Just as soon as this fucking hard drive copies over, we're outta here. You know, bulking up the DDC Mobile Command Unit. 87,858 items to copy over. Then we head east.

- - - -

A FALLEN SOLDIER: I don't know what the USPS had against the DDC, but they've got a beef with us in High Point, North Carolina. Here's how one of the posters got "delivered" a couple days back to a confused customer. Real nice. Another one is on the way, man!

- - - -

MAYBE WE'LL MEET SOME OF THESE CHARACTERS ON THIS ROADTRIP?: David Lynch's very addictive "Interview Project" that is making its way across the states. Be careful. You'll get hooked on these little nuggets fast.

- - - -

A LITTLE ABOUT LAYER TENNIS, AND MY UNRULY DEMISE: The little varmit Hubacek beat me out in the voting, and hell, that's how it goes in this digital democracy. A lot of ruffians are writing in to rile me up, and hey, I got this much to say: I played hard. I played to win. I used my faculties the best I could.

Hubacek used my little DDC schtick against me to his favor, and hell, if that's what it takes to beat me down, well, I should've known better. Lesson learned, you little gremlin! Have fun in the finals and make Minnesota proud.

Mr. Inman is a seriously smart cookie, and it's my hunch he won't let Friday's sort of tomfoolery rattle him. Our prediction.

- - - -

FROM A GUY IN CHICAGO WITH A COOL NAME: The one and possibly only Don Guss comes in real hot with a cool link about old trucks and old station wagons. There goes the afternoon. Get in there and get wild with some of that shit. Wow. How things have changed, eh?

Don't weven know where to start on this one. Wow, look at that color!

Oh yeah, punch me in the face.

- - - -

THIS GUY IS FOR SALE: K. Michael Merrill has this much to say: Make it happen!

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Wind whipping through our hair.
02. Rubber hitting the road.
03. The occasional honk while passing a trucker.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Cash, sass or grass stains, no one writes for free! The new Field Notes Summer shipment is in, and our new "Grass Stain Green" edition are going fast. Get over there and get yer chlorophyll on!

- - - -

TOMORROW, AND WE PUSH OFF: Leigh's heading home for the summer. I'm driving her back to Minneapolis, where I'll hop a flight back to Portland on the 5th, and she'll keep going with Gary back to Northern Michigan for some summertime action.

We're gonna do the route I've taken so many times: 1-84 to Boise, Crater of the Moon, Idaho Falls, Yellowstone, Cody, Grey Bull, Devil's Tower, Box Elder, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Badlands,
Rapid City, Mitchell, Souther Minnesota and then those Twin Cities for day. And then back to Portland to continue my summer onslaught.

Regarding the DDC, and all clients, affiliates and subsidiaries, well, it's "business as usual" with late shifts in hotel rooms after we hit our 350 miles a day, and a little sightseeing each day. So don't get all frisky, all you clients...the DDC Mobile Command Unit will be in full effect.

- - - -

ORANGE SKIN? NO THANKS: All this retro stuff I wax on has this intoxicating quality. It's easy to idealize how "things used to be" and all that jazz. I've been called a "sentimentalist" and a "nostalgist" and hell, one guy on a New Jersey freeway called me a "jack-off." I don't know where I'm going with this, but, if this link is "how things were back in the day," well, count me out. I don't know where I'm going with this.

Was it all staged? All that '50s faux optimism? I love old stuff because there's this innocence to it. Or, without the pressures of "covering all the bases" you get this honest, stripped down quality to my little fascination with packaging, and, maybe, everything else. But then again, way back 50 years ago, an array of horrific things were going down behind the scenes and on the street corners, so, there's this weird paradox to it all. Maybe you are getting my drift? Progress is a good thing, but, I think it's fair to say we can simplify things more and more.

I'll stop. (Thanks to Mark for sending this one in. Hope I didn't freak you out with my wandering thoughts.)

- - - -

RYNO DUST OFF HIS PAINTBRUSHES: ...and creates this pine-tarred masterpiece for the St. Paul Saints. Painted using Menard's All-Season Latex, leftover tempera paint from 7th grade and blood.

