Epiphany!
Posted by MrG | Filed under Uncategorized
I have been slogging through .php and MySQL for the past month trying to get a handle on it before I go “gold” with my new site. I feel a little embarrassed that I got this far studying digital media and not one of my teachers said,”Well, if you really want to make money designing website while you’re in school, you need to learn php and mySQL.” Eeek! It’s a must have. You will embarrass yourself if you cannot program a CMS (Content Management System)
Finally last night, all the pieces fell into place in my mind. I had kinds been walking around like a zombie for weeks while I took these courses. And then it all hit me. I now have the tools. For those who don’t know, a CMS is kinda like Facebook or MySpace and exactly WordPress; you log in on the internet and can edit write and manage your “public” webpage from a secure “backend”.
I’m glad it clicked, but I do feel a little let down that I got so far and had to figure this one out for myself.
MrG
Jimmy Crack and Corn
Posted by MrG | Filed under Editorial
I too tend to think the ADD/ADHD thing is a condition that we have caused in our children. And I think that the problem lays at the feet – wait for it, wait for it – of corn.
“What?!?” you say. Allow me to explain.
The United States produces 50% of the world’s corn. This is no accident. The government developed a program at the end of World War II that gave farmers incentives to plant at least 80% of their crop as corn. The government guaranteed prices and developed the infrastructure and technology to use this crop outside of the “butter-and-salt” of a backyard Barbaque. This allowed the US to cheaply establish a food reserve in case those lousy Russians tried to invade or we were under siege.
The government also developed the current strain of maize that makes it to your dinner table. With this hearty crop, we developed a way to make sugar (Corn syrup) and fed the left-overs to our livestock. Step back and take a look at your typical meal and you’ll start to realize that a large chunk of the vittles in our nation’s cornucopia derive from corn, an amazing 65% of what goes into the typical American diet. Corn metabolizes into sugar quickly and easily. When you eat corn, you are basically eating “sugar-on-the-cob”. When you eat a McDonalds burger, you are eating a cow who spent it’s life eating corn. When you drink your soda or your Budweiser, you are drinking corn.
Corn in itself isn’t a bad food. But as with anything, too much and you start to have problems. Add in the effect of technology, economic factors (2 income households:absent parents), and environmental conditions (plastics, chemical exposures, etc.) to a kid jacked up on sugar and you get kids that are hard to handle. You take them to your Pediatrician and describe you problems, the behavior modifications attempted, all with the exhausted eyes of a parent and BAM your kid is on some cocktail of heavy meds.
I believe ADHD/ADD are severely over-diagnosed (I’ve heard as much as 95% over diagnosed) and our reliance on little-understood brain medications give me pause. I don’t think that messing with brain chemistry of our children is good idea. I have seen ADHD kids (friends of my son) and they’re frightening to watch and I really don’t want my kid around these 6 year old crackheads. I watch as the parents angrily yell at their kid for some slight indiscretion or promise a sugary snack to bribe the kid to behave. No wonder these parents have wild kids. “If you don’t behave, I’ll beat you and if you do behave, I’ll give you a fix.”
Corn is kid crack.
Finally, the blog
Posted by MrG | Filed under Administrative Comment
Welcome to the final home of my production blog for MrGonz Productions. It’s been a busy week, arriving on a final design template for my business website. And finally getting the word press software installed on this sub-domain of forddesign.net.
Whew! In the end, I have to give my host some serious props. Initially I had to wait for phone help, but this didn’t take long. And to think that was a Monday! When I got to a support person, not only did he get my SSH questions handled, he steered me in the right direction for installing the WordPress software. In-and-out, the whole episode lasted 5 min according to my phone log. I must recommend Bluehost to anyone looking for a host.
The additional reason I put this here is because I promised my brother that I would help him do the same. I thought it would kill two birds with one stone to go through the steps myself. And it sure did. I’m ready to get my brother’s Wordpress blog up and running.
In addition, I have a new production that I will unveiling here soon. It will be an interactive whoopty-woo so you can take part. And as much as I would like it to be a 15 min reel in the can, it’s something a little less involved. I’d love to talk it up more, but I first must copyright the idea. It’s that cool.
Anyway – as I stated before - I will attempt to concentrate on this webpage with all the news you might want to know about the goings on of this intrepid digital media designer.
Oh, one more thing. I will answer tech questions here for anyone interested. The registration here involves very little, so I have set the commenting to registered users only. I will attempt to use the 1st Amendment as a template as far as exercising editorial control. Say what you want, just be respectful. Assume this as a 18+ only blog. Further rules to be posted I see the need arise.
When I finalize the “theme” (or CSS for those in the know) for both websites, I will apply it here. I might change it soon just so it doesn’t look so WordPress-y. Keep an eye out!
MrG
Tags: Intoduction
Let my geek flag fly
Posted by MrG | Filed under Editorial
$5 Gas
Posted by MrG | Filed under Editorial
When I saw the CNN tag line, I knew what gas station it was. I have filled up and had breakfast at this gas station too many times to count. Never does this report mention that the road to this station is perilous or the restrictions on heavy trucks on the road.
