It could be at work, it could be at home. It could be a painting such as this finger-painting I made with my 2.5 year old daughter, or it could be a song like this one that I recorded this week. It could be a meal you made or a poem. Hell, it could be anything. What have you been creating Hubski?
I have written something like 10 cover letters this week, but I don't know if that counts . . . Edit: I just found something I wrote in my phone. I
A relationship can be as simple as locking eyes with someone
across a crowded room. That beautiful someone
you imagine the rest of your life with
for the rest of the day.
I have done this too. humanodon and flagamuffin, back when I was single and even to a small extent now, I could always tell you who the most appealing woman in any room was to me. Who am I kidding...? I still totally do this. The elaborate eye-locking scenarios are less prevalent these days though..
Why is that? Are there a plethora of beautiful women where you are at?
Yeah, at the time I was in Boston and it was just before Moving Day (Sept. 1st) and so a lot of young ladies were out and about. Not to sound like a dirty younger man or anything, but I really think that the general undergrad/grad population of Boston is more attractive than when I went to school. Working out wasn't as everyday as it is now. Big difference.
Haha. No way. You just aren't around it as much now. The attractiveness of chicks increases exponentially as soon as they're not in your environment every day.Not to sound like a dirty younger man or anything, but I really think that the general undergrad/grad population of Boston is more attractive than when I went to school
I've been creating a site for a big US based brand. Like big big. It was so cool - all HTML5 and HTML5 video and beautiful. Glorious, beautiful site with glorious beautiful commented code. The purpose of the site is a bit of a webapp - something you would previously build in all flash - where you press a button to play the video. The image is a photograph of the real life product. It's a mimic of what some customers will be actually getting - a physical video player. This is the online version. Because the product was taller than it is wide, we made the whole site vertically responsive so the size of the product is equal to the browser window. It worked, everything was perfect, iPhone, iPad, Android, Macs, PCs, 800x600 or 1920x1080. Then sent it off 2 weeks ago. Got feedback Monday saying that they can't see anything but an error message. Now, keep in mind, in all our wireframes and pre-production and contracts we explicitly stated that the website would only work for HTML5 browsers and included a list of browsers that do not support HTML5 - like IE8 - with the usage % of said browsers as of June 2013. We told them these browsers would display an error message. So we get an email Monday from the director of digital communications and branding or some ridiculous fucking title. And he sends a screenshot of the error message telling him to upgrade his browser. Unfortunately, due to the fact it's a huge company with a lazy/incompetent/overworked/underfunded IT dept, they are all using IE8 & unable to install anything new without the IT guy coming to do it. If it was one guy at the company, I wouldn't be so worried. I would outline the security risks of using an outdated browser and explain that all the hard work a number of web developers and designers put into a site are lost in IE6-8. And to upgrade his fucking outdated browser. But the 18 levels of approval needed would also be using IE8. So I started coding. Unwilling to give up my beautiful site, I searched for 16 straight hours and tested and tested and tested different methods of getting the site to work in IE8. Hacks, bad code, good code, javascript, etc. Nothing (viable) worked. So I set the normally responsive container to be 800px*616px. Done. Now on extra small screens they have to scroll and on extra large they'll have to zoom in or squint. We also had a introductory "how to use this" image that displays in a sleek animated popup with a basic cookie that only makes it pop up every 25 or so refreshes of the site. Gone. Now it's a "?" icon with a link that opens an image - like imgur status. Just the image. Instead of the last instruction being "press the x to close and get started" it is on the other side and says "press the back button." So ghetto. And disappointing. And icky. And blah. But because we've already used our allotted budget and I have 8000 other projects and my management doesn't understand this shit anymore than their director of bullshit, that's all they get. Bummer. Lesson: let people know what they are doing be empowered and do their job, even if you don't understand a lick of what they are doing. Empower them to make decisions and get passionate and excel. Status quo my ass. I want my shit to be damn beautiful. But now, I don't really care about this project or the other projects I'm on. My co-worker feels exactly the same. We used to be excited to come into work and problem solve our way to paradise. But now we just do whatever they want to the lowest standards and don't ask questions and simply tell them it's not possible (even when we could probably find a way to do it). Now they have a fed-up, underpaid, ranting, whiny bitch who doesn't feel like trying anymore and hopefully will be at a real tech-literate company within 3 months.
