Okay, I Was Wrong
EVERYTHING YOU SAY
EVERYTHING YOU DO
WILL COME BACK
TO STAND WITH YOUEVERYTHING YOU TRUST
EVERYTHING YOU FEEL
WILL COME BACK
TO KNEEL WITH YOUEVERYTHING YOU SAY
EVERYTHING YOU TRY
WILL COME OUT
SOUNDING LIKE A LIEEVERYTHING YOU TRUST
EVERYTHING YOU KNOW
WILL TURN TO DUST
WILL BLOW
AWAY…Oh My My…
I’m cracking
I’m cracking
cracking
I’m cracking into a thousand piecesOPEN UP YOUR EYES
mama mama please come quick
something’s wrong I’m feeling sick
mama mama I’m in a mess
I can’t lose this heavinessoh my…oh my my my…oh my Mother
mary had a little lamb
little lamb
little lamb
mary had a little lamb
its fleece was…oh…mama mama
I searched these hills for my sweet lamb
I carried myself up the mountain
And 5 men came out
And I laid myself down
And I looked around
And I couldn’t find my sweet lamb
I’m looking for my Bottom Line
And as soon as I find it
I’m gonna turn my life aroundoh my…oh my my my…oh my Mother
oh my…oh my my my…oh my BrotherYOU‘RE FLOATING IN A HARBOUR
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
AND YOU‘RE LOOKING ALL AROUND YOU
AND YOU CAN‘T SEE ANY LIGHT
AND THE BLACK AND STARLESS HEAVENS
WEIGH DOWN UPON YOUR SOUL
AND YOU FACE THE OPEN SEA
AND YOU‘RE NOT SURE THAT YOU WANNA GO
AND YOU SCAN THE HORIZON
BUT THE ONLY LIGHT YOU FIND
IS IN THE PLACE YOU CAME FROM
THE PLACE YOU LEFT BEHIND
OH SO YOU‘RE MOVING OUT
MOVING OUT
MOVING OUT
CUTTING THE CORDS
YOU DON‘T KNOW WHERE YOU‘RE GOING
AND YOU DON‘T HAVE ANY MAPS
AND THE ONLY THING YOU‘RE SURE OF
IS YOU AIN‘T…GOING…BACK1. YOU WILL BE BORN INTO A STRANGE AND DESOLATE PLACE.
2. IT WILL BE CALLED “THE AVERAGE HOME.“
3. THE TIMES WILL BE RESTLESS AND FULL OF UNCERTAINTY.
4. YOU WILL SILENTLY QUESTION THIS OF YOUR MOTHER AS YOU WATCH HER MOVE AWAY.Precious Candles
YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR OWN
Is LIFE not Precious?…
YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR OWNmama mama
please come quick
take me home from school
I feel so sickmama mama
something’s wrong
my heart is breaking
but I don’t know whyoh my…oh my my my…oh my Mother
oh my…oh my my my…oh my Brother5. THERE WILL BE NO ANSWER.
6. YOU WILL BEGIN THE LONG PROCESS OF SHUTTING DOWN.
7. YOUR COUNTENANCE WILL REFLECT LESS LIGHT AND LATER WHEN YOU LOOK
AT PICTURES OF YOURSELF YOU WILL WONDER.
8. YOU WILL GIVE UP YOUR BACKBONE TO THE T.V. AND ACCEPT A VALUE SYSTEM
9. PUTTING FORTH LIES, HATRED AND INTOLERANCE IN THE NAME OF LOVE AS ACCEPTABLE.
10. NO ONE WILL STEP FORWARD FROM THE SHADOWS SAYING: “EXPECT THIS, IT IS PART OF THE PATH.“
11. YOU WILL DISCOVER DRUGS AND ALCOHOL.
12. YOU WILL INSTINCTIVELY MOVE TOWARDS YOUR OWN BOTTOM LINE.Precious Candles
YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR OWN
Precious Candles
YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR OWNmama mama please come quick
hold my head I feel so sick
mama mama let me come home
wrap me up I can’t get warmoh my…oh my my my…oh my Mother
oh my…oh my my my…oh my Brother13. YOU WILL RUSH HEADLONG TOWARDS YOUR BOTTOM LINE IN AN INSTINCTIVE ATTEMPT TO HEAL.
