The books in the Fort
I was asked recently what I was reading, but not in the sense of “currently.” I think I was being asked what books I turn to when I need to. I’ve got a few standards, a few golden pages that continually intrigue, pay off, and illicit. I don’t exactly read these, but I study them. Design reading is a different category, and probably a boring one. I’ll also mention that it just started snowing outside, the first of the... Read More
Strategy Can Do Better, Mr. Haque
Umair Haque recently published an article for the Harvard Business Review that I’ve read now four times and it’s time to talk about it. The piece is called Strategy Can Do Better and quantifies what so many people have been feeling so deeply but couldn’t quite get out of their mouths. The piece is so brilliant, so verbally satisfying that I couldn’t regurgitate my own version and provide any improvement whatsoever, so I’m... Read More
Public domain, white gold
Recently I was doing some digging and came across the largest public domain film archive I’ve ever imagined in my life. I was absolutely giddy when I realized that all the videos in the archive were simply a click away from being downloaded onto my machine, ready for the cutting board. There are a few tricks to learning the keyword system, but once you get comfortable understanding how the archive stores information it’s basically an endless... Read More
Just a little candor
Seventeen years ago Jurassic Park was released to the world in video form (don’t worry, this is not a fan post about Jurassic Park). Easily the most made fun-of/irksome character was Dr. Ian Malcolm. No one wanted to talk about chaos theory, they just wanted to see some dinosaurs, twisted steel, and screaming tweens. I don’t want to talk about chaos theory either, but let me pull something totally out of context that he says and put in... Read More
Perspective narrative
Perspective, or more importantly narrative. We each have several, perhaps hundreds. On the front door of my identity there are a few narratives: male, curious, young, European-descendant, son of a logger. What does it mean though for my personal narratives if I can successfully mesh with narratives around me? Or, perhaps, narratives that will never come in contact with my own (ie. the narrative of a Siberian Mystic living in obscurity)? One of the... Read More
Desktop Wallpaper, Whales of Oregon
Whales, medium ones, that live in Oregon. This is what the new desktop screenspace from FORTPORT looks like. 3 friendly medium-sized giants, categorized for your desktop! Actually there are quite a few whales that call Oregon home, but these three spoke to me in particular. They’re almost all exactly the same size, and also happened to fit nicely together on screen. I’ve got several sizes for you, including iPad & iPhone, just in... Read More
Atelier, Provocateur, lost talent
Before his death I wrote a little post on Alexander Mcqueen & his (tragically, final) womenswear show called Plato’s Atlantis. Still, I believe it was the best show I’ve ever seen in my life for a variety of reasons, but I never really mentioned him after he died. Lee Alexander Mcqueen has been an inspiration of mine since I first heard of him when Gianni Versace was murdered outside his Miami home in 1997. He mentioned that he thought... Read More
Jeff Swartz, Honor is in the source
The yellow Timberland boot. The American boot, as hard working as Carharts, shearling, and blue jeans. Almost an artifact, the archetype that has not wavered or changed in style since the current CEO Jeff Swartz’ grandfather began the company. In 1960, the family company introduced innovative injection-molding technology which allowed for nearly 100% waterproof boots by attaching the soles to the leather tops without any stitching. This is... Read More
Manhattan Masjid, or YMCA
Disclaimer I originally hesitated to comment on this, wondering if this was the appropriate venue to talk about a couple of pressing things. If it’s not a stretch, the subject does involve shared spaces, complex systems, and perhaps narrative storytelling. Don’t be alarmed, I’m quite a mild commentator, perhaps you share some of these views also. Headlines usually have a short lifespan for those not in them, but often we don’t... Read More
From Where We Stand – Portland Masjid
Islamic Center of Portland Dr. Cornel West recently said I like to be multi-contextual, which is much more important than being multicultural. I read that only a day before I visited a Mosque (Masjid) for the first time in my life. This was a heartwood trip. I’ve heard the call to prayer (Adhan) for years, I’ve even had a widget on my home computer blare out the call to prayer for about a year, much to the surprise of guests. What on... Read More