In case anyone missed the PBS special The Botany of Desire which premiered Wednesday, October 28, 2009, you can still watch the entire program online. It's incredible. Book turned documentary. BOTANY OF DESIRE is a documentary which tells the utterly original story of everyday plants and the way they have domesticated humankind. An interpretation of the relationship between plants and people. This two-hour documentary explores plant evolution and takes viewers from the potato fields of Peru and Idaho, the apple forests of Kazakhstan, and the tulip markets of Amsterdam. View online in it's entirety: here This is another related program by the same presenter on LINK TV (a cable access channel) which is timely: Deep Agriculture Traditional methods of agriculture in most developed nations have long ignored environmental concerns. Factors such as soil erosion, water shortage and the impact of chemicals on bio-systems have been overlooked in favour of massive crop yields and cheaper food. But what impact does this have on our health and our environment? View online in it's entirety: here __________________________ Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and witness the evolution of an Organic Kitchen Garden.

OA, Very clever table and poem. It takes a lot of word smithing to create poetry like Dr. Seuss. I truly appreciate your effort. When I was teaching, the seniors chose the faculty speaker for graduation and I was the chosen speaker for the class of 2005. I used Dr. Seuss as an example of someone who persevered (Mulberry St. was turned down by 27 different publishers before he found someone who gave him his start!) and I did the rest of the speech in his type of rhyme scheme. I received a number of compliments about it being not the "usual" boring graduation speech. Anyway, I am not trying to hijack your post, but just let you know I understand how much effort went into your table and poem. Great imagination on your part for the tablecloth, utensils, and all the rest. Theodore would have been proud! TFS, Candy

Yes! Yes! Yes1 Sorry...I am overreacting to the "Emotional Architecture" article. In my years as a designer, before I put pencil to paper the first time, I routinely dragged my clients through a similar process of what, in the trade, is called "programming." I believe absolutely that if you spend enough time asking and answering the right questions, the project will pretty much design itself. People do know what they want...you just have to help them dig down through their misunderstandings and half-knowlege and social anxiety about how to get there, and guide them to make the right decisions. And you have to continually reassure them that all the "you can do this yourself!" hype is not true, that they really do have taste in there, that design really is a serious professional discipline, and that they shouldn't expect themselves to be able to do what you and the experienced tradespeople can do.

Last week I finished Laurie Graham's Gone With The WIndsors, which I chose because of discussions about it here at RP. Thank you! I loved this book. True, much of the book is funny, mainly because of dear, ditzy Maybell's telling of the tale. But it is also a great commentary on the culture and values of Britain's elite at the time. And underlying it all is the approach of WW2, with "Mr. Hitler" being the subject of casual dinner conversation. Graham has created deeply lovable characters in this story. So am continuing with Graham, now reading The Importance of Being Kennedy, told from the standpoint of an invented children's nanny. This is a more serious book, with a startling castigation of Rose Kennedy and, to a lesser extent, Patriarch Joe, and a lot of sympathy for the downstairs folk, the "help". Graham is an unusual writer, and she depicts various cultures - British, Irish, American - with tremendous skill. I'll be looking for more from her.