1) Store all details (passwords, instructions, tasks, to-do’s, client requests, etc) in Basecamp. I can’t say enough good things about Basecamp. I know there are other tools I could use for this job, but I’m a sucker for a great design and interface.

2) Create a Slickmap based off the layout of the site. At the very least it gives me a broad overview of what the site will be doing.

3) Use Balsamiq Mockups to create rough wireframes based off the slickmap. I really can’t say enough good things about this product.

4) Use iStockPhoto for icons and graphics, create comps, and slice them up in Photoshop.

5) Put it all together with Panic Coda.

6) Use Blinksale for invoicing.

I’m probably missing a few things–a good bug tracker for sure. I’ve tried Mantis and 16bugs–Mantis gets the job done but is horribly ugly and counter-intuitive. 16bugs is pretty good–anyone have a better alternative? I’m also just now using Git for version control, even though I’m very tempted by Versions (which uses Subversion), I just don’t want to fork over another $60 right now. Anyone else have something they use that I’m might find useful?

I moved servers to MediaTemple, who are great, but unfortunately I lost a lot of the images that go with my posts. I am looking for a backup but don’t have a lot of confidence that I’ll find it. UPDATE: FOUND!

Thanks again for all the emails and comments, let’s get this train back on the track.

I know if you live someplace where it snows 3 months a year, you’re really sick of it. But being in Texas, we rarely see the stuff. That’s why I’m pretty pumped about this weeks’ gift of not one but TWO days of big, white, fluffy flakes. We probably had 12 inches of snow this week, and it wasn’t the usual Texas ice-snow pellets, it was the real deal.

I’ve only seen snow like this (here in Texas, anyway) one or two times in my life, so this is a very rare experience. Even rarer is the fact that our usually inept local weather team predicted AND nailed it both days. If this is global warming, I’m going out to look for my SUV today.

Moo.com
I’ve only recently been introduced to the awesomeness of moo.com. If you need business cards, note cards, stickers, or just want to see a cool site, check out moo.com.

Stacks in Leopard
I realllly like Mac OS X Leopard’s Stacks. For the first time in my life, I’ve had an uncluttered desktop for more than a month straight. Normally, you could barely see the underlying wallpaper from all the folders, images icons, and downloads on my desktop. Stacks help me keep organized, and that’s tough to do.

Mike Huckabee
I’m not even voting Republican, but if I had to vote on that side of the fence, I’d vote for this guy. He’s a great speaker, seems earnest and sincere, and doesn’t quit. The “not quitting” thing is what I like the most–the dude knows he’s beat and he’s sticking it out. There’s just something cool about a never-say-die attitude.

Neil Diamond
He evokes fond memories of sitting in front of my dad’s big stereo speakers watching Love on the Rocks spin on his record player. And how can anyone (except Yankee fans) not love Sweet Caroline?

Subway Sandwich: Tuna
Tuna on wheat, no cheese, tomato, onion, parmesan, light mayo, and pepper.

Hillary Clinton is Javascript.

Before I offend anyone that thinks I’m relegating her to such a small and insignificant language, think about Javascript. It’s loosely based off of a programming monster, Java (aka Bill Clinton). It’s the heart and soul of a lot of stuff you see on the web today, like AJAX or JQuery. A lot of those fancy things you love about sites like Flickr or Facebook are filled with Javascript. And, just like Javascript, she’s got the backing of a lot of big players and the pedigree of a respected and well-tested precursor.

Mitt Romney is C/C++.

Romney is one of the more well-funded candidates on the campaign trail. Like Romney, deep-pocketed Bell Labs’ C (and it’s compliment, C++), have features that are admired by many, but its colleagues seem to be growing tired of its rhetoric, and often team up against it much like the candidates at the New Hampshire debates teamed up against Romney. It’s losing ground to “web-based” languages like PHP and Ruby on Rails, but still holds a significance to many people.

John Edwards is ColdFusion.

Edwards has been around the block a couple of times, first as running mate with Al Gore, and now trending towards being a possible running mate again after trailing to bigger candidates in the last few primaries. ColdFusion is a very capable language, able to power even the largest of sites (hello, MySpace), but is typically seen as a runner-up to some of the bigger boys in the web-language field.

Mike Huckabee is PHP.

If only for the reason that Huckabee has Chuck Norris as his biggest “Hollywood” supporter, Huckabee is the tough and no-nonsense PHP. Like its conservative counterpart, PHP is known for providing a solid set of tools and having a vocal group of ardent supporters. It’s relatively extendable, easy to like, and performs well in public–just look at Facebook for PHP in action.

Fred Thompson is Flash.

If Flash had a counterpart in the political realm, it would be one-time senator and part-time actor Fred Thompson. Granted, Mr. Thompson himself isn’t all that flashy, but Hollywood is. And you can pair Flash’s ActionScript with Thompson’s turn in “action thrillers” like Die Hard 2 and The Hunt for Red October. Like Flash, Thompson has his niche but probably won’t provide much in terms of real relevance to the race, but he’s still useful and interesting nonetheless.

John McCain is Perl.

Perl is your dad’s pocket knife that’s been handed down for a few generations. It’s seen a lot, been in a few scrapes, and is always better for the wear. Perl as McCain is old, and slowly losing its effectiveness, but provides those who know how to use it a vast amount of influence and power. Aging well, it shows that no matter who or what steps forward as a new leader, Perl will always be around as a stalwart alternative.

Barak Obama is Ruby on Rails.

If you’ve been programming for anytime at all, you’ve heard about the Rails framework. And if you’ve payed any attention to politics lately, you’ve noticed Barak Obama as well. Obama’s splash came at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when the relative newcomer burst onto the scene as the keynote speaker, enamoring a section of voters that had become tired of the typical political monotony. Rails, too, was announced in 2004, and has quickly emerged as a leading contender because of its ease of use, youthful loyal following, and ability to combine old programing styles with newer streamlined methods. Who doesn’t like the apps from 37signals, which are done with RoR?

Rudy Giuliani is Visual Basic.

What is Giuliani–a conservative Democrat or liberal Republican? What is Visual Basic? A Windows-based application language or an internet VBScript language? I’ve always had a fondness for Basic, since it was my first programming language, and Visual Basic was always intriguing to me because I could easily build usable Windows apps. In a similar way, most of the nation developed a fondness for Giuliani during the immediate aftermath of 9/11, and he’s hoping that cozy fondness carries him all the way to the White House.

Dennis Kucinich is Smalltalk.

Look, I don’t know anything about Smalltalk, but this joke just writes itself.