kartooner.com

There was an A&E documentary on the World Trade Center the other night, discussing–as well as criticizing–the early planning phases and construction of the WTC.

It also focused somewhat on the shortcomings of the WTC, such as stairwells hugging the core of the building providing what they thought was extra stability, that led to so many civilian casualties during the 2001 attacks.

There was obvious concern over the methods used for high-rise building evacuation. In most cases stairways are used, provided that they are in working condition. The planes that struck the WTC buildings destroyed a large portion of the stairs which in turn contributed to the lack of proper evacuation.

As I watching this, I was thinking about better ways for efficient and safe evacuation during high-rise building emergencies. One solution (not necessary failsafe) that occurred to me was an enclosed slide that essentially loops around the building. The slide itself would be oiled so that when groups of individuals are preparing to evacuate, they descend in such a manner where clogging of the slide would be prevented.

Again, not a failsafe method of course, but I believe one that doesn’t rely on the shortcomings that occur with stairways. If you’ve ever used the stairs in a high-rise building you know that this isn’t an efficient means of getting people out of the building in a timely fashion, especially during an emergency when people typically lose the ability to think sensibly.

Yet, when I was thinking about this I realized that using a slide could also lead to oversights in the process of evacuation. It’s possible that like the stairs in the WTC building, a portion of the slide could also be destroyed. That said, it’s difficult to try and come up with various ways to efficiently transport people out of a building and at the same time making sure the means of doing so are safe and expedient.

There are other methods such as zip lines (think James Bond or the military), extendable slides and chute systems that could work but again, which of these would actually work when the real thing occurs, as opposed to just testing them in labs.

I personally don’t think we’ve found a perfect system yet, despite how much technology has improved in the past 20 years, and I don’t feel like we ever will.

What should be stressed however is that we need to have alternate ways of evacuating people from structures to prevent massive casualties when an emergency occurs.

I’ve noticed that web folks are diligently recapping the events that occurred to them in the year 2006.

Always willing to follow suit when it comes to tradition, it’s no surprise to me that last year was one of the more plentiful years in my lifetime. There were many experiences that I’ll cherish for a lifetime and those can be attributed in most cases to the friends that I met for the first time (in person, and not through a computer screen) at SXSW.

Bear with me, as I’ve got a plethora of info to cover, but also know that while it’s intentionally “wordy” it’s also pretty meaningful to me.

To recap:

• My son, Quinn Harrison, was born February 9th, 2006. I remember receiving the call while I was at work from my father-in-law informing me that I needed to make a mad dash to the hospital. He didn’t use “mad” or “dash”, but I certainly didn’t need any more convincing. Quinn is a joy to have around–as is our daughter Zoe–and while they drive us a bit batty sometimes, it’s worth it.
• I also transitioned to a new job with new hours, after being let go from a job I held for close to 3 years. It wasn’t the easiest move to make, but turned out just fine in the end. If anything, it allowed me to spend more time with my kids and that to me is more important than anything.
• Going to SXSW ‘06 was a treat for sure. Meeting many talented, funny and down to earth people made me realize that deep down we’re all in the same boat. Honorable mentions, or shout outs, go to Jonathan Snook, Dave Seah, Eric Shepherd, Robert ‘The Swede’ Nyman (who carried on the tradition of calling me ‘Sagen’, passed down many generations no thanks to the US military), Nathan Smith, Joshua Lane, Zach Inglis, Derek Featherstone (thanks for the Star Wars arcade time) and many, many others. This year will be the first time that I’ll be participating on a panel with the likes of Dan Rubin, Anton Peck and Glenda Sims. (more to follow on that)
• Tragically, however, my mother passed away at the age of 45. It came as quite a shock to my brother and I as we had no clue that she was so sick. For the both us, it was a heartfelt and coming-of-age experience shared with our sister whom we’ve had little contact with over the years, or I should say not as much contact as we’d like.
• As a family we traveled once again to California (our old stomping grounds) to visit friends and family. It was too short but full of meaning and good memories to boot.
• Towards the end of the year my daughter Zoe turned 3 years old, proclaiming, every hour of every minute of every second of the day, that it was indeed her birthday. She even let complete strangers know of her wonderful day.

In the end, 2006 was pretty eventful and a year I’ll remember for a long time. I’m crossing my fingers and scrunching my face that 2007 will be just as good and alongside that thought that I’ll meet many others and continue pursuing my personal goals in life.

To my readers, thank you for staying with me this long (yes, you know who you are) and interacting with what I have to say. You, alone, have made this site something completely different than what it originally was supposed to be.

I hope every one of your resolutions came true last year, and that those you’ve set this year will carry you along.

To every one of you that I’ve had the pleasure of being friends with and enjoying the good times of 2006, whether that be at an office party, SXSW or at the supermarket, aisle 5, right in front of the crackers and cheese whiz, thank you. You mean a whole lot to me, especially during this holiday season and I wouldn’t trade you for a pack of Big League chew.

It is my sincere hope that you all have a wonderful holiday break and remember to cherish the time spent with your family and friends. Here’s to 2007, that it will bring many opportunities and memories that we will reflect upon for years to come.

When I decided to reconnect with my High School World Cultures teacher, Mr. Whelchel, there was mild contentment that whatever he chose to do, either reply to my message or not, that after 8 years of developing myself (since that time), I know had the opportunity to express my gratitude to someone who left a impression on my youth.

I never expected that he’d be on Myspace — of all places — and while at first it seemed strange to use a service that was originally intended to network with friends and express oneself, that didn’t prevent from finally making contact after so many years.

My message was short and sweet, much like his response. Yet, I find that the older I get, the less I have to say, the better.

The following is my message to my former World Cultures teacher, followed by his response which I believe is short, concise, and sweet in its prose:

My Message

Hey Mr. Whelchel,

It’s been 8 years, or close to it. Not sure if you remember me and hey, that’s okay if you don’t considering the vast amount of students you’ve taught over the years, but..

It’s Erik Sagen. I was in your class several years ago, loved it more than you’ll ever know (and that’s saying something) and often reflect on the experience of high school.

My friend Adam and I worked on a class project wherein we combined the soundtrack of Braveheart with the graphics from a computer game (Doom) to tell the story of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was submitted on a VHS tape and I believe we received an A, or better.

Let me know if you might remember.

Otherwise, hey, I remember being there and was ecstatic to find you on here.

Just wanted to know that you made an enormous impression on me then.

Take care,
Erik

Whelchel’s Response

Yeah, I do remember you. First of all, teachers are weird creatures. Think about it, we go to a place with hormone ravaged teenagers all the while with some crazy idea that we can retard their thinking into, well, thinking. With all of this, we do tend to remember most if not all of our students.

Thanks for the kind words, these are the fringe benefits of the job.

I am glad to see you doing well. I jumped into your page and noticed you are making a living off of your imagination. Great for you and I wish you all the luck in the world. The yellow transformer was cool.

I offer only one piece of advice; love your kids and enjoy them. They grow up way too fast. I have one in eigth grade already and he is seemingly a wastoid teenager (mom and dad aren’t cool anymore).

Have a great day and do what you gotta do, what ever the hell that means. ciao.