Our intrepid associate and senior designer Shirlee Roberts noticed this little guy over at the Spokane County courthouse last week.

On the one hand, I’m grateful that someone thoughtfully crossed out an offending letter rather than requisition a couple hundred signs declaring that “men” does not in fact mean only men, and that it is in no way a commentary on the questionable gender of certain crew members, and that diversity is a glorious mosaic and all that. (One wonders whether the two-thirds of an ellipsis is also a cost-cutting measure.)

On the other hand, I’ve been told that this figure didn’t actually work. So while that uniquely qualifies it to be a county employee, it also means it’s a big fat liar.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

…but a babbling brook is shallow.

As a card-carrying introvert, I applaud Jonathan Rauch’s article on our proper care and feeding. I’m not so sure, however, that you extroverts will sit still long enough to read it, so let me summarize it for you: stop talking to us.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  comments(4)

On a mission to create original designs for all 66 books of the Bible, Jim LePage has so far “summarized and designified” his way through 1 Thessalonians. Shown above is his take on 1 Samuel.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

Writing in BBC News Magazine, Matthew Engel worries that American idioms are ruining the Mother Tongue. He must’ve touched a nerve: thousands responded to the July 13 article, and a list of the 50 most irritating examples was published yesterday.

He’s partly right, I suppose. I mean, there are few things more vile than the phrase “it is what it is.” Unless, of course, it’s the use of “ask” as a noun. (Are you reading this, CK?)

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This just in: Borders is on the verge of closing all 399 of its stores. From the short article: “In a statement, Borders President Mike Edwards said the changing book industry and the economy hastened the chain’s demise.”

Um, Mike? Do you think it might’ve been the $18 CDs and $40 DVDs that did you in? Just wondering.

It’s a bit sad, really. For a while there, Spokane actually had a store with a decent selection of jazz albums, not to mention some respectable classical choices. As for the books…meh. Around here, it’s tough to beat Auntie’s.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  comments(1)

We’re not exactly Francophiles here at the last word, preferring Philip Roth over Michel Houellebecq, Leszek Kolakowski over Jacques Derrida, and Dick’s fries over pommes frites. But hey, it’s a holiday.

So let’s celebrate! Here’s Poème Électronique by Edgard Varèse:

[audio:https://helveticka.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/06-Poème-Électronique.mp3|titles=06 Poème Électronique]

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kniMjb–Ids&feature=youtu.be

But wait—there’s more…

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It’s hard to look at this without remembering John Derbyshire’s observation that “stereotypes are, in fact, merely one aspect of the mind’s ability to make generalizations, without which science and mathematics, not to mention much of everyday life, would be impossible.”

Check out a larger version here.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment