Following the signs found this week led me to an unrelated pair of graphics generators that both encourage unique delivery of a personal message. I found myself pondering more than what to say with these fun discoveries. A previous Found Friday pointed out that visuals speak to us too so what am I saying visually? This seems a particularly pertinent consideration online. No matter what we have to offer, & content is certainly king, first impressions are lasting thus design is clearly queen. My blog currently has a very dark theme which may have kept some passers-by from stopping to read a post or ten. I thank you for staying; did you ignore, like or not pay any attention to the theme?
Found via OMYWORD! [GO see hers, I so agree..]
Made by Andrea Micheloni [Each letter is a NEW pic w/every page refresh!]
Given my choice of a theme I particularly like, any conclusions you drew from it about me are likely accurate. How accurate is another issue.. The importance of design is being discussed at ProBlogger & the consensus seems to be that it needs to be true to the content it holds without getting in the way. In an [over] effort to maintain that balance, I see many people online & in person keeping their flava at bay. I’m always looking for both flair & words that speak to me but I’m also aware of the disconnect that can occur. A pit stop my hunny & I once took during a motorcycle ride left me leaning against our bike in black leather (boots & all) near the entrance of a restaurant. I found the wide berth the older patrons were giving me ironic considering how much they’d likely appreciate the Dean Martin CD I was listening to.
There’s no denying my headphones are just as likely to contain punk which gives credence to the presumptions but leaves their fears unfounded. If we were to look for similarities in others rather than get sidetracked by differences, we’d not only appreciate each other more but could more readily appreciate the differences. In context, those differences prove our uniqueness instead of our separateness. One advantage of connecting online is that context is provided & the content we share can be discovered on its own merits. Are people more willing to interact with a black blog than the black-clad person behind it? Over the years, I’ve taken to punctuating the black with my favorite colors & vice versa; yes, the same colors found on the blog. Does that make me consistent or unimaginative?!
I made this!
Make your own with the Parody Motivator Generator
We are looking & that’s where connection begins. How actively, open-mindedly or interactively we approach the digital & physical worlds influences the shape of our own realm. As explored last Friday, we all adopt additions to our worlds at differing paces. Living in the information age, we have more to choose from but can also make more informed choices. I’m hoping that not only increases the size of each realm but its diversity too. Engaging in sights & clicking on sites that intrigue, surprise or challenge us always leads to worthwhile content along the way. The impact of a first impression can’t be bypassed but a little curiosity mixed with a willingness to explore can give second impressions a second chance.
In the end, what’s not visible – at least not immediately – may prove just as important:
visible at last
this post did indeed exist
tho’ slow to appear
illness interfered
sleep has had its healing way
life has since resumed
one thing matters now
more important than all else
the birthday of Joel
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRO!!!
“Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things. It’s a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy.” ~ Erik Adigard
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Happy Earth Day, my fellow Earthlings! Not to leave out aliens living here on Earth, nor to presume the internet doesn’t reach outer space, it’s simply probable that visitors to Earth are nicer to our planet than we home-grown inhabitants. We do tend to be more considerate in other people’s homes than our own (much to the chagrin of significant others, fur kids &/or living expense sharers). As for those not living on this mostly blue marble, they’re not in a position to do as much damage to the planet itself though they’re hopefully not contributing to our already littered yard!?
Thanx to Gizmodo via Andrew Dobrow
As this is not Space Day, back down to Earth; in all her blue & green glory with a bit of white & brown. While it’s in question how much an issue global warming is, with the white parts encroaching on the blue & green parts turning brown, it certainly seems a case of better safe than sorry. Simply put, the home we all share is deserving of a little [more] care. In our individual homes, many clean up when they know they’re going to have company (not me, mind you 
but I digress). So, if we rightly consider our dear planet a home we’re all sharing, perhaps that consideration of others’ homes can combine with concern for our visitors’ impressions.
Fully exploring this estate called Earth is sadly not something many get to do which may well be why we don’t typically view it more inclusively. For those of us in the Americas, surely Australasia is our backyard & vice versa. Rainforests are absolutely everyone’s gardens. Asia creates an intriguing East Wing while the Caribbean provides an amazing spa & Europe makes for a brilliant parlour, if only Africa were a safer conservatory of late. Inasmuch as human conflict may be difficult to nip in the bud, the care we take of this planet which in turn cares for us starts far more simply.
Hugged a tree lately? Ever? Only when drunk? Whatever the case, anything we can do to promote the well-being of [possibly] less sentient living things than we & decrease the piles of debris we’ve left lying about our universal home; the better. Perhaps the hope of inspiring some spring cleaning is why Earth Day is in Spring north of the equator. Whether or not we are in the habit of sprucing up our individual homes (my own spring cleaning is more internalized), the world may not be suffering from lack of neglect so much as hurting for a little consideration. Bill Petro wisely reminds us why we should care..
Nevertheless, plants, as you’ll recall, are one of the reasons we came to Earth. Some of the other reasons include:
- Location: it’s right here. Look just below your feet.
- Memorable: it’s shaped like the new AT&T logo
- Spherical: which makes it convenient for those “round the world” trips and has a much more pleasing shape than where we came from. Did you ever wonder why we called the previous generation “squares”?
- Great restaurants: and great atmosphere, unlike, for example the Moon which has great restaurants but no atmosphere.
- Oxygen-Nitrogen atmosphere: so crucial for those of us who breathe, and better than methane in so many ways.
- Gravity: which is set at a convenient one “g” is quite handy for keeping everything in its place.
- Neighbors: generally far enough away that they don’t bother us much, and those who do are generally more intelligent than average, needing to understand things like calculus, tachyons, and three-phase cyclotronic nuclear-fissionable uranium isotope molecular reconstructors for trans-dimensional physics.
I don’t know about you, but I’m planning on spending the rest of my life right here on Earth.
There are various hues of green living & I’m not endeavoring to advocate any particular shade or pigment. Anytime we recycle, conserve or keep from stepping on a fledgling plant; it’s a win. I would absolutely love ideas, especially if you know of convenient ways to recycle when you have no vehicle with which to reach the far too few & far-flung centers. Tis ironic indeed that the greener you live can make it harder to live greener. Along those lines, we apartment dwellers can do little to create new greenery but, for those who have their own bit of earth, Arbor Day is just a few days away. Japan’s upcoming Greenery Day is a time to commune with nature and be appreciative of its abundance. As appreciation is where all consideration begins, I’d say that’s really the goal; you?
(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.”
~ Marshall McLuhan ~
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