One of the blogs I read is called "Compete on Usability". I love this title. In a software development company, focusing on usability as a competitive advantage is very smart. Usability is so often overlooked and yet adds tremendous value. It doesn't matter how many cool things your software product can do, if no one can use it. To me this is obvious and that's why usability has been the focus of my career.
I've been meaning to make a list of things to do before I die. I haven't gotten around to making the list yet so I decided to just borrow this guy's list. [thanks svn]
Even before we call on Your name
To ask You, O God,
When we seek for the words to glorify you,
You hear our prayer;
Unceasing love, O unceasing love,
Surpassing all we know.
Glory to the Father,
And to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit.
Even with darkness sealing us in,
We breathe Your name,
And through all the days that follow so fast,
We trust in You;
Endless Your grace, O endless Your grace,
Beyond all mortal dream.
Both now and for ever,
And unto ages and ages,
Amen.
–Michael Dennis Browne
My brother Adam gave me the Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD, Consider the Lilies for my birthday. I've been listening to this song over and over. It's such a beautifully meek song. I want to see if I can find a group who can sing it a cappella at my baptism. I found the lyrics and the MP3 on the Stephen Paulus website.
So, I'm just starting to learn the technique for shining my fingernails on my shirt. This has become important because I recently got published in a little poetry 'zine called Absurdity on the Rocks. It feels nice because they approached me and asked if they could publish a couple of my poems. These are the two they chose:
a little rain
i turn from your face; your words
wade through me like the slow slosh of puddle
footsteps in my chest--some head-muddled traveler
watching his own feet
trudge through my peace with labored steps; no raincoat
--no care for this lotus lily dream
that streams under and around his splashing feet;
washing down the gutter on a path of least
resistance. and my confusion
is the muted plink-plink of gravel in the rain pipe.
a symphony of ache, that replays
in rolling waves of tiny heavy things.
dust on sweat
van gogh is speaking
his lips are sparkling in swirls of blue
"love is insanity" he says
his voice a thick yellow tremble
the hue climbs in my throat
gets a hold of my wind
and mixes the molasses in my chest
--folds in a 10 mile dirt road
the cars don't stop
the clouds wont burst
i'm dragging a cherry tree
past the golden windows
spilling over with roast beef and song
i find myself eaten by a stained glass sanctuary
'til sleep sits on me
and mice smell my pockets
