116

116 

                                                      

Bir Hakiem

          Paris Metro  -  You will find that several Metro and train stations are named for famous battles (Won !) such as Waterloo in London, Austerlitz and Bir Hakeim in Paris.  We’ve all heard about Waterloo (Brits/Germans won that one), Austerlitz (Napoleon won that), but Bir Hakeim was always a mystery  to me .  I researched a bit and found the battle was in North Africa in 1942  S-W of Tobruk. The French Foreign Legion (Le Legion Etrangier de France)  was holding the Old Ottoman Fortress ( meaning Old Man’s Well) and managed to hold it long enough to deter  the  Nazi from getting around it. It is one of a few Metro stations that are above ground, next to the Seine and also  a stop for the Tower Eiffel.

OFFENSIVE SPENDING

  We always claim it’s for defense but why have we gotten to be such Military/Industrial spenders, which seems to add up more than the next FIVE nations combined to an unbelievable 700 Billion a year?  They (We!) spent 6 billion recently just to find out how much money that the Pentagon needed to overspend  on items so drastically.  It seems that the Pentagon is “Too big to count”.  There seems no way for us to cut back on these items as both parties seem silent about each increase of billions every year. My miserable little theory is that there are too many people working in the Industry to cut it back any. How about Boeing,  General  Dynamics ?  And other industries like computers, etc. ? Just imagine how many workers would lose their jobs if we cut back on our military orders?

TRUMP WHO?

 I  try to stay aloof of politics but once in  while I just have to get my hands dirty and talk about it. I always wondered how someone like T. was so popular that he was elected by nearly a majority. I ran across a short article in the New Yorker that kind of threw some light on the great mystery. They claimed that his Television  stint elevated him to a position of competence that is not part of this real world. One of his contestants said of him “He is a poor persons idea of a rich person”.   Now I get it.

MEMORIAL DAY   

It’s more than a day off for Federal  Workers, it was supposed to reflect the death of many of our young people in the First War to End Wars.  John McCrae’s short poem regarding the loss is especially poignant in the last two stanza;

                ……………

                We are the dead, Short days ago

                We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

                Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold high,

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

                In Flanders fields.

I guess we didn’t take their advice?

WHAT DOES ONE TRILLION DOLLARS LOOK LIKE?

  See Link above on You Tube : What does one trillion dollars look like? We hear these numbers bandied around but have not a clue how much we are imagining.  It's about as big as a building, solid with 100 dollar bills, new.

WE GOT OUR NEW TELEPHONE BOOKS YESERDAY

 Just for fun I looked up Architects in Sonoma county and found about one half a page listed. Then for more fun I looked up attorrneys and found 17 pages for them.

PROECTING AGAINST WHO?

    We seem to be  i n  a big brau Hau right now regarding whether having a gun is all right as we may be called on to fight our own government for control. At least this was written into our constitution in 1770’s when most men and boys owned a gun at the time and they actually used it to defend against the British Forces.  When they drafted the Constitution  Little did they believe that in a few hundred years a weapon will be a much different machine that could shoot hundreds of rounds without loading until you had killed that many people in one fell swoop.   It didn’t matter whether these dead were friends or enemies or just innocent folks in the wrong place with the right Karma. They said nothing about hand grenades as they hadn’t been perfected at that time.  Also, maybe we have forgotten that in those days it took about three minutes for an expert to load and shoot someone .  It would have been easier and faster to use a big knife or sabre to even begin killing folks around you.  

2010; ODYSSEY TWO

  I just finished Arthur Clarks’ sequel to 2001, written about 1982 and was always hoping someone would do a movie of it as they could probably simulate the destruction of Jupiter nowadays.   We all would like to know what happened to Dave Bowman his transformation into “StarChild” and what ever happened to the black monoliths out in space?  Why would HAL, a stable intelligent computer, kill the crew?( By the way, HAL stands for Hueristic ALgorithmics).  And whatever happened to the Spaceship Discovery?   Clark does answer some of these questions, while making it all sound very logical and possible.  Written during the cold War, most of the crew is Russian. 

STUMBLES IN THE MARCH OF HISTORY

 While sporting a rather dumb title, but a cogent  illumination of some of the major  problems in world Governments and Private enterprise managed and some kind of solutions that was not what always was expected.   The book, STUMBLES IN THE MARCH OF HISTORY, Beginning in the year 500 years B.C. (Does that still mean Before Christ?), and ends with the WMDS that the Iraqis never had, It covers a lot of ground..       