Nor do they mention that if you do run out of gas, none of the locals would help you. You’d be left walking for miles to find a phone (if you could) to call for help. And the nearest help is Morro Bay to the south or Carmel to the North. And it would be Carmel Valley (tucked deep behind the Carmel Highlands), not a Carmel-By-The-Sea tow truck. Or, maybe a Monterey or Seaside truck. Anyways, you’d be pretty much stuck for hours and once righted, you would then have to drive 50 miles of in the dark and fog while locals aggressively passed you on a narrow, cliff-top twisty road.
The locals use the Gordo Gas Station as a place to meet and get a cup of coffee, rarely buy gas. And the cookies on the counter are worth the drive!
I love where I live. I am not deterred by $5/gas.
Grrr…Seeking Inspiration
Posted by MrG | Filed under Random Act of Grumpiness
Some fucking type of block.
Last week on Tuesday I found myself sick. It took me until Friday to get back on my feet. And ever since, I cannot seem to sit down and do anything. No work. No art. No school.
Here I sit, one week since I came down with the awful yucks and I need to get a business plan done. I look at it and write a line. It is so exhausting, I have to take a break. When I come back to it, I can’t get back into what I was doing when I left.
This is so frustrating.
Art1
Posted by MrG | Filed under Random Act of Art
Retirement & School
Posted by MrG | Filed under Editorial
I have been working on an assignment for a class – a group project. The students were broken up into groups of 3 with the assigned task being to make a web page that sells an item. The item could be anything but must cost under $100.00. The instructor set up threads in the class forum for the each group to use.
When the threads opened up, I introduced myself to my group and threw out some ideas. I suggested that whatever it is, I’d like to use some humor. I think using humor in group projects allow people to get to know each other and because laughing is fun, makes the task more enjoyable thus makes people want to work on it.
This strategy works 99% of the time. I found the 1%.
After introducing myself, I went and grabbed both my teammates project folders on the class server. Both were nearly empty. One assignment turned in each. Each assignment sucked. Cue rolling of eyes and disappointment. I’m down with doing projects with other people, but I could already see I was going to be left to do it alone. Which was fine anyways, the site only needed 4 pages.
The following day I awoke to find a reply to my introductory post. I wasn’t alone despite what the folders hinted at…We got to work figuring out what our thing was. He suggested a digital tuner and a skateboard. I countered with medicinal gum and further suggested a Viagra gum. He went with it suggesting Booby Chew.
I mentioned that it probably wasn’t a good idea for a group of men to do a web page on Booby Chew. I followed up saying I was down with the gum and that he pick a flavor. Even though I wasn’t actually invested in the gum idea, I figured it was better to have some idea on which way to go than debating it endlessly. I posted and waited. And waited. Two days passed and I anxiously awaited his response, hitting refresh and counting down the hours until our proposal was due.
Our instructor joined in to remind us that the web page should be rated G and this set my partner off on a tirade. He accused me of sabotaging him in the class and went on to complain that he had spent 47 years of his life having to play well with others and that had he known that in an upper division web marketing class he would have to work with others he would not have signed up.
I have no patience for quitters and I told him so. I quickly figured out a different product and inserted the info in my proposal and site map and turned it in.
His freak out really got under my skin and I thought a lot about how it must feel to be a 65+ year old returning to school. I doubt he knew that I am 35 with a wife and a kid. I imagine his initial perception is that I was just some well-written punk 20-something whom the world revolves around – it does doesn’t it? – I too have made that mistake with my fellow online peers.
Anyways, all is right: My instructor moved me to another group who also came up with the same item. And it seems that team is firing on all cylinders. In fact, one of the members is someone I hold in high regard for their designs.
Anyways, it seems I should have a picture every once in a while on this page. Since I’m not in a “design trance” right now, I guess I’ll just follow my brother and hook up a pic of the day. So look out for that.
MrG
Alright, here we go…
Posted by MrG | Filed under Administrative Comment
Welcome to MrGonz’s corner. Please allow me to introduce this blog:
First and foremost, this will be a production blog for an upcoming short feature cartoon. I have been writing and boarding a ton of ideas lately and I feel I just need to pick one and get it done.
I have been studying Digital Media at my local community college. I haven’t really had the opportunity to apply any of these skills in the “real world”. – Not that a Wordpress blog is the “real world” – My goal is to become a cartoonist – Even if my fine art skills are questionable – and no one would ever hire a cartoonist that hasn’t done any cartoons.
Another reason is that I get a number of requests for my blog address. This may just be an effect of being involved with Digital Media, or maybe its that they find my demeanor entertaining but the actual real world experience is tad too intense. Better put some distance between me an this asshole. This whole notion that we should exchange blog addresses is fucking crazy to me. Who the fuck cares what I think? I sure as hell don’t care what you – weird guy from a party – fuckin’ think.
Additionally, my super-awesome-kick-ass-brother has a word-press blog and a some webspace and asked for my help. I tried but the shit just didn’t make sense because I had never had done this actually myself. I know I’ll figure it out if I force myself to do it. – This should really be reason number one
Finally, I’m starting to get lots of partners in various ventures. I feel it would be best if I chronicle what I’m doing. I feel that I don’t give myself credit for the time I spend thinking about stuff. This makes a lot of sense because I don’t actually have anything to show for the effort. I will try to journal the things I am doing fairly well here for myself and others.
If you’re reading this, I hope you’ll check it out at least occasionally. And by all means reply with comments. I will allow anything but spam.
MrG
Hello world!
Posted by MrG | Filed under Random Act of Grumpiness
Hello World?!? Like we’re learning code? Hmmm…