for the birds

For the Birds Has Flown the Coop.

But you can find us here: http://forthebirdsblog.com

Cheers!

Did Somebody Turn out the LIGHTS?

A few weeks ago For the Birds celebrated it's one year mark -- picture me sitting at the keyboard with a party hat on....vodka bottle rolling on the floor...  silly string still stuck to the monitor.. I mentioned in my post that FTB has built a following with over 20,000 site visitors. This is a rough estimate, because  -- come on, really. You don't think that I actually believe that 20,000+ of you are out there reading these almost daily observations... And thanks to all of the lovely comments that I received pointing this out. Side note, I am not that BOARING Ms. Kelly from Kentucky -- and although you don't know how to spell, I might have better things to do with my time but I choose to do this -- and if it's just not that interesting to you -- then STOP visiting. But, keep checking in if you must, I am into all things that depreciate. 

So, getting to the point, I do know -- thanks to those smart heads over at Feed Burner, that we do have a factual regular readership of 25 concrete, real-live people. That's right - a lovely and lucky 25. And to you I am calling out. In the next few days the following will be happening:

1. For the Birds will turn out the lights for a much needed beauty rest.
2. For the Birds will return, refreshed and better than ever—but only viewable at the new (still shiny) URL - http://forthebirdsblog.com
3. The old ugly domain http://designsigh.typepad.com/forthebirds will GO AWAY, so DON'T GO THERE
4. Those of you that have the old domain/URL in your readers, you will need to change to the new domain.
5. For the Birds will only be accessible from http://forthebirdsblog.com
6. This has very little to do with the evil birders over at forthebirds.com 

Unfortunately, I don't have specific timing on this event—otherwise I would fill you in. But the wheels are in motion. We've checked the logs, Batman, and will make a swift return... So, if you happen to be settling in for the evening, and pull up to FTB for some mild entertainment, please don't be alarmed if you receive some sort of error message or blank screen—We are still here... we are coming back—this has very little to do with the evil birders at forthebirds.com AND, the best is yet to come... More shameless self-promotion of multiple personality abundance -  I want you to know but I don't anxiety disorder...  have I mentioned most of us here are geminis? Any questions? Email me - rmsatbwdstudiodotcom.

A Delicious List of Randomness

I hate that I write lists obsessively (in a series of notebooks that all look alike) but they never seem to make it to the typepad. Here's a taste of randomness that I've been hocking over at Google Reader... There's never enough time in the day...

• The Hygiene Hypothesis... not accurate (shocker)...
• Misszoot might just punch someone.... 
• Need help reading, writing, eating or drawing while you DRIVE? Here's a desktop... This could take texting accidents to a whole new level.. (note the awesome disclaimer)
• The highest rate of nose jobs?? That's right perfect noses in IRAN... I suppose since everything else is SHROUDED.
• Slumping in Dubai... what wouldn't we do to do Dubai (now taking sponsors)
• THIS JUST IN - food allergies can be dangerous. Thanks, Brain Surgeons @ Grand Rapids Press...
• Generation A
• Decorative Brilliance
• A Grand Slam with Mushrooms... Even if you don't like them...
• Laura Ashley on Crack
• Unattended Children Will (and should) be shot...
• Cool Bird Prints (going to this show soon!)
• David the Designer (I'm probably scaring this man)
• AND of course... blah blah blah follow me on Twitter and read my posts @ Artistic Things..Check back randomly—I promise more random lists and almost daily observations.. yadda yadda yadda.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Small for Big and Ethan -- the bravest kid in town. (designsigh.typepad.com) FOR THE BIRDS HAS BEEN ZEMANTA'D!
• Paris Hilton will produce BFF shows around the world (realityblurred.com)
• The World has been Cancelled (laf.ee)

365 days later...

Year one has passed!

I began publishing For the Birds on this date circa 2008—wow oh wow have things changed since. Initially, For the Birds was to be a marketing tool for Breakwater Design Studio, and although it does serve that purpose, FTB has also opened up whole new worlds for me... Writing and Internet Social Media. Once shunned—Facebook and Twitter are now common tools that promote, engage... Once feared, writing a very public diary of almost daily observations has given me a personal boost that I never could have imagined... Sharing accounts with readers who then become friends with common interests and concerns... And then my favorite -- sharing our lives with existing friends and family scattered all over the world. In short, connections have become a way of life and For the Birds has allowed my family and I to have a mini piece of the pie—actively participating on an almost daily basis.

