Rob Long on the cult of Mac:
[audio:https://helveticka.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The-Dell.mp3|titles=The Dell]
Rob Long on the cult of Mac:
[audio:https://helveticka.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/The-Dell.mp3|titles=The Dell]“The art of creation comes closer than any other activity…to serving as a sovereign remedy for the ills of existence.”
Paul Johnson
How’s this for a depressing lede: “Scores on the critical reading portion of the SAT college entrance exam fell three points to their lowest level on record last year, and combined reading and math scores reached their lowest point since 1995.”
The full story is here.
Granted, it’s the SAT, and therefore not a representative sampling of all high school students. But you only take the SAT if you’re college-bound, right? So the actual numbers could be even worse.
Either way, it’s not a good time to be a writer…
Good writing is all about having the right tools at your disposal. Knowing the rules of grammar, for instance, helps you understand when it’s appropriate to break them. And an ear for the rhythms of everyday speech goes a long way toward preventing the type of turgid, leaden prose one generally finds only in academic writing.
As for vocabulary, well…you can never know enough words, right? With that in mind, here’s a handy list of 339 synonyms for “puke.”
You’re welcome.
Because it’s Monday, here’s Finnish accordionist Antii Paalanen, who holds a master’s degree from the prestigious Sibelius Academy Department of Folk Music, playing Van Halen’s “Jump.” While wearing an AC/DC T-shirt.
Sort of makes you feel good to be alive, doesn’t it?
To those who think Macs are all style and no substance, I have one thing to say: “MacBookAir Does of used as knife Zhonghua.”
Just in time for fall semester, here’s a handy list of new college slang words. And here’s part II.
Are you a fat lazy slob? Turns out it’s not your fault.
Last Friday evening we held a special launch party for PROOF! no. 5, which features the work of painter Gary Kaemmer. The event was held at the Steam Plant and coincided with their own First Friday event with none other than Mr. Kaemmer himself in attendance. It was a great turnout.
One of the evening’s surprise visitors was Leonid Bergoltsev, the subject of our inaugural PROOF! publication. Leonid’s photography of Soviet life in the 1950s through the early 1990s is amazing. He’s shown in the photo above, second from left. Joining him (left to right) is J. Craig Sweat—our photographer for the latest PROOF! issue—Gary Kaemmer, and yours truly.
To receive your free copy of PROOF!, visit proof.johnstonprinting.com.
Why? To remind our faithful readers that tomorrow is First Friday at the Steam Plant—and Gary Kaemmer, featured in the current issue of PROOF!, will be on hand to talk about his work. What a fabulous way to kick off Labor Day weekend!
Oh, and there will be beer and wine too, if that makes a difference.
159 S Lincoln St, downtown Spokane, 5–8 p.m. Be there.
This helpful sign is on the southwest corner of Brown and Spokane Falls Blvd. Apart from the dreadful design, I wonder how effective it is. I mean, if your mental capacity is such that you need instruction in the art of crossing a street, should you really be out of your house?
And what if the flashing hand appears while you’re in the middle of the intersection—but you didn’t notice the part that says, “Finish Crossing If Started”? Will you know what to do? Or will you simply stop in your tracks the moment the flashing hand becomes the Red Hand of Impending Doom?
Granted, in a city known for its callous disregard for pedestrians, any effort to encourage foot traffic is welcome. But are we really that stupid? (Don’t answer that.)
People keep telling me they’d read more if they had time. That lame excuse no longer holds water. Behold Book-a-Minute!
Here’s one of my favorites (Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley and ultra-condensed by Andrew C.):
Walton
Dear Margaret: My ship picked up this guy. He RULES.
Frankenstein
I discovered the secret of life, and everyone died. (dies)
Frankenstein’s Monster
Inexplicably, I have become suicidal. (jumps out a window)
THE END
Johnston Printing’s latest edition of PROOF!—the fifth in a series—is now available. This issue features the work of Gary Kaemmer, an artist with a penchant for painting portraits of famous artists in their own individual style. With over 70 paintings under his belt, Gary demonstrates an amazing ability to work in a myriad of painting techniques.
PROOF! showcases the service offerings of Johnston Printing. As with all of the previous issues, AMD selects each subject, designs the tabloid-sized publication, and writes the narrative, offering unique insights into a talented regional visual artist. A special mention to J. Craig Sweat, who not only photographed our subject and his work, but also made the original suggestion to consider featuring Kaemmer.
To receive your own free copy of PROOF!, visit proof.johnstonprinting.com. And to meet the artist himself, join us on First Friday, September 2, beginning at 5:00pm at the Steam Plant in downtown Spokane. Gary Kaemmer will be on hand to share his perspectives about his Famous Artists Portraits.
In the memoir portion of Stephen King’s On Writing, there’s a great line about…well, let’s just quote the man, shall we?
The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time.…Substance-abusing writers are just substance abusers—common garden-variety drunks and druggies, in other words.
But then he really gets going:
Hemingway and Fitzgerald didn’t drink because they were creative, alienated, or morally weak. They drank because it’s what alkies are wired up to do. Creative people probably do run a greater risk of alcoholism than those in some other jobs, but so what? We all look pretty much the same when we’re puking in the gutter.
It’s not often that CK takes a vacation. Something about owning your own business. So when he scheduled this week off, we knew there’d be questions. To that end, we’re glad to offer the above photograph, sent via his iPhone, as evidence that CK is on a family road trip and not (a) in rehab, (b) scaling the 15,000-foot Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat, or (c) meeting with advisors in preparation for a possible third-party presidential run. With any luck, he’ll be back in the office on Monday.
According to a study conducted by the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago, moderate drinking—defined as two a day for men and one for women—can increase your chances of maintaining optimal brain health, memory, and cognition by 23 percent.
Thank you, science!
Take the online color challenge to find out. –via Roslund Photography