11.17.2009
i see it....RUN!
i always root for people who run for the bus. i cheer for them out loud while in my car or in my head when walking down the street. and it always makes me smile when i see the bus driver stop a little longer for them to get on the bus. it's a small triumph but it makes your day. i do this because i've been in that situation and i know how it feels to run after a bus and catch it. and also know how disappointing and embarrassing it is to miss it. it's one of those things i can personally relate to with complete strangers.
8.21.2009
seriously good
if you haven't seen the movie, (500) Days of Summer, when you get the chance, go watch it. it's worth every penny. for those who've seen it, this dance sequence is just one of the many things that make this movie so fantastic.
i love joseph gordon levitt and zooey deschanel.
i love joseph gordon levitt and zooey deschanel.
8.16.2009
8.03.2009
sit for a portrait...please
newest music discovery/addiction: vampire weekend
thanks to the nick and norah's infinite playlist soundtrack. they're soooo good!
check them out. it's worth the five minutes to listen to one of their songs.
current favorite:
"OTTOMAN"
thanks to the nick and norah's infinite playlist soundtrack. they're soooo good!
check them out. it's worth the five minutes to listen to one of their songs.
current favorite:
"OTTOMAN"
Ottoman couch, how handsome your furniture
Lovelier now, but dressed for a funeral
Begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall
To hang in the dark of some parliamentary hall
Elegant clothes you want to be seen with her
Under your tweeds you sweat like a teenager
Begging you to sit for a portrait on the wall
To hang in the dark of some parliamentary hall
Today is for you
They laid it out for you
For you
There will be six bells a-ringing and white women singing for you
But this feels so unnatural to Peter Gabriel, too
All of the cops and all of the time it took
Soon it's all lines read in a leather book
Begging you to wait for a minute by the door
Your creeping feet where they've never been before
Today is for you
They laid it out for you
For you
There will be six bells a-ringing and white women singing for you
But this feels so unnatural to Peter Gabriel, too
7.19.2009
and another
then i would recommend you to go here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/tny/finger-painting/
it's ok to cry
saddest songs in my playlist
"signs" - bloc party
"landslide" - smashing pumpkins (cover)
"vienna" - billy joel
"save me" - queen
"against all odds" - the postal service (cover)
"chasing pavements" - adele
"signs" - bloc party
"landslide" - smashing pumpkins (cover)
"vienna" - billy joel
"save me" - queen
"against all odds" - the postal service (cover)
"chasing pavements" - adele
7.18.2009
repeat
most listened to songs in the past week or so (or what i would call "the midterm mix")
"little bit" - lykke li
"i'm good, i'm gone" - lykke li
"dance, dance, dance" - lykke li
"hey jay" - eraserheads
"shake yer head" - eraserheads
"it don't move me" - peter bjorn and john
"i want you" - peter bjorn and john
"young folks" - peter bjorn and john
runners up:
"paper planes" - m.i.a.
"hey ya" - outkast
"song for the dumped" - ben folds five
"i wanna dance with somebody" - whitney houston
"blue light" - bloc party
"little bit" - lykke li
"i'm good, i'm gone" - lykke li
"dance, dance, dance" - lykke li
"hey jay" - eraserheads
"shake yer head" - eraserheads
"it don't move me" - peter bjorn and john
"i want you" - peter bjorn and john
"young folks" - peter bjorn and john
runners up:
"paper planes" - m.i.a.
"hey ya" - outkast
"song for the dumped" - ben folds five
"i wanna dance with somebody" - whitney houston
"blue light" - bloc party
7.13.2009
7.08.2009
7.05.2009
7.02.2009
the handwritten
in the course of the year, i only get one or two handwritten letters or postcards. it's depressing when the only mail you get is junk, the penny saver, catalogs (some you didn't even sign up for or some with your name misspelled horribly), and - the most dreaded of all - bills. i LOVE getting postcards and birthday cards from friends. i like to stock up on nice note cards just in case i need to write a personalized thank you or greeting.
i know there's email, facebook and all those other avenues to keep in touch (constantly and instantaneously) with friends and family, but there's just something poignant about getting something someone wrote and feeling it in the palm of your hands. you know that person took the time to do it. letter writing is becoming a lost art form.
i've saved all the letters and cards i've gotten over the years. like i said, lately i haven't been getting a lot. but i am also guilty of not sending them as much as i used to. so i'm going to resolve to at least give one to one person a month. i may not be the best linguist or wordsmith, but i can string a few good sentences along that's probably better than, "hey, wassup? how's it going?"
i know there's email, facebook and all those other avenues to keep in touch (constantly and instantaneously) with friends and family, but there's just something poignant about getting something someone wrote and feeling it in the palm of your hands. you know that person took the time to do it. letter writing is becoming a lost art form.
i've saved all the letters and cards i've gotten over the years. like i said, lately i haven't been getting a lot. but i am also guilty of not sending them as much as i used to. so i'm going to resolve to at least give one to one person a month. i may not be the best linguist or wordsmith, but i can string a few good sentences along that's probably better than, "hey, wassup? how's it going?"
