Observed Rate Variation

I am always interested in a little disaster. The coming climate change will cause Ontario to get a bit warmer, maybe more recreation areas will develop.

I am curious to see how people will deal with the rising water level. I can see Manhattan becoming like Venice. The low areas will flood. I can see water two or three stories deep around Canal Street. Hmm, where would the fake designer bag sellers and the video tapes movie DVD peddlers go?.Wall Street buildings would also have to be converted. The lower floors would be abandoned with a new primary floor to be built just above water level with exterior docks. I imagine there would be various small ferries in use to cross the area at Canal. Doesn’t sound too bad to me.

However, I imagine Manhattan could gather the money to build a wall around the city to keep the water out. I would guess Brooklyn could not. The artist buildings in Dumbo could be converted but the

The rest of the coasts would not be able to build walls fast enough. I could see Miami Beach being completely submerged early, the land is inches above sea level. Possibly taller buildings could be occupied at higher floors, with people getting around by boat or personal water craft, but being right on the Atlantic Ocean would pose difficulties.

I am curious enough to want to see this in my lifetime.

In Praise of American Architectural Measurement

For building design, we use this seemingly arcane length measurement system. Most of the rest of the world uses the translatable metric system, US engineers use inches and decimals of inches, while American architects measure dwellings with feet, inches, and fractions of inches. Examples can be 4.68 meters, 184.252 inches, or 15’-4 ¼”.

The rational base ten metric system changes units every count of ten. The US customary system is based around the number four.

There are advantages for translation of units and measurement accuracy with the metric system. Ten millimeters equals one centimeter; and if you can’t quite get the measurement to fit on your ruler, you can add another decimal place. The piece is not quite 3.4 cm, but is more than 3.3 cm, then it can be more accurately 3.38 cm.

A primary advantage with the base four system is cutting things in half. Useful in architecture. Use your 12 inch measurement; easily cut in half to 6, then again to 3, then the fractions easily and accurately take it. Use your 10 cm measurement; cut in half to 5, then again to 2.5, and whoops, it goes off into another level of units. Halve that again and it goes up into another scale of units, 1.25.

Cutting fractions in half is also easy, merely double the denominator; half of 1/16 inch is 1/32 inch. The numbers are all base 2 and base 4, easy to get a feel for the pattern. It is strangely simpler to express 1/32” than .03125”.

I have been thinking about numbers in the natural world. While the base 2 system sometimes occurs in nature, it is the fundamental of our digital system; the absolute of on or off, one or zero. The base 4 system is fundamental to all life.

The fundamental molecule to all life is the self replicating DNA. It is composed of only 4 chemicals, which then yield only 64 different combinations. These then attach together in enormous strings to make the super complex variation we see from dandelion to influenza to elephant. The whole thing is constructed on the basis of only these 4 chemicals: adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine.

There is unintended symmetry between the archaic architectural system and the natural chemical world.

There-Should-Still-Be-Flowers-In-the-Future

Naturally Occurring Terrorism

Because how revolts are a natural reaction

That Ebola thing.

Fear All

Famine

Happens when crops fail

Usually caused by drought

Caused by human misdeeds

Or where distribution fails

Caused by human misdeeds

Street Murders

Caused by overcrowding overburdening

Global warming

Yes

Religious piety is stupid

But they do get to wear outlandish costume in public

The way clothing styles grow

Organically

How do people know what is unstylish?

Skeletons are for Archaeologists

Musical Sharing

When the jukebox stops for a moment, I notice.
My stimulus deprivation alarm goes off.
Or is it my opportunity alarm?
I feel the opportunity to express myself musically and also gain entertainment.
I want to educate those nearby.


