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So I’ll start talking about this home in Brooklyn by first going way Down Under to Christchurch, New Zealand.
From the early 2000s, Christchurch has been devastated by a series of earthquakes, but they are rebuilding. However, being an island nation, a lot of the good that come into Christchurch come in large shipping containers, as big as whole rooms, and some folks took to using the shipping containers to quickly rebuild the shops and offices in the town, while others used the containers to rebuild their own homes.
Up in Brooklyn, the Irving Place Carriage House was a nice simple row-house on a street of row-houses. As usual, though, the space wasn’t big enough for the owners and their family, so the 1930s two-level carriage house was remodeled to add a penthouse on top.
And that was achieved by the insertion of a single vertical volume—a shipping container—that crosses the entire house from the roof to the ground where the penthouse, retrofitted from four shipping containers, provides access to a rooftop deck.
The vertical volume—orange, like the penthouse containers—intersects the carriage house and organizes kitchen, bathrooms, mechanical space, and the stairs, whose incline generates all of the diagonal cuts.
This volume also separates the space in two: at the ground level there is an entrance and mud room in the front with dining and living spaces at the rear; at the upper level, the master bedroom is in the front and kid’s bedroom at the rear.
I like the ingenuity of using the shipping container, end up, as a sort of room, staircase, mechanicals closet, but, while I like orange, this might be a bit too much orange.
Still, you gotta give credit to a mind that created a stacked shipping container inside a nearly one-hundred –year-old house as a means of expanding the space.
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Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Architecture Wednesday: Irving Place
_____ Panders To Boy Scouts To Boost His Ego
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It’s always nice to see the President interacting with the young people, the future of America. Remember President Obama on Easter with the kids, talking with them, laughing; remember him telling stories to a group of kids at a White House campout, or speaking with members of the Boy Scouts in the Oval Office?
And remember the time that Donald _____ spoke to the Boy Scouts? If not, here’s a reminder of what he said to children and young people, most of did not vote for him last year because they are children:
“Boy, you have a lot of people here. The press will say it’s about 200 people. It looks like about 45,000 people. You set a record today. You set a record. That’s a great honor, believe me. Tonight we put aside all of the policy fights in Washington, D.C.—you’ve been hearing about that with the fake news and all of that. We’re going to put that aside. And instead we’re going to talk about success, about how all of you amazing young Scouts can achieve your dreams … I said, who the hell wants to speak about politics when I’m in front of the Boy Scouts, right?”
Except he did speak about politics and the Electoral College and his win and #MAGA to Boy Scouts.
“You know, I go to Washington and I see all these politicians, and I see the swamp. And it’s not a good place. In fact, today, I said we ought to change it from the word swamp to the word cesspool, or perhaps, to the word sewer. But it’s not good. Not good.” “Secretary Tom Price is also here. Today Dr. Price still lives the Scout Oath, helping to keep millions of Americans strong and healthy as our Secretary of Health and Human Services. And he’s doing a great job. And hopefully, he’s going to get the votes tomorrow to start our path toward killing this horrible thing known as Obamacare that’s really hurting us, folks. He better get them. He better get them. Oh, he better — otherwise, I’ll say ‘Tom, you’re fired!’” “As the Scout Law says: ‘A Scout is trustworthy, loyal’ — we could use some more loyalty, I will tell you that.” “I’m waving to people back there so small I can’t even see them. Man, this is a lot of people. Turn those cameras back there, please. That is so incredible. By the way, what do you think the chances are that this incredible, massive crowd, record-setting is going to be shown on television tonight? One percent or zero? The fake media will say: President _____—and you know what this is—President _____ spoke before a small crowd of Boy Scouts today. That’s some—that is some crowd. Fake media. Fake news. Thank you.”
Two things: CNN aired the speech and the crowds were not there for _____, they were there for the Jamboree; he just conveniently forgot that.
“By the way, just a question, did President Obama ever come to a jamboree? [Audience shouts, “No!”] And we’ll be back. We’ll be back. The answer is no, but we’ll be back.”
And then the President ... For Now ... told a story about real-estate developer William Levitt and a “hot” cocktail party in the 1980s:
“In the end [Levitt] failed, and he failed badly. Lost all of his money. He went personally bankrupt ... I saw him at a cocktail party, and it was very sad because the hottest people in New York were at this party. ... And I was doing well so I got invited to the party.”
This is a speech for Boy Scouts? Or just another way for _____ to inflate his ego at being invited to a “hot” party? What the what does this have to do with the Boy Scouts, except to make a tiny man feel somehow more important in his own mind? But then he segued into his victory last fall ...
“I have to tell you our economy is doing great ... since the election November 8. Do we remember that date? Was that a beautiful date? What a date. Do you remember that famous night on television, November 8, where they said—these dishonest people—where they said there is no path to victory for Donald _____? ... But do you remember that incredible night with the maps and the Republicans are red and the Democrats are blue, and that map was so red, it was unbelievable, and they didn’t know what to say?”
He then went through his win, state-by-motherf**king-state, and criticizing Hillary Clinton:
“And you know we have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College—popular vote is much easier. Because New York, California, Illinois—you have to practically run the East Coast. And we did. We won Florida. We won South Carolina. We won North Carolina. We won Pennsylvania. We won and won. So when they said there is no way to victory, there is no way to 270, I went to Maine four times because it’s one vote, and we won. ... My opponent didn’t work hard there because she was told —”
The audience boos and _____ thanks them, most of them children, for voting for him. And, as he does ... he lies:
“We had the best jobs report in 16 years. The stock market on a daily basis is hitting an all-time high. We’re going to be bringing back very soon trillions of dollars from companies that can’t get their money back into this country, and that money is going to be used to help rebuild America.”
He forgets that, until September when the new fiscal year starts, this is Obama’s legacy. But he’s done riling up the Scouts, he done with this campaign stop, except for one other thing, a quick pander to the ALLEGED Christians who voted for him:
“And by the way, under the Trump administration, you’ll be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again when you go shopping. Believe me. Merry Christmas.”
Yup, _____ turned a speech to Boy Scouts at the 2017 National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia into a political speech, a self-aggrandizing speech, a slam at former opponent speech, a bash the former president speech.
It was akin to a Hitler Youth Rally.
Seriously; but the blowback was almost instantaneous, with a twitter hashtag #_____ScoutBadges popping up, suggesting the Boy Scouts be awarded badges for things like Golf, Tweeting, Lying—the Pants on Fire badge; Branding, Wig Wearing, Pussy Grabbing, and many more.
That’s all kinda fun, and good for a quick laugh, but some parents, and former Scouts, were not having it; they were not loving the fact that the President of the United States has been addressing the Boy Scouts for over 80 years, and this is the first time the president has ever violated the rule of not politicizing his speech. And so many people took to the BSA Facebook page in response to _____’s wildly inappropriate speech:
"I am a West Virginian. My family valued scouting ... It was painful to see Donald _____ address a captive audience of impressionable young people in such a callous and partisan way. You should issue a statement of regret." "You allowed a scouting jamboree to be turned into an ugly fascist rally straight out of Triumph of the Will. How could you?" "My annual check to support was waiting to be mailed. It is now shredded. I will instead write a check to a voting rights group." "As a former Scout ... I am beyond appalled that the Jamboree was turned into a political rally tonight. Unless the BSA condemns the President's conduct (which included bullying, name-calling, and swearing) in strong and clear terms, I will know that there is no place for my two sons in scouting." "I am SHOCKED that BSA let this person speak to our children this way. BSA needs to send out an apology to the parents. Politics is not allowed in the organization. I will not support your programs if there is no retraction." "You need to apologize. It looked like a group of little fascists cheering their dear leader."
Oddly enough, it appeared that the Boy Scouts expected there might be a problem, because they took the unexpected stab at a pre-apology of sorts:
"As a unit leader or staff member, you can help make the president’s visit a success by ensuring that any reactions to the president’s address are, as we state in our Scout Law, friendly, courteous, and kind. This includes understanding that chants of certain phrases heard during the campaign (e.g. 'build the wall,' 'lock her up') are considered divisive by many members of our audience, and may cause unnecessary friction between individuals and units. Please help us ensure that all Scouts can enjoy this historical address by making sure that your troop members are respectful not only of the president, but of the wide variety of viewpoints held by Scouts and Scouters in the audience tonight."
Still, one wonders if the Boy Scouts felt the need to admonish attendees before the president spoke, if they knew his speech would be such a clusterfuck, and, if so, why allow it to happen.
See, it goes down like this; the Boy Scouts are taught to be ...
Trustworthy; _____ is not, as evidenced by his speech. Loyal; _____ is not. Helpful; _____ would evict the old lady from her apartment rather than help her cross the street. Friendly; except when he’s calling everyone he dislikes names. Courteous; he doesn’t even say ‘Please’ before he grabs your pussy. Kind; as when mocking disabled men, or the appearance of women. Obedient; again, not for him, but from you. Cheerful; not even when speaking to his base, because his anger and rage at being disliked and so unpopular, is always on display. Thrifty; two words: Golden Toilet. Brave; the man who dodged the draft five times for bone spurs and then claimed that being sexually active and exposed to STDs was akin to going to Vietnam Clean; I can’t ... Reverent; not in any sense of the word.
