September 30th, 2008
“If you want to get your writing noticed and don’t have a web site, you’re falling behind,” Linda Formichelli points out in a new Writer’s Digest article. The Anatomy of a Writer’s Web Site provides a wealth of information for writers wanting to establish an online presence. From where to get web page templates to how to register your domain name, this article covers the most important things you’ll need to know when setting up your own site. And the advice applies to many other professions besides writers as well.
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Formichelli’s article is chock full of advice and resources for those who want to either make their own Web site or hire someone else to do it. Click on the image above to read this article and get a free preview of the Coverleaf digital edition of Writer’s Digest. You’ll be able to take advantages of features like hot links in articles, which allow you to just click on any of the online resources included in The Anatomy of a Writer’s Web Site and go directly to the web site mentioned in the article. This latest issue of Writer’s Digest also features a series of articles on how to land and work with an agent, so if you’re trying to get a writing career off the ground this might be a great place to start.
September 29th, 2008
Family Tree Magazine has a helpful article this month for those of you working on tracing your genealogy. Make No Mistake highlights 10 common pitfalls for people researching their family histories. From relying too much on the Internet for your genealogical research to buying into family legends, this article offers up some great advice on things to avoid to keep your genealogical research on track.
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Paying attention to these suggestions can help you skip feeling sheepish and go straight to being savvy. Click on the image above to read a free preview of Make No Mistake on Coverleaf.com.
September 26th, 2008
The current issue of Fast Company features interviews with six political strategists who study “what you eat, what you drive, and where you shop.” Microtargeting is either the new political buzz-word or a “must-have technology” for today’s campaigns, depending on who you talk to. But there is no doubt that these researchers are working hard to provide political insights to their candidates based on this kind of personal data.
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Blaise Hazelwood is one of the six strategists profiled in All Politics is Micro, and she has created software tools to make this kind of targeting easier for political campaigns. Hazelwood developed the Voter Vault, the massive database used by the Republican National Commttee and is now devoting her energy to developing microtargeting tools. From her interview:
But sometimes micro-targeting isn’t user-friendly enough — a lot of campaigns get a book that explains it, and then that book goes on the shelf. I’ve built software that allows campaigns to understand their microtargeting data more easily. They can pull their own email and phone universes. The software will tell you, “These are the swing groups, these are the people most likely to turn out.” All the end users have to do is pick what groups they want to target. If you have the budget to only mail to 40,000 people, you can decide which group you want and enter into the calculator exactly what you want your numbers to be.
If you think political polling is getting pretty sophisticated these days, you’re right and these interviews shed some light on the latest techniques and technologies being used by political campaigns. Just click on the cover image above to get a free preview of this article on Coverleaf.com.
September 25th, 2008
As the political scene is heating up leading to this year’s presidential election, so is the political comedy on TV. The latest issue of Print magazine offers up an informative and fun article on the making of fake political news spots featured in such popular shows as the The Colbert Report and The Daily Show.
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And That’s The Way It Isn’t examines the landscape of political humor on TV and how design is playing a greater role in the genre. From the article:
The explosion of cable news has given The Daily Show, and its contemporaries at The Colbert Report and the Onion News Network, a richer graphics well from which to draw. The classic news desk parody, Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, for example, isn’t particularly visual.
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Today, The Daily Show’s software arsenal is the same as any network’s: Vizrt for 3D modeling and adding graphics like the “bottom thirds” that display information and branding elements at the bottom of most newscasts; After Effects for animations and compositing; and Paintbox, a lunky Photoshop precursor–also used on the satirical entertainment show The Soup–that can create mock-ups and other 2D stills.
The article also shows a bunch of compelling examples of fake political news graphics, some of which are pretty hard to tell from the real thing. Click on the image above to go to a free preview of Print on Coverleaf.com.
September 22nd, 2008
With the current economic turmoil we’re experiencing in the U.S., gold is one investment that has been skyrocketing. As seen in past times of trouble, gold coins hold their value extremely well, and often increase in value when more modern investment instruments start suffering. Whether you’re an experienced coin collector, or thinking about getting into it for the first time, Coins is a magazine that will provide valuable tips and information.
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From tips for basic collectors to a Coin Value guide, you’ll find a ton of helpful resources in the latest issue of Coins. And if you’re looking for the next coin collecting show in your area, be sure and check out their Coin Calendar — there’s a coin collector’s event happening somewhere around the country almost every day in October. Click on the image above to go to a free preview of Coins on Coverleaf.com.
September 19th, 2008
Successful sunglass-maker Oakley is featured in this month’s Fast Company and the pictures of their unique office building are well worth clicking over for. Known for their sleek and futuristic designs, the Oakley building in Foothills, CA is a shining example of a company headquarters that truly embraces the same design aesthetics of their products.
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If you have a sci-fi bent like me, you’ll have to agree that this looks like it would be one cool place to work! I especially like the massive, foot-wide bolts in the atrium. And any office complex with a zipline and a giant fire pit sounds good to me.
Click on the image above to go to a free preview of this Fast Company article on Coverleaf.com.
September 18th, 2008
I’ve found the recipes in Diabetic Living to be a great resource for planning healthy meals. The latest issue features four recipes that can be made in a slow-cooker that are both satisfying and healthy. I’ve already tried the Chicken Tortilla soup and the Bloody Mary Pot Roast, and both were such big successes with the entire family that I can’t wait to try the other two.
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Whether you are dealing with diabetes or not, I think you’ll find the recipes and food tips in Diabetic Living well worth checking out. Just click on the image above for a free preview of the Coverleaf digital edition of Diabetic Living and dust off that old Crock Pot!
September 17th, 2008
There’s a fascinating article in the latest issue of ReadyMade about the state of art in plastic bottle recycling. Factory Special highlights the Foss Manufacturing plant in Hampton, New Hampshire, where 350 million plastic bottles per year are turned into textiles.
With all the controversy surrounding plastic bottles these days — Should we ban them? Are they polluting our bodies with bispehnol A? — we may have missed one point. It turns out that something useful and functional can be remade from the 51 billion receptacles that invade the landfill each year: fabric. In fact, your fleece hoodie might very well be made out of Eco-fi, a fiber derived from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles.
The article follows the process it takes to turn a bottle into fabric, from the chipped plastic bits that resemble snow cone filling to the fiber filaments that “feel eerily like human hair gone unwashed for so long that it’s soft with grease.” There’s also some great photos, and surprising facts like it takes just 10 plastic bottles to make a pound of fiber.
Click on the image below for a free preview of this article on Coverleaf.com.
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September 16th, 2008
This week’s Monday Night Football game was one for the ages. The Dallas Cowboys triumphed over their rival Philadelphia Eagles 41-37 in a fiercly-fought battle that had all the elements of a thrilling professional football contest. Big plays and lead changes kept football fans on the edge of their seats last night as the Cowboys edged past their bitter rival. Dallas’ star wide receiver and de-facto team spokesman Terrell Owens summed it up well when he claimed “this was Monday Night Football at its best.”
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Not surprisingly, Sporting News Today has the blow-by-blow coverage of this classic game. With elements like seven (!) lead changes, a 98-yard kick-off return by Cowboy rookie Felix Jones, a 72-yard touchdown pass to Owens, and the Eagle’s QB McNabb’s two crucial fumbles, Sporting News Today’s Steve Greenberg captures all of the excitement and the overall awesomeness of this spectacular game. Click on the cover image above to read all the game coverage on the free digital edition of Sporting News Today at Coverleaf.
The NFC East is clearly the best division in football this year, and if this game was any indication it’s going to be the most exciting division to watch. I can’t wait for that Cowboy/Eagle rematch in December!
