Mark your calendars! Tickets to visit the Glass house next year will go on sale Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 9 am. Tickets are $30 for 90-minute tours and $45 for 2-hour tours and will be available first-come, first-served. Tickets will be available online at www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org or by calling 866.811.4111.

Tickets will probably sell out that day, so check out my tips and strategies.

Philip Johnson is the only architect I know of fully willing to employ hip hop lingo on a whim.  The building above is called Da Monsta for this very reason.  Completed in 1995, this is last building constructed by Johnson on his home property in New Canaan, CT before his death in 2005.  Johnson was 98 years old when he died.

This building is a nod to Le Corbusier sculpture constructed out of a wire mesh molded to shape with concrete poured over top.  The middle layer is Styrofoam and the inside plaster.  In essence, Johnson attempted to construct a building in a way formerly incomprehensible.  Hence, in my eyes, a true innovator.

Does anyone else feel a little Beetlejuice vibe here?

Inside Da Monsta

Probably best known for The Glass House, Philip Johnson is my favorite architect.  My life over the last 10 years has revolved around his buildings in some shape or form.  I spent most of my university life in the philosophy building at Brown University located directly adjacent to the List Art Center, designed by one Philip Johnson.

The List Art Center in Providence, RI (completed 1971)

I moved to NYC a year after graduation and fell in love in front of The Seagram building (and yes, I can in fact attribute it to this exact moment as it was a discussion point at the time).  Designers: Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson

The Seagram Building in NYC (completed 1958)

Soon thereafter, I had a strange cocktail outing with a couple of Wall Street finance dudes and one much younger early 20-something trying to fit in (c’est moi!) while doing something that can only be described as slightly shady in The Four Seasons Restaurant.  Located within The Seagram building, this restaurant was also designed by Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson.

The Four Seasons Restaurant in the Seagram Building

Years later, I nursed a break-up with Phish Food, my PJ’s, and a Philip Johnson documentary that left me entranced.  The documentary was meant as a walk-thru of Johnson’s home in New Canaan CT, located on 47 acres of land, as guided by the owner himself.  The aforementioned, Glass House, served as his home until his death.  This past weekend, over one year since it has been open to the public, I got the chance to view the property for myself.

Johnson stated, “My place in New Canaan is. . .the diary of an eccentric architect."  Welcome home.

Outside the Glass House

Inside the Glass House

I had to throw in this pic of Alex in because it reminded me of the moment in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off where Ferris convinces Cameron to let him borrow his dad’s Ferrari.

The Living Room

Above on the left are Barcelona chairs as designed by Mies van der Rohe.  A friend once asked me to help him move from his house in CT to NYC.  I had no idea one of these chairs was part of the enterprise.  Should this ever happen to you, back away slowly.  It will undoubtedly give you back problems.  The metal base is heavier than you can imagine.

Constructed entirely of glass exterior walls, the only room without a view to the exterior is the bathroom located in a oddly shaped room in the middle of the structure.

The Bathroom

Outside the House

To stand in the house is to awe at its uniqueness, and for me, to feel intensely uncomfortable.  I have never been that exposed to my exterior surroundings and the resulting vertigo made me think that Johnson had served me with an after-death therapy session.  Regardless, the house is a monument to innovation and to that innovation I tip my iPhone. . .

More Images of the Property

Click here.

To learn more and schedule a visit of your own in 2009, click here.

My wants are much more modest. Although a lot of those appeal to me and I probably wouldn't turn any of them down, except maybe the Colonial behemoth, I'd require just two things: well-designed closets and transparent appliances. Yes, transparent appliances! Dishwashers, refrigerators, ovens, washer/dryers, all that stuff. For the longest time I've had this desire.

Sometimes you see transparent versions of these devices as demonstration models, but I'd go gaga if I could actually own durable, working ones.

I found copies of these two photographs from a Japanese trade show all over the web, but the descriptions are conflicting. According to some, they are actual commercial models, others say that they're merely demos. Regardless, I adore them.

Anyway, I'm too hypocritical (throwing stones) and seclusive to live in an actual glass house

but I'd love to have a whole set of those appliances, yessiree. Now, I wouldn't go crazy, lusting after these sorts of things:

That'd be silly. I just want the major appliances, the built-ins.

Oh, and a pneumatic tube from the mailbox to the house.

What makes this place so appealing? For starters, its culture of acceptance and welcoming weather. Even if it’s the peak of summer, cool breeze is ensured because of its location at 919m above sea level.

