the year 2015

very busy here...will post as soon as i find my way to the break room

proportion has you covered

jumping off from my earlier facial hair post this week, i have been able to locate the National Beard Registry.......fascinating

this is very tasty

The first reference to Scotch Whisky was in the year 1494 in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls. It states "8 bolls of malt for Friar John Corr - Wherewith to make aquavitae". However whisky was almost certainly made much earlier than 1494. The distilling skills most likely came from Ireland via Argyll, when monks came to christen the heathens. Later the monasteries were burned down or demolished by the Protestants during the Reformation (1534-5) and monks had to "seek work" elsewhere. Peasants who had been supplying these monks with barley soon learned the skills and took it upon themselves to carry on this tradition. The name of the spirit was also passed along. The monks had called it Water of Life (Aquavitae), but in local Highland Gaelic "Water of Life" became uisge beatha, which was later anglicised to Fwisge and then Whisky.

Brasilia
Brasília is a planned city, and was built in 41 months from 1956 till its inauguration on April 21, 1960. The construction of the city was ordered by President Juscelino Kubitschek. The main urban planner was Lúcio Costa, chief architect of most the public buildings was Oscar Niemeyer, and landscape designer was Roberto Burle Marx. The city plan was based on the ideas of Le Corbusier.
According to legend, in 1883 the Italian priest Dom Bosco had a prophetic dream in which he described a futuristic city that roughly fit Brasília's location. Today in Brasília there are many references to this educator who founded the Salesian order. One of the main cathedrals carries his name.

so this one night in college, during my less wise days....(i may have been under the influence), i remeber sitting in my most comfortable reclining chair, listening to Ravel's Bolero. Do not ask me why, but i was convinced i was listening to some sampled portion of a hip-hop record on my turntable. the almost maddening repetition of that piece of music seemed to convert my mind into a organic sampling machine. upon furthur review the music is fantastic, and quite hypnotic.

Maurice Ravel
Bolero 1928

human clock
submitted to me, for your review, from my aforementioned, award winning brother

beware of this man

gene wilder
young Frankenstein's memoir

damn.......that's smooth

Look under you and examine the chair on which you are sitting. No guarantees, but it may just be a piece originally designed by Charles and Ray Eames distributed by Herman Miller, Inc. The husband and wife designing team, most productive in the '40s and '50s, made such contributions not only to design, but to architecture and film as well.

my preference for pie in descending order from most enjoyed to least. not to be confused with pi which i also enjoy.

1. key lime
2. apple crumb
3. apple
4. banana cream
5. pecan

crazy gothic architect

You will almost certainly not have heard of Warwick Pethers. You will be unaware that he and an architect called Hugh Mathew run a firm called the Gothic Design Practice. You would be forgiven for thinking there was not much call for Gothic design, these days. True, up to a point. The point being a rather large piece of unfinished business. The last Anglican cathedral.

play bocce in brooklyn

Bocce originated in Italy and is one of the oldest of all lawn bowling games. It is now gaining popularity in the United States since it can be played by people of all ages and on a great variety of surfaces. Bocce is played between two players or two teams of up to four players on a team. Bocce is played with 8 large balls, 4 of one color, 4 of another color and one small target ball called the "Jack," or "Pallino." Players seek to place their Bocce Balls nearer to the target jack than their opponent or displace the opponent's Bocce Ball and so improve the position of their Bocce Ball in relation to the Jack, (Pallino). Bocce can be played in a variety of ways using various rules.

into every day a little yellow must come

fantastic browsing

i seem to be quite busy in the world of architecture at this present moment. please excuse me, or thank me, whichever may occur to you, for my recent lack of posts. carry on.

vigoda

since 1995 located in the heart of Soho, was originally a storage shack since 1847. it was converted into a soup take-out kiosk, serving a daily variety of seven homemade soups and stews. corner of Prince St. and Mercer St.

The first version of Oregon Trail was created in 1971 by three seniors at Carleton College in Minnesota. They actually used Teletype and a mainframe computer. One of these seniors, Don Rawitsch, was looking for a way to use the computer in a history class for which he was the student teacher. In collaborating with his friends, who were both student teachers as well, they created Oregon Trail.

in the midst of websters complicated rain dance, an interesting query arises....

"hey old man, are you mark twain or colonel harland sanders and by the way, get the hell out of my complicated rain dance circle....."

