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	<title>FreeMusing</title>
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		<title>Chess Moves</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/play/chess-moves/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/play/chess-moves/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:11:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Play]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MySQL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PHP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XHTML/CSS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=5867</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[PHP programming XHTML/CSS Chess Moves The inspiration for this project came from Assassin&#8217;s Creed Brotherhood. More specifically, the game has a series of puzzles that involve certain chess moves. To solve these puzzles on my own, and because I didn&#8217;t know anything about chess, I wanted to make a tool that listed all of the possible moves for a given piece. The hardest part was displaying the chess board with the proper colour pattern and labels along every side. This feat was achieved using arrays and functions. I learned new things about chess along the way and in turn, I had to make adjustments to my programming. All in all, I&#8217;m happy with the results.]]></description>
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		<title>Colours are Clues</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/colours-are-clues/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/colours-are-clues/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:32:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[usability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[user experience]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=5615</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image courtesy of SuperColoring In North America, all Stop signs are red and only Stop signs are red. The reasons are simple: colour is the most salient of all visual characteristics and uncompromising consistency is the key to all intuitive user experiences. Imagine if a handful of Stop signs on any given street were randomly re-painted in a non-red colour; the results could be disastrous. The stakes of web design aren&#8217;t as high, but the end goal is still effortless decision-making for the user. In general, I think that web designers need to be more judicious with their use of colour. Distinguish Links from Non-Links My pet peeve on the web is links that resemble non-links and vice versa. I think that most designers view colour as a decorative tool and underestimate its importance as a usability tool. Once you realize that colour is the first thing that people notice about anything, you can more effectively use colours as visual clues in your designs. A common design mistake is to use the same colour to accent static headings and text links. Both things need to stand out, but they need to stand out for different reasons. Concise and organized headings [...]]]></description>
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		<title>My Player in NBA 2K10</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/play/my-player-in-nba-2k10/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/play/my-player-in-nba-2k10/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:22:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Play]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CSS3]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jQuery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA 2K10]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[XHTML/CSS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=5303</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[graphic, layout design XHTML/CSS coding jQuery-plugin implementation cross-browser testing writing My Player in NBA 2K10 site Notes I wanted to make something that used jQuery to do certain things. Specifically, I wanted to develop a single-page site that had a scrolling background and simulated iframes. My campaign in the My Player mode of NBA 2K10 gave me the inspiration that I needed. Graphic Design My goal was to make a page that was basically a slideshow. Each section of the page, or slide in the slideshow, would represent a different team and be the same size as the user&#8217;s viewport. I did Google searches for similar-sized image files of the team logos. Then I used the Live Trace feature in Adobe Illustrator to convert the raster images into vector images so that I could resize the logos as needed without ruining their clarity. I had to use Tracing Options that were less detailed for the sake of my CPU&#8217;s performance, but the results met my needs. I also used a few different tools to clean up the traced logos. Besides the logos, I wanted the background(s) to have a mesh texture. I found a great image of a mesh basketball [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Observations of Mad Men: Episode 413</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-413/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-413/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Oct 2010 18:22:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mad Men]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=4717</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Tomorrowland&#8221; Ken really is the anti-Pete. Ken&#8217;s refusal to take advantage of his future father-in-law&#8217;s connection is admirable, but his way of doing things is probably going to put him at odds with the SCDP partners, especially Pete. Harry is becoming a real lecher. Harry&#8217;s been a cheater and an ogler, but his fawning of the fired Topaz model is more unabashed than ever. Harry apparently feels more confident now that he&#8217;s a Media Head with a lot of Hollywood connections, but his brashness is going to get him and/or the company into trouble. &#8220;There is no fresh start. Lives carry on.&#8221; Henry has impressed me with his wisdom all through Season Four. He also calls out Betty for hypocritically firing Carla. Peggy and Ken have good chemistry. They make a good team and I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if, next season, Peggy and Ken get to know each other in the Biblical sense. Ken is obviously devoted to his future wife, but he&#8217;s made a play for Peggy in Episode 102. A Peggy-Ken relationship would be interesting if only to give Pete another reason to hate Ken. The milkshake incident is the tipping point that inspires Don&#8217;s proposal. Betty would&#8217;ve [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Observations of Mad Men: Episode 412</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-412/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-412/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:40:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mad Men]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=4670</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Blowing Smoke&#8221; &#8220;Let the account boys do this part.&#8221; Don no doubt understands how important Pete is to the survival of SCDP. The above suggestion, from a client no less, is probably the tipping point that inspires Don to cover Pete&#8217;s $50,000 later in the episode. Megan will be the wedge between Don and Faye. As if there&#8217;s any doubt, the scene of Don and Faye talking in the boardroom with Megan in the background is probably symbolic of things to come. Don&#8217;s encounter with Midge is uncomfortably depressing. For those who&#8217;ve forgotten, Midge is Don&#8217;s mistress from Season One. Her initial appearance in the building lobby is exciting until her husband tries to sell her painting and then her body. Megan isn&#8217;t necessarily at fault for Chaough&#8217;s prank. Megan tells Don about &#8220;someone calling from Senator Kennedy&#8217;s office&#8221; and after Don picks the phone, a female voice can be heard saying, &#8220;Please hold for the senator.