it hurt.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Conjugate shear planes
Conjugate shearing
is so endearing
if you happen to be me.
But since you’re not
me it’s your lot
to suffer this completely:
explanation of how
a rock breaks. Wow
conjugate shear planes
the very same things
as mold release planes,
triangular displacings
relieve stress as strains.
is so endearing
if you happen to be me.
But since you’re not
me it’s your lot
to suffer this completely:
explanation of how
a rock breaks. Wow
conjugate shear planes
the very same things
as mold release planes,
triangular displacings
relieve stress as strains.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
I claim
I claim:
1. An arcuate building structure comprised of a first five-sided building block adjacent to and abutting a first six-sided building block, a second five-sided building block, a third five-sided building block, a second six-sided building block and a third six-sided building block wherein:
(a) said first six-sided building block, is comprised of a first top side, a first front side, a first back side, a first left side, a first right side, and a first bottom side, wherein:
1. said first top side has a substantially triangular shape with at least two sides, wherein at least two of said sides of such triangular shape are equal, and said first top side is substantially parallel to said first bottom side,
2. said first front side has a substantially trapezoidal shape comprising a top edge, a bottom edge, a right edge, and a left edge, wherein said right edge and said left edge have equal lengths and form equal angles with said bottom edge,
3. said first back side has a substantially triangular shape with at least two sides equal in length to each other,
4. said first left side and said first right side have shapes which are congruent, and each of said first left side and said first right side are in the shape of a parallelogram with walls and comprise two substantially triangular-shaped recesses and two substantially triangular-shaped projections disposed between said walls of said parallelogram, and
5. said first bottom side has a substantially trapezoidal shape and is comprised of two substantially triangular recesses and two substantially triangular-shaped projections disposed between the walls of such trapezoidal shape, and
6. first left side and first right side comprise two substantially triangular-shaped plugs disposed between the walls of said parallelogram, and
7. one of each of two said triangular projections which is adjacent to said back side has a linear crest which is at a substantially right angle to said front side and said back side,
8. said projections contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees,
9. said recesses contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees,
(b) each of said first five-sided building block, said second five-sided building block, and said third five-sided building block is comprised of a second top side, a second front side, a second back side, a second right side, and second left side, wherein:
1. said second top side has a substantially rectangular shape and comprises two substantially triangularly shaped recesses and two triangular-shaped projections disposed within said substantially rectangular shape,
2. said second left side and said second right side are congruent with each other and are also congruent with said first left side and said first right side,
3. said second front side is congruent with both said second back side and said first back side; and
(c) one of each of two said triangular projections which is adjacent to said back side has a linear crest which is at a substantially right angle to said front side and said back side,
(d) said projections contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees,
(e) said recesses contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees.
and I said that said claim is the first claim (of fourteen) in U.S. patent No. 5,873,206 which I wrote and what the hell, said claim is poetry to me.
1. An arcuate building structure comprised of a first five-sided building block adjacent to and abutting a first six-sided building block, a second five-sided building block, a third five-sided building block, a second six-sided building block and a third six-sided building block wherein:
(a) said first six-sided building block, is comprised of a first top side, a first front side, a first back side, a first left side, a first right side, and a first bottom side, wherein:
1. said first top side has a substantially triangular shape with at least two sides, wherein at least two of said sides of such triangular shape are equal, and said first top side is substantially parallel to said first bottom side,
2. said first front side has a substantially trapezoidal shape comprising a top edge, a bottom edge, a right edge, and a left edge, wherein said right edge and said left edge have equal lengths and form equal angles with said bottom edge,
3. said first back side has a substantially triangular shape with at least two sides equal in length to each other,
4. said first left side and said first right side have shapes which are congruent, and each of said first left side and said first right side are in the shape of a parallelogram with walls and comprise two substantially triangular-shaped recesses and two substantially triangular-shaped projections disposed between said walls of said parallelogram, and
5. said first bottom side has a substantially trapezoidal shape and is comprised of two substantially triangular recesses and two substantially triangular-shaped projections disposed between the walls of such trapezoidal shape, and
6. first left side and first right side comprise two substantially triangular-shaped plugs disposed between the walls of said parallelogram, and
7. one of each of two said triangular projections which is adjacent to said back side has a linear crest which is at a substantially right angle to said front side and said back side,
8. said projections contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees,
9. said recesses contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees,
(b) each of said first five-sided building block, said second five-sided building block, and said third five-sided building block is comprised of a second top side, a second front side, a second back side, a second right side, and second left side, wherein:
1. said second top side has a substantially rectangular shape and comprises two substantially triangularly shaped recesses and two triangular-shaped projections disposed within said substantially rectangular shape,
2. said second left side and said second right side are congruent with each other and are also congruent with said first left side and said first right side,
3. said second front side is congruent with both said second back side and said first back side; and
(c) one of each of two said triangular projections which is adjacent to said back side has a linear crest which is at a substantially right angle to said front side and said back side,
(d) said projections contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees,
(e) said recesses contain one substantially obtuse angle of about 120 degrees.
