The Wind Through The Keyhole

I'm a huge Stephen King fan like so many others, but somewhere along the lines I slowed my intake and almost stopped, until recently. He is almost too prolific. I had heard of the Dark Tower series but have still not gotten into it. The series was supposed to have wrapped up back in 2004 but he just couldn't leave it alone. Perhaps he has a touch of George RR Martin in him. At any rate, he felt he had one more story in him for Roland, Eddie, Susannah, and Jake and so we have The Wind Through the Keyhole: A Dark Tower Novel. I did read the two books that he wrote with Peter Straub—The Talisman and Black House. I understand that The Talisman was somewhat of a foreshadowing of things to come. I'm sure that I will start reading the series sometime soon, I just hope that they are more in the vein of The Talisman instead The Black House.

Is Your Mac Infected?

Yes, it is rare. Most Mac users work with the relatively safe feeling that Macs don't get viruses. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security. With the surging popularity of all things Mac, your trusty and reliable Mac is now a target more than ever. And that means you are too!

CNET reports that over 600,000, almost 60% of Mac users in the U.S. alone, are infected with the Flashback botnet/Trojan that was designed to steal sensitive information and send it to identity thieves. The Trojan originally came packaged as a wrongly named Adobe Flash Player plug-in installer back in September. The new tactic, Flashback.N is a modified version that searches for Java vulnerabilities and installs itself when you visit an infected web site. If you have visited one of those sites your computer is at risk. It appears that Flashback is using Twitter to deliver commands and directions.

Apple issued an update for its OS X operating system to patch the problem on April 4. If you want to be sure that you AREN'T infected, there is a manual check that you can perform using Terminal and simple cut-and-paste to see if you are infected.

The Year of the Dragon

Above is a woodblock print that I made for the year. The first image is the camphor log from which I cut the slab to create the block. The second image is all that is left after the chainsaw. The third is the block itself.

We've been living in the "Year of the Dragon" now for about a month, do you feel lucky yet? For those of you who didn't know, “The Year of the Dragon” is the year of empowerment. It is the fifth of twelve animal signs and is considered to be the luckiest of the Chinese Zodiac. But for me, it isn't about luck or empowerment, it is about being prepared and aware for if you are prepared and aware, then you will be ready to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. Time and again throughout my life, I have been called lucky. When I found the hundred dollar bill floating in the water was one time, but I found it because I was looking when the rest of my family were oblivious because they were lost in the moment and totally in the family reunion moment. I have also heard that I am lucky to be alive. While I believe that luck is generally nothing more than being a bit more aware of your surroundings and capabilities and prepared to seize upon any opportunities that might present themselves, there is something more. Is it karma or some special plan that God has for us? I cannot answer that but I can be ready. Last year’s rabbit had all of us scurrying a bit too much. So, like the dragon, here’s wishing you a magical 2012.

WARNING: NACHA is a GOTCHA!

Got this e-mail from transactions@nacha.org this morning:

The ACH transaction (ID: 2************), recently sent from your checking account (by you or any other person), was rejected by the other financial institution.
Rejected transaction Transaction ID: 2************
Rejection Reason See details in the report below Transaction Report report_ 2************.pdf.exe (self-extracting archive, Adobe PDF)
13450 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 100 Herndon, VA 20171 (703) 561-1100 2011
NACHA – The Electronic Payments Association

Being on a Mac, I was too worried about an executable file messing up my computer and even if I wanted to I couldn't do much with it. Still didn't want it hanging around. And since I haven't made many electronic transactions recently I was even more suspicious. I didn't bother calling the number at the bottom of the screen as I figured it was a phishing expedition. Besides, anyone could set up a bogus phone line and tell me whatever they wanted me to believe to get my information and… POOF… I am sold off into electronic slavery… no longer the owner of my own name. What I did do, and what YOU SHOULD do any time you receive ANYTHING that requests information or that you click on a report or "visit a site" through a link provided is search the internet. Check Snopes. They have proven reliable in the past but don't stop there, look for the name of the so-calle organization that sent it. See what others might be saying.