Such a sad pathetic man-child who has to use children cheering to boost his ego; such a sad pathetic man-child who is still so wounded at not being “popular” that he attacks everyone else; such a sad pathetic man ...
... that’s all.
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Tuesday, July 25, 2017
What In The Hell Is He Talking About?
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Two things come to mind at once:
 1] Kushner proved nothing, except that all you have to do to get him to come to a meetign with Russia is ask, and ... B] Is _____ trying to be funny by mentioning Barron, or has he completely lost his everloving mind and forgotten which son colluded with Russia?
Either way .....
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Texas Is The New ... Hateful ... North Carolina
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The surest sign that Texas lawmakers are complete idiots? The fact that they watched what happened when North Carolina passed its own anti-transgender Bathroom Bill and then still thought it worth a shot to pass one of their own.
The good news is that if this turns out anything like North Carolina, the GOP will get their asses kicked come election time.
Yup, deep in the heart of hate, er, Texas, the Senate State Affairs Committee voted 8-1 to approve a bill to restrict transgender rights. Senate Bill 3 would require people to use the bathroom associated with the sex on their birth certificate in all government buildings and schools; it would also ban local governments and schools from passing their own rules to allow transgender people to use the bathroom associated with their actual gender.
Making matters worse, the process for updating one’s birth certificate is difficult in Texas, and it is estimated that most Trans persons in the state do not have an updated birth certificate. But what do lawmakers care? Hate rules!
The bill will now go to the full senate for a vote, where it is expected to easily pass, though it could, could, face opposition in the house, though, where Republican speaker—yes, Republican speaker—Joe Straus has said:
“I don’t want the suicide of a single Texan on my hands.” 
The bill’s author, Republican senator ... because, of course ... Lois Kolkhorst, opened the hearing, saying:
“We’re here today because Texas has a tradition of taking care of these issues and not being dictated to by the federal government.”
In case you missed it, by “these issues” she means Civil Rights.
Her Hate Speech was followed by ten hours of testimony followed, most from a coalition of LGBTQ activists, teachers groups, school administrators, and business leaders that oppose the bill. Those people mentioned the high suicide rate for transgender people as a reason to oppose further discrimination which caused Republican ... because, of course ... senator Craig Estes to actually say:
 “I’m hearing that it’s somehow our fault that people are committing suicide. Another explanation could be that people are depressed.”
Perhaps people are distressed because they’re being treated as “less than”? Perhaps they’re depressed because they just want to pee. Estes went on to say that he is sure that “it would be depressing to be trying to figure out which gender you are” but that suicide can be caused by lots of things.
Um, asshat? Trans persons are not “trying to figure out which gender” they are; they already know. It’s the bigots and haters in the schools, statehouse, and churches who can’t seem to grasp what being Trans means.
And, as happened in North Carolina, logic will most likely lose out to hate and hysteria and lies, but sanity may be restored with the loss of revenue.
Several business leaders testified that, like North Carolina, Texas’s major cities could lose millions of dollars if this law is passed. Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau’s CEO Phillip Jones says that city has already lost $40 million because of this bill and could lose another $1 billion in bookings if the bill passes.
And then IBM stepped into the fight, sending an internal memo to employees around the world calling the bill discriminatory, and sending twenty executives to testify in the hearing about the bill.
Other companies coming out against the hate include Apple, Amazon, Google, Cisco, Facebook, and Dallas-based companies like American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, At&T, and Texas Instruments who sent in their own testimony:
“Our companies are competing every day to bring the best and brightest talent to Dallas. To that end, we strongly support diversity and inclusion. This legislation threatens our ability to attract and retain the best talent in Texas, as well as the greatest sporting and cultural attractions in the world.” 
But Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a bigoted asshat if there ever was one, refused to listen to reason, and, instead, played the “Protect The Women and Children” card just as Governor McCrory did in North Carolina; and, again, there has never been one single incident, anywhere, where a Trans person has assaulted a woman, or a child, in a restroom; again, they just want to pee.
So, Texas, carry on with the bigotry and intolerance and ignorance, you’ve been doing so for decades; and then cry foul when businesses move away, when conventions change their locations, when sports teams and sporting associations decide to hold their events elsewhere.
Money talks.
And that’s the cost of hate, in dollars, but the cost to human life, human dignity, civil rights, and just being decent, has no monetary value.
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Monday, July 24, 2017
Get It ... or Don't?
