Archive for June, 2010
dot dot dot so you can call me homie (a punky jazzy piece)
9
For awhile now, I have been infatuated with the rhythm of writing. I have explained this to b; in my life and when I have had time to formally study the craft of writing, I also happened to be studying, well, music. And not for any sort of conscious willfulness the connection was made. One of those things, I guess, that just entered, because it was time for it to enter. [ . . . ]
Richard Holschuh :: Building with Toothpicks
4June 29, 2010
The building of a house is a series of steps within steps, endlessly broken down into sub procedures and decisions. And these separate parts, such as the building shell, the insulation envelope, the HVAC, the surface finish, the orientation, etc. are all interrelated and in the best examples, fully integrated and cohesive. The systems, each complex in their own right, form a system of systems. This does not happen accidentally or as the result of reading a book. It's the result of awareness, choosing to care, and maintaining focus on the things that matter, all the while keeping peripheral vision scanning the corners. Noticing interactions, relationships, details.From the tree to the toothpick, it's all there, if you look for it. Keep your eyes clear, go beyond the surface, squint a little, see the shape of what lurks within the obvious. Hone this ability - let it become second nature. What lies beneath is a never-ending fascination. [ . . . ]
More Reality about Working with the RRP Rule (It’s Hot and Uncomfortable!)
11June 28, 2010
by Holly Bertsch
in On the Job
Anyhow, one of the reasons this demolition is taking so long is because we are so hot and uncomfortable in the house. Anyone who has torn out plaster knows how much fun that isn't, but it is even worse in the suits, and the masks, and the heat. And I can't help but think, as I carry the trash bags out to the covered dump trailer we are fortunate enough to have, that this is a lot of plastic we are throwing away. I am trying to understand why this stuff has to be in plastic bags when the outside of the bags themselves get so dusty from being in the area -- I know I am exposing the outdoors to lead. Am I supposed to wipe down each bag as I carry them out? I don't remember that from class. [ . . . ]
Making Sense of Green Certifications
6June 25, 2010
We need training programs; we need third party certification and verification systems too. But for them to work, we also need the correct mix of government/private partnership; the right laws, and the right regulations that point industry in the right directions.
What do you know? or Minding our Matters
14
Before the age of google, some of my friends and I had a thing called History Club. History Club, often accompanied by cocktails, was basically four or five people sitting around who would pick a random historical event or figure and then discuss the things we knew about it or them. Someone would say Napoleon and someone might add he was the guy who began the tradition of putting ornamental buttons on dress jackets to keep his soldiers from wiping their noses on their sleeves.