and I said that said claim is the first claim (of fourteen) in U.S. patent No. 5,873,206 which I wrote and what the hell, said claim is poetry to me.
How gravity works
He cut the binder and grabbed the brick
stacked ‘em high on his hod.
Up on his shoulders, steady now.
On up the ladder, one step at a time.
Carefully places them on the ledge
“bring up more mortar” mason yells
So he does, with hardly a look.
Mason grabs the brick, takes a trowel
scooping into the mortar board,
butters the brick, eyes the placement
reaching to set it -just so- carefully
drops the brick!
stacked ‘em high on his hod.
Up on his shoulders, steady now.
On up the ladder, one step at a time.
Carefully places them on the ledge
“bring up more mortar” mason yells
So he does, with hardly a look.
Mason grabs the brick, takes a trowel
scooping into the mortar board,
butters the brick, eyes the placement
reaching to set it -just so- carefully
drops the brick!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Villanelle
There are those that think me daft
for wanting such a block
that keys itself together without any draft.
An undercut creates a draft
a mold won’t release its lock
on a piece and let it free like an iceberg being calved.
A two piece mold comes apart in two pieces halved
molds must slide along the block
without negative angle, or a sticking draft.
It’s a contradiction, a very tricky craft
ripe for many to try and mock:
interlock, no undercut, now they really laughed.
But symmetry both fore and aft
arranged around an interlock
allows a skilled geometer to cast it, with no troubling draft!
Many are those who think me daft
In spite of this tricky block,
they don’t understand this subtle craft
of interlocking, mass-produced, all without a draft.
for wanting such a block
that keys itself together without any draft.
An undercut creates a draft
a mold won’t release its lock
on a piece and let it free like an iceberg being calved.
A two piece mold comes apart in two pieces halved
molds must slide along the block
without negative angle, or a sticking draft.
It’s a contradiction, a very tricky craft
ripe for many to try and mock:
interlock, no undercut, now they really laughed.
But symmetry both fore and aft
arranged around an interlock
allows a skilled geometer to cast it, with no troubling draft!
Many are those who think me daft
In spite of this tricky block,
they don’t understand this subtle craft
of interlocking, mass-produced, all without a draft.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Chernobyl Accident: 25 years ago today
It was on April 26, 1986 that the Chernobyl nuclear accident occurred.
What does this have to do with masonry? I talk about it here.
What does this have to do with masonry? I talk about it here.
Monday, April 25, 2011
A very few famous masons
Saint Patrick surely was one
Jude the Obscure struck joints
Winston Churchill laid some brick
Ivan Denisovich too
third little pig was no fool.
Jude the Obscure struck joints
Winston Churchill laid some brick
Ivan Denisovich too
third little pig was no fool.
Furnace, kiln
Sometimes a mason will endeavor
to make a refractory thing
a kiln or maybe a furnace
for very high temp firing.
Kilns are tricky, they must be
figured to heat up even
and inhaling just right
is a matter of proper breathing.
The area of air intake
and area of exhausting
must be equal and the same
because the fuel is costing
far too much these days
for a kiln to not be heating
in a most efficient way
or the mason takes a beating.
to make a refractory thing
a kiln or maybe a furnace
for very high temp firing.
Kilns are tricky, they must be
figured to heat up even
and inhaling just right
is a matter of proper breathing.
The area of air intake
and area of exhausting
must be equal and the same
because the fuel is costing
far too much these days
for a kiln to not be heating
in a most efficient way
or the mason takes a beating.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Mason, king
Brother Rudyard Kipling offers
a clue or two on masonry
in his wonderful tale spinning
the most audacious thing in fiction
“The Man Who Would Be King.”
“Supposing I was to ask you
As a stranger going to the West
to seek for that which was lost
What would you say then?”
