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liberty bell

Nihilistic AND materialistic? At the same time?

Apr 24, 07 10:39 pm  · 
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vado retro

i am a complicated man.

Apr 24, 07 10:41 pm  · 
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liberty bell

Paul et al: I think the new forum categorization looks great and thank you for also giving us the old school layout option.

I hope these changes weren't brought about by Eikongraphia describing Archinect as having "... an unfriendly interface and difficult presentation..." - I find it a much more intuitive and simple interface than most sites. Perhaps that's just due to familiarity. They also called you "hard-core architecture" with which I totally agree.

In any case, I have great faith that whatever changes are coming will be good.

Apr 24, 07 10:51 pm  · 
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Congratulations to Mr. Bell! And Liberty of course.

Yeah, I have to keep reminding myself that the people I envy for getting to buy great art and furniture and nice houses and fun jobs are 15-20 years older than me. It's hard to have patience enough to wait that long for success, but most likely I'll have to wait whether I have the patience for it or not, so I may as well work on developing some!

Apr 24, 07 10:58 pm  · 
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myriam

hey lb, sorry, i kept drafting it and then gave up in dismay! will post in a few minutes. and in conclusion... happy 2k, myriam!

Apr 24, 07 11:06 pm  · 
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Congratulations to Brian Bell... let art reign. Its great when artists get a chance and the resources to do their work...congrats again.

Apr 24, 07 11:06 pm  · 
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liberty bell

Happy 2K myriam!!! It's nice to see you around. I'm going to bed now so I won't see it til tomorrow...but I'll look for it then.

I won't be a night owl tonight as I'm whipped and a little wine-woozy. 'night all.

Apr 24, 07 11:08 pm  · 
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vado retro

happy 5010 lb happy 2k myriam.happy 6616 me.

Apr 24, 07 11:30 pm  · 
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my new favorite music video after hearing at the end of last week's sopranos episode.
....talking about deterritorialized architecture..


Evidently Chickentown
John Cooper Clarke

the bloody cops are bloody keen
to bloody keep it bloody clean
the bloody chief's a bloody swine
who bloody draws a bloody line
at bloody fun and bloody games
the bloody kids he bloody blames
are nowhere to be bloody found
anywhere in chickentown

the bloody scene is bloody sad
the bloody news is bloody bad
the bloody weed is bloody turf
the bloody speed is bloody surf
the bloody folks are bloody daft
don't make me bloody laugh
it bloody hurts to look around
everywhere in chickentown

the bloody train is bloody late
you bloody wait you bloody wait
you're bloody lost and bloody found
stuck in fucking chickentown

the bloody view is bloody vile
for bloody miles and bloody miles
the bloody babies bloody cry
the bloody flowers bloody die
the bloody food is bloody muck
the bloody drains are bloody fucked
the color scheme is bloody brown
everywhere in chickentown

the bloody pubs are bloody dull
the bloody clubs are bloody full
of bloody girls and bloody guys
with bloody murder in their eyes
a bloody bloke is bloody stabbed
waiting for a bloody cab
you bloody stay at bloody home
the bloody neighbors bloody moan
keep the bloody racket down
this is bloody chickentown

the bloody pies are bloody old
the bloody chips are bloody cold
the bloody beer is bloody flat
the bloody flats have bloody rats
the bloody clocks are bloody wrong
the bloody days are bloody long
it bloody gets you bloody down
evidently chickentown

the bloody train is bloody late
you bloody wait you bloody wait
you're bloody lost and bloody found
stuck in fucking chickentown

Apr 24, 07 11:31 pm  · 
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myriam

congrats, brian bell! someday i would like to see his work in person, rather than picture. like in person in my living room. or better yet backyard.

Apr 24, 07 11:32 pm  · 
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Wonder K don't say a word. Hold your breathe...not a word. make that post special...make it a green post. Save the world at 3000

ok y'all can continue doing what you are doing.

Apr 24, 07 11:43 pm  · 
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go tc go 60000 reads

Apr 25, 07 12:12 am  · 
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treekiller

Tk is jetting off today to LA for a weekend of fun in the sun, some tunes in the desert, and seeing old friends. If I had a job, I'd be buying carbon credits to atone for my energy splurge- maybe when I land on my feet I'll plant a few trees in my yard.


Myriam, architechnophilia & the orhan half of abra - wanna start a club 2k for us 21st century posters? we can extend invites to some of the emeritus members too, I'd ask vado to be our master of ceremony, even with olfogey's well crafted peons to corb's butt.

