August 24, 2008 - It looks blue, but it's green.

What's the Greenest building at the Beijing Olympics? It's the Water Cube. The cube is covered with 100,000 square meters of Teflon-like translucent plastic ETFE bubble cladding which allows in more solar heat than glass, making it easier to heat the building, and resulting in a 30 percent reduction in energy costs. This energy savings is equivalent to covering the roof in solar panels. The bubbles are air-tight, and LED-lit. They're only .008 of an inch thick and can hold up to 300 times it's weight and span greater distances than glass. It also costs 70 percent less to install.

A rainwater collection system gathers 10,000 cubic meters each year, while a recycling system reuses 80% of the building's water, crucial in Beijing's drought-plagued landscape. And the building will have a good afterlife. The building will be converted into a recreation facility for residents who not only can swim, but can take advantage of tennis, a waterslide and a cafe. Unlike the nearby "Bird's Nest" stadium which some see as a "white elephant" once the games are done. And no one was killed during construction, unlike the stadium which claimed at least 10 lives.

August 22, 2008 - Anything for a Great Show

By any standard the opening ceremony for the China Olympics were brilliant, amazing, and unprecedented. But at what real cost. The Chinese government has long been known to use it's massive population as a seemingly expendable natural resource. As much as we were dazzled, what reaction should we have to find out about the harsh conditions the performers endured. An article at ESPN.com gives a hint of what the performers went through. 

The performers stayed in army barracks outside the city and were not allowed to leave. Performers were injured, fainted from heatstroke and some were forced to use adult diapers so breaks weren't necessary. The ceremony's director wanted the world to know of the suffering and sacrifice of the nearly 15,000 members of the cast and crew. He said "Only the North Koreans could have done better." I'm not sure how he meant this statement.

The participants of the synchronized tai-chi routine rehearsed an average of 16 hours a day, every day, for three months. A young 26-year-old dancer fell from a 10-foot stage and may be permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Despite the sacrifices, the student performers were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the historic event and view it as an honor.

As a comparison, the director pointed out that in the West frequent coffee breaks were necessary and they could only work 4 and a half days per week, with no overtime. I don't think he was happy with that situation either.

August 21, 2008 - The Mysterious Cauldron Appearance

Perhaps you're as curious as I am, but how could a 10-story, 45-ton structure get to the top of the Bird's Nest during the opening ceremonies without a hint of where it came from. Here's what I've learned.

The secrecy of the cauldron became a top priority. Look at the photo above and you'll see a 30-meter, air-cushioned tunnel set on top of the roof that kept the cauldron under wraps for almost two months. A rail system was created to move the giant cauldron to the edge of the stadium and down into position. So while you and I and everyone else were watching the parade of athletes, a button was pushed and it took about 16 minutes for the cauldron to move into position surprising everyone. The inflatable tunnel disappeared and no one was the wiser. The whole system and Cauldron weighed about 405 tons and cost about $1.5 million dollars.

This photos shows the day when the cauldron was inserted into the inflatable tunnel. Now you know. :-)

August 20, 2008 - The China Syndrome

How can I help but be impressed by the China Olympics. So, while they're still going you're going to see a series of posts centered on the spectacle, the architecture, the tricks and even some of the controversy.

First a few spectacular photos of the opening ceremony from the Big Picture.

August 17, 2008 - A weekend away

Last weekend I felt the need to get away. The creative brain needs new input every once in awhile. I headed west to the big river then up to Viroqua, Wisconsin. Viroqua is a typical Wisconsin town with a progressive bent and it seemed like a good home base for the weekend. A friend had recommended Lanesboro, MN as a great place for biking and escape. Lanesboro is about an hour west of La Crosse and the photo above shows the hilltop with the old school and church that look out over downtown Lanesboro. The school is currently being converted into coop condos and I envy the amazing views of the Root River Valley. 

Lanesboro is a mecca for family and group biking, canoeing, kayaking, and tubing. This is the center of the 60 mile long Root River Bike Trail that follows the Root River through the valley. The trails  are converted railroad tracks and features many bridges and great views. And if you're in the mood there's a great pie shop about 5 miles east of Lanesboro where just about everyone stops for a treat. You can't help but notice the mass of bikes parked outside the shop.

The photo above was taken on the deck of a restaurant where I had a Cajun Catfish sandwich. I had a great view of bikers on the bridge and tubers on the river below. Below is a typical bridge crossing along the Root trail. The trail is very gradual so you can take your time and not worry about big hills. And did I mention the weather was perfect. I highly recommend Lanesboro. Their web site boasts many awards like "Best small town in America" if that gives you a hint. I also noticed many restaurants and even a theater company. "Harvey" was the latest production but I had to get back home. Next time.

On my way home I took a trip to a little town called Ontario and the home of Wildcat Mountain State Park. At the top of a steep ridge the park offers an unprecedented view of the Kickapoo River Valley where many a canoe enthusiast has enjoyed a leisurely ride on the winding river. Sorry to sound so much like a travel agent but what can I say. It was a great little trip. Ciao.

