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Design Inspiration

Design Inspiration

I need to collect some good links for an upcoming project… Anything with interior design, industrial design, signage, package design, graphic design, or just plain design

Workplaces, spaces, collaboration stations, desks, conference rooms, displays, doors and windows, walls, art, digital, physical, and on and on…

I’ve got a list of sites that highlight interesting design, but if you have more, please let me know!

OK, that’s my list… any suggestions?

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Makerspace Logo

Makerspace

I often talk about the “2XL Makerspace” I have in my basement, which has a workshop, many tools, a soldering station, a photo studio, a craft table, and various other junk, it’s mainly a joke… I mean, the kids and I do make things down there, but it’s not any sort of official makerspace that is open to the public.

I had the idea that it would be fun to come up with a logo though, and decided to use a Space Invader in it. I took the classic Space Invader alien and modified it to contain the letter M, and then distorted the perspective a bit.

If it were a sign, I’d put some BlinkMs in it to pulsate through the color spectrum.

If you’ve got a real makerspace, feel free to use this idea… and if you do, let me know!

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Girl Talk (Part II)

If the music doesn’t blow your mind, the contradictions will…

It’s been a while since I asked the question What is Girl Talk? and since the criminal mastermind behind Girl Talk has a new album, I figured I should take a look…

Head on over to illegal-art.net/allday and play along if you’d like…

As you may know, Girl Talk is completely reliant on other artists for source material. Artists who actually write and play music. Meaning, Girl Talk’s music would not exist if it were not for the artists which he takes things from. My understanding is that he does not actually pay these artists for their work. That’s OK, because he has this bit that thanks them.

This album is a free download.
Girl Talk thanks all artists sampled.

Please remember to thank me the next time I punch you in the face and take your wallet. Also, remind me to make a nice list of all the people who I punch in the face and steal wallets from.

Now, I’m a fan of Creative Commons, and I’ve been know to call people out when they use a Creative Commons license inappropriately, including re-licensing other’s work when they have no right to.

All Day by Girl Talk is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license. The CC license does not interfere with the rights you have under the fair use doctrine, which gives you permission to make certain uses of the work even for commercial purposes. Also, the CC license does not grant rights to non-transformative use of the source material Girl Talk used to make the album.

Consider my mind blown… How does this even work!? As I understand it, Girl Talk uses all of the samples without permission. I’m going to guess that over 95% of the samples he uses are “All Rights Reserved” and do not fall under a Creative Commons license. So… how does one take a bunch of “All Rights Reserved” materials (without permission) and then re-license it under a Creative Commons license? What am I missing here? Am I just not understanding it?

Also, you should note that it’s a Noncommercial license. I mean, Girl Talk doesn’t want you making money from his hard work! (Was that sarcastic enough?) Also, Girl Talk will be in Milwaukee next month, tickets are just $30 (not including the service charges.)

Well, all I know for sure is that this Girl Talk guy is a rebel… He’s all about breaking the rules! He’d never tell you what to do. He’d never tell you how to listen to his album.

All Day is intended to be listened to as a whole.

I’m willing to be schooled on this whole Girl Talk thing… Am I completely backwards in my reading of all of this? Is this guy a champion of artist’s rights? A model citizen of the Creative Commons movement? Let me know…

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Glee

Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?

The most amazing thing about Glee is not the music. No… it’s definitely not the music. It’s the marketing. It’s the packaging. It’s the selling. It’s the buying.

If you’re looking for a musical revolution, please don’t look at Glee. I’m pretty sure it’s not a musical revolution in even the most relaxed definition of the term.

(But what do I know about music, or about revolution… I tend to over-analyze things.)

Enjoy the show…

Goodnight!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Still got some pumpkin? Already made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies? Well, I’ve got another recipe for you… Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup plain canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 6 ounces chocolate chips

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin papers.
  3. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Break eggs into another bowl.
  5. Add pumpkin and butter to eggs and whisk until well-blended.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips.
  7. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in just until moistened.
  8. Scoop into tins and bake 20-25 minutes.

I use silicone muffin pans and canola spray, and I tend to add the dry ingredients to the moist stuff, which is backwards, but still seems to work fine. I also tend to freeze most of them, which works well when you’re running out the door and need something for lunch (or a mid-morning snack) as they defrost over the course of a few hours and are ready to eat.

It should go without saying that you should use raw sugar (not processed!) and unbleached flour (not “enriched” or bleached!) and any other more natural/organic materials you can find. But it doesn’t. So I’m saying it.

Enjoy!