I promise to commit no acts of violence

I saw the house in Birmingham where Bart Starr lives. Seeing the places where famous people live will make your life more meaningful.

I lost the first volley of the war in the courts

Today brings us two interesting articles, one on the similarities between red-state evangelicals and blue-state redistributionist liberals from Tech Central Station and one Unused Audio Commentary by Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky for the Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series) extended DVD from McSweeney's -- sample:

"Zinn: Actually it shows the Orcs smithing a lot of pieces of metal. I don't think it's necessarily established that what they're making is swords, is it? They could be farming implements of some sort. They're definitely unusual-looking. But I have to ask you, what about the genetic engineering that goes on with the Uruk-hai?

Chomsky: It's certainly a strange aspect of their culture, but why should we be so condemning? I mean, this is the way they reproduce. If it looks disgusting to us, well maybe we should readjust what we regard as disgusting. I mean, is that any more vile than pulling a baby out of a gaping, bloody hole?"

Night on Earth

Today's continuation of the series about landscape architecture invites you to venture over and check out three of the top firms in landscape architecture: Margie Ruddick Landscape, Olin Partnership, and Field Operations. Part of what I like so much about landscape architecture as opposed to the (plain) architecture is that landscape architecture is not tainted with the crazy need to prove its value via wild avant-garde designs that make buildings unnecessarily expensive or plain old eyesores. (Which is not to say that all crazy architecture is bad; however, most of it is; I do like the pickle building -- Londoners apparently call it the Gherkin, because its shaped like a pickle planted in the ground and has a vaguely greenish hue at night -- in London, though I obviously haven't seen it in person).

If you don't feel like exploring for yourself, here's an image from a project that I like at each firm:

Field Operations: Bridesburg Redevelopment Plan, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Margie Ruddick: Queens Plaza, Long Island City, New York

Olin Partnership: Vila Olimpica, Barcelona, Spain

Look out below

Today's entry is designed to bring to you two links. The first is to Kristol's op-ed in the Washington Post (use bugmenot.com if you have trouble getting in), regarding Donald Rumsfield. I will provide no comments because the article speaks for itself.

The second is to an article about the market district of Les Halles (in Paris). This is the sort of project that I would be doing in a perfect world, in about forty years, as an established and reputable landscape architect. It's not the sum total of what I'm interested in, but I think that most landscape architects would agree that the chance to redesign a section of the city that is commonly considered the Western world's best (on aesthetic grounds) would be extraordinary. I think I will make it a goal to make this the first in a series of weekly links to various landscape architecture projects, both for my education and the education of anyone who is curious.

Faster than without sleep

I've decided to take the free i-pod plunge:
Click here to do it with me
Please, help me do it! I'll love you forever. Maybe.

It sure looks legit to me. Is there anyone out there who's had a successful delivery? Personally, I figure these guys will spam you to death, so I set up a special email account for it. Here's another article.

I get the same result

Wife's out for the weekend and I'm home alone studying for the GRE, which means its time to pick up the bad habit again. Last year I wrote a short list of my top albums of 2003 for Pulse, and though I have no idea whether it was actually published or not (because I left town that weekend), I enjoyed doing it. This year I'm going to have a slightly different version, and it will be written for my personal enjoyment only (and the enjoyment of anyone who might accidentally read this even though I've been gone for months).

8. Album that only a humanities grad student could love of 2004: Blueberry Boat, by the Fiery Furnaces. Pitchfork, sometimes a force for good (see Broken Social Scene) is also sometimes a force of pure evil. Like when it rates this awful "literary" schlock highly, causing people to purchase this album and, I am convinced, leading directly to the fact that the song-mashing sister and brother are recording a follow-up with their grandmother. That, my friends, is so not rock and roll. I suppose I should note that wife rates this album highly. Personally, I think its just a couple of good songs (couple literally, as in two) prolonged and cut up and surrounded by junk, with MFA-in-creative-writing lyrics. And I say MFA in the worst way possible. Like the Decemberists.

7. Artist of the year of 2004: Smog. I like Smog. No, Smog didn't do anything special. I just like Smog. I can't remember if their last album (which was actually a b-sides compilation) even came out this year. But they're still my artist of the year. Which is totally unrelated to album of the year.

6. Best French album I've bought of 2004: That would be M83's Dead Cities, Red Seas and Lost Ghosts, because its the only French album I've bought. But its still pretty good. Immediately impressive, though not with enough staying power or depth to merit consideration for best album of 2004.

5. Best Hip-hop album I've bought this year of 2004: I haven't bought the albums that other people's lists talk about yet, like MF Doom's, the Foreign Exchange, or Kanye West. That's because I'm still catching up on the last decade of rap, and as far as I'm concerned I've yet to hear a better rap album than Aesop Rock's first, Float. Including Labor Days.

4. Best album by a member of the New Pornographers (who, for the uninitiated, are not actually pornographic) of 2004: There is some stiff competition in this category, including Destroyer, but I give the award to A.C. Newman for The Slow Wonder, for sure. Its got some hot stuff on it. Rock music, involving guitars and keyboards and drums. Less kiddy feeling than the New P's. I hope this entry doesn't ban people at Covenant from reading this, though the New Inquisitors' web filter might do just that. Oh well.

3. Most ironic album I've heard this year of 2004: Yo, this one goes to Hawksley Workman for lover/fighter easily. If you haven't heard Hawksley Workman, leave your email address and I'll mail you a copy. I like it that much.

2. Second best album of 2004: Right now, I give this to the Arcade Fire for Funeral. Call me back in a month and I might give them number one, but I haven't had it long enough to make that kind of judgment. Despite the hints of Conor Oberst in the vocals, I'm totally won over by their sincerity and passion. Funeral bleeds rock, and that's why I'm totally committed to seeing them if they come to Athens or Atlanta anytime. The only other band I'd do that for is Crooked Fingers.

1. Best album of 2004: Pinback, with Summer in Abaddon. Yes, if anyone's curious, I do know what Abaddon is. And listening to Pinback's latest is anything but Abaddon. To all those who are so enthused with the Arcade Fire: I hear it too, and I'm promising you, Pinback delivers the rock as thoroughly as the Arcade Fire do. I've not been the biggest Pinback fan in the past, but this album has done it for me. I don't think anyone is as crazy about it as Jess and I are, though.