I cant believe its been one week since we've all seen each other! It seems like yesterday I was overlooking the city from my desk on the 5th floor.....looking longingly across Hereford Street to the Pour House, looking forward to enjoying my frosty Sam Adams.
I hope all of you have had a nice week back at your respective homes....I cant wait to see you all in August!
Happy Saturday night!
:)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Where am I going now?
I sit here in my kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, my head still reeling from the week behind me. Words can not express the thoughts and feelings I have regarding last week - too many exciting, happy emotions - a fresh new look on my career, and quite frankly, my life. It was truly a life changing experience and I am looking forward to implementing all of the tools and knowledge I have gained into an actual and practical experience in the future.
Our first assignment this week was to post a blog about my thoughts and directions regarding the research paper. As many of you heard me say in class, I would like to do some research on building a "movable" house with recyclable materials (trash, things found in a landfill, etc.). The coast (on the ocean side of the cape) is eroding away - anywhere between 3.5 feet and 5.8 feet per year. Essentially the cape is getting smaller year by year.
Photo: (from boston.com)
Chatham Break - Comparison from July to August 2007 - Erosion after major storm is evident.
Photo: (from wickedlocal.com)
Houses on the outer beach are in danger of being demolished by the sea.
My concern is that houses are being built along the coastline, then years later, fall into the ocean. Is there a way to build a house that can be moved back from the coastline as it erodes away? Can this house be constructed of materials that we deem as trash - instead of filling our landfills, lets use those unwanted materials to build something new. Perhaps these houses could be constructed at a lower cost (because the materials are inexpensive) so that a person in any income bracket could afford to purchase one, not just the elite, upper class community.
Our first assignment this week was to post a blog about my thoughts and directions regarding the research paper. As many of you heard me say in class, I would like to do some research on building a "movable" house with recyclable materials (trash, things found in a landfill, etc.). The coast (on the ocean side of the cape) is eroding away - anywhere between 3.5 feet and 5.8 feet per year. Essentially the cape is getting smaller year by year.
Photo: (from boston.com)Chatham Break - Comparison from July to August 2007 - Erosion after major storm is evident.
Photo: (from wickedlocal.com)
Houses on the outer beach are in danger of being demolished by the sea.
My concern is that houses are being built along the coastline, then years later, fall into the ocean. Is there a way to build a house that can be moved back from the coastline as it erodes away? Can this house be constructed of materials that we deem as trash - instead of filling our landfills, lets use those unwanted materials to build something new. Perhaps these houses could be constructed at a lower cost (because the materials are inexpensive) so that a person in any income bracket could afford to purchase one, not just the elite, upper class community.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Delving into Duncan....
After reading Susan Bickfords article, this article by James Duncan was a breath of fresh air! I found this article to be extremely interesting - and it made me think of the towns that I have lived in, and how this situation not only occurs in Bedford Village, but also in other small and large towns across the country.
The amount of research that was put into this article (ie. the number of "rustic" mailboxes) was fascinating to read about - and a very interesting social commentary. Seeing the statistics of alphas vs. betas in the Social Clubs or Garden Clubs was a fascinating finding. It is truely amazing how these people, although living in the same town (and are of the same socioeconomic status, race and culture) want to keep themselves separated by one another.
It was interstig to see the distaste for one another - the alphas find the betas as (for lack of a better terms) "posers." They see the betas as attempting to force upon everyone else their status - making it obvious that they have a foothold on the upper-middle class. But the alphas find this as an "imitation" of class, "easily bought into." The betas on the other hand see the alphas as "snobs" - the rich who attempt to underplay their status.
The comment that struck me was when Duncan talked about the alpha boy who did not know of anyone his age from the beta community! For such a small town, that notion, to me, is amazing! No wonder why the segregation is still occurring! The parents of the alphas and betas seem to reinforce those ideas in their children.
Overall, I thought this was an interesting article - one comment, though. I found it interesting that Duncan used "alpha" and "beta" as labels for the two main groups. It was almost as if he was subconsciously implying that the alpha group was superior to that of the beta group - simply by labeling them. I think the article might have read differently if he had used directional labels (easterners, westerners). But I suppose it is up to the reader to sift through the labels and to take the information for what it is.
