Thursday, September 01, 2005
The situation in New Orleans is, of course, terrible, but it’s also compelling. I find myself checking CNN several times a day to watch things disintegrate with a kind of detached interest. Undoubtedly my pharmaceuticals are playing some part in this.
I snipped this from CNN:
President Bush, in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," said that their [sic] should be "zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this."
Contrast this with Donald Rumsfeld’s remarks just after the invasion of Baghdad, where looting and lawlessness ruled the streets. Rumsfeld said:
“It’s untidy. And freedom’s untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things."
Apparently rampant “untidiness” is permissible in Baghdad but not in America.
Fucking assholes.
I snipped this from CNN:
President Bush, in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," said that their [sic] should be "zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this."
Contrast this with Donald Rumsfeld’s remarks just after the invasion of Baghdad, where looting and lawlessness ruled the streets. Rumsfeld said:
“It’s untidy. And freedom’s untidy. And free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things."
Apparently rampant “untidiness” is permissible in Baghdad but not in America.
Fucking assholes.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
THE NEW PROJECT
Eric and I are very excited about our plans for renovating and adding to our new house. When we first started talking about moving to south Florida about a year ago we thought we might build new. As the timing changed and reality intruded, we decided instead to buy another fixer-upper. What we’ve ended up with is a mix of both – a house that needs work on a lot big enough to build new living space.
The house is about 1700 square feet on a 1/3 acre corner lot. It was being renovated when we put in our offer. The work was nearly complete but we asked them to stop and give us a credit for things left undone. The interior is nice enough, and we could certainly live there without reconfiguring anything, but it isn’t set up the way we would want. For example, there’s only one sink in the master bathroom, and the master bedroom is too small, and who needs a full bathroom integrated into the sunroom? I also have some very specific desires regarding the mechanical systems and overall energy strategy. So at the very least, the interior will need to be renovated.
In addition, we’d like a workshop for Eric, an office for me, and a guest suite. I want these areas to be mechanically separate from the main house, so we don’t need to condition something we’re not using.
Eric and I knew we wanted to hire an architect to come up with a master plan. We’ve settled on one – Steve Suchman of Domestic Lifeforms.
More later.
Eric and I are very excited about our plans for renovating and adding to our new house. When we first started talking about moving to south Florida about a year ago we thought we might build new. As the timing changed and reality intruded, we decided instead to buy another fixer-upper. What we’ve ended up with is a mix of both – a house that needs work on a lot big enough to build new living space.
The house is about 1700 square feet on a 1/3 acre corner lot. It was being renovated when we put in our offer. The work was nearly complete but we asked them to stop and give us a credit for things left undone. The interior is nice enough, and we could certainly live there without reconfiguring anything, but it isn’t set up the way we would want. For example, there’s only one sink in the master bathroom, and the master bedroom is too small, and who needs a full bathroom integrated into the sunroom? I also have some very specific desires regarding the mechanical systems and overall energy strategy. So at the very least, the interior will need to be renovated.
In addition, we’d like a workshop for Eric, an office for me, and a guest suite. I want these areas to be mechanically separate from the main house, so we don’t need to condition something we’re not using.
Eric and I knew we wanted to hire an architect to come up with a master plan. We’ve settled on one – Steve Suchman of Domestic Lifeforms.
More later.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
THE NEW JOB (continued)
One of the reasons I decided to take this job was because it played to my strengths. I love to be organized and get into the details. This is essential in managing these type of projects. There’s also a benefit to working in construction as opposed to design. In design, sometime you end up working on stuff you know is bullshit, which is very dispiriting. Construction, however, has a low bullshit factor, since by the time you engage a contractor the project is pretty much a sure thing. Hill York also takes on complicated, high-profile jobs which are guaranteed to keep me engaged.
Another reason is that, when I look into the future, I’d like to have my own redevelopment firm. This is very tenuous navel-gazing type stuff, but the idea of renovating existing properties to be energy efficient and serve a greater good is VERY appealing. Spending the next several years working for Hill York could give me many of the skills I need to refine and reach that goal.
So I’m back to work and loving it. I’ve got a big, sprawling, messy project to sink my teeth into, I interface constantly with the engineering design community, and occasionally I get to wear a hardhat and look really butch. What more could I ask for?
One of the reasons I decided to take this job was because it played to my strengths. I love to be organized and get into the details. This is essential in managing these type of projects. There’s also a benefit to working in construction as opposed to design. In design, sometime you end up working on stuff you know is bullshit, which is very dispiriting. Construction, however, has a low bullshit factor, since by the time you engage a contractor the project is pretty much a sure thing. Hill York also takes on complicated, high-profile jobs which are guaranteed to keep me engaged.
Another reason is that, when I look into the future, I’d like to have my own redevelopment firm. This is very tenuous navel-gazing type stuff, but the idea of renovating existing properties to be energy efficient and serve a greater good is VERY appealing. Spending the next several years working for Hill York could give me many of the skills I need to refine and reach that goal.
So I’m back to work and loving it. I’ve got a big, sprawling, messy project to sink my teeth into, I interface constantly with the engineering design community, and occasionally I get to wear a hardhat and look really butch. What more could I ask for?
Monday, August 29, 2005
MY NEW JOB
When I moved down here to south Florida in the spring, I decided on a series of target jobs. These were ranked in order of desirability, number one being a position with a small to mid-size mechanical facilities design firm that specializes in energy efficient green design. I suspected that this position wouldn’t actually exist, so I kept my eyes open for the runner-up targets. One of those was a project management position in the construction field.
So I started networking with the local engineering community. The ideal position didn’t exist so far as I could see, but there were several design firms I would have enjoyed working for. However, an opportunity for a project management position appeared. I wasn’t all that interested initially. I put in my resume assuming that, if I spoke to them, I would fish for contacts and benefit from the interview practice. However, the more I researched the company the more interested I got. This interest only intensified when I spoke to them.
A few weeks ago I began working as a project manager for Hill York Corporation. They’re a well-regarded air-conditioning contractor here in south Florida. As a project manager I run the office side of a job: interface with the clients, coordinate details, watch the money, manage the schedule, purchase the equipment. My first project is a 67 story condo / hotel in Miami with a projected 7 million dollar HVAC budget. Hill York has an engineering function, with which I will become more involved over the next few years.
More later.
When I moved down here to south Florida in the spring, I decided on a series of target jobs. These were ranked in order of desirability, number one being a position with a small to mid-size mechanical facilities design firm that specializes in energy efficient green design. I suspected that this position wouldn’t actually exist, so I kept my eyes open for the runner-up targets. One of those was a project management position in the construction field.
So I started networking with the local engineering community. The ideal position didn’t exist so far as I could see, but there were several design firms I would have enjoyed working for. However, an opportunity for a project management position appeared. I wasn’t all that interested initially. I put in my resume assuming that, if I spoke to them, I would fish for contacts and benefit from the interview practice. However, the more I researched the company the more interested I got. This interest only intensified when I spoke to them.
A few weeks ago I began working as a project manager for Hill York Corporation. They’re a well-regarded air-conditioning contractor here in south Florida. As a project manager I run the office side of a job: interface with the clients, coordinate details, watch the money, manage the schedule, purchase the equipment. My first project is a 67 story condo / hotel in Miami with a projected 7 million dollar HVAC budget. Hill York has an engineering function, with which I will become more involved over the next few years.
More later.
