last month--or so--on the internet (Part 1 of 2).

as repeated many times, have been so busy in the last few weeks that i've not done my weekly summary of visit-worthy sites in a while. this weekend, apart from reading Jencks's "Iconic Building", i decided to run through my stash of links to scour what's been missed, so pardon me for the barrage of links.

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[01] my latest favourite site offering a worthy service is bugmenot.com, if like me, you're tired of not having access to pay-per-view readers like NYT.

[02] doubt i'm the only one on this, but associate principal Joshua Prince-Ramus of OMA is one FUCKINGHAWT architect. oh god... and it pains me the same way it does people people who can't stop coming to know that he's young, smart and fabulous. okay, there are traces around that sometimes leave much to be desired, but he'd still make me cream myself anyday...

[03] like how more joshuas could make this field a little more attractive literally, perhaps the key to sustainable architecture with all its green balconies and roof-gardens lies in our choice of plant-life; the happier it makes us, the happier we'd be devoting ourselves to it.

[04] and the happier we are, the better we'd be at making our models [via archidose], dealing with bad crits, geting around the strict hours of our workshops, and even maximising the brief time we have at the laser machine.

[05] though once we move beyond monkeying in school to up-starting, we've gotta be careful of how we practise.

[06] and even where we practise: according to Thill, Netherlands can suck. in other news, london too can suck -- well, sorta, and in the same vein, so does Melbourne. but on the surface where it counts, China still seems good. in fact, any place with natural calamities is good; for that matter, any place that has skyscraper aspirations like Taiwan might be just as good.

[07] so when you do get all that out of the way, don't jeopardise things -- be earnest about your buildings (and their super-hero/ villain qualities) and avoid lying about the strengths of your buildings, seeing as how if it doesn't kill thousands, it can at least lead to someone else's suicide when discovered. i mean, even Hadid couldn't hide the super-pricing of her design, not to mention Vinoly's landed him in court.

[08] architectural practice simply isn't what it was like some gazillion years ago huh? technicalities aside, we have (apart from less academic critics [from DesignObserver) Jencks complaining about the over-statement of non-iconable programmes in his book, then there're reports that forms no longer follow function. it's unsurprising to me though, because quite commmonly now the programmes were already fucked to begin with.

[09] really, there seems to be so much chaos, that it wouldn't surprise me if some architect's gonna punch someone someday, over all these displeasures posturing as discursive enlightenment. how Forbes was able to figure out the lead players in the drama amidst this mess bewilders me.

[10] now, now... i know it's all a little depressing, feel free to wipe your tired tears and blow your mucus into your black toilet paper. how about plan a nice trip with the ArchiTourist or Galinksy? i hear from archidose that they're nice people...

[11] or indulge in a fancy themed party of architectural things.

[12] if all that fails, you could reconsider your position from architect to somekind of illustrator.

[13] or like me, begin to enjoy the art of not building.

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some stray links:

[AA] Farm: Growing Local Creative -- it's like group-therapy, but without the no-sex clause and expensive bills.

[AB] i was gonna pick a bone or two on TAS, but decided that i should shut the fuck up because there's now an official blog for the gang. until i'm more ready for a blog-bash...

[AC] this reminds me, sometime ago, this particular referral to our site led me to Kit's Crit, and from there--you know the story, a link to a link--to 榴梿茶馆, 花开１１月, and (~.~).

[AD] i know singapore has both aspired towards being cool, and also warned itself of being cool, but "Uncool Cities" sums singapore's aspirations and fears up pretty well. okay, i know the bottom line is "that great cities need schools for families, transport that works, jobs for the middle and the aspiring working classes", but for the most part, it reads like a fascist attack by a conservative. and don't anyone get started on good intentions, because we all know the road to hell is often paved with loads of those...

[AE] someone try this 15-day free trial mind-mapping software recommended at res(e)arch and tell me if it works.

[AF] Google Earth continues to fascinate me with its new use as a tool to suss out CIA's secret prisons, which are unfortunately going to come to naught for various you-know-why reasons.

[AG] really more for my continued interest in gender studies (especially in architecture and space), a commentary for the exhibition on women in architecture. and then, the attempt by women to insert themselves into the synagogues. reminded me a lot about Amina Wadud who led muslim prayers to a congregation of people in New York. (think it was last year?) anyway, much controversy in both cases, with similar they-didn't-have-to-do-that-because-some-provisions-are-already-made responses that--if you asked me--do not include as they do make excuses for exclusion.