Hi FF,

Thanks for your input. You don't think it looks like an alien? I am very familiar with your new hall. Another hotsy totsy architect, Frank Gehry. When the cost estimate for the new ASO hall was developed, the price tag was $300 million. Nashville had just completed their new hall, a very nice and attractive (to me) Neo Classic design for $120 million. When the committee was criticized for the high price tag, the retort was that it was in line with other major symphony halls like the LA Symphony. So, I went to the LASO website and started my research. The problem with the comparison is that commercial construction costs in Los Angeles are 20% higher than Atlanta. Moreover, WD hall is larger. But people will creatively use statistics to support their case. I certainly do.

I was in Dallas on a business trip twenty years ago and had a few hours to kill. I visited their museum and they happened to have a Rauschenberg exibit on display. His work apparently was famous and was traveling the country. It was a modern sculpture which contained everyday life objects which had been covered by newspaper and given a shellac finish. Well, as I said, I did just fall off the cantaloupe truck. To me, it was a joke. Others were simply amazed, in a good way.

So, give me a Neo Classic design anyday. Too bad Philip Johnson died. He has had a very positive architectural impact on Atlanta. His design would have been something to be proud of. I was going to donate to the new hall when I heard the news, but after seeing the design, I decided against it.

You got it good buddy. The only reason I am waiting a week is to give you time to move. Well, forgot about the rugs. Guess I will need a few weeks to evacuate all the rugs and the child labor that weaves the rugs. I assume the sand is Syria is similar to that in Iran?

And, oh yeah, before Cuba, will have all the Cigars removed and the 57 Chevy's. They both could be worth a fortune in the US.

Todd, WDCH is hard to compare with because not only is it a rather large concert hall but the amount of steel it required and the engineering it took was phenomenol. I happen to like aliens (my Hubby still impersonates one occassionally) so perhaps that is why I like the design of the one you linked. WDCH ended up costing 365 million I believe.

I also read that they had to sand the exterior steel because the glare created a problem. More money for that too I guess.

And I agree, I don't mind aliens. Just buildings which look like an alien.

BTW, below is a link to an image of the Nashville Hall. This is my cup of tea. Boring, yes I know. And yes, it does look like the US Supreme Court building, but I still like it.

Nashville Hall

Link below is to a satellite image of North and South Korea. See Communism at work, or not at work.

North & South Korea

((((((Luna))))))))

For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, enjoy your turkey day! For those of you who have me in their ignore list, then you won't see this!

Goodmorning everyone. The sun's shining , the birds are singing.....

Amid the acrimony, frayed emotions and hurt brought on by my WW's affair, there is good news lurking. It was a year ago this month that I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The next month, I confronted my WW about her LTA. In January, she confessed. I moved out in March. My marriage is over and my family is shattered to splinters.

The doctor who gave me the diagnosis said there was mixed news. OTOH, my tumor was very large. However, the level of malignancy with such a tumor is usually not extremely aggressive in adults. Children are the typical victims of this tumor and it is uniformly fatal. There was more news. It was inoperable and even a biopsy was too risky. The tumor had other effects, my optic nerves, hormones and had invaded nearby tissue. While my outlook was not severely grim, it also was not rosy. My future hinged on malignant progress or lack thereof. If the tumor ran on a fast clock, well, I wouldn't be here today. The fact that I am here today is great news, at least for me. Thus far, I have survivied my WW's affair and the tumor. The affair was much tougher. Perhaps it was a gift of sorts which caused me to not dwell on the tumor but on treatment and recovery.

So, on this day before Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for. This morning, I had my regular monthly followup MRI. I just got off the phone with my doctor. When he calls with the MRI results, I always tense up. I was a little anxious this afternoon, testimony to which can be found in several pointless posts I entered. The tumor is now half the size it was at diagnosis!!! I am on cloud nine. I am so excited, it is incredible. Honestly, tears of joy are streaming down my face as I write this. All on the day before Thanksgiving. The metaphor is not lost on me.

Yes, my friends, the holiday tomorrow will be especially sweet. I have much to give thanks for and will do so. The bad stuff is gone, at least until later in the week. I will celebrate nothing but good news and positive thoughts. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

Todd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW that is awesome news!!!!!!

God Bless You Todd...THAT is GREAT NEWS!!! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Mrs. W

Wonderful news, Todd!

~ Marsh

Great news Todd !!!!!

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

great news Todd! A very sweet Thanksgiving for you this year. Enjoy the moment.

Happy Thanksgiving American TKOers!

Pio, thank you for the manganese info. Some pieces I leave unglazed, others for food, I glaze. The unglazed are generally not being used for food & are decorative. Some plates are glazed where the food will touch it but unglazed where it won't.

Todd,

Shrinkage? <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

(((((((((((((TODD))))))))))

WOOOWWWWW! ...and what timing!

...yes...your Thanksgiving will be sweet! <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks everyone.

Hey Nams, I offered you all the silica you could want and no thanks from you for my offer?

Pio,

Yes, shrinkage. And I haven't even been in the pool.

And yes, Luna, the timing is amazing. It all happened so fast. I rely on DS1 to track when I need to schedule the MRI. He called Tuesday and said he was behind because of his back. I set the appointment for early this morning. I told the MRI tech that if the doc didn't call me on Wednesday, that he could expect to see me at his doorstep on Thanksgiving! lol

nams,

We touch things every day that are lethal. I still can't figure out how people can make stainless steel BBQ smokers and avoid calss action lawsuits. Go figure.

I was thinking about construction costs. Does anyone track the price of steel? For the past few years, China has been swallowing up all the steel available with ferocity. Copper, Nickel, Zinc have all skyrocketed. I am made aware of this because we happen to consume a lot of steel and wire ourselves. The Chinese economy is booming and construction cannot keep pace. This is driving up inflation everywhere else in the world. So in comparing construction costs, can you factor in some sort of CPI to compare them on an even basis? Just using a pure dollar value isn't realistic with commodities being as volatile as they are. We are now faced with vendors refusing LT contracts because they are afraid they can't hedge enough on commodity costs. That makes our costs go up which drives up the price of oil even further. Todd - you need to do something about the Chinese. When you are president, will you be outsourcing your cabinet positions to India?

This is not inflation. It is merely a symptom of inflation.


No. Construction costs have two componesnts: materials and labor. Both are highly dependent on demand/supply curves at any point in time. The CPI does not equate to increases in construction costs.

And BTW, on China's fast growing economy. The US economy's growth last year - just the annual growth - is larger than the Chinese economy.

BTW, as the Father of a son who just bought a house and a stainless steel grill, what is wrong with stainless in that application?

Hi Todd, let's see silica...while we do use it for some glazes it's not at the top of my list for fantasy pottery items, though your offer was a generous one.

The building...If the structure was fabulous on the inside, if it was perfect for it's intended use, unique in the world for its ability to serve the purpose for which it was designed I'd say great, so that's what the ideal symphony hall should look like. However, it it's got parts that are simply decorative, made to look outlandish just for show than I don't like it.

I'll just wait for it to come out on CD and listen on my stereo.