sum mor 2to3 chares

2to3 Chairs

Below are three of the "2to3" chairs that the students designed and built for their second project in furniture design. These chairs are named "2to3" because they are designed for 2 to 3 year olds and because the program requires that the students build the chair out of a flat sheet of plywood - hence 2 dimension to three dimension.

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!

Let's Go OBAMA!!!!!!!

I voted today and LOVED filling in that oval! Tomorrow I will cry from sadness if John McCain wins, and cry with joy if Obama does. I am so ready for the idiot republicans to be shown the door.

Religulous

I saw 'Religulous' on Sunday night - was seeing this film on a sunday blasphemous - can a heathen be blasphemous? I thought it was interesting (and perhaps ironic?) that there were only 5 other people in my theater but there was a packed house for "Saw V (or IV or VI - couldn't tell you)", a horror film of some sort. This is not a scientific sampling of interest for these films but something that peeks my curiosity none the less - more people wanted to see blood and guts and sawing people into little pieces than wanted to listen to a skeptics documentary on religious faith. "Religulous" is definitely worth seeing - scary, but in a different way than "Saw V".

And speaking of angels - I went to Los Angeles last Thursday through Sunday. This is a strange place. Urban? This place redefines the term. You cannot go anywhere unless you are in a car - I really felt as though I had been transported into a Chips episode or an episode of Charlie's Angels (Emilie's been into these lately) but the scenery had simply aged thirty years. L.A. is a place that seems impossible to pin down - it really is an accumulation of everything, all sandwiched into one big sprawling mess - you're sort of forced to love it. It begins to fall into the 'so bad it's good' class of phenomenon.

We've finished up our "2to3" chairs for my furniture class. I'll show some pictures of those soon.

New York Times Endorsement

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24fri1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Great article about the New York Times' endorsement of Barack Obama for president. I will be so sad and depressed if "the other one" gets elected.

12 days and counting...

Red and Blue Quartered Chairs

Big Ben in Blue

Quartered Chair Blue

And...Quartered Chair Blue says hello.

Quartered Chair Red

Presenting "Quartered Chair Red". QC Blue coming soon. And for those of you thinking "how long has he been working on this damn chair?" - good question, I think around 9 months, and yes - it took me to the brink of insanity. Next up - "Peel Chair no. 1".

National Debt

Interesting piece on the national debt and the growth during the years the 'neo-conservatives'have been in office. This is the chart if you don't feel like reading the article:


George Bush is the worst thing that could have happened to this country - what a boneheaded republican hack.

75

I shot a 75 today! with two birdies...I threatened a par round all day, was 1 over after nine and had a nice string of pars on the back. I feel like a par round is in my future...

79

I shot a 79 today with three birdies!! I'm pumped.

Tiny Houses

Check these out!

http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/tiny_houses.html

Napolean Dynamite

We were at a party the other night and met two people who are from Preston, Idaho (the home of Napolean Dynamite). After some discussion with them we found at that one of them grew up in the house that was used as Napolean's house (from the exterior - the interior is apparently a bit different).

Obama-Biden

A good Newsweek article about Joe Biden.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/154863/page/1

I've always liked Biden - though he does occasionally talk too much as has been written about in length. Obama is a smart cookie, makes wise decisions - I hope Americans don't blow this one.

One Good Chair (just not mine)

Found out today that the 'Quartered Chair' didn't get selected in the One Good Chair competition. The following is a link to the winning entries - some good stuff.

http://www.onegoodchair.com/competition/winners/

On a positive note I found out that an abstract that I submitted to the 'Material Matters' regional Fall conference was selected for presentation. I need at least two of these a year to be on par. The paper is about the evolution of cultural registers from the material to the immaterial.

Barack Obama

The following is a great op-ed piece written by Barack Obama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html

I hope the American people make a better, more informed, choice in the coming general election and don't fall for the 'McCain is more centrist than Bush' rhetoric.

Quartered Chair

Competition boards for the "Quartered Chair".

Procrastination

Well, it's almost 10pm here and I just installed a new flat-screen monitor for my laptop-turned desktop (LCD issues on the laptop made this a necessity). I can't be too angry at the laptop as it got me through graduate school. I have been battling with some programs on my school laptop because of Vista - I do believe my next computer is going to be a Mac.

Truthfully - I am procrastinating right now...am supposed to be working on a paper to be delivered (not by me) in Nancy, France and on a digital model of the Quartered Chair for a competition I am entering it in. I made the unfortunate mistake of overbooking myself this summer - but I would probably not know what to do if I had tried to take it easy.

I have gotten a little golf in over the past few weeks - I really stink these days - mid 90's with 100 not out of the question seems to be my new scoring average. I used to shoot in the mid to low 80's - I think.

Topher is playing baseball - about to be in two leagues simultaneously - that is what I call fun; I hope / think he feels the same way. Benny is adorable still - will be playing baseball later in the summer I believe.

I better get to work...can't avoid it any longer.

Summer News

I found out a couple of weeks ago that I won the "Outstanding Faculty Award" - I didn't even realize it existed until they called my name for it. What makes me the happiest is that it is voted on by the student body - i'm glad they like me at least a little bit.

