Saturday, July 25, 2009

New photos...


It's been a while since I've updated. It's been a weird summer so far, medically speaking. Spent a week in the hospital with an infection and stone in my submandibular salivary gland. The stone was taken out, gland still may need to be removed. Dealing with heat and humidity, and the exhaustion that comes with it.
Yesterday I went on an outing with my parents to Nachalat Binyamin in Tel Aviv, more photos can be seen on Tchochkes.
I fell in love with a puppy. Mom said no. Dad and I are heartbroken. This woman was giving puppies from a litter that. She was black, with floppy ears and little white pawsies.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Friday, July 3, 2009

happy birthday?

Franz Kafka

It's Franz Kafka's birthday. or is it?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bloomsday

On this day in 1904, the events of James Joyce's Ulysses took place. So I raise a glass an offer an Irish toast to Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus and "stately plump Buck Mulligan"


no thats no way for him has he no manners nor no refinement nor no nothing in his nature slapping us behind like that on my bottom because I didn't call him Hugh the ignoramus that doesnt know poetry from a cabbage thats what you get for notkeeping them in their proper place pulling off his shoes and trousers there on the chair before me so barefaced without even asking permission and standing out that vulgar way in the half of a shirt they wear to be admired like a priest or a butcher or those old hypocrites in the time of Julius Caesar of course hes right enough in his way to pass the time as a joke sure you might as well be in bed with what with a lion God Im sure hed have something better to say for himself an old Lion would O well I suppose its because they were so plump and tempting in my short petticoat he couldnt resist they excite myself sometimes its well for men all the amount of pleasure they get off a womans body were so round and white for them always I wished I was one myself for a change just to try with that thing they have swelling upon you so hard and at the same time so soft when you touch it my uncle John has a thing long I heard those cornerboys saying passing the corner of Marrowbone lane my aunt Mary has a thing hairy because it was dark and they knew a girl was passing it didnt make me blush why should it either its only nature and he puts his thing long into my aunt Marys hairy etcetera and turns out to be you put the handle in a sweepingbrush men again all over they can pick and choose what they please a married woman or a fast widow or a girl for their different tastes like those houses round behind Irish street no but were to be always chained up theyre not going to be chaining me up no damn fear once I start I tell you for stupid husbands jealousy why cant we all remain friends over it instead of quarrelling her husband found it out what they did together well naturally and if he did can he undo it hes coronado anyway whatever he does and then he going to the other mad extreme about the wife in Fair Tyrants of course the man never even casts a 2nd thought on the husband or wife either its the woman he wants and he gets her what else were we given all those desires for Id like to know I cant help it if Im young still can I its a wonder Im not an old shrivelled hag before my time living with him so cold never embracing me except sometimes when hes asleep the wrong end of me not knowing I suppose who he has any man thatd kiss a womans bottom Id throw my hat at him after that hed kiss anything unnatural where we havent 1 atom of any kind of expression in us all of us the same 2 lumps of lard before ever I do that to a man pfooh the dirty brutes the mere thought is enough I kiss the feet of you senorita theres some sense in that didnt he kiss our halldoor yes he did what a madman nobody understands his cracked ideas but me still of course a woman wants to be embraced 20 times a day almost to make her look young no matter by who so long as to be in love or loved by somebody if the fellow you want isnt there sometimes by the Lord God I was thinking would I go around by the quays there some dark evening where nobodyd know me and pick up a sailor off the sea thatd be hot on for it and not care a pin whose I was only to do it off up in a gate somewhere or one of those wildlooking gipsies in Rathfarnham had their camp pitched near the Bloomfield laundry to try and steal our things if they could I only sent mine there a few times for the name model laundry sending me back