Hand painted signs
The craftsman at work. Via Font Feed
The Problem With TV According to “Network”
Max: “It’s too late, Diana. There’s nothing left in you that I can live with. You’re one of Howard’s humanoids. If I stay with you, I’ll be destroyed. Like Howard Beale was destroyed. Like Laureen Hobbs was destroyed. Like everything you and the institution of television touches is destroyed. You’re television incarnate, Diana – Indifferent to suffering; insensitive to joy. All of life is reduced to the common rubble of banality. War, murder, death are all the same to you as bottles of beer. And the daily business of life is a corrupt comedy. You even shatter the sensations of time and space into split seconds and instant replays. You’re madness, Diana. Virulent madness. And everything you touch dies with you. But not me. Not as long as I can feel pleasure, and pain… and love.”
[Kisses her]
“And it’s a happy ending: Wayward husband comes to his senses, returns to his wife, with whom he has established a long and sustaining love. Heartless young woman left alone in her arctic desolation. Music up with a swell; final commercial. And here are a few scenes from next week’s show.”
[Picks up his suitcases and leaves]
Network (1976)
Jon Yongfook on Design vs Value in Startups
“Focus on value creation. Design enhances value, it does not create it. Stop creating shitty startups that look amazing. […] Stop this cycle of creating beautiful novelties, getting your 15 minutes, then disappearing. Create value.”
What Louis C.K. Has Learned About Money
…money can be a lot of things. It can be something that is hoarded, fought over, protected, stolen and withheld. Or it can be like an energy, fueled by the desire, will, creative interest, need to laugh, of large groups of people.”
Louis C.K. publishes the results of self publishing his comedy special
“The show went on sale at noon on Saturday, December 10th. 12 hours later, we had over 50,000 purchases and had earned $250,000, breaking even on the cost of production and website. As of Today, we’ve sold over 110,000 copies for a total of over $500,000. Minus some money for PayPal charges etc, I have a profit around $200,000 (after taxes $75.58). This is less than I would have been paid by a large company to simply perform the show and let them sell it to you, but they would have charged you about $20 for the video.”
In the future we won’t easily remember how big of a shift this was.
Louis C.K. on what he’s learning
I’m learning […] a HUGE amount with this web experiment. This live at the beacon thing (available at louisck.com for 5 bucks) is like that thing in the movie “Twisiter” where they send a bunch of little data collecting balls up into a tornado and just download the lovely results. The whole thing has been like that. From the moment it went online and I saw the result of every decision I made. the last question the web guys asked me before we posted was if I wanted the mail list button defaulted to “opt in” or “opt out” and i said start it at opt out. It’s such a tiny thing but I keep hearing about it from people. So so interesting to watch this grow.’
Louis C.K. on self publishing and torrenting
I wrote previously about how Louis C.K. self-published his latest comedy special. One of the challenges and interesting pieces of his offer is that it would be so easy to torrent. Louis answered questions on Reddit and here’s a good question and answer about how Louis feels about the torrenting thing. (more…)
Design is more like farming than art
Louis C.K. changes the comedy industry
As I write this I’m watching Louis C.K.’s latest comedy special. He’s self published it, which is ground breaking. It’s good so far – he’s just starting to sweat a little through his black shirt.
The short version: Louis self publishing his latest special is important and encouraging for all of us. You should definitely go get it for $5 if you like life
I love Louis because he’s a truth teller. He calls out life’s little bullshit moments. He’s insightful. I love that.
I also love him because he’s a creator. He works hard. He makes. His show on FX is his show alone – he’s given a set budget and he can do whatever he wants with it and that’s what he does and all he wants: to make this stuff he wants to make. (more…)
The danger of not making use of your make-manship
If there’s things you need to make and you don’t make them, maybe the kinetic energy and broken promises and regret and missed-out-manship and weight of the unused potential will consume you… and you’ll make more non-makers. Or is that too Sesame Street™?