I am teaching a summer course and working on summer research with two RAs that i've hired for the summer. I also found out that I was awarded a grant from the Sustainable Idaho Initiative - small but will help with some summer work and travel. I have somehow alotted myself as much or more summer work than what I had during the semester. Someday before I die I hope to have summers off again - it's only human.

This Fall should be fun, eventful, and somewhat intense. I will be teaching the Furniture Design class and a 4th year studio. The studio project will be a carbon-neutral living facility for the McCall Field Campus. If things go well and the project gets funded we will be building it during the summer of 2009. I am also doing a directed study for a project involving an analysis of the FEMA Trailer and its use after Hurricane Katrina - am working on this with one student.

Other than that a little golf and a lot of baseball and soccer with my boys.

Cardboard Furniture Publication

Just found out that some of our cardboard furniture from last semester's furniture class was published in "Treehugger.com" - check it out at http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/recycled-cardboard-chairs-student-designers.php

Other than that not much news - preparing for summer studio and summer research project.

Oh - and I played golf at the university course the other day; very beautiful course. I've been invited to play sunday in a scramble - fun!

Grant

A partner an I at the university found out recently that we got a 10k grant. That will pay for an RA for the summer and help with my summer salary.

Offspring

I'm still working on the "Quartered Chair" - am now on no. 2. No. 1 was a little too big for Benny and I couldn't find 4'X4' 3/8" Baltic Birch plywood anywhere. This new chair is smaller and allows me to build 4 chairs out of 1, 5'X5' sheet!! That saves money and makes more sense in terms of the minimization of waste. The wood for each chair costs $11 and the bolts are in the $10 range; so $21/Chair - not bad. I am trying to have this ready for the Idaho Chair Affair in mid-April, we'll see - I have so much else to do that I don't get many opportunities to work on it.

In other news, i've been playing pick-up basketball games at the gym every night and on wednesdays I play intramural basketball and ultimate frisbee with the architecture student group. I played ultimate frisbee for the first time last wednesday and had all kinds of fun. I have never been able to get into running or biking as a means of workout - I have to play a sport of some sort to stay in shape.

Quartered Chair

These are pictures of a scale model of the "Quartered Chair". It is a 'low back' kid's chair for Benny and Topher. The chair itself is constructed in a game like fashion with the following rules:
1. Must be able to be cut out of a flat sheet on the CNC machine
2. Must minimize waste on that flat sheet
3. Must minimize bolts used (no glue allowed)
4. Must be able to assemble in 15-20 minutes
The bottom picture shows how the design was dependent upon fitting all of the pieces into a flat sheet of baltic birch plywood. The cost per chair when it's all said and done is relatively low ($25 or so per chair). I am thinking of giving the 'chair game' mentioned above to my furniture students next fall for their first assignment.

Today I am developing an exam for my 'Architectural Programming' class - fun stuff. Maybe a movie tonight - I saw "There Will be Blood" a couple of weeks ago and loved it. Emilie and I are going through a Daniel Day Lewis NetFlix phase; we do that sort of thing.

Chair Exhibit

This is a poster showing the chairs that the students in my Furniture Design and Construction class designed and built. There is a show of the chairs currently (until the end of the semester) in the University Library. The original poster is in color but the upload was coming in with very blue tones so I posted in bw instead.

Student Work

Wow...I've been away awhile. So long that I had to go through all the rigmarole of resetting my password and user name (both of which I had of course forgotten).

Things are going well here. I am teaching Furniture Design and 5th year architectural design (these are graduate students preparing to do their thesis project so i'm not sure i've got their full, undivided attention). I ride my bike to work every day - that'll end soon as the cold weather comes in - as far as the weather up to this point though....oh my god - it's perfect. It starts out a little chilly in the mornings (35-40) then warms up to btwn 65-75, few if any clouds, it's wonderful.

I am working with a Mechanical Engineering colleague on a grant proposal and trying to get as much of my own writing / research done as I can.

Here are some pictures of my furniture design class work. In the first project I asked them to build a chair out of used cardboard (2 1/2week project or so). In the second project I had them design / build a clock (2 week project) - this to get them used to the tools.

Farce has a BIG day.

Big day today following a somewhat negative day yesterday. Yesterday we got two pieces of bad news (or so we thought), no need to mention what they were - but they were somewhat bad. Today however is a different story. First, we found out that we got the "Bungalow" house (as it has become known) check it out at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbdezines/636696640/in/set-72157600510764337/

and then I received an email from Phillip Mead (acting chair of arch. faculty at U. of Idaho) who said that I would be teaching a 5th year studio and Furniture Design. This excites me! Things seem to be shaping up on the western frontier.

In other news the summer academy ended well. I had a lot of fun with my students - seemed to have had a really good group.

I would give you other news but i've tried to be as lazy as possible over the last several days so nothing much has happened. going to lunch at betty's tomorrow for my daily adventure and then i'll probably try to take it easy...that'll be enough excitement for one day.

Idaho it is!!!!!