over and over some old ones old stockings that blackguardlooking fellow with the fine eyes peeling a switch attack me in the dark and ride me up against the wall without a word or a murderer anybody what they do themselves the fine gentlemen in their silk hats that K C lives up somewhere this way coming out of Hardwicke lane the night he gave us the fish supper on account of winning over the boxing match of course it was for me he gave it I knew him by his gaiters and the walk and when I turned round a minute after just to see there was a woman after coming out of it too some filthy prostitute then he goes home to his wife after that only I suppose the half of those sailors are rotten again with disease O move over your big carcass out of that for the love of Mike listen to him the winds that waft my sighs to thee so well he may sleep and sigh the great Suggester Don Poldo de la Flora if he knew how he came out on the cards this morning hed have something to sigh for a dark man in some perplexity between 2 7s too in prison for Lord knows what he does that I dont know and Im to be slooching around down in the kitchen to get his lordship his breakfast while hes rolled up like a mummy will I indeed did you ever see me running Id just like to see myself at it show them attention and they treat you like dirt I dont care what anybody says itd be much better for the world to be governed by the women in it you wouldnt see women going and killing one another and slaughtering when do you ever see women rolling around drunk like they do or gambling every penny they have and losing it on horses yes because a woman whatever she does she knows where to stop sure they wouldn't be in the world at all only for us they dont know what it is to be a woman and a mother how could they where would they all of them be if they hadnt all a mother to look after them what I never had thats why I suppose hes running wild now out at night away from his books and studies and not living at home on account of the usual rowdy house I suppose well its a poor case that those that have a fine son like that theyre not satisfied and I none was he not able to make one it wasnt my fault we came together when I was watching the two dogs up in her behind in the middle of the naked street that disheartened me altogether I suppose I oughtnt to have buried him in that little woolly jacket I knitted crying as was but give it to some poor child but I knew well Id never have another our 1st death too it was we were never the same since O Im not going to think myself into the glooms about that any more I wonder why he wouldnt stay the night I felt all the time it was somebody strange he brought in instead of roving around the city meeting God knows who nightwalkers and pickpockets his poor mother wouldnt like that if she was alive ruining himself for life perhaps still its a lovely hour so silent I used to love coming home after dances the air of the night they have friends they can talk to weve none either he wants what he wont get or its some woman ready to stick her knife in you I hate that in women no wonder they treat us the way they do we are a dreadful lot of bitches I suppose its all the troubles we have makes us so snappy Im not like that he could easy have slept in there on the sofa in the other room suppose he was as shy as a boy he being so young hardly 20 of me in the next room hed have heard me on the chamber arrah what harm Dedalus I wonder its like those names in Gibraltar Delapaz Delagracia they had the devils queer names there father Vial plana of Santa Maria that gave me the rosary Rosales y OReilly in the Calle las Siete Revueltas and Pisimbo and Mrs Opisso in Governor street O what a name Id go and drown myself in the first river if I had a name like her O my and all the bits of streets Paradise ramp and Bedlam ramp and Rodgers ramp and Crutchetts ramp and the devils gap steps well small blame to me if I am a harumscarum I know I am a bit I declare to God I dont feel a day older than then I wonder could I get my tongue round any of the Spanish como esta usted muy bien gracias y usted see I haven't forgotten it all I thought I had only for the grammar a noun is the name of any person place or thing pity I never tried to read that novel cantankerous Mrs Rubio lent me by Valera with the questions in it all upside down the two ways I always knew wed go away in the end I can tell him the Spanish and he tell me the Italian then hell see Im not so ignorant what a pity he didnt stay Im sure the poor fellow was dead tired and wanted a good sleep badly I could have brought him