This is an imagined monologue. I’m borrowing a modern habit—comedians and entertainers sitting on talk shows, reminiscing about the greats, circling their influences with equal
Category: Man Made
A Queen Anne Landmark on Ninth Street Hill Seen from the street, the Kress Home presents itself as a study in confidence, complexity, and deliberate
Shelby Kelley Records “Raggedy Man” — An Ode to Todd Snider Some songs aren’t written to chase a moment. They’re written because a moment hit
And That Means Everyone Name’s Philip Randolph Wright. Mister Wright if we are doing buisiness. This country owes the working class. That’s not politics. That’s
This is a straightforward article about bidets, online behavior, and money. Not a joke. Not an ad disguised as humor. An explanation, a case study,
At 510 Vine Street in Johnstown, there is a building that does not quite belong to its surroundings—and that is exactly why it matters. In
Artificial Intelligence Cernunnos Foundation Culture Design Energy Environmental Finance and Banking Government Intellectual Property Labor Labor Man Made Midway Meme Machine Paleontology Permaculture Science and Research Thought Experiments Uncategorized
Open Source the Future: Why Food, Water, and Healthcare Knowledge Must Belong to Everyone
Open the Knowledge or Admit the System Is a Lie Capitalism, regulated trade, markets—fine.I’m not here to argue against exchange or incentive. Capitalism is very
The Charles Q. Clapp House and the Limits of Greek Revival The Charles Q. Clapp House stands as a well-preserved example of mid-19th-century Greek Revival
If you want to understand Johnstown in one stop—its grief, its grit, and its insistence on being a real city again—you walk to the northeast
Cernunnos Foundation Churches and Temples Culture Design Environmental Labor Science and Research Thought Experiments
Seasonal Amnesia
This piece is offered in honor of the long side of the winter solstice. We have crossed the dark hinge of the year and come
My name’s Phil Wright. Mister Wright if we are doing business. I’ve been around a long time. Long enough to hear every trick word folks
A Monument to the Age When We Built to Last If you want to understand Indiana—really understand it—don’t start with the highways or the cornfields.
Set slightly off the main flow of Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse, the Rideout Fountain is the kind of public artwork that doesn’t announce itself
Grammina used to say the Garden story wasn’t about snakes or shame or any of the usual Sunday-school furniture. “It’s about ease, child,” she’d mutter,
Name’s Phil Wright.Mister Wright, if you’re on the clock. I once had a young fella on a jobsite who worked like his life depended on
ManMade: The Italianate That Refuses To Apologize A Blue Ribbon Team Feature on the Peck–Congdon House (and Why We Need Buildings Like This Again) There’s
“I Am an Edge Species.” People ask me what niche I fill.What role I play.What “space” Bright Meadow Group occupies in the consulting world. Here’s
The name is PR Wright, Mr Wright if we are doing business. Folks like to treat the world of work as if it’s a set
Artificial Intelligence Culture Finance and Banking Government Labor Labor Man Made public art Thought Experiments
What Happens When We Stop Starving Our Artists
A Long-Form Thought Experiment About AI, Creativity, and the Case for Universal Basic Income There’s a moment every artist knows, whether they say it out
There are towns where public art feels like it fell out of a grant application — stainless steel, vaguely geometric, installed by a committee that
Bright Meadow Group Energy Environmental Man Made Permaculture River Refugium Project Thought Experiments
THE RIVER OF WASTE:
Why America Must Stop Throwing Away Its Industrial Future Lead Article in the River Refugium Project Series We’re Looking at the Mississippi All Wrong Every
Bright Meadow Group Cernunnos Foundation Energy Environmental Man Made Permaculture River Refugium Project Thought Experiments
Introducing the River Refugium Project
A Bright Meadow Group overview Every once in a while, a project grows large enough that you have to step back, take a breath, and
A Study in Quiet Showmanship Some homes don’t shout. They perform—gracefully, confidently, with the kind of stage presence that comes from good bones and better
Why Are WE Punching The Wrong Enemy There’s a strange irony in modern creative culture:people will use every labor-saving tool in existence — except the
THE WRIGHT WAY, VOL. 1 Name’s Phil Wright.Mister Wright if we are doing business. My daddy used to tell me a man can forget his
Miss Ordinary takes a walk through a neighborhood that remembers how to smile — and wonders when we stopped letting houses have a little fun.
