Yahoo abandones MyBlogLog – Can it be saved?

IN THE NEWS


I'm not surprised, with all the cuts and budget woes around the world, that Yahoo has decided to cut some its online properties, including the built-by-bloggers 'MyBlogLog' – an important and useful service built and used by bloggers and necessary for tracking, connecting and reaching out to the world.

Currently, MyBlogLog, a free blog listing service offered by Yahoo for bloggers to list their blogs and communicate with other bloggers, is going to be shut down. According to the Yahoo! Finance page (Feb. 24, 2011) by Joseph Tartakoff, 'the shut down does not speak well to the company's track record with acquisitions. Yahoo purchased MyBlogLog, which let users connect with fellow visitors to specific blogs, for roughly $10 million three years ago. As we've outline before, Yahoo has given up on at least six companies it bought, including Maven Networks, which it purchased in February 2008 for $160 million and Geocities, which it bought for $3.6 billion.'

Now, from what I can make of it, the owners of BlogCatalog – another free listing for bloggers by bloggers – wants Yahoo to negotiate a deal with them to save the company and all the time and work bloggers have put into building it. Plus, it would expand the both networks for bloggers if these listing sites were under one 'umbrella.'

If the CEO of BlogCatalog, Tony Berkman, can get someone at Yahoo to meet with him and cut a deal, BlogCatalog plans to improve MyBlogLog with the following services and upgrades:

• maintain MyBlogLog as a distinct site
• improve the design and user functionality
• strengthen and grow the MyBlogLog distributive social network
• promote the best features of MyBlogLog to BlogCatalog members
• expose the MyBlogLog community to BlogCatalog opportunities

Basically, BlogCatalog wants to keep MyBlogLog what it is and what it means for bloggers and Yahoo is not even playing ball by coming to the table. Allegedly, Yahoo is collecting as much personal information from new and existing users, then plan to shut down the site, all together.

The Power of Blogging

One thing is for sure: there is power in blogging. As part of an online organization called 'Bloggers Unite,' I received information regarding this closure. Through the power of blogging, BlogCatalog hopes to make a deal with Yahoo and keep MyBlogLog alive and online with little to no interruptions for bloggers.

What do you think? Do you blog or have a blog? Weigh in on this issue and tell us what you think.

For more information about this post, or if you are a blogger and would like to support 'BloggersUnite,' please visit BloggersUnite.org.
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Yahoo BlogCatalog Open Public Offer to Keep MyBlogLog's Doors Open
Yahoo! Finance - Yahoo Is (Finally) Shutting Down MyBlogLog

The age of automobiles: is it over, yet?

General Motors has teamed up with Segway scooters for
Project P.U.M.A. – a two-wheeled 'personal urban mobility
and accessibility' vehicle.

With all the bad stuff we know about gas and oil, what it does to our planet and to our bank accounts, doesn't it seem a little silly spending what little hard-earned money you have left to register your automobile, fill the tank, pay for insurance, etc.? How about when you're sitting in traffic (sometimes for hours) on roads and freeways that are in desperate need of constant repair? Again, more money.

It seems that with all the latest in technology, automobiles are primitive in comparison. They take up lots of room. They cost lots of money to maintain and operate. And, they are all too frickin' big. Even my sports car that only has an emergency back seat (I say emergency because that is all it's good for – no one wants to ride back there on purpose) is too big. And, don't get me started on SUVs.

My point is that automobiles are large, costly, environmentally unfriendly machines that are cumbersome and seemingly impractical by todays standards. We sit in lines waiting for ill-planned traffic lights to guide us along without purpose and we pour onto highways with other drivers whose driving skills our less than adequate and some don't carry insurance.

The solution is to get younger generations interested in science and technology, and hope that one of them has a breakthrough with modern travel and how we get around. The government should also be giving huge incentives to people and families who work close to home (within a 5-mile radius), drive less than 5,000 miles a year and own cars that weigh less than 2,500 pounds (average cars today weigh approximately 4,000 pounds, on average (in the 1970's the average had fallen more than 20 percent, to 3,000 pounds).

This post is hypocritical, I have to admit, because I still have a need for my automobile and have not made the leap to mass transit. Soon, Los Angeles will have a mass-transit system that will rival what we had with the Red Car Line, one-hundred years ago.

