One of my favorite things is really cool tools, either real or virtual.  Today, while searching for a means to print isometric grids of various sizes onto transparency film for a C&G course activity, I found this website http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/.  On it, you can create an amazing variety of graph paper styles, and you get to choose the specifications for grid and line size and color yourself!  Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom, there are so many styles.

For example, today I created equilateral triangle graph paper in 1/2", 3/4" and 1" sizes. Here's a sample: Download 34_inch_triangle_graph_paper_black_lines.pdf . 

A few of my favorites are: 

• polar grids (great for drafting spirals)


• variable triangles where you control the degrees of the angles and the base size (here I created a very wide squatty triangle with great potential)


• circles


• perspective

There are lots of things for quilters - tumbling blocks, hexagons, Celtic knot to name a few.

I love that you can control the color of the lines, too.  I created my grids for transparencies with black lines, so they really show up when you lay them over an image.  For printing on plain white paper, I chose the pale blue lines so they will disappear when I color in the triangles.  The applications for design work with these grids are numerous.  There is an excellent discussion with examples here: http://textiledreamer.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/designing-geometrical-quilts/  and be sure to see a beautiful completed quilt http://textiledreamer.wordpress.com/?s=snow+flake

Have fun.

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Google PPC/Adwords Changes

1. Google PPC/Adwords Changes

It looks like Google is making some changes to their Adwords Program, as well as, further explaining the two frequent programs Click Fraud (which affects advertisers) and Invalid Clicks which affects the Adsense user/Adwords user.

Adwords Changes to the Content Network

Google is rolling out some new features for Adwords for the content network. The features will benefit your earning potential and the effectiveness of the ads. Some of the features include:

1. Frequency capping-prevents users from seeing the same ads on your pages
2. Advertisers will see which site is performing best for their ads
3. Improved ad quality. They are going to implement a DoubleClick ad serving cookie on the content network. Their hope is to improve the experience of the users and to protect privacy but increase value for publishers and advertisers.


But there are also several other important questions that need to be answered. And that is what is the difference between an invalid click(which gives you no money) and click fraud (invalid click with consequences).


Invalid clicks Explained

Invalid click-are clicks that will not be charged against the Advertiser and thus, not be credited to the Publisher. These include extraneous clicks without value-such as second click of a double-click.

However, Click fraud is a completely different creature, that is intentional. So what is click fraud?


Click fraud Explained

Click fraud is the use of invalid clicks that is used with the intended purpose of driving up advertiser cost or publisher revenue artificially. Where do these invalid clicks come from:

1. publisher clicking on his own ads, or encouraging others to click on the ads
2. Users or family members clicking to support site/publisher
3. Third party programs with user incentives-such as paid-to-surf or auto-surf programs
4. Automated clicking tools, robots, deceptive software.
5. Third-party programs for purchasing fixed amounts of traffic, $10 for 1000 page views.

Obviously, any of these methods to artificially generate clicks, impressions, or conversions is prohibited by Google's program policy.
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Meet Mo

This is our angora goat Mo (short for Lawnmower).  I wish you could see his eyes because he has such a soulful gaze.  Because goat's pupils are rectangular, some people refer to them as devil's eyes.  There is absolutely no devil in this goat.  He is very docile, calm and so serene.   We got him last year, the weekend after Chris found out that he would have to mow all the grass he sowed in the back yard!  I had no experience of goats, and I was rather intimidated by his size, but he turned out to be the dearest, sweetest pet you could imagine.  From the first day we brought him home, he has been eating out of our hands.  He loves to have his head rubbed.  He talks to us!  He comes up to the gate to see me when me pull into the driveway.  He gets along great with our dogs; seeing the three of them line up for apple and carrot treats is hilarious.  I had not expected to love this goat so much. 

Mo spends part of his time at our warehouse, keeping the yard there in check.  Folks in the neighborhood surrounding the warehouse love him, too.  They talk to him, and stop their cars to inquire about him.  They bring him treats.  Some little kids even tried (unsuccessfully) to feed him chicken and biscuits.  One lady  wrote him a love letter and stuck it in the fence!

People always ask me if I work with his lovely mohair fleece in my artwork.  I don't.  First of all, we are terrible at sheering, so the fleece is a hacked up mess when we're done.  Second, I have neither patience nor energy for cleaning and carding the wool, although I do love nuno felting.  Finally, I would rather play with my one true love - fabric.  All that was until I saw the new BabyLock Embellisher today at Atlanta Sewing Center, with its 12 needles and endless potential.   I may just have to change my mind about working with "Mo"-hair.

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Barack......

I have, for a long time, had a serious problem with the political process in America. In my youth a had an immature outlook on America in general. As as adult, I have traveled the world. Quite frankly, I have come to appreciate this country for all that is, and all that it is not. But I am still skeptical of our political process and the people who run for office...even, Obama. The natural "team player" in me wants to be 100% down but I'm not. My knowledge of our country's bad habits in regards to incest and politics, prevents me from believing he isn't "one of them". I have been saying for a long time that his story is too vague, even after reading his book, he seems to be hiding something....Here is a clip from YouTube that has a suprisingly low view count, considering Obama's popularity...Just a teaser until I can do more research..


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Do you wordle?

I love words. I always have.  And now, thanks to Jackie's Stitchworks blog http://stitchworks-jackie.blogspot.com, I have a great new way to enjoy them.  It's called wordle http://wordle.net/.  You type or copy text into a box on the website, click go, and their brilliant Java Applet creates a graphic design using your words.  There are lots of configuration options to choose, or you can keep clicking randomize until you get an image you love.  Here, for example, are two versions using the first stanza from Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven:

You can print these directly from their applicataion, or as I do, print them to a file on my computer using a virtual printer that converts the document to PDF (we use Primo PDF - it's free, easy to download and use.)  I can then play with the image further in Photoshop Elements -resizing, applying filters, changing colors.  I would love to create screens from these - thermo fax might be a good option for this.  Please comment if you have any other suggestions.

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Sean Reveron u.k.a Cooley Ranks

The Homie Sean is and has always been a hustler. I can honestly say I have known him for about 14-15 years now. Back in the early 90's Cooley was one of the few Dancehall Emcees in Los Angeles. I remember him and I Smooth 7, had a deal at Motown. Right before the whole Trend of Culture Of and On shit took off. I also remember Sean for being an extremely style conscious individual. Dude, was the first brother I knew that went and lived in London and was living in Europe when the whole international streetwear thing started to happen in fashion. Since then Sean has started a small but successful and highly sought after line called ROCKERS NYC. All you fashionistas and hipsters should already know....This picture is from earlier this year, Arnold Espiritu (Founder GreyOne), myself and Sean...I just saw him at RTB also...good to see people from back in the day elevating and getting it..PEACE.
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Black & Brown Project - Together As One (Niggaz & Mexicans)

Fuck It!!!! THe homies might be mad at me for this one ,but everytime Im on a plane, or playing new joints for some of fellow artist friends, I play this joint in the iTouch. About a year ago we started this project and did about 6-7 songs before jack got busy with the Muggs album. SInce then we have gotten deeper into our album and Jack is doing spot dates for The mask and The Assassin, but please believe the Self Scientific X Sick Symphonies - The Black & Brown Project - is coming...(probably next year) but , it's definitely gonna happen. Too necessary, we have a serious problem with the Black & Brown violence in this City (L.A.). too many dope songs already..so, here it is a lil treat for you real fans

Together As One (Niggaz & Mexicans)
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