Definition of hell on earth: NYC Penn Station
October 2, 2008 – 7:40 amNew York Penn station is my most hated place on earth. Every corridor, staircase and room fills me with absolute rage. When I have to travel from New Jersey to NYC, I always imagine that I died on the train and will be forever stuck in Penn station choking on the smell of burning hot dogs and greasy popcorn. If I ever met the architects who designed Penn, I would punch them straigth in the throat.
Comparing the new and the old Penn Station, renowned Yale architectural historian Vincent Scully once wrote, “One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.”- Wikipedia
Here is an article about some other buildings that should be torn down. Notice that Penn Station/Madison Square Garden is the first on the list.
This is what they torn down in 1964. Criminals!
Where’s all the cool dangerous stuff?
October 1, 2008 – 9:34 am
When searching around for pistol for my Halloween costume, I came across a bunch of site’s where you can buy exact replicas of pretty much any gun known. I was amazed at the variety…muskets, Lugers, M16s and even cannons (www.replicaweaponry.com). You can buy blank firing guns too. I was very tempted.
Looking at this stuff brought me back to when I was around 10 or 11 years old. I lived in a semi-rural area where most of the kids owned BB guns and various off-road vehicles (go-carts, ATVs and motorcycles). We used to do all kinds of dangerous stuff in the neighborhood like making big ramps to jump our bikes, shooting stuff and trying to come up with better ways to blow up things.
Most of these activities are frowned upon or outright banned, especially in the tighting packed burbs of America. It might be the fact that I was never seriously injured that shapes my opinion, but I think these activites were actually good for me. They taught me about risk, responsibility and the direct consequences of your actions. In today’s safety, “everyone wins!” culture, kids are really lossing out on the trill of adventure.
I’m just as guilty as anyone else when it comes to my kids. It always “Put that stick down! You’ll poke out your sister’s eye!” or “Don’t jump on the chair! You’ll fall on the ground!”. Pretty ridiculous stuff when you think about it. Hopefully, I can adjust a little as my son grows older and open him up to the world of danger. Hey, that’s why we are born with two of everything. Who says my daughter can’t live a productive life with just one eye?
The Fateful Apple: The original sin and inherent depravity
September 24, 2008 – 7:27 amI know Steve Jobs is very protective of it’s user experience (rightly so), but I think they might be pushing it a little too far. Transparency is not one of their strong points.
You are the banana king!
September 23, 2008 – 11:45 amThis is old but my son and I love to watch it over and over again. I think the sequal “Charlie the Unicorn 2″ is even better.
Stop Making Sense
September 12, 2008 – 10:20 am“The better the singer’s voice the harder it is to believe what they are saying” - David Byrne
I found this quote in a random promotion video for the famous Talking Heads movie “Stop Making Sense”. I guess that why I have always like singers like Neil Young, Frank Black or Kurt Cobain. These guys would not be classified as great singers, but at least they are or were authentic.
UI designer needed for major publication
September 9, 2008 – 1:21 pmA co-worker was showing me the front page of a major newspaper in Pakistan. Looking at it made me go into a seizure. Rarely do you encounter this kind of advertising anymore in the US. I don’t even know where the actual news is on this page?
So if you are feelin’ blue and think you are a complete hack, just graze upon this and smile. Web design has come along way…and Pakistan is in desparate need of a UI designer.