The amount of research that was put into this article (ie. the number of "rustic" mailboxes) was fascinating to read about - and a very interesting social commentary. Seeing the statistics of alphas vs. betas in the Social Clubs or Garden Clubs was a fascinating finding. It is truely amazing how these people, although living in the same town (and are of the same socioeconomic status, race and culture) want to keep themselves separated by one another.
It was interstig to see the distaste for one another - the alphas find the betas as (for lack of a better terms) "posers." They see the betas as attempting to force upon everyone else their status - making it obvious that they have a foothold on the upper-middle class. But the alphas find this as an "imitation" of class, "easily bought into." The betas on the other hand see the alphas as "snobs" - the rich who attempt to underplay their status.
The comment that struck me was when Duncan talked about the alpha boy who did not know of anyone his age from the beta community! For such a small town, that notion, to me, is amazing! No wonder why the segregation is still occurring! The parents of the alphas and betas seem to reinforce those ideas in their children.
Overall, I thought this was an interesting article - one comment, though. I found it interesting that Duncan used "alpha" and "beta" as labels for the two main groups. It was almost as if he was subconsciously implying that the alpha group was superior to that of the beta group - simply by labeling them. I think the article might have read differently if he had used directional labels (easterners, westerners). But I suppose it is up to the reader to sift through the labels and to take the information for what it is.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Maybe Bickford was right!?
If any of you read my last blog, talking about "fear" and practically chastising my neighbor who wouldn't let her kids out to play in our *cough* troubled neighborhood - then you'll get a kick out of this....
Once again, let me remind you that we live in a quiet neighborhood (cranberry bog in back yard, wooded park with bike trail across street). Nothing ever happens in this town. Ever. The most exciting news that hit our town lately was that the PTA voted to increase school lunches by 25 cents - seriously.
I have always lived in towns like this, suburban/rurual areas in the woods - in the same type of town where nothing happens. I am completely naive as to what city life is like. I have never lived in a city (I worked in Toledo, OH for a few months, buts thats about it) I get my "understanding" of what its like living in cities and urban areas from rap songs...I have no clue what it is like to live in "fear."
Until last night.....
I had spent about 10 hours working on the Studio project and was exhausted, and I went to bed around 11:30pm (yes, I know, "lame" for a Saturday night). But at 2am I woke up to the sound of shots being fired IN MY FRONT YARD! I woke up, scared out of my mind, my husband beside me "saying what the hell?!" over the sounds of (what I thought) bullets hitting our bedroom window. Our three dogs (one of whom can hear a pin drop in China and will howl when she does) were barking and freaking out downstairs. So place yourself in my position - waking up out of a dead sleep, to the sound of gun fire, dogs barking, my hubby yelling...needless to say I was pretty scared!
After the shots were fired, and the house quieted down...Mike and I peeked out the window to see what all the commotion was about. You should have seen the two of, in our pjs, hiding behind the curtains trying to look out over the darkness....and there was nothing. Not one person. Not a car. Nothing.
We stayed at the window for about 15 minutes. I could literally hear my heart beating through my chest. "Is that a person over there in the woods?" "What the hell was that sound?" "Are the neighbors home?" When we finally tired of waiting for our assassin to emerge from the woods, we went back to bed.
We literally climbed back into bed, when suddenly we heard MORE SHOTS being aimed directly at our house! "What the hell is that?!" "What do they want from us?" My super-hero hubby sprang from the bed, rushed over to the window, and peered out into the street. "Oh damn! Its just a bunch of kids in a car shooting paintballs at our house!" And he was right. A car that had been driving up and down our street that night had taken the liberty to repaint the front of our house.
When we got up this morning we took a drive down the street - and all the houses had been hit. And we laughed together when we thought of how scary it was to wake up like that in the middle of the night! But then we thought, wow, imagine living in an area (perhaps in a city) where actual REAL bullets were fired at your home and waking up to THAT? I cant imagine the fear that some people live with. Not knowing if you're going to make it through the night in your own bed?
