the year 2015

generate your own complaint letter about whomever you like in just seconds.....here's mine about Mr. Rogers:

My complaint about Mr. Fred Rogers

I would like to clarify some comments I made recently regarding Mr. Fred Rogers. Let's get down to business: I don't want to build castles in the air. I don't want to plan things that I can't yet implement. But I do want to get Fred off our backs, because doing so clearly demonstrates how I once had a nightmare in which he was free to put an intransigent, mudslinging spin on important issues. When I awoke, I realized that this nightmare was frighteningly close to reality. For instance, Fred's cause is not glorious. It is not wonderful. It is not good. A great many of us don't want Fred to justify, palliate, or excuse the evils of his heart. But we feel a prodigious societal pressure to smile, to be nice, and not to object to his malicious catch-phrases. When I say that his yes-men employ carefully developed psychological techniques to promote a form of government in which religious freedom, racial equality, and individual liberty are severely at risk, this does not, I repeat, does not mean that he is known for his sound judgment, unerring foresight, and sagacious adaptation of means to ends. This is a common fallacy held by resentful scatterbrains. Fred is scurrilous, juvenile, crapulous, uncontrollable, blasphemous, and depraved. Need I go on?

He does, occasionally, make a valid point. But when he says that the laws of nature don't apply to him, that's where the facts end and the ludicrousness begins. He has certainly never given evidence of thinking extensively. Or at all, for that matter.

If you observe some repetition in my statements, it is because such repetition is needed for clarity and emphasis as I shelter initially unpopular truths from suppression, enabling them to ultimately win out through competition in the marketplace of ideas. Notice the belligerent tendency of Fred's quips. Once it becomes clear that Fred's claims will pass off all sorts of rabid and obviously egocentric stuff on others as a so-called "inner experience" in the coming days, it becomes apparent that if Fred is going to talk about higher standards, then he needs to live by those higher standards. I was, however, going to forget about the whole thing when it suddenly occurred to me that if the human race is to survive on this planet, we will have to increase awareness and understanding of our similarities and differences. To wrap up, I'll just hit the key elements of this letter one last time. First, Mr. Fred Rogers has worn out his welcome. Second, we should exuberantly remind him about the concept of truth in advertising. And finally, it is morally unjustifiable for him to pit race against race, religion against religion, and country against country.

anyone remeber this one? my man at the nonist got me into an old school hip-hop mood. this was one damn good album for some white guys in the late eighties. much respect to the incredible producing of prince paul.

Kent man Daniel Tammet has succeeded in his record-breaking attempt to set a new British and European record by using his incredible memory to recall the mathematical constant Pi (3.141..) to more than 22,500 decimal places.

Daniel shattered the record at Oxford's Museum of the History of Science yesterday (14 March), recalling 22,514 digits in just over five hours. Money raised through sponsorship of his record-breaking attempt will benefit the National Society for Epilepsy (NSE) - the UK's leading epilepsy charity.

The record-breaking bid was dubbed 'Pi in the Sky' by its brainchild Daniel, whose astonishing mental skills include the ability to 'see' numbers in his head. These abilities first emerged following epileptic seizures as a toddler. Daniel is one of only 25 documented 'savants' in the world according to eminent US psychiatrist Dr Darold Treffert who is the world's leading expert in Savant Syndrome.

Brainman
Fri, April 29, at 9 p.m. ET
The Science Channel

Yale Center for British Art
Louis Kahn
1969-1974

i have featured this one before. (please refer to post "very nice indeed" 3.8.05). i saved this one for last. this could be one of the finest buildings on the east coast. it has the best natural light of any space i have ever been in, and the architecture is completley timeless. yes it has a modern leaning, but when you really experience a kahn building, you can imagine it has been there for a hundred years.

yes it's true...it's not really an album, but a mass produced collection-tie in, to a Scorsese documentary, but damn i say....thats some good blues. (some live stuff you have never heard before too)

1. Trouble No More
2. Done Somebody Wrong (Live)
3. Stormy Monday (Live)
4. Cant Lose What You Never Had
5. Statesboro Blues (Live)
6. One Way Out (Live)
7. Hoochie Coochie Man
8. Im Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town (Live)
9. Dimples (Live)
10. Need Your Love So Bad
11. You Dont Love Me (Live)

Ingalls Rink

A Finnish immigrant born to a prominent architect father and a sculptor mother, Eero Saarinen graduated from Yale College with a honors degree in architecture. He attracted national attention when his Gateway Arch design won first place in St. Louis's Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Competition in 1948.