It’s a place where you feel cut off from India and yet a part of it. If the central business district (MG Road and neighbouring areas) is westernised – Pizza Hut, KFC, Google, Yahoo, Standard Chartered, Citibank - the bustling local business district of KG Road stands for all things Indian – a thriving Kannada film industry called Sandalwood, a line of middle class businesses, wholesale merchants and middle class homes. It’s this feeling of attachment and detachment that keeps you company throughout your stay in Bangalore. It is no wonder that many who came as visitors have made it their home.

The city allows you to time-travel. At one end, you have thousand-year-old heritage buildings on Resthouse Road, and at the other, towering glass structures like Intel’s on Airport Road that seem to reach out to the heavens. If one is a celebration of all things British – monkey top window roofs (to prevent monkeys sitting on them), sweeping driveways, pubs, bungalows and English street names (Prince Street, Langford Town, Charles Campbell Road), the other is the Silicon face of Bangalore.

Located in the south-eastern part of the south Indian state of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city after Delhi and Mumbai. It is surrounded by the states of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

With the boom in software, bio technology and business process outsourcing, nobody would have had any inkling that it was once called the ‘town of boiled beans’. Legend has it that when the Chola King Veera Ballalla ruled south India, he lost his way on a hunting trip in 1120 AD. In his desperate search for directions, he ran into an old lady in a forest who offered him shelter for the night and served him baked beans for dinner. To show his gratitude to the lady, the King is said to have built a town and named it Benda Kalooru which means ‘town of boiled beans’. Hundreds of years later, a local chieftain Kempe Gowda designed this town in 1537 and gave it its modern shape. From Benda Kalooru, it came to be known as Bengaluru. During the British rule, Bengaluru became Bangalore because they were more comfortable pronouncing it this way. Curiously enough, the city was sold for just Rs 3 lakh by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1687. He sold it to the Wadiyars who ruled the adjacent Mysore at the time.

Today, this city of baked beans has emerged as the preferred choice of multi-national companies representing the entire gamut of industries, from pharmaceuticals, telecoms and apparel manufacture to IT, airlines and medical tourism.

Not too long ago, being sent to work in India was considered a ‘punishment’ posting, with a ‘hardship allowance’. Today, getting an India experience is becoming increasingly significant for foreign executives who recognise its tremendous growth potential. What’s more, Bangalore is now considered a veritable training ground for anyone who wants to make it in the world of outsourcing.

The word ‘Bangalored’ (which means, losing jobs to India due to outsourcing) is also assuming a new meaning. With Bangalore becoming the global back-office, it’s only a matter of time before it starts off-shoring consumer services like legal, nutrition and educational services.

Lost your job to outsourcing? Why not move to India and get it back? That seems to be a funny aside circulating among expats in Bangalore today. From a population of around 2000 in the 1990s, it is currently at 14,500, and is set to cross 21,000 in the next two years, according to the Foreigners Registration office.

Drop anchor at lounge bars like 13th Floor on MG Road or Taika on Church Street any evening of the week, and locals will find themselves a minority. Some popular expat hangouts include Nrityagram in Hessaraghatta (http://www.nrityagram.org), a school that showcases the seven classical Indian dance forms. One and a half hour away from the city, it has a village ambience - mud buildings, local materials and Indian architecture. Lush greens, leafy trees and vegetable gardens make your stroll all the more peaceful. For a small fee, you can tour the grounds on your own and observe all the different styles of classical Indian dance. The New York Times calls this concept ‘a modern devotion to a sacred Indian ritual’.

Nrityagram’s next door neighbour is Taj Kuteeram, a resort that showcases yoga and ayurveda. Those who want to stay the night and go on long hikes into the countryside love to call this their home for the weekend. The other expat hangouts include The Golden Palms Spa & Resort on Tumkur Road (spa resort that also includes Asia’s largest swimming pool), Embassy International Riding School in Devanahalli (governed by the rules set by the British Horse Society) and Eagleton Golf Club and Resort on the Bangalore-Mysore highway (rated as one of the top 5 Golf courses in India and, spread over 500 acres, the biggest of its kind in the region).

The truth is that Bangalore just lets you be. You don’t have to bother too much about the way you dress or be unduly concerned about what you eat - because you get all the world’s cuisines right under your nose. With coffee shops at every nook and cranny, you can even have your ‘alone time’ and indulge in people-watching. 

