Apologies to anyone trying to track me down lately, but I have been even busier than normal.  Yes, I say that a lot, but this time I really mean it, ha-ha, as all my time and energy is being poured (lovingly) into rebuilding http://www.lclark.edu from top to bottom, front to back, six ways to Sunday, the whole nine yards.  The big relaunch date is [UPDATED] June 17, and while I should be on a more human schedule after then, I am sure there will continue to be serious amounts of post-launch work on the new Lewis & Clark website for a good time to come.

I am proud to announce the new Automatic Award Generator.  If you are feeling a little down, misunderstood, or (gasp) unappreciated, then this is the tool to help you get back in good standing with yourself, your friends, and your enemies.  Simply let the machine tell you in what fields you are now recognized as student, scholar, or even world expert.

Having now had some time to reflect about SXSW Interactive 2009, I thought I would make a list of the folks who really got me thinking.  While of course I couldn’t see more than a fraction of it all, I did see a pretty good number, missing only the early Friday and late Monday afternoon panel sessions.  Without further ado, the following are my “best speakers”:

Chris Anderson, Dave Gray, Tony Hsieh, Tim Hwang, Jeff Jarvis, Dan Roam, Clay Shirky, Baratunde Thurston, Gary Vaynerchuk

Care to disagree?  Feel free to contact me about it and we’ll hash it out (no twitter pun intended).  It bothers me that no women are on the list, and also it is intriguing how many authors made it on; it must be something about how they are able to express themselves better, one would presume, than your run-of-the-mill geek…

There are a lot of little things in the works here.  I’ve just returned from SXSW Interactive with new toys and ideas to play with, so pardon the appearance if you’re here and suddenly it all falls to pieces: I’m just building or destroying something. 

So what’s up, you ask?  I have widened the site considerably to add a new right column with (among other things) a Twitter feed that kills my XTHML validation, haha.  There is a random karaoke machine in the works (in collaboration with my bud, Jud). There is a random award generator coming soon for folks who can’t get enough accolades. Obviously, I like random generators (as I already several on this site.)  And I’ll be messing around with a bunch of jQuery things, to be revealed as they so desire.

1. Sir Stone
2. Second to None
3. Winning Combination
4. Begin It Again
5. Television [Instrumental]

Listen: http://morgangrether.info/everything/always/changes/C116

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stone-Grether/12042368547

Another in my series of photo montages, this one taken after a good snow we had in December 2008, between ice storms.  Click on the image to enlarge it.

Check back as data are added often. [Suggestions welcome!]

You are a(n):

Select Here.lonely, deformedblindagingmetallicout-of-workroguebrilliantmadretiredhappy-go-luckyboredfamoussimpleeight-leggedsilver-skinnedtranslucentmoney-grubbingdrug-addledpowerfulpowerlessleatheryback-stabbingdivinelost Select Here.government agentsoldierspecial forces scoutscientistbusinesspersonnight security guardrobotexploreralienassassinthree-eyed prophetmerchant for hirehologramtravelerspy from another worldimperial tax collectoractor with secret pastgelatinous blobbureaucratpresident emperorghostcomputer program come to lifeteenagerdrug addictprisonerreportersettlerspace pirateorphan with royal bloodclone (of yourself)next step in evolutionmonsterdemigodstarfleet captainset of zeros and oneshousewifecop on the beatowner of a seedy nightclubsingersports starsupercriminalcheerleaderschoolteacherscam artist

...Who is: Next
Select Here.in love with a robotnot the person you thought you werechanged in a lab accidentcoming out of hiding to defeat the evil imperial forcesa being of pure energyunstuck in timetrapped in a giant labyrinthopening a mysterious packagemeeting a distant relativefinding the awful truth beneath this false utopiameeting a mysterious strangeropening a trapdoor you found in your garageopening a trunk you found in your atticthe last person on earththe last person on the space shipmeeting yourselfin charge of the imperial librarya fugitive from the secret policeopening a door that wasn’t here a moment beforewilling to go places that terrify othersable to translate an alien language building a time machinein a submarinehurling toward the sundown on his luck, willing to do anythingolder than the Big Bangslowly becoming invisibleturning into a machine, piece by pieceaging rapidly backwardsrunning out of oxygenfalling into a black holecaught between two super-advanced alien races trying to destroy each otherhigh off the latest super-advanced designer drugpoking this glowing meteoritepursued by an unknown evilpunished by the godsgoing roguesurfing the solar windsinvestigating a series of robot crimes (robocrimes)replacing your eyes with camerasjourneying to the outer ring worldshired to repair all this mysterious damagegrowing gillsstepping inside this strange flying saucerbetter, stronger, fastertrying to start a new lifethe carrier of a new plaguemore human than humangenetically modified to improve the speciesaccidentally thawing that big creature from its ice blockfound guilty of high treason and exiled to this backwaterlying to yourselfunleashed—finally!—after so many countless yearsnewly half-flypregnant with something unspeakablemaroonedcaught in virtual realityready to retireexploring underwater castlesreceiving mysterious transmissionsusing your athletic ability to evade enemy firearriving at the space casinoriding on a salamanderpredicting a coming distastertrapped, hopelessly trapped, with no escape

