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Sarah Hamilton

Techno, if you're truely worried, you could simply email a bunch of us, or you could post on another thread, like dear abra, or the advice thread.

Jul 25, 08 3:00 pm  · 
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Archi,
That sucks...
Is it possible to continue to stay active with freelance or project management/contracted work?
Weren't you doing that at one point?

Jul 25, 08 3:01 pm  · 
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tk- Exactly. People would forge paperwork to get out of having a 323, so they'd probably commit murder to get out of an 818. In my haste to prove my escape from LA was permanent, I gave up a 213 without a second thought.

techno, you can always email me. I hope things get better for you.

Jul 25, 08 3:34 pm  · 
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hi all...the contract work here would be limiting and it would be better I head home for that. Once I've taken a bit of time off (travel, baby!!) I will start looking for work. I have enough to cover mortgage payments and construction for another 6-8months too.

and watch out for those emails - I will be sending. Thanks for the kind words

Jul 25, 08 4:36 pm  · 
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****melt

Atechno - Sorry to hear about the contract. That totally sucks. what about your property? Will you keep as an investment?

I won't give up my 614 area code for nothing. But then again, I've had my number for almost ten years and I think my friends would have a heart attack if I gave it up.

Jul 25, 08 4:59 pm  · 
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myriam

I've always thought it was funny, the classist mentality that phone area codes can give us, as well as zip codes. In Boston, the right zip code in the city meant a big deal and I heard stories of people not purchasing houses because they were perhaps across the street, on the "wrong" side of the zip code line. Funny.

Oh yeah, and, hello again, TC!

Jul 25, 08 5:02 pm  · 
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snook_dude

I want Santa's Zip Code! Just think of all the Cookies that get sent there every year, screw the phone calls.

Jul 25, 08 5:06 pm  · 
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snook_dude

Talk About Wine.....it is Wine tasting night....and I was given the tickets which is even better....might even have to upgrade to the
VIP Room.....inorder to get the good hooch! Anyone have any expensive wines I should be on the look out for which might be your favorite occassion wine besides Boones Farm Passion Pink.

Jul 25, 08 5:08 pm  · 
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that classist zip code/area code thing must come with certain territories. i've never even thought about such a thing, whether living here (ky), minneapolis, new orleans, or various places in va.

Jul 25, 08 5:40 pm  · 
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Sarah Hamilton

I'm with Steven. I've never heard of any of that in Dallas. Maybe I just have the wrong area code. I have thought in the past, though, that if you live in Texas, and your zipcode doesn't start with 75, that its odd, but thats only because its so rare.



Jesus Christ is it hot outside. I thought I'd be sweet, and Mow and Weedeat the yard for Husband, as a surprise (I NEVER do yard work). My Gosh! I got the mowing part done, but eff the weedeating. I'm in danger of heatstroke as it is.

Jul 25, 08 6:04 pm  · 
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WonderK

It's actually pleasant here in Cincinnati. Which is good since I'm meeting tuna for dinner in a bit.

I've heard much about the area code thing in each city I've lived in. But for me it's not the Cincinnati 513 that bedazzles, it's the rest of the number (techno that's for you, lol).

Jul 25, 08 7:03 pm  · 
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liberty bell

DubK you are bedazzling no matter the number attached to you.

Margaritas are good, beachside even better, while wild children veg in front of the TV exhausted from being in the sun all day better yet.

Confession: when it comes to sand castles, I definitely prefer blobitecture.

techno, TC adores you. Hang in there!

Jul 25, 08 7:15 pm  · 
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is crazy hot and humid here. sweating as soon as you leave the door kinda weather. yesterday this was added to with a torrential downpour that i was happy to be stuck in while riding bike back from grocery store...was like taking a shower in hot water. kinda fun in fact...


so, i presented my final presentation for phd and the jurors seemed to think i did some good work, so it looks like all i gots left is the crossing of the tees and the dotting of the eyes. and i will be dr jump in just a few months time. very very strange feeling. first for not having this thing hanging over my head and secondly because when i was growing up it never occurred to anyone, including me that anything more than vocational school would ever be possible....

speaking of bicycles...i mentioned wayback how everyone rides their bikes here. and when i say everyone i mean businessmen in suits, kids, grand-peoples, housewives and babees, really everyone...and NOBODY has a cool 1000 dollar bike but the hard-core cyclists (Tezuka architects' boss, btw has legs the size of trees - he showed them to me- so there you go, architects can be cyclists too).

anyway, some images of the cycle-driven life. these are middle of day so not too crowded. at 5.00pm the area looks like beijing in the 1980's. but with trees.

grocery


library


entrance to apt.


it really is the best way to live. we all love it. Nicest thing about the ubiquity of this whole lifestyle is that there is an airpump for bike tires set up right beside the grocery-store (which is located under an apt. building btw)...brilliant.