Far from being just a city of today, Bangalore has ancestral beauties in which time stands still. First off the bat is the panoramic Vidhana Soudha, an architectural delight made of granite and porphyry in 1956, and home to the state’s political and bureaucratic activity. Then there is Lalbagh. Spread over 240 acres and laid out by then Mysore ruler Haider Ali in 1740 (Bangalore was then part of Mysore), it is famous for its annual flower shows in January and August that attract hundreds of thousands of people.

The lush Cubbon Park laid out in 1864 is home to a Glass House modelled on London’s Crystal Palace, while the Bangalore Palace was modelled on Windsor Castle, complete with fortified towers and turreted parapets. Built in 1880, it’s a major tourist attraction. And don’t miss 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan’s summer palace in KR Market. Made largely out of wood with embellished balconies, pillars and arches, it was built in 1790 and has a charm of its own even though it’s in a dilapidated state.

The best part of Bangalore is that you don’t have to leave the city to sample the world’s kitchens. The city boasts of cuisines from across the globe. If it’s Japanese, there is Harima on Residency Road (+91-080-51325757) whose clientele has grown to the point that they are sending packed lunches to corporate houses. If you are into al fresco dining, Sunny’s on Vittal Mallya Road (+91-080-41329366) is where you should be headed for Italian, French and American food, home-baked breads and an imported cheese selection. Samarkhand  (+91-080-41113366) on Infantry Road serves the best kebabs and dum biriyani in town. And don’t forget to visit the only Vietnamese restaurant in town: Blue Ginger at the Taj West End on Race Course Road (+91-080-66605660). All of these have won awards, and hold out the promise of retaining their taste and trends for a long time to come.

As far as traditional cuisine goes, stop by Koshy’s on St Mark’s Road (+91-080-22213793) not only for the smileys (fried potato dish eaten with mayonnaise), appams (light rice-flour pancakes) and stimulating conversation. After all, it’s the hub of the literati and the Bangalore equivalent of The Algonquin in New York. You can expect to run into filmmakers, models, theatre persons, writers and intellectuals.

At MTR (080-22220022) on Lalbagh Road, people don’t mind waiting their turn to eat a sumptuous south Indian meal for Rs 75. For a dose of old-world charm on MG Road, a good cup of coffee and scrambled eggs on toast, there’s India Coffee House on MG Road (080- 25587088). Not to mention Vidhyarthi Bhavan (+91-080-26677588)) in Gandhi Bazaar for the best idlis (steamed rice flour cakes) and masala dosas (rice-and-grain flour pancakes) in town.

It’s this blend of the east and west that makes Bangalore so liveable, so cosmopolitan. Take pub-hopping. The city is known as a pub capital and rightly so – there are literally hundreds of pubs and bars in the city. Check out Fuga on Castle Street (+91-080-41511880) for its two-storey dance floor, Hint at Bangalore Central on Residency Road (+91-080-41123557) for its cool lounge and spacious terrace, The Polo Club in The Oberoi on MG Road (080-25585858)) for its alfresco bar, and i-Bar in The Park on MG Road (+91-080-25594666) for its eclectic playful music and exotic cocktails.

Bangalore is known for its silk and sarees, sandalwood, antique pieces and jewellery shops. To get your hands on these, the places to visit are MG Road, Brigade Road and Commercial Street. The Mysore Saree Udyog on Kamaraj Road (+91-080-25583255) is a popular haven besides Deepam Silk International (+91-080-25586191), Vijayalakshmi Silks & Sarees (+91-080-25587937) and Nalli Silks Arcade on MG Road (+91-080-25583178). All these stores have stuff to suit all pockets. For jewellery, nothing to beat the stores on Commercial Street which have a long history in the trade. Some of the older and more famous ones include Ganjam Nagappa & Sons on Infantry Road (+91-080- 22286137) and C Krishnaiah Chetty & Sons (+91-080-25588731) on Commercial Street. For readymade clothes and customisation, nothing to beat M Fazal & Sons (+91-080-25597986) and the narrow bylanes of Russel Market in Shivajinagar. For handicrafts, don’t miss Central Cottage Industries Emporium on MG Road (+91-080-25584083).

