Self-Inflicted Identity Crisis

This quarter I am enrolled in an anthropology course studying material culture and identity. As part of the class, students are required to write posts to a blog.  Below is my first post. Because it is a closed blog, I am reposting it rather than linking it.

Hard to describe

I have had quite a few personal revelations over the past few months.  My world view is quickly changing, whether for the better or the worse, I haven’t decided yet. It is an odd sort of thing that I really cannot describe very well.

On Architects

If you ever wondered what it’s like to hear all of the jargon eschewed every day in architecture school, just listen to this guy:

 

http://tinyurl.com/2yx5gj 

 

I counted about six or so words and phrases that architects mercilessly subject poor, unsuspecting listeners to: perimeter, context, insert, elements, acts, and, my all-time hated favorite, phenomenological.  Seriously, why do we as a profession attempt to justify what we do through rhetorical masturbation?

Cute movie

I really liked this short film. I thought it was really cute. Warning: it’s about 27 minutes long, but it’s worth the “awwws” and the big smile you’ll get by the end

Charming short film: CRUSH
Uploaded by refertations

This one is like some after-school special with bad acting.

Gay flirt
Uploaded by nonightfan

They’re all so early 90′s!

Brain Freeze, Rebooting

So I had an idea for another Life Lesson but I am totally drawing a blank. It’s like I had a blue screen of death for my thoughts. Anyway…

Life Lesson #4

Always check your pockets before doing laundry. You do not want to deal with the mess that the washer and dryer spew out as a result.

How to Speak Like an Architect

Having endured four years of architecture school, I have come to learn the ropes of archispeak. For whatever reason, architects feel that higher level of intellectual importance needs to be emphasized in the field. This is especially true in academia, where discussion about buildings is riddled with messy, unintelligible statements that sound semi-profound.

Here are some tips for speaking like an architect:

1) Add the suffix “-ality” to as many words as possible, even when the shorter term may be more appropriate. Examples include “monumentality,” “spatiality” and “materiality.” Such words give discussions more complexiality.

2) Turn nouns into verbs or adverbs by adding suffixes like “-atize” and “-ly.” “Problematize” is one of the more common examples.

3) Words of 5 syllables or more are usually preferable. How else can you discuss phenomenological paradigms and the dynamic structural articulation of the sophisticated design solution?

4) When in doubt, use the word “sexy.”

Inspired by my own experiences and Austin Dingwall’s article at Michigan Daily [link].

Life Lesson #3

Any furniture “designed” by television celebrities (such as Ty Pennington, Cindy Crawford) should usually be avoided at all costs. You don’t want that crap.

Break dance

A group of about 10 or so people started a break-dancing session in the lobby right outside my classroom tonight. I would have much preferred watching them dance to slightly boring dance music over a 3 hour lecture on socialist contemporary architectural theory.
I still want an iPhone. It would have been extremely handy today. I could have left my laptop at home and still been able to check my email, listen to music, check my class schedule and even browsed the internet. Oh, and make phone calls too. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my new laptop, but I am always fearful that the one day I don’t take it with me to school I will desperately need to check email or a class website and not have access to a computer.

Life Lesson #2

You should reconsider the amount of cologne or perfume you dip yourself in when you are getting ready for the day. If I can smell you from 10 feet away (on a sidewalk, no less), you are wearing too much. Conversely, one should shower frequently as to avoid offending the people who have to sit next to you for extended periods of time, such as in a classroom setting. Heavy dosages of cologne or perfume are also not appropriate solutions in this case, though there is much debate over which is more offensive, excessively applied cologne/perfume or extreme body odor.