molly.com
Monday 24 March 2008
For the Love of Maps (where to go from here)
Since childhood, maps have captured me. It’s not a unique conquest - many of us love to study maps.
Maybe it was my father beside me, driving along and asking where next? I was always the best at maps, and my dad liked me for it.
It could be that travel is so important to me for my love of maps, but I know so many other people who’ve expressed this same passion.
For the Love of Maps!
Now we should figure out where we go from here.
Filed under: faith(less), pop culture, poetry & fiction, nmby
Posted by: Molly | 3:32 pm | Comments (36)
Saturday 15 March 2008
Your Best Pop, Your Worst
NEEDING TO GET AWAY FROM STANDARDS and browsers and conferences, I’m interested in a conversation about the best and worst pop culture right now.
Whether journalism, fiction, television, film, photography, illustration, diaries or mixes thereof, I really need your help expanding my horizons.
It can only help!
I’ve been watching “Ashes to Ashes” and waiting for a new episode of the “Big Bang Theory.”
What are you following? Reading? Watching? Doing?
Share your worst, your best!
Filed under: faith(less), humor, blogging, pop culture, poetry & fiction, society, creativity, molly asks you, community, nmby
Posted by: Molly | 7:23 pm | Comments (71)
Sunday 9 March 2008
A Jewish Girl’s Thoughts on The Seven Deadly Sins
- Lust: Not a sin.
- Gluttony: Not a sin. Unless you don’t share what you have!
- Greed: A sin.
- Sloth: Rest only when weary.
- Wrath: It happens sometimes.
- Envy: Only that the health of our youth is not equivalent to the wisdom of a greater age.
- Pride: a sin only if truly misplaced.
Filed under: faith(less), humor, poetry & fiction, society, religion
Posted by: Molly | 10:49 pm | Comments (48)
Saturday 27 October 2007
The Word “Jew” is Considered an Offensive Google Search
I saw something I’ve never seen on Google tonight.
Friends and I were hanging out talking about this and that, and the topic turned to New Mexico. I brought up the “Crypto-Jews” which are an unusual sect of the Jewish culture that was given a choice by Spanish and other legislation to either be exiled or to embrace Catholicism at least as early as Columbus sailed the ocean blue, in 1492.
Encouraged by friends to Google for more detail on how a branch of the Crypto Jews wound up in the U.S., much less the dramatic environment of New Mexico, I used this search query:
jew new mexico
I was surprisingly greeted by Google with a rather cautious explanation:
“If you recently used Google to search for the word “Jew,” you may have seen results that were very disturbing.”
Google continues:
” . . . why is a search for “Jew” different? One reason is that the word “Jew” is often used in an anti-Semitic context. Jewish organizations are more likely to use the word “Jewish” when talking about members of their faith. The word has become somewhat charged linguistically.”
Ashkenazim and Sephardim
I am what is known as an Ashkenazi Jew. Easily explained, this means my heritage is Eastern European, and the unique language of my people is the more commonly known language, Yiddish. If you know Jews personally outside of Spain and nearby countries, you are most likely to know Ashkenazi Jews exclusively.
There are, however, quite a fair number of Spanish Jews, known as “Sephardim” who have settled the world. Though a smaller sect, the Sephardic Jews continue to follow their unique language and cultural versions of Judaic belief.
Historically, many of the Sephardic Jews who were unwilling to give up their rituals and beliefs chose to emigrate to other countries around the world. Many have come here to the U.S., but a unique group settled in New Mexico.
Isolated and very much to themselves these Sephardic nomads have hung on to their faith and, most notably, their language, Ladino.
Ladino, Zionists and The Proper Jew
Ladino, as it’s known, is the Sephardic equivalent to Yiddish - at least conceptually. Ladino has Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, Italian, German, Turkish and even more exotic languages mixed in! Alas, it is mostly a lost language due to the ousting or conversion of Jews during the time of the Crusades.