Thought Experiment: The Capacitance Grid We often celebrate solar panels and wind turbines as the heroes of clean energy. And they are—but they come with
Words and photos by Robb Smith There’s a kind of luck in cloudy light.It softens edges, dulls the glare, and lets details speak for themselves.
A River Spanned Twice The Ohio River crossing at Henderson, Kentucky, tells a story of ambition that had to be built twice to be believed.
to the Blue Ribbon Team …and to our new home in beautiful Johnstown, Pennsylvania It feels good to say that out loud — we’re home.After
I have always been amused by panoramic shots. The obvious reason is how much of a horizon you can capture. The more accurate reason is
Us and them. We do it in every level of our life. Us and them. What makes up each category? In your home? Neighborhood? Job?
Depew Memorial Fountain: The Heart of University Park, Indianapolis In the bustling heart of downtown Indianapolis, nestled within the historic University Park, stands the Depew
American’s institutions are under attack! Across the United States, Americans are witnessing the devastating consequences of an unprecedented attack on the vital institutions and services
Last time I was up in Maine, we did a little exploring around the historic neighborhoods of Bangor. This of course turned into a half
Brownfinger: The Silent Epidemic Lurking in Your Bathroom (And Why a Bidet is Your Only Hope for Redemption) Introduction: A Dirty Little Secret Every society
Applying Bill Mollison’s Teachings to OUR Struggle One of the greatest myths of modern civilization is the idea of self-sufficiency in isolation. The lone wolf,
Reimagining State Borders Around Population Centers to Fix Representation I. Introduction: A Call for a New Kind of State II. The Current Problem: Representation in
A Grand Second Empire Mansion in Bangor, Maine Nestled among the lush greenery of Bangor, Maine, this exquisite Second Empire mansion stands as a testament
Artificial Intelligence Environmental Government Intellectual Property Man Made Thought Experiments Uncategorized
Training Ai to benefit us.
The Next Big Step: How We Can Shape the Future of Intelligence Introduction For a long time, people have tried to understand their place in
This building is special for what it contains….but as far as architecture goes. Its ok. That is a terrible thing to say too, because the
Considering home architecture, I seldom am attracted to Craftsman homes. I do not dislike them. They are usually well built and most have some interesting
Casey, Illinois, is a small Midwestern town with a population of just over 2,700 people, but it punches well above its weight in charm, creativity,
What If Eli Lilly Took Over Sewage Treatment in Indianapolis? Indianapolis has a problem—a problem shared by many cities but compounded by its industrial backbone.
I want to open with the obvious. I am not advocating this one way or the other. This is a thought experiment that resulted from
The Situation: High Maintenance Costs Due to Plumbing Issues Residential landlords often grapple with the hidden cost of plumbing maintenance. Whether your properties are on
One of the things I like about Second Empire homes is that they have their own thing. I started to call it a flair of
This may be the worst image of the Indianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the circle downtown ever taken. Which is why I used it.
Here’s a no-nonsense list of 101 benefits of using a bidet over not using one: We hope cleaner butt for number one is enough, but…
It is said that this particular representation of THE Buddha has short hair to signify him shearing his Princely locks and renouncing his royalty as
Located on the west side of downtown Indianapolis, the Indiana State House is as imposing and magnificent as government building are supposed to be. Even
That’s a shade of blue guys. But since I started out with proper language… This house is a quintessential example of Queen Anne Victorian architecture,
Before I made the decision to document things and share them here, I probably crossed this bridge a dozen times. It always caught my eye…but
St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption It has been a minute since I took the time to publish anything on Blue Ribbon Team. It
Even if the most prolific horror writer of the 20th century never stepped foot in this home, it would be a remarkable example of a
Because the focus of Man Made is the beauty and awe of engineering, a lot of what we put up either harvests nature…or it shoves
I may have mentioned once or twice that I have an affection for the Italianate variation of Victorian Era homes. This one is about as
If you love the aesthetics and tradition of baseball, you will be hard pressed to find a better overall experience (even in the Major Leagues)
On the Southeast side of Indianapolis, you will find Fountain Square. An old neighborhood, that is full of character and has a variety of charms.
