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The Scenic Drive
10.20.2008 3:22PM
Long weekends afford the perfect opportunity to hit the road. So with it being Fall Break at Ball State I used the 4-day weekend to travel to Bloomington and Champaign. Along the way I picked up Keith at the Indianapolis Airport. He had traveled in from DC to join in the adventure. When we put our minds to it and with a little advanced planning we're pretty putting together good roadtrips.The occasion was Indiana vs. Illinois at the newly renovated Memorial Stadium. So while it was a lot of driving over a short period, the timing couldn't have been better. With fall in full force the foliage was closing in on peak conditions and the harvesting combines were out in full force in the fields. The trees burst with vibrant red, orange, and yellow leaves while the combines kicked up a trail of dust. A bright shining sun and a crisp autumn breeze produced the perfect conditions.It was particularly nice traveling the smaller state roads. State Road 37 from Indianapolis to Bloomington is lined with rolling hills and areas of dense forest, while US 231 from Bloomington to I-74 is mainly two-lane road lined with cornfield after cornfield. It winds though a handful of rural Indiana towns where gas was advertised as low as $2.32.I don't mind driving reasonable distances (up to 6 hours) but its must more enjoyable when the scenery is enjoyable to look at. And considering I've traveled all the aforementioned roads, its nice to see them in a different state. Since its impossible to snap pictures and drive, I suggest you find a state road in your area and set out on a scenic drive, because its certainly perfect at this time (and gas prices are down too!).If you're interested in the shenanigans of the weekend (and trust me there were plenty), or who won the football game (it was by a HUGE margin), or to see some photos of what went down, check out the travel diary at CadaverBlender.If you're interested in an update of construction projects at UIUC, check out the update on the Business Instructional Facility and McFarland Memorial Tower at the building bloc(k).
Yes We Can
10.09.2008 5:41PM
And by "we" I mean those of you voting in a battleground state. Thanks to the Electoral College the "In-House Absentee" ballot I cast for Barack Obama and Joe Biden in Kentucky last Friday is worth nothing more than the paper it was printed on. Kentucky will be 60-40 in favor of John McCain and Sarah Palin, it not greater. It's a perfect way to get more people involved in the political process, "Go vote, but really only a handful of votes in a few key states are going to matter, thanks anyway!"It's beyond me why in the year 2008 we can't have a system that is "one person, one vote", a popular vote. Why are the votes of people in Ohio or Florida more important than the vote of a person in Kentucky? On one hand they obviously aren't, but on the other hand, with the system in place they are worth so much more. Neither candidate has a vested interest in campaigning in Kentucky (and another 40 or so states) because the margin is so great its not going to change one direction or the other. However, if it was a popular vote than gaining just a handful of votes anywhere could influence the outcome of the election and leave no state more important than the next in terms of votes.So while national polls show Obama ahead by anywhere between 4-8%, the race is a virtual tie thanks to the Electoral College. So let's possibly screw the will of the (majority) of people and use an out-dated and backwards process to choose this country's President and Vice President. Just ask a 7 year old who should win. The person with the most votes or the person with the most votes from particular areas? Really, its that simple. So on Election Night as I hope that America does the right thing, I'll be looking to you Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Virginia because your vote actually counts.
Do You Realize...
10.02.2008 2:38PM
Not only is Louisville not the capital of Kentucky but it's located along the Ohio River and not in central Kentucky? Well good for you because Harvey H. Kaiser doesn't. The following map appears in his book The National Park Architecture Sourcebook. So next time you think about telling me I need an editor, think again. Don't let anything like this happen with your book Theresa.It's been 100 years since we elected a president with facial hair? The last president with facial hair was William Howard Taft, elected in 1908. I'm glad somebody has more free time then myself (surprising, I know) and has compiled this useful website about Presidents and facial hair. Hell its been 60 years since a major candidate even had facial hair, let alone, won. This certainly isn't an endorsement for Bob Barr, but c'mon lets see some facial hair. Note: It appears as though the beard is mightier than the mustache.While Muncie may be a shit hole, it has some amazing late 19th century and early 20th century architecture downtown? Of course you didn't know that. But since I had some free time today, I did what a nerdy architecture student would do and snapped some photographs. Check out the photos at the Photoblog.
Check out Last Month
10.01.2008 12:00AM
Check out last month at Beavers and Ducks, while you wait for a new post for October. September 2008
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Gregory 'Jesus' Dowell
Muncie, IN
- I'm currently in my second and final year of Ball State University's Master of Architecture program. Over the summer I completed an internship for The Estopinal Group and prior to that I interned seven months for Rath, Raths & Johnson. I'm currently deciding what the future holds. All that and more will be explored right here at Beavers and Ducks.
Resume
Portfolio
Greg's Calendar
October 3-5- Louisville, KYOctober 16-19 Fall Break, Champaign, IL Indiana @ Illinois
Important Wii Release Dates
October 22 Guitar Hero: World Tour
Other Wii Games To Watch For
TBA 2008 James Bond 007
The Latest Podcast
Last Month at Beavers and Ducks
September 2008
Links
My Archinect Blog
the building bloc(k)
CadaverBlender
Smelkem
Spargel
Lives of Wander
Theresa's Freelance Site
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