Majestic Architecture of Department of Commerce

Some beautiful architecture at the Department of Commerce. 

The Herbert C. Hoover Building (HCHB). 

They don’t make them like they used to. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Israel 2020: Day 5

Went to the Holon Design Museum (south of Tel Aviv) today. 

They had exhibit called States of Extreme.

I found some really cool exhibits and ideas there.

Sort of felt my mind being expanded by it, which is I suppose one of the purposes of going to this. 

Two of my favorite from today:

1) The chair with people legs and 

2) The Fanuc robotic arm feeding the baby in the crib.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did. 

And Shabbat Shalom to everyone from the Holy Land!

(Credit Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Street Art Wow

Some street art just makes you stop and say wow!

This mural on the side of a building in Philadelphia is just amazing. 

It takes a regular street (even next to an abandoned lot) and makes it eye-popping. 

Some people seem to walk by and not even notice. 

I’m not sure how. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Around The Corner

Thought this was a better design for a corner on a building. 

While I still don’t really like the plain cinderblock underneath…harsh, boring. 

The colorful, Jenga-type pieces stacked interestingly on each side makes a nice inviting presentation. 

So I guess you would say this is an acceptable way to cut corners. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Beautiful Architecture, Washington DC

Check out this beautiful exterior architecture.  

This fine exquisite pattern is all around this building by Metro Center. 

I think this must’ve been restored over the last few years, because I don’t remember it being this colorful and awesome in the past. 

Civilization can still create some amazing works…whether technology, medical cures, and even beautiful pieces of artwork. 

Now we just need to proceed with the positives of creativity and productivity without destroying ourselves with indifference, dysfunction, and mismanagement in the process. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Rain Spill On Building

Just thought this was a really interesting photo. 

The way the rain splattered down the side of this building.

The water hitting only on top and then trickling down the side like a big spill. 

“The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain,” but in Washington, D.C., it falls down the side of the buildings in these weird artistic patterns.

When I was a kid, I remember when it rained, my father would tell me positively and jokingly, “Ah, we’re getting a free car wash today!”

Isn’t it amazing how G-d made the world where it rains, and provides us not only the water to drink and sustain ourselves, but literally a shower to clean our cities and wash away the dirty excesses. 

The ecosystem is just an amazing array of literally everything we need and with checks and balances to keep the goings-on of the world suitable for His children. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

613 From Elevator To Seaweed

So as you know, we are experiencing 613 (mystical, holy number of commandments in the Torah) all over the place.

This last week, we got on the elevator to go to the 13th floor, and immediately, the next guy gets on and presses for the 6th floor. 

613 is brightly lite up on the elevator console and we turn to each other and are like, “What the…?” (No one else got on/off and no other floors were pressed while we were on it.)

Next my wife is looking on Amazon for some roasted seaweed as part of our lovely diet plan.

Guess how many reviews are on the product…613.

Yes, while each individual occurrence can be explained away or coughed up to chance–is it really possible for so many of these to be happening virtually daily. 

Any statisticians out there? 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Building And Flowers

Thought this painting of this gorgeous Spanish-styled building intermeshed with beautiful flowers was magnificant. 

I saw this hanging in a high-end home decor store around Washington, D.C. 

I like the side-looking angle upward as the building rises and peaks.

Also, all the shapes with squares, spheres, columns, archways and more along with all the brillant colors around it makes this something special to look at.

Hope you enjoy it! 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Power Of One, Many, And G-d

I took this photo at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. 

I like how they took the pictures of the professors, administrators, and students and wallpapered it outside on the facade of the building. 

It says, “I am the voice of innovative education and civic engagement for the 21st century.”

It’s a cool idea showing the individuals and the power they have to make a difference as well as the aggregate of the photos, as a group, displaying that we are somehow all in it together. 

We can’t just rely on others, and we can’t take it all on ourselves…progress is a shared responsibility. 

We do our part and contribute to the greater group–it takes a variety of talents to get things done, so we leverage everyones strengths for the good of the team. 

– Education is one part.  

– Experience is another.  

– Engagement is a third

And all these ingredients only come together with divine providence and the good fortune from the Almighty.

This last one is the secret sauce as they say. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Finals Week

This was a funny (-sad) picture right outside the new Science and Engineering Building at the prestigious George Washington University today. 

It looks much like a noose and is lit up by the glass and modern finishes of this new building. 

So a colleague says jokingly to me “Is that because of [the stress of] finals week?”

Now execution and suicide are definitely not a laughing matter…

But what a juxtaposition of this gorgeous new building going up and the old time hangman’s noose (almost) hanging down. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)