I shot the serif…
but I did not shoot the deputy…
Archive for category professional
Top 8 Dreaded Favors Asked of Web Designers (Repost)
Oh, how I know these. I’ve been working in web design for 15 years now and still I’m amazed sometimes that family thinks I’m their tech support. My personal favorite is number 6, because I just dealt with this in excruciating fashion last year and I’m still open-jawed at the audacity of some people and their entitlement beliefs:
6. “So, it’s been a minute… How much longer is it going to take?”
Just when you’ve got your Good Samaritan on and decided to help Dude during your free time, he starts becoming a diva. Never mind the impossible requests to make his website look just like *let your imagination run wild on this one,* or the countless revisions to a perfectly designed logo, or the endless hours you spent over IM trying to explain why putting an invisible list of keywords at the bottom of the webpage is unnecessary. When you least expect it, expect to receive a phone call, email, direct tweet saying, “Hey, so, um… when’s the project going to be finished?” You reply back, “Dude, I told you I was going to fit this in between my actual work from actual clients that actually pay.” To this, Dude replies, “I didn’t think it was going to take this long, maybe I should just get this professionally done.” Oh, that’s a killer. First of all, Dude has no consideration for the amount of time you’ve invested in this project. Secondly and more importantly, you are a professional. Why not offer you money so that you can prioritize his project?
Lesson learned: Clearly state from the beginning that it will take you some ridiculously long amount of time to complete the project for free and if Dude’s still on board, he’ll be happy if you finish it sooner than expected.
Live and learn, right? At least I know that I’m in good company and not alone in the world of wacky projects. [ entire post ]
codemonkey business card
I found this hysterical…
I am so getting these…
From Nerd Merit Badges:
1.5″, fully embroidered, Velcro-backed. Attach to your jacket, your backpack, or the lid of your over-clocked, battle-scarred laptop. Start a nerd sash!
A seventeen-inch length of two-inch wide, self-adhesive, loop-side, low-profile Velcro. The Laptop Sash sticks permanently…
$13.37
Requirements: Able to turn a pile of loose electrons into a fully operating and styled…
$4.99
Requirements: Provide hardware, software, and telephone support for extended family computers and electronics. Voluntarily or…
$4.99
Requirements: Make an accepted commit to any open source project.
$4.99
Saint Valentines Day story
[editors note: This is not my writing. I happened upon this in the summer of 09 and it stuck with me. I thought it a particularly fitting piece of prose for Valentines Day. Extra credit to anyone who knows who the author is and where this comes from.]
Tell me the story, Pew.
What story, child?
The story of Babel Dark’s secret.
It was a woman.
You always say that.
There’s always a woman somewhere, child; a princess, a witch, a stepmother, a mermaid, a fairy god-mother, or one as wicked as she is beautiful, or as beautiful as she is good.
Is that the complete list?
Then there is the woman you love.
Who’s she?
That’s another story.
Wing-Deep Ice Water (poem)
[Ed.Note: This was written 082508 ]
Wing deep ice water, drenches the soul,
Waterlogged feathers we run from the hole.
Those who burn brightly, attract weaker sparks,
We do what we can to inspire their quarks.
Still others would try to tie our flame to their ground,
Then wonder why we resist to become lower bound.
It is what it is and we are what we are,
Flame to flame. Heart to heart. Each of us is a star.
Cozy & Mara Hale (from 1993)
I found John. And we were talking about a screenplay he wrote back in 1992. One that I did some independent re-working on in 1993. Firehouse. Josh. Edwin Shaw rehab release papers. Weird stuff, right.
So I go back to the virtual akashic and pull this up:
Sunday, May 02, 1993
Cozy & Mara Hale [screenplay]
- Mara Hale is Disease
- Cozy is the dislikable reality
- Cartoon is the human void
- Antoinette is the one reality; weighing the balance
- Little Happy is our society; hedonistic, “GenX”
- Lemonade is beautiful silence
Cozy vs. Mara Hale more))
Re-Post: “Designers These Days” (by Chris Coyier)
Designers These Days…
from CSS-Tricks by Chris Coyier
90 people liked this – you, and 89 more
… have a good design sense and understand the fundamentals / design principals.