Jews in the U.S. are facing a lot of challenges, particularly if they take a Zionistic viewpoint. As a Jew I have a spiritual but not necessarily religious relationship to my Judaism. I embrace my heritage with the love of a poet who hears the cadence in the words as they are written. I also have enjoyed the great glory of a strong soprano who has been humbled by the more ancient and holy; more haunting harmonies of a heritage thousands of years old.
What I am today is not a Zionist, nor a religious Jew. By the judgement of some, that’s not a proper Jew at all. But I am the culmination of those thousands of years, and proper or not, as a student of life but most especially words, for me, the word “Jew” isn’t offensive. Rather, descriptive as an ethnographic identity.
And Google . . .
So my question, at the end of all this soul searching, is: Is it up to Google to be a purveyor of political correctness?
Who at Google determined what my ethnicity, heritage and terminology therein means?
My Judaic and history as a U.S. born American has shaped me and made me the person that I am and for that I am very proud.
Maybe Google isn’t as emotionally secure?
Filed under: faith(less), travel, society
Posted by: Molly | 11:00 pm | Comments (34)
Wednesday 17 October 2007
Redesign or FAIL?
Since about six months ago I’ve been talking about a rebrand/redesign.
I had some exceptional work presented to me, and I also had really great input from a variety of web leaders.
But you know what? As flawed as it might be (like me putting inline style everywhere, LazyMols) I really still am attached to this design. Patrick Lauke worked on it with me.
I’ve asked some of our top designers including Bryan Veloso, Dan Rubin, Christopher Schmitt and Andy Clarke to weigh in on my rebrand.
Nothing inspires me. Patrick was the original genius, and I still look at this web site, despite its flaws, as exactly what and who I am. I think Patrick really captured me, and now I need to think about next redesign steps.
What do you thinik?
Filed under: professional, faith(less), standards, software, web design and development, society, creativity, innovation, community, nmby
Posted by: Molly | 2:04 am | Comments (67)
Monday 15 October 2007
Shift in the Web Wind
It’s autumn here in the US. Time for pumpkins and Halloween and a different season. The seasons are changing. I can smell it on the Web wind.
I feel there’s a major shift in our industry. It concerns me so I want to chat about it with you.
The latest Dot.Com boom is declining as far as I can tell. Are we on the edge of another Dot.Bomb? What do we do?
What’s changing for you?
Filed under: professional, faith(less), policies, standards, web design and development, society, Blogroll, creativity, innovation, molly asks you, community
Posted by: Molly | 1:17 am | Comments (50)
Saturday 11 August 2007
Dear W3C, Dear WaSP
Having been given the odd task of coming up with Technical Plenary material for the W3C, it strikes me not simply a blow but a full knock-out when my colleagues either don’t respond or merely suggest that we let Tim Berners Lee talk about the Semantic Web yet again and let everything in the Web Standards world go on as if the work that you and I do daily didn’t exist.
Fuck that.
Pay attention, W3C and anyone who cares. We have serious problems. On the surface:
- HTML 5 serialization under W3C
- Run Time Environments such as AIR
- Personal agendas overriding agendas that serve the greater good
I call on my colleagues, my friends to talk about this. Oh goodness, and here’s a unique idea. Perhaps the Web Standards Project (WaSP) can stop playing to its own audience and address:
- The future of JavaScript and its standardization under ECMA considering the Adobe/Mozilla relationship, whatever that is, really
- The future of markup - for god’s sake why are we revisiting the lingua franca of the web? Doesn’t WaSP or other standards groups have a serious responsibility to hash this out?
- Moving education forward. There is nothing like teaching people how, because then they’ll go and do. That’s true innovation.
Are you all just dumbed down by the fact you’ve got a job or what? Tell me. Let’s fix it. W3C, WaSP, whatever. We have problems.
Let’s talk about them and figure something out.
