ASYNCHRONOUS SYNCOPATION: How many clubs can recite the Pledge in seven time signatures at once? We did, this week--or so it seemed, despite the best efforts of BOBBA VENKATADRI. Where's that metronome? . . . Then came MARIANNE KRISTOFFERSON'S Invocation, explaining why human contentment is so doggone elusive: "If you want happiness for a hour, take a nap; if you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune, if you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone" . . .
EVERYBODY'S PITCHING IN: We've donated $25K to the nascent Community Center . . . And our scholarship efforts this year will include payments for citizens who want to enroll in Parks and Rec activities . . . Much of this--and more- is made possible by club-wide support for the annual Golf Tournament, coming on October 11 this year . . . Find out from MARILYN ORR or MIKE HORWITZ how you can make a last minute contribution to their gargantuan effort on our behalf . . .
FROM GAUDI TO GEHRY WITH JERRY: That's Winges, our resident architect, Cal/Harvard/Peace Corps alum, pen-and-ink artist, and debunking virtuoso . . . His beguiling program, illustrated by dozens of slides, explored Architecture Around the World in the Modern Era . . . It was a dizzying sojourn, replete with buildings masquerading as pikestaffs, twisted cords, and remnants of a cosmic taffy-pull . . . The first "skyscraper," a full ten stories high, didn't arrive until 1885. That's because wood, stone, and concrete construction materials limited buildings to no more than four or five stories . . . Improved water pumps and elevators were needed, too . . . By 1925, The Chicago Tribune Building boasted 36 stories, and five years later the Art Deco Chrysler Building reached 77 . . . The 102 story Empire State Building held sway from 1931 to 1974, when its height was exceeded by the Sears Tower in Chicago (108 floors) . . . All of these are, or course, plpsqueaks next to the half-mile high Burj Khalifa Building in Dubai, currently the world's record holder . . . Jerry shared a multitude of insights about his subject, all of them spell-binding: "Starchitects" (Zaha Hadid, Santiago Calatrava, Frank Gehry); buildings so elaborate they're properly called "vertical cities"; New Facades and Shapes (Gehry's Stata Center at MIT); sustainability and energy efficiency--burning topics, as buildings are responsible for 36% of global energy use and 39% of carbon emissions . . . The talk closed with Jerry's Six Routes to Architecture Appreciation:
Travel. And if you're really into frozen music, don't forget Barcelona.
Take photos of buildings you like--or, better yet, sketch 'em.
Look up! Some of the best architectural elements are aloft. (See #4, below.)
Look inside. Examine lighting, materials, scale.
Pay attention to details (see above)
Bring home a souvenir, e.g., a miniature model.
COMING SOON: Our annual October fundraiser, golf at Green Hills Country Club October 11 . . . Next week's program: "Taxi!"-- CHRIS RAMIREZ on driving for Uber. Is there no end to this remarkable fellow's capacities?
Join us to hear from our very own Chris Ramirez about his experiences as an Uber driver. He will enlighten us on the inner workings of the Uber/Lyft ride share companies. He will, also, share some entertaining and maybe harrowing stories of his time with Uber.
FROM GAUDI TO GEHRY WITH JERRY: That's Winges, our resident architect, Cal/Harvard/Peace Corps alum, pen-and-ink artist, and debunking virtuoso . . . His beguiling program, illustrated by dozens of slides, explored Architecture Around the World in the Modern Era . . . It was a dizzying sojourn, replete with buildings masquerading as pikestaffs, twisted cords, and remnants of a cosmic taffy-pull . . . The first "skyscraper," a full ten stories high, didn't arrive until 1885. That's because wood, stone, and concrete construction materials limited buildings to no more than four or five stories . . . Improved water pumps and elevators were needed, too . . . By 1925, The Chicago Tribune Building boasted 36 stories, and five years later the Art Deco Chrysler Building reached 77 . . . The 102 story Empire State Building held sway from 1931 to 1974, when its height was exceeded by the Sears Tower in Chicago (108 floors) . . . All of these are, or course, plpsqueaks next to the half-mile high Burj Khalifa Building in Dubai, currently the world's record holder . . . Jerry shared a multitude of insights about his subject, all of them spell-binding: "Starchitects" (Zaha Hadid, Santiago Calatrava, Frank Gehry); buildings so elaborate they're properly called "vertical cities"; New Facades and Shapes (Gehry's Stata Center at MIT); sustainability and energy efficiency--burning topics, as buildings are responsible for 36% of global energy use and 39% of carbon emissions . . . The talk closed with Jerry's Six Routes to Architecture Appreciation:
