Vacation Snapshots - Octopus Coming Soon!

In the random patchwork of places I've been around the world, I somehow missed Portland, but I've been reading more and more about how good the restaurants are so here I am in a pretty impressive hotel. Ever since I was a kid, I've always liked slightly strange old hotels with maze-like rooms (hence the appeal of The Shining). The Monaco Portland has the added Alice-in-Wonderland-having-a-tea-party charm that is particularly appealing. No, this is not a paid advertisement for the place, but I've been quite aesthetically pleased with the overall situation since I arrived.
While I'm here, perhaps I might even run into Stephanie J with her big boots and jeep...
Anyway, I like the way everything appears to be under construction or retrofitting around here - and the people seem to be significantly friendlier than those in the Bay Area.
Yeah, the images are rather blurry, but there are some pretty groovy philosophers on the entertainment cabinet.
Groovy painting.
Groovy fireplace.
Groovy dog. They are quite pet friendly here and I met some very nice dogs during the free wine reception by the fire.
Peggy Harkins' Turkish Delight per below...

Algae Networks of the Future

Algae Tower housing clusters at downtown

Algae Aquaculture and Tower zone at downtown SF Bay waterfront

Hydro-Net, by San Francisco architects IwamotoScott, who spoke last year at BLDGBLOG's San Francisco event, has been making the rounds lately, popping up on all sorts of architecture and design blogs – but rightly so: it won first prize in the History Channel's recent "City of the Future" competition, and it offers up some fascinating urban re-design ideas...

...Leading me to ask: Does architecturally reimagining the surface of the earth mean that one is inherently Heideggerian? The landscape is extended, no longer serving as mere ground, or foundation, but structure.

Excerpted from BLDGBLOG's Network Hydrology