10. http://www2.tampa.creativeloafing.com/
Why?: Great website for finding what’s shakin’ in the Bay area.
9. http://www.bestofyoutube.com/
Why?: Why sort through all the crappy videos yourself when the best are a click away?
8. http://www.planetizen.com/
Why?: Best planning related website.
7. http://www.fark.com/
Why?: It’s real news, but headlined in a way that almost makes me feign interest in the world around me.
6. http://www.stuffonmycat.com/
Why?: Feeling less than stellar? This one will turn any frown upside down.
5. http://www.readymade.com/
Why?: The website of one of my fav mags—reuse your shiz and make it look cool!
4. http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/
Why?: So, so, so true...
3. http://www.kunstler.com/
Why?: My favorite fatalistic social commentator.
2. http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/cgi-bin/seigmiaow.pl
Why?: It seems wrong that I should like this website so much, but I’ve never been one to let my conscience stand between me and mass quantities of wasted leisure time.
1. http://www.theonion.com/content/index
Why?: I loves me some fake news…
Friday, April 24, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
My Top Ten Favorite Cities
My travels are limited (the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Italy), but thus far, these are my favorite cities, and why:
6. Charleston, SC (Great downtown--shoppes, restaurants, historic buildings, homes)
1. Portland, OR (Pioneer Courthouse Square and pretty much everything else)
2. Denver, CO (16th Street Mall and LoDo)
3. Venice, Italy (No cars!!!! A total dream for me)
4. Seattle, WA (