The Color Blind Architect

Russia has invaded Ukraine and I can't help but ask: is the principle of mutually assured destruction still a valid working theory when one of the nuclear powers is run by someone who has seemingly gone mad. Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/cory-alstad/drift

What do my ski clothes have to do with the Freedom Convoy 2022 in Canada? The question comes from an examination of safety and security versus diminishing returns on providing that safety and security.

After two months of waiting, it's finally here! Watch as I open up the package as my 12 year old son makes fun of me. Music by http://www.bensound.com

My heart is heavy. A friend passed away last night. It's difficult processing this. Hold your dear ones and love them. Live your life. Rest In Peace, Travis. Music by http://www.bensound.com

I'm a little late for getting a Christmas message out, but as I ponder the coming New Year, I can't help but think about how important it is to return to the teachings of Jesus Christ to help heal our world. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Architecture can be corrupted, but it is not as easy as some other professional endeavors as ultimately, a building must be structurally sound, it must stand up. Laws of Physics govern truth in Architecture.

Seems everyone is saying F#$@ Joe Biden these days. Did he inadvertently cause a massive infectious case of Tourette's Syndrome? Or does political power corrupt people, and Joe Biden has about 50 years of being corrupted by power? Either way, government is a necessary evil, so we need to keep it as limited as possible so it can only do the things it must do and nothing more.

Governmental leaders throughout the world have betrayed the public trust. Institutions all over are failing to live up to their mission statements. What are we the people to do?

When Donald Trump used to talk about the "Deep State" it was easy to wave it off as conspiracy theories of a crack-pot. But what is the deep state? Is it real? Well, technically, it is real. Bureaucracy is the deep state. In every level of government, the staff, or bureaucrats, largely control the direction of government because they are the ones always there.

Building permits are a form of police powers by local governments to help protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. But the Federal government is client and police, thus, no check on their power prevents abuse of the contractors who work for them. Similarly, Biden's unconstitutional executive order to mandate vaccines is the executive branch legislating, thereby usurping power from the Congress. Checks and balances are an important part of the Constitution for a reason. Music by www.bensound.com

The "Great Reset" is upon us and politicians all over the globe have used the World Economic Forum's branding of "Build Back Better". What is their plan? Are they really going to make a better future? Or is this another in a long line of hair brained utopian schemes that will be more disaster than success? Music by www.bensound.com

I probably shouldn't be hiking already, but…. Recently, meeting with a client, I had the request to make the restrooms genderless. The issue of gendered bathrooms is one that many people have strong opinions, and one where architects play a key role in designing the public restroom experience for us all. Are there ways to design past the controversy and create restrooms that help all feel comfortable and safe? Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

I was shocked seeing videos of people falling of planes, dead bodies in the streets, Americans fleeing on helicopters. America's longest war needed to come to a close, but the disastrous chaos that ensued brings great sadness. Mr. Biden needs to resign.

In Proverbs we learn 'to everything there is a season.' There are in fact times when it is good to conform, and then there are times when you shouldn't.

I go away into the woods for just ONE WEEK, and come back to the Salt Lake Valley full of smoke. This and the concern about growing totalitarian tendencies of the federal government, and one could be a bit saddened. Also, thank you to all you watched the tutorial video last week. More tutorials WILL BE COMING!

Everyone and everything is corrupt! From Joe Biden to corrupt oligarchs to sports figures, there is corruption everywhere. We live in a world that is corrupted but we also live in a world of good. This battle between good and evil continues. The cure for the corruption? It is simpler than you think.

Why are so many Americans fighting hard against Critical Race Theory? Because it is antithetical to our beliefs and our system. In the song, America the Beautiful, the second verse tells the secret of our past success and the secret to our future success.

In the late 1950's, the professional organization that represented architects in Cuba published a full page advertisement supporting Fidel Castro. Shortly after Fidel seized control of the island nation, he ended the architecture profession. This is a cautionary tale.

The "cold civil war" is a term to describe the ideological battle in the United States on-going. Is it possible to reconcile with ideological opponents? Possibly, but when the Cultural Marxists are demanding the rest of society accepts their fraudulent framing that is fundamentally at odds with over a milennium of English common-law and thousands years of Western Civilization, the same civilization that has brought about the modern world with all its peace, security, wealth, and technology, this becomes a case of irreconcilable differences.

Can architecture solve the homelessness crisis? Probably not, but architects can be part of the solution.

We have heard the phrase "Silence is Violence". While this can be true in terms of societal wrongs that people refuse to talk about, when it comes to dealing with our own internal struggles, silence can be an opportunity for reflection, to stare into the abyss of our souls and find peace within ourselves.

Yup, I broke my foot. And among other things, it's also hot. Like actually physically hot. We could all use a cool down.

Something more fun today: a 12 mile hike climbing 4,600 feet of vertical to the summit of Mt. Ogden, the highest peak at Snowbasin Ski Resort. This trail goes from a neighborhood near Weber State University and is lightly trafficked. Stunning views from the summit. Music: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music

32 years ago, the Chinese Communist Party massacred thousands of Chinese citizens in a massive crackdown against the pro-freedom protestors in 1989. But because as Americans, we are too busy navel-gazing, we haven't been "proclaiming liberty" as we should. We should be speaking out truth and justice against our own government's crimes, but also those of the criminals of the CCP.