... And who is struggling with: Next
Select Here.an alien attacka robot malfunctiona space ship malfunctionthe apocalypsean out of control supercomputerinsects who have grown to enormous sizemachines come to lifeyourself from another timeyour evil self from another dimensiona virus spreading worldwidesecret police who mistake you for a fugitivea map that did not show any of thisgrowing 10 percent larger each daygrowing 10 percent smaller each daymonster-gods awakening from their ocean slumbersgiving birth to the hybrid thingfailing to go back in time and kill teen Hitlerangry reptile-men on a lost continentmolemen in their underground kingdombook characters come to lifea gelatinous blob wanting to wrestle youa gelatinous blob wanting to make love with youeating food made from people — people! —slaying this beastmaintaining a very fragile peacedescending nightfall(space) wizards, (space) vampires, (space) zombiesthese damn frozen controlsloopholes in robopsychologybroken brakes on your rocket carflying fortressestelekinetic sociopathsthe alien pretending to be your spousethe totalitarian regimereentrya faulty nuclear reactorthe laws of thermodynamicsall these hatching eggsyour giant capethe venomrealityreligious fanaticsthe spice tradecyberterroristsa government agenta former soldiera rogue special forces scouta rogue government agenta brilliant scientista mad scientista simple businesspersona scorned lovera night security guarda robotan exploreran aliena retired assassina three-eyed propheta merchant for hirea holograma lost travelera spy from another worldan imperial tax collectoran out-of-work actor with a secret pasta gelatinous bloba bureaucratthe presidentthe emperora ghosta computer program come to lifea happy-go-lucky teenagera drug addicta prisonera reportera settlera space piratean orphan with royal blooda clone (of yourself)the next step in evolutiona lonely, deformed monstera demigoda starfleet captain a set of zeros and onesa bored housewifea cop on the beata seedy nightclub ownera famous singeran aging sports stara supercriminala cheerleadera schoolteacherno one listening to youthe rules of this deadly game you’re forced to play

... And: Next
Select Here.escaped lab animalsdinosaurs running amok in modern metropoliseswho may have lost your sanitymonstrous dream visionsalien slave-mastersa fire raging through the control centera fire in the engine rooma new head growing out your backhurling toward the suna ticking time-bombThor’s very heavy hammerpets turned against their ownersrobot servants turned against their mastersjumping through a wormhole into yesterdayis short-circuitingbeing locked into an alien zooBigfoot and/or Nessiebeing caught deep within the alien hiveall these frisky centaurs and mermaidsdisruptions to the coronationa rip in the fabric of space-timea storm that’s knocked out communicationsa bug in your programmingnewfound ability to fly and/or read mindsthe swarm100 replications of yourselfthe ethical issues of your newfound omnipotencethe creature’s fangsterrible isolationkilling your grandfather before he met your grandmotherearthquakes!  And volcanoes!learning to live underwaterfiguring out how to make love with a gelatinous blobavoiding the spotlights from the guard towersavoiding the roving spheres that guard the perimeterthe terribly thick underbrushburning booksthe emotional elements of artificial intelligencetrying to prevent the Lincoln or Kennedy assassinationrecovering dinosaur DNAsaving a cheerleader/the worldthe parasites growing within youdeciphering the ancient tabletsa stuck escape hatchopening lunar tombsa hull breachmegasharks and/or mechasharksreaching the dark side of the planetrising ocean levelsthat blip on the radar screen that’s getting closer and closera fungus among uspublic opinionthese crumbling wallsrampaging hoodlumstentacles, tentacles everywhere

For those keeping score at home, I am no longer the Web developer for the Lewis & Clark graduate school and law school.  I am now the Web content system manager for Lewis & Clark as a whole.  So it’s a big promotion for me.  Very cool.  I am now in charge of the institution’s content management system, particularly in training new folks in how to get their stuff online.  I find this work quite rewarding.

