Starting with just the logo, I was playing around with typography and a couple tutorials and was able to come up with something along the lines of this:

Oooooh.. shiny...

I’m still stuck with a feeling of uncertainty, however. 6 months ago I was very happy with the scissors-and-paper look of the website, and now I’m considering other routes to take. This logo is just an experiment and will likely never see any more daylight than it already has. I’ll be playing around with the design, but I won’t be skimping. I’ll only make changes if I feel they really benefit the website…

Then again, I get at most 40 visitors a day. What does it matter if I screw it up? Tootaloo!

However, I’ll be letting you know that iM will be continuing as it ever did before. I even brought back the old layout and took out unnecessary ads. I still browse the web, I still have things to rant about, and I still appreciate having a reader or two that enjoy the site. So what if this blog is just a time-killer? I can’t exactly present hard-hitting news to you, or go out tracking amazing things. I’m still more than happy to share my experiences and thoughts, and as long as you want to read them, you’re welcome.

So welcome back. I’ll get back to work.

[Illustration from Svea Vikander]

Regardless, here’s to a happy New Year. I’ll be back tomorrow to start 2009 on a good foot, so try not to be too hung over. Really.

I’m being as generic as possible to not piss people off. You see, I want to say “Merry Christmas,” as that’s the holiday that I celebrate and a majority of this nation does, as well. But, if I said that, I’d be implying that I don’t wish joyous times to those celebrating “lesser” holidays such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Hulk Hogan Day. So no matter what it is that invokes a feeling of gayity to you and your family, I’m posting a picture of a Happy Tree and wishing everyone a happy celebration!

Good luck, be safe.

Spider, a toy by VectorPark, is simple enough to start out. You point your mouse curser in to the green area and a very minimal spider will follow your curser around, even going back in perspective as your pointer goes higher and higher in the box. Clicking will make him jump. Eventually a very geometric dog-like creature will come out to chase the spider.. well, why am I describing it all? Just go check it out for yourself.

PARK.seasons uses Flex, and is presented with full 3D. Using a mouse or arrow keys, you can rotate around and see the different seasons through the portals. Use your mouse wheel to enter these portals, and suddenly you’ve turned to Spring in to Winter. Den Ivanov made PARK.seasons, and runs a blog detailing his ventures with programming 3D in Flash, Flex, and Shockwave.

So, now with every comment you may add a webcam comment or audio comment. Using it is pretty self-explanitory. Just click whichever you’d like, if any, and provided you’re using a modern web browser, a Flash app should pop up with a “Record” button. Save the recording when you’re satisfied.

Now, a few rules to live by. Please, I don’t censor much, but don’t make me delete your crap.

Nudity- Obviously not a problem in audio comments, but please don’t sneak it in to your vids. Anything considered NSFW will be promptly deleted and added to my person pornography collection.

Language- Swearing is fine, but don’t overdo it. Don’t include threatening or derogatory remarks to other posters.

Copyright- Please don’t upload a video of “According to Jim.” That really has nothing to do with copyright, just personal taste.

Thanks, have a great day.

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 7: While I don’t WANT to blame you, it’s all your fault. You see, if you would just be cool like everyone else and upgrade to IE7, we wouldn’t have to have this talk. Now if only you would just listen to me every once in a while.

Switch to Firefox 3: Firefox is my browser of choice, though I understand not everyone likes to switch browsers. It’s safe and reliable, and allows for extensions in the form of plug-ins and themes.

Switch to Opera: The Opera browser is also a favorite, and becoming increasingly popular. Quick to load, easy on resources, and many nice features (singing fat lady excluded,) make Opera a nice choice.

But iM is not just a blog set up by a bored writer needing something to do. This site is here to be different. Sure, it can be said that something that appeals to many tastes doesn’t taste many, but there’s some method to the madness.

Partyboy Jake P. Lewis

iM is the brainchild of Jake P. Lewis, who doesn’t like writing in the third person. So why am I here? I feel that by posting things you wouldn’t see other places can make iM a unique blog. I aim to create what I’d hope to be someday referred to as the anti-blog. I have tons of obscure things running through my head that I can shed some light on, and the Internet is the perfect medium for that.

But, who am I? I’m a 20-something college student in Indianapolis. I’ve written many a blog in my life, but never in the same way as Illogical Mind. Also on my record is being the original  author of the Madness Combat comic, and the “classic” ASCII: The Comic from 2003 to 2006. The picture at the right represents where I hope to be in 50 years.

In a world of bolts, I’m a nut. My mind wraps around a scrumptious blending of politics, art, and 50’s game shows. Sometimes, it’s not that I don’t care if I hurt your feelings or not, it’s that I try my damnedest to hurt your feelings. I would take your feelings and grind them up in some amazing soul-blending blender of hurt. But I’m not always trying to cause immense pain. Believe it or not, I actually like you. I don’t care who you are, but you’re obviously caring enough to read about me, and I would honest-to-God take the time to read about if I wasn’t so damn busy with myself.

I overly like. If likeness was fries, I would get a Super-Size order of like and die of a like-induced heart attack. But it’s more that my mind is open, and I try to look at things from multiple viewpoints, just as any normal stalker would examine a hot woman. I can pick a little, talk a little, pick a little, talk a little, cheep cheep cheep, talk a lot, pick a little more. You get me going on some topics and I’ll never shut up.

But that’s enough about me. I’m writing for you. This website is yours, and I like to write about what you like, and not appeal to a certain “niche.” After all, I like a lot of different things, don’t you? It’s all about you, man. Just give yourself a round of applause.

Enjoy the colossal rants, the hypnotic viewpoints, and the haphazard adjectives that make up Illogical Mind.