I should answer “Where do
you come from?” From the East,
and I am hoping that you will
give my message on the square
for the sake of the widow’s son.
Which lodge do you hail from?
Once a mason always a mason.
It’s an ancient order dedicated
to the brotherhood of man
under the all-seeing eye of God.
Some audacious scholars can even
trace it back to the builders of
Solomon’s Temple. Fellows in the Craft,
said Peachy Carnehan and Daniel Dravot
on going to Kafiristan: “They’ve two and thirty
Idols there, so we’ll be 33rd and 34th.”
We met upon the level and
we’re parting on the square,
Alexander the Great was one
and he was even there.
a clue or two on masonry
in his wonderful tale spinning
the most audacious thing in fiction
“The Man Who Would Be King.”
“Supposing I was to ask you
As a stranger going to the West
to seek for that which was lost
What would you say then?”
I should answer “Where do
you come from?” From the East,
and I am hoping that you will
give my message on the square
for the sake of the widow’s son.
Which lodge do you hail from?
Once a mason always a mason.
It’s an ancient order dedicated
to the brotherhood of man
under the all-seeing eye of God.
Some audacious scholars can even
trace it back to the builders of
Solomon’s Temple. Fellows in the Craft,
said Peachy Carnehan and Daniel Dravot
on going to Kafiristan: “They’ve two and thirty
Idols there, so we’ll be 33rd and 34th.”
We met upon the level and
we’re parting on the square,
Alexander the Great was one
and he was even there.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Pox and blocks
The plague ravaged London
in 1665 and the next year
a fire started by Thomas Farynor
on Pudding Lane grew to be a
conflagration: The Great Fire
of 1666 meant more for bricks.
Destroyed were 430 acres of city,
13,000 houses, 89 churches and
52 Guild Halls, burned and gone.
King Charles II said no more would
wood be used to build: all must
be masonry, a stone and brick fiat.
Wren ruled and masons tooled
when London was rebuilt.
A booming new and prosperous industry
made lots and lots and lots of brick.
So much brick they stacked them thick
in holds of ships as ballast sailing for
New England from the new London
of olde England, so American masonry
owes its infancy to the Great Fire of 1666,
which ended the Black Death finally.
in 1665 and the next year
a fire started by Thomas Farynor
on Pudding Lane grew to be a
conflagration: The Great Fire
of 1666 meant more for bricks.
Destroyed were 430 acres of city,
13,000 houses, 89 churches and
52 Guild Halls, burned and gone.
King Charles II said no more would
wood be used to build: all must
be masonry, a stone and brick fiat.
Wren ruled and masons tooled
when London was rebuilt.
A booming new and prosperous industry
made lots and lots and lots of brick.
So much brick they stacked them thick
in holds of ships as ballast sailing for
New England from the new London
of olde England, so American masonry
owes its infancy to the Great Fire of 1666,
which ended the Black Death finally.
Block machine
A concrete block making machine
is something that really must be seen.
Six empty molds, filled with the mix
soon to produce six concrete bricks.
Shaking and rumbling and tamping
down and done with the hard stamping
It pops out six big concrete block
all in six seconds, quite a shock!
By simple math you can reckon
it makes a block ev’ry second.
is something that really must be seen.
Six empty molds, filled with the mix
soon to produce six concrete bricks.
Shaking and rumbling and tamping
down and done with the hard stamping
It pops out six big concrete block
all in six seconds, quite a shock!
By simple math you can reckon
it makes a block ev’ry second.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Catenary Arches
Catena is Latin for chain
and a chain hung slack
from each end hangs
in a curve, which if
welded and flipped
upside down forms
a catenary arch.
The most stable arch
for masonry is this.
Thrust force lines
are kept within
the width of the wall
and it won’t fall.
and a chain hung slack
from each end hangs
in a curve, which if
welded and flipped
upside down forms
a catenary arch.
The most stable arch
for masonry is this.
Thrust force lines
are kept within
the width of the wall
and it won’t fall.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Chi rho, x's and o's
Chi and rho are two greek letters
whose meaning is deep and
really quite mysterious.
A haunch is a part of an arch,
a haunch is part of your leg.
A femur’s the bone that makes
the haunch, and something more.
Femurs get crossed in a Jolly
Roger, the “chi” in a skull and
crossbones: our friend the haunch.
Skull is a "rho", and many know
rho’s by any other name
is just a seat of your mind.
Chi and rho also mean Christ
in symbolism of antiquity
and also in freemasonry,
and skull and crossbones are
Yale’s foremost secret society.