He then established his highly successful architectural firm Eero Saarinen & Associates and received commissions from corporations, government agencies and universities to design noteworthy buildings such as the TWA Terminal in New York's Kennedy International Airport.

In 1956, A. Whitney Griswold, president of the University at the time, invited Saarinen back to Yale to design several new buildings on campus. A patron of modern architecture and an aficionado of Saarinen's work, Griswold charged Saarinen with building the campus ice rink to be used primarily by the Yale hockey team.

As letters show, Griswold confidently guided Saarinen's plans past logistical and financial obstacles as well as fierce alumni opposition that argued the eccentric contours of the building would clash with the Gothic and colonial styles of the rest of the campus.

Paul Rudolph's crazy Temple street parking garage......

Yale Art and Architecture Building

"External forces dictated that this building turn the corner and relate to the modern building opposite as well as suggest that it belongs to Yale University. The internal forces demanded an environment suitable for ever varying activities which will be given form and coherence by the defined spaces within. As the years go by, it is hoped other interests and activities will take place within the spaces, but the space itself will remain."
Paul Rudolph
"The Architecture of Paul Rudolph." New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970.

"A small office cannot take on more than about seven million dollars worth of work a year, or its leader becomes nothing more than a critic of his draftsmen. Architecture is a personal effort, and the fewer people coming between you and your work the better. This keeps some people from practicing architecture... This is a very real problem, and you can only stretch one man so far. The heart can fall right out of a building during the production of working drawings, and sometimes you would not even recognize your own building unless you followed it through. If an architect cares enough, and practices architecture as an art, then he must initiate design; he must create rather than make judgments. The judgment of the artist is rather poor, as he is so personally involved he cannot objectively disassociate himself from the thing he is criticizing. So the critic, again, requires a certain type of mentality."
Paul Rudolph
"Architects on Architecture: New Directions in America."

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library contains the principal rare books and literary manuscripts of Yale University and serves as a center for research by students, faculty, and other scholars, whether affiliated with Yale or not. Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the Reading Room on the court level after researchers register with the Beinecke.
One of the largest buildings in the world devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts, the library has room in the central tower for 180,000 volumes and in the underground book stacks for over 600,000 volumes; it now contains about 500,000 volumes and several million manuscripts. Temperature and humidity controls ensure that stored materials are protected for future generations.
The building, of Vermont marble and granite, bronze and glass, was designed by Gordon Bunshaft, of the firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; the George A. Fuller Construction Company was the general contractor. Work began on the building in 1960 and was completed in 1963. The white, gray-veined marble panes of the exterior are one and one-quarter inches thick and are framed by shaped light gray Vermont Woodbury granite. These marble panels filter light so that rare materials can be displayed without damage. From the exterior, however, the building's powerful stone geometry serves to dominate the space it occupies in Hewitt University Quadrangle, amidst neo-Classical and neo-Gothic neighbors.

my lovely wife and i, have recently returned from a weekend trip to the fantastic ivy league town of new haven, connecticut. we travled to such a place to experience the modern architecture experiment that seemed to have taken place there between the 1950's and late 1980's. this becomes even more interesting, in it's direct juxtaposition to the storied classical architecture that adorns a great deal of Yale University. in the coming days, i shall endevour to catalog my findings, and present them to you, for your own enjoyment.....

Today, the Spanish-style soup we call gazpacho most nearly resembles a sort of chunky liquid salad, with lots of fresh, uncooked vegetables suspended in a broth of pureed tomatoes or tomato juice and chicken stock. In the summer when all of the vegetables are at their finest, this simple, modern soup is full of refreshing good flavor. It is a distant cousin, however, of this peasant fare as it first developed.

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes
1 cup cucumber -- chopped
½ cup green pepper -- chopped
½ cup celery -- chopped
¼ cup onion -- finely chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
1½ cups chicken broth -- low sodium
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 dash Tabasco Sauce
Croutons

Directions;Plunge tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen skins; then immerse in cold water. Slip skins off. Coarsely chop tomatoes (you should have about 2-1/2 cups) In large bowl combine chopped tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, celery, onion, and garlic. Stir in chicken broth, lemon juice, oil, sugar,salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Cover, chill thoroughly. Garnish each serving with croutons. Serves 8 - 10.

where have you been admiral? I have written you for countless days. why don't you answer my letters and e-mails concerning disco dancing, and the making of gazpacho?

my brother sent me this interesting site. a kind of six degrees of kevin bacon for all of rock and roll. and excellent way to track down the "roots" of your favorite sound...

white smoke = tuna
black smoke = roast beef

tuna it is

If you grew up around the Tri-State area, then this guy needs no introduction. For well over ten years, he was the spokesman for electronics chain Crazy Eddie. His name is Jerry Carroll, and his persona while reading the Crazy Eddie ads was...well, crazy. His stare was maniacal, his voice boomed, he flailed his arms about, and we loved it! This image personified the Crazy Eddie name just as the Antar family duo (father Sam and son Eddie) had intended. These tv spots were a hallmark of New York City area television throughout the late '70s and well into the '80s.

