Color illusions
Posted on July 30, 2005
Filed Under Design | 1 Comment
>Our perception of colour is strongly affected by the surrounding colours.
From a [pretty neat demonstration page](http://www.echalk.co.uk/amusements/OpticalIllusions/colourPerception/colourPerception.html) (via [Lex](http://www.thefriedmans.net//blog/comments/its_all_an_illusion)).
This is so interesting me. Color is so much about expectation and relationships. Light is reflected in a certain range and our brain interprets that range to match information that we know by comparison. We know “green” because it’s the grass, the trees, a granny smith apple. We know it’s green because we have a point of reference. But how do I really know that what I’m seeing as “green” is what everyone else is seeing? It’s green because in my childhood, items that reflected light to my eye in this range were identified to me as “green” and I saw the consistency between those items and knew that anything that looked like this was henceforth “green.”
So in illusion 3, no matter how hard I try to convince my brain that it’s seeing two gray joints, my eyes are still sending the signal to my brain that what I see is yellow. For all I know what I see as yellow is magenta to someone else, but yellow is its name.
Fascinating.
Only in Stamford
Posted on July 30, 2005
Filed Under Life | Leave a Comment
I still read the [Stamford Advocate](http://www.stamfordadvocate.com) to keep up with the comings and goings of my old hometown.
This is [one for the record books](http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-pot4jul31,0,116109.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines):
> STAMFORD — Police said a 21-year-old Stamford man placed a $1,500 stash of marijuana under a rock outside police headquarters Thursday morning prior to an appearance in nearby state Superior Court.
>When Daniel Garcia of 985 Shippan Ave. returned two hours later, all he found was a note reading: “You’re under arrest. Look up at the police station,” according to Lt. Jon Fontneau, commander of the department’s narcotics and organized crime division.
>Two police officers watching from inside headquarters then went out and placed Garcia under arrest, Fontneau said.
The quote from the guy’s dad is priceless:
> “I know my son has done some bad things,” Armando Garcia said, “but I did not train him to be this dumb.”
Vista fonts
Posted on July 29, 2005
Filed Under Uncategorized | 4 Comments
I’m not getting near the “my OS can beat up your OS” debate. I’m too busy. But there’s one thing that Microsoft Longhorn/Vista gets right and that’s the screen fonts. I’m constantly futzing with my screen fonts trying to get something that’s more readable. There are six new fonts with Vista, announced quite some time ago…Calibri, Cambria, Candara, Consolas, Constantia and Corbel.
Someone has packaged them for [XP and earlier](http://test.uxevolutions.info/zoronax/entries/10) and I’m so desperate for a legible screen font that I threw caution to the wind and installed them.
Not baaaad. Didn’t take me long and I’m going through all my applications and making Consolas my fixed width choice, Constantia my serif choice and Calibri my sans serif choice.
You can [learn more](http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=47&aid=78683) about the fonts here.
Give me a break
Posted on July 28, 2005
Filed Under Entertainment | 2 Comments
[Oh please.](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050727/ap_on_hi_te/video_game_lawsuit)
>NEW YORK - A woman upset that she bought the video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” for her 14-year-old grandson without knowing it contained hidden, sexually explicit scenes sued the manufacturer Wednesday on behalf of consumers nationwide.
>Florence Cohen, 85, of New York, said in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the game’s manufacturer, Rockstar Games, and its parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc., engaged in false, misleading and deceptive practices.
Like “Grand Theft Auto” was suitable for her 14 year-old grandson *before* he unlocked the “hot coffee” thing?!? What message do we sent our kids…it’s okay to brutally and graphically kill and maim everything in your path as long as you don’t have sex?
Truth is, like smokers’ lawsuit the so-called plaintiff was probably handpicked by folks with deep pockets who want to prove a point. Not that I disagree with the point, but let’s call it for what it is. I can see the lawyers, “Okay, now we just have to find a sympathetic 85 year-old grandma-type who is willing to get her name in the papers.”
I agree with the rating changing to “Adults Only.” But personally, I think it should have been AO all along. Why does a sex scene cross a line that role playing that you’re chopping off someone’s head and watching the blood spurt out all over the place doesn’t? If anything, the sex scene is tame and consentual and one of the least disturbing elements of the game (or so I’ve heard…wouldn’t dream of giving in to my curiousity and watching one of the many movie clips of it that are available online).
He gets it!
Posted on July 24, 2005
Filed Under Life | 3 Comments
Sometimes, the [old man](http://www.9to5andotherwise.com) is [as smart as he looks:](http://www.9to5andotherwise.com/lifeoverip/archives/2005/07/who_runs_interf.php)
>My wife, as you know, runs a graphic design firm. From time to time, she gets a bit stressed balancing the deliverables and deadlines of her clients. For a while, I found that curious; multitasking is such a given in any business. I’ve always juggled multiple tasks and never sweated making deadlines.
>I thought perhaps it was a matter of also having to deal with the kids. Now, I realize that that’s not the problem. When I had multiple time-sensitive tasks, they all were within the same firm; I could always rely on a manager to help reprioritize and reschedule work if push came to shove.
>A small business owner has to be both running back and offensive line (to carry forth the subject line analogy). Not only do you have to execute, you also have to choose what to work on at any time - and to block the other people who are trying to tie you up.
Exactly. On top of that, throw in the challenges of working out of a home office. Yes, there are upsides. I get to work barefoot on most days (I hate wearing shoes). I can listen to an episode of Angel on one computer while working on another and no one will give me a hard time (I just bought Seasons 4 & 5 on DVD, completing
I’m not going to go out and get a “real” job anytime soon. For starters, I couldn’t make as much working in an office as I do here within the hours I have for working. When all the pros and cons are on the paper, momathome wins. But it’s not all roses by any stretch.
