Milton Glaser, “Posters”

Let’s face it. There’s no disputing the sexiness of graphic designers. Whether it’s the sensual musculature of their mouse-clicking fingers or their sommelier-like knowledge of fonts, people are drawn to their raw animal magnetism.

Milton Glaser stands high above them all as the quintessential graphics guru. Most famous for his iconic I Heart NY logo and psychedelic Bob Dylan posters, Glaser turned advertisements into high art, referencing renaissance masters such as Piero della Francesca in his work. 

His book, which is simply titled “Posters,” will give any reader a fascinating course on poster design and visual arts. Or, you can just leave it on your coffee table and pretend you know what he’s talking about.

Orchid Show at the NYBG

Do you really need me to tell you why you should go? It’s the orchid show! It’s the New York Botanical Gardens! Stop reading and go! Actually, finish reading, then go.

This year’s show, “The Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope” features an installation by Jeff Leatham. Mirrors are strategically hung to reflect a variety of orchid arrangements, leaving an illusion of infinite beauty. One orchid becomes two, one thousand orchids become a whole lot more. Halfway through the show, you will find yourself in a “kaleidoscopic tunnel of lights” as rainbows stream around you like ocean waves.

The entire show is spectacular, and it’s great for both adults and kids. Just don’t let your toddler eat the orchids. My daughter hated them.

Limoncino

As a breathing human being on planet earth, you probably love limoncello. But have you ever tried limoncino? It’s extremely similar to limoncello. Like, nearly the same. But whereas limoncello comes from the Amalfi region, limoncino is the northern version – think the Cinque Terre region. In some people’s opinion, this means a thicker, stronger, more lemonesque result. Is it the lemons? A slightly different climate? Too much pasta on the brain? Maybe all of the above.

Some will tell you it’s the same drink with a different name. They are wrong. Splash your limoncino in their undeservedly arrogant faces, then order a second one.

The FBI Guide to Internet Slang

In 2014, the FBI released an 83-page report on the usage of internet slang. This covers everything from LOL to the more cryptic NTTAWWT (Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That). The design geniuses at Pentagram decided to make a wonderful little booklet out of this report with cryptic puzzles and solutions included on the back of each page.

Two fonts are utilized for this project which, according to Pentagram, “are fittingly named Edgar Sans and Clyde Slab in honor of longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and his deputy and alleged lover Clyde Tolson.” Is it peculiar and random? Absolutely.

“Duende”

The word of the day is duende. Originating largely from the flamenco culture of southern Spain, it is a word that describes a pronounced and powerful appreciation of life, and along with it, a heightened awareness of death. 

In 1929, Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca spoke of duende as “a momentary burst of inspiration, the blush of all that is truly alive, all that the performer is creating at a certain moment.”

Today, the term can be used more loosely. When you’re in the zone, and the world seems to be conspiring in your favor, this is duende. Bring duende to this weekend. Enjoy.