115

115 .

LATEST FASHIONS

It happens very subtly and we almost miss it but there are two fashions that I have noticed recently to have occured.  When all your superstars (Millionaires) start sporting beards , It almost drives me to shave again so I’ll look like a teenager again. (Pretty unlikely).  But we are still  hung up on clean faces in the Political arena, except for a bit part in a pretty good movie “Madam  Secretary”  where one of her aides has a partial beard but even better, one of her female (black) aids has a very weird haircut. If only that filters down to our real world (as some of the other ideas of the series), life  could improve a bit.

   The other fashion is have you ever noticed that women are mostly wearing tights  instead of skirts anymore. This harks back to early Science Fiction illustrations where all women wore tights (and were not fat) plus their ever-present belt containing their  daily dose of anti-pregnant pills. Well,

I missed the pill time as well as the AIDS epidemic, and am thankful for it all.

                                             

BLACK KNIGHT MOVIE

  Being of a curious temper, I rented “Black Knight” as it has gotten so many awards. Wow, was  I ever surprised! What an absurd scene. Have our adults retroed to child-hood?  This was worse than I imagined.  The only thing missing were the white guys.  Who rates all these, twelve year old kids?

MONEY VERSUS TASTE                                  

  There seems to be a close correlation between the two as the more money someone has, their taste for Design & aesthetics declines. Or is it just me?

IF YOU’R DESPERATE IN Paris and need a Hot Dog  fix, get to Harry’s Bar and ask for a “Chien Choud”

(Shen Showd) And you will get a close facsimely  of one.  I don’t know where they get them.

   It’s like Cocktails. The French do not like to cloud up their Cognac with sweet crap and make it look pretty. thirty years ago the only place you could get a cocktail in France was a  Harry’s and a really large Hotel, but now , the French are getting perverted and you’ll find them all over. Just don’t ask for a ‘Martini’ as you will be served a glass of Sweet Vermouth, Martini’s.

.

                                                           

     PHOTO OF SMART VILLE

MORE ON THE SMART CAR

   Before production began the Diamler AG folks designed and built the innovative production plant near the German Border near Hambach, France, now called SMARTVILLE.   The central portion is a cross consisting of the assembly lines on the ground level wirh the upper three stories for offices and Labs. Most of the components are produced , assembled and guanteed by a plethera of sub-contractors.

These companies have mostly built adjacent plants where they produce various components and actually install them on a timely basis due to their close proximetry.  A few of the subs are: De Dion Tube rear suspension (He invented the Rear end for cars in about 1895 for steam Tricycles.), Siemens produces the entire cockpit, cable trees and batteries. Krupp delivers the propulsion unit, Tire sets are by continental. They produce about 750 cars a day. ( Thru a company-owned railway station.)

   But you are probably more interested in the safety of such a small machine.   See below.

                                                                

Since there is virtually no room for a crumple Zone in the front the car , it has is built in a cage of steel. An American Test using a five star rating gave Smart a four-star rating,(Front Impact) while it got a five star rating for a side impact. The real test was getting approval for the Norwegian “Moose Test” wherever  the car has to avoid an object at a certain speed and not tip over. Smart had to do a re-design to pass that one.

  My old Citreon 2CV (Due-shay-voh) or two horses), was also a three cylinder power plant but it only produced about 13 HP at the time(1966). However,  the Smart has a beautiful bundle of giszmos that are in the back that produces 88 HP in some models.  The radiator is in the front of the car.  But it will get up to 96 mile per hour, fast enough for me.

WHEN YOU’R FEELING DOWN….                                               

I’ve just come across a musician who is a real inspiration for us when we are feeling sorry for ourselves or a bit down. He as a pianist/Arranger who plays AROUND MIDNIGHT in a manner that is better than Monk  himself. If that doesn’t get rid of your blues, listen to his version of TAKE THE ‘A’ TRAIN, played with his outstanding side-men. His name is Michel Petrucciani, see him on You Tube, performing “Round Midnight” & “Take the ‘a’ Train”.  This small miserable dwarf can barlely move about on his little dwarf crutches, yet has managed to excel at Jazz piano as well as arranging same.  If you find life a little too hard, just play his clip and you couldn’t possibly keep feeling sorry for yourself any longer. His transformation is close to miraculous.