Phi, chi, rho, fum
I smell the blood of
another weird coincidence.
whose meaning is deep and
really quite mysterious.
A haunch is a part of an arch,
a haunch is part of your leg.
A femur’s the bone that makes
the haunch, and something more.
Femurs get crossed in a Jolly
Roger, the “chi” in a skull and
crossbones: our friend the haunch.
Skull is a "rho", and many know
rho’s by any other name
is just a seat of your mind.
Chi and rho also mean Christ
in symbolism of antiquity
and also in freemasonry,
and skull and crossbones are
Yale’s foremost secret society.
Phi, chi, rho, fum
I smell the blood of
another weird coincidence.
Hunch on a haunch
A haunch in masonry
is that part of an arch
where thrusting forces splay
and try to push out most.
If we start at the top and work
our way down, the haunch
is measured at a precise angle
in a round, Roman or barrel vault.
It is fifty one degrees
and fifty one minutes
universally, without exception.
The slope of great pyramids is based on
a wonder, the slippery number
of the golden mean, or phi
a greek letter that sounds like ‘fee.’
The slope of these pyramids is precise and
astounding because it is measured
at fifty one degrees
and fifty one minutes
but no one can reckon
Why?
is that part of an arch
where thrusting forces splay
and try to push out most.
If we start at the top and work
our way down, the haunch
is measured at a precise angle
in a round, Roman or barrel vault.
It is fifty one degrees
and fifty one minutes
universally, without exception.
The slope of great pyramids is based on
a wonder, the slippery number
of the golden mean, or phi
a greek letter that sounds like ‘fee.’
The slope of these pyramids is precise and
astounding because it is measured
at fifty one degrees
and fifty one minutes
but no one can reckon
Why?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Keystone
The keystone gets placed
top center gap in the arch.
Firm and firmer, total strength.
I stand on it solidly, amazed
at such an obvious thing.
top center gap in the arch.
Firm and firmer, total strength.
I stand on it solidly, amazed
at such an obvious thing.
Monday, April 18, 2011
The mysterious structure of cement
Cement hides its secrets in plain sight.
Dusty, dirty and dry as dishwater
to anyone who pays no mind.
But for those who are piqued
by cement’s subtle slyness
the secrets are a wonder of science.
Is it a crystal? Or amorphous glass?
Why so unwilling to share its true nature?
It’s something of both yet neither,
an improbable conundrum like
yesteryear’s ideas of ether.
The code of cement was recently cracked
slyly by wily minds at MIT.
Regular stacks like crystalline lattice
all on the atomic scale of seeing
but tiny flaws and irregular gaps
form places for water to bond,
making cement one tough weird glue.
Dusty, dirty and dry as dishwater
to anyone who pays no mind.
But for those who are piqued
by cement’s subtle slyness
the secrets are a wonder of science.
Is it a crystal? Or amorphous glass?
Why so unwilling to share its true nature?
It’s something of both yet neither,
an improbable conundrum like
yesteryear’s ideas of ether.
The code of cement was recently cracked
slyly by wily minds at MIT.
Regular stacks like crystalline lattice
all on the atomic scale of seeing
but tiny flaws and irregular gaps
form places for water to bond,
making cement one tough weird glue.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A waller's wall
Dry stacked walls made without mortar.
A calculation of abandoned beauty,
skill and experience too deep to gauge.
The craftsmen: artists for generations
the good ones are, but they would never
say so, no they don’t say much at all.
The best “wallers” are English, Welsh.
A good wall will last four hundred years.
They are assembled from an artist’s
pallet of stone rock and rubble, pieced
carefully together like a jigsaw puzzle,
locking together in a unique approach.
Long through stones, top flagstones
No running joints just staggered strength
and beauty, oh what sublime beauty.
A calculation of abandoned beauty,
skill and experience too deep to gauge.
The craftsmen: artists for generations
the good ones are, but they would never
say so, no they don’t say much at all.
The best “wallers” are English, Welsh.
A good wall will last four hundred years.
They are assembled from an artist’s
pallet of stone rock and rubble, pieced
carefully together like a jigsaw puzzle,
locking together in a unique approach.
Long through stones, top flagstones
No running joints just staggered strength
and beauty, oh what sublime beauty.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
A mason's lunch
Sandwich is OK
but sand which is in
my own lunch today
keeps me really thin .
My dry mouth I lick
don’t mean to be fickle
tastes like a red brick,
this here dill pickle.
