The Tower of Winds, Yokohama, Japan

It was designed 20 years ago, but it is a highly innovative form of architecture whose formal solutions and use of technology reveal all the contemporaneity of 21st century architecture: the Wind Tower is one of Toyo Ito's best-known projects. It earned him the 1987 Edwin Guth Memorial Award of Excellence from America's Illumination Engineering Society, a prestigious acknowledgement of the strong symbolic value of this work in its urban context.


The effect is truly original, because the reflective part can be seen beyond the volume of the tower with its monolithic shape.The tower is particularly spectacular at night, when the lights and neon rings make the Wind Tower into an architecture of light.

http://www.floornature.com/projects-commerce/project-wind-tower-yokohama-toyo-ito-1986-4761/#.UUeiKjen540

Blueseed – A massive ship will be the Silicon Valley of the high seas

The latest project to have the interest of a number of technology firms across the globe is the Blueseed, a floating city located in international waters outside of Silicon Valley. Touted to be the Googleplex of the Sea, the project is co-founded by Max Marty and Dario Mutabdzija and lead by venture capitalist and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. The project is still in its finalisation stages with the company deciding between either a cruise ship or a barge to convert into a pirate island. The idea of the Blueseed project is to provide living accommodations, working space and entertainment facilities for approximately 1,000 customers paying between $1,200 and $3,000 each per month.

The vessel will reportedly be stationed 12 nautical miles from the coast of California, in international waters. This proximity to Silicon Valley is what is attracting non US start-up entrepreneurs as it will give them the opportunity to work so close to Silicon Valley without a US work visa. Through a tourist or a business Visa you can then easily travel to the mainland if the need arises or you can keep working on the Blueseed till your company grows large enough to make Silicon Valley its headquarters.

http://www.luxurylaunches.com/real_estate/blueseed_a_massive_ship_will_be_the_silicon_valley_of_the_high_seas.php

Apparently $1 was too high a price for one condo in Laguna Woods.

Apparently $1 was too high a price for one condo in Laguna Woods.

A fourth-floor unit in the Laguna Woods Village retirement community's The Towers complex failed to sell in recent months even though the owners were asking just a buck for the property.

The condo quietly came off the market without a buyer, said listing agent Cathy Flores of Century 21 Award.

Flores, who no longer represents the owners, said she doesn't know what their plans are for the condo. But while the listing failed to sell, it wasn't due to a lack of interest.

"I spoke to over 200 people. Most were not qualified," Flores said. "I had people call from Egypt. ... Out of everyone who called, there were only three viable, interested people."

Most people balked when told the condo is in a 55-plus retirement community, Flores added.

Some would-be buyers – many calling from out of state – either wanted to buy the condo as a vacation home or to use it as a rental, she said. Those uses were not possible for most of the callers because of the 55-year-old minimum age requirement.

Some people also didn't understand that they'd have to pay closing costs as part of the transaction, as well as substantial monthly homeowner association fees.

The condo's tiny size and large homeowners association dues turned off other potential buyers, Flores said.

The condo is 500 square feet and has homeowners association dues of $1,718 a month. The dues include one meal a day and maid service.


A fourth-floor unit in the Laguna Woods Village retirement community's The Towers complex failed to sell in recent months even though the owners were asking just a buck for the property.The condo quietly came off the market without a buyer, said listing agent Cathy Flores of Century 21 Award.Flores, who no longer represents the owners, said she doesn't know what their plans are for the condo. But while the listing failed to sell, it wasn't due to a lack of interest."I spoke to over 200 people. Most were not qualified," Flores said. "I had people call from Egypt. ... Out of everyone who called, there were only three viable, interested people."Most people balked when told the condo is in a 55-plus retirement community, Flores added.Some would-be buyers – many calling from out of state – either wanted to buy the condo as a vacation home or to use it as a rental, she said. Those uses were not possible for most of the callers because of the 55-year-old minimum age requirement.Some people also didn't understand that they'd have to pay closing costs as part of the transaction, as well as substantial monthly homeowner association fees.The condo's tiny size and large homeowners association dues turned off other potential buyers, Flores said.The condo is 500 square feet and has homeowners association dues of $1,718 a month. The dues include one meal a day and maid service.The three strongest buyers all purchased bigger units after viewing the $1 condo, Flores said.