14. YOU WILL GO TO AA TO LEARN WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE LEARNED IN SUNDAY SCHOOL.
15. AND THEN YOU WILL GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO CRY. AND YOU WILL CRY AND CRY AND CRY.
16. AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL MOVE AWAY NERVOUSLY AND YOU‘LL FEEL LIKE A FOOL.
17. AND NO ONE WILL STEP FORWARD FROM THE SHADOWS SAYING
18. “THE JOURNEY FORWARD INCLUDES MOVEMENT INTO DESPAIR.“
19. AND YOU WILL BE GATHERING STRENGTH
20. EVEN AS YOU DON‘T UNDERSTAND.
21. AND CERTAIN WORDS LIKE LOVE AND…
22. INTEGRITY WILL BE DRAWN INTO YOUR SPINE.
23. AND THEN ONE DAY…
24. YOU WILL TURN OFF THE T.V.Precious Candles
YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR OWN
Precious Candles
YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR OWNmama mama something’s wrong
there’s only silence where there once was song
I keep hearing all these bells
am I healing or dying? I can’t tell.hey ho
sail on out
sail all night
sail on with all your might
land ahead
land ho
land ho
land hoI sure miss that little lamb
that little lamb called Puff
or…was it…Poof? or…
well, anyways, I sure miss that sweet lamblay down upon your pillow…
just live all you can knowing that’s all
you have to givemama mama I almost did it
I almost carried myself up the mountainside
In my own arms
And laid myself downthere a New Strength nearby, I know
And as soon as I find my Bottom Line
I’m gonna turn my life aroundI sure miss that little lamb…
here I go
Jane Siberry, Oh My My
Yeah, absolutely the intention was to bring everything here — and do interesting things with it.
Alas, if only life worked out that way.
Meanwhile, check out the new digs.
Note: This is the final post to this site (and blog). I’ll leave it up — for learning, for fun, whatever — as long as possible.
Posted by Giles, Monday, December 31, 2007, at 1:20 PM.
Posted to Book design | Business | Personal | Site news | Whatever
Way Behind the Curve
Been a long few weeks. Sorry for the lack of updates. A couple of thoughts on the site:
— Three weeks, nine hundred comments. All but one spam. Sheesh.
— Interestingly, all those comments appeared despite the commenting still being messed up. (Basically, when you submit a comment, it goes into the system — but the site times out before it tells you so, leading folks to hit the “back” button and try again. Sometimes even three or four times.) That suggests a(nother) breach in the anti-spam. Perhaps the MT4 upgrade, despite my misgivings, is a better idea than trying to switch.
I’m enough behind that I don’t want to speculate when the sites — all of them — be fixed/finished. Soon, hopefully.
Meanwhile, on the personal front:
— The mortgage crisis is just that: a crisis. While my credit has been steadily improving since leaving Florida, it’s still not optimal — and I got swept into the mess. My ready-to-go mortgage suddenly wasn’t, and I’ve been scrambling to deal with getting financing in a very tough market. Yuk.
— Car shopping also falls into the “yuk” category. With one exception, all of the local new and used dealers make me cringe, and that one hasn’t had what I’m looking for. So, going to try a different approach. Will report back how that turns out.
Photography is going well — the 85mm’s replacement rocks hard — and I have several different book design projects going (with quite a little stack queued). Hence the doubt about when the back end for the site will be finished. Again.
Probably my worst failing: too many threads. Not enough time.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, August 21, 2007, at 2:14 PM.
Posted to Personal | Site news
Thank You, Jason
As y’all know — yes, I’m a Southerner now…;) — I’ve been a Macintosh user for, well, forever. From Mac Plus and early-nineties versions of Photoshop to the current setup, I’ve enjoyed every benefit Apple has had to offer.
Unfortunately, as service goes, it’s been a mixed bag. However, I’m pleased to report that the latest problem was handled in a manner that I have to talk about — in a good way.
The problem. Worse, those dots changed color and pattern as objects moved about the screen — rendering it basically useless. Worse still, it was coming up on midnight Saturday night, I was already in a bad mood, and had deadlines.
Thus, a big tip of the hat to Jason, the assistant manager at the Lenox Square Apple Store, who not only shoved me through service in two hours — but did it on an incredibly busy Sunday. Honestly, I had no idea how busy the Atlanta store was — wow. (Tampa? Nothing in comparison, especially for a Sunday. I thought Sundays were quiet in these parts — wrong. So much for being a Southerner…!)
Better still, without knowing it, he fixed another problem (of the computer not sleeping). Oh, how nice it is.
Jason, hats off. Your patience is to be admired, and service to the cause more than above and beyond. Steve’s getting a letter — of praise.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, July 31, 2007, at 2:04 AM.
Posted to Computers | Personal | Technology | Whatever
85mm 1.4: For Sale
Been absolutely behind the 8-ball recently; apologies for not updating more regularly. Please stay tuned. Meanwhile.…
For the past several months, I’ve been going on and on about how much I love this Nikon setup. However, in order to better equip myself for the tasks to come, I’ve decided to put my beloved 85mm on the auction block.
If you’re a Nikon user, this is the “bokeh master” and a great lens. I’m sure that no matter how much I enjoy its replacement, I’ll miss it — but my loss is your gain. Bid, buy, and enjoy.
Thank you!
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, July 31, 2007, at 1:51 AM.
Posted to Business | Flickr | Love | Personal | Photography
From the "Let's Mess with an Icon" Dept
…we have this:
Nobody else than [Chairman and CEO] Dr. Martin Winterkorn gave the order for a more appealing logo to reassemble the brand’s finery.
