WordPress uses PHP, CSS and XHTML to separate content from design.  This allows users to switch themes and make site wide style changes with the CSS stylesheet. 

Your theme is the basis of your unique WordPress setup and design.  Because what your site is built on matters, consideration of a quality and professional design is highly recommended.   Any theme you are considering  deserves a serious and in-depth look.  It is difficult to find free themes that offer the value of a quality premium theme. 

And prices are reasonable — $20 to $100+ gets you:

• Valid CSS and XHTML
• Cross-browser optimized:  IE6, IE7, IE8, Firefox, Safari and Chrome
• optimized for multiple screen resolutions:  1024 and 1280 px screen widths
• expandability and customization
• innovative designs and functions
• unique menu navigation
• professional support and documentation
• upgrades

Here are some of the premium themes that we use and suggest here at YourCustomBlog.com.

Slurpie Theme from blogohblog.com

“Slurpie is a Grunge-styled, artistic premium theme that comes packed with features that will give a brand new face to your blog. The theme comes with both Grunge and Non-Grunge styling options, a customizable featured post section, RSS subscription options, 125×125 banner ads and a content-rich layout.”

Portfolio Example: http://www.sfweddinggiveaway.com/

ephoto theme from elegantthemes.com

Elegant themes offers the most cost effective licensing option.  $20 a year gets you access to 24 unique themes. 

“ePhoto was created for those looking to turn their blog into a photo gallery. While the theme was created with photographers in mind, it can certainly be used to display any type of digital imagery. While the main content of the theme is image based, there is also the ability to create separate blog pages where normal blog posts can be integrated with your photos.”

Portfolio Example:  http://www.im-brue.com/dev/

This is the test site for a new project — a customization of the ephoto theme from Elegant Themes.

wp remix

yourcustomblog.com is built using the wp remix theme.

http://wpremix.com/demo/

revolution code blue from studiopress.com

We have done many customizations of revolution themes — now from studiopress.

http://www.studiopress.com/

Portfolio Example:  http://www.fredricschwartz.com/

Work in progress — customization of revolution code blue theme. 

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If you’re on organization interested in ways to use social media to interact with your community then you want to check out the workshop we’re co-presenting at 2:30 “How can social media help your organization build community and awareness?” We’ll be talking about finding new ways to connect with the people you need to be talking to, whether you’re a reported looking for sources, a community organization beginning a fund raising campaign or a business hoping to interact with clients, there’ll be lots of useful information and tips.

And of course, if you can’t make the training, we’re available for one on one and group trainings, just let us know.

For the full schedule go here.

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I created this Photoshop collage on 2.18.2009 as part of a class "PhotoShop for Artists" taught by Liz Hickock @ the Bay Area Video Coalition.  It was a lot of fun –  I learned all sorts of great ways to work with masks and brushes and how to do photo touch ups. 

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The web’s ever changing and the action never stops.  Here’s a few of our favorite recent links from around the world courtesy of our media network.  This week’s links run the gamut from finding VS funding for your social enterprise to the importance of “reputation grooming” to resources for writing website copy, marketing your business online and paying attention to your customers.  Plus a special lesson from Trent Reznor.  Check everything out, but be careful-you just might learn something! 

• Social entrepreneurs: there is still venture capital out there:
  • http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2009/sb20090330_622387.htm
• Slide and tutorials from the recent Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco
  • http://blog.slideshare.net/2009/04/05/catch-up-with-web-20-expo-from-your-desk/
• Susan Mernit talks about reputation grooming and it’s value:
  • http://www.susanmernit.com/blog/2009/03/what-is-reputation-grooming-an.html
• Serving Your Fans: The Trent Reznor Case Study:
  • http://www.indiemusictech.com/music_marketing_for_indie/2009/03/serving-your-fans-the-trent-reznor-case-study.html
• Resources for the wayward online marketer:
  • http://newmarketinglabs.com
• Marketers Moving to Social Media:
  • http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1006989
• How to write website copy: 
  • http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Write-Effective-Website-Content&id=1929235

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So the Twitter echo chamber started buzzing a couple days ago about a very public meltdown by a very disgruntled reporter, namely David George Cosh, tech reporter for Canada’s National Post.   

Apparently Cosh was upset that a potential source for a story he was working on didn’t jump as high and as quickly as he would have liked.  Cosh was apparently upset because the potential source, marketing consultant April Dunford, had not returned a phone call in time for him to make his story deadline.

When Dunford, who had no other involvment in the story says she didn’t know Cosh before the event, returned the call a couple of days later all digital hell broke loose.  Apparently the exchange was pretty heated, and resulted in this Twitter post from Dunford:

“Reporter to me “When the media calls you, you jump, OK!?” Why, when you called me and I’m not selling? Newspapers will get what they deserve”

Oh, baby.  Hell hath no fury like a reporter backtalked.  

After seeing the tweet, Cosh launched into what will surely go down in twistory as a text book example of why, at the very least, you should always stop, breath and think about what you’re sending into the vastness of the public space.  

 

sirdavid: @aprildunford what the fuck. I called you for comment two days ago. What did you expect when you called me back? Don’t post that shit online

sirdavid: @aprildunford furthermore, I called you several times in the afternoon. Don’t be condescending to me when I actually wanted to talk to you

sirdavid: @aprildunford how about you stop blasting personal conversations on twitter and call me back. what the hell is wrong with you.

aprildunford: @sirdavid All I did was return your call. I didn’t expect you to do anything. Wow. Like, seriously, calm down.

sirdavid: @aprildunford & then repost everything? & then hang up on me & don’t call back? I’ve recorded everything. U don’t look as nice as u put on

aprildunford: @sirdavid Dude – I never said who you were. Twitter meet David. David is having a bad day. David, meet Twitter.

sirdavid: @aprildunford hey april – fuck you. seriously. fuck you.

sirdavid: @aprildunford if u can’t handle any heat from what u post and immediate hang up, fuck u. u know my number. u call if you want to settle.

aprildunford: @sirdavid Re-read what you have just Twittered. Then re-read what I Twittered. Deep breaths David. Calm.