Filed under: professional, faith(less), policies, standards, software, web design and development, WaSP, society, w3c, announcement, browsers, innovation, accessibility, javascript, whatwg
Posted by: Molly | 1:40 am | Comments (89)
Monday 6 August 2007
The Best Thrill of Your Life
Some people want to go faster than light. Others just want to drop from 1,000 feet and live because hell, it makes them feel immortal.
Me, I’m still looking for the best thrill of my life.
Filed under: general, faith(less), creativity
Posted by: Molly | 5:55 pm | Comments (28)
Tuesday 10 July 2007
Stop Blogging
I like to blog. But I’ll stop if you want to.
(yes this is a joke in response to Jakob. Please don’t always take me so seriously my darlings!)
Filed under: faith(less), humor, policies, blogging, pop culture, software, society, Blogroll, announcement, innovation, community
Posted by: Molly | 4:56 pm | Comments (49)
Wednesday 20 June 2007
Train the Trainer Program
I’ve written a lot about HTML and CSS lately, and now I want to do not say.
Every other weekend I’m in the U.S. from this September ’til next and I will offer a FREE two day course to six (6) educators each available weekend, with dates to be announced following my schedule.
Here’s the deal: You demonstrate to me that you will take your knowledge forward to other educators, students, trainers and evangelists who can and will talk to their students and/or companies about standards.This is a MUST. I only will train people for FREE who can prove they are in education, technology training, or work with a company where they can provide in-depth training for their teams.
You come to me. I already travel a lot, so this is good for me. You pay nothing to me, only your travel expenses. I will teach HTML, XHTML and CSS technology principles. I will also offer project management ideas and provide for code reviews and one-on-one time.
I will teach anyone who will teach others whatever it is that I know, for free, for a year. What do you say? If you like the idea, post here and we shall work together to put dates to the plan.
I also challenge my colleagues to do the same formally.
Who’s ready?
Filed under: professional, faith(less), policies, standards, software, WaSP, society, w3c, announcement, creativity, browsers, microsoft, ie7, ajax, innovation, accessibility, javascript, whatwg, molly asks you, community
Posted by: Molly | 7:16 pm | Comments (85)
Monday 21 May 2007
The “I’m a Technologist but my Significant Other Is Not” Issue
So you’re doing great as a computer person. In most instances, you probably really enjoy your work, get paid at the very least a living wage to do it, and are able to have wonderful collegiate relationships, as well as great friends met.
But your significant other(s), who isn’t in the technological world or doesn’t have interest in it for whatever the reasons, well, he or she or they’re often left out of the passion and enthusiasm we exhibit when we are with those great friends, met.
I’ve always had SO’s in my life who were at least somewhat interested in what I did. But maybe that isn’t the best focus. Maybe I should be taking a closer look at the curly haired handsome and affectionate chef who wants to open his own restaurant in the Yucatan but could care less about the Web related services he’ll need?
Where’s the balance? Is there one? Is it better to have one partner into it and one not? Have you had an experience to share about this?
Because I so want to know.
Filed under: faith(less), humor, society, family, molly asks you
Posted by: Molly | 3:30 am | Comments (82)
Friday 4 May 2007
Our Greatest Fear
For many years I’ve looked for a book of wisdom. Even a page would do! But no, it comes down to a simple passage by Marianne Willamson. Tonight, chatting with some friends, I realized this is my code for life.
I’m not so much into the God thing, I’m not that girl. But I love the sentiment of this speech and I always will:
Excerpt from Return to Love
Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine,
we consciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
Filed under: faith(less), society
Posted by: Molly | 6:35 pm | Comments (40)
Monday 30 April 2007
Debugging Molly
After several insightful and supportive conversations with friends, family and wise counsel regarding personal issues and my challenges with clinical depression, I’ve decided to take a technological approach.
I’m going to debug myself.
Essentially, this means repairing the negative, self-hating thoughts of shame, guilt, and sorrow for pain I have caused others and pain I have caused myself, and learning to forgive myself. Funny how we humans are, eh? I have forgiven all wrongs committed against me, but have been very stubborn to forgive those I committed against myself.