Dusting of cement
dry as a desert
but I really meant
it is just dessert.
Desserts I stressed
O, my palindrome
"A man a plan a..."
shut up and go home!
but sand which is in
my own lunch today
keeps me really thin .
My dry mouth I lick
don’t mean to be fickle
tastes like a red brick,
this here dill pickle.
Dusting of cement
dry as a desert
but I really meant
it is just dessert.
Desserts I stressed
O, my palindrome
"A man a plan a..."
shut up and go home!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Block Party (a true story)
I had a block party,
all the masons came
with their girlfriends.
We fired up the grill
and tapped the keg.
Music played and
we started in to
mixing mud by hand.
The girls were tenders
and taught how to chop
with a hoe and mix it right.
The walls went up, and
started out perfect
but toward the top
they were a little off
as the masons got drunk
in the warm night.
I sit inside this building
now and write this verse,
memories of the best
concrete block party ever.
all the masons came
with their girlfriends.
We fired up the grill
and tapped the keg.
Music played and
we started in to
mixing mud by hand.
The girls were tenders
and taught how to chop
with a hoe and mix it right.
The walls went up, and
started out perfect
but toward the top
they were a little off
as the masons got drunk
in the warm night.
I sit inside this building
now and write this verse,
memories of the best
concrete block party ever.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuck pointing
Chip out bad mortar
dusty and frail
crumbling detritus.
Sweep it clean.
Fresh good mud,
stuffed into cracks
tuck pointing is
taking care of someone
else’s shoddy work
do it right the first time.
Strike the joint,
Seal it smooth and burnish
but what’s this sloppy unstruck bed?
Alright who didn’t wipe their ass?
A note on this month's blog: April is poetry month, and I have been double-dog-dared to write a poem every day this month. Apologies for my bad poems, only two weeks of this left.
dusty and frail
crumbling detritus.
Sweep it clean.
Fresh good mud,
stuffed into cracks
tuck pointing is
taking care of someone
else’s shoddy work
do it right the first time.
Strike the joint,
Seal it smooth and burnish
but what’s this sloppy unstruck bed?
Alright who didn’t wipe their ass?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Terms of the trade
Just a few, alphabetically for you:
aggrilaceous, arris, ashlar, bedjoint, bullnose
buttjoint, calcareous, calcite, coping
draft, efflorescence, fleuri cut, flagstone float
hod, hornblende, mortarboard, pointing, quicklime
reglet, rusticated, screed, thick bed, thin bed
travertine, trowel, vein cut, veneer
weephole, wythe.
aggrilaceous, arris, ashlar, bedjoint, bullnose
buttjoint, calcareous, calcite, coping
draft, efflorescence, fleuri cut, flagstone float
hod, hornblende, mortarboard, pointing, quicklime
reglet, rusticated, screed, thick bed, thin bed
travertine, trowel, vein cut, veneer
weephole, wythe.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fault
Shouldn’t think it
wouldn’t blink yet
there it is.
A rock set wrong.
Unacceptable.
Tear it out,
now.
wouldn’t blink yet
there it is.
A rock set wrong.
Unacceptable.
Tear it out,
now.
On the level
Block set in mortar
slightly askew.
That contractor's crooked,
how about you?
Tap with the trowel,
bump with the handle.
Is it straight?
Nuther tiny tap
plumb and level.
slightly askew.
That contractor's crooked,
how about you?
Tap with the trowel,
bump with the handle.
Is it straight?
Nuther tiny tap
plumb and level.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sestina
As a child I became enthralled with masonry
and entered reverently great halls of stone
and marveled at structures made of block.
How was it made, this wonderful building?
Who were these people so skilled with mortar?
What had become of this lost art?
The cathedrals of Europe showed me this art.
I was lucky to see this bold masonry
and contemplate the skilled slingers of mortar.
How did they figure and know that a stone
could be cut such a way to construct this building?
All this amazement at stacks of block.
As I grew older the wonder of block
seemed to vanish with the lost art.
Daily surrounded by boring new building,
concrete blocks stacked in straight-walled masonry.
Gone from my sight were wonders of stone,
just boring-ass buildings, institutional mortar.
Gone from my mind were wonders of mortar,
gone too was thought of carved block;
when I looked on the ground an occasional stone.
Painting and drawing replaced my lost art.
Carpentry, plumbing, drywall and masonry
all seemed the same dreary task used in building.
As an adult I threw pots, and was soon building
giant architectural vases: assembly without mortar.
