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Boo! It's October! Here's the monthly edition of the newsletter. Be sure to get signed up for this week's meeting!
Please let us know if you have any ideas for future newsletters.
Indianapolis Chapter CSI Newsletter Editor
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Upcoming Events
Programs Committee
Indianapolis Chapter CSI October Meeting - Forces Shaping Healthcare Construction and Design
Thursday October 16, 2014 from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM EDT
This program will offer an overview summary of key information related to health reform and its impact on facility design and construction.
Willows on Westfield (formerly Riverwalk)
2014 Standing Reservation List
Wednesday December 31, 2014 from 12:00 AM to 1:00 AM EST
Riverwalk Banquet Center
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View from the Tower
David Young AIA, CSI
This last month has been very busy for Indianapolis Chapter. It started with a dozen of us attending the national convention, CONSTRUCT 2014, in Baltimore from 9 - 12 September. The Baltimore Chapter put on a tremendous event both educationally and socially. The City was celebrating 200 years since Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner while watching the battle for Ft. McHenry. As part of the celebration the harbor was filled with tall sailing ships and the Blue Angels flew every afternoon. After the first day of threatening rain that never came, we had beautiful weather. Many participated in a Harbor Dinner Cruise on Wednesday evening. On a more studious note many pronounced the education sessions the best in a while, and the exhibition hall was expansive and the exhibitors lively, helpful, friendly, and informative. The social events culminated with a boisterous social affair Thursday night at Power Plant Live!, the current hot spot in Baltimore.
The four-day event ended with the CSI Annual Meeting on Friday where our own Joe McGuire was recognized for the third time at the conference for attending his fiftieth national convention. Due to all of the walking involved, Joe takes it easy these days in a wheelchair and is pushed in turn by three of six his sons who have been using the last dozen national conventions for mini family reunions. Here is a picture of Joe with sons Bill, Patrick, and Chuck, all of them Eagle Scouts like their dad. Joe had just received his award to yet another standing ovation. ". . . the splendor of old men is their gray hair." Proverbs 20:29.
We had not been back even a week, and it was time for our 40th Annual Trade Show, #designindy, on 18 September at The Crane Bay for the second time. It was also again a joint venture with AIA and USGBC, but with a different schedule stretching from 11:30 all the way through 9:00 p.m. for those who enjoyed the after party on the patio. In true collaborative fashion, AIA provided the keynote speaker, USGBC provided the learning seminars, and our fine product representatives and fabricators provided a roomful of new information and materials on their products. In typical fashion, I missed half of them because I talked so much with those I did get to. A rousing success!
Our Duck Pin Bowling event on Friday evening 3 October at Atomic Bowling in Fountain Square was a really fun and family-friendly event that attracted a good number of guests and potential members. We had 72 bowlers on eight lanes, and it got pretty loud in there. Some of the team awards explain the festivity:
We had the normal stuff like "The Highest Total Team Score" - Team Joel Young, but also a number of more fun awards, like "The Most Gutter Balls by a Team" - Team Andy McIntyre, evidently helped a great deal by Maddie McIntyre, age 8.
"The Team with Most Recruitable Non-Members" went to Team Blake Wagner. Not only did this team have three guests who are potential members, but Blake's two boys and Kristin Welty's two girls all vowed to grow up to be architects, so they were also counted as potential members. You have to dream.
"The Most Creative Team Costume" went to Team Joyce White decked out in "Duckpin Bowling Ninja" team costumes. Pretty scary. But if you weren't there you won't even believe (Big Lebowski) Mike Halstead. I could not tell who The "Dude" was under that hair. I assumed he was a guest.
Yes, we are THE fun group! I was told as much by some of our guests.
Back to the traditional time and location for our October Chapter Meeting: Third Thursday 16 October at The Willows on Westfield. The program will be a presentation on "Forces (Affordable Care Act) Shaping Health Care Construction and Responsible Design" by Kathy Clark MHA, BSN, RN, Senior Director Healthcare Operations Planning, BSA LifeStructures. More information at www.csiindy.org. This year all meetings will include a member spotlight, so look for that as well.
October's President's Question: Those of you have met the first lady note that she still sounds a bit foreign even though she has been in this country since she was 19. The question:
Which passports does Carin hold? a. Sweden only. b. United States and Sweden - dual citizenship. c. United States only.
Be the first to email the correct answer to davidyoung327@gmail.com with the subject heading "Carin" and you will receive a gift bag of Swedish food goodies selected and baked by the first lady herself. The correct answer and winner will be revealed at the October chapter meeting. You must be present to win.
