Commander, tear this building apart until you find those plans! And bring me all passengers, I want them ALIVE!

This Thanksgiving, my brothers and I were driving back from our Aunt's home near Gettysburg, PA. As the dark oil of night seeped in over the sugar-covered hills, and finding that we had exhausted all the other typical talking points (#1. History #2. Food #3. Videogames) we eventually asked each other what were grateful for in our lives.

In his typical fashion my twin brother gave a masterful and heartfelt speech about being an adult and finding that, as he grows older, the people he cherishes the most are the people who first cherished him.* My younger brother chimed in, saying sometimes the people who know you the best are the ones whom you see the least and then wondered out loud about whether or not that was intentional. When it turned to me and knowing I could not top their rhetoric, I decided to punk out: "I am grateful for, I guess, you losers and ...uh... Architectural Theory....and...oh! Star Wars."

Then there was a general agreement that Star Wars is probably the best thing that ever happened, ever. We spent the rest of the ride fighting over the radio station.

Writing this, I am trying to combine the three things on the forefront of my gratitude.

#1 Family (CHECK)

#2 Architectural Theory (SEE BELOW)

#3 Star Wars (SEE BELOW)

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_phillips_creative_houses_from_reclaimed_stuff.html
She'll make point five past lightspeed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself.

http://www.ted.com/talks/bjarke_ingels_3_warp_speed_architecture_tales.html
Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed; the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

http://www.ted.com/talks/liz_diller_plays_with_architecture.html
Your eyes can deceive you; don't trust them.

http://www.ted.com/talks/joshua_prince_ramus_on_seattle_s_library.html
That's no moon. It's a space station.

http://www.ted.com/talks/nathaniel_kahn_on_my_architect.html

The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.

*I learned later that he had stolen this quote from Thomas Jefferson and paraphrased it for his own meaning.