wrapping Mothers Day presents in Christmas wrapping paper.

Hi. Come on in. This is my place.

This website runs on which is a kick-ass CMS built on and . I wrote the code on my favourite coding apps, and and checked it in (when I remembered) using . The dynamic bits and pieces on the homepage or in the footer pull data in from places like and and and while handles the quotes, videos and links. The whole thing is hosted by except for the code samples which live on . And of course the whole thing is

Links & Thoughts

1. 19 February

   FPDF Library - PDF Generator #

   Via @drewm, a handy PDF library for PHP.

2. 10 February

   1000 Free “Farm-Fresh Web Icons” #

   Larger versions of famfamfam by the look of it.

3. The Missing Google Analytics Manual #

   A helpful collection of links and tutorials on Google Analytics - always nice if someone else does the hard work and finds the best results for you.

4. Revised Font Stack #

   My new go-to resource for deciding on a decent font stack in those important first few CSS rules of each new site.

5. 15 January

   Automatic data URI embedding in CSS files #

   Details and link to a tool that automatically converts your CSS background images into data URIs.

6. How to reduce the number of HTTP requests #

   This is brilliant, and deserves a lot more attention. A command line script that can convert all your CSS background-images into data URIs - the result is a much larger CSS file, but only one HTTP request!

7. How to reduce the number of HTTP requests #

   This is brilliant, and deserves a lot more attention. A command line script that can convert all your CSS background-images into data URIs - the result is a much larger CSS file, but only one HTTP request!

8. 26 November

   Top 20+ MySQL Best Practices #

   Some useful tips for anyone working with MySQL databases queries.

9. Installing APC on Media Temple Grid Server #

   Never heard of this, but if the performance gains are significant and no extra work is involved it sounds like an easy win.

10. 25 November

    Handling Large Amounts of Markers in Google Maps #

    A comparison of a few different techniques for dealing with lots of markers on your Google Map.

11. 12 October

    Restoring Spring to iPhone Springboard #

    An interesting list of proposed improvements to the iPhone Springboard interface. Can’t disagree with any of them, apart from to say that the dots for vertical scrolling don’t look right to me. I hope Apple implement at least some of these ideas.

12. Restoring Spring to iPhone Springboard #

    An interesting list of proposed improvements to the iPhone Springboard interface. Can’t disagree with any of them, apart from to say that the dots for vertical scrolling don’t look right to me. I hope Apple implement at least some of these ideas.

13. 23 September

    MySQL Reference Manual: The General Query Log #

    A useful page of information on how to enable and manage query logging with MySQL. If you ever have issues with MySQL chewing up all your CPU cycles, dig into the query logs.

14. 16 September

    Five tips for using @font-face #

    I hadn’t until now realised it was quite that simple to use @font-face.

15. 8 September

    PNG transparency in IE 6 with no extra HTTP request #

    A simple, no-JS required solution to the IE6 alpha-transparency problem with PNG graphics.

Featured Videos

Featured Quotes

1. As the proverb suggests, sometimes you can’t jump a twenty foot chasm in two ten foot leaps. Cherry-picking only those design elements that are “proven” by an A/B test can be a route to fragmented, incoherent design. It may earn marginally more money in the short term, but it becomes hard to avoid a descent into poor UX and the long-term harm this causes.

   Statistical significance & other A/B test pitfalls

2. …my attempts to impress in the kitchen generally just mean using more pans than she would and throwing some fresh herbs on top of the dish.

   Pete Lambert takes his turn in the kitchen

3. Hi, if you are coming to this site via Internet Explorer 6, you might not be getting the best experience possible. Honestly, I can’t even begin to think about what your entire experience on the internet must be like? (…probably like riding a bike on the highway while cars blow by you on their way to Costco to get gallons of mayonnaise and 60-inch plasma TV’s). How will you ever be able to use this website?????? You wont. You’re an asshole and your browser is an asshole. So look, I’m going to be honest: I kind of hate you. BUT we c-a-n make this work. Here is what I am going to need you to do: fire up your Toshiba ShitBook© that weighs about 45 pounds, wipe the Cheeto dust off the screen, download Safari, delete Internet Explorer from your computer, punch yourself in the face, and get me a pulled pork sandwich.

   The footer of New to York

4. If you want to know how to make the most mess in your house in the shortest time, fall through your ceiling.

   Peter Lambert
   

5. Unfortunately, paper appears to survive much better than digital data does. In the long run, this may cause this generation to be the least documented in the history of humankind.

   Interesting observation in a BBC article, Status update: Who cares?