QUEEN OF THE DESERT

Gertrude Bell, an early suffragette (She did not support the cause),  was an early supporter  of the Arab cause, one of the first mountain climbers (Europe),  and instrumental in the first days of Iraq when it was originated in about 1925 by the British and the French.  How she was on the scene at the right time is described in a well researched book by Georgina Howell , “Gertrude Bell, Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations.”  She had a brilliant mind, from a wealthy British family, fluent in French, German, Persian, Arabic and versed in others as required.  She had her own caravans and traveled the vast deserts to meet most of the important Sheiks and Sherifs that would come in handy when Iraq was being designed.

This was all done when women were not to be seen at anything important.

114

114 

AN ARCHITECT'S VIEW OF HIMSELF

THE PUBLIC'S VIEW OF ARCHITECTS

                                                

From my 'Manual of Practice'. 

MAKING FUN OF ARCHITECTS
                Once in a while someone comes up With an idea to make fun of Architects.

The above cartoons are a couple of my favorites, even if I used one of them. (Thanks to Frazetta).

ASK YOURSELF WHY WE USE TOOTHPASTE TO CLEAN OUR TEETH?

  Whatever happened,  it resulted in a multi-million dollar scheme.

SAINT WHO?                      

                Since it seems de regiuer to get drunk at the local pub every time ST. Patrick’s day comes around, I had to do a little research to find the person behind all this hubbub.   First of all, like Jesus, a lot of his story is a myth as he lived before there were journalists, sometime in the 400 AD.  According to the legend, Patrick was captured by Irish Pirates (weren’t they all?) from his home in Britain and taken as a slave to Ireland, looking after animals (sheep?).   After about six years he escaped and returned to his family in Britain.   Later on he became a clerk of some kind and returned to Ireland.  Somehow later on he became a Bishop in the Catholic church, but didn’t become popular until the 7^th century. 

  Patrick was actually a Christian missionary sent from France after studing .

  Don’t forget to get drunk on March 17^th !

WALK IN TUB?

  I have seen these adds for accessible tubs but only recently realized that you have to open the door, walk in, sit down and wait for the hot water to fill the tub. When finished, reverse the process by pulling the plug, let all the water out, then open the door and exit.  I hope there’s a catch on the latcht that precludes you from opening the tub when it is full of water!  I’m afraid to ask how much one coss.

THE ITALIAN BOOK ON MODERN DESIGN

  This wonderful little book ( about 6.5 inches square) is missing from my library. If there I is  anyone out there  who I loaned it to, would you let me know?  I also have one on German Design that I just finished reading again, and it reminded me about the Italian one.

EIFFEL TOWER  REVISITED                      

      REVISIONS TO THE TOWER

To get a better idea of how Gustave came up with the design , it is a fun exercise to take the different sections and give them a dimension .   I have cut up  photo of the tower to show how it would look given he was conracted to build in three different stages or heights.

WHO PUT AMERICA FIRST?

It was first used as a Republican Slogan about 1880.  An early president, Woodrow Wilson used it during World War One , not to reflect  isolationism but to reflect our nuetrality. The Klu Klux Klan claimed to have a copyright on the phrase  but  that was not true. (You mean they lied?)  What does it mean today, with our president trumpeting that we should be first? First in what? It originally meant to be a dream of individual wealth, justice and democracy for the nation. Well, that's all done.

                                                              

LUNCH UNDER LE DOME

  

WANT TO HAVE A GREAT LUNCH IN PARIS?

   I believe one of the finest rooms in Paris is the Barasserie  Printemps in the mens’ section of Le

Galleries Lafayette near the old Opera building.  The entire dining room is under a huge

magnificent glass Dome. If I remember, it was fairly economical (for Paris).or I wouldn't be there. 

COOKS TOURS

The first time we were in Paris we found we needed the Train schedules put out by Cooks Tours. We found a nearby Book-store   across from the Opera and asked for the book. Well, this is a high end bookstore and hey don’t sell rail schedules.   Ooooops!   I don’t know where we finally found one but it wasn’t at Brentanos.

  Cook’s usurped the market when trains became prevelant and even had spiffy Steam River boats up and down the Nile  in Egypt for the ultimate travelor.
  Cooks sold out in 2013 and it is now called 'Continrental travet guide, but I assume it is now on your iphone and always handy. We had to tear out the countries we were not visiting by train as the book was getting pretty bulky. and I traveled light. 

