I’m a font geek. I’ll notice it right away in any given product or design, I can easily weed through typefaces for an hour searching for the perfect look, and I have unreasonably strong emotional responses to certain font choices.

One particular font, Helvetica, has quite a fascinating history. It’s been around since 1957, is used almost everywhere, and even had a recent feature-length independent film released about it. But there’s controversy too … when Microsoft saw that they liked Helvetica but were too cheap to pay royalties, they decided to make their own version and call it Arial.

Here’s a game tests your ability to see the subtle differences between the two fonts (hint: Helvetica looks better). I got nine out of ten right … the one that really threw me off was the all-caps APPLE.

How about you … how well did you do?

I still don’t know which presidential candidate I’m voting for this afternoon in the Ohio primaries. Here’s the deal:

• For various reasons, I am certain that Clinton, McCain, and Huckabee would be terrible choices for our country.
• Romney had some appeal, but it was clear early on that he’s shooting for the rebound in 2012.
• I believe that Paul has a voice that must be heard, especially in the we-like-sheep region of Cincinnati, Ohio … and I had originally intended to cast my primary vote his way as a stand for conservatism and freedom. But …
• I didn’t expect the democratic primaries to be so close in Ohio … so now I’m wondering if my vote would be better used to support Obama, my likely candidate in the general election.

But here’s the bigger picture. When I go to my polling location, I must choose which ballot to fill out. If I use the “Issues Only” ballot, I will not have the opportunity to vote for any federal, state, or local officials. If I grab the Republican or Democratic ballot, I will be limited to only candidates from the party that I choose. So I cannot cast a vote for a Democratic president and Republican congressman … I apparently don’t have that freedom in the state of Ohio.

Moreover, the ballot that I choose to use will determine my party affiliation. So if I vote for Obama tonight, I will (for the next four years) be spammed as a democrat, counted in their statistics, and pigeonholed into opportunities that are designed for them. Likewise if I vote for Paul. At least I’ll still be able to choose whichever candidates I want in the general election.

I’m actually thinking about flipping the script, punching Obama’s chad out tonight and reserving my general election vote for Paul … but I need to do some more research first. What do you think?

Skywalkers in Korea Cross Han Solo
The Washington Post

SEOUL, South Korea — They came from all over the world, poles in hand, and feet ready to inch more than half a mile across a high wire strung over the Han River in a spine-tingling battle of balance, speed and high anxiety …

[original photo]

I expected last week’s mission trip to Monterrey to provide a break from school, a chance to have some fun, and an opportunity to see God do some things in my students’ hearts. I didn’t, however, expect to be changed, especially in such a humbling way.

First, I was reminded of the joy that comes through pain. We worked hard down there … on one day alone we hauled over 3,500 buckets of concrete onto the second story of a new building in 100˚ heat. My injuries ranged from a ripped up hand to a nasty eye injury, and just keeping ahead of twenty four fourteen-year-olds (and a language I hadn’t spoken in years) only sharpened the sensations.

But through it all, I felt alive … gloriously breaking and growing and stretching and bleeding. That kind of joy has been hard to find lately, and I sincerely feel that I need to begin actively seeking out ways to sharpen both my body and my mind through “painful” experiences. The deep sleep, the momentum, the leathered skin … it’s just so good.

I was also reminded about how important it is for me to surround myself (and yoke myself) with those who love to serve, with everything they have. This is something I not only value deeply, but also expect to be doing for the rest of my life. And frankly, I think that it’s bad stewardship for me to be investing a lot in people who don’t have the same mindset or focus … it sucks the life out of me and distracts me from doing what I’ve been created to do!

You might say that my vision was replaced by His, both physically and spiritually. Now comes the challenge of walking it out!

This past week, I had the pleasure of joining four other adults and twenty-four eighth graders on a trip to Monterrey, the third-largest city in Mexico. The majority of our time was spent serving the people, facilities, and children of Back2Back Ministries, an organization that helps several children’s homes (the positive name for an orphanage) throughout the city.

The time was saturated with hard work, intentional growth, and plain-old good times … and God really did a number on my heart too. But instead of telling you stories right now, I’d like to just share my photos. I’ve posted about two hundred online … so if you want to see what we did, check out the set or the slideshow.

What captivation!