I am here to serve. Please email me at davidyoung327@gmail.com or call me 317.777.0855 cell or just grab me personally to share any suggestions, complaints, or needs regarding our chapter - or especially if you wish to volunteer for any of our committees . . . . . . or start your own committee. Dream BIG!
CSI Indianapolis Chapter . . . UNITING, CONNECTING, BUILDING . . .
Sincerely,
David Young AIA, CSI
2014-2015 Indianapolis Chapter CSI President
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YouTube Channel
Visual Education
The Indianapolis Chapter CSI has entered into a new phase of the digital communication era, and now has a dedicated YouTube Channel for the benefit of our membership.
Be sure to check out this month's update.
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Certification Quiz
Jack Morgan - Quizmaster
1. Instructions for Procurement
a. Are used only on private projects
b. Frequently are standard industry forms
c. May include the Geotechnical Report as an attachment
d. Are binding upon the Contractor
2. BIM (Building Information Modeling) is the basis of how design and construction documents should be prepared and used when utilizing what project delivery method?
a. Design-Bid-Build
b. Design-Negotiate-Build
c. Owner-Build
d. Integrated Project Delivery
3. Which of the following is not an example of zoning regulations?
a. Construction type
b. Facility function
c. Parking requirement
d. Height limitations
4. Which of the following is a Procurement Stage activity?
a. Bid securities are provided by the Owner.
b. The Owner enters into negotiation with the Contractor.
c. Purchase orders are given to the consultants.
d. The Architect certifies an application for payment.
5. Objectives of a good maintenance program include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. Minimizing interruptions that affect the facility's function and use
b. Minimizing failures of equipment and facility structures that affect productivity
c. Selecting the best repair and replacement methods and materials
d. Implementing effective energy conservation practices
Anwers located at the end of this newsletter....
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Day at the Races
Louisville Chapter
If you are going to be in the greater Louisville area on Friday, November 07...be sure to attend the following event being hosted by the Louisville Chapter. If you love to support CSI events, or love to bet the ponies, this event is great for you.
Churchill Downs - A Day at the Races
Churchill Downs
700 Central Ave
Louisville, KY 40208
Gates open at 11:30 AM, First Race Post Time 12:40 - Buffet Lunch Open 11:30 AM
Includes:
- Admission to Millionaire's Row, 6th Floor
- Daily Racing Program
- Buffet Luncheon, Desserts and Snacks
- Free Parking- Longfield Parking Lot-Gate 10
Tickets will be mailed in advance to the address provided
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Table Tops
Kent Hughes
Indianapolis Chapter CSI
The Indianapolis Chapter of CSI is accepting reservations for Table Tops for upcoming Chapter meetings. The list of programs for upcoming Chapter meetings is published in this newsletter, the web site, or contact Program chairman Jeremy Hoffman - jhoffman@crewtech.com , if you would like to target a particular meeting, be sure to make your reservation early. We do have a limit of four spaces available for Table Tops in a standard meeting room and 10 if we have a double room.
Table Tops are an opportunity to promote your company, products, or services to all attendees of our regular chapter meeting during the social hour. There is a maximum of 20 minutes for Table Top presentation at a regular Chapter meeting. You have the floor for maximum of five minutes after dinner before the speaker to communicate to the entire group if there are four presenters. If there is a greater demand, the 20 minutes will be divided by the number of presenters and rounded down to the nearest 30 seconds.
The Table Top presentations are FREE, one time, to new members, and cost current Indianapolis Chapter members only $75. Non-members get the same opportunity for $125. A 30 by 60 table with a cover and skit will be included. All proceeds go to support the Chapter. Payment is due at the time of setup.
Another opportunity for a Table Top is during an Education Seminar. The cost is if you combine it with the Chapter meeting and Education Seminar the cost would be $100 for current members and $150 for non-members.
If you would like to schedule a Table Top for a future meeting or seminar, contact:
Kent A. Hughes RA CDT - American Structurepoint
khughes@structurepoint.com - 317.690.5820
Be sure to put 'Table Top Request in the subject line
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Chapter Photos
Throwback Thursday |
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Chapter Photos
Capturing Memories
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You won't believe what happened!
Sheldon Wolfe
In "Absolute nonsense[1]", I talked about the lack of precision used in daily conversation, and the need for precision in construction documents. Nothing so serious this time; in fact, I'm not going to say much about construction documents, except for an interesting penalty paid by Lowe's to five California counties. Instead, I'm going to have a little fun and talk about some of my favorite social media peeves.
