As anticipated, the LMDC issued an RFQ for "innovative design" for the World Trade Center site yesterday morning. This is a major step in the right direction for lower Manhattan. Engram's work on this matter [mentioned last week] is moving along, and we'll publish the results when the time is appropriate.

As Paul Petrunia pointed out, a few minutes at CNN's reader gallery will prove the true value of architects in society. Ouch. In all fairness, though the designs have something to be desired, there is a lot of value in many of the written intentions.

Speaking of our commercial division, the free shirt offer is still on [see post from last Wednesday.] The black-on-black Braille design is a big hit so far. For those who've already inquired, the t-shirts will ship as soon as the mailing labels come in from Klever :)

I'm heading up to Cambridge next week to check out some of the advanced research projects at the MIT Media Lab . Our own Jaron Rothkop [on behalf of Lear Corp. ] is working with the teams there on a number of projects, including a prototype vehicle for the US Postal Service and a concept car designed by a certain well known Canadian architect. Jaron's own in-dash coffeemaker design was quashed, but it should feature a plethora of dramatic innovations.

And, yeh... I second Israel's assessment of the Happy Mondays. As many of our editors will concur, growing up in Detroit it was baffling to see what the Brits called "Rave" and "Acid" circa 1991.