I’ve just finished reading a book called “Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything”, written by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. (This book has gotten a lot of press attention recently, but I picked it upmainly because of the mention in another outstanding book, “Blink” by Malcom Gladwell, which I also highly […]
Blog
Since 1998, we have been reflecting on marketing, design, code, and much more.
A Little Good News… For a Change
Haven’t you had enough of bad news? I have… I think. But here’s the problem: no matter where you look or how hard you might try to avoid it, bad news follows you around like a bad penny. TV news, newspapers, magazines, Internet sites… all seem to make their living – and acquire the most […]
History of the Internet According to Yahoo!
On the occasion of their 10th birthday, Internet icon Yahoo! has created a celebration of the “history” of the web. First, some things you should know: This history only covers 10 years, which really only represents the public awakening of the Internet. The origin of the Internet, a military network called ArpaNet, started back in […]
The Internet’s Dark Side
This is a review I wish I didn’t have to write, about a couple of sites I wish didn’t have to exist, especially on Thanksgiving weekend. But, frankly, my family is one of the things I’m thankful for and keeping them safe is one of the things that occasionally keeps me up at night. So […]
Of Spiders and Other Fears: Knowledge is the Key
The Internet has changed my life. I was reminded of this the other day when I reached down to pick up a Rabid Wolf Spider that was scurrying across the kitchen floor. Wolf Spiders, which are hunters that chase down their prey without the use of webs, are pretty fast. As it turns out, they’re […]
Death and Taxes
I guess you could call it a pre-midlife crisis. With the prospect of turning forty looming on the horizon, I find myself thinking admittedly morbid thoughts; pondering things like death and taxes. Such was my state of mind when I stumbled upon the Real Age Calculator at Prevent Disease. This nifty little tool can help […]
Celebrating Anniversaries
In addition to Rare Bird celebrating its seventh anniversary this month, Ashley Sutton, who joined Rare Bird as in intern in the spring of 2004, has recently celebrated her one-year anniversary as a full-time graphic designer. Sutton, who graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with an art degree, has found her focus on electronic […]
Target Your Messages For Impact
The adage “if you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door” was never really true. It would be more accurate to say “if you build a better mousetrap, the segment of the market that has a problem with mice is more likely to eventually be dragged somewhere near your […]
Getting Your Facts Straight
Be forewarned: this is an article about the truth. If you’d rather not face it, feel free to wander off to do something else. Now, for those of you still reading, another warning: the truth is not always pretty and it cuts both ways. I say this primarily for those friends of mine who tend […]
Of Viruses and the Law of Unintended Consequences
One of the secret pleasures of using a Macintosh is a by-product of the law of unintended consequences: with only 3% market share, we’re generally free of computer viruses. Apparently, most of the people writing these nasty little programs see the Mac community as being too small to generate enough attention to satisfy their egos. […]
