During a recent discussion with another writer about pacing, this writer used an analogy to music "beats" - quarter-notes, eighth-notes, etc.
The respose was, "Confession of ignorance. I have absolutely no formal training in music..<snip> So I don't know a quarter note from a Quarter Pounder."

*That* I did not expect. I'm a rank amateur myself -- when I play, it's rank, and if I try to sing, it's even ranker :D --  but we were taught how to read the clef signs, the notes from their position on the clefs, time signatures and their meanings, and the length of various notes (whole, half, quarter, etc.) by the sixth grade, IIRC. (For non-US readers, that would be the sixth year of formal schooling, or fifth year in TT's case.) The fact that in 5+ years here, the only other writer with whom this writer has formed an ongoing team has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music, is probably not a total coincidence, though not necessary. But it's hard to picture parodying music without knowing the *basics* of music.

To be fair, one of this writer's fave musicians, Buddy Holly, is said not to have been able to read or write music. He heard it in his head, hummed it, and worked it out. But Holly was writing *original* music, to his own drummer, so to speak. We don't do that. We take someone else's music and lyrics, and overlay our lyrics *to their music*. Which seems to moi to be more difficult if one doesn't speak the language of music.

But then, we all see things from our own POV. So, if you've posted more than ten or twenty songs here, please:

Can you read music, or not?

If you can, do you think it would be a handicap for a parodist not to be able to do so? How great?

If you can't, do you think it would help if you could?

No absolute *right* or *wrong* answers here. It just struck this writer as paradoxical, so would like to hear from others on the above questions.
This wasn't posted as a "poll", to enable commentary on the issue, not just numbers of yes/no. Thanks.

I'm pretty much music illiterate. I know what a quarter-note looks like and that every good boy deserves fudge, but I have no practical use for that knowledge. Wish I could play, but I can't.  I think it helps if you are accompanying yourself in a situation where you can have sheet music, but I don't think it makes a difference for the writing itself.

For me, it's all about the language of, well, language. Sometimes the speed of the vocals has to be taken into account for the sake of word choice, but musical knowledge doesn't seem necessary.

If attempting to write a parody to a song you've never heard with nothing but sheet music for guidance then yes, you would need to be able to read music, but in the age of the internet there is no need for that.

No I never could read music.  I never understood what you do with the knowlege either.  What I can play, sing and whatever is done by ear much brain power these days.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I sight read music very well, so well in fact, that I can put a song away for say two years, never play it, and then get it out again and play it as if I played it two minutes ago.  ;) I play the piano and electric keyboards, and do midi resampling to digitalized sounding music on my Mac computer.  Which simply means I turn boring old midi into beautiful sounding digital music, that sounds like real instruments. I also have a degree in music and sound recording for audio and film that I got at the Recording Workshop http://www.recordingworkshop.com/ that I got in December of 2005 under my belt. I can do basically everything as far as music, except for write my own music (music that has not been thought up yet) in other words, songs other than parodies, and sing, I would need a lot of confidence, nerve, and voice/singing lessons for that I'm afraid. :( But to answer the question in a nut shell, yes I can read music VERY well!  :)

I have a harmonica, but I play with it  more then play it.  Never played it before but one day just start playing  People Are Strange.  My mom came in and asked me what notes I was using and I started playing it wrong.  Probably because I started to wonder what the notes might be. 

BADave did get me to join soundclick a while back  http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=1102528

and then youtube  http://www.youtube.com/user/mntaken

It's all old and I think I'm done recording unless I want to get a video camera and do things live on youtube.   

I can just about read music - I know all the theory, from key and time signatures etc.  but have never practised enough to sight read normal notation. On the other hand, guitar chord sheets: there's been a few times in the last year where the first time I've played a song was to a chord sheet in a band (well, with a group of other musos) in front of an audience.  That is a little bit on the nerve-wracking side, though (and definitely not helped when the guy in charge drops his music and picks them up in the wrong order, so starts playing something I don't know and I'm not even looking at the right song :) )

Do I think it helps in parody-writing?  Possibly, depending on the parody: you can write a perfectly-substituted scanning parody listening to the OS without any clue at all what is going on musically; but being a little bit musically-trained has got to be a bit of a help.

Was trained in bass clef for 8 years of cello playing in school...that is where my music reading ends. I dont think music education is as much a help or hindrance to parody writing as much as a finely tuned sense of wit and pacing is advantageous.