A fourth-floor unit in the Laguna Woods Village retirement community's The Towers complex failed to sell in recent months even though the owners were asking just a buck for the property.The condo quietly came off the market without a buyer, said listing agent Cathy Flores of Century 21 Award.Flores, who no longer represents the owners, said she doesn't know what their plans are for the condo. But while the listing failed to sell, it wasn't due to a lack of interest."I spoke to over 200 people. Most were not qualified," Flores said. "I had people call from Egypt. ... Out of everyone who called, there were only three viable, interested people."Most people balked when told the condo is in a 55-plus retirement community, Flores added.Some would-be buyers – many calling from out of state – either wanted to buy the condo as a vacation home or to use it as a rental, she said. Those uses were not possible for most of the callers because of the 55-year-old minimum age requirement.Some people also didn't understand that they'd have to pay closing costs as part of the transaction, as well as substantial monthly homeowner association fees.The condo's tiny size and large homeowners association dues turned off other potential buyers, Flores said.The condo is 500 square feet and has homeowners association dues of $1,718 a month. The dues include one meal a day and maid service.The three strongest buyers all purchased bigger units after viewing the $1 condo, Flores said.

A fourth-floor unit in the Laguna Woods Village retirement community's The Towers complex failed to sell in recent months even though the owners were asking just a buck for the property.The condo quietly came off the market without a buyer, said listing agent Cathy Flores of Century 21 Award.Flores, who no longer represents the owners, said she doesn't know what their plans are for the condo. But while the listing failed to sell, it wasn't due to a lack of interest."I spoke to over 200 people. Most were not qualified," Flores said. "I had people call from Egypt. ... Out of everyone who called, there were only three viable, interested people."Most people balked when told the condo is in a 55-plus retirement community, Flores added.Some would-be buyers – many calling from out of state – either wanted to buy the condo as a vacation home or to use it as a rental, she said. Those uses were not possible for most of the callers because of the 55-year-old minimum age requirement.Some people also didn't understand that they'd have to pay closing costs as part of the transaction, as well as substantial monthly homeowner association fees.The condo's tiny size and large homeowners association dues turned off other potential buyers, Flores said.The condo is 500 square feet and has homeowners association dues of $1,718 a month. The dues include one meal a day and maid service.The three strongest buyers all purchased bigger units after viewing the $1 condo, Flores said.

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank, now the world's largest, settled with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to resolve claims that subsidiary MortgageIT sold shaky loans to IndyMac Bank, which imploded under the weight of risky mortgages and construction loans. The FDIC collected $54 million from the settlement three years ago but never issued a news release to announce it. Above, the Deutsche Bank towers in Frankfurt, Germany.

 (Daniel Roland / AFP/Getty Images / January 31, 2013)

Epic Cruise Terminal

http://www.travelweekly.com/uploadedImages/All_TW_News/Cruise/2013/HongKongKaiTekTerminal-render.jpg

a "space-age flair"

Since its completion in 1980, Bob Hope and his family owned a well-known Palm Springs mansion fit for a king (or as some would argue ... an alien?). Now, the extravagant residence that used to belong to America's favorite star officially hit the market. Listed by Ann Eysenring of Partners Trust in Beverly Hills and Patrick Jordan and Stewart Smith of Windermere Real Estate in Palm Springs, Hope's legendary home is up for grabs at an asking price of $50 million. And judging by the sheer wow-factor of the home and its interiors, we think the hefty price tag does the colossal space justice.

The house is nothing short of magnificent. Built at the tail end of the 1970s, the massive, sweeping structure was designed by John Lautner, an influential American architect whose work has been regularly characterized as possessing a "space-age flair"-- which probably explains the mansion's UFO feel. The estate is perched atop Southridge with a 360 view overlooking the entire Coachella Valley, among other natural Southern Californian wonders. Covering 22,000 square feet, the list of luxurious amenities includes a pool, pond, tennis court, outdoor fireplace, 360 degree views and more. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/04/bob-hopes-palm-springs-on-sale_n_2806531.html#slide=2179184

Lamborghini Veneno makes full appearance before Geneva debut

The Veneno is reported to mark Lamborghini's 50th anniversary, and will be built in a production run of just three, each with a price tag of around $4.6 million and each one bearing a color of the Italian flag (green, white or red). And no, Richie Rich, you can't have one, because all three are already sold.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/03/04/lamborghini-veneno-makes-full-appearance-before-geneva-debut/