I did this and found that quite a number of others have received similar messages. One called the number at the bottom of the so-called official e-mail and got that quick busy signal that one sometimes gets when a phone is out of commission. Snopes had the story. Even the real NACHA seems to be warning people.

Hard times have hit this world. And with it have come a renewed onslaught of people going on phishing organizations. I get e-mail everyday telling me that I won a FIFA lottery, or that I can get millions if only I would allow a poor, dying man a place to deposit his money so I could carry on his noble cause. Be smart people. No one is going to give you money and you haven't won any competitions, especially if you didn't enter them.

Be smart. Be safe. Be ever vigilant.

Game of Thrones (HBO) - "Fear and Blood" teaser

Yes! Winter is Coming! This teaser is probably the best one to explain what The Game of Thrones is all about – especially the first season. It's only a month away now. Read more about the series at HBO or the Winter is Coming blog.

REVIEW: The Lost Gate

So, it is finished. This is the first of Orson Scott Card's Mithermages saga. Not having ever read Card in the past, I was completely in the dark as to what he had in store for me. I wasn’t disappointed as The Lost Gate is quite a good read overall. It will be on store shelves and shipping on January 4. There’s a nice follow-up in the back of the book by the author that explains that this story was 30 years in the making… and, for me, worth the wait. The story is described as contemporary urban fantasy. Normally, that would turn me off a bit. I like contemporary fiction and fantasy, but when those words are placed together along with the word urban, it just sounds like someone is trying too hard to be the next Twilight. YA novels generally get too syrupy for my tastes. Mither Mages is a creative attempt to tie all of the world’s mythology into one neat story. This particular tale focuses mainly on a teen named Danny. His family is part of the Norse mythology. An additional story line follows Wad, a mysterious young man who springs from a tree. Both discover that they are gatemages and learn what that means as the story progresses. By the book’s end their stories are tied together. Wad is a compelling character – full of mystery. He ends up living in the kingdom of Iceway. As for Danny, I didn’t much like him early on but his personally fits his character perfectly and Card’s writing quickly hooked me and made me want to know more. The dialog is believable, the characters interesting and the pace had me devoting more time to The Lost Gate than I had to spare. I couldn’t help feeling that there was a sense of doom following Danny and I kept waiting for one of the characters to “get him”. If you want to know more about the story see my earlier post, I have an exerpt, or check out the book's trailer. The world of the Mither Mages that Card has created will entertain readers for years to come. I can’t help but feel a bit helpless after reading this first in a series as I am currently invested in a number of other fantasy sagas and wonder where I will find the time for this new one. Speaking of other sagas, I have cracked open my Christmas present Towers of Midnight. It is the 13th and next to last in the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan. The last three installments are being finished by the very talented Brandon Sanderson. His last WoT novel, The Gathering Storm was the best that series offered in many years. The book is over 860 pages and with my work load what it is, George R.R. Martin may actually have enough time to finish his next installment in his long over due sage, A Song of Fire and Ice. As much as I am looking forward to reading A Dance with Dragons, I would rather the author take his time and do it right. I know I will be scrambling this April to get a look at the Game of Thrones on HBO. And before I finish, I must give props to Tor, the publisher of The Lost Gate, for going with something other than their traditional bad cover design. One final note, I received my advanced reading copy courtesy of the First Reads program from Goodreads.

Working at MOCA has been one of those dream jobs. For those who know me you've heard that sometimes those dreams are a bit on the nightmarish side what with the insane deadlines and shortened hours. Usually though, it has been a place to grow and learn and work with some amazing people. Being resourceful has also been one of the skills that I have had to hone. Often, a new idea for a fundraiser comes to MOCA all at once and we must all scramble to make things happen. The Art of the Dog was one such event. Unfortunately, it was one of those events that didn't quite make it out of the gate. All the MOCAteers worked like fire ants trying to make this happen but the plug was pulled. Perhaps it will happen this year.

The saying goes that there is always some kind of good that can be found in everything. Sometimes we really have to dig deep. The Art of the Dog made a lot of us extra work when we were all already working over capacity. Some were happy that it didn't happen. Today, I can say that this little doggy is wagging his tail as the logo that I designed for the event will be published in Logo Nest 01.

