dustineichler’s posterous

         

It's been a while since I last wrote something here, I've been distracted to say the least. Blogging is tough enough, but admittedly... I've been lazy. Writing is a good mental exercise, but so is programming.

Anyways, I've been relearning and working on the iPhone SDK a lot. Making my app and drilling down ideas. I've been thinking a lot lately about the phones I've previously had. See photos above. I noticed that while I've had service first with Sprint, Verizon and now AT&T, my patiance has only lasted 2 years over 2 different evolutions of phones. I've had a few minor replacements inbetween my critical purchases, but here are the main mobile phones I remember. Looking back, it's funny how big these phones were but at the time I was loving it. I'm realizing though, if Apple goes to task on establishing it's form factor and focusing solely on developing it's internals, including OS... then I might stick around for several generations of phones. My recent history doesn't seem to agree, but I think it's a huge step forward where Desktop computing was leap forward several generations ago.

Mobile computing is the future, I use my phone more than I care to admit and sometimes feel far more teather to it than it is to me. Sad? Maybe, but I know I'm not alone in this hyper connected world. Subsequently, 'Luddite' is one of my favorite words. Good scrabble word too.

Do you remember your old phones? Can't be worse then mine.

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I've long since been expressing my appreciation of Ford's. A few years back they reintroduced new designs and rebuilt engines. As a result, they're actually fun to drive again. If I could point to a reference I would, but in the meantime you'll have to trust that I know what I'm talking about. In light of everything that is going on in the Automotive industry, Ford is doing it right with one exception that still bugs the hell out of me. 30mpg is an engineering joke and while we claim to be an engineering powerhouse, the US definitely isn't backing it up by producing cars that are deliriously limited. Check out this Topgear show on the Ford Focus.

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This is the best map I've seen of the H1N1 Swine Influenza. I'm very curious for many reasons, but none more than to see viral behavior playout before me and see how fast it'll exponentially enumerate if at all. With the proliferation of international airports, some estimates were high for Avian Bird Influenza contraction as they were for the 1918 influenza and this one could be considerably more so. Hopefully not and the vacines available will continue to work. We'll know soon enough.

Nevertheless there's a lot of misinformation already on the internet about this. Be critical of everything. However, from a very informative article I read yesterday a hint of wisdom that suggests the reality,

"...I’d say that the thing is largely out of our hands for the time being. We’re going to have to wait and see what happens, and make our best guesses along the way."

While not totally satisfying, I can deal with the reality in those terms in which he candidly phrases things. It's a worth while read and I encourage you to read it. The article is called A few comments on pandemic influenza. I also encourage you to check out the World Health Organization for more information.

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map

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A tremendous thing happened... as good stories generally start. In this case, the economy. It's the catalyst for change and why I'll travel to Spain among other places this summer. While I'm excited, I'm reluctant because of the uncertainty that awaits me when I return. Nevertheless I'll go with blinders on, focused on what lies ahead making the best of situation that up until now has been really difficult a pain.

Don't envy me, I'd rather be working and will still be looking for job opportunities. I've never been one to quit.

In anycase Spain is a beautiful country by every standard and a welcomed trip. So I'll read alittle bit, I'll tour a lot and track what I do and where I go in hopes that when I get back the market will be in better shape. Never thought I'd be in this situation... and so it goes.

If you have any tips, suggestions of things I should do or see while there, comment below.

Update: Trip cancel.

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This has always been awesome for many reasons. See for yourself, from the film Good Will Hunting. The main character is weighing his job options and is asked why he shouldn't work for the NSA.

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Sometimes I think blogging is utter an farce to the point it's bullshit from a self expressing "look how awesome I am" point of view. It's the same kinda pretention found to turn off most people to art. In know way am I aligning blogging with art, but only in a self-grandizing way. I try hard to fight this, but I'm like all the rest. Instead, I'd just prefer to laugh at myself and my rediculousness.

Not what I typically want to say, but needed to be said.