Classical-Design--am

I was in Rome this morning

February 04, 2007
We wrapped up the Italy adventure with another road trip.
This time to the mountainous center north east of Rome. We saw mountains and castles and waterfalls. We hiked up and down the mountain town of Spoleto. Umbria is the region. I got into the usual trouble wanting vegetables on my sandwich. Damn, slices of meat on dry slices of bread is just not a balanced meal; they humor my insane idea and put tomatoes on, then watch me eat with smirks. On the way back we drove thru the industrial city of Terni. They make steel there; it looks like a steel town. Their biggest customer is the police. The gun factories are also right there and some very well stocked gun shops are visible from the street.

Photo of Spoleto school kids


I had a smooth flight to the U.S. I had planned on staying at a friend's apt that night. He was trying to finish his deadline and had to work later than 4:00, so I dropped my bags in a bar, had a beer, and read the Village Voice. He finally came home, we hung out, then another dude came over. We went out for food and margaritas. Then to a music place where a friend was playing her rocking acoustic guitar music. So I got to see many friends right away. Then an old friend from Chicago was in town and called, he was nearby so he came over too. Fun. I got to mention that "I was in Rome this morning" many times. Went to bed at a reasonable hour but I had been up for 20 some hours.

Friend from Chicago is a magazine writer in town to cover an architectural CAD convention (just one company). He took me to a party in the Guggenheim Museum. Nice party: music, drinks, food, architects. I crashed it with someone else's name tag. I got nervous when a conventioneer was admiring the firm I work for (on the tag). She was despondent when I didn't respond about my workplace. After I hid my tag, I had a nice long talk with a buoyant Canadian architect, plus I ran into Monica from the firm on the same floor as my work studio. Fun.

Well I am happy to be back in NY, talking to people in english, reading the news in english, and watching tv in english. There are no espresso bars and people here don't like Americans as much, but I'll try to enjoy myself. Thanks for listening to my stories, and thanks for the nice responses.

Love,
Brian

Volcanoes and Stone

January 29, 2007
So back to Roma. We immediately head out to the countryside to the town of Canale. Our hosts, whom we had just previously entertained for 2 weeks in NY, made jokes about arriving at Canal Street. (NY folk should understand the international word, with which the Romans made jokes, spoken in chinese accent: DVD? DVD?)

This little town is out by the lakes north west of Rome.
All of these large round lakes throughout Italy are in old volcanoes, look at the map. Damn. The festival of the weekend was the blessing of the animals.
This is a community of cowboys and there was a big parade with all the locals riding horses doing tricks; also distinguished well dressed older gentleman riders, plus a few toothless geezers. There was a group of young men and a woman with monogrammed jackets like a 50s car club. Following the riders were dog walkers, some cats, pet goats, and many rabbits. This entire town is filled with barking dogs, barking early in the morning everywhere late into the night. Bark bark bark bark bark. The blessing seemed to have no effect on their manners.

Later in the day we went to the community feast. Grand meaty meal with lots of wine on cramped picnic tables finished with many types of sweet cakes.

At another nearby lake with a slightly bigger town was a castle and entire neighborhood of medieval apartments. Fascinating living, steep stone streets, roaming cats, laundry out the window, luxury living in piles of stones. This is the castle where an actor recently had a big wedding; he allegedly paid all the local restaurants to close, and the area to be cleared. It is still the sarcastic talk of the town; they call it Tohm Cruweese castle.

We also toured other lakes in volcanoes. One town is called Rocca di Papa; I hoped it was a band called Rock of the Pope, but it was a rock of the Pope.

We cruised downtown Rome most days looking for contemporary art galleries. We found some damn good ones. For several days in a row, there were thunderstorms and hail all day long. Hail and thunderstorms in January?! Crazy. Miserable walking but weird enough to not be oppressive.

The buses have four extra superwide seats, presumably for fat people, and two wheelchair places, though I hardly saw any fat people or a single wheelchair person in Rome.

We went out to a rock club called Jail Break, saw bands called Real Swinger, and Tito and the Brain Suckers. All these names were displayed like this in English. It was a typical rock club with beat up dark wood and posters. We had dinner there(?!). Then the bands played late. I had to see some music in my quest to confirm that the USA is actually the cultural superpower, not the military superpower; as our government's military apparently isn't. My experience has been that musicians in the US are the world's best. This is partly because all the best people in the world immigrate to the US, but that is not the whole story. I am not sure what it is, but creators of original material outside the US are usually just not as good as even average US creators. The bands we saw were good, but were lacking some innate knowledge or attitude preventing them from being great.


