Category: Uncategorized

On Wednesday night I went to see a screening and director Q&A for the new documentary about industrial design, Objectified. This is the second film from director (design junkie) Gary Hustwit. The first was an exploration of graphic design centered around the film’s namesake typeface, Helvetica.

The film interviewed several designers of yesterday and today while showing well placed and positioned images of the objects they design. In some cases they showed the process by which these products came to be. Jonathan Ive of Apple talked a biit about how designers can not effectively design and produce the final form without designing elements of the production process. One of the most important things that the film helps you realize is that everything has been designed. A lot of the designers also talked about the evolution of an object’s design as we use it. Particularly interesting was the idea of trying to design something that wears in and become better the more you use it. One critic from the New York Times suggested a marketing campaign to rediscover the things we already own.

While the designers talked about form vs. function, the film did not examine the intense focus on function that we assume engineers to use when designing. Another way to explore that would have been to discuss how the ‘creative’ design types interact with the engineers. I think they touched a bit on this in one portion that discussed office layout but it may point to something more important. That is, that design may be ever more connected to technical skills and today’s designers really need to be both technically proficient and creative. This is probably something that those in the field have known for a long time while the rest of us have been keeping the segregation of tasks alive in our heads.

I still haven’t seen Helvetica but I interested to catch it, especially since most of the stuff I do is graphic. If you have seen it let me know what you thought (take the bait, Katy) and if you see Objectified tell me what you think. Remember that almost everything has some design that goes into which makes each of us designers as well. Take on your tasks with a new sense of responsibility.

This past weekend I took a trip with some friends down to South Georgia for a couple nights of camping in the wilderness. The trip involved a night at Stephen C. Foster State Park near Fargo, GA and then a 9 mile canoe trip through the Okefenokee Nation Wildlife Refuge to camp on a platform, with return to the park and our cars the next day. Nerves were high for this trip because of the isolated nature of our destination which lies in the middle of 700 square miles of intact ecosystem. Complete with alligators and black bears. Also worrying was the prospect of being eaten alive by mosquitoes given that South Georgia had recently declared a health emergency because of booming mosquito populations following this springs’ rains. Still the weather looked good and we had already put money down for the reservations so we headed south with extra DEET and sunscreen.

The first challenge of the weekend was to make it into the state park before 10PM when the gates closed. In total we were a group of eight in two cars and despite a few necessary stops and a missed turn we made it to the park in time. We set up camp and had some time to socialize before heading off to bed in preparation of the next day. One thing that was completely perfect about the timing of the trip was its coincidence with the peak of the lunar display. Both nights we were there we had a nearly full moon. This made for poor star gazing but afforded us a glimpse of the swamp at night without the use of headlamps.

Friday night when we arrived at the ranger station to pick up our camping permits they were waiting for us outside but oddly the door to the ranger’s office was unlocked even though they had left for the evening. The next day when we packed up camp and headed down to the pier/dock/livery/ranger station we encountered more of the same relaxed, if not negligent, work ethic. We paid our money for the canoes, were given a canoe number, and told where to find cushions, life jackets and oars. That was it for the orientation, no instructions on how to handle alligators, no emergency procedures for snake bites, no supervision getting the canoes in the water. It was all surprisingly informal. We turned the canoes over, loaded them up and launched them ourselves.

At the beginning of the trip my nervous curiosity around alligators and snakes was high. The water is the color of tea, so much so that you expect the smell of tea to get stirred up each time you move the paddle through the water. You can’t see anything below the surface and you wonder what you’re gliding over and how deep it is. After we went through the first narrow canal and got out into more open waters we spotted our first gator basking on the edge in the lilly pads and some of the tension was nervous tension was released. When we saw the second one, we were already talking about moving in for a closer look.

We stopped for lunch at a platform about halfway between the launch and our final destination. There we saw some other folks canoeing and got our first taste of what our digs would look like. The day was clear and beautiful so we were making use of all the sunscreen we brought but were only beginning to realize that the bug spray and DEET weren’t all that essential (of course it was only the middle of the day). We forged ahead through the second half. It seemed a bit longer and tougher as we were going against the current and the sun became more intense.

