when an Art kid tries to accomplish math.

A baby koala bear looses a leg...It has been an exhausting day. I despise math but love patterns. I play drums so I should at least have a caring understanding how numbers work together and how they can be used creatively, but man it makes my head hurt to problem solve like this. Code school has helped me out though today at least care to undertake this procedure with out any school training. I have a great appreciation for how data gets entered into databases and how all this code is here to help us manage large amounts of data with a "function" or "if" statement. Oh what it would feel like to get asked to complete a complex task and you head to the computer enter in a few lines of code and thousands of archives and data pieces have been updated as people just ask how you did that so quickly and you just shrug it off..haha anyways that was a dumb rant. Its not even really number math as it is word problem solving but talk about a wake up call. Yay Winter break, how about instead of spending time with friends and family I just sit in my dungeon room and listen to tutorials all day. Anybody wanting to get into this stuff dedication is key, there is soo much to learn and having the addiction to wanting to know everything is a curse. I had to get away from it for a minute so I'm sorry if this doesn't make much sense as my brain is pretty garbled up by arithmetic and logic. It is working though I have been able to complete tasks with out help and am feeling accomplished but it is always a sad realization that this is so beginner but yet still complex for me is quite daunting. One step at a time I suppose.

I'm getting stoked for San Francisco this May for graduation and the spring semester hasn't even started yet... mega-motivator I suppose. I still need to think of something for a senior project. I'm thinking a tech blog/magazine but I'm notorious for digging my self 58 feet deep and scrambling to complete something that takes an army to conquer...I would be doing the photoshoots, the website, content management, SEO and what ever web technologies needed to show some sort of success, graphic design, printing work, video work and on screen graphics. I would really like to find some writers that would be dedicated enough to follow through with a couple stories but I'm not sure if I would be able to manage such a big project like that and have control of people. Hmm we'll see how this pans out. I plan on documenting the whole project from start to finish to get maybe some grasp of how I work as a graphic designer and how my workflow ...flows? anyways This is the first step of the new year...

Ramble ramble ramble..

Code School: A place to actually learn

After my rummaging through MIT's online failure.  I some how managed to find my self on this site called C<>de school.. I feel as if I've seen this around but never dug into it.  Well I did and its great!  I'm super into stuff like this, I signed up got right into a lesson about rubys on rails, which I thought might be boring but they made it super fun.  It is all incorporated around Zombies and creating databases and pulling from cemeteries and such.  They use analogies surrounding this context so it is really easy to follow.  This is not the biggest reason I'm stoked about this.  I'm not really into programming that much.  If I tried I'm sure I could download Ruby but would probably destroy my mac trying to get it to work.  This is where it gets awesome for you web nerds out there.  They have managed to just use it online with in their courses.  So you sign up, watch a video that is no longer than 10 minutes, you download the pdf with the overview of what you just watched and they give you instructions and assignments you must complete in order to go on to the next level.  You get points and prizes which is always awesome, and get to learn something I thought  I would never understand or care to understand.  They have an assortment of courses that if you pay 25 a month you get a slew of files and such.  Something you should check out for sure if your interested in dwelling in javaScript, html5 css3, ect.  And for being a heavy programming site it has phenomenal design which kept me interested.  Check it out at codeschool.com seems like they are somewhat tied into treehouse.com which is another great achievement based web development site that is also well designed.



Other great resources for beginners going into design/web development.

tutsplus.com  | 25 bucks a month | a ton of source files and has anything design and web related, even mobile which is nice.
lynda.com | 25 - 40 bucks a month depending if you want files and sources or not.
teamtreehouse.com  | 25 bucks a month, great site with divided step by step courses
codeschool.com | 25 bucks a month, another great site with step by step solutions

if your interested in css stuff
hit up

css-tricks.com  | chris coyier is really down to earth and has a bunch of tricks up his sleeve.

Categorizing and pulling ids using Ruby on Rails like a boss

front page of C<>de school

the current course offered at c<>de school

SUPER DEAL!

Just in case you are picky.

Course is separated by section with courtesy video and in browser exercise for each step.  Each level has 5-6 steps overviewing the level.

Lobster may becoming overpopulated...

This font called "Lobster" is showing up everywhere, nothing new though any font that is free and decent is going to get abused. Plus this font is available as a webfont in google so its gone with no return  When I first saw this font i thought "hey well thats a fun vintage modern font" with its bubbly rounded corners and cursive features who wouldn't want to use this font for their 1950's high school reunion...right? They have used this in a lot of places but just today I saw it in a Bath and Body works and a Hispanic magazine... I seem to have absolutely no idea what to think of this font any more.  And speaking of god awful trendy fonts lets not forget Bleeding cowboy...just saw it today on a tattoo magazine...sweet. anyways what do you guys think is it being used properly?

oh wow...i was just looking for a way to integrate Googles web-fonts in my blogger and the first site I click on has Lobster as the first image I see...gah.

Hispanics in America can be happy and bubbly I presume.

Being new can be fun. evidentially has no genre.

oh look in purple.

Most creative thing I've seen all year.

not sure what that says but it must be happy.

MIT Fo Free! but no Degree.

