Architecture
is
grabbing
chocolate
pudding.
-eric owen moss

Stage for a Street Performer

Cutest cats ever... and a painting...

Painting first...
And then cats...

This is the future of "living"...

This is a subdivision in Vegas... this is what we call "living" these days. Terrifying.

Doesn't anybody remember Sen. Joseph McCarthy

Performers have their careers destroyed for publicly expressing their opinions against the president.

Journalists are fired for reporting facts that don't coincide with the official party line coming from Washington.

Politicians are labeled unpatriotic and run out of town for expressing dissenting opinions.

Citizens are threatened and thrown off airlines for expressing their negative opinions of the president (I'm not the only one... there are quite a few others)

Educators are fired for views on terrorism that do not run concurrent with the "official" history.


This didn't happen 50 years ago... it's happening right now.


You don't have free speech any longer. Fact is, you are allowed to say anything you want... until someone in a position of authority decides they don't like it. Just because somebody doesn't stop you at that moment doesn't mean they can't.

Why don't we call it "Highly Tolerated Speech" from now on.

"Free speech" means you can say it whether others agree or not. Do you see that happening today, or do you see many, many repercussions for people saying things that others in authority do not like?

Colorado prof fired after 9-11 remarks

By DAN ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer

BOULDER, Colo. - The University of Colorado's governing board on Tuesday fired a professor whose essay likening some Sept. 11 victims to a Nazi leader provoked national outrage and led to an investigation of research misconduct.

Ward Churchill, who had vowed to sue if the Board of Regents took action against him, said immediately after the 8-1 vote was announced: "New game, new game."

Three faculty committees had accused Churchill of plagiarism, falsification and other misconduct. The research allegations stem from some of Churchill's other writings, although the investigation began after the controversy over his Sept. 11 essay.

"The decision was really pretty basic," said university President Hank Brown, adding that the school had little choice but to fire Churchill to protect the integrity of the university's research.

"The individual did not express regret, did not apologize, did not indicate a willingness to refrain from this type of falsification in the future," Brown said.

Churchill's essay mentioning Sept. 11 victims and Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann prompted a chorus of demands for his firing, but university officials concluded it was protected speech under the First Amendment.

Brown had recommended in May that the regents fire Churchill after faculty committees accused him of misconduct in some of his academic writing. The allegations included misrepresenting the effects of federal laws on American Indians, fabricating evidence that the Army deliberately spread smallpox to Mandan Indians in 1837, and claiming the work of a Canadian environmental group as his own.

But the essay that thrust Churchill into the national spotlight, titled "Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens," was not part of the investigation.

That essay and a follow-up book argued that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were a response to a long history of U.S. abuses. Churchill said those killed in the World Trade Center collapse were "a technocratic corps at the very heart of America's global financial empire" and called them "little Eichmanns."

Churchill has said Eichmann was a bureaucrat who carried out policies like the Holocaust that were planned by others but was still responsible for his own actions.

Churchill wrote the piece shortly after the attacks, but it drew little notice until 2005, when a professor at Hamilton College in upstate New York called attention to it when Churchill was invited to speak there.

In the uproar that followed, the regents apologized to "all Americans" for the essay, and the Colorado Legislature labeled Churchill's remarks "evil and inflammatory."

Bill Owens, then governor of Colorado, said Churchill should be fired, and George Pataki, then governor of New York, called Churchill a "bigoted terrorist supporter."

School officials concluded Churchill couldn't be dismissed because he was exercising his First Amendment rights. But they launched the investigation into his research in other work.

A faculty committee and an interim chancellor recommended Churchill be fired. When a second committee reviewed the case, three of its five members recommended a suspension. The other two said he should be fired.

Churchill remained on the university payroll but had been out of the classroom since spring 2006, first because he was on leave and later because the school relieved him of teaching duties after the interim chancellor recommended he be fired.

The lone no vote on Tuesday came from Regent Cindy Carlisle, who was not immediately available for comment.

Old man come back down the mountain...

Well, this weekend I went to a lake at the top of a mountain for a little getaway with work. It was a nice place... this was what I woke up to for a couple of mornings...



