file under 'empty'

i thought this video deserved an audience.
i like ratatat, and i know this album is clearly a time piece to the extent that it's textbook ratatat, but enhanced by nintendo soundbytes. {see crystal castles, copy, and so forth.} i suppose that's pretty cool. the interesting thing about this band is that it really never makes me 'feel' anything. i am reluctant to go so far as to suggest it is 'empty,' but the expression is almost expressionless. as bizarre at this sounds, it almost makes me like it more.

ARCHITECTURE.

My post-graduate contribution by way of architecture and design thus far has been modest, ethical, well-intentioned and relatively good. it has been on a variety of scales and involved an array of different clients, architects and developers. lastly, it has all occurred within this country. that being said, the notion of having an impact on an international scale seems implausible, discomforting, and even a little absurd.

daniel libeskind recently declared "i don't work for totalitarian regimes," suggesting his absence from an unstoppable architectural movement might actually result in a quantifiable social impact. deliberately contrarian, he managed to galvanize hundreds of architects and bloggers who unapologetically rationalize and embrace international relationships between nations and starchiects. such is an example of what is undeniably consistent in the profession; delusion and ego.

clearly the aforementioned behavioral 'flaws' aren't exclusive to architects. in fact, i know full well most relevant architecture is the product of these very ideas. i excuse them because i understand them {sort of}, and under certain circumstances, i actually admire them.

this recent new york times recent article here was my inspiration to "publicly" discuss this topic. by interviewing the biggest {but not necessarily the best or the most influential, i might add} architects in the world, we can begin to understand each individuals' rationalization for accepting or rejecting certain commissions around the world, based upon the respective country's devotion or posturing towards the preservation of human rights. architects like libeskind have convinced themselves that their buildings are so metaphorically powerful, entire nations will take notice, marvel, and then discover new paths of personal self-discovery and self-improvement. i see this as both brilliant and comically presumptuous.

does the average chinese citizen care if libeskind, steven holl, tadao ando, etc. builds in china? probably not. do the chinese like "the bird's nest" any more or less because the design came from a swiss firm? i doubt it. and more importantly, will people adjust their behavior because of what these architects build and don't build? i will cynically suggest the answer is "no."

clearly, this article troubles me. anecdotes, interviews and quotations from various "big" architects imply the most accurate way to judge the "cultural success" of a design is to reference the work of these huge firms. in all fairness, i realize this is just one small article, and the times isn't an architectural publication, but broadening the discussion seems necessary. reading this article, i was continually hoping for the discussion to change directions - to descend further in scale.

amazingly, a link away from this article takes me to a separate article discussing the opportunities for sustainable home-building, one home at a time. what an appropriate transition. essentially, both articles are about architecture as a vehicle for positive influence, and the possibility that certain architectural gestures can both represent and perpetuate responsible behavioral changes. at this moment, i am convinced that scale is the most critical aspect of societal change.

perhaps i am wrong; grand architectural expressions have and always will be the greatest way to bring about social impact and inspire the masses. on the other hand, i find comfort in the possibility the opposite may be true. in other words, intimate, direct relationships with clients, contractors and the design itself are the true path to influence and sincere personal satisfaction. a "smaller" path certainly will not save any lives, make grand political statements or create new jobs. however self-defeating it may sound, for now i am comfortable avoiding delusions of grandeur.

i'd rather be watching the royals.

the network at my office has died for the second time today. this indicates the unofficial end of my working day, and the official beginning of another stream-of-consciousness blog. 

> i'm still trying to figure out how i could have once disliked broken social scene.

> my lastest discovery: the unicorns 2003 masterpiece, "who will cut our hair when we're gone?" i haven't listened to this album in more than a year, and i mistakingly took its sonic legitimacy for granted. my, how one's tastes can grow in a few short months.

> how important is sequence and pacing to the success of an album? a few hours ago, i finished listening to lcd soundsystem's 'sound of silver' for the hundredth time, and have decided the 'north american scum>someone great>all my friends>us v them'' combination is one of the most incredible sequences of emotion and sonic profundity i've felt in some time.