I can't read music at all... I don't find it to be a handicap for me since I always have the OS on repeat while working on the parody along with the original lyrics to read (I do pretty well with pacing/meter, maintaining the melody and syllables).

As for it being a handicap to others? Just as with many other things, it depends on the individual.  :)



Andria

Not being able to read  music I just saw as something I couldn't do and didn't really find a need to figure out.  I use syllables  and pacing. 

What a great question. I can read music and understand the rhythms. I can play a little guitar and piano by ear, but over time I've found my fingers work better :P.

Is it a handicap to some writers? Just like Kilgore532 said, I think it depends on the individual. One of my challenges is hearing a great melody, and then dealing with an incredibly bland and less than rhythmic lyric. That's when the rhythm of the lyric and melody fight each other, and for me, I have to change a phrasing because the rhythm 'wants' it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. All the while, I just aim for a good story that works in the song's framework.

Though I rarely read music now, I do have an ability to hear a song in my head and 'get' how it works. And I think I've got a really good understanding of rhythm.

To all who have taken the time to reply: Thank you.

It seems to be like everything else - depends on the individual. The question that prompted it was, "Would Writer X pace better if s/he knew how to read music?"
The answer seems to be: Not necessarily. If your head can capture the meter and scansion, and you double-check by singing it to the video, probably OK.
(or you can use this writer's x-X-x-x-X method, guaranteed to nail - but that plug wasn't the purpose of the thread.)  8)

Which takes away one possible excuse for the glitches in question.

Still, it was interesting to see so many different viewpoints, and anyone else who wants to chime in, please do so.

Thanks to all - TT 

I can read music. . .though I personally think if people would just take time to sing their words to the song they are taking on, pacing would improve immensely.  I was trained on reading music in concert choir, as well as for playing the Tuba and Keyboard (though I admit I am rusty on either at this point since I didn't continue to use them) and am currently pricing guitars and planning to train on that as well. . .I don't know that playing music necessarily improves pacing, since to my knowledge no one has the music sheet at hand when they are writing a parody, but understanding the pacing of the original, the melody, rhyming, meter, and rhythm are all essential.  Unfortunately, based on most parodies I've seen, most don't even listen to the original song before doing a parody, much less try to see if their words fit to the original. . .that's my take.  It's about effort for me, some people take the effort to know the song they do and some don't. . .

<snip>  Unfortunately, based on most parodies I've seen, most don't even listen to the original song before doing a parody, much less try to see if their words fit to the original. . .that's my take.  It's about effort for me, some people take the effort to know the song they do and some don't. . .

If we add "most poorly-paced parodies I've seen..." , I'd say you nailed it. Some put in the effort, and some not only don't put in the effort, they don't even think it matters. Thanks, Dave.

If you mean sheet music, I can't read that(I play guitar too... which is kinda funny considering my music sheet illiteracy. I'm glad that books and sites carry fret numbers).

I use the lyrics and singing over the OS to write my parodies. Speaking of which, I need to stop procrastinating on writing.

I find that using just the melody line of the sheet music helps with doing parodies, especially when writing just the lyrics. The chords, guitar, piano, etc. really can't help you much at all as far as setting the beat for pacing your parody, but the melody line and / or it's notes, can help significantly if you are really unaware of the original song.  ;)

I can read sheet music and guitar tabs and stuff, though I can't say if it's helped my parodies any. The many years of music lessons certainly instilled within me a love of music, which probably helped. And both my normal music teacher and my guitar teacher had a quirky sense of humour, which probably explains some of my odder parodies, though that can also be atributed to my Asperger's Syndrome.

Thanks to all for the additional input.

I wasn't thinking so much of the pitch of the notes, but more of the number of beats, and how many beats per word or words per beat, as perhaps helping to capture the meter and phrasing of a line. ("phrasing" being used in its musical sense, not grammar/writing). But apparently, plenty of writers can just follow TOS as they write, and so long as you or your readers can sing it to TOS, it's all good. (If not, not.  ;) )

Moi, if I KTOS well, can just write parody lyrics from the tune in the ol' pea-brain, or lay TOS lyrics side-by-side with the working parody document.  Others may write parody lyrics /underneath/ the corresponding OS line. Whatever works - so long as it *works* (paces). Alas, as Below Average Dave noted, many here these days seem not to check, nor even to try. But that's apparently not correlated with able/not able to read music.

