Veritas et Venustas

@jmassengale tweets

Here are the most recent, there are 500+ more here.

RTing myself: Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1% bit.ly/vvrichredux #OWS

@MASNYC But when NYC has too many rich (like now) it consumes more culture than it creates RT People think culture something ... #summitnyc

I'll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one #OWS wethepeople Corporations have the rights We the People grant them

The 99% are We the People trying to be heard #ows #occupy #wethepeople

Mayor Mike visited Zuccotti Park, now Chase CEO Jamie Dimon should invite #OWS to Occupy Chase Plaza - and help with tents, hot food etc.

"I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love." Steve Jobs

So rage against elected government is patriotic, but rage against multi-national corporations anti-American #DailyShow #occupywallstreet

Bought 2 arch guides in Amsterdam. More than 30% of bldngs on both lists since 1940. Have they been to Amsterdam? #ArchitectsAreIdeologues

From Amsterdam on a perfect day: When the Dutch ride Vespas, the noise is a pleasant summer drone. Italians? A raucous cacophany!

“There’s class warfare, all right,” Warren Buffett said, “but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”

Part 2: Politically, New York urbanists & New Urbanists have a great deal in common #urbandesignweek ps1.org/calendar/view/…

Strikes me @ ps1.org/calendar/view/… that many New York urbanists have an ideological rejection of New Urbanists based solely on style (Pt 1)

@ MoMA PS1 for Urban Design Week listening to Shaun Donovan, Barry Bergdoll & Lizz Plater-Zyberk ps1.org/calendar/view/… #urbandesignweek

Yo! The 20th century is over—we don't have to be "Modern" anymore

Duchamp's urinal was "created" 94 years ago. Must we still pay the consequences today? #bringbackthebeautiful

Beautiful architecture speaks to the senses Lot of contemporary architecture speaks to intellect Without common sense the intellect is dumb

I've lost what little patience I had for new architecture that supports alienation, anomie, depression, misanthropy, nihilism ... and ego.

BGlab for #urbandesignweek kickoff - great to see so many interested in NY urbanism & a great young crowd

Caveat Emptor Priceline Edition #priceline #priceline.com bit.ly/pricelinescks - and I used to really like them

New Urbanist-leanings of Guggenheim Lab paint democratic vision of a civic ideal. What is your civic vision?: bit.ly/pU99ii RT@NewUrbanism

We figured out Gov. Palin wasn't a career politician when she quit #sowhatelseisnew #blowhard

Paul Newman talks about urbanism - and gets it all right bitly.com/vvpnew

Andrew Sullivan asks if we need more roads (hint: "no) bit.ly/2manyrds

@NAHBhome: old days of selling sububan houses like hotcakes are over. In new world, we have too much sprawl and too little walkable urbanism

RT @Lock Best Yankees move in YEARS. Parm to open in Yankee Stadium Tomorrow eater.cc/oJVoRU //Lukes Lobster far behind?

Curbed shows Starchitects' houses but skips all the Starchitects who live in traditional buildings like Rem & Zaha http://bit.ly/starchi

"Interesting" is the most overused word in Modern architecture. "Beauty" most frequently the missing word. #architecture #modernism

more here

I love the Guggenheim Bilbao, but sometimes a picture's worth a thousand words.

THIS IS Frank Gehry's Center for Brain Health. According to the Clinic's website, "The goal of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is to prevent the disabling symptoms of chronic brain diseases and to prolong healthy, vital aging in people at risk for dementia or cognitive disorders."

Not your father's Nanny State: British health service advocates students have a healthy sex life and an orgasm a day

From the Sunday Times Online:

A National Health Service leaflet is advising school pupils that they have a “right” to an enjoyable sex life and that regular intercourse can be good for their cardiovascular health.

... Alongside the slogan “an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away”, it says: “Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and 30 minutes’ physical activity three times a week. What about sex or masturbation twice a week?”

... Slack believes that as long as teenagers are fully informed about sex and are making their decisions free of peer pressure and as part of a caring relationship, they have as much right as an adult to a good sex life.

...Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, Berkshire, who introduced classes in emotional wellbeing, said the approach was “deplorable”.

Maybe this is an effort to increase their teen counseling business. Works going and coming.

Fair & Balanced, My A**

"We just paid $3 billion for these television stations. We'll tell you what the news is."

"When you can feel it, it's already too late."

