apiacás arquitetos

um, yes please. i'll move in tomorrow!


apiacás arquitetos: "

apiacás arquitetos | photo: pregnolato & kusuki estúdio fotográfico | via archdaily

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OMD: History of Modern

OMG OMD!

OMD: History of Modern: "OMD's triumphant return to form with their first studio album in 14 years

With a string of live shows, mashups and reissues priming their return, OMD will release their first studio album in 14 years, History of Modern, this September. Reuniting in the recording studio after more than two decades, the original lineup—Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Malcolm Holmes and Martin Cooper—hit a new creative stride with the album while also harkening back to the crackling brilliance of their early singles.

OMD's electronic pop beats sit at the core of the thirteen tracks, in the droning synths of 'New Babies: New Toys,' the crystalline rush of 'Sister Mary Says,' and the eerie soundscape of 'New Holy Ground.' The soulful Aretha Franklin mashup 'Save Me' (an American bonus track) gets our bodies moving. Legendary designer Peter Saville, who created many of OMD's celebrated album covers is also part of the new release, contributing a vivid cover that riffs off of his earlier album designs.

'History of Modern' drops 20 September in the U.K. and 28 September in the U.S. Preorder your copy on iTunes or Amazon or go all-out and reserve the limited-edition box set with an exclusive t-shirt on OMD's store. Check OMD's site for upcoming shows and other details.

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London’s Do-It-Yourself Approach to Safer Streets

Another great solution to an urban/neighborhood street problem.

London’s Do-It-Yourself Approach to Safer Streets: "

In the UK, the non-profit Sustrans
is pioneering a community-based method to reclaim streets from
high-speed traffic and make neighborhoods safer and more sociable
places.

Called "DIY Streets," the program brings neighbors together to help
them redesign their streets in a way that puts people, safety, and
streetlife first. So far, individual streets have benefited from DIY
redesigns in 11 communities in England and Wales. Recently Streetfilms
got a walk through of one successful DIY project -- on Clapton Terrace
in London. With the people who made it happen as our guides, we saw how
planners and neighbors collaborated to transform a place where speeding
used to rule into a local street with calm traffic and safe space to
socialize.

Can the DIY model work on a bigger scale than an individual street?
We're about to find out: Residents of the London Borough of Haringey
will soon be working with Sustrans on the first neighborhood-wide DIY project.

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With the Bike Injunction Lifted, SF Starts to Build Out Its Bike Plan

i thought this is quite compelling since i've started to ride a bike again (last time i rode was back in my sophomore year in high school). now that i'm bigger, smarter, and more err responsible. i think anything that wills people to be more active and less polluting in a safe manner is good with me. even though newsom's gordon gecko hair bothers me sometimes he's doing some good around town.

With the Bike Injunction Lifted, SF Starts to Build Out Its Bike Plan: "

Mayor Gavin Newsom addresses the press. SFMTA Chief Nat Ford, SFMTA Board Chair Tom Nolan, Bicycle CAC Chief Bert Hill, Livable City Board Chair and SFMTA Board Nominee Cheryl Brinkman in pink and D-5 Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi at far right. Photos: Matthew Roth.

Because official word about the lifting of the four-year-old bike injunction in San Francisco came so late on Friday afternoon, Mayor Gavin Newsom and his city staff had to wait until today to have their celebratory press conference and symbolic lane striping on Townsend Street at 4th Street, across from the Caltrain Station.

There was a palpable sense of relief in the air and in the formal comments delivered by a host of speakers, from Mayor Newsom to Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) head Nat Ford, and Renee Rivera, acting executive director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

"It's a new era for bicycling and for San Francisco," said Rivera. "We are on our way to being the most bike friendly city in the country."

Rivera threw out numerous statistics pointing to the surge in bicycle riding in San Francisco, despite the injunction, and she vowed she would never say the word "injunction" in public again.

In addition to the Townsend Street lane, the SFMTA is moving forward on striping 35 bike lanes that are part of the Bicycle Plan, projects the agency expects to complete in the next year and a half.

The SFMTA's Ford said they planned to add 5,500 more sharrows to the exisiting 2,500, as well as another 500 bike racks and 31 miles of new lanes, a 64 percent increase over the existing 48 miles.

"You're going to see a lot of visible infrastructure improvements for the bikes," said Ford. "What
we're able to do with this Bike Plan is clearly delineate the part of
the street and the infrastructure of the street that belong to
bicyclists."

Mayor Newsom, Rene Rivera, Ross Mirkarimi, Nat Ford, and Tom Nolan triping the first lane since the injunction was lifted.

Mayor Newsom deflected a number of questions from reporters trying to play up the potential for discord as car parking and travel lanes are removed for bike lanes. Newsom pointed to the new green bike lanes on Market Street and the green bike box on Scott Street as successes and said, "Since November of last year, when we had the partial bike injunction
lifted, we've done a lot of work and I haven't gotten one complaint. In
fact, all we've been is complemented by folks that have noticed the
improvements and are kind of excited again by their city."

Newsom downplayed any divisiveness that could present itself around improved bicycle infrastructure and said the old cyclist-driver enmity wouldn't be in play.

"I think we've moved away from the old dynamic, that friction that existed in the late 90s, where it was bicyclists versus cars," he said. "It's a different era now and we're working collaboratively together, there's not the sort of tweaking that goes back and forth."