We arrived at the small turnoff for Big Water at about 3:30. The platform was another 100 feet down a narrow inlet. We set up our tents and began to adjust to the new space we’d be sharing for the next half-day. At first I found myself moving around a lot, not sure where to settle an trying to get out of the sun. The other thing that kept people moving around a lot at first were the huge spiders we were finding. Like the alligators our initial nervous energy subsided. We continued to pass the time with conversation and pretzels until we spotted a visitor in the water just off the platform. It was an alligator that would continue to lurk back and forth in the canal the whole time were staying there. Nick named him (for some reason, everyone refers to all alligators using the masculine pronoun) Nubs because of his characteristic short, nubby limbs.

At night we played games by lantern light and listened to the chorus of frogs. Behind all the different frog noises you can also begin to hear a low and long bellow that belongs to the alligators that you realize are all around you. (see video here) Unfortunately we couldn’t really see anything around the platform because it was located in the middle of trees and other brush. I was thinking it would be something with more of a vista, where we would be able to see for a mile in every direction and get a great sunset but it was a lot different. Even when you’re in the canoe you can always see what you think is the shore and it becomes very strange to think that the ‘ground’ at the edges is hardly ground. When we got closer to the forested edges you began to understand that it was under water as far as you could see into it.

The trip back to the park entrance was much easier on Sunday when we were heading with the current. By the time we arrived at our cars the surprise absences of mosquitoes that had only begun to set in by lunch on Saturday was fully realized. While on the platform I did not even have to use bug spray, there just weren’t mosquitoes. We had mosquito coils set up and smoking around the platform but I really credit the biodiversity of the place with keeping the mosquitoes under control. The trip was forecast by everyone to be a swarming nightmare with regard to bugs yet it was anything but. The number of predators like dragonflies, snakes, spiders and birds in the swamp must help tremendously in keeping the pests under control. Or we somehow hit a spell of fine timing.

South Georgia is still a venerable mystery to me, but a trip to the swamp is a great way to introduce yourself to the area, even in May. That is not to say that I wouldn’t also consider booking a trip in the winter months when the water is lower, the bugs are guaranteed to be low and the sunsets may be better through thinner vegetation. regardless I recommend taking along some friends. Spending hours confined to a platform in the middle of an alligator-infested swamp (it’s like your childhood fantasies come true) is a great way to bond.

more pictures here

Lactose tolerent and lovin' it!

As if things couldn’t get worse for Detroit, the Pistons just got swept out of the playoffs by our old/new nemesis, Cleveland. You may recall that two years ago I also released some steam on Cleveland after they knocked Detroit out of the playoffs. Only that time it was teh Eastern Conference Finals and this year it’s in the first round. Plus Lebron and company are favorites to win it all, adding insult to injury. Plus, Detroit has surprised even its critics by becoming an even bigger target for anyone trying to paint a picture of depression or trying to make their city feel/look better. Just listen to this guy.

That said, I was happy to be sent this video which makes fun of another city for a moment (especially since that city is Cleveland). This is version 2 but there is also a version 1. I include version 2 for one simple reason (watch til the end).

It shows exactly what I was referring to earlier, Detroit is the punching bag of even the worst-off of our cities. At least, for the time being our hockey team is still better than theirs.

NPR’s recent week-long feature on Detroit
Recent Planet Money podcast about Detroit and Auto makers
SI article about Detroit’s Courage

The HUGE and beautiful tree across the street from us is coming down and I thought I would write it an obituary.

The awe-inspiring Water Oak (Quercus nigra) in East Atlanta is being fallen this week. It is an exceptional specimen with an estimated height of more than 120 ft and diameter near 6 ft. Despite some rot (found during autopsy/murder) in an upper limb, the water oak appeared(s) to be in perfect health. Sprouted circa 1900 the centenarian was one of the original neighborhood tenants to be annexed into the city in 1915. Having survived the Great Depression the tree will now fall in the New Depression (paradoxically at very high cost). The tree saw two world wars and Haley’s Comet twice. It also served a role in WWII as a plaything for the children of GIs in the neighborhood. This oak played a part in the civil rights struggles of the 1960s, increasing the property values of the nearby homes in an exemplary neighborhood for new black homeowners (see footnote). The majestic oak even withstood the Tornado that struck the area in 2008, but could not withstand the worries of its current owner. Despite its best efforts not to fall on the home with which it shares the lot, the tree could not dismiss the fears of Miss Merriam of East Atlanta and will be taken down. In its presence we were gifted with shade and only in its absence will we be shown the light of its worth.