I find that having learned a bit about poetic forms -- Shakespeare's famous iambic pentameter, Maj-General's iambic octameter, or the dactylic tetrameter of The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky, With Diamonds" -- actually isn't necessary for moi, but surely helps to spot glitches in others' songs quickly -- unfortunately.  Sorry! .... but for those who want to be able to nail anything by ID'ing the prosody (rhythmic pattern) of TOS, then writing to it, it might be of help.
Good start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot_(prosody)

Re: Aspergers, ADD, etc.: All consistently found more often in those of above-average intelligence, and also in those of higher creativity. "Normal" people (whoever that is, if there are any  ;D ) tend to "stay inside the box", and so don't create, or go for our far-fetched concepts, puns, etc.

Cheers to all.

Personal message to WarrenBaker: If you think playing by ear is hard, try playing by flipper! (Rim shot!)  ;D

Idle thought, re: 'dactylic tetrameter of The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky, With Diamonds' ":

"My Favorite Things", a very popular OS here, has the same metrical pattern of dactylic tetrameter:

PIC-  ture your-SELF on  a  BOAT  on  a  RIV-er
RAIN-drops on  ROS-es and WHISK-ers on KIT-tens

The tempo is different, of course, with "Lucy" being slower and more drawn-out; semi-psychedelic, while "Fave" is a bright, up-tempo, cheery song. And of course, the *pitch* of the notes is different. which is irrelevant to the *pattern* of the lines.

What's good about that? The concepts of pattern-identification and pattern-matching mean that if you know how to pace a parody of "Lucy", then you automatically know how to pace a parody of "My Fave". Or of any other OS that has that pattern.

I agree that if you can capture it in your head, or listen to TOS over and over as you write, as some have mentioned, or sing your parody to TOS, then you don't need to do this. But it surely is a great help to know that most popular songs fall into only a few common metrical patterns, so once you know the pattern, the pacing is a breeze.  8)

*If that's enough, or too much, skip the rest*

This was how the inspiration arrived to do Shakespeare's Hamlet to Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You". Heard the latter in the car, and realized that the main lines very close to WS's iambic pentameter (ten syllables, alternating unstressed and stressed, sometimes with an extra unstressed syl at the end). "I Only" is the same ten alternating, plus two unstressed at the end. So, just tack on one to Willie's :

i DON'T know WHAT it IS  that MAKES me LOVE you so
to BE    or      NOT  to BE, that IS      the  QUES-tion here

TT has never denied that he is weird.  :D But this really opens up all kinds of possibilities and inspiration, and as noted above, makes nailing the pacing easy.

The first experience most people have of music is through sound. There is a well-known program (The Suzuki Method) that teaches children to play violin through the repetition of the sounds the instructor plays. This is based on the principle by which young children learn speech, imitation of role models.

Written notation follows, rather than precedes the sound. Admittedly, these are not normal cases, but there are musical savants who can reproduce on a piano complete and complex music they have never heard before. One fellow who was profiled on CBS 60 Minutes could play a composer's material in the style of any performer you named, and could even compose original music. All of this without any ability to read music, or even written language.

I don't believe a knowledge of musical notation and technique is a prerequisite for parody writing. A sense of language, humor, irony, timing, might be much more valuable. Musical theory would be essential in producing original works and communicating them to others. That is what notation means. It is the same as alphabetic or syllabic representations of speech. It allows the music to be conveyed across time and distance to someone who is versed in the same system.

But music was, and is transmitted by singing and repetition. This is how it was before written notation was developed. Just as a person can speak acceptable language without a formal study of grammar, it is possible to sing without a formal study of music.

What we are doing here, is producing works in a written medium. We are, if we are doing it right, trying to match the sound of someone else's work. But the knowledge of musical forms, while a wonderful skill to have, is not a prerequisite for what we are doing here.

<snip> Written notation follows, rather than precedes the sound.
Agreed.
Admittedly, these are not normal cases, but there are musical savants who can reproduce on a piano complete and complex music they have never heard before. One fellow who was profiled on CBS 60 Minutes could play a composer's material in the style of any performer you named, and could even compose original music. All of this without any ability to read music, or even written language.
"Perfect pitch" is indeed rare. If you get a chance, check out Season 3, Episode 15 of "House, M. D." (Library should have the DVDs.)