Utah Museum of Fine Art
Machado & Silvetti Associates
1998
Salt Lake City, Utah

Yale Center for British Art
New Haven, Connecticut
Louis Kahn
1969-1974

Louis Kahn's Yale Center for British Art, based on a repetitive 20-foot-square grid, was formally conceived as a series of highly structured 'roomlike' spaces. Organized around two inner courts which, like the fourth and top floor, are beautifully naturally lighted from above through a coffered skylight system, the whole ambiance of the building is rich, seductive, and well-scaled to the mainly eighteenth and early nineteenth century paintings. The exposed concrete structure with oak paneled inserts has led to a warmer, more sedate feeling, appropriate to the art displayed. As Kahn asked himself questions about light to the interior he made openings in planes; as he broached questions of exhibit he devised systems to place planes in space.

Many years ago, in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"...and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV was Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
Coca-Cola was originally green.
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska
The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28% (now get this...) The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%
The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven: $6,400
The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.
Only two people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th: John Hancock and Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, but the last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.
Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what? A. Their birthplace
Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All invented by women.
Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil? A. Honey
Q. Which day are there more collect calls than any other day of the year? A. Father's Day
In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "Goodnight, sleep tight."
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month ... which we know today as the honeymoon.

may 1, 2005
five boro bike tour

The Five Boro Bike Tour returns to the city streets for the 28th annual event, the largest recreational cycling event in the U.S. Tens of thousands of recreational cyclists, fitness enthusiasts, families and friends from around the globe will join together in lower Manhattan to kick off the 42-mile Tour through New York’s five boroughs. The tour starts in the canyons of Manhattan and travels over streets and roads, highways and bridges to a fun-filled Festival at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. Five Rest Areas along the way have snacks and water, bathrooms and first aid, bike repair and places to reunite with friends. Twelve hundred volunteers serving as Marshals and Tour Corps help you enjoy the day.

mr. wizard (aka Don Herbert)

Donald Jeffry Herbert, a general science and English major at LaCrosse State Teachers College in Wisconsin, had originally planned to teach dramatics. Following his graduation in 1940, he acted in summer and winter stock and then traveled to New York with an eye toward Broadway. World War II interrupted his career and the young actor entered the Army Air Forces as a private. As a B-24 bomber pilot, he flew 56 missions with the Fifteenth Air Force and subsequently participated in the invasion of Italy. Discharged as s Captain in 1945, Herbert had earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters.
After the war, Herbert accepted offers of radio work in Chicago. He acted in such children's programs as Captain Midnight, Jack Armstrong and Tom Mix and sold scripts to Dr. Christian, Curtain Time and First Nighter. In October 1949, as co-producer of the documentary health series It's Your Life, he was able to combine his interests in science and drama. Most importantly, his idea for Mr. Wizard began to take form. He became fascinated with general science experiments and studied television as a medium of presentation.

Whenever there's trouble, we're there on the double
We're the Bloodhound Gang.
If you've got the crime, we've got the time.
We're the Bloodhound Gang.

3-2-1 Contact
Three, Two, One, contact!
Contact is the secret,
It's the moment when everything happens.
Contact is the answer,
It's the reason why everything happens.
Let's Make Contact!
Three, Two, One, contact!

Cost and Revs both hit subways during the 1980s but it was their street partnership that gained a great deal of attention from the media and the general public. This attention was due to their unconventional approach bombing. During the late 1980s and early 1990s they proliferated New York City streets with a series of cryptic messages in black type on sheets of white paper. Phrases on these posters ranged "Cost Fucked Madona" to "Real artists don't know they're artists" to "Who's O.C? Ask COST and REVS".
The duo also installed unique works on the walls of parking lots in the SOHO and Chelsea sections of Manhattan. COST and REVS' work could also be seen on many city roof tops. They rendered their names in large scale block letters with white paint rollers. The simplicity of the letters was a departure from standards set in traditional graffiti. This style would become a popular alternative in the graffiti community. This style would later be referred to as roller letters.

"Of course, our failures are a consequence of many factors, but possibly one of the most important is the fact that society operates on the theory that specialization is the key to success, not realizing that specialization precludes comprehensive thinking."

Buckminster Fuller
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth
1963

Snacks and Desserts
Popcorn 1.25
Ice Cream 3.00
Ice Cream Sundae 3.50
Cheesecake 3.50
Apple Pie 3.00
with Ice Cream 3.50
Beverages
Milk and Juices 1.25
Arizona Ice Tea 1.50
Bottled Water 1.50
Soft Drinks
Regular 0.75
Large 1.00
Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee or Tea
Regular 0.75
Large 1.00

Nixons interests in sport extended beyond being a spectator at team sport events. He took up an interest in bowling while he was President. The White House staff made efforts to publicize this interest, staging photo opportunities that presented Nixon as a regular individual with interests that he shared with many other Americans. Of course, most bowlers do not have a bowling ally in their basement.