While not a bridge to the actually moon, you will be actually over the moon when you stand in the garden and see its reflection
When we talk about significant landmarks in Indianapolis, IN; 317 North New Jersey Street in Historic Lockerbie Square has to be mentioned. The St Mary
So I am sitting on a friends porch waiting for him to get home one day and I look over to see this statue. Its
Home of the Indianapolis Colts! Seen from the corner of South Street and Capitol Avenue, Lucas Oil Stadium is a sight to behold. 272 feet
Sometimes when you are on another mission, you run across a house in the wild that just makes you say wow. This is one I
When Indianapolis made the ill fated but not so surprising move to single handedly bring back malls by attempting to hop on the coat tails
The Welcome Center Tower What is the significance of this tower? Just that I like it. It isn’t that old. It doesn’t represent some famous
One of the old treasures in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana is the Central Branch of the Indianapolis Library. A beautiful building housing 293,000 square foot of
When we are talking bout things that are man made, a lot of the time my focus is on the engineering skill sets and effort
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and the American Falls Every time I see something about Niagara Falls, it seems like the story is all about a
One of my favorite buildings in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. This cultural center is built in the German Renaissance style and sits off the once again
There is no doubt that we build bridges now that are safer and stronger than we used to. Material strength alone makes it so. But
Remington’s Virtually Indestructible Foil Shaver 5100 is a masterclass in saying what they do and doing what they say. 3 Years ago, I bought a
Not something I am particularly drawn to, but while travelling in New Hampshire, I ran across this stage coach. It got me to thinking about
The amount of engineering it took to construct the contents of this picture is astounding. From the Oakland Bridge on the left, across north shore
The Circle One of several that make Indianapolis the Circle City. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis is an iconic landmark and a
One of my favorite styles of home construction is the 2nd Empire style of Victorian architecture. I don’t know what it is about the shape
As far as pretty buildings in downtown Indianapolis go, this one is always near the top of a list. Usually its the list of different
Aesthetically, Pirates are awesome. I mean everything about their image is very well crafted by fiction writers, visual artists, and historians alike. This statue is
With just an earlier glimpse of this page, it would be possible to infer that the only man made items I found significant were of
While we don’t think about them much unless we are using them, bridges are an engineering feat that is at the very cornerstone of modern
One of the things you will notice about the more attractive architecture in downtown Indianapolis is that most of it is in very old Churches
River and creek roads are always best to ride motorcycles on. This one is no exception, plenty of twists and turns, but open enough to
Embrace your Indianapolis pride with our exclusive Tee Shirt featuring a stunning portrayal of Lady Liberty atop the iconic Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the
When we talk about impressive feats of human engineering, sometimes it is about the elegance of design and sometimes its about grand accomplishments. In the
One of my biggest beefs with the world is the fact that the east side gets no love from the world….not even east side residents.
Interesting puts it mildly when I look at this contraption. We ran across it while exploring the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. While
A local favorite for grade school field trips and historical buffs alike, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the former home
A bit of a hybrid of Victorian architecture styles, Culbertson Mansion West is a historic mansion built for Samuel Culbertson, a prominent figure in the
As for Indianapolis landmarks, few are as beautiful as the facade of the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Unfortunately it has been treated like most of the
Who doesn’t appreciate a public statue. They are one of the great thing humans make. This one is located at a temple park on the
The Culbertson Mansion, located in New Albany, Indiana, stands as a testament to the grandeur and prosperity of the Gilded Age in America. This magnificent
It has been a long time since you could really see Union Station and get a good photo. Downtown has grown to the point of
Its not very often that you get a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge from pier side, but she is something to behold when
While travelling in the northeast there was no shortage of interesting buildings surrounded by beautiful scenery. This site provided a trifecta for my eyes by
Since I first saw these words I have been taken by them. And by taken, I mean I was fooled. Haha. They do mean what
I ran across this beauty while strolling around Portland, Maine. I love Victorian homes in general, and Italianates are probably my favorite. Although a proper
The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse may be one of the most photographed light houses in the world. This is exceptionally odd, because it is fairly
For the first Victorian home, and the first Man Made post on Blue Ribbon Team; I am starting with this pointy yellow house with lots