Stop.  Just stop.

Stop with the finger pointing, name calling and character bashing.  The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico happened.  It’s a tragic, catastrophic, gut wrenching reality.  All the accusations in the world aren’t going to change that reality.  So stop with the should haves and what ifs, and take a good hard look in the mirror.

I’m a big fan of the glass house and throwing rocks idiom.  If I am honest with myself – if we are all honest with ourselves – then I have to admit my personal use of petroleum products is a direct cause of the thousands of gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf every day.  Because each and every day I wash my hair with shampoo, brush my teeth, put in soft contacts, pull on clothes made from nylon, drive my car to work, use lip balm, answer the phone, listen to a CD, take something out of the refrigerator.  My actions contribute to market demand which drives production and motivates companies to drill which leads to oil spills.

Businesses are equally guilty.  We order ballpoint pens by the gross, purchase supplies from across the country instead of across the street, and provide our clients with bottled water.  We deliver items by courier instead of email or snail mail.  The floors in our offices are carpeted.  Copy machines gobble toner.  Recycle bins are lined with plastic bags.

Am I saying it’s my fault and your fault and BP is not to blame?  Hell, no.  Stop with the fault and blame.  I’m going to focus on what I can do to make a difference from this day forward.  I hope my company will, too.  It’s all I – all we – can do.

Sue Gillespie

Twitter Places was announced yesterday. This feature allows users to tag their location in Tweets as well as click on locations and see an aggregate of Tweets from people at that location. Foursquare and Gowalla, mobile apps that let users “check in” at locations, have been integrated with Twitter.

With the Twitter integration I expect there will be an increase in usage of these types applications.This is important information for retail locations as some ”check-in” apps have programs for businesses to create special offers such as a free appetizer or percentage discount to those who “check-in” at their establishment. Often times these offers are free to create and are a great way to develop a customer loyalty program.

Is anyone currently using these special offers? How are they working for you?

-Lacy Bronson

The Seattle graphic design community is all abuzz about Bumbershoot’s recent decision to hold a design competition to create a new logo for the popular event. In the past, Bumbershoot organizers have commissioned designers to create a unique look and feel for the festival each year.

The AIGA’s position against such competitions and spec work is pretty clear. The group states that these practices present risks to both the client and designer. It can lead to lower quality work because the designer is not able to partner with the client to discover key goals and develop strategy for the project. Designers could face the risk of not being compensated fairly for their work. And finally, potential legal risks surround the rights to the intellectual property for both parties.

An article in the Seattle Weekly last week touches on the debate.

The Seattle chapter of AIGA announced late last week that the organizers of Bumbershoot have withdrawn the competition after open discussions with the design community.

-Susan Lamb