> for whatever reason, i was under the impression any music playing loudly from the apartment of my new neighbor would be respectable, perhaps even tolerable. my assumptions were based upon one brief conversation, allowing me to make grossly generic assumptions based upon her appearance and the fact that she'd moved here from brooklyn. needless to say, skinny black jeans and a williamsburg heritage don't make much of a difference anymore. right now all i can hear are muffled low tones, repeated over and over and over. it sounds like spoon if britt daniels was given a lobotomy. 

> i took the night off to watch the nba finals. it's the third quarter of game one, and the only word i can come up with is "boring."

> if you spend a considerably large amount of energy guessing what the perfectly composed woman behind you will order at the cafe, even if we assume you guess with one-hundred percent accuracy, down the fat content of her milk, the number of espresso shots, and the sugar content and the flavor of the syrup, does that make you a bad person? 

> i'm currently reading "striptease." while this appears to be another example of overtly self-aware and shallow calculation, i'm reading this book for nobile reasons. {it's actually quite excellent. i'm being sincere!} that being said, outside of "house of leaves," i can't think of a more hilarious book to whip out at a cafe. 

> if you see one movie this month, watch "the opposite of sex."***

> paul pierce, an individual i recall passionately disliking when he played for the jayhawks, just returned to the floor after hurting his knee. this is the first time the crowd made the announcers talk louder. now things are more interesting. sort of. 

> "what did the guy from south africa say about adversity? never give up!" - doc rivers, the head coach of the celtics, with some inspirational and historically enlightening words during a timeout. 

> mccain = grandpa simpson. repeat it, spread it, make it stick.**

**special thanks to mr. nolan lienhart.

***the only way this is funny is if you say it loudly, and exactly like norm macdonald doing his impression of larry king. 

A BOUT WITH WHIMSY.

what a strange morning.

perhaps brought upon by a seemingly nondescript mixture of a late night of work, a handful of strawberries from yesterday's farmers' market, and an increasingly overwhelming pile of work responsibilities, i couldn't help giggling uncontrollably at paul krugman's nytimes article published last week, found here.

despite my familiarity with kennedy's commonly understood and easily forgivable mistake, the story managed to resonate this morning. the idea that our president would call himself a pastry is indisputably hilarious. if he had called himself a belt buckle or a telephone, the situation would be exponentially less remarkable, let alone comical. moreover, i personally find the imagery of a person somehow BEING a donut to be so undeniably strange and wonderful that it compelled me to emerge from my proverbial blogging slump and actually write something down.

proof that i am, to borrow my own phrase, straddling the threshold of insanity. once again. perhaps forever.

IN 1984, I WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR APPROACHING PERFECTION.

the time has come for a self-administered attention 'cap.' the rationale? besides the gravitational pull i feel towards prosaic steam-of-consciousness posts, i want to explore the possibility of eliminating headaches and my paralytic grass-is-greener syndrome.

1. work. architecture. wall sections. interior details. blah blah blah. balancing a variety of contradictory tasks and differing scales is making more sense. on the other hand, the subtext of everything at the moment could be entitled "fake it until you make it."*
2. biking.
3. my blog. this really should not be ranked this high. obviously, it's placement now completely defeats the purpose of numbering each of these tasks/entertainment sources.
4. Rany on the Royals. i need royals insider information. this blog adequately and thoroughly brings me up to speed. ironically, the kansas city star's coverage is weak.**
5. chuck klosterman's new book, IV. it's veritable literary junk food. genuinely hilarious. undeniably necessary.
6. The Huffington Post.
7. Pitchfork, and Stereogum.***
8. continually crafting my '2008' playlist on itunes.
9. thinking about re-working my portfolio.
10. sleep.
11. eating.