Here's a Ryno classic, simply titled "Ninja fights a pirate who brawls a cowboy who is scrapping with a ninja." Or something.

There's no reason why we shouldn't be seeing one of these each month, you big prick.

- - - -

LUCK OF THE IRISH: Greg Meehan of Cavan, Ireland was diggin' around on the web and came across one hell of a Frontier Airlines retrospective deal. And about the "design" of that site, the old adage applies: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies. Don't change a thing, guys! Incredible. Good eye, Greg!

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER:

01. Dinosaur Jr - Farm
02. Lambchop - Nixon
03. Replacements - Tim & Pleased To Meet Me

Went to one estate sale over the weekend, and what treasure trove it was. A little house, just off Halsey near the Gateway District. The ad said something about the "old man being a maker of fish hooks in his basement." We arrived, made our way inside and quickly noticed a complete lack of furniture. There were just tables and tables of old tools, manuals and sharp things. Oh yeah, and a faint scent of urine.

I scanned the tables, grabbed a couple nuggets and made my way to the back of the house and down into the basement...

And that's where the shit went down.

Here's a little Flickr set called, "A Machinist's Basement" and if you wondering what I saw in that basement, well, you should click around down there some.

Sometime you gotta get dirty, and, sometimes you gotta think before you reach into a dark corner. The best treasures lay await in old drawers and dark corners. But so do fist-sized spiders!

The old guy was a machinist, and had an array of scary machines in all states of disrepair, oily and grimy. Benders, sharpeners, pinchers. There'd be random piles of fish hooks, balls of fishing line or the occasional lure laying around, but this place, it was all business...all manufacturing. I overheard one of the estate sale workers saying something to the effect, "Yeah, I guess his whole family helped him down here. One would be bending them, One would be sharpening the ends. One would be packaging them." Interesting. I also heard, "The guy lived off sardines."

That which comes from the sea returns to it.

I left with exactly 42 bucks of stuff. 15 or so old tool-n-die manuals, some old tool packaging, some industrial grade containers and one gnarly, sharp-as-fuck fish hook, just to remind me of where I rescued this stuff.

- - - -

DAYWRECKER WARNING, DEPENDING ON YER TIME TIME ZONE: A glorious mess of Container Corporation of America advertisements. If I wasn't "busy as shit" I'd tried to wrap my head around this one with some banter. I'm not gonna muck it up. Just go and enjoy 'em.

Here's one by the master, Paul Rand.

- - - -

YOU KNOW, WITH THE 4TH COMING UP, AND ALL: A little Flickr set called, "Red White Blue." Wow. Here's a fun one involving 3rd Degree burns: "Firework Shower." (Thanks, Streger!)

- - - -

THINGS ARE PRETTY ORANGE IN VERMONT, AND IT AIN'T EVEN THE FALL: Get orange! You need one of these. Click here and be red, white and blue and orange for any upcoming 4th of July extravaganzas. Always shipping. Free extras. Way orange. Big. Durable materials.

- - - -

STILL GLOWING OVER THIS GUY: That's our president.

- - - -

JUST LIKE IT SAYS: "Lovely Things."

I'm pretty sure I've stood in front of this fine array of old oil cans at one point.

- - - -

RECORD HUNTERS, TAKE NOTE: Mike Cina's prob'ly got you beat. Must-read interview from Grain Edit. Now go buy a pile of books from YouWorkForThem and tell 'em, "Draplin sentcha.". Do it.

Sunday, and we kinda rest. Did a little work in the shop, caught up on shit around the house, etc. Nothing to report. The sun is out in Portland and people are out and about. I'm retreating for the shade.

It's Saturday and it's real nice out and all that, but I can't think of a place I'd rather be than right here, catching up on all the badness. Just me and the building. Nakamoto just left to go fishing. Leigh and Ewan are going to the see the Jonas Brothers tonight, and that'll be the last time those little teenyboppin' dicksquirts are mentioned on this blog.

The image above is one of many things I've seen and instantly thought, "This one is for Minneapolis Mike Davis."

