Slog - Comments on Voicemail from Jen Graves http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves A transcription of a voicemail on my cell phone from Graves this morning, transcribed exactly, since the inarticulateness kind of gets at the weirdness: Hey, so I wanted to ask you, or tell you--it's Jen--that there is something on the corner of James and Broadway. There's this, like, there's this building being built, and it's scaffolding, it's all scaffolding, really high, and then on the very top is the flag of the construction company, and also a tree, just a tree sitting there on top of the thing as though it were, like, planted in scaffolding. It's way up in... Copyright 2008 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:49:49 -0800 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:06:03 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by ECB It's traditional for construction companies to put a tree on top of the scaffolding once it's completed. I don't know why, but I've definitely seen it before.

]]> ECB http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772808 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772808 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:10:51 -0800 Comment by ECB Wait! More clarity! Here: http://www.utdallas.edu/news/archive/2001/topoff.htm

"The “topping-off” ceremony dates back to the 8th or 9th century. In medieval times, ironworkers would celebrate the completion of a building’s frame by placing a fir tree on top of the final beam. The practice was brought to America and today often incorporates the autographing of the final beam by those involved with the construction process."

]]> ECB http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772811 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772811 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:12:17 -0800 Comment by danny It's a construction tradition to put a tree up once the highest structural element has been put in place:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topping_off

(Sorry, no photo.)

]]> danny http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772812 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772812 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:12:24 -0800 Comment by PGC flickr pool! stranger flickr pool! hellooooooo!?!?!

]]> PGC http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772819 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772819 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:18:05 -0800 Comment by Cato the Younger Younger I think you all missed the point of this posting... Christopher says he is slammed with work. I never knew anyone at the Stranger ever worked.

]]> Cato the Younger Younger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772827 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772827 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:31:31 -0800 Comment by elrider #5 The real point of the posting is Jen Graves driving. I didn't think that was allowed for Stranger staff.

]]> elrider http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772835 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772835 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:40:41 -0800 Comment by Cato the Younger Younger #6, She could be using Flexcar which is an acceptable option.

]]> Cato the Younger Younger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772862 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772862 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:57:36 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle And in Japan they keep a tree in the top of the building when it's complete.

Kind of a small one though.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772882 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772882 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:13:05 -0800 Comment by David I thought topping off meant something totally different.

]]> David http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772885 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c772885 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:14:31 -0800 Comment by reason 229 "slammed with work" = seeking victims for next calf fetish photo

]]> reason 229 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c773005 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c773005 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 15:32:35 -0800 Comment by Amen Sadly you're all being mislead by these trolls saying some baloney about a topping off ceremony.

What the flag, the tree and the painted beam mean is that some noble hereo gave his life building those condos.

Single tear drop falling, Cue Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The U.S.A."

]]> Amen http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c773243 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c773243 Architecture Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:02:47 -0800 Comment by Phillip Jen Graves Is a fucking idiot! Its like an insecure teenage girl talking..."Oh my god a tree, how cute, um, maybe, uh we should, uh let people know!?"

]]> Phillip http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c773381 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c773381 Architecture Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:02:31 -0800 Comment by inusha http://fotospornosite.biz/map.html
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]]> inusha http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c780803 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/07/voicemail_from_jen_graves#c780803 Architecture Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:06:03 -0800