Frank Gehry

Whoa: starriest starchitect Frank Gehry is designing a 22-story tower on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, according to plans submitted today. The Santa Monica Daily Press reports that the tower will house a 125-room hotel and 22 condos, plus two stories of retail and restaurants, and a three-floor subterranean parking garage with 460 spaces. But wait! There's more. A 36,000-square-foot art museum, incorporating two landmarked structures, is planned for next door. Finally, there are also plans for a separate apartment building on Second Street to meet the project's affordable housing requirement (and replace 19 rent-controlled units that would be lost to the development). The project is being developed by M. David Paul Associates--which owns the site--and the Worthe Real Estate Group. *The tower would not actually be taller than the 21-story building recently proposed for the Fairmont Miramar Hotel site--despite having one more story, it would come in about 18 feet shorter.

http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/02/frank_gehry_designing_hotel_tower_and_art_museum_for_samo.php

Australian International Airshow

An aerobatics team performs during the Australian International Airshow in Melbourne, Australia, March 1, 2013. The airshow is expected to have 180,000 patrons through the gates over the duration of the event staged at the Avalon Airfield.  

(Paul Crock/AFP/Getty Images)

http://abcnews.go.com/International/slideshow/today-pictures-18630853 

a glimpse of the heaven

One night on Mt. Wilson about 1908, a short, powerfully built man with a handlebar mustache looked through the largest telescope in the world. What he saw transformed him, and would put Los Angeles at the forefront of a movement to make astronomy the people's science.

We may never know whether Col. Griffith J. Griffith saw the rings of Saturn or another celestial object with the then-new 60-inch reflector telescope, but we can be sure that it inspired his vision of a world-class observatory for the people of Los Angeles, allowing the masses a glimpse of the heaven

Above is a sketch made by architect John C. Austin in 1932 for a science facility.  He later went on to design the iconic Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/feb/25/local/la-me-harnisch-observatory-20130226

redefining “extravagant.”

The current luxury real estate market is redefining “extravagant.”

First, a 8,930-square-foot house on nine acres in Northern California found a buyer for a state record-breaking $117 million. Then word came that financier Gary Winnick is quietly asking $225 million for his trophy home on an 8.4-acre knoll in Bel-Air.

Now, a Beverly Hills estate is being offered for lease at $600,000 a month, dwarfing the $150,000 a month asked for summer months at Malibu’s finest properties or the $100,000 a month paid by singing legend Michael Jackson for his last residence in Holmby Hills.  

In three decades of selling Westside real estate, it is the highest price for a lease that listing agent Jeffrey Hyland of Hilton & Hyland has seen. “It may be the most expensive lease in the country.”

The Mediterranean-style Beverly House was built by local banker Milton Getz in the 1920s but is more commonly remembered for its former residents: publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst and actress Marion Davies.

Later, it served as a honeymoon spot for Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-beverly-hills-house-20130226,0,3187230.story 

HOLLYWOOD JAZZ

At the famed corner of Hollywood & Vine, there isn’t much left to see of Hollywood’s heyday but there is at least one instantly recognizable landmark near that intersection: the Capitol Records building, located on Vine Street, just north of Hollywood Boulevard. Capitol Records was the first West Coast based record company, and it promoted many famous recording stars such as The Beatles, the Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Duran Duran, Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner, and the list goes on.

Since 1956, Capitol Records has been located in the world's first circular office building. It has been said that the 13-story high-rise was purposely designed to resemble a stack of vinyl records topped by a stylus. (Rumor has it that Nat King Cole was the one who first suggested the unique design of the building). At the base of the building's southern face (overlooking a parking lot) is a large, colorful mural, painted by artist Richard Wyatt and titled "Hollywood Jazz." The mural features large portraits of Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Chet Baker, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan and several other jazz greats. Unfortunately, this wonderful work of art has been allowed to fade badly in recent years (see photo above). However, the photos below were taken many years ago when the mural was in its prime. Although memories of the old Hollywood have faded (along with he mural), the Capitol Records building still remains as one of the last original Hollywood landmarks.

P. S. -- The mural is being restored.

http://blog.risingstardom.com/2009/08/hollywood-landmark-jazz-mural.html

On King !  On you Huskies!

In 2012 at 25 years of age, Dallas Seavey became the youngest musher to ever win the Iditarod.  The Iditarod is considered to be the Granddaddy of all Mushing Events and is a 975-mile sled dog race across some of the nastiest and most difficult terrain in Alaska.