"Patrick is a thirty-five year old man who suffered a severe brain injury in a bus accident at the age of twelve. Since then, he has only been functioning at the level of a four year old, except that after the accident he has somehow become a musical genius..." who can do what you said.

<snip, because it's been agreed that reading muisic is not a requirement, though some think it could help> What we are doing here, is producing works in a written medium. We are, if we are doing it right, trying to match the sound of someone else's work. But the knowledge of musical forms, while a wonderful skill to have, is not a prerequisite for what we are doing here.

Again, agreed. But as Below Average Dave and this writer have noted, a lot seem *not* to do it right, and in some cases, perhaps not to try. Understanding rhythmical patterns (not reading pitch, per se), whether written, as in the study of prosody, or notated, as in the different length of notes in musical symbolism, might help those writers. But if they were willing to put that much effort into it, they'd probably get it right just from repeatedly listening to TOS, then double-checking by singing it over TOS.

Thianks for the thoughtful reply.

The story of the brain injured man who becomes a musical prodigy brings up the question of whether music is an inherent part of the human brain, something that exists in everyone. Some will concentrate on this potential and achieve greatness at composition or performance. Others may enjoy some aspect of music casually, while others may ignore it or even be hostile toward music. A talent for music will usually manifest itself when someone is very young. If such a child receives parental encouragement and good training he or she may excel. Individual willpower and discipline are also critical.

In the case of the man described above, the trauma to the brain must have damaged other functions or potentials, while sparing the musical potential. I'm sure there is a more precise, scientific term for this, but I believe "potential" conveys what I mean. Just as in the case of the savants I have seen on TV, the brain has become single-minded, so to speak, and puts all its energy or output into music, to the exclusion of even routine functions of eating, bathing, etc without assistance.

In other cases, brain injury or maldevelopment have resulted in people with extraordinary abilities to paint, or sculpt or to remember weather statistics.

If a potential for music lies in every or most human beings, the evolutionary question arises: why?

Even the most "primitive" people we know of today produce some form of music. Does/did music have survival value for the human species? Maybe just the fact that we enjoy it is reason enough.

Brain talk cool

whatever types of correct names drives me nuts.  I had a real nasty brain tumor at the age of 7  and yeah,  Losses of whatevers and all the strength into one thing. 

What's the last question? I enjoy music and that's what matters to me.

The story of the brain injured man who becomes a musical prodigy brings up the question of whether music is an inherent part of the human brain, something that exists in everyone.
Do please note that the show is fictional. But we spend nine months in the womb, and a year or two after leaving, very close to the heart of our mother, whose pulse is ours as embryos, and which we hear and feel while being held. Another TT original theory: I don't think that the fact that the most common music tempos are in the same general range as a healthy pulse -- 72-80 beats per minute -- is just a coincidence.
A talent for music will usually manifest itself when someone is very young.
I've read that there are only four true categories of child prodigy: math, music, art, and chess. Music is very mathematical at its core, but that's another topic. Chess requires the same type of logical thinking and analysis as math. Someone with a gift of creativity might well manifest it in music or art. OTOH, Einstein failed math as a child. (Late bloomer?)

If such a child receives parental encouragement and good training he or she may excel. Individual willpower and discipline are also critical.
True. It's also been shown that exposing babies to quality music (Beethoven, not rap, lol) may help increase their intelligence levels, because of the stimulation of neurons and brain function. However, some parents have taken this to excess, trying to produce "super-babies". Some of those supers end up with burnout, like William James Sidis. (Or they become dropouts and end up writing song parodies, like this writer.  ;D )


In the case of the man described above, the trauma to the brain must have damaged other functions or potentials, while sparing the musical potential. I'm sure there is a more precise, scientific term for this, but I believe "potential" conveys what I mean. Just as in the case of the savants I have seen on TV, the brain has become single-minded, so to speak, and puts all its energy or output into music, to the exclusion of even routine functions of eating, bathing, etc without assistance.

In other cases, brain injury or maldevelopment have resulted in people with extraordinary abilities to paint, or sculpt or to remember weather statistics.
Again, the show was fictional, but I believe you're correct about low-functioning savants having somehow channeled a great deal of their potential into one specific field. DK how much scientific evidence there is for brain trauma to cause this.