And this was the view from my balcony...



And these were the birds who had a nest of chicks in the tree outside my room... anyone know what they are?



And this was the breakfast I ate the first morning while I worked on my thesis (made some headway this weekend!). I moved the writing desk and comfy chair from inside the room out to my balcony. That balcony door did not get shut from the moment I walked into that room...



And there was a campfire on the beach Saturday night...



And afterwards I laid around and played the harmonica for several people.



And Speaking of harmonica, I made Katy a birthday present while I was there. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you saw...


Then as soon as I got home from this retreat, I changed what was packed in my bags and flew to Las Vegas to do a couple days of inspections for work. It's nice to do something different. Though I know it's no big deal to them, it's also nice to be trusted to come do this. Tonight I'm sitting in the company condo writing this. There's a thunderstorm raging outside which I wouldn't have expected in the desert. Turns out monsoon season has started. Today was so humid! It was like being back in Oklahoma again! (God forbid!) These are pictures I took of sunset over the mountains this morning when I went out for coffee.





But this is what's become of Vegas today. I swear this picture wasn't staged, just something I happened to catch at a random stoplight. yes, those are all different construction companies...


So like I said, I'm winding down in Vegas now. I should be going back to San Diego tomorrow afternoon after a morning round of inspections. I've been gaining slow but steady headway on my thesis... that's been nice. Right now I'm working on being able to define pre-Modern, Modern and post-Modern architecture as moral groupings instead of as social, economic or political ones as has always been the case. I'm really getting into this thing... and the school year hasn't even started yet! Hope I can keep up the pace!

Katy gets here in just over 3 weeks!

Goodnight, everyone...

My letter to my Congresswoman

Please speak out! Say something... anything!


Name: Michael Parker
E-mail Address: mscottparker@yahoo.com
Street Address: 1050 20th St Apt 601
City: San Diego
Zip: 92102-6809

Comments:

Ms. Davis, Why is the President being allowed to give you and the entire country the proverbial finger without repercussion? Congress has voted to withdraw from Iraq. They speak for the American people. Why is he allowed to continue on his selfish, arrogant, reckless, personally-chosen, faith-based course anyway?

The White House has been ordered to comply with investigations into the illegal firings of federal prosecutors. They have, again, given the proverbial finger. Why is this tolerated? Our government is exposed more and more by the day to be completely impotent against the faith-based power of Bush, Cheney and their minions.

You have been elected by a body of citizens to represent their interests in the doings of our government and you, along with the rest of the house and senate, are failing to represent the 70-ish percent of the country that vehemently oppose our president, his cabinet, his choices, his business dealings, his domestic policy, his foreign policy, his energy policy, his environmental policy, his education policy and his general failure of leadership, both at home and abroad.

Please, Ms. Davis, do what you were elected to do and represent the people. Find the group that is trying to represent the majority and join them, for the survey on your own site says that the majority of your constituents oppose our president.

Please, Ms. Davis, for the sake of anything you need to name - liberty, the Constitution, Christian values, democracy, freedom - take the power back from the man who is weilding it single-handedly against the wishes of those he is supposed to be serving. The whole nation is watching and waiting for someone to help us.

It's nation-scaring time again!

Congress has voted to require President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq within 120 days and to complete the withdraw by 1 April 2008. As soon as this happened:

• Osama Bin Laden (who is in no way connected to either Iraq, Saddam Hussein or the war and yet is constantly paraded as the reason we are in Iraq) pops up in a new video.
• US "intellligence" begins reporting that an attack on American soil is immenent (just like they've been falsely and irresponsibly reporting for 6 years now)
• The media most closely associated with the White House begins reporting that the terror threat is higher and that attacks may happen within the next year. Again, the irresponsibility factor is off the charts on this one.
• President Bush continues to ask Americans to "wait until September" to make a decision (a tactic which he has used innumerable times... "I just need more time... more time... more time")

I just want to put it in writing for your consideration. Do you see how all of these "coincidences" happen every time the American people begin to rally against the man in the White House who was not elected president either time he "won" the election? Do you see that they tailor their press releases and spread unsubstantiated information every time they are pressured to halt their illegal and immoral activites? Why September? Are we waiting for an annniversary attack? Are we waiting until September 11th is fresh in people's minds so that a new attack will have a redoubled media value? Are we waiting until it is too late to require this president to do anything? Are we waiting until it is too late to impeach him? Why are we waiting? Haven't we been waiting ever since he stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier in a flight suit under a banner that screamed, "Mission Accomplished!"?