I received a phone call today from Wendy McClure (University of Idaho Architecture Faculty Chair) who has extended an offer for me to come to U. of Idaho as a tenure-track faculty member. I'm pumped!!! I'll be teaching two studios in the fall and a studio and perhaps a seminar in the spring. Of course, this means the family will be moving to Idaho, a place I never envisioned living - though what I have seen of it is gorgeous and the University itself is wonderful. Emilie and I have discussed this in length and feel that it is the right decision for us at this time in our lives - who knows what the more distant future holds. I really can't wait to begin our new lives.

Quick Update

Had my final thesis review today - my project went over well, below are a few renderings of what the building ended up becoming (the program itself was for a new central library in Fort Worth).
The review went well and I am happy to have it done. I am sad to be leaving school (I never would have said that about undergraduate school) - I have enjoyed my time at UT very much.

I am still waiting on word from Idaho and K State about teaching opportunties - fingers crossed.

Our house has recently gone under contract, young couple - first time home buyers - we'll see.

Topher's team is in the playoffs right now - they won their first game. We also found out that he will be playing on the all-star team, busy summer of baseball for the Jacobus family (just like I like it!)

I am going to be teaching at the Summer Academy at UT - a program that allows people who are trying to decide whether or not they want a career in architecture a 4 week intensive studio. That will be my month of June.

I guess that's it - we'll see what life has in store for us over the next few months. I am officially unemployed - YIPPEE!!!!!!!!!!!

Idaho and Kansas

One week until the Idaho lecture. Found out yesterday that Kansas State called my references and asked about me. We'll see how this all pans out.

Very saddened by the Virginia Tech news.

Life after School

I am traveling to Kansas City tomorrow for an interview with HOK Sport - they are a large firm that specializes in stadium work. They are designing the new Yankee Stadium as I write this (and you know I LOVE the New York Yankees!!).

Yesterday I received some wonderful news from the University of Idaho - they have asked that I come up and interview / lecture. This makes me a tad nervous but there's nothing I can do about that now. It's a priviledge to be invited - the odds were not in my favor.

Other than that - Topher hit two doubles yesterday and Benny is taking a great liking to baseball. I love those kiddos.

Sculpture Falls

I took Christopher out to 'Sculpture Falls' today for a swim - so refreshing.

Career Week Interviews

I have several interviews lined up over the next couple of days - yes, I have to get a real job again....ugh. I have one interview this afternoon with Overland Partners , they look like they do really good work - fun.

Other than that I have been fulfilling my duties faithfully as an assistant baseball coach, student, and member of the UTSOA Faculty Search Committee. The committee itself is a lot of work but has some fringe benefits, i.e. free meals at nice restaurants, getting the inside scoop on academic employment, etc. etc.

The New Apple iRack

I think I might buy this:

The Apple iRack

Christopher's Photograph

We recently found at that Christopher won an award of merit at the state level for a photograph he took of his brother Benny. Send him your congrats if you get a chance.

In other news - I hear a rumor that Joe Barton bet his balls (and I guess mine too) that Global Warming is a myth. It appears in this blog:

Would You Bet Your Balls On IT Joe

Check it out!

Seattle

Just got back from our trip to Seattle - a wonderful city - my first time visiting. It was mainly an architectural pilgramage. We saw the central library (OMA, Rem Koolhaas)
the St Ignatius Chapel (Stephen Holl)
and the Ballard Branch Library
We also drove around the U of Washington campus, the Montlake area, and had dinner at a great Tai place. Our hotel was by the space needle but wasn't anything to write home about. Emilie and I had a wonderful trip - our first together away from the kiddos! We did miss them very much. Now, I need to go 'get' Benny!!

Travel Scholarship

I recently found out that I have received a travel scholarship from UT. The scholarship is meant for research towards my Masters Design Study. Emilie and I will hopefully be traveling to Seattle to visit the central library (picture shown on previous post) as well as the other branches. Word on the street is that Seattle is putting some good money into their library systems buildings - good for them.

On a different note - Enterprise, Alabama, a town that I grew up in and where my sister (Gina) still lives, was hit yesterday with a major tornado which killed a number of people. The tornado went directly over the hospital where Gina works and levelled a large portion of Enterprise High School. Gina and her family are ok but shaken. My hopes and thoughts go out to them.

Nice Library in Montreal

Manufactured Landscapes

view trailer at:
http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/Introduction/Manufactured_Landscapes.html

Seattle Public Library

I have applied for a travel scholarship to visit this library. I might have mentioned that I am working on designing a public library building for my Masters Design Study.

Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

After Patrick J. Buchanan, as a conservative candidate for president, declared at the 1992 Republican National Convention that the United States was engaged in a cultural war, she said his speech “probably sounded better in the original German.”

Her subject was Texas. To her, the Great State, as she called it, was “reactionary, cantankerous and hilarious,” and its Legislature was “reporter heaven.” When the Legislature is set to convene, she warned her readers, “every village is about to lose its idiot.”

A wonderful writer has passed. I will miss you Molly Ivins.