If a potential for music lies in every or most human beings, the evolutionary question arises: why?  Even the most "primitive" people we know of today produce some form of music. Does/did music have survival value for the human species? Maybe just the fact that we enjoy it is reason enough.


See above about literally "inborn" sense of rhythm. Music of the right type can produce the type of brain waves associated with peace and calmness, or with pleasure and activity. Many runners, self included, listen to their portable player while running. Up-tempo music seems to increase energy, as our spirits are lifted; more soothing music keeps us relaxed so that we save our energy for the working muscles, rather than wasting it on tension. (I had mix tapes that alternated the two.)

Singing (or chanting) increases respiration and circulation, bringing more oxygen to the brain. It also can produce endorphins, the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. (Endorphin = contraction of "endogenous morphine").  "Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast" -- William Congreve (1670–1729) "The Mourning Bride" Act i. Sc. 1.

Fast, aggressive music can stimulate an army's peak performance, esp. when a Pavlovian response is established, i. e. a bugle call to charge. Soldiers sing cadence songs while marching for the same reasons as the runners.

Singing in groups can increase bonding. Bonding is useful for group defense against attackers or to tie a community together. (Think of hymns in church.) Singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before ball games is a reaffirmation of love of country, except when certain alleged celebrities mangle it.  :P

So there is a lot of evolutionary advantage to music:  to health, mood, community, even in war.


Brain talk cool. ...  I had a real nasty brain tumor at the age of 7  and yeah,  Losses of whatevers and all the strength into one thing. 

What's the last question? I enjoy music and that's what matters to me.
Thanks for sharing that. Sorry that it happened to you, but as you said, enjoying music makes up for a lot.

So there is a lot of evolutionary advantage to music:  to health, mood, community, even in war.
Thanks for sharing that. Sorry that it happened to you, but as you said, enjoying music makes up for a lot.


Think I have more to be thankful for that I got this crazy tumor then to be sorry.

With questions and stuff  I don't understand or get it sometimes and it makes me wonder sometimes    If I should run. I fee simply  dumb.  Na just brain damage ;). 

Think I have more to be thankful for that I got this crazy tumor then to be sorry.
That's an admirably positive attitude. Kudos.

  With questions and stuff  I don't understand or get it sometimes and it makes me wonder sometimes    If I should run. I fee simply  dumb.  Na just brain damage ;). 

At least you have an excuse!  ;D

When the rest of us have a brain fade, as we all do at times, we have no excuse....  :-[

I didn't know a show was even being talked about, I must have missed something somewhere.

For a little while over here with no comments, I felt a little stupid.  In a  of threads where I'll say something and they don't get responded to, I get that way sometimes.  This might be a feeling that everyone gets sometimes, but it seems to be my biggest problem or perhaps just the most bothersome to me.  Why? someone in the past has tried to force me to function like a regular person because I don't seem to be disabled enough to get help from any services or anything.    What is regular, normal, something like that  you know.  I know I have the tumor, ADD symptoms and grown with an observation of the need to find fault in everyone. I think it's time to forget normal because I'm not.

this is turning into a me thread.  I'll be quiet now, but perhaps I did needed to say something.

I didn't know a show was even being talked about, I must have missed something somewhere.
A little ways up, there was mention of a fictional TV medical series, in which a man who suffers brain damage in an auto accident loses most "adult" knowledge and function, but becomes a musical prodigy and genius. It's fiction. But there may be some real stories like that, I DK.

For a little while over here with no comments, I felt a little stupid.  In a  of threads where I'll say something and they don't get responded to, I get that way sometimes.
No need. Not everyone is on the Internet every day - some of us have to work for a living, lol. Some seem to use their employer's time to browse. I'm self-employed: no work, no pay. So it's often late at night before I can check these things.

Also, probably many people participate in a number of forums, and if they get very involved in one, they might be away from the others for a while. Or be busy. Or sick. Or...
In other words, don't take it personally if there are no responses, or if it's a long time before any. I owe a reply to another thread here that I haven't gotten to yet, but hope to this weekend.