God I feel so bad for you. I did some designing for a website for a friend of my mother, and I had this beautiful site with the right proportions, color scheme and all that sorted out. But they didn't like this one shade of blue, and wanted it purple to match the competitor's site, which was this horrible GIF-filled website. Every time I fixed it, some minor detail 'didn't feel right' and had to be fixed. The end result was repulsive. They asked if I wanted to be mentioned on the site for making it, but I politely declined.
I feel your pain. I've read so many things about how to mitigate the overzealous "designer" client and none seem to work in practice. If they want to make decisions, they will, and they will destroy your hard work in one overreaching "I WANT PURPLE" swoop. Similarly, people who spend all their time on competitor sites are the bane of my existence (right after ie6-7 users.) I want to scream at them, "You compete with them. DON'T DO THE SAME DAMN THING!" We started an AdWords campaign at work and are spending a good chunk of money per month to pop up whenever someone searches a competitors company name. While that may have some luck in a consumer market - hey badass shoes are badass shoes -they don't work where a single deal takes 3-12 months, 1m+, and a countless hours from the sales reps. We don't EVER get leads from our website and doubt we ever will. We are selling a product that no one truly wants, and the only way to get people to spend a 110% of what is left of their print budget on us is to schmooze and sell and get on your knees and suck your little brains out. :P How long have you been designing for? Do you often do projects for family/friends? I
It must be draining to see potential go to waste like that. The only thing you can do to save your work is to explain to them why you chose to do it that way, but that requires time and attention from both sides, usually resources not available. Ever considered working for yourself? ;) I am a student with a large friend circle so it is known that I'm 'good with photoshop', usually making stuff for friends for free. I could charge money but I don't see myself as good enough for that and it is less pressure, so it still feels like a fun hobby and not like a second job. Just a couple of hours ago a friend asked me to make a logo for his tutor startup. He gave me just the name and what he'll do, but I asked him to make a concept or an idea for a logo himself, so I don't have to radically change stuff later.
The appalling thing about this kind of client is that you have done the work once, well, in order to provide the best (responsive and presumably gracefully degrading) experience to the widest possible audience. You have been efficient. And then the client starts to chip away at their paid-for superlative UX to make it work on increasingly irrelevant platforms. The frustrating thing is that they neither understand nor care why this is painful, for they see the surface not the underlying higher dimensions. There are people who can see beauty in the elegance of physics equations, mathematical proofs, and code; and there are the rest. Clients, on the whole, are the rest. I'm sorry for your loss. :(
No photos, but I made my world-famous-at-home Poor Man Pasta, a relic of my university/bugger-all income days, as it's my staple during these wintery days: In a pot, heat some oil and slice in 2-4 cloves of garlic; fry lightly.
Chuck in a 99c pack of penne pasta (substitute with shells, curls, spirals etc), as well as hearty pinches of salt, pepper and chilli flakes too. Once cooked, strain, then pour into a bowl. Cut a small knob of butter and throw it on top, then sprinkle oregano/herb flakes on top. Stir it all through for melty buttery garlicy chilli hot pasta goodness, and you've got enough for at least 4 meals. Shame this question wasn't asked a couple weeks ago, when I made slow-cooked pulled pork with multiple types of chilli, lime, whisky, spiced rum, chipotle, coriander/cilantro, as part of a soft taco/Mexican night with my housemate; I may still have a photo of the feast somewhere.
Your slow cooked pulled pork recipe sounds good, especially given that you can drink the whiskey/rum while cooking :)it's my staple during these wintery days:
Is it already wintery where you are at?
Oh man, that sounds awesome. Saving this comment to make some Poor Man Pasta of my own. The pulled pork too, probably.
That looks great BlackBird, nice work. What kind of beer is that?
That would be a Roger's Ale by Little Creatures; a nice little mid-strength crafty with a lot of caramel goodness to colour/aroma. It's one of the better 'lighter, but not a light' beer to have, without sacrificing flavour.