… know all the major design software including the entire Adobe Creative Suite.
… have some basic video editing skills.
… know HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
… know enough about server-side languages (PHP, ASP, Ruby, Python, etc) to understand how they work, what they do, and the possibilities of their use.
… know about servers, hosting, domain registrants, DNS, etc. Setting it up, and fixing it when it breaks.
… know OS X really well (and enough Windows to get by) or know Windows really well (and enough OS X to get by) and know a huge variety of utility software that goes with.
… are good photographers.
… can color correct photos and work in RAW.
… can cut clipping paths or otherwise extract objects from photos.
… have a killer online portfolio.
… are a personable, nice people that are good with clients.
… can help clients with anything even vaguely computer-related.
… are quick to adapt to new software and new technologies.
… can train fellow employees.
… can train clients on the use of their websites.
… are good communicators.
… are team players.
… have good taste in art, music and movies.
… are up to date on social media.
… are good at logic and deduction.
… are good at user experience and user testing.
… are SEO experts.
… know about and how to handle web accessibility (and the laws surrounding it)
… understand copyright laws.
… do progressive enhancement and graceful degradation techniques.
… can debug cross-browser problems and older browser bugs.
… can bring your own client base.
… are healthy, well groomed, and wear fancy t-shirts.
… can be on-call at all times for emergencies.
… have college degrees in design-related fields.
… own very nice and expensive computers full of expensive software.
… can design for mobile devices.
… are good typographers.
Partly tongue-in-cheek of course… but not entirely. The list of things a modern web designer should know is long, and each skill feels like it could be a lifetime in itself. Good luck learning that in a 2 or 4 year program (not that that isn’t a good start).
resonance…
there’s an echo in my bones,
that’s been resonating for years.
it wants to get out
and make it’s mark in the sand,
before dissolving silently
into the eternities.
NIHF: Mia’s presentation for the Panzer wetlands.
Originally uploaded by chinagrrrl
My daughter goes to the National Inventors Hall of Fame: School for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and the first semester they were studying many things learning about healthy ecosystems. They created “ecocolumns” which combined terrariums and aquariums and spent some time at the Panzer wetlands. The students developed a field guide which some of the students presented in front of the Panzer family and the Dr.s from the University of Akron who inspired this project.
I’m a little tingly right now…
I don’t get “hot-and-bothered” by much these days. I’m 39, well-read, traveled and document in the lands of the nether-regions. I know my way around a body and it’s most erogenous zone, the mind…
But this found it’s way onto my RSS suggestion links and…oh my…but the intro left me a wee bit in the way of tingly under the waistline:
Filament: The Thinking Womans Crumpet:
72 quarterly pages of intelligent thought and beautiful men more))
NaNoWriMo Update – 4,971 words on day 3
This is my UStream webshow. During the month of November I conduct “virtual write-ins” every evening after the kid gets tucked in. That means from 9:15′ish to about 11 I’ll have a webcam going if you would like a virtual partner to buddy with for NaNoWriMo 2009. On Wednesdays the Akron WriMo’s meet at Panera in Cuyahoga Falls for the weekly group write-in. If bandwidth allows I’ll be streaming that group event too.
You can also keep current with my personal NaNoWriMo page: http://blog.chinakrysdarrington.com/nanowrimo/
or my official NaNoWriMo author page: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/227918
Come hang out with us!
Tammy Strobel: Portland Tiny Homes: Reused and Recycled
Portland Cottage
Tammy Strobel, who has the Rowdy Kittens blog about social change through simple living, guest posts over at the Tiny House Blog about the Portland Tiny Homes:
“Jeff and Brad are the cottage designers and builders. The couple created these beautiful spaces using salvaged and recycled materials. Brad has been building in Oregon for over 30 years and Jeff has an incredible amount of experience in gardening and masonry.”
