July 2008 Archives

For all my friend in Minneapolis, Solutions Twin Cities has an event tonight that should be great. Also, check out the great article written by former Architecture critic for the Star Tribune below the announcement!

Video Invite and Schmoozing!
http://twincities.metromix.com/events/world_now_video/design-for-the-other/533535/content

From Solution Home Base:

As you know, the event is free (as is getting into the Walker tomorrow), but you WILL need a ticket to get into the Walker Cinema. You can pick these up at the Bazinet Lobby.

We're fully expecting this thing to "sell out" so to ensure that you can get a seat, we recommend picking up your tickets early (around 6pm). This will give you time to check out the Design For the Other 90% exhibit if you haven't already seen it.

So one last time, here are the deets:

Solutions For the Other 90%
Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 7:00pm
Walker Art Center Cinema

Alright that's it.

Oh, and this: It won't be awesome without you. Totally serious.

Hope to see you there! Peace!

Colin & Troy

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Global Design Comes Home To Roost
Minn Post Article Link

By Linda Mack
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

There's a revolution in the world of design. Certainly, star architects like Frenchman Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas of the Netherlands experiment with mind-bending forms and Californian Frank Gehry designs his silvery sculptures for yet another country, but another strain of architects and designers has focused on innovating for more basic needs: housing, clean water, health, education, sanitation and transportation for people around the world.

An exhibit at the Walker Art Center called "Design for the Other 90%" displays a raft of these innovations. Organized by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, the display is housed in a little village of white structures in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Bend your head to get through the low doors and you'll find some 30 objects that range from low to high tech, from a straw that purifies drinking water to laptops for kids in underdeveloped countries. (The exhibit runs through Sept. 7.)

Though none of these objects is Minnesota-designed, the Twin Cities area has become a hub of humanitarian design efforts, which the Walker will showcase this Thursday evening (July 31). Curated by two young architects, Colin Kloecker and Troy Gallas, the "Solutions for the Other 90%" panel will include brief visual presentations by Twin Cities-based groups such as Architecture for Humanity and NEED magazine. (See related content.)

The other 90 percent, of course, is the vast majority of the world's 6.5 billion people who lack access to basics such as food and water.

"Architects have to take responsibility for more than the 2 to 3 percent of the world's population who can afford to hire them," said Tom Fisher, dean of the University of Minnesota's College of Design, which has done work for UNESCO, in Istanbul, Turkey, and on the Gulf Coast.

The goal of the Cooper-Hewitt exhibit was to show how design can alleviate some of the world's thorniest problems — and do so inexpensively.

Inexpensive solutions to thorny problems
How, for instance, can a girl in Nigeria keep her tomatoes cool enough to reach market days or weeks after they're picked? Put one earthenware pot in a larger pot, pour sand in-between and water it, and the tomatoes stored there will last twice as long as in a single pot. The Pot-in-Pot cooler was designed by Nigerian Mohammed Bah Abba.

How can malaria, the biggest killer of children in Africa, be prevented? Use a mosquito net impregnated with insecticide. The PermaNet, designed by the Swiss firm Vestergaard Frandsen, kills or repels mosquitoes for up to four years, even after washings. Torben Vestergaard Frandsen also designed the LifeStraw, the incredibly simple 10-inch-long polystyrene straw that filters water in the same way as those portable water filters used for Boundary Waters camping trips.

How can water be pumped for irrigating crops when there's no electricity? Use the bamboo treadle pump, a human-powered pump that looks like a rustic Stairmaster. Made of metal, plastic and bamboo, it can be manufactured in small local workshops and boost production without a huge investment.

How can water be transported by women and children without causing the neck and spine stress produced by carrying water on their heads? Put it in a Q drum, a doughnut-shaped plastic wheel that is easy, even fun, to pull.

