky enough to inherit, but had been trying to ward off the worst of the germs with vitamins -- but the germs were having none of it. Within a week of the first sniffle, I had full-blown pneumonia.

Pneumonia isn't an illness to mess with. The cough was excruciatingly painful and persistent; the fever high and disorienting; the chills enough to send a girl after the warmest blanket in her closet -- only to throw it to the ground as the heat became unbearable. Almost three weeks into this debilitating illness, and it's still hanging around, not content to simply let me be.

I know I can't be the only person out there who tends to develop illness easily, and it's on behalf of those people and myself that I implore you -- PLEASE wash your hands!!! PLEASE teach your kids to wash their hands! With cold weather preparing to settle in for a long spell, there's never been a better time to reiterate the lessons of good hygiene.

Here's hoping we all have a happy, healthy winter! :)

Beautiful Image...

I found while perusing the web for images of autumn.

I'm Soooo Excited for Fall!

My Weimaraner, Armani, loves autumn too.

I suppose the title of this post is self-explanatory, but allow me to say it again: I am SO excited for fall! Perhaps it's my innate dislike of summer, but whenever the leaves start to change, the hay is harvested, and the weather grows cooler, it's like I become an entirely different person. Having hibernated in my air-conditioned cave all summer long, I'm finally ready to get out -- apple picking, pumpkin farms, corn mazes, and hay rides are waiting! It's like autumn gives me a license to be a kid again.

We're planning a trip out to New England to visit family & friends this fall; it'll be my first time back in Massachusetts (in fall) since 2008. As was a tradition of mine when I lived back there, I'll be visiting Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, MA, for fresh, delicious apple cider (and cider donuts!) and yummy local honey and homemade jam. Check out their YouTube commercial:

Well, I'm off -- time to open all the windows to let in the cool breeze. It's going to be 50 degrees tonight -- so excited! <3

The Internet & Communication

While it can be said that communication has been hindered by the explosion of online communication, I contend that communication has been helped more than its been hurt. For instance, when I packed up and moved away from Arizona to spend time with my aunt and uncle in Massachusetts, I was still able to talk to and even "see" my family & friends via webcam without running up a huge telephone or travel bill. Frankly, I think the homesickness would have eaten away at me if not for the visitation the Internet provided.

The word "friend" has not been cheapened; rather it has been expanded. No longer are we relegated to becoming friends only with those who are already in our town, city, or neighborhood -- the world has become an extension of these communities, allowing like-minded people to connect through the virtual world on the web.

I liken this battle to the one waged every Christmas, at least in my family, when someone (generally some time into retirement) is offended when a young relative mails a mass-printed greeting card with no handwritten, personal message. It's a difference of perspective, and eventually time will tell which gains the upper hand.

Exploring the 'Net

So, I've a few objectives for the course; the first is to say what my expectations of this Exploring the Internet course include. I expect to get a little more in-depth information regarding the web and what it has to offer; hopefully a bit of website creation will be thrown in for good measure. I'd like to create a website to showcase my work in photography.

I don't have any blogs that I follow; I occasionally read the Huffington Post blog, and might become interested in a link a friend posts on Facebook, but nothing I'm interested in enough to consistently check their posts.

As far as the topics that interest me, I'd say travel, digital photography, fiction writing, liberal politics, and horror tales would be of the most interest to me.

My previous experience with the Internet is pretty much the same as most Gen-Yers out there. I use Facebook, MySpace, occasionally Twitter; I maintain a photo site on Smugmug; I haven't purchased a CD in years (I download my music from iTunes and Amazon); I get my news, fashion advice, maps, schoolwork, and all sorts of other info from the web; I do a lot of my shopping online (the deals to be had are marvelous), and find that my life is sooooo much simpler thanks to Google. I access the web from my laptop and my smartphone, and absolutely love it. What a marvelous world we live in.

An Introduction

Hi, everyone. This is my first blog, and since the class assignment is to make an introduction to the other students in the class, that's just what I'll do.

My name is Cate Hansen; I live just north of Dallas, Texas, with my husband and our two Weimaraners, Versace and Armani. Most people from Texas can tell I'm not a native Texas almost immediately -- I think the lack of a southern accent and the liberal bumper stickers give me away. ;) I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, but have lived in various locales across the US, including long stints in Massachusetts and Colorado, and a shorter venture into San Francisco. Thanks to my stepfather's family, I became a Red Sox fan early on; I also developed a love of hockey from them. I'm a huge fan of reading -- I started reading at a very early age, and even now the occasions that one can find me without a book in hand (or very close nearby) are few and far between.

As for work, I currently work as a teacher's aide at a local school district, in addition to running my own transcription and editing business. Thanks to this lingering recession, two jobs are a necessity at the moment. I also "attend" school full-time -- I say "attend" because all of my courses are online this semester, so what I really do is log on from the comfort of my home (or wherever else I happen to be when the need to do schoolwork becomes overwhelming).

I guess that's all for now. Happy blogging!