The other font that I use throughout the site is called Dream Orphans by Typodermic Fonts. I found this font interesting without being distracting. Also at slightly larger sizes I found it to be quite readable.

I mentioned dafont.com. They have many fonts that can be useful for certain projects. The fonts are all free, although sometimes you get what you pay for. Also I mentioned embedding one of the fonts throughout the site using CSS3. You upload the font to your website and then add something like this to the stylesheet:

@font-face {
font-family: "DreamOrphans";
src:url('assets/Dream-Orphans.ttf'),
url('assets/Dream-Orphans.eot'),
url("assets/Dream-Orphans.woff") format("woff"),
url("assets/Dream-Orphans.otf") format("opentype"),
url("assets/Dream-Orphans.svg#Dream-Orphans") format("svg"),
local("Dream Orphans"), local("Dream-Orphans");
}

body {
font: 13px "DreamOrphans", "Trebuchet MS", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
background: #F0F0F0 url(images/bg.jpg) center top;
text-align:center;
color:#fff;
}


Check out this article a Visual Walkthrough of @font-face CSS Code for more info on how to embed a font using CSS3.

Here I’ve got both the addition of the fontface and the font name being added to a element (body). The .eot file is a special consideration for that troublesome Internet Explorer. There are free online font converters that can convert a .ttf to an .eof fast and free.

failure If you have problems getting your font to appear once you have added it to your stylesheet and uploaded it to the proper directory try opening the font on your local machine and verifying that the font name is the same you have used in your styleheet. The file name and the font name are not necessarily the same. Check out Name That Font! Finding the right font name for a CSS font stack which goes in depth about finding font names.

Be careful embedding copyrighted fonts. I don’t actually know the law on that one, I just assume that it’s the same as distributing any copyrighted material: avoid. There are tons of free fonts out there, some of them actually good. You may also want to check out the google web fonts project. They have many fonts and resources to get your site looking snazzy.

Have fun adding a little personality to your site’s text.

The general characteristics I sought in video for the backgrounds of acepek.com were texture-rich, poignant, abstract, graceful movement, scale, and interest. Not all of the videos have all of these, but most have most. Take a look at them and try enabling the background videos if your system can handle it!

D.I.Y. If you want to know how to play a video as your website background, create controls, and otherwise manipulate a YouTube video check out my post DIY Obnoxious Video Backgrounds (coming soon).

I did not create any of these videos. I chose them from amongst all the videos on YouTube to enhance my website and the posts via juxtaposition. Once you have enabled the background videos with the controls at the bottom right of the screen the videos will change to correspond to the post you are viewing or you can change them yourself.

Despite all the HTML5 on the site I am using YouTube videos inside a Flash Player until such time as the YouTube HTML5 embed method is compatible with the Query YouTube plugin that I use for the background video. For the individual videos on this page I am using the new HTML5 capable embed method that uses an iframe to deliver more viewing options.

HD EARTH VIEWS FROM SPACE STATION
NASA’s videos are out-of-this-world. Obvious choices. Oh, also they don’t have advertisements and usually no annotations (which can be disabled anyway).

M.C. Escher-Adventures in Perception pt.2
This one is a bit different. I like M.C. Escher and love this old projector film.

1 Million Particle Liquid
I found a few of these different particle collision models and this one was pretty rad.

1,000,000 Particle Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability
Another rad particle model, this description is lifted from Wikipedia:

The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability can occur when velocity shear is present within a continuous fluid, or when there is sufficient velocity difference across the interface between two fluids.

Light & MPM
The creator describes it as “Half MPM and half lighting simulator, but stronger than both.” MPM stands for Material Point Method.

Blob High-Resolution
Another collision simulation, this one with circles sort of melting.

The Kuroshio Sea with all large “fishes” inside~~~
I would love to visit this aquarium. Despite my fear of being eaten by a large fish, I think being underwater looks peaceful.

Melody Underwater Test Shots
Speaking of being peaceful underwater… Maybe it’s reminiscent of the womb.

Chandra Presents the Rosette Nebula
NASA’s videos are out-of-this-world. Obvious choices. Oh, also they don’t have advertisements and usually no annotations (which can be disabled anyway).

Moon Jellies
Jellyfish up close. Simple primordial beings undulating through the ocean. Good times.

