About Talia Whyte

Posts by Talia Whyte:

The Great Canadian Adventure

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For the first time in a very long time, I went on a week-long vacation to Canada (to plan my escape plan just in case Trump is re-elected next year... I'm kidding...not really...) I am so busy with some work sometimes that I forget that I need to breathe, let alone take some time off.

So I took a train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer, which is a Canadian luxury train.  We traveled from Vancouver to Banf, a town an hour outside Calgary.  The Rocky Mountains were so majestic to look at.  Everything I saw looked like a postcard.  I even saw a couple of bears!

Enjoy some photos I took from the train!

Fall 2019 Jazz and R&B Playlist!

Apparently, you all love hearing about my musical favors!  Here are the albums I am listening to on my iPod these days for autumn!

Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis

Live by Erykah Badu

Kind of Blue by Miles Davis

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

The Best of Chaka Khan by Chaka Khan

Monk’s Dream by The Thelonious Monk Quartet

The Definitive Collection by Earth, Wind, and Fire

Ella and Louis by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books by Ella Fitzgerald
Ellington at Newport by Duke Ellington
The Best of Sade by Sade

Start Thinking About Your 2020 Website Redesign Now

The Web Design Process

Many businesses and organizations start to think about redesigning their websites now so they can have brand new sites for the new year.  Here are some things to think about before embarking on this endeavor:

  1. Do you really need to redesign your website?  Not everyone needs a redesign.  If you and your website users are happy with the look and functionality, then the website serves its purpose.
  2. What exactly is the problem with your current website? Are users complaining about site navigation?  Maybe the homepage is too busy, or the site has too many dark colors.  Now is a good time to do a content audit, document the problems and what you envision the solutions would look like.
  3. Can you afford to do a redesign? This is something you have to put a lot of thought into before embarking on a redesign. If you have to hire a web designer, depending on what your redesign requirements are, it can be very expensive if you don’t have a budget set aside already for website maintenance. Even if you redesign the website yourself, you might lose money because it takes away your time from what would otherwise be used to run your business.
  4. Are you re-branding your organization? If so, do you need a new logo or color scheme? Are you selling a new product or providing a new service? What is the new organizational messaging that you need to be reflected in a new website? An organizational website should accurately reflect what is going on in the company right now.
  5. Are you changing your content strategy? Will you integrate social media into your website? How about a blog or a video strategy? Do you want to put testimonials from satisfied customers or supporters on it? Who is going to create new content and how often?
  6. What is your competition doing? It is always a good idea to check in with your competition to see what they are doing and see how you can one-up them in doing something uniquely different.

Banned Books Week 2019!

The American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) promotes awareness of challenges to library materials and celebrates freedom of speech during Banned Books Week, which takes place this year September 22 – 28.  The ALA Office tracked 347 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services in 2018. Of the 483 books challenged or banned in 2018, the Top 11 Most Challenged Books are:

  1. George by Alex Gino
    Reasons: banned, challenged, and relocated because it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning “dirty magazines,” describing male anatomy, “creating confusion,” and including a transgender character
  2. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, illustrated by EG Keller
    Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints
  3. Captain Underpants series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey
    Reasons: series was challenged because it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple
  4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
    Reasons: banned and challenged because it was deemed “anti-cop,” and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references
  5. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
    Reasons: banned and challenged for including LGBTQIA+ characters and themes
  6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
    Reasons: banned, challenged, and restricted for addressing teen suicide
  7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
    Reasons: banned and challenged for profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations
  8. Skippyjon Jones series written and illustrated by Judy Schachner
    Reason: challenged for depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture
  9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    Reasons: banned and challenged for sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint
  10. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
  11. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
    Reason: challenged and burned for including LGBTQIA+ content
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