Miles Francis

“My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today.”

― Richard Adams, Watership Down

Images of the Day: Postcards

A welcome surprise discovery; hundreds of mid-century postcards from museums from around the world. The images of paintings, sculptures, and architecture appear to have been from a long-since-retired art professor. Although I liked looking at and recognizing a few of the images on the front of the postcards, I fell in love with the reverse sides. Below is a small sampling of the cards, and a some detail scans as well. Click on any of the images for an enlarged view of them.

Image of the Day: Leather and Man

This is what happens to those who use too much leading when typesetting . . . 

[Spotted on a label inside a shoe at WalMart.]

Earworm of the Day: After The Gold Rush

My latest earworm is Prelude's a cappella version of  Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush."

I first came across this song in the mid-1970s on an obscure compilation LP. After 30 years on my early morning commute to work, I heard it on the radio . . . 

Image of the Day: Mark Police

"No, you cannot flip the Paw Mark; the one on the left isn't even the correct version. These are owned and licensed by The Pennsylvania State University, and you cannot 'recreate' them, even poorly. Oh, Giant..."

Image of the Day: Ink

Spotted at Big Spring Spirits in Bellefonte

Image of the Day: Read

Spotted on a lamp post in the Upper West Side of NYC on 104th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. Something about this just cracks me up a bit.

Image of the Day: Tin Cigarette Case

A gift from my son this year, an old cigarette tin. 

Very cool fonts, colors, and graphics!

Image of the Day: Parking Lot Litter

Spotted in the parking lot on my way to lunch.

Images of the Day: Mark Police

Jobs for the tireless Mark Police!

Yes, this version of the Mark is licensed!

Earworm of the Day: When Winter Comes a-Callin'

During my 8-mile run yesterday, my earworm When Winter Comes a-Callin' is from this album by The Ray Charles Singers.

Not the easiest song to find online, but with a bit of online navigating, you can listen to most of it at this link on Amoeba.com  It is number 10 in the listing; just click on the red triangle beside the number 10 to hear 1:12 minutes of the entire 3:12 minute recording.

HVBC's Ampersand Cocktail

My wife recently surprised me with this typographic cocktail crafted by Liz at Happy Valley Brewing Company. You can learn about this drink, as well as others like the Interrobang Manhattan, the Asterisk, and a Pilcrow Fashioned, at this Shady Characters link. 

As always, please use non-standard punctuation marks and other typographic curiosities responsibly.

September 5: Freddie For a Day

Freddie For A Day is an annual initiative celebrated on September 5, Freddie Mercury's birthday, to raise funds to support the work of the Mercury Phoenix Trust. You can find out more about Freddie for a Day here, and even download a two-page PDF of the Tashe Template here.

Image of the Day: Pantone Purple-M Marker

Purchased over thirty years ago for an assignment at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, this marker is still going strong!

Image of the Day: Pareidolia

Image of the Day: Run Its Course

I found the battery resting in a parking lot's paint line. This image is has not been retouched or edited.

Image of the Day: Wabash

Book Traces

First seen on the Green Chair Press blog, Book Traces is a project to track down and  digitize the human markings in 19th-century books.

"Thousands of old library books bear fascinating traces of the past. Readers wrote in their books, and left notes, pictures, letters, flowers, locks of hair, and other things between their pages. We need your help identifying them because many are in danger of being discarded as libraries go digital. Books printed between 1820 and 1923 are at particular risk.  Help us prove the value of maintaining rich print collections in our libraries."

Visit Book Traces here.

You Blew It on the Name: Part 2

The latest in the continuing saga of following the name that Direct TV used on two of their direct mail promotions to me; did Gieco purchase my name from Direct TV?

Image of the Day: Peonies and Ants

Photo by Terri Lukens-Gable

You can read about the beneficial relationship between ants and peonies at this link.