In 2009, EliteChoice.org posted an article that talks about a collaboration between General Motors and Segway scooters, to design a two wheeled vehicle which promises to be accident free. The two seater vehicle intends to take over from the world of cars making them obsolete. It is called Project P.U.M.A. (Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility) and it involves a communication system that allows vehicles on the road to interact with each other, reducing the possibility of traffic jams and accidents. This two-seater vehicle is powered by a lithium-ion battery and can cruise at speeds of 35mph. On a single charge, the vehicle can go up to 35 miles.

I'm not saying that the P.U.M.A. is necessarily the exact, right solution, but it's a darn good idea and a good place to start. Don't you think?

For more detailed information on the Segway P.U.M.A., please visit their site at Segway.com.

To read the complete article posted on EliteChoice.org, please click here.

What is an Art Director and why should you use one?

I don't get asked these questions much, which is why I am blogging about it, but I think anyone about to hire a designer should be asking themselves these questions before they spend money on a logo design, branding or advertising design for any business.

There are several different types of art directors for different types of industries. There are art directors in advertising, film, animation and the like. So, for sake of argument, this post is about advertising art directors.

What is an art director?

An art director is in charge of the overall visual appearance and how a project communicates visually. They make decisions about visual elements and artistic style. It is the art director's responsibility to translate desired moods, messages, concepts and underdeveloped ideas into imagery.

Graphic design is fun, and for most, it's the part of creating or reinventing a business that is the most creative and rewarding. But understanding the goal and having the skills to decipher, design and implement the message is serious business. A well deciphered, designed and branded business will almost always do better than its competitors. Not everyone can do it. And, because taste is a big part of it, the final product can vary from art director to art director, so do your homework.

A legitimate art director should have a site where potential clients and/or employers can go and check out his or her work at their leisure. Especially, if they are in business for themselves. You can tell a lot about a person's skill set and taste level by their web site and the work they show on it. Make sure you work with an art director who's work aesthetic matches your taste level and vice versa.

A good art director can get your brand noticed and elevate it to the level of a Starbucks, Apple or any other well designed and designated brand. The ability to develop interesting and compelling concepts that make a product or service stand out is one of the many things that a good art director can do that even a skilled graphic designer can not do.

Wikipedia says that a good art director is expected to have graphic design judgement and technical knowledge of production and that it may not be necessary for an art director to hand-render comprehensive layouts due to the age of computers. But, I disagree. Art director's don't have to be illustrators, this is true. But, an art director should be able to convey their message on a scrap piece of paper in the middle of a meeting, if necessary.

Great art directors can easily convey their vision to a large group of people, write clear and concise creative briefs, keep everyone on track, jump in the trenches and be up-to-date on the latest trends, software and techniques.

During a time when budgets are shrinking and both companies and consumers are demanding more, hiring the right person for your design and branding needs is crucial. It can mean the difference between getting your business noticed or getting lost in the 90-percent of bad design that's out there. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Before you hire a graphic designer to help you with your next project, consider hiring a hands-on art director, instead. You'll get a big-picture thinker who is up on current design trends that can get your brand right, the first time. I'm just sayin'.

Client Speak II: More of what your client's really mean

In 2009, I wrote a post titled, 'Client Speak,' which was mainly a chart that focused on things a client or an art director might say vs. what they really mean.

Recently, I joined the group 'Communication Arts' on LinkedIn and I noticed lots of people commenting on a post that asks, 'Terms in graphic design that drive you crazy.' Many of the comments were very funny, yet true and tragic. Therefore, inspiring this new post.

As commercial artists, we deal with comments like these on a daily basis. Whether you are working for yourself and dealing directly with the clients, or you are in-house at an agency or studio dealing with an account executive or an art director, there are certain 'phrases' or 'terms' that people love to throw around for some reason. As if, no one knows what they are really saying.

I hope these make you laugh and that, as artists, you can relate to some of these encrypted messages. It's getting harder and harder to make a buck and earn a living these days, especially in a down economy. These are only a few of the many excuses and coded messages that I am sure you are all too familiar with. Enjoy!

Client Speak - L.A. Link (archives), December 2009

Los Angeles is located in earthquake country - be prepared

With the recent, unheard of phenomenon of an 8.9 magnitude quake in Japan, Angelenos should always be prepared for the worst case scenario. What happened in Japan is a warning of what is possible and we should all take heed.

According to Ready America, it could take hours, even days, before you could get help in a catastrophe-type emergency and we should all be prepared. If and when a catastrophe happens in Los Angeles, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, a week, or longer.

