Crooks and Liars, Composition and Layout

Last week I discussed the newsblog "Crooks and Liars" as having some good competent content, but is their design and composition up to the same par? Well, let's start with some good critiquing points first.

I definitely admire the fact that they have their own website, meaning they pay for a domain name and host. That takes commitment. I also digg their Crooks and Liars banner in the red white and blue with their not-so-cute mascot to the left. It's a good start, a good identity. Their bar of advertisements and such to the right of the blogs is annoying to look at but after reading it, I can understand. They have a place where you can sign in with a username (but why would you need to?) probably to receive obnoxious emails that I wouldn't want to read anyway, but you know, if you're into that.

They also have an awards column (which surprised me because I definitely didn't notice that when looking at their content) which has Time.com Best Blog Award 2009, World Technology Award Nominee 2006, Best non-professional Blog 2005, and the Weblog Awards winner 2005. Impressive, my only question is what happened in 2007 and 2008?

Also, at least they have decent advertisements for godaddy.com, Master of Arts and Diplomacy at Norwich University, and one for Childfund International. But beside that, their layout design is pretty common, boring in my eyes.

The background color is a pale yellow or beige. There are some slight gradients to the right, but I'm sure if you weren't in tune with art and design in some way, you wouldn't notice it. I also feel like the column to the right distracts me with their blue headers and boxes that enclose different information like the advertisements and awards. I think if they got rid of the blue and the boxes, it would work together better, visually.

I also feel like they need to put more emphasis on their post titles, which might draw more attention. Other than that, their type settings are okay - they use a normal sanserif font all the way through their postings, but their links are the same boring blue that remind me of the 90's. One thing that is really working for them, though, is their small banners above each post title which say basically the subject matter of the post. It may be unnecessary because they do enough tagging at the bottom, but I think it works in their favor.

All in all, this website is just another newsblog. There isn't anything, from looking at it, that would bring me back to it, but then again I'm all about color! <- That color mainly. But I definitely wouldn't want to turn into this guy by looking at this website too often...

Crooks and Liars, Competent Content

I was stumbling around the web today looking for a worthy news blog to write about. First I found this one which I didn't like at all, I saw a helpful sidebar of "Blogs We Like". I took my look around and based on competent content, I liked the blog named Crooks and Liars.


Why does yet another form of homegrown terror go ignored by this administration? Well that seems like an intense subject matter doesn't it? That was the first headline I read on the the Crooks and Liars blog. It is a piece on the terror inflicted upon Americans by Americans in terms of abortion. That piece instantly drew my attention because it is a serious controversy in America.



I also liked the fact that this particular author (there are multiple authors both men and women on this blog) started her piece by saying "I wasn't planning on writing about this today, but reading this really got to me". I can tell by her writing that she is passionate about this subject and that makes for even better of a blog post. I feel like in my writing, my better pieces are definitely the subject matters I feel strongly about.

The next post down another woman who wrote about Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, who appeared on Fox News Sunday this week. He was asked by Chris Wallace if his thesis he wrote back in 1989 was advocating a "radical agenda", and she writes about how McDonnell tries to downplay it.

It seems to me that these women feel strongly about women rights and strongly against those who say things like "women should be in the kitchen otherwise families will fall apart" which is basically the gist I got from McDonnell's interview about his thesis.

On a lighter note, the next post that caught my attention was one by someone names "scarce" who posted this video...



There is no other text talking about it so it is obvious this person thought the school accomplished something of great value and words were not needed (this also goes back to discussions on text vs visuals in which this case I think the two videos explain it all).

I think that these blog postings were definitely written competently. The paragraph structure is done well and each paragraph leads me to the next one nicely. I feel like I'm reading something I WANT to read, not something I NEED to read for my New Media Blog homework.

I feel that this blog is more personal which draws me to it. Like my blog, it deals with the opinions of the author's as well as the related news material. I think if I met some of these people, we'd probably hit it off rather well.

I believe one of the biggest reasons why I like this blog content, is that it's not just one competent writer, it's multiple. They all seem to have the similar styles to TimeOut Chicago and some articles in the RedEye. Also, I think they include some good pictures and videos which I believe assists a NEWS blog greatly.


All in all, I commend this blog for being great. I think to enjoy it, you would need to keep up on present news about social infrastructure in America, the economy, and America's inner battles but I guess that's why I enjoyed it.