in his breakfast in bed with a bit of toast so long as I didnt do it on the knife for bad luck or if the woman was going her rounds with the watercress and something nice and tasty there are a few olives in the kitchen he might like I never could bear the look of them in Abrines I could do the criada the room looks all right since I changed it the other way you see something was telling me all the time Id have to introduce myself not knowing me from Adam very funny wouldnt it Im his wife or pretend we were in Spain with him half awake without a Gods notion where he is dos huevos estrellados senor Lord the cracked things come into my head sometimes itd be great fun supposing he stayed with us why not theres the room upstairs empty and Millys bed in the back room he could do his writing and studies at the table in there for all the scribbling he does at it and if he wants to read in bed in the morning like me as hes making the breakfast for I he can make it for 2 Im sure Im not going to take in lodgers off the street for him if he takes a gesabo of a house like this Id love to have a long talk with an intelligent well-educated person Id have to get a nice pair of red slippers like those Turks with the fez used to sell or yellow and a nice semitransparent morning gown that I badly want or a peachblossom dressing jacket like the one long ago in Walpoles only 8/6 or 18/6 Ill just give him one more chance Ill get up early in the morning Im sick of Cohens old bed in any case I might go over to the markets to see all the vegetables and cabbages and tomatoes and carrots and all kinds of splendid fruits all coming in lovely and fresh who knows whod be the 1st man Id meet theyre out looking for it in the morning Mamy Dillon used to say they are and the night too that was her massgoing Id love a big juicy pear now to melt in your mouth like when I used to be in the longing way then Ill throw him up his eggs and tea in the moustachecup she gave him to make his mouth bigger I suppose hed like my nice cream too I know what Ill do Ill go about rather gay not too much singing a bit now and then mi fa pieti Masetto then Ill start dressing myself to go out presto non son pill forte Ill put on my best shift and drawers let him have a good eyeful out of that to make his micky stand for him Ill let him know if thats what he wanted that his wife is fucked yes and damn well fucked too up to my neck nearly not by him 5 or 6 times handrunning theres the mark of his spunk on the clean sheet I wouldnt bother to even iron it out that ought to satisfy him if you dont believe me feel my belly unless I made him stand there and put him into me Ive a mind to tell him every scrap and make him do it in front of me serve him right its all his own fault if I am an adulteress as the thing in the gallery said O much about it if thats all the harm ever we did in this vale of tears God knows its not much doesnt everybody only they hide it I suppose thats what a woman is supposed to be there for or He wouldnt have made us the way He did so attractive to men then if he wants to kiss my bottom Ill drag open my drawers and bulge it right out in his face as large as life he can stick his tongue 7 miles up my hole as hes there my brown part then Ill tell him I want #1 or perhaps 30/- Ill tell him I want to buy underclothes then if he gives me that well he wont be too bad I dont want to soak it all out of him like other women do I could often have written out a fine cheque for myself and write his name on it for a couple of pounds a few times he forgot to lock it up besides he wont spend it Ill let him do it off on me behind provided he doesnt smear all my good drawers O I suppose that cant be helped Ill do the indifferent I or 2 questions Ill know by the answers when hes like that he cant keep a thing back I know every turn in him Ill tighten my bottom well and let out a few smutty words smellrump or lick my shit or the first mad thing comes into my head then Ill suggest about yes O wait now sonny my turn is coming Ill be quite gay and friendly over it O but I was forgetting this bloody pest of a thing pfooh you wouldn't know which to laugh or cry were such a mixture of plum and apple no Ill have to wear the old things so much the better itll be more pointed hell never know whether he did it nor not there thats good enough for you any old thing at all then Ill wipe him off me just like a business his omission then Ill go out Ill have him eyeing up at the ceiling where is she gone now make him want me thats the only way a quarter after what an unearthly hour I suppose theyre just