It's Not Rocket Science

IN 1712 the Industrial Revolution started with the invention of the steam engine, made to pump water out of a coal mine. Since that time we've made a world based on burning fossil fuels. That's contributed to the population of the world growing from 790,000,000 in 1750 to over 6,800,000,000 today — in other words in a little over 2 1/2 centuries the population of the world has grown more than 8 times larger than it ever was before. And when 6.8 billion people live in a world based on fossil fuels and petrochemicals you have an ecological disaster. We the people have altered the world in measurable ways, and unless we change our way of living it's only going to get worse.

At their present rate of growth, in just 20 years the Chinese by themselves will want 20% more oil every day than the entire world uses today — and we know that much oil won't be available. They'll also burn more coal than the world produces today, and eat two-thirds of the world's grain. Except that India will be even bigger than China, and they both have large armies and nuclear arms.

The earth's climate can not support 6.8 billion people living the way we do. This has gone far beyond scientific speculation. Read any report on the state of the oceans and world fishing, for example. Those in the world who depend on fish and fishing are already in big trouble.

We live in very important times.

$timulus We Can Believe In - Call Your Senators and Congressmen (in my case Congresswoman)

BETWEEN 1 minute 59 seconds and 2 minutes 27 seconds in the YouTube video below, the President Elect's new Communications Director answers the question, "Will transit and intercity rail projects be a major component of the infrastructure stimulus package, rather than focusing on highway projects?"

He gives the answer the nation wants to hear* — "Yes" — and goes on to briefly explain why the answer should be yes. But he doesn't mention why 66% of the first $45 billion of stimulus spending discussed is going to the construction of new highways.

* A new survey by the National Association of Realtors and T4America shows that most Americans want stimulus spending to go to road and bridge repair and transit, not new road construction. A majority of the people surveyed think funded projects should advance national goals, such as energy independence, in addition to creating jobs.

And as I've said before, after the trillion-dollar war in Iraq, we can't just print money like the Weimar Republic. We have to act wisely, and we have to do that now. It's not rocket science.

Poll: Most Americans Want Stimulus to Emphasize Road and Bridge Repair and Transit, Not New Road Construction, Poll Finds
Majority says funded projects should advance national goals, such as energy independence, in addition to creating jobs.

Download this Release (.pdf)   
Contact:
David Goldberg, 202/412-7930
david.goldberg@T4america.org   
WASHINGTON – As Congress takes up debate over an economic stimulus package, a new poll shows that most Americans would rather use federal dollars to repair highways and bridges and improve public transportation than expand highways through new construction.
In addition, fully 80 percent of respondents said stimulus investments should not only create jobs, but also help the goals of reducing oil dependency, improving the environment and increasing transportation options, even if the job creation took longer. Only 20 percent agreed that stimulus funds should include only “road and bridge projects that can be started right away and create an immediate boost to the economy”.
The stimulus questions were included in the 2009 Growth and Transportation Survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors® and Transportation For America, and conducted Jan 5-7.
An overwhelming 80 percent believe it is more important that a stimulus plan include efforts to repair existing highways and public transit rather than build new highways. Forty-five percent of those polled said construction of highways should “definitely” or “probably” not be included in the plan.
“Realtors® build communities and believe smarter transportation and infrastructure development will help create more livable and vibrant neighborhoods,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The survey shows that Americans want Congress and the incoming administration to factor plans for reducing dependence on foreign oil, improving the environment, and increasing transportation choices into the stimulus package currently in development, even if it temporarily delays job creation.
Americans are also very interested in energy conservation. Eighty-nine percent agreed that transportation investments should support the goals of reducing energy use, with 58 percent agreeing strongly. Three in four of those polled also want the stimulus plan to support the reduction of carbon emissions that lead to global warming and climate change.
The telephone survey of 1,005 adults living in the U.S. was conducted by Hart Research Associates Jan. 5-7. The study has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Transportation for America (T4America.org) is a big-tent coalition of housing, real estate, environmental, public health, urban planning, transportation and other organizations.
“We believe it is possible to invest the stimulus money both wisely and quickly,” said Geoff Anderson, co-chair of Transportation for America. “Because this is a down-payment on long term economic stability, it is critical that we don’t just throw money at our problems. Voters are clearly asking that Congress and the Administration line up our investments with important national goals.”
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.