Wk- you'll have to start your own 3k club- sorry but you've made too many posts to play with us! ;-P

Apr 25, 07 9:45 am  · 
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may i join twice?

Apr 25, 07 9:48 am  · 
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Steveo you know you are in a special club....but you can oversea as a grandmaster

This is all very new to me, back in January I was a lowly "daily contributer" then I became part of the fricking structure making over 10 posts a day not too sure what happened - oh yea no work!!

Apr 25, 07 10:00 am  · 
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quixotica

Congrats Mr. lb!

Apr 25, 07 10:03 am  · 
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Living in Gin

Congrats, Mr. Bell!

Apr 25, 07 10:06 am  · 
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treekiller

LB- congrats, the body shop will miss their star!



did mr. LB fabricate the k-rail too? or just the tweety birds sitting on it?

keep us posted on what he is inspired to make...

Apr 25, 07 10:33 am  · 
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FRO

congrats to Mr. LB, sounds like a dream come true!

Apr 25, 07 10:46 am  · 
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vado retro

that's our state bird. hail!

Apr 25, 07 11:11 am  · 
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congrats to brian!

it may be good for lb to describe the cardinals project again. seems simple at first glance, but the narrative is pretty interesting.

Apr 25, 07 11:11 am  · 
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congrats lb and brian!

Apr 25, 07 12:06 pm  · 
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Living in Gin

I love public art that engages public infrastructure, like the birds above. Very cool!

One of my favorite public art installations in NYC has a similar idea: Life Underground by Tom Otterness.




Apr 25, 07 12:20 pm  · 
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WonderK


How'd I do?

Apr 25, 07 1:17 pm  · 
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AP

congrats lb and pass them on to your husband. what an awesome accomplishment!

Apr 25, 07 2:59 pm  · 
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FRO

good work dubK, I didn't even see it til you pointed it out though, my eye seems to be trained to avoid the special color threads @ the top for some reason (I'm still viewing old skool).

That Life Underground stuff reminded me of something that happened here in town a while back- the Town decided to install these bronze sculptures that I guess were nice to someone, but not at all in tune with the character of the space they were inhabiting. Life-size, life-like Doe-With-Fawn and Standing-Up-Bear sculptures, like you would see in a mall or something. This is a small town in the mountains, and it would not be at all unusual for a REAL deer or bear to be in that exact spot, so they seemed kind of odd. One night a local artist friend of mine got a dented garbage can and some random trash, painted it all bronze, and scattered it in front of the bear. Suddenly much more appropriate......

Apr 25, 07 4:38 pm  · 
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Time for another edition of WWTCD:

I am a bit wierd about food. It's a pretty private thing to me, I don't like to discuss food a lot, or weight. I'm very overweight, and am working hard to correct this, as no amount of promotion of "women of a certain size" can reconcile me to being a fatso. But the more food/weight is talked about in public, the more I feel people are watching what I eat and thinking "Why does she need to eat that, she's so fat already!" which induces me to skimp in public and horde sweets privately. I know that this is my personal phsychosis and will probably make no sense to you guys, and I am responsible for it. After counseling, reading, and some serious introspection, I have been unable to make the slightest dent in this, so I simply work very hard to avoid situations and people which feed this phsychosis.

Well, earlier I mentioned that we got a new secretary. She talks about food a lot. She encourages people to eat. A lot. I am most certainly one of those "women of a certain size," but she is easily twice as big as me. She complains that Lean Cuisine lunches don't make her lean (then snacks afterwards). Our office always is stocked up with cookies (lean boss, loves cookies, nothing doing about it), and it is her job to pick the up. She has DOUBLED the amount of cookies put out in the kitchen (very near my desk), and not only encourages us to eat, she actually BROUGHT COOKIES over to my desk just now. She tries to get everyone to eat lunch in the conference room together, while I would much rather hide at my desk with a book. The amount of food-talk in my life has multiplied by five or six times since she began working here only a week ago.

Quite honestly, she makes me sick. I am repusled by my own weight, so naturally I am by hers as well . And her constant food-talk feeds my completely eating-disordered mindset to an unhealthy degree. I feel like her food-talk is a defensive mechanism for her that tries to make everyone else ok with her weight, but it just draws my attention to it ten times a day more than normal. It's driving me a bit crazy, if you can't already tell by this disgusting rant. I can't quit, I need this job for the next five months. But I'm afraid that by the end of those five months I'll have spiraled into full on disgustingness that requires overeaters anonymous to get over. Is there any way to gently convey that I am EXTEEEEEEEEEEMELY uncomfortable with the food chatter without a) hurting the woman with my thoughts on weight, b) making me and my issues the talk of the office?