getting up in China now combing out their pigtails for the day well soon have the nuns ringing the angelus theyve nobody coming in to spoil their sleep except an odd priest or two for his night office the alarmclock next door at cockshout clattering the brains out of itself let me see if I can dose off 1 2 3 4 5 what kind of flowers are those they invented like the stars the wallpaper in Lombard street was much nicer the apron he gave me was like that something only I only wore it twice better lower this lamp and try again so as I can get up early Ill go to Lambes there beside Findlaters and get them to send us some flowers to put about the place in case he brings him home tomorrow today I mean no no Fridays an unlucky day first I want to do the place up someway the dust grows in it I think while Im asleep then we can have music and cigarettes I can accompany him first I must clean the keys of the piano with milk whatll I wear shall I wear a white rose or those fairy cakes in Liptons I love the smell of a rich big shop at 71/2d a lb or the other ones with the cherries in them and the pinky sugar lid a couple of lbs of course a nice plant for the middle of the table Id get that cheaper in wait wheres this I saw them not long ago I love flowers Id love to have the whole place swimming in roses God of heaven theres nothing like nature the wild mountains then the sea and the waves rushing then the beautiful country with fields of oats and wheat and all kinds of things and all the fine cattle going about that would do your heart good to see rivers and lakes and flowers all sorts of shapes and smells and colours springing up even out of the ditches primroses and violets nature it is as for them saying theres no God I wouldnt give a snap of my two fingers for all their learning why dont they go and create something I often asked him atheists or whatever they call themselves go and wash the cobbles off themselves first then they go howling for the priest and they dying and why why because theyre afraid of hell on account of their bad conscience ah yes I know them well who was the first person in the universe before there was anybody that made it all who ah that they dont know neither do I so there you are they might as well try to stop the sun from rising tomorrow the sun shines for you he said the day we were lying among the rhododendrons on Howth head in the grey tweed suit and his straw hat the day I got him to propose to me yes first I gave him the bit of seedcake out of my mouth and it was leapyear like now yes 16 years ago my God after that long kiss I near lost my breath yes he said was a flower of the mountain yes so we are flowers all a womans body yes that was one true thing he said in his life and the sun shines for you today yes that was why I liked him because I saw he understood or felt what a woman is and I knew I could always get round him and I gave him all the pleasure I could leading him on till he asked me to say yes and I wouldnt answer first only looked out over the sea and the sky I was thinking of so many things he didnt know of Mulvey and Mr Stanhope and Hester and father and old captain Groves and the sailors playing all birds fly and I say stoop and washing up dishes they called it on the pier and the sentry in front of the governors house with the thing round his white helmet poor devil half roasted and the Spanish girls laughing in their shawls and their tall combs and the auctions in the morning the Greeks and the jews and the Arabs and the devil knows who else from all the ends of Europe and Duke street and the fowl market all clucking outside Larby Sharans and the poor donkeys slipping half asleep and the vague fellows in the cloaks asleep in the shade on the steps and the big wheels of the carts of the bulls and the old castle thousands of years old yes and those handsome Moors all in white and turbans like kings asking you to sit down in their little bit of a shop and Ronda with the old windows of the posadas glancing eyes a lattice hid for her lover to kiss the iron and the wineshops half open at night and the castanets and the night we missed the boat at Algeciras the watchman going about serene with his lamp and O that awful deepdown torrent O and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets and the figtrees in the Alameda gardens yes and all the queer little streets and pink and blue and yellow houses and the rosegardens and the jessamine and geraniums and cactuses and Gibraltar as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down Jo me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