113

113 

Ciodad de Mexico at its' height

AZTECS

  Ever since my trip to the Yucatan area in the 60's I have been interested in Aztec & Inca civilizations. At some point I copied a rendition of the Aztec empire at its height  I supposed our Mexicans understand they are living on the roots of the ancient Aztec civilization and the Zocalo, the main square in the City, is the remains of the actual square that the ancient civilizations used. I have included a map of Mexico City with today's rant  to show that the high rise buildings in Mexico City are basically siting on giant concrete rafts, as the entire city is founded on the old civilizations. After my graduation from College, I enrolled in the Collegio de Ciudad de Mexico for a semester, which gave me time to search out the ancient ones. In retrospect, it was very much like Paris, sitting on my balcony overlooking the Reforma, with fresh bread from the bakery across the street and a jug of beer (a legacy from the rule of some Austrian King (Maximilian)  in the last century! and reading  authors that I had no time to while in school. It seems a tossup who was the more brutal; The Spanish Priests (The Inquisition) or the Aztec priests, with their mounds of skulls of prisoners. 

.

                         

Celtic harp for the Holidays

           

FOR YOUR NEXT CHRISTMAS, get Real.

If you are getting bored with the same old songs that are drug out about time for your next X as, allow me to brighten up your holiday a bit. (How long can Bing Crosby be allowed?).

  Let me suggest you buy a CD of Celtic music, by Chris Caswell. He has one out of Celtic Tidings (Holiday numbers) as well as his CD of just good listening to all old instruments, many constructed by Caswell in my Artist building in Graton before he died rather young. He had a recording studio in my building in Graton fo years. 

REAL RUMINATIONs

     As I am on the precipice of life here I feel it is time to review what I have done in order that I can access whether I have done enough while taking up room on this planet. In other words, what have I done?

  First of all, I have tried to donate at least 10% of my work to causes that I have found to be needed.  I have donated a lot of work for the following projects;

1.     Shamaz Retreat in Redwood Valley, CA

2.    Sant Takar Singh, Umoqua Retreat, Umpqua, Oregon

3.    Kirpal Singh Hall renovation, Tustin , CA

4.    Isha projects , 400 seat donw, 5,0000 Ahditorium, Bruce, Wisconsin

5.    StarCross Residence & Barn, Annapolis, CA (Children with AIDS)

6.    A primitive carpenter in Africa,_Provide small loans to entrepreneurs . Kiva Program

7.    Work on The East-West Society, Los Angeles, CA (New stage, misc. carpentry)

8.    Seven Arts Society, Laguna Beach, CA

I have left a trail of upgraded garages, sheds; you name it, livable environments on a minimum budget (for me).

Secondly:

Wrote, published, then didn’t sell 1,000 books 1982 Mostly to see how a book is published. And how is one designed?

Wrote another book on computer without the aid or involvment of any human (Except myself). 1990

Changed book to E-book, about 2012.

Thirdly;

Bought & financed 100 year old apple processing building, turned into 28 Artists Studios, Graton  CA. 1985

Designed (and built) many houses , mostly innovative solutions on “Unbuildable Lots” in USA.

1960 to current

Designed and produce several Modular concepts; Three Dimensional, Panel types.

Sold to Ford Motor Co., 1970

TO DIE FOR

   My daughter just gave me a  kind of a primer on dying. As we get older and approach the edge of the Abyss our study options seem get more limited.  SENECA by James Roman is a good read , though small, on your bookshelves  How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca’s meditations on death and dying. The book reveals a provocative thinker who speaks with a frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out.  We should remember he lived during the reigns of Nero and Caligua, who condemned a plethora of folks to death but they had to do the job themselves. After reading the book, I realized how different our view is of death due to the dogma of our Christian religions, and really, we Americans (USA) consider it a Sin or a Major crime to do ourselves in or even assist another to end it all. Seneca really practiced what he preached as he ‘Executed ‘ himself, which is described nicely by  Tacitus ,in  a later chapter of the book.  This harks  back to the death of Socrates, some three hundred years earlier in Athens.

How about changing the name of our Secretary of Defense to SECRETARY OF OFFENSE?

Can we use the term OMNICIDE?

ESCAPE FROM PARADISE? That's what a lot of us try.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR POLITICIANS TO WEAR SUITS THAT ADVERTISED THEIR “DONORS”, JUST LIKE THE RACE CAR DRIVERS, WHO NEED SUPPORT FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR. While we’re at it, let’s  just vote directly for the lobbyists, and bypass the middle man (your politician).

