Friday 11 May 2012

the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture and the Cardboard Cultural Olympiad


It has been a sunny day today, the Ghost Writer was off in his grey office playing with Microsoft, I was at school watching soft microbe’s play and dad was building a Steam Powered Soft Micro Monster called Bill, as a subtle hint that I need to get my act together and make my cardboard robot before I run out of time altogether (I tend to run these things to the wire).

I noticed that the Olympic observation tower (the ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture) has officially opened today (I think) and there is much talk of it as a great piece of architecture and ART, Now call me an old fuddy-duddy, but it may be a clever piece of architecture, but personally I don’t think it is either graceful or aesthetically pleasing so calling it Art????????? No it is a structure not art.  I know art, I like art, all sorts of art and I don’t think this is Art.   Just my own view (observation HA HAH HAH HAH hah hahah ha hahah hah).



Dad was telling a friend that he is due to phone in his first quarter’s reading on the solar panel electricity scheme and was saying how silly it is because you are paid for all the power you generate even if you use the whole lot yourself and export none. Everyone thinks this is mad because it encourages you to find ways to use electricity when it is sunny. So dads new  project to add two huge copper balls on top of the house and generate large arcing lightning over the house is well under way. It strikes (strikes HA HAHH HAH HHAH hah) me that this will be far more exciting than an observation tower. Although it is possible that my Cardboard Cultural Olympiad may not be, but then I don’t have quite the same budget, mine is more ten pounds plus all the cardboard you can carry.

To change the subject slightly because, well not much happened today (I blame the Ghost Writer) one thing I did see today and it is something I have never seen before ever, was a flat rainbow. How can that happen I sure scientifically it is not possible, even the dog is looking confused now. It was on a hill and in a straight line along the top of the hill, sadly I never had a camera so I am unable to prove I saw it, the dog says it might be that the rainbow was distorted by curved air causing an optical paradox.

OK I’m off again now to contemplate cardboard and optical paradoxes.


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8 comments:

  1. I saw a rainbow today too, but it was a regular one, I've never seen a flat one...

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    1. Nor have I until today, it was very odd but it is true and sadly I did not have my camera with me.

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  2. The Olympic observation tower, what a truly ugly piece of architecture.

    I should go and see it, seeing as the Olympic site is practically on my doorstep. But after seeing that picture, gazing at a flat rainbow would be a much better way to spend the day.

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    1. If you go to see it remember it cost fifteen pounds to go up it.... Are they serious fifteen quid, maybe its just us country folk think that is mad.

      Apparently it is good value for money because from the observation room at the top the one thing you cant see that ruins the view from everywhere else is the observation tower

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    2. Haha! Or the fact that most of the area is still under rejuvenation and so resembles the blitz.

      And no, it's not just you country folks who think the price is too high. Though us locals wouldn't even pay £2.50 for the pleasure.

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    3. so if you go to the top there is nothing to see anyway. That might explain why they never show the view from the top on the media.

      Mmmmm I wonder if there is an orbit cam

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  3. Flat rainbows, I'll hope to see one. As for the Olympic "structural committee" they may not have their thinking curve going. It may be flat.

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    1. I am glad I did see the flat rainbow because I suspect I will never see another one.

      And I think the trouble with all Olympic committee's is they assume they can spend what they like, but very few of them have any imagination. Thus most of the time we end up with incredibly expensive uninspired rubbish.

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