There are some great insights on “design for the business guy” in the Aesthetics is a Critical Business Requirement set of presentation slides from Stephen Anderson. I especially love slides 40/41.

Amateurs talk tactics, professionals talk logistics.
— Military proverb

Stefan Kjartansson needs some help naming all the adorable characters in his new typeface Cumulus+Foam. Go help out on Flickr.

It’s raining today in Brooklyn, so I’m playing catch-up to the happenings of the internet since vacation began. Most notably, Typedia launched. It bills itself as “A Shared Encyclopedia of Typefaces” and “a resource to classify, categorize, and connect typefaces.” Be sure to check out the blog post on the logo design process by incredible designer John Langdon.

To understand success we must first understand the pervasive existence of failure.
— Paul Ormerod, preface to Why Most Things Fail… And How to Avoid It

1. They use words like “disparate” in normal everyday conversation.
2. There is a huge amount of good graphic design here.
3. Most everyone has great legs. (You would too if you walked as much as they do.)
4. Rush hour on the subway pushes the boundaries of how many people you think it’s possible to stuff into one rail car. What’s that in my armpit? Oh, it’s seven other people.
5. The fashion styles in the city can basically be divided into four categories: just right fashionable, way too many accessories fashionable, I don’t care about how I look, and tourist.

I’m currently sitting in the D Terminal of DFW, awaiting a flight to London. If you have any tips for our time there, I’m all ears. We have a loose itenerary, but are generally just going to see friends and be tourists.

In other news, I’ve never been out of the country. I grew up in a small South Carolina town of 3500 people. I’m excited to see a bit of the world this week and next.

Quote, “You know how there are those teachers of creative writing who can’t necessarily write but can teach? Well, [Ricky Jay] can actually do everything.” — Steve Martin, excerpted from this absolutely fascinating New Yorker profile of magician/actor/cons and frauds consultant Ricky Jay

Rick Astley + Nine Inch Nails = The Hand That Gives You Up

[I]nternships are overrated. Most of the time, the employer thinks he’s doing the intern a favor, but he doesn’t trust the interns to do any actual thoughtful, intelligent work worth talking about.
— Seth Godin

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So how do we fix it?

Whhhhhhaaaaaat? They’re making a Jonah Hex movie? I know movie adaptations of comic book storylines seem to be all the rage these days, but talk about reaching back into the obscure corners of comic world for source material. So weird it’s cool.

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— The Book of Common Prayer, A Prayer for Church Musicans and Artists

Quote, “Hard work is not relevant. It’s about effectiveness—not effort—even though effectiveness is harder to assess than effort.” This is just one of the 128 slides explaining much of the amazing Netflix corporate culture. My brain has exploded from awesomeness overload. It feels like this is a textbook we should all be studying.

Every time I go back and watch Robert Taylor play guitar it inspires me to compose. And practice. Lots and lots of practice.

The men who give up the old faith are the same persons who plead for latitude as to general conduct.
— Charles Spurgeon

When you think to yourself, “In 18 months I’m going to start my…company,” the problem with that sentence is the 18 months. What you’re really saying is, “I’m afraid.”
—Jim Coudal, excerpted from this interview

I’m tired of being afraid to start stuff. You?

You remember Snake Eyes, right? Mysterious ninja master G.I. Joe operative? All black. Masked. Completely mute. Woah… why does a mute guy have a MOUTH on his uniform?

That’s just plain mean.

I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living.
— John D. Rockefeller Jr.

Quote, “And one day, there he was, home from work early, mowing the lawn. A man doesn’t mow his lawn if he’s going to leave it.” Fascinating NYTimes story about marriage, divorce, and long-suffering love.

I guess one way [to determine if your marketing efforts are paying off] would be to just stop doing them and see what happens.
— Spike Jones, Brains on Fire

Whatever marketing you have, quantify it. Measure it. Analyze it. Even if it means killing it to see if it’s worth resuscitating. Don’t let your naïvety rule your strategy.

Bobby McFerrin uses the pentatonic scale and audience participation to highlight how our brains expect and anticipate logical progressions. Also, I love him and how joyful he is when he sings.