yeah, AIA has ditched record and I guess will start up with Architect. Arch Record seems to be getting desperate... as this issue was "on the house". Frankly, i could do without the mags, the only ones i really want a ridiculously expensive anyway. (i'm looking (and salivating over) you, detail)

i just thought the way the "architects" were dressed was a little odd... not one, but two "architects" were in white suits. Too be fair, it looks like they reduced an alt cover with a woman who seemed reasonably dressed. and i'm not saying it's bad looking, but really?

http://archrecord.construction.com/features/2011/1101what_now/

Wow, I AM impressed, though, that Record is bold/scared enough to ask "What the hell are we going to do now, ya'll?!?". They're usually too stiff-upper-lip for that, but obviously are trying harder to be relevant/critical now.

So does the white suit (drafting coat implication) and bow tie signify a return to hand craft?

Yeah, the word "spectacle" next to everyone's head made me think "eyeglasses" though. Oops.

I have to go take a look at that rag....

I always thought they spent way to much time sifting around the East Coast Architects...and once and awhile side across the country to the other Coast to once again link themselves to used to be East Coast Architects practicing on the West Coast....or want to be East Coast Architects located on the West Coast. They very seldom ever manage to put their plane down in the Midwest and if the do it is only in Chi-town cause there is SOM there. Well on the other hand isn't SOM everywhere along with Perkins and Wills (damn I always chuckle....thinking about pancakes when I see that name along with
Will Rogers)

what now? better graphic design i hope.

the what now got answered when robert ivy, editor in chief at record quit and took a position at the aia. 8 months on the short end, and 1 year max, then record is done.

today starts a week without my SO. those breaks are always nice here and there. absence makes the heart grow fonder!
here's hoping i can get the loads of work done that i plan to during this week...

Hi all I'm still alive. Was in Savannah all week for work. Got back late Thursday nite and am just now finally feeling human again, though my brain still feels like I'm walking through a thick fog.

SH - sorry to hear about the frustration with Abe and the class. Don't mean to be argumentative or anything but are you sure it doesn't have to do with the teacher to child ratio? Here in Ohio the ratio is kinda crazy and they might be holding him back because he might tip the ratio too far. If that's not the case that's pretty horrible she's keeping him back.

Funny photo barry. I drove by a tree the other day that was wearing a bunch of "sweaters". Made me chuckle.

*m, how did you like Savannah? If always found it to be a charming little place.

i always liked savannah too... it was also the first place that i ever got drunk, which happened during a studio trip in undergrad...

the first snow i've seen in quite a while. huge flakes fell for a bit here in louisianastan. now turned back to rain. am house/catsitting for some friends. they have two indoor cats who both like to sit in your lap and three outside young stray boy kitties. all very handsome and shy. one poor fellow has lost an eye and is named wink.

Big fluffy flakes falling here. Skiing, anyone?

wish i could go skiing. it has been too long. as for Savannah, love it.. Oaks and squares and brick streets

Philip, They were doing that trip even then?

It was raining here this morning, then sleet, now snow. I'm sure it will turn back into either sleet or snow at some point today. Nam, it's heading your way, so you may get to ski sooner than you think!

I'm too fucking busy, and most of it is non-billable. That is all.

my house has no water today. so, of course, i assumed it was a freeze in the house. i've spent all morning making sure that every space - including where the water service comes into the house - is at least 42d. still no water. maybe the problem is somewhere before my house?! argh.

so for the first time in my life I was a master of ceremonies at a wedding reception. It was fun, and have been invited to mc a couple other weddings coming up. How fun.

Also the missus was supposed to leave today but hasn't been cleared to travel so I have her for a few more days. Whoo hooo

I hope you're taking good care of her, Techno.

The snow stopped. It may even hang around for a while. Funny thing is that what little we did get has the city shut down like it's NYC.

What is it with this Plant vs Zombies game? Husband and Abram are obsessed. Weirdos.

sarah - just wait until they start playing angry birds...

It is Monday morning and I have a deadline before day is up. Joy! at least it is a long weekend..

What do you guys think...