How can a doctor in Boston help diagnose medical problems in remote Cambodia? A visiting nurse who travels six hours to villages can transmit digital photographs and information via solar-powered computers to Boston doctors, who respond within hours. In a variation on the theme, the Internet Village Motoman Network sends drivers on Honda motorcycles equipped with satellite uplinks through the countryside to collect emailed questions and communications from schools, telemedicine clinics and a government office. Drivers then return to civilization to get the questions answered and turn around and drive back to upload the information received. It's not in real-time but it works.

Other innovations, some devised by locals and some by international organizations, include high-density briquettes made from non-polluting sugarcane charcoal, bicycles simply retrofitted to carry large and unwieldy loads, and a foot-and-below-knee prosthesis so amputees who've lost limbs to land mines can still make a living pedaling bicycle taxis. So far, 900,000 are in use.

Though these objects are not necessarily beautiful or even interesting to look at, the stories behind them are uplifting. While you poke through the white cardboard shelters holding the exhibit, be sure to take in the video that explains the items. Other videos in the Walker Bazinet Lobby (the one on Vineland Place) further expand on the ideas presented in the exhibit. (The exhibit catalog available in the bookstore for $20 is also a valuable resource.)

These days, global problems seem to generate only bad news. "Design for the Other 90%" showcases the other, hopeful side of the coin.

Linda Mack writes about architecture and design for MinnPost.com. She can be reached at lmack [at] minnpost [dot] com.

This review contains spoilers for those of you who haven't seen Dark Knight, so if you want to remain unspoiled, please shut your eyes and try to navigate away from this page now.

The Dark Knight
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman

IMDB Plot Synopsis: Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman's struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes. Written by Leon Lombardi

My Thoughts: Alright, the big blockbuster Batman movie has hit and after delays I have gone to bask in all its glory. My one problem? I didn't find it that glorious. Now let me say this. I LIKED THE MOVIE. It seems I have to say that first in order to not have people ripping my head off. Here's my gripes. Feel free to respond with yours.

"Damn Alfred, You're right. I am a huge weenie."

1. Realism: Am I aching for the Schumacher Age of Clooney and bat-nipple costumes? No. That's as far from it as humanly possible. Here it is: comic books are an escape. Even the gritty crime ones are an escape. A rich guy who's parents got killed doesn't dress up like a bat to avenge their deaths. It's a suspension of reality and that's why it's awesome. Batman has formed himself as the world's greatest detective and he relies on his fortune for tech, but Nolan not only takes all the mystery out of the movie he makes it downright predictable (who else didn't see Batman finding Dent instead of Rachel?) or just as goofy as some of the Batman & Robin era crap with things like the cell-phone sonar vision. Don't even get me started on the Batmobile.

How about no.

My friend Nick (who has a nifty blog of his own) said that Nolan has the "have your cake and eat it too" syndrome when it comes to realism. I can understand he wants to make Batman realistic, but the wearing of glorified catchers gear and a bat helmet makes him appear as silly as the premise of a real man dressing up like a bat which is a bit of self sabotage. Nolan wants the intrigue and the story, but he isn't afraid to give up 10 minutes of the movie to a car chase that leads the second half of the movie down the big budget blockbuster route and far enough away from the cerebral overtones the director establishes that when we get to the end of the movie the lessons seem a bit lost.

2. Chicago is not Gotham City: I'm sorry, but Gotham in the daylight isn't Daley Plaza, parking garages, and shiny happy people. I'm not saying that Gotham isn't like Chicago in many ways, mostly in terms of mob and corruption ties, but I can't stand the fact that it is so obviously Chicago in the movie right down to the point of the the name Chicago being visible in at least one scene that I saw not to mention countless instances of landmark Chicago buildings being featured. I would also like to point out that I don't think Chicago is a bad place to use for principle shooting but making Gotham so blatantly a direct translation of the city is a bit too much for my tastes. (Here's a link about what's featured in the movie)

3. Heroes: In the end of the movie Batman turns over Two-Face so that they find him as Harvey Dent and asks police Commissioner Gordon to villainize Batman for the heinous acts committed by Dent because he himself feels responsible and the image of Dent as Gotham's crusader should stay intact where as Batman is just a symbol of fear or something to that affect. Not to mention that I hate Christian Bale's growly Batman voice and the whiny nature he is directed to exhibit but I think that allowing Batman to not be the "Hero that Gotham Deserves" is stupid. Dent says earlier in the movie that "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Gotham is dirty and it may be corrupt but that means that he must be able to use that but also transcend that to protect his city. Joker says it in the interrogation room (one of the best scenes in the movie) that Batman won't kill and that's what Joker wants to break. He wants to make Batman just another vigilante, when that is not who Batman is. Proof that Nolan gets it right in some respects.

4. Villians: A while ago, one of my friends made the comment that with superhero sequels, or any sequels for that matter, it becomes less about the hero and more about the villain. Now when Spiderman 3 came out I really enjoyed it although not as much as the first and second movies. Why? The villians. Trying to cram two villians in the movies just doesn't work quite as well, especially when they both should have their own stories. I appreciate Christopher Nolan's attempt, but I just don't think that you can make a movie with two integral villians in the Batman mythology and have room enough for Batman.

5. Violence Quotient: I understand that Joker is batshit crazy. I can appreciate the fact that the only thing he prizes is chaos. I can even stomach the fact that in Nolan's hyper-realistic view of the Batman that people really do die, we should see that, and it's not just like they disappear off the page and go to Grandma and Grandpa's farm. Gun violence is something that we all treat like that in movies unless it is graphic, but there is something about a knife that just doesn't sit well with with me. I don't mind Joker having them or using them, but it's the same problem I had with Pan's Labyrinth... I don't mind it so long as I don't have to see it. Many people have commented that it is a valuable part of the characterization of the Joker in the movie. I think that his own scars are integral and even the various explanations he gives as to how he acquired them is a stroke of genius in showing just how delusional and crazy he can be. While I can appreciate that, I can also appreciate that DC prides themselves on being accessible and slicing someone's face up is not going to help the Batman be accessible to the broader fan base, especially kids and their parents.

6. Characters as Plot Devices: Rachel Dawes is a plot device. She's not a person, she's the golden egg that Bruce gets if he sheds his other, arguably better half. I don't care who plays her, she's just the same plot device girls in Bruce's life that aren't Catwoman or Natalya (Ra's Al Ghul's daughter). But let's be honest, a love interest in a big blockbuster movie? I can forgive that. I can say on the other hand that the treatment of Gary Oldman's excellent portrayal of Commissioner/Lieutenant Jim Gordon is an effin travesty. When they "killed" him I nearly walked out of the theater. I can appreciate Nolan's views on pretty much everything else I disagreed with in the aforementioned categories, but this was simply too much. In fact, had I not been required to explain myself to my friends I went with, I just might have walked out. The whole "I didn't want them targeting my family" excuse they use is dogshit. What about his fellow cops? Jim Gordon in all the years and slants they've put on Batman has never been a chickenshit who puts himself first. That. Just. Plain. Sucked. Especially considering how much I think Oldman as Gordon is perfect casting.

7. Bat-homage?: How many times did I say to myself during the movie "haven't I seen this somewhere before?" If you asked yourself the same thing, look no further than Tim Burton's Batman and an edit of footage from the 1989 film (by Vaportrail Films) to coincide with the new trailer to see the comparisons:

I didn't like Batman. That's it, I said it. That's not to say that I didn't think that Dark Knight wasn't a good, or even great movie, just that it wasn't a great Batman movie. Did Heath Ledger turn in one of his best performances of his sadly short career? You better believe it. In fact, I hope he does get the Oscar because I think that he played the Joker exactly as Nolan thought he should be and I can see that very clearly. Does Aaron Eckhart steal the show as Dent/Two-Face? I sure think so. In fact Harvey Dent is more of a factor in the movie than even Joker is at many points despite Ledger's amazing performance. But when you look at how much of a factor Batman is, it's a bit underwhelming.

