This is not a love letter. It is a letter, from an uncle to a celebrity, pleading for an autographed picture for his nephew. But it is from John Steinbeck. And to Marilyn Monroe.
And if I were going to write a love letter to someone, this is how I would do it.
Editor's note: neither Brian or I can remember who wrote the above so that's a fun little mystery...
Vexed by Bad Design: A Rabbit Hole of Flags, Logos, and Pretty Things
Vexillology. What sounds like a senior-level charms class at Hogwarts isn't actually based in a fairytale world. But it's nothing short of magical, either.
Vexillologists, or those who study flags, are members of an elite subculture. Second only to horologists who study time, clocks, and how the rotation of the sun has a profound impact on how humans cope with the passing of the hours. But I digress.
Hi, my name is Cameron and I'm a designer. A designer of logos, to be more exact, and the art of merging simple shapes to tell a not-so-simple story is quite beautiful. A few years ago, I listened to an episode of 99% Invisible on the topic of flag design and it had quite the impact on me.
Everyone knows what a logo is. Picture the simplicity of the Apple logo on the back of your iPhone. Or the vintage script on the Coca-Cola can. Or the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo. The list of epic logos goes on and on but how do they become so iconic? Well, time, of course, but there are also other factors: simplicity, consistency, and resonance. So, what does this have to do with vexillology? Everything.
I think flags are one of the coolest vessels for design. They fly proudly in the wind declaring victory, peace, capitalism, personal preferences, political affiliation, and even team pride. They can be the size of a city block or the size of a postage stamp, both working equally effectively. And, most importantly, they demand to be simple.
I'm lucky enough to live in Tennessee which boasts one of the coolest state flags in the union (behind Colorado, of course.) The mighty Tennessee Tristar embodies everything a flag should be and I'm happy to finally see it on license plates. Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shoutout to Chicago which bears the most incredible city flag. Adorned with four, six-pointed stars on a beautifully understated white and baby blue tapestry, there's no surprise that Chicagoans/Chicagoites/Chi-People are proud of this unifying banner.
But, unfortunately, there are outliers to keeping flags beautiful (can that be a new presidential motto, B and C? KEEP FLAGS BEAUTIFUL.) The most egregious abominations still wave semi-proudly above capital domes as if design and beauty and simplicity don't matter. Yes, Maine, Washington, and South Dakota — I'm calling you out and judging you harshly from the depths of my bowels.
Beauty matters, y'all. That's all. Simplicity and uniformity and conciseness all matter. This world is tough. It's broken and harsh and we're all hanging on for dear life. So why not create or, dare I say, demand beautiful art to help humanity through the tough times? We've barely scratched the surface of design, and the creative possibilities are endless, so there are no excuses for ugly design. At least not in my book.
You know that feeling you get when you scale the top of a mountain at dawn's first light? As exhausted and groggy as you might be, you lift your chest to take a deep breath and then you see it. The rising sun over the fog-filled valleys. The waking birds beginning their daily duties with a morning song. The warmth of the climbing sun melting the frost from the tips of the pines. You know – that supernatural feeling that cuts so deep you can feel it in every nerve ending and hair follicle? That's beauty, people. That's design! Finding beauty may not always be as easy as taking in a mountaintop view, but appreciating it takes minimal effort. And doing so always does the soul good.
So, get out there and create. Learn to appreciate the beauty in life – even in the not-so-easy-to-find nooks and crannies. And demand a better flag for your community, darn it!
Our last hour is hidden from us so that we watch them all.
-Cameron S.
Charlie Brown Christmas Special: An Inside Job
The story of the classic. The music is so timeless and was included in the show from the jazz world, not written directly for it. I'm really appreciating it just on its own. Throw your fate to the wind -B
Yes we did have back-to-back Caitlin Flanagan articles wanna fight about it
I needed to read something like this. The past few Christmas seasons have been a little tough for our family; there are people not with us that we'd desperately like to have with us. That can lead to Christmas unhappiness for sure, but we always seem to be provided at least one Linus in our lives that's ready and able to point us in a different, better direction. -C
We don't talk a lot about our faiths here despite how exposed we are in terms of what we value and how we try to approach the world around us. Regardless of where your heart is at I think this short article will resonate and provoke thoughts. Plus it has a picture of the "Buddy Christ" from Dogma, which I need to go back and watch again. -B
There’s Republican Jesus who is against tax increases and activists judges, and for family values and owning firearms.