As you can guess,the news is all over the net, Cosh has locked down his Twitter page and deleted the exchange.  But, of course, we have archives.  Check out the screengrab of the convo courtesy of Media Style.

And I think Dunford says it best. Keep a level head at all times "Re-read what you have just Twittered…Deep breaths…Calm.

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Growing up online-

• The Digital Natives are here.  The first generation of childredn born into a wired world face a rapidly changing world of technology and information.  But to them it’s just the same ol’ same old.  John Palfrey’s new book (Growing up Digital) explores the way these plugged in youth see things differently from the rest of us. (On the Media)

SXSW “Social Experiment”-so, so, addictive-

• The techies from SXSW have joined forces with the techies from Pepsico and the uber techies from Slash 7 to create a hghly addictive social mashup that combines Twitter’s micro blogging with and interactive Google maps, podcasts and blogs covering everything South By and beyond.  Checking out this site is definite a way to let a few hourse slip past you (Festival Preview)

 The Kindle 2: a thin read-

• While the Kindle can’t quite hold a candle to a flesh and blood (cover and paper?) book.  It sure makes it a lot easier to read Moby Dick on a crowded subway train with one hand (San Francisco Chronicle)

The 1st 100 days in your nonrofit job-

• While starting a new gig is always challeging, starting a new nonprofit marketing position in today’s economy can be downright daunting.  This free resource walks you through everything from how to meet everyone in the office to how to put your personal stamp on your new position. (Nonprofit Marketing Guide)

Exploring the darker side of tweets and Twitter-

• Everyone’s all atwitter over Twitter. But so what? NPR’s Brian Unger goes beyond the hype. (NPR)

Five terms not to use to describe yourself online-

• Only people with narrow visions call themselves Visionaries.  Is your idea really  ”innovative” if everyone’s doing it?  Do you really want to call yourself a Guru?  Sure about that? (Schrock Media)

Growing up online-

• The Digital Natives are here.  The first generation of childredn born into a wired world face a rapidly changing world of technology and information.  But to them it’s just the same ol’ same old.  John Palfrey’s new book (Growing up Digital) explores the way these plugged in youth see things differently from the rest of us. (On the Media)

Cramer v. Stewart: What It Means for the MSM | Mother Jones-

• Because sometimes the media makes us really angry to. And you just want to do this.  (The Daily Show) 

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For all you sync happy Wordpress/Twitter junkies, Tweetsuite has the integration cure for what ails ya’.

Tweetsuite, the new Worpress plugin by Dan Zarella lets you fully integrate Twitter into your Wordpress blog in pretty seamlessly.

Think of Tweetsuite as a supersized version of Zarella’s Tweetbacks plugin. Not only will the plugin display all tweets that reference a particular post, but it feeds posts directly to your Twitter account and automatically adds buttons for Tweeting, Re-Tweeting, and adding to your favorite tweets.  There are also side bar widgets that display your latest, favorite, and most popular Twitter feeds. Twitter Overload? Pretty close.

So far I’ve installed the plugin on all my sites and it’s working fine. While it would be easy to OD on this feature heavy plugin I’m using it primarly for the Twitter auto post and Tweet this features.

I like that the Tweet This button is right at the beginning of each post. I’m a fan of getting it out there in the beginning, but if you’re more on the suble side, you can change the location of the button in the settings menu. When I first installed the plugin there seemed to be a glitch in the system that redirected readers back to the post page instead of their Twitter accounts, but in the last couple of days this appears to have been fixed.

I also like that the integrated auto posts means I don’t have to use an outside RSS feed service anymore. I’ve been using Twitterfeed and while I like it-it’s quick and easy to set up-this just means I have one less account to maintain and remember passwords for. For my non WP sites though, I’m still with TF.

One thing I’m not so juiced about is the look of the sidebar widget. While I like the all in one package deal, the interface is a bit too plain. It’s good if you want the understated, mainly text based widget, but for the moment at least I’m sticking with my slightly modified Twitter Flash and Twit Stamp widgets.

Overall, I’m happy with the plug-in.  Zarella has done a great job and since it’s only about a month old, I’m sure some cool upgrades are in the works. Hopefully a more attractive sidebar feed is right up there.

You can download the Plug-in from Zaralla’s site here:

http://danzarrella.com/beyond-tweetbacks-introducing-tweetsuite.html

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Far from someone to tackle small subjects, just looking at Huntington’s book titles including “Political Order in Changing Societies” and “The Clash of Civilizations,” gives you an idea of the kinds of intellectual issues he was taking on.

The review discusses these two books as well as Huntington’s relationship to philosophers Karl Marx and Giambattista Vico.

The thing that caught my attention was a line describing the flexibility of Huntington’s thinking-

“As events changed, so did his interpretations. This was to be expected. The adaptation of theory to reality is the essence of the power thinker’s métier.”

Adaptation and flexibility-two key success points in philosophy as well in business. As any business owner knows you’ve got to be creative and innovative at all times. And always keep an open mind to the possibilties.

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Image by Marcin Wichary

Sea of Type by pheezy

Don’t get me wrong, we use sites like stock.xchng and I Stock Photo all the time.  They’re great places to find basic images to illustrate your project’s theme and have huge databases of images to choose from.  But sometimes you need that one over the top image, that really unique eye grabbing photo, and for that flikr’s creative commons photos are a great place to check.

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