ALR designletter [5.1]
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Welcome to a new issue of the ALR designletter, the first one for 2005. As always we welcome your comments, suggestions, criticism and/or praise. Thanks for reading.
Noah Scalin, president
ALR design
socially conscious graphic design
http://www.ALRdesign.com
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[01] ALR NEWS
ALR is pleased to announce that January 2005 marks the beginning of our 5th year in business! This is also the 5th consecutive year of publishing the ALR Designletter.
[02] ACTIVISM
The EPA is on the lookout for families willing to intentionally expose their children to toxic chemicals. The Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) would be conducted at 9 medical facilities in Duval County, FL—centers that the EPA acknowledges draw primarily low-income clients who might be more easily enticed by the $970 and free video camera they will receive as compensation for participating in the two-year study. CHEERS has raised eyebrows from inside the EPA and out. So much so that it’s currently on hold while it undergoes an external review. Critics point out that the funding behind the study comes from the American Chemistry Council whose members include Monsanto, BP, and Chevron to name a few. To learn more and about the study and the campaign to keep it from happening visit http://www.organicconsumers.org/epa-alert.htm
[03] CALENDAR
Amidst the violence and uncertainty in the Middle East something positive is happening in the birthplace of the alphabet. The Typo.Graphic.Beirut 2005 conference at the Lebanese American University in Beirut offers a place for designers to come together to discuss forward-looking issues ranging from visual communication in a global age to socially conscious design. The 3-day event, which starts on April 14th, is free to participants (once you get there, that is). For more information, visit http://typographicbeirut.lau.edu.lb/
[04] DESIGN
Designers on a tight deadline have one less thing to stress about. The Celery Design Collaborative out of Berkeley, CA has made it easier to shop around and compare environmentally conscious materials with their AIGA supported online guide to recycled and non-traditional fiber paper products. Check it out at http://www.celerydesign.com/paper/matrix.html
[05] WAR AND PEACE
Ever wish you could sue the government? The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has been doing it since 1966. Just recently, they’ve have filed suits against Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld for crimes at Abu Ghraib, posted habeas corpus petitions on behalf of detainees being illegally held in Guantanamo Bay, and are representing eight U.S. soldiers in a separate suit against Rumsfeld for involuntarily extending their contracts and keeping them in combat zones longer. Learn more about what CCR is up to at http://www.ccr-ny.org/
[06] MEDIA
Intellectual property is a double-edged sword protecting some people’s creative work while acting as an obstacle for others. The finalists in Duke Law School’s Arts Project Moving Image Contest illustrate the challenges copyright laws present artists on both sides of the issue. Check it out and vote for your favorite at http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/contest/finalists. The winning entries will be announced January 15th. (source: BoingBoing.net)
[07] SHOPPING
Armchair sociologist will tell you that in the States low hanging jeans are really a manifestation of penitentiary chic, mimicking the belt-less oversized pants that are standard issue. However fashion conscious Germans show the impact of prisons in a different way. “Haeftling” the German word for “prisoner” is also the name of a boutique in Berlin that sells clothes made by real haeftlingers incarcerated in Berlin’s Tegel prison. Haeftling (http://www.haeftling.de/) not only sells its own line of shirts, jeans and jackets, but goods from other prisons—including cherry jam, slippers, and red-wine—are available too. (source: Christian Science Monitor May 25, 2004)
[08] FOOD
Fresh organic produce might be closer than you thought. Local Harvest.org (http://www.localharvest.org/) can tell you not only where the farmers’ market is, but where family farms, local produce outlets, community supported agriculture groups, and free-range meat can be found nearest you.
[09] CRAFTS
Even the most domestic tasks can be done conscientiously. MicroRevolt, a group committed to raising awareness about sweat shop labor, has created KnitPro to help get the word out. KnitPro is a web application that let’s users translate images—the Nike swoosh, say—into knit, crochet, needlepoint or cross-stitch patterns undercutting the corporation’s proprietary hold on the image. Try it out yourself and see what else the MicroRevolt folks are up to at http://www.microrevolt.org/ (thanks to listmember Mica for passing this along!)
[10] MEDIA
Documentaries with a political message have increasingly become a part of the mainstream movie going experience. Many, however, sacrifice rigorous research and nuanced storytelling for entertainment value. It is a shame then, that “The Corporation” did not make it to most local multiplexes. This ambitious film takes a multifaceted approach to looking at the modern corporation and its effects on society. From the history of corporate personhood to current ethical and environmental concerns the film is packed with powerful facts and compelling interviews. Taken as a whole the films presents an essential primer for people interested in the power that corporations wield. Ask for it at your local independent video store or visit http://thecorporation.com/ for more info.
[11] LEXICON
Newsgaming (Verb) – A term popularized by the Uraguay based video game design group of the same name to describe interactive and online “games” whose focus is news events. Their most recent creation is “September 12th” where players try to hit terrorists with missiles. You rarely score a hit without hitting a civilian or building, and more terrorists grow out of every casualty making the game impossible to win. Try out this and other newsgames at http://www.newsgaming.com (source: Amnesty International Winter 2004)
[12] NOSH
Fans of body modification beware. New Jersey residents who undergo liposuction locally will now lose more than those extra pounds: they’ll be paying a 6 percent cosmetic surgery tax. States desperate for new revenue sources are looking high and low for places to levy new sales and services to tax. The Arkansas legislature even passed a tattoo and body piercing tax. (Source: stateline.org 12/27/04)
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The ALR Designletter is a semi-regular update on the activities at Another Limited Rebellion design, the world of socially conscious design, and beyond. You are on this list because you have worked with, contacted, or have a personal connection to ALR design. The names on this mailing list will never be sold or given away. If you no longer wish to be on this list, just respond with "REMOVE" in the subject section and there will be no hard feelings. Back issues can be found on our web site in the ISSUES section.
Sources are listed when information was found in a specific location. However, articles are not quoted verbatim in this newsletter.
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