Seavey, who is the son of 2004 Iditarod Champion Mitch Seavey, spent some time in the Marquette, Michigan area training as a wrestler for a short time  at the US Olympic Education Center at NMU before shifting his focus to mushing on a full time basis.

Tesla's electric Model S is a truly competitive premium sedan

The Tesla Model S may be a silent car, but other automakers will no doubt hear it coming.

In its first crack at a premium sedan, the Silicon Valley electric-car maker has matched or beaten the likes of the Audi A7 or Mercedes-Benz CLS — products of a century of German engineering. Similarly packaged as a sleek four-door coupe, the Model S delivers the performance and polish implied by its $89,770 price.

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-autos-review-tesla-20130209,0,6028264.story

New Billion-Dollar Project Proposed For Los Angeles

Downtown Los Angeles got a big boost this week with a proposal for a $1-billion hotel, office and retail project. The project from Korean Air is being developed by Thomas Properties Group. The two skyscrapers would replace the Wilshire Grand hotel and adjoining offices being used by Korean Air. The project would be the first time a South Korean developer has created a project this large in the U.S.

Los Angeles architect David Martin, a principal at AC Martin Partners, designed the towers which may have a photovoltaic skin to create solar power. One tower will host a 40-story hotel with as many as 700 rooms and several floors of condominiums. The other taller tower will be a 60-story building offering over a million square feet of office space and a plaza and shops on the ground level. What's really amazing is that this would be the first major high-rise office building constructed in Los Angeles since 1992.




http://www.luxist.com/tag/skyscraper/

"Pi" is an otherworldly experience of exceptional power that deserves its place in the sun

Somehow, "Life of Pi," even with 11 Oscar nominations — only "Lincoln," with 12, has more — seems as lost at sea as its Indian teen and Bengal tiger called Richard Parker. The film is finding an audience, especially overseas, but director Ang Lee's mystical work has dropped out of the conversation on the awards front. Honestly, I don't care about that any more than Joaquin Phoenix does, but I do wish that this finely adapted literary hit was causing more of a stir in Hollywood. Screenwriter David Magee managed what many thought impossible in adapting Yann Martel's novel. Newcomer Suraj Sharma was exceptional at portraying the shipwrecked Pi with all the pathos — and pique — you might expect of a teen with the odds stacked against him. The effects folks worked wonders putting real bite into Richard Parker's growl. But it was the director's imagination that brought this grand adventure to visually stunning life. With its groundbreaking 3-D, "Pi" is an otherworldly experience of exceptional power that deserves its place in the sun.

Copyright © 2013, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-betsy-life-of-pi20130207,0,7552671.story 

$120 Million 19-Story Apartment Tower in Downtown Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA - Related California started construction on a $120 million, 19-story apartment building at 225 N. Grand Avenue between 2^nd and 3^rd Streets, the first residential phase of its Grand Avenue Project. With 271 residences, including 20 percent affordable apartments, the building will bring the first apartments to Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles in more than a decade and add 500+ new residents. The project will create 417 construction jobs over the next two years.

http://www.multifamilybiz.com/News/4520/Related_California_Breaks_Ground_on_120_Million_19...

'White Zombie' starring Bela Lugosi comes to Blu-ray

The 1932 movie with 'Dracula' star Bela Lugosi as a sugar mill owner with a zombie workforce is on Blu-ray with a new digital restoration. 

 A year after his phenomenal success in 1931's "Dracula," Bela Lugosi delivered another iconic portrait of evil in the low-budget horror film "White Zombie." A new digital restoration of the film has just been released on Blu-ray. Lugosi plays Murder Legendre, the ruthless owner of a sugar mill in Haiti who uses zombie workers. He falls for a young bride-to-be (Madge Bellamy) and uses his black magic powers to make her his zombie lover. Considered to be the first Hollywood production featuring zombie characters, "White Zombie" has grown in reputation over the decades.

 Pictured: "The Black Cat" with Bela Lugosi, left, and Boris Karloff. 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-classic-hollywood-side-notes-gallery,0,7700384.photogallery 

Will they ever build it ???