Get a (down)load of that thing! From a milk carton of all things! Nowadays, when I have cereal, I'm staring down some shit-ass little cow. Where the fuck did we go wrong with all the graphics, big world? A question that punches me in the face when I find something like this out there.

That milk carton was picked up, dusted off, shot, and put right back in the place I found it, in the garage of what proved to be the most intense estate sale I've been to in a long, long time. I wish Dale and Jess could've seen that mess in the basement. Full report on Monday, friends.

- - - -

SETTLE DOWN, TRUCKERS: Yesterday's Layer Tennis match, like everyone I've ever been in, proved to challenging on the mind, mouse finger and spirit. Hubacek proved to be a formidable little gremlin, and came at me with a big, dripping dose of my own goddamn medicine. And man, a day later, the wounds are still oozing! But I think I gave that little Hubapod a good run for this money! He rattled the DDC schtick pretty good.

But hey, this schtick ain't some passin' fad, it's my fuckin' life! My dilemma.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in, and for each and every vote on the Layer Tennis Twitter deal.

IN 34 MINUTES: Hubacek vs. Draplin! Layer Tennis!

Here's the hot link to get you court side.

Hubacek's a rising star and the kid's got skills, and, Minneapolis in his blood. A dangerous cocktail.

- - - -

LEAVE THE LITTLE MAN OUT OF THIS!: Hubacek hits below the belt, and brings the dachshund into this feud. Oh man, you didn't? You did!

- - - -

HOLY 3D-NESS: Did you see the 3D intro deal on Coudal.com?!!! Incredible. Bravo, Steve...and bravo, Ref! BEST ONE YET!

- - - -

FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS: Hubacek is gonna be tough.

I'm gonna need strength and cunning for this match. So I need to call on some of the meanest motherscratcher I know for support...

Yo, Colburn out in Boston!
Propaganda Clay down on the beach!
Schille in the Windy City!
Huckleberry Hart!
Powers down in San Jose!
Joseph and Casey in Ohio, believe in the DDC!!!
Nate Garn, you sonofahooch, you better be on our side!
John Wildgoose, now is the time!
Don Guss, we're calling on you!
Daily Vintage, we need you!
Jay Watson, we won't hold California against you!
Janeen Smith, we need all of Florida rooting for us!
Caird, you rotgut bastard, this is the defining moment!
Bored Yak, this'll be anything but boring!
Lahan, I need some of yes sass for the morning!
Glass, we made magic!
Hoss, any help you got, we'll take!
Ryno, leave Minneapolis now! Head for high ground!
Zindel, I call upon your collage magistry!
Masato, don't leave us in the dust!!!
Craig Medwyduk, that is one HELL of a last name!
Jon Baugh, I have believed in you since day one.
Same goes for you, Miller!
Campbell, get ready!
Derek D, I may call upon you for advice!
Bry, please get a bacon supreme going!
Felt, this could be the one that kills us!
Prophet, I'll be back on the album this afternoon!
Willy, the postcard is almost done!
Coulter, you get married yet?
Wisconsin Mitch, that pizza wrecked me last match!
Jay Floyd, hate is a strong enough word for how I feel about you...
Kass, you are backup if shit gets unruly!
Lovejoy, don't let the swoosh hold you back!
Nakamoto, help me roll a 4-5-6 on this mofo!
Goo...settle down, will ya?
Wake up Dale, this is gonna get fugly!
Rose, you fuck, you better have yer slaves on our side!
Jess, get the camera, I don't know what's gonna happen!
Ewan we command you to behave until you are 18!
Oh great Ford Econoline, long may you run!
Field Notes, every square inch of you in my heart.
Leigh, thank you for getting me to bed on time!
Gary, get off my leg, man!
Dad, get it together for once, will you?
Mom, I love you like a fish loves water!

Alert the boy scouts!
Alert the girl scouts!
Alert the National Guard!

LET'S DO THIS! Leeeeeeeeerrroooyyyyyyyyy Hubaachhhhheeeeeek......!

TOMORROW AT 10PM CHICAGO TIME: Layer Tennis Semi-Finals! Draplin vs. Hubacek.

I've trained for this match all my life.