A house out of clay was my goal, without masonry,
still far removed from thought of block.
Twisted, turning and long was this art
for I would return to the skill of built stone.
How could it be done, to build wonders with stone?
Using modern methods and materials for building
to reclaim this lost and once lofty art?
To assemble a vaulted roof with mortar?
When all that was left was rectangular block:
a mass-produced world didn’t want good masonry.
I thought of art, casting concrete as stone,
realized masonry was still a key to good building.
Alas I found mortar, and secrets of triangular block.
and entered reverently great halls of stone
and marveled at structures made of block.
How was it made, this wonderful building?
Who were these people so skilled with mortar?
What had become of this lost art?
The cathedrals of Europe showed me this art.
I was lucky to see this bold masonry
and contemplate the skilled slingers of mortar.
How did they figure and know that a stone
could be cut such a way to construct this building?
All this amazement at stacks of block.
As I grew older the wonder of block
seemed to vanish with the lost art.
Daily surrounded by boring new building,
concrete blocks stacked in straight-walled masonry.
Gone from my sight were wonders of stone,
just boring-ass buildings, institutional mortar.
Gone from my mind were wonders of mortar,
gone too was thought of carved block;
when I looked on the ground an occasional stone.
Painting and drawing replaced my lost art.
Carpentry, plumbing, drywall and masonry
all seemed the same dreary task used in building.
As an adult I threw pots, and was soon building
giant architectural vases: assembly without mortar.
A house out of clay was my goal, without masonry,
still far removed from thought of block.
Twisted, turning and long was this art
for I would return to the skill of built stone.
How could it be done, to build wonders with stone?
Using modern methods and materials for building
to reclaim this lost and once lofty art?
To assemble a vaulted roof with mortar?
When all that was left was rectangular block:
a mass-produced world didn’t want good masonry.
I thought of art, casting concrete as stone,
realized masonry was still a key to good building.
Alas I found mortar, and secrets of triangular block.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
iambrick pentapeter
I say unto thee that I am Peter
and using iambic pentameter:
and also I say unto thee that you
are Petros and upon this rock a few
quoins and blocks later my church is willed
by Me your Father for Peter to build-
the gates of Hell shall not overpower;
but how much is a mason per hour?
and using iambic pentameter:
and also I say unto thee that you
are Petros and upon this rock a few
quoins and blocks later my church is willed
by Me your Father for Peter to build-
the gates of Hell shall not overpower;
but how much is a mason per hour?
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Conspiracy for a mason
I was asked to write a poem each day for a month.
I like a lark, prefer not to snark at the sharks
in the river so I start. Masonry as a topic?
You gotta be kidding! Nobody takes that
even kind of seriously: so deliriously and
with abandon I write some short poems on
blocks and rocks and bricks. Then I get
invited to be facebook friends with
“Edward Von Mullens II” who thinks I’m
a mason of the fraternal type, and asks
me to join the Illuminati of Guilderberg.
Bilderberg, Zionist, Rothschilds and few
are the billionaires I’ll cavort with as a mason!
Henry Makow and Brother Nathanael have
views on Jews that make me shudder, so I write
this poem unlike any other and realize the comfort
of an honest brick in my hand and messy mud.
Is the Illuminati Jewish or hated by them?
Who made this up, how why and when?
Poems can be such tricky things, I never knew.
I like a lark, prefer not to snark at the sharks
in the river so I start. Masonry as a topic?
You gotta be kidding! Nobody takes that
even kind of seriously: so deliriously and
with abandon I write some short poems on
blocks and rocks and bricks. Then I get
invited to be facebook friends with
“Edward Von Mullens II” who thinks I’m
a mason of the fraternal type, and asks
me to join the Illuminati of Guilderberg.
Bilderberg, Zionist, Rothschilds and few
are the billionaires I’ll cavort with as a mason!
Henry Makow and Brother Nathanael have
views on Jews that make me shudder, so I write
this poem unlike any other and realize the comfort
of an honest brick in my hand and messy mud.
Is the Illuminati Jewish or hated by them?
Who made this up, how why and when?
Poems can be such tricky things, I never knew.
The worst limerick in the universe
There once was a mason named Pete
whose domes were built as a feat
of triangular block
but others did mock
his work as an igloo concrete.
whose domes were built as a feat
of triangular block
but others did mock
his work as an igloo concrete.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Hierarchy
Stone masons feel superior to brick masons,
brick masons lord it over block masons
block masons rank over tenders
and tenders are above hod carriers.
