floo floo bird

from Aaron Britt's contribution to the dwell blog:

President Obama's inaugural address sent me running for William Safire's splendid compendium of great speeches (he used to write speeches for President Nixon), Lend Me Your Ears. I set out to consult Jefferson's first inaugural address - notable for those wonderful lines: "Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle," but found myself wandering around inside the book until I hit upon a doozie from Frank Lloyd Wright.

Given to the Association of Federal Architects in Washington DC in 1938, Wright's speech castigates the direction of American architecture by comparing it to a floo floo bird, "that peculiar and especial bird who always flew backward. To keep the wind out of its eyes? No. Just because it didn't give a darn where it was going, but just had to see where it had been."

...

Obama may be one hell of an orator, but Wright had him beat in at least one category: orneriness. He closes the speech with two thunderous lines that every libertarian should have stuck to his fridge: "I know of nothing more silly than to expect 'government' to solve our advanced problems for us. If we have no ideas, how can government have any?"

In his 1957 interview with Mike Wallace, an 89-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright betrays his elitist attitudes toward architecture and society (and demonstrates a bit of orneriness).

confusion became anger, which yielded to understanding.
understanding has brought only sadness.
and in sadness there is hope.

jin·go·ism - noun

Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism.

a steady, balanced diet of 

it's always sunny in philadelphia,

arrested development,

duckman,

genesis,

the killers

: : day man : : fighter of the night man : : champion of the sun : :

: : there's nothing i can do now : : we've got to get in to get out : :

sub·ter·fuge - noun

1. Something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity.
2. An artifice employed to escape censure or the force of an argument, or to justify opinions or conduct; a shift; an evasion.

The Gang

One of the first posts on this blog lauded the merits and lamented the probable demise of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Alas, three full seasons later, the show continues to be a rare gem of reprobate, lunatic, narcissistic, pathological, and antisocial facets.

Adding Danny Devito's character compromised the original continuity "The Gang" established in the first season. But it did unleash the limitless insanity and hilarity possessed by Dennis, Dee, Mac and Charlie.

expectations

Anticipation is a killer.

This new year's eve, much like the past year, was a sleeper. Entered with few expectations; any/all exceeded. I bring new perpective each time I travel to Grand Rapids. I leave with new perspective. Perfect place to ring in twenty-oh-nine. Cheers!




Travel well this year.