skrapnel

Jasmine and I interviewed one of the owners of The Great Outdoors on South Congress.  Going over the b-roll, I found this great footage of a 3-story high set of wind chimes hanging from a Live Oak tree.  Be sure to turn the volume up on your computer and enjoy the soothing deep bass tones.

Tweeted this out earlier in the day:

“I will be gleeful when the AP goes out of business.” A look at original news sources: http://tr.im/iSYy (HT @jemimakiss) View Tweet

Which led to this conversation:

For my follow-up to this conversation, check out this post on socialTNT.

Working hard on the images for the new brand. People judge your site in the initial 0.0002 seconds, so getting the right look is key. We’re still planning on launching in (eek) 3.5 weeks, and I’m intent on getting the right graphic.

I usually do my own graphic design, but, well, I can’t draw an armadillo.  Here is the tentative sketch of the main graphic (click to enlarge):

The style will be reminiscent of Soviet and Chinese Propaganda posters like these:

I know propaganda posters can look a little harsh, but I’m hoping that using more white  and softening up the colors a bit will make it more inviting. I also want it to look strong, but be mostly playful and tongue-in-cheek.  Plus, the imagery goes with the name…Sorry, can’t tell y’all that yet

What do you think?

The two minute speech, below, from Iowa’s Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal made me cry.

Shortly after the unanimous decision by the Iowa Supreme Court, the Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley asked Sen Gronstal to go in with him on  bill to change the constitution.  Gronstal denied it, quoting his daughter:

One of my daughters was in the workplace one day, and her particular workplace at that moment in time, there were a whole bunch of conservative, older men. And those guys were talking about gay marriage. They were talking about discussions going on across the country.

Any my daughter Kate, after listening for about 20 minutes, said to them: You guys dont understand. Youve already lost. My generation doesnt care.

To our generation, it doesn’t matter. We have grown up watching people of different races and sexual preferences on TV.  It might seem trite now, but shows like “The Real World” helped pave the way to a better understanding of one another. We really aren’t all that different.

We also understand that there are more important issues in the world than stopping two people from loving each other—-poverty in America and universal health care being two of them.  Let’s get past the culture wars and start bringing this country together instead of dividing it.

By granting equal rights for all, Gronstal thinks everyone wins:

As a matter of fact, last Friday night, I hugged my wife. You know Ive been married for 37 years. I hugged my wife. I felt like our love was just a little more meaningful last Friday night because thousands of other Iowa citizens could hug each other and have the state recognize their love for each other.

Does denying marriage from a class of citizens strengthen the love of those already together? Or does denying that right sully the whole institution?

Here’s a video of the speech.  Full text follows below.  How does it make you feel?  Is it generational?

Transcript

One of my daughters was in the workplace one day, and her particular workplace at that moment in time, there were a whole bunch of conservative, older men. And those guys were talking about gay marriage. They were talking about discussions going on across the country.

Any my daughter Kate, after listening for about 20 minutes, said to them: You guys dont understand. Youve already lost. My generation doesnt care.

I think I learned something from my daughter that day, when she said that. And Ive talked with other people about it and thats what I see, Senator McKinley. I see a bunch of people that merely want to profess their love for each other, and want state law to recognize that.

Is that so wrong? I dont think thats so wrong. As a matter of fact, last Friday night, I hugged my wife. You know Ive been married for 37 years. I hugged my wife. I felt like our love was just a little more meaningful last Friday night because thousands of other Iowa citizens could hug each other and have the state recognize their love for each other.

No, Senator McKinley, I will not co-sponsor a leadership bill with you.

Phew! I’ve finally recovered from SXSW Interactive AND Music festivals, and have been going non-stop getting establish here in Austin.

It was such a whirlwind of a week. By far the highlight was the Perez Hilton Party.  Not only did the line-up include some of my current favorite artists like Kanye West, Yelle, Ladyhawke, and Solange, but my feeling of joy was immortalized in the New York Times by photographer Josh Haner.

New York Times, March 22nd, 2009 (SOURCE: Josh Haner/The New York Times)

New York nightlife and photography blog Last Night’s Party also shot a photo of me at that show. Check it:

Smashed at the front (SOURCE: Last Night's Party Blog)

On a side note: Kanye’s current album is full of so much emotion. Yes, it has its moments of cold and distant, but there is always a human soul in the music that is crying out to be loved. He has put so much energy into his performances, how could I not rock out? So, as a bonus, I leave you with photos I took from my iPhone.

Kanye from my iPhone camera at the Perez Hilton Party

Kanye from my iPhone at the Perez Hilton Party (note Perez in the background!)

Feel free to check out the full Flickr set with pictures of other performers from that night, including Little Boots, Solange, Yelle and Kid Cudi.