Also wins points because you fill up on the food before you fill up on the beer! Found a nice little write-up if you're interested:
http://www.good-ale-guide.com/Rogers_Beer.html
Thanks, it's a pretty color. I'll keep a look out for it in the states.
The rough outline of an oddly structured novel and the first few chapters thereof; another ten pages of a high concept, low budget screenplay; a small cairn, alongside another hundred cairns that only this year have sprung up on the easternmost edge of the coastline here; a tray of scones (250g wholemeal flour, 25g baking soda, 10g butter, mix to crumb consistency, two handfuls walnuts, two handfuls raisins, 125ml milk, 80ml water, mix, roll, chop out disks, bake at 180C for 15 minutes, turn to cool, eat, delicious!); peach Bellinis; a proposal for some production work; a business plan for an indie film; a map to remind me that only about an hour's drive from here there are some natural hot springs hidden in the hills which consist of a waterfall of icy fresh water that cascades into a pool fed from underneath by a stream of hot water which combine to produce a jacuzzi-warm pools about six feet depth all year round, and there's a place to camp five minutes away.
But then I go and read this ... and I'm not so sure...
I hope you follow your map and visit the Catalunya springs - if that is where you are. Let us know what its like.some natural hot springs hidden in the hills
This sounds like a magical spot. It reminded me of a trip I took to Mount Baker Hot Springs in the 1970s. From the highway, one drove an hour on a dirt road. Parked, then hiked 20 minutes into a west coast rain forest, eventually coming upon the hot spring. The only man-made features were some cedar seats built around it.... I just googled it and it was apparently ruined by mud slides over the years.
It was a magical spot! I was unclear before: I created the map myself after following the verbal instructions to the springs given by a friend. These instructions reminded me of the sequence in The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test where Tom Wolfe is instructed to 'follow the road and turn left where the tarmac shines in the moonlight', only longer and more ambiguous. We got there just as night was falling and nearly skinned ourselves scrambling down a sheer rock face in the dusk. Exhausted, we had just long enough to snap up the tent and brew some dinner. That said, we did appreciate camping on a ledge overlooking the valley illuminated by a waxing moon. This is deep in the mountains of a natural park, therefore peaceful and scintillating with starlight. However, dawn the following day we made our way back down to the spring and there we had a two hour bath in the waters. A camping luxury. Here in addition to the deepest warm pool, there's another which is fed only by cold water (our icy plunge pool) and a third lukewarm one fed by the other two. Not just a natural hot spring but a natural spa.
I'm going to use your note to introduce a new writing prompt for the community. Look for #todayswritingprompt in the tags for the archive.
I made a grilled cheese sandwich for the first time. 21 years old, senior in college. I can cook but I've never gotten around to it. I think it turned out well but I need to practice more, I slightly overcooked it.
Oooh yeah, grilled cheese sambo's for the win! Did you put anything inside it (other than cheese)?
One of my fave combos is 2 slices of Swiss cheese, one side of bread covered with wholegrain mustard, the other with French; cracked pepper in the middle of the cheese slices, with a squirt of smokey BBQ or Chipotle Tabasco sauce.
Nope, just bread and cheese. That sounds delicious though, I will have to do some experimenting (and shopping)!
I don't think I could recall my first ever grilled cheese if I tried. It's cool that you know it's your first. Hard to believe you waited 21 years to make that for yourself. Such a nice, and pretty easy, treat to make for ones self.
Well I've been pampered by my mother's excellent cooking for the first 18 years of my life, and I managed to survive dining hall food for the last couple. I'm much more satisfied making my own food, I can tell you that for certain (at least over dining hall food, Mom's cooking will always win in my book!).
My mom didn't cook much. We literally had to fend for ourselves often. This meant learning how to make grilled cheese etc at a young age. It also meant that we had pizza at least once a week and other various forms of fast-food etc. When I think back on this stuff it pisses me off, especially now that I have my own kid. I would never feed her the garbage I was fed. But then, my folks didn't really know any better. You are lucky that you had a mom that cooked for you. Now that you've knocked out grilled-cheese, move on to the next cooking project. It really is fun. One of my favorite tags on hubski is #recipes .