Some masons do it all and feel
like a published slam poet.
brick masons lord it over block masons
block masons rank over tenders
and tenders are above hod carriers.
Some masons do it all and feel
like a published slam poet.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
How long will it last?
The carpenter is confident his work will last until the owner notices rot.
The painter knows a fresh coat shines.
The plumber figures those pipes won’t leak before she retires and the electrician reckons code won’t change before the decade’s out and the mason hides his smile thinking almost nothing.
The painter knows a fresh coat shines.
The plumber figures those pipes won’t leak before she retires and the electrician reckons code won’t change before the decade’s out and the mason hides his smile thinking almost nothing.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Thick as a brick
Bricks are arranged in a number of ways
which hearken one back to earlier days.
The patterns have names which masons are fond
of referring to as a certain “Bond.”
Herringbone, Rat-trap, English and Running
Stretcher and Basket, but Flemish is stunning.
A layer of brick is known as a “wythe”
How thick is a wall? Maybe three or five?
How thick is a brick? The wythes man was asked:
It depends on the brick, you stupid ass.
which hearken one back to earlier days.
The patterns have names which masons are fond
of referring to as a certain “Bond.”
Herringbone, Rat-trap, English and Running
Stretcher and Basket, but Flemish is stunning.
A layer of brick is known as a “wythe”
How thick is a wall? Maybe three or five?
How thick is a brick? The wythes man was asked:
It depends on the brick, you stupid ass.
Life and death and life of a rock
Rocks and stones and sand and dust
rot and decay like wood into clay.
Sediment-forming dead sea heaps:
limestone shale slate and such.
Life makes rock like layer cakes
cooked and squished, twisted pretty
marble with balls of mica sprinkled
feldspar begets kaolin begins again.
rot and decay like wood into clay.
Sediment-forming dead sea heaps:
limestone shale slate and such.
Life makes rock like layer cakes
cooked and squished, twisted pretty
marble with balls of mica sprinkled
feldspar begets kaolin begins again.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Solution for containment of a failed nuclear plant
The nuclear disaster in Japan will outlast our short attention span. Headlines boldly state that the disaster could last for months. This disaster will last for thousands of years.
I wrote two brief entries on the possibility of using a modular masonry system to assemble a radial structure such as a cylinder or sphere or dome as a containment structure on this blog, here and here. I remain confident that this approach makes more sense than anything else TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has tried, or is planning to try. I’m posting this blog entry subject again, in the hope that someone at TEPCO might notice.
Cracks in the inadequate “containment” structure at Fukushima dai-ichi are observed to be spewing radioactive water directly into the sea. Currently the effort to stop these leaks involves stuffing the cracks with sawdust and newspaper. Sawdust and newspaper? Incredibly, this approach is not working.
Engineers have tried pouring concrete directly onto the crack in an attempt to seal it. Incredibly, this approach is not working either.
Good concrete is poured under controlled conditions. A concrete mix is dependent on a low water-to-cement ratio to give it the qualities which are desirable in a high strength, consolidated, uniform mix. Poured concrete must cure under controlled conditions of high humidity, cool temperatures, and be allowed to cure unmolested. These conditions are unlikely to be satisfied if concrete is poured directly onto a hot radioactive site.
If concrete is poured under controlled conditions and allowed to properly cure, it has a much better chance of withstanding the demanding environment found at a failed nuclear reactor. Pouring a huge containment structure and then moving it to cover a nuclear reactor is entirely impractical. However, a modular system could be used to assemble a containment structure from properly made concrete unit shapes.
The modular system which has been developed and has been discussed throughout this blog appears to be an optimal solution to fixing this problem. These modular units can be made at a safe distance from the stricken nuclear reactor. Once cured, they can be transported to the site and assembled robotically, to minimize danger to humans. The interlocking aspect of these modular units greatly facilitates assembly of a containment structure by providing multiple contact and guiding surfaces. A tensile web of steel cable can also be woven into the structure as the containment dome is built. Mortar or gaskets or seals can be readily incorporated into this design to form an integral structure without 'cracks' between modular blocks; there are a number of simple methods to achieve this. Finally, multiple concentric layers can be placed (like layers of an onion) to increase wall thickness and safety factor.
Or we can try more sawdust and newspaper.
