Mark Bult Design: San Francisco, CA, Established 1988

Thursday top 5

clientcopia.com
This is why it could sometimes be verrrry frustrating working at a certain other place I used to work at, with a few certain other people I used to work with. It's also why I really like working at CNET. You almost never hear these sorts of things from your co-workers here.
» www.clientcopia.com/

So what really is in a McDonald's Chicken McNugget?
» www.alnyethelawyerguy.com

Funny test answers
» www.scribd.com/doc/5107/They-didnt-study

Spotted dick
This is a real food product. You can get it at Safeway.
» en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spotted_Dick-640x480.jpg

Cock soup
Oh my, it keeps getting better, doesn't it?
» www.buygracefoods.com

Labels: distractions, food, humor, Thursday top 5, work

Posted by espd at 2:28 PM | 
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The big ol’ list of band names

UPDATED These are good (and not so good) band names that have popped into my head over the last few years, mostly stemming from misspellings in IM conversations with Ynnej.

Now all I need to do is start a band. And pick a name. Vote for your favorites!

Transcendentool new

My Mom and the Mexicans new

Hundred Humboldt Hippies new

The Bum Loogies new

Ginger Jesus new
(has to be a British band, where it has more meaning; if you don’t get why, look up ginger in the OED)

Worm Piñata (via Jenny and Chris) new
(good name for a metal band that plays at Mexican parties)

Jake the Mistake and the Horrific Sex Accidents Featuring Georgia O’Queef (via Jenny and Chris) new

The Vomettes

Peanut Butter and Jenny

Easter Thong

Absence of Pants

Particle Physicians

Middle Manager Death Scene

Squeaky Kitty

Floobie (alt: Floobie Doo)

Master of Sandwiches

Bumf*ck (note: Absotively must use the asterisk for best effect)

Bureaucratic Natterings

Nattering Nabobs

Mind Vomit (nod to Brian Boxall for this one)

Nod to Brian

Unperfect

Dust Scene

Electro-Kitten Death Squad

Enter the Wombat

Ecclectitrex

How I Met Nixon

Pound Cat

Breath of Ezra

Pole Reversal

Double Ungood

Commemorative Edition

Classic Brass

Winston Winced

A Dozen Dates

Afterthought

No Spark

Sponge This

Noticed on the Corner

Plexi-Cow!

Far Afield

Outside the Danger Area

Ignatius Pomfrey

Left on St. Augustine

Critical Deth (these sort of metal names are always cool, right?)

Eleventeen

Genepool Error

Exceptions for Small People

Met Her on the N Judah

This Space Intentionally Left Blank

All Funny Inside

Got My Towel

Kissathon

Dark Partygirl

Ordinary Rock Band

Vogon Poets

Exhausting Novel

Only One More

Private Equity Guy and the Bankroll Wailers

Juice Liberation Front

Candlestick Opera

Penny Farthing Institute

NutriPurple

Not In My Shorts

Identity Crisis

Ms. Peld

There Must Be Something Better

Corporate Weasels

May Day Pictures

Guinea Pig Payment

Move to Alaska

Appropriate Level of Paranoia

Famous Monkeys Named Lyndon

Just an Asshole

Shhh! Phone Cops!

Ants Rule the Earth

Lucy on Central

Improvisational Pie in the Dark

Star-Struck Ballet

Comb-Over Kitten

Parrot Sled

Leaving for Homer

Subnormal

The Sprightly Mormons

The Liberal Slots

Slasher Sequence

The Marydots

The Chemistreetwalkers

Mickey and the Squeaky Wheel

Desert Judith

Payroll Error

Labels: big ol' lists, humor, music

Posted by espd at 10:49 PM | 
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BAA History Project

I made some updates over at the BAA History Project.

Labels: BAA, projects

Posted by espd at 12:17 AM | 
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LogoMaid steals logo from SimpleBits

LogoMaid.com is a chop shop for cheap, non-original logos. Most buyers wouldn't know that, of course. There are lots of these kinds of sites out there, offering readymade websites, Flash sites, templates, blog templates, logos, etc. They hire contract designers who work from home on the cheap, form all over the world, and these contractors are not necessarily very professional. They tend to take "inspiration" a little too far.

Dan Cederholm is one my favorite designers, and he's extremely well-known and -respected in the industry. He also happens to be the author of "Bulletproof Web Design," which I have recommended to many people.

Dan posted the offending LogoMaid logo on this flickr page and a long discussion has ensued between the appalled design community and a supposed representative of LogoMaid.

Labels: branding, copyright, design, logos

Posted by espd at 3:00 PM | 
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We're moving!

Velma and I have been thinking of moving for a while, and she recently started looking into whether we could afford to buy a small starter home or condo or something. Alas, it looks like it'll be a year or two...or three...or four...before we can afford it.

