HOCKEYFAN16

ACES PLAYBOOK

2006-12-07T06:33:22Z

The Aces playbook was an excellent idea and presentation. I think it will really help ACES with little changes that they could make to improve their programs. It was not huge, expensive, and unrealistic ideas. It was a simple set of things that ACES could do to improve the designed environment of the schools that they reside in. I also though it was very professionally display. I guess if you call that book an environment, they did an excellent job with that designed environment. I hope that ACES will take some of these principles to do what they can to improve their designed environment. With all the research that ACES recieved from these research documents, I hope much of it is atleast attempted, if not used. I know that we may be youth, but I think we have learned much about the designed environment.

Technopoly

2006-11-30T17:13:28Z

Today it seems technology is created to improve everything. Its intentions are always great, but the reality is often far from it. Some new technologies may end up causing more problems than solutions. These problems may be pollution, job loss, or even unreliability. My focus in this blog is the creation of automated assembly lines in the automobile industry. These new mechanized assembly lines sped the process, increased output, and lowered prices, but at the same time they are putting thousands, if not, millions out of jobs. They even have put some car companies close to bankruptcy, and forced many American car companies to outsource to other nations. At the time I am sure the person who created this technology had great intentions. I mean on paper it sounds great, but in reality how are people going to buy cars, even if they are cheaper, when they do not have a job. Basically, this technology that was supposed to help people has ended up hurting some people. Sure, it may improve life for some but what about the people that were put out of a job because of a machine. Some could compare this to the monks that wrote before the printing press cam along. When the printing press was created these monks way of life, writing the bible and other scriptures, was basically taken over by the printing press. Again, this technology helped people but hurt some at the same time. All of this shows that technology really is an order of nature. What technology does, has an incredible affect on nearly every aspect of life. Something that seems so simple like the printing press literally changed the world. Technology orders/changes nature based on the simple changes that it makes. One could also say that technology doesn’t just change nature, but it is also nature. Just because it is manmade does not make technology nature. Man is nature and technology is created by man, so therefore technology is nature.

2006-11-07T20:37:52Z

All three of these images show the designed environment, and more specifically they show skyscrapers located throughout the world. All of these were designed by talented architects and all of these architects had to use mathmatics in almost every aspect of the design process. However my focus is not on the mathmatics used to design the buildings, but instead it is the mathmatics that keeps theses buildings up. This is newtonian mathematics. This is more or less gravity and the principles that govern all bodies in earth and space. Theses mathematics also forced the designer to design to withstand the forces of gravity. If the architects would not have compensated for gravity, these buildings would most likely not be standing anymore and may have never even been built. WIthout Newtonian mathmatics we would most likely not have skyscrapers because we would not know how to make these buildings stand. That means we would not have had buildings like the World Trade Center, and we would not have buildings like the Empire State Building, Petronas Towers, and the upcoming Freedom Tower. Fortunately, we do know about these mathematics and we are able to build these beautiful buildings.

Oppostions: They make the world go round.

2006-10-23T03:34:06Z

It seems that almost everything in life is done because of an opposition. We need to money to buy things that keep us alive or that make life better, so what do we do, we get a job. Another simple oppositon is getting sick. The only solution to that is to find a cure. Our life is all about solving problems and whats funny is that every time we solve a problem we somehow manage to create another opposition that needs to be solved. To me it seems as though it is one endless cycle that some could argue is the meaning of life. What is the meaning of life? One could say very simply that it is to find solutions to opposition, problems, that we create.
This is relevant in every day life hear at the U. An opposition, for example, is time between classes is often no long enough to get from east to west. The solution is an extensive bus service. Time in general seems to be opposition, as this is relevant in everyday life. Some solutions to time and the speeding up of just about everything in everyday life is: assembly lines, cars, email, cell phones, text messaging, internet. Everything we do is, more or less, a solution to an opposition and there is really no escaping it. In this blog, I have focused on the opposition of time. I do this because I believe that time, or more specifically, the lack thereof is really the root of many oppositions. For example, a bridge crossing the opposition of water is only there because we have sped up our life and now need automobiles. I know that the lack of time is not the only factor in many oppositions but I do know that time has caused many of the oppositions that we have found solutions to.

Framework, Clockwork, and Phenomenon of a Relationship

2006-10-10T00:45:28Z

I decided to analyze not a material thing, but more of a societal thing. It is a thing society has sort of created, itis a relationship. Relationships may not be a physical thing but they are indeed a thing. In this case I will analyze me and my girlfriend Kaitlyn.

Framework:
-Trust
-Love
-Committment
-Closeness
-Friendship
-Interest
-Attraction
-Beauty - Both Inside and Out
-Humor
-Conversation
-Care

Clockwork:
-No matter what happens we always come back to that original set above.
-With time the relationship building on the set above. It gets stronger.
-It is always there to rely on, but you must pay attention to it. Just like time.

