I'd like to talk about cranes today. The picture is pretty crummy, but I think we get the idea, yes? I associate
cranes with modernity--without cranes, we would not have large structures. They are pure function, and they form an essential part of any urban skyline. You can identify a city that is in recession by a lack of cranes. You can identify a city about to experience the bursting of a real estate bubble by too many cranes.
I also appreciate how difficult it is to erect and then take down cranes. You need a crane to erect a crane, which implies a wonderful circularity--how did they build the first crane? And why the name crane, anyway? Because of the bird? On some occasions I've observed how you need three cranes to set up a big tower crane. First, a small truck crane puts together a large mobile crane, which in turn sets up the big tower crane.
What else can you do?
Two days ago a resurgent Menino mentioned the sea of cranes (such poetic phrasing for a mechanical concern) in the Boston skyline (there we go again), as evidence of Boston's strong standing. Look at you, ahead of the curve.
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