… but a forgotten blog loses its relevance quickly. I could easily blame Twitter, or my lack of broadband (no more) for a lapse in posts. Blogging takes time and thought, and I had a chance to do some thinking today in Dublin with Reza Abedini and Paul Hughes during their Design for Cultural Diversity workshop at NCAD today.

Paul began by giving an overview of some research that was done in the Netherlands on how cultural diversity was represented in Dutch design. I’m sure similar hackneyed patterns exist throughout the world. Rainbow children holding hands in a circle anyone? The challenge is to move from the straightforward to a more refined, well-considered, researched and executed vision of diversity.

What is a common denominator beyond our nationality that connects us?

Reza followed Paul with an exploration of Persian culture and how that has influenced his work. I was initially struck that his schooling included Persian painting, calligraphy and even archaeology. How enlightened is that? His cultural explorations fell into several themes like Magic & Mysticism. Persian calligraphy, like zen calligraphy, is performed in a meditative state, where largely process is more important than outcome. War cloaks, covered in written prayers and magic, were believed to protect warriors in battle. While exploring Framing, Composition and Distance, Abedini remarked that “composition” is a modern term. Works from 500 years ago were done by artists “thinking about meaning before composition.”

I was left (again) with the sense that Irish graphic design has not fully explored or leveraged the visual history and cues of Ireland. I’m not suggesting one must reference the rich, cultural heritage of Ireland in all their work. To be sure, Abedini’s work is universal because it simply is great design in any culture. I didn’t need to read farsi to appreciate it. However, the layers of authentic reference add a complexity and depth beyond good composition, typography and colour. The local becomes universal simultaneously.

Cup season is in full swing and Sligo won the quarter-final match on a last-minute try. We’ll see if Gabe and the rest of the squad can repeat their cup run of last year. Corinthians are a tough side, so this victory was a great test. Final score, a narrow 7-0 thriller.

Even though the Steeler Nation is fairly large, I suspect I may be the only person in Ireland flying a Steelers flag on my car. It sure makes it easy to spot amongst the other Toyota Corollas in parking lots.

They only show four games a week on Sky Sports here, but I’ve been lucky as almost all the Steelers games have been shown, and of course, all the playoff games. I did have to splurge for NFL Game Pass last week to watch the Divisional Playoff, and I can’t say enough about the HD quality of the internet broadcast.

I haven’t lost any interest in American Football, though I have picked up a healthy interest in GAA and certainly rugby. I’m convinced a squad of rugby lads would run all over an American football squad, because I’d assume an American football player wouldn’t have the cardiovascular fitness to keep up the entire match. And as a fan, there really is something to be said for an entire game of fairly sustained non-stop action, minus one half-time break.

That being said, it’s gonna be a hell of a game tomorrow night. Go Steelers!

This must be the first year we haven’t had a Christmas tree in the house. Artificial trees are strictly off-limits, and since we are off to the States on the 22nd, it didn’t make sense to get a real tree and decorate it.

Christmas is inextricably linked with the family, considering our namesake, Knecht Ruprecht, is associated with Santa Claus. My Dad was always proud to exclaim that we were related to Santa himself, but it turns out Ruprecht was the evil partner that beat the bad kids with a switch.

We used to live in Bethlehem, PA, which is also known as Christmas City, but it’s neighboring Easton, PA that lays claim to the “First Christmas Tree in America”, where German settlers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816. We’ll be visiting both places on our travels, and my Dad will not disappoint with a well-decorated tree, topped with a cotton-stuffed Claus I made in kindergarten, perhaps unconsciously saluting our heritage.

If we don’t see each other before then, have a Merry Christmas.

I’d love to blame Twitter for cutting down the rate of actual blog posts, which is partially true, but certainly doesn’t account for a six week gap. I have noticed a decline in posts from almost all the personal blogs I read. I assume most people are using an RSS feed anyway and get updates as they arrive. Is the age of regular posting pretty much dead? Probably.

I’ve been sick in bed for almost a week now, and contrary to those who suggested this was a “man-cold”, it has developed into the worst flu I’ve had in years. Writing this post is painful. So, with that in mind, we all need a bit of comedy diversion in these tough times, right?

On a lovely trip to Leuven, Belgium, I came across this sticker on the front door of my hotel. Does it deserve a place alongside the 2012 Olympics Logo or other absurdly suggestive graphic designs? I assume this sign is supposed to mean that guide dogs are welcome. It could be argued that there is nothing suggestive at all about any of these logos until someone points out they might suggest more than they were intended. But at the end of the day, isn’t that a failure of the design? No unintended meaning should be applied.