I have a "lite" lasagna recipe that mixes tofu in with the ricotta. I don't want to use tofu. What if I use greek yogurt instead? Its lower in calories than the tofu, but i figure the tofu holds up better under heat. Maybe LF cream cheese? It only adds 12.5 calories to each serving. Husband is on a diet.

drinking a cuppa tea that reminds me of a good islay scotch - nice and smokey. certainly goes well with my turkey sandwich.

cheers!

tea that tastes like scotch? yes please!!!

Sarah, I say make the lasagna with regular ricotta only and serve husband a slightly smaller piece of it.

Tofu and lasagna hardly belong in the same sentence, let alone the same pan!

Low-fat cottage cheese mixed with melted neufchatel (or low-fat cream cheese)-- neufchatel has a stronger cheese flavor than cream cheese. Ricotta is hard to replace because it has that curdy texture mixed with a strong cheese flavor.

You could also used crumbled goat's milk cheese mixed with plain greek yogurt.

Feta is relatively low in calories for a cheese but you have to find a feta that's low in sodium. There's a way to wash it to remove some of the salt content in it but I do not remember the process.

If you want to make something really low-calorie that may work as a substitute, you could make a bechamel, scalded skim milk, add a small amount of a very powerful cheese and then gel it using xanthum gum or tapioca flour.

You'd make the roux for the bechamel separately. Take a cup of scalded hot milk, add it to a bowl, place tapioca flour (2 tablespoons) in a sifter and slowly sift it in while stirring. It should begin to thicken almost immediately and resemble melted jell-o. Then add that to the pan with the roux in it and stir while adding skin milk.

To prevent lumpy or grainy sauce, heat the milk mixture to near boiling, take off heat and whisk in a small amount finely grated, shredded or chopped cheeses.

Morbier, limburger, comte, stilton or even havarti would be good in a cheese sauce.

If you're using morbier limburger or comte cheeses, place the pot back on the stove on very lower heat and simmer while stirring every minute. Cooking these cheeses removes their strong flavor and odor.

And... you've basically now made "homemade" industrial cheese sauce.

Sarah,

I like to mix some mushrooms, a little oregano and fresh basil to the ricota to give more flavor.

yeah what uxbridge said. cottage cheese if you don't want tofu. although i have used tofu before....

and the first time i drank Lapsang Souchong Tea i thought of smoky scotch...

Sarah....just toss out the Noodles as they have all the carbs...!

n_ and Phil - of what I saw of Savannah I really liked it. Awesome houses and amazing trees. I loved the moss or whatever it is growing on them... made me think of of tinsel thrown on a tree for some reason. one night we went out to Tybee Island for dinner but it was dark by the time we got there. Seemed pretty cool. Hopefully I'll be able to get back someday for a non work adventure and see a little bit more of what the city has to offer.

i am in agreement with what donna says.

I just don't know about this diet stuff. I'm spending three times what I used to at the grocery store. I looked into cottage cheese, but decided I'd try mixing the cream cheese with Greek yogurt. It should be tangy. It will still be mixed with ricotta. I think the problem is that my actual lasagna omits ricotta completely in place of straight cream cheese and mozzarella. I will never forget how the girl in a Roman pasta shop looked at me when I told her American use ricotta in their lasagna. I wonder what she'd think now!

sarah do you mean that lasagna by Italians doesn't use ricotta?

And Orhan i agree, but i was cooking for mom, who wanted healthy option...

i like lasagna with ricotta. the only way to go, and if any disagrees, we'll cross swords.

En garde, beta: I make my sublime Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna with homemade bechamel and parmesan. And it's vegetarian, so you would like it. If not, you'd best unsheathe your sword....;-)

Not that I don't love ricotta - its texture is one of my Subtle Pleasant Sensations.

Nam.

"Real Italian" lasagna usually uses a besciamella (bechamel) sauce alternating with ragu between meat layers. It's thicker than its french cousin.

If cheese is used, it typically is mozzarella mixed with a hard white cheese like romano, parmesan et cetera as those cheeses absorb moisture when cooking.

Ricotta is often used for two reasons: it was easier to find farmers cheeses (cream, neufchattel, ricotta, cottage) in many parts of the world and because many people do not use raw pasta or fully cooked pasta when making their lasagna.

But it really depends on the region. Northern Italian lasagna has no ragu or marinara.

The term lasagna simply means "casserole." And just like broccoli and cheese casserole, there's no standard.

Very interesting Ux.

