Graffiti Croatian Style

There's street art everywhere.  And, here's some from Croatia.

Enjoy, and thanks to my daughter, Peta Andreone, for some of the images.

Francesco ...

Twin Towers of Light in NYC

I can't let such an important anniversary as 10 years after the attack on NYC's Twin Towers on 9 September 2001 go by without a comment.


And, despite all the horror, tragedy and destruction that it caused, it's good to see Americans rebuilding themselves and that part of their city.  So, here's an amazing and moving display that's been lighting up the New York skyline for the last 2 nights.


Called the World Trade Center Twin Towers Tribute In Light, the light beams are made up of 88 light bulbs that are 7,000 watts each, which when illuminated are visible up to 60 miles away. 


They echo the original buildings and do a lot more; helping us all get past the terrible memories we have.




Francesco ...

The Street Aesthetics in New York City

Here's some more of New York City.

It's a great short video called 'The Street Aesthetic of New York City' shot by Christian Andersen.

Christian’s describes the video as 'I had a chance to go visit one of the greatest cities this summer. Right when I got of the plane and arrived downtown New York, I took my camera and strolled out through the busy streets of New York City. I wanted to capture the great culture and street aesthetic of New York and I think it turned out really well. The video includes recordings from both Manhattan and Brooklyn, where I spend hours capturing the culture and everyday life of native New Yorker.'

The Street Aesthetic of New York City from Christian Andersen on Vimeo.

Well done Christian and enjoy!

Francesco …

Why Waste the Outside of Buildings

Although it’s the inside of most buildings that’s most important to the owners and residents, there’ s plenty of ways to use the outsides too.

One of the more spectacular is parkour or free running, the sport of running, jumping, climbing and tumbling on and over buildings and other structures.  I am fascinated by how these people do it (and don’t get hurt).

So, here’s another amazing short film of some free running in the UK.

Enjoy!

Francesco …

Cities are made of Music

Cities are all about buildings, roads, parks, stores, trains, buses, cars and people.  But they're also full of sounds and one of the more socially interesting of them is the music that is played and heard by the people of the city.


Since the advent of the walkman there's even more music going in cities and since MP3s and iTunes in in greater and greater variety.


In this interesting and amusing short film by Tyler Cullen he asks random New Yorkers wearing headphones what song they are listening to.  There's some interesting selections to fill the city with music.





Enjoy!  


And, see you with your headphones on soon.


Francesco ...

People Interacting with the Built Form

Buildings and the man made structures are there for people to use. 

Conventionally that’s typically on the inside of them.  But a few more adventurous humans prefer to interacts with the outside walls, roofs, ramps and ledges. 

You may know them as proponents of the sport called Parkour (or free running).

It’s crazy and looks extremely dangerous.

And, here’s a video of some San Francisco Parkourers, and free running masters Ryan Doyle and Brian Orosco recently came to San Francisco to demonstrate their acrobatic Red-Bull fueled wizardry in Parkour and Free Running with Ryan Doyle by Tylor Troy Bohlman.

The YouTube link is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkx9t_dEGi0

Enjoy.

Francesco ...

Buildings that Reflect what Happens Inside

Sometimes even the best designed buildings are a bit boring.  But what if the outside of  buildings revealed what was going on inside? I got the idea from this photo of the carpark of the Kansas City Public Library that's partially concealed by the a wall of giant book spines.  It's a striking feature of Kansas CIty's downtown, running along the library carpark on 10th Street.  The book spines are 25 feet high and 9 feet wide and show 22 titles suggested by library members. It's pretty cool. What if the outside of other buildings reflected what went on inside like - Office buildings that look like computers, filing cabinets, and stationery Banks that look like vaults, banknotes and coins Restaurants that look like stacks of plates, glasses, napkins and cutlery Mechanics workshops that look like car parts Francesco ...

High Rise Cat

As pets become more common place in high rise buildings will they adapt to living above the ground?  I guess they’ll just have to. 

Like this cat … that clearly feels comfortable with heights and narrow ledges.