WEST COAST JAZZ

During the 60’s the Jazz Scene in Los Angeles was very active. There must have been 20 or 30 Small Cubs in L.A. and environs for us aficionados to hang out around and pick up on the latest vibes.  One could stop in for a drink or two, sometimes a $5 or $10 cover charge at a place like Shelleys’ Man-Hole (Shelly Mann) or some narrow venue much like the current Club Alto in Amsterdam, and pick on the latest cool vibes. Sunday early afternoons offered “The Lighthouse” in Hermosa Beach, where the coolest cats hung out to jam a bit.

Diagragm showing squaring the circle

 

Add caption

                      

DEVINE WINDOWS

Before there were architects and Engineers, there were Master Masons who were fascinated with mathematics.  In early 1100’s they changed the architecture of the French churches to what is now called “ Gothic”  from the Romanesque  style  which had just run it’s course. The new idea was  originally called ‘Gothic”  as it was also called “monstrous and barbaric”  it did not conform to the current Classical Ideals. The Term  became acceptable  during the Middle ages, which by that time they had constructed some of the most structurally amazing edifices due to the use of flying buttresses and giant walls of colored glass, some with about 200 foot high naves.. Most people were illiterate and the church itself became the method of teaching the biblical tales.

  The Rose Window became he significant point of the buildings and after Filius Benaci discovered what is now called “The Fibonacci Series” in 1202,  the windows became a   talisman to out-complicate any rival mason. The above photo shows a completed window while the diagram shows only one way “Squaring the Circle” was manifested for the complex design. Next time you are in Paris, be sure to see the Rose Window in ‘La Chapelle’, The culmination of the art in the king’s personal chapel near Notre Dame. About 1400 AD.

112

IT'S NOT ALL THAT EASY TO KEEP UP ON A BLOGGING

You may wonder about the chaotic appearance of some of my blog work. Here's why;.. Sometimes I type out my thoughts at a coffee shop on my Mini-pad. This is on a word format. However, some of my writing is on my office computer, which has WordPerfect or Word, depending on which one I use. Then I upload all to my Word, as that's where I can easily change any troops. When I'm ready, I send it all to my Blogspot, where I can at at last insert any photos for the blog. Now, between all these programs, I am at a complete lost to get them a all together, ergo, you may fine some problems and all. I am not a computer nerd when it comes to all this, so please bear with me, as there are about 112 blogs out there 9 (SINCE 2006) I have written in my archives, which are all available , by the way. On the right side of my Blog.

GREAT CONTEMPORARY ENGINEERS

Probably only Architects will know most of these names, but all thru my life as an architect, I have revered these truly creative people and the way they have inter acted with the best creative minds of their time has been an immense influence on me. The following have been my heroes & role model's since I first became interested in building.

Here are some of my favorites who are probably un-known to most of the current generation of designers;

1850's ,William LeBaron Jenny : Before my time but known for his advancements in Iron construction of multi-story buildings in Chicago, that was being rebuilt after the great fire.

Felix Candela

Late-1900's Felix Candella -a designer in Mexico was one of the first to experient with thin shell concrete structures. These got my attention during my college days.

Pier Nervi -  Italy

1930's. Prior to the first Great War, Pier Nervi of Italy was next to set forth The newest thought on thin shells. His giant aircraft hangers and Stadium designs brought the latest thought on prefabricated forms and large spans with concrete.

1960+ T.Y. Lin an American, excelled at seismic problems. He was active in California due to it being the center of Seismic activity and advanced the science of prefabricated concrete long span beams not (Note his 'T' beams).

1960's - Fazlur Kahn, Always connected with High rise construction, Kahn devised the concept of 'Bundled Tube' structures for the Iconic Sears Tower in Chicago, an early contender for the tallest building . He is currently involved with most of the high buildings being designed today.

1970's? Ove Arup,- was Somehow involved with the the loser Architect like Jorn Utson, Achitect of the Sydney Opera house ( I seem to be a minority on this opinion), Arup managed to figure out how to engineer the weird shell structures of Utson, who had no imagination nor clue how engineer it, let alone build it. The budget overage made Calatrava look like an amateur.

1880's? John Roebling - of the Bridge, had already built a long span suspension bridge before taking on the Brooklyn Bridge. Fortunately his son and wife were experienced enough to finish the project when John died from an accident on the bridge.

