As 2009 and the decade come to a close, we thought it would be fun to look at our five favorite designs we've done since 2005. While we've only been doing this on a part-time basis until now, we've done some memorable cakes for clients and friends. In this short little serialized list (and who doesn't like lists?) we've compiled a neat little rundown on the story behind each of these great and tasty works of art! Each day this week we will list our five favorite cakes of the last five years.
Read more
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Open Source Creative programs
http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33457
Since getting the new Hard Drive setup, I have decided to concentrate on Creative Open Source programs for my projects. I believe in the open source movement, dislike Adobe's monopoly, and figure I can always find good plug-ins, or request plug-ins, from developers to suit whatever needs I may run into.
I have used them before, including the last magazines I did which I used GIMP, Scribus, and Inkscape. There was a bit of a curve, but I was able to layout the magazine as needed and get it to the printer with no problems (other than some printing issues on previously created pages which I had nothing to do with). I had been using Adobe Products, but I no longer have a license for them nor do I have the cash to shell out for a Master Creative Suite. Sure, I COULD keep using the programs, but that would be technically stealing. I'd rather do things legally and be proud that I was able to learn three new programs with a bit of a curve. The open source programs are not as powerful in some aspects, nor are they as elegant or seamlessly integrated. However, they are much lighter weight and I just have to find workarounds for any extra stuff I wanted to do. They suit my needs right now.
I have also used NVU for web stuffs, and I find that a bit trickier than Dreamweaver, the WYSIWYG interface, anyway, so i found myself more into the code than the GUI. Coding is coding, and that can be done in a txt file, so sure, whatever. I have yet to explore the open source versions of Director or Flash (synfig), so I will let you know what's up when i figure them out. Honestly, i don't use Flash too much anymore, anyway. Maybe for little things, but there are so many free utilities out there and other options available I probably won't even bother (unless I get a client who REALLY wants something in Flash, and then I will gladly buy the package and license with the advance).
For video editing and composition, I am okay with Premiere and a neophyte with AfterEffects, so Jashaka (for Motion Graphics) and just installed Avidemux. It is foreign to me. However, I can use most nonlinear editing systems for the basics at least. I learned in the eighties with three VHS VCR's connected with AV cables then moved on to UMatics in college. The editing isn't about the software, it's about the art of the edit, which I am still tackling. but I love it. I just need footage to practice with.
For audio, I had always been fond of CoolEdit pro (and I learned with cassette tapes, then Reel-to-Reel) and was decent with a razor but had a better ear. I sucked on air, though, because I thought I was funnier and more clever than I actually was. I still have that problem mostly. So now i use Audacity, and I just upgraded to a new version. I have only used the multi-track editing capabilities lightly, and it takes some getting used to, but the most recent audio recordings were done with Audacity and a cheap microphone, so what do you expect.
That's it for now. Oh, we use OpenOffice for our Office Productivity. I've also used AbiWord. I like both of them, and they seem lighter weight than the heavier MS Word, but I did have to buy that with this system at the time to get .dosx - however, I believe OpenWrite can open dosx files now.
Well, that's my update for a snowy day in December. We have 6" at 11 Am and are expected to get 18+. Unheard of in December in southern New Jersey. So I get to go clean the kitchen and do some creative tinkering by making batches and batches and batches of cookies! Enjoy your day and I hope you do something creative today!
Brett
Since getting the new Hard Drive setup, I have decided to concentrate on Creative Open Source programs for my projects. I believe in the open source movement, dislike Adobe's monopoly, and figure I can always find good plug-ins, or request plug-ins, from developers to suit whatever needs I may run into.
I have used them before, including the last magazines I did which I used GIMP, Scribus, and Inkscape. There was a bit of a curve, but I was able to layout the magazine as needed and get it to the printer with no problems (other than some printing issues on previously created pages which I had nothing to do with). I had been using Adobe Products, but I no longer have a license for them nor do I have the cash to shell out for a Master Creative Suite. Sure, I COULD keep using the programs, but that would be technically stealing. I'd rather do things legally and be proud that I was able to learn three new programs with a bit of a curve. The open source programs are not as powerful in some aspects, nor are they as elegant or seamlessly integrated. However, they are much lighter weight and I just have to find workarounds for any extra stuff I wanted to do. They suit my needs right now.
