Hidden smirk

Now that merriness of the salesmen is gone and the tinsel is swept away, what is left, what do we remember of this season that has past? Is it not mostly the time we spent with our loved ones and our relatives (sometimes one and the same ;-) sometimes not). Ok so the presents are always welcome but what really make the difference between the years are the relationships that have grown and fallen away as each year wanes again. We humans are a truly weird lot continually altering our desires in what we need and desire from those we care for.
As the year closes up shop and we all find some excuse to sneak some time away, it is inevitable that we do a quick survey of the year and where we are in our lives in comparison to where we would like to be: sometimes we are ahead, sometimes behind and sometimes we are just where we want to be. This is usually done (at least in my age group) in reference to our career and relationship status, both of vital social importance in the western world. Hence the high suicide rate that comes with this time of year, around the world there are people like you and me sitting in a chair and staring into space thinking … some have a smirk, some have a tear. I am not jumping up with ecstasy but I have a hidden smirk. Don’t get me wrong I’ve had some really hard times this year some of the hardest in my life by far but alternatively I have made some really good friends this year, they were already there but I have learned which are the real ones if you know what I mean. I hope you have a hidden smirk too…

mythical eye

Less scary but definately cool

Awesome eye

This an example of the power of photoshop, alas I did not design this but, Damn is it cool

What is up with these people

I am constantly amazed by loyalty/stupidity of some of the people here in SA. Our leading political party is the ANC of which the vice president Jacob Zuma is charged with corruption (ok fine, a politician no surprise) then this week charged with rape (a crime I think should get life after castration). Now personally I don’t think this is a guy I want in charge of a high school lemonade stand never mind a good portion of the control of a country. So the ANC has dropped his power and is vice president in name only (until conviction) however there is a group called the ANC Youth League who actually still “back him 100%” and still think of him as the next president. I mean come on, seriously people…. Am I missing something? I know…I know innocent until proven guilty, but I think anyone who knows the Shaik trial knows the first charge is accurate and as for the second more serious one he has admitted he did have sex with the victim but of course says it was consensual, however no lawyer or police commissioner is going to make such an accusation without some substantial evidence to back it up. In all fairness I shouldn’t judge the guy till the court has seen all the facts, but after all is said and done a man who has been legally accused and charged of such crimes should not be in political office.

New tenant

Jeepers these things go fast, I have a new tenant from across the world. This blog (which looks awesome by the way) is by an American professor in China discussing what is happening there from the political climate to the festivities in the region. It is an exquisitely designed site but what really made me pick this guy was the content of his blog. Check it out for yourself, by clicking on the thumbnail of his blog at the top of my links section.

These words hit home for me

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.
-- William Butler Yeats

Firefox 1.5

Is freaking awesome, the speed is great. As a designer I absolutely love the Noia 2.0 (extreme) theme. It is so incredibly cool. These guys rock serious kudos to the designers. Go to the links section on my blog and you will see a link to get Firefox believe me you won’t regret it especially if your on that archaic Microsoft IE

Mark's Avatar

Made this MSN avatar for a friend of mine. He's living in London and working there for awhile. Say's there’s good design work there.... have to say I'm interested. However would have to hear from a designer what the industry is like. Anyway liked the look so thought I'd post it. I have made avatars for a few friends, have to say its fun. The only real things you have to consider are that its relatively eye catching and that it still works when it's reduced to around 50 pixels. Oh and by the way he loves, I mean absolutely goes nuts over massively gigantic over the top buttons ;-)

Marguerite Jasmin's site

I have a new tenant. Who I think is awesome (might possibly have something to do with the fact that she voted for my logo, hint, hint ;-) today’s your last day). Another aspect which shows me she's cool is that she's also a Firefox supporter. She is using her blog to meet people from around the world. Check out her posts and say Hi, especially those of you who are from SA. If you can, say you’re visiting from my blog.

fresh and awake

I feel so fresh and awake this morning, (no it’s not because it’s payday). I think has to do with the general zero stress in my life right now. I can’t really complain: no dept, have a nice place with a pool and South African summer is here, about to have my holiday from work in two weeks. So generally life is cool, don’t get me wrong it has room for improvement but for now I’m all good. Hope you guys have an awesome day.