The position of the logo in the grille will stay, but it will grow in size and will look more 3D with the letters V and W more standing out from the ring around them.
Here’s the current, sorta-3D variety used in advertising, etc.:
It’ll be interesting to watch. The Golf VI is due next year in Europe (later here in the US), so don’t hold your breath. And here’s hoping VW doesn’t mess it up.
Posted by Giles, Sunday, July 22, 2007, at 11:34 PM.
Posted to Design | Personal | Type and typography
Power Tool
There is mucho behind-the-scenes work going on here at Foreword. Much of it is thanks to this:
A little Nikon love, late this Monday evening.…
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, July 17, 2007, at 2:19 AM.
Posted to Flickr | Love | Personal | Photography | Technology | Whatever
Chris Bangle
…probably doesn’t need any introduction to the readers of this site, but just in case, he’s the force behind recent designs at BMW, including the much-maligned 7-Series:
Photo from Car Enthusiast.
Back in April, I ran across an interesting video from TED — a fascinating site — with Chris discussing cars as art. Great stuff. Foreword was taking a break, though, so never wound up posting about it.
Initially, I disliked the 7 pretty intensely. However, it’s grown on me in a big way — enough so that I’ll actually defend it in a conversation. Never been able to do so succinctly, though; thankfully, a commenter in a forum on the Car Lounge, where I saw a mention of the video again, can:
Chris Bangle saved BMW.
By 1992, BMW had been essentially penning the same car for thirty years. Every new generation was lower, longer, and wider, but none of them represented anything like a stylistic advance. Furthermore, the end was in sight. The E38 and E39 represented the absolute dead end of BMW styling, in that the new ones couldn’t be any more stereotypically BMW.
When you’ve painted yourself into a design corner, you can do one of two things. You can do the Jaguar thing and simply keep designing the same car, which is why even I have trouble telling the difference between a 1995 X300 and the current XJ at a distance. This will eventually cause you trouble, as it has for Jaguar.
Or you can create an entirely new design language, which Bangle did. And he succeeded beyond his wildest imaginings. Nearly every new car for sale today has a bit of Bangle in it. The new LS460 might as well have been sketched by von Hooydonk. All the new Toyotas have the two-step trunk. Hyundai internalized the Bangle form language so well that the TCL morons are calling the new BMW 1 “Korean” for having an “Elantra” two-step trunk!
Bangle’s tremendous insight was that you could create a tension of concave and convex that went beyond the traditional interplay of the “Coke Bottle”.
I don’t like the look of most “Bangle BMWs”, which is really to say Hooydonk BMWs. But I’m not stupid enough to ignore the fact that the Bangle era needed to happen. [Emphasis in original.] Without Chris, BMW would be where Jaguar is today - furiously attempting to convince its buying public that the car in the showroom isn’t a decade-old used car.
Watch the video. Believe in the Bangle.
Update, 22 July: Corrected a link, provided photo credit. Apologies for not doing the first time.
Posted by Giles, Sunday, July 15, 2007, at 3:43 PM.
Posted to Art | Design | Personal
Equally Revolutionary
Not often I get the chance to use “revolutionary” twice in a week — but congratulations tonight on a somewhat, uh, larger achievement than the iPhone:
Boeing’s 787. The first commercial airliner built almost entirely of composites. Combined with a new generation of engines — Rolls Royce on the rollout plane — this is truly a big deal.
Good fun watching the show tonight, too; wish it could have been in person (another view, taken from the audience), but glad that it was webcast.
First impression on this flying junkie: it’s so smoooooth. (Second: those engines are huge.)
Can’t wait to take a flight! With or without an iPhone…;)
Posted by Giles, Sunday, July 8, 2007, at 8:11 PM.
Posted to Personal
Two Off-Topic
— A quick personal story: My mother is a classical music fan. Thus, the early years of my life — before I discovered other forms of music in my tweens — were dominated by opera, symphonies, and chamber pieces. I didn’t go to see the Rolling Stones, I went to the Met. Thus, my first meeting with a “celebrity” singer wasn’t Mick Jagger or the like, but Beverly Sills.
It was backstage after a performance, and I remember being completely overwhelmed by the action — chaos, even — that she seemed to reign over. Came away with an autograph, though, on a Playbill I’m sure I’ve lost in the interim.
Beverly Sills died tonight, aged 78. Rest in piece, Bubbles.
The NYTimes has more info in their four-page (!) obit, including the photo above.
— While absolutely not a surprise, I have to admit shame regarding the state of Washington today. W’s proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that he’s deserving of only one thing: impeachment and removal. (Cheney’s been past that point for some time now, IMHO.)
It’s time this country think seriously about a change in leadership. Preferably before the ‘08 elections.
Of the articles I’ve seen so far, the NYTimes editorial tonight sums it up best:
Presidents have the power to grant clemency and pardons. But in this case, Mr. Bush did not sound like a leader making tough decisions about justice. He sounded like a man worried about what a former loyalist might say when actually staring into a prison cell.