It makes me grateful to live in the area I do, even if we do get an occasional "drive by shooting." It also makes me consider moving to that gated community down the street...dont those speed bumps prevent drive-bys from occurring? I'd like to see those kids make a speedy getaway over those things....
Once again, let me remind you that we live in a quiet neighborhood (cranberry bog in back yard, wooded park with bike trail across street). Nothing ever happens in this town. Ever. The most exciting news that hit our town lately was that the PTA voted to increase school lunches by 25 cents - seriously.
I have always lived in towns like this, suburban/rurual areas in the woods - in the same type of town where nothing happens. I am completely naive as to what city life is like. I have never lived in a city (I worked in Toledo, OH for a few months, buts thats about it) I get my "understanding" of what its like living in cities and urban areas from rap songs...I have no clue what it is like to live in "fear."
Until last night.....
I had spent about 10 hours working on the Studio project and was exhausted, and I went to bed around 11:30pm (yes, I know, "lame" for a Saturday night). But at 2am I woke up to the sound of shots being fired IN MY FRONT YARD! I woke up, scared out of my mind, my husband beside me "saying what the hell?!" over the sounds of (what I thought) bullets hitting our bedroom window. Our three dogs (one of whom can hear a pin drop in China and will howl when she does) were barking and freaking out downstairs. So place yourself in my position - waking up out of a dead sleep, to the sound of gun fire, dogs barking, my hubby yelling...needless to say I was pretty scared!
After the shots were fired, and the house quieted down...Mike and I peeked out the window to see what all the commotion was about. You should have seen the two of, in our pjs, hiding behind the curtains trying to look out over the darkness....and there was nothing. Not one person. Not a car. Nothing.
We stayed at the window for about 15 minutes. I could literally hear my heart beating through my chest. "Is that a person over there in the woods?" "What the hell was that sound?" "Are the neighbors home?" When we finally tired of waiting for our assassin to emerge from the woods, we went back to bed.
We literally climbed back into bed, when suddenly we heard MORE SHOTS being aimed directly at our house! "What the hell is that?!" "What do they want from us?" My super-hero hubby sprang from the bed, rushed over to the window, and peered out into the street. "Oh damn! Its just a bunch of kids in a car shooting paintballs at our house!" And he was right. A car that had been driving up and down our street that night had taken the liberty to repaint the front of our house.
When we got up this morning we took a drive down the street - and all the houses had been hit. And we laughed together when we thought of how scary it was to wake up like that in the middle of the night! But then we thought, wow, imagine living in an area (perhaps in a city) where actual REAL bullets were fired at your home and waking up to THAT? I cant imagine the fear that some people live with. Not knowing if you're going to make it through the night in your own bed?
It makes me grateful to live in the area I do, even if we do get an occasional "drive by shooting." It also makes me consider moving to that gated community down the street...dont those speed bumps prevent drive-bys from occurring? I'd like to see those kids make a speedy getaway over those things....
Thursday, January 3, 2008
And another thing....
After reading the article again, I wanted to add a supplemental post...
Bickford made the statement:
"In this essay, I argue that the architecture of our urban and suburban lives provides a hostile environment for the development of democratic imagination and participation."
Coming from an suburban/rural area of mostly white, middle-class people (and perhaps this is a naive point of view on my part) - but I find urban areas (such as Boston) quite rich with culture. There may be "poorer areas" of the city itself, but I do not feel that these areas lack any of the growth potential that is available in the suburban surroundings.
It was almost as if Bickford was blaming the suburban areas and their ultimate growth for the problems (and fear) of the cities.
I do believe that it is economics that plays a huge role in the shaping of our democracy, rather than the architecture (or the urban planning) that surrounds us.
Bickford made the statement:
"In this essay, I argue that the architecture of our urban and suburban lives provides a hostile environment for the development of democratic imagination and participation."