So, I guess that I need to thank me for jumping into a way of life that I never knew possible... but -- as I take my place at the podium to accept the award for 2009 Ego of the Year—I really thank all the readers... to date a shocking 23,247—even those that hit the website and went "what the f is this" and x'd the browser out... I have kept my word and emailed everyone back that has commented—and I have kept most comments private... knowing that privacy is still a major player in the evolution of For the Birds.

On another note, I really want to acknowledge a few other blogs out there that have given me the courage to share in this open forum... In no particular order:

Dooce
Mighty Girl
Suburban Bliss
Gotham Gal
Designing Moms

I don't think that any of these authors are aware of me or how much they have influenced... If they were aware—I'm sure that restraining orders would be issued. At any rate, I read their posts with the hope that someday FTB will boast it's own URL (damn you—you evil birders at forthebirds.com) and claim a regular readership. Until that day—keep stopping by—I promise generous helpings of almost daily observations... blood, sweat, tears all mixed with a fine selection of mundane tribulations.

PS. If you want to hear me talk more (The floodgates! Typepad you're killing me!)—visit me at Twitter.

More Powerful Than a Locomotive.....

Dubai Resort Defies Hard Economic Times...

"...The hotel boasts an indoor ski-slope and a giant open-air tank holding dolphins which have been flown in from the Solomon Islands...... Donald Trump is one of several international names who have already staked out their plot within the sprawling resort. He plans to open a hotel in the centre of the palm...."

Read more here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/3072525/800m-luxury-Dubai-resort-defies-hard-economic-times.html

We can help.

As previously mentioned, at Breakwater Design Studio we have ENORMOUS EGOS when it comes to commercial art.... When we aren't scrutinizing our own designs, we usually have a great deal of commentary about what else is out there. On a local level, we have the ability to reach out and actually help those that seem to have lost there way in promoting their business of choice. [Nationally we could also create quite a stir—but we refrain from delusions of grandeur... ]

This is an example of a bad local ad, roughly scanned in a fury of bad-adness. (Please click to enlarge-- but for those of you that can't decifer, the concept states, "So Close To The Hamptons You Can Almost Hear The Jealous Banter. {Yet Far Enough Away To Preserve Your Serenity}"). Mid-way down there is a website listed that leads us to believe that this is emanating from the North Fork of Long Island.

Running in the glossies of last week's Dan's Papers, which.. although distributed practically from the Hamptons to Mars, is largely a South Fork publication... I apologize for this unusually long post.

The juxt is this:

1. The concept has a negative tone and is trying to insinuate something doesn't make any sense. For those living on the North Fork, you know why. For those living in the Hamptons, you know why. For those living in NYC, you know why. For those looking to live on the North Fork or in the Hamptons, you also know why.
2. What is The Highlands Club? Where is it? Is it a country club, golf, vineyard or new foodie club... OH, no wait... in the bottom fine print describes a residential community—or club?
3. The design is sloppy— — Band of unnecessary stock and location photos at the top.. If your going to show a house, show a house; The golfer's head is cut off (this stock image has been used so many times, we know it by heart); Wine bottle (?) cut off; is that blurred food? Does this mean you can eat at The Highlands Club? — The text is also blurry which means that the PDF that they sent in was probably low resolution or mis-sized. The text is white with a drop shadow among white and grey clouds.. Hard to read. — The image of the Vineyard in the background is low resolution and probably stretched to fit Dan's dimensions, causing it to be pixelized in print (please click to enlarge):
   
   
   

Without prolonging this critique further...
(The) Highlands Club, if you are listening,
please contact us immediately.
631.537.3966 or create@bwdstudio.com

In other news...

"In a year or so, it may not be necessary to move all the way to Dubai to own a piece of the emirate’s ostentatious man-made, palm-shaped islands....." read more here-- http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/dubai-developers-next-big-project-an-ipo