Newsom also focused on the changing business climate, where merchants who used to resist the addition of bicycle lanes now readily support them. "I think it's suggestive of the business community, a lot of merchant
groups that recognize this is not gonna hurt their business. In many
ways it's enhancing their business, it's creating more livability, more
identity for their neighborhoods," he said and referred to the "I Bike SF" campaign in Hayes Valley and the Fillmore.

Newsom also latched onto statistics from surveys conducted by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, which found transit riders and cyclists spend more money in aggregate than drivers in the downtown commercial district.

"Bicyclists are more apt to walk around
and stay a little extra time and to peruse and shop and support their
neighborhood merchants," he said.

Shortly after the official press conference, Newsom, Rivera, Mirkarimi, Nolan, and Ford grabbed a can of paint and striped the first official lane since the injunction was lifted. Despite the symbolism, Mirkarimi joked with the mayor that it wasn't as exciting as painting the street green, as they did last December on Scott Street.

SFBC Program Director Andy Thornley was one of the first to ride the new lane after the thermoplastic dried. He even puffed on a stogie.

"

Untz to Tron

Untz to Tron: "


In the perfect blend of Hipsterness and Geekiness (are those the same thing nowadays?)

Daft Punk has composed the entire score to the new Tron movie.

And apparently they have all been leaked onto the YouTubes.
(listen fast... these will surely be removed soon.)


(I fucks with with the track for scene 505... I would totally want to be listening to that
if I ever crossed into a cyber-dimension)

*

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25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

1. I just entered academia after 6 years.

2. I came to realize that once I got rid of "the monkey" on my back , that's "the size of China," I get invited to a lot more events. Really exciting. Like weddings, dinners and superbowl parties.

3. I love to dance. Mon knows.

4. I love to eat, and eat well. Especially fried pork.

5. I'd like to put on my traveling shoes and see Tuscany, China, Iceland, Africa, Galapagos Islands, Peru, Alaska, Cuba, Fiji...

6. My family and very close homies are integral in my life. If it were not for them I wouldn't be asking the next question.

7. Why does the month of January 2009 feel like forever?

8. My astrological sign is Pisces. It explains a lot. But its not an accurate description. I'll be 31 on March 9th and will have a party on Friday the 13th. It will be well equipped with Karaoke and DJ DJ...keg? Not sure rough economic times. "Coming to America" y'all. Come as an immigrant. I'll be taking donations for "Noelle want's to be a US Citizen (finally)" fund.

9. Rox got me hooked on playing an amazing game called "Volley Bonk!" She called me "athletic!" That's the first time I've been called that. I felt really special.

10. Karaoke, anyone? Love it, suck it, own it, work it, feel it!

11. My skin is unbelievably soft, I've been told. My secret, loofah and cocoa butter. I'll probably die from skin cancer...

12. Whenever I go to the beach, I have a tanning system...first I apply Water Baby's SPF 45, then spritz Australian Gold Self Tanner w/SPF 15, then a final all-over-body spritz of tanning oil SPF 8. I mention the SPF because it sounds OK to be exposed in the sunlight for over 6 hours. Laying out seriously is the best time anyone can have at the beach. I heart it. I can't help it I grew up in the OC.

13. Maria's one of the best friends one can have. We even have a duet, "Greatest Love of All!" It's really easy to see. She is a gem and I am just a hologram.

14. I've learned to love the sound of vinyl records and reading for pleasure. Records sound so hearty, compared to an mp3. People who say they are dj's need to check themselves before I wreck them 'cause I'll probably get drunk enough to say that they're posers for playing outta their Ipods in public. Ya, I said reading! I was taught how to read by an aunt who was a Nazi teacher. Therefore, I always felt that reading was a punishment and not a pleasurable experience.

15. I'll probably have 3 kids...either my own or my (OC) best friend's kids. At the rate I'm going, its a high probability its the latter.

16. I have 3 student assistants who help me get through a day at work...they make me laugh...a lot!

17. So, far there are three good people that have entered my life in a great way and I've only began to know them in my recent past. They have either left the city or about to leave in the near future. I hope to keep in touch (it's not my greatest characteristic, but it will be one of the fundamental things that I will be changing about myself).

18. My current Pandora music station is Billie Holiday.

19. Since having my camera, I've been going on dates with it around the city. The city really is beautiful. My favorite spot is the in GG Park, the Music Concourse, surrounded by 2 rad buildings, the De Young and the Academy of Science. I plan many more dates in the city and find new favorite spots.

20. Piggybacking from #17, I think one of things about keeping in touch is sending handwritten, notes, cards and packages to people who I care tremendously for. It will be something I look forward to doing (and receiving ain't bad either).

21. I believe I'm in the cusp of the GEN X and Millennial generation. Maybe more GEN X.

22. I love to cook and what it entails; friends, family, love, joy, and wine. Although, lately I haven't been in the mood. I wish I had family nearby, so that I can eat with them home cooked Filipino food.

23. I love design, it's sexy. Buildings, lamps, a comfortable yet interesting looking chair, a room that compliments and a view...my house/design mags are my pornography.

24. I love to watch movies. I'm not fans of people who talk during a movie. It's annoying.

25. Fina-F'en-lly, I hope that I don't lose this like Pena did. That would totally suck ass.

Why I love San Francisco

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inauguraljourney/detail?&entry_id=34818

Because of art installations like these. someone actually risked their life sticking all on "OBAMA" signs over all the "BUSH" street signs