Monday, February 09, 2009

Public art that marks potential

...flood levels. Yikes. Even the pics work for me. This project sparked a post which considers other possible geographic superimpositions. The hiking path idea is quite appealing. I can picture it already. Mind you, I doubt if I'd wander down such a path. With my luck, the fault line would open.

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"Design is culture, and so is science."

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Speaking of design, this lovely little bird puzzles me.


It was a gift from Ariel. It sits here on my desk. I'm not sure how to use it. It has a big hole in the back of its head and a little hole in its mouth. A cream dispenser perhaps. Maybe a bud vase. Definitely not a pen holder.

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I just updated my outdated bio on my website, a site that's been terribly neglected since blogs came to be. Then, for the heck of it, I went from page to page to see just how stale the site is. I couldn't believe it. It's downright ancient. It belongs in that tomb with all those mummies. Some pages haven't been touched since 2003. Some content goes back to 2000. I'm tempted to pull it all down, but I'll think on it a while. I might just tidy things up. Eventually.

11 comments:

Shawna Lemay said...

There's some very cool stuff on your website! I loved the list of birds you've seen.

Brenda Schmidt said...

Thanks, Shawna! That list is quite outdated, too. I built the site from scratch after taking some web design courses and a web graphics course. That was back when screens were small and everyone was on dial-up. The idea was to create pages that would load quickly. Images were of the smallest file size possible. It was fun at the time and my exuberance shows. What I'm leaning toward this morning is declaring it a historic site. I'd do that on the index page and then just let the rest stand as is. According to the host's rules, I have to make changes at least once every six months or I could lose the free space and would have to pay to get it back. Fair enough. I'm pretty frugal. Besides, who knows where things will go or how I might want to use the space down the road.

Shawna Lemay said...

Free is definitely good. Your new look bio is very snappy btw. Would you make a new website? I feel like I'm still trying to figure all this stuff out...website, blogs, facebook...it's fun, but time consuming. (she says, on her way to write a blog post...)

Brenda Schmidt said...

Ya, free is very good. Thanks - when I set up this blog it said my name.blogspot wasn't available. I checked again a while back just for the heck of it and my name was available, so I put up a freshened bio there for now. As far as a new website goes, I don't think so. The trend right now, even for publishers, is towards blogs. They generate interest and I imagine the hope is that it will push traffic to their sites and other books. The blogs by Gaspereau Press (the latest post is great - I recognize that room from my Sage Hill time), Vehicule Press and Biblioasis do a fabulous job of this. My priorities are a bit different. I like changing content, comments and links to other blogs, so that's the kind of thing I want to offer. My online approach is pretty simple. I live on the fringe, geographically and otherwise, and I like it here. But contact with writers and readers is important to me, so being online has long been a priority. I've met so many people online. Like you. And through these links I find my way to books and news and then come new ideas. So yay for blogs! I feel pretty lucky. And richer.

Shawna Lemay said...

I agree - a blog is more conversational, more current. I also feel blessed (out here on my own fringe) to have connected with you and others. And finding fresh ideas, new books - it's a godsend for sure. I know I felt more isolated before all this technology...!

Brenda Schmidt said...

Indeed. And I have so much fun sitting here. We were just talking about Coach House's catchy video trailer for Expressway and wondering what a trailer for my last book might have looked like. H is shaking his head at my ideas. :)

Anonymous said...

I can't get the little ceramic bird out of my mind... I think it's for maple syrup or something sweet like honey.

Brenda Schmidt said...

Maple syrup! Yes! I can see it! The bird is the perfect size for a serving or two of syrup. You're brilliant!

Ariel Gordon said...

Well, I was sort of hoping that someday, when I'm sitting at your kitchen table, that you'll (okay, that H will) serve me a very very strong cup of tea. And then offer a dollop of cream in the little bird.

Maybe it's a water whistle!

(Heh.)

Brenda Schmidt said...

I'd dollop you with cream, alright. Oh wait, I mean wallop. And I ain't falling for that water whistle gag again! Funny once, no!

Rezzie said...

It looks like a Pie Bird, does it have a hole in the bottom? If not, perhaps a cream-pour to a tea set or somesuch? It's very cute eitherway!