Coming from an suburban/rural area of mostly white, middle-class people (and perhaps this is a naive point of view on my part) - but I find urban areas (such as Boston) quite rich with culture. There may be "poorer areas" of the city itself, but I do not feel that these areas lack any of the growth potential that is available in the suburban surroundings.
It was almost as if Bickford was blaming the suburban areas and their ultimate growth for the problems (and fear) of the cities.
I do believe that it is economics that plays a huge role in the shaping of our democracy, rather than the architecture (or the urban planning) that surrounds us.
Susan Bickford: Cty Spaces & the Architecture of Citizenship
Susan Bickfords writing touched on many interesting a valid points that I have never considered before reading this article. I honestly had never considered the viewpoint of "safety" or "home" from anyone else's viewpoint other than my own (or people "like myself").
I agree with her viewpoints on suburban culture, and that by living in suburbia you can feel disconnected from others. But what I don't agree on, is the fact that people want to be immersed with others who "are not of ones own." Generally people will gravitate around others, not necessarily who are like them, but who cause them the least amount of fear.
I think our concept of "fear" in general has greatly changed over the years. (Just for an example, I live next door to a young family with 3 boys. I am not being sarcastic when I say I have never seen these boys playing outside. Their mother tells me she is in fear of the boys safety and does not like them to play out-of-doors. Now keep in mind we live in a "tough neighborhood" *please read into my complete and utter sarcasm*, a cranberry bog in our backyard and the Cape Cod Rail Trail across the street....wow. Growing up, I played outside till it got dark, climbing trees, riding my bike to my best friends house - and my parents never worried about my saftey! And to think - we didnt even live in a gated community!)
Getting back to the article, Bickfords point on the CIDs - that they intentionally segregate people - of course they do! The people who live in those communities want to be segregated - not because of racism, ageism, or rank - but because of comfort. Don't you think it is up to the individual to decide where they want to reside? (Yes, I understand that not everyone has that choice, and that financial circumstances are what truly govern the ability to "choose.")
I was sad to see that Bickford could not really come up with a viable solution to her own question either. She lead me on a roller coaster of information - leaving me hanging in the end.
It seems as if many answers lie in the hands of our schools and educators. If people are "taught" to be tolerant of one another from an early age, then perhaps a mixing of the cultures/races/ethnic groups would not be such a difficult task.
In the end, I have one thought: It would be interesting to see where Bickford lives....probably not in the ghetto.
I agree with her viewpoints on suburban culture, and that by living in suburbia you can feel disconnected from others. But what I don't agree on, is the fact that people want to be immersed with others who "are not of ones own." Generally people will gravitate around others, not necessarily who are like them, but who cause them the least amount of fear.
I think our concept of "fear" in general has greatly changed over the years. (Just for an example, I live next door to a young family with 3 boys. I am not being sarcastic when I say I have never seen these boys playing outside. Their mother tells me she is in fear of the boys safety and does not like them to play out-of-doors. Now keep in mind we live in a "tough neighborhood" *please read into my complete and utter sarcasm*, a cranberry bog in our backyard and the Cape Cod Rail Trail across the street....wow. Growing up, I played outside till it got dark, climbing trees, riding my bike to my best friends house - and my parents never worried about my saftey! And to think - we didnt even live in a gated community!)
Getting back to the article, Bickfords point on the CIDs - that they intentionally segregate people - of course they do! The people who live in those communities want to be segregated - not because of racism, ageism, or rank - but because of comfort. Don't you think it is up to the individual to decide where they want to reside? (Yes, I understand that not everyone has that choice, and that financial circumstances are what truly govern the ability to "choose.")
I was sad to see that Bickford could not really come up with a viable solution to her own question either. She lead me on a roller coaster of information - leaving me hanging in the end.
It seems as if many answers lie in the hands of our schools and educators. If people are "taught" to be tolerant of one another from an early age, then perhaps a mixing of the cultures/races/ethnic groups would not be such a difficult task.
In the end, I have one thought: It would be interesting to see where Bickford lives....probably not in the ghetto.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
January 2, 2008
Well the day has finally arrived....grad school begins today. Getting excited to begin - and looking for a comfortable place in my office to start all this required reading!
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