I have also used NVU for web stuffs, and I find that a bit trickier than Dreamweaver, the WYSIWYG interface, anyway, so i found myself more into the code than the GUI. Coding is coding, and that can be done in a txt file, so sure, whatever. I have yet to explore the open source versions of Director or Flash (synfig), so I will let you know what's up when i figure them out. Honestly, i don't use Flash too much anymore, anyway. Maybe for little things, but there are so many free utilities out there and other options available I probably won't even bother (unless I get a client who REALLY wants something in Flash, and then I will gladly buy the package and license with the advance).
For video editing and composition, I am okay with Premiere and a neophyte with AfterEffects, so Jashaka (for Motion Graphics) and just installed Avidemux. It is foreign to me. However, I can use most nonlinear editing systems for the basics at least. I learned in the eighties with three VHS VCR's connected with AV cables then moved on to UMatics in college. The editing isn't about the software, it's about the art of the edit, which I am still tackling. but I love it. I just need footage to practice with.
For audio, I had always been fond of CoolEdit pro (and I learned with cassette tapes, then Reel-to-Reel) and was decent with a razor but had a better ear. I sucked on air, though, because I thought I was funnier and more clever than I actually was. I still have that problem mostly. So now i use Audacity, and I just upgraded to a new version. I have only used the multi-track editing capabilities lightly, and it takes some getting used to, but the most recent audio recordings were done with Audacity and a cheap microphone, so what do you expect.
That's it for now. Oh, we use OpenOffice for our Office Productivity. I've also used AbiWord. I like both of them, and they seem lighter weight than the heavier MS Word, but I did have to buy that with this system at the time to get .dosx - however, I believe OpenWrite can open dosx files now.
Well, that's my update for a snowy day in December. We have 6" at 11 Am and are expected to get 18+. Unheard of in December in southern New Jersey. So I get to go clean the kitchen and do some creative tinkering by making batches and batches and batches of cookies! Enjoy your day and I hope you do something creative today!
Brett
Friday, December 18, 2009
LULU coupon code - 20% paperback today only!
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=787484
COUPON CODE DEC18
Notes from the Chemo Chair, anyone?
COUPON CODE DEC18
Notes from the Chemo Chair, anyone?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Film vs. Digital
In a flash of "Luddism" (or Luddite-ism), I have refused to jump on the digital camera bandwagon. I was never a great photographer, but I managed to squeak out some fairly decent shots with my trusty Nikon, which is approaching twenty years old. I recently had to buy a new camera, as the old Nikon body, which has been through Hell and back, finally broke down and I could no longer close the film compartment without duct tape. It still works but it needs service and I can keep it around as a secondary camera when needed. I still have the original lenses, a wide angle and a telephoto, and they are still clean and SORT of maintained. Not as well as I should have maintained them, but they still take a great pic.
I did try to jump on the digital camera train fairly early when I was cataloging jewelry in 1998, and studied a little under a photographer at an automotive parts manufacturer (I was in the Production department for packaging). He had a Nikon with a digital adapter, which was quite a chunk of change back in 99. Since then I have tried different point and click digital cameras, as well as a few digital SLR's. I still haven't liked them. The closest was a Canon Rebel I played with around Easter last year, as it came closest to my Nikon 6006 experience.
The trouble, of course, is the film. Film is expensive for someone like me, who has no money but a lot of passion. And I take a lot. I bracket photos. I waste frames for exposure. And this is where I SHOULD have a good Digital SLR, because the Digital waste is subsidized into the cost of the camera. I should note that I also love the fumes of a darkroom and the chemicals, though they do not love me, especially in light of recent pulmonary problems. But fixer - it turns me on.
My digital shots are worthless. For some reason, I have a block that doesn't allow me to compose, expose, or shoot how I want. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the viewfinder, perhaps it's the LCD screen on the back of them. Perhaps it is the chintzy electronic zoom, the auto focus (though I do use autofocus on the 6006), or the lightweight nature of the point and clicks, but I find that I can't take a digital photo to save my life.