This might be a feeling that everyone gets sometimes,
I'm sure that's true.

but it seems to be my biggest problem or perhaps just the most bothersome to me.  Why? someone in the past has tried to force me to function like a regular person because I don't seem to be disabled enough to get help from any services or anything.    What is regular, normal, something like that  you know.
"Normal people frighten me" -- bumper sticker.  :D

Normal is just an average. Everyone deviates from the norm in some manner. Imagine how dull the world would be if everyone were *exactly* alike?

I'm "abnormal" in a lot of ways. Modesty prohibits me from mentioning a few (cough barf cough), and I'm sure some others here would be happy to elaborate on the less-positive ways lol.

  I know I have the tumor, ADD symptoms and grown with an observation of the need to find fault in everyone. I think it's time to forget normal because I'm not.
I thought fault-finding was a TT trademark?  ;D ... Seriously, no one should try to force someone else into some mold made by -- whom? Who gets to decide what the mold should be?
Make the best of what and who you are, so long as you don't violate the rights of others. That's all anyone can ask or expect.

this is turning into a me thread.  I'll be quiet now, but perhaps I did needed to say something.
Yes, it *is* off-topic, and we need to get back to the original topic, if anyone who hasn't voiced an opinion still cares to. If not, then we can let this thread go. But I didn't mind the digression, and if it helped you in any way, that's good enough for me.

I'll send you a bill. (KIDDING!)  ;) Good luck to you, and enjoy!

Do you take Monopoly money?  ;)  echos the conclusions I end up coming to some how,  so it helps to keep me on the right track.  Now I'll stop being off topic.
 

Not a drop. I can barely differentiate notes on a page from Chinese symbols. I play by ear, and understand the importance of cadence. It seems like a lot of people have a great initial idea for a parody, but they get bogged down in their execution of it by not knowing how to make all of their ideas fit into the structure and timing of the music. I wonder if being able to read notes would even help those who can not get it from hearing alone? Seems you either have a knack for rhyming and timing, or you are my mom.

<snip> and understand the importance of cadence.
I think that's the major issue right there, as far as pacing goes.


It seems like a lot of people have a great initial idea for a parody, but they get bogged down in their execution of it by not knowing how to make all of their ideas fit into the structure and timing of the music. I wonder if being able to read notes would even help those who can not get it from hearing alone? Seems you either have a knack for rhyming and timing, or you are my mom.

Which is why (irresistible plug opportunity) Tommy Turtle's Tips for Perfect Parody Pacing was written and posted. And it's not nice to insult Mom in public.  ;D

(seriously, thanks for the reply.)

And it's not nice to insult Mom in public.  ;D

(seriously, thanks for the reply.)


Not insulting dear ma-ma. Merely echoing what she would say if you asked her the same question. Much respect to mom.

This is great, though. I never really have had an outlet for this kind of stuff. If you are ever bored and feeling the need to waste your time, go to my site www.chrissaffle.webs.com. It is a work in progress, and just all around silliness. The music that can be heard on the site is mine (just short clips, and some unfinished stuff.....i just started recording, so not a lot of finished product to show). The links page also takes you to more song snippets. All in pretty raw form. You will come out of it knowing way more than you ever wanted to.

Uh, I'm a bit older than you, and nearly went blind trying to read black or dark blue text on black-and-white tiled photos filling the screen.  ???
Removing all style from the page turned it into legible text. (View- > Page Style > No Style in Firefox).  FWIW. IMHO. YMMV.

And it's "cocoa", not "coco".  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_study.gif

Some tips for better usability, and mistakes to avoid in web site design.

btw, my religion prohibits me from disabling my pop-up blocker, which your site requested.  ;D

Cheers!

Uh, I'm a bit older than you, and nearly went blind trying to read black or dark blue text on black-and-white tiled photos filling the screen.  ???
Removing all style from the page turned it into legible text. (View- > Page Style > No Style in Firefox).  FWIW. IMHO. YMMV.

And it's "cocoa", not "coco".  http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/icon_study.gif

Some tips for better usability, and mistakes to avoid in web site design.

btw, my religion prohibits me from disabling my pop-up blocker, which your site requested.  ;D

Cheers!


Ummmmm.....thanks?

Ummmmm.....thanks?
Yeah, I know that sounded a little harsh. (Tact is not one of my long suits.)  ;)

Try thinking of those comments as "constructive suggestions to make the site even better, and for a wider range of visitors".  :)

(We'er O/T here, anyway. Cheers.)