[typography] Wordle – Everything Is A Found Object In A Word Cloud

1642.

Just stumbled on a fun and quick little spree that was generated by a brilliant little web app called Wordle.

You all know what tag clouds are, yes? Wordle takes a block of text you input (or an RSS feed of your blog, for example) and generates a word cloud, where the most frequently-used words are largest. You can play with font, arrangement, color palette … et voila! … you have semi-accidental art upon which you can impose your own truth (or just enjoy the jumble and type play).

Plugging in my URL gave the following (clicky upon to go to the Wordle site and embiggen):

Utter coolness. Color, type. And, an FHWA-oid type face … very appropriate!

Make yours here: Wordle.net

Tags: type, type art, word art, wordle

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[street_blades] Maywood Park – Branding With Street Blades

1641.

Maywood Park, Oregon, is a city … but I’ll bet not many know where it is. This is something that’s in the process of changing.

It’s likely you’ve driven past it on NE 102nd between Prescott and Fremont without noticing. That’s not for lack of beauty – it’s one of the most pleasant areas we know of. To those not in the know, though, it could pass for another Portland neighborhood – with a high quality of appearance, to be sure.

Latterly, passing though the area myself, I noticed something new at the traffic signals at NE 102nd and Prescott and NE 102nd and Fremont … new overhead street banners, mounted next to the signals. And they don’t look like the standard Portland design.

Taking a closer look, we see a blue seal on one end. This (though It may not be too discernable in the resolution provided) is the logo for the City of Maywood Park.

We also notice that, unlike the overhead banners for Portland city streets, there are two other main differences: One, the mixed case of the type (Portland’s is all majuscule) and two, the lack of a directional (all these streets wear the NE directional, of course)

The question of where the city line is most likely to be seems to be answered by observing the banners on the opppsite sides of the street from these pictures. They are just like the ones you see here … but with no City logo. As we’ve noted elsewhere, with sign designs being so similar in many locales, a quick way to identify the jurisdiction you’re in is to slap a city logo on. It also provides for an interesting-looking street sign, we think.

You might realize next time when you’re passing alongside the pleasant city of Maywood Park, Oregon.

Just for kicks, here’s some interesting facts about Maywood Park, gleaned from the Oregon Blue Book and the Wikipedia entry:

• The city of Maywood Park covers 0.2 square miles
• It has a population, at last estimate, of 777.
• This results in a density of about 4,572 people per square mile. By way of comparison, Chicago has a density of of 2,123/sq mi, and Saint Louis, MO, has 5,717/sq mi.
• The city was founded in 1967, primarily as a way of preventing I-205 from being built straight through. Resistance to the freeway by the city is the reason it swings west before curving NE again to go past the airport.
• The median age is 44 years.
• There are 314 housing units in Maywood Park. 92% are owner-occupied.
• As of the 2000 census, the median home price in Maywood Park was $225,000.

Tags: street blade library, maywood park, street signs, portland, NE Prescott St, NE 102nd Avenue

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[bike_diary] Ron Tonkin and The MIlestones Of Stark Street

1640.

Yeah, I keep going off count. This is post number 1640.

Anyhow, today’s ride was early in order to avoid the heat. It is both harder than and easier than I thought it was going to be. Leave it at that; I don’t think I could make it any clearer.

I enjoy living out near 122nd Avenue. Geographically-speaking, I just dig on numbered avenues and especially when those numbers get big. You just don’t get that in Salem. And when growing up in Salem, the catchphrase counterpart to Canyon Strip Auto Row … It’s the only place to buy (remembering Barney Keep) for the proletarian heavy east side was simply "… out 122nd way!".

Well,  now I live out 122nd way. And it’s not the same place it was when I was but a neat thing, but some charming things are still left.

Ah, yes, Ron Tonkin. Sure, Marv (a little more than a mile up the street and on the other side … Courtesy Ford is there now) had the cool jingle, but Ron had the sign. Still does have the sign. This sign is gorgeous at night.

Backing up, we have a better view of 122nd and Stark, this time, not on Macro. Much better. Sadly, Soobie’s strip club is still there. It’s not a perfect world.

Now, going back toward home took me by the corner of SE Stark and 117th and … what, ho … what’s this little thing, at the corner of Ventura Park, with my machine parked alongside for size comparison?