*the purpose of everything following #1 is to counteract the destructive and stressful nature of it. unfortunately, #1 has managed to make everything else more difficult than it used to. i'm going to assume this can be referred to as "aging."
**let the record show i still don't think i know if i'm using irony correctly.
***shut up.

don't let anyone tell you the age of irony is over.

it's 10.45 pm.

it's sunday.

i'm taking a cab home from work because my bike has a flat.

the overzealous cabbie enthusiastically reminds me as i leave his car:

"alright. good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite, and avoid the slugs unless they're wearing a condom."

i tipped him $2 on a $5 ride.

i had no problems falling into a deep slumber.

I want to retroactively smudge my own existential/teenage angst.

recent musical tendencies >  

the dirty projectors > rise above

my bloody valentine > loveless 

elastica > elastica

beach house > devotion

nirvana > unplugged in new york

jens lekman > oh, you're so quiet, jens

vampire weekend > vampire weekend*

the pixies > trompe de monde

atlas sound > let the blind lead those who can see but cannot feel

les savy fav > let's stay friends

beastie boys > hello nasty.

> i came across some choice examples of elitist architectural verbosity that i can't help but admire. examples:

In a total darkness, light is like a shadow to the sun. - MVRDV

Faintly voicing impossible aspirations, with an elegance that can only derive from the art of subtraction, Siza's works seem to observe the world.'' - Álvaro Siza

Without respect to before or after, beginning or end, cause or effect, the not yet meets the already gone. - Stephen Holl

> as i'm writing, kansas is playing davidson in the elite 8. every game i've watched so far** has been entirely out of principle and/or habit. in other words, i have no real interest in college basketball at the moment and my viewing is based entirely upon a perfect storm of mental fatigue as well as a desire to watch something on television that is immediately accessible and requires zero thought or criticism.*** 

> carlos mencia, dane cook and will farrell. three comedians whose collective abundance of success has me concerned about the future of this country. 

> how many handwriting 'styles' does the average person use? i have three. i think. they are as follows: 

1. vertically oriented, narrow 'architectural' uppercase,

2. angled, but wider 'architectural' uppercase, probably the one i use most,

3. angled, more balanced lowercase. i think this style emerged in college when i was trying emulate mick charney's handwriting in arch history.***

> our weather lately has been ... well, odd. the past three days' temperature haven't risen above 40, but it has dipped into the teens. it snowed for an hour on friday, it hailed for a half hour yesterday, and this morning {sunday} it hailed again. now the sun just came out. needless to say, we're a thunderstorm away from me feeling as though i'm back in the midwest. 

> some fairly unfortunate circumstances have forced me to undergo extensive dental surgery, which in turn has forced me to slightly alter my diet. as a result, i'm back on the yogurt train, BABY. the selection at whole foods was, at a minimum, overwhelming. after several minutes of careful deliberation, i selected two flavors of three brands: Nancy's, All Natural Soy, and Cascade Fresh. it should be noted i was reluctant to buy anything Nancy's because her cottage cheese, with its unconventional 'granular' texture and surprisingly sour taste, is simply unbearable. regardless, i was feeling adventurous on this particular afternoon, and bought the maple and vanilla. in the end, the soy yogurt and cascade fresh made a pretty compelling case, but it was Nancy's that made the strongest play. needless to say, this won't be the last time Nancy is at the top of my grocery list.

> credit card users, if you see one documentary this year, watch "MaxedOut."

> a kid with his window open across the alley behind my apartment continues to stare at me. ordinarily, this wouldn't make me uncomfortable, but his apartment appears to be devoid of any decoration, he's got a pretty impressive beard, and i'm pretty sure he owns some sort of large reptile.

*shut up, they're catchy. 

**i've only watched 1.5 games. 

***i can't begin to describe how pathetic that sounds when i read it aloud. 

A CASE FOR A CASE OF THE MONDAYS.

i loathe the notion of "the mondays." the whole concept, in my eyes, is based upon a rejection of one's job as well as general laziness. obviously, this is a grossly general statement. regardless, i stand by my arrogant, black & white statement.

however, yesterday was a pretty bad day for myself and a significant amount of important people around me. coincidentally, it was a monday. therefore, i feel compelled to at least pause and reflect upon what occurred/did not occur.