Will a DSLR change things for me? I know I would go through at least 10000 bad digital pics before getting used to it, and the plus side of that would be the digital pics could easily be trashed. Of course, it may just be too much camera for me to handle to begin with, and perhaps I should just stay the course with my 35mm and buy film in bulk. I can't set up a darkroom because of the chemicals (I'm so sorry, fixer), and developing the film gets expensive, of course. I have a bag full of undeveloped film. Almost 50 rolls of film.
The other thing is just an aesthetic of grain of the film vs. the digital image. Sure there are many applications for whatever operating system to manipulate the image, and I am sure a talented artist can fool even the most discerning eye.
While my camera usage is limited to 135mm in the 80's, the Kodak disc camera (remember those), 35mm of various stripes and lightweight point-and-click digital cameras, I still prefer the Nikon 6006. It's sturdy, it takes a good picture, and above all I am used to it's controls and quirks. The new body for it only cost me $20 on Ebay, and the lenses are still supported, so long as they are nikkor. However, I think I need to take a step in one direction or the other.
I do not think that step will be DSLR in the near future. I would rather experiment with a medium format film camera, like a Hasselblad or Yoshica, though the Hasselblads are WAY out of my price range. Yes, they expense is still there, but I am more concerned with image quality and being able to take some breathtaking photos, and I do not think that digital is the right way to go artistically. While yes there are amazing photos taken daily with digital cameras, I know that for me I need something else.
So, I think, for the time being, I will keep on keeping on with my Nikon 6006 for my photography. It's more time consuming, but that psychological block I have with digital is not going to help my skill improve. In fact, I will try one of those 365 projects next year, yet all with film. There will be a delay, of course, between the actual shots and the scanning/posting process. (Yes, scanning). I believe I have rambled on enough.
Of course, if someone wants to gift me a D90 for "review", I wouldn't turn it down! ;-)
I did try to jump on the digital camera train fairly early when I was cataloging jewelry in 1998, and studied a little under a photographer at an automotive parts manufacturer (I was in the Production department for packaging). He had a Nikon with a digital adapter, which was quite a chunk of change back in 99. Since then I have tried different point and click digital cameras, as well as a few digital SLR's. I still haven't liked them. The closest was a Canon Rebel I played with around Easter last year, as it came closest to my Nikon 6006 experience.
The trouble, of course, is the film. Film is expensive for someone like me, who has no money but a lot of passion. And I take a lot. I bracket photos. I waste frames for exposure. And this is where I SHOULD have a good Digital SLR, because the Digital waste is subsidized into the cost of the camera. I should note that I also love the fumes of a darkroom and the chemicals, though they do not love me, especially in light of recent pulmonary problems. But fixer - it turns me on.
My digital shots are worthless. For some reason, I have a block that doesn't allow me to compose, expose, or shoot how I want. I don't know why. Perhaps it's the viewfinder, perhaps it's the LCD screen on the back of them. Perhaps it is the chintzy electronic zoom, the auto focus (though I do use autofocus on the 6006), or the lightweight nature of the point and clicks, but I find that I can't take a digital photo to save my life.
Will a DSLR change things for me? I know I would go through at least 10000 bad digital pics before getting used to it, and the plus side of that would be the digital pics could easily be trashed. Of course, it may just be too much camera for me to handle to begin with, and perhaps I should just stay the course with my 35mm and buy film in bulk. I can't set up a darkroom because of the chemicals (I'm so sorry, fixer), and developing the film gets expensive, of course. I have a bag full of undeveloped film. Almost 50 rolls of film.
The other thing is just an aesthetic of grain of the film vs. the digital image. Sure there are many applications for whatever operating system to manipulate the image, and I am sure a talented artist can fool even the most discerning eye.
While my camera usage is limited to 135mm in the 80's, the Kodak disc camera (remember those), 35mm of various stripes and lightweight point-and-click digital cameras, I still prefer the Nikon 6006. It's sturdy, it takes a good picture, and above all I am used to it's controls and quirks. The new body for it only cost me $20 on Ebay, and the lenses are still supported, so long as they are nikkor. However, I think I need to take a step in one direction or the other.
