About.me

It may not be news to some of you, but for those of you that have passed up creating an About.me account  - go create one now! Since starting school at Full Sail University a couple years ago, I have had to really learn to prioritize how I spend my time - and with who. It sucks a lot of times because I'm not able to get out of my normal routine much & meet new people. With that, in addition to being an introvert, life tends to get rather dull at times. The normal conversations that people typically have when first getting to know one another bore the hell out of me. I can't help it, I'd rather take a beating. With that said...About.me has been a great reminder for me that people with intellect are still "out there". Go ahead, sign up & take a look around...they have a great "Explore" option & it's true folks! People are out there doing "stuff" LOL Enjoy & let me know what you think!

P.S.
Check out my About.me - About.me/dgfrench

Reading Nerdiness

Among several books I'm reading, the one that I've spent the most on recently is The Fifth Agreement and I must say - reading this AND learning a new programming language at the same time is interesting. Yes, I had to throw a little computer nerdiness in here too. ;)  At any rate, the book is about the agreements that we make with ourselves without even realizing it & how they affect our perspective on ourselves & the world in general. It has made me realize how much I judge myself based on others or what is "expected" from society, and really look within to start figuring out just what it is I want to do with my life. Helluva time to start, at 37, but I figure better now than never. I haven't gotten too far into the book, or the companion book, so I really can't go deep with this just yet....however, I'd LOVE to hear from those of you who have read it or are currently.

Giant Step for Web Type

Every now and then somebody makes a little dent in the universe that really catches my eye, and Typecast has done that for me this morning. I know, I know...nobody really gives a damn...but it's true! I just don't get impressed, much less excited, about too much. With that said, I have a confession to make - I love typography. I can't help it! I'm one of those people that look at the ads in magazines usually more than I read the actual articles.

Okay, so...the guys (and gals?) at Typecast have come up with a way to just damn near eliminate the writing of CSS from what I can tell. Don't let me steer you wrong though, go check it out & let me know if I'm wrong. From my perspective, it's for those of us that are still stuck in the middle between letting go of the old HTML ways & fully grasping the shiny new HTML/CSS ways. Yes, I know. I should've done all this by now, but I didn't ...and while I'm coping with growing pains... wallah! Typecast  ;)

Unlearning

I'm not even sure that "unlearning" is a word but I have definitely come to realize that learning new ideas in place of the old ones is quite a chore. In the past few years I've done quite a bit of unlearning & can't say that I recommend it but it sure as hell beats the alternative if something isn't working for you anymore. It takes time and I've gained something I really never thought I have - patience. The trick for me has been to keep doing the new until it becomes second nature. Now the old ways just seem to be a whole other lifetime away most of the time.

At any rate, my latest unlearning experience is in the HTML area & has proven itself to be no exception to this rule. Years ago I fell in love with HTML & could build tables with my eyes closed. Sound great, right? Not so much at this point. HTML5 is quite crafty & really does some kick ass tricks but damn...pretty much none of what I know about HTML is applicable now. With that said, I'd love to hear back from some of you nerds out there that have gone through (or are currently going through) the same struggle. What's your trick to unlearning the old HTML & dreaming in HTML5?

I've completed a couple of small sites via my educational adventure at Full Sail University but I'd like to gain some real world experience before graduation. I'm currently practicing Actionscript chops as well so if you can offer anything there as well, great!

Kid Rock - Bawitdaba (Enhanced Video)