The proposed FARMERS FIELD in Los Angeles would be a $1.2-billion project that would seat 72,000 and loom large over the 110 Freeway.

https://www.google.com/search?q=farmers+field+in+l+a+times&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=ekV&tbo=d&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=iP0OUeCzJsa6iwLR7YCwAw&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAA&biw=800&bih=461#imgrc=IL1IF896eTrf6M%3A%3BwZ2HbDw_06moZM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.razorgator.com%252Fimages%252F2%252Fblog%252Fnfl-los-angeles-farmers-field.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fblog.razorgator.com%252Fnfl-in-los-angeles-aeg-releases-latest-render%3B560%3B232

The Magic Castle

The Magic Castle, one of LA’s most unique supper clubs, celebrates 50 years as a hub for magicians in Hollywood and magic.

Perched on a hill above Franklin Avenue, the castle has become a mecca for magicians and magic lovers everywhere and popular LA attraction. Founded by Milt and Bill Larsen, who grew up in a family of legendary magicians, The Magic Castle first opened its doors in January 1963, and now has more than 5,000 members.

The private club is open to members, guests invited by members and visitors staying at the Magic Castle Hotel.

The current President of the Magic Castle is Emmy winning actor, Neil Patrick Harris, a lifelong magician and magic enthusiast.

“It’s a remarkable feat for any club– for anything–to last 50 years,” Harris said in a statement. “We are all incredibly lucky to have Milt Larsen, not only as cofounder and designer and creative force behind the castle, but because he’s still making improvements, sharing stories and carrying the torch.”

http://www.losangeles.com/articles/the-magic-castle-celebrates-50-years-in-hollywood.html

El Monte's Time Piece

Time Piece: Iconic sculpture by Donald Lipski frames the entrance to the new El Monte Bus Terminal, which recently opened to the public.

Photo by Luis Inzunza.

http://thesource.metro.net/tag/el-monte-station/

Wave of bamboo ripples across desert garden

Landscape contractor Scott Sohn recalled the day when landscape architect Wayne Connor showed him a pencil sketch and asked for his opinion.

“I had to step back and say, ‘What the heck is that?'” Sohn said, chuckling.

That was the Bamboo Wave, a key element of a plant-free garden by a guesthouse in Rancho Mirage.

In a region where the temperatures hit 120 in the shade, a garden that requires no water and no fried-plant replacement is practical, but practicality was merely a side benefit to the goal here: an unusual design to help the guesthouse entry look and feel different from other parts of a large property.

http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-lh-bamboo-wave-bamboo-sohnco-20130125,0,1648831.story

"Refurbished Airstreams showcase small-space living as lodging"

What is it about Airstream design that continues to engender such passion more than 80 years after the trailer first appeared?

Is it the alluring, streamlined aluminum shell? The cozy interiors? The nostalgia for a simpler era?

“It’s a part of American culture that transcends time,” said architect Matthew Hofmann, 29, who last month opened an Airstream hotel consisting of four tricked-out trailers parked midtown at the Santa Barbara Auto Camp  off De La Vina Street. “It symbolizes style and adventure. There is something very fundamental about getting in your car and driving across country. It’s in our blood."

http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-lh-new-airstream-hotel-in-santa-barbara-plays-with-scale-20130130,0,2102098.story

EVITA CLOSED

The Broadway revival of “Evita,” costarring Puerto Rican pop singer Ricky Martin, closed Saturday night -- and it was squarely in the red.  It hadn’t earned back its $11-million investment, according to Bloomberg News.

With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, “Evita” -- which was also a 1996 feature film starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas -- is a high-profile musical brand by now; it might have seemed a sure-fire success,  especially with pop star power behind it.  But the production -- which also starred Argentinian performer Elena Roger as Evita -- may have set its sights too high.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-broadway-evita-closes-20130128,0,5804944.story

unfinished Miles Davis

by =Bobsmade

http://bobsmade.deviantart.com/art/unfinished-Miles-Davis-133334625

 

 

The Gatekeepers will surely be one of the most widely and hotly discussed films of the year.

Since its stunning military victory in 1967, Israel has hoped to transform its battlefield success into the basis for long-lasting peace. Simply put, this hasn’t happened: 45 years later, violence continues unabated while the mistrust between both sides increases daily. In what can only be called an historic achievement, filmmaker Dror Moreh has brought together six former heads of the Shin Bet, Israel’s Secret Service, who reflect on their successes and failures to maintain security while responding to the shifting politics and imperatives of the “peace process.” Each man weighs in on topics ranging from preemptive strikes to confronting terrorists both Palestinian and Israeli; their thoughts and responses are candid, well-informed and rarely short of remarkable. An insider’s guide—and what insiders!—to five decades of Israeli history, The Gatekeepers will surely be one of the most widely and hotly discussed films of the year.