What it is, is a small milestone, marked with the inscription "P7" …

And a plaque alongside with the following explanation:

BASELINE
MILE MARKERS

Sometime after 1854, stone obelisk
Markers were set along Baseline Road.
They were engraved P for Portland,
and numbered for each mile from the
old Multnomah County Courthouse
to the Sandy River.

Mileposts 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 12, and 15
have been lost.

Mileposts 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, and 14
can still be seen along
Stark Street – originally called
Baseline Road.

Now, we already know what baseline we’re talking about when we talk about the baseline of Baseline Road (today’s SE Stark Street) … we’re talking about the Willamette Baseline, which starts at the Willamette Stone, in the West Hills off Skyline Blvd near the big cemetery.

What I didn’t know was that the county put up milestones along the base … which is pretty nifty, moreso that so many of them are still extant. This’ll be worth another photodocumenting project!

And, last but not least, a hand-done sign from the other corner of 117th and Stark. I’m sending this in the Blog of Unnecessary Quotation marks so they can ignore this submission too.

Bed time …

Tags: bike_diary, stark street, portland history, portland signs, 122nd Avenue, ron tonkin

[design, teh_funnay] Donnie Hoyle Returns To Abuse You: You Suck At Photoshop Season 2 Begins!

1636.

Donnie Hoyle is back. Just accept it. NSFW unless your boss is one of those "cool" ones.

You Suck At Photoshop Episide 11, the first epi of the second season (by popular demand) deals with smart objects. And spermatazoa. And child support.

Oh, yes, he will abuse you. Here you go:

Meanwhile, Grace does Method. She’s pretty good at it, actually:

MyDamnChannel, y’all.

Tags: donnie hoyle, grace helbig, mydamnchannel, big fat brain

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[design, teh_funnay] Donnie Hoyle Returns To Abuse You: You Suck At Photoshop Season 2 Begins!

1636.

Donnie Hoyle is back. Just accept it. NSFW unless your boss is one of those "cool" ones.

You Suck At Photoshop Episide 11, the first epi of the second season (by popular demand) deals with smart objects. And spermatazoa. And child support.

Oh, yes, he will abuse you. Here you go:

Meanwhile, Grace does Method. She’s pretty good at it, actually:

MyDamnChannel, y’all.

Tags: donnie hoyle, grace helbig, mydamnchannel, big fat brain

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[bike_diary] Baja Gresham in Macro Focus

1635.

More bicycling fun, in the cool before the heat. And see how fuzzy everything is when we forget to switch the camera out of Macro?

This pic shows a street sign that dates from when this whole area was in Multnomah County. Quite a few of thises still exist. I find them very charming.

Another sign, this on SE 117th at Washington. Hard to say if the parking prohibition is still in effect … or, if so, when it applies. But it’s charming in the way the last sign was.

 

I love the corner of SE 122nd and Stark. There’s nothing particularly amazing to recommend it … except maybe the Burgerville … but you know how some corners of your life make you feel like you’re home? That’s 122nd and Stark to me.

Just before you get there, though, there’s the first place you won’t see after the last thing you do see. I always thought a funeral home named "Omega" was just a little crass, but that’s me for you.

This view of SE 122nd is looking south from SE Main Street, just a touch south of the Midland Library. That dropoff in the distance is more important than you’d think. Where I was standing drains (watershed-wise) to the Willamette. That crest you see in the distance is a divide; water off that direction actually runs to Johnson Creek.

 

… As this sign just south of Market Street on 122nd will tell you.

And if it’s Hispanic, you’ll find it at the strip on the corner of 122nd and Market. For those who don’t know, tienda is a regular corner store, carneceria is a meat market, panaderia is a bakery, and muebliera is a furniture store. There’s also a clothing shop there that will sell quinceñera (XV Años) dresses for the young ladies.

And, at SE 125th Ct and Market Street, there’s a sign for a private drive. We’ve seen others, but this one is not only privately funded, it’s privately manufactured as well.

Good thing this is habit-forming. With the price of gas (and the need to reduce the width of my wide load), this is going to be essential pretty soon. We plan on enjoying it. There was a time in my life that I went everywhere on two-wheels … for many reasons; to be smug about it, because I liked being in shape, because I just love being on two wheels.

Bikes are cool.