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Anne Marie stole this from Cookie and so I stole it from her ... "Ten Things I Just Don't Get":
Gay Republicans. Christians for _____. The Real Housewives of Auckland. Yes, it’s real. John Lithgow. Racism. Justin Bieber’s appeal. Comb-overs. Wal-Mart. The ‘soul patch’ Apolitical people.
Now you try ....
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President _____’s New ‘It’ Boy Flips, Then Flops
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I feel bad, you know, losing a job that you loved, that people loved to see you do; a job that meant something to this country as we stand up and Resist ____; but the President-For-Now brings in a new Communications Director, and so, well, you had to go.
Oh, not Spicer ... I’, glad he’s out ... couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. I’m talking Melissa McCarthy; now that Spicer has left the building, her gig as Press secretary for SNL is clearly over.
I’ll miss
Following the announcement, reports surfaced that Scaramucci donated $4,600 to Hillary Clinton in 2007 and $5,600 to former President Barack Obama in 2008. Then Twitter came for him, and Twitter had receipts; y’all should know you can’t hide from Twitter:
"If Hillary keeps this up, she might be back in play for 2016...." I hope she runs, she is incredibly competent”—Anthony Scaramucci “Republicans should support Gay marriage.”—Anthony Scaramucci “You can take steps to combat climate change without crippling the economy. The fact many people still believe CC is a hoax is disheartening.”—Anthony Scaramucci “Walls don't work. Never have never will. The Berlin Wall 1961-1989 don't fall for it.”—Anthony Scaramucci “If Russia tried to subvert American democracy, deserves strong response. But allow pres-elect time to process intel.”—Anthony Scaramucci “We (the USA) has 5% of the world's population but 50% of the world's guns. Enough is enough. It is just common sense it apply more controls.”—Anthony Scaramucci
So, wait, pro-Hillary, pro-Obama, anti-Wall, pro-gun control, pro-marriage equality Anthony Scaramucci is _____’s new boy? What ... if anything ... were _____, and Scaramucci, thinking?
Well, for his part, Scaramucci says his personal political views “don’t matter” because he serves _____ and it’s those opinions that people should pay attention to:
“Btw my political views don't matter I serve @POTUS pay attention to his!”
So I guess you can just sell your soul, your ideals, your views, for a job. Look, my political views swing way left, while my boss’s views are way over yonder on the right, but he isn’t a political figure and my job isn’t as his Communications Director spreading his agenda, so we’re all good. But how can Anthony Scaramucci stand up and defend _____, as he will have to do, almost daily, when he disagrees with him on virtually everything?
Well, he’s already started, apparently, because Scaramucci granted his first interview as Communications Director to ... wait for it, it’s vile ... Breitbart.
“One of the things Breitbart has done is you’ve captured the spirit of what’s actually going on in this country.”
Wow. He took the job and lost all his sense almost instantaneously. Seriously, praising _____ and then kissing the ass of Breitbart? This, on the very same day his new boss went on a Twitter Rage attacking the Democrats, Hillary Clinton and the media in a series of tweets that defended Junior’s Russian meeting and even confirming that his own Attorney General, and Keebler Elf, Jeff Sessions had discussed campaign-related matters with Russia.
Oh, and _____ also floated the idea that he has the “complete power to pardon.” Anyone, including himself.
And, finally, because he’s completely out of his ever-loving mind, _____ actually Tweeted a defense of Scaramucci, who has called _____ “anti-American” and a “hack” in 2015:
“In all fairness to Anthony Scaramucci, he wanted to endorse me 1st, before the Republican Primaries started, but didn't think I was running!”
Was that when he was Tweeting anti-wall, anti-gun, anti-_____ shiz, too?
   But, maybe Anthony Scaramucci is the right man for this Criminal Lying Administration, because he also took to Twitter in the name of :::coughcough:::: bull shiz :::coughcough::: “full transparency” to say he has deleted those old pro-Hillary, anti-Wall, anti-Gun Tweets because. And this is rich: “Past views evolved & shouldn’t be a distraction. I serve [_____’s] agenda & that’s all that matters.”
No, what matters is that you’ve cast your lot with an imbecile; you’ve sold your soul for, what, a few coins and some exposure?
See, Anthony, full transparency would be to keep the tweets, not bury them; deleting records, even your past “views”, is the complete opposite. It appears you attended the _____ Junior School of Transparency, where you offer up information and excuses right before, or in your case, after when the truth comes out.
So, clearly, you’re gonna fit right in with this band of thugs, grifters, criminals and traitors.
Congrats on the new job!
  
PS I'm getting a very strong Gaydar ping from Scaramucci and I'm thinking maybe Mario Cantone should play him on SNL next season ... if Anthony still has the job?
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