My Grade: B

Update: Interesting read someone sent me today from Slashfilm

Just a quick note before I have time for the real updating. I was reading an article about Bobby Jindal stumping for McCain in Louisiana upon a recent visit on cnn.com (here) and when I got to the second paragraph I took pause and had to chuckle. Can you spot the hilarity?

"I'm not going to be the vice presidential nominee or vice president," Jindal told Fox News. "I'm going to help Sen. McCain get elected as governor of Louisiana."

I think that deserves a good old fashion Phil Fossen "huh?" As Governor of Louisiana, I'm going to do everything I can to help get Sen. McCain elected PRESIDENT. I love linguistic political faux pas :)

Okay, so I had to do a bit of scrambling when I went a little to far on trying to modify my MT template hence not so much with the updating. Look this week for swag pictures coming in from the first UYA Store purchases, work updates, and the Batman!

Joss Whedon, I both hate you and love you at the same time. Catch all three acts online before the 20th for free and look for the DVD this fall!

Alright, as many of you know I love comics, or graphic novels, or whatever we want to call them so society at large finds them acceptable as high art. Anyhow, lately there has been slew of comic book movies and trailers for new movies most notably Watchmen. View this trailer in HD and if you haven't checked out the graphic novel, read it. It's one of the best pieces of fiction I've ever read. Also, you gotta love the Smashing Pumpkins music. When Nite Owl comes out of the bay I just grinned.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen/hd/

If you want verification that Zack Snyder is the right man for the translation of this piece of comic legend check out this link to compare visual styles: http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/watchmen_trailer_to_comic_comparison

Also, I am so pumped for Heroes coming back this fall and it looks like they're going to really play up the comic nature of the show by having a bit more good vs. evil. I'm all for it baby!

So as we have been putting together the Hancock County branch studio we got a list together for building a material and spec library and ordered away for a bunch of catalogs the first of which came today. Anyhow, Erika did an awesome job and we're finally starting to shape that up. One of the manufacturers (Cline Doors) also sent with their catalog a small jar of "Door Jamb" which is Grape Jam! Brilliant. Now that's marketing baby.

This summer has been chock full of super-flavored releases and a lot of people have been wondering what my opinions on them have been so I thought I'd call in with my thoughts in light of seeing Hellboy last night and with the final superhero flick "The Dark Knight" coming out next weekend...

The Incredible Hulk
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt

IMDB Plot Synopsis: A cure is in reach for the world's most primal force of fury: THE INCREDIBLE HULK. We find scientist Bruce Banner, living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote. But the warmongers who dream of abusing his powers won't leave him alone, nor will his need to be with the only woman he has ever loved, Betty Ross. Upon returning to civilization, our brilliant doctor is ruthlessly pursued by The Abomination -- a nightmarish beast of pure adrenaline and aggression whose powers match The Hulk's own. A fight of comic-book proportions ensues as Banner must call upon the hero within to rescue New York City from total destruction. One scientist must make an agonizing final choice -- accept a peaceful life as Bruce Banner or the creature he could permanently become: THE INCREDIBLE HULK. Written by Babak A.

My Thoughts: I suppose this could be called Hulk: Mulligan. After the lukewarm response to the first Hulk movie directed by Ang Lee, I am really happy that they decided to reboot this franchise and infusing a bit more action and cutting out a bit of the art house drama to find the right balance of love story, action, and monster movie. I think the Hulk looks tremendously better and the CG is all very awesome. In terms of a villian, there is always the Banner-Hulk struggle (which the first movie had a bit too much of) but with the excellent performance of William Hurt as General "Thunderbolt" Ross and Tim Roth as uber-soldier and future gamma-irradiated Abomination the villain quotient is higher in this new version and the movie benefits from it. Although I wasn't a big fan of some of the hopped up Tim Roth shots (super-speed looking like it was from the Flash series from the 1990's) I enjoyed all the fight scenes both before and after irradiation. In the end it's about the love between Betsy Ross (Liv Tyler) and Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) as it should be and I think the balance is pretty Incredible. Pun Intended

My Grade: B+

Iron Man
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard

IMDB Plot Synopsis: Tony Stark is the complete playboy who also happens to be an engineering genius. While in Afghanistan demonstrating a new missile he's captured and wounded. His captors want him to assemble a missile for them but instead he creates an armored suit and a means to prevent his death from the shrapnel left in his chest by the attack. He uses the armored suit to escape. Back in the U.S. he announces his company will cease making weapons and he begins work on an updated armored suit only to find that Obadiah Stane, his second in command at Stark industries has been selling Stark weapons to the insurgents. He uses his new suit to return to Afghanistan to destroy the arms and then to stop Stane from misusing his research.