1880's Gustav Eiffel - first of all , his railroad bridge in France, Then his Tower, And recently, the Milleau Viaduct, Eifels' steel company was the steel contractor for for it's construction.

How would you like to live in this place for a season?

1800's We mustn't forget the The Lighthouse Stevensons, who exercised their ingenuity building the most difficult site on Earth in the most inhabitable places in the North on sites that were underwater about half the time. Their grandson, Robert Lewis had no desire to follow in their crazy foot-steps and luckily became a writer.

1940? FLLWright Had a soaring imagination and luckily had Wes Peters by his side to help

manifest some of these ideas. Just look at 'Falling Waters' house and you'll know

Detail of Firth of Forth

1890's? Firth of Forth, about the same time, the rail bridge was blown down across The Firth and when it was re-built, just looking at it would hold it up forever, notwithstanding the horrid winds the can level anything in their way. The engineers, Benjamin. Baker & John Fowler, using ancient Japanese concept, cobbled together a giant structure that coined the phrase, "takes as long as painting the Firth of Forth Bridge".

1781? By the fact that the British were even considering these projects tells a lot about them. Severen Bridge? Before Engineers, we had "Iron Mad " people who had to invent a new type of bridge.

1964. The Japanese Kenzo Tange, Architect had enough imagination to provide the Olympic folks with a structure with a suspended roof that would be memorable.

Ponr de Normandie

1960? I.M. Pie.After designing the Washing D.C. Museums, excelled himself with the Sharp - edge. 1980? Louvre in Paris, that probably wouldn't have Been built unless the Pompidoux center had been completed. (Too Modern).There are no vast structural concepts here but the nuances of structure in an environment so hostile to innovation could only be accomplished in France.

Milleau Viaduct

1995 The Engineer who designed the early stayed-cable bride "Le Pont du Normandie" in LaHavre, France, Michel Virlogeux, was also the engineer on the magnificent Milleau Viaduct in central France a short while ago in 2005. The concept of how to accomplish innovative and magnificent structures is a text-book example of this viaduct. Maybe it can only be done in a. Socialist government, but here is how it works; The government sets some basic performance standards, (Like $30,000 a day if you get behind schedule). then asks bidders to submit their concept, costs, financing and the winner will get the contract, own it and collect revenue for the next 70 years. Then turn it over to the government, and let the citizens enjoy the fruits od their labosr along with the best designers in the world.

AB URBE CONDITA ("from the founding of Rome")

This has to do with how we date our progress
 (or mostly regress)

With so many defectors from the Catholic Religion, We should also look at our money that refers to God as well as our standard speeches by our government officials that have to make a reference to the big 'G' in all in important speeches. There used to be something in there about separation of Church and State, wasn't there?

Upside down Vines

THE GRAPE HARVEST IS IN (Apples Too).

As well as the apples around here but I have to show you how our growers are trying get to double their harvest by teaching the vines how to grow upside down. In theory, that should double your harvest and only in The USA would anyone even try it it. I have shown you a foto of a normal vine from Chateau d' Neouf'd Pape, (New house of the Pope). where the best wine is grown in a layer of stones.

This is a vine concept only an American could come up with as it is such a demarcation from standard vine management, one wonders how it was even set up to try. Will all vines in California be grown like this in the near future? Well, I probably won't be around to see it and that works for me.

TO DIE FOR

   My daughter just gave me which is kind of a primer on dying. As we get older and approach the edge of the Abyss our study options seem get more limited.  SENECA by James Roman is a must have , though small, on your bookshelves.  How to Die gathers in one volume, for the first time, Seneca’s meditations on death and dying. The book reveals a provocative thinker who speaks with a frankness about the need to accept death or even, under certain conditions, to seek it out.  We should remember he lived during the reigns of Nero and Caligua, who condemned a plethora of folks to death but they had to do the job themselves. After reading the book, I realized how different our view is of death due to the dogma of our Christian religions, and really, we Americans (USA) consider it a Sin or a Major crime to do ourselves in or even assist another to end it all. Seneca really practiced what he preached as he ‘Executed ‘ himself, which is described nicely by  Tacitus ,in  a later chapter of the book.  This harks  back to the death of Socrates, some three hundred years earlier in Athens.

  

HOW ABOUT CHANGING THE NAME OF OUR   SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO SECRETARY OF OFFENSE?