Blue Lady

This is a wallpaper design I made, found the black and white image of the girl while surfing and immediatly knew what I wanted to do. Let me know if you like it.

Animation

I have made some slight changes to the top bar of my site. Press refresh (CTRL+F5) to check out the animation. It's on a 5 second cycle so give it a sec to move. Hope you like

Please vote for my logo

If any of you are members of blogexplotion could you PLEEEESE!!! vote for my

logo

The beauty of raw Power

This Image shows how immense those storms in the US were. I have to admit I would shiver the thought of seeing this coming over to visit my home.

.:Nephilim FORBIDDEN:.: Scary Extremes

.:Nephilim FORBIDDEN:.: Scary Extremes This post on Falconmyst's site shows how seriously warped some people can view christianty, and whats worse this idiot is preaching his stupidity.

stuffAround

stuffAround Is a site of a fellow south african who has some pics and jokes of the SA life. check it out.

blogphotohut.com logo

This is my entry for the blogphotohut.com logo

What passengers need to hear

Thoughts while creasing my pillow

In this quagmire we call life what are really searching for, a question asked by every person who lives long enough to really grasp how vast the world, knowledge, science, GOD is.

Each of us are trying to just get through today, make the best of it, catch a few laughs along the way, if we are lucky get to spend some of our day with someone we love. But in the dead of night when we go to bed and create creases along our pillows, we are essentially alone with our thoughts and it is then that we (well I do anyway) contemplate what we are really trying to find, attain or learn.

As a person who loves learning new things I hope it is to acquire a clearer perception of the patterns that happen in my environments i.e. socialistically, scientifically and in my beliefs. In the Christian belief (as far as I humbly see) it is to see all of his works and truly understand the magnificence of them and thus worship GOD.

Personally I am not a fan of reading the bible ( I know ,I know, the shame) but I really find the way it is written slow and most of it is reiteration of the same concepts in different forms i.e. Love everyone and all that that entails(hard one, that one). Personally I am more for getting through the day and be able to say at the end of it that I lived it with honor and that the world (ok the tiny spectrum of my world for now) is a little better because I got up this morning.

I want to know the real purpose of this experience we call life is? Is it a learning camp for something? If so why are people put in such different camps i.e. the daughter of a billionaire or the son of starving Ethiopian refuge. These two examples will have very different perceptions of life and it’s meaning if you were to ask them why they were given life what would there answer be, and which do you think is most grateful for each breath.

Personally I’m very thankful for my life and that I have the capacity to see the magnificence of the design of the world around me from the way the human physiology works to the ubiquitous Fibonacci numbers. But still I lie there making creases wondering why? Really what is the end purpose? Why this methodology of such vastly different lives?

Why does is it take so many generations to learn how truly intricate each aspect of our universe is. Why do I get to know things that a hundred years ago was not even dreamt of and of course the opposite being true of why don’t I get to know what will be common knowledge in a hundred years. Well maybe we aren’t meant to know as I have heard so many people say but I find that so excruciatingly frustrating but then we are a young species with such little knowledge of our world and terrible responsibility with it so I guess God is saying “I’ll tell you when your older son”.

All the guys say it with me.....OOOOWWWWW

Lifes cruel

This Is Going To Be Bad

This Is Going To Be Bad

Quest

Made this in Photoshop CS no reason in particular just felt like it.

Illustrator CS or 10

A designer friend and I are trying to learn Illustrator since it has great compatibility with Corel and Freehand in its AI format and obviously with its Adobe brother Photoshop. We can’t find where or how to emboss an object which is a reasonably common function in vector programs. If you could mail me a tutorial on how to do that as well as any others on illustrator that are cool it would be appreciated.