There are so many links from so many sources that it can be difficult to decide which to follow. In an effort to entice readers to follow the links, thereby increasing their value to advertisers, many updates and social media posts use headlines designed to suck you in. For me, these clever headlines are a red flag, but apparently they work.
Does anyone really believe headlines or links with phrases like "what happens next will shock you", "this will blow you away", "you won't believe what happens next", "this will make you cry", "she never expected...", "left me stunned", "changes everything", "will never be the same", "jaw-dropping", "profound", "epic", or "mind blowing"? My experience has been that the article, video, or whatever rarely justifies the sensationalized headline.
Similar are the e-mails with too-good- or too-bad-to-be-true claims, and just about anything related to politics. There's something about them - the format, the writing, perhaps the astounding claims - that raises the red flag, sets off the alarm, pegs the BS meter, and sends me immediately to Snopes[2]. And nearly every time, it turns out the e-mail is a fabrication. The thing I don't understand is why people would do that sort of thing, when there are so many truly amazing things to talk about.
And then there are the ways words are used and misused. As noted in "Absolute nonsense", we have a great many words that allow us to communicate specific ideas with shades of meaning. I realize ours is a living language, changing continually to accommodate new concepts, new activities, and new products, but it's hard to accept casually-made changes, which often are driven by lack of understanding or careless use. Some of my favorites:
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Literally has been incorrectly used so often that it has been accepted to mean figuratively or virtually.
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A large increase is not necessarily exponential.
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Until recently, a business that went out of business was closed. Now it's shuttered.
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I have respect for curators, who spent a lot of time and do a great deal of research to reach their special positions. Today, anyone who chooses a few of the multitude of tweets or links is said to curate them.
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Why is it necessary to start a statement with "Honestly..." or "To be honest..."? Does that mean I can't believe anything else you say?
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In most cases, "use" should be used instead of "utilize".
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Needless redundancies and padding, such as "each and every", "every single one", and "any way, shape, or form".
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Why is every change now "disruptive"? Disruptive does not mean clever, innovative, or beneficial; "dis-" is a negative prefix. Why is it that disruptive changes are seen as positive, and so many companies want to be known as disruptive[3]? There is such a thing as "disruptive innovation[4]", but many things described as such are not; some are more accurately described as "sustaining innovation."
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"Price point" also has a specific meaning, but every time I have heard it used, it meant simply "price".
How important is correct use of words and terms? In casual use, not much; we are remarkably adept at interpreting new uses of old words. As noted in "Absolute nonsense", we must use words correctly in contract documents to avoid misunderstanding.
Precision also is required in informal documents if those documents imply terms of a contract. Michael Chusid[5], a building product consultant, blogged about an interesting legal decision, in which Lowe's was required to correct "false, misleading, deceptive or inaccurate product descriptions." Even though Lowe's used common industry terms, often repeating manufacturers' information, the settlement required Lowe's to pay nearly $1.5 million.
What horrible transgression did Lowe's commit? They were selling 2x4s without stating the actual dimensions[6]. Apparently, the issue wasn't raised by consumers, who seem to be able to cope with nominal dimensions; instead, the suit was brought by the local weights and measures department. I wonder what will happen when they discover the fact that wood changes dimension. And where does the money go? Not to the consumers who supposedly were harmed, but into the government coffers.
Isn't that just mind-blowing?
© 2014, Sheldon Wolfe, RA, FCSI, CCS, CCCA, CSC
Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments at http://swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com/
[1] "Absolute nonsense" http://swconstructivethoughts.blogspot.com/2013/05/absolute-nonsense.html
[2] Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/
[3] "Let's All Stop Saying 'Disrupt' This Instant. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/lets-all-stop-saying-disrupt.html
[4] Disruptive innovation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disruptive_innovation
[5] Michael Chusid's blog, http://www.buildingproduct.guru/
[6] "California Municipality Declares War on Lowe's" http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/09/18/lowes-hit-over-the-head-with-a-2x4.aspx
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Board of Directors' Minutes
Online Archive
Minutes of the Indianapolis Chapter CSI Board of Directors can be read here. Please contact the president with any comments or questions. |
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Standing Reservations
Meeting Arrangements Committee
For those of you who know you will be attending each chapter meeting and don't want to mess with making sure they have a spot each month, the Chapter offers to its members in good standing the Standing Reservation List.
Please review the terms of this program at the following link.
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Quiz
ANSWERS: 1. - b; 2. - d; 3. - a; 4. b; 5. - c
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Meeting
Innformation
Date:
October 16, 2014
Location:
The Willows on Westfield
Fees:
Member - Free
Guest - $20
Student/Retired
- $10
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