In the 1930s, British Anthropologist Sir Flinders Petrie became the first to discover evidence of a bowling-like game. He found ancient objects in a childs grave in Egypt that were allegedly used for a primitive form of the game. The artifacts have been dated back to 3200 BC, effectively making bowling over 5,000 years old! Although some critics put the birth of bowling much later (German historian William Pehle has said that the game originated in his country in 300 AD), it has certainly endured centuries to settle into the modern lanes that we all know and love today. The first written mention of a bowling-like sport can be traced to the year 1366 in England. Allegedly King Edward III outlawed the game in order to keep his troops focused on their archery practice, but it was most certainly in vogue (and legal) during the reign of King Henry VIII. Many variations of bowling have come from Europe including Italian bocce, French pentanque, and even Britain’s lawn bowling, but the question of who introduced bowling to the United States is much more uncertain. The English, Dutch, and German settlers all brought their own versions of the game to the New World. The earliest mention of American bowling comes in the form of a quote from Rip Van Winkle when old Rip wakes up to the sounds of "ninepins". The origin of the tenpin game is still unknown, but by the late 1800’s it was prevalent in New York, Ohio, and Illinois. The first standardization of the rules of the game was established on September 9, 1895 at Beethoven Hall in New York City. It was then that the American Bowling Congress was formed and major national competitions began.

midnight marauders
a tribe called quest
1993

i listened to this album non-stop for about five years when it first came out. it is still good when i dig it out today.......

villa mairea
Alvar Alto
1898-1976

Alvar Aalto was born in Kuortane, Finland in 1898, the son of a surveyor. He graduated with honors from Helsinki Polytechnic in 1921 after which he opened his own practice. He held the position of Professor of Architecture at MIT 1946 to 1948, and was President of the Academy of Finland 1963-68. Although his early work borrowed from the neoclassic movement, he eventually adapted the symbolism and functionalism of the Modern Movement to generate his plans and forms. Aalto's mature work embodies a unique functionalist/expressionist and humane style, successfully applied to libraries, civic centers, churches, housing, etc. A synthesis of rational with intuitive design principles allowed Aalto to create a long series of functional yet non-reductionist buildings. Alvar Aalto generated a style of functionalism which avoided romantic excess and neoclassical monotony. Although Aalto borrowed from the International Style, he utilized texture, color, and structure in creative new ways. He refined the generic examples of modern architecture that existed in most of Europe and recreated them into a new Finnish architecture. Aalto's designs were particularly significant because of their response to site, material and form.

so...upon furthur thought, and very careful consideration, and during this recent time of stress, with my kick ass flu, and my vehicle being stolen and such, i have decided to keep with what i know....the four-in-hand tie knot. i believe the continuation of this tradition will bring me solace, in this a time of uncertainty. i am not opposed though...to delve into the area of the bowtie. please continue to support me in this my time of experimentation. a good day to you all......

The sun-baked hills around Roquebrune Cap Martin are one suburban super-village, part of a line of habitation that runs from Marseilles to Monaco. The Roq was a world apart from Swiss architect, Le Corbusier's concrete modernist superstructure of Unité d'Habitation in Marseilles; a place for quiet contemplation and the occasional spot of nude bathing. And it was here, suitably, that Le Corbusier built what became known as the Unité de Camping. In 1949, the architect drew up plans for the Roq, a series of vacation houses comprising of two-storey vaulted structures arranged in a broken grid of open courtyards. Then, Le Corbusier's modest log cabin was built in 1952, and originally intended as a birthday present for his wife Yvonne Gallis, a Monégasque model. He adored the stark cabin so much, with its wooden walls decorated with bold murals and bright panels of colour, that Le Corbusier later extended the concept by building a tiny one-man studio nearby. It was here that he laboured over the search for the perfect human scale the Modulor, and the hut has subsequently become a place of architectural pilgrimage, a showcase for a kind of anti-consumerist lifestyle.

gene gene the dancing machine

The talent show spoof THE GONG SHOW 1976-80 featured the occasional appearance of Gene Patton, a beefy black stagehand affectionately known as Gene Gene, the Dancing Machine. Gene earned his nickname from the dance he performed which looked like someone doing the twist and walking like an old man.

excuse me....i have to get to work now.....