Blog ~ (Random sparks of goodness)

Monday, June 23, 2008

Admiration and loss

After reading about the death of George Carlin, a man that without doubt burned the candle at both ends, I’ve given thought to all of the people that I’ve drawn inspiration from.  George was on that list.  When I was either 15 or 16, I found “Class Clown” in my parents basement.  Not knowing much about him, I did what any adolescent would have done.  I put the record on and cranked it up.  As the needle reached the outer rings, I knew I was a different person than when the ride had started.  A change for the better.  Going forward, I pocketed his words, along with words of others and traveled forward on my journey.

Words

To quote George “All we have are words, really”.  Our lives are filled with words coming in from so many directions that it’s easy to lose track of who said what.  The words that stick with us the most, the ones that we pass along in the forms of advice and guidance, those are the ones that can be traced back to their original sources.  Parents, grandparents, friends, spouses, children and the occasional celebrity.  All of these sources define and shape us with their words, for they are all we have.  As a parent, I’ve realized the power that words have, and I work to wield them with caution and skill.

As life moves on, as it tends to do, I will use these words, learned from various sources, to help me along the way.  Thanks to those who’ve made their words worth remembering.

Friday, June 20, 2008

In The Attic

A recent conversation with a co-worker regarding the iPhone 3G got me thinking about the Home Screen layout.  As I was telling her about the new iPhone calling plan prices and it’s (supposed) lack of built-in SMS it made me realize, the SMS button, as well as others, are somewhat in the way.

With the ability to move home screen icons around as you wish, there is one missing component (in my opinion).  What if there are standard iPhone icons that you don’t use or need?  Sure, you could move them to another screen, creating an island of misfits, but is that the best use of your nine precious Home screen iterations?  That’s when it hit me.  The attic.

Pack it up and put it away.

Pack it up and put it away.
Boxes seem to be the main object that fill peoples attics and more often than note, they’re filled with things that we don’t use often.  After looking at the home screen of the iPhone, some people may see just that; tiny boxes filled with things they don’t use or need.  You could throw them away, but who would want toss out such treasured memories as stocks, SMS, or that whiz-bang calculator?  Why not put them in a location that doesn’t cause them to get in the way.

Movin’ on up.

When you make your home screen icons dance, you’ll notice that you can drag them from side-to-side, creating a new screen, or down into the “dock” area.  As they say, the only direction to go is up.  Why not create an attic for icons?  If they are needed in the future, let the user pull them back down and if not, leave them to collect dust.  Now where did I put those photos...?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Designed for speed.

It has been two months since the rumble of NASCAR has been heard through my television speakers and every February, that sound roars to life once more.  Along with the pageantry, the speculation about who’s got the fastest ride for the “Great American Race”, and the latest garage banter, each new season also brings a fresh crop of paint schemes. 

In years past, the pattern among most of the cars in the field seemed to be flash and flames, and I’m not being figurative either.  This year brings a new era to the sport.  The “Car of Tomorrow”, a NASCAR designed machine that increases driver safety and hopefully improves competition on race day, will be run full-time in 2008.  Gone are the bullet-sharp speedsters that used to tear up the track.  This year’s car is...well...a box (with a wing).  Taking that into concideration, the liveries for the 2008 Sprint Cup competitors have taken a more toned-down and dare-I-say ”old school” approach.

The objective for a “successful” paint scheme has many avenues.  First, it must appeal to the sponsor, and reflect their branding and marketing feel.  It also has to be quickly identifiable by the cameras covering the action.  Secondly, it must be attractive to the fans.  These cars are not only seen on the racetrack, but also are also reproduced in the form of die-cast replicas, t-shirts, and anything else that the average NASCAR fan would want.  I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how the designs on this year’s cars compliment the shape of the new racer.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Justification for communication.

After taking inventory of the various communication-outlets that I’ve signed up for in the past 12 months, I feel it’s time for to justify their existance.  If not for my own sanity, for the good of all mankind.  Starting at the bottom and working our way up…

Twitter ~ This is at the bottom of my communication food chain (and it shows).

Tumblr~ After forgetting that I’d signed up for an account, I plan on using this as my intermediate forum.  One step below thoughtful and one inch above mindless drivel.

This blog ~ For the publishing of well-formed thought and inquiries that deserve the limelight.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Look before you crop.

I always look forward to receiving Deliver Magazine as I find their articles to be filled with great tips and information.  When I looked at their most-recent issue today, I noticed an image in their table of contents that looked rather odd.  (Not that the cow looks a little “too” happy, just that he looks a little too happy to be doing a certain activity that I shall not name here.)

After a good laugh, I turned to page 10 to find out what the hell they were trying to preview in the TOC.  When I reached the page I gazed, in total astonishment, at the image of a cow riding on the back of a flower.  At first glance, it looked like the cow was doing something completely different, but after my eyes were able to absorb the entire image, I understood (kind of) the overall idea.

After showing the images to our marketing department (and enjoying a good laugh again) the following question came up.  “Doesn’t anyone with a slightly warped sense of humor proofread/review images?” If not, they should.  This has been the second item in a week that has triggered my “that’s just not right” sensor.

So here’s a little tip for all image editors.  Look before you crop.