GOLO

This is a new logo I designed for a local initiative to promote and support locally owned and operated merchants in Jacksonville, Florida's urban core. GOLO refers to “going local”. The design is a contemporary take on nostalgic design.

Next on my Night Stand "The Lost Gate"

I've just started reading The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card. As I haven't read anything by this author yet I have no idea what to expect. I have high expectations though, as his Ender's Game and the followup Speaker for the Dead were both awarded the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, making him the only author (as of 2009) to win both of science fiction's top prizes in consecutive years.

So how did I decide to read his newest novel now? Especially when it hasn't yet been released? Well, last week I received an email from Goodreads. Tor, the publisher of The Lost Gate, chose a select few members a part of the First Reads promotion to recieve an advanced copy. First Reads is the Goodreads promotion that regularly gives away advanced copies to generate buzz for upcoming books.

I've reads the first few pages. It's still too early to comment. For now, here's an excerpt.

Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different, and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an outself.

He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins, and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.

There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English — but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.

Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family.

Over Snackarrinated

Last week the museum where I work, MOCA Jacksonville, held an opening for an amazing new exhibition called Imagination Squared. It was a huge collaborative effort by a wide cross-section of people. I participated, just barely, but I am so thankful that I pushed myself and got mine square in with only seconds to spare before the deadline. I am happy, too, not only because I am part of this great event, but also because this was the first time I used acrylics in over 20 years. I suppose it is a little like a bicycle… once you learn…

At any rate, this little painting seemed the perfect fit for this week’s Illustration Friday prompt. I would love to be saying that it is the start of a rededicated weekly practice, but life is still throwing fast balls and I'm still swinging. Soon, dear friends. Soon.

Sneak peak at the new RAP logo

Recently, I have been doing a lot of work as part of the Riverside Avondale Preservation marketing task force. We have been assessing every nook and cranny. Planning for the future and digging into the past which is only fitting seeing as how RAP's started out as a historic preservation organization. Since 1974 it has helped the residents navigate the city's historic preservation code. It started the popular Luminaria, Tour of Homes and recently launched the wildly successful Riverside Arts Market. But I digress… one of the things we realized is that we wanted a fresh, new look… something that would catch the spirit of the district… We still have a lot of work to do… many miles to go before we sleep.

The Nature of Social Media

There’s an interesting post over at Marketing Profs commenting on a whitepaper from 360i Digital Connections. The whitepaper, Twitter & the Consumer-Marketer Dynamic
is loaded with information on who uses Twitter and how it is used. You’ll have to put aside the fact that they only studied 1,800 tweets over a six month period when, by Twitter’s own numbers “Twitter has more than 100 million registered users that log a collective 65 million tweets each day.”

The interesting story that both the whitepaper and the commentary at Marketing Profs tell is that Twitter is used “primarily for people, not corporations. More than 90% of tweets come from consumers… and only 12% of consumer tweets mention a brand.”
Further, the study informs us that “…94% of tweets are personal (vs. professional/self-promotional), 92% of users keep their tweets public, and 85% of tweets reflect original content (non-RTs).” To me these numbers tell a pretty obvious story, but the whitepaper goes on to tell us that “the opportunity for marketers to become part of the conversation remains vast.”

Twitter, like all social networking sites is opt-in. That means, people are only there because they want to be there. Over at Facebook, the story is a little different. For now, you can “Like” a business or organization’s page and you will receive updates to your wall but you can still opt out if the story is not intriguing or delivering a payoff for listening to their message.

I believe that social networking has exploded in recent years because people are so inundated with advertising and marketing that they need a break and can now take it. If marketers jump in with their old models, they will soon find that their words are falling on deaf ears. Mad Men-style advertising, while fun to watch, is dead. The old agencies are sucking air and still blowing smoke but a new day is dawning. Listening is now the key and the consumer is taking back control.

The YouTube video was found while reading a post on Marketing Profs by Ann Hadley titled "Content Rules: One Key Element That Can Set Your Content Apart."