July 29, 2008 - The Calm Before the Storm

It's been over 2 weeks since the Madison Art Fair and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. It wasn't the experience I was hoping for. In fact it was kind of a nightmare. It all started the night before the fair when artists set up their tents. I worked from 7:00 to 10:00 pm that hot night getting my tent, shelves, and curtains up so I could be ready to go early Saturday morning. I decided not to put my lamps in the booth because the night previous Madison experienced strong winds. The news reported downed tree limbs and even damage to a large tent that was set up for a festival nearby. We were expecting storms again early Friday morning. It was just too big of a chance.

When I arrived early Saturday morning things looked very wrong. My tent sides had been blown off. The tent has been moved about 3 feet toward the center of the street. The metal shelves were all on the sidewalk haphazardly behind the tent. All my containers holding tools, receipts, paperwork, and supplies were scattered around the back of the booth. The curtain rods were badly bent. And everything was soaked with water. There was standing water in many of my containers. My heart sank. I started looking around and several tents nearby were damaged. It looked as though someone had dragged all my stuff over to the sidewalk. However, the tent on the other side of me had moved but it looked fine. It seemed the wind was very focused on a small section of the street and mine was one of the unlucky ones. I was in a wind tunnel.

I would have taken some photos but my camera was wet and I was intent of assessing the damage. My mind was going back and forth trying to decide if I should pack up and leave. But I slowly worked through the mess, drying what I could and realized that on the whole things were okay. I got the booth into shape. When I was done I was surprised that it looked so good. You really wouldn't have known. 

The woman next door had to leave. She had a much heavier and well made booth but one of the legs had bent and she couldn't repair it. I also heard that maybe 20 other booths around the square had been damaged during the night. In fact one group of tents were all pushed together in a big pile. Some people had their art in the booth and it was a terrible mess. Artists were very upset and a lot of them left. This information was all via the grapevine and I never really got the whole story. Our local news didn't mention the incident at all.

The wind gusted all day. It was very stressful for me and many others. On the whole my tent held and my lamps did not fall over. I had a few sales but it was a fairly slow day. The people attending the fair loved it. In past years it's been over 90 degrees and sweltering. This year it was cool and very breezy. They had no knowledge of the small disasters that happened the night before. They did notice many empty booth spaces.

I packed up my lamps that night thinking I just couldn't take a chance. I had high hopes that Sunday would be a much better day. The photos here are taken early Sunday morning. All the tents were bundled up and the sun hadn't gotten high enough to illuminate the square. The wind kept gusting. And the gusts got stronger and stronger. At times I was literally holding down my tent. My neighbors decided to take their tent down and were much better off. They sold heavier ceramics and didn't have to worry about the wind blowing them over. We heard crashes every once in awhile and cringed. I was a nervous wreck. I was talking to my neighbor about the wind when a big gust hit and two of his pieces crashed to the ground. Around two in the afternoon I got hit with a huge gust and all my lamps and shelves tipped over. Luckily people in the booth grabbed the lamps while I held the tent down. Within five minutes another gust hit. Again all the shelves and lamps tipped over. This time I wasn't so lucky and at least two lamps broke. 

It was time to pack up. On top of the erratic winds—which, by the way, were hardly effecting the people across the street from me—my sales were very low and it just wasn't worth the stress. So I packed up while people tramped through my booth to get to the sidewalk behind me, tripping over my tent poles, oblivious of what I'd been through. I finished around five, just when the fair closed down. I was defeated and grumpy. When I got home my neighbors were happily curious as to how well I did  and all I could do was tell them that it was a long sad story and I'd have to tell them later. 

Looking back I was pretty lucky. Only two lamps were damaged. I'm guessing that some other artists suffered much worse. I doubt that I'll do the Madison fair again. It's hard for me to do outdoor fairs because of the unpredictable winds and rain. Also it's rare for fairs to offer electricity and my lamps look so much better when lit. It was also interesting being on the selling side of things. The public was ignorant of what many of the artists were going through. They were there to have a good time, eat some food, buy some art, and enjoy the breezy summer day. On my side I was totally stressed out thinking my lamps were all going to be blown away at any moment.

I'll leave it at that. It was an experience I could have lived without but it's not an unusual experience for artists on the art fair circuit. I'm just not a seasoned participant and have had it pretty lucky, until now.

Here's a few more "calm" photos. I also want to wish a big Happy Birthday to Kristin on her 51st! 

July 11, 2008 - Getting ready for the fair

Well, I'm all packed for the Madison Art Fair on the Square this Saturday and Sunday. Got the old rental van stuffed and now I have to wait 4 hours before they allow you to start setting up on the square. In other words after 8 pm this evening. I guess it's better than setting up at the hottest time of the day. Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating this year, at least for set up. They are expecting storms to come through tonight and go into the morning. If it's anything like last night I'm a little worried that my tent will still be standing tomorrow morning. Trees were down and streets were flooded. It's one of those nights where the thunder makes you shudder in your bed.

I'm going to try and take a lot of photos this weekend so I can take you through the process of doing an art fair. Stay tuned.