Comforting lounge bars, theme-based pubs, international schools, designer retail brands, eclectic coffee shops and a variety of new-age spiritual centres have transformed Bangalore into a truly global metropolis. And it is also a great launching pad for other discoveries in the neighbourhood – like the erstwhile French territory and beach town of Pondicherry or the coffee lands of Coorg, the hill station of Ooty or the land of beaches – Goa. They make for great weekend getaways as they are only an overnight journey away. If you have a week’s time to explore Bangalore’s salubrious neighbours, nothing better than hopping on to the Golden Chariot (http://www.thegoldenchariot.co.in). It’s a luxury train that takes you to heritage, wildlife and beach places around Bangalore – Mysore, Belur, Halebid, Hampi and Goa to name a few. If you don’t have so much time, you could drive an hour and a half away from Bangalore to reach Bannerghatta National Park. Here, you can see butterflies from around the world and watch tigers and lions in their natural surroundings. At about the same distance from the city, find the picturesque waterfalls  – the Gaganachukki and the Barachukki –  cascading 90m down in the island town of Shivanasamudram. Some two hours from the city are the hill stations of Devarayanadurga, standing at almost 4000 feet (1,219m), and Ramohalli where you run into a 400-year-old banyan tree that’s spread over four acres.

That’s the city of the future… with many companions from the past and the immediate present to keep you company for a long time to come.

(This piece appeared in SilverKris, the inflight magazine of Singapore Airlines)

Fees for an Individual membership vary widely, from a low of $20 (Cliveden and Farnsworth House) to a high of $100 (Glass House) and most are in the range of $25-$40. Most Sites offer a Family membership, again in a wide range from a low of $35 (Belle Grove and Farnsworth House) to a high of $140 (Kykuit). Although the cost for a Family membership is always higher than an Individual one, there is no pattern for the calculation of this fee—it ranges from a markup of 15 percent (Belle Grove) to 180 percent (Tenement Museum). A few Sites (20 percent) offer a discounted membership for Students or Seniors and even fewer (10 percent) for Couples. We could guess that most of the differences are due to the varying market conditions, but without knowing the number of members or the benefits, we can't make that assumption.

Offering membership in the National Trust is much more complex. Most National Trust Historic Sites (55 percent) don't seem to offer NTHP memberships. Six Sites (20 percent) offer it at an additional cost, although the rate varies from $5 (Belle Grove, Cliveden, and Drayton Hall) to $100 (African Meeting House). Five Sites (15 percent) include the NTHP membership with their own membership. Because the benefits are identical, it would be prudent to purchase your NTHP membership at one of the five Sites that include it in their basic membership.

If you'd like to analyze the information yourself, it's available on the Reference page (see tabs at the top of the page). If we reported any errors, please inform me right away and we'll correct our information.

And although Gross claims that Christy MacLear, executive director of the Glass House, is "not a preservationist" because she has a Wharton MBA, she certainly is a preservationist. Indeed, not only is MacLear an employee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and in charge of a National Trust Historic Site, she is one of leaders in the National Trust's efforts to preserve architecture from the Modern period and Recent Past. The wonderful thing about the preservation movement (and historic sites) is that it attracts people from diverse fields and perspectives, so don't assume that just because a person doesn't have a degree in history, they can't possibly be a preservationist. At the National Trust, the President Richard Moe holds a law degree and the Chairman of the Board is J. Clifford Hudson, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Sonic Corp., a publicly-held company that owns, operates and franchises more than 2,700 Sonic Drive-In restaurants. Check out the rest of the trustees and management team and you'll get a glimpse of the diversity in the preservation field.

I never thought I would live to say this, but office sex has become routine. Mundane. Run of the mill.  HO-hum. Bordering (need I say it?) boring.

You're probably thinking, "Why doesn't she just do it in her house? Doesn't she have a bed?"

For the uninitiated, yes, we do have a bed. Several of them, now that many are empty because of nest evacuation by the little birdies. We also have a hide-a-bed in the basement, but there's a brigade of centipedes down there, and I don't spend much more time other than running to the laundry room and back.

We also live in a house that is largely windowed with no window treatments. The upside is that the cat doesn't have to scratch his way up the drapes to get to a window sill. The downside is that everyone, including God, the meter reader and the retired doctor neighbor down the street can see inside straight to the back yard.

Office sex used to be exhilarating. There was a bit of taboo in having sex almost in public, along with incorporating inspiring moves among the furniture usually not conducive to sex. (Ever do it in a standard office chair? That takes some imagination.) We would hurriedly clean up. Sometimes, we would forget the box of Kleenex and have to run willy-nilly (heh, heh... willy?) down the hall to get something to absorb body fluids. (The poor leather couch!) Then there is the fact that we buy Febreze by the case, just to get rid of the lingering odor of sweat and stuff. We own the building, so we can do whatever we want. The business doesn't officially open until 9, so we would usually make hot nasty love between 8 and 8:30. Our walls are paper thin, but that psychologist who leases the space below my husband's conference room is never there at that time of day anyway.