The Portland Cottages are 374 sq. feet (that’s 1/2 the size of the Tiny House-of-Chaos!!!) and beautiful.
NaNoWriMo 2009
Check out my NaNoWriMo page!
it begins....110109
RePost: How to make a blog template in Photoshop (from SIX REVISIONS)
How to Make an Impressive Blog Layout in Photoshop
September 28th, 2009 by Matthew Heidenreich | 6 Comments | Stumble It! Delicious
In this easy to follow web design tutorial, you will learn how to construct a beautiful, sleek, and professional-level weblog design using Adobe Photoshop that you can later use for your very own blog theme. more))
Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning by Gary Eberle
I read. A lot. I know this. It is a big, wide world out there and I’ve got a lot to learn about it. I’ve given up trying to understand much of it and instead embraced just participating more fully in the experience. I’ve learned that the magick moments happen when I share authentic, open interaction with something; a being, a place, a thought. I’ve learned that all of these majick moments pass and that its useless to cling to the transient pleasures they bring. I’ve learned that its all good…even the bad stuff.
Sacred Time & The Search for Meaning by Gary Eberle
The book “Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning” by Gary Eberle is one such book that illustrated the need to create sacred time in our everyday lives. Yes, that included you, ‘busy person’ and you too ’single mom’. It’s not about running off to an ashram for two months a year or shirking responsibilities, it’s about weaving sacred moments; an hour a day, a day a week, a week a month and a month a year, into your busy, busy lives.
Table of Contents:
- No Time like the Present
- A Sense of Timing
- Time and Eternity
- Book of Hours
- The Triumph of the Clock
- In Search of Sacred Time
- Finding Sacred Time
In Sacred Time and the Search for Meaning, author Gary Eberle contemplates how humans’ view of time has evolved throughout history, how we came to measure time, and why we feel especially starved for it now. Eberle seeks to rediscover a renewed sense of meaning in life through looking for ways to enter the realm of sacred time or “sabbath time”—where we can reconnect with the slower, deeper rhythms of life that have traditionally been experienced through worship, prayer, and the observance of holy days. Drawing from the work of Western philosophers from Aristotle to Heidegger, and on theorists from Jung to Foucault, he presents both an intellectual history of time and a personal account of his own search for sacred time. Along the way he formulates an insightful analysis of our culture’s obsession with speed and efficiency, and he offers guidance for slowing down to savor life outside of schedules and routines, showing the way toward finding fulfillment in this increasingly accelerated world.
CC Daily Wisdom: “Rewarding Relationships”
Apparently I’m a “corporate cunt” because I can obtain gainful employment and draw a regularly appearing paycheck and support my family. So be it. So, in the spirit of embracing my corporate cuntiness I’m going to be bringing forth the little snippets of wisdom bestowed upon me from the oracle known as “Franklin Covey planning pages”. Today we get some wise words on “rewarding relationships”:
“Some relationships may be easier and more rewarding than others, so make sure you’re spending the greatest amount of time with the people who bring an easy joy to your life. Their support and love will help you get through tough times at work.”
- Never Check E-Mail in the Morning, p.28
Now, back to your regularly scheduled day.
Really Intersting Tarot reading
So I’m stuck…I’ve been stuck for two months. I’ve got this reality I’m dealing with that isn’t matching up in word or deed with my subjective (or idealized) reality. I’ve got LOTS of outside interplay lining up to help me manage the interference…and my gut tells me what I’m to do, while my heart yearns to do something else.
Both are completely possible.