But we wanted to move anyway. Velma's pretty sensitive to the street noise that comes from living on our busy street, and if we close the windows at night it's really too warm inside. I can sleep through pretty much anything, but it wakes her up if we leave the windows open all night. And our south-facing huge wall of windows heats the place up just way too much all day long, so we have to cool it off at night somehow.

There are other factors: A less sketchy neighborhood would allow Velma to feel safer on her walks to and from BART, for example. And having some actual greenery around would be nice.

So, after two and a half years of living in my cool loft that I like so much, we're saying goodbye to it and moving to a funky place about a mile away in Bernal Heights. It's got crooked floors and a strange (but large) kitchen, but we'll make it work somehow. Finally our odd assortment of chairs will fit in somewhere!

The move and new address will come sometime in the next month; we're supposed to sign the lease in a day or two.

Labels: misc. personal, Velma

Posted by espd at 6:19 PM | 
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Thursday top 5

"Oh, Canadian FedEx lady" or, "why i got fired from apple computer" by Big Poppa E
» www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFS0xl4_LAA

Big Poppa E's follow-up video
"This should serve as a lesson to companies nowadays: Fuck over your employees, and they could strike back on YouTube and make you look really stupid."
» www.youtube.com/watch?v=auLCmpCAguI

Is multi-touch the future of UI?
You've seen it on the iPhone demos, and astute readers of this blog will remember Jeff Han's demo from when I posted it a while ago. However, this new demo takes it several steps further.
» link.brightcove.com...

Interesting Flash interaction experiments
» http://lab.mathieu-badimon.com/
(props to David Delphenich for this link)

2007 Bloggies
Some well-deserved wins and some interesting blogs I've never seen before. Now all I need is about 43 free hours a week to read them all...
» 2007.bloggies.com/

Labels: Apple, blogs, design, Flash, humor, UI, usability, video

Posted by espd at 9:58 PM | 
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Wondercon

On Saturday I went to Wondercon, the huge comics convention at Moscone. I know all of you are rolling your eyes at this point (except Ynnej), but I swear it's not all about dorks waiting in line to see the sneak peak of Spider-Man 3, and dorks enthusiastically clutching that long-sought-after early edition Superman comic they've been looking for since they were eleven, and dorks dressing up as Wolverine and Sailor Moon.

Well, okay, it's a lot about that for a lot of the people who attend.

But I don't go for any of that stuff. I'm pretty selective in my comics reading. I've never been into any of that super hero crap, so about half the offerings at Wondercon are totally lost on me. I'm more into newer talent and small alternative publishers. Plus there are hundreds of booths with everything from T-shirts to graphic novels of the sort I like.

And then there's the Artists Alley, where dozens of illustrators sit at tables and greet people, sketch, sign autographs, schmooze, and whatnot. And we're talking about famous comics artists like Sergio Aragones (Mad) sitting next to up-and-comers you've never heard of. And some of the newer talent — in fact, a lot of it — is just phenomenal.

I didn't spend very much time at all in panels this year, since I was alone (Ynnej, how dare you move to Seattle!) and it's not nearly as much fun to watch a panel or the Star Wars Fan Films by oneself. And without, y'know, a fifth of Jack Daniels.

Anyway, I spent most of my time on the exhibitor floor and found some really awesome finds, such as four 1941 pulp science fiction magazines with original Robert A. Heinlein stories in them. I also picked up a few new things by Oni Press, one of my favorite alternative comics publishers, and a few other new finds.

I also met Joshua Ellingson, whose work I was familiar with because I'd actually bought one of his prints at a seasonal local artisan's store around the corner last year.

Other cool stuff seen:
pmbq.com
ImaginismStudios.com
piximix.com
ClubNamco.com
NamcoGames.com
IDWpublishing.com and AshleyWoodArtist.com
BabyTattoo.com

Next up, I can't wait for the Alternative Press Expo on April 21 and 22, because some of my favorite artists will be there; Bryan Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgrim) and Art Spiegelman (Maus) for example.

Labels: art, comics, illustrators

Posted by espd at 10:36 PM | 
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Mark Bult Design master client list

I’ve been in business for 21 years (or more, depending on how you look at it), and I’ve had a lot of clients over those years. I think this list is pretty accurate, but every once in a while I come across some really old file on an archive disk that reminds me of yet another small company I worked with 15 years ago or something.

I’ve been trying to categorize the list, but I’m not sure these categories make the most sense. I may have to revise them soon.