Yesterday, while putting my clothes back on, I thought, "Hmm, this doesn't feel quite as exciting as it used to." Perhaps it's because we've overused the space. It used to be kind of thrilling in a weird way when the one employee who has been trying to catch us in the act shows up at 8 a.m. to see what we're doing. It was quite hair raising when the workmen came at 8 to make repairs on the roof and they weren't scheduled until 9.

I'm thinking a change of venue might be in order. Hmm... I wonder if we can get into a nearby now-closed sports arena?

I'm opening up the floor to suggestions.

The designation can be confusing for the public, who often assume they are owned, operated, and funded by the federal government. For most Landmarks, the situation is actually quite the opposite: most are privately owned and operated—the NHL designation is mostly honorific and provides limited protection and little funding. The National Historic Landmark Stewards Association, a new non-profit organization devoted to the protection, preservation, and promotion of NHLs, is a great resource for ideas, help, networking, and training. This week on June 5, their annual meeting will be held at President Lincoln's Cottage, a National Trust Historic Site and a National Historic Landmark, with presentations by several NTHP staff, including David Brown, Executive Vice President.

A complete list of NTHS that are NHLs is available on the Resource section of the NTHS Blog, and if you want to learn more about the NHL program (including a searchable database), visit http://www.nps.gov/nhl/INDEX.htm.

I always wondered what they do in there, it's like the fridge after the door closes...is the light still on? (no, it's not)

via: Dark Roasted Blend

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Homes are shelter, homes are places we eat, sleep, work, celebrate, and ???  Some homes are more. They are  architecturally inspiring.  Marlow Harris often writes of unique homes on her blog, 360digest. Few homes achieve icon status, but those that do, are they art or architecture or art and architecture?  Are these homes works of art?

There's Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House, Greene and Greene's The Gamble House, and Philip Johnson's Glass House, which opened to the public last year, just to name a few.  These homes are all incredible, unique, and wonderful examples of superb design.

Two of these homes were owned by the same family, The Kaufmanns.  Not only did they own their namesake home, The Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, but they owned Fallingwater in Pennsylvania.  A Pittsburgh department store family, they chose two titans of architecture to design and build two phenomenal homes.  The Kaufmann house,  built in 1946, was one of the first mid-century modern homes to dot the Palm Springs landscape. 

Mid-century modern architecture has become to Palm Springs what art deco style has been to Miami Beach.   Mid-century modern means clean, simple lines, big windows, and light, open and airy spaces. Glass, steel, wood, and stone are the materials of choice. Preservationists have been working hard to save these mid-century masterpieces which contribute to the  uniqueness and very soul of Palm Springs.    Over the last couple of decades, some famous properties and homes have been demolished in the area.  Lloyd Wright, Frank's son, had designed a hotel in the 1920's which has since been torn down. (Interestingly, Lloyd Wright was the inventor of the all-important Lincoln Logs)

The current owners of the Kaufmann house purchased it as a run down fixer upper in the early 90's.  They hired the Los Angeles architectural firm of Marmol Radziner to help bring the home back to its original splendor.  To help save the house from some future owner tearing it down, as has happened too often with iconic architecture, the owners hired Christie's to auction their home off as an art piece.  Their goal, as stated in  Edward Wyatt's The New York Times article was "promoting architecture as a collectible art worthy of the same consideration as painting and sculpture."  The New York Times article has some great photos of this masterpiece of modern design.

The expected selling price was to be between 15-25 million dollars.  Last week the home sold at auction for $15,000,000 and some change.

So, is architecture art?  Should it be up for auction?

This symposium will to bring together academic scholars and historic site professionals to share the latest scholarship and strategies for interpreting the 1950s (although I'll probably lap over as early as 1945 to as late as 1964). I am currently planning a two-day conference in late 2009 or 2010 with the intent to share the proceedings through publication online or in print. And if you're wondering if sufficient historic sites interpret the 1950s, a preliminary search by my intern Stephen Neuhauser discovered nearly two dozen sites already open to the public. Here's our current list and if you know of others, add it as a comment below. If you'd like to be kept informed of the symposium, contact me at max_vanbalgooy@nthp.org so I can add you to the mailing list.

The Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan, New York, has been such a popular destination that tours quickly sold out when it first opened. This year was no exception and as soon as tours were announced, they again were sold out for the entire season and many people who were unable to obtain tickets were disappointed. Because of this demand, the staff at Glass House looked carefully at the schedule and are able to add one more tour each day without compromising the visitor's experience or neighborhood ambiance. But be warned: when word gets out, they'll sell quickly, so here's my recommended strategy:

• Mark your calendar for 9 am on May 1, 2008. That's when tickets go on sale—no earlier.
• Have your preferred dates ready along with some alternative dates. The more flexible you are, the more likely you will snag some tickets.
• Keep your group size small. Tours are limited to less than a dozen people, so buying a group of 8 tickets for the same tour time will be much more difficult than buying just a couple.
• Know that tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. There's no preference for NTHP members, Connecticut residents, fans of Philip Johnson, my friends, etc. The earlier you jump in, the better your chances for obtaining tickets for your preferred date. NTHP members receive a discount, but you pay full price upon purchase and receive a refund when you arrive at the Visitor Center (with 270,000 members, we can't identify an eligible dues-paying member quickly enough but will someday!).
• Use the phone or Internet. Tickets may only be purchased online at www.philipjohnsonglasshouse.org or by calling (866) 811-4111 (not through the National Trust nor in person, and not before May 1).

If you missed out on this opportunity and you really need to see the Glass House, you can arrange for your own private tour for $500 per person. Visit http://philipjohnsonglasshouse.org/visit/ for more details.

I started using my own real name for a couple of reasons. One, I was naive. I thought everyone did it. Two, I am very bland. You could say really boring and saccharine to the Nth degree. I can't really think of a cutesy moniker. I even have the same email address for many different service providers, you know, *.msn, *.aol, *.yahoo, *.gmail, *.hotmail, etc. I have certain things go to certain email; for example, I use the MSN address when I buy things online. I shouldn't say this, but I use the same two or three passwords for all the email. This is because I can't remember diddley in my old age.

I know of people who don't do that, for whatever reasons. Mostly, they don't want to be bothered, and I can appreciate that. Also, if an online persona has young children, I believe that one should be careful about posting their names, ages and photographs. I understand completely that there plenty of whackjobs out there.

On the other hand, I am "out there" as myself. My children are adults (well, one is, and one is almost an adult, in two months and seven days, as she keeps telling me ad nauseaum) and I'm an adult. Last I looked, my husband is an adult. My real name is rather unique. In fact, every person on the planet with my surname has an ancestor that came from the same small village in eastern Europe, so we're all related by blood or marriage. I figure, might as well be out there and keep my "enemies" where I can see them.

Do I have enemies? Well, I'm not sure, but I'm not naive enough to think that the Internet is one happy bubble of pleasantness and joy. I'm sure there are some who have Googled my name and found a treasure trove of information which could be used to smite me. It happened to my husband. On the other hand, I have had long-lost friends find me online, and that alone has been satisfying to have my information in a public forum where they could contact me.

I've been extremely lucky and greatly blessed by the people I've met as a result of my online world. I love all of them. As I have told MIB, the Internet is the new neighborhood. This is how we meet people with similar interests and passions. This doesn't mean that we're here to hook up or do something weird. This is the Brave New World.

I was just thinking about this because I called an online friend today who is not feeling very well. In our conversation, I asked him if he would be interested in meeting me or the rest of the motley crew that we've known in the last year. He said no. I can understand the hesitation.

The other reason I thought of this today is because of my house. My husband, who was feeling a bit randy today, gave me a grope in the kitchen and asked "quickie?" but then remembered he had a guy coming over at 7:30 to give us an estimate on repairing the old rotting wood in our sun room. We don't have sex in the lower level of our house, because it's all windows and no window coverings. Talk about a glass house.

That's why God made offices and office sex.

But I digress... my point is, I'd rather have it all shook out in public online than a quickie in our "glass" house.

I also see a giant solar ice cream cone. Don't eat it though. No one wants glass in their mouth.

I think I need more privacy than that. I would also like a bigger foundation. I can't do laundry in that little tiny basement.

But let me assure you the National Trust is ready to preserve Modern architecture, both masterpieces and common buildings—and has been for decades. Here are some examples to start the conversation:

