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Extreme Makeover: Knowledge Edition
Upon first glance at today’s cover page on bing.com, I was baffled. As is protocol with viewing Bing’s daily front page, I scrolled over the image to navigate to one of the four informational boxes. The link took me to a collection of pictures of the University of Zurich Library.
Stunning.
The big, dramatic curves guide your eyes within its grandiose space. This description is hardly ever used to characterize a library. Most of us know libraries to be very quiet, calm and non-exciting. The need for such fancy, eye-catching exterior and interior designs is considered nonsense when referring to a place to read, write and study.
Maybe this is the problem.
Books, periodicals, research journals, magazines, movies and so forth remain popular commodities with the public for various reasons. Despite the demand and ample supply on the shelves, libraries are rarely packed from wall-to-wall, unless it’s mid-term or finals season. As a solution, I suggest more libraries search out for private investment collaborations. Specifically, imaginative minds, inventors and architects who would jump at the opportunity to make his or her mark. Living in the age of information (ie- digital technologies), libraries offer an outstanding and nearly unlimited resource for people to invest their time and energies to further their education and personal enlightenment.
Think of it as “the knowledge renaissance.”
It’s time to view libraries as not just a building filled with old books and shushing librarians, but instead a destination of learning. In other words, it’s time to follow the lead of some around the United States and the world in their recent and historic efforts to boldly brand libraries as, generally speaking, “a cool place to be.” The silence must be upheld, along with the other proper rules and norms for any library. Learning and expanding one’s mind still need to be the predominant objectives. The primary difference is making the trip to the library an experience for people of all ages with dynamic and innovative educational value, attraction and content.
To better illustrate my point, below is a small collection of some creative takes on the library:
(Keystone/Gaetan Bally)
The University of Zurich Library
(STUA on Tumblr)
Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
(princetonreview.com)
Arnold Bernhard Library at Quinnipiac University
The Library at the University of California at San Diego
(myloc.gov)
The Library of Congress
Above are only a few examples of how architects throughout history have defined libraries as spaces intended for learning whilst being surrounded by magnificent inspiration. Hopefully, the future will feature creative minds who expand on past and present designs (there really is something truly special about those old world libraries and the history they speak to its visitors…). Architects could also innovate these themes with entertaining and engaging technologies with the aspiration of uniting communities and people all around the world towards the journey of abundant knowledge and unparalleled perspective.
How does that phrase go, “if you build it, he will come.”
With all the technological advancements and varying mediums for sharing and presenting information, the grand opportunity to innovate, reinvigorate and redirect the public to the library in masses is undeniably present. Could this mean holographic shows with famous historical figures? Perhaps. There are seemingly countless possibilities. The key is finding and connecting with eager and imaginative men and women (like Ted Mosby, formerly of Mosbius Designs) to collaborate with to build these kingdoms of knowledge.
Kingdoms of knowledge…sounds like an adventure already.
The Crew 2.0
According to thecrew.com, San Francisco’s Anthony Precourt of Precourt Sports Ventures, LLC has become the new owner of the Columbus Crew. Remarkably, Preourt is only the second owner of “America’s Hardest Working Team” since its 1996 inception as a Charter Member of Major League Soccer. Yesterday marked not only the transition from the legendary Hunt Sports Group, but also represented a seismic shift in the operations and management of the Columbus Crew.
Ceremonial jubilation aside, a significant dynamic has been created. After Precourt was handed the keys to America’s first soccer-specific stadium, he and his company just may have turned the front office of the Columbus Crew into an up-and-coming venture capital start-up…with 18 years experience and championships on the shelf, including 2008’s MLS Cup.
Throughout the Crew’s long history, patience has been a cornerstone of the organization. There are several instances of when this has been a tremendous asset. This degree of trust is a unique quality in today’s fast-paced world. Conversely, if things started to go poorly, at least in the eyes of the dedicated fans, the front office has been quite glacial to make any drastic and necessary changes. A prime example of this mentality is the fact that Robert Warzycha is still the head coach.
However, successful businesses do not operate with this much elasticity. Data points are constantly analyzed and debated, with necessary adjustments made when appropriate. Precourt, and this is only from an initial impression, appears to be of the mindset that success does not occur when one is losing. Again, Warzycha is still the head coach. Spending the past five seasons watching the same movie on repeat has gotten old and frustratingly predictable.
Crew fans are very cognizant that Warzycha was the head coach that directed the team that won the MLS Cup in 2008 under head coach Sigi Schmid to a squad that couldn’t win a playoff game in 2009.
The point is that Precourt and his business partners appear interested in obtaining success while simultaneously appealing to and growing the incredible fan base in Ohio’s capital city. It’s potentially an adaptation of the European football culture: treating the team, roster and results like a business, while engaging fans, creating a fun atmosphere and generating a lovable brand. He said in a recent interview that success begins on the pitch.
And I can safely assert that every Crew fan hopes he intends to begin with the field located in Columbus Crew Stadium.
The Epic Renaissance of the “Man of Steel”
“One day, you’re gonna have to make a choice. You have decide what kind of man you want to grow up to be. … Whoever that man is, good character or bad, is gonna change the world.”