1. my office lost a competition that we so passionately poured a remarkable amount of resources {both monetarily and labor-wise} giving me every reason to leave work early and drink all the whiskey in portland.**
2. a client of laura's mother, who may be terminally ill, dropped a traumatic bomb of issues on her lap, leaving her with an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and sympathy for someone who is presumably delusional and cannot take care of himself.
3. laura's migraine, as a result of #2.
4. the rain returned to portland.
5. i had no rain-coat for my humbling walk home.

that being said, there was something so right about all these 'wrong' things happening at once. i stepped outside my office, the sky was gray, i had thom yorke's "the eraser" humming on my headphones, and i no matter what direction i walked, the drizzle was in my face. in other words, everything seemed appropriately composed.

i realize the photo i included is in no way germane to the topic of this post. i regret including it.

**i worked until 6.15 and had dinner at whole foods. i drank water.

on this friday evening ...

... i found this video particularly good and fun.

LUNCHTIMEBLOGTIME!

maureen dowd's daily dose of clinton castigation begins today with the following:

I think Hillary truly believes that she and Bill are the only ones tough enough to get to the White House. Jack Nicholson endorsed her as “the best man for the job,” and she told David Letterman that “in my White House, we’ll know who wears the pantsuits.” But her pitch is the color of pitch: Because she has absorbed all the hate and body blows from nasty Republicans over the years, she is the best person to absorb more hate and body blows from nasty Republicans.

dowd's aversion towards the clinton family is based upon the notion of positivity, or in the clinton's case, a severe lack thereof. furthermore, she seems to subscribe to the notion that your ability to lead the country should be described in terms of what you aspire to accomplish, as opposed to the opposition you've successfully defeated many times over.

on some level, it's hard to disagree with having a "positive" attitude. this country is looking forward, has adopted apathy in place of enthusiasm, and people want to think in positive terms about our country's future. however, presenting her veiled sponsorship of obama in terms of his toughness, which the clinton 'machine' has coincidentally helped to nurture, is only making hillary a more viable if not more plausible nominee.

she continues with this:

Better the devil you know than the diffident debutante you don’t. Better to go with the Clintons, with all their dysfunction and chaos — the same kind that fueled the Republican hate machine — than to risk the chance that Obama would be mauled like a chew toy in the general election. Better to blow off all the inspiration and the young voters, the independents and the Republicans that Obama is attracting than to take a chance on something as ephemeral as hope. Now that’s Cheney-level paranoia.

i hope she's not implying the republican base would give obama a reprieve because he isn't a clinton. from an amateur political junkie, that sounds downright foolish. sorry, ms. dowd. your sarcasm is not convincing me.

this article as well as other indicators have led me to believe the press depicts the youth as a traditionally uninspired and disrespected block of the american public that is finally excited to get involved with politics, ONLY because obama is an inspiring candidate. moreover, they're suggesting that if obama doesn't win the democratic ticket, all the youthful vigor he's managed to inspire will evaporate as quickly as it emerged.

if voting turnout among my demographic decreases because hillary manages to win the ticket, so be it. i'm comfortable taking the cynical approach because those people who were so eager to "get involved" are the same people would would subsequently go back to their old habits of apathy and indifference once they didn't get their way. this is one of the most irritating characteristics of people my age. it makes my blood fucking boil.

simply stated, we're inexperienced, we're naive, and we're hopeless hopeful. a good portion of the country's youth doesn't even know who won the civil war. architectural interns don't sign construction documents, one of the partners does. our parents tell us not to have kids early. why? because education is a process and we're not prepared {yet} to holistically understand there's more to a candidate than inspiring speeches and guerrilla-style political posters.

members of the press like maureen dowd insult voters**, both young and old. aligning thyself with the smug and morally superior left in the light of scare tactics resembling "cheney-level paranoia" does nothing but irritate the very readers she is presumably attempting to reach. moreover, by criticizing hillary clinton for selling her strengths, she's adding an powerfully divisive tone to the political stew; something the democratic party, if it genuinely aims to win the white house, does not need.

**i plan on reading her column every day.