#JAILTOTHECHIEF- Shit Just Got Real

[Innula Zenovka]

Something went pretty badly wrong with the format of the field for the amount the addressee is to receive, certainly, but otherwise what's wrong with the layout, rather than the content?

Here's a copy of a letter from his predecessor for comparison, which to my inexpert eye looks quite similar.

 

[Kara Spengler]

If?

 

[Kara Spengler]

The super duper? Did he really do that? Does he call trucks yugely long cars?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The super duper? Did he really do that?

 

[Kara Spengler]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but - did Devin Nunes really say what I think he just said?

Do I even want to know what ballot harvesting is?

 

[Kara Spengler]

We got a letter signed by the president! We feel much better now. We're thinking of getting a frame from the dollar store.

As opposed to my immediately tearing it up. People are dying. Congress is debating how much and how to help. His reaction is to squander money to send a letter to everyone claiming credit.

 

[Kara Spengler]

Something went pretty badly wrong with the format of the field for the amount the addressee is to receive, certainly, but otherwise what's wrong with the layout, rather than the content?

Here's a copy of a letter from his predecessor for comparison, which to my inexpert eye looks quite similar.

Sorry, not similar at all.

The example you gave is flowery language welcoming people (and I assume a letter like that is sent no matter who is in office). The one before it is taking credit for something. With an election coming up in a few months he is trying for an 'I helped' while also avoiding responsibility for where he did not help.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Sorry, not similar at all.

The example you gave is flowery language welcoming people (and I assume a letter like that is sent no matter who is in office). The one before it is taking credit for something. With an election coming up in a few months he is trying for an 'I helped' while also avoiding responsibility for where he did not help.

I wasn't referring to the content -- I referred specifically to the layout, since I had in mind this point, which had just been raised

This letter is a typographic nightmare, probably just written in MS Word by some cheap intern without a clue. Oh boy, is that letter ugly, it's like Trump's appearance transferred on paper!

 

[Kara Spengler]

I wasn't referring to the content -- I referred specifically to the layout, since I had in mind this point, which had just been raised

Oh, the layout, all such letters probably go through the same office at one point prior to being printed (just like there is a single office for things like executive orders, the office of the secretary if I am remembering the name right) so they would appear visually the same. What counts is what content they are given.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Oh, the layout, all such letters probably go through the same office at one point prior to being printed (just like there is a single office for things like executive orders, the office of the secretary if I am remembering the name right) so they would appear visually the same. What counts is what content they are given.

So would you disagree with Bartholomew's assessment that "This letter is a typographic nightmare"?

My point was that, other than the clear foul-up with the merge field for the amount, it doesn't look typographically very different from Obama's form letter, though obviously the content is very different.

 

[Kara Spengler]

So would you disagree with Bartholomew's assessment that "This letter is a typographic nightmare"?

My point was that, other than the clear foul-up with the merge field for the amount, it doesn't look typographically very different from Obama's form letter, though obviously the content is very different.

Sorry, I misread it and thought he was referring to the thoughts in the letter.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

I have recreated the letter, here is what it could look like if formatted with more love and care in the same font, namely Times New Roman:

As you can already see above same font, but the letter alreay has tons more of character.

And here is what it could look like using a different font, namely Bookman Old Style, giving it a more interesting look:

Both are for sure not yet perfect (and please excuse the typos), but aside that still much better looking than what Trump's intern has produced. The differences are manyfold, but I guess visible enough.

Further reading: Butterick’s Practical Typography

Chapter about Times New Roman: Times New Roman alternatives | Butterick’s Practical Typography

As a work of design, it’s hard to complain about Times New Roman. It was created for a newspaper, so it’s a bit narrower than most text fonts—especially the bold style. (Newspapers prefer narrow fonts because they fit more text per line.) The italic is mediocre. But those aren’t fatal flaws. Times New Roman is a workhorse font that’s been successful for a reason.

Yet it’s an open question whether its longevity is attributable to its quality or merely to its ubiquity. Helvetica still inspires enough affection to have been the subject of a 2007 documentary feature. Times New Roman, meanwhile, has not attracted similar acts of homage.

Why not? Fame has a dark side. When Times New Roman appears in a book, document, or advertisement, it connotes apathy. It says, “I submitted to the font of least resistance.” Times New Roman is not a font choice so much as the absence of a font choice, like the blackness of deep space is not a color. To look at Times New Roman is to gaze into the void.

If you have a choice about using Times New Roman, please stop. Use something else.

 

[Clara D.]

I GIB U MONEH VOET 4 MEH would be more succinct.

 

[Romana]

 

[Sredni Eel]

I wasn't quite sure where to put this, but - did Devin Nunes really say what I think he just said?

This guy literally tried to sue a fictional cow. He's not a smart man.

 

[Sredni Eel]

We got a letter signed by the president! We feel much better now. We're thinking of getting a frame from the dollar store.

Can't we, as a nation, all make Trump voodoo dolls, and burn these letters as we stick pins into the dolls?

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

Can't we, as a nation, all make Trump voodoo dolls, and burn these letters as we stick pins into the dolls?

I think we have to get our money before we get a letter.....

 

[Sredni Eel]

We have curbside pick up now. So yay!

Alameda, Contra Costa signal they will enter Stage 2, leaving only Santa Clara under stricter order

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I've been thinking about Trump and #Obamagate, and I think he may be onto something with this -- setting a precedent that Congress may establish a committee with power of subpoena and the abilty to compel testimony under oath from previous presidents and their staff, advisors, and family members, sounds a good idea to me.

 

[Govi]

We have curbside pick up now. So yay!

Alameda, Contra Costa signal they will enter Stage 2, leaving only Santa Clara under stricter order

Though it's not a San Francisco Bay Area county, living right below Santa Clara county makes Santa Cruz county pay attention to the 6 San Francisco Bay Area counties. According to KAZU (the Monterey Bay NPR station), Santa Cruz county is still at Stage 1. When I heard that announcement, I was sad: "What did we do wrong? Why are we being picked on?" I haz Stage envy!