My Thoughts: Marvel figured it out with this one: hire a fan of the franchise to direct, stack the deck with acting talent that can relate to the characters, and make sure the movie moves. I'll be honest that when they picked Downey I was like... okay, they both have had a drinking problem, what else does he have to do with Iron Man? Downey was awesome in Zodiac and Good Night, and Good Luck but Iron Man? I take it all back after seeing the excellent characterization he had of Stark. For me, he was as accurate a portrayal as I could hope for. On other stages the action sequences and digital effects were great, the supporting cast was top notch, and they set up a great opportunity for a set of sequels that can only hope to improve on this movie.

My Grade: A-

Wanted
Starring: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman

IMDB Plot Synopsis: Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a neurotic accounts manager who works in a small cubical filling out billing reports day in and day out. He allows his boss, his girlfriend, and his best friend to walk all over him. To cope with his life, he takes anti-anxiety pills by the bottle full. Wesley has no desire to change his humdrum life, but one day while getting more pills at the drug store, he meets a beautiful woman, Fox (Angelina Jolie), who changes his life forever. Fox was sent to protect Wesley from the man who had just killed his father. Fox tells Wesley that his father died yesterday on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Building and that he will be next. Wesley is recruited into the "Fraternity," a secret society of assassins that his father was a member. Fox must train Wesley to bring out his special powers that he was born with in order to avenge his fathers death. The Fraternity's leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), also teaches Wesley the ways of the group, and Wesley soon becomes an assassin just like his father.

My Thoughts: Despite a bit of a departure from the comics this movie more than makes up for it with a couple of action sequences that may give the Matrix a run for its money with how much I enjoyed their coordination and choreography. James McAvoy does nothing to temper the rumor that he could be the next big thing on the Hollywood scene seamlessly transferring from kindly fawn in the Chronicles of Narnia to converted assassin and grade-A ass kicker. I was really pleased with this movie despite some of its flaws in overdoing some violence and a few plot devices (such as the curving bullets).

My Grade: B+

Hancock
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

Plot Synopsis: Sloppy. A twist that ruins the film.

My Thoughts: ... yeah, I don't think so. Add this to the list of superhero movies I refuse to see which includes Elektra and X-Men 3.

Grade: F+

Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Starring: Ron Pearlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor

IMDB Plot Synopsis: The mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth, so as Hellboy and his team returns they must save the world from the rebellious creatures. Now, as the creatures who inhabit the spiritual realm gear-up for an all out attack on the human plane, the only one capable of saving the Earth is a tough-talking hellspawn rejected by both worlds.

My Thoughts: This movie exceeded all my expectations. In all the ways Spider Man 2 was able to be successful after the obligatory intro movie, Hellboy 2 takes the formula to a contemporary high. Gone is the all-star voice actor (David Hyde Pierce) to bolster Doug Jones' excellent performance as Abe Sapien. Gone is the "humanizing element" in the conjured presence of John Myers. Gone are the restrictions on creator Mike Mignola and director Guillermo del Toro and what is left is one amazing movie. I am going out on a limb and saying that I enjoyed this as much if not more than Iron Man. The performances both primary and supporting are fantastic with another brilliant series of spots with Jeffrey Tambor as Tom Manning the B.P.R.D.'s governmental liason. I was incredibly impressed with the stylized intro to the Golden Army as well as the incredible imagery we have come to expect from Guillermo del Toro. While I'm looking forward to del Toro directing The Hobbit I will be sad to see no new Hellboy in the next three years it will take to make the Fellowship prequels. There is a blend of action, comedy, intrigue, and imagination that make this the biggest competition to "The Dark Knight" as an all around winner. We'll have to wait and see next week.

