Dead Trends
Aug 21 2008
Spotted in Key West, FL.
Turning to more cycling-focused things for Fall.
The Items We Carry: The JPG Challenge
Jul 24 2008
“It’s been exactly a year since The Items We Carry, a flickr group, was started by designer and photographer Naz Hamid. It’s for photos of the small things we put in our pockets or on our persons — the essentials we need to function daily at a basic level.
This week, we’ve invited Naz to JPG, to run this interesting challenge within our community. So empty your pockets and show us what you have! We’ll play by his rules—if you don’t have pockets and say, are a lady, then your purse may serve as your pockets (no bags otherwise)—and Naz himself will be guest editing this challenge!
If you did this challenge on flickr last year, do it again, and link to your original photo. What’s changed since then?
This challenge will be open for one week and will close on July 30, 2008.”
Update: The selections I made have been posted which are also available as a PDF download. Thanks to all who participated.
Field Tested Books: Live in Chicago
Jul 23 2008
Last evening, I attended the Field Tested Books: Live in Chicago set of readings (NYC, Monday!) and had a great time. I’m not the biggest fan of readings depending on the pedigree of the reader or readers at hand and there are certainly some who delve into Freebird jam-band territory1 but last night’s readings were on point.
The material at hand helps: short, brief, concise narratives held together by a common topic with a relatively similar structure. Easily digestible, easily enjoyed and no wankery.
That said, some writers are born to be writers and not readers. Or rather, public speakers — in the sense that there could be some showmanship involved. Years of live music and good showmanship have spoilt me in that regard. There were some definite highlights though: Bryan Bedell’s delivery and humour, John Tolva’s phoning it in from Ghana, Jonathan Messinger and Wendy McClure as always knows how to close a show down.
Much props and love to the Coudal crew as always.
My photos from the event are here on Flickr, as I field tested the rented Nikon 18-200VR lens (which I am decidedly not fond of) and the noise and blurriness get worse as the light gets super low. Apologies. My prime 28mm f1.8 should have been on deck.
1 A zinester reading a few years ago scarred me when the reader used a candle to emphasize her point by lighting it then diffusing it. Bleah. ↩
- MASH: An Interview with Garrett Chow and Jonathan Burkett
It’s funny how this in-depth interview is very much in line with how I’ve transitioned from riding track bikes to racing and riding other kinds of bikes.
- Pantone™
Ty Lettau is photodocumenting Pantone™ colour chips to objects, surfaces, whatever.
- Draplin vs. USA
America is f@#ked. Brethren Aaron James Draplin in his own words. Amen, brutha.
- Obama's Running Mates
From our good friends at the Busy Beaver Button Co.
- Kanye West's LA Abode
Restrained in a good way. No gaudy CRIBS type excess, unless you consider his high taste and mix of pop and couture excess.
- Feist Does Sesame Street
1, 2, 3, 4.
- How the NYTimes iPhone App Icons Came to Be
Lovely work, in black and white and grey.
- Mozilla Labs
The redesign of Mozilla Labs that I did recently is now up and running.
- I'm now reading a story on microblogs
Andrew and I were interviewed for an article about Twitter recently. It’s now live on the Chicago Tribune website. I sound like a buzzkill at the end. In a good way, to me, anyway.
- Ten Things Men Need to Stop
“Talking about sports using war analogies – athletes are not ‘warriors’ and the court is not a ‘battle zone.’ and “Drinking light beer. There is nothing good about light beer, especially when it’s called ‘lite.’ Our taste buds are one thing – why do you have to assault the English language as well?”