O captain, my captain

Walt Whitman

Flamboyant Whitman

Walt Whitman

Leaves of Grass

Walt Whitman

Happy birthday, Walt!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

exciting and new!

I'd like to officially invite you all to my new site The F Stops Here! Very excited about this new venture. In addition, I got some more work handed my way. Still working out of the house, which is a first for me. Before I moved back to Israel, I've always worked on-site, and if I did do work home, it was just something I brought back from the office. I've got lots to do. Not that I'm complaining, I could really use the money. Tomorrow begins Shavuot, the feast of the Pentecost, the holiday will be nice, but I have much to do for Sunday and Monday!
Still dealing with pain and fatigue everyday, but I seem to be doing okay. Went out two nights in a row this week, which for anti-social me is a big deal.
Just takethef.com to The F Stops Here, I'll leave the porch light on for you!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Memorial Day post

Though Memorial Day is not celebrated here (Israel does have a Memorial Day where it does commemerate its fallen, it is a much more somber day followed by the celebration immediately after of Israel Independence Day aka National Barbeque Day, which was a couple of weeks ago. I think I was the only one in the whole country who did not attend a barbeque), consider this my Memorial Day post. I miss the sales, the hot dogs, the Monday off, the M*A*S*H marathons, Fleet Week. And I've been keeping busy, networking, networking, networking, even doing a bit of socializing, still editing all these photographs I intend on posting here working on my new site, The F Stops Here; which by the way has a new URL: takethef.com, (though keep in mind, it is still a work in progress). Its purpose is show what photo editors do, so it is more of a "professional" site. (Here is where you get to be in on all my rantings and ravings. haha.) Since I haven't had much luck finding photo edit work the traditional way and in traditional publishing companies, I'm trying to think out of the box and re-"focus" my efforts on different methods and targeting different industries, such as high tech, startups and marketing.
Also, wanted to share my post on Frank Lloyd Wright and LEGO. Pure brilliance! Can't wait until the sets are available in stores.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

we interrupt this blog to bring you the following announcement:

Check out The F Stops Here for my brand-spanking new "professional" blog about photo editing...

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

head, shoulders, knees and toes



Today is Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis) Awareness Day, though relatively unknown, a lot of people suffer from one or both of these chronic illnesses. I was diagnosed a year and half ago with both, and while it is comforting to have a reason for what I was feeling, it is not fun. It is hard to explain what it feels like to have your whole body hurt. Or being called lazy for not being able to get out of bed. It isn't that I don't want to, it is just that I feel like I am laying under a ton of bricks and cannot move. When I first started blogging I thought I would keep the fact that I suffer from FM/ME to myself. But as I became more involved in Twitter and other social media, I realized that it is a great comfort to have people out there who, unfortunately, can relate. Being that it is FM/CFS/ME International Awareness Day, I thought I would do my part and share my story.
I have always been tired and have always had trouble sleeping. I just thought it was the way I was built, but people could never understand why I was always tired. Or why my back, neck & knees would hurt (not to mention elbows and hips). "Head, shoulders, knees & toes" is not a childrens song for me, but a list of all the places that I hurt. I couldn't understand how people could wake up in the morning feeling "refreshed." I never once knew what that felt like. It has always been a struggle for me to get out of bed in the morning. And, as tired as I am, it takes forever for me to fall asleep. Add panic & anxiety disorder plus ADD to the mix and you're in for one helluva ride! Well, over time I've learned to deal with the anxiety and ADD and hopefully I'll be able to deal with the pain and fatigue soon also. It is not fun to feel like an old lady when one is only in her mid-thirties. It is hard to explain certain sensitivities too. I am more sensitive to touch and smell, heat and cold. I hope this post helps those who don't have it understand and be able to sympathize; and for those who do, I truly empathize.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Afternoon delight



I went to the Jerusalem Botanical Garden recently, and here are some of the results. Of course, there are photos of flowers, TK. So I haven't been posting as regularly, not because I have nothing to post, but just because it is the same old same old. Dealing with daily exhaustion and pain, working on my new project, which is a good thing. Still single. It's Mother's Day, and while I applaud all mothers, especially my own, it gets me really down that I'm not one.
Well, here are the pictures:









Sunday, April 26, 2009

long time, no post!

I realize it has been so long since my last post. I must admit I have been a bit neglectful, though busy. There was Passover, and I finally got a part time job (working with a start up, it's still in its infancy so I can't divulge much information), I've been continuing to write for tchochkes.com. Most importantly, I've taken a lot of new photographs so I have much editing to do; as soon as I get done with that, I will have lots to share. I've also been more tired and achy than usual. I have a PT appointment in an hour. But I did want to take the time to write, since it has been a while.