GET A KIT

Recommended items to include in a BASIC emergency supply kit:

• Water - one gallon of water per person, per day for at least three days, for drinking and santitation
• Food - at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask - to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Additional items to consider adding to an emergency supply kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formulas
• Pet food and extra water for pets
• Important family documents
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Sleeping bag or warm blankets.
• A complete change of clothing
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper - when diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or, in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Personal hygiene items and feminine supplies
• Paper and pencil

MAKE A PLAN

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what to do in different situations.

• Identify and out-of-town contact.
• Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins, or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.
• Teach family members how to use text messaging.
• Subscribe to alert services.

Whether to stay or go

Depending on the catastrophe and your individual circumstances, one of the first important decisions is whether to stay where you are or evacuate. It is important to know and understand both possibilities. Use common sense and available  information to determine if there is an immediate danger.

BE INFORMED

Most of the basic things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family emergency plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency.

However, there are important differences among potential emergencies that will impact the decisions you make and the actions you take. Learn more about the potential emergencies that could happen where you live and the appropriate way to respond to them.

In addition, learn about the emergency plans that have been established in your area by your state and local government.

Emergency preparedness is no longer the sole concern of earthquake prone Californians and those who live in the part of the country known as 'tornado alley.' For Americans, preparedness must now account for man-made disasters, as well as natural ones. Knowing what to do in an emergency is an important part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

For more information on being prepared, please visit www.Ready.gov.
And please bookmark 'DisasterPreparedness101' by Fire Capt. Wayne Bennett who specializes in Disaster Survival Skills.

The Spring equinox is near

My flowers are blooming and Spring is in the air.
Daylight savings is Sunday, March 12 and the
Spring equinox is Sunday, March 20, 2011.

My favorite time of the year is fast approaching. With daylight savings this weekend, Sunday March 12, 2011, and the Spring equinox the following Sunday, March 20th, the days seem brighter, already.

I think it's my Papago Indian blood that makes me crave the warmth of the hot sun. In any case, I am thrilled that the darkness is finally being lifted. It was a record 81-degrees today in Los Angeles and Spring is in the air!

Oh, we'll probably have our April showers and June gloom, but for Los Angeles, Spring is the best time of year, as far as I am concerned.

Soon, I'll be back to a normal gym routine (when it's cold, I can't seem to get to the gym). But, when it's warm, I can walk. Then, I'll be walking to the gym before noon, if my schedule allows.

This is where we can sit on our front deck for sun
or just to relax and read.

At a time when it feels like we are always losing something, it is nice to have gorgeous weather when we wake up and on our drives to work in the morning. It makes everything feel just a little bit better, don't you think? We get warmer, brighter, clearer days, and it's free.

If you live in or near Hollywood, the once called 'Madrone' building on La Brea, near Hollywood, is almost finished...finally. It was a long haul, but I am happy to see that someone put in the money and the time to finish the project. It seemed almost too big to fail, especially in its current location. That's hot property! I'm sure the views are incredible, too.

I've had this old bench for more than 10 years now.
I love it with the plants seated happily on top.

Hollywood, and the canyons that dwell nearby, are at their most perfect in the Spring. If you're an outdoors type of person, then you must be happy that Spring is near, too. It's time for bike riding, hiking, and rides along the coast.

Remember to thank the universe for the little things. They are almost all we have left.

Do you know TED?

A small non-profit dedicated to 'ideas worth spreading' started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Today, there are two annual conferences – one in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and one in Edinburgh UK each summer – each TED conference brings together the world's most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

Their mission is spreading ideas to change attitudes, lives and the world. TED.com is a clearinghouse of FREE knowledge and inspiration from the world's most inspired thinkers, and a place for people to engage with ideas and each other. The site itself, launched in 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress and they are open to new suggestions.

The springtime TED Conference in Long Beach and simulcast in Palm Springs, is at the heart of TED. More than a thousand people attend and the content has expanded to include science, business, the arts and the global issues facing our world. Over four days, 50 speakers each take an 18-minute time slot, with shorter presentations in music and comedy, in between. All the knowledge is an intricately interconnected whole.

With video conferences recorded and organized in themes that include technology, entertainment, design, business, science, culture, arts and global issues. Some of the speakers include Madeleine Albright, J.J. Abrams, Richard Branson, Bill Clinton and many, many more.