Poor chick

The rebel

Twin Engine Trouble

I was flying between Toronto and Ottawa. It's only a 9 minute flight and so, to save money, I flew with a small airline in a little, twin-engine plane. About two minutes into the flight the pilot announced that we were going to have to turn back due to some engine trouble.

The nervous passenger I was seated next to turned to me and said, "Oh-h-h m-m-my G-g-god. If we l-l-loose an engine, how f-f-far d-d-do you think the other o-o-one will t-t-take us?"

I told him, "One engine? Oh, I'm sure it'll take us all the way to the scene of the crash. Hell, we'll probably make good time too. I bet we beat the paramedics there by at least a half hour!"

Building a Solar System

I’ve been building a solar system in maya, quite cool, this program is so vast it is amazing. But I’m learning more every day getting moons and planets to rotate on there own axis as well as moons around the planets and those as a group around the sun is quite cool. However I must say I’m continuously humbled by the fact that I know bugger all compared to what this program can do. Want to download some models from the net however most places I look have only 3D Studio max models. Let me know if any of you know were to get them (for free, important). As well as textures those are awesome.

this looked so cool

I want to start by saying this is not mine (seriously wish it was though) found it on the net and put some layers over with luminosity and added the text. But I can in no way take credit. Looks cool though doesn't it, want to build this in Maya and do the touches in Photoshop.

Maya 6

Hi, sorry been awhile since I made a post. Life is a little hectic at the moment. Anyway on the graphics side I just got Maya 6 (which for you who are not in the graphics field is the best animation program in the world, think starwars) it is very powerful I have a few tutorials which I want to go through to get the basics down, if you know where more tutorials are (not the quick time ones which can't be saved) I would appreciate it. You can make a comment and paste the link to the site there. This looks like a program that takes years to master. I’ve been working with photoshop for 5 years I even teach it and I am still learning stuff, this program is way more complex. So bring on the challenge.

Photoshop CS2

Hi there sorry for the long delay in posts, been a tad busy. I now have Photoshop CS2 which is so cool, the warp function is awesome and the bridge helps workflow so much, there is also this perspective feature that will help quite a bit as soon as I can find a place to use it. Anyway that’s the main exciting thing right now haven't made any new designs with it more just playing around with it seeing what’s new and how it works. I am really trying to learn illustrator to since it is very prominent in the states and Europe. However I only have version 10 but for the basics I think it should be fine to learn with. Did do a cool design which I called Draconian Kindness however it’s on my laptop and constantly forget to put it on my USB.

I just helped a great friend of mine Hush Naidoo design his blog Jade Photography Not many Pics now but He takes brilliant images and I'm sure they will be up soon.

Breath

I just designed this in my favorite program Photoshop (which is such a powerful tool). I called it Breath no real meaning more just having fun with new brushes I’ve got. I have a feeling something is missing in the composition, but I can’t put my finger on it and when I add something it looks too much. Well if you have any idea put it in as a comment. Let me know if you like it too.

My goodness was yesterday hectic. This place was a blur of movement the whole day, I was doing on average seven things at the same time and since I’m but a mere male that’s not easy to do. Anyway we survived and all went well (I hope). So now I’m doing this post quickly in the morning just incase the storm returns and I don’t get a chance later.

And so it begins, I’ve already got work streaming into my inbox, aaahhhh. Well if you come to work it is to be expected I guess. I’m off maybe I’ll make a post later.

Well finally it's here the famed pot hole in the time space continuum known as the last hour of work in which time inexplicitly stretches into what seems to be at least three hours. How this happens, I don’t know one of Gods practical jokes like allowing those people shown on the Jerry Springer show to walk around on the planet unsupervised. I know a few people who fall in that category as I’m sure you do. They are the ones who you look at and are amazed they have survived this long on the earth without killing themselves in some Darwin award scenario. But God gets to have a couple of laughs I guess, he lets us go with the many mistakes we make even though we have been given some intellect so it’s only fair the others be given a little help.