My Grade: A

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Also, as a sidenote, I really, really hope someone responded to this link that Sam found the other day: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/672031640.html

Nemesis required. 6-month project with possibilty to extend
I've been trying to think of ways to spice up my life. I'm 35 years old, happily married with two kids and I have a good job in insurance. But somethings missing. I feel like I'm old before my time. I need to inject some excitement into my daily routine through my arm before its too late. I need a challenge, something to get the adrenaline pumping again. An addiction would be nice, but, in short, I need a nemesis. I'm willing to pay $350 up front for you services as an arch enemy over the next six months. Nothing crazy. Steal my parking space, knock my coffee over, trip me when Im running to catch the BART and occasionaly whisper in my ear, "Ahha, we meet again". That kind of thing. Just keep me on my toes. Complacency will be the death of me. You need to have an evil streak and be blessed with innate guile and cunning. You should also be adept at inconsicuous pursuit. Evil laugh preferred. Send me a photo and a brief explanation why you would be a good nemesis.

British accent preferred.

The new studio furniture has finally arrived today and I couldn't be happier. It's been a long while, but with laptops, furniture and a staff of 3 we are ready to rock and roll.

The boxes ready to be unpacked and combined with homemade furniture to become super studio

Pre-furniture shot with Sam mugging for the camera repping the Bay

For the first time ever, the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio: Hancock County...

...may not go forth on the Fifth.

A little bird shared that with me here on the Coast today and I thought it was possibly one of the funniest little quips I've ever heard.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share some pics from the WoA Independence Festival yesterday. Hope your 4th was awesome!

The day started out with one of the best looking omelet I think I've ever made... so far, off to a good start.

Off to Biloxi! Sam snapped a shot of one of about a hundred tee-pees ready to burn on the beach

Sarah's delicious 7 layer dip. In lieu of the layer of onions she substituted a little thing we like to call Freedom

After dip we got our Croquet on.

The girls pool looked worse off than it actually was.

Finally we went down to Beach Blvd. to check out the fireworks. A good time was had by all.

It's the 4th of July and that has me thinking three things:

1. Fireworks
2. BBQ
3. Politics

In light of these three things I give my thoughts/plan on/for each:

1. Biloxi, plain and simple is the best for fireworks. If you get yourself placed right on the beach you can see Gulfport, Ocean Springs, and Biloxi fireworks and the beach is like being in a war zone with bottle rockets and everything being lit up all along the beach. It's a true carnival atmosphere and I'm heading east for the party.

2. The WoA house is having a little get together and we're bringing the John Daly's and some meat. God bless the USA.

3. This one could get a little more complicated, but I'll try to break it down into a couple recent events...

a) Declining public financing decision by Barack Obama: I can see this thing going both ways, I understand that you want to fix public financing but I'm not sure this doesn't come off as a stunt. A very exciting stunt since no one has declined since it started becoming a fixture in the 70's but a stunt nonetheless.

b) This makes me absolutely livid: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/07/mississippi.katrina/index.html.

c) The West Wing parallels continue in the 2008 election as John McCain shakes up his staff... here.

d) Don't worry thought, the reality of the Bush Administration's incompetence continues... here.

e) Finally, the Republican National Convention is going to be in St. Paul, MN this year and in response a group of media savants and local politicos are running an event that looks to highlight the issues and incite involvement and education about the election called the UnConvention. I would urge everyone to get involved in the election and check this event out, the folks over at Solutions: Twin Cities will be involved as will many solutionists and activists from all around the metro and beyond.

P.S. The above image is from Twin Cities resident and flickrteer elventear. I have really enjoyed his images and thought I would share one and give his talent some press.

P.S. The marketing of Hellboy is all over the place and I can't wait to see it. See this for an example.