Photo montages are my new hobby.  I guess that’s hobby number 29877, for those counting at home.  This montage is from a set of photographs of Wahclella Falls up the Columbia Gorge in Oregon.  A sacred place if ever there was one!

Hey, PDXU fans!  You want to see a couple of photos and hear most of the songs from Tuesday’s show at Lewis & Clark?  Well, get on over to this page: http://morgangrether.info/everything/always/changes/C113!

Tuesday evening, folks—and what’s more rock’n'rollin’ than Tuesdays??—is the debut performance of my new band, the Portland Unconscious.  Or PDX Unconscious for those of you in a hurry.  I’ll try to have recordings and photos for you next week, fingers crossed. 

We’ll be playing from 6ish to 7:30ish at the Lewis & Clark College south campus quad (also called Corbett Circle or some such) for all you new and returning estudiantes.

I have learned that one of my favorite clients has passed away: http://www.legacy.com/DFW/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStoryPrint&PersonID=115770284.  Her name was Wendy Wilkie and she ran Cuisine for Healing in Texas. 

It was my pleasure to work with her to build and launch the website.  She had such a wonderfully warm personality.

I am pleased to announce the launch of one of my favorite freelance clients, Oregon Community of Tenants.  I redesigned their site and moved them into a content management system.

See more of my website work…

Attention all you legions of poetry fans!  Check out “To Olivia, On Your Fourth Birthday,” which I put online yesterday.  I hope you enjoy it.  It is the latest in the ongoing Olivia and Violet Birthday Poems Project, a big bunch of blank verse.  Feel free to share your thoughts with me about it.

Success!  We have officially launched hillsdalevet.com. It was a rare for-profit client job for me, as I usually do only non-profits, but hey, helping cats and dogs is A-OK with me, you know.

See more of my website work…

File under “Things I Like.”  My buddy Chris has a new comedy troupe, the Saint Variety Show (at the Saint in New Orleans) and they have made some fun videos.  Check ‘em out. 

Heck, go in person if you’re in New Orleans. I’ll post show info if I can find it round here.

Peter Korchnak, for whom I worked on DVRC-OR.ORG, had these nice words to say about me recently:

“Morgan is that rare web guy that both knows his stuff and interacts in a professional business manner. He is very responsive to requests for changes or troubleshooting and quick to deliver the desired results. Thanks to Morgan and NetRaising, our agency now has a solid web presence that is appropriate to our mission and goals.”

While we’re at it, Andrew did this one of downtown Portland too… Pretty awesome…

Waterfront Time Lapse Test from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.

Andrew Curtis made this video of the best bridges in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, a town of wonderful bridges.  My home is very close to here and I cross it all the time.

Hawthorne Bridge Time Lapse from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.

Yes, the wonderful www.dvrc-or.org site (designed by Maria Pappas and built by yours truly) was nominated for the prestigious Willamette Valley Development Officers’ Crystal Award in the Outstanding E-Philanthropy category.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is the category did not receive enough nominations and “As a result, they decided not to give an award in this category.”  Still, it is a great site with lots of helpful information for people in need.

Stay up date with all the Morgan Stone Grether news! Now you can subscribe to the Morgan Stone Grether News feed at feed://www.morgangrether.info/everything/always/newsfeed and get all the stories posted here sent directly to your RSS reader, blog, Facebook pages, etc. I have placed the subscription link at the top of this page, and I will leave it there from now on.

Don’t know what RSS is?  Why not let the brainiacs at Microsoft explain it to you?

Though she’s not yet arrived… I’m going to be writing a poem for Violet every year, just like I do for Olivia.  Check out “For Violet, on the Day of Your Birth,” the first for her.

This weekend I was profiled in the fun little website, Portland on Fire.  They describe themselves this way: “Portland On Fire is a daily discovery of PDX people. The site introduces you to a person in the Portland, Oregon (PDX), area every day.”  Find my profile here: portlandonfire.com/morganstonegrether/

You may have noticed things are a bit different around here with the millionth change to the look in a year. (The motto is “everything always changes,” after all.)  Nearly all of your bookmarks should be intact, and in fact things should be a little easier to find… I hope.  Plus in the next few days I will be rolling out something very exciting… all of my music available for you to listen or even download **free** here (as DRM-free mp3s).  Enjoy!

UPDATE 3/13/08: About half the music is now available as MP3s.

**NEWSFLASH** As of tonight, I am no longer selling my compact discs.  They are so last century…. Yes, I am moving to pure digital, no printed materials. 

You will purchase the music available via iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, etc.  Also, I will no longer be selling t-shirts.  Consolidation.  Can’t put a t-shirt on your iPod, dude.