&#8221; Megan hasn&#8217;t actually spoken to the alleged Robert Kennedy, so there&#8217;s no way for her to realize that Chaough is calling. I think that Cooper is still a part of SCDP. In Episode 204, Cooper dismisses a secretary after stepping on some gum. [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Observations of Mad Men: Episode 411</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-411/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-411/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:03:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mad Men]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=4532</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Chinese Wall&#8221; I&#8217;ve been wrong about Ken already getting married. Harry gives two tickets to Ken for &#8220;the Cosgroves&#8221; in Episode 407, but Ken introduces Cynthia as his fianc&#233;e in this episode. Cooper probably realizes that Roger&#8217;s phone call is fake. By chance, Cooper is already sitting in a position that is relatively level with Roger&#8217;s right hand. At the start of the phony conversation, Cooper leans forward and looks toward Roger&#8217;s right hand. Cooper then seems to restrain himself as Roger begins the charade. Roger doesn&#8217;t know that Cooper (likely) knows. Cooper puts himself in a position, literally, to answer the phone when Roger allegedly calls from Raleigh. Presuming that Cooper knows about Roger&#8217;s deception, Cooper would play along because the two men are practically family. However, Roger would have no way of realizing that Cooper knows. Freddy and Danny have returned. The former is last mentioned in Episode 406 and the latter is last mentioned in Episode 408. Even though they&#8217;re full-time SCDP employees, they&#8217;ve only appeared in two episodes apiece before this one. Freddy is a wily veteran of the office environment. As everyone wonders about the reason for the agency-wide meeting, Freddy has logical explanations that [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Observations of Mad Men: Episode 410</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-410/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-410/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Oct 2010 21:55:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mad Men]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=4384</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;Hands and Knees&#8221; Even Betty is impressed with The Beatles. Betty and Sally finally share some happiness this season. I was half-expecting Betty to accuse Don of spoiling Sally or complain about some previous plan being ruined. Layne is apparently a Mets fan. Layne has a New York Mets pennant in his office. The pennant has also appeared in Episode 406, although I&#8217;ve mistaken the office as belonging to Pete because Layne and Pete chat there. More importantly, the pennant is a subtle reflection of how much Layne has embraced American culture. Of course, he also buys a stuffed Mickey Mouse for his son. Pete unexpectedly ends the North American Aviation meeting. The two NAA people seem flustered when Pete stands up at the conference table, and even Don and Layne are caught off-guard. The significance of this scene seems to be Pete&#8217;s dominance in the business relationship: the meeting ends because Pete wants it to end. &#8220;I&#8217;m not worried. Not in the slightest.&#8221; Of course, Don is lying when he reminds Harry about The Beatles&#8217; tickets. Why is Don worried? Sally probably feels that Don has betrayed her in Episode 409, and she seems reluctant to talk to him [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Observations of Mad Men: Episode 409</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-409/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-409/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:18:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mad Men]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=4280</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;The Beautiful Girls&#8221; Don is talking to Faye at the beginning. The giveaway is Don&#8217;s mention that &#8220;we&#8217;ll grab a sandwich&#8221; paired with the following shot of the sandwiches. Don is purposely cantankerous on the phone to fool anyone who&#8217;s listening and watching, including the viewer. Don still refers to Faye as Dr Miller in the office, so their lunchtime tryst is &#8220;on the down low.&#8221; Roger is jealous of David Ogilvy. Like in Episode 307, Roger bashes Ogilivy&#8217;s book, Confessions of an Advertising Man. Ogilvy has also been mentioned in Episode 408 by the Honda people. Abe Drexler is Smith from Black Hawk Down. The actor who plays Abe looks familiar, but he sounds really different in Mad Men. I would&#8217;ve mentioned this observation earlier, but I hadn&#8217;t been sure and the actor&#8217;s IMDB profile hadn&#8217;t listed this show at the time (I hadn&#8217;t thought to read the show&#8217;s credits). Interestingly, Charlie Hofheimer really is from Brooklyn like Abe, who will no doubt return to inspire/irritate Peggy. Megan is savvy. To tell Don about Sally&#8217;s unexpected arrival, Megan enters the conference room via the glass doors. To tell Don about Blankenship&#8217;s unexpected death, Megan enters the conference room from [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Observations of Mad Men: Episode 408</title>
		<link>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-408/</link>
		<comments>http://freemusing.com/musing/observations-of-mad-men-episode-408/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:34:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Tim</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mad Men]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://freemusing.com/?p=4125</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;The Summer Man&#8221; This episode is the first one with inner monologue. The exception might be Episode 201, but in that episode Don reads Meditations in an Emergency instead of his own words. Don is a high-school dropout. The revelation is surprising yet not out of character. His &#8220;everything could&#8217;ve been different&#8221; line is an understatement: if Dick Whitman had finished high school, then he might not have run away to join the Army and, thus, he might not have gone to Korea and ultimately become Don Draper. &#8220;Satisfaction&#8221; plays when Don leaves the athletic club. If you&#8217;re like me, then you associate this song with Apocalypse Now. The lyrics better suit Mad Men though, especially the verse that plays in this episode. The time setting is apparently mid- to late July 1965. Don&#8217;s first journal entry is dated &#8220;6/15/65&#8243; (ie, 15 June 1965) although the song&#8217;s album had been released in the US a month and a half later. However, the song being played on the radio ahead of its commercial release is plausible. Instead of his usual case, Don carries his gym bag to work. Besides suggesting that Don goes swimming before the work day, it&#8217;s a reflection [...]]]></description>
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