A quick follow-up

For those who have not already seen this on Archinect, here is a link to their recently completed survey on the state of things in architecture as well as articles on the profession and the economy. It's not particularly optimistic, but near the end of the survey there are several participants who echo the possibility for opportunity this disaster has cracked open. There is one article as well entitled 'Reading material for unemployed architects' which I was hoping was going to be a survey of the most common books we all own but have never had the time to read. Alas, it was just another advice column. So I'm adding my interpretation of that title to the list of things to do during your unrequested vacation. As we turn the corner towards spring, is it those classics you skimmed in high school, Delirious New York, Complexity & Contradiction, Deleuze, Kant, or Lacan that you've never had time to really read? Marshall McLuhan, Richard Sennett, Kerouac (the new version, as written originally, is out in paperback!)?

And on a completely lighter note (isn't humor supposed to be the best medicine?), I wrote a few months back about the Ben & Jerry's flavor, Yes PeCan! that was being sold as part of a pro-Obama fundraising effort for the Common Cause Education Fund. This past week I received a follow up email forwarded from my friend Alex. Here is a selection of the George W Bush alternatives to Yes PeCan! as suggested to Ben & Jerry's by a comic (and fictitous) public. Enjoy:

- Grape Depression
- The Housing Crunch
- Abu Grape
- Nut'n Accomplished
- Iraqi Road
- Chock 'n Awe
- WireTapioca
- Guantanmallow
- imPeachmint
- Heck of a Job, Brownie!
- Neocon Politan
- The Reese's-cession
- Cookie D'oh!
- Nougalar Proliferation
- Death by Chocolate... and Torture
- Freedom Vanilla Ice Cream
- Chocolate Chip On My Shoulder
- Credit Crunch
- Mission Pecanplished
- Country Pumpkin
- Chunky Monkey in Chief
- WMDelicious
- Chocolate Chimp
- Caramel Preemptive Stripe


Personally, I'm sticking happily with my Yes PeCan!