I do not think that step will be DSLR in the near future. I would rather experiment with a medium format film camera, like a Hasselblad or Yoshica, though the Hasselblads are WAY out of my price range. Yes, they expense is still there, but I am more concerned with image quality and being able to take some breathtaking photos, and I do not think that digital is the right way to go artistically. While yes there are amazing photos taken daily with digital cameras, I know that for me I need something else.
So, I think, for the time being, I will keep on keeping on with my Nikon 6006 for my photography. It's more time consuming, but that psychological block I have with digital is not going to help my skill improve. In fact, I will try one of those 365 projects next year, yet all with film. There will be a delay, of course, between the actual shots and the scanning/posting process. (Yes, scanning). I believe I have rambled on enough.
Of course, if someone wants to gift me a D90 for "review", I wouldn't turn it down! ;-)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A list for December 16th, 2009
Why babies could never be good spies
a list for 12-16-09
a list for 12-16-09
- Feeding schedules
- Gas pains
- Inability to follow simple orders
- Uncontrollable vocalisms
- The constant need for comfort
- unscheduled and immediate naps
- Inability to use sophisticated devices
- The "lie" reflex doesn't come until they learn to speak
- The sweet smell of soiled diapers is pervasive and is an instant "tell" that a spy is in the midst.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Aftershock of Pneumonia
I don't know if this will be long or short and I will just be dropping the bits of my brain directly into the blog. (Sorry about the short post from before, my mistake)
I was not feeling well a few weeks ago. In actuality, my breathing had really sucked since I had H1N1 over the summer. While the swines didn't kill me, they certainly curtailed any dreams of being a cross-country skiier or long-distance runner. To be honest, I don't think I've ever harbored those dreams. In a smaller yet more profound sense it did strike me that my livelihood and the thing I am best at, which is the unfortunate choice of being some sort of spoken word performer/storyteller. You know, one of those actors despite not having acted in anything since last December. My voice is a great asset, as is my breath control, and I know it and I know I have underutilized it which I believe has been a great detriment to my career. I have been able to use it for the delight of my children when I tell them stories, which is a treasure for all of us. I love doing it and they love hearing daddy's stories.
When my breath is taken away, whether by Hodgkin's pleural effusion when first diagnosed in 2002 (yet despite the breathlessness I was still able to give a fairly memorable performance as Banquo and choreograph the fights), to the recurrences where the disease centered on nodes in the lung. Vast amounts of chemotherapy and radiation therapy have weakened my lungs again and again. Of course, the years of smoking Camels and Marlboros did nothing to help my lung function, and that is a curse I gave myself. It should be noted however, that the smoking did not give or contribute to Hodgkin's, according to oncologists - there is no link - but damn did it affect recovery. I was born early with fluid in my lungs and had a lengthy hospital stay in Philadelphia for the first weeks of life and came down with case of pneumonia when I was two, requiring another lengthy stay in Philly again. So, from the beginning, my lungs were not the best specimens of human health. Living my life in polluted areas does not do good things for breathing, either.
Anyway, flashing forward to November 10th or so and I start to have a rattle in my lungs that is fairly nasty. I am immuno-compromised thanks to cancer and transplants - so I tend to pick up infections with clumsy ease. It felt like the beginnings of a chest cold or allergies or bronchitis. Another week and I feel worse and have a cow of fatigue sitting on my body. I stayed on a chair for a whole day, feeling like I just needed to get a little more sleep. The next two days I did feel a little better so I went to NYC for my third treatment of Bendamustine. Talked to the doctor about the chest crap, they tested for swine flu (in case I contracted it again thanks to my defective immune system), and gave me some Zithromax. Second day of NYC/bendamustine went as predicted and my fatigue, as predicted, did not go away. However, I walked several blocks to finally try to catch a cab. I should have had the lobby call one for me in hindsight. The cold wet air made me feel like death warmed over. I was cold, clammy, and couldn't stop coughing.
November 20th, a friday, was a doozy. I slept all day and had trouble getting up and around. So much that I ignored the dog so much that the poor girl pooped on the floor by the door waiting to be let out. Johnathan had a party to go to and Steph was going out for the evening to see a movie with friends. I promised to clean up as much as I could, which ended up being nothing. I was a useless gelatinous blob of mucous and pain. Steph suggested I call the doctor and I didn't, of course. I knew it would mean I would have to go in the hospital and I thought it would be foolish to go for something like bronchitis. Plus, I felt like doing NOTHING. Friends were coming over to help relieve some twin duties so both Steph and Johnathan could get out of the house for a few hours. Steph, especially, who was having an especially hard week, needed to get out to the movies and have a dfrink afterward.