Starting in the early sixties, Fluxus followed in the footsteps of the Futurist and Dada avant-gardes, going against the established grain of Fine Art and Official Art and promoting imposture as an aesthetic dimension.

37 Short Fluxus Films
1962-1970

The next time you're in an argument; don't waste time searching for an effective comeback. If you want to get the last word, just use the incredible Mr. T in Your Pocket! Mr. T has a way with words -- HIS way. If Mr. T says "Shut up, Fool!" chances are you're gonna shut up... and quick.

This electronic device contains digital samples of six Mr. T sayings:
"I Pity The Fool"
"Don't Gimme No Back Talk, Sucka"
"Quit Your Jibba Jabba"
"Don't Make Me Mad (GRRRRR!!)"
"First Name Mister, Middle Name Period, Last Name T"
"Shut Up, Fool!"

When the situation calls for it, just press the appropriate button and let Mr. T handle things in his Mr. T way. Just Listen

i have been a bit lax in the blog area as of late. it seems work has kept my attention pulled away. i also have develop a fascination for taking naps while wearing my favorite over-alls. please stay tuned for furthur postings...useless or not....you be the judge.

Jack Johnson is definitely a staple of the pop music universe, a world i usually find myself far from, but i have always enjoyed his smooth ukulele grooves. when i listen, i feel like i may be on Don Ho's back porch. so give old jack a chance....the album cover is kinda nice too

Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson is to poker what Babe Ruth was to baseball, a larger-than-life giant of a man who not only helped to revolutionize and popularize the game he loved, but set the standard for achievement and excellence by which all other players are measured. Brunson won the World Series of Poker twice, but is perhaps better known for his greater contributions to the game. Twenty-five years ago, he co-wrote what has been called the "Bible" of poker "Super/System: How I Made Over $1,000,000 Playing Poker." He also pioneered higher virtues as one of the first respected voices in gambling to discuss the importance of honor and trust amongst his peers. Brunson came to personify the notion that gambling could be a respectable profession.

it seems one of my favorite steely dan songs was based on an interesting character. a lsd alchemist by the name of Augustus Owsley Stanley III "Bear"

check out the The Invisible Culture Institute

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A Chinese food delivery man was found trapped in a broken elevator Tuesday, more than three days after he was reported missing, police said.
Ming Kung Chen, 35, who worked for the Happy Dragon restaurant in the Bronx, was reported missing late Friday when he did not return an hour after setting out on a delivery.
Police said he was found about 6 a.m. on Tuesday and was hospitalized with dehydration.
Police were unable to question him immediately because he did not speak English.
Newspapers had reported the Chinese community feared that Chen, who is from Fuzhou province in China, might have been a victim of robbery or foul play by immigrant smugglers.

please go tell this man he looks good, and you can read his interesting lebowski facts too

the internet is shit

mon·ey (mun'e): A medium that can be exchanged for goods and services and is used as a measure of their values on the market, including among its forms a commodity such as gold, an officially issued coin or note, or a deposit in a checking account or other readily liquifiable account.

some of you may know of my recent harrowing experiences with my jeep cherokee sport being stolen off the mean streets of queens (please refer to earlier posts). at first this disastrous event left me reeling and quite confused. in the past month i have been borrowing the above pictured cadillac from my grandmother (who I believe lives with the aclaimed film maker wes anderson)(please refer to even earlier posts). i now find myself in the process of purchasing a new vehicle, as all insurance and other mitigating circumstances have been put to rest. the vexing question that lies before me is, how do i give up this fantastic piece of pimp sinatra machinery? do I purchase one of my own? do I join the mob? do I return to my much un-cooler past and fall back into the suv herds? this car has become a part of me. the leather...the size...the smoothness....the german tank like gas prices. any input is much appreciated......

The exterior of the new Nomadic Museum is seen during a press preview for Ashes and Snow, a multimedia exhibit by artist Gregory Colbert, March 2, 2005 in New York City. The Nomadic Museum, designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, is a 45,000 square-foot temporary museum made of 148 steel shipping containers and recycled paper tubes. The Nomadic Museum sits on Pier 54 on the Hudson River and is open to the public before traveling to Los Angeles, Beijing and Paris.

Ashes and Snow