A thought for Independence Day. Have a good holiday, everyone.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, July 3, 2007, at 12:20 AM.
Posted to Personal
iPhone: Revolutionary
iGrab
There was an iPhone at a party I attended tonight. The proud owner, who without shame would accept the label “geek,” needed little coaxing to show off his new toy.
What was interesting, though, was what happened next. I got scant time with the device initially, as a crowd formed — made up of not just geeks, but housewives, businesspeople, even senior citizens. The hype, it seems, has penetrated the American psyche. (Remember: I live in the middle of Georgia, 75 miles from Atlanta. Small-city, USA — and deep in The South, at that. That people are excited here.…)
Later, when the crowd had cleared and I had a better chance to look, touch — ahem, MultiTouch — and seriously think about, I have to say: it is revolutionary.
I’ve been an Apple user for a long time; indeed, since the Apple II days. My first exposure to a Mac is clearly etched in my mind, and although it took a while to be able to afford one, I eventually landed a (much-upgraded, for the time) Mac Plus. I’ve had nothing but since, and have to say that I enjoy using my Mac(s) every day.
The reason is because, way back when, the combo of mouse and graphical interface “clicked” immediately with me. (Pardon the pun.) Perhaps it is the visual learner, perhaps the artist, perhaps the geek, some mix of the three, whatever — but from that moment forward, IMHO, no one’s done it better than Apple. For me, there could be nothing but.
While the iterations have meant significant developments — the MultiFinder, iMac, OS X, Aperture — only the original Mac exposure itself has had a greater impact. The iPhone brings together several disparate items into something that’s usable. Something that makes every other phone/PDA/smartphone/ultraportable I’ve ever seen look like a complete piece of junk.
Admittedly, I only had a brief exposure, and I can immediately see some problems. The interface requires extra clicks to get places — you can’t immediately dial a number from the music section, for instance. Or the keyboard, which is just too small for fat fingers (true of other smartphones and PDAs, but still). The portrait/landscape switch is both easily fooled and sometimes flat-out wrong. And, I’m sure, more details Apple will certainly improve in iPhone 2 or 3. Knowing them, it’s already the drawing board.
That said: in the big picture, it’s still a revolution. The truly mobile computer is here.
Am I going to get one? No. Holding strong; the price and improvements needed are still enough of an obstacle to prevent purchase. As I said, though, an iteration or two down the road.…
Steve Jobs and Apple, nicely done. Congratulations — no Reality Distortion Field™ needed. This one’s the real deal.
Update: Forgot to mention in the original post that the iPhone’s owner waited in line with as many as two dozen others at the same North Macon store I mentioned below. Apple may have some left over from iDay — or not — but two dozen, there, is astonishing. Living up to the hype, Apple?
Posted by Giles, Sunday, July 1, 2007, at 1:24 AM.
Posted to Computers | Flickr | Personal | Technology
Wooden Hysteria
Finally.
The big news: I’m not dead. Although, for the past few months, it’s certainly felt like it.
Like this guy, I’ve been stuck: fire lapping at my feet, in near- or total panic, desperate to do something — anything — but unable to do so. It’s been some of the hardest months of my life, and it’s taken a tremendous toll on both Osprey Design and me personally.
However, the recovery begins soon: almost four months on, the final divorce agreement has been signed. There are details, but for all intents and purposes, it’s done. At long last, I can move on with my life.
[Pause for deep breath.]
Time for some announcements:
- The recent outage was spambot-related, and took days to fix. Some things — notably my mail — still aren’t working. (For cryin’ out loud. I so didn’t need this extra stress right now.)
- The main ospreydesign.com site is down for a complete redesign. It’s bloody well overdue, and, hopefully, I can do it properly this time — such that the spammers will lose.
- Foreword is also on the redesign list. Further, more than just the look will change — the focus will shift slightly, too. Fewer entries strictly on book design — although there will still be plenty — and more on use of photography in book design, advertising, and other design mediums.
Why? Well, that’s the most important announcement of all.
Simply put — someday, I’ll share more of the sordid details — having my primary business at risk of being lost to the divorce has led me to spend as much or more time doing photography as design, especially book design.
And darned if I didn’t get good at it. Enough so that people started asking me to do stuff. Then hiring me. A decision was necessary: just do design, or both photography and design?
Yeah, you saw it coming. Introducing Giles Hoover, Photographer.
Don’t get me wrong: I’ll still be here, designing books — and yapping about book design — for a long time to come. Indeed, stay tuned for more on both book design and photography next week. Then, shortly after, some semblance of regular posts.
Finally.
As always, thanks for stopping by.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, June 13, 2007, at 3:06 AM.
