Webmonkey, the online help site Wired put together back in 1996 to help morons like me learn how to code HTML, is no more. Terra Lycos, who bought Wired Online’s assets, pulled the plug and fired the remaining staff last week, which is a shame. Many a day I was hunched over the keyboard attempting to learn Javascript or figure out the maddening rules of frames, and Webmonkey was the place I looked for answers.

Mike Lee posted a link to a new article on the O’Reilly MacDevCenter about home automation, which reminds me of a previous post; there’s some good juicy info in this article with more to come. (My thought was to pick up three or four outlets and the software to control the lights while we’re away on our honeymoon.)

Tonight I was alone, as Jen was at a work pow-wow, so I picked up some more 2×4’s and started building a workbench in the basement. I’ve been making do with a leftover bench from the garage—’bench’ only loosely defines this collection of planking, nails and scrap wood—and it’s gotten to the point where stuff is piled on the floor in heaps. The plan calls for an eight-foot long bench three feet high with one large shelf underneath. I had enough wood and deck screws to get the main frame built but I need more of each to finish the job. Dad will be happy to know I used his laser level to get the thing close to stable, but sad to learn that one of the two leveling bubbles is cracked and empty, which means I will have to test the Sears return policy.