And Hubacek, you Minneapolis River Rat, just so you know who you are messin' with, a little bit of banter for ya: IT IS ON, MAN, IT IS FUCKIN' ON!

Here's what Hubastank had to say, er, link: "Words from the Macho Man, himself."

- - - -

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT "EXTRAS" THROW IN WITH EACH ORDER, WE FUCKIN' MEAN IT: Here's some proof, and here's even more proof.

That poster will wreck yer day, alright...in a good way!

Buy now. Going fast. Very orange. Big as hell. Thick paper stock with a "good tooth to it." Free poster tube with each order.

- - - -

THOSE CRAZY RUSSKIES: A collection of Russian record covers. And to think I was afraid of them in 1983. Sheesh. (Ripped off outta Coudal's daily signals. Bunch of communists, anyway.)

- - - -

THIS ONE'S BEEN ON THE LIST FOR SOME TIME: Milton Glaser: To Inform And Delight. Can't wait.

- - - -

FINALLY, A RETURN TO FORM: The 76ers do it right. About goddamn time. Bring 'em back, bring 'em back.

- - - -

WHOLE LOTTA LOVE?: More like, "Whole Lotta Eye Shadow." Easy with the styling, guitar greats. Cousin Scott sent this one in, and it looks pretty interesting: It Might Get Loud. Jack White is always interesting to me. Even with all the hats and shit, he still is pretty cool.

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Little Wings - Light Green Leaves
02. Loose Fur - Born Again In America
03. Spiritualized - Let It Come Down

We'll be crossing Iowa a couple different ways later on this summer, and fall. You can be sure of that. Plans are being drawn up.

- - - -

THE PECULIAR DESIGN SENSIBILITIES OF THE GDR: An interesting article called "The ABCs of East German Products." From what I've read, it was a scary, bleak, paranoid place. It's fascinating to see how the cultural barriers of "pure functionalism" drove the design of the place, and how eveything was just kind of screaming out to have that extra little bit of optimism, but couldn't, or something? I don't know enough about it all, so I'll keep my trap shut.

Be sure to go through the product details section. Some beautiful stuff in there. (Thanks, Martin.)

- - - -

SOMETHING FROM THE OPTIMISTIC "OLD DAYS": "The Timberline Motel" of Wenatchee, Washington, sent in by one Brenden Stromberger of the United States. Nice find, man. You guys steal any towels?

- - - -

REMEMBER ALL THAT TALK OF "LONG DOGS" AND "FINLAND" AND SHIT YESTERDAY?: Well, we put it out there, and then stuff like this comes in. That hound does not look amused! Ha. As they say in the chatrooms and painfully dry officeland inter-memos, "LOL!"

- - - -

THE DDC WILL LIFT YOU UP: Literally. Little brother Matt Cooley came by and we had a nice lunch, catching up on all sorts of shit. This link has no real value to yer day to day battles, but is meant to illustrate "how shit goes down" around these parts. Fuck, time for a haircut.

- - - -

THIS LITTLE LINK IS FOR EWAN: Print-and-fold Taco Trucks. We'll do one this weekend, man. (Thanks, Schille!)

- - - -

IF YOU'VE BEEN UNDER A ROCK, RECENTLY LET OUT OF PRISON OR IN A COMA: We're selling a career-spanning poster called "Pretty Much Everything Up Until May 24th, 2009."

Good for halfway house rooms, lean-to ceilings and hell, wherever you lay yer head. It's a good time to "get orange." You need one of these. Each order comes with a free poster tube and extra. This small piece of hyperlinked text right here can get you going on the road to being "very orange."

I'm getting "an email an hour" about them showing up all over the globe. Good news. And for those of you that still haven't received it we've got two line items for you: 01. Sorry. 02. It's on it's way, I assure you.

- - - -

NICENE CREEDERS, UNITE!: Here's how we started out our day this morning: On the way down to the shop, I stopped off at the record store and bought the new Pavement Brighten The Corners Nicene Creedence Ed. vinyl beast. And that's what we're listening to right goddamn now. Wow. Lost tracks. I drive by Malkmus' house daily and can't help but just smile thinking about that smarmy fucker and all the amazing shit he's made over the years. Incredible.