Jul 25, 08 7:56 pm  · 
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Funny that you mention that "so there you go, architects can be cyclists too"- in an interview with the advocacy director for the Cascade Bicycle club that I did a few months ago, he mentioned that the creative class actually makes up a substantial portion of the cycling community. Apparently because designers have greater than average flexibility in the workplace and are used to defying social norms, it makes us prime candidates for inciting change.

Jul 25, 08 8:53 pm  · 
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hm, that IS interesting, rationalist.

it is worth noting that NONE of those buildings have room for car parking. the only connection to the auto-world is the loading zone out back....not only is that ok with everyone, in fact there are TWO full-size supermarkets on the street pictured above, each about the size of a typical safeway, and sitting on either side of an underpass for pedestrians that leads everyone into a park space behind the housing tower. inside the park there are also a butcher, an open-air grocer and fish seller, and they ALL seem to be doing good business. its all supported by the high densities of tokyo, which is not as bad as it seems once you live it, but i can't actually imagine in north america.

Tokyo has 33 million people, which is bigger than all of canada put together, so it is hard to actually use this context as a model...but it sure is nice to be here.

Jul 26, 08 12:09 am  · 
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hi all I'm in from the night on the piss. It's raining and I've been dancing, drinking, and having a great time. I didn't have a care in the world its great. I also go some great compliments from former contractors that really touched me. I also got an offer to set up a design-build with a CoW whose wife is a diplomat and is diplomat is shaking water for fun. I doubt I'll take that offer because I am so particular whom I work with.

Anyway...its been really hard to type this post cause well I'm psht'd and tired as well. Love to all

hi dr jump, congrats on the successful presentation of your thesis or was it a dissertation? I'm never to sure how other countries refer to it.

DubK...shoot those other numbers. I'll give you a call.

Jul 26, 08 3:42 am  · 
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congratulations dr. jump. what an accomplishment among everything else you are doing.

Jul 26, 08 5:40 am  · 
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Dr. Jump.
That is awesome, and i just can't get over the ubiquity of bikes.
It seems like China/Beijing ten years ago pre-construction and car boom.
Except Japan isn't looking to adopt tha auto-centered car en masse like China seems to want.
Also, i didn't realize Japan was humid i always think of it as having great, cool weather. Not sure why,...

Jul 26, 08 10:49 am  · 
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treekiller

I prefer: Jump PhD. congrats!

anyway, got caught in the critical mass ride last night on the way to happy hour in uptown. the cops in bikes were the worst offenders and most dangerous riders of the entire lot. wtf??????

happy hour was happy and the official debut of the sapling to the office folks. only one co-worker asked to hold him.


now just waiting for the missus to return from here daily constitutional walk round the lake so I can do more the type one handed and feed the kid...

a speck of dust on my screen has the archinect page name looking like: Arçhinect. any signs of the non-english typing crowd around here recently?

Jul 26, 08 11:50 am  · 
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brian buchalski

a french archinect...that might be interesting

Jul 26, 08 12:30 pm  · 
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brian buchalski

not really an expensive wine...but i had this earlier in the week and enjoyed it

Jul 26, 08 12:33 pm  · 
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vado retro

i am at the libary. my internet at home has been down all week which means my phone is down as well. i am typing this while a teenage couple sits across from me. the girl who is prolly 15 has several huge hickies on her neck! youth is wasted in on the young. just melted my credit card at the mall buying some gear for my trip...the weather here is oppressive and i need a nap bigtime. maybe i'll swing by the store and get some cali rolls and squid salad for lunch. back to my crib for the life of a lonely internetless bachelor.

Jul 26, 08 1:28 pm  · 
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myriam

A *very* high percentage of the architects I know in my city commute by bike only, and the rest use public trans. I can think of only two off-hand who commute consistently via vehicle. Actually the majority in my firm get to work via bicycle, including the boss man. Wait, no, it's a straight 50%, with an additional occasional rider. The rest walk or take the train.

I would say the rate of bike-ridership here in my city is significantly, very significantly higher among design professionals than amongst the city at large. VERY much higher.