Friday, April 3, 2009

things i'm loving: Adam Coupe Photography



Since I love both photography and architecture, I couldn't resist posting about Adam Coupe, a UK based photographer I discovered. The above photo is taken from his pictures of Cornwalls Eden Project. Check out his site, he's got some great architectural and commercial shots!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

All aboard, Get on the A train


photo by thirdrail


One of the things I have been missing since my move to Israel is the subway. Living in New York, I really took its efficiency for granted. Over the past couple of days I have been getting out, going to some events, networking; but getting to and from these places by public transportation was a nightmare. Even intercity buses are lacking. I bailed on one event in Tel Aviv this morning partly because the traveling gave me nightmares. (Also, going to so many events in as many days is exhausting, getting there is just half the battle!)
But while I am on the subject of what I find lacking in public transportation in Israel, let me give people a few rules in some behavior.

-When forming a queue to board a bus, it is normal practice to remain in said queue until actually seated on the bus. What is with the pushing and shoving? And 18 year old soldiers, I have all the respect for you, you know, serving the country and all, but you're young and strong, give the almost middle-aged woman with fibromyalgia a break, and let her get on the bus. And if you see there are no seats, and she is shlepping a bunch of bags, be a dear and give the poor lady a seat.

-Also, what's with the getting off in the front of the bus? Unless you are over 70 and have a cane, repeat this mantra: "On in the front, off in the back. On in the front, off in the back. On in the front, off in the back."

-When on an escalator, please do not stand so your body takes up the entire stair. Please stand to the right and allow those with patience issues to walk past you. If you are with a buddy, you don't need to be standing on the same step. This also applies to sidewalks. What's with people walking 4 abreast at snails' pace?

-When waiting for an elevator, it is customary to allow those passengers already on to exit before entering. I cannot tell you how many near head-on collisions I have almost had while trying to get off an elevator. Back to my beloved subway, to quote any conductor "LET 'EM OFF FIRST! LET 'EM OFF! LET 'EM OFF!"

Those are just a few of my rules I would like to see implemented. Please feel free to distribute, add your own, and I'll keep you posted with new ones as my misanthropic self gets annoyed by stupid people.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

future's so bright, gotta wear shades...


The presentation went well. The jury liked my interpretation of what Thoreau might want in his urban Walden, right down to the Macbook on his desk. For the presentation itself, I enlarged random parts of the book and pasted them to the boards next to the drafts and sketches. We presented in pairs and what was the juxtaposition of our two designs. She designed a space for Karl Lagerfeld and they could not have been more different. Whereas my boards were deliberately sparse, simple and in black and white, hers were filled color, Chanel symbols and fashion images.
It's been quite a ride, these past 15 weeks. I had a great teacher, great classmates (with whom I hope to keep in touch). It was a small group and I was lucky to have had such talented women as my classmates. We were each given the same apartment, and everyone came up with such different and fantastic designs. What a great experience! An advanced course may be offered in September, as well as an AutoCAD class, both of which I plan on taking.
But until then, anything can happen. Continue looking for work and "Mr. Right" or maybe get lucky and find myself a sugardaddy. I certainly hope to get a cat (black) and/or dog (golden). Such lofty goals, I know ;)
It may be a bumpy ride at times, at others, smooth sailing, but I hope you'll all stick around and enjoy the trip. It reminds me of this corny clip on my parents' wedding reel; this is not the end, it's just the beginning. fade to black.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Even the sailor on the Atlantic...


I finally came up with an idea on how to present Thoreau's apartment. Tell you? And ruin the surprise? You'll just have to wait... And I still have to conquer the 2 point perspective. Yikes.
Now that that's settled, what's next for me come Tuesday at noon? Who knows. I'll keep you all posted, of course. In the meantime, you'll just have settle for my silly ramblings and random images. One thing I've learned, is that one little instant can cause a drastic turn in one's life. In the meantime, I'm still looking for work, trying to get my photography shown (and sold *fingers crossed*), and hopefully meet someone soon. Oh, and adopt a kitten, and/or golden retriever. So let's see where my next little adventure leads...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Artists must be sacrificed to their art. Like bees, they must put their lives into the sting they give



Well, we are entering into the home stretch. I have my final presentation on Tuesday, and I have so much to do! I need to finish my model, do my perspective drawing (2 point!), prepare the boards. Yikes! It kind of crept up on me, and now here it is, the final reckoning. I am at such a loss as how to present the boards. Like Archimedes, I took a bath to see if something would hit me. Nothing. Looking at the blank boards to see if something comes to me. Nada. This is kind of how I am envisioning the apartment itself. Trying to glean inspiration from this photo. Maybe I am forcing myself too much. I should just let it go. So here I am going on with the rest of my day... (but if anyone has any ideas, please don't keep them from me!)