House of Parts - Fall 2006

Fond Memories

Model - Spring 05

Good Article

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/21/opinion/21taylor.html?ex=1167368400&en=b39a1a1752db407f&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Farce has returned, please be seated

Alas I have been gone for a bit - it's not that I didn't care for or even love dearly the throngs of people who visit this blog - I was simply busy trying to finish up my semester. Two 4,000 word papers and a small book project later I am a one to two page 'manifesto' away from being done. Of course, what does 'done' really mean anyway? I am now doubly busy trying to put together a portfolio and Curriculum Vitae for the academic positions that I am going to apply for. These applications are all due by January 5 or so which leaves me little time to breathe considering that I am also preparing the background work for my Master's Design Study (thesis) which I will work on throughout the Spring semester.

Sad news on the grades homefront - I was working on a perfect 4.0 and was convinced that graduate students received only A's, that is until this semester. I am expecting 1 or 2 B's and an A. This during a semester that I intentionally took no design studio so that I could have an easier time of it. I know this is petty stuff but if you saw my grade reports from undergraduate school you would understand why it was important to me to prove that I could be a good student. We'll see.

I am making a frame for my parents that will have my photomontage "redgreenblue bennyboo" inserted into it (luckily they don't read this blog). Emilie and I are in the making mood (not baby-making though)this Christmas so don't be stunned if what you open doesn't have a corporate logo on it.

The boys are good. I am lucky.

Oh, and I played two 15 year olds in basketball the day before yesterday and won all four games. (and if you're thinking that I was beating up on younger kids you have to remember that I am an old man with old bones that don't work the way they use to and one of the kids is on the high school basketball team) - but I am still crafty after all these years. I suppose that's why I was always known as "Tricky Rick" - I think 'Papa Bear' made that one up.

If You Need a Chuckle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8

FWZ

This is a small building I designed for the Fort Worth Zoo - was working on construction administration when I left Nader's office. Mackenzie sent me the pictures today - I thought it turned out pretty well.

Movie Review

Saw 'Borat' tonight. I was really disappointed. The premise seemed like it could be funny but overall I would say it was poorly done. The entire film was lewd. There were a few moments that were funny but the rest of the film didn't have any redeeming qualities. 'Fast Food Nation' is still on my list of films to see.

Looking forward to Thanksgiving festivities tomorrow!! Mmmmmmmm..........yummy!

Movies

I saw a pretty good film the other day called 'I love Huckabies' (not new). I really want to see 'Fast Food Nation' http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/fastfoodnation/trailer/
(coming out Friday !!!!)
I would also like to see 'Bobby'
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=334717

Other than that, I have been trying to decide what to do for my Master's Design Study. I have been thinking of doing something with the trinity river vision project. I am thinking I want the project to site itself in Fort Worth; we'll see.

Thank You Virginia!!!

Here Comes the Sun

On the Democratic victory yesterday:
'The end of a six-year nightmare for the world,' EU parliamentarians say.

Ain't that the truth.

Now, let's hope that the Virginians finish the job.

Victory for the Democrats

Show the warmongering, dictatorial, environment polluting, corporate whipping boy republicans you don't like their games - VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATS.

Here's a promise...if the democrats win I will 'limit' my derogatory comments about george bush and his evil little cronies. That is my promise to you america.

The Devil's Dictionary

Lawsuit: A machine which you go into as a pig and come out of as a sausage.

Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.

Fork: An instrument used chiefly for the purpose of putting dead animals into the mouth.

Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.

War: God's way of teaching Americans geography.

"Family Values"

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Ney-Corruption.html?hp&ex=1160798400&en=1f7a46a339e273fc&ei=5094&partner=homepage


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/washington/09foley.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fF%2fFoley%2c%20Mark%20A


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/13/us/13awol.html?ref=us

Iraq War

Iraqi war deaths estimated at 655,000. Shame on George Bush and all who continue to support him.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/10/11/iraq.deaths/index.html

History of the pledge

The Pledge of AllegianceA Short History
by Dr. John W. Baer
Copyright 1992 by Dr. John W. BaerSee also www.PledgeQandA.com

