Just a peek at what I've been doing for the past 16 hours...
For Kojeve, the fundamental characteristic of man is his desire for recognition by another. Animals desire what they lack in terms of object (i.e. food) but only man can desire to become the object of another’s desire, or in other words, to desire desire. “Man’s humanity ‘comes to light’ only in risking his life to satisfy his human Desire – that is, his Desire directed toward another Desire.” [Kojeve 9] Man’s desire to be the object of others’ desires is simply the desire to be recognized by another human. For Kojeve, this recognition can only occur after and because of a fight. Two men must desire to be recognized so much so that they suppress their animal desire for survival and are willing to risk their lives to fulfill their human desire; that is to be recognized by the other.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Pictures from quebec...
*DISCLAIMER* Katy neither likes nor approves of these pictures, claiming I, the "mean American man," have misrepresented her as a "tiny, jolly elf." "Where," she asks, "are the ones of me where I'm pretty? I am a perfectly reasonably-sized human being. Short people are people, too."
*ADDENDUM* I just think they're hilarious and cute.
Changed Format
I accidentally had it set to show way too many posts on one page. Sorry if it made my blog load slow. I've cut it down to 6 posts at once so the load will be faster.
Cheers,
mike
Cheers,
mike
Friday, February 22, 2008
ahhhh... relaxation
Hi all,
I'm enjoying a relaxing morning in Montreal and thought I'd write a quick hello before I got involved in schoolwork again. Katy and I took a nice little budget vacation to Quebec City with a ocuple of friends this week and we're just wrapping it up today. Katy left the bed and breakfast this morning to catch a flight to Toronto where she will spend a few days with her parents. We've had a fantastic week! There will be lots of pictures posted, but not until I can get home to go through them first. We stayed at a gorgeous little b&b in Quebec city and spent our days wandering the 400 year old city - the oldest (and only remaining) walled city in North America. Wednesday afternoon was my favorite day. Our friend, unfortunately, got sick so Katy and I were on our own for the day. It was nice, though, because a monir misfortune turned into a long, pleasant day of Katy and I wandering on our own. We had a nice lunch, dipped our head into a museum to see an exhibit on dragons(!) that was free because we got there 30 minutes before close. We went down a massive ice slide on toboggans (look to the blog for videos of this one soon). We ate a fantastic French lunch (Quebec is the heart of French-Canada). Generally speaking, it was a great day for both of us and we got some much-needed time together. We've both been stressed about school and moving and... well, mostly school. Anyway, our b&b in Quebec was wonderfully staffed and perfect for our stay. Yesterday we left QC and drove 3 hours back towards Ottawa but stopped for the night in Montreal. Kim, you would love Montreal. If you ever want to plan an exotic vacation in North America, Montreal is your kinda city, if ever your kind existed. We are staying in what has turned out to be an amzing b&b here (never stay in hotels... b&b are always better in my experience). We're at the Alexandre Logan (http://www.alexandrelogan.com/HomeE.htm) in room 5. It's been rated top b&b in Montreal for a few years now. It's run by a wonderful, dulcet-toned, soft-spoken French-Canadian man who takes great pride in his establishment. He has no real staff, to speak of, and does most things himself during this, the off-season. He met us at the door and helped take our bags upstairs then gave us a map tour of Montreal before saying goodnight and retiring to his home at the other end of the b&b. We went our last night for a nice low-key dinner and sat at a hookah bar and had sheesha for a couple hours. Katy and I got up early this morning and wet downstairs where we were served the most *amazing* breakfast! We didn't even have to order. Alexandre (the owner) said good morning and gave us coffee (me) and tea (katy) then disappeared into his kitchen. Ten minutes later he emerged with a fantastic open-faced breakfast sandwich on criossant. Most amazing breakfast I've eaten probably since having a salmon egg white omelet with mom in SD. Katy caught a cab to the airport and here I sit upstairs writing to You. We'll pack up and head home in a few hours where I will unpack, then crack down and hit the thesis again. I hope to talk to you guys on the phone soon. I leave for India in 3 weeks... still can't believe I'm going! (News is on the blog if you missed that one... I got research funding to go to India by myself for 3 weeks!!!!) So now I'm going to do some writing. Have a good weekend, everyone!