Illiteracy in Africa

This picture represents the world in terms of literacy, 15 year olds and above who can read and write. As you can see, Africa has the lowest literacy percentage in the whole world with India running a close second.

As reported at www.mediaclubsouthafrica.com, the most recent government statistics indicate that around 4.7 million people in Africa have never attended school or completely illiterate and that 4.9 people are functionally illiterate meaning they may have gone to school through the 7th grade.

Along with many of Africa's major crises, there are a few big factors that contribute to the literacy crisis. First, although there are libraries in Africa, many people don't even go there because most books don't cater to the needs of a black African reader. They have very few books written in inigenous languages; therefor most books in Africa are in English, targeting the white middle class (America isn't the only country with a white middle class btw).

On top of that, much of the population either has no schools or a greater need for the family than the need to attend school. This greatly decreases literacy in the country because parents aren't there for their children to help them read and write because they simply never learned. One of the solutions Africa has been working on is teaching the semi-literate parents to read and write so they become more involved in their child's life outside of work.

Another solution they have been working on is creating libraries (some people in rural Africa haven't even heard of libraries and were astonished to learn that you could go somewhere to read books) that have books from the illiterate stage all the way to the basic literacy stage. This will probably be less frightening and easier to take in in levels rather than all at once.

In Africa there is also a big gap between men and women who can read and write. Women often do not go to school, period. But when they do, they aren't there much of the time due to the water crisis. Water and sanitation facilities in Africa and completely lacking...everything. From broken pipes to no distribution at all to shared bathroom facilities to no place to wash your hands, African children are hardpressed to even stay alive while attending school.

This crisis causes thousands of child deaths due to major disease from water and worms. Like I mentioned before, many women miss school if they even attend because they do not have proper separate bathroom facilities to be used during their menstration cycle. They then miss a week or more of school per month, basically ripping away their chance to learn anything in a structured manner.

Illiteracy is bigger than the United States. It is a major issue in many of the world's countries. If you would like to donate for the water crisis please go here, for the race to literacy, please go here.

2.8 million people in the U.S. can't read and write

The fact I find interesting is that since 1930, says Time Online, the number of illiterate people (people who were 14 years old and up who admitted to the census they couldn't read and write) is down by 1.3 million. The catch is that our population has increased by 17.4 million.

The other thing I find interesting is how the census categorized illiterate people since 1930. In 1930, the census people went around door to door and asked anyone who was 14 years or older if they could read and write. This was not accurate because there were many people who lied about their reading and writing abilities.

In 1940, the smarty pants census started asking them how many grade levels they had finished and they decided that if they had completed grade five or above that you were literate (not that they couldn't lie about that either).

So in 1948 they got the smart idea to combine both ideas, asking people what grade they had finished and if they could read and write. This is the what the US thinks are literate people, but what about what I, and probably a few others, think?

I think you should visit The Wonder of Whiffling. If you really want to know who is illiterate and who is a smarty pants then you should know what petrichor means. Also, a literate person's vocab should include the words/phrases wombat, snirtle, popjoy, and juck-cum-peng which respectively mean waste of money, brains, and time, to laugh in a quiet or restrained manor, to amuse oneself, imitating the sound made by a wooden-legged person walking. Did you know those?

I guess you just aren't literate.

I'm making this comment because I find it semi-crazy that there are people out there who make lists of words (not silly words like from Whiffling that were only used in certain historic contexts) that if people do not know, they are then illiterate.

Literacy changes everyday. There are also so many different types of literacy. For example, are you digitally and visually literate, pen and paper literate, computer and tech literate, socially literate? It goes on and on.

I honestly think that today you can't really say who is literate and who is not. It depends on where you're from, what society you're integrated into, what type of literacy you mean. I don't think someone can pin point exactly what it is anymore. At least you would need one hell of a census team and 25,000 very patient people.

Don't Read Me!

Contrary to the belief of most adults, the illiteracy monster hasn't completely birthed from the womb of the computer/videogame/tv megamonster. Yeah, kids spend too much time on electronic devices (I've been on my computer since six already and I'm pretty sure my laptop is lightly burning my thigh) but who's fault is that? Who bought the xbox? Who doesn't want to deal with whining 8 year olds? Who buys a freakin' kitty style gameboy to bring to a fancy dinner for her child while she's on a date and the nanny's sick. The parents!

