Say goodbye to weekend mail. This morning, the United States Postal Service announced that it would discontinue delivery of first class mail on Saturdays, beginning August 1 of this year. Honestly, I’m surprised it took this long. But I’m also a little sad that this institution is slowly dying. My mind has always been blown when I think about how I can drop something in a blue box and have it end up thousands of miles away within a few days, all for the price of a quarter (then 29¢, 32¢…well, almost half a dollar now). It has always seemed like the best bargain I could imagine. Maybe that’s why the USPS hasn’t turned a profit since the Pussycat Dolls were near the top of the charts. It probably won’t be long before we are only getting mail three days per week, so enjoy it while you can.

Related Seinfeld clip here.

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Proposed cover for annual summer–themed issue:

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I just sent this design off to the printer. Ten brave souls from my HRL Wiffleball League are taking a plunge into the near frozen waters of Lake Calhoun on Saturday, and they’ll be sporting these shirts. How often do you get a chance to combine winter hats and snorkels into a design? Probably only once. Check out the event detail for the Minneapolis Polar Bear Plunge benefitting Special Olympics Minnesota. Sponsor a plunger and show up on March 3rd to watch a bunch of crazies almost die for charity! I’ll try to follow up with some photos from the event.

Photos updated 4/1/12:
Final tally was just over $3800 raised. Nice work guys! I love the nipple tape.

return to photography index

The College of Design at the University of Minnesota is hosting this year’s AIGA See Change Conference, and I am pretty amped that George Lois is going to be there. It’s not too often than I get the chance to see (and perhaps meet) someone who has a few pages devoted to him in my History of Graphic Design textbook. Lois is perhaps best known for art directing the controversial Esquire cover (shown above) featuring Muhammad Ali, though much of his other work at Esquire and on various other campaigns is also widely recognized. Read more about him here and view some more of his Esquire work here and ad campaigns here. This one for Tommy Hilfiger is one of my favorites.

At over 80 years old, I’m feeling pretty fortunate that Lois is coming to speak so close to home. I’m pretty sure he’ll be entertaining, if nothing else. Here’s a little preview I found on YouTube. He will likely be promoting his upcoming book, Damn Good Advice (for people with talent!): How to Unleash Your Creative Potential by America’s Master Commuicator. If you can’t tell from the video clip or the title of his book, he won’t be short on opinions. But then again, he’s never been one to shy away from controversy.

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