Musings, Droppings, Streams and Flashes

When a young intern at a fashion magazine giddily shared her excitement about scoring an interview with Marco Bizzarri, the CEO of Gucci, she posted a picture of herself with him.

I’m not much of a fashionista, but I couldn’t help but be struck by how well Bizzarri was dressed, looking classic yet hip, sharp and perfectly tailored in the European style. Wow, I wish I could look that good. Oh, wait, I can. All I need to do is spend $5000 or so for a Gucci suit, and few hundred more to have it perfectly tailored, and voila I’m stylin’.

I don’t think I’d ever spend that much money for a suit, but I’m sure Bizzarri does. Some would say Gucci sells clothes and accessories, but in reality they sell style. Bizzarri doesn’t dare go anywhere without looking perfectly put together, well accessorized, and immaculately groomed. It’s his business and his brand.

Remember that the next time you don’t have a business card to give someone.

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“We have invented nothing.” —Attributed to Pablo Picasso, after viewing the famous 30,000 year old Lascaux cave paintings. 

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“I can’t tell you how much money I’ve made as a tech consultant helping people recover files saved in formats that no longer exist. That will never happen with my paper notebooks. Those will be able to be read for the next ten thousand years…It can live for eons. That beats any backup any digital file can promise me.” —Patrick Rhone, who writes the blog The Cramped: Celebrating The Unique Pleasures of Analog Writing. (The irony of celebrating handwritten ink on paper online in a blog isn’t lost on me.)

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No matter how hard you push the envelope, it will still be stationery. 

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“I taught high school English and music. Students wanted printed materials and the only place they got it was in choir, band and orchestra. However, when I taught literature I insisted my students read from a paper bound edition. Most like it, because they didn’t need wi-fi to finish their assignments.” —Angel Szalonek, responding to an editorial I published documenting the superiority of print for learning.

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Why is it that the only time anyone uses “you know” in conversation is when you don’t know, and they don’t either? 

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Digital print or conventional print? Do you have a preference? More importantly, do your clients? Do they even care how you affix ink to paper?

I’m reminded of the musical term “acoustic piano” which was invented in the 1970’s. (The term was invented, not the piano.) Some critics in rock and jazz circles felt that a new name was needed, one more specific than just “piano” since confusion might result as the electric version of the piano came into more common use.

When the electric piano was introduced it sounded harsh and electronic. In its infancy, digital imaging likewise looked harsh and artificial. In the ensuing half century, the digital versions of both piano and print have essentially achieved the quality of the medium they sought to emulate.

If it has 88 keys, it’s a piano. If it is ink on paper, it is printing. The rest is just labelling.