Shut Up And Take My Money

Some things for my collectibles shelf:
Fat Tony
Just-Us-League

A new way to keep track for a new year:
You’ve Made My List

Because even in the afterlife, I will roll that way:
Warp Speed Ahead!


Because it may probably be the only album ever with a song I inspired on it and it’s just damn good music. (Song #12 after the jump)


Maureen Carr ~ Stones Unturned

Roan WB / Day Three

Day three and I think we're almost finished with the Start Panel and Taskbar areas of the Windowblind skin.

The folks helping me (Vampothika, neone6, and 2of3) along with everyone else who stops in the thread have been great.

The only little snag I had was with the Taskbar Start Button. Originally, I was going with an 'A' or an 'O' like you see in the image here. I wasn't happy with either and was afraid I was going to be stuck with one of the ones I didn't care for. It may seem trivial, but the start button, for me, is important. When you log on to Windows, the first thing besides your wallpaper that you see is the taskbar and that start button. Of course the taskbar should look good but you know what they say about first impressions and perception and all. So I think the start button should give a good indication about what you're going to find under the hood, as it were. I beat my head in trying to come up with something when I found an old graphic in my files of the Trinity Circles. That was it. Perfect. It goes with the name (among it's many meanings, it's an old word for a form of leather) and it's my little thank you to the three skinners who are helping me. My little holy trinity of skinning. (You can see them on the folder and on the copy of the actual start button that is on the letter 'A' in the image)

Tomorrow we'll be starting a new thread to go with the new pieces. I'm kind of surprised how quickly it is going but imagine it's going to slow down a lot when it comes time to open up Skinstudio and try and assemble the thing. I'm feeling pretty optimistic and looking forward to the challenges.

Bed Bugs And Night Lights - Jan 17

 Winding down for the day. My fellow skinners that have been helping me with the Windowblind project today are probably just waking up half way around the world.

I think I have the Taskbar complete (if I stick with the Start Buttons I have made but don't care for) and will hopefully finish the Start Panel tomorrow. Then I can start the next thread and piece of the blind.

Today was a good day. It's an interesting and wonderful thing to see an internet community you're involved in (and like) pulling together and even more so when they are pulling to support something you really want and need to do.

A Windowblind Tutorial : Roan WB/Day One

 Windowblinds is a wonderful desktop enhancement application that allows you to change your windows themes, colors, textures, wallpapers..your entire windows experience. I’ve tried to tackle the software for it that allows you to create your skins for a few years to with no success, until now.

Thanks to some offers from some wonderful community members at Wincustomize, I believe I may finally get a handle on it.

We started a thread today to document the process for posterity, others like me who want to learn, and for fun. And so far it has been fun.

If you are familiar with Windowblinds or just interested in what goes in to making Windows look the way it does and how it can be altered, into desktop customization or just like making stuff with Photoshop, the thread may be a good place to hang out.

One Piece At A Time: A Windowblind Tutorial Part I

Today being the first day, it went pretty well. We’re doing this ‘One Piece AT A Time’ so every part of the process can be fully explored before moving on to the next and so on. This first part is concentrating on the Start Panel and Taskbar. It’s interesting that after using the software for as many years as I have (and Windows in general, from W2K to W7) and hanging out on line with so many talented skinners how much I still don’t know about Windows itself and Windowblinds as well.

I hope you’ll come by and check this out, maybe follow along.

My Winter's Tale

I miss snow and every thing about it. Since moving to South Carolina from Pennsylvania eight years ago, I have experienced one serious, measurable snow fall. That snowfall that came in January of 2011 only reminded me how much I miss snow.

The winters here aren't even terribly cold. I am reminded of this every time I say 'It's not that cold' and someone calls me a damn yankee.

I think I miss the sound of snow falling. The million whispers, like a secret song, of the delicate snow flakes as they fall, float, and dance from the sky to pile up on one another to form a blanket so serene you are afraid to disturb it. I miss the smell of the snow, clean and rich, as the air surrounding it fills your airways with a coolness that makes you feel like you are breathing heaven itself.

Some Old Friends

I've been thinking about revisiting some old friends.