Jul 26, 08 5:14 pm  · 
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thats funny/curious (about designers and bikes)

thanks for kind words all. not dr yet, but all the hard work is done. hurray.

japan is a semi-tropical country. think vietnam war movie type of place. hot wet and sticky. but only for a month or two each year. the rest of the year is brilliant.

tokyo and the other big cities are the only places that are really bike-centred. once you leave the city its all cars all the time and the cities look exactly like suburban america. except denser.

no internet would be mildly crazy-making for me vado. hope you don't have to put up with the lack for too long.

showing sapling to office sounds fun treekiller. and you have lake to walk around? man that sounds super fine.

Jul 26, 08 6:49 pm  · 
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treekiller

mpls is superfine for 3 months of the year -then it gets cold, very very cold. One joy is the spring time thunderstorms/tornado warnings - real weather. but negative 20 degrees f in the winter is too damn arctic for the eskimo in me.

Jul 26, 08 8:16 pm  · 
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snook_dude

I ache... did the back yard thing today. Fixed the fence from the fallen tree. Our yard looks like a jungle of weeds, I purchased a weed wacker....a good one cause I have to go after the jungle tomorrow.....well that is if I can still move. I'm not a kid able to toss hay bales all day long go out and dance the night away and get up and do it again. So I will pray while I sleep: Give me strength to week wack tomorrow.

Actually it did feel good to not be hanging at the computer all day,
and actually doing something physical.

Jul 26, 08 8:23 pm  · 
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liberty bell

Archinect just belched a dozen "Someone just replied to your comment..." emails at me - all from several months ago!

Jul 26, 08 9:31 pm  · 
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hi all went on an afternoon hike through a ghaut (tropical gulley). It had just rained and all the rocks were slippery and wee water falls spouted everywhere. Nature has a way making good a typically shitty week.

Jul 27, 08 2:03 pm  · 
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brian buchalski

i hadn't noticed it before but i just checked out liberty bell's link to the feist on sesame street video and i think it's brilliant. suddenly i'm a big fan of the number four

1...2...3....4...chickens just back from the shore

i'm watching the chickens in my yard now but i don't think they've been to the beach

Jul 27, 08 2:28 pm  · 
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****melt

I'm still alive. Gray kitty finally reappeared after 9 days missing She's dozing at my feet. Wish I could overcome the language barrier to find out where she's been.

Future Dr Jump ;o) - those photos are awesome. None of them look like they are locked up either. That's so cool.

Off to go clean some more. I have guests coming over for dinner and after sanding last weekend my whole house needed a good scrubbing. Fortunately I'm almost done.

Another reason I keep my old phone number is that I'm still in denial that I'm actually still stuck here.

Jul 27, 08 8:03 pm  · 
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lol, tuna. you don't like where you are?


the bikes are all locked, just a bar that runs through te back tire basically so no one can ride off with them. easy to pick up if one had the inclination to walk away with a bicycle. but with so many people around and the copshop every few blocks (neighbourhood police are important part of life here) it wouldn't be worth it except as a joke maybe... very different from life back in canada i must say...

Jul 28, 08 2:43 am  · 
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Cameron

OK LA-peeps I'll be in town Monday night as I'm doing a 'get out the vote' campaign on Tuesday. If you are interested in meeting my facebook status will have all the deets. Hope you are all having an awesome summer and that it has been filled with strong drinks.

C.

Jul 28, 08 3:15 am  · 
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snook_dude

I just came from a planning and zoning meeting where our project was approved. However the people before us were a treat to watch.
A Civil Engineer and her client. They are turning a chicken shack into
Used Car Dealership. I must clarify there Architect was not present.
They go thru the site presentation and all the wonderful things their going to do to improve the site holding the building back for what I think is going to be the real BANG! The owner pulls it up and places it on the easel and my oh my....it is looking frightfully bad. A member of the Panel asks a couple of questions. The owner responds, "Well the Architect Tried." The statement stuck with me but floated by everyone else in the room. I'm really wondering more and more what the heck our profession is about. That owners don't
have enought money in their budget to have the Architect come to a planning and zoning meeting.

