Murals for The Library Initiative That Lures Bronx Schoolchildren

These sly foxes if I didn't already love libraries so much this would get me in there lickty split!

NEW RIDES AT GRAND CENTRAL!

But just until April 6th and they don't won't get you crosstown.

For two weeks starting this month, curious bits of automotive and art history will be in Manhattan. Four of BMW’s famous Art Cars, used as canvases by the artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg, will be at Grand Central Terminal. The pieces are part of a collection of 16 cars, from a 635CSi to an M1, that BMW has turned over to artists to reimagine since 1975 .

Display starts March 25th.

Find stories @ nytimes here by Phil Patton & here by RICHARD S. CHANG

a GOOGLE of a mistake

Well, Well, Well...seems the almighty iPhone, and it's internet ready counterparts, have finally crossed to the dark side and managed to thwart justice in the most unsuspecting way possible. The jurors were doing research!
Say it ain't irony because most individuals are using their smart phones to increase their knowledge on the case—checking definitions, background research, etc.

"Jurors are not supposed to seek information outside of the courtroom." Stories of jurors using twitter, facebook, wikipedia, and google to update outside parties of case happenings are "wreaking havoc on trials around the country."Judges have no choice but to declare mistrials, wasting countless weeks of work, time, and money.

They are required to reach a verdict based only on the facts that the judge has decided are admissible, and they are not supposed to see evidence that has been excluded as prejudicial. But now, using their cellphones, they can look up the name of a defendant on the Web, or examine an intersection using Google Maps, violating the legal system’s complex rules of evidence. They can also tell their friends what is happening in the jury room, though they are supposed to keep their opinions and deliberations secret.

These once herald devices are now becoming an uncontrollable nuisance to our system of government despite habitual warnings about seeking outside information during trials. But these warning come too late to our all too tech savvy/obsessed generation.

original article by JOHN SCHWARTZ "Mistrial by iPhone: Juries’ Web Research Upends Trials" NY Times

Book Turned Blog??

c/o Mr. Godin again, one of those "It's never too late" stories.
So stop feeling sorry for yourself, dust off your collected box of scrapped ideas & get cookin!


Story inspired by Mr. Kevin Kelly

DUN DA NA NAAAAA!!! TIME TO TALK SUPERPOWERS

OOH YEESSSSSSSS-After all these years it is true-we mere mortals indeed has superpowers!!! Sure, they may not be the ever popular flight or invisibility, but they nevertheless can make a lasting impression & could quite possibly save you from the impending doom of unemployment.



Here are a few powers you can start developing now:

1. WEB DESIGN

Web design is probably the most valuable skill to have as a graphic designer. It will open up a large new client base for you, allow you to create and update your portfolio site and much more. Being fluent in web design and multiple coding languages will not only make it easier to keep steady work from home, but will make you much more attractive to potential employers who are looking to cut costs by finding multi-talented designers.

2. ILLUSTRATION

Designers often have backgrounds in fine art such as drawing and illustration, but end up putting their focus on commercial graphic design which can create a disconnect from their fine art origins. Keeping your illustration skills sharp or becoming a better illustrator will allow you to create more creative designs, do freelance illustration work and even sell stock illustrations online! Plus you can save money doing your own illustrations for your graphic and web designs.

3. ONLINE MARKETING

Online marketing is an essential skill for anyone looking to make the most of their freelance design business. Knowing the latest marketing tactics will help you gain exposure, name recognition and more clients. There are dozens of easy ways to increase traffic to your portfolio site and not taking advantage of them would be a very big missed opportunity!

4. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

This is an often over looked skill for any business. Anyone who has an online business presence should research search engine optimization and even if you pay some one its good to know what its all about and how to do it correctly. Bad search engine optimization tactics can hurt your site badly and produce no results, but good SEO can provide you with a steady stream of new clients and really take you to the next level

5. BLOGGING

Starting a blog is probably the easiest and best thing you can do to increase awareness of your portfolio. Knowing about web design, online marketing and search engine optimization, which we mentioned above will help you turn your blog into a powerful and useful tool as opposed to a waste of time. You need to research blogging before hand, optimize your blog, post regularly and promote your blog posts in order to achieve maximum results.

*additional abilities & must haves
include networking-do you attend seminars??-sales, marketing, accounting, tax strategies, database management.

HAVE SOMETHING THAT SETS YOU APART FROM THE PACK!

(powers c/o youthedesigner.com)

Don't Be Dispensable

If you are going to be some type of advisory middleman-make sure you're a good one & have a reputable name for yourself. (If you don't work on making one & make it dependable).

In his blog Mr. Godin observes that, the once lucrative, agent position is dwindling down & outright disappearing. Why? Because most are "anonymous and interchangeable and virtually worthless". Most nowadays equate to a ten minute google search. Great agents provide "differentiated service that is worth paying for" and "hyper-specialize".

To thrive in a world of self-service, agents have to hyperspecialize, have to stand for something, have to have the guts to say no far more than they say yes. No, you can't publish this book. No I won't represent you. No, don't take that flight. No, I won't sell this house, it's overpriced, list it yourself

It also correlates with who the agent is selling to. What's the market? Godin believes when markets change, agents can lead the way, not follow along grudgingly.

*cough...that goes for designers too...cough*

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Class Happenings: We're Engage...ing

At this point-it's time for the infamous powerpoint!!!!-DUN.DUN.DUN!

Tips from dr.k:

1. prepare a story-the presentation should be engaging

_well...that's pretty much it. besides individual class directions (which would be not to wait until our actual device is finished to start the powerpoint.)

now if you would excuse me.