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Pavement - Brighten The Corners Nicene Creedence Ed.
02. Sam Prekop - Who's Your New Professor
03. Muslims - S/T

When I was up in Skykomish, Finnish Union/Coal specialist Joni Makinen was nice enough to translate "Wiener Dog" into his native Finnish tongue. I asked him to translate, he said it a couple times and he started to laugh, "It also means "12-pack of beer!" and showed me what a Finnish 12-pack looked like with a crude sketch. Basically, something like this.

That's pretty long. Long dogs and long packages. You know how we roll.

- - - -

434 AND COUNTING: 434 reasons can be found right here for going to the Tike Ranch Flick deal. Some great stuff in there like this, this and this. Randy Jones, you got "the eye." Keep up the awesomeness!

I even found one for Rose in there: Here's some shit that creep would prob'ly like.

- - - -

AND YOU THINK YOU ARE TOUGH?: When up against these cahracters
, our answer is: "Not even close."

My buddy Adam Bagerski is embarking on a 5-month-long trek of the Continental Divide Trail, and, hell, will be hiking every God-blasted mile from Montana to the motherfuckin' New Mexico border with Mexico. Five months, people!

Here's the site that'll track their progress: Everything's Gonna Be Okay.

Adam swung by the shop on Friday for a hug and some Field Notes. I loaded him up the best I could. In fact, he's taking one DDC Clic Pen for the whole trail. It's last. States and state of ink, brother.

Explorers...Men...Ramblers...Bad-ass Trailfuckers! Watch out for the bears out there!

Good luck, guys! We're rootin' for you. See you in November.

- - - -

COUNTING DOWN THE MINUTES TO THIS ONE: The Lips are putting out a double album this summer, or fall, or something. And new tracks will be floating around soon enough. So good.

- - - -

ADD THIS ONE TO THE LIST FOR "THING I NEED TO SEE": A documentary about Alabama's Dexateens.

- - - -

KING OF THE BREEDS: A long plate for a long dog. (Sent in by a guy named Steve. Thanks, Steve.)

Here's how we woke up this morning: Leigh got up early, and let Gary out to pee. I slept in for another 30 minutes, woke up, called for Gary to come "help me out of the darkness and into the light" and the little shit jumped up on the bed with massive excitement, rolled over on his side and promptly peed approximately 20 drops of the stuff onto our clean sheets.

Just the facts, readers.

- - - -

THE IDWF ON NOTCOT!: I'm a card-carrying member. Are you?

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Michael Nesmith - 16 Original Classics ("The Crippled Lion" over and over.)
02. Dexateens - Singlewide
03. Sonic Youth - The Eternal
04. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity

PEP TALK: It's Monday and I'm am busy as fuck and here's what is going to go down.

I'm gonna get a mountain of stuff done over the next five days, and I'm going to give 100-motherfucking-percent, and I'm gonna listen to 100 records, and I'm gonna look at 100 great sites, and I'm gonna try to learn 100 guitar licks on the D-35, and I'm going to eat 15 wholesome, life-giving meals, and the whole time...

...I'm going to love doing it, and it's gonna be fun as hell.

Here's goes, everyone. Have a kick-ass week.

- - - -

THIS STUFF IS GETTING OUT OF HAND: Reading Between The Leading interviews me about my early days, and how I got into this stuff, and I talk way too much, and well, it's up for the world to listen to. Here you go: "Reading Between The Leading vs. Aaron Draplin." Thanks for the airtime, fellas!

- - - -

ONE OF THE GREATS: Five questions with by Jay Farrar.

- - - -

THERE GOES THE GODDAMN MORNING: "The Lubalin Archives at Cooper Union." (Offered up by one Darryl Norsen of the Massachussetts variety. Incredible link, man, incredible link.)

- - - -

THIS FRIDAY: Layer Tennis semi-finals! The DDC vs. Hubacek. Gonna be a fun one. More details as they roll in over the next couple days.

- - - -

CATCH IT BEFORE IT'S GONE: Guided By Voices' Watch Me Jumpstart on Pitchfork. So American. So Ohio. So good.

