The wonders of technology never cease… the ability to access information, share knowledge, and communicate ideas has evolved manifold, in the 12 years I’ve been practicing. It also continues to do so, as my new G1 Phone probably has the combined computing power of the first 4 computers I owned combined.

One thing is for sure… this technology can also fail us in swift and magnificent ways, leaving you feeling somewhat lost. So long-story-short, yesterday my trusted 5 yr old laptop woke up to the dreaded blue-screen of death – which after a bit of fiddling was diagnosed as the result of a crashed hard drive. Not terribly damaging (with the exception of perhaps my pysche), as the data can be recovered (I’m crossing fingers), and a new laptop is on the way (in a couple of weeks). So as I’m typically working and doing work stuff (i.e. not blogging) while at work, my access to blogging in off-hours will be minimal and sporadic for the upcoming days (as I wrestle with my girlfriend for her laptop)… and the sum total of my saved links and RSS feeds were on the old machine, so it’ll take a bit of time to get rolling again. I will post a bit here and there when I have access.

Also, another upcoming event that I’m excited about is an upcoming AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team that I am going to be involved in the upcoming week in Detroit, Michigan. A description: “The SDAT program is a community assistance program that focuses on the principles of sustainability. SDATs bring teams of volunteer professionals (such as architects, urban designers, planners, hydrologists, economists, attorneys, and others) to work with community decision-makers and stakeholders to help them develop a vision and framework for a sustainable future.”

This intense three day charrette will look to envision revitalization of the core of downtown Detroit, including planning, economics, open space, urban agriculture, and much more. Read more about the specific proposal that was submitted for Detroit’s SDAT application here. I’ll be in Detroit from October 29th to November 2nd… a period where the blog will be very silent.

Although I hate the blogging tendency to make excuses for lack blogging (which I think I just did) because it seems a bit presumptuous… I will alas say this: No fear, I will definitely recount the SDAT experience, keep up with the veg.itecture out there in the world, and continue blogging – so keep reading, and commenting. It’s also made me decide it’s a good time to retool the blog (maybe) – as we near 100,000 visitors, almost one year, and almost 300 posts… There’s been some great leads and commentary about posts recently, so keep it up. JK