So I do a tarot reading today. And get the most interesting cards:
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Card 1: Meaning – Self ImageThis position gives insight into the queren’t view of himself or herself. It is in many ways the basis for love, and forms a powerful force affecting the spread as a whole. |
Knight of Cups – QuestsGoals are far away and require a journey either physical or spiritual. The Knight of Cups represents creativity and yearning. Fulfillment exists but may be far away. A journey begins. |
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Card 2: Romantic EnergyThis position does not point to the romance between any specific people, but rather the overall emotional and romantic energy surrounding the querent. What forces are at work? |
The Lovers – RelationshipsHarmony, beauty and perfection at work here. The ties between people are strong. An overwhelming responsibility for close companions. Dedication. |
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Card 3 : Meaning – UnionThis position gives insight into the interplay between two specific people. What energies and forces come to bear on their relationship? |
4 of Pentacles – Force of NatureA coming together of powerful energies. A confluence of power which overcomes limitations that had existed previously. A beneficial coincidence. |
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Card 4: Yin: First Partner (me)This position gives insight into the querent, or if the couple in question does not include the querent: whichever partner in the relationship is closest to the querent in terms of friendship or family |
2 of Wands [ inverted meaning ]A loss has been sustained. A time of surveying damages and accounting for assets lost. An issue of insurance or liabilities. |
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Card 5: Yang: Second Partner (you)This position gives insight into the other partner in the relationship (across from Position #4). And represents forces at work in his or her life. |
The Hanged Man – PunishmentA suffering is due. An involuntary sacrifice. A penalty which may be warranted due to misdeeds, or unwarranted due to uniqueness and difference. |
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Card 6: Romantic FutureThis position illustrates the potential for the two partners in the future. What forces will have an effect in their lives? A person in this position may indicate a third person coming into play somehow. |
The Star – HopeFaith brings unexpected assistance. Dreams should never be put aside and must always remain part of one’s personal life-equation. Hope springs eternal as does the light of the star. Look far into the distance. |
Brian Ulrich won a Guggenheim Fellowship!
My friend, Brian Ulrich, recently learned he won a 2009 Guggenheim fellowship! This is huge! Congrats Brian!
Yoda (and Krt Schmidt) “Unlearn what you have learned”
I read this today on Krt Schmidt’s Facebook page:
Quick story. I once had a student who complained that he had spent days trying to create a “worn look” to a photograph he had scanned in. I stared at his intense use of filters, masks, and displacement maps. I knew immediately what to do…
I grabbed a copy of the photograph and asked the class to join me in the parking lot. I found a small oil spill in the parking lot and laid the picture face down. I then went a got in my car and proceeded to drive over it repeatedly while my students snickered and giggled. I parked, picked up the photo and asked everyone back inside. We then reviewed the students digital version to my analog version and guess what? Everyone, including the student with the angst, agreed that my rendition was the most “natural”.
Needless to say this was a huge eye-opener to my class. It really was. They had tunnel vision in the worst way. You may be sitting there saying to yourself “DUH!” but when your world is so focused on learning design software its very easy to loose sight of the bigger picture. Some of my students even went on to say that they didn’t think a “professional” designer would create work that way. Like Yoda said, sometimes you must “Unlearn what you have learned”.
This is yet another reminder to me that sometimes spending 4 hours of time-suck on the Phone-of-Doom, or tweaking just one tiny 50×50 pixel icon may not be the best use of my very limited time, and that maybe I should just drive over it with my car after smooshing it in an oil spill.
Shadowpeople: Heartoobig
Check it the lil’ guy!
Good Food and Wristwatch Phones
On a personal note, I made those two recipes that I posted yesterday; Roasted Veggies and Mushroom Cap pizzas. And boy were they good! Double thumbs up! So if you want some fresh veggies into your meal, that’s the ticket! And easy to make too!
Next up, my “Techworld Daily” report informed me that LG showcased a 3G Wristwatch Phone yesterday:
LG debuts wrist-watch phone
Touch Watch Phone announced at CES.LG Electronics announced Wednesday a high-speed wireless wrist-watch phone with video chat and text messaging capabilities at the Consumer Electronics Show. more))
RePost from Zeldman: 20 Signs you don’t want the web design project!
from: Jeffrey Zeldman Presents blog
20 signs you don’t want that web design project
Most clients are good clients, and some clients are great clients. But some jobs are just never going to work out well. Herewith, a few indicators that a project may be headed to the toilet. Guarantee: All incidents taken from life.
- Client asks who designed your website.
