From the monthly archives:

April 2008

Foundling post, looking withOUT

5 comments

in C'est POEM,Friday FINDS

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..]
Drink Deeply

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!
It's a Matter of Perspective

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:

Haiku Friday

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

{ 5 comments }

Pro-Earth = anti-dearth

3 comments

in Holi-DAZE,What FUN

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!?

GEARFUSE » You Might Be A Redneck If Your Front Yard Resembles Earth’s Outer Limits
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 :wink: 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 ~

{ 3 comments }

Balancing finds, looking withIN

6 comments

in Friday FINDS

Adaptation takes time. There are early adopters who try everything, hangers-on who let others do the testing & those of us always on the lookout for our next endeavor. Being poised to pounce is not about moving from one thing to another as early adopters tend to do nor is the intent to take on everything found worthy as the hangers-on often fear. The reason we’re always ready for something new is, while we fully embrace what we know so far, we also understand there’s more to every story. Lookouts are looking for pieces of the puzzle as the big picture emerges while keeping key elements in place. If our state of being is to always question then our faith is in the whole being greater than its parts. By-standers, on the other hand, aren’t adapting but are in between; just as their moniker implies, they’re standing still. Fortunately, if you find yourself standing by — hesitating to ask too many questions, try new things or upset the status quo — all it takes is a singular effort to break free.

Get ready to hit pause 46 seconds in!
Thanx to Darren of ProBlogger for the video.

Twitter makes my point. I’d been ready & waiting to tweet long before my own computer gave me the ability. In turn, it took a full decade from first wanting a computer to finally being able to get one & I’m now on my 7th. What tempers how anxious a lookout is for what’s been seen on the horizon is patience; we know what we want & are willing to wait for it. By sorting an exact need then biding my time til I find or can afford it, the seeming quick adoption that results usually comes across as impulsive. For that reason, it can be difficult to tell the early adopters from the lookouts & the difference can admittedly be slight. Aside from intent — s/he who tries the most toys wins — the real difference is recognition. Not only the ability to recognize needs & how they can be met but waiting for what meets them as much as not hesitating when it’s found.

As mentioned in the video, René wisely asked how much of my time Twitter’s taking. Therein lies the rest of the story.. The discernment used to track down whatever new nifty nicely finds its way into your niche also needs to not take over. An n to the nth power rule? This is exactly where many a hanger-on may get stuck, even coming precariously close to  joining the by-standers. Either feeling overwhelmed or the fear of soon being overwhelmed can slow adaptation. As important as it is to not let anything take precedence since balance really is all it’s cracked up to be, not acting on new ideas will send things out of balance over time too. Most of us have been to a circus so have a visual memory confirming that balance is not a static thing. To watch for what might aid your own balancing act, the only real mistake that can be made is to stand idly by.

Had I stood still this week — or sat still — or not clicked those links of interest found on Twitter, I wouldn’t know BlogHer had partnered with GlobalGiving. (Proving just how effective blogging can be, while they’re at it.) I wouldn’t have discovered the ultimate coffeemaker. I certainly wouldn’t have guessed, although I’m not surprised, Firefox usage is literally written in the stars. Thus, I wouldn’t be changing the world one page view at a time via my Firefox browser as predicted long before I existed in the hope of one day having a wall of coffee. I might instead be bogged down by my own blog, wondering if I had any reach through it &.. No, nevermind, I’d still be using Firefox. However, were I to spend my time wondering, much less worrying, what I should be doing with it; I wouldn’t be doing whatever I could &, in the process, sorting how anything new works into the puzzle.

Hubble view of Firefox logo

With all there is to discover, if we remember to apply our adventurous spirit — whether robust or waning — within as well as without, we’ll not only find better puzzle pieces but enlarge the picture they’re forming. No differently than you should explore an external discovery, try out one of your ideas just to see where it leads. Trust one of your abilities or pursue an interest; be your own beta tester. Finding outlets like blogging & tools like Twitter may help us zero in on choices just waiting to be made. Using the approach that’s right for you, a willingness to try new things with the understanding that discovering something’s not for you is just as valuable & trusting your instincts as well as your doubts, take on the next new thing. As we find our individual journeys, our paths are bound to cross. We can barter our discoveries at those crossroads.

(|_|*cheers*|_|)
“Keep on the lookout for novel ideas that others have used successfully.
Your idea has to be original only in its adaptation to the problem
you’re working on.”
~ Thomas Edison ~

{ 6 comments }

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