Author Archives: sputterpub

Remember the Flan

Posted on March 7, 2011 by sputterpub

   When I was 24 I learned the truth about Pyrex. Nick and I were making flan in our Bonita Street apartment when the pan and the misconception came apart. I’d always enjoyed pudding and I’d recently tasted flan. Or creme … Continue reading →

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The Lawsuit

Posted on March 4, 2011 by sputterpub

  When I was 43 I got sued. It was a surreal situation; the client got in trouble by going against what I recommended, and then contended that I was incompetent. After all, his lawyer charged, if I had been effective … Continue reading →

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Three Questions

Posted on March 3, 2011 by sputterpub

When I was around 11 I got a black eye by walking into a closed door. It was a dark night and I was sleeping over at my friend Candy’s house. I tried to make a trip to the toilet … Continue reading →

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ArcAngle 1

Posted on March 2, 2011 by sputterpub

  When I was around 50 I was immersed in Universal Design. As a result of working with Hearth and on UNA (Feb 16 and 17), I began contemplating what our homes require for us to live well: how we … Continue reading →

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Auto Love, Part 2

Posted on March 1, 2011 by sputterpub

     I propose we do some evaluating in terms of the Value of a Statistical Mile Traveled (VSMT). The VSMT is a measurement of the consumption in resources, labor and material of any mile traversed. Often time is factored in … Continue reading →

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Auto Love, Part 1

Posted on February 28, 2011 by sputterpub

    The verdict is in on mass transit, and just because it isn’t pretty doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look at it. The truth is, we’ve been running this bus and train and boat experiment for a century, and the obvious, … Continue reading →

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Utopolis

Posted on February 25, 2011 by sputterpub

  When I was 15 I spent some time with the school debate team. I wasn’t a member but my friends Jim and Tim were, and I helped them prepare for the competitions. The subject that year was nuclear power. It … Continue reading →

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Stupid Pets

Posted on February 24, 2011 by sputterpub

   When I was 5 they gave me the turtle. I don’t remember asking for one. I didn’t name it Myrtle (that was Mom: “Here. Meet Myrtle the Turtle”). I associate the creature’s presence with my terrible tonsillectomy but I also … Continue reading →

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Arcs and Angles

Posted on February 23, 2011 by sputterpub

     It’s really a lovely concept. I’m not going to drone about the six or seven principles of Universal Design – what is it with our species, that we seem to so like lists and acronyms? I’m going to try … Continue reading →

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Fruit Cocktail

Posted on February 22, 2011 by sputterpub

     When I was 20 I knew a guy with a weird job. He was a year ahead of me at Cal, part of the group of people I was most likely to socialize with, often around but not an … Continue reading →

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