• The National Trust accepted Glass House from Philip Johnson in 1986. Mr. Johnson retained a life estate and constructed "da Monsta" in the 1990s and made other significant changes to the site with the approval of the National Trust.
• In 1964, the National Trust saved the Pope-Leighey House (1940) from demolition when the building was less than 20 years old. This small Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is now a National Trust Historic Site adjacent to Woodlawn, an 1805 house associated with George Washington and the first site operated by the National Trust.
• In 1994, the National Trust included the nation's oldest MacDonald's Restaurant (1953) on its list of 11 Most Endangered. It was eventually restored and reopened, received a National Trust Honor Award, and is now recognized on the National Register for Historic Places.
• In 2002, the National Trust acquired the Farnsworth House (1950) to prevent its threatened relocation. Farnsworth House is considered Mies van der Rohe's masterpiece and often compared to Glass House. Spending nearly $7 million at auction, it was the first time the National Trust purchased a property to protect it and it is now a National Trust Historic Site.
• In 2004, the National Trust included 2 Columbus Circle (1964) by Edward Durrell Stone on its list of 11 Most Endangered. Unfortunately, the Museum of Arts and Design tore down the distinctive marble façade in 2006 as they prepared the building for radical redesign.
• The Historic Artists' Homes and Studios program includes several sites associated with Modernism, including the Frelinghuysen Morris House and Studio, Donald Judd's 101 Spring Street, Manitoga, Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, Roger Brown Study Collection, and the Vance Kirkland Museum.
• Lustron Houses, post-WWII factory-made houses, are receiving continual attention. Preservation magazine often includes stories (such as "Loving Lustrons") and the Midwest Regional Office is developing a Web site to encourage their preservation.
• Preservation magazine discusses the preservation of moderns on a regular basis, including the debate over the replacement of the glass at Lever House and the demolition of a midcentury nuclear reactor. The current issue (May/June 2008 ) is entirely devoted to Modernism.

The glasshouse..., originally uploaded by David Blades.

]]> http://historicsites.wordpress.com/?p=125 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:52:14 +0000 Stephen Neuhauser http://historicsites.fr.wordpress.com/2008/04/18/blogging-for-historic-sites/ Blogs are useful tools that can connect people to news and information about historic sites. Blogs, or weblogs, are similar to newspaper articles, except more informal, and can be written by individuals or groups that cater to specific topics. Often blogs can be associated with specific websites or, more often, individuals in blogging communities.

The current state of blogs related to historical sites in general, and National Trust Historic Sites in particular, is rather minimal. A majority of historic sites do not have blogs associated with them, though there are often significant blog postings about such sites on unrelated blogs and in blogging communities.

However, there are several exceptions. Montpelier has an excellent blog dedicated to the restoration projects currently underway there. The blog includes pictures and videos of the restoration and is frequently updated. The moderators of the blog also do an outstanding job of responding to questions and comments posted by readers.

President Lincoln’s Cottage also has an excellent blog that provides both information about events and tour schedules at the Cottage, and interesting information about other things to do nearby. The blog does a superb job of connecting the Cottage to the Soldiers’ Home and also the surrounding area, of particular interest are the posts on places to eat nearby and a self guided bike trip that follows Lincoln’s commute from the Cottage to the White House.

In both cases the blogs are run by staff members at the sites, and setting up a blog can be relatively easy. Both the Montpelier and Lincoln’s Cottage blogs are hosted by the site Wordpress.com and can be found through links on the sites’ home pages. Maintaining a blog requires continuous activity, many blogs eventually fail when the owner stops posting frequently, most often due to time constraints or lack of personnel. The blog associated with the Glass House was frequently updated during the summer of 2007 by an intern, but stopped updating at the end of the summer, presumably no one took over the blog from the intern. The blog associated with the Montpelier archeological program is also only updated sporadically, with long periods of time between updates.

The nature of blogs is such that frequent activity is needed to ensure the success of the blog, however that is the only real cost in maintaining a blog. There are several sites, including Google’s Blogspot and Wordpress , which offer free blog hosting. One way to keep an historical site blog active is to post news items as blog posts. Many websites associated with historical sites have newsletters that can be made more accessible through a blog. Blogs are great tools for communicating with the public and provide an accessible and interesting way to provide information about historical sites.

To find out more about blogs and blogging, visit Blog Basics or Common Craft , which have helpful information about blogging. Also visit the Lincoln’s Cottage and Montpelier blogs.

In fact, the criticism went both ways because Perret was not a "modernist," he was a classicist, and a builder in a very traditional sense. He was a craftsman in concrete, and his buildings are exquisite - I would love to live in one of them. (Perhaps being an engineer, I am closer to his mentality?) He was not at all entranced by Corbu and Mies, and those people - that wasn't architecture in his eyes. Phillip Johnson relates an annecdote about taking Perret to see his very famous Glass House in Connecticut (...just a chimney over which I draped a thin skin of glass and steel frame...) Shheeesh! Not architecture for Perret! PJ asked if Perret would like to go inside and look around. He replied, "What for? I can see everything from out here?" He was similarly abrupt and caustic about other "modernist masterpieces." Here was a man who knew what he was about!