Time Lapse Sunrise
Stationary camera, time-lapse photography… Oh yeah, and a sunrise that looks like it lit the sky on fire!

Fractal animation 2
I love symmetry and these complex models. They are usually just a portion of nature represented by math. Look into fractals and especially Mandelbrot.

Time-Lapse: Tucson Arizona Sunset Aug 8, 2010
Arizona has some of the most beautiful sunsets.

nikon D7000 super macro 336mm test footage
Is the T1000 reforming into a killing machine? Not sure. But it looks cool.

Sonja Henie
Old footage of prodigy skater Sonja Henie. I actually learned something from this video… so many things not known.

Race Horse First Film Ever 1878 Eadweard Muybridge
This is the first film. Ever. But the special effects in the sequel blow this one away.

Normal Live Blood Cells(4)
The body’s processes are interesting.

Giants (t2i w/ Macro Lens)
This one is all about macro texture. Big luscious texture.

Time Lapse Snowy Tree Panning
Time-lapse of snow melting is just fun to watch.

Blurred City Lights – VFX
This effect is called Bokeh. From Wikipedia:

Bokeh is the aesthetic quality of the blur in out-of-focus areas of an image.

Now we know.

Starlings swarm in, murmurating, then totally fill the sky before roosting!
This one is sort of an amalgam of the particle models and the sunset videos. Nature is best.

Bamboo Forest 2
That is some tall grass!

100 Million Years Later, Galactic Collision Continues
NASA’s videos are out-of-this-world. Obvious choices. Oh, also they don’t have advertisements and usually no annotations (which can be disabled anyway).

I have a YouTube channel if you want to subscribe or add me as a friend to keep up on new videos that I upload or like. Thanks for looking.

What does sushi have to do with design? With sushi the aesthetic is as important as the taste. Each maki roll, nigiri, or sashimi is created by choosing fresh ingredients and combining them in such a way as to maximize their visual appeal and flavor.

Art concepts like proportion, balance, color, & asymmetry are integral in creating not just great tasting sushi but visually appealing sushi as well. The best ingredients for both art and sushi are fresh and simple. Skip to info about sushi ingredients & where to get them in Phoenix.

I’ve been making sushi for a few years now. Although I continue to improve, things would be easier with a sushi chef sensei! Besides reading up on the art of sushi I took a little class at Roka Akor that taught some history and the basics.

That’s shitake mushroom, cream cheese and egg on the top left, eel on the top right, and shrimp nigiri on the bottom. No raw fish!

That’s pickled ginger (gari) towards the bottom (looks sort of like pink petals). It cleanses the palette between sushis.

Salmon, tuna, & shrimp nigiri-zushi.

As you can tell from the background, the real work for sushi is in the preparation of the ingredients.

My secret delicious sauce is Japanese mayo, sriracha, a little rice viniger, a pinch of sugar, and & a little sake. I tell you because I asked a sushi chef the ingredients of their similar secret sauce and he treated me like I was crazy for asking!

That purple stuff is beefsteak plant and there is way too much on those rolls.

That is a cooked piece of salmon flavored with bulgoki and ponzu sauce.

Forming a nigiri-zushi which is harder than you might think.

Loki loves Ahi tuna!

I don’t use the paddle to spread rice anymore. It’s easier to wet your hands and do it.

It’s a fun hobby that is great because it can be shared with friends and family.

Sushi ingredients in Phoenix AZ

Getting sashimi quality fish in the Phoenix valley can be a challenge. If you’re in the east valley check out the Seafood Market in Gilbert. I have gotten some good quality fish before, but make sure you know what you’re doing before serving/eating raw fish. In the central Phoenix area the Super L Market Ranch in the Chinese Cultural center carries “sashimi quality” pieces of tuna and salmon that are prepackaged. Check the dates. This fish is decent, but not ultra-fresh or flavorful. Bluewater Grill also sells fresh seafood in the west valley. I have not tried them yet, but they were recommended to me.

Next time you have the chance order sushi and enjoy the delicious fishes and the simple artistry that goes into each morsel. If you’d like to learn more I reccommend reading a book about sushi and sitting at the sushi bar whenever you have a chance and watching the itamae (sushi chef). I have learned a few secrets just by watching a master. Itadakimasu!