We went to Naples. Wow. Chaos and grunge. Even the luxury areas made me feel uncomfortable; I couldn't stop thinking about that the mafia is touching all wealth here. There was a lot of beauty and vibrant life right there in the shadow of active Vesuvius; damn. I think it is illegal to use a leash on your dog. We went to the national archaeology museum and saw the Secret Room where they have a collection of erotic mosaics, hot sculpture, and sexy everyday good luck charms. A statistically measurable number of people in Naples have a fake tan.


Most doors of businesses open in, confusing Americans. Our doors open out in case of fire so people don't pile at the door and burn up. Buildings in Italy don't use much wood, everything is stone, they don't consider fire. Most businesses are closed on Monday, most also close for a several hour lunch.

Love,
Brian

You Have Good Future-Vision

Yes travel is good for the brain. You can't just read about a place, there are too many details; immersion is the way to go. I recommend being an explorer, not a tourist. Plan ahead and do it.

Venetian Blinds

January 26, 2007
The city of Venice is a group of islands off the coast out in the Adriatic Sea where people went to escape the Huns and the Christians after the power of Rome fell, like around 500. It became the capital of the world for a few centuries around 1500; with a population as international as NY is today.

Now it is a revered and romanticized city of residents who have evolved their own dialect. Transportation and technology have developed on a unique path also. One must get around by boat, things are carried by boat; there are all sizes and functions of boats. On the bits of land, one must walk. Wheeled vehicles are unusable as there is a bridge with stairs every block (which are actually all individual islands).
There are no bicycles and only unwise tourists have baby strollers.

An artist/architect friend of Simonetta's was going to be away, and she let us use her apartment in this former city-state (real name Venezia) where the experiences of Giacomo Casanova have become famous, and only slightly distorted to fit the style of the day. The apartment is in the center, on a canal, on the top floor of a building from the 1300s. It is finished modernly and has a nice little terrace on the roof overlooking a nearby square and bridge.
It has stone tables, wacky spiral stairs,

sleek wood shelves, stone floors, and a great library.
We went to the nearby supermarket, got food, and had lunch on the terrace.


The apartment was so nice, we stayed in as much as we went out.
The sound of boats going by is lovely. From two floors up, the motor sounds are soft and the shush of the wake is more present. There is an occasional radio. I regret not taking pictures of the garbage men going by with a small crane on the trash boat; but I did get a picture of the ambulance pulling up to the opening in our building that eventually leads to the street. Sorry, no body.

We met up with a group of artists and went to a gallery opening, then to its owner's home where there was more exhibition plus party. It amazes me that old and worn Venice is still such a pinnacle of contemporary art.

Of course most of the houses have Venetian blinds. But they are usually outside the windows. While the city is centuries old and much of it crumbling, I can see that old and worn out is considered good. Many things are built of not the most durable materials, and maintenance which would preserve areas is not done.

Most of the businesses cater to tourist whims. There are, however, plenty of real stores selling washing machines and vacuums or carpentry materials. This balance reminds me of life in New Orleans.




In Italy there are many broadcast tv stations. They often play recent and good Hollywood movies (well dubbed). They have many more movies on tv than we do. You don't say please or thank you when ordering from a restaurant or retail store. Eating lunch standing up at a bar (which is really a coffee shop) is normal. Cars park in any direction on the street. Scooters and motorcycles filter thru traffic like blowing sand.