Facts about the Water Oak

In the 1960s, the civil rights struggle was at its peak across the country. Because the Grand Dragon of the KKK lived in an adjacent neighborhood, East Atlanta was targeted by civil rights groups to be an example of racial integration of housing. Under the protection of the Fair Housing Act, middle class black families were assisted in efforts to purchase houses in the area. Some real estate agents seized the opportunity to fan the flames of fear and racial prejudice. At their urging, many white families fled the area selling their homes at a loss (as low as $1,500 for a 3 bedroom). The new Interstate 20 highway that cut through the neighborhood removed some houses and allowed easy access to areas farther out. Slumlord investor bought many of the available houses.

During this time many hardworking black families achieved the dream of homeownership in a nice neighborhood with yards for the children and good schools nearby. Many white families remained refusing to give-in determined to live in harmony with their new neighbors. Twenty years after the first blockbusting integration in East Atlanta, their neighborhood, unlike others that had resegregated entirely, remained integrated with a 60% black and 40% white/other racial mix.

This Bulls – Celtics series is awesome!!!

Last night was the first ever Tour de Ponce. The brainchild of Miguel, it’s a pubcrawl that features some of the finest and most eccentric establishments along Ponce de Leon Ave. in Atlanta. The tour was centered around the agglomeration of bars at the intersection of Ponce with Ponce Place and it began with food and beer at Cameli’s Pizza. This is a place I have been a few times and have only once been disappointed. That one time was my own fault. See, the slices are HUGE and you can customize them but given their size, each extra item adds about a two dollars to each slice. I ordered two with about 3 items and was shocked at my bill, but the pizza was good.

Back to the point, the tour. We continued next door to the Model T. Both of these bars reside on the ground level of a large building that was formally a Ford Factory, also it’s a popular haunt for local transvestites so the name fits. Our group, which fluctuated around people, stuck out like a sore thumb. You could almost hear the record scratch when we walked in. We were greeted by a woman dressed completely in black, including a witch-like hat, who stated simply that AA didn’t work. After a game of pool we moved on.

Next we walked through the parking lot (almost getting backed over by a car) and across the street to Friends on Ponce. This place sits above a set of small retail spaces including an internet cafe. The bar is decorated with random knick-knacks from all over the place. One that I remember was the old brushed metal sign for the Armory, a former Atlanta all-male cabaret club. Perhaps the coolest thing about this place is the patio that overlooks Ponce. I heard a lot of comments about how cheap the draft beer was ($1.75) and how gay the place was. I just noticed that there were several flamingos around the place including the one in the photo with the disco nuts.

After Friends we walked over to the Bookhouse Pub. This is a relatively recent addition to the Ponce corridor and features a number of craft beers and fine woodwork. The place was much less crowded than the last time I was there and pretty enjoyable. You could walk around from conversation to conversation and they were playing The Darjeeling Limited. This most conversations revolved around Bill Murray in Rushmore and Natalie Portman nude scenes.

Miguel took off early and got all of us into MJQ for free (I think). This was my first time in the labeled dance joint. It’s very cool to know that you are literally underground when you’re there. The entrance takes you down a path that makes it clear that you’re descending below the parking lot. The dance floor was a bit slow but I could see how of would be very fun in about 2 hours. The music sounded good and the artwork along the walls was equally entertaining. Kissatlanta.com was parked outside in a pimped ice cream truck.
Next was the Local where I ran into a friend outside and talked to him until we left. I have been here on weeknights an it’s always pretty crowded and very smoky. Saturday night is very similar. It’s appropriately named because it is nothing special but feels comfortable for people who live around there.