If you're a creative-minded person and haven't heard of TED (like I had not), then it's worth taking a minute to visit the site and bookmark it for the future or a time when you can sit down and dedicate 18-minutes for a talk from one of their many inspirational speakers.

• The most recent post is about a French street artist called, JR, who uses his camera to show the world its true face, by pasting photos of the human face across massive canvases.
• One video 'talk', posted February of 2011, is from Bill Gates on how state budgets, particularly California's, affect the quality of education in our schools.
• In January of 2011, Anthony Atala made a presentation on growing human organs in laboratories. From muscles to blood vessels to bladders, and more.

If you're interested in anything about the future or what is possible, make sure to check out what's on TED.com.

HBO's documentary REAGAN is worth watching

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, Independent or Green, it is important to revisit the past to see the future more clearly.

Currently, on HBO's OnDemand, is an HBO Documentary, 'Reagan,' that is a fresh examination of the fascinating paradoxes that surrounded the man, the myth and his legacy.

Produced, written and directed by Eugene Jarecki, 'Reagan' follows the 40th president's rise from small-town lifeguard to revered architect of the modern world. According to HBO's web site summary, Jarecki balances the conflicting versions presented by colleagues, historians, supporters and family, while combining archival footage, never-before-seen interviews and the words of Reagan himself, Jarecki assembles a rich portrait of a contradictory figure who spun his movie stardom into political gold and became the leader of the free world.

Jarecki also explores how Reagan's personal beliefs aligned with his public policies and finds that this loyal-believer of conservative family values was also quietly open-minded on social issues.

Since leaving office in 1989, Reagan's name has become a mantra for Republican politicians seeking credibility, symbolizing a return to traditional values and a strong stand in the culture wars against liberal 'elites.' But the truth, as Jarecki reveals, is far more complex.

With the recent financial troubles our country has been facing, it helps to look back and remember how we got here in the first place. Every vote that passes or doesn't pass; every win and/or loss in every election, outlines our future and success, or probable demise, in this country.

For more on HBO's 'REAGAN,' please visit their site at HBO.com.

Restaurant Review: Baby Blue's B.B.Q.

Located at 7953 Santa Monica Blvd., 'Baby Blues BBQ' is worth a visit.

Platters: $20
Sandwiches: $10
Cleanliness: Good
Location: West Hollywood
Food: Southern BBQ

I have been dying to try this place and so I finally went for some chow with a group of friends to Baby Blue's BBQ in West Hollywood. And, it was great!

Located at 7953 Santa Monica Blvd., just west of Fairfax in the old 'Cha Cha Cha' location, Baby Blues B.B.Q. was a nice and welcome change from the usual California cuisine offered in Los Angeles. No pretense here, just good 'ol BBQ! The place even has an authentic, Southern feel, complete with burlap covered barstools, wooden chairs hanging from rafters, and a full bar for your drinking pleasure, complete with two large flat screens at either end.

But, the real reason you should go to 'Baby Blues BBQ' is for the food. OMG...the food barely made it to the table before we all devoured it like dogs. We were starving and the food was delicious! I had a Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich with half sweet potato fries and half regular fries, with a side of BBQ baked beans. Everyone else had ribs with fried okra and mashed potatoes. It was all terrific and the service was pretty good, too. Considering, we were there early and there was hardly anyone sitting down having dinner. But, the best part were the sauces. There were four sauces on the table: BBQ, sweet, hot and XXX. And, part of the fun was trying and mixing the sauces together (or so my friends thought). I stuck to the old fashioned BBQ and was not disappointed.

We didn't have any dessert, although we did notice the sign with four different types of pies. I don't know if there are always the same, so you should check to see if they have, or will have, your favorite when you go.

All in all, we had a great meal at Baby Blues BBQ in West Hollywood and we will be going back again for our next BBQ craving. I recommend you try Baby Blues BBQ and let us  know what you thought of it.

For more information, menus and directions, please visit their cool web site at www.BabyBluesWH.com.

Mixing business with friendships – Is it possible?

How many times have you done business with a friend and ended up regretting it in the end? When it blows up, and you know it will, someone will inevitably get the shorter end of the stick. And, for what? Over money? Ego? Both?

As an artist, doing business with friends means you should be prepared to learn how little your friends value what you do. Like some clients, your friends think that because you own a Mac, you can just tell it what you want and it designs it for you in a flash. But, we all know that is not true. It is simply a misconception made by the popularity and obtainability of Apple products to the mass of consumers in the last decade.