Series: NYFF50: Main Slate

http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff2012/films/the-gatekeepers 

"an art deco masterpiece"

Since 1996, the Warner Grand Theater has been owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles' Department of Cultural Affairs. Grand Vision Foundation is the "Friends" group that engages the community to support the theater at every level. The Theatre is a rental house and events are produced by individual producers.

Considered "an art deco masterpiece on a neighborhood scale," the Warner Grand was part of the era of the Picture Palace, the magical decades of the 1920s and 1930s. As the popularity of the motion picture grew, the glamorous picture palace was conceived as a place of escape, a place where dreams came true. The Warner Brothers believed in this dream and built three lavish art deco picture palaces in Beverly Hills, Huntington Park and San Pedro. The Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, the first sound-equipped theatre in the South Bay, opened to the public on January 20, 1931, with a star-studded gala premier. Jack Warner christened it "The Castle of Your Dreams," created by its chief architect B. Marcus Priteca and designer A.T. Heinsbergen. Pritica later designed Hollywood's famous Pantages Theater and many others.

http://www.grandvision.org/warner-grand.asp

You're the top !!!

An estate has sold in the wealthy northern California community of Woodside for $117.5 million, making it one of the highest-priced residential sales ever in the U.S.

Woodside is known for its striking equestrian neighborhoods and billionaire Silicon Valley homeowners, among them Oracle Corp. chief Larry Ellison.

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-record-home-sale-20130128,0,3802279.story

"All the instruments--horns, cellos, xylophones, and many othere--are made from ice"

Every January, Terje Isungset invites jazz musicians from all over the world to his hometown of Geilo, Norway, to join in his unique music show:  the open-air Ice Music Festival.  All the instruments--horns, cellos, xylophones, and many othere--are made from ice that he carves from a small lake from the town.

http://www.myspace.com/terjeisungset/photos/46756192#{%22ImageId%22%3A46612610}

Unbuilt L.A.

Imagine the city that would exist today if the best proposals for remedying its ailments had been realized.

Firestone Boulevard office building

( B+U Architects )

Firestone Boulevard office building: B+U's 2009 plan for a Downey retail palladium would have featured ornately braided layers of semi-transparent fabric. 

 

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-unbuilt-la-20130118,0,4033313.photogallery 

 

ART INSTALLATION DOWNTOWN FORECASTS WEATHER in San Diego



In order to satisfy a Centre City Development Corporation requirement for public art in the Santa Fe Depot precinct, Bosa Development California, Inc decided to get crafty.

“Painting in the Sky” is a new Downtown art installation lighting up the top of the two buildings that make up Grande North and South tower condominiums, located at 1199 and 1205 Pacific Highway, respectively.
Spencer Finch, the Brooklyn, New York-based artist selected for the installation, chose to conceptualize a ‘modern day lighthouse’ to convey information about the following day’s weather.

He and his design team utilized the two lighthouses that existed on top of the Grande buildings to facilitate the concept, creating a “red sky” and a “blue sky” composition that would indicate bad or good weather, a play on the old saying, “Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”

http://sandiegodowntownnews.com/news-briefs-for-january/

Abigail Van Buren

1918--2013

Famous advice columnists and twin sisters Abigail Van Buren (at left) with Ann Landers.

American's New IMAGE !!!

American Airlines rolled out a new logo and look for its planes this morning.

The announcement, made in a video featuring CEO Tom Horton, heralds a new day for the airline.

There are two reasons for the rebranding. The first is all about timing.

The airline plans to take delivery of 60 new aircraft this year, and it will start flying the Boeing 777-300ER on January 31.

American says the 300ER will be its landmark plane.  The twin jet, which seats 310, is a real upgrade for the airline.

On top of that, American should emerge from bankruptcy soon, according to NYC Aviation. (It is also considering a merger with US Airways.)

With the new year, a new plane, and a better financial situation, now is a good time to unveil an updated look for a brand whose image has lost much of its luster in recent years.

The second reason for the livery change is practical: American is adding the Boeing Dreamliner (which has been grounded around the world due to safety concerns) and the Airbus A320 to its fleet.

Because both planes use composite materials, not aluminum, American's simple, polished metal look is no longer an option: The new aircraft have to be painted. To maintain its "silver bird" image, American has chosen silver mica paint.

