McCain + Optima = bland. This article is one of the reasons I still love the NYT.
Bitchin’ atomic-age wallpaper. At $71/roll, it’s not cheap, though. (via)
The guy who runs MyRareGuitars.com has the most incredible collection I’ve ever seen. The website hurts my eyes but the pictures are heaven.
Here’s an excellent (if not opinionated) article on the work of Shepard Fairey, the ma responsible for Andre The Giant Has A Posse. I was aware he appropriated artwork for some of his pieces, but I had no idea how far he went.
This is skewed towards the information-is-free mindset but the basic information is excellent: Tips for Getting Bloggers To Write About You, written by one of the five editors of BoingBoing.
Typography nerds, this one’s for you: Keming, “the result of improper kerning.” Chortle.
Found on BoingBoing: an interview with one of the original designers of the Lego Space series. While it’s awesome to read about his experience, the sets he designed were a generation or two after the ones I had (the original Space sets from 1978-79). It’s impossible to understate what an effect these toys had on my personal development as a creative individual and as a DIY builder. I was a lucky kid–my parents really loved me. One of the original sets I got for Christmas in ’78 retailed for the current equivalent of $100. (source) I still have a box with all the original build plans from these sets tucked away for safekeeping.
I’ve been stymied for the last few days by a particular bug in Internet Explorer that wasn’t letting me make pretty images like I wanted to. Thanks to this article, I found a workaround that solved my problem, made me slap my own forehead, and reaffirmed my faith in my coding abilities.
From the always excellent Smashing Magazine, an article on Bulletproof E-Mail delivery. I find myself doing this a little more each year, so it’s good information to keep tucked away.
This is a fascinating look at the design process from a guy who does covers for the Criterion Collection. He explains how they comissioned and designed a cover for Robinson Crusoe on Mars, using an illustrator I’ve long admired, Bill Sienkiewicz. (via)