Tight type

Last year I found these letters in a really cool antique book of typefaces in the Howard Tilton library on Tulane's campus. There were many other alphabets in there, mostly calligraphic, that are worth studying if you are interested in crafting cool handwriting, cutting a stencil, or developing a tag with some surfing serifs.

CONO

Cool stencil seen somewhere around Freret.

(Color of New Orleans)

stickers and links

Personally I take no shame in peeling stickers off the street. Certainly I don't steal everyone I see but those that I do take I have no qualms about. One of the ways I'm able to justify my reverse vandalism is by advertising them here so you can find out about them yourself. This is a sampling of some of the local New Orleans artists, organizations, and radio stations. Check 'em out:

SECTION 8- another local zine/website that was one of the inspirations for the PaprPapr

NOLA Rising- Rex Dingler's campaign to cheer up New Orleans with some cheesy slogans and spit in Fred Radtke's eye at the same time. More power to you Rex.

WWOZ 90.7 FM- "New Orleans jazz and heritage station." The best radio station on air in town and everywhere else. They consistently play great old timey blues, jazz, country, and whatever other music you'd never think to listen to. One time I tuned in driving down Claiborne with my mom and they just happened to be playing a song called "Nashville Blues." I've trusted those DJs ever since.

WTUL 91.5 FM- Tulane's college station just a hop, skip, and a turn away from WWOZ. This is another station I turn to with confidence. Whenever I get tired of the hits from the 1930s on 90.7 I just turn to 91.5 and see what my friends there have picked out. Yesterday I meant to call in and praise the DJ who put on "Stereo" by Pavement. That made my day.

The medium is the message: advertising

photo by Andy Fritzshall

Inspiration= new faith in government

Here is another good find pulled from the recycling bin. This article raises an interesting question about whether or not art can actually have a profound social impact. Does the art Obama's campaign has inspired really matter? I, of course, say yes. Even though a poster may still just be poster, all people need to exercise their talents when the inspiration comes. To deny our creative potential is stifling and damaging to ourselves. When we take hold of inspiration and work to actualize it into to something like a cool design then other people see this and become inspired themselves. This cycle of inspiration motivates more production and more creativity. So although one poster may not save the world (or one candidate for that matter) it is still one step towards progress.

Another more simple way I look at it is this:

Barack Obama's encourages people's optimism and hope which inspired creation of art.
George Bush's played on people's fears and distrust which inspired xenophobia and shopping.

I figure we can only go up from here, one poster at a time.

Words from a letter written in a Birmingham jail

Editor's note: correction

There's a typo/misuse of a word in the intro for Second Guesses. My thanks to those that pointed it out and taught me the real meaning of this word, which is not synomous with poetry but rather the antonym.


PROSE
noun
1. ordinary writing as distinguished from verse
2. matter of fact, commonplace, or dull expression

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.