There in lies the digression. Nevertheless, I am fond of certain music videos by La blogotheque. The cinematic style is attributed to French New Wave, a la Goddard. Like his films, these are purely simplistic, evocative often dark(er) imagery and visceral no-nothing vignettes. The videos are described as "No preparation is taken and each week, a film session with an artist or group invited to play in the city, a bar, the street, a park, an apartment, with the passage of incidents, hesitations, those moments of madness takes place." It compels me and wanted to share when sharing is good! Love the French. See photos here.

Have a look at concerts a emporter, here and the rest of the films available. I love music recommendations. 

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A few people have balked at how personal I can be and to their credit they're just protecting me. I see life sometimes as such an impersonal exercise that it bothers me. I miss the Real real. Despite being ever so connected in multifaceted ways, we're broaching the collapse of communities as if it were hyperbolic problem. If we're not in it (this life) together, then we're no better off than ourselves. At least, that's how I choose to see my life from here on out. It's inadmissible in other cultures to not work together to solve these problems I'm not sure why it's not more prevalent here. Maybe we're to busy finding 'ourselves' to look up and recognize. Regardless, It's a sustainability issue for me and I can't sit idly by.

I'm curious if I'll always feel this way or if increased isolation for one reason or another will grip me from connecting with societies social ills. Nevertheless I choose to participate and volunteer as a combatant for underdogs however I found it somewhat difficult this morning to relate or 'connect' at Project Homeless Connect. In it of it self, it's a wonderfully coordinated effort to help out homeless families in San Francisco. I had no idea it lent itself to communities (families) and not the individual, but I'm now realizing I sound like that which I hate; "naive".

About Project Homeless Connect and Project EDAR, the hope is as I learned this morning to utilize this platform as a launch point for social change in SF. Project Homeless Connect is about families, not the individuals as I mentioned. It's also not typically what you think about in reference to the homeless. They're normal people quiet frankly as I saw first hand. These people just need help. A commenter recently criticized me and this effort as another California Boondoggle (a waste of money), then so be it. I'd rather flush money down the drain for a cause than irrelevant ear-marks. Humanitarian effort shouldn't be marginalised to the point of partisanship. When those of us need help, hopefully someone will be there to do so.

Project Homeless Connect is about many things to many people. From their website, they cite 6-12 thousand people experiencing homelessness yearly. That's a staggering number, but incredibly the resources pulled together are equally impressive. In the hall hosting the event, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium; Project Homeless Connect participants obtain services from general Medical check ups to Employment to Legal advice. Most volunteers were practitioners in their respected fields as you'd expect. It was collaboratively nice to witness this alone. Motivating too, a catalyst for reflection. It's also an impressive effort and thought provoking so many were willing to give their time.

I guess what bothers me though in the eyes of service is feeling useful, let alone being useful. It can be very dissatisfying, but EDAR hopefully through Project Homeless Connect or other is a vehicle from which I can point my passion. We're ramping up for Volunteers and if you're interested in being apart of something pretty cool get in contact. Checkout Project EDAR while you have a minute too. I hope it's something I'll be talking more about in the near future.

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photo credit SCB

Unless you live in San Francisco you may not be familiar with One Rincon Hill, otherwise you'd be hard pressed to miss it. It's a lone towering residential skyscraper of a building waiting for the rest of the city to catch up. It's pretty magnificent in that it's design is a departure from traditional city architecture and it's placement depicts a new void in San Francisco's city skyline. The rest of the city will soon need to catch up where this building now stands and the urban skyscrapers of San Francisco financial district are.

The developer responsible for this structure is Urban West Associates, who brought in the architects at Soloman Cordwell Buenz. While I'm appreciative of their contribution to our city scape, I'm somewhat reluctant to applaud their effort only because they're not SF based. Do we not have the skill or resounding architectural talent here to achieve this dream. Can we not re imagine our own city design. I'm learning Chicago is somewhat of a hub in the US for architecture, but made in SF by SF is something I'd like to see albeit somewhat naive.

