seeinpixels's Xanga Site

Currently Listening
Wet from Birth
By The Faint
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Hard to believe.

One year ago today I moved to Seattle.

Currently Watching
Sicko (Special Edition)
By Michael Moore
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Sicko

Friends—

Please watch this movie. You will spend mostly all of it with your jaw dropped in shock. This is a staggering look at our healthcare system and economy. I could not—and wanted to not—believe some of what I saw.

I am fighting off the strong urge to move to France after watching this.

Has anyone seen this?

Currently Reading
Sagmeister: Made You Look
By Peter Hall
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Subconsciously Absorbing Information

I wonder whether or not your subconscious absorbs information you hear, even if you aren't listening. I hope so, I plan on finding out: I'm going to listen to lots of design podcasts while I work in hopes all that goodness will sink in. Maybe I'll be a better designer for it.

Also, I'm going to see Stefan Sagmeister on March 4!

Currently Listening
Comfort Eagle
By Cake
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Apartment Shopping, Shows, Portfolio

Looking for new apartments is a little stressful. But I think we've found a really good one. One of the places we checked out was shown to us by someone who would not surprise me if he turned out to be a serial killer. He was late to our appointment, I thought it was because he was busy putting a body in his trunk beforehand. Maybe.

Alison and I both have been looking at Apartment Therapy, and have found some really well decorated places that were pretty inspiring. I'd love to do something like that in one of ours.

I bought frames today for my first solo show in April. It will be triumphant.

I also updated my portfolio with some new work. If you're using Internet Explorer, things may not be 100% there yet. It can't handle everything I put on there but I'm working on it. (In case you haven't heard it from me or any other designer, IE is probably the worst thing ever to accommodate in a design, is poorly made, and is generally a pain.)

Currently Listening
Cross
By Justice
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Bam!

The American Idol widget I made is the #2 staff pick on Apple's Dashboard Widget Page!

WHOO!

Currently Listening
Wincing the Night Away
By The Shins
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Warning, political rant ahead.

I usually try to stay away from the subject of politics, but I will make an exception in this case. Rarely have I been so disgusted by a politician as I am by Mike Huckabee.

I've never seen anyone pander so much or so hard to Christians. What's with this guy and his need to inject every single thing he says with Bible allusions, comparing himself to significant Biblical figures (David, JESUS, and way more)? It's sickening. My pastor doesn't make that many allusions in church! And furthermore, if I want a sermon I'll read the Bible or go to church. I do not need or want it from a presidential candidate, who likely is only doing this so he will get the vote of Christian conservatives. This guy is straight up repugnant. Stop it.

Currently Listening
Made In the Dark (CD/DVD)
By Hot Chip
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Wow.

This article is the subject of this post.

In short, the RIAA (a horrendous trainwreck of an organization for those unfamiliar) wants to push for lower artist royalties on downloaded music. If they had anything to do with it, artists will now receieve 9% of the profits. NINE PERCENT. That means the rest (91%) of the money goes to the people selling their music, and music executives. It makes zero sense to me how people who have so little to do with the creative process of making a record can get compensated for so much. Seem disproportionate enough yet? Hang on. Other companies, including Yahoo!, Napster and Apple (WTF!) want to further reduce those royalties to 4 percent.

If I were an artist I couldn't even say how insulted I would be. Suffice it to say I believe artists like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead are right to depart from these companies and corrupted business models. Even if you sell less, you'll probably make more on your own. And best of luck to them.