Helvetica: The Fixed-Gear Bike of Typefaces

The main argument of using Helvetica is that it’s “neutral.” That is absolute bullshit. There is nothing neutral about Helvetica. Choosing Helvetica has as much meaning and carries as many connotations as choosing any other typeface. It has as many visual quirks as any other typeface it was meant to shun for needless decoration. Helvetica is the fixed-gear bike of typefaces: it’s as basic as it gets, but the statement it makes is as complex as anything else. Standing for independence and going against the grain, supposedly not caring about what others think or of being duped for the upgrades and improvements that “the man” forces upon us. Helvetica is old. Helvetica is clunky. No business, service, or product deserves Helvetica in the twenty-first century more than anyone deserves to sit in a dentist chair in the 1960s.

– New University of the Arts London Logo, or Why I Hate Helvetica

Here is a short from my weekend in Kerala shot with my Fuji X100. The Kerala Backwaters are so different from Bombay it is shocking – not only is it green, but the lack of auto rickshaws and other vehicles honking give the country a relaxing and soothing tone.

The Tube – BBC Two

The Tube is a BBC Two television documentary which looks into the life of those who work and travel on London Underground. It premiered in February, but is just coming to India and is well worth watching to see behind-the-scenes footage of both the infrastructure but also the people who make the Tube go.

Please also see:

Toronto Subway Map in the manner of Super Mario Brothers 3

Dave Delisle offers this awesome Toronto TTC Subway Map Super Mario 3 (poster of subway map now available) and maps for the Calgary C-Train and Vancouver Skytrain.

How Will You Spend Your Leap Second in 2012?

The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service sent a Service de la rotation de la Terre confirming that an extra second will be added to June 30th, meaning we all will (hopefully) experience 30 June 2012 23h 59m 60s. If Leap Day featured Leap Dave Williams emerging from the Marianas Trench wearing blue and yellow to trade children’s tears for candy, what will this year’s Leap Second feature?

Ze Frank on Positive & Negative Online Interactions

Ze Frank discusses the potential positive and negative energy of online interactions, illustrated in the above diagram and the below video. For those of us who strive to build communities both in our personal and professional lives, this is a five minute video worth watching.