Arts & Entertainment (Art, Design, Film, Photo, Music, & Dance)

3Sixty
42West
African Odyssey
Alice in Chains
AML Rehearsal Studios
Amsterdam
Anthrax
Atlantic Records
Autographix
beauty
Big House
Cactus Club
California Concerts
Caroline Records
Columbia Records
Diane Choplin, photographer
The Dandy Warhols
Elektra Records
EMI Records
Enigma Records
Entercomm
Flux51
Freewill
Friday Night Films
Funky Junction
Gargoyle Records
Gilbert Zapp’s
Golden Poppy Productions
Graphic Artists Guild
Green Blues
J.D. Wolfe Productions
Island Records
Chris Kinney, photographer
Dave Lepori, photographer
Magellan & Co.
Main Event
Mark Ritch / Mark’s Art
Metal Blade Records
Metallica
Olya Milenkaya, artist
Monét Music Management
Moneytalk Productions
Multiplex Studios
Niles Hard Rock Station
Noise International/BMG
Dave Oneto, photographer
One Step Beyond
Ossum Possum Records
Brad Owen, photographer
Pop Life Studios
Queensrÿche
Rebeka Jaqua
Rush
Shur-Sound & Sight
Sony Pictures
Stiletto
Studio 47
The Stone
The Omni
Thumper Studios
Tony Alves Photography
Tsunami
Typemasters
Vain
Vicious Rumors
Warner Bros. Records
Wonderland
World Peace Music Awards
ZZ Top


Automotive

Ford


Communications & Media

KFJC FM
KALX FM
Women.com
X-Rock


Construction & Manufacturing

GI Concrete Construction
Kilgore Electric
Polyethylene Industries
Recycled Lumber Co.
SmartAdhesives


Consulting & Misc.

Carolyn’s Cooking
Castle Consulting
Cavalli & Cribbs
Fenton Communications
Gentzsch.net
Grass Roots Productions
Laura Stec Innovative Cuisine
Learning by Design
Magellan & Co.
MarkAndVelma.net
Next Generation
Storefront Political Media
TechniQuest
Velma.org


Consumer Goods, Furnishings, & Clothes

AuctionDrop
BonusTree.com
JBooks.com
MadeByVelma.com
NetAward.com
Ozark Handspun
PickupCleaners.com
Procter & Gamble
ReFurnishings
ReturnShopper.com
Shaska
Swiffer


Education

Crimson Finch Project
De Anza College
Northwestern University
Palo Alto Adult School
Stanford Centennial
Stickney Flight School


Events

A16
African Odyssey
Anne Frank Center
Bay Area Earth Day
Bay to Breakfast
BikeWeek
Black & White Ball
Business Environmental Awards
Deep Green Global Training
Earth Circus Productions
Eastern Front Day on the Dirt
Friday Night Films
Funky Junction
Grass Roots Productions
The Great Halloween Pumpkin Carving Massacre
Green Blues
Howling Halloween
Northern California Masters Games
Palo Alto Centennial
Palo Alto Chili Cook-Off
Peninsula Environmental Forum
Rockin’ Relief for Costa Rica
Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards
Stanford Centennial
The Rodney Open
TGIF Fun Run
Western Front Benefit Showcase
Western Front News Party!
Western Front News Springtime Jam
Wine 101
Wine, Women & Shoes
World Peace Music Awards


Food, Health, Medical, Sports, & Fitness

50-Plus Fitness Association
Adventurescapes.com
Align Technology, Inc.
Amstel Light
Applebees
Bay to Breakfast
BikeWeek
Blue Heron Health Center
Carolyn's Cooking
Chow.com
Crest Whitestrips
Decathlon Sports Club
Dr. Claire Dupré
ESPN
Interplast
Invisalign
Laura Stec Innovative Cuisine
Lotus Healing Arts Center
Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital
Northern California Masters Games
Peninsula Healing Arts Center
Rodney Open
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Stanford University (Center for Research in Disease Prevention)
Willam T. Watkins DDS
Women’s Outdoor Network


Government & Political

California Secretary of State
Citizens for Alternative Planning, Yes on Measure R
City of Palo Alto
City of Palo Alto Arts & Culture
City of Palo Alto City Manager’s Office
City of Palo Alto Community Services
City of Palo Alto Golf Course
City of Palo Alto Human Resources
City of Palo Alto Junior Museum
City of Palo Alto Parks & Golf
City of Palo Alto Police Department
City of Palo Alto Public Works & Recycling
City of Palo Alto Recreation, Open Space & Sciences
City of Palo Alto Recycling Program
City of Palo Alto Utilities
City of Palo Alto Utilities, Resource Conservation
City of Palo Alto Volunteer Graffiti Management Program
Measure M: Santa Clara County Open Space Initiative
Micki Schneider for Palo Alto City Council
MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District
paEnjoy.org
Palo Alto Centennial
Peter Drekmeier for Palo Alto City Council
Regional Water Quality Control Plant
Santa Clara County Open Space Initiative
Sara Amir for CA State Assembly
Storefront Political Media


