Hi TC!

Maybe puddles on spring break to south padre island...

It's nice to have a few days without having to teach. I finally have time to think this semester.

Got my latest book review assignment last week:Marcel Smets' The Landscape of Contemporary infrastructure - thanks Nam for letting me know about his GSD talk! Now I have 6 months to read it and write something pithy for Landscape Journal's next issue. My book review of Weiler & Scholz-Barth's Green Roof Systems is now out in the LJ current issue - need to check if I can post it to my blog or not...

Not like I have time, but I'm starting to consider finally getting on twitter. it would be fun broadcast little hiakus to the world (not just to my friends on facebook).

ps - will Katherine Long let me know her nome du archinetrix?

i really belive Puddles is a "free mason"

shuttle cocks just seems to be an appropriate image no?

barry, marcel smets gave a lecture here at upenn a few weeks ago... unfortunately i missed it, but we've been trying to record all of the lectures... i just checked the penndesign itunes page and it isn't there, but it might get uploaded eventually...

smet's lecture (GSD version) is online.

http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/events/webcasts/

toasteroven thanks now I am going to fully archi-nerd it up and watch them all!! I spent the weekend watching the entire architectures1 series with the Bauhaus, and works by Jean Nouvel. Oh wait the gsd videos seem to cut the sound 1/4 way through or is it just me and my shitty connection??

Slart, those green cabinets are Kraftmaid - we ordered them unfinished and did a custom spray paint job on them. My house in Philly had Ikea's Akurum Adel in Birch.

Contracts, contracts, contracts....my eyes hurt....

I am not sure if puddles got totally banned... I feel like just before he disappeared he changed his name to his "real" name, and that name is still showing up on le bossman's "Lords of Archinect" thread. So maybe he is on the DL list, like in baseball?

Barry, don't do Twitter. It's a waste of time. There's only like 3 feeds that are truly worth reading, most of that info I can get on my Google Reader. And so help me god, if I find out that anyone of you ever start a Twitter feed in your child's name, I'm defriending you.

That said, I just saw the link to Lady Gaga's new video on Twitter (LOL) but I watched it yesterday. I don't think we've ever talked Gaga on TC... I would love to hear your opinions on her. Love her? Hate her? I like her, personally, I don't think she gives a sh$t and I enjoy watching her blow all her money on costumes. It's kind of like a dream of mine, to be able to spend that kind of money on outfits. Honestly, she doesn't wear a whole lot of anything in several parts of this, though. (Very NSFW, or kids, or sensitive eyes, or to people with taste, etc.)

archi - I've only made it through maybe 5 minutes of any webcast on the GSD site before I get interrupted or doze off... I hope they post the Moneo lecture online.

good to see the sketch thread bumped again...

also - I think Project Crit Central needs some kind of official section in archintect... at the very least allow comments on stuff in the image gallery.

LB - I'm also a fan of Lady Gaga. Love the costumes.

Anyone here ever heard of Sammy's cabinets? My "client"has been working with a kitchen designer that specializes in European style cabinetry and when we went to the designers link it went to some Asian (not sure which country) website company so I can't really check out the finishes or anything else. The company also installs Aya but I guess the Sammy line is a little less pricey and has cool colors.

I digress.

Morning all. Hope everyone is staying as dry as possible.

Morning melt and all

I don't mind Gaga. I did until i saw her on SNL awhile back and she actually kind of blew me away.

Her new video is crazy with some prison lesbianism thrown in for good measure (or adolescent boys).

As for GSD they always work for me. From home or work. I "watch" (read: listen with an occasional glance at the screen) when at work all the time.

Never have a problem with Sound. Although there are some videos on the AA website that are way too low for me to even hear them. Unless maybe i was in a empty house, but not at work.

One on cyborg urbanism and the other on water urbanism in Asia.

Anywho. I am feeling weird the last few days. I think it is the time/season change. Plus, feeling optimistic/apprehensive about the upcoming year.

Holy crap, I counted 28 product placements in that "telephone" video and at least 6 subliminal messages.

You do realize she's nothing but a marketing vehicle for a flailing record industry?

oh the sketch thread just depresses me... i wish i could draw. anybody have any secrets of the trade to keep up sketching. i keep my sketchbook with me, but it goes for months without any new additions.

Wish I could help, postal. But, damn, I'm not keeping up with it either. Even worse, I didn't even realize I haven't been keeping up with it. The sketch thread did bring back some nice memories though.

No, I did not realize that, Montagneux. Can you please elaborate on that?

I like the music, and I am intrigued that she is so popular without being particularly attractive.