Posted to Book design | Personal | Photography | Site news
Transitions
Broken and weak
Was it tiredness that made you sleep
Have you lost your will to speak
Was the earth spinning round
Were you falling through the ground
As the world came tumbling down
You prayed to God what have we done
Free me from these chains I need to change my way
Heal these broken wings I need to fly far away, far away, far away
Was it emptiness that made you weep
No more secrets to keep
Was it bitterness that gave you time
To forgive your sins
Was the earth spinning round
Were you falling through the ground
As the world came tumbling down
You prayed to God what have we done
Free me from these chains I need to change my way
Heal these broken wings I need to fly far away
Free me from these thoughts long forgotten down below
Take these angel’s words give them life to carry on, carry on, carry on
Free me from these chains…
Spinning, Zero 7 (from the album Simple Things)
— — —
I’m taking a few weeks off from blogging, while I churn through Yet Another Overwhelming To Do List™, a trip to Florida next week, and — finally, finally — near-term plans not only for a complete web site overhaul but for a finalization of my divorce.
Foreword will be back, even if it’s not exactly like what is before you now. I’m eager to get re-acquainted!
Meanwhile, I hope to see you online — perhaps over at Joseph’s — or out in the world. I’m easy to spot — long hair, big camera, and the finest felines everywhere showing me what’s what:
See you soon!
P.S. If you got here from Google, or are otherwise looking for resources regarding book design, please don’t let my break from blogging stop you from taking advantage of this site’s nearly two thousand posts on book design, photography, publishing, and much more. Use the category links in the left column to browse, or search for something specific. And I’m serious — I will be back in just a few weeks. Please check back.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, February 15, 2007, at 5:54 PM.
Posted to Personal | Site news
It Takes a Village!? Hell, No. It Takes a Crisis!
Okay, it’s been a week. month. year. FINE. Couple of years.
I bumped into someone I hadn’t seen in a while recently; she said, “I heard your life has turned into something of a blues album.” Exactly right, IMHO.
Case in point: the web site. Foreword hasn’t been updated nearly often enough, because it seems like all I have time to do is put out fires — and blogging on book design, photography, or anything else after a long day of bouncing from one panic to another isn’t always possible.
Having said all that, a couple of divergent items have unexpectedly snapped into focus in the last few days, and it’s been very helpful in moving the ball.
One of them, obvious to anyone who’s tried to access the site in the last few days, has been, well … the lack of a site. Woohoo. Takers for panic on panic?
The good news: the looooong-overdue overhaul of the site’s underlying structure — its server — is complete. Upgrades abound, from tons more space to better (and more) bandwidth. So, while the site may look the same, thanks to a little panic, it’s now on much more solid underpinnings.
The better news: With a very few exceptions, and despite the recent site crisis, I’m almost completely caught up with the “to do” list. Time to finally finish the rest of the upgrades, the main site redesign, and to get the rest of the comment stuff working.
Oh, yeah — need to take more photos, too:
Double Rainbow
Saw this outside the other day and at least had the presence of mind to go out and take a photograph. (And daydream, briefly, about finding the pot of gold…;)
Right now, however, time for another rare treat these days: a good night’s sleep. Back with more tomorrow afternoon.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, January 24, 2007, at 10:11 PM.
Posted to Flickr | Personal | Photography | Site news
Yeah, so it's Wednesday
…and I haven’t posted in forever. I promised Saturday, at the latest.
Three words for ya: twenty-hour days.
How about this: back soon.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, January 17, 2007, at 2:56 PM.
Posted to Personal | Site news
iWant
…an iPhone. Do iNeed? Hell, no — but Apple has done what it does best: make me want.
June!? Whaddya mean June?? &(*@#%& Apple!
Seriously, there’s one reason I want one of these so badly: integration. Finally, finally, a device that does it all — dare I say it, a Newton for the modern era. (Kidding.) Says Pogue:
[W]hat you can’t get from any printed description is how it’s all sewn together with typical Apple polish and grace, with delicious animations and gorgeous graphics. (The crowd went nuts when Steve Jobs demonstrated how you scroll through your iTunes music list: you flick your finger upward or downward on the screen. The list flashes by, slowly coming to a stop like a roulette wheel.)
Yup. iLove.
So, how’d I do in the big picture? Let’s take a look:
And herein is where Reality catches up with the Distortion Field (RDF for you Steveaholics). iPhone is very cool. It’s also very expensive, works only with Cingular, and, well, is a v1. I’m always a little leery of the first generation Apple anything — stuff this cutting edge is always better when some of the initial kinks are worked out.
I might try an iTV — ahem, excuse, AppleTV — despite its’ first-generation status. (Once I get a television, that is…;) Sure, it’s got problems — lack of DivX playback, too focused on Apple’s iTunes sales dept, etc. — but somehow it seems more palatable than a $600 phone.
Also, the real bread and butter was alarmingly absent from the keynote — any sort of new Macs, displays, or software. And to put an exclamation point on it, Apple Computer, Inc., is now formally just known as “Apple, Inc.”
Okay, so they didn’t introduce what I wanted. They introduced something I wanted more — I just didn’t know it yet.