- - - -

SPEAKING OF OHIO: Here's one Joseph Hughes sent in, featuring the photographic prowess of his better half Casey Myers: "Ohio China Wholesale, Co." Good work, lady! Check that "O" with the state shape! Nice.

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Guided By Voices - Vampire On Titus
02. Guided By Voices - Propeller
03. Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes

It's Sunday and the sky is blue and filled with clouds. I'm in the shop catching up on all the nastiness. The only thing I'm living for right at this point in time is that Tyson documentary later tonight. Looks interesting and Leigh and I will be hiking across the river later on to see it.

Upon reflection, last week was one of my greatest of the year, work-wise. I got a mountain of shit done over the workweek, and then celebrated by "having nothing to do graphically" all day yesterday. And tomorrow, the same ferocious focus will be applied to all projects that fill up the day, all the way to Friday.

This is all about "ramping up" for the upcoming summer onslaught: A pile of magazines, advertising, web sites, logos, things, stuff, riff raff. Summers are busy for me, and I'm gonna slay 2009's warm's months, doing my damnedest to free up time for the Fall. Summer, we could care less about you. Fall, you know right where we stand.

Let's get busy and keep the air conditioning locked at 69 degrees.

OUR SATURDAY LIST:

01. Breakfast at Tosis with Ewan and Leigh.
02. Estate Sale: 119th and Holgate. Barking dachshund.
03. CD Player/MP3 input "info quest for van" at Best Buy. No dice, yet.
04. Garage Sale: 47th and Stark. Small bag of treasures.
05. Stopped by Office to tear that goddamned art show down.
06. Pit stop at Ampersand on Alberta. Cool books, cool paper. Go now.
07. Estate Sale: 17th and Stanton. Got a handful of crap.
08. Spent an hour at the Portland Stamp and Paper Show at the Armory.
09. Afternoon naps.
10. Couch guitar strumming.
11. Meatloaf supper at Annie's grill behind the Lloyd Center.
12. Saw The Hangover across the street from the Lloyd Center. Funny fucks.
13. Late-night viewing of Deadliest Catch episodes missed last couple weeks.
14. Captain Crunch memory lane late night snack.

That was a great Saturday, girl. Thanks.

- - - -

JUST THE FACTS, MAN: The little trees logo thing was from the side of a box of nails, discovered on the back deck at the estate sale in Saturday Line Item No. 07. You know, I don't even know if it was for sale, but they still took 10 cents for it. Hmmm. That little package is still wet from the afternoon shower that poured down upon it..

Gas prices are on the rise. Like clockwork. So it goes. Each morning I drive to work and notice a couple pennies here and there. Weird.

These words are typed out with the sound of Dale in the background, feverishly breaking down boxes, cleaning up this and that once and for all in the dark, forgotten corners of the DDC factory floor.

It's Friday and we're getting to the bottom of some shit.

- - - -

SOME HEAVIES ON THE COURT: All day today, layer tennis. All sorts of badassery. See you over there. I'll be in and out of that arena all day long, checking out the action, studying the competition. I'll be battling Hubacek next Friday, and man, it's gonna get wild.

The kid's got Minneapolis behind him, so I'm gonna have to dig real deep. Gonna be tough.

Plus, he's got one of these there to mess with him some, so, you know, that poster works/harms on many levels.

Hey Hubacek: Be ready.

- - - -

WE'RE CALLING BULLSHIT, ER, DOGSHIT ON THIS ONE: What, dashshunds don't get their own little, cutesy baggies? That's the just fine for us, as we use the "Where It Drops, It Stays" method in our walks and forays around town.

- - - -

SPECIAL GODDAMN THANKS TO: Every bad-ass who bought a poster this week. Another big load is going out tonight. Very orange. All over the world!

- - - -

47 DAYS OUT!: World's Longest Yard Sale. And of course, we're locking down plans for our "2nd Annual World's Longest Yard Sale Adventure." This thing is going to kick some serious butt.

