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Archive for December 2005

Franklin-tastic!

Posted December 29, 2005 at 2:18 PM | Tagged as: Current Events, History, Philly | 3 Comments

Benjamin Franklin is my favorite Founding Father — pretty much anyone that knows me well knows this. And anyone that’s been following local Philadelphia news knows that we’re quickly approaching Ben’s 300th birthday.

I started celebrating early, and had a Franklin-themed Christmas. A statue of Ben, given to me by Kevin, sat by the piano and watched over our holiday cards and decorations. While out holiday shopping, Kevin bought me Benjamin Franklin : In Search of a Better World. And on Christmas, I received four books on the man — plus one additional book compiled from his writings:

Benjamin Franklin by Edmund S. Morgan
Atlantic Cousins: Benjamin Franklin and His Visionary Friends by Jack Fruchtman Jr.
Franklin: The Essential Founding Father by James Srodes
Stealing God’s Thunder : Benjamin Franklin’s Lightning Rod and the Invention of America by Philip Dray
Poor Richards Almanack

As if that weren’t enough, I’ll be returning home to Philadelphia for New Years… and once all of the mummery is over, I’ll visit the many Franklin-themed exhibits and attend some Franklin-themed lectures, such as:

Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World (Exhibit)
Franklin, Freemason (Lecture)
Ben’s Birthday Salon on First Friday
Franklin Biographers: A Reunion (Panel discussion)

Of course, I’ll also be visiting the Franklin Institute and Independence National Historic Park. Unfortunately I’m only in town through January 8th… what will I do on Ben’s birthday (January 17)? What will you be doing to celebrate this great man?

Avoiding CSS Hacks for Internet Explorer

Posted December 16, 2005 at 7:57 PM | Tagged as: Meeeeeeee, Web Standards | Just 1 Comment

I wrote a small piece for Drew McLellan’s brilliant online advent calendar, 24 Ways to Impress Your Friends. You can read and comment on it, if you’re so inclined.

Keep Up with KB

Good Reading

Adapting to Web Standards: CSS and Ajax for Big Sites by Christopher Schmitt, Kimberly Blessing, et al.

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