6.28.2009
6.27.2009
i made...
two grown men AND myself cry today.
for some reason when i talk to these particular two, i always end up asking hypothetical questions like, "what would you do if you weren't an architect?" or "if you were to live anywhere in the world, where would it be?" so today while having lunch/dinner, i started asking what they would do if they were told they were to live for only 1 hour; 1 day; 1 week; 1 month. then for the kicker, i asked them what they would do if they only had 5 minutes to live but they couldn't tell anyone they were going to die. at first, you can see their brain working as they ponder the question. i was doing the same. then all of a sudden, we started laughing at how sad the question was. then the tears came next. crying and laughing at the same time, we must've looked ridiculous at the restaurant. it was never my intention to get anyone to cry. it just happened as we thought more about the "5 minute" question.
it is a sad question, the type no one wants to think about because of its morbidity. however, i do find myself thinking about death once in a while. sometimes i find myself thinking that i'm ok with dying at this moment. a few times i say to myself that i have way too many things to learn and do that i fear dying mostly because i won't be remembered as i wanted to be remembered.
then there's the whole discussion of the afterlife. i believe we have one, but what do we do? do we keep doing the same thing, essentially be the same person? do we meet new people? do we foster relationships with other afterlifers? do we feel pain and sadness and heartbreak in order to feel happiness and love (just like in "normal" life)? i might never know the answers and no one might be able to tell me the right one until i get there.
for now, i go on with this life.
for some reason when i talk to these particular two, i always end up asking hypothetical questions like, "what would you do if you weren't an architect?" or "if you were to live anywhere in the world, where would it be?" so today while having lunch/dinner, i started asking what they would do if they were told they were to live for only 1 hour; 1 day; 1 week; 1 month. then for the kicker, i asked them what they would do if they only had 5 minutes to live but they couldn't tell anyone they were going to die. at first, you can see their brain working as they ponder the question. i was doing the same. then all of a sudden, we started laughing at how sad the question was. then the tears came next. crying and laughing at the same time, we must've looked ridiculous at the restaurant. it was never my intention to get anyone to cry. it just happened as we thought more about the "5 minute" question.
it is a sad question, the type no one wants to think about because of its morbidity. however, i do find myself thinking about death once in a while. sometimes i find myself thinking that i'm ok with dying at this moment. a few times i say to myself that i have way too many things to learn and do that i fear dying mostly because i won't be remembered as i wanted to be remembered.
then there's the whole discussion of the afterlife. i believe we have one, but what do we do? do we keep doing the same thing, essentially be the same person? do we meet new people? do we foster relationships with other afterlifers? do we feel pain and sadness and heartbreak in order to feel happiness and love (just like in "normal" life)? i might never know the answers and no one might be able to tell me the right one until i get there.
for now, i go on with this life.
hopped up on sugar
i'm gonna skip the whole michael jackson died and farah fawcett died and rumors about jeff goldblum and harrison ford dying, and go straight to non-celebrity centered happenings.
an outdoor movie screening is a good summer activity. sitting outdoors and watching movies projected on a huge screen while eating sushi being pushed from inside a cardboard tube with a stick. waaaaaaait....what? yes, that's right. sushi...in a cardboard tube. it's called "sushi poppers." someone called david waite invented it. it was definitely weird. don't know if this patent pending novelty will catch on.
also, watching episodes of voltron (aka golion) set to music mixed by dj's was really cool. the first one wasn't so great because: 1) i was confused, and 2) the music didn't change much throughout the episode. the next two were much more "aware" of the events in the episode.
alright...here i go watch all 40+ episodes of voltron just uploaded in hulu.
an outdoor movie screening is a good summer activity. sitting outdoors and watching movies projected on a huge screen while eating sushi being pushed from inside a cardboard tube with a stick. waaaaaaait....what? yes, that's right. sushi...in a cardboard tube. it's called "sushi poppers." someone called david waite invented it. it was definitely weird. don't know if this patent pending novelty will catch on.
also, watching episodes of voltron (aka golion) set to music mixed by dj's was really cool. the first one wasn't so great because: 1) i was confused, and 2) the music didn't change much throughout the episode. the next two were much more "aware" of the events in the episode.
alright...here i go watch all 40+ episodes of voltron just uploaded in hulu.
