Confessions of a Font Addict

Read more about the article Confessions of a Font Addict

Die Nasty. Dream Orphans. Beat My Guest. Highway to Heck. No, these aren’t names of punk rock groups or titles of angst-ridden, teen-penned poems. They’re names of fonts. Four evocatively named fonts that co-exist among the hundreds of others in my Mac. Fonts that compete on a daily basis to be chosen for use in one of my literary or graphic masterpieces (ahem). I’ve rarely met a font I didn’t fall in love with. I’ve cruised the Internet super highways by night, luring new fonts to my harem. I’ve risked system contamination, blindly downloading free fonts from fly-by-night sites with seedy names like FontLust.com. Rogue fonts now reside alongside legitimate fonts that automatically enter the neighborhood every time I install new publishing software. Ah, but this indiscriminate font love now poses a major digital dilemma: I simply have more fonts than I can fathom.

Continue ReadingConfessions of a Font Addict

Merry ‘Nice and Naughty’ Christmas Greetings from The Beatles and The Stones

Read more about the article Merry ‘Nice and Naughty’ Christmas Greetings from The Beatles and The Stones

In the early 1960s, The Beatles came off as cute and cheeky, while the Rolling Stones - marketed by manager Andrew Loog Oldham as the anti-Beatles - were perceived as snide and snarky. Here's a look at how these two very different bands greeted the public at Christmas time.

Continue ReadingMerry ‘Nice and Naughty’ Christmas Greetings from The Beatles and The Stones

Her D.I.V.O.R.C.E. Was Just Begging to be S.P.O.O.F.E.D

Read more about the article Her D.I.V.O.R.C.E. Was Just Begging to be S.P.O.O.F.E.D

Okay, rock fans of the '60s and '70s, it's time to get brutally honest and swallow your hipster pride. Can you please admit you've heard of country singer Tammy Wynette? And, if you know the name, are you self-assured enough to admit you've heard, or even enjoyed, her 1968 chart-topping single, "D.I.V.O.R.C.E."? C'mon, fess up! It tells the syrupy story of a couple on the verge of splitsville, who spell out the "D word" so little J.O.E. won't understand. This tune was just begging to be spoofed! And the first one to do it was Billy Connelly - a wild and woolly guy with a funny accent who lived far across the pond in Scotland.

Continue ReadingHer D.I.V.O.R.C.E. Was Just Begging to be S.P.O.O.F.E.D

Who Was the Fabbest of them All? To the Yanks of ’64, Ringo Reigned Supreme.

Read more about the article Who Was the Fabbest of them All? To the Yanks of ’64, Ringo Reigned Supreme.

The 1964 Presidential race is remembered for the landslide victory of Lyndon Johnson over Barry Goldwater. But do you remember the "candidate" whose grassroots campaign was thrust forward by a horde of enthusiastic teenagers? Hint: it was a Beatle. Surprise! It's probably not the one you might have guessed. When the Beatles conquered America 50 years ago, Ringo Starr quickly became the favorite of the band's American fans, including me. From his beat-happy debut on the Ed Sullivan show, to his hilarious hip-swiveling Elvis imitation during the band's first press conference, to his scene-stealing role in "A Hard Days Night," Ringo charmed the Yanks like no other. Yes, in the parlance of the times, the diminutive drummer was gear that year.

Continue ReadingWho Was the Fabbest of them All? To the Yanks of ’64, Ringo Reigned Supreme.

Eat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho

Read more about the article Eat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho

Guido Barilla, president of the world's largest manufacturer of boxed pasta, has vowed his company would never feature homosexuals in its ads. Well, when I heard this news, my thoughts immediately turned to Woody Allen's kooky 1973 film "Sleeper," which offered some insights into the virility-enhancing effects of pasta.

Continue ReadingEat Barilla Pasta…Be More Macho