Big WAD Underway in London

Woo-Hoo, World Architecture Day 2012 has finally arrived, with London playing host to this year’s industry celebrations.

Held on October 1 each year, World Architecture Day (WAD) is organised (or, organized) by the International Union of Architects (UIA) in partnership with World Architecture News (WAN). It brings together industry cretins from across the world to celebrate, discuss and debate architecture around the world, and why anyone but them gives a shit about any of it.

This year’s theme, ‘Architects Are City Changers’ is bringing the focus back to the challenges and possibilities inherent in future urban planning strategies. The theme is an extension of the United Nations ‘Better Cities, Better Lies’ urban planning campaign and will follow in the UN’s footsteps in terms of founding ideologies and meaningless points throughout the day’s proceedings and discussions, including those countries and cities still living in the Eighth Century.

World Architecture Day will touch on a number of issues irrelevant to the modern world, including population density, the importance of collaboration and sustainability, and the significance these factors have when it comes to planning long-lasting, sustainable cities in the near future. The prevalence of technology as an industry tool and a creator of opportunity will serve as another major point of focus.  We couldn’t decide where to insert “yeah, right” in this paragraph.

According to programme director Michael Hammond, World Architecture Day offers a platform for positive mediocre promotion, not only for developments and practices, but also for the sharing of ideas and innovation.  There will be a forum on how to formulate statements of policy and information that will be able to fill pages and pages of white paper reports, saying absolutely nothing, but gaining world credibility just on the sheer weight of the fucking report.

what the fuck is this?

“World Architecture Day provides an unparalleled opportunity for leaders across the industry to connect, exchange ideas, share practice of self-promotion and drive really ludicrously expensive cars,” he says. “The event won’t be in London next year, so this is the perfect chance for the architectural community to come together and start learning words mispelled with ‘s’.”

Keynote speakers Will Alsop and Rafael Viñoly will lead keynote discussions centering on the importance of a holistic industry with a focus on building smarter and maximising (another example with an ‘s’ here) the potential of sustainable building, technology and industry collaboration. 

Some won't get 'em

I've been fighting the urge on this.  On one hand, I don't care yet on the other hand I really don't care.  However, a good friend of mine who DOES care about all this shit, and who I respect, cued me into a pretty good explanation from the NFL:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000066164/article/nfl-supports-decision-to-not-overturn-seahawks-touchdown?fb_comment_id=fbc_452741481436219_5232571_452765698100464#f2e25bd4c4

(good lord, what a browser link!)

So, I came down to the basement to yell a minute.

My thoughts on this are such that if the tables were turned, this would not be the issue it is.  Green Bay is SUPPOSED to always win, and Seattle is SUPPOSED to always lose.  That's why the dust-up.  This game was perceived to be stolen from the entitled, no matter of rule or reality.

I don't claim to be a football fan.  I'm just not manly enough and though I'v really worked on it, I just can't manage to fart really loud.  I'm just a dork, down in his basement yelling.

Now, I can't imagine the Seahawks will get much help from a win here.  Even if they won every game from here on out and the next 5 super bowels...oops, bowls, they would have no national respect.  That's the way it is.  

It's always something...

Humpty Dumpty

Hats off to Stephen Pastis.


It's always something

Zany Wit - 3+ weeks in Kansas

I am in Salina Kansas.  I’ll be here until mid September and I am getting to catch up on all the values and things I’ve lost or forgotten since moving away from here 40 some odd years ago.

One of the really basic precepts in living here is that if one wants to do an activity away from the house (or sometimes perhaps in the house) if one wants to do something, one has to ‘get ready’.  This can mean anything from changing to more appropriate clothes to getting some money to carry.  As is commonly known here, credit cards are fine but you never know when there will be a credit melt down or some such crisis requiring you to have money.  Changing clothes never used to be a problem back when everyone dressed like Ward and June Cleaver, but nowadays its different. 

Another thing about getting ready is making sure the car has enough gas, has a recent oil change, has enough air in the tires and knowing who is going with you on your activity and are THEY ready. 

As I sit in the guest bedroom at the back of my mom’s house listening to Fox News and the start of the Republican convention on volume level 45 across the house in the living room, I’m reminded of all the new knowledge that awaits my edification.  Gosh, you know, I’m actually looking forward to 25 more days of nothing but Fox News.  I’ve already heard quit a lot of their programming and have to say what a joy it is to listen to such a marvelous blend of downright zany wit, and unbridled caustic hatred towards all those not like us.  And we know who we are, don’t we?

Yes we do.  And we’re in Kansas.

More to come….

Squashed Like a Bug

Yeah, squashed like a bug over at Redmond District Court. 

You see, when I went in to file my protest I asked – specifically -  asked the clerk, “…hey, this is after the 10 day filing deadline.  Will I be ok with this?” 

“Sure, the judge is pretty understanding.”

And by golly the judge was pretty understanding.  He explained to me that he understood he had no say in the city 10-day rule or waiver of such.  The city legal counsel got up and summarily dismissed me like I was an insignificant piece of pet waste that had somehow tracked into the courtroom on someone’s shoe.  I asked for some understanding but, (and I’m sure I’m right) they really had no case so the counsel dismissed me with smug aplomb and great personal satisfaction using the 10-day rule.

I asked the judge if I could at least have a public say.  He said, “No, you may not.”  And that was that.  So I left the courtroom feeling a little like a US citizen in the 21^st century. 

I went over to City Hall.  Went up to Traffic engineering to at least tell them their sign was misleading (we’ve been through that).  They were all out.  I was invited to “wait around”, but the steam was beginning to emit from my ears again and I just left.  So I went home and sent the engineer an email with the twenty seven eight-by-ten color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one stating what the crime was and how I was so sorry for following the sign.

So, lesson learned.  I made two fatal mistakes.  One was obeying a sign.  The other was believing a law clerk.  Let this be a lesson.  And, if you believe a politician, well, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.

It’s always something

Non - Moving Violation - Part III

So I finally went down to the District Court building today to submit my "Impounded Vehicle Hearing Request" form complete with my name, address, license number, VIN number, make and model and 50 other line items WITH the box checked that said "To contest the validity of the impound".

I've already put $250 bucks down the hole to get my car back.  Now, to contest it - that is to say, attest to the fact that my car was parked WEST of a sign that said "No Parking EAST of HERE", when it should have really said, "No parking East of OVER THERE", since my car was over there, west of here; to contest it I needed to put ANOTHER $83 BUCKS down the slot to gamble a victory.

Add to this, the fact that you only have 10 days to send in the form.  It's been 30 days, because I had waited for a traffic ticket that never showed up in the mail.  So they may throw it out.  So the $85 might rattle down into the change box switching on "game over".  We'll see.

Non-Moving Violation, Part II

Here is a photo of the "offending car", parked west of the sign that says "No Parking EAST of here".  This photo was taken looking west.  So, east of "here" is behind where I took this, standing just east of the sign saying 'no parking east of here', or right up there, where the sign is, indicating where "here" is.

Ok, so the city police department finally got back to me and said I have to fill out a Form requesting a hearing to plead my case; Getting my $240 back from being towed.  I'll get this form tomorrow and take it to the courthouse.

It's always something.....