But I find myself having to get my bike legs back. Of course, I still remember the first lesson of riding (forget how to fall down), but the rest is a little slower in coming. But not for long.

Tags: bike, bicycling, Portland photos, East Portland, baja gresham, bike diaries

[font_design] Work In Progess: Nodoni

1634.

The newest font (by way of FontStruct) from my very brAnE is something I’m calling Nodoni.

It was inspired by Bodoni … but it’s not Bodoni. Not … Bodoni … Nodoni. Get it?

Well, this font so far has lower case finished and I’m working on the numerals. Here’s a look (you can even download the semi-completed font as TrueType if ya wanna:

Now, something I haven’t mentioned is that these FontStruct windows update as the font is changed and completed. Come back to it later, you’ll get the latest version.

(I’m not naming them Zehnkatzen 1, 2, 3, 4, etc anymore except as working names … )

Tags: fontstruct, FontStruct, Nodoni, Samuel John Klein, free fonts

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[liff] Rotoscoped Rhythm By Dustball: "Play"

1633.

Woke up on the bitter side of the bed today, and when that happens, we need something that makes us happy. We found something that makes us happy. You must watch it. It’s called "Play", and it’s by an artist calling himself "dustball":

This is brilliant. He made the "Stomp" style rhythms, took movies of himself making the motions, and then rotoscoped the outlines in. Almost hypnotic.

You can see it even better if you follow this link.

Tags: dustball, play, rotoscope, dustballfilms.com

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[bike_diary] Baja Gresham in Macro Focus

1635.

More bicycling fun, in the cool before the heat. And see how fuzzy everything is when we forget to switch the camera out of Macro?

This pic shows a street sign that dates from when this whole area was in Multnomah County. Quite a few of thises still exist. I find them very charming.

Another sign, this on SE 117th at Washington. Hard to say if the parking prohibition is still in effect … or, if so, when it applies. But it’s charming in the way the last sign was.

 

I love the corner of SE 122nd and Stark. There’s nothing particularly amazing to recommend it … except maybe the Burgerville … but you know how some corners of your life make you feel like you’re home? That’s 122nd and Stark to me.

Just before you get there, though, there’s the first place you won’t see after the last thing you do see. I always thought a funeral home named "Omega" was just a little crass, but that’s me for you.

This view of SE 122nd is looking south from SE Main Street, just a touch south of the Midland Library. That dropoff in the distance is more important than you’d think. Where I was standing drains (watershed-wise) to the Willamette. That crest you see in the distance is a divide; water off that direction actually runs to Johnson Creek.

 

… As this sign just south of Market Street on 122nd will tell you.

And if it’s Hispanic, you’ll find it at the strip on the corner of 122nd and Market. For those who don’t know, tienda is a regular corner store, carneceria is a meat market, panaderia is a bakery, and muebliera is a furniture store. There’s also a clothing shop there that will sell quinceñera (XV Años) dresses for the young ladies.

And, at SE 125th Ct and Market Street, there’s a sign for a private drive. We’ve seen others, but this one is not only privately funded, it’s privately manufactured as well.

Good thing this is habit-forming. With the price of gas (and the need to reduce the width of my wide load), this is going to be essential pretty soon. We plan on enjoying it. There was a time in my life that I went everywhere on two-wheels … for many reasons; to be smug about it, because I liked being in shape, because I just love being on two wheels.

Bikes are cool.

But I find myself having to get my bike legs back. Of course, I still remember the first lesson of riding (forget how to fall down), but the rest is a little slower in coming. But not for long.

Tags: bike, bicycling, Portland photos, East Portland, baja gresham, bike diaries

[font_design] Work In Progess: Nodoni

1634.

The newest font (by way of FontStruct) from my very brAnE is something I’m calling Nodoni.

It was inspired by Bodoni … but it’s not Bodoni. Not … Bodoni … Nodoni. Get it?

Well, this font so far has lower case finished and I’m working on the numerals. Here’s a look (you can even download the semi-completed font as TrueType if ya wanna:

Now, something I haven’t mentioned is that these FontStruct windows update as the font is changed and completed. Come back to it later, you’ll get the latest version.

(I’m not naming them Zehnkatzen 1, 2, 3, 4, etc anymore except as working names … )

Tags: fontstruct, FontStruct, Nodoni, Samuel John Klein, free fonts

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