And Beta, I'm with Donna, schuuwing. En Garde!

Bechamel is by FAR my fave lasagna type! Donna if you ever have time I would love your recipe. Bechamel makes lasagna so much better that now that I've tasted it, I continually find myself disappointed with regular ricotta lasagna. Sad how beauty distorts the senses, innit?

Interesting, I first had bechamel lasagna IN France; I thought that WAS the French version, and assumed the "regular ricotta" was the original Italian.

since i don't eat meat but love tofu i have tried lasagna with tofu a few times. it is ok, but don't think it qualifies as lasagna somehow anymore.

good luck to husband and diet sarah. is it permanent change in the food you all eat?

speaking of grocery bills, with two growing kids in the house ours has increased to be nearly equal to our monthly rent lately. remember all those calculations saying how much it costs to raise a kid? it always seemed so high to me, but i am now convinced it is all on account of needing to feed the growth spurts ;-)

I got lucky! I'm now teaching in here:



can't wait to try out the 'state-of-the art active learning classrooms'! (there are just 10 of these on campus). My department has the BEST administrator ever at the U!



(more details about LA1001 will be shared soon...)

looks nice barry!

we have similar (but less new) system on my campus. the entire campus is actually wired for remote presence and interactivity etc. it is apparently a big hit for the students, though i have yet to try it out myself. i kind of feel old sometimes when learning to deal with this stuff ;-)

the entire active learning pedagogy thing is what i'm grappling with this year. architecture school does a good job indoctrinating folks into either a beaux arts or bau haus modes of studio learning (sort of active learning but not). there were very few alternatives for classroom experiences beyond the lecture or seminar discussion in my past to draw on. Got the lecture thing down and most of my course development efforts over the past year has been generating a library of lectures/ppt slides, and the home-work assignments. So I now have 4 days to lay the foundation for a more interactive and participatory semester (which I welcome), but this pushes my prep behind schedule.

oh well, I can always take it week by week instead of having the entire semester planned to a T. The big change is that the class participation grade probably needs to be more then just 10% at this point - so where to cut? perhaps I drop the reflection essays and shift those points to the class room.

my grade formula for LA1001 was going to be:

doh! the quizzes are redundant...

Morning all,

jump how long have you not eaten meat for? Is it a dietary, health or ethical thing?

Barry that is a very interesting site, is it bridging a street or something?

Uxbridge, i guess i might have known that. I ave had bechamel before.. interesting though explains why my friends mother (iwho is italian) always made lasgana a bit differently than i imagined...

barry pardon my ignorance but aren't the reflection essays almost "class participation"?

I would be interested in hearing more about active learning and how you are incorporating it. It is/was all the rage in k-12 education. Plus, in my ucrrent software trainer position we are doing a lot of stuff like eLearnings, interactive classroom experience etc.

Jump, Husband's diet change is part lifestyle, part experiment. I don't really cook unhealthy things, but husband has been working out hard, with a trainer, for months, and hasn't lost a pound. So, he wants to try a few months of eating recipes that have the calorie/portion size written out, and no drinking. We'll see if anything changes. I'm thinking he should go to the doctor for a physical. I don't think he's big, but he does. I'm trying to be supportive.

Active learning? I'm curious. Let me know how it goes.

reflection essays/journals entries document a student's personal reaction to the material - comes from the 'service-learning' movement. Since learning about sustainability requires accepting your own environmental impacts and questions about lifestyle/needs vs wants and other existential issues, those reflections provide students a chance to come to terms with the implications of what they learn.

from what I can tell, there is more innovation in the k-12 community with pedagogical techniques then in the higher ed side. maybe it's because most k-12 folks majored in education versus the higher ed folks being trained mostly within disciplines that they teach. I'm still a newbie when it comes to pedagogy so it's easy to get excited about all these new approaches. maybe after I'm tenured, I'll become more jaded.

ahh pedagogy.. I think you are right though barry. the discipline specific focus versus an actual education in how to be a teacher is huge.

I think it is why many higher ed students complain about their teachers lack of ability to teach. Especially with regards to the advances of digital technology and the way in which many high ed courses are still basically lecture in front of a class. It is all about in + out of class student/teacher interaction, faciliatated by technology...

seems like a really great idea - I'm wondering if it could work around here...