English Rules

Learning jQuery

October 15, 2006

Over the past month or so I've been having an affair of sorts. No, not that kind of affair. I've just been splitting my time between English Rules and my new techie blog, Learning jQuery. jQuery is a new JavaScript library that lets programming neophytes like me do cool things on web pages. It's what has allowed me to dynamically load "noteworthy articles" and my "blogroll" in the Widescreen Bonus section of my web pages. It made my secret, Harry Potteresque, skeleton-key style switcher pretty easy to accomplish. And it helped me slick up the home page of the David LaGrand for State Senate web site with images that fade in and out and big buttons that reveal forms for ordering bumper stickers and yard signs.

Update: The big buttons aren't on David LaGrand' home page anymore, because the campaign is over.

jQuery DEVO hat

Learning jQuery chronicles some of the things I've been learning and offers up my discoveries to others who are new to jQuery or JavaScript or web development in general. It's been a lot of fun to be involved in the community of jQuery developers and learn from them and also give back a little bit through the blog.

The only problem with the new blog is that I have no time for it. I mean, I barely have enough time to keep English Rules running, what with work and family and my other little hobbies. I once heard someone suggest to packrats that for every new item they bring into the house, they discard two — whether they sell them on eBay or donate them to Goodwill or throw them in the trash. As a hobby packrat, I'm beginning to wonder if I should drop two interests for every new one that I pursue. It's so hard to let things go, though. Know what I mean?

Comments (2)

1michelle wrote:

Wow! I want to take time to REALLY read through your other site. It is very cool!!

Oct 16, 2006 ; 11:48 AM

2nicole wrote:

Hi! I knew you were computer savvy, but geesh, Karl, is there no end to your brilliance? As far as your hobby packrat theory of discarding two in order to make room for a new one is concerned, you need only do this if, like a new piece of furniture, the new hobby is causing clutter--in this case in your enormous cranium. But hey, if there's enough room for all of it, then hobby away...
Nicole

Oct 16, 2006 ; 12:39 PM

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Recently
in my life...

  • I'll be teaching another 3-day "Conquering jQuery" class in Holland, MI. Aug. 19-21. Details: Link — Fri, Jul 3 at 12:36 pm
  • just removed a ton of spam from the jQuery docs wiki. lots more still there. — Thu, Jul 2 at 9:14 pm
  • Apparently, XHTML is the betamax of markup languages. Long live HTML. — Thu, Jul 2 at 4:04 pm
  • 2009 jQuery conference date and location announced! Link — Thu, Jul 2 at 1:20 pm
  • Evidence that I'm uncool, exhibit #578: I like watching "So You Think You Can Dance" with my wife. — Thu, Jul 2 at 12:49 pm
  • So happy to be doing karate again after a 1 1/2 year hiatus. Sore, but happy. — Tue, Jun 30 at 6:30 pm

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  • War Is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
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© Karl Swedberg

widescreen bonus!

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Noteworthy Articles

In defense of Twitter (Jason Kottke)

Of course you'd like to think that most of your daily conversation is weighty and witty but instead everyone chats about pedestrian nonsense with their pals. In fact, that ephemeral chit-chat is the stuff that holds human social groups together...

Liberty, Equality, Envy (New York Times)

Many French intellectuals hate Barack Obama because they feel that too many people adore him, and with too much ardor...

Op-Ed Columnist - The First Shrink - NYTimes.com

President Obama, by contrast, employed smart psychology in the global club, even on small things, like asking other leaders if they wanted to start talking first at news conferences...

Scratch Lowers Resistance to Programming (Wired.com)

It's designed to be as simple to use as possible, so kids as young as 8 can get started building their own animations with minimal preparation...

Miracles Take Time (NYTimes.com)

The renegade clowns who ruined this economy, the Republican right in alliance with big business and some feckless Democrats, have no basis for waging war against efforts to get us out of their mess...

Fears of a Clown (NY Times)

But Limbaugh has a fear of his own. If people see him purely as an "entertainer," as Steele suggested, he will be exposed for what he is: a clown with a very large audience...

Mr. Bush?s Gentlemanly Goodbye (New York Times)

Beginning well before the election, President Bush and his chief of staff, Josh Bolten, decided to make this transition different by removing many of the usual obstacles and fostering cooperation and harmony...

The Pre-Blame Game (NY Times)

For just a few more weeks, though, [Obama] deserves none of the pre-emptive blame his less reasonable critics are trying to assign to him...

TV has license to kill movies at iTunes, Netflix (CNET News)

Apple is an Internet retailer and Netflix is a Web video rental service, but Hollywood treats them as if they are potential competitors to TV broadcasters...

Roku New Netflix Player (Wired)

Then came Roku's Netflix Player, the $100 video box that could summon more than 15,000 titles at no charge for Netflix subscribers...

This Math Whiz Called It for Obama Months Ago (NY Times)

In an election season of unlikely outcomes, Mr. Silver, 30, is perhaps the most unlikely media star to emerge...

Op-Ed Columnist: The Obama Agenda

Right now many commentators are urging Barack Obama to think small. Let?s hope he has the good sense to ignore their advice...

Obama for president (Anchorage Daily News)

Palin's rise captivates us but nation needs a steady hand...

McCain's Non-Support for Troops and Veterans: The Master List

Senator John McCain has a very clear, long, and illustrious history of not supporting troops and veterans one bit...

Music & nightlife | A suburban mom's rock-star moment | Seattle Times Newspaper

Though Ketola has a reputation as a singer/songwriter in the Christian music community, she never expected that she'd leave her husband on their 17th anniversary, mind you, and take up with another man. On stage. In front of 20,000 people...