Francis Bellamy (1855 - 1931), a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. He was a Christian Socialist. In his Pledge, he is expressing the ideas of his first cousin, Edward Bellamy, author of the American socialist utopian novels, Looking Backward (1888) and Equality (1897).
Francis Bellamy in his sermons and lectures and Edward Bellamy in his novels and articles described in detail how the middle class could create a planned economy with political, social and economic equality for all. The government would run a peace time economy similar to our present military industrial complex.
The Pledge was published in the September 8th issue of The Youth's Companion, the leading family magazine and the Reader's Digest of its day. Its owner and editor, Daniel Ford, had hired Francis in 1891 as his assistant when Francis was pressured into leaving his baptist church in Boston because of his socialist sermons. As a member of his congregation, Ford had enjoyed Francis's sermons. Ford later founded the liberal and often controversial Ford Hall Forum, located in downtown Boston.
In 1892 Francis Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association. As its chairman, he prepared the program for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in 1892. He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute - his 'Pledge of Allegiance.'
His original Pledge read as follows: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and (to*) the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' He considered placing the word, 'equality,' in his Pledge, but knew that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans. [ * 'to' added in October, 1892. ]
Dr. Mortimer Adler, American philosopher and last living founder of the Great Books program at Saint John's College, has analyzed these ideas in his book, The Six Great Ideas. He argues that the three great ideas of the American political tradition are 'equality, liberty and justice for all.' 'Justice' mediates between the often conflicting goals of 'liberty' and 'equality.'
In 1923 and 1924 the National Flag Conference, under the 'leadership of the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution, changed the Pledge's words, 'my Flag,' to 'the Flag of the United States of America.' Bellamy disliked this change, but his protest was ignored.
In 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, 'under God,' to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.
Bellamy's granddaughter said he also would have resented this second change. He had been pressured into leaving his church in 1891 because of his socialist sermons. In his retirement in Florida, he stopped attending church because he disliked the racial bigotry he found there.
What follows is Bellamy's own account of some of the thoughts that went through his mind in August, 1892, as he picked the words of his Pledge:
It began as an intensive communing with salient points of our national history, from the Declaration of Independence onwards; with the makings of the Constitution...with the meaning of the Civil War; with the aspiration of the people...
The true reason for allegiance to the Flag is the 'republic for which it stands.' ...And what does that vast thing, the Republic mean? It is the concise political word for the Nation - the One Nation which the Civil War was fought to prove. To make that One Nation idea clear, we must specify that it is indivisible, as Webster and Lincoln used to repeat in their great speeches. And its future?
Just here arose the temptation of the historic slogan of the French Revolution which meant so much to Jefferson and his friends, 'Liberty, equality, fraternity.' No, that would be too fanciful, too many thousands of years off in realization. But we as a nation do stand square on the doctrine of liberty and justice for all...
If the Pledge's historical pattern repeats, its words will be modified during this decade. Below are two possible changes.
Some prolife advocates recite the following slightly revised Pledge: 'I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, born and unborn.'
A few liberals recite a slightly revised version of Bellamy's original Pledge: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with equality, liberty and justice for all.'

Bibliography:
Baer, John. The Pledge of Allegiance, A Centennial History, 1892 - 1992, Annapolis, Md. Free State Press, Inc., 1992. Miller, Margarette S. Twenty-Three Words, Portsmouth, Va. Printcraft Press, 1976.

School

School is going well though I am not pleased with being away from my family four nights a week. I also end up missing all of Topher's practices. Am looking forward to a somewhat more normal life. Thought the other day that America primarily practices what I call 'Outpost Architecture' as if we are not planning to stay very long.

Venice School TA Job Topher TexasOState God

Back from Venice, delightful. School is going to be really enjoyable this semester - three theory classes no studio. Am doing a TAship for a drawing class - class is composed of first year (first-professional) grad students, interesting. I must find a job - orders directly from the General. Topher has a ballgame tomorrow - his team is the polar opposite of last season - meaning emphasis not on winning - thank goodness. Texas Ohio State tomorrow night - I am so ready. I think God must be a female - more on that later....

golf today venice tomorrow

shot an 87 today after double parring the first hole with an 8. 1 birdie. have been hitting the ball pretty well lately - mostly hanging around mid to low 80's.

trying to finish up a house addition for some people - then maybe will make a book or two with christopher - was thinking about entering a competition - then it's off to venice!!

Why does Donald Rumsfeld still have a job?

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- A U.S. soldier testified Wednesday that four of his colleagues accused of murdering three Iraqis during a raid threatened to kill him if he told anyone about the shooting deaths.
Pfc. Bradley Mason, speaking at a hearing to determine whether the four must stand trial, also said that their brigade commander, a veteran of the 1993 ''Black Hawk Down'' battle in Somalia, told troops hunting insurgents to ''kill all of them.'' Mason is not one of the accused.
The alleged killings May 9 near Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, have dealt another blow to the reputation of U.S. soldiers over their conduct in Iraq and fueled anger against their presence.
U.S. soldiers and Marines have been accused of a string of civilian deaths in Iraq, including the alleged massacre of dozens in Haditha. Another hearing is scheduled later this month over allegations that five U.S. soldiers raped and killed a 14-year-old girl.


What a fucking mess. Thanks George.

great cnn article

Unfortunate 6 years for the progress of this country.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/25/dobbs.july26/index.html

How to Spot a Terrorist

Read this funny piece in another blog so am reposting:

How to spot a terrorist
I really had no idea how to spot a terrorist until I studied the manuals published by the Phoenix FBI, the state employees of Virginia, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Now that I have absorbed these manuals, I not only know how to spot a terrorist, but I have discovered that I probably am a terrorist.

The Phoenix FBI manual was published while Clinton was still president. The Joint Terrorism Task Force was formed to "help preserve the American way of life." Its flyer requested that citizens contact the task force if they saw any of the following:
Defenders of the U.S. Constitution against federal government and the UNGroups of individuals engaging in para-military trainingThose who make numerous references to the U.S. ConstitutionThose who attempt to police the policeLone individualsRebelsThe Phoenix Sheriff's Office did not care for the flyer, and it had a short life.