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR POLITICIANS TO WEAR SUITS THAT ADVERTISED THEIR “DONORS”, JUST LIKE THE RACE CAR DRIVERS, WHO NEED SUPPORT FROM THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR. While we’re at it, lets ‘ just vote directly for the lobbyists, and bypass the middle man (your politician).

WEST COAST JAZZ

During the 60’s the Jazz Scene in Los Angeles was very active. There must have been 20 or 30 Small Cubs in L.A. and environs for us affectionados to hang out around and pick up on the latest vibes.  One could stop in for a drink or two , sometimes a $5 or $10 cover charge at a place like Shelleys’ Man-Hole (Shelly Mann) or some narrow venue much like the current Club Alto in Amsterdam, and pick up on the latest cool vibes. Sunday early afternoons offered “The Lighthouse”  in Hermosa Beach, where the coolest cats hung out to jam a bit. This was our 'Church'. 

ESCAPE FROM PARADISE     Does this phrase sound strange? A lot of people are doing just that.  You'll take your problems with you.

 

 

 

 

111

Let’s TRY THE TRICKLE DOWN APPROACH

The media is making noise again about how the mini house will save the day and eliminate the homeless folks. They even went so far as to show a rendering of several such tiny house on a large lot on a nice flat area. Someone doesn't understand the process of any kind of housing as the site cost and lot can be even more than the cost of the little house.  Think about it, a tiny house for one person will pay the same amount for the sewer hook-ups and rates as a large family in a large house. Not my idea).This may sound like some Socialistic concept but let’s face facts. In a Communist regime, the government would own it. ; What would you call our Social Security system? Our Medicare System?  Susidized housing? Food Stamps?, Schools?  Etc.  The same thing goes for the rest of the utilities to a lesser degree (Power, Water, Gas, Cable, etc.). Someone better add in the costs of the streets, storm drains, sidewalks,water & sewer. etc. as you don't think the authorities will be able to just put in dirt roads do you? How about the cost of the actual land? Someone owns it at first , don’t they?

     Maybe we should approach the problem from a different direction, like from the earning capacity of an individual.  Let’s see how far $15 an hour gets us.

 $15x 10days = 150 a day x 6 days = 900 A WEEK.  

X 4= 3600 a month,

 X 12= $43,200 A YEAR.

   That would be OK if no taxes were taken out & no Health ins. and   Day care was free.      Consider 1/3rd of that($1200/Month) for rent .

Maya Codex

BOOK REVIEW

MAYA by Diego de Landa  Account of the Affairs of Yucatan in the mid-1500’s. (Warning;  This padre is a poor writer and is very boring! But it’s all pretty interesting.)

                Translation by A. R. Pagden in 1976

Diego de Landa, The Catholic missionary who served in Yucatan in the 1500’s was largely responsible for the destruction of most of the breakable or flammable Maya artifacts, but at the same time, he wrote about the culture of the original Mexicans, which gives us a are view of the every  day life of the people and their practices while at the same time he describes the terrible treatment by the Spaniards trying to overlay their religion on a culture they considered inferior to theirs.  You can actually get a grasp of their Codex, kind of a herrogliphics like Egyptian , but very different.

                                                               

Toshiro MafuniMYAMOTO  MUSASHI   by Euji Yoshifawa

Toshiro Mafuni

   The story of Japans’ greatest swordsman, he was renown for his prowess probably due the movie , (1956) starring Toshiro Mafune, the perfect fit for such an enigma.  To while away his time while in prison for three yrears, Mushashi  studued painitng and poetry to balance his brutal strength This is a novel in the best tradition of Japanese story telling. Subtle and imaginative, it is teeming with memorable characters,, many of them historical. It transmit a clear picture of the way of the Samuari, interweaving themes of unrequited love, misguided revenge, and absolute dedication to the ‘way of the Samurai,’ it depicts a world We westerners know only vaguely, full of gusto and humor, it has an epic quality and universal appeal.

.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCOO NEST    by Ken Kesey

   Americans (USA) don’t generally like reading stories about the Hero who dies or is killed at the end , bur Kesey is not of that genre. You’ve probably all seen the move, featuring Nicholson and the awsome ‘Nurse Ratched’ but there is so much more going on in everyones head (especially ‘Chief’s ,the supposedly deaf & dumb Indian with the mop & bucket) . Kesey’s description of MacMurty  is writing at it’s best. Kesey had gained a lot of insight due to his having worked in a nut-house in Oregon, and it shows.