Monday, March 16, 2009

Céad Míle Fáilte


Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. Now, I'm not Irish, nor have I ever even been to Ireland, so by any right, I shouldn't even be celebrating. But for some reason, I have an affinity toward all things Irish. Whether it be their single-malt whiskey or their breathtaking castles, the Clancy Brothers and all the other Irish drinking songs, not to mention the literature. June 16 is the second day of the year I feel Irish.
Maybe not as much as Boston, New York is steeped in Irish tradition. The Fire and Police Departments are traditionally Irish. And then there are the pubs, my favorite haunts while living in New York were those small, dark, seedy Irish dives. The ones with the friendly bartenders, where the strangers sitting next to you are suddenly your friends because the Yankees just scored another home run. New York may not dye the East River green like they do in Chicago, they sure do throw a good parade. So I'll be thinking of those bagpipes and those shamrocks here in Israel.
And though I may not be too fond of Guinness, I raise my glass to you:

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

May your home be bright with cheer,
May your cares all disappear,
May contentment come your way,
And may laughter fill your day.

Friday, March 13, 2009

because the only people for me are the mad ones

the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"



Yesterday was Jack Kerouac's birthday so I dedicate this post to him. Like many in their teens, On the Road was one of those books that made a huge impact on me. I still remember my copy: I underlined, wrote notes in the margins. But many years back, I stupidly lent it to some guy I had been dating. Neither to be seen again; I don't miss the guy, but I certainly miss that beat up old copy of On the Road.

...So in America when the sun goes down and I sit on the old broken-down river pier watching the long, long skies over New Jersey and sense all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going, all the people dreaming in the immensity of it, and in Iowa I know by now the children must be crying in the land where they let the children cry, and tonight the stars'll be out, and don't you know that God is Pooh Bear? the evening star must be drooping and shedding her sparkler dims on the prairie, which is just before the coming of complete night that blesses the earth, darkens all rivers, cups the peaks and folds the final shore in, and nobody, nobody knows what's going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old, I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty, I think of Dean Moriarty.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding



Yesterday was Purim in Jerusalem. The Jewish holiday which celebrates Queen Esther's heroism in saving the Jews against Haman. It is traditional for people to dress up in costumes; I went as Holly Golightly. In that sense I guess it can be described as the Jewish Halloween. So, I just wanted to share a couple of images I captured of the day. Now it is back to reality; I must complete the electrical plan for Thoreau's apartment...

Monday, March 9, 2009

There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.


As part of my class, we visited a lighting store to learn about new trends in lighting. I saw many different styles ranging from ultra-modern to retro. The store offered everything from locally made custom pieces to high end Italian models. (More images from my trip can be seen flickr page and at tchochkes.com)
While I didn't find anything that would necessarily fit into the aesthetic of Walden Two, I think Thoreau would be pleased to learn of the advances made in the technical aspect of lighting. There is a global movement to phase out halogen and incandescent bulbs for the more energy efficient fluorescent bulbs. Thoreau may like that, but I have to say, I do not. I have an aversion to fluorescent lighting. I find it cold, harsh and green (it may be ecologically sound, but I am referring to the color it emits). I did see some effort to make the energy-saving bulbs "warmer," but not enough to be convinced. They still emit this horrid coldness. Don't get me wrong, I am all for anything that is earth-friendly, but please can someone design a bulb that is more pleasant and doesn't make me want to leave the room?