–Mr. Kent
“You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They’ll race behind you, they will stumble. They will fall. … But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders.”
–Jor-El
manofsteel.warnerbros.com
It’s a bird! It’s a Plane! It’s Super-I mean, It’s the Man of Steel!
The day has arrived when the superhero of all superheroes will again appear as a heroic savior from the skies. As the description the late Jay Morton coined reads, he’s, “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” The, “man of steel” will attempt to protect the people of Earth from General Zod and his army while wearing a modernized (by Kryptonian standards) blue suit with a red cape, donning the most famously symbolic “S” ever known.
How will fans react to Henry Cavill’s adaptation? Was he up to this enormous challenge?
Music is a vitally important partner to any television show or movie featuring Superman. The opening few seconds of John Williams’ score for the 1978 motion picture is definitively beautiful as it sets the stage for a grand journey. Hans Zimmer, a composing mastermind and movie soundtrack maestro, put his orchestral talents to work to create the right sound that had to be, quite literally, super!
In the short video below, Zimmer describes a new listening technology he helped develop when he composed the, “Man of Steel” soundtrack.
Innovative- Brilliant-Wow!
Did Zimmer write a new, modern anthem or score that will overtake the iconic, “Superman” soundtrack by John Williams? No, because that task is essentially impossible. However, as the music from the multiple trailers and his past movie scores have indicated, the new soundtrack will undoubtedly be epic. That’s an investment you can take to the bank.
Will, “Man of Steel” be as epic as the soundtrack? Will Kal-El fly off the screen without the assistance of 3D glasses?
June 14, 2013: The time has come to buy the tickets and watch the greatest superhero of all-time grow up in confusing wonderment on a strange planet, somehow meet Lois Lane and then battle the powerfully evil General Zod and his destructive army.
As Jimmy’s Daily Planet’s current headline indicates, the expectations for this Super-I mean, “Man of Steel,” are epic.
Will we join him in the sun…?
Our Nation’s Artists
This morning I needed a light jacket. Normally, this isn’t a big deal except for the fact it’s June 7th. I guess Mother Nature decided to take a refreshing breath mint or two and blow her new-found coolness across the Midwest.
Just a little global cooling to make Al Gore go crazy for a few days.
Inexplicably, this cold front in June sparked random curiosity and wonderment of Americans from yesteryear…like yesteryear.
Having always been fascinated with history, this sudden reflective contemplation to the past patriots who lived in this country one hundred to two hundred and some odd years ago is not too surprising a revelation. Still, it’s noteworthy to think so far back in time without taking part in a tour or sitting in a history class.
Speaking of a historical tour, I have fond memories of visiting Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, soaking in all the astonishing buildings, artifacts, food, people, gardens, modes of transportation and anything and everything found within its parameters. Uniquely American, it opened my eyes into the improbable inception of the United States of America and the ambiguous journey everyone took part in together in building the foundations of a new nation. An insightful quote by Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrates this courageous endeavor taken by our adventurous ancestors.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
When my family and I visited Colonial Williamsburg, it was summer and it was hot. Not warm with a light cloud of humidity or it might be hot enough to swim, but, “Dog Days of Summer” hot. While partaking in the exercise of sweating and walking, there were countless Revolutionary soldiers and townspeople dressed in traditional late-1770s clothing. The attire was heavy and assuredly sweltering, yet they never showed discomfort. And here I was, in shorts and a t-shirt, feeling hot and uncomfortable. I made damn sure to shape up and wipe my brow when walking by the cannon operators!
Like Washington, D.C., Colonial Williamsburg should be a national requirement for all students to visit. The sights and sounds are spectacular and together creates an unforgettable experience and appreciation for our forefathers and foremothers and everything they endured to build the great nation we live in today. When it was hot, they sat on their porch or ran around outside and enjoyed the company of their family and neighbors. Some maintained their luscious gardens filled with colorful flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables while others socialized in stores around the town they all helped to build and support.
Despite the fact Colonial Williamsburg is not a quick stroll down the road, the Ohio Village is within a short driving distance. This is a place frozen in time dating back to the 19th century. Located in the shadows of Crew Stadium, the Ohio History Center and this thing they call a, “freeway,” the Ohio Village offers its patrons a momentary break from 21st century realities to visit the forever sought after and admired, “much simpler time.”
When it was too hot to stay inside, they went outside. When it was too cold to be outside, they stayed in, bundled up and made a fire. And when it was dark and they needed light, they lit candles. Our American ancestors were resourceful and did what they had to, whatever that meant. What’s more is whether it was during the 18th or 19th centuries, Americans have managed to pull off truly remarkable achievements. They took a blank page on a shaky canvas and, during their time, added their individual paint strokes and color splashes to create the foundation of the masterpiece we all see and enjoy today known as the United States of America.
Pretty cool, right? I get chills just thinking about it.
And come the fourth day in July, I know I’ll get goosebumps in the unrelenting heat while gazing up at fireworks in the same way our nation’s forefathers and foremothers did: celebrating the incomparably brilliant idea that is the American dream.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 