an american modernist

2011.09.01
kottke.org excerpted this bit of a David Galbraith piece on Steve Jobs... a brisk read (with pictures!) and worthwhile:
Perfecting the model of selling design that is compatible with big business, Foster simultaneously grew one of the largest architecture practices in the world while still winning awards for design excellence. The secret was to design buildings like the limited edition, invite only Porsches that Foster drove and fellow Porsche drivers would commission them. Jobs went further, however, he managed to create products that were designed like Porsches and made them available to everyone, via High Tech that transcended stylistic elements. An Apple product really was high technology and its form followed function, it went beyond the Porsche analogy by being truly fit for purpose in a way that a Porsche couldn't, being a car designed for a speed that you weren't allowed to drive. Silicon Valley capitalism had arguably delivered what the Soviets had dreamed of and failed, modernism for the masses. An iPhone really is the best phone you can buy at any price. To paraphrase Andy Warhol: Lady Gaga uses an iPhone, and just think, you can have an iPhone too. An iPhone is an iPhone and no amount of money can get you a better phone. This was what American modernism was about.

One downside to achieving "Inbox Zero" on gmail is that its always pimping out Google Reader, like "not enough to read" is the problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_sofa_problem - sometimes I just love geometry.
French are great soldiers (seriously.) But now they have a new war: THE WAR OF THE POST-ITS http://www.postitwar.com/