Anvil Graphics Blog

It is import to know the difference between raster and vector art. Raster images are like photographs, they are made up of many colored dots/pixels that make up the image. Vector art is like mathematical coordinates and in between each coordinate is either a line or curve. Because of vector art’s mathematical basis it can be scaled to any size without loss of quality whereas, raster images have a limited ability to be scaled up before loss of quality occurs. Read the rest of this entry »

We all know that Al Gore invented the internet in the 1970’s. The truth is that the concept of the internet was introduced in 1974, and by 1983 there was a solid working internet of governmental research and educational computer networks. The World Wide Web was established in 1989, with the first web browser in 1990. eCommerce, the ability to shop online, was introduced by Michael Aldrich in the UK in 1979, however commercial use of the internet was restricted until 1991. 1994 was a watershed year for eCommerce, with the ability to order pizza online from Pizza Hut. The following year saw the introduction of E-Bay (AuctionWeb), Jeff Bezos’ Amazon.com and the first online bank. E-commerce sales in 2008 exceeded $204 billion.

While I have mixed feelings about increasing the national debt and a massive (what is a trillion anyhow?) budget deficit, I am happy to see Colorado getting some of the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We noticed signs along C-470 about projects on that stretch of highway. There are other projects going on all over Colorado. For more info on how funds are being spent, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery .

Recovery spending in southwest Colorado – Cortez Journal

Time and again we are in the middle of a project and just don’t have quite the right photo. There are several options available to get a great picture to complete your project. 1) You can shoot it yourself. We all own digital cameras, how hard can it be? Unless you are a talented and knowledgeable advanced photographer, this is probably not a very good option. Poor lighting can ruin the best intentions, but so can blurry shots or bad exposure. Often times hobbyists do not provide images with sufficient resolution for high quality printing. 2) Swipe them from a web site. While this is fast and easy, most likely the image is copyrighted or coming from a copyrighted web site. The resolution of a typical web image is about 1/4 of that needed for a printed brochure or catalog. Also, web images tend to be cropped closely to the subject, making them difficult to compose. Read the rest of this entry »

I have to admit I have a bad tendency to talk too much and listen too little. Or worse yet, think about what I am going to say next while the other person is talking, so I don’t really hear what they are saying. Becoming an active listener is a great skill. There are things we can do to pay better attention to a speaker and to demonstrate that we are engaged in the conversation and receiving what is being said. Here are  a couple of tips to improve your listening skills: • Look at the other person and really focus • Sit up and lean forward, get on the edge of your chair • Shut off distractions like radios or TV • Take notes • Ask follow up questions to the other persons remarks • If you have a problem hearing, avoid loud environments , or pull the person aside to a quieter corner • Show interest in the subject and see if you can learn something new or valuable • As a courtesy, don’t take phone calls during a conversation. Becoming a good listener takes practice, but anyone can do it.

Congratulations City of Evans, here in Northern Colorado. Leashed dogs have been allowed in Evan’s parks for sometime now, filling a huge gap left by Greeley’s no dogs in the park rules. Now Evan’s has built a beautiful dog park which allows dogs to run free off the leash. The dog park is divided into 4 different areas, one for timid and tiny dogs, two for larger dogs and an obstacle course training area. The dog areas are filled with green grass and new trees, and are large enough to allow throwing frisbees and balls for man’s best friend. In the commons area there is a unique drinking fountain for both human and canine users. We appreciate Evan’s efforts at quality of life issues important to many people. We look forward to visiting the Evan’s city pool at the end of summer, when dogs can take a swim. Bow WOW.

My dad pointed this out to me the other night, and I simply couldn’t believe it. In the U.S. bank TARP fund passed last fall, our benevolent government has given Captain Morgan, yes, the rum distiller, $2.7 Billion to move from Puerto Rico to the U.S. Virgin Islands. How stimulating is that? Oh there’s more…

Captain Morgan is profitable, has over 20% of the global market for rum, and is the world’s largest liquer distiller. Captain Morgan is owned by a British company, based in London. Why are we paying a British company to brew rum in a different location? Check out this article at Bloomberg. What’s next, paying Exxon/Mobile to locate to Canada.