Would you see yourself as wanting to behave like an arrogant prick if you gave your money to anyone but your kids? Or so you suppose that it is impossible to be an arrogant prick while giving one’s money away?
Even then. Especially then.
Giving philanthropic “gifts” in the form of partial funding for a building that has to be built to very specific provisions with the agenda of cultivating a particular social environment and expectations is pretty much the exemplar of the term, “arrogant prick”, notwithstanding that Munger literally behaves how what a screenwriter would characterize a prototypical “arrogant prick” (see video linked above).
One more time: fuck that guy. He could not be more of an arrogant prick if he were wearing a foam dildo costume while screaming, “I’m the biggest! All hail my erectoral superiority! I’m Phallus, King of the House of Pecker!”
Stranger
I’ve been following this thread since the first post and remained silent. But something demanded a response
I’ve been rather blue lately. The above quote provided much needed laughter. Thanks.
It’s all part of the service. Be well.
Stranger
Not that USC doesn’t deserve all the scorn that can be heaped upon it, but this is UCSB.
He certainly did not say the reason would be because they would suffocate, or even get sick, from lack of HVAC FWIW. Without further context that would be a stretch to assume.
Also most large dorms would be vacated at most colleges in the presence of a long power outage, for general safety and health reasons, particularly in areas of the country that experience extremes of cold / heat (which Santa Barbara does not), but even in a more climatically pleasant region like Santa Barbara being in a sealed building without HVAC might lead to uncomfortable heating that would be considered inappropriate for prolonged habitation.
Again, keep in mind we’ve already posted links earlier in the thread to an article that showed that on a survey site of campus dorms Munger Hall on UM’s campus had like an 8 or 8.5 rating out of 10. I don’t know how valid that rating is, but it’s more data than the single-person anecdote in that youtube video.
Which is why residences generally aren’t sealed.
The bottom line here, I think, is that Munger’s hobby is torturing people, and he’s willing to spend a lot of money to pursue his hobby. He wants it built this way precisely because it’s unpleasant. As proof of this, note that his own residence in no way resembles this place, in any of the details. If he thought that all of these “features” were actually good things, surely he’d have incorporated them in his own home?
This is the type of hyperbole I just have trouble accepting and that has been bandied about a lot in this thread. FWIW there are definitely sealed residences, I have good friends who live in a very expensive high-rise in Seattle that aside from the balcony has no windows that can be opened at all, so unless the balcony door is open in normal habitation it’s a sealed envelope. I don’t think that design is crazily uncommon in high-rise residential (I haven’t spent a lot of time in high-rise residential buildings, but the fact the windows in their place are not made to be opened at all was a notable feature to me at the time.)
I think it is more than just a hobby for him. More like…a compulsion.
Stranger
Another thing he appears to be doing is acting cagy about how much money he’ll actually donate. I’m not going to go find a cite (sorry, I’ve clicked on a lot of links and didn’t keep track), but in at least one article he says that he hasn’t decided how much money he’ll give, he’s starting with $200 million but it will probably be more, he’ll have to see.
Speaking as a rep of a non-profit that needs donor cash, I can say that this indecisiveness/hinting that there is more largesse to come is the worst kind of behavior from the perspective of the donee. It’s a perfect way to force donees into sycophancy, because we have to butter up the donor constantly in hopes they will decide to bestow a little more of their wealth into our hot, desperate hands. And it wreaks hell with planning a budget … how can we know what initiatives to commit to, if we’re not sure how much cash we’ll have?
I bet the donor management types at UCSB treat Munger like a god, all the while privately loathing him.
You mean people ‘receiving’ the hypothetical donation aren’t thrilled to be yanked around like a salmon caught on a fishhook?
Stranger
“Can’t open windows” does not necessarily mean “sealed”. There can still be vents to the outside, and in fact must, for the building to pass residential construction codes. But any kind of opening to the outside, whether vents or windows, depends on having enough surface area, which this monstrosity doesn’t.
Well, if the Munger dorm windows could be opened, depressed students would be tempted to jump from the higher floors and you can’t have that.
It’s a lifesaving design.
heh heh heh
Hey and no peeping Toms! Just one more benefit.
I graduated UCSB 1978, and currently live just abit south of Santa Barbara. I drive thru campus a few times a year, dropping off paint at the recycle center, or just checking the surf. Its really a gorgeous campus, in a beautiful location. I mean absurdly so.
However, there already are a number of large residential dorms, and I think the engineering building is a bit of a hulk. I didnt pay much attention to the buildings when I went to school there, it just seemed nicer than Riverside, which was my other choice for Enviornmental Studies.
That said, the Munger building at a glance just looks hideously blocky and oppressive. I think Francisco Towers(an existing residential dorm) might be taller, but they are very narrow, and located almost off campus. I think if the building was half as tall, and stretched out to compensate, it certainly would stand out less. As it is, it may end up being the largest builidng in 3 counties.
There are some “interesting” tours of the campus and the surrounding support town of Isla Vista which you can easily find on the internet.
And despite it being a somewhat idyllic region, the central coast does get its fair share of wild events. We havn’t really been tested earthquake wise, the fires alone are bad enough. A strong earthquake which breaks out gas, water, sewer lines, etc? Big trouble.
We are very isolated here, when the 101 freeway goes down? Trouble follows.
Six, I think.