The new logo is a simplified, abstract take on the airlines' eagle mascot, which has been updated several times since the first version was introduced in 1934.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-american-airlines-changed-its-logo-2013-1#ixzz2IP9kzclg

“Not of this world”

Adela Rogers St. Johns has been identified as a novelist and movie historian as early as 1930, Adela described Mabel Normand as “Not of this world” perhaps true in the poetic sense if not in a factual one. 

Adela’s sincere affection is clear whenever she wrote of her friend, Mabel Normand.  According to an article she wrote in Photoplay in August 1921, Adela first saw Mabel at Al Levy’s restaurant. Adela writes, her dining partner put down his fork, turned to her and told her in a hushed voice  that the ‘prettiest girl I ever saw in my life’ had just walked into the restaurant’, Adela turned and saw Mabel, a “round, youthful, exquisite thing. With enormous deep velvet brown eyes between ridiculous, exaggerate golden lashes, a skin like peach-bloom and a saucy, curling, red mouth.  All in white, with her glinting red-brown curls tucked under a big white hat.
http://looking-for-mabel.webs.com/adelaandmabel.htm 

Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012)

Some people not only seem immortal that actually nearly are. The Brazilian modernist architect, Oscar

Niemeyer lived until he was 104 years old. News of his death seems to have ‘shocked’ many—meaning,

once you get to 100, you may as well live forever. The beauty is, of course, that in a way he will. Because that’s what architecture of his sort wanted to do: transcend time and history and in effect make its own time force field around it. 

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=11976254#editor/target=post;postID=5404741112258935248 

"new 120,000-square-foot contemporary art showcase in downtown LA"

Rendering of The Broad, the planned new LA museum for Eli Broad's art collection

Dubbed "The Broad" (as distinguished from the Broad Contemporary Art Museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art), Eli Broad's new 120,000-square-foot contemporary art showcase in downtown LA, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro for the mega-collector's 2,000-object art collection, will consist of "almost an acre of column-free gallery space, a lecture hall for up to 200 people, a ground floor multimedia gallery,...state-of-the-art archive, study and art storage space," according to the Broad Art Foundation's announcement.

The off-kilter rendering, above, that accompanied the announcement on the foundation's website appears to differ substantially from the image that illustrates Mike Boehm's advance report of the plans for the LA Times. In the newspaper's photo, the structure appears to be a series of  horizontal layers.

http://www.artsjournal.com/culturegrrl/2011/01/the_broad_design_announced_for.html

"Audi demonstrated a car that can park itself in a garage after dropping you off"

Most of what’s on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is the same as what was on display at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show. Phones, TV sets, accessories. Minus Microsoft, of course.
But here and there, some first-time technologies made their appearance. One big one: self-driving cars.
Google, of course, is at the forefront of this technology; it’s had a successful self-driving car experiment running for some time now. (Actually, it has 12 such cars now.) Google wasn’t at C.E.S.
A few others were, though. There’s something bubbling here.

Audi demonstrated a car that can park itself in a garage after dropping you off. (It was the garage of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, in this case.) And when you return, you can summon the car with a phone app; the car drives itself from its parking spot to you. That, however, is not so much a self-aware car as a self-aware garage; it requires that the garage itself be equipped with special laser guides. And the driving is very, very slow and controlled (as you would hope).

Audi is also working on a traffic-jam mode, in which you can take a nap, work or do some reading as the car handles the slow, patient, touch-and-go edging through crawling traffic.

Audi says it’s thinking long-term — years away — for these features to become real futures.
Lexus also held a news conference in which it showed a video of its advanced active safety research car. It’s more like Google’s project: a completely autonomous, self-driving car. Lexus says that the point is safety: that you must be behind the wheel at all times, and that years of lobbying, demonstrating and building trust lie ahead before these will be available to consumers.

Frankly, I think we’re on the right track. Few industries are as heavily regulated as automobiles, so I’m confident that these things will never see the light of day until their reliability has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Keep in mind that the competition for a self-driving car is a person-driven car — and that, these days, is something truly worth fearing.

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/11/c-e-s-2013-a-genuinely-novel-gadget-the-self-driving-car/

"Crayola’s creative play in the digital landscape"

Griffin Technology, one of the world’s foremost creators of innovations for everyday life, and Crayola, whose products have inspired creative expression in children for more than 100 years, are excited to announce new ways for young artists to create digital masterpieces using cutting-edge mobile technology. 

