Happy 1st Birthday, Blog!

Update: Please note revised contest end date.

This past year has just flown by, and I have just had so much fun blogging. I've read so many good books, "met" many new fellow bloggers, and have just generally really enjoyed having a venue to share my thoughts. Thank you so much to all of my readers. It just amazes me that people - some of whom I have never met - take the time to read what I write. Writing has been a secret hobby of mine for some time and I have just loved having an audience for what I write.

In honor of the big day, I'd like to have a special giveaway. Choose any book* that I have reviewed in the past year, tell me why you chose it, and I will pick one reader who will win that book!** Contest is open until August 18 26th. Be sure to read all the fine print and let me know if you have any questions.


* Fine print: max value $30. Sorry, but there's just no way I can afford to spend more, and I know some of the architecture books I've featured sell for well over that amount.
** More fine print: Most likely, I will send the winner an Amazon gift certificate for the value of the book plus $3.99 for standard US shipping. This contest is open to anyone, but you will have to pay for any shipping above that amount.

Friday and Architecture Humor

Since it was a quiet book week for me (again), I thought I'd end the week on a light note instead.

A few items that caught my eye on the Fail blog recently:

Best Western Window Fail


There's actually, I think, no way this was a mistake. Windows take a lot of work to install - someone frames the window, someone else installs it, then someone else flashes around it, then a crew plastered the wall around it, finally someone painted the wall. So even though it looks like the window slid, that was someone's intention. Maybe there's a stair that was in the way?

This one, though... Yeah, I have no idea.

House Design Fail!



And here's an architecture cartoon, via my father-in-law.



Have a nice weekend! I'll be back on Monday with a new review for Terra Insegura, the sequel to Marseguro.

Random Post

This is very random, I know, but I think I've found a new role model:


Nobel Laureate Rita Montalcini, can I be you when I grow up? (More on Jezebel.

The Dark Arts of Architecture

After reading my earlier post on architectural rendering, my mom sent me an email. In it, she noted that rendering is also the process by which butcher melt down animal fat. Yeah, ew. It did remind me of what has to be one of my favorite Monty Python sketches of all time. I'll warn you, it's dark humor but I think its pretty funny.

Architect: Oh, I see. I hadn't correctly divined your attitude towards your tenants. You see I mainly design slaughter houses. Yes, pity. Mind you, this is a real beaut. I mean, none of your blood caked on the walls and flesh flying out of the windows, inconveniencing the passers-by with this one. I mean, my life has been building up to this.
Client: Yes, and well done, but we want a block of flats.

YouTube won't let me imbed, so here's a link instead. If you prefer, here's a link to the transcript.

mmm... Cadbury Eggs

Just because it is fun and Easter season and I love Cadbury eggs...

Classics with One-Star Amazon Reviews

You Can't Please Everyone is a series of posts from Cynical-C about classics (books, movies, albums) with one-star Amazon ratings. Some are funny and some are very, very depressing. Here's a sampling (and [sic] to just about all of these):

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Who the hell is this Mark Twain character?! Simply put: What a lousy novel! Maybe this was his first novel…I don’t know. Anyways, I sure hope he doesn’t plan on writing anything else. I read this book, initially, in the author’s native bulgarian language…and it was even worse! The translator was probably trying to do us a favor by touching up this P.O.S. novel, but I think it would take an act of God to save this text…

1984: i give this book one star i had to read it for class and i know it’s suposed to be a “classic” but god itis awful. first of all its NOTHING like the future is probly going to turn out. second of all every one says the aurthor george orwell is so trippy and wierd but i think he’s just trying to cover up for the fact that HE CAN’T WRITE. please george do us all a faver and stop writing books.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: This alBUM and the beatles in general are way too over-rated! How can you people say this album is perfect without it having ONE GOOD METAL GUITAR PART! you people need to learn what GOOD music is. I suggest: Dragon Force, Megadeth, and Death Cab for Cutie.

I have to confess, though, I didn't like Catcher in the Rye, either, so I won't criticize anyone else's one-star rating of it.

Thanks to mental_floss for the link.

How to Mess with your Phone Company

Just making sure you all saw this (from the FAIL blog)...

The Onion on Architecture

I love it when the Onion does architecture/building. This is no Stoner Architect Drafts All-Foyer Mansion, but it made me laugh:

Foreman Whips Up Special Batch Of Concrete For Favorite Customer

Also from the vault: Architect Asks Self How Le Corbusier Would Have Designed This Strip Mall

Calvin

I'm probably going to get in trouble (copyright or some such) for posting this, but I do love this Calvin & Hobbes Sunday strip:



I used to spend hours cutting up pieces of paper (which I usually neglected to clean up) to make little sculptures. They were usually fantasy princesses, dragons, knights in shining armor, etc, though I made the occasional castle. I even made a horse (for the knight) complete with saddle and bridle, all made out of paper. My mom kept a lot of them and it's a trip to look at them now. I was a weird kid, but I think it was inevitable I ended up as an architect.

Reading Quiz

Thanks to S. Krishna for the idea!

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader   You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Austenbook

For the Austen fans out there:

Austenbook

Ha!

Thanks to Anysia for the laugh!

http://www.booklorn.com/2008/11/do-you-blog-if-so-heres-a-laugh-for-you/

Doo, doo, doo-doo-doot!

I never do these things, but I just love the Muppets!

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

I don't think its accurate, though. I've never chanted "kill!"

Thanks to a lovely shore breeze for the link!