Hey, as long as their computers continue to kick butt in the way they do now, I’ll go along for the ride!
Some interesting stuff in that stack of email from the holiday — will be back with at least one of those Thurs Friday or Saturday (looooong week).
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, January 9, 2007, at 10:29 PM.
Posted to Computers | Personal | Technology
Happy 2007
Can’t let the day pass without wishing all of Foreword’s readers worldwide a happy New Year — and a healthful, prosperous, wonderful 2007.
#4 on the ten-item resolution list for the new year — I won’t bore you with the whole thing — is to blog more, with time set aside regularly instead of the current sporadically. (Read: whenever I can — which, as you all know, isn’t often enough.)
Here’s hoping!
Posted by Giles, Monday, January 1, 2007, at 11:50 PM.
Posted to Personal | Site news | Whatever
Two from the NYTimes
One book-related, one not — but too important to me not to mention:
— A detailed and appreciated obit of Joseph Barbera, of Hanna-Barbera fame. That duo are responsible for some of my favorite cartoons, especially Tom and Jerry. RIP, sir.
— A fascinating look at those responsible for finding and returning looted art during WWII, the results of a new — and self-published — book on the subject. Check it out.
Uh, Sorry?
Sometimes, things just don’t go as planned:
Fessed up. Still had a great time.
And can’t help but to think that this would make a cool cover for something. Heh. Story of my life, perhaps…;)
Posted by Giles, Friday, December 1, 2006, at 1:07 AM.
Posted to Book cover photography | Flickr | Personal | Photography
Happy Thanksgiving
Well, it’s been a week.
Okay, that’s wrong. It’s been like this for quite a while now. I’m sorry. Between the divorce and the heavier-than-expected fall season, I’ve just been snowed in. And it shows.
Thankfully, the camera’s a good stress reliever. Even a walk around the neighborhood yields dividends:
From the other day — an experiment in highlighting only some leaves while leaving the rest for text overlay. Now to find a use for it.…
Meanwhile, couple more posts for today, then taking the rest of the holiday weekend off. Enjoy the turkey tonight if you’re in the US; see you all on Monday.
Posted by Giles, Thursday, November 23, 2006, at 2:46 PM.
Posted to Flickr | Personal | Photography | Site news
Two Projects to Go...
…and I’ll be caught up on the to do list and have more time online. Coming soon.
Meanwhile, a new assignment’s just landed on the desk: War, Citizenship, and Territory, where the design guidance is, in its entirety, “Perhaps an image of patriotism during war?”
Nothing like open-ended possibilities! This one’s gonna gnaw at my soul until I get to it next week, I can feel it.…
Posted by Giles, Thursday, November 16, 2006, at 5:22 PM.
Posted to Book design | Personal | Site news
Three of Potential Interest
Checking my email online tonight, to discover more than thirty open tabs in the browser; stuff to read later, stuff to blog on, stuff to deal with, etc. Here are three:
— Sports Artist Sued for Mix of Crimson and Tide:
In the solemn cathedral of college football devotion and instruction that is the Paul W. Bryant Museum here, a large painting dominates the main chamber. It is called “The Sack,” and it shows an encounter between a Notre Dame quarterback and a human locomotive in crimson and white.
“I’ve never been hit like that before,” the quarterback, Steve Beuerlein, said after his near-lethal sack by Cornelius Bennett in 1986, in the University of Alabama’s first victory ever over his team.
Daniel A. Moore, who painted “The Sack” and scores of other renditions of signal moments in Alabama football history, said he felt something similar last year, when his fax machine began to spit out a lawsuit from the university.
Downward spiral. Here’s a wish for recovery before impact.
— Droolworthy, and, uh, funny as hell:
MacRumors Apple ad contest winner. See more.
— I’d noticed the font used in the Sony Alpha ads recently, and wondered about it. Lo and behold, in my (astonishingly large stack of) email was an ad for it:
Vista Sans, from Emigre. (Natch. Love their stuff.) Read some of the designer’s notes on Vista and others at FontShop.
More ASAP.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at 12:00 AM.
Posted to Advertising | Computers | Design | Ethics | Freedoms and rights | Personal | Public domain | Publishing | Technology | Type and typography | Whatever
Water Level
“About neckline.”
Sheesh.
For the record, I’m on my own. I like it that way. No assistants, only man, machine, and as many hours that can be packed into a day. (Well, okay, four cute cats, too. Surprisingly helpful.)
Sometimes, there are too many things going on, requiring neglect here. Gotta cut that out.
Back to the show.…
Posted by Giles, Monday, November 13, 2006, at 11:51 PM.
Posted to Personal
Fun at the Georgia Literary Festival
Absolutely beautiful day Saturday here in Macon — perfect for the outdoor Georgia Literary Festival, which was a big success.
There were exhibitors set up along High Street, venues in area business and available rooms, performances in High Street Park, and lots of people of all walks of life enjoying the day.