Jul 28, 08 8:52 pm  · 
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brian buchalski

what....does the architect tried mean he tried to do a design for no money? or that he tried to make the meeting for no money?

i love the idea of turning a chicken shack into a used car dealer

i also miss zoning & planning boards...i think that living on an island with no zoning or planning laws really diminishes the fun of being an architect...i rather miss the opportunity for public theater...at least i still have archinect.com/forum

Jul 28, 08 10:05 pm  · 
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puddles I know what you mean. Lately I've felt the full force of that in a very unpleasant way. And it continues tomorrow where my name will be likely dragged up again amongst the politicians where they can lay blame on a project that I little control over because of said planning laws. Sucks. Oh well

almost done packing. Will return to Jamaica for a few and attempt to reshuffle my life.

puddles you have space in that puddle next to you? Looking another island outpost...

Jul 28, 08 10:46 pm  · 
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myriam

techno, I know an architect who does (or at least has done, for a long while) quite a decent bit of work in jamaica... i wonder if he might be interested in the idea of establishing a partnership on the island perhaps... (he is not based on the island)... he was talking about something like that last i talked to him.

Jul 28, 08 11:20 pm  · 
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mdler

what up, myriam?

Jul 28, 08 11:36 pm  · 
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wwtcd - folks what should I do next?

option 1. I am 1 year away from my architect's registration in Jamaica...do I return home and do that, or

option 2. Do I work at the school of architecture, my previous job post, and take on a full time post as a architecture lecturer

option 3. Combination of 1 + 2; part-time lecturer | part-time architect

option 4. Find another island outpost to practice my craft??

help all suggestions welcome.

ps. volcano is making appropriately loud sounds as I type...think it might be going off...cool

Jul 28, 08 11:44 pm  · 
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mdler

move to Seattle...thats what I did and im happy

Jul 28, 08 11:58 pm  · 
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myriam that would be perfect...I do love collaborations. Its not David Adjaye by chance...in a perfect world I imagine it being so.

option 5. stop, collaborate and listen...($10 for anyone who finishes that line) partnership with myriam's friend.

Oh the volcano was definately going off, 5 minutes of faulk lighting and tiny pebbles falling on the roof. Never a dull moment.

Jul 29, 08 12:02 am  · 
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myriam

hi mdler!

techno, he's a lovely gentleman of the old school. Great work, that I very much appreciate. It's not the "style" I would probably end up designing in, but it's truly good design, so you don't mind. If you know what I mean... I'll kick you an email if you're interested. Not sure what his workload is looking like however.

Jul 29, 08 12:13 am  · 
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mdler

myriam

I got a silver glittery elephant thong!

Jul 29, 08 12:20 am  · 
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Thanks myriam that would be fantastic actually.

Jul 29, 08 12:36 am  · 
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liberty bell

techno, I know it's rough, but your life still sounds so glamorous! Volcanos and beaches and wine and song, oh my! Go for the registration, IMO.

In the last 12 hours online I've heard two phrases I intend to copy:

PsyArch said "G Zus".

A crazy right-wing anti-feminist author was described as "Nuttier than squirrel poop.".

Good morning everyone.

Jul 29, 08 7:19 am  · 
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vado retro

techno i'll trade ya straight up. i get the caribbean you get liberty bell. wait that's not a fair trade for me.

Jul 29, 08 7:50 am  · 
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liberty bell

Same advice for you as I gave to techno, vado dear!

Jul 29, 08 8:22 am  · 
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snook_dude

i'm still stuck on: "Well the Architect Tried." Morning everyone, now off to some diner food!

Jul 29, 08 8:54 am  · 
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Sarah Hamilton

TC was certainly quiet yesterday. LB, how was your vacation? My days have been uneventful - though we did try out our new martini glasses last Friday. Not sure how I feel about them, though. The stem is tall, and the bowl is very delicate. I feel they should be a bit sturdier, though the do make me feel oh so cultured. Maybe next time I will wear my pearls - would that be strange? I do dream of a life where I can dress for dinner without it being odd, or a pain in the tail, and cocktail parties, I dream of cocktail parties. In Texas, unless you're of the elite social crowd (of which I am not) you don't have cocktail parties; all parties including alchohol are more like shin-digs, which is all well and good, but sometimes I long for class. Who's with me? If I throw a cocktail party, will you come?

Jul 29, 08 8:55 am  · 
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****melt

[rant] whoever the hell thinks that exploding hatch is a cool idea ought to be shot on-site[/rant]

Good Morning TC - I'm still alive. Will touch base at lunch.

Jul 29, 08 9:13 am  · 
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i like "on-site" instead of "on sight"! brilliant, whether intentional or not.

Jul 29, 08 9:15 am  · 
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