I Ain’t Dead Yet…
April 12th… that was my last post here at AMNP, a fact that I’m not particularly proud of. I really wish I could say I had a good reason – like I had been on retreat in the woods, meditating and honing my ninja & architectural skills – but that’s not the case. Unfortunately, I’ve just been lazy [in terms of AMNP, anyways]. Oddly enough, when you’re out of work for a prolonged time getting back to the grind leaves you feeling much busier than you had before the layoff – or at least that’s what happened in my case. Having recently received some comments & emails asking what exactly the deal is, I’ve decided to get my act together.
Point is – AMNP ain’t dead yet, #*%$#@!!
Without going too far down the ‘what is a blog’s purpose’ rabbit hole [in this post], I’ve found myself wondering what function AMNP actually plays in the wider architectural interwebs. I feel as if since this site was founded (end of 2006) the architecture blogosphere has exploded in size, only to shrink back down a bit as some of the larger sites have settled in and mastered a model of multiple posts a day that seemed hard to compete with. I was thinking about this fact, wondering why I’d bother continuing AMNP when someone like Arch Daily rocks 10 articles a day – only to stop, slap myself, and realize that I was a ninja, dammit [the HNIC also recently suggested I was being a b!tch, which was motivational].
I’m not sure exactly where I’ll take the site from here, but I’ll feel it out – and I’m pretty confident you’ll let me know if I’m doing it wrong. Only thing I’m sure of is that architecture and blogs need ninjas, and if Archi-Ninja can’t pick up the slack while I’m on hiatus then I need to make a comeback [yes, Linda, I just called you out like that].
Sorry, but this self-indulgent post is all you’re getting for today. We’ll be back with the realness tomorrow, my ninjas.
Peace.
~ your friendly neighborhood orangemenace
Posted: August 1st, 2010
at 11:35pm by orangemenace
Tagged with AMNP, blog, comeback
Categories: MNP
Comments: 3 comments
Guru’s Heart
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O8oV1ATfH0[/youtube]
AMNP’s thoughts are with our ninja Guru, who has undergone successful heart surgery after suffering a heart attack.
And no – he ain’t dead, you fools.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT4jQld_FiE[/youtube]
Death of a Ninja: Howard Zinn
“He’s made an amazing contribution to American intellectual and moral culture,” Noam Chomsky, the activist and MIT professor, said last night. “He’s changed the conscience of America in a highly constructive way. I really can’t think of anyone I can compare him to in this respect.” Chomsky added that Dr. Zinn’s writings “simply changed perspective and understanding for a whole generation.” [via The Boston Globe]
Historian, activist, and all-around 9th Dan ninja master Howard Zinn passed away yesterday, January 27th, of a heart attack while traveling in California.
His most well-known work, A People’s History of the United States, changed the way that many of us looked at history – giving a view of the rise of the US without a patriotic filter feigning perfection. Zinn wished for us to consider the whole picture when viewing our history, including the oftentimes unfortunate, embarrassing – and sometimes horrifying – aspects of it that are far too often whitewashed in our school textbooks. He challenged us to take a long, hard look at our history – and at ourselves – in the hope that we could take what we learned to shape a better future for this nation, and the world.
Possibly even more importantly, Zinn worked to spread the idea that dissent was an essential part of democratic life – and that questioning the status quo and demanding more / something better was possibly the most ‘American’ thing we could do as informed citizens.
Rest in peace, sir.
[Note: A People’s History is a must-read for ninjas, in case you somehow didn’t know – otherwise you’re running around here uninformed like a white belt. Knowledge is the most important weapon in your arsenal.]
AMNP is With Coco
Partly because Conan is f-ing hilarious, and partly because we ginger-headed ninjas need to stick together, I would like to take a moment to deviate from AMNP’s architectural ruminations to say that the ninjas here at MNP are ‘with Coco’.
What does this mean for AMNP readers exactly? Absolutely nothing at all – but I really wanted to come up with a reason to post this image, which is killin’ me. Keep fighting the man, Coco!
Happy MLK Day
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a vital figure of the modern era. His lectures and dialogues stirred the concern and sparked the conscience of a generation. The movements and marches he led brought significant changes in the fabric of American life through his courage and selfless devotion. This devotion gave direction to thirteen years of civil rights activities. His charismatic leadership inspired men and women, young and old, in this nation and around the world.
Dr. King’s concept of “somebodiness,” which symbolized the celebration of human worth and the conquest of subjugation, gave black and poor people hope and a sense of dignity. His philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and his strategies for rational and non-destructive social change, galvanized the conscience of this nation and reordered its priorities. His wisdom, his words, his actions, his commitment, and his dream for a new way of life are intertwined with the American experience.
And, as I’ve done on previous MLK days – The Boondocks: MLK comes to dinner.
Ninjas Do It Best
And by “it”, I of course mean everything…
Our ninja Linda Bennett over at what I’ll call AMNP’s ‘sister site’, Archi-Ninja, has created this comic documenting what she calls the “Top 9 Ninja Characteristics of Awesome Architecture Blogs“. Linda has chosen a blog which she believes best exemplifies each characteristic – naming AMNP for “wisdom”, adding: “Grandmaster ninjas offer knowledge and guidance to all in their dojo”. I know what you’re thinking – AMNP hasn’t even been updated with any kind of consistency in what seems like months. But I assure you that the ninjas have been in retreat, meditating on the “isness” of architecture and blogging.