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Must be out-of-doors enough to get experience of wholesome reality, as a ballast to thought and sentiment. Health requires this relaxation...

..this aimless life





I find myself back at home after a couple of weeks away, cat-sitting. I'll miss 'em! I've been busy these past couple of weeks. That is not to say I've accomplished much, just been busy. I had one exciting day where I picked my niece up from nursery, took her the park, and ended up at the zoo. I didn't have a good camera with me, but nonetheless felt compelled to share a couple of images from my little outing.
In other news, the specs of the final presentation of Thoreau's apartment has been announced and I learned about lighting, so look out for those upcoming posts!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

City life - millions of people being lonesome together


This was taken during a stormy afternoon out of my office window, facing south, in the summer of 2002. I thought of it because it has been raining pretty much non-stop in Jerusalem for a few days, and it's been kind of dreary. The photo was taken when I was playing around with Spectra black & white slide film. I wonder if it even exists anymore!
I also have been reminded of those dismal winter days back when I lived in New York because I've been cat-sitting over the past couple of weeks, so once again I'm alone with a couple of furry friends. Today has been one of those days, like the ones I had in New York, when you spend the day in bed, balancing a kitty and a laptop, maybe the TV is turned on, napping on and off, devoid of human contact. I miss those rainy, New York days!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

things i'm loving: Eichler homes


Joseph Eichler was a home developer in California between 1949 and 1974. While not an architect himself, the homes he built in the mid-century modern style are known as the Eichler Homes. He built approximately 11,000 homes, all but 3 are in California. The other 3 are in New York. His style has become synonymous with the mid-century modern movement in the United States.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I call architecture 'petrified music'


This morning I made the trek from Jerusalem to Northern Tel Aviv to attend Jeff Pulver's Social Networking breakfast, and while I originally intended this post to be about that, it took another turn completely when visiting my brother's office in the Round Tower of the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv. The breakfast itself was interesting, though overwhelming for an anthrophobe (misanthrope?) like myself. I did talk to some people and hopefully made some good contacts. I did not actually hear Jeff speak, but he did say that he believes that email will be gone in 10-15 years. Which I can believe; these days I use mostly other social media to communicate. But I digress, the Azrieli Center is an office complex named for developer David Azrieli and originally designed by architect Eli Attiyah but after a falling out completed by the Tel Aviv firm of Moore Yaski Sivan Architects.
I think The Center is a very interesting example of modern Israeli architecture. It is a complex of three skyscrapers connected in the center by a shopping mall. The Round Tower is the tallest, with 49 storeys and is the second tallest building in Israel. (the Moshe Aviv Tower in Ramat Gan surpassed it in 2001). The Triangular Tower has 46 storeys and the Square Tower is the shortest at 42 storeys.
What I found fascinating about it is the effect it has from different perspectives. Seen from afar while looking at the Tel Aviv skyline, it looks so beautiful in the simplicity of three basic shapes, which I am imagine is the effect one might get from a bird's-eye view. Then, once inside the center, you see the close-up convergence of lines and angles, which is more complex, yet maintains the same beautiful simplicity.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Architecture is the masterly, correct, and magnificent play of form in light

Le Corbusier's Chapel

Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier né Charles Édouard Jeanneret (1887-1965) was a Swiss born architect. He developed the Modulor system using the golden ratio as Da Vinci did in the Vitruvian Man. He was a consultant on the building of the United Nations building in New York and he later got into furniture design and urban planning. His working motto, as written in Vers une architecture (Towards a New Architecture), was "the house is a machine for living in." His five points of new architecture, formulated in 1926, are: (1) the pilotis elevating the mass off the ground, (2) the free plan, achieved through the separation of the load-bearing columns from the walls subdividing the space, (3) the free facade, the corollary of the free plan in the vertical plane, (4) the long horizontal sliding window and finally (5) the roof garden, restoring, supposedly, the area of ground covered by the house. One of his most important works,Villa Savoye in Poissy, France (a suburb of Paris), employs this idea.


View blog authority