Looking through the book I was floored by the sheer beauty of his interiors and facades. I had expected to see intriguing and pleasing designs that were "rational" and "modern," but his are ravishing, i.e., they are detailed, and lovingly designed - ornament is carefully used to great effect, and the entire impression is one of austere, disciplined, voluptuousness - emphasis on the austere. The tension between the sensual beauty and the intellectual purity of the designs - the spiral stairway shown below is a good example - is a marvel. It reminds me of my favorite authors, Flaubert and Calvino, and their Olympian mastery of tone.

The Black Keys @ Glass House 3/30/08 - Woops! Looks like we spent just a tad bit too much time sipping on some vino at a lil hipster wine/beer bar in the art district of Pomona  or what many local IE’ers like to call “Pormona.” Shit, I remember back in the day, now part of Upland High School alumni, I used to get my shwag weed at some busted ass house where they probably pissed on it before hand. Hell, it was smokeable and gave us a decent high. Yeah, we called it “Pomo” weed. But back to this hot lil bar with an aesthetically pleasing décor. It was kind of like an art gallery too. Anyhow, I forgot the name of it! So my girl and me down our last bit of overpriced, but oh so yummy, wine and book it through the alley to the Glass House to catch The fuckin Black Keys! Love em!

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Checked in, grabbed our comps and into the hot steamy room with none other than sexy, crooning Dan Auerbach singing his heart out and playing some deep guitar rifts on the stage before us. Damn that man makes me melt! Long hair, beard, starry blue eyes, amazing skills on the guitar, and a voice that will drive any girl (and some men) wild. And we mustn’t forget the lanky Patrick Carney. Man, he is so bad ass on the drums. I swear you can see the energy radiating around him. Not too mention my friend that came with me has a quirky lil crush on him! The crowd was in complete awe! From their old songs to their new ones, there was no question that they rocked! When they played “You’re the one”off Magic Potion, I think I along with all the other females in the room fell in love. And when “Your Touch” came on, well the images going through my head could’ve directed a top dollar porn! Now off their new album Attack and Release, the song “Strange Times” is totally different from their song history but I fuckin love it. It’s a lot faster and I constantly find myself bobbing my head to Carney’s pounding on the drums and cymbal banging. It just fills you with a good feeling and makes you wanna move. I even saw this one lil kid about 13 years-old, who must’ve thought he was at a Metal show throwing out the Satan hand gestures. It cracked me up! But yeah, “Strange Times” is unreal and I’ve probably already played it about 100 times this past week. The show was epic! Except for the smelly dude standing next to me. He had such a weird stench, I was worried it was going to seep into my Marc Jacobs perfumed essence. So I kept inching over until I was practically straddling my girl. Hmm, that would’ve been pretty hot. As for the rest of their new album I have it under heavy rotation, and although I do like it lots, I still favor their predecessors. But hey, I’m always the type to enjoy old albums over new. It brings in some new sounds which shows that they’re not afraid to experiment outside of their “token” blues rock genre. I can definitely see some DJ making some sort of an electro rock dance mix to “Strange Times.” Oh and the intro of “Things Ain’t Like They used to Be,” kinda reminds me of The Beatles’ “Don’t let me Down.” What do you think? And for all you whiney bitches that want them to stay purely slow and rhythmic, “Remember When (Side A)” is soothing and almost like a lullaby. But if you ever want to expand your musical tastes, “Remember When (Side B)” provides the same beautiful lyrics but goes full throttle in an edgy rock n roll steez. Both candy to our ears. Purchase The Black Keys here

The classic black Moleskine will be enriched with drawings inspired by the Glass House, with contributions from Yves Béhar, Michael Bell, Deborah Berke, James Biber, Mattia Bonetti, Constantin Boym, Seymour Chwast, Stephen Doyle, Steven Ehrlich, Rafael Esquer, Alexander Gorlin, Stephen Holl, Christopher Huan, Rainer Judd, Maira Kalman, Chip Kidd, LOT-EK | Giuseppe Lignano and Ada Tolla, Mark McInturff, Richard Meier, Toshiko Mori, Michael Morris, Fred Noyes, Gaetano Pesce, Ron Radziner, Jens Risom, Yoshiko Sato, Denyse Schmidt, Alison Spear, and Joseph Tanney.

To mark the launch of the Glass House Moleskine sketchbook, it will debut at the Johnson-designed Four Seasons Restaurant in New York on May 17, 2008 during the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, an important partner in the world of architecture, art, and design.

To learn more, visit the shop at the Glass House.