I'm enjoying a relaxing morning in Montreal and thought I'd write a quick hello before I got involved in schoolwork again. Katy and I took a nice little budget vacation to Quebec City with a ocuple of friends this week and we're just wrapping it up today. Katy left the bed and breakfast this morning to catch a flight to Toronto where she will spend a few days with her parents. We've had a fantastic week! There will be lots of pictures posted, but not until I can get home to go through them first. We stayed at a gorgeous little b&b in Quebec city and spent our days wandering the 400 year old city - the oldest (and only remaining) walled city in North America. Wednesday afternoon was my favorite day. Our friend, unfortunately, got sick so Katy and I were on our own for the day. It was nice, though, because a monir misfortune turned into a long, pleasant day of Katy and I wandering on our own. We had a nice lunch, dipped our head into a museum to see an exhibit on dragons(!) that was free because we got there 30 minutes before close. We went down a massive ice slide on toboggans (look to the blog for videos of this one soon). We ate a fantastic French lunch (Quebec is the heart of French-Canada). Generally speaking, it was a great day for both of us and we got some much-needed time together. We've both been stressed about school and moving and... well, mostly school. Anyway, our b&b in Quebec was wonderfully staffed and perfect for our stay. Yesterday we left QC and drove 3 hours back towards Ottawa but stopped for the night in Montreal. Kim, you would love Montreal. If you ever want to plan an exotic vacation in North America, Montreal is your kinda city, if ever your kind existed. We are staying in what has turned out to be an amzing b&b here (never stay in hotels... b&b are always better in my experience). We're at the Alexandre Logan (http://www.alexandrelogan.com/HomeE.htm) in room 5. It's been rated top b&b in Montreal for a few years now. It's run by a wonderful, dulcet-toned, soft-spoken French-Canadian man who takes great pride in his establishment. He has no real staff, to speak of, and does most things himself during this, the off-season. He met us at the door and helped take our bags upstairs then gave us a map tour of Montreal before saying goodnight and retiring to his home at the other end of the b&b. We went our last night for a nice low-key dinner and sat at a hookah bar and had sheesha for a couple hours. Katy and I got up early this morning and wet downstairs where we were served the most *amazing* breakfast! We didn't even have to order. Alexandre (the owner) said good morning and gave us coffee (me) and tea (katy) then disappeared into his kitchen. Ten minutes later he emerged with a fantastic open-faced breakfast sandwich on criossant. Most amazing breakfast I've eaten probably since having a salmon egg white omelet with mom in SD. Katy caught a cab to the airport and here I sit upstairs writing to You. We'll pack up and head home in a few hours where I will unpack, then crack down and hit the thesis again. I hope to talk to you guys on the phone soon. I leave for India in 3 weeks... still can't believe I'm going! (News is on the blog if you missed that one... I got research funding to go to India by myself for 3 weeks!!!!) So now I'm going to do some writing. Have a good weekend, everyone!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Catching up
First, pictures and videos of kids... (Hi Jan)
Next, a prank I built at school at 3:00 one morning.
Long time no write. Life has overrun me, it would seem. Much has happened in the last couple of months. The holidays went over easy enough and I hit the ground running in school come January. I worked my ass off for the past couple of months and am producing so much work that I think some of the other grad students are getting a bit worried that I'll make them look bad. Heh... love it. So this past week we had a review and it went great. The critic really got behind my work and we had a good talk about the direction the work is going. Mostly, he was excited because I've arranged an opportunity to go to Mumbai, India! I found a design workshop being held in the largest slum in Asia, two blocks from my site. I've been invited to attend this one week workshop where an international team of designers, engineers, humanitarians, artists, anthropologists, etc. will get together to envision a potential future for the development of this slum (to oppose the condos planned for the site). It's an amazing opportunity and I sought and was awarded grant funding to cover my plane ticket. I'll be in Mumbai for the workshop from March 14th through the 24th and then I have booked my flight home out of Delhi... 800 miles away. I have given myself a week and a half to wander India and reach Delhi and I fly out April 1st. I have never been more excited or more nervous about a trip. The first week will be spent with a large group but the next week and a half I'm on my own. Maybe I'll find someone to travel with or maybe I'll get some serious alone time. Either way will be amazing.
This next week, however, is Canadian Spring break... which they call Reading Week because they have no Spring. Katy and I and 2 friends are going to Quebec City, the oldest city in Canada... and I think maybe N. America. Katy and Gill found a good deal on a B&B and we're going to cram into Gill's tiny car to save on tranportation. I'm looking forward to it. I had a big crit yesterday that went fanTAStic
and I worked really, really hard to get ready for it. I think I've slept in my bed twice in the past week... maybe once. So now I get a real vacation Monday morning. It will be cold but nice. Most people take Reading Week and go somewhere warm... not us. It will be cold but it will be beautiful. I'm glad to be getting a little travel in. In fact, two days after returning from India I will turn 30. A month later I will finish my master's degree. Pretty good year, I'd say.
Ok, I need to get another grant application letter written today and do some serious cleaning before I leave for Quebec tomorrow. Enjoy your day and revel in the warm sunshine... it's -25 Celsius here with 2 feet of snow on the ground. Talk to you soon...