I suppose he has plenty of spare lives and the view is to die for.

Francesco …

Making Human Stratas

Strata buildings involve layering living spaces above and below each other.

Rising up into the air, with each space supporting and protecting the other, to create a structure that no one owner could achieve on their own.

Well here’s a traditional Spansih Castell photographed by Mike Randolph.

They’re tall towers made entirely of people (aka castellers) at a festival in Tarragona, Spain and are truly impressive feats of teamwork, strength, and bravery.

And yes, Castells do occasionally topple back to earth.  So, they’re a lot like regular strata buildings.

You can learn more about Castells at Kuriositas.

Any volunteers for a Sydney Castell?

Francesco ...

Can’t Sleep - Why Not Watch Strata Cases Online ???

For many years Judge Judy (now Judge Marilyn Milian) and the Peoples Court have been a TV hit (no matter how bad some of the parties and cases are).

Well move over Peoples Court … and make way for Strata Court!

In Florida, where I’ve already blogged about a few adventurous initiatives, they’re televising legal submissions in their Supreme Court including strata cases.

Here’s a link to the closing arguments in Susan Cohn versus The Grand Condominium Association presented on 11 February 2011 by Eric M Glazer Esq., Daniel S Rosenbaum Esq. and H Hugh McConnell Esq.


Ms. Cohn and The Grand Condominium Association are involved in a dispute over the condominium's method of electing its board of directors and the constitutionality of a state law dealing with the election of condominium officers. The trial court ruled the law was unconstitutional as applied in this case and the Court of Appeal also found the law unconstitutional.

Despite all the jokes I could make about televised US Court hearings, it’s actually fantastic that we can see real legal issues being debated and the laws being interpreted and re-interpreted in this way. 

This is the kind of transparency that will actually bring about effective changes … since the abstraction of disputes into legal concepts and litigious process is too artificial for real people, in real places, in real situations.

So, see you in Court on your computer screen or TV soon.

Francesco …

Banksy goes to Hollywood

I’ve posted a fair bit about Banksy before.  He’s that elusive street artist/graffitist.

Well Banksy has gone to Hollywood and his surreptitious art is turning up on the streets, walls and billboards of Los Angeles.

Like this billboard and his other amusing wall art.

Enjoy!

Francesco …

Won’t you be my Strata Valentine?

It’s Valentine’s Day … so won’t you be my strata Valentine today?

Valentine’s Day is a day when people express their love for each other by presenting flowers (usually roses), confectionary and sending greeting cards with imagery of heart shaped outlines, doves and cupid figures.

So, on this day of love my dearest strata here are some of my sentiments about you.

• You are my special strata friend I love you from the core of my heart, and I'll always keep you near
• Be mine strata forever
• My darling strata, you bring joy to my life
• You remain my strata world, happiness and joy. Always be my valentine
• You are the only strata I want to be with for the rest of my life and grow old with
• You brighten my day with the sound of your strata voice, you bring so much laughter and love, you are everything strata to me and I was so blessed when you came to me

It’s corny I know.  But like so many of you … I love strata !!!

Francesco … 

More Street Art … Graphics hits the Wall

Colourful isn't it?  But that's not what today's post is all about.


Rather, today graffiti meets digital video art and hits the wall.


It's called Graphic Violence by Corridor Digital.  And, it's clever and amusing.

Enjoy!

Francesco ...

Under the City there are many Adventures

We are so focused on what’s above ground that we forget that underneath exists an amazing subterranean world.

In this video by Andrew Worner called Undercity, he explores the tunnels under New York.

UNDERCITY from Andrew Wonder on Vimeo.

It’s really cool. So, enjoy !

Francesco …

Street Art is No Bull

I’ve been busy posting about serious stuff for a while now … so it’s time for some street art.  And this time it’s a bit unusual.

You’ve heard of or seen the giant sculpture of a bull on New York’s Wall Street near the NY Stock Exchange.  It’s the symbol of the capital markets … everything that’s good (and bad) about them.