Apr 25, 07 7:16 pm  · 
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xtbl

you could tell a white lie and just say that you have some kind of special dietary requirement that doesn't allow you to partake, and then kindly ask if she can respect that and not put that kind of food in front of you.

maybe? i don't know...

good luck, though!

Apr 25, 07 7:28 pm  · 
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dia

Rationalist,

She may settle down hopefully - she may be nervous and as you say this is her mechanism for dealing with both her own personal issues and the new work situation.

At the moment though, her mode of life is impacting upon yours and it makes me wonder why you would let this happen? This is a common problem though, where people are forced into situations where they must modify their ways to allow someone else to have their way.

Here is one piece of advice that I have found really helpful in all areas of my life. In life we either react to things or act on things.

Most people are mostly reactive. I have a little sign that only I can see on my workstation. It reads:

75/25

It reminds me that 75% of the time I am in control of my life, and 25% of the time I am not - 75% I can act, 25% I can react.

Whenever I am in a situation where I am stuck, procrastinating or felling helpless, I see the sign and it spurs me to act. No one except a divinity can be 100/0. This is an ideal that you can strive for, and it will change the way you think - the effect is up to you.

ps: Congrats Brian and LB

Apr 25, 07 7:49 pm  · 
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myriam

fuck that woman's issues. she needs more help than you do, and cookies ain't bringin' it to her!

Seriously though, TELL HER, RIGHT NOW, that you are struggling with your weight and are on a diet and IT REALLY HURTS YOU when she offers you cookies. (Make it about you, not about her; because it IS about you! Don't worry about what she's thinking; worry about yourself!) Tell her that you have problems with thinking about food, are struggling to overcome it, and her comments about food are making life very difficult for you in your recovery period. Ask for her help. Make her feel generous towards you in her shutting-up.

That's it.

If it still persists after that, say it again, this time in front of other people just after she has made a public food-related comment to the office. If you have the courage to do it on the internet, you have the courage to say it in real life!

Also, PS, you are nowhere NEAR fat. That is my honest and truthful opinion. Don't stress so much, lady! And GOOD FOR YOU for working so hard at making healthy decisions!!!!! You deserve some praise, and not the cookie kind!

Apr 25, 07 7:50 pm  · 
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myriam

I find it interesting that I spend most of my counseling time telling non-architects to be more considerate of others and telling architects to be more fucking self-centered. Ha!

Apr 25, 07 7:51 pm  · 
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"If you have the courage to do it on the internet, you have the courage to say it in real life!"

no. Just no. That's the only part of this I don't agree with (ok, except the not being fat part). I have the courage to say soo much more to you guys than to people at the office. I don't like to bring my real life, my problems, my junk into work. I come here, I work, that's it, I go home. If I talk about it at work, that's an indicator that it doesn't mean too much to me.

Apr 25, 07 8:11 pm  · 
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rationalist. smile

I've seen the rationalist photos flying around and I wouldn't associate you with being overweight. However being overweight is a concept that only the person in question can answer. Its not in eye of the beholder, like beauty, but in the one that wears it. You aren't alone...I keep thinking that I need to work less, exercise more. But that reality isn't available...even when the time is there.

Anyhow that said, I think a few options have been presented on how to deal with your "friend" in the office. Nicely say, lunch is your time and you like to spend it in solitude reading.

Apr 25, 07 8:40 pm  · 
 · 

Thanks, guys. You've helped me resolve to say something in the next couple of days, as the opportunity arises. What that something will be, who knows, but all your suggestions have been taken into consideration, and the only one that's been rejected outright is Cris's (I'm a bad liar!).

I did two extra minutes on the elliptical trainer just for thinking about the cookies.

Apr 25, 07 10:36 pm  · 
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jones

Congrats LB!

Orhan---did you actually read that somewhere about architects being wh*res, or is that your take? I've had that same thought before.

vado---wilco!?? Nels Cline can sure play that git-fiddle. Almost like when my 3yr old son hits a note Whitney Houston style and my husband says, "System Wipe." Hmmm...he's been channeling Nels Cline all along......

snook---that book sounds good---I'll have to check that one out. It's really amazing the before and after of Borromini's collonade at the Vatican....it was Borromini's I think.

I'm too lazy to post on the alcohol thread, but if anyone likes a stout, try the Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. yummers!

rationalist, you've gotten some good advice up there. Desk life makes the body take a beating....that's the only 2 cents I got. Try (I dunno, maybe you already do) an exercise regimen??