From SCB's website, a description of their work

One Rincon Hill San Francisco, California

The project consists of two slender residential towers that step up to the crest of Rincon Hill. The taller 55-floor tower marks the intersection of First and Harrison Streets and has the primary entrance for the complex at its base. This tower has a gently curved wall that acknowledges the entrance and makes a gesture toward the city center.

The shorter 46 story tower has a similar curved wall facing the diagonally opposite direction and gestures toward the Bay Bridge and bay. Using balcony locations and varying window patterns, each tower has been visually separated into vertical masses that emphasize their slenderness. The project will contain 709 residential units.

What changes are you seeing in our skyline? I'm still seeing an ample amount of construction going up everyday.

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I love looking at code (most of the time). It's really beautiful when you want it to be. I'm not sure if that resonates with anyone else, but programming to me is as much an artistic skill as painting, as colorful too. I've been writing a bunch of jQuery lately as one of my weaker skills to work on. Here's a screen shot from an interview question where I had to build a dynamic photo gallery, pretty neat. Anyways, I enjoy chaining among other aspects of this process.

Have you ever seen code photographed as art?

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In the service of others is a compelling way to live your life, engineering alone is not enough for me. While extremely rewarding and beneficial, finding something other than what I make a living at is equally important. Defining what that looks like, I've never been quite sure. All I know is, in combination with my of technical skills I can't help anyone let alone myself if I'm not using what I know vehemently. (I love what I do, engineering is my life)

From an early age, probably influenced by the Church and growing up in a small community I've felt it's my duty as a citizen to volunteer, or find philanthropies to join. Giving back is an important part of appreciating your success and the values my parents instilled in me. I feel very blessed despite how hard reality is hitting home right now. See earlier posts on why this is so.

Every day on the streets of San Francisco I walk past a countless number homeless. It seems like more and more arrive on the streets of this city. In my neighborhood especially, it's hard not to notice. I love it here despite it's problems and I've done a lot of growing up, more so than anything other suburb since coming to California almost 10 years ago now. As a local, I find myself asking ways I can contribute. Rather recently, Architecture has been an important notion of discovery for me. I'm actively noticing what's plainly in front of me everyday and choosing actively to be aware and in someways affect me. It bothers me to no end sometimes when I see zombies on the BART. I want more than anything to be actively apart of this life and not be a reluctant participant.

I've talked briefly with friends about the homeless situation in San Francisco. While the majority believe as I did, it's mainly economical, you may or may not be surprised to know it's conditional behavior that keeps many in the shadows or arches of your buildings. I assumed for a long time, many of these individuals choose this life. It didn't take much to convince me otherwise despite seeing obvious signs of mental anguish. While I can't help or understand everyone. You do what you can where you can.

Combining interests is something I do well. It also saves time ironically enough and I'm all about not wasting a second of it. In the back of mind, where I churn ideas this problem of epidemically solving homelessness is a big one. It's certainly bigger than me, bigger than all of us. I did manage to put a coherent thought and apply terms to what I was thinking architecturally only to find someone is already on the problem.

Takepart, is a nonprofit for social change. I love what I'm seeing and will probably try to connect the dots, bridging a gap between wherever they're at and San Francisco. Why? Because of EDAR. This stands for Everyone Deserves a Roof; it's short simple and concise. It descriptively details a problem with what I believe to be a basic human right. Everyone deserves a roof over their head. It may not mean much to you, but means a world of comfort... even if a little bit to others.

EDAR was a prize winning architectural selection. So too was another by a 12 year old. His design seen here.

Take a look at this video below. It's pretty cool. From a architectural point of view, it's functional but looks costly. Donations run high even for a wheel selection which baffles me. I'd imagine anyone who be remiss to use these, but there is no one solution to a dynamic problem. Nevertheless, it's an idea I want to build on and either 1. bring EDAR or the like to SF or try to building my own tapping the Architectural subculture here where I've already see an awesome amount of creativity.

Europe is pervasive with bicycles, why can't we be innovative with this?

I know I'm not the first to have thought of this idea, I'm just choosing to be an active part in this continuum of service or life there of.


EDAR Homeless Shelter from takepart on Vimeo.

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