Goethean thought is a theme of Waldorf schools or Steiner or … The Trench is confusewd confused. However, it is worth noting the writing of Steve Talbott on the subject, To Explain or Portray?

Here are the pictures of the TransAmerica Pyramid shadow taken on the actual day of the solstice by another, June 21, 2003.

In gnomon land, there is a report to a co-worker as follows:

July 7, 2003

The more I work on the gnomon, the more needs to be done. For example, it might be a good idea to measure monuments relative to center of the Pyramid, and then graph against time. Then there might be a basis for correction.



The pictures you sent are quite something. Do you have a CD for them so that I can post on web with others? Lighting conditions on the solstice for conventional photographs, June 21, 2003, were much clearer than the day after for digital photographs, June 22, and film also has more resolution, but main reason to keep the digital photographs is the record of time when the observation was made.

As to the Coptic eye, I did look for the Great Seal on the web and have a quote from greatseal.com below. I also wonder if instead of the TransAmerica Pyramid, the Great Pyramid stood in the same place somehow, would the shadow actually clear the base?

Reverse

In the zenith of an unfinished pyramid is an eye in a triangle surrounded with a golden glory. Over the eye are the words Annuit Coeptis. On the base of the pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI, and underneath, the motto Novus Ordo Seclorum.

Visit AkuAku for scene of horse grazing in the ruins of 80% completed and abandoned hotel somewhere way far away.

Some solstice gnomon pictures are up. These are pictures of the shadow of the TransAmerica Pyramid on Columbus Avenue and later, Hotaling Place. Pictures are from the 22nd, and orange marks are observations from the 21st.

So there are words and sort-of words.

Brooklyn Bridge Hard to Topple, see cryptome, via newthings.

So the observations take place, beginning 11:55am PDT and continuing through 12:20pm on Columbus Avenue, noon in the middle of the street. Paint orange circles indicating the tip of the TransAmeica Pyramid.

Technique is to stand in shadow, approximately two feet. At the penumbra, where the shadow of observer’s head emerges from the shadow of the tip, mark. Verify previous observations, and another observer questions whether they line up.

1pm, stand opposite fourth support of the pyramid, its center. Other observer photographs position and verifies pyramid shadow extends up the side of 500 Washington buildings. 1:10 to 1:20pm, make two observations on Hotaling.

Columbus Avenue is a good bet for observing the gnomon represented by the TransAmerica Pyramid during the winter months. Say 10am.

Here’s to three square miles of Berkeley and Oakland hills after the fire, complete in one page.

When there’s a post to Trenches, watch out. Lenedra Carroll in The Architecture of All Abundance writes,

“He is wise who sees action in inaction and inaction in action,” the dream voice [an owl’s] had said.

and

Remember that you are an artist.
Know that you are more than the things that happen to you.
Always make space for magic to happen.

If an architect makes space, and anybody can be an architect, Carroll is a good, intuitive place to start. Now on to professionalism, even when it’s at the earliest stages.

Olympic Stadium concept. For whatever reason, the local museum looks more like a box.

Merriam-Webster defines gnomon as the pin of sundial. A tall building such as the TransAmerica Pyramid can serve this purpose, provided there is a marker of some kind on the ground indicating the shadow measurement at a specific time of day. If the shadow aligns with the marker, the time of day should match the previous time of day when the marker was set. Because the TransAmerica Pyramid is so tall, the behavior of the “instrument” is particularly dynamic compared to an ordinary sundial from the vantage of the observer. All bets are off in foggy weather and during an earthquake.

ΓΝΩΜΩΝ. A page in French on the web says Thales measured the height of the Great Pyramid at Giza by comparing shadows at the same time of day.

Consider a pyramid, height h unknown. However the length of its shadow, l, is known for a certain time of day, as is the shadow l’ and height, h’ of a reference such as a 6’ man.

h   h'

- = --

l   l'



    h'l

h = ---

     l'

Example: l = 962’, h’ = 6’ and l’ = 12’. Solving for h = 481’ = 6 x 962 / 12.

At an opening in Berkeley, C., a plein-air painter, says they rebuild "to the lot line" in the Oakland Hills. No manners. Of course he means to the setback, as reference shows the possibility of good manners to the lot line.

Another word from close, oh so close to home.

A word about internship from afar, oh so far away.

Via boing boing, tents or not.

Three churches among others(?), same architect, Charles Geddes. There was a good article in a recent newspaper, but can’t find it.

• Noe Valley Ministry, San Francisco, 1888
• Westminster Presbyterian Church (St. Procopius Church), Berkeley, 1879
• Community United Methodist Church, Half Moon Bay, 1872

See Witold Riedel for two articles on earth structures, one of which is a drawing with eight variations and the other article gives links to Nader Khalili.