Photo courtesy of MIT online home page

So today I saw on Twitter that MIT is going to be offering FREE courses for anybody with an internet connection.  Pretty neat stuff.  I went to the site to see what it was all about and noticed that there were courses in Web/computer programming so I thought "YEPPIE" and jumped right in.  I haven't done a ton of rummaging but noticed it was literally what ever they had laying around they through up online.  Classes from 2006 up to Fall this year.  Very sporadic and not reliable on what to expect as far as content.  I sat through 15 minutes of an intro class to Computer programming.  It is exactly what you would think if you were in the class.  Syllabus, how they grade, blah blah.  Doesn't quite make since if you are sitting at your house licking cheese off your fingers from Cheetos.  The catch about this is that you don't get an actual degree from MIT but a certificate that shows that you completed. What did you expect for free...It literally said in some article and I paraphrase "the certificate doesn't hold the same weight as the degree would but is there to provide encouragement for the students to finish." WOW...really proves that you purchase your degree.  I say if you can motivate yourself to learn on your own and proficiently then what the hell is the difference? Knowledge is knowledge.  Silly politics. Anyways,  I am to believe that what I viewed was of some other nature since they said this feature was to launch in Spring 2012.  Who knows, if you are interested though head to MIT home page to get the scoop for yourself.  A ton of other stuff happened today but I think I'll separate them into separate blog posts so it doesn't leave you to read 6 pages of blog...that would be an interesting intimidating read.  But ya. I love learning but it seemed like a waste of hours listening to lectures.  Online to me is quick to the point and concise. I could really care less about the reminiscent aspect of a past class learning experience.

2012

Damn Alergies:

I'm back and should be posting a lot more...kind on one of those resolution things. I figure why pretend to be fit and typical by saying I'll work out or something...this is much easier and is better for me mentally...lets face it I'm not that big of a guy and heading to a gym is an embarrassment for both parties, Plus I'm not big on showin' brosefs how little I can bench. Not my cup o tea. Not that it can't be yours just ya. So 2012 is gonna be good, on my count there will be at least 4 more we are gonna die movies, so that's something to look forward to. Other than that I graduate from Collegio and get to move on into the real deal. woot. Anyways I'm ready to get to know you so lets hang out. I do web/graphic design, love playing music, and anything typical for a 23 year old. Besides drink but don't let that scare you, I'm a handful with out that.

A look at: Adobe Edge

Who said Powerpoint couldn't be an online tool?

So I woke up today and stumbled on Adobe's test product Edge...It came out in August and there have been a couple updates since its debut.  I saw it today and initially had mixed feelings about the product.  I like most web designers loath Dreamweaver and thought  this would be another wack at it.  It makes sense for Adobe to create something like this with Flash at Checkmate there has to be another solution for animation freaks that want to incorporate CSS3, HTML5 and Javascript without having to get under the hood and be so-to-speak "Artsy".  I get it, I am with you on that.  I'd much rather spit out ideas quick than sit and debug CSS, but there is a point when you loose aspect of whats really going on and Web standards get smashed for a little ease in development.  Right now Adobe's Edge has a long way to go as far as their development.  As of now its a little sketchy especially for us "Artsy" people.  There isn't much design you can really get a way with, without loosing your mind separating thousands of DIVS (aka Layers... in Edge) for the sake of animation.  I can see how animation can help Advertising but if you think you can create a whole website out of this...Think again.  Not that you can't but really how amazing are 100% Flash sites...They are aggravating at its best and the next time I have to wait and watch a status bar to view a site I'll load my way out and find my interests elsewhere.  I created a quick banner using their test program to see what it was all about.  I will give them that they make one step up from flash.  Its easier to manage animations/Javascript.  I hate Flash and was able to create this POS in 10 minutes.  #patonmyback. Anyways if you are a die hard print designer that feels the need to get stuff online I'm sure you can use this to make obnoxious transitions and enough fly-throughs for any Powerpoint lover.  Enjoy but I'll keep to my friend Text-mate. Oh and don't try to edit the javaScript files if you so much as miss a ();} it automatically reloads in Edge throws up an error and the program closes..SUPER.

Here's the link to my trial with Edge. NOM, NOM, NOM, BABIES ...forgot where i saw that, it was funny though. ENJOY

hahah DON"T TOUCH...WTH?

Hey! That's a lot of Javascript...what if i disable it?...oh it doesn't work? ...cool

HTML5....where? oh the DOCTYPE...gotcha

Christmas Break | Must do something...

So it is Christmas break here in the midwest of the US. and I am bored out of my mind.  I like to think I do Graphic Design and love the fact of creating music, video, concepts and entrepreneurial ventures for most of my days.  I have been out of school for the semester for a week and 2 days and am going nuts.  What to do, what to do.  I am thinking about getting into videography more and want to create music videos or something.  I feel as if I'm missing a right-hand-man, which is quite funny since I'm left handed, to head into these adventures with.  I want to collaborate ideas and find someone that is just as passionate about the things I am so I can graduate and not feel as if I have to work because I need to make money, but play because its what I do best.  I've been creating music lately with Dubstep in my mind.  I find it motivating and It's something I can dwell into with out realizing my weakness, vocals.  What else can I say about this break... Oh next semester I have a senior project for my degree and thinking of maybe doing an online magazine, with a print edition.  I am going to need some help if I want to make this legit. . .  I am thinking online blog style writing, with a few commercials, showing off some video work, some online reporting with 3d onscreen graphics to provide info graphics.  I need writers though to help push this online.  I will be creating a website to publish all the content online and off.  Have fictional ads on the site.  I'm thinking the name will be called the "Wireframe" which is supposed to represent the blog style writing.  Barebones, raw, and freeform.  I want to get people off this corporate "newspaper" feel and have them write what they truly are interested in.  This is of course coming from my experience as a designer and web developer at a school newspaper.  There will always be a time and place for news but some times our generation just wants something fun to read and look at to waste the time...as I am for sure doing with my time here out of school...  I have a feeling I will be writing a lot more of these in the near future.

bored or already there...check out http://www.zachwaggoner.com to see what I'm all about.

Lets be friends :)