In no particular order:

Creep - Radiohead
Hello, Goodbye - Beatles
Deathly - Aimee Mann
Karma Police - Radiohead
I Am The Walrus - Beatles
AM 180 - Grandaddy
Say It Ain’t So - Weezer
Reckoner - Radiohead
Oh Darlin’ - Beatles
Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
I’ve Just Seen A Face - Beatles
The Rip - Portishead

Creep, The Rip, and Oh Darlin’ were, in my opinion, the most excellent, although everything sounded better than it did a month ago (which is about the last time we all played together). Next time we’ll video some of it.

We’re almost a year late in posting this…but last September we recorded the Apple Harvest Festival weekend with our Ithaca Commons Webcam. Since this year’s Apple Fest is fast approaching we felt obligated to share the memorable weekend with everyone. It was fun. It will be fun again.

This video is also posted on our YouTube page, but since the compressed the video into oblivion, you aren’t missing much. Thank you Vimeo.

A recent WordPress blog integration for Lisbe Partners lead me to consider some Search Engine Optimization decisions that WordPress makes in it templates and here I share modifications.

1. Headings!

WordPress Default template lists Post Titles as <h2> in order to reserve <h1> for your Blog Title. At AWP we like to use <h1> for unique page content titles, so the first main text you see on the page is <h1>. We generally have great SEO ratings, so we are going to stick with that strategy.

The template files, archive.php, links.php, page.php, single.php and search.php can be changed directly. To affect the heading tags for posts, you will need to insert some conditional code in index.php (or post.php, since this file can be used on the single post, the post category list views, and some times the home page). In the following example <h4>’s are used as the list view headings.

<<?php echo (is_single() || is_home()) ? "h1" : "h4"; ?> class="title">
    <a id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>">
        <?php the_title(); ?>
    </a>
</<?php echo (is_single() || is_home()) ? "h1" : "h4"; ?>>

Insert this into the beginning of index.php. (Modified from geniosity musings)

2. Page Title

Another SEO measure we’ve implemented at AWP is ordering titles with specific content first in the browser title bar. For example, if we are several layers deep, the title goes “Page Title _ Sub-Section _ Section _ Website Name,” etc. For more of an explanation, see Web Designer Wall (go to #7).

For interior pages WordPress Default theme uses “Blog Title > Category > Post Name,” which is not Search Engine friendly. To improve this, I borrowed code from The Blueprint Theme which integrates the Google Blueprint framework into WordPress (which I also used in my blog template).

<title><?php wp_title(''); ?> <?php if ( !(is_404()) && (is_single()) or (is_page()) or (is_archive()) ) { ?> | <?php } ?> <?php bloginfo('name'); ?></title>

So, now we get “Post Name > Blog Title.” Happy SEO improving!

No, that isn’t a typo.

I’m happy to share my first video-based post. Here is an excerpt from the description I wrote on Vimeo:

One day in December of 2007 while riding to work on the bus I snagged my MP3 player (at the time a Palm Zire) on my bag, unplugging my headphones just the slightest bit. I was listening to “Faust Arp” at that precise moment, and Thom’s vocals completely cut out but the music (though now MONO) remained.

I experimented with more of the album for the rest of my bus ride (and work day, subsequent journey’s, etc.). I had difficulty replicating it on my computer, but no problem with my iPod.

So I consider this an alternative way to dig into Radiohead’s best album ever: In Rainbows.

In In Rainbows: Instrumental “Easter Eggs” from tyler on Vimeo.

For the past 2.5  months I have been the studio intern working with AWP. Over this time I have learned many new things, one of which I would like to talk about briefly: The Importance of Workplace Environment.

I have been working at various jobs since I was about 15 and have done it all starting from baby-sitting and working my way through retail and other image/design related fields. It is from these past experiences that I can honestly say that working at AWP has been one of the most awesome and rewarding jobs! You hear people complaining about their job all the time and how much they hate going to work. In previous jobs I have dreaded Monday, worshiped Friday, and anxiously watched the clock so I could leave at the end of the day. I would feel spent, unchallenged, and exhausted. Not the case here! AWP has an AWESOME working environment which actually makes me WANT to come to work and continue to learn.

From the moment you begin your day you are exposed to the aroma of coffee and a constant stream of music. The people are friendly, down-to-earth, and extremely talented. In the beginning I was nervous about starting an internship with a company that had such a good reputation but I soon came to realize that they are a group of relaxed professionals who simply produce great work.

Imagine getting up and not dreading work, of looking forward to getting to the office, and actually liking your co-workers … Unfortunately, I think this is something that few people have. Working at AWP this summer has helped confirm that work doesn’t have to painful or tedious. I am leaving to finish up my senior year at college feeling refreshed, energized, and excited. When’s the last time your job made you feel that good?