Thoughts & Deeds

I used to be a bus commuter. It was better than trying to drive to work in bumper-to-bumper traffic then have to pay for parking, and at least I could read while I sat (or stood) in a cramped bus. Depending on where I worked at the time, my commute took from 30 – 60 minutes each way. I sure got a lot of reading done, and met some “interesting” people along the way. I also learned a lot about patience, tolerance, and holding my breath when “Cat Pee Lady” was on the #15 bus with me yet again. … more

I was just reading and article on the BTA Blog about updating your old, tired out helmet, which reminded me that I should change out my own helmet even though it’s barely more than a year old.

I bought a new helmet last winter because my previous one reached the three year mark, the age at which old helmets should be retired because they’re no longer structurally sound if you whack your noggin on the pavement. … more

In 1999, Emigre reprinted Ken Garland’s 1964 First Things First Manifesto in issue 49. It was a call to arms for designers to stop whoring ourselves and start waking up to the social, environmental, and financial responsibilities we face in our work. Then came First Things First 2000 in issue 51, with a simultaneous printing in Adbusters. This was back when I was just getting started in my design career, and to see such a bold statement from vaunted designers and design educators was pretty amazing. I frankly didn’t know what to do with what I was reading. … more