Ads

The Super Bowl was fun this year. No blow out. The ads were a little disappointing. There were some goods ones early on but it seemed, they slowly moved on. One we didn't see… no not the so-called "banned" one… was an ad from across the pond. It is worth taking a look…

Dragon

Dragons are mythical creatures that populate almost every culture on earth so I find it hard to believe that they have always been creatures of man's imagination. I do believe that there was once a creature that inspired all the stories and know that I would not like to meet it in the wilderness.

This is a logo that I created for a youth soccer team. Below the logo is a crest that the team used on their jerseys. For those of you who didn't know today is Appreciate a Dragon Day so it is only fitting that this logo finally makes an appearance. Is that my geekiness showing again? Can't help that.

I AM Still Alive…

I've been a little stuck recently. Work has kept me busy, as has the home remodel and family life in general. AND most recently, my wife and I spent a little time in Dublin, Ireland. It was a wonderful and much-needed trip. I think the holidays will be doing me in a bit for the next few weeks, but I will start the New Year’s Resolutions early, so hopefully, I will be posting more. I will definitely be writing more AND illustrating more as I now have three (possibly four) books to illustrate! Speaking of writing more, the image above is from the finished story I participated in via Twitter a while back. I am one of the Twitterverse as I contributed to the story at least four times. I'm not sure if I can now be categorized as a “published” author… but it was fun never-the-less. You can download the story at the BBC Audio America site.

IF – Flying

No time this week but I did come across some very interesting work over here. I am continually amazed by people's creativity. Speaking of which, I have been having great fun participating in a project by BBC Audiobooks America. I saw a post that read "You can write an original audiobook story on Twitter with New York Times Bestselling Author Neil Gaiman!" and since I do like a good read, I couldn't resist. Neil started out the story and let the Twitterverse take it from there. I've even managed to add a number of tweets to the storyline. If you are interested, you can catch up on the storyline at their blog, head on over to @BBCAA and get in on the fun. The project runs through Friday. At least that is where they believe it will end. The response has been great and they have exceeded their limit a number of times. I look forward to hearing the final story. From a social media aspect, the project has been a great success as well. So far, they have almost quadrupled their followers! Hope to catch you all again real soon.

Illustration Friday-GERMS!!!!

germ, n. A pathogenic microorganism; something that may serve as the basis of further growth or development: the germ of a project;

The first thing that sprang to mind was something that causes disease. And every day I look at the news and see that our world is diseased… too many people in this world claim to speak for God… claiming that their way is THE way… but it isn't just the radical Muslims spreading their poison, although we see their terror most visibly… we are almost all guilty of it… every time we judge another… every time we point our fingers… every time we turn our backs… every time we put ourselves first… every day…

John Steinbeck said “A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.” Too true. Life is moving way too fast… everyone feels it… we all need to slow down and think about the repercussions of our actions… take the time to see who we pass on the street… say hello to the stranger… smile… and let that be the germ that spreads… try it… you'll see…

Magnify – Illustration Friday

This is a recently completed illustration that I created for a series of lectures here at MOCA. It has been a while since I gave a talk but I KNOW that my fears are magnified when I step up in front of any crowds. And it doesn't matter how much I prepare, I still get the cold, clammy feeling. Thankfully, that feeling is quickly replaced, especially when I have connected with my audience.

Charles Vess

I've always been a big fan of artists like NC Wyeth, Frank Godwin, Virginia Sterritt and the like. Old school illustrators with talent to spare. They were before my time but copies of the books they illustrated sent me on my own incredible journeys and, I am quite certain, sparked the love of all things fantastic - books, comics, movies and more. They transport me back in time to when I was a pirate or a cowboy… times when I had less worry and responsibility… times gone by… For the most part, those artists have all left us. Some carry the tradition onward, thankfully. My fav is Charles Vess. Even his name is reminiscent of the masters from days gone by. His new book, Drawing Down the Moon is soon to be released. One of his many collaborations with author Neil Gaiman can be seen here with commentary from the artist. It is worth a look. I plan to get it when it is released.

Stefan Sagmeister: Yes, design can make you happy

The TED series is amazing. I have posted a few in the past. Sagmeister is brilliant here. He reminds me about the fun one can find in design… especially when you are open to new ideas.