So parents, before we get to talkin' bout da reazons I tink no ones can read, I think you should take a look at yourselves before you blame Bill Gates for your child troubles.

So who's ever been in high school? I HAVE! So who's ever read The Scarlet Letter? I HAVE! Who hated every grueling minute of it? I definitely have. The same goes for Count of Monte Cristo, Pride and Prejudice, The Catcher in the Rye, The Grapes of Wrath, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Orthello, etc. etc. etc.

Do you think, in the majority, high school students initially WANT to read these things? No, they're told to. Do you think they enjoy reading these things? No, because they're told to. Do you think they feel like they got something out of it after all's said and done? No, because the teacher tells them what to think and what the author meant in the first place.

Ok, I know I've asked a lot of questions but, do you think that inspires kids to read after people stop telling them to? Heck no. If you think about your high school experience, most kids probably didn't even read the assigned book. Maybe if they were feeling ambitious they would look it up on sparknotes. But that definitely doesn't teach a kid how to read and understand different types of writing.

You want to know what got me into reading, even if I don't like admitting it now?

THIS DID. Harry Potter and his two eleven year old friends running around a magical castle with wands. It inspired my brain beyond what I could even comprehend at the time. Do I re-read Harry Potter every night before bed? No. Do I read only things that pertain to fantasy? No. Am I at a fourth grade reading level? F*ck no I do not. I read fiction, historic fiction, biographies, sci fi, mystery. It goes on and on. I always have a book to read. I don't contribute that to Shakespeare or Austen.

I think the whole reason kids don't like reading anymore, therefore making them illiterate in some context, is because teachers, schools, and parents shove boring, unconcerned text down our throats before we can figure out what stimulates our brains.

I absolutely love to read. If I went through high school without finding books that interested me, without reading outside of the classroom, I probably wouldn't be able to write half decent blogs for this class. Pride and Prejudice and romances that are 400 years old just don't do that for me and I think its the same problem for many others.

Feed young brains with what their lives concern, not what concerns over aged precinct.

"Ladies, this is what happens to you if you don't shave down there"

Hahahahahaha (breath) Hahahahahaha (chuckle chuckle breath) hehehehe. First off, this is the most ridiculous outfit I have ever seen in a runway picture including the over-watched fashion flop shows that are on E!.

So I was clicking away on google, looking for one more fashion website, blog, or such to talk about "material communication" ... and such. I typed in "what is the current fashion craze?" and what did I find? A dress that seriously does look like it came from a bad French down-under cliche.

It happened to be one of the first pictures on World's Craziest Fashions. I suppose this outfit most certainly fits under that heading, as do many of the other outfits.

Like this one for instance which makes me think the model should be sent over to former President Clinton's residence with a bow tie on her head. I don't mean to be unpleasant but these types of websites make people think like that. You gotta laugh.

But one thing that I do not like about websites similar this one is that the creators usually think that simply posting funny pictures and sometimes funny comments is enough. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to go back to this website on a regular basis, if ever. This is mostly due to the fact that it's plain, it has annoying ads, and it has links that really don't have a lot to do with the website at all i.e. "Kanye West Fiasco" (if you're interested).

I think the most annoying part of the website, besides the giant banner ad on the top that saysis the ad that follows you around no matter where you scroll. On top of that it's for dating tips!; with a picture of what looks like some middle aged ex-biker man. I personally get really annoyed with all that crap. Yes, this is a low/no budget website by this guy but I think he would be much more successful if he put more time and effort into how the website looks and how it makes the viewer feel.

The whole point is to get the visitor to laugh or at least smile somewhere deep down inside. I would say it accomplishes that but in the simplest form. This site should put more effort into the background being funny, the links being funny, and the ads being cut down on.

But in the matter of communicating funny fashion flaws, I believe if this guy, HogWild, wanted to be more successful, this content could be better translated into some sort of magazine. The content would probably have to be adjusted slightly depending on his audience; but in terms of a magazine, if you don't put effort into all the visual factors you have a failing idea, not to mention a giant hole of debt.

But lets be reasonable, have you ever seen a magazine that didn't put thought and effort into every little corner? I can't say that I have. Therefore I think it would be beneficial for this guy to put forth some sort of magazine (maybe it could be free like The Onion!). I'd say I would have a much higher chance of picking up a free magazine with this content more than once unlike the chances of me visiting this website again. It would definitely be something like picking up the Red Eye before I get on the train and taking it with me everywhere I go until I get through it all.