Seeing as Google just creates holidays and months out of thin air for celebration, why not do something good with June and make it Emancipation Month, or replace February's Black History Month and make it a longer and more pleasant weather month like June? The hike today was in Big Cottonwood Canyon, in the Wasatch Mountains. Credit to https://www.FesliyanStudios.com for the background music.

Recently John Cena issued a pathetic apology through Weibo for the horrible sin of calling Taiwan a country, well, I mean, a horrible sin in the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party and when you want to sell your new movie in China, well, you have to bend over and take it from Chairman Xi.

Quick check to tell if you're racist: if you formulate how you treat others based on their race, you are a racist. In practice, Democrats have been racist for a long time, and they continue to divide the country by race. It's time to call them out for this. No more racism. We should see people as individuals with their own unique characteristics and personality.

So many catastrophes throughout the world and I'm going to talk about blasphemy? Yes, what is it and why is it relevant to the world today?

What defines terrorism? Does the news media actively promote the constant state of fear amongst the populace?

Things are heating up . . . As Tim Pool has said recently, we are already in a "Cold Civil War". I would describe it more as a spiritual war, or a war for what guiding principles will guide us into the future. For those who believe in the U.S. Constitution, it is time to stand up and speak forth.

On a business trip in California, I can truly say, I love the weather and the geography of California. It is a such a great place..... if it weren't for the horrid government. Why does California have a crisis of governance? How can the problem be solved? The answer? A Devil's Advocate.

What is a miscarriage of justice? Are we experiencing that in the case of Derek Chauvin? Is justice failing in the United States generally? What are we to do as a people to restore justice on all sides so that people can trust again.

We all have the capacity for good and evil. To fail to recognize the capacity for evil is itself a form of evil as it allows the demons within to run rampant. Each of us, individually, need to have ways of dealing with our own demons if we as a society will ultimately be free.

What makes the difference between a good teacher and a bad teacher? Why are so many seemingly smart people able to be tricked into feigning belief in utterly idiot ideas?

Should you pick a fight with your spouse? The answer is, sort of. It's important for both partners in a relationship openly speak their mind and make their wants and beliefs know. Does this also relate to politics? Does it relate to our relationships with friends and neighbors?

Are there times when you can love someone too much? How about as a society? Can we engage in loving compassion to the point we miss the mark and cause our own downfall?

James Madison was concerned about the tyranny of the majority as he wrote Federalist Paper #10. Today, emDemocrats have the narrowest of majorities in Congress yet they seek to ram their ideology through into law.

In reading the first chapter of Jordan Peterson's new book “Beyond Order”, the discussion starts in talking about how we read cues from other people to determine if we are going off the rails. This typically works when most people are sane. So what happens when society at large goes off the rails? I call it societal insanity. What is the cause? How do we fix it?

Recently, Bill Maher discussed how America is a silly people and that we need to chill out. I agree. Plus, I show some video of Apollo playing in the snow.

It's almost two months into the Biden presidency. Anyone getting buyer's remorse? Seems like cliche to say "I told you so". But what can you do to help the situation?

In this next installment of "Another Timely Review", I discuss the book "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F..." by Mark Manson. Too many people spend time, emotion, energy, etc. on the wrong things. Maybe we should all take time to figure out what the F... we should be giving F...'s to and not giving F...'s to. No, I don't actually use the F word in this post, so this is the PG rated version of the review.

Travails and tumult are all around us, but finding peace is just a local forest away. Get amongst some trees, breath some fresh air, and feel the peace. We need it if we will overcome the evils of the world. Music: www.bensound.com

There are many facets of society that have collapsed and crumbled. Why? What are some root causes? How can things be better?

Admittedly, the headline is a bit of click-bait, but there are private organizations that write the laws the control much of your life everyday. These are code councils who write building codes. While you may not think about them often, these laws affect every building you go through and how you interact with every building you're in.

Today's Timely Review, the 2019 movie with Tom Hanks: ‘Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood'. The movie is a story about a magazine journalist struggling through emotional and family issues as he fills an assignment to profile Fred Rogers, famously known as Mr. Rogers. The movie is excellent and teaches a central message of love and forgiveness.

Taking a week off for some rest and relaxation was great, and even better was avoiding the news for that time. I'm back to work today and in this video I take my first look at the news on camera… literally, no prior look before shooting the video.

February 17, 2021, Rush Limbaugh has passed away. He will be sorely missed.

A lot of Libertarians argue that professional licensing is a form of state sanctioned monopolies. While there is some elements of truth to that argument, there is a legitimate value to the licensing of professions like medicine, law, architecture, accounting, etc.

The perception of reality for each person is framed by the prior experiences and intellectual foundations. To overcome distorted views of reality, people need to QUESTION EVERYTHING! Yes, question everything, even me.

With the firing of Gina Carano, yet another person is cancelled for having an opinion. Worse, Disney "thanked" the security services in China that imprison over 1 million Uigyrs in concentration camps as they fire Gina for comparing the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany with conservatives being fired, cancelled, and persecuted by the Democrats and Leftists in modern day America. This has created an internet fire storm. The issue comes down to Freedom of Speech.

As an architect, I get asked by clients how long something will take. Depending on your jurisdiction, your project type, project size, and many other factors, the answer is: depends. In this episode, David runs through some common issues in the architectural process that as a client you may want to be aware of before starting on that building project.