There’s Democrat Jesus who is against Wall Street and Walmart, and for reducing our carbon footprint and spending other people’s money.
There’s Therapist Jesus who helps us cope with life’s problems, heals our past, tells us how valuable we are and not to be so hard on ourselves.
There’s Starbucks Jesus who drinks fair trade coffee, loves spiritual conversations, drives a hybrid and goes to film festivals.
There’s Open-minded Jesus who loves everyone all the time no matter what, except for people who are not as open-minded as you.
There’s Touchdown Jesus who helps athletes run faster and jump higher than non-Christians and determines the outcomes of Super Bowls.
There’s Martyr Jesus, a good man who died a cruel death so we can feel sorry for him.
There’s Gentle Jesus who was meek and mild, with high cheek bones, flowing hair, and walks around barefoot, wearing a sash and looks German.
There’s Hippie Jesus who teaches everyone to give peace a chance, imagine a world without religion, and helps us remember all you need is love.
There’s Yuppie Jesus who encourages us to reach our full potential, reach for the stars, and buy a boat.
There’s Spirituality Jesus who hates religion, churches, pastors, priests, and doctrine; he wants us to find the god within and listening to ambiguously spiritual musical.
There’s Platitude Jesus, good for Christmas specials, greeting cards, and bad sermons; he inspires people to believe in themselves, and lifts us up so we can walk on mountains.
There’s Revolutionary Jesus who teaches us to rebel against the status quo, stick it to the man, and dream up impossible utopian schemes.
There’s Guru Jesus, a wise, inspirational teacher who believes in you and helps you find your center.
There’s Boyfriend Jesus who wraps his arms around us as we sing about his intoxicating love in our secret place.
There’s Good Example Jesus who shows you how to help people, change the planet, and become a better you.
A shallow dive into crypto
Since crypto has been the subject of headlines for basically the entirety of the past year, and had a minor role in some recent legislative headlines, it seemed fitting to drop y'all some links to various articles about it.
But the real question is: do any of our dear Mark as Read readers have diamond hands for dogecoin?
Cryptocurrencies are a Money Laundering Tool and Brute Force Hack on Capital Controls
Basically a hot take in bullet list form; I am a fan of this format but it may infuriate you if you tend to think more words = better reasoning. -C
Collectors pay big money for a slice of blockchain basketball action
The NBA continues to impress with its rapid and effective embrace of tech to improve its product. - C
How a 10-second video clip sold for $6.6 million
NFTs rely on the Ethereum blockchain to...exist. OK, that was the only bit of info missing from this great explainer on how people are investing in NFTs and a high-level overview of why. - C
I'm not an expert but I believe this NFT bubble has popped since this article was penned. Which is good because the NFT market is extremely stupid. The only reason it even exists as far as I can tell is money laundering. Let's say I have $100K in dirty money. I create a thing that has some nebulous, ethereal value to "collectors". I give you my $100K in dirty money under the table. You take a cut and then buy my "collectable item aka NFT" from me for say $90K. I now have $90K in "clean money" and you have $10K and a worthless address on the blockchain. -B
Underground skyscrapers and off-grid bunkers: inside the world of preppers
I saw a meme somewhere that said something to the effect of "there's a 99% chance that in a post apocalyptic world you're going to die of diarrhea from drinking contaminated water before you get a chance to wear a football uniform and wield a lawnmower blade machete" and that's what I thought about while reading this. -C
My apocalyptic strategy is to be one of those who are referenced in the crawl of the movie's opening scene: 90% of the world's population is dead.... I think that's where you want to be, honestly, not in the last bit trying to develop survival rules against zombies or avoid having your spine chewed by the spine chewing insect alien invaders or whatnot. -B
Rerouting the Mississippi River could build new land—and save a retreating coast
H/T Joe D.
My working theory is America has tipped into a long and slow asphyxiation caused by our inability to actually build relevant and economically effective infrastructure. We will likewise be unable to build relevant and effective green / restorative infrastructure. The bureaucracy has enveloped us in vaguely pork scented gelatinous ooze such that no good idea goes unimplemented.
I think this is true from pipelines to high voltage transmission lines to restoring the lost marshlands of the coast. This is one reason my politics have recently moved in a direction that may be unique to me which I am currently calling Federalist Libertarian Monarchy. If you corner me with a small glass of brown liquid and ask me about it I'd be glad to fill your ear with my nonsense for an hour or three. -B