The Best Comeback Line Ever

The Best Comeback Line Ever:

Marine Corps General Reinwald was interviewed on the radio the other day and you have to read his reply to the lady who interviewed him concerning guns and children. Regardless of how you feel about gun laws you got to love this!!!! This is one of the best comeback lines of all time. It is a portion of a National Public Radio (NPR) interview between a female broadcaster and US Marine Corps General Reinwald who was about to sponsor a Boy Scout Troop visiting his military installation.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Reinwald, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?
GENERAL REINWALD: We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and shooting.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?
GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the rifle range.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?
GENERAL REINWALD: I don't see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you're equipping them to become violent killers...
GENERAL REINWALD: Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are you?

The radio went silent and the interview ended.

Hi everyone, No designs or jokes right now. I'm feeling a little off at the moment. It's Friday and tonight I'm going to the comedy session in Sandton so that should put my mood up, should be entertaining. Work has been annoying what with my boss upset that I am not psychic and unable to accurately guess pantone colours from an RGB image. But anyway enough whining, I hope this weekend goes well. I just want to have a no stress time and chill. Hopefully see my girl.

this is so my type of humour

Definition of brave
The room was full of pregnant women and their partners, and the Lamaze class was in full swing. The instructor was teaching the women how to breathe properly, along with informing the men how to give the necessary assurances at this stage of the plan.

The teacher then announced, "Ladies, exercise is good for you. Walking is especially beneficial. And, gentlemen, it wouldn't hurt you to take the time to go walking with your partner!"

The room really got quiet. Finally, a man in the middle of the group raised his hand.

"Yes?" replied the teacher.

"Is it all right if she carries a golf bag while we walk?"

Ha Ha, the perks of the job

This is brilliant

This is life he he :-)

This is so true

I'm just chilling today as you might have guessed from the "Essence of a Dream" post. Well it's Friday so things slow down a bit. Which is cool, since the rest of the week can be incredibly hectic. Tomorrow is hectic for me running from place to place, it's so cruel that we only have 2 days for weekend. I've been trying to get this blog registered on a couple of free blog inventories today. I emailed a whole bunch of friends yesterday to check out the site now that I'm more happy with how it looks.

I designed this from inspiration of an image I found on the net. The text on the top is "What is the essence of a dream". Hope you like. Click on it and the larger version shows it more clearly.

Hi everyone as you can see I've changed the whole look of the site. I hope you approve. I really like it much more. This way is much more user friendly and make things easier to read (which is apparently of some importance). No real cool images to show I'm afraid. Doing more corporate stuff at the moment i.e. more dull. Alexander Forbes is not known for their flamboyant style. Did nice work for hush on the weekend covering the standard bank jazz festival in Joburg which was cool I was up loading all the images from hush (Professional photographer friend of mine) to a site I made quickly so that all the journalists could download the high resolution images from the net.

The Player site is now active you can check it out at www.plyr.co.za . Let me know if you like it.

This is a recent design I did to be used as the front page for a website I designed for an up & coming fashion designer brand.

This is an Ad for Land Rover I designed while at university, displaying the amazing strength of the car by comparing it to the ant which can carry 7 times its weight.

This is one of my more arty designs, My blog had this feel before but the download time was too long.

Ever Notice how nature seems to always work by maintaining balance from your lungs breathing in to counter the vacuum created by your chest expanding to the way clouds moving from high density to low density. Your bloods oxygen moves into the cell because there is an imbalance. Same reason the carbon dioxide moves from the cells to the blood vessel. I'm sure you have all heard of this Yin Yang principle already but it fascinates me how it's an omnipresent principle viewable in all aspects of life from nature to human psychology.

This is fun I love that you can modify the site, well at least to a degree. I really should find some stuff to put here.

I'm just trying this thing out,