We crossed Ponce again and tried to hit the Clermont Lounge. This is the storied establishment in the back of a ‘hotel’ that has most recently gained press because the hotel has gone up for sale. The lounge, however, is not for sale and the line on Saturday showed why. This place is a hit, a local favorite with true unique flavor. Unfortunately we did not wait in line to get in but we did get to witness an outburst by the bouncer when someone disregarded the yellow sign and tried to take some photos.
Disheartened but not dis-going-to-bed (we all felt like Lance Armstrong at a time trial after a rest day), we trotted down to El Bar, Atlantan for The Bar in the basement behind El Azteca Mexican Restaurant. This place is a small, loud, crowded, windowless room of a club (so basically it’s a club) with great hip hop DJs on the regular. I have ended up here several times and usually find my way into some dancing. Drinks are in plastic cups and beers are simple. One thing that would make it even better would be free chips and salsa.

From El Bar, we disbanded. Kris was back to Clermont to find Nicole whom he had left there in line with some other friends. Chernock and Kate had already left us. Matt, Priya, Leslie, Lauren, and I were committed to the Majestic Diner down the street. Miguel, Rebbecca and Dave had a hankerin’ for a burger and cabbed it to the Vortex. “WTF, mate!?,” said Priya. I thought this was the Tour de Ponce. Not to be persuaded otherwise we continued to Majestic where we once again ran into Chernock and Kate. We ate our early morning mediocre breakfasts declaring the first ever Tour de Ponce a success, and then proceeded to culminate the tour with a jaunt home (on North Ave).

Wednesday night I went to the second playoff game in the Atlanta Hawks’ series with the Miami Heat. Looking down from our $12 seats we felt like hawks perched on the side of building or the edge of a canyon cliff. As the Hawks were about to be introduced a real hawk flew through the space of the arena and landed on a corner of the jumbotron located in its center. This is standard issue for Hawks’ games. See the hawk with Dominique Wilkins and the the proud handler and the very jealous apprentice handler behind him. The Hawk even has a name (Spirit), a handler, and probably a steady diet of small mammals. It probably even goes through practice drills just like the team; fly to the jumbotron, head back to the handler, repeat. But Wednesday night something went wrong. After the lights were dimmed to call in the starters, Spirit went AWOL. The lights were brought up and Spirit was gone. Spirit returned about a minute into the game, swooping over the hardwood with incredible speed and grace. The refs had to stop the game as Spirit found a new perch on the backboard-mounted camera. Surprisingly, the refs and players continued to play until Spirit took another spin around the arena and over the fans’ heads, landing this time on the top of the glass. Then the handler came out and Spirit returned to his arm.

But that burst of freedom, an instance where Spirit truly lived up to his name, has earned Spirit the trendiest of administrative mandates, the furlough. Spirit has been suspended from duty for the remainder of the Hawks’ playoffs run. See the AJC’s coverage here. The article expands on the details of Spirit’s suspension saying that the hawk will be involved in the games but will not be flying during player intros.

Postscript: When I began to tell Lauren this story she jumped ahead of me and envisioned Spirit getting (literally) burned by flame shooting apparatuses (apparati?) that were going off while it was flying around the arena. This is a pretty wild image, bird of prey gliding near the heads of people while flames erupt from the tops of basketball hoops. Alas: the flames do not go off while Spirit flies.

If I lived in coffee county I'd get the VANITY licence plate CLDZNMY

It’s finals time at GaTech CoA and for the architects that means anything but papers and exams. Instead they have exhibits and panels and present perspectives. I have been snapping pictures of some of the works in the last week or so. Warning: I know nothing about any of these projects, I just look at them everyday.

This first one was only up for a day or so. I stopped to read it once and it was Dr. King’s I Have A Dream Speech with hand prints and pictures of the Dr.

There are several of these, but I think this is one of the best. The drawings fit in with the real tree outside.

There are tons of posters everywhere. They take days to make and they can stay up for less than an house. And they cost a lot to print.

This is an exhibit that’s been going up for over a week now.It’s in the courtyard of the College. The first picture is last week and the newest one was earlier tonight.


The last one has been going on the longest. I’ve seen a lot of people working on it, usually late at night. Assembling these things on the floor, setting the tension lines to lift them up to the ceiling and then using a lift to get up there and arrange them.