Apr 25, 07 10:37 pm  · 
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liberty bell

jones: That last post was overcapacitated with well wishes for others! You are such a sweetheart (and I've met jones, guys, so I know).

rationalist: I'm with myriam. I think you need to say something to her, say it privately, in confidence, conspiratorially, and do NOT make it an accusation, but rather a plea to enlist this woman's help. If she resists, tell her again, if she keeps resisting, then start making it clear that SHE is the one who is out of line and invading your personal space/emotional boundaries with her insensitivity. She's new to the office, right? It's not inappropriate to tell her that there are social conventions in place in the office culture and she should be careful about mixing them up too much - basically if someone (you) thinks she is acting unprofessionally, it's not out of line to tell her so.

FRO, I love your buddy's "addition" to the sculpture.

DubK I love LOVE LOVE the Green Thread. I haven't added anything - yet. I was such a good girl today and got soooo much work done, no time at all for Archinect!

Apr 25, 07 11:41 pm  · 
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vado retro

if you are the 10,000th poster what do you win?

Apr 26, 07 7:36 am  · 
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snooker

Vado....I think you will then take on the title "Poster Child"

Apr 26, 07 9:22 am  · 
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AP

GTC is at the top of my 'best of 2007' threads.


...here is some early workday positive energy for rationalist:













^(can you see it? it's there. channel it for the good of humankind, or at least to calm you pre-chat with the newceptionista.)

Apr 26, 07 10:08 am  · 
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liberty bell

AP, I hope NYC is going so far so good?

Apr 26, 07 10:16 am  · 
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WonderK

I am curious as to AP's travels as well. AP, I think you are the first of this year's batch of "roaming 'nectors". Please do let us know if you see anything interesting along the way.....

Apr 26, 07 10:35 am  · 
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Chili Davis

Chili has gotten out of shape as of late and attributes this to his 55 hour work week and 2 hour round trip commute. Also, his love for cookies. He still thinks of himself as a good lookin' chubby dude, however.

Apr 26, 07 10:42 am  · 
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I think AP's the second, myriam kicked off the moving season early!

I can't see it, AP. My browser doesn't even recognize that there's a pic there (so I can't say 'Show Picture'). Oh well, I will take the good intentions behind it to work with me today.

Apr 26, 07 10:42 am  · 
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b3tadine[sutures]

i have a lot to say about the weight issue, but it'll have to wait - no pun...

Apr 26, 07 11:14 am  · 
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brian buchalski

still alive...gotta run

Apr 26, 07 12:12 pm  · 
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e

hello all

i hope you all are well. i know i have not been showing myself around here of lates. many apologies. things are been crazy busy, but i can finally share some of the fruits of my labor.

we, somelab, have been collaborating for the last couple of years with olson sundberg kundig allen architects on a project for the skirball cultural center in los angeles. the new gallery tells the story of noah's ark and is an interactive environment for children to play and learn.

olson sundberg were the architects and erected a 17 foot high ark in the space. puppeteer, chris green, created over 300 wonderful puppets made of found objects. somelab's role was to create an immersive environment for the ark and puppets. we did this by creating over 6000 square feet of wall murals that include life size silhouettes of hundreds of animals and landscapes set across photographic backgrounds.

here are a few links that talk mainly about chris' amazing puppets. they include slideshows and videos:
NYT | LA Times | Jewish Journal

by the way, there will also be an article in next month's ID Magazine regarding the project.

Apr 26, 07 12:24 pm  · 
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e

hmm, i have a couple of broken links. gawd, i am rusty.

olson sundberg: www.oskaarchitects.com/
the skirball: http://www.skirball.org/

Apr 26, 07 12:26 pm  · 
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AP

e - big congrats on a job well done. the silhouette mural looks very nice. (i love the arkscalator...i bet noah wished he had a revolving belt to put the critters on...)


rationalist - there's no image there, just a blank space imbued with the best vibes i can send your way...

...
lb and dub,
we leave for nyc this coming sunday morning. just got back to the apartment after picking up a 10' Budget truck. thankfully it's a pretty new truck, and it rides smoothly on the highway...i wonder what that's gonna do to my eco footprint!?!

otherwise, we haven't finished packing because we've been hustling to make interview portfolios...but the folios are looking good...a few interviews lined up too! can't wait...

tonight our coworker-friends are having a going away party for us at the local hukkah bar / morrocan restaurant.

Apr 26, 07 1:00 pm  · 
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yay e!!! You're an inspiration, you know that?

Apr 26, 07 1:14 pm  · 
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e

thanks guys. rationalist, i have not forgotten about you. i know i owe you an email.

Apr 26, 07 2:10 pm  · 
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