Of course, life throws curves. . . all the time. 10 PM I got a call from the parent of Johnathan's friend, where he was staying for the evening. They were playing a game with toothpicks and she didn't get them all up from the carpet, so my boy of course stepped on one, driving it over half of an inch into his foot. Mike and Matt went to get him and they took him to the ER, where Steph showed up. After waiting four hours the docs finally pulled it and bandaged it.
Saturday and Sunday I declined more. By 2:30 Monday morning I could barely move. I went downstairs to the bathroom and it took me fifteen minutes (at least) to climb the stairs. I could NOT catch a breath. I woke Steph and told her to call 911. They got there, evaluated me and transported me to SJHS in Vineland. Put on oxygen and some morphione for the pain in my chest. I was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia. I had pleural effusion as well as cardiac effusion. The main concern was that they felt the fluid around the heart was the main problem, but it turns out it was only because of thickening of the heart wall from all treatments and the bacterial infections. After a few days I was moved from ICU to the step down unit and I worsened. My breathing became ragged, I developed a fever, and my numbers plummeted. I needed more and more oxygen and still had unbearable fatigue. I was moved back to ICU and I decided I wanted to be transported to HUMC as soon as something was available.
Another bug was found in my system, another pneumonia, and my chest xray did not seem to improve too much. The secondary pneumonia is common with patients receiving Bendamustine. Anyway, the pulmonologist strongly urged I be put on a ventilator. I refused. I did improve enough to be moved to step-down, and after a few days in step-down I was transported to HUMC.
I was at HUMC for a few days and improved dramatically and was finally sent home on Monday. However, I am still recovering. I can't walk up stairs, I can only stand for a limited time, and my muscles have atrophied from being bedridden for two weeks (more). I am on steroids and four different prophylaxis antibiotics while my immune system tries to recover. The newest development is the blood sugar testing, thanks to the steroid induced diabetes. So far my sugar at hgome has been controlled enough and I haven't needed any insulin, but that could change.
I do know I am glad to be home, happy for the friends I have, and ecstatic to see my family again. I may have lost work, but I am alive and I can appreciate every breath I take. Thank you for being there for me, and I can only hope my bond with you grows stronger!
Probably a little too scatter-shot, but daytime TV and meds will do that.
I was not feeling well a few weeks ago. In actuality, my breathing had really sucked since I had H1N1 over the summer. While the swines didn't kill me, they certainly curtailed any dreams of being a cross-country skiier or long-distance runner. To be honest, I don't think I've ever harbored those dreams. In a smaller yet more profound sense it did strike me that my livelihood and the thing I am best at, which is the unfortunate choice of being some sort of spoken word performer/storyteller. You know, one of those actors despite not having acted in anything since last December. My voice is a great asset, as is my breath control, and I know it and I know I have underutilized it which I believe has been a great detriment to my career. I have been able to use it for the delight of my children when I tell them stories, which is a treasure for all of us. I love doing it and they love hearing daddy's stories.
When my breath is taken away, whether by Hodgkin's pleural effusion when first diagnosed in 2002 (yet despite the breathlessness I was still able to give a fairly memorable performance as Banquo and choreograph the fights), to the recurrences where the disease centered on nodes in the lung. Vast amounts of chemotherapy and radiation therapy have weakened my lungs again and again. Of course, the years of smoking Camels and Marlboros did nothing to help my lung function, and that is a curse I gave myself. It should be noted however, that the smoking did not give or contribute to Hodgkin's, according to oncologists - there is no link - but damn did it affect recovery. I was born early with fluid in my lungs and had a lengthy hospital stay in Philadelphia for the first weeks of life and came down with case of pneumonia when I was two, requiring another lengthy stay in Philly again. So, from the beginning, my lungs were not the best specimens of human health. Living my life in polluted areas does not do good things for breathing, either.