But here’s that bull in a crocheted cover … all pink and cute looking.  That bull’s gorgeous !  And it’s cold in New York at the moment.

It’s the work of street artist Agata Olek and the bull’s outfit lasted two hours before being removed by the authorities.

See you in your crocheted poncho next winter.

Francesco ….

What a difference a decade makes ?

As we live our lives on a daily basis things seem to happen slowly … but if we pull back a bit we can see the pace of change better and better.

Months seem to slip by, each year finishes sooner and so much has occurred.

But think about how much has changed in the last decade.  It started with after the party at the end of 1999 and fears of the millennium bug (remember that) and ended with a lingering global financial crises and android phones that can access data almost anywhere in the world for a few cents per minute.

It’s just amazing how much things have changed.

This fascinating chart produced by io9.com summarises a few changes that I found interesting (even though it’s a little US centric).

So, see you after I listen to my Prince CD (he was still called that at the beginning of the last decade).

Francesco ….

It’s 2011 … and it’s a New Strata Year

Wow … another year starts and there’s only 364 days left before it’s over.  And, it’s also the start of another decade.

So, it’s a great year for new beginnings, changes and milestones.

What will happen in strata in Australia ?  Who knows … but here are ten of my predictions (some more obvious than others) -

1. We’ll certainly have a new government in NSW and probably get a new Federal government too
2. Interest rates will rise some more this year
3. The property market will get worse during the year before it starts to pick up again
4. Property developers will get very active again in 2011
5. There’ll be even more demands on managers (and others) by strata owners
6. Prices for all services in strata will come under further pressure .. so strata management fees will not rise (again)
7. Governments will continue to increase regulations and restrictions on managers, committees, developers and lawyers in strata
8. Some managers will get bigger by acquisitions and interstate expansion
9. More small manager (micro strata management companies) will keep popping up in every state
10. I might do something interesting and innovative in the strata-sphere

What about you?  What do you think will happen and/or what do you plan to do in 2011?

Let’s make the year memorable by doing the things we’ve been putting off, or are a bit hard or that just haven’t been done before. 

After all … how can anything new be worse than the old stuff that’s been done for years (or decades) and all the routine stuff being done in the strata space at the moment?

See you at the launch of your new thing (and loving it!).

Francesco …

The Twelve (Strata) Days of Christmas

Sing along with me ...

On the first day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... a new strata manager under a compulsory appointment

On the second day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 2 notices to comply with by-laws

On the third day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 3 office bearers

On the fourth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 4 quarterly levies

On the fifth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 5 legal actions

On the sixth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 6 owners complaining

On the seventh day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 7 sewer stacks overflowing

On the eighth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ...  8 tradesmen parked in visitor spaces

On the ninth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... ... 9 committee members  

On the tenth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 10 percent GST on levies 

On the eleveth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me … 11 un-financial owners

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my strata love gave to me ... 12 proxies for the AGM,

And all together now … On the twelve days of Christmas, my strata love gave to me - 12 proxies for the AGM, 11 un-financial owners, 10 percent GST on levies, 9 committee members, 8 tradesmen parked in visitor spaces, 7 sewer stacks overflowing, 6 owners complaining, 5 legal actions, 4 quarterly levies, 3 office bearers, 2 notices to comply with by-laws and a new strata manager under a compulsory appointment !!!

Enjoy the festive season.

Francesco …

Xmas Message from the Strata Blogger

Before you head off to your families and friends for present giving and receiving, turkey basting, stuffing and eating,  craker-jack pulling, and imbibing some Christmas spirits, I’d like to give you my Christmas message.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me during 2010 … it has been a great source of strength for me.   All my best wishes and hopes for success and happiness to everyone who has and is suffering loss and tragedy or enduring challenges.  I hope everyone gets to spend time with the people and animals they love (and who love them) over the Christmas season and reflect on what is important.  And, may all your wishes and hopes come true.

Now, here’s a more traditional version from our Queen back from 1957 (when television was just beginning and we were all a lot younger).

Merry Xmas.

Francesco ….