Takin' care of business.

Yes folks, I finally got around to ordering my business cards for work...we have to choose words to describe us...to give people a sense of who we are...I think mine are pretty accurate? What do you think?

Hmmmmm......

Who should I vote for for president in 2008?

	Bill Richardson - 66 match You must be looking for a moderate liberal with impressive credentials. If you live in Iowa or New Hampshire, you could have voted for Bill Richardson. Otherwise, you're out of luck. After finishing 4th in both states, Richardson dropped out of the presidential race. Experienced in state, national, and international politics, Richardson has been a Congressman, an ambassador to the United Nations Security Council, and is now the governor of New Mexico. He is pro-choice, strongly favors rights for the LGBT population, advocates for affirmative action in government contracts, and even championed the idea that Congress should revoke the original authority it gave to go to war with Iraq. Richardson also supports the death penalty and gun ownership rights.
	Ron Paul - 63 match Congrats, you have very socially conservative Libertarian...err... Republican points of view. Ron Paul, who is known in Washington as "Dr. No" because of consistently rejects proposals that do not adhere strictly to the original constitution, was once the Libertarian Party's pick for President till he changed sides a few years ago. He's a favorite of technologists and the Internet community mostly for his hands off approach to... well anything.
	Barack Obama - 58 match You must be ambitious and idealistic, like Barack Obama. Obama is a liberal democrat who, unlike his rivals, opposed the Iraq war from the start. With only 3 years in the Senate, his inexperience worries some and sometimes reveals itself in the debates, but he also has the charisma and popular support that the others lack.

Take the test.

and the winner is....

American Cities That Best Fit You:

60% Atlanta 60% Honolulu 60% Washington, DC 55% Austin 50% San Francisco

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Sunny and Warm?

Well, it has been a cold one here in Atlanta. Believe it or not, we got snow. That's right folks, snow....the white stuff. I don't know about you, but when the temperature says "feels like 3 (degrees)," that is a signal to me to stay inside, cook pot roast, make stuff on my sewing machine and read blogs which is precisely what I did yesterday. For the dogs, however, snow means something else entirely. Fox and Pfeiffer thoroughly enjoyed racing around in the snow, getting completely soaked and frozen while Red (the coveted Beagle) was more into lounging on the couch, sipping on some hot cider and protecting his smoked pig's ear. Per usual, the cats were unimpressed. Does anything ever impress a cat? I think not. My lady, being from the great state of Montana very much enjoyed the snow and thought my snow-ball snowing skills were a bit sub-par. Well people, that's what you get when you combine a Louisiana Native with no sporting skills or eye-hand-coordination.

Fox, playing in the snow.

Our cozy home, covered in snow.

All of the kids in the backyard....I think Red is looking for his buried rawhide.

I heart Diane Keaton

Let me just say, for the record, I want to have Diane Keaton's spirit when I am in my 60's...no doubt, if I ever get the chance to be interviewed on national television, I will drop the f-bomb, too. She F@#*kin rocks!!!

Real Age!

Busily working today, my co-worker and I took this test to determine our "real age." Happily, I discovered that I am really much younger than my years suggest. It appears that wearing one's seatbelt, multiple pet ownership, a happy "marriage" (albeit illegal in most states in our united states of america), eating breakfast, flossing, education level and NOT drinking and driving can contribute to a healthier state of being. Who knew? I guess opting not to sip a dirty ketel one martini while maneuvering my gas-guzzling beast of a vehicle through the congested streets of Atlanta has a health pay-off.
Mondays are so exciting.

PGDCM

This is my word for today. Wanderlust. Lately, I have been ready for an adventure. I realized I was suffering from a little post-graduate-degree-completion-malaise...it appears to be a common condition. Its signature symptoms are low-grade depression along with a feeling of "is that all there is?"..."now what?"..."I'm bored." I believe it is caused by the sudden halt of momentum that goes along with being in a program where there is constant stimulation and pressure to think and create. And it is all on YOUR shoulders. At times that is overwhelming and entirely too stressful, but mostly it is fuel for doing really good work once you determine a strategy for good time and stress management. Now here I am. I have a job I love and life has really settled down which is wonderful, but I find myself sniffing out a new challenge. Will it be taking a class? Teaching a class? Joining an organization? Volunteering? Going on a trip? Setting myself on fire? Who could know? I certainly do not. I recently joined the gym so that, on my lunch hour, I can get out of my office and move. Movement is very important to creativity. Sitting all day, breathing in the same recycled air, looking at the same screen, listening to the same music is a recipe for creative death. So that is my immediate cure for digging my way out of my PGDCM (post-graduate-degree-completion-malaise). Does anyone else have any good suggestions?

for 2008.