We are being played for fools. Don't allow it this time. Contact your Congressmen and Senators! Write a note that says, "Enough, already!" it doesn't have to be eloquent, long or tedious. It just has to say that you are a tax payer and you are sick of this president not doing what is required of him by constitutional law! Tell them you want out of Iraq! Tell them you are tired of the lies! Hold your elected representatives responsible and accountable for the decisions they make! This must end now!

A breath of fresh air...

This is an update on the death of internet radio. Recently, a decision was made to increase internet radio royalty rates by as much as 1200% and for that increase to be back-dated to January 1st, 2007. In response, SaveNetRadio.org was created to fight the unfair rate hike. Millions of people have contacted senators and congressmen and their cries have been heard. For now there is a sigh of relief as a new deal is sought. Here is the story from savenetradio.org:

Congress and SoundExchange have heard loud and clear the amazing outpouring of support for Internet radio from webcasters, listeners and the thousands of artists they support. A commitment has been made to negotiate reasonable royalties, recognizing the industry’s long-term value and its still-developing revenue potential.

During negotiations SoundExchange committed temporarily not to enforce the new royalty rates so webcasters can stay online as new rates are agreed upon.
This development is due in great part to the millions of people who have let their Congressional representatives know about their support of Internet radio. Over 125 representatives have cosponsored the bill to this point.

We urge listeners to continue calling their Senators and Representative to ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act. Thank you.

Kids don't need no stinking health care...

Child Health Insurance Bill Faces Veto
By KEVIN FREKING, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration said Saturday that senior advisers would recommend the president veto Senate legislation that would substantially increase funds for children's health insurance.

The legislation calls for a 61-cent increase in the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes. The revenue would be used to subsidize health insurance for children and some adults with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford insurance on their own. Members of the Senate Finance Committee brokered a bipartisan agreement Friday that would add $35 billion to the program over the next five years. The Bush administration had instead recommend $5 billion.

(read more about how the president with a 29% approval rating is going to cut children's health care)

In memory of Kasey

I am heartbroken to report that my sister's dog, Kasey, died earlier this week from unforseen medical complications. She has had Kasey for over 5 years - since she was 19. Kim and Tyler are both devastated by the loss and I'm sure their other dog, Tucker, feels the emptiness as well. My heart aches for them, especially since I have pets/kids of my own. They fought hard before Kasey finally let go but could not save her. For those interested in helping, Kim and Tyler accrued a hefty vet bill in trying to save her and, though they no longer have their dog, they are still left with a bill. If you'd like to help them, please get ahold of me. They haven't asked for help but I know they could use it.

And then it was Monday (again)...

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. -Abraham Lincoln

Good morning. All is well here, if not a bit dull. It's not a complaint... not a bad kind of dull, I suppose. This morning is rather sleepy, though. I love taking the trolley too and from work in part because I can take naps. Amazing what a 5 minute nap on a trolley can do for you. Ah, power naps! Today I'm starting my morning with some wonderful coffee that Katy sent from back home. It's from Bridgehead, the neighborhood coffee shop I frequent. It's wonderful! Val, the lovely lady at work who makes the coffee, makes excellent coffee... but it's Starbucks and can't really hold a candle to Bridgehead. Personal, preferences and all being what they are, you know. Anyway... lazy, sleepy morning. Part of that probably has to do with the fact that I layed in bed for more than an hour trying to fall asleep last night. That almost never happens to me so it was particularly annoying. My thesis has been on my mind alot. I have a solid idea to begin with but can't seem to narrow it down into a researchable design question. They say you only understand something as well as you can explain it so I guess I have alot more research to do. That starts this week. I'll go to the library after work and hang out there for awhile. Today I think I'm going to read John Ruskin and William Morris. For now, though, I need to go to work.

