Music is liquid architecture; architecture is frozen music
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Creating Spaces for Human Beings
There is a game that I have been waiting literal years to come out: Star Citizen. The promise from the creators is that it will be the most immersive game in space, ever. After years of drama, setbacks, and praise, it looks like it might actually come out within the year (or 2019...).
The creators of the game are very good about showcasing ships, and asking for community feedback. Being that we will mostly be in these vessels, it makes sense to get as much feedback as possible before the game officially launches. While I was not at all surprised to see a review of the new 600i, I was surprised to see how he described himself: as an architect.
Listening to All of Nature
Well...this is awkward...
Months ago I was feeling an itch to get back into the wilderness: away from work, the city, and all of the day to day happenings. While I really love where I am right now in life, I wasn't feeling as connected to the larger ecosystem as I had when I lived on an island or in the mountains. Thus I started to plan a six day solo hike through the Laurel Highlands.
Now I had done a solo hike before: over Easy Pass in Washington State. While the start was anything but easy (basically a straight climb up a mountain) the rest of the four days was a breeze. Thinking that even though this was 70 miles, I felt like I could complete it in six days. A nice pace.
What makes this post awkward is that I had planned on hiking from Sunday, August 12th through Friday, August 17th. Today would mark day three of my hike...so how am I posting this?
This tale is a classic example of how once again, I did not listen to all of nature.
The Bridges Behind the Name: Three Sisters
Recently, I had a chance to go see the new Art of the Brick exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center. While it was all rather impressive, what really caught my eye was the piece inspired by one of the many things Pittsburgh is known for: bridges.
Some of the most iconic are the three sisters; three identical bridges that stand just before the Allegheny meets the Ohio. Unlike other bridges these are not only named for the streets they continue. Rather these are named after three icons to the area. Who are they, and what did they bring to Pittsburgh?
Literature Appetizer: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
The more I age, the more I realize how generous my parents were (and still are) by raising me. One of the ways their generosity shinned was through every night, sitting down for supper. Even though I was an extremely picky eater, Mom would always make sure there was food on the table that I could eat. I didn't even have to think or worry about how food was getting to the table.
Now that I'm living on my own I eat the majority of my meals alone. While this is not always positive, one of the things I really enjoy is experimenting with food. I'm now able to see what kind of food I get day in, and day out.
Houseboats: Place Based Living in the 'burgh
My apartment is detached completely from the outside world. My windows go into a hallway, as does my door. While extremely cozy, I often feel like I am underground or in a vault. it is an ideal price, size, and location for my life, but I can start to feel early signs of cabin fever when at home for too long.
The thing I miss the most by living in my underground home is the lack of running water. There is a stream right outside the back of the building, but I can never hear it. People will talk about gigantic storms from the night before at work while I just nod; being oblivious to any meteorological event during my slumber.
Impostor Syndrome and Self Fulfilling Prophecy
The very first day of classes down river in Bellingham, our professor Kate Darby started off by stating "Impostor syndrome is a serious mindset that people often have not only in grad school, but in many aspects of their lives. If you are ever feeling like you don't belong here, you are wrong."
If you have never heard of impostor syndrome, Wikipedia describes it as
From Steel to Sustainable
Tonight I introduced one of my favorite 'lite' games to my family: Blueprints. In this game each person is an architect trying to build according to the blueprints you have been assigned. It is a ton of fun while also causing phrases like "You took the piece I needed!?!" Family bonding is always best when there is frustration involved.
One of the key elements in the game is the resource pool in the middle. At the beginning of the game a large number of dice are rolled. Then on your turn you take a piece and replace it with something else. While this seems calm, players have to think about what piece they can take now to best set them up for success in the future.
The Mountain Behind the Name: Negro
Unlike other mountains I have covered in this series, the complicated history of this mountain shows through before even getting into the post. My intention, as always, is to inspire people to get outside with providing some tidbits to get them excited. With this one, however, I also hope to spark conversation with how our language can be hurtful and oppressive, even with the best intention. Before getting into the history of people, lets dig into what has existed for millions of years; the rocks!
Skylines: a Point of Stability
In Seattle, on a clear day, you can always see Tacoma mountain. Even at 65 miles away, it is hard to miss a pile of rock scaling over 14,000 feet! It becomes a point of comfort, a point of stability. Skylines are the same way.
On my first day in the Fab Lab, I created a t-shirt with the Pittsburgh skyline. Even though I just recently moved back, I recognized some of the buildings. It helped give me a sense of place, a point of stability.