Steps to debugging Molly include: making sure I’m eating and sleeping as regular hours as I can within my lifestyle; avoiding alcohol and caffeine; and learning to gain better work/life balance. I will also commit to doing yoga again each morning, swim more frequently, catch negative thoughts and replace them with celebratory ones, and remove all disrespectful, problematic relationships from my life.
Readers here have long known me to be a very passionate character, with a dark side that has frightened and concerned others, at times. I hope everyone reading knows if my words and my behavior have not always been the best that I’m capable of, I hope you will forgive me too, and know that my heart is in the right place and I am sorry.
One thing I will also work on is to decrease the rumination stuff. That’s a tough one for me. Alas, it’s a symptom of my illness, but I’m being treated and part of that treatment is doing the hard work of becoming a better person.
Thank you all so very, very much for your patience, understanding, support and kindness as I have gone through this very difficult time. I am a very, very fortunate person to have so many caring friends and colleagues. Truly blessed.
To bed with me, to wake to do my session here at MIX and get back to the technology, topics, and people I hold so dear.
Filed under: faith(less), society, family
Posted by: Molly | 11:27 pm | Comments (63)
Sunday 22 April 2007
The Online Tribe : Three Commitments
Lately, things have been so busy, and so difficult in many ways.
I still believe in my online tribe. Are you with me? Here are my commitments:
- I will not give up.
- I will not stop blogging.
- I made mistakes and I shall steady on.
Are you with me? I need you. Claim your truth in comments below.
Filed under: professional, faith(less), policies, blogging, pop culture, poetry & fiction, society, Blogroll, creativity, innovation, family
Posted by: Molly | 4:15 pm | Comments (90)
Monday 19 March 2007
A Blogger’s Paradox
“ I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” - Mother Teresa
Personal or topical? Small posts or essays? Write for a specific audience? Purge the soul in front of thousands? So many questions face someone who sets out to blog. As a person who began formally blogging in 2000, I’ve had to question, and re-question, how I use my blog, and why.
My blog grew organically in that I really didn’t spend any time thinking about a blogging plan. Even in retrospect the idea seems ludicrous. Blogging has taken on a far broader spectrum of content and topics than what was ever anticipated. In fact, early blogs were often much like Twitter, where spontaneous thoughts of the writer would speckle the blog throughout the days. There were no real comment systems, so blogging for a time was not a very interactive experience. There were no pingbacks, there was no Technorati, blogging was in its essence a more introspective, personal experience.
As blogs became commonplace, and began to be used for a variety of things via an influx of richer tools and a very enthusiastic community at large, questions about how to approach blogging became a popular topic. And, we really don’t have any solid answers today about the “best” way to blog. Some people have multiple blogs to deal with multiple needs and interests, and some people keep a private blog just for themselves, or family and friends to share the more intimate issues.
Can I Get a Witness?
In some cases, my blog has served as a confessional. The important piece in that is that the experiences of my life, be they what I do for work or how I deal with the challenge of being human, the posts are not just confessions, but they are witnessed confessions. It is the witnessing that makes the experience work.
Whether it be community gathering influence and identity about browsers and the technologies with which we work, or community gathering to aid a suffering friend, it is that interaction that has made blogging so valuable.
I’ve had one fortunate piece, though, and that’s that because I have no significant other, no children and only have to abide by a few NDAs regarding topics, I’m free to blog my heart. And so I have.
Wearing Your Heart Outside Your Body
People have different ways of coping in this world. Since I was a child, I have never been able to keep my emotions in check. Watching Carolyn Meyer playing one day, Auntie Molly here was astonished to be looking at herself. One moment Carolyn would laugh and be joyous in play, the next she would fall down and get a boo-boo and cry and need a big hug from her silly Daddy, and then she’d be peaceful until the next go ’round.