                         

FALL FASHIONS

Hangmans' Bolo

   My initial offering for my FALL Collection is my version of the Bolo tie. As I believe we have gone overboard , wearing expensive,  idiotic ties., my first is a miniature version of a hanging noose.   Of  course, I would like to use a better quality rope and maybe a couple of silver end pieces, this model will have to do as my introduction to the world of fashion.   Stay tuned for my summer shirt with the ¾ sleeves, soon to be revealed.

FROM TOM WOLF

   “I went to see the the  Beatles….And I heard 20,0000 girls screaming together…. And I couldn’t hear what they were screaming, either…. But you don’t have to …They’re screaming Me !  Me !  Me !... I’m Me !... And that’s why wars get fought….”

                             

HUGO GROTIUS

  While in the medieval town of Delft in the Netherlands, we wondered who the statue was in front of the huge church (The ‘New’ church was built in the 13^th century.) The name of Hugo Grotius didn’t mean much to us until we asked a lawyer friend when we returned to the US. It seems he was an international figure even in the 16^th century as Holland was always at war with someone and he wrote volumes regarding International High Seas Navigation and use. Grotius notion of the freedom of the seas would persist until mid-20^th century, and continues to be applied even to this day for much of the high seas, though the application of the concept and the scope of it’s reach is changing.  He was jailed for his writings on Church theory but escaped in a

trunk to France where he was welcomed.  He is probably more famous for his trunk escape than his writings.

Modular moveable plant

Plant all packed

                                                

FARM HOUSING

 since everyone is caught up talking about mini-housing, modular-housing and farm housing  I

Thought I'd unwrap a thirty year old study of housing farm workers that I did for a corporation that was not able to get the concept off the drawing boards. By that time, I had designed and initiated at least two modular plants that actually constructed housing units. 

  The concept was that a modular plant capable of building a minimum of 25 units cold be designed to be portable on just a few trucks and set up near an area that needed farm housing, for permanent homes. The units would be of the same design and would be financed by large growers. And not just seasonal housing. Each grower might need two or so units for his operation , primarily for his managers and family. You would have to go to my seasonal workers housing consisting of wood platforms with theft structures or seasonal workers, such as harvesters for your crop.   I won the contract due to my actual experience with building modular 3D  (three Dimensional) units, even selling  one company to Ford Motor Co.. My mobile p[lant took inspiration from circus workers clever packing of their various components and materials on trucks and trailers. My plant was based on about four trailers that unfolded into various aspects of the plant line, it's and even the entire covered structure, including fencing. Semi-skilled workers would be sourced from local labor markets, where skilled foremen would be an integral part of the package.

3 bedroom, one bath

  There is a lot of exposure about 'Modular Housing' these days, but if you dig deeper into it all, you will notice most of it is for million dollar homes and although it does save a few months of construction time, it may cost more than conventional housing. 

3 BR, 1 B, for family c. 1980

MINI--HOUSING (OR TINY HOMES)

  Also there is a lot of noise about Mini-housing, but certainly not much done about it. We Americans (North America) have an aversion to living in  small, multi-story housing, unlike the Europeans, who can rent you a well designed unit for an amount you can afford.

  Here in the USA we order why so many families can't afford even older rental units and I believe it's due to the fact we  haven’t looked at the problem from the upper end, in other words, How much does a family have to earn in order to pay for a minimum place to. Live?

  In other words, "Let's take it from the top" .

  Let's begin with how much we can earn, starting with the magic $15 an hour.

If I work 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, I can make $720 a week.( Let's not take anything out of his check right now). That's $2,880 a month. Let's say 1/2 goes to rent or $1440 a month. Maybe that works for you in the Deep South, but you cannot even  get a studio here for that in the Western market area. That may work for a single person, but add a couple of kids into the equation, it doesn’t' look good. But what if there was free kid care ? Then the parent could actually make it, but the care  center would have to consider maybe opening earlier and closing later.

HAVE I MENTIONED ?

That a guy named Garoppolo is paid about $30 million each year? He’s a football or baseball player!  And he’s playing a game all us kids played in junior High school!  Do you think a good teacher earns that much in the USA? Just kidding!

GRAFFITI
 On a lighter side, the Eropeans have a great sense of humor, adding a few notes to their One-Way signs.