Monthly Archives: January 2008

Design connections

Posted on by
Reply

A couple days ago I stopped into the Com Arts building at Michigan State University to meet a new professor in the journalism program named Karl Gude. [Karl's blog]

I heard about Karl from my friend and colleague Liz Weber who handed me a clipping from the MSU News Bulletin which explained that Karl had been the Director of Information Graphics at Newsweek, had brought together a conference on information architecture (or info graphics), and was now teaching at MSU.

Regardless, I was excited at the news that someone with such great experience in the information graphics field was so close to home!

I found Karl to be enthusiastic about his work and the field, and he shared with me a couple names and examples of work.

Alright, so why am I hyped about this?

Till now, I think it’s been a gut-level feeling that this a good thing. If I put words to it, it’s because as I’m leading this Web Design Team in ACNS at MSU, I realize more and more that we rely too heavily on words and numbers to communicate important information. So often, that textual information can come alive and communicate so much more effectively if we lay it down as an information graphic. Right now, frankly, we suck at this, but I am determined that we will get better at it.

Performing music

Posted on by
Reply

Back in mid-December, I played a fun little coffee-house type gig over near Detroit (Southfield maybe?) with my friend Paul Tiseo and a small crew of other musicians. It was for a group of young adult Catholics to socialize after what I interpret as a prayer meeting.

I was a little nervous going into it, as Paul is the only one of these musicians I’d played with before, and it was the first time I’d played most of the songs. Except for maybe Building a Mystery. I swear I’ve played that one before, but I can’t remember where or when.

Anyway, despite the lack of prep and that my playing was fairly mediocre, it was seriously the most fun I’ve had on a Friday night in years.

I have been thinking lately about hanging up my drumsticks, and just putting that part of my life behind me. I’ve been playing for somewhere around 25 years now, but hadn’t had a chance to play for quite a few months. And, because of my current housing, I can’t really have my set with me. When you don’t do something for a while, you forget what it feels like to do it.

This ad hoc gig with Paul and company has helped me remember that despite all the trouble in life, dang it, playing and performing music is part of being alive.

Plug: A few of the guys who played that night are from the band Garden of Souls. They have a new CD out soon. Check them out. http://www.gardenofsouls.com/

Ye Olde Man

Posted on by
2

On the same night as the Eastman Party Store commentary, Lila, Eva and I were at a restaurant. I have Lila bring her homework in to work on after dinner.

She had some books to read, so she read to us. The story was a fairy tale and there was an inn and an innkeeper in it, so we discussed what an inn is and what an innkeeper is. In the picture in the book, the innkeeper was standing in the doorway to the inn. Above the door was a sign that read, “Ye Olde Inn.”

Lila pointed to the sign and said, “Oh, Spanish.”

I corrected her, “No, that’s actually Old English. It was spoken many years ago, so you see it in old-time stories.”

“How do you know it’s Old English?” she asked. “Oh right! You’re an old man.”