Anyway, flashing forward to November 10th or so and I start to have a rattle in my lungs that is fairly nasty. I am immuno-compromised thanks to cancer and transplants - so I tend to pick up infections with clumsy ease. It felt like the beginnings of a chest cold or allergies or bronchitis. Another week and I feel worse and have a cow of fatigue sitting on my body. I stayed on a chair for a whole day, feeling like I just needed to get a little more sleep. The next two days I did feel a little better so I went to NYC for my third treatment of Bendamustine. Talked to the doctor about the chest crap, they tested for swine flu (in case I contracted it again thanks to my defective immune system), and gave me some Zithromax. Second day of NYC/bendamustine went as predicted and my fatigue, as predicted, did not go away. However, I walked several blocks to finally try to catch a cab. I should have had the lobby call one for me in hindsight. The cold wet air made me feel like death warmed over. I was cold, clammy, and couldn't stop coughing.
November 20th, a friday, was a doozy. I slept all day and had trouble getting up and around. So much that I ignored the dog so much that the poor girl pooped on the floor by the door waiting to be let out. Johnathan had a party to go to and Steph was going out for the evening to see a movie with friends. I promised to clean up as much as I could, which ended up being nothing. I was a useless gelatinous blob of mucous and pain. Steph suggested I call the doctor and I didn't, of course. I knew it would mean I would have to go in the hospital and I thought it would be foolish to go for something like bronchitis. Plus, I felt like doing NOTHING. Friends were coming over to help relieve some twin duties so both Steph and Johnathan could get out of the house for a few hours. Steph, especially, who was having an especially hard week, needed to get out to the movies and have a dfrink afterward.
Of course, life throws curves. . . all the time. 10 PM I got a call from the parent of Johnathan's friend, where he was staying for the evening. They were playing a game with toothpicks and she didn't get them all up from the carpet, so my boy of course stepped on one, driving it over half of an inch into his foot. Mike and Matt went to get him and they took him to the ER, where Steph showed up. After waiting four hours the docs finally pulled it and bandaged it.
Saturday and Sunday I declined more. By 2:30 Monday morning I could barely move. I went downstairs to the bathroom and it took me fifteen minutes (at least) to climb the stairs. I could NOT catch a breath. I woke Steph and told her to call 911. They got there, evaluated me and transported me to SJHS in Vineland. Put on oxygen and some morphione for the pain in my chest. I was diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia. I had pleural effusion as well as cardiac effusion. The main concern was that they felt the fluid around the heart was the main problem, but it turns out it was only because of thickening of the heart wall from all treatments and the bacterial infections. After a few days I was moved from ICU to the step down unit and I worsened. My breathing became ragged, I developed a fever, and my numbers plummeted. I needed more and more oxygen and still had unbearable fatigue. I was moved back to ICU and I decided I wanted to be transported to HUMC as soon as something was available.
Another bug was found in my system, another pneumonia, and my chest xray did not seem to improve too much. The secondary pneumonia is common with patients receiving Bendamustine. Anyway, the pulmonologist strongly urged I be put on a ventilator. I refused. I did improve enough to be moved to step-down, and after a few days in step-down I was transported to HUMC.
I was at HUMC for a few days and improved dramatically and was finally sent home on Monday. However, I am still recovering. I can't walk up stairs, I can only stand for a limited time, and my muscles have atrophied from being bedridden for two weeks (more). I am on steroids and four different prophylaxis antibiotics while my immune system tries to recover. The newest development is the blood sugar testing, thanks to the steroid induced diabetes. So far my sugar at hgome has been controlled enough and I haven't needed any insulin, but that could change.
I do know I am glad to be home, happy for the friends I have, and ecstatic to see my family again. I may have lost work, but I am alive and I can appreciate every breath I take. Thank you for being there for me, and I can only hope my bond with you grows stronger!
Probably a little too scatter-shot, but daytime TV and meds will do that.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
alive
I'm alive.
I was admitted to SJRH in Vineland for Pneumonia on the 23rd. Finally I have internet access again. I have lost some vauluable contracts which SUCKS.
More later when I don't start hyperventilating while thinkgin about it.
I was admitted to SJRH in Vineland for Pneumonia on the 23rd. Finally I have internet access again. I have lost some vauluable contracts which SUCKS.
More later when I don't start hyperventilating while thinkgin about it.
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