I am working on compiling my list of "resolutions," but this is probably the most important.
I never want to be the person who gives up at a locked door...I always want to be the person who goes to the back or through a window...do whatever it takes to find a way in.

scrooge.

it's official.
I am over christmas.
The stress of packing, buying christmas presents, anticipating the 8 hour drive through the bowels of Alabama and being home for 4 days is driving me to question if it is legal to drink and drive in Alabama and Mississippi. I think that is only in Louisiana, however.
Doesn't it seem like Christmas used to be so much more magical and so much less stressful? Maybe I'm just getting older. I'm sure I'll have much to blog about upon returning to the ATL...stay tuned and have a super-duper-major-fucking-happy-holiday season!

oops.

Yes folks, god IS in the details...like proper spelling.

Too much of a good thing?

Is it just me or does it seem excessive the amount of online social-networking that is available to us? Here is my tally:

2 blogs (I'm pretty good at keeping up with this)
Facebook profile (that I check only if someone sends me a message)
MySpace profile (I hate myspace...the format is horrific)
Friendster profile (I don't even know why I have this)
LinkedIn profile (this is the only one that seems remotely useful)
NOT TO MENTION:
Flickr Account (for photography/images)
JPG magazine (for more photography)
YouTube (for questionably entertaining videos...usually filmed after several cocktails)

What the F#$cK? Doesn't this seem a little ridiculous? Am I the only one or are there others out there as well?

Happy Monday.

People...I know you probably just forgot or, perhaps, you don't really care. Either is fine, but don't forget to give this blog some love! Mary Campbell Design Blog

Wednesday Poetry.

I love this....even though I stole it from another blog. Not much else to say...this poem really says it all. Enjoy :)

Becoming Larger Than Our Skin Allows

We seek metaphors
To describe our friendships
But alas, even these fall short of our true emotions
So we joke, tell stories, and hold each other
Accepting the inner weaving of our connections
As part of the evolving tapestry of our lives
What is amazing to me
Is how little it takes to impact another human being
In profound and deep ways
Simply by being present
By witnessing each others stories
By honoring each others thoughts and feelings
It is physically possible to lift each other up
And hold each other under a starlit sky
Enough to feel the power of the universe enfold us
Wrapping us up with simultaneous feelings of love and immensity
Yes, we are only a speck in the whole of things
Yet, our love mingled with the love of others
Is more immense than we can ever intellectually know
Our ability to tap into the collective energy of the world
Allows us to transcend our language
Each of us becoming larger than our skin allows
Each of us finding power
From the source of our humility and awe
But mostly from each other
As our hands work to lift each other higher

-Doc Klein

a few more illustrations :)

I've been an illustrating fool. Here are few more pieces I've done for 37 days:

"Love Unloveable People"

"Let Go of the Monkey Bar"

"Unpack Your Boxes"

"Let Go of the Monkey Bar" (take 2)

"Follow Your Desire Lines"

37 days

Recently, while reading one of my favorite blogs, I came across a "call for artists."  This amazing blogger whose ideas, philosophy and purpose deeply resonate with my own is publishing a book based on her blog.  Anytime I can put my creative energy to work for a good cause, I am in!  Here are the illustrations I did for my two assignments:

Close the boardroom closet

Celebrate every orange flag

Scooter!!!

I am starting an on-line poll. My lovely lady thinks that a scooter would be a bad idea for me as I sometimes can be a little clumsy and attention deficit. Plus she thinks that Atlanta traffic doesn't really care about scooter drivers on the road and I will end up being an mangled pile of flesh and bones on Ponce one day on my way to work. I, on the other hand, think that I would be just fine becuase I would be extra safe, take the neighborhood streets and would probably wear a REALLY big and bright safety helmet.
Here are my compelling pro-scooter arguments:
1. Gas costs me a FORTUNE. Somewhere in the neigborhood of $200/mo.
2. My car is unneccesary for my commuting needs
3. My carbon footprint is an atrocity
5. I have not been in any accidents or had any tickets in at least the last 10 years
4. I would look really cute on my orange retro-styled, no insurance or tags needed in the state of Georgia, scooter with my scarf waving in the wind.