Now some harmonica... enjoy!
Next, a prank I built at school at 3:00 one morning.
Long time no write. Life has overrun me, it would seem. Much has happened in the last couple of months. The holidays went over easy enough and I hit the ground running in school come January. I worked my ass off for the past couple of months and am producing so much work that I think some of the other grad students are getting a bit worried that I'll make them look bad. Heh... love it. So this past week we had a review and it went great. The critic really got behind my work and we had a good talk about the direction the work is going. Mostly, he was excited because I've arranged an opportunity to go to Mumbai, India! I found a design workshop being held in the largest slum in Asia, two blocks from my site. I've been invited to attend this one week workshop where an international team of designers, engineers, humanitarians, artists, anthropologists, etc. will get together to envision a potential future for the development of this slum (to oppose the condos planned for the site). It's an amazing opportunity and I sought and was awarded grant funding to cover my plane ticket. I'll be in Mumbai for the workshop from March 14th through the 24th and then I have booked my flight home out of Delhi... 800 miles away. I have given myself a week and a half to wander India and reach Delhi and I fly out April 1st. I have never been more excited or more nervous about a trip. The first week will be spent with a large group but the next week and a half I'm on my own. Maybe I'll find someone to travel with or maybe I'll get some serious alone time. Either way will be amazing.
This next week, however, is Canadian Spring break... which they call Reading Week because they have no Spring. Katy and I and 2 friends are going to Quebec City, the oldest city in Canada... and I think maybe N. America. Katy and Gill found a good deal on a B&B and we're going to cram into Gill's tiny car to save on tranportation. I'm looking forward to it. I had a big crit yesterday that went fanTAStic
and I worked really, really hard to get ready for it. I think I've slept in my bed twice in the past week... maybe once. So now I get a real vacation Monday morning. It will be cold but nice. Most people take Reading Week and go somewhere warm... not us. It will be cold but it will be beautiful. I'm glad to be getting a little travel in. In fact, two days after returning from India I will turn 30. A month later I will finish my master's degree. Pretty good year, I'd say.
Ok, I need to get another grant application letter written today and do some serious cleaning before I leave for Quebec tomorrow. Enjoy your day and revel in the warm sunshine... it's -25 Celsius here with 2 feet of snow on the ground. Talk to you soon...
Now some harmonica... enjoy!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Sometimes I can't think of a good title for my posts
Hi everyone. I'm alive. Things have kicked into high gear finally. I don't know if I said that before now but if so, I didn't know what I was talking about. What am I doing these days? Well, I have a paper I'm trying to write for my political theory class, I have a major pinup in 2 weeks for which I have to have a model and several more drawings completed, plus 15 pages of my thesis, I am doing some woodwork for my director as a side project, I am trying to compile a new portfolio for a job interview next week, and I am trying to complete a few grant application packages to see if i can get a travel grant to go to India in March. I think that's all the big stuff. Life is good, though, and I'm enjoying my many tasks. It's nice to be really, really busy again. Gives me a sense of overwhelming purpose. Hard to believe I'm working towards the end... and I mean THE end! Ok, except maybe a PhD.... and maybe another degree down the road. But for now, this is to be the end of a seven year journey. I feel that I am really blooming in this architecture project and have reached a gratifyingly mature level of understanding about architecture, buildings, design, theory, and teaching. That said, I can't wait to be done with this.
The cats are fat and happy. Katy is doing well at school and (I think) enjoying herself. Thomas received tenure a couple weeks ago, which basically means he was given a lifetime job by the university, if he so chooses (which he does). A fantastic accomplishment for him! I and his family couldn't be more proud of him.
It's been snowing all day long... dumped a foot on us. It's good skiing snow, or so I am told. The streets are a desolate, white blanket... it's strange not being able to tell the street from the sidewalk. I love it. As for now, Katy just called and invited me to a friend's house down the street so I think I'll brave the snow and go see her. We've been really busy and haven't seen each other in a few days. Here goes nothing...
The cats are fat and happy. Katy is doing well at school and (I think) enjoying herself. Thomas received tenure a couple weeks ago, which basically means he was given a lifetime job by the university, if he so chooses (which he does). A fantastic accomplishment for him! I and his family couldn't be more proud of him.
It's been snowing all day long... dumped a foot on us. It's good skiing snow, or so I am told. The streets are a desolate, white blanket... it's strange not being able to tell the street from the sidewalk. I love it. As for now, Katy just called and invited me to a friend's house down the street so I think I'll brave the snow and go see her. We've been really busy and haven't seen each other in a few days. Here goes nothing...
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