A logotype that is hard to forget • DC’s most underrated exhibition design • Grocery stores and generosity • How to eat in Chicago • Brian Wilson and Harry Nilsson • Air shows are the worst

One of the great logos of the past 100 years and a bumper that disappeared. Swiftly identified, infinitely adaptable. The MTV logo is one of the greats and their interstitial bumpers of the 90s were something that teenage me loved watching. MTV producers worked with avant-garde animators and created some truly weird, visceral works. Many of them are saved very long-term in my memory. 

Beyond tone and mood, the bumpers communicate no practical information. They’re not selling anything per se and they provide no context. It’s 100% tonal advertising. Snarky, boundary-pushing, anti-corporate, not for grownups — a classically gen X attitude.

When you see a Google doodle, I think the origins may be with something like MTVs bumpers of the 80s and 90s. 

I have a memory of an MTV bumper or an advertisement and I can not find the source. It’s an animated collage, ran on TV in the 90s, used the Connie Francis song “V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n,” and appears to have no existence on the internet. Please. Help me find it. The Internet archive has posted 230 MTV bumpers online. As far as I can tell, the Connie Francis bumper is not among them.

Biomechanics and one of DC’s most under-appreciated science exhibitions. Enter the Natural History Museum in Washington, navigate to the second floor, and look for Bones Hall. Initially installed in the 60s, the project was made by the in-house designers and very much endures to this day.

The exhibit explores biomechanics — how bodies move, through water, air, and over land. Large color fields offset the white skeletons. It’s completely analog and the tiny, perfectly preserved skeletons, invite close inspection.

I really love the 3-dimensional arrows and diagrammatic gestures that demonstrate motion. While it’s not nearly as good as seeing it in person, you can poke around using the museum’s virtual explorer tool. 

Too hot for too long. Yes, that’s about right. 

Do we really need air shows? Sure, they seem to be fun for some people. And yes, they drive local revenue. But, what’s the real cost? They’re loud. They’re distracting. And they’re needlessly burning jet fuel and releasing it directly into the atmosphere. Weeks earlier, our city was engulfed in plumes of smoke from wildfires to the north. Maybe this is a moment for austerity measures? Indeed, this move would have an infinitesimal impact on the overall condition of climate change. But maybe it’s a small sacrifice that will lead to others? 

Instead of an air show, how about a bike race along Lake Shore drive?

Or, what if we had a long-distance paper airplane competition?

Or, wing suit jumpers glide off Willis Tower, navigate the skyscrapers and land along the lakefront? Red Bull sponsorship opportunity.

Or maybe we all quietly stare off into the horizon line over Lake Michigan? 

When a quarter makes a difference. I’m convinced that the simple act of requiring a single American quarter (¢25) is a critical factor in the success of Aldi, a national grocery chain. The stores are safe, clean, and affordable (if also, completely uninspiring). When you enter, you are required to insert a coin to unlock the shopping carts. Requiring a coin is a symbolic act. But it represents value. It stands for accountability. The cost itself is negligible, but it changes the behavior (and expectations) of those who enter. 

When you leave, you get your quarter back. 

As a bonus, I often find customers gifting coins to other customers. When you establish symbolic value, you’re setting the conditions for trust and, maybe incidentally, generosity. 

It was probably an accident, but I like the idea that one could intentionally design an environment that invites people to be generous to one another.

The food scene in Chicago is a code to crack. I confess, I did not really understand the food scene when I first moved here. I thought the act of driving 30 minutes on a concrete highway to the outskirts of the city for Indian food was baffling. For those of you with similar confusion, I have a resource for you.

For years, I have been collectively, with a group of friends, been writing about the Chicago’s underrated and overlooked food culture. 

For example, Amitabul — a vegan Korean restaurant. They specialize in fermentation and the restaurant was nearly empty when I last visited. It’s not in a desirable part of town, but their low-key real estate likely helps them stay in business with niche, specialty cuisine. 

If you drive along Lawrence Avenue, on the city’s north side, the street is one straight line of weird restaurants and occasionally dilapidated storefronts. It’s not a particularly nice street to walk down. Yet, you can find some of the city’s best ethnic food along this corridor.

So, have a look. And if you’re motivated, you’re welcome to become a contributing editor. 

Parents: now is the time to expose your kids to different cuisine. 

Brian Wilson loved this song. I’m paraphrasing his thoughts, but this is in reference to This Could be the Night, recorded by the Modern Folk Quartet. I have listened to this recording many many times and included it on many, many mixes. The opening notes wait for no introduction. While few are likely to remember the band, the credits are a murderer’s row of 60s music icons — Harry Nilsson, songwriter; Phil Spector, production; Jack Nitszche, arranger. 

Now, get this. Apparently Spector did not want to release the song as a single. So, he released it as the title soundtrack for the Big TNT Show, a live revue concert film. The credit sequence is a must watch.

Evidently Frank Zappa is in the audience at 6min30? 

There’s a legendary acetate out there with Harry Nilsson doing an early studio version of the song. Nilsson later recorded a piano demo as a pitch for the Monkees. And Brian Wilson recorded a very milquetoast version in the 90s. The original, however, remains a banger. 

It’s possible to draw a dotted line from this song directly to Pet Sounds, which Wilson and the Beach Boys would record soon after. 

Michael Neault • written on a Sunday morning • reply to the newsletter if something resonated with you or if you have any clues