Moritz Resl has completed a project in which every letter of the over 900 fonts in his library—including the ugly ones—was drawn with low opacity, then overlaid one on top of the other. The result is an average of sorts. Intriguing, perhaps, but entirely predictable.
Last Friday was the unveiling of a very special installation. For the past several months, we’ve been working on a commemorative display for the Sisters of Providence in honor of their 125th anniversary as founders of Sacred Heart Medical Center.
Standing in front of the display, AMD’s Aaron Bragg is flanked by Bill Bouten (left) and Tim Thomas (right) of Bouten Construction. Both the Bouten family and the Thomas family contributed to the funding for the project.
Working in conjunction with Providence Sacred Heart Foundation, the Sisters of Providence, and major display donors, we researched, wrote, and designed this installation. The legacy of the Sisters’ contributions to patients, families, and our community is inspiring. For us, few projects are as meaningful as those that tell a unique story about people with a gift for compassion.
Quick: if you want to refer to the decade in which the moon landing occurred, do you write (a) 1960’s, or (b) 1960s? How about if you’re selling some vintage records at a garage sale? Does your sign read (a) LP’s for Sale, or (b) LPs for Sale?
If you answered “b” to both, congratulations. You’re correct, and you’re dismissed.
If you answered “a” to either one, you probably read the New York Times, so it’s not entirely your fault. But you’re both wrong.
Random samples I threw into the mix resulted in scores ranging from 72 to 81 percent—or from “go ahead and compare yourself to a summer’s day” to “the waters of the Avon almost lap at your feet.”
Give it a shot. And report your results in the comments below.
Behold: real-time information on the state of our roads. Somehow, I think that if street conditions were included in the criteria—like oh, I don’t know…potholes—Spokane would have a big fat dot over it. I mean c’mon. Anyone drive on Perry south of 29th lately?
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.)