First Jason Kottke. Then Dave Shea. Then fwammo! — a whole ‘mess of articles on XHTML, semantics, and standards. Note to self: if one had anything to say on this general subject — say, for example, something on the absolute necessity of “bulletproofing” one’s XHTML — now would be an excellent time to write it up and get it posted in a prominent place. Hmmm.

In other news, my baby sister has tripped off to college. I think I’m feeling a small taste of what my parents must be feeling. We’re supposed to be excited for her and all, this is a wonderful opportunity for her, but…

The good news is that baby sis and I finally got to see Ferris Bueller’s Day Off together. When I learned she hadn’t seen it yet, I was horrified — this would have to be rectified immediately. I was a bit worried that the movie wouldn’t translate very well across half a generation, but thank goodness, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off stood the test of time.¹ We were both crying with laughter at the “Star Wars” flying-car scene — she seeing it for the first time, me for the sixth or seventh at least. Fabulous stuff. Somehow Ferris manages to be a great teen movie without resorting to endless bodily fluid jokes. (I suppose there was a vomit joke or two in there, but it was electronically-faked vomit, which is forgivable.)

Anyway, because I’m feeling bummed, I thought I’d post something I read a few days ago that cheered me up immensely. The following is from the transcript of last week’s live chat with Carolyn Hax, the Washington Post’s advice columnist. Hax rocks, but her regular readers (the “peanuts”) sometimes rock harder.

The Twilight Zone: My father has cancer and I need to go home to help my mother take care of him. Since my parents are being bankrupted by medical bills, and I’m a non-profit grunt, my father’s (wealthy) mother offered to pay for my plane fare. She sent the check last week and then calls me up last night (she has never called me before in my life) to accuse me of inflating the cost of the tickets to get more money out of her. I’m mortified that she would even ask. So my questions are: I know that your job entails a lot of head-banging and I was wondering what materials you would recommend: walls, wooden posts or metal poles? And when she dies and I get my inheritence, should I blow it all on something frivolous, or donate it all to a Jewish charity (she hates the fact that my father married a Jew and my brother and I are Jewish)?

Carolyn Hax: Answer: Yes, people really are that awful. I’m sorry. Any chance you can afford to send her check back, or pay her back for the ticket? Even if it takes you years of monthly installments, the satisfaction might be worth it.

Hax handles several more questions in the chat, and then…

Re: Twilight Zone: I’m the CFO of a small Jewish charity in Rockville. How soon is Grandma expected to be of blessed memory?

Carolyn Hax: I love my job.

1. With a few exceptions — for example, Sloane’s fringed leather jacket did not stand the test of time.