Special thanks to Dr. Katey Brown for the opportunity to work on this great project — it was wonderful to see it turn out so well.
Posted by Giles, Monday, November 6, 2006, at 12:11 PM.
Posted to Books | Personal | Photography
Polling Place Photo Project
From the AIGA (!):
The Polling Place Photo Project is a nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that seeks to empower citizens to capture, post and share photographs of democracy in action. By documenting their local voting experience on November 7, voters can contribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America.
Did I mention it’s being spearheaded by the AIGA? Wow. And some friends:
The Polling Place Photo Project is part of Design for Democracy, an initiative of AIGA, the professional association for design. William Drenttel of Design Observer initiated the project, working in collaboration with Jay Rosen, founder of NewAssignment.Net (a project of New York University’s Department of Journalism).
Good for all of them — applause from here. I’ll be doing my part (after I check the rules for photography hereabouts). Please do the same!
Posted by Giles, Friday, November 3, 2006, at 1:55 PM.
Posted to Design | Ethics | Freedoms and rights | Personal | Photography | Public domain
'Nuther Nice Weekend
…away with the camera:
Cold and wet Friday night and Saturday morning, but once the weather cleared, the top of Tray Mountain, 4430 feet up (the second sixth [thanks, Phillip!] highest peak in Georgia, if I recall correctly), was a beautiful spot to photograph from.
Strapping on a pack and hiking into the woods for photography. My kind of business trip!
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, October 31, 2006, at 10:44 AM.
Posted to Flickr | Personal | Photography
NYT: Ode to Joy
Joe M. writes,
Saw this on NY Tiimes Web site. Cool stuff. [T]he book has been very influential in my life. Good Eating!
Seconded from here, Joe — I’ve had, and heavily used, a copy for years. Nice to see that the new edition has more emphasis on the original recipes, too:
The new edition — a sort of greatest hits of home cooking — raises the interesting question of whether a cookbook covering sushi to ham loaf is relevant at a time when the cookbook industry is so fragmented by microcuisines.
In 1997, the last time Joy of Cooking was revised, things seemed to have gone terribly wrong. Recipes from professional food writers replaced many of the book’s old standards, food processors whirred a bit too much and the voice of the cookbook became subsumed. […] The new edition brings back the old voice and some favorites — like tamale pie — but also adds some new recipes, like Mediterranean short ribs with olives, and enchiladas verdes. But mostly it is basics, many of them beloved.
What I’m not necessarily going to do an ode to: the new edition’s cover design. I’m not sure about the big, even overwhelming, red circle — the previous editons’ white covers suited me better. And what’s with the text at the bottom? Sheesh.
No matter the cover design, I’m still glad there’s a new Joy in town. Thanks, Joe!
Posted by Giles, Thursday, October 19, 2006, at 7:43 AM.
Posted to Book design | Books | Personal
For Sale: Sony F828
Update: SOLD. Thank you all for the interest!!
My year-old Sony F828, a 7x (optical) zoom, 28-200mm, 8 megapixel, articulating body camera, is up for sale:
Selling as a kit, with the HVL-F32X external flash (a nice unit with excellent capabilities), 1GB compact flash (it’ll also take Memory Sticks — simultaneously!), all the cables, original packaging, etc., and two bags (of different styles).
I liked my time with it, but simply outgrew it — and found that the only way to get some of the “pro” features I needed was with “pro” gear. The Sony isn’t, frankly, but during the year I had it, I was asked a great many times what kind of camera I had — because the pictures were so good.
It does well-lit and studio scenes beautifully. Use a tripod in the dark, and get great results there, too, or attach the external flash to get outstanding results with fill or bounce. Small enough to carry in a purse, it’s best feature is the articulating body — move the grip and screen on the back some 100 degrees up and down (I think it’s 70 up and 30 down) relative to the plane of the lens — fantastic for taking ground-level or over-the-crowd shots.
Read Sony’s point of view, or a review by The Luminous Landscape’s Michael Reichmann, who covers the good and the bad — and notes that he bought one:
”[T]he Sony F828 has found a permanent place in my camera arsenal— it’s the ideal digital travel camera…”
$550 for the kit, plus $25 insured shipping (in the U.S.). Little more than some — certainly not all — on eBay, but you get the great flash unit, you know who you’re buying it from, and can rest assured that it works and has been well taken care of.
Email blog (at) ospreydesign (dot) com if you’re interested or would like more information. Good examples of photos taken with this camera are available on Flickr. (That link only shows photos taken with the camera pictured above.)
The Sony opened my eyes to what photography can do. It’s not perfect, but what it does, it does exceptionally well. I hope someone enjoys it!
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, September 19, 2006, at 6:32 PM.
Posted to Personal | Photography | Technology
Google Books Highlights Banned Books
For decades, literary classics such as The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye have had a profound impact on millions of readers. Yet every year, there are hundreds of attempts to remove great books from schools and libraries nationwide. Fortunately, the American Library Association and many other organizations are fighting back with Banned Books Week, taking place this year Sept. 23-30.
