See, back when I wanted to do the double whammy of an architecture degree and a law degree, people would always be like, WTF?? To which I would respond, “Architecture is written in law. Like building codes and whatnot? And I like code, because I’m a geek, and so.” And still, the quizzical expressions of doubt would remain unabated. But look: Andrés Duany suggests suspending code in New Orleans, so that reconstruction can, you know, actually happen for reals. And this one Wes Janz has fantastically illustrated how most of the once-prosperous United States is now a complete hole, due initially to economic factors but now held in place by fucked legal situations.

If I were still an architecture student, I would use this stuff as a starting point for a thorough investigation of the International Building Code, and the cultural and economic normativities that lurk within. I can’t find the fucking link but a few days ago, I saw some article that offhandedly attributed the nature of all the new glass-box condo construction in Vancouver to a specific code exception about the tower’s core and egress stairways and that sort of thing. But I’m a graphic designer, so it’s in your court… All you architecture nerds better drop the bullshit archibabble and subscribe to Harvard Law Review if you know what’s good for you. Fuck yeah.

Blech. So MCAD was great. I saw lots of good shit and also got blisters on my hands from ripping staples out of a wall. We had a raging party in a luxury hotel room, too. All very good. Listened to Jose Gonzales and Girl Talk freakout mixes on loop. It was cold, but not unbearable. Need a real break, tho. Not sure what is going to go on for “spring break”, but you can bet considerable money on the fact that it will be AWESOME.

Also, in case you were curious, OFR was not so great. Or at least, it could have rocked considerably harder, most definately. I don’t know why I’m telling you this, because it would be much easier for me to say “it was awesome”, so that you would feel bad about missing THE EVENT OF THE SEASON and show up for sure at the next jammy jam. But no, rest assured that whatever you did then was an excellent use of your time, indeed.

Now I’m back in the studio. Because that’s what I do, right? It would appear to be the case. OK. Yes. Love you. Right.

-fish

So hi. By most measures, F2 was a damn good time. I had about 10 tons of human beings dancing their respective faces off in my bedroom, with their visages going through a bunch of video feedback loops involving security cameras and whatnot. It was nice to do video again, even if the whole system was largely on autopilot for the night. Juggling the roles of host, video performer, retarded jump-up-and-downer, itunes dj, and finger pointer did not afford me much wiggle-room, but whatevs, just setting up all the RCA cables and little boxes brought back all sorts of memories, like when I’d do that kind of insane shit once a week or so as a matter of course. Yeah.

Anyway. My dear associate James Chae has an article up on Writing Design Criticism, and you should read that shit and tell him what you fucking think, I say.

I, too, have been writing some shit. Some of it may be ready to see the light of day soon, but not just yet, for the most part. Sometimes, you’re jotting shit down in your little notebook or Stickies or whatever, and just one sentence just says all you want to say. That’s nice, but it does not beget essays of the caliber favored by most publishing institutions. For example, I found this in a text file on my desktop just now:

the book Skin and Bones needs chapters on j. mandle performance wear, yayoi kusama, maybe banksy, etc… it does NOT need more puff-piece frippery about OMA/AMO or herzog and deMuron. look beyond the obvious, you idiots.

… and really, I can’t refine or explicate that one any more than that. So, blech. There it is. I will rock you with more interesting shit soon. But not now. But soon! Yes. Thankyou.

-fish