Oh yeah, and I finished another painting... a big one for mom. I like it... I think. mom really likes it. That's the important part. It's called, You Are Here. Here's a video of it. Katy helped critique me through it. She's good like that. I can't wait to see her again. Ok, bye for real now.

morning musings...

I am reading Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. You may have read it but if not you must. Thomas recommended it and I read the forward in the Bookstore. It was another moment where I asked myself, "How have I not done this before now?" I fell in love with this quote from another of Miller's works:

"To walk in money through the night crowd, protected by money, lulled by money, dulled by money, the crowd itself a money, the breath money, no least single object anywhere that is not money, money, money everywhere and still not enough, and then no money, or a little money or less money or more money, but money, always money, and if you have money or you don't have money it is the money that counts and money makes money, but what makes money money?"

Spectacular. And that was just in the forward. Then another line on the first page caught my eyes (you know how I am attracted to lines):

"We are all alone here and we are dead... The weather till continue bad, he says. There will be more calamities, more death, more despair. Not the slightest indication of a change anywhere. The cancer of time is eating us away. Our heroes have killed themselves, or are killing themselves. The hero, then, is not Time but Timelessness. We must get in step, a lock step, toward the prison of death. There is no escape. The weather will not change."

That line struck me but the effect was redoubled when three lines later he follows with, "I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive."

...just a random morning thought after my trolley ride to work.

So my mind is awash with ideas for a thesis. My ideas keep killing themselves though, hurled against the sharp shores of reason time and again to test their worth, only to be shattered into a million tiny pieces that churn and are reformed in the next wave. I may end up with something great. I may mess this up, too. I have put alot of pressure on myself. I'm scared of my ideas... I'm scared of my lack of ideas. I'm afraid that I'm truly losing my principles. I'm slowly falling to a place where I see a huge 'big picture' and see how little my flailings actually stir the waters. Troubling times in my mind. It's not reigning me to a halt but it is definitely making me weary. I miss being in my environment. I think it will be a long time before I come back to America again. That's not certain... but likely and, more unfortunately, hopeful. I can't decide if I'm running or if I'm just going somewhere else to enjoy my life because I can't here. Anyway... blah blah blah.

I glance up at what I've typed and I know it sounds like I'm in one of my dark places but I'm not. The weather and my better sense fight the gloom away most days. I feel helpless, though. I feel my grip on my values and beliefs slipping away. Either my age or the weight of my understanding has become too great to cling to the vine of my youthful ideals much longer. Am I giving up or am I moving on? I'll let you know how that goes. As it is, I must get back to work. Hope you have a wonderful day.

Musical Walking...

I've really gotten to enjoy making videos to the music I'm listening to as I walk around. Here's a handful more videos from today. This morning I met a friend and went on a bike ride through the city and to a hotel where we sneaked into the pool and swam. They even gave us towels. I will definitely be going back there. Probably not until Katy gets here (45 days!) but that will be fine. I may not have mentioned before that Katy is coming to SD in mid-August for 2 weeks and then we'll fly home together in time to get settled in and start school. Not far away now. I have to enroll next week. I think the only class I will have will be a philosophy class. Otherwise I have to work on my thesis. It's very difficult moving forward when you're not sure where you're going. Like finding your way across an unfamiliar dark room. I'm creeping though. So after an afternoon swim I ran into Mom, Corey and their friend and his son. We all went to Imperial beach together for the afternoon. Mom, Corey and I came back and barbecued chicken. Yum. Then there was ice cream. Corey's a bad influence... he has me snacking. Way more than usual. It's fun. I got a lot of sun today but stopped just short of being burned. I'm getting better at the harmonica. I'm learning a song here and a song there and it's getting easier. I hope to buy a good harmonica sometime this summer. Ok... enough rambling. Here's some more videos. If you click on my profile name on youtube.com you can subscribe to my page and it will email you when I put videos online. I don't know if you have to open a YouTube account. I'd assume so but maybe not. I plan on making more videos and seem to be on a kick posting them regularly. Ok, gotta get some sleep. G'night.

Couple of Sunsets and a New Hat...