Lately, I have been trying to keep my html well formed. (XHTML 1.0 Transitional) It is a lot harder to do, but I am finding that it is easier to debug on multiple browsers. Right now, I am working on a cleaned up version of http://www.intuit.com. This is also the debut of using OpenCube for the menus.

Pure HTML work. Man, it reminds me of the early Koko days. I remember trying so hard to get things to work cross platform in Netscape 3.0 and MSIE 3.0. That was hard. I remember Spencer putting curves on borders and feeling so tense. Curves?? Noooooooo! Now it is easy. With absolute positioning and CSS almost everything that used to be a horror is now easy.

I taught a lot of people html and CSS basics, but I don’t ever remember someone coming in and doing it as well or better than I, yet I also don’t remember doing a lot of HTML after we grew past 10 people.

The next thing I want to conquer is Flash/Flex. I am hopeful that they are going to let me manage a client-side programmer and start to explore this area.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12077417/?from=ET

Once again. What the hell is wrong with these people?

The more I think about it, the more I feel society is DE-volving. Every business and government decision is moving us backwards. Every story about people makes me retch. Ugh. What the hell?

This is the third diaper I changed in 90 minutes. Matthew is a poop machine tonight.

Daddy: Matthew, where did all this poop come from?
Matt: Come from?
Daddy: Yes, where did it come from?
Matt: Come from?
Daddy: Yes, where did it come from?
Matt: Come from?
Daddy: Yes, where did it come from?
Matt: Come from?
Daddy: Ugh, what are you? a parrot?
Matt: Yah! Rabbit!

Later, I am getting him undressed. He is sticking his feet in the air waiting for me to get his socks off.
“Fock off! Fock off! Fock off!”

Nice.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11993032/

What the hell is wrong with these people? Unreal.

Well the results are in, and the Turbotax test did not lose. It actually won by a little. But it didn’t win by enough to justify changing so radically, which would have meant rethinking all of the tests coming up in the next few weeks.

It’s a bummer. It was a good design. I don’t think it will last the year and make it for next year. Yet, I still consider it ‘A’ work. I am proud of it, and I am thankful that I was able to at least produce something worthwhile, even if it didn’t go live.

I hope this feeling passes quickly. The decision makes sense. I would have made the same decision, if I was in their position. Still…There is always next time.

Today is Jared’s Birthday. He is 4 years old. Nana already sent a box of goodies. He is excited. His language is so good. He has grown so much, so quickly. Time is whipping past me. I can’t believe the last 11 years of my life. So much has happened. I feel like the same person, but I know that I am not. Jared’s birthday is also the anniversary of Katie giving birth to her second child. She is so good to us. We need to get her something nice today. ‘Ah Sam’ is a flower store nearby with lovely flowers, yet inexpensive. Last time, I took the kids and we picked out flowers for mommy together.

Happy Birthday Jared. Thank You Katie.

Tax Update: I think the design test is winning. After today, it may become the standard page. Woo Hoo! What a relief! I was so worried about this test. It proves to me that information is more successful when it is organized elegantly.

11 years ago today I met Katherine Elizabeth Peters in a Bar in NYC. She moved in by summer. We started a company by November. We got engaged and married. Had three babies and moved the California. And moved twice more.

She has never let me down. She changed her name for me. She supports my whole world. She is my best friend. Thank you Katie. I love you.

My first big test at Intuit is a new homepage for TurboTax.com. I am very excited and nervous. Take a look at the homepage now. If it has tabs on the left side in blue and gray, then it is the one we are testing. I am very nervous about it. Lots of analytics and details are being looked at. We have to beat the original version on the first try, otherwise not much chance of iterations.

If successful it would mean millions of people looking at it. Ack!

Jared: Almost 4. Making all kinds of expressive gestures. Shrugging his shoulders, wrinkling his brow. (Furrowing?) We are not sure where to have his birthday. He wants Chuck E. Cheese, but Katie thinks it might be geared for kids a little older. Jared is throwing a football with pretty good form. He weighs 37 lbs and can not seem to eat anything. When he is 40 lbs, we will give him the smaller car seat.

Ethan: Ethan read Dick and Jane, a 140 page book. He is reading and writing better each day. He is growing taller I think too. I heard him arguing with Jared over wearing pull-ups and despite the potential for feeling really bad about it, he kept his cool and confidence. He smiles so goofy. Ethan is playing tennis pretty well, I think. Although his form is terrible. He weighs 45lbs. Skinny, like I was.

Matt: apparently, he is in a growth spurt. All the sudden he is eating eating eating. His vocabulary is getting really large. He knows all kinds of words and can mimic almost any word. He is trying to communicate too, repeating one phrase over and over until you get it. His favorite word these days is Uppie! He repeats that over and over, getting louder and louder. When we drove to Penny/Jim’s house he calls out, “JIM!” He is so cute. Lots of teeth. Still missing a few.

I love them all, but I think I am done. No mas, no mas. Maybe I should get “Fixed”. Can you reconnect the tubes after getting spayed? What if Katie dies of stress and I marry a 21 year old cheerleader? I am sure the chippy would want to have new babies. Hmm, maybe I should just freeze some of my swimmers like Walt Disney’s head. Do you have to pay rent for that? Hmm. The joys of parenthood.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=49IDp76kjPw

So busy today. But this put a smile on my face.