- Client shows you around the factory, introducing you to all his employees. Then, behind closed doors, tells you: “If you do a bad job with this website, I’m going to have to let these people go.”
- Client takes six months to respond to your proposal, but doesn’t change his due date. more))
BMX version 1.0 (maybe even beta version)
A hundred years ago I was pretty involved in the first generation of extreme sports. I’m sure some of the riders of this day and age would not consider what we did “extreme” at all, but it was pretty cutting edge back in the day, when we had to ride bikes with square wheels, and hedgehogs for pedals….uphill…both ways.
So, I got a wee bit popular in “the scene” back in the day and I found that I wasn’t all that comfortable with fame at any degree. But that’s a different story.
Over the years I’ve been contacted by a few people that I knew from way back when, and others that have found freestyle bmx after I had stopped riding. I pulled together some of the photos I had from Freestyle BMX V1.0 and have had them over on a page in another site that has become sort of a junkyard of stuff. Its not a site I have regularly maintained since 2004 (and that shows!!!)
So, I’m going to try and pull that information into this site and that will be my main task for the week. Getting those old photos and links into better shape and preserving some data while framing it in a more usable context.
Let me know at the end of the week if I’ve succeeded in achieving this goal.
Single, Working Moms – Scholarships!!!
(ARA) – With a full-time job (or several part-time jobs) and children to raise, working mothers often have very little time to pursue an education. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 80 percent of single working moms lack the education they need to get ahead. more))Good Morning…
It’s November. I know…I know, it snuck up on me too. And November means NaNoWriMo!!! Yay! Now, for you non-author types Nanowrimo is “National Novel Writers Month” and this is the tenth year that writer-types and aspiring writer types hunker down and attempt to pound out fifty thousand new words. That’s right 50k of writing, which amounts to around 1666 words a day. Every day. Last year was my first attempt at doing it and I surprised myself with 73k words and almost a book.
Since then I’ve learned that I’m a really sucky editor and I’ve still not gotten the thing into manuscript format, but I *wrote* it! Dagnabbit! I did it. And its not bad!!! Really, I’m sure I’m an unbiased opinion on this one!
So this year I’m writing again…but I’m writing code. You see I have a plan in place. It’s a loose plan, because whenever I really tie myself to a plan the universe laughs and then tosses my plans all a tumble, like a bully with lincoln logs. Its horrible. So its just a loose plan, but its a good one and I hope it all comes together. So in the meantime I’m doing the work to make it happen. more))
Howdy…I’m a schemer.
This wonderful month of November, I’m planning some interesting stuff. Stay tuned!
Neil Gaimen and the Bee Theory
I like Neil Gaiman. He wrote Sandman, which convinced me that I’m NOT the only odd duck in the world who thinks that the Gods are not that different from we flawed humans… The words he crafts together make me forget I am reading and transport me into the mystical realms of his creation… I like that. It’s far away from my life of logic and reason. Today on his blog he responded to a letter about bees. Take a look…get a chuckle.
Hi Neil,This isn’t a question, but some information: At dinner on Friday evening, my friend’s mother was telling us a that a man in Wal-Mart told her the Russians are stealing our bee technology, which would be the reason for all the vanishing bees (re: the article in your journal for 3/5/07). He seemed pretty sure of it, so I figured I’d pass along the warning just in case. Watch out for all those new bees in your garden.
Sincerely,
Stephanie H.It could be Russians with apian transporter beams stealing our bees, I suppose. (“Locked onto the hive co-ordinates, tovarisch.” “Good. Bring them in.”) God knows, if we don’t listen to friends’ mothers telling us what men in Wal-Mart said, we’ll never learn anything…
My own theory about the disappearing bees is that some bright bee in each of the now-empty hives said, “‘ere, why are we eating this apalling corn syrup muck out of container tankers when we’ve spent all year making lovely honey. Why are we being driven around the country on the back of trucks? Why do we put up with this? We’re bees for god’s sake. We can fly. Let’s go somewhere else.” And then the rest of the bees went “She’s got a point, you know,” and then they went elsewhere.
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