The other sites selected as representatives of “ninja-ness” [which is definitely not a real word] are:
– ArchDaily [Timeliness]
– AMNP [Wisdom]
– A Daily Dose of Architecture [Regular Diet]
– Inhabitat [Never Leave A Trace]
– Super Colossal [Super Strength]
– Designboom [Masters of Weaponry]
– BLDGBLOG [Foresight]
– cityofsound [Laser Focus]
– DeZeen [Agility]
I have to say, I think Linda should have included her own site in the comic – although, in not she has displayed the 10th ninja characteristic: “modesty”.
Posted: January 6th, 2010
at 6:15pm by orangemenace
Categories: architecture,my ninja, please,MNP,illustration
Comments: No comments
MNP Visualization Contest
Greetings ninjas! We would like to offer a challenge to our readership. If we can first direct your attention to the Column – you will find a post entitled Visualization- a post where we visualize myninjaplease.com.
So the challenge is:
Create either with graphics or words, how you, yourself visualize myninjaplease.com – the three (3) most thoughtful responses will receive a free copy of the 2 Disc (DVD/CD) set of Bob Marley : Stations of the Cross courtesy of MVD Entertainment Group, which comes out today (9/22/09).
The winning entries will be published a week after the termination of the contest which is Tuesday, 8th of October- let the best win!
Please send all entries to ian@myninjaplease.com
2-disc set includes new documentary film, plus over an hour of rare Marley audio interviews!
THE DVD: This film tells the complete and unexpurgated story of Bob Marley and of the life he led and the music he made. From his earliest days growing up in a small Jamaican village, through his early musical excursions – some 12 years before the world learned his name – to his era as an iconic and much loved superstar, a position he was cruelly only to enjoy for 6 short years. Featuring the rarest footage of Bob and The Wailers in existence [including much from private collections], interviews with his very closest friends, loved ones and associates, contributions from the finest writers and journalists, plus news reports, location shoots, exclusive photographs and much more, this is the best film yet to document Marley’s life as it will prove a delight for the millions of fans still enamored of the man and the music.THE CD: More than an hour of audio interviews with Bob Marley, split into a number of sections, each of which concentrates on a different subject close to man’s heart.
Posted: September 22nd, 2009
at 11:21am by orangemenace
Tagged with MNP, competition, design
Categories: competitions,MNP
Comments: 2 comments
Death of a Ninja: Ted Kennedy
Sad news this morning: Senator Edward M. Kennedy passed away last night [Tuesday August 25, 2009]. The Kennedy family released a statement this morning:
“Edward M. Kennedy , the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply , died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port. We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever.”
I would just like to say this: while willing to compromise with Republicans in order to achieve partial goals rather than let legislation fail, Kennedy was a bastion of liberalism – making it his life’s work to achieve the goal of healthcare for all Americans. I’m saddened for all of us, knowing that Kennedy didn’t live to see this lifetime goal accomplished – and knowing that so many Americans have not been convinced that healthcare for all is a basic human right that should be protected [and if needed, supplied] by our government. I think we’ll find that the ninja was ahead of his time in this respect.
Teddy, you were a politician – but you seemed to be a decent one, and you will be sorely missed in a political system that really couldn’t afford to lose you as a leader. Rest in peace, sir.
.:obituary + related stories of the life of Teddy K -> Boston.com
Posted: August 26th, 2009
at 11:29am by orangemenace
Tagged with news, politricks, death of a ninja
Comments: No comments
Let’s Get Hyphae
Now, a sensible ninja would wonder: how could something called “Hyphae Design Lab” not be associated with myninjaplease? The answer, of course, is that it would be impossible. That said, I can’t believe we didn’t get a shout-out…
Moving along – our ninja Brent started the Hyphae Design Lab, and is designing innovative greywater systems out in the Bay-area. Long story short, we are incredibly water-innefficient [in the US, and globally], and in order to move towards a green / sustainable future we need to seriously overhaul the way we think of water and waste systems, particularly those in our homes. Brent has some ideas how we can do that, and discusses his vision / concepts in this video feature for DWELL.
Posted: August 3rd, 2009
at 4:31pm by orangemenace
Tagged with tech, green, sustainable, MNP, video, science, recycle, nature, wastewater, greywater
Categories: architecture,green arch,tech,featured ninjas,videos,MNP
Comments: No comments
We’re Back Like Scoliosis
No, I’m not entirely sure what that means – other than AMNP [and all of myninjaplease] is back after a painful week and a half [roughly] of being out of commission for a number of reasons I won’t even bother getting into. Suffice it to say that technology services aren’t properly regulated, and are essentially allowed to screw you every which way if they so choose.
With that – and the fact that MNP has been unstable and slow for what seems like months – in mind, we’ve moved hosts! We’ve now ‘gone green’, moving to a host that offsets the energy their servers consume by purchasing wind credits amounting to 300% of their electricity demand. Sure, it’s not as cool as going ‘off grid’, but this seemed pretty dope for now.
So, sorry for the delays / downtime – and please, make ninjas that you know / encounter aware that we’re back up and running. I wouldn’t want them going around uninformed…