Self-imposed break from the online world

It has been almost two weeks since I've posted. I started to write a response to comments posted by Sallie and Rose on my Bush-Hitler comparison rant, but seventeen pages later I am still not finished. I cannot post what I have written yet, as there is too much editing to do. It should be up this weekend.

In the meantime, I have tried to focus more on myself. I spent more than a week off-line. (Unbelievable, stat and e-mail 'ho that I am.) I stopped reading the paper and television, except for two nights when Rebecca made me watch "The Apprentice" and "The Bachelorette". (The things I do in the name of friendship!)

Most of my days have been spent dealing with the nuances of Dreamweaver and Flash. My graphic site (www.karmakatdesigns.com) should be up within the next few days, provided the domain registration company employees get off their collective butts and update my account information so I can go live with the site. If you go to the site now, you'll either get an error message or an "under construction" message. I've been too lazy to create a "coming soon" page. I have saved my images as Flash files to prevent theft, but I am struggling with the layout. Also, I fear that there are a few people out there without Flash, and they might not be able to view the site. I am ready to start over and rewrite the html code to stop people from using the right-click button to save the image. However, someone with a little savvy could pull the image from the source code or take a screen shot. I have experimented with .gif files, creating a transparent layer. Again, someone can pull the source code and steal the image. I have digital watermark software, too. Right now I am feeling a lot of empathy with musicians dealing with copyright and royalty issues from music downloads. I plan to offer note cards and T-shirts as well as selling the images as prints. I don't want someone stealing my work and printing their own stationary. (If they want to purchase the image and make their own cards, that's okay by me!)

In the process, I have learned more than I really wanted to know about HTML. I have tried to stay away from the programming side, as my interests are related to the graphics, not code. The same goes with the design end. I know Pagemaker, In Design, Publisher, Quark, Illustrator and several other design programs, but I would rather create the content, not the layout. It's a big step for me, as I am finally embracing myself as an artist. That word has scared me for several years, for I was insecure as to whether or not what I did could be classified as art. If my husband is reading this, thank you so very much for supporting my decision to enter the financially unstable world of art. I wish that I had pursued graphic arts years ago, but I was too intimidated. I think my work is better now than it would have been a decade ago. I have more experiences to draw upon, and I think this is reflected in my work.

As soon as my site is live, I will begin work on a Flash movie. I need some help. Specifically, I need someone to do a voice track for my main character, George W. Bush. It is about three minutes of dialogue. I won't reveal the plot, but even Bush supporters might find some humor in the story. Maybe. But the rest of the folks out there will definitely find it amusing. I have received very positive feedback, even from some people who actually like George W. If anyone can do a good imitation of Dubbya, please contact me.

Well, I had best get back to the exciting world of Flash and Dreamweaver. The image below is from my splash page. The background is black, and the font color is gray. I am trying to present my images in a gender-neutral way, especially since I have a fondness for flowers in my work. i don't want to be gender stereotyped before I even start.

Thank you for the good wishes. I'll post again in a day or two. In the meantime, here is a story that appeared in my inbox this morning. This is why I needed a break from mass media.

TV Execs Meet To Discuss
Coverage Of Next Attack On US
Portland Indy Media
1-22-4

A summit meeting of TV anchormen and their bosses with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to discuss how they'll cover the next terrorist attack on America.

ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, & Fox reps present.

Steven Brill had a summit meeting of TV anchormen and their bosses over dinner at his Fifth Avenue apartment on Tuesday night with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to discuss how they'll cover the next terrorist attack. Brill, whose book "After" detailed the response to 911, spearheads the America Prepared Campaign to educate the public. Joining Brill, his wife Cynthia and two of their three kids for dinner were Fox News Channel boss Roger Ailes, ABC News prexie David Westin, CBS News chief Andrew Heyward, CNN anchor Aaron Brown, plus Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw.

Combined with Cheney's speech that the "next attack will be worse, tens or hundreds of thousands of casualties" and Tommy Franks "next attack = martial law" and the draft bill in congress (mandatory service for all men and women 18-26) and the 40,000 troops already serving against their will and neo-con obvious dreams of global conquest...America ain't looking so good right now. What are we gonna do about it?

Can we afford to wait for the election this fall? What about William Safire's prediction of an October surprise attack? I think we'd better think pre-emptively and stop these guys before the next attack hits.

Spread the message far and wide - martial law is not acceptable....and Bush and company will be the major benefactors of another attack.

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/44885.htm

Comments

[Rose]

Thanks Kelly for having the courage to post this...

[Rose]

That's a beautiful pic, by the way. :)

And very gender neutral!