I'm going to start documenting my workplace here with my phonecam and with my other digital cameras as our group ramps up heavy construction on our web site. 42 people are all involved in some way in the renovation of the 5000 page databased site. Here (1-3) the design/production team is having its weekly meeting this morning. Much of the discussion is around changes being made "under the hood" of the live web site to prepare it for a new design and navigation. The challenge is much like redoing the interior of a busy office building while it is still occupied. But here in our offices, there's no dust or sound of heavy machinery, just the soft clicking of keyboards. Well there might be a primal scream once in a while.

One of the ways we are helping others from around the building get a sense of the scope of the project is to cover the walls with project documentaion (4). Virtually every major section of the site is changing in one way or another. To show the dozens of internal clients what's happening to their pages, the team has created a massive 11x17" book of all the site layouts (5, 6). The book helps some people feel the "weight" of the effort.

As automated as much of the functionality of the web site is, we still need lots of skilled humans to perform specialized tasks. In several areas of the office, we've had to create new work space. Pictured here is an alcove that was a lounge but is now two cubicles (7, 8).

This set of pictures is just related to the work design/production team. There's also a technology team which handles all of the server-side coding and hardware, and the client service people who I manage. More from these other areas in future posts...

- mike lee - washington, dc

I finally got around to ordering some SumajinSmartwraps. These simple little plastic widgets are used to wind up headphone wire and other thin electric cords. The ends of excess cord are simply slid into the two slots. The brightly-colored Smartwraps make them very easy to spot in your gadget pile. The lime green version goes well with a lot of Apple's current iPod identity graphics.

You get the lowest price on these ($5.00) by ordering direct from the manufacturer in Singapore. Shipping for six of them was under $5. The bubblewrap envelope arrived in about a week.

Smartwraps were designed by Singapore Industrial Designer Marcus Ting and won an ID Magazine Design Distinction Award in 2002.

Also check out the review at iPod Lounge.

- mike lee - langley park, md

The first four photos are a northward panorama of the new Johns Hopkins University bookstore building under construction on 33rd Street between North Charles and St. Paul near my house. The pharmacy, Royal Farms and student housing were what used to be here. The new dual towered building will not only house the Barnes & Noble-operated bookstore but also contain an outdoor cafe, student housing and boutique retail shops.

The southeast and southwest corners of the intersection of 33rd and St. Paul (pano right) have also been approved for demolition and new construction. All of this activity will continue into 2008.

All this new development means home values are going up, and that's good for us since we are selling our house in the spring. After I took these photos yesterday, I had lunch with friend Bill (7) at PJ's Pub (6), which is adjacent to the construction pit.

- mike lee - baltimore

In 2002, Kerry Conran (1, right) and his brother Kevin (1, left) pitched a six-minute short film that they had spent 4 years creating on Macintoshes to producer John Avnet (2). A VHS tape of the short, titled Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, was presented to Avnet in a handmade sheet metal box lined with foam (3) along with a mock comic book cover (4, 5). The brothers also left behind a plastic model of the robot (6) featured in the short. Based on the visual sophistication and sheer magnitude of the Conran Brothers' vision for their pulp fantasy story, Avnet signed them on to create a full length movie. Kerry directed for the first time, while Kevin produced thousands of concept sketches. To the brothers' amazement, the film's budget grew to $70 million attracting an A-list cast including Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Described in detail in the documentary of the making of the movie on the DVD (the source of the pictures here), this success story should inspire a new wave of filmmakers who now have access to even more sophisticated off-the-shelf tools.

- mike lee - baltimore

Local grad student Jenny modeled for the first time today, and really showed a natural talent for posing. Our three-hour photo session yielded 629 frames which will take me a while to edit down and post-process in Photoshop. We're looking forward to our next session where hopefully our area will be snow free and warm enough to shoot outdoors.

- mike lee - baltimore

Here's a cartoon my wife clipped from the Baltimore Sun yesterday.

- mike lee - baltimore

I popped into Elizabeth's birthday bash at the art space of 302 Federal Street in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. With the snowy nighttime view of Amtrak's Penn Station(4) behind her, Maria Broom of HBO's The Wire, jumpstarted the dancefloor for the partygoers with some energetic salsa dancing. When the party hit full gear, I felt the call of daddyhood and ducked out to get home to the fam. Happy Major-even-numbered-year Birthday Elizabeth!

- mike lee - baltimore

We're at Jenny's house for Jessica's baby shower. As the only guy here, I sweated for a second when Jenny pulled out a roll of toilet paper and announced the "measuring" game. As it turned out, everyone had to pull a length off the roll to measure Jessica's belly. After a couple more games, all gathered around to watch Jessica open the gifts.

- mike lee - columbia, md

It's always packed at the Double T diner on Rt. 40 west. We had to stand hungry by the desert case for 10 minutes and then when we got a table, it was time for Cianna to eat. Let's hope for the sake of our growling stomachs that the kitchen isn't backed up.

- mike lee - baltimore