In case it hasn’t been obvious for some time, I’ve all but shuttered this blog. I just don’t have the time to post enough to make this project real to me, if that makes sense. I would be interested in some kind of group-blogging situation in the future, so feel free to email me about […]
Quixote To Be Kicked Around No More
July 10th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Tags: autobio
Begging: Not actually a mean thing that poor people do to rich people to annoy them
April 17th, 2008 · 5 Comments
Sadly, today my hopes that public transit would be a panacea for anti-social behavior were, once again, dashed. PT: not a sufficient condition for people to develop enough affinity for their fellow man to avoid being mean to beggers.
Today, as I left the metro a woman was asking for money for food. […]
Tags: autobio · culture · politics · punks · urban planning
The Ayn Rand School for Tots
April 17th, 2008 · 2 Comments
Do you think if I named my charter school this, there’s enough diehard Simpsons fans out there to populate it with hilarious children? Second question, could we still get the money if we fake-added the Fountainhead to our curriculuum?
Update: Someone is already doing this in The City. Clever Hippies.
Tags: culture
1000 Coders at 1000 Typewriters
April 11th, 2008 · 2 Comments
While doing ‘research’ into computer gaming lore, I stumbled onto this map of Quake’s children:
Mostly, I don’t understand how there could possibly be so much variation in the first-person shooter genre. I mean, you’re basically (only?) holding a gun and shooting things; how different can electroquake be from ezquake?
All this to say, why not a […]
Tags: culture
Add Another to the Black List
April 11th, 2008 · 2 Comments
See Ezra try to take food out of my (hypothetical) child’s mouth by downplaying the very real danger of the earthquake menace with his “Robots! Robots!” flimflam. In reality these things are not competitive, as the worst robots are brought by quake.
But really: setting most of the snark aside, unless you live or work in […]
Tags: engineering · punks
Don’t Hate the Player
March 23rd, 2008 · 1 Comment
More evidence of the delusional nature of Clinton supporters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAqVkYWq1wc
…and the youtube primary continues to go to Obama in a landslide.
Tags: politics
A Question:
March 23rd, 2008 · 2 Comments
If I were to spend $500 and the next two weeks of my life on this:
Would that be just awesome?
Or,
Would it be the most brilliantly awesome thing in the history of humanity?
I really just can’t decide…
Foreshadowing
March 3rd, 2008 · No Comments
Light posting of late, as I’m working on a different online project that I’m quite excited about. When it’s of at least beta quality you’ll hear me chattering about it endlessly, but until then…your moment of zen phallacy:
La Live by Gensler
It’s not often you see a building get larger as it goes up. […]
Tags: architecture · autobio · los angeles
The Gehry Punishment
February 27th, 2008 · 1 Comment
I should never have poked fun at the new Thom Mayne building and the poor engineers that have to design it; today I was put on a new project team for one of the starchitect’s towers. It has a crumpled facade. The steel is kinked at every level. The diaphragms are discontinuous. Almost every one […]
Tags: autobio
My Guy Calls It
February 26th, 2008 · No Comments
When he runs through the numbers and facts, rather than make proclamations based on his gut, Chris Bowers is the best election analyst on the web. So, when he makes a convincing case, I feel comfortable believing him. Therefore: barring an act of god, the underdog doesn’t just beat the spread, but wins outright.
The great […]
Tags: politics
To Dream in Revit…
February 26th, 2008 · 1 Comment
Reminiscent of a Norman Foster building broken and twisted by a kinetic event and then frozen in place, Phare Tower:
I’ve had my share of vitriol for Thom Mayne in the past over the hostility and anxiety that his buildings exude, so I was excited to see that he had taken my criticism to heart for […]
Tags: architecture
An Unreasonably Attractive Candidate
February 26th, 2008 · No Comments
Apparently all the cool kids are running for President (Despite being an academic, nonhuman, and British respectively — not exactly a group that screams electable, or even “legally electable”), but I’m going to take a different tack and declare for National Zoning Czar. True, it doesn’t have the same aura of “President” — or exist […]
Tags: politics · urban planning
Hesitate to Burn the Buildings
February 26th, 2008 · No Comments
Detroit’s beautiful/desolate architecture makes me want to buy an old Kahn building and turn it into an urban commune. In honor of the coming Detroit resurrection, Sufjan Stevens playing Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWen_lkrM1k
Tags: architecture · resistance
A Congress Less Creative; More Common
February 26th, 2008 · No Comments
So this is disappointing, but I have no doubt Lessig will resurface doing exciting things elsewhere, with his Change Congress movement just the beginning.
Tags: politics
Arachnotexture
February 26th, 2008 · No Comments
The impressive facade stylings of Thom Faulders:
Airspace Tokyo
I like looking at architecture models, but check out the designers’ website above for the as-built version. This skin was developed for a new building, but what’s most exciting is its potential uses on existing structures. In LA, we love us some low-rise stucco box apartments, […]
Tags: architecture · los angeles
Big Brother Dolan
February 24th, 2008 · No Comments
Seth at Posting and Toasting:
…if both sides got Thunder Stix, we bitter Knick fans would surely be compelled to attack our own players with noisy distraction as an indicator of our discontent. Limit it to one side, one half, and the opposing team is the only viable target. The Dolan regime is censoring you in […]
Tags: culture