Twitter Updates for 2010-03-11

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 11, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-10

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 10, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-09

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 9, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Logo No-Nos

Filed under:Commentary, Technique — posted by cehwiedel on March 8, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

I started choking on my lunch from laughter at mistake #2: “Hiding a dirty picture in your logo…”

BusinessPundit has the complete list of logo no-nos, with graphics.

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-08

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-07

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 7, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Font Squabble: Why So Hot Over Comic Sans

Filed under:Technique — posted by cehwiedel on March 6, 2010 @ 8:41 am

I will confess to using the Comic Sans font without knowing about the controversy surrounding it.

The odds are that the first sentence of this post is displayed in the font “Comic Sans.” My confession should embarrass me, but doesn’t.

I first found out about the ill will directed at the font from James Lileks — who also dislikes Papyrus. That makes me sad, because I take Mr. Lileks’ opinion seriously but still like the font.

This morning, I came across a year-old article by Emily Steel in the Wall Street Journal on the Comic Sans controversy. Other than suggesting that the font was both overused and used inappropriately, no explanation was given for the heated revulsion.

The article included an origin story:

In 1994, Mr. Connare was working on a team at Microsfot creating software that consumers eventually would use on home PCs. His designer’s sensibilities were shocked, he says, when, one afternoon, he opened a test version of a program called Microsoft Bob for children and new computer users. The welcome screen showed a cartoon dog named Rober speaking in a text bubble. The message appeared in the ever-so-sedate Times New Roman font.

Mr. Connare says he pulled out the two comic books he had in his office, “The Dark Knight Returns” and “Watchmen,” and got to work, inspired by the lettering and using his mouse to draw on a monputer screen. Within a week, he had designed his legacy.

A product manager recognized the font’s appeal and included it as a standard typeface in the operating system for Microsoft Windows…

So there you have it: blame Comic Sans on Batman and The Comedian.

Mr. Connare, the creator of Comic Sans, has his own favorite: Magpie, a nicely legible serifed font.

Poking around, I found an interview of one of the people behind Ban Comic Sans that confirms the reasons suggested in the WSJ article:

MS: Why should comic sans be banned?

DC: In short, it’s just not safe for unregulated public use. It should be handled like controlled substances or firearms, and should be used only by licensed professionals in very specific settings. Since we can’t have it that way, I’m afraid it should be banned altogether. As an aside, I’ve actually used Comic Sans for web design appropriately in its intended context.

(MS stands for “Martin Skivington, the interviewer. DC stands for “Dave Combs.”)

We have fought beyond “ransom note” font abuse. We may never reach the point that everyone with a computer will rise above the design-awareness threshold that would allow them to aptly choose fonts.

If graphic designers want sympathy, they can turn to photographers — who suffer loss of income and pain inflicted by louts wielding digital cameras.

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-06

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-05

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 5, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-04

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 4, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-03

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 3, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Turning Orange County Fauve

Filed under:Technique — posted by cehwiedel on March 2, 2010 @ 7:49 pm

A bit of fun with Photoshop™ based on instructions from pages 134-135 in Photoshop Fine Art Effects Cookbook by John Beardsworth.

The instructions call for an image “with lots of strong detail.”

I pulled in this shot of the Cypress Community Center shortly after a major renovation, approximately two years ago:

Cypress Community Center; photo: cehwiedel

After following the instructions on pages 134-135, here is the resulting scene in the the Fauve style of Raoul Dufy:

Cypress Community Center, styled after Raoul Dufy; photo: cehwiedel

Twitter Updates for 2010-03-02

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-03-01

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on March 1, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-28

Filed under:twitter — posted by cehw on February 28, 2010 @ 3:20 am

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D&AD Design Annual Now Available

Filed under:Shopping — posted by cehwiedel on February 27, 2010 @ 7:40 pm

I clicked right through to order a copy of the latest edition of D&DAD’s design annual trhough Taschen — then had to smack myself to keep from tossing other titles in the shopping cart before checking out.

As a sop to my wounded packrat, I downloaded code for a postable Taschen calendar:

There are also version available for Facebook, iGoogle and the Mac’s dashboard.

Twitter Updates for 2010-02-26

Filed under:twitter — posted by on February 26, 2010 @ 11:59 pm
  • New at Cockleshells: Cherry Bell Radishes Before This Weekend’s Rain http://www.cehwiedel.com/blogs/cockleshells/?p=1122 #
  • RoberLSimon on re-electing Barbara Boxer (D-CA): “”Nothing less than humiliating defeat would be satisfying to me.” http://bit.ly/908IIW #
  • Andy McCarthy: Senate quietly reauthorizes Patriot Act with voice vote, http://bit.ly/cCV2bU #
  • Michelle Malkin: Zazi shows that collecting the dots must happen before connecting the dots can, http://bit.ly/ck8dAa #
  • CNN poll: 56% think big govt a threat to individual rights, http://bit.ly/c0az2h | The American Founders agree & planned for it #
  • Michael Graham wants to be reported to Big Brother, http://bit.ly/9kLMQF | Is Prez B Cool down with O GroupThink? #
  • RT @MelissaTweets: RT @AmyGrindhouse: Levi Johnston Ordered to Pay Child Support http://ow.ly/16Fpcg #palin #tcot | from his photo earnings? #
  • Private equity off the mat: THL to buy CKE, parent of Carl’s Jr., http://nyti.ms/9NqOvO | I hope THL doesn’t screw around with Carl’s #
  • Tea Partiers, unite: Dems look to use reconcilation to pass Obamacare within the next 4 weeks – massive public disapproval needed… again. #
  • Politico Playbook: “the Republicans who showed [for the health care summit] looked reasonable and sincere.” http://bit.ly/cGDHps | oops! #
  • New at Cockleshells: California In Winter: Cyclamen http://www.cehwiedel.com/blogs/cockleshells/?p=1126 #
  • @ritethink – tnx for retweet! #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-25

Filed under:twitter — posted by on February 25, 2010 @ 11:59 pm
  • KHennessey looks at GWB’s bipartisan successes for lessons that Prez B Cool might apply, http://bit.ly/bpMczX | I wish some hadn’t succeeded #
  • KHennessey: “Team Obama and their allies repeatedly try to bypass [Congressional] rules…” | undercuts bipartisan trust & cooperation #
  • SacBee: skier C.R. Johnson died in an accident at Squaw Valley today, http://bit.ly/bdQRvn #
  • The family of “an unknown Canadian soldier” thanks US forces for saving him, http://bit.ly/aDjrLd #
  • The second start to my day: WSJ & mocha latté. Wide awake to read about daily disasters. #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-24

Filed under:twitter — posted by on February 24, 2010 @ 11:59 pm
  • RT @Jesse: New post on the SocialToo Blog: “New Variant of ‘This You???’ Worm Surfaces on Twitter” – http://bit.ly/8ZfXhI /tip @techmeme #
  • Zeroth responder: math teacher tackles gunman at middle school, http://bit.ly/b17jCm | be careful out there, but be ready & willing #
  • 2,087 followers & 80 lists – @JebBush hasn’t tweeted once yet, but he already has a big Twitter footprint! #

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Twitter Updates for 2010-02-23

Filed under:twitter — posted by on February 23, 2010 @ 11:59 pm
  • Hugh Hewitt: best conservative response to this wk’s health summit is a contribution to GOP PA12 candidate, http://bit.ly/a0JxDr #hhrs #tcot #

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