Law & Finance

Bank of America
Hanson Bridgett Marcus Vlahos Rudy LLP
Greater Bay Bank
RSF Social Finance
Seiler & Company, LLP
Visa


Environment

Acterra
Animal Welfare Institute
Arastradero Preserve Stewardship Project
BAA+PCCF
Bay Area Action
Bay Area Earth Day
BikeWeek
Business Environmental Network & Awards
Committee for Green Foothills
Deep Green Global Training
Earth Circus Productions
EarthTeam.net
EcoCalendar.org
EcoGuide.org
Eco Kids
El Bosque Pumalin Foundation
Friends of Huddart & Wunderlich Parks
GreenCorps
Green Foothills Foundation
GreenTeam Project
HeadwatersForest.org
Headwaters Forest Coalition
Headwaters Sanctuary Project
MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District
OneEarth
ParkScan
Peninsula Conservation Center
Peninsula Environmental Forum
People for Land and Nature
PlantTrees.org
Rainforest Action Network
ReThink Paper
San Francisquito Watershed Council
Save the Redwoods League
Sierra Club
Silicon Valley EcoCampus
Sustainable Mountain View
SustainabilityCenter.net
Trees Foundation
YEA! (Youth Environmental Action)


Nonprofit, Misc.

50-Plus Fitness Association
African Odyssey
Amnesty International
Animal Welfare Institute
Anne Frank Center
Bay to Breakfast
Congregation Sherith Israel
Direct Action Network
Ginetta Sagan Fund
Graphic Artists Guild
Housing America
ImpactOnline.org
Indians for Collective Action
International Committee for the Eritrean Blind
Interplast
Marin Center for Peace and Justice
Midpeninsula Citizens for Fair Housing
Neighbors Abroad of Palo Alto
Palo Alto Downtown Marketing Committee
Palo Alto Historical Association
Palo Alto Jaycees
Rudolf Steiner Foundation
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Stevenson House
UAW Local 2865
Vernal Project
The Virginia Thurston Healing Garden
Women’s Outdoor Network
World Peace Music Awards
YMCA of San Francisco


Publishing & Printing

Broken Eagle Press
The Citizen
Columbia Printing
Fellowship of the Blizzard
Metro Newspapers
In Palo Alto
Prodigy Press
Spring Forward Press
Typemasters
USA Today
Western Front News


Retail

Bananas At Large
Best Buy
Blue Angel Compact Discs
Buffalo Trading Co.
CD Warehouse
China Girl
Dal Jeets
Hollywood’s Rock, Inc.
Leather Odyssey
Niles Music Corner
Shaska
South Bay Music Works
Vayne
Winterland’s Rock Express


Technology

AllYouCanUpload.com
American Greetings Interactive
BonusTree.com
BridgeStream.com
CNET.com
CNET Download.com
Consumating.com
dBpoweramp
EcoGuide.org
Gazelle Software
Genetic-Programming.com
Global Automation
Google
Headmaster Repair Inc.
HeinleinArchives.com
HP
Iminta
ImpactOnline.org
Intel
JBooks.com
Lavasoft
Medical Communication Systems
Microsoft
MSN
NetAward.com
Opera
Panasonic
PC Tools
ReturnShopper.com
Sehda Inc.
Sony
Sony Ericsson
Software Xcellence
Spansion
Spider Technologies
Spybot Search & Destroy
Tamarack Associates
TechniQuest
Typemasters
Upload.com
UrbanBaby.com
Verizon
Webshots.com
Windows Marketplace
WinZip
Yahoo!
YieldUp International


Travel & Hospitality

Adventurescapes.com
Garden Court Hotel
Inn at Union Square

Labels: big ol' lists, clients, Mark Bult Design, work

Posted by espd at 10:53 PM | 
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Thursday top 5

A Band on Fire
Arcade Fire in New York magazine. Includes some pretty cool photos.
» http://nymag.com/nightlife/features/28509/index.html

The Devil in the White City
I’ve been enjoying this dramatic history about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the associated story of H.H. Holmes, who was perhaps one of the country's first serial killers. Author Erik Larson, like Simon Winchester, proves that historical books don’t have to be snores.
» tinyurl.com/yufask

Picnik
This beta site describes itself as "online photo editing made fun." It's possibly the best online tool I've seen in two years. Really excellent.
» www.picnik.com

Styling <form> widgets
For the web dev geeks like me.
» www.themaninblue.com/writing/perspective/2004/04/28/

WOXY
The legendary internet radio station.
» woxy.lala.com

Labels: books, css, forms, music, photo tools, radio, web design, webdev

Posted by espd at 2:11 PM | 
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