Can I Get Bacon with That?

YES, YOU CAN!

Who doesn't love bacon? (Well, I know a couple of people who don't, but I always tell them they're crazy….) I even wrote a short story about bacon once—actually bacon and religion, if you can believe it. It was an excercise for a writing class I was taking. (Sorry, but I'm not quite ready to share that here, folks. Maybe some other time…)
A Virtual Side of Bacon
Anyway, when you visit bacolicio.us, you'll see how easy it is to add a rasher of bacon to your favorite website—too much fun! (Go ahead, give it a try. It only takes about as long as zapping a strip or two of that pre-cooked stuff in the microwave does.) Now if they could only capture that smell somehow…mmmm, bacon!
PS: For you true bacon enthusiasts, check out Bacon Today! :)

Those Were the Days...

(UNFORTUNATE) ADVERTISING THROUGH THE AGES

Oh, the Irony!
This morning I came across an interesting online article at The Consumerist, heralding back to the simpler times of yesteryear, and remembering some of the ad campaigns which ran, toting life's most modern conveniences: Mother's Little Helpers? Lead Paint? Asbestos? It's all there—and more…read on.

Summer in the City

TOTO, I'VE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS…


I've just returned from a long weekend in Los Angeles, CA, which is, pretty much, located on the exact opposite corner of the US from where I live (and similarly, is an exact opposite to the type of place I call home, here in New Hampshire).

Despite claims by folks we chatted with, that "they were everywhere," I didn't see a single celebrity all weekend. (Of course, I'm not much of a "star gazer" anyway, so it is entirely possible that I could have bumped right into one without having any idea who they were! :) And, admittedly, we didn't actually spend any time in Hollywood itself—nor did we go anywhere near Burbank….

This was my first visit to LA (other than passing thru LAX on journeys elsewhere). My SO had business to attend to the first two days, so I mostly relaxed poolside at our hotel (or hid away in a spare office in Century City) and caught up on some reading. When the work day was done, we drank Mai Tai's at Trader Vic's and enjoyed a delicious meal at Wolfgang Puck's at LA Live one evening, then dined on sushi and took in breathtaking views of the city from the famous Yamashiro Restaurant, perched high in the Hollywood Hills, the next. We took a spin down Rodeo Drive and Sunset Boulevard, then left Beverly Hills to head down the Pacific Coast Highway to Manhattan Beach. Checked out Harbor Boulevard and the pier, then ventured further down to Redondo Beach, where we sat oceanside at Joe's Crab Shack for some fresh shellfood and cold beers after strolling the ocean walk. We were just in time for an outdoor concert on the boardwalk (featuring Open Wide, an "all-dentist band"), followed by a gorgeous pacific sunset.

It was one of those whirlwind trips, and just as I was getting used to West Coast time, we were flying back east, only to confuse my internal clock all over again. All in all, we had a wonderful time on our brief tour of LA, and I'd love to return some day to see more of what the City of Angels has to offer.

Olympic Park Ampersand Sculpture

SHOW ME A SIGN...

I've always wanted to visit Seattle (almost made it in May, when my SO was traveling there on business, but one of those pesky paying jobs I get from time-to-time got in the way....). Anyway, now that I know Seattle's got a rotating ampersand sculpture (how awesome is that?!?), I figure getting there has gotta be my destiny now!

Click on the photo or the link to enjoy a "short long photo" of the ampersand by Striatic, found on Flickr. (Note the beautiful lighting and red-against-gray colorscape—very nice.) See you in Seattle some day...look for me by the neon red ampersand!

The Rather Difficult Font Game

TOO MUCH FUN!


Okay, I'm "easing back into things" here at the studio after a much needed long weekend of fun visiting friends and family down on Long Island (in the sun, no less!) So I couldn't resist taking a stab at this game I came across this morning on one of my favorite blogs, I Love Typography, called "The Rather Difficult Font Game." (And hey, it's still work-related: I'm honing my type identification skills, right?!?)

Now, I've been a typophile since way back in Junior High, and used to think I knew a thing or two about type identification. But lately, with all the new foundaries emerging, and programs which let folks design and sell their own fonts, I'm not always quick to recognize a new font I come across, and I was starting to wonder whether or not I was still as "up on things" as I used to be.... Well, I'm happy to report that I've still got it. (Check out the Rather Impressive Hall of Fame top scorer, above—it's me! :) There were only two fonts I missed (aarrgghh!). I only played one round, and it says the fonts change each time you play, but I figured, why mess with success? I'm in the number one spot (for now anyway), so I'll leave it alone.

The game is "rather fun" though (fun for type lovers anyway). Give it a try here. Then, get back to work!