Category Archives: Architecture

Architecture Conundrums: Solvang

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Back in the day, one of the main things that any self-respecting arts education drilled into wannabe artsfans was an aversion to kitsch. And not just an aversion to it, but a vehement, cell-level hatred. It’s fake. … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, The Good Life, Travel | Tagged alpacas, architecture, California, charcuterie, Denmark, food, kitsch, Petersen Village Inn, Root 246, Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang, Succulent Cafe, wine | 32 Comments

“Why Not Have a Beautiful Home?”

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I’ve been focusing too much on crappy buildings lately. Let’s pay attention to the positive, shall we? Southern California has plenty of well-kept, modest, charming neighborhoods, if you’re willing to look. All of the following homes are … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Photography | Tagged American flags on the porch, arbor gates, arts and crafts, bungalows, California, David Hewes, Henry L. Wilson, Julia Morgan, Mountain View Cemetery, Orange, Orange County, residential architecture, Victorian architecture | 12 Comments

Photo of the Day

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: I nominate Bern, Switzerland as the official headquarters of UR. Here’s the city’s official website. A person who claims to live in one of the apartments in this photo says, “Rent is high, sure, but not as … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Photography, The Good Life | Tagged Bern, Switzerland | 4 Comments

Linkage

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: An excellent intro by architect Christine Franck to a great American artform: the Shingle Style. Why should taxpayers be subsidizing our biggest banks? Meet Roberta Pedon, unbelievably busty hippie-chick pinup star of the ’70s. What’s become of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Food and health, Politics and Economics, Sex | Tagged banking, economics, finance, food, Pin-Ups, raw milk, roberta pedon | 11 Comments

Plight of the Early Gentrifier

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Steve Sailer reports on gentrifying versus non-gentrifying neighborhoods in Brooklyn here. Which causes me to think of the plight of the early gentrifier, someone who is always of two minds about the later gentrifier. The New York Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 4 Comments

. . . And I Graduated from the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Fenster

Fenster writes: I saw a picture recently of the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology and fondly recalled the time I spent getting a graduate degree there. It is a lovely modernist conception, too. Take a look. No wait, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 6 Comments

I Graduated From a Monkey Prison

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: In 1972, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the fourth installment in the series, was released. When the film begins, humans have enslaved the apes but eventually the apes rise up in revolution against their oppressors. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Education, Movies, Photography | Tagged brutalism, landscaping, Orange County, Planet of the Apes, Science Fiction, University of California Irvine, William Pereira | 20 Comments

More L.A. Noir

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Via the Facebook group Vintage Los Angeles, I came across this old video of a trip through downtown L.A. According to comments, it’s process footage shot in 1948 for the movie Shockproof, directed by Douglas Sirk and co-written by … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Movies, Photography | Tagged Andre de Toth, Biltmore, Bunker Hill, California, Crime Wave, dames, Douglas Sirk, Glendale, Los Angeles, noir, pointless nostalgia, Sam Fuller, Shockproof, sic transit gloria mundi, The Legend of Zelda, Victorian architecture, Zelda Fitzgerald | 11 Comments

Linkathon

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: If you haven’t been reading the JayMan blog, go give it a try. JayMan is nothing if not an original — a liberal, black HBD fan. He’s also smart and affable — and a very driven blogger. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Food and health, Politics and Economics, Science | Tagged Agnostic, architecture, Foseti, JayMan, Lloyd Fonvielle | 2 Comments

A Reprobate Ancestor

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Fenster

Fenster writes: Alternative living arrangements now have a somewhat chic air about them. There’s cohousing, latter-day countercultural and perennially about to bloom as the boomers retire. There’s the micro-apartment option, the fun new craze for urban-bound but poor youth in … Continue reading →