On to Virginia...This manual tells us to beware of the following people:
Members of anti-government and militia movementsProperty rights activistsMembers of racist, separatist, and hate groupsEnvironmental and animal rights activistsReligious extremistsMembers of street gangsAccording to the authorities in Virginia, terrorists stand out in the crowd because of the stuff they carry:
Sketch pads or notebooksMaps or chartsStill or video camerasHand-held tape recordersSCUBA equipmentdisguisesAnd finally, there's Texas, whose manual shares with us some characteristics of terrorists:

Focused and committedTeam-oriented and disciplinedFamiliar with their physical environmentsEmploy a variety of vehicles and communicate by cell phone, email, or text messagingTry not to draw attention to themselvesLook like students, tourists, or businesspersonsTravel in a mixed group of men, women, and childrenAvoid confrontations with law enforcementUse disguises or undergo cosmetic surgeryWell, there you are. Could someone pick you out of the crowd as a terrorist? As an emailing, camera-toting, focused and committed animal rights activist who sometimes looks like a businesswoman, frequently references the Constitution, and still has some leftover costumes from my years in New Orleans, I'm as good as gone.

New Orleans Abandonment

Emilie and I saw 'An Inconvenient Truth' a week or so ago - I highly recommend it.

We have been studying a great deal about New Orleans; not only the cause of the disaster after Katrina but also possible solutions. It is abundantly clear to me that electing George Bush is the absolute worst thing that could have happened to our country. In terms of New Orleans, he refuses to fund a plan that has been agreed is appropriate by just about everyone who knows - its cost, 14 billion (about 1 1/2 months in Iraq). He is putting the wetlands that surround New Orleans in jeopardy by blocking all funding for restoration that does not have corporate interests as its impetus. The wetlands that surround New Orleans (besides preserving wildlife (I know - only hippies care about that) help protect the city from storm surge. For every mile inland of wetland storm surge is reduced by a foot. To cite an example - the wetland loss that has occured between 1940 and the present would have reduced the Katrina storm surge about 7.5 feet, greatly reducing the impact of the storm.

The New Orleans issue fascinates me because I think it epitomizes a global current (or at least a national one). The disaster in New Orleans was/is the result of an attempt to control nature (levees), a willingness to neglect nature (wetlands), a feeling of human dominance over the natural world, and a lack of critical care for the region. I am continually amazed at the antics of the Bush Administration.

http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/blumenthal/2005/08/31/disaster_preparation/index.html

Fun Game

Go to Google.
Type in 'failure'.
Click on 'I'm feeling lucky'.

Venice Biennale

Just catching up. Semester finished up nicely - final review went very well. Have been invited to the Venice Biennale (http://www.labiennale.org/en/index.html) team at UT. The project is a study of the situation in New Orleans and surrounding region and an attempt at possible solutions. Have learned a lot already. Trying to get a free trip to Venice, Italy out of it - we'll see.

good video

http://www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=1695

100 million loose screws

Bush's approval ratings slide to new low
Poll: Only one-third say he's handling his job well

hm.

A retired CIA official has accused the Bush administration of ignoring intelligence indicating that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no active nuclear program before the United States-led coalition invaded it.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/23/cia.iraq/index.html

Bush Voted Worst President Ever (and I didn't even get a vote)

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/profile/story/9961300/the_worst_president_in_history

duh.

citycraft

citycraft products available for the entire family at http://www.cafepress.com/nspress/1341302.

get yours while they last!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/18/iraq.protests.ap/index.html

http://fpiarticle.blogspot.com/2005/12/most-important-911-video-you-will-ever.html

Your Democracy

Great article by Bill Moyers.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/02/24/restoring_the_public_trust.php

George Bush is talking alternative energy - we're screwed

You know when oil lover George Bush is harping on alternative forms of energy (finally) that there is an energy crisis in the works. We're screwed.

CITYCRAFT

Had a good meeting with my client (first official) today about the house addition I am working on for them. They loved the plans I put together (though we changed 50% of them) and we had a good schematic design working session. I think I enjoy smaller, more personal jobs. I have heard, and know from experience that they are more difficult and you make less money but there is something about the satisfaction you see on people's faces or their excitement that makes it worth my while. That is not to say that I won't get sued by these people (Logan reading this licking his chops) but still - for now it is fun. My company name is 'Citycraft' unofficially - Chi and I are not taking it too seriously and just seeing where it goes. Spread the word - the ship is afloat.

The Trials of Teaching

As many of you know I am TAing for a class called Architecture and Society. My duties include teaching a seminar to two different classes each week. It is interesting how different one class can be from another. I have the same amount of students (27) in each class but it seems to be a lot harder to run a good section on thursday night. I have three students in the class that are 'bad apples' and they seem to be tarnishing the bunch. One of them came to me at the end of today's session and asked if we could get an evening study group together to prepare for the quiz (it's no coincidence that he was late for class and had not read the material). I told him that we had just finished with our study session - it in fact is the whole point of the seminar. I am having fun however and the majority of the students are interested and are there to learn.

In other news:
It has been four days since the vice-president shot anyone in the face. Yeah!!
Benny got his hair buzzed! Cutie.
Christopher is a creative genius I think - scary.
Emilie is wonderful at just about everything - and even loves me a little still.
Saw Brokeback Mountain - was good but I sensed some homosexual overtones (hehehe - jk) - no really, it was very good. Now I know why cowboys wear tight pants.