I have never outgrown that, nor have I been very successful in controlling what is a very natural cycle to human emotions, I go from laughter to tears to laughter to needing a thousand hugs and it keeps cycling and I’ve lived that way always. Readers here, and those that are close to me surely have seen this aspect of my personality, but it took me years to gain any insight into it, and to begin the questioning of whether it’s appropriate to be that way in adult society.
Furthermore, wearing your heart outside your body means being constantly vulnerable. I believe on some level I have done this purposely because I have an incredible need to be seen as a whole, feeling person instead of this very strong, outspoken, ambitious and aggressive female. Because essentially, those things might be part of me, but they aren’t me. I’m really very gullible, easily hurt, fragile, and want people to know that because when they see me as strong, they always think I can “take it” when the fact is, I can’t always.
A Mother’s Wisdom
So I wrote to my mother and I asked. What is this paradox? My mother of course has known me from the moment of conception, and she is an extraordinarily insightful person into human nature. She writes:
“ People present themselves to you in their appearance and their verbal promises in a variety of ways: nurturing, supportive, loving, disappointing, inimical, etc. Because of your purity of heart you are forever hopeful, forever innocent, forever vulnerable because you assume always that people are their presentations, appearance, promises. Then, gradually, some people expose themselves to you as time goes by as not what they have appeared to you to be.” - Molly’s Mom, Dr. Phillipa Kafka
Defining the Paradox
After years of thinking and re-thinking whether the personal should be separated from the “work” I have come to the same decision over and over again. I am me. This blog is called molly.com for a reason. It’s about me, me, and me. Okay, and my work. But, really, it’s about me and always will be. It’s also about you, because you are the witnesses, and the friends and family who give me hugs when I fall down and get a boo-boo. So it’s fundamentally now about the strongest and most unexpected relationship in my life, a one-to-many experience that I crave and seem to truly benefit from at best.
But what happens when an issue is so deep, so complex, and involves other people arises? I’ve been struggling to deal with a very difficult issue in my life for several years now, to the point of exhaustion, near suicide, extreme grief, loss of hope and deep anger at myself for choices and behaviors I made in that time. My mother continues:
“You don’t want to admit that you live in a world where you have entered a relationship with people in which you reached out to them fully, in which you bestowed on them all the benefits of your clear, high, beautiful, trusting soul and they were ultimately not there for you. You suffer almost unbearably when you realize that once again you had assumed that based on their promise you would in the future experience mutual, beneficial, supportive, lofty interactions of loving relationship with these people whether they were lovers and friends and colleagues, even your own mother on your level. Once again you found yourself abandoned, all alone out in space with no one there.”
So you can see this is not exactly a new issue in my life, but here where the witnesses are both known and unknown, clients, students, children and so on, it becomes very difficult to know what is ethical and right. The paradox is finally a simple one: If this is about me and my life, what about situations where it’s not just about me? How do I get the witnessing I need plus the hugs that never seem enough if I can’t let it out?
And most importantly, if I can’t tell my story, if circumstances and the people in them censor me, I become weaker, not empowered. I need my tribe. I’m nothing without my peeps, and this is how I can best express myself, particularly because I am often on the road, alone, and very busy.
Addressing the Paradox
So I’ve come to a point where I’m seriously examining the ethics of personal blogging, and just how far one should or shouldn’t take their personal stories. For me, it feels absolutely stifling to not be able to do so. It has hurt me a lot to feel like I can’t express myself fully, because my personality is such that I seem to have a significant need for all of your support and love in order to make it in this life. Maybe one day that will change, but for now, I don’t have the succor and safety of home and family to hide away in. You are my home and you are my family.
On the other hand, I hold integrity, love, and kindness dear. Is it more important to take care of me or others? What do you do when faced with questions, and what might you recommend to me to make things easier as I work through the most difficult pain I’ve ever been faced with?
Filed under: professional, faith(less), blogging, society
Posted by: Molly | 10:24 am | Comments (68)