Now is the time for you, my kind readers, to weigh in.

Butterball.

Not to ruin your Thanksgiving, but this is important. I love animals...sometimes more than I do people and I cannot understand what happens in a person's mind when he or she thinks that torturing innocent creatures is "okay." To relish in the terror of a living creature is truly sick and immoral. This Thanksgiving, don't buy Butterball and if you have already, please return it to the store and send a message to your store's corporate headquarters that cruelty to animals is unacceptable.

***BUTTERBALL UPDATE***
Okay, so I spent an inordinate amount of time yesterday researching this whole butterball fiasco. I called PETA and PUBLIX (where I bought my turkey) and found out some more information. Here is the deal, PETA aired this documentary for the first time in April of 2006 when the investigation took place. True, all of those awful, horrible things were happening. Since then, Butterball has changed ownership and, according to my meat man at PUBLIX, they have put a stop to this cruelty. SO, I called PETA and asked them why their documentary did not reflect this new information and, they said that what I got from my meat man was just "a corporation managaing a big-time-fuck-up;" that, it is true that they do not do the HORRIBLE things that you can see on that video but the turkeys are still not given much dignity in their death. I asked him why they did not choose to share that Butterball had changed some of their practices on this documentary....but he really didn't have an answer other than they still thought Butterball was the anti-christ. So there you have it....

I think that if PETA is going to go after these people and expose these horrible things (which SHOULD be exposed), they should also follow up and see what a company has done to correct the situation and reflect that new information. Whew, it was a rough Tuesday.

Blogging Neglect.

It is hard to manage one blog, much less two. My personal blog seems to get neglected a LOT as a result of this. I will try to do better, but it may be time to put this blog down.
Don't be too sad.

Until then, some pictures of the *original* design gangstas.
This weekend my lady and I along with Holly and Audrey embarked on a big adventure. We ran errands together, had coffee, ate dinner, talked design, life, PC and then, to top off the evening, Audrey and I got into a foot race. That's right, folks, after a few drinks, I like to sprint. Who knew? Unfortunately, I am not a good short-distance runner; I think it has something to do with fast-twitch versus slow-twitch muscles....at least that is what I've heard. Apparently, I must have more slow-twitch muscles because I can run long distance but I cannot sprint. Riveting self-disclosure, I know...Me: "That, Audrey, is the meaning of life."
Audrey: "You have a booger in your nose."
...our friendship is so special.

Word to your mother, we came to kern type, we got more fonts than the Bible got psalms.

Neuvo Blogo.

Announcing....my new blog.
I have decided to start a blog that is all about design, art and ideas....so, if you want to bypass the blah blah blah about me, my personal life and my pets...go here:Mary Campbell Design Blog.
Enjoy! :)

My love for the South.

5 things I love about the south:
1. Roadside memorials to those who have perished "en route."

2. The front porch...a perfect setting for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and some great conversation.

3. Cicadas. They make the most soothing and reassuring noise at night....even for an insomniac like myself who tends to wake up at 3am for no good reason.

4. Folk Art. Probably, the one "type" of art that consistently inspires me with its authenticity, passion, color and beauty.

5. Those signs that sit outside of churches with catchy "headlines." The below is not a picture of mine, but, rather something "leveraged" off of the internet.

My most recent favorite phrase seen on my drive home was, "The way that you live your life is an expression of what you believe about God." I love that. It seems that we live in a society that always has a LOT to say, a lot to preach, a lot of advice to offer. One of my favorites: "do well by doing good." Often it seems as though the people who need to say these kinds of things are most often the ones incapable of actually following through with "good behavior." The proof is, indeed, in the pudding. It is not enough just to say that you care, that you love, that you are a friend, you must live your life caring, loving and being a friend. And we all fail, but the point is to take responsibility, learn the lesson and move forward with the understanding that we can always do better. Growth is change, and growth can be painful but it is necessary to live life to the fullest.