Communism - and Presidential Blow Jobs

I am doing a tremendous amount of reading for 'Soviet Architecture, Art, and Film'. Consequently, I think I am becoming a communist. I learned for instance that Lenin, on his deathbed (early death too, 42 I think) wrote a letter to the soviet governmental council begging that they be careful and not elect Stalin as the next president. Stalin intercepted that letter and the rest is history. Trotsky would have taken over the presidency from Lenin (Trotsky's views were more in line with Lenin's) had the letter not been intercepted and Russia would have had an entirely different history. To put it in distinctly American terms:

Lenin was a good guy (who did what he felt was right for his country)
Stalin was a bad guy (who killed a lot of people)
Trotsky was a good guy (similar to Lenin)

No communism ever existed in Russia - what they had was a dictatorship that was a modified capitalist system (similar to what we presently have but with more concern for the working poor).

A good idea:
I think as an apology to Bill Clinton the republicans should allow him to take office for a third term. The republicans can make deals with him like, "if you balance the budget for us like you did in your first presidency we will allow you 5 free blow jobs", or "if you help us pay down this outrageous national debt that Bush has created we will allow you ten free blow jobs etc." Imagine what he could accomplish!!

Barcelona and Bush Bashing

Been a long while. Saw Francie this weekend and she inspired me to write in the blog again.

Quick update since last we spoke: Texas won football national championship (due to my influence as a student of course), I am a teacher's assistant and have two classes of 27 that i'm responsible for (I know what you're thinking - "HIM?"), did well last semester, 4.0 for those interested - first time since 3rd grade I think (I was also class president then!! I am on a ten year cycle of achievement), I just got my first 'big/little' job as an independent practicioner of architecture, I am in the Barcelona studio here at school - segway...

We traveled to Spain for 8 days tromping through the wonderful streets of Barcelona. By our estimations we walked btwn 15-20 mi/day...my old bones felt it - but I kept up with the younguns. We are working on a project for the 'Mies van der Rohe Foundation' across from the Barcelona Pavilion, a famous and instrumental work of the early 20th century. Hard project. A little america bashing is in order here - we are very very far behind socially. A professor told us an interesting statistic the other day: 98% of America's wealth is held by 2% of its population. Of course, I think he is a communist (not sure). That just blew my mind.

Made two books over the christmas holidays - still a goal of 500 books before death. School and work are getting in my way though.

Bush wants another 70 billion for Iraq. I thought his initial estimate was 80 billion total. Aren't we at 300 billion now - and counting? I would like a list of the people who voted for him - they should be paying for this war. So much for the liberals being the spenders. Republican Americans are a strange lot - they seem to care more about eliminating adulterous sex then about mass murder and violence. and they thought there were 'rape rooms' in Iraq before we invaded........

Mayor of New Orleans

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4207628.stm#

Listen to the mayor of New Orleans explain the situation in his city. Click on the link and navigate to the upper right hand corner.

The director of FEMA said yesterday that the federal government was not aware there were people without food and water in the superdome until yesterday. He needs to resign or be fired.
The president of the united states finally has appeared from his ranch in crawford. he apparently had to cut his vacation short by three days, poor guy. president Bush should offer his resignation, he is a poor leader.
And believe this - if these were rich white people stranded in that city, help would have arrived sooner. Shame on them, and shame on those who still can't see the truth.

Why 'Wise' is Wise

Why is 'wise' wise?
Because of the 'i'?
Or because it is 'is'
surrounded by 'we'?

Downing Street Memo

I have a hard time believing that over half the people in our country voted for George Bush. The worst are those with the black 'W' stickers on their cars, they're a group unto themselves - still ignorant enough to be proud of their decision to vote for him. Is Dick Cheney still alive? Is there a more sinister group on the planet than those we put into the white house (twice)...let's name the 'evil doers' in order of their 'evil doerishness':
1. Karl Rove
2. Donald Rumsfeld
3. John Ashcroft
4. Dick Cheney
5. George Bush
What a group of characters to be proud of. And the fact that the company that Dick Cheney was once CEO of is now making millions off of the murder and disaster we've made in Iraq? Perfect. And with Pat Robertson and the 666 clubs help we will soon unify America and be one big Christian RighttotheHummerdealership country. Read the Downing Street Memo, think about what the reasons were for this war, think if any of it makes sense. Bill Clinton lied about a blow job and was impeached - George Bush lied to get us into war and seems to be surviving quite nicely...must be the liberal press.

Why is 'Wedding Crashers' rated R, and 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' rated PG-13? Has the christian right so twisted the minds of the people in this country that they worry more about their children seeing nudity then they do about their children shooting each other at random.

Where is the legitimacy in the story of King David and Bathsheba? The king kills the husband of the woman he sees bathing nude and his punishment by god is the loss of his first born son. That doesnt seem like just punishment, why not disallow his marriage to Bathsheba? Or castrate him? The punishment chosen is actually inflicted on the innocent child. Isn't the punishment chosen by god just a form of abortion? Is god, in this case, condoning abortion for special circumstances?

And the Jacob and Esau story seems contradictory as well. Jacob fools his blind father, with the help of his deceptive mother, and steals the birthright from his hard working brother. And then, as a reward for doing what was right, Esau and his lineage is basically forgotten by posterity. It is Jacob's lineage that becomes the basis for the continuation of the bible.

Poem: "Eve's Argument"
The devil didn't need much deceit
to make me eat,
It was God
that made the fruit look sweet.