6.21.2009
musings
as i'm researching erasure strategies for my thesis, i came across jasper john's white flag, robert rauchenberg's erased de kooning, and sol lewitt's incomplete open cubes and his 35 sentences on conceptual art. i haven't read through all 35 yet, but number 9 is really thought-provoking.
we'll see...
The concept and idea are different. The former implies a general direction while the latter is the component. Ideas implement the concept.i always interchange the two words because i've never thought of them as two different things. it seems from what sol lewitt has said ideas come after the concept. the concept is more general, but not vague. (vagueness implies indecisiveness and so i'm left thinking about my thesis (dealing with a re-definition of the architectural palimpsest), do i have an idea or a concept? and which one is more important? i wonder if i start thinking this way, if my whole method for working will change.
we'll see...
6.13.2009
more addictions
flight of the conchords
this show came out in hbo in 2007, but i just started watching it this spring. thank circuit city's going out of business sale. hilarious! bret and jemaine, two new zealanders (yes, that is a country) who're trying to make it as rock stars (and part time rappers) in new york city with the help of their band manager/new zealand consulate office worker murray. and of course what's a band without the required stalker/fanclub president?
so great...go youtube them already.
"korean food"
with so many korean bbq places here in LA, you can't help but crave thin slices of marinated beef and pork every once in a while. food coma is a given after effect, but you just deal with it. also the crispiest and tastiest fried chicken is a two minute drive away. and also did i mention the places that serve tofu soup in stone pots? fantastic. i totally live in the right neighborhood.
"threadless.com"
their t-shirt designs are awesome! i guarantee random people will say, "i love your t-shirt!" when you go out an wear them. i would check out their $5 t-shirt sale.
this show came out in hbo in 2007, but i just started watching it this spring. thank circuit city's going out of business sale. hilarious! bret and jemaine, two new zealanders (yes, that is a country) who're trying to make it as rock stars (and part time rappers) in new york city with the help of their band manager/new zealand consulate office worker murray. and of course what's a band without the required stalker/fanclub president?
so great...go youtube them already.
"korean food"
with so many korean bbq places here in LA, you can't help but crave thin slices of marinated beef and pork every once in a while. food coma is a given after effect, but you just deal with it. also the crispiest and tastiest fried chicken is a two minute drive away. and also did i mention the places that serve tofu soup in stone pots? fantastic. i totally live in the right neighborhood.
"threadless.com"
their t-shirt designs are awesome! i guarantee random people will say, "i love your t-shirt!" when you go out an wear them. i would check out their $5 t-shirt sale.
5.29.2009
5.28.2009
three new addictions
"restaurant city"
thanks, playfish, for making an app for facebook that lets me have a restaurant with employees that i constantly have to baby-sit so they won't die of starvation and fatigue. like i don't have enough stuff to do.
"mysoju.com"
greaaaaaaat! asian dramas! all the freakin' time. productivity = 0%
fantastic.
"cooking mama"
oh, the wii! the game really makes you want to impress your cooking mama mostly because she will go to lengths to save your flying piece of meat. also, she wears a red bandana. so you keep improving your knife "skills" until she tells you, "even better than mama!"
thanks, playfish, for making an app for facebook that lets me have a restaurant with employees that i constantly have to baby-sit so they won't die of starvation and fatigue. like i don't have enough stuff to do.
"mysoju.com"
greaaaaaaat! asian dramas! all the freakin' time. productivity = 0%
fantastic.
"cooking mama"
oh, the wii! the game really makes you want to impress your cooking mama mostly because she will go to lengths to save your flying piece of meat. also, she wears a red bandana. so you keep improving your knife "skills" until she tells you, "even better than mama!"
3.08.2009
boards!
TRIPLE TEMPLE
feed your soul, count to three, a trip to the temple of triple for me!
