fifteen.ca/

That's my friend, Raymond Biesinger, who's based in Edmonton, Alberta. He's one of them freelance illustrators, and I'm rather proud of him. I was just breezing through some of his recent stuff and wanted to share. You can also check out some of his gig posters here: http://www.gigposters.com/designers.php?designer=7829 Buy some of his art and tell him I sent you.

Anyhow, listening to the Avalanches' "Good Word for the Weekend Mix" of Badly Drawn Boy's "The Shining." Find it, and listen to it. Also, check out an Avalanches DJ set on "Morning Becomes Eclectic, KCRW." Watch out for the amazing bit of America's "Ventura Highway."

OK, so then, architecture.

I have a bit of a weird term. I have a studio course, plus three other classes: Architectural Structures II, Contemporary Theories in Architecture, and a seminar titled "Internally Displaced," which is run in tandem with the studio.

The seminar is easily the most interesting class I've had so far. Here's the brief:

"Internally Displaced focuses on the proliferation of new forms of settlements brought about by economic enterprise, political unrest, or environmental disaster. The seminar will attempt to situate these new forms of settlement within the discourse of postmodernism, transnationalism and nationalism, and draw deliberate connections between politics, economics, culture, and space-making. The question of how to reconcile the relationship of the needs of individual human beings with the complex network of forces operating at scales that far exceed the individual will be addressed. As global citizens, we must endeavour to understand the multitude forces at play that construct our changing landscape. As architects we must reflect on our participation and strategize a new theory of participation."

We've chatted about globalization, the transnational, and other things. This week is all about the national.

In the process of doing this term, however, I'm becoming bored with all the rest. The past, which we are meant to learn from, such that we're not "doomed to repeat it," seems, well, a bit irrelevant. I'm not sure how to reconcile that.

Finally, after a month of research-related projects on global infrastructures (both physical and more abstract), we're getting down to business with the actual site. More about that later. For now:

www.kitsault.com (watch the videos)

Also, go check out "Whatever Gets You Through Today" by the Radio. It's featured on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack. Just find it. Beg, borrow, steal, etc. I've listened to that song about 12 times in the past 24 hours.

And seriously, was Grey's Anatomy this evening not bleeping rad? Cannot wait until next week...