Love,
Brian

Burning Celebration

Tue, 16 Jan 2007
Small town north eastern Italy, at the Moro family house, for a week or so. There are many decorations for Christmas still up around town, all showing a 5 pointed star with a tail. There are also small Santa Clauses (Baba Natale) climbing ladders hung out windows (like a thief or voyeur). The region, the plains below the Alps down to the Adriatic Sea, including Friuli, celebrates another holiday on the 6^th of Jan. Gifts are given and decorations are witches. There are witches on brooms everywhere. Actually what happens is that a pointy hat wearing, wart nosed, green faced woman flies around on her broom delivering gifts for children, down the chimney to stockings on the fireplace mantel during the night of January 5.

This part of the region celebrates the occasion with enormous pyres. We saw many large fires in the countryside on our way to the official one in the center of a farm town called Concordia.

There was a huge tall haystack, with a skeleton of shipping pallets, in the middle of the river. All the town's people had gathered on the brides and banks. There were tables set up where men gave away sandwiches of a local soft sausage and hot wine. The fire was lit, eerie music was played, firecrackers were tossed, and the people stared in awe.

These odd traditions predate christians. People here have been burning pyres in early winter as a pagan ritual since when all of this area was Celtic. The christians couldn’t squelch the celebration 1700 years ago, so they co-opted it by putting a cross at the top of the fire. Cool.

Sima’s father had a big birthday party with all his friends and family. Really nice, everyone dressed well, gourmet food, lots of top wine. Later the men played cards with an unusual deck of narrow cards showing different medieval symbols and numbers. The game looked like Euchre. The party made me think of the ridiculous drunk driving laws in the states.

I am eating a lot. Everyday we have a three course lunch with wine, then espresso and grappa to finish. We all sit at the table at the same time, though you can start eating as soon as your food arrives. First course is usually some kind of pasta with a small amount of various sauce (no marinara yet) always in a bowl on top of the plate for the second course, which is meat. Then finished with salad. Then a different kind of wine for the fruit and sweet bread at the end. Many tangerines everywhere. Bread is eaten intermittently, taken from a little basket with many types. It is placed on the tablecloth in front of your dish, crumbs and all. Television is on the whole time. The event is wrapped up with espresso and a shot of liquor. Dinner is similar but a bit larger. This has been the same procedure at everyone’s house where I have eaten. I am beginning to understand the need for wine with food to help digest.

Everyone in Italy has very stylish eye glasses. Via means street (or way) and is pronounced VEE-a. "The car" is referred to as "the machine", not unlike how Yoopers refer to their snowmobile.

Photo shows Simonetta and her parents, Giovanni and Renata, with perpetually optimistic uncle Franco standing. Notice the witch decoration and the gift of Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth book; plastic bottle in foreground is sparkling water.

The Names of Neighborhoods

Yah, neighborhood rivalry exists in many cities in the States. Maybe most cities in the world. I like how the area names organically develop and are maintained by the residents, even though real estate people keep trying to smear the boundaries to their benefit. New Yorky 'hood names are so often semi-acronyms: Soho, Tribeca, Nolita. In Chicago they are usually named for the nearby park: Wicker Park, Lincoln Park, Rogers Park. In San Francisco they have a formal "the" in the names: The Mission, The Tenderloin, The Sunset. Ah, the subtle joys of living on Earth.

Speech for Megaphone

Are you confused why bad things happen?


Nature is self-evident. It was not created. It creates itself.

There is no magic; everything is real.

The plants and animals, bugs and fish grew into what they are today by trial and error. Mostly non-consciously. From a long lineage of evolving organisms. and will grow into something else generations later.



Do you wish for a higher power? A master to guide your life away from discomfort?

Humans have sought this organizational power since consciousness began. Consciousness was an amazing development in living things. However, it brings difficulties. The ability to ponder causes difficult questions, some questions cannot be answered yet. Deities were created to pacify these nagging ponderings. Ah..... good... yes now we know everything.

These deities are inventions of man. The only evidence for their existence is the amazingness of nature.

Do good to others because they are living beings like yourself, not because the bearded man on the cloud is watching you.

There really is no magic guiding your life. You do everything you do even if you don’t know it. Some are conscious actions, almost all are subconscious. There is no fate. Take responsibility for your life and your actions. It is the right thing to do.