Inspired by the formation of crystals and the clustering of soap bubbles, the curving gem units come together to create a lightweight framework of pipes. The gem-like units assembled together in multiple geometric configurations can easily reach great heights. The height of the dense crystal structure could serve as the beacon that would attract festival goers. They enter the airy space frame under one of three open archways. From this threshold, the experience of being under dappled light and curvilinear shadows has begun, and constantly changes as they move through or relax on the ground. One can also choose between crawling under the base crystal units or bask under its towering center.
Our proposal is relatively simple to fabricate. PVC conduits are bent into the crystal shapes by hand and guided by a jig. Since this type of PVC conduit is more pliable, this process should take less time and effort. Hose clamps, extruded aluminum plates, nuts and bolts are used to keep the crystals secured to each other. Single crystals become five-unit stars or aggregate to create other geometric shapes. These larger parts could be assembled separately on the ground. This makes creating the overall form more efficient. Once the base pieces are secured to the ground, and the arches get secondary support from PVC conduit woven within the crystals, the experience and spectacle begins.
Although the aggregated crystal units are stunning enough as a space frame, the experience of being under a forest of layered shadows could be more powerful if translucent fabric, possibly in varying colors, is introduced into the system. Imagine layered shadows falling upon you as you chill under its cooling shade. Also, the pipes could hold water misters that can help refresh the thousands of festival attendees. At night, there could be projections that would fall onto multiple levels of fabric, further emphasizing the layered 3-dimensionality of the space frame. Light, pictures or videos projected on the fabric would be twice as interesting to look at. The structure could also contain small LED lights within their frame that would glow like stars and sway with the wind to collectively breathe an electric light scatter to the crystals. With the combination of projection images, lighting and possibly re-active sound effects, the curious festival-goers would feel drawn to and immersed by Triple Temple.
triple temple: proposal for coachella 2009
the approach to the crystal
"inside"
preliminary render showing layered shadows
picasa collage experiment
i love picasa's collage function. it arranges the photos for you according to the general color of the picture. makes you look like a pro in a lot less time.
2.28.2009
playlist speaks again
so it's midterm time and so is procrastination time.
blogging while diagramming seems like a good idea. multi-tasking, per se...
next ten songs; same format: "song title" by "artist" makes me or reminds me of "insert opinion/memory."
"one million" by athlete reminds me of missed opportunities and wondering "what if?"
"blue light" by bloc party. i won't say anything until you listen to the first 10 seconds of it. that opening is soooo good: a soothing rhythm that reverberates until the end of the song.
"evaporated" by ben folds five makes me believe that there is passion in ben folds voice. you can hear the pain when he sings, "i poured my heart out."
"at my most beautiful" by r.e.m. makes me smile and think that there are men out there who appreciate the women in their lives.
"take me out" by franz ferdinand reminds me of any simpsons episode because it starts off one way and ends another.
"my girl" by the temptations reminds me of summer and gives me an overall feeling of goodness.
(it's getting a bit cheesy...yeah?)
"song for the dumped" by ben folds five is the best break up song ever. bitter with a bit of humor. "give me my money back, you bitch!...and don't forget to give me back my black t-shirt."
"in the morning" by the coral is really one optimistic song.
"c'mon" by guster is another one, makes me want to say, "let's goooooooooooooo! do iiiiiiit!"
and with that note, we fly to...
"el salvador" by athlete. yes. yes, we can start over.
blogging while diagramming seems like a good idea. multi-tasking, per se...
next ten songs; same format: "song title" by "artist" makes me or reminds me of "insert opinion/memory."
"one million" by athlete reminds me of missed opportunities and wondering "what if?"
"blue light" by bloc party. i won't say anything until you listen to the first 10 seconds of it. that opening is soooo good: a soothing rhythm that reverberates until the end of the song.
"evaporated" by ben folds five makes me believe that there is passion in ben folds voice. you can hear the pain when he sings, "i poured my heart out."
"at my most beautiful" by r.e.m. makes me smile and think that there are men out there who appreciate the women in their lives.
"take me out" by franz ferdinand reminds me of any simpsons episode because it starts off one way and ends another.
"my girl" by the temptations reminds me of summer and gives me an overall feeling of goodness.
(it's getting a bit cheesy...yeah?)
"song for the dumped" by ben folds five is the best break up song ever. bitter with a bit of humor. "give me my money back, you bitch!...and don't forget to give me back my black t-shirt."
"in the morning" by the coral is really one optimistic song.
"c'mon" by guster is another one, makes me want to say, "let's goooooooooooooo! do iiiiiiit!"
and with that note, we fly to...
"el salvador" by athlete. yes. yes, we can start over.
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