I wrote two brief entries on the possibility of using a modular masonry system to assemble a radial structure such as a cylinder or sphere or dome as a containment structure on this blog, here and here. I remain confident that this approach makes more sense than anything else TEPCO (Tokyo Electric Power Company) has tried, or is planning to try. I’m posting this blog entry subject again, in the hope that someone at TEPCO might notice.
Cracks in the inadequate “containment” structure at Fukushima dai-ichi are observed to be spewing radioactive water directly into the sea. Currently the effort to stop these leaks involves stuffing the cracks with sawdust and newspaper. Sawdust and newspaper? Incredibly, this approach is not working.
Engineers have tried pouring concrete directly onto the crack in an attempt to seal it. Incredibly, this approach is not working either.
Good concrete is poured under controlled conditions. A concrete mix is dependent on a low water-to-cement ratio to give it the qualities which are desirable in a high strength, consolidated, uniform mix. Poured concrete must cure under controlled conditions of high humidity, cool temperatures, and be allowed to cure unmolested. These conditions are unlikely to be satisfied if concrete is poured directly onto a hot radioactive site.
If concrete is poured under controlled conditions and allowed to properly cure, it has a much better chance of withstanding the demanding environment found at a failed nuclear reactor. Pouring a huge containment structure and then moving it to cover a nuclear reactor is entirely impractical. However, a modular system could be used to assemble a containment structure from properly made concrete unit shapes.
The modular system which has been developed and has been discussed throughout this blog appears to be an optimal solution to fixing this problem. These modular units can be made at a safe distance from the stricken nuclear reactor. Once cured, they can be transported to the site and assembled robotically, to minimize danger to humans. The interlocking aspect of these modular units greatly facilitates assembly of a containment structure by providing multiple contact and guiding surfaces. A tensile web of steel cable can also be woven into the structure as the containment dome is built. Mortar or gaskets or seals can be readily incorporated into this design to form an integral structure without 'cracks' between modular blocks; there are a number of simple methods to achieve this. Finally, multiple concentric layers can be placed (like layers of an onion) to increase wall thickness and safety factor.
Or we can try more sawdust and newspaper.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
When a mason works solo
The seventh bag of mortar seemed
easier than the first few until I stabbed
the tip of my crusty trowel into
the conspiring enemy of my lower back
with apparent rage that surprised me.
80 pounds and sounds of ripping dust
spilled into the barrow and water slaked
chopping the mud with a contempt filled
hoe but I know the worst part will be
cleaning up alone tired and bruised.
Tender, I wish I had a tender now.
easier than the first few until I stabbed
the tip of my crusty trowel into
the conspiring enemy of my lower back
with apparent rage that surprised me.
80 pounds and sounds of ripping dust
spilled into the barrow and water slaked
chopping the mud with a contempt filled
hoe but I know the worst part will be
cleaning up alone tired and bruised.
Tender, I wish I had a tender now.
A poem on arches
The curve of an arch tempts gravity
whose weight hangs in the air like
an extra dose of hubris hanging, sprung
by an intrados, saved by an extrados.
Unlikely still familiar: unstable stability
for thousands of years an obvious secret
clever enough to fool Galileo and others
smarter still, sublimely simple heavy waits
patiently for a fool like me to look twice.
whose weight hangs in the air like
an extra dose of hubris hanging, sprung
by an intrados, saved by an extrados.
Unlikely still familiar: unstable stability
for thousands of years an obvious secret
clever enough to fool Galileo and others
smarter still, sublimely simple heavy waits
patiently for a fool like me to look twice.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Poetry and masonry
April is Poetry Month! I have a friend who is an accomplished poet, Jennifer L. Knox. Jen asked me (no: she double-dog-dared me) to write a poem about masonry every day this month.
Sorry folks, I'm no poet, but I won't back down from a double-dog-dare either. I'll do my best to write a poem about masonry every day this month, and here's my first attempt.
-------------------
The ivory towers of the academy
are somebody’s busted knuckles.
Brick and mortar and mud and rocks
nice and smooth except for the
rough spots and the empty cans of beer
dumped inside the walls and the blood
that turns brick-red after a week,
but sweat doesn’t stain at all.
Sorry folks, I'm no poet, but I won't back down from a double-dog-dare either. I'll do my best to write a poem about masonry every day this month, and here's my first attempt.
-------------------
The ivory towers of the academy
are somebody’s busted knuckles.
Brick and mortar and mud and rocks
nice and smooth except for the
rough spots and the empty cans of beer
dumped inside the walls and the blood
that turns brick-red after a week,
but sweat doesn’t stain at all.