The Partnership

Based on some quick research I did on the web regarding the subject, the consensus is that 'businesses set up by friends tend to have a higher failure rate than other start ups, not least because friends often make allowances for each other in a way they would never do with someone with whom they have a purely professional relationship,' said an archive from the London Times.

Yeah...because everyone wants something 'extra' out of it. Something for nothing. Partnerships with friends are like relationships: if you don' t communicate well, have similar goals, similar ethics, interests and priorities, then you might as well forget about it. It's all about chemistry and how well you can communicate you thoughts and ideas.

But like the archive from the Times says, 'think hard before you take the plunge. Just because you went backpacking round Australia together, doesn't mean you will have the same ideas about running a business.'

Employee/Employer

It's hard to tell which is a more difficult position to be in: the friend who employs another friend; or, the friend who is employed. But, one thing is for sure – it's not pretty.

This situation is particularly sensitive if the rules are not outlined and agreed to prior to working together. The employer will try and get something 'extra' out of the employee (because they're friends) and the employee will want something 'extra' from the employer (because they are friends). Again, similar interests, ethics, goals and priorities are a must. Both parties must be interested in helping the other party succeed, otherwise, what's the point?

Determining Value

This is the hardest part of doing business with a friend. In most cases, the 'value' scale will be tipped one way or the other. Rarely, and mostly with partnerships that work, does each party involved hold the other in the same or higher regard and value. In other words, your friend may not see the same value in your capabilities as you do; or, you may not see value in theirs. Either way, determining value and how much you are worth is important to establish from the beginning of any working relationship.

For example, if you were bartering with a friend who is a dentist and they want a logo design, stationery and a web site in exchange for dentistry, your friend the dentist needs to know what the comparable dollar amount really is so that you don't end up with just a cleaning and maybe a root canal. My point is, determining value early in the working relationship will help clear up any future discrepancies.

There have been successful business relationships that started as a friendship. Think Google, Yahoo! and even Apple, but those cases are rare and far between.

Think twice before you do business with a friend, but make sure you outline everything in writing before you do. It helps keep both you and the your friend on the same track and there is something to refer to, when necessary.
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How to mix business and friendship – Matthew Rand, Forbes.com
Mixing friends with business can be hell – Rachel Bridge, The Times, London (archive)

Featured Artist: RICH SILVERMAN

Featured artist Rich Silverman is an Emmy award-winning
writer/experience designer on the groundbreaking 'Heroes Evolutions'
alternate reality game.

This month's featured artist is a link from my past gig at NBCUniversal. His name is Rich Silverman. You see, someone close to Rich is also a good friend of mine whom I met while I was at NBC –  hence, a friendship was born.

Recently, I noticed that Rich had a link to his new web site on LinkedIn, and I was so impressed that I decided to reach out and ask if I could feature him and his work on L.A. Link. Thankfully, Rich said, 'yes.'

Rich received a degree in film from Chicago's Columbia College – innovation in the visual, performing, media, and communication arts – and worked in film development as a script analyst for Beacon Films ('The Hurricane,' 'Bring It On').

As a Senior Writer for NBC.com, Rich earned an Emmy award for his work as experience designer and lead writer on the groundbreaking 'Heroes Evolutions' alternate reality game. He crafted episode recaps, developed games, conducted interviews and oversaw all of the site's copy, including the home page, as well as written content for special projects like Jay Leno's Garage and SNL Backstage.

'The Gothom Times' was one of many pieces created
for 'Why So Serious? campaign.

Rich also had the privilege of working as a member of the 42 Entertainment team that developed and produced the most successful alternate reality game ever created for 'The Dark Knight.'

He created the original story and co-wrote content for the game, 'Stop the International' – a transmedia project developed by 42 Entertainment for the film 'The International' – and worked on an experience that supported Sony PlayStation's 'Resistance II: Fall of Man' videogame.

Rich is a great guy. He is uber-creative and super-easy to get along with. He's smart, talented and I believe he holds a Disneyland annual pass so you know he's got to be a lot of fun, too.

Please take a moment to check out Rich's work online and send him a 'shout-out' if you like what you see.  Thank you, Rich, for letting us feature you on L.A. Link.

For more on Rich Silverman, please visit his site at www.richsilverman.com.