“We take pride in developing new and exciting technology for young artists,” said Mark Rowan, President of Griffin Technology. “Crayola Light Marker allows children to create digital works of art in a totally new and colorful way that has never been done before.” 

“The new Crayola Light Marker is a wonderful example of Crayola’s creative play in the digital landscape,” said Warren Schorr, Head of Crayola Licensing. “We are very proud of our ongoing partnership with Griffin Technology which ensures growth and innovation in this ever evolving area.”

http://canadianonlinegamers.com/2013/01/draw-play-and-discover-with-griffin-and-crayolas-new-kid-friendly-accessories-and-apps-at-ces/

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING

Buffalo Bill's Casino located in Primm, Nevada at the border between Nevada and California. The top of Whiskey Pete's is at the bottom of the image with I-15 passing between the two casinos. The Desperado rollercoaster can be seen wrapping around the buildings of Buffalo Bill's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Buffalo_Bills_casino.jpg

"ol' 99 in North/Central California undulated and rerouted itself like a living serpent"

As if taking a cue from the study of Darwinism, California's Highway 99 has evolved as the technology of road-building and the autos that rode them advanced dramatically.  Indeed, no where along the whole length of 99's run down the west coast has the old highway changed its face and routings so dramatically as in California.  From the many routes through Shasta canyon to the evolution and eventual bypassing of the dreaded Ridge Route, ol' 99 in North/Central California undulated and rerouted itself like a living serpent.

Further south, 99 was one of the main highways carrying goods and services from the Valley to the insatiable megalopolis of L.A..  As L.A. grew and swallowed the surrounding countryside, 99 had to grow as well.

From its original alignment along 2 lane roads into downtown, 99 grew into one of the original multi-lane, clover-leaved freeways and provided the first glimpses into the coming world of the 'interstate' highway system which would cause it's ultimate demise.  

So let us take a look at the life-cycle of Highway 99 in California.  So many towns and establishments found new life and vigor as the new U.S. highway went through their townships, only to later wither and often times pass on completely as a newer alignment developed and became the 'preferred' route.  Therefore, there exist today a multitude of historic businesses that once served the 99 traveler, but now lie in the backwaters of California's roadways.

http://home.comcast.net/~bygonebyways/99PC-CA-Bakersfield-Ridge%20Route-NoPM.jpg 

"sink into a pleasant trance"

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — After a few hours, you sink into a pleasant trance. Time no longer matters. You stop checking your phone, if it hasn't already lost its charge. You're comfortable. Your mind settles into the little there is to do — think, maybe read a book or, of course, watch the stunning Brazilian forests and countryside pass by. Soon enough, you'll be at one of the country's deservedly famous tourist spots, by way of a few nice little towns no one has heard of.

Traveling through Europe by train is an elegant and relaxing alternative to flying. But traveling comfortably and relatively cheaply by bus through Brazil, a country twice the size and a bit more expensive than the European Union, is a well-kept secret.

These are not buses on which chickens compete for space with three humans on a seat made for two schoolchildren, and they aren't just for budget travelers. Air-conditioned and with plush seats that can recline almost completely, they are a calm alternative to the hustle and bustle of the country's expensive and messy airlines.

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-brazilbus-20130113,1,3674466.story

ARIA SKY SUITES IN LAS VEGAS

Shut the door, and breathe. Leave the velocity of The Strip at the door as you step into your personal refuge, and take comfort knowing everything you need is within reach.

Private entrances throughout the property. Need a helicopter for a surprise marriage proposal? Just ask, and it’s done. Stay in any one of the AAA Five Diamond award-winning Sky Suites with up to 7,000 square feet of luxury, and indulge in amenities that range from Hermes bath essentials to an in-suite sauna. Enjoy the preferential treatment  shown guests who are looking to elevate their stay in Las Vegas.

http://www.arialasvegas.com/hotel/sky-suites

the greatest Church in the ancient Christian world

http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Hagia-Sophia.html

532-537 emperor Justinian I erected the greatest Church in the ancient Christian world. The bold structure was a combination of Roman Basilica and domed Roman central building, the central element of which was a dome with a diameter of 101,7 ft (31 m) and a height of 160,7 ft. (49 m) after the example of Hadrian's Pantheon in Rome. Neither in Byzantine nor Osmane days this dimension ever was surpassed. After several seismic shocks however the dome imploded in 558. The dome we see today was consecrated in 562. The dome we see today is 23 ft (7 m) higher and was consecrated in 562.