Also, on a side note, that middle aged ex-biker man I mentioned who is on the annoying ad that follows you around is definitely a picture of Mr. HogWild. OOPS!

Fashion is Hip and... Boring?

When I think of fashion, I think of hip trendy girls like the ones to the left. Based on just what they are wearing, they grab my attention. You can see diagonal lines leading your eye around and even strengthening the look of the human structure; you have different shoes and colors and patterns, etc.; there is diversity in how these things can be worn. Hell, maybe if we wore stuff like that we would look just as great as those two women. The point I'm trying to make is that these four outfits look trendy. They look "in". They grab my attention and keep it there until I take in all the details.

I was looking up fashion blogs today expecting to get some visual stimulation because you would think the blogging world of fashion would have cool layouts and such. The only one I was actually interested in reading was likeWise - the official fashion blog of like.com. They have some decent tips that I might follow... they also have some pretty horrific ones like the September 15 post on black fur boots that have ugly croc like things attached to them. But anyway...

So I was reading along, taking in their advice and their design at the same time. Before I scrolled down I would say that it looks like a hip reliable fashion resource; but as I got past the side columns and links all I saw were words, pictures about what they were talking about (which is helpful, I give them credit) and blank space.

(BLANK SPACE)

If I see a large amount of blank space for a fashion WEBSITE I would think expensive, upperclass, White House Black Market, etc. - probably things I wouldn't wear. There would probably be some fancy cursive header and serif'ed price tags. When I look at this fashion BLOG there is nothing about it that visually points out that I will look hip if I wear what they tell me. I want some color and some stripes and some shapes...colored shapes!!

Like I was talking about in my previous post, Urban Outfitters gives you emotion. They set up their website so you get the feeling that if you wear their clothes you will be carefree and drop-dead gorgeous at the same time. This website doesn't give me any feelings on whether I'll look trendy or not.

I guess what I'm saying isn't a HUGE deal... but I want more than words, at least when it comes to something artistic (and fashion is artistic) to tell me that I'll look good. This blog is saying a lot but the visual output is not as inspiring and I think it is really important for both the content and the design (at least in this perspective) to be on the same level.

If this was a blog on different types of printer paper I would understand but seeing as it's not, I just don't get it. If likeWise was translated into something I would wear, my shoulders would be trendy and the rest of my outfit would be florescent white.

Humans are Materialistic

I don't think I have ever come across another person who didn't need something, want something, or like something they saw in passing; whether that be walking down the street, being with a group of people, being in one's own home, people are drawn to certain qualities that "turn them on". It even happens on the web.

If you went to The Children's Place website you would see a baby-like color scheme, pictures of cute children sporting cute clothes; it's laid out in a square fashion which is an ancient iconic sign for protection. Basically their whole setup has underlying aesthetics that entice mothers.

On the other hand, if you went to urbanoutfitters.com you would see a video with various girls showcasing their products with hip music in the background. The girls are wearing clothes that say "I don't care" but really mean "I care too much" (their prices are ridiculous). The layout is simple, chic. It is obvious who Urban Outfitters is cornering; people like me, you, and 98% of those who go to Columbia College.

The point I'm trying to get at is that the people who design these websites are told exactly how they are supposed to look. Every detail is thought about to entice the target consumer. Both these websites, I think, have done an excellent job pin pointing exactly how they want to come across... which probably means they are reaping the benefits of a good website.

So like I said earlier, humans are materialistic.

If these websites didn't appear as they do, they would not get their message across. Most people would visit the home page, see that it was unorganized or out of style and simply move on to a better one. Web pages never run out; that is what people expect. If this one doesn't do it, the next one might. Therefore, I truly believe that any successful website needs to take their message and convey that into their design otherwise the user will be confused and annoyed resulting in instantly leaving the web page.

Just as an example, I do not like the design of Godaddy.com. It looks like a giant page of advertisements, whipping our heads from one side to the other so fast we can't even begin to read any of the information. Honestly, I just really don't like the whole race car girl theme. Like I said before, your message and design should be on the same wave length, but I just don't see where domain names and racing women come together.

I think it's important for these things to add up for the most part. If you're a large, serious money making company, you should have a large, serious money making website. If you're a blog on how to make people go crazy, then maybe your website would be a bit visually strenuous. Basically, make sure you don't confuse your public, unless you want to.