- - - -

THIS LINK MAKES ME WISH I WAS MORE OF A BEER DRINKER: Shiner beers, and the incredible packaging that surrounds it. Wow. Brought to you by the McGarrah Jessee firm of Austin, Texas. Good work. Phew. (This link was passsed on by Tyler Barnes, who quite frankly, isn't one to mess with in the typography department, either. My stock just went down a couple points. Fuck.)

I've got a coal in the fire with the good people of Farmer's Brewing, Shawano, Wisc. They are starting up a new deal that, and if everything works out just right, will be a project for the DDC. Fingers are crossed!

- - - -

I'VE SEEN SOME BIG ASS MOOSE IN MY DAY... : ...but this one takes the cake.

- - - -

BEEN HERE AT LEAST 10 TIMES ALREADY, AND ALWAYS ENJOY THE VISIT: A tiny little Flickr set called "Miniatures" that has big, big greatness. One of the best things I've ever seen. I swear. (Sent by Anthony Mercer and a handful of other patriots. Thank you kindly, guys.)

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Paw - Dragline
02. Sam Prekop - S/T
03. Replacements - All Shook Down

Last weekend we were lucky enough to hit a couple estate sales real early one morning. Digging through some oldtimer's garage out in HIllsboro, I came across this little piece of packaging.

Old, dead and discarded, I rescued it from the bottom of a pile of old car parts, sharp things and forgotten stuff. And that little logo you are seeing up above was enough to stop me right there in my tracks. And at that specific nanosecond, a billion things a billion different ways went through the empty space between my ears. And just one of those things said, "Man, that is a cool, little logo."

Something like that.

It's Thursday already, you beasts. We got one more day to kill it.

- - - -

SOME PROOF, TO ALL THOSE "ON THE FENCE" ABOUT THOSE POSTERS: "Very orange on the East Coast!" Just check out how that thing "oranges up" that zone. Thanks, Avantaggio, and hell, everyone else who bought a poster.

Shipped out another 12 proud orders yesterday. You could be in the next load. Get with it and get orange!

SOME PITCH FOR YOU: Each order comes with a free poster tube, which we implore you to reuse for years to come. Also, each poster comes with "free extras" meant to compliment/complicate each and every nugget on that poster. You won't be let down.

- - - -

SENDING A DREAM PROJECT OFF TODAY: The new Richmond Fontaine record packaging is done and signed off on, for both domestic use and international editions. Very, very proud of this one. Can't wait to show it to y'all. As soon as I can, I'll get it up on here for viewing.

- - - -

FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, OF ALL PLACES: "Illustrated Newspaper Supplements." How they used to do it, long, long ago. (Sent in by K. Henry of Blackcap Studio. Thanks, man.)

- - - -

REQUIRED VIEWING: Mr. Tschihold by way of Mr. Rand by way of this link. The masters, people.

- - - -

NOWHERE NEAR THE TROPICAL PORT OF TRINIDAD: Trinidad, Colorado, people. And here's what Jeremy Firth had to say about it: "I lived in Trinidad, Colorado for four months, and they have some great old signs." Click that link and check out the better moments of Trinidad.

Don't even know where to start on this one. Wow. (Thanks, Firth!)

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Patterson Hood - Murdering Oscar (and other love songs)
02. Tortoise - Beacons of Ancestorship
03. Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound

Happy Birthday to my mom. All the way back in Michigan. Wish I was there with you! I'll be back this summer, so prep that couch. please. Happy Birthday, Mom.

- - - -

SOME REALLY NICE TYPE IN HERE: The Bureau of Communication's impressive offering of "Fill-in-the-blank stationery for everyday correspondence." Fun stuff. Been done a million times, but, often wayyyyy off the mark. These look pretty good. (Sent in by D. Schille, Chicagoland.)

- - - -

THIS ONE'S FOR DALE: More beef and less bun. And by the way, Dale: We hate you.

- - - -

TAKE A BREAK FROM WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING: ...and check out the photography of John Wildgoose. Hell, the last name was enough for me. Beautiful stuff. And man, that guy gets around!

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER TODAY:

01. Magnolia Electric Co. - "Josephine"
02. Magnolia Electric Co. - Fading Trails
03. Magnolia Electric Co. - What Comes After The Blues