Interesting tag. There doesn't seem to be much there, but the recipe for banana bread you posted a long time ago is intriguing, banana bread has always been one of my favorites. That may be my next project.
After a couple of weeks of creative block, I said "screw it", made up some stuff that I figured will be "good enough" until I can think of something better, and finally started sketching out the outline for a city that doesn't exist. Because I can vigorously overthink things like this, I was also forced to work out what the surrounding terrain was like, which meant a rough region map too: Started in the second image: a list of typical names for various cultures. Because see previous comment about overthinking.
Ceviche one night, nachos with spinach another, and tonight a banging stir fry. Unfortunately I haven't been singing or writing at all lately, focusing my spare time on reading and exercising instead. So the flippant answer would have been, "muscle mass."
Muscle mass is a good thing to work on. I took my first ever tennis lesson yesterday. I've been working on tennis. Damn it's fun.
Once a week we have been getting a few beers after. It's a blast, truly it is. I can't believe I waited this long to be in to it. But, I grew up in Michigan and you can only play about 8 months out of the year. Here I should be able to play about 10 months. It's all I want to do. I need to find some people that are much better than me and are willing to slum with my poor game so I can get better.
Sounds good. Did you make or buy an already prepared pie shell?
Damn dude, that's a long time to work on a song. By the way, your mix arrived and I'm excited to spin it tomorrow. I have a 4 hour drive ahead of me.
Yeah, my songs are often very layered. I've actually been thinking I've been spending too much time on them and not just getting them done and out there. Here's an example of what my latest production looks like: Also, glad you got the CD, here's the concept for the track listing:
1. Low tide, before dawn
2. Glorious sunrise
3. mid-tide, cloudy evening
4. High tide, sunset
5. Low tide, calm morning/afternoon
6. Mid-tide, Subtle evening sunset
7. High tide, long still night
8. High tide, before dawn/sunrise
9. Mid tide, early morning, sign of clouds
10. Low tide, afternoon, storm brewing
11. Mid tide, evening, thunder storm, rough seas
12. High tide, vibrant sunrise, clearing skies
13. Mid tide, afternoon, clear blue skies. Surfs up!
14. Low tide, evening, big waves/crazy surfers
15. Low tide, brilliant sunset, beach party.
So far I am really enjoying this and your description of how the tracks were inspired makes sense as I listen. There are a number of the songs/artists that I am already familiar with but hearing them in this context somehow makes it new. Thank you
Thanks man, I tried to mix tracks that I knew you'd listened/liked before (via scouring your posts) and interweave them with things I thought you might not have heard. I'm glad I succeeded. I'd heard almost none of the music on the CD you gave me, bar Sufjan, Radiohead and The White Stripes. I was initially apprehensive about whether I'd like it but the longer I listened the more I did. I really enjoyed the opener 'Serpentine', was that one of your friends? I think the reason I liked the CD is because it had good music from scenes I haven't had the time and/or interest to explore yet. It's time consuming to really get going in an entirely different scene of music so I'm really pleased that you shared some great music with me. Thanks!
I'm glad you liked it. I too looked through your music preferences and made the decision to feature songs I thought you'd like from genre's that were absent in your collection. I definitely tried to feature artists from Michigan, some of which are friends. Hope it wasn't too poppy for you.I really enjoyed the opener 'Serpentine', was that one of your friends?
-I know Chris, I wouldn't say we are friends though. We shared a couple of shows in the past and my cousin plays violin with him. He's a great artist.
Lots of french fries from scratch about every other day, potatoes are the staple where I am at the moment, in fact I'm going to go start peeling right now.
It's Bank Holiday Monday here in the UK so I cooked a BBQ for my family (first one ever where I was responsible for the whole meal). I cooked chicken, sausages, pork chops and courgettes. I am pretty proud of how it turned out (no pictures, sadly) although the glaze I used for the chicken had a bit too much clove. Coordinating the cooking of all of the different things is fun. Definitely something I will be doing again.
Barbecuing is a blast. The biggest downside of being married to a vegetarian is the lack of BBQ in our lives. Sure, you can use the grill for veggies and other such things and I could make the meat for myself, but cooking is about sharing. It's a bummer to create something really tasty and not be able to share it.