Phenomena:
A relationships phenomena is somewhat complex. There is really no simple answer as to what a relationships phenomena is. I guess what comes to mind is just what people may see when they see our relationship. Because of all of the frameworks and clockworks of our relationship I would imagine people see a happy couple. I also would hope that what is apparent about our relationship is that we have been together for a while. I also have to assume that part of this phenomena is what people see at first glance, and I assume many would immediately see just a young puppy love relationship. This however is not the case with us. This assumption tells me that maybe the phenomena is not really all that apparent. It also tells me that because phenomena is a object of perception, it is not exact at all. Basically, the phenomena of our relationship, of anything is defined individually by each person.

The College Dorm Room

2006-10-03T02:03:51Z

The Genius Loci by definition is the spirit of a place. Every place in the universe has a Genius Loci whether it be good or bad. In the case of the college dorm room I would say that the Genius Loci is somewhat bland. It is neither enlightening and positive, nor is it dulling and negative. The college dorm room is simply adequate. The place where all the enlightening happens is in the classroom. The dorm is simply the place where we reside when we are not attending theclasses. Although I did say it is a somewhat bland spirit I do believe their are many positive aspects of the college dorm room. I also would say there are more positive aspects than negative. I think one of the most positive aspecs of the dorms spirit is the close proximity to friends and study mates. No matter what happens someone will always be there for you to help you with any problem that arise. The dorm spirit also provides you with a constant array of events to keep busy with in the down time. All though it is a bland spririt I would say it is a great thing to experience. The dorm room is bland but combined with the entire dorm I would say it is a thoroughly great experience. The blandness of the dorm room is also a somehwat good aspect. It seems as if the bland spirit is just there to sort of help or focus you on your studies. By eliminating distractions within the room the student can focus more on the studies which are the most important part of college. So in the end, the bland spirit of a college room is actually beneficial in many parts of the college students life.

Underfunded Social Programs

2006-09-25T23:59:51Z

It seems that man y different organizations design and create many varieties of social programs. Although they may design a good program initially they fail to follow through with it. For instance, our government does many things to try to help inner city youth. They design the program, get it going, but than it seems they often times leave them to try and get by on there own. Many tmes these programs just don't have the monetary stability to keep such programs going. For example, ACES is a group that I am working with in both ARCH 1701 and 1281. the idea here is great, but they simply do not have the resources to get to all the students they possibly can. In fact, many of the schools this program works at have a waiting list to get into. They, of course, would like give all of these kids access to the programs, but they simply cannot afford it. Now I don't know if this is goverrnment funded, but whoever funds it needs to follow through with it. They are running almost completely on donations from professional sports oganizations. I know that many of these organizations have enough money to fund these completely but they simply are not doing it. The ACES people also said that many of the sports organizations sponsor them but I have never seen anything that relates ACES and the sports organizations together except for what the ACES people told me. Maybe if the sports organizations publicized this more, they could draw more donations from other places besides them. By doing this they could support ACES more without the full burden being on their organization.
So back to the point of this blog. In order for all of the many social programs to work, the people that fund them or start them must follow through. Simply starting the programs and designing them does not complete the job. This is a social design issue because it is so widespread in our society. I see problems like this in many of the abundant amount of social programs. The design of the programs are often good, but the design of the society that runs them has many faults. So in conclusion, I believe all these programs have good intentions. I also believe the creators of these programs have good intentions but some where along the way they lose track of what they were doing with the programs. Basically, in the end the creators don't follow through like they should. Also, we need to find a way to get the creators to follow through because many of these programs have so much potential, but nothing to back them up. I know America can do better and we must find a way to help her.

Midtown Market Blog

2006-09-19T06:10:08Z

Unfortunately, I was out of town this weekend and I was unavailable to see the Midtown Market in action. My only option was to swing by it at a time when nothing was happening. A lone sign was the only thing that alluded to a market of any kind, and it sat against a dilapidated fence that I assume contains the market. Despite being fenced and contained I know that a fense could not contain the energy this market must create. Truly, the energy must burst out into the surrounding neighborhoods. I know that this market must create so much energy due to bustling people, loud vendors, and of course a large amount of cultural diversity.
Despite what "I know," or maybe better put, what "I hope," I must write based on what I see now, and what I see now is almost depressing.
What I see now is a energy, or actually a lack thereof. At this time, what once was a market is now an old, run-down parking lot with nothing more than a few broken basketball hoops and other old playground equipment. This "market" has an almost institutional like atmosphere. If their is energy coming from this area, I would describe it as a negative energy. I hope that the Midtown Market brings as much energy as I talked about earlier, and if it does I believe more things like it need to be done to utilize this space more often to bring in more postive energy. Also, this is a school and learning environment, and unfortunately it does not seem to be a very good learning environment. By bringing more things like the market to this parking lot I believe we can brighten up a school and neighborhood. This simple parking lot has so much potential for an abundance of positive energy. Now, all we must do is utilize it.