Now Google has joined the party. At google.com/bannedbooks, you can use Google Book Search to explore some of the best novels of the 20th century which have been challenged or banned. And while libraries and bookstores around the country celebrate the 25th anniversary of Banned Books Week with special readings, displays, and more, you just might end up with a visit to your local library or bookstore and an old favorite or a new banned book in hand.
I don’t even like typing the phrase “banned books.” Glad that Google’s drawing some attention to it — and pushing the use of libraries instead of just their offering.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, September 13, 2006, at 9:49 PM.
Posted to Ethics | Freedoms and rights | Libraries | Personal | Publishing
Off Topic: iTV
I want one:
Breaking with Apple’s tradition of not announcing unreleased products [sic], Jobs said that the company will release a wireless, set-top box for the TV called… iTV. Approximately half the size of the Mac mini, the iTV will feature Ethernet, 802.11g, USB ports, component video, optical audio, and HDMI ports. It will work with the Apple Remote and sport an interface much like that of Front Row.
iTV will allow music, TV shows, and movies residing on a computer to play on a television in another part of the house with what Jobs describes as instantaneous access. It is slated to ship during the first quarter of 2007 and will retail for $299.
More on the new iPods, the update to iTunes, etc., at Ars, or, watch the Apple event.
Posted by Giles, Tuesday, September 12, 2006, at 3:18 PM.
Posted to Computers | Personal | Technology | Whatever
"They Blog"
Kathy writes:
I’m building a blog that’s going to be a simple “Q&A with bloggers”. It’s called They Blog. I feel there are a lot of great blogs out there and I think a lot of readers (and bloggers) out there want to know the writers behind the blogs. I’d like to start with some of my personal favorites and I really hope you’ll take part!
Absolutely! Delighted — it’s a great idea — and more than a little flattered. Thank you.
Read Foreword’s Q&A here.
Posted by Giles, Friday, September 1, 2006, at 12:49 AM.
Posted to Book and design blogs | Book people | Books, design, art | Personal
Yet Another Personal Post: Why, #12
A client said something to me the other day that I hadn’t expected — and welcomed gratefully:
Giles … you nailed [this cover]. I didn’t expect to come home tonight and
find this gift. I’m downright excited about it.
Gift. Few things have made me feel as good about the work I’ve been doing recently, and emails like that are exactly the reason I’m a freelancer doing what I love, rather than sacrificing standards or autonomy to work at a firm or — gasp — publisher.
As most of you know, 2006 has not been an easy year; divorce aside, too many ospreydesign-related items have been started and not enough finished. A good chunk of that is because I always put my stuff at the bottom of the “to do” list, but I’d honestly rather do book covers than web site updates any day.
Thankfully, the quality of my book design continues to improve as I learn — from you, Foreword’s readers, from my fellow book designers, and from photographers. This is especially important to me; understanding the components I use most in book cover design is vital to where I want to go professionally.
So, a big thank you for your help — and patience — this year.
As a stop-gap measure ahead of the updated main site, which is still waiting on a related project (that’s been suffering delay after delay, grrrrr) before the almost-completed redesign can be finalized, I’ve updated the gallery with eleven new items. Most have been posted before, here or on Flickr, but some are new to all. Hope you like.
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, August 23, 2006, at 8:06 PM.
Posted to Book cover photography | Book design | Books, design, art | Flickr | Personal | Photography | Site news | Whatever
Amazon: Yuk
As you’ll recall, I blogged on Kite Runner a while ago. As usual, when it came to finding a graphic to use for the post, I started with Amazon — because when they don’t use the “search inside” feature, their pictures are the largest and best quality. (The Kite Runner image wound up coming from elsewhere, FYI.)
Unfortunately, that also means that I get a ton of trash emails from Amazon. Why?
We track items that you may be interested in for price reductions so that you don’t have to. These additional savings on top of our everyday low price may only be available for a limited time, so act now to take advantage of this alert. Prices can go back up at any time and may never be this low again.
Here’s what they “encouraged” me to purchase today:
Yuk isn’t nearly strong enough. I’m glad I haven’t eaten yet.
There’s a dividing line between people who think that Amazon’s tactics are perfectly legit and those who think it’s invasive. I’m among the latter — especially since Amazon’s been rumored to want to include more personal info from third-party sources to create “super-profiles” of their shoppers, “protected” by privacy rules the company sets — rules not dissimilar to those at AOL, for instance.
I’d like to state for the record that I never purchase from Amazon. I use their web system for my own advantages — tracking bestsellers, looking at covers, researching titles sent to me, etc. — and then never buy from them. Heheh. Take that, Amazon!
Now if I could just come up with a similar way to take advantage of Wal-Mart.…
Posted by Giles, Wednesday, August 16, 2006, at 10:32 AM.
Posted to Book design | Book sellers | Business | Ethics | Personal | Technology