The Wonders of Weston

Some of the best adventures are unplanned. This past weekend Orion, Rusty and I decided to drive north on a photography expedition. The roads led us to Weston, a town with a lot of old time charm. Here is some of what we found.

Michael Jackson, A True Legend

Yesterday we lost the greatest entertainer of our times, Michael Jackson. It is a tragic, well-known story how he went from the pinnacle of creating the world's biggest album, Thriller, to these last few years of personal and legal problems to finally the sad news of yesterday. However I think it is a testament to his great artistry as a dancer, musician, and creator that people all over the world have been gathering to sing and dance to his music in the last 24 hours. A couple of Michael Jackson stories...

In 1984 Michael Jackson and the Jacksons announced they would be kicking off their momentous Victory tour in Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium. My Mom at the time was a reporter for the Kansas City Star and begged her editors to let her go cover the press conference. They agreed and she got to go cover the press conference with Michael and his brothers at the Hyatt Regency at Crown Center. She and my Dad also got to attend the concert. At the concert one of the Star's photographers took a spectacular black and white photograph of Michael in his black sequined jacket with his arms outstretched and head tilted back. We had that photo hanging in our old house when I was little.





The first time I remember seeing Michael Jackson perform was on the halftime show of the Super Bowl in 1993. I was in first grade, but I was captivated by it. Michael jumped on the stage with an explosion of fireworks and froze in place. He stood there for what seemed an eternity until finally, slowly removing his shades. From there he erupted into an unforgettable performance and I was hooked. Being a big Motown fan, my Mom had taped the Motown 25 Special where Michael introduced the world to the moonwalk. I watched that tape and was just as mesmerized. So although he is gone these moments and his music will live on. Rest in peace Michael Jackson, the true King of Pop, Rock and Soul.

New York Times Magazine Redesign

This past weekend the New York Times Magazine unveiled a new design in order to cut down on space, and trim their paper size. With the internet threatening the newspaper and magazine business the magazine needed to find a way to cut costs. The art director, Arem Duplessis, and his staff gave the magazine, "a cleaner, more modern feel." Along with a brighter color palette the magazine has introduced Lyon Text as its official, exclusive body type. For display type they are employing Knockout and Nyte. I find it interesting that not only is the internet culture changing the content of newspapers/magazines, but also greatly shaping their look and feel. I am a subscriber to WIRED Magazine, and with the unveiling of the new NYT Mag. look I couldn't help but notice the similarities between the two. Both now have the bright color palettes, use modern sans serif typefaces often in capital letters, and use very grid-based designs. Also they are both reporting on infrastructure/systems. You have to wonder if WIRED was used as a source of inspiration, or if it subconsciously was in the minds of the NYT Mag team as they rebranded themselves.


Last Week: The Old Cover (side note: great article on President Clinton and his foundation, where I used to intern)



This Week: The New Cover






Detail of Covers - note the use of bright orange and magazine names in metallic silver




Colorful, playful graphics from a NYT Mag. Headline... feels techish, modern




Graphics of Infrastructures/City Systems:

Shots from D.C.

I'm planning a trip out to D.C. in August to visit my cousin so it got me looking at photos I took last time I was there in spring '08. Here are a few shots from that trip.

Buttons from My Collection

Anyone that knows me would not be surprised to hear that I am a collector of political buttons. I think they are interesting because so much can be represented in such a small circle. Not only are the passions and beliefs of the candidates and their followers reflected, but they symbolize moments in the history of our country. They show both the political and design climates of those times. My Dad started this collection with the earliest button from 1964 (Barry Goldwater), and I have continued it to the present day dating up to Obama in '08. Here are just a few...