Warning: The facts in this blog may be deceptive and there may be attempts in this blog to start a war that my friends and I will handsomely profit from.

The Saudis / Bushes are ramming it up our rears

Ok, just got back from the gas pump. Now most of you know that I can't stand George Bush, I won't get into all of the obvious reasons why but I have to get something out...what the fuck is he doing? I just paid 2.50 at the god damned gas pump. It went up a quarter in the last week. I know what you're going to say, I have republican friends I know how they think, you're going to tell me that G.B. had no more to do with the rise in the price of gas than did old honest Abe. And though you're probably wrong I will say this, you can't tell me that if Bill (I fixed what 12 years of trinkle on down economics broke) Clinton were in office the republicans wouldn't be going crazy saying things like, "that's why we need oil turkeys in office, haliburton etc etc". He would be blamed, sure he would - but I don't hear a god damned word about George Bush. BTW - zero WMD were found in Iraq which is the reason given for going to war - just wanted to make sure that someone knew that 'WE' were aware of that and aren't being fooled by the 'rape room retoric'. whew - i'm glad I got that off my chest.

Austin Hello

I am writing in this blog for the first time in a long time. I wish I could say that the delay was due to overwork, stress, etc. but it was not. I have not done any work in a long long time. I have kept myself busy with fun though; skateboarding mostly. Frontside ollie to tail revert, smith grinds, lean to tail, front side rock n rolls, tail stall reverts, and just plain carving the shit out of the bowls. I know I know this means nothing to most of you but when we are 60 years old and unable to do anything active I will look back on the great times I had on that skateboard.

I have actually met two people while out galavanting and both of them have architecture related backgrounds. Would Aristotle say that this means that all people with architecture related backgrounds are galavanters? I don't know.

Went to UT today to speak with my graduate advisor, this is becoming all too real - apparently I am not going to be able to lounge around forever.

Don't think of it as losing 6%, think of it as gaining a realtor

Emilie and I interviewed 5 realtors this past week; yes 5. We listened to what each had to say, in what ways they would list the house, what they bring to the table, what they would be willing to accept for a commision, etc. We came out of the whole thing knowing only that one of the realtors was not for us. The others were fairly equal - each having some things we liked and some things we did not. We are still trying to decide who to work with - 5 or 6% is pretty steep.

Played golf with Logan yesterday. I shot a 46 on the front nine in some pretty hefty winds. We decided to play the same nine twice and I shot a 41 on the back (was even after 4). I was proud of myself because I have a tendency to let my front nine score affect how I play on the back.

Had a garage sale today, was ok, made about $100. Leaving for Austin tomorrow morning and will be there for two days; trying to get a sense of things.

Logan, my last words of this entry are for you and I know you will appreciate them:

'Hook em'

Farce Where Art Thou?

Remind me to talk to you at some point about a question I have regarding Architecture. No, no, not conceptual horse dung, I mean real things, real ideas! Real HOUSES!

Absentee Bloggers

After three rejections from schools apparently out of my league I received word from The University of Texas at Austin that I have been admitted to their Post-Professional MArch program. Emilie and I still have to discuss the details to make sure that we know what we are getting ourselves into but we are both very excited about the prospects of Austin and surrounding areas. I am looking very forward to getting back into an academic setting, further exploring ideas I have about architecture, and learning from those around me. Since I did not attend an undergraduate school with a football team or valid sports program and since I have a brother-in-law who lives and dies by UT football I will be attending as many games as possible.

On a separate note, most of the blogs that I frequent (all family or friends) have been conspicuously unattended to of late. Please visit www.franciewoof.blogspot.com and www.distortedveracity.blogspot.com and make a nasty comment about how we are all in this together and they are not keeping up their end of the bargan.

No No Benny...No No No

I wanted to update everyone as to how the kids are doing. Benny is now shaking his head 'No' and he does it with the kind of fervor which shows he means it (it looks almost as if his head is trying to run away and his neck is reigning it back in). He is also waving 'bye-bye' but only very occassionally. We think he is on the verge of crawling if he could only get his legs and arms to work in unison. I personally believe he will walk at 11 months or so (which I contend Christopher did though Emilie thinks otherwise) because he has such strong legs and seemingly good balance. Benny is a sweetheart but his personality differs quite a bit from Christopher's. Benny is more aggressive than Christopher ever was and 'looks for trouble' (and I say that in the most loving way possible - being a child who looked for a lot of trouble myself).

Christopher is playing soccer and has no clue what's happening on the field. He'll catch on soon though and when he does watch out. He loves puzzles, spiderman, sports of any kind, but baseball is his first love - and he's damn good at it. He has great instincts when we practice together, things I haven't even coached him on. For instance, the way he approaches a ball on the outside of the strike zone, he alters his swing, letting go of the bat with his right hand and leaning over the plate. His batting form has always been nearly perfect.

I think both boys together are a great pair.

Bathsheba

King David saw Bathsheba bathe,
sent Uriah to his grave;
God saw what his king had done,
so stripped David of his son.

From all of this we learn,
that man, being men, will yearn,
powerful men will win,
and no mortal man is safe,
from a woman in a bath.