WA2K Radio is now on the air

Today's A2K Land-Design News, via ArchNewsNow.com, brings us a Guardian article about a large new playing place for children, in London.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,,1372542,00.html

There is no denying, osso, that Mr Alsop is very clever and imaginative at design. His problem, his history of problems, seems to be that many of his projects are financial disasters.
Are architecture students taught anything about business and finance, or is that "science" that is somehow subserviant to "art?"

He turned water into wine, didn't he Osso. It's so good to see that someone cares about kids enough to create something beautiful for those so worthy, but unnoticed.

Hey UVA John. Some folks don't care about recognition, I guess.

All I'm saying is that you can design and design all kinds of pretty projects, but if the numbers don't work they will fail. Architectural projects or social programs. They may look good on paper...but are doomed to failure if the costs are out of line. Alsop has a bit of a reputation for that, regrettably.

Alsop, the starving artist. Well, RJB, you know about such things and that's good. I know precious little, I'm afraid, but then, that's why WA2K radio has you experts.

This from an Irishman in Australia.
*****************************

An elderly Scotsman lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelt the aroma of his favourite chocolate chip cookies wafting up the stairs.

Gathering his remaining strength, he lifted himself from bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even
greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs.

With laboured breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself
already in heaven. For there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table, were literally hundreds of his favourite chocolate chip cookies.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Scottish wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a rumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the
wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.

The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula wielded by his
wife ....."B'gone wi' ye!" she snapped, "They're for the funeral!!!"

Oh, my Gawd, C.I. Them Irish. I just was watching a hair dresser who was a poverty stricken Irish kid, and decided to leave home and go to England. He apprenticed himself at 15 to learn the trade of cutting hair. $12 pounds a week. He couldn't get his green card, but found out that there was a green card lottery, which he WON. From that point on, he was in the green. Now, he commands a $10,000,000 salon in Manhattan, charging $50,000.00 for celebrity hair do's.

Now that is what the term, Luck of the Irish really means.

Real john, I didn't know about that, and am of course interested. There's another article in the archnewsnow site, which links a lot of articles per day, on whether Trophy architecture answers anyone's needs at all, in today's newsletter.

Frankly, I am thinking of spinoffs here for other threads. I'd relish seeing more construction/arch threads on a2k. Trick is figuring where to put them, in the zone - Europe? or in Art? Home Improvement?

I've been trying. So far I think I've put them in the zone, or in Art.
My not so hidden agenda is to have enough going on to have a forum for all kinds of site design, engineering, architecture, land arch, planning - regional and local, and construction + development. But first there must be questions, and then interest.

I should add, I imagine homeowner, renter, condo issues would come into that too. Well, a step at a time. And now I just post stuff I see. Feel free to add to WA2K news...

I should add that all the land-design news isn't out of archnewsnow.com - it's just that that site is so good and so handy.

I also would send folks to look at ARCspace.com, though that is quite oriented to architects, it's a great site. They have a superb photo series, but they shouldn't be casually linked, there is a permission required and a fee, to use their resources. But that is reasonable, re all their work to catalog the material. <they have allowed me to link, but I won't use it in a frittering way>

And some of my fav other sources make a reader register.

So.. I always have my eye out for local newspaper articles on land use issues.

:wink: LOL

I'll be with you guys shortly.

Good morning. Some December 14 birthday celebrities:

1503 Nostradamus, astrologer and supposed predictor of the future (Provence, France; died 1566)
1895 King George VI, king of England and father of Queen Elizabeth II (Norfolk, England; died 1952)
1896 James Doolittle, aviator and World War II hero (Alameda, CA; died 1993)
1897 Margaret Chase Smith, congresswoman and senator (Skowhegan, ME; died 1995)
1919 Shirley Jackson, author (San Francisco, CA; died 1965)
1935 Lee Remick, actress (Quincy, MA; died 1991)
1946 Patty Duke, actress (New York, NY)

Happy Birthday Patty:

Good morning, listeners. We here at WA2K radio appreciate Raggedy's timely reminders of the notables in our midst, both living and dead.

The Miracle Worker with Patty Duke and Ann Bancroft was not only an amazing success on the stage but an excellent film. It reminds us of the overwhelming odds that Helen Keller surmounted, with the help of a devoted teacher. Truly a perfect observation during this holiday season.

Most of us recall Shirley Jackson's tales of horror. Perhaps our listeners will recall one that is not especially a giant among her literature, but nonetheless broad in its statement.

We suggest that you find and review her short story, "One Ordinary Day with Peanuts" which is chilling in its import.

We hope that you will visit the Quick Poet's Society which contains fine works by our writers of verse here in WA2K listening land.

A note for Raggedy, listeners. I played the John Davidson excerpts, and I think I realize why I had some trouble remembering him. I didn't like his version of the song--The More I See You. His intonation was not really good, and he lacked the passion that is needed to put those songs into the hearts of music lovers. As a matter of fact, he didn't seem to be enjoying his own singing.

Aaah, Letty, I didn't like Davidson's version of "The More I See You" either. But, I did like his renditions of "Today" and "A Kind of Hush". And on stage he was quite impressive. He is not one of my favorite singers, but I did enjoy him on TV. As to "The Shadow of Your Smile", it happens to be one of my favorite songs and the only person I've ever liked doing that song, other than the soundtrack of the movie, Sandpiper, in which it was introduced, is John Gary.

Raggedy, you have driven me to drink up Google. I found John Gary, and looked for his biography. If I wrote a biography of my life as poorly as that blurb was written, no one would know nor care that I existed.

All of our listeners need to try and listen to that man. The Sandpiper was a strange movie as I recall, but the little bird in the title still skitters on the beach here. It's fragile little legs are artful at dodging the sweep of the waves as they come in.

Thanks, my rigorous researcher. Our audience does appreciate the delight that you bring to this site.

In memory of John Gary:

a musical interlude of silence.

Sorry Letty Betty...Silence is apropos in discussing John Gary.

This announcement is endorsed by me: Panzade

OK I'm ready for strike three. Bing Crosby, Paul Robeson and Luciano Pavarotti are three favorites of this WA2K listener.

I have to agree with Paul Robeson but then he was blacklisted by HUAC for being a commie pinko radical.

Oh, my listeners. We have our first dissenter. Panz, I just love the song, not necessarily the singer.

Raggedy, I have listened in my mind to all three. Still love Matt Monroe. Our former tenor sax player introduced me to him....Nina Never Knew...need to find those lyrics.(alliteration is neat as well) Panz has already informed me that Matt was a conductor.

Funny story. When Princess Di was killed and the press mentioned the Paparazzi, I thought they meant Pavarotti. I wondered what the hell that tenor was doing pursuing her.

Dys, Will you give us an update on Paul Robeson? I know that he did Othello, right? Someone is always after someone else.

Go'n on the limb on this one. http://www.playingsafely.co.uk/12stisofchristmas/12-STIs.html