I went to a Moneo lecture once. He was the ugly kind of arrogant. Not confident-arrogant, but disgustingly arrogant, the kind that is a complete turn-off. I'm sure you know what I mean, even if I didn't explain it well.

I got a nice, new sweater top for 3 bucks, yesterday! I'm wearing it today, and I feel fabulous.

And just in case I do buy that chair, how should I check to make sure it is real. I mean, it looks like the Eames lounger, and I can't imagine some one would make a knock-off of a chair that seems less than popular, but maybe I am just biased.

And, I'm loving the new weather!!! It makes me feel, well, twitterpated.

Mornin'!

postal - most of the time I'm doodling or practicing my gestures (short gestures, big gestures), hatching/shading, and other kinds of marks you typically use when sketching. my sketchbook is half filled with these kinds of mindless exercises. I think this is the secret - you don't always have to be sketching things around you, just drawing and making marks and practicing technique.

there is some real talent on that thread - I should post some of my stuff...

I will complete the sort-of horror of watching that video two or three times to get all of them.

1. Female Guard Right-- Rayban
2. Prisoner with headphones in yard-- Heartbeats by Lady Gaga Monster Ear Buds.
3. Makeout scene in yard-- Virgin Mobile

Holding Cell
4. Lady Gaga- Diet Coke Can Curlers
5. Lady Gaga- Chanel
6. Accomplice- Rayban Clubmasters

Hallway dance scene
7. Another Virgin Mobile Spot
8. LG Phone

Guard Gate
9. HP's new laptop line
10. Laptop has Beats by Dr. Dre Logo on back
11. Plentyoffish.com on laptop screen

Pussy Wagon Truck scene
12. Little Debbie Honey Buns
13. Double Breasred Drive Thru cup a nod to KFC
14. Polaroid Camera

Diner scene
15. Miracle Whip on table
16. Wonder bread in kitchen
17. Miracle Whip in kitchen
18. Crisco Vegetable oil
19. Honey uses Kraft Foods Honey Maid logo
20. Coors Light
21. Polaroid Photobooth

There's are the most obvious I can find.

Many of the glamour shots focus on items from this years 2010 Collections (mostly John Galiano, Christian Louboutin, Alexander Mcqueen)-- which is mildly humorous since this video coincided with fashion week (Feburary). Almost all of the brands shown in the video are own by Luxottica.

montagnuex, over on Jezebel they are talking about the product placement in the video.

But honestly, Gaga has talent, she's not just a record company creation or overly-styled emptiness. There's a video in the internets somewhere of her performing in a talent show thingey in college - brown hair, formal recital-type dress - where her talent really shows. She's smart: plays piano, sings, understands cultural campiness and can turn it on or off as suits.

If it's not clear, I adore her. I even started a thread about her awhile back. Angus and I sing along to Paparazzi and Poker Face in the car - it's fun music, but backed up by a very smart, and very young still, woman. I expect her to get better and better, if she can navigate this extreme level of attention right now.

Oh, I think as a pop culture monster she is pretty swell. I mean, there's a lot of intelligence and moves regarding image.

I think unlike many 'failures' over the past two decades... GaGa is probably the smartest out of all of the Pop Icons.

But the things that grinds my gears about her isn't really her. It's the many countless people who brand her as original and as 'art.' When she is really neither-- there are countless many filthy electro/pop/indie female darlings who either aren't as marketable or chose not to be and her fashion and 'art' is really just a lens of the haute couture crowd.

I mean... she's really just a high-energy Bjork that people can actually understand what she is saying and slightly more accessible than say Icelandic hair pieces and monsters growing out of her nipples.

That being said... I've recently become aware of how pervasive product placement actually is.

I saw a figure that on big T.V. nights (like thursdays), there's approximately 9,000 product placements an hour on the broadcast networks. So, when you see that can of squirt sitting a sideboard in the background of a TV show like Law & Order: SVU... it's placement was purely intentional.

Great sketching on the Sketch Thread. I've been meaning to get back to sketching for a while now, but never seem to actually get my butt in gear. Perhaps now I will.

SH
it's weird.. i feel like i responded to your comment regarding about the eames lounge chair and that your last comment was then responding to it..but i didn't actually say anything and you read my mind.

the number one thing i would look into is whether or not it's a fake...
and the eames lounge chair...with ottoman correct? is an extremely popular chair.. at least here on the east coast for sure and thus there are a ton of reproductions. i dream of finding people in the middle of the country that hate it and are selling it for $50...any eames chairs really... i think i have 8 at the moment. (only one of them being the eames lounge chair)

the details you should look at are: 1 the feet...they're pretty unmistakable. 2. the hinge connection between the seat and the back. 3. the arms. and then it's just the shape..

it's a very comfortable chair...this is all assuming we're talking about the leather lounge chair...or even plywood lounge chair.

Just got an acceptance letter from the University of Cincinnati... Advanced standing plus some scholarship money!

While DAAP is my top pick and I'm almost certain to enroll there if I can find a way to cough up the rest of the money I'll need, I'll still wait until I hear back from OSU (already accepted, but waiting to hear back about financial aid) and Kentucky (no word yet about acceptance or financial aid) before I make a final decision... Thanks to the TC'ers who initially encouraged me to apply to OSU and UK. It's nice to have options, even if I ultimately end up at UC anyway.

There is no ottoman, at least not one I can see from the highway as I drive by. It is the bent ply and black leather chair, with a base similar to a roller deck chair, you know, the star sort of shape. I guess I will have to really do some research. Right now, the chair isn't even sitting level on the sidewalk; it simply looks like some one just chunked it out of a truck bed, and it hasn't moved since.

Congrats LIG!

lars, can I get some pictures of what you mean, please? I'm having trouble finding details on the web; all the photos are just of the chair.

Ok, so is the bottom half of the back only attached at the arms? How does that work?!

hey SH
so..the bottom portion of the chair is attached to the base.
the back of the chair is attached to the base with a hinge connection at the arms and the bottom and top of the back are attached by two metal pieces.

i'm at work at the moment..but i can take some pictures of mine later to show you what i mean.

and congrats LIG

yeah congrats LIG.

That's great news, LIG! Congratulations!

congrats LiG...

sarah, take a look at dwr... you can see a bunch of different angles and a few of the details.

Thanks! Now I just need to figure out how I'm going to pay for it...

LiG, rock on!

congrats LiG!

SH - hmm... I've never seen moneo talk, so I'll keep that in mind if I ever get around to watching the lecture. thanks for the warning.

I have a couple of original eames chairs (not the lounge) - they have "herman miller" and the date they were made stamped on the bottom.

awesome, LiG!!!! Congratulations!!! Having followed your trials and tribulations with schooling over the years, I know this is hard won and I'm sure very comforting for you. It must be great to know once and for all, for sure, that you're on the right track. You earned it!

Congratulations Gin.

Congrats LIG on the acceptance.

Yay gin!

Re: Twitter. My opinion is the exact opposite of dubk's.
All of the best new articles and design news I'm reading right now is coming via my Twitter follows. Amazing access to things I wouldn't have found otherwise.

Yeah for Gin!

Husband and I have to go to a funeral today. Actually, we have to go to the viewing and the funeral. It has prompted me to write about deathcare options on my blog. I might offend people with my matter of fact way of looking at death, but I don't mean too, I know that death is a very personal thing, and dealt with differently by all.

I'm going to check out that chair today, or maybe this weekend when I can take Husband and his truck with me.

Oh yeah...

[green]Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!![/green]

Oh, Damn.

I haven't gotten into twitter... I don't know who to follow aside from aplusk.

unless I'm missing something, 99% of tweets seem like the answer to the question "where you at?"

happy evacuation day!

i don't find the 'status update' use of twitter valuable at all. what i like is that i can 'follow' the people that i think are very smart and they'll link to smart things.

a few to check out: brucemaudesign, designmilk, urbanophile, inhabitat, bruces (bruce sterling), jonahlehrer, architectmag, blairkamin, dezeen, lifesansbldgs, archpaper, TEDchris, whitehouse, coudal, timabrahams, mspeaks, infrastructurst, chugooding, designobserver, frogdesign, cityofsound, archdaily, and - for random curiosities - greatdismal (william gibson).

(lets see whether that worked...)

oh, and pomeranian99 (clive thompson), danielpink, ellenlupton, ...

Afternoon all and Happy St Pattys.

I have to agree with Steven while i do some broadcasting (tweeting) myself the thing I use Twitter for the most is to find links to articles etc that are of interest. It is basically all design stuff and some music.

Steven. I think I will add William Gibson, thanks for that one.

I'm kind of queasy at the moment.

It is weird how applying for a job is kind of like dating.

For the one job I really really want... I sent my cover letter and resume out a week ago. The ad didn't mention anything about no calls or email.

Thinking about calling but feel like it is too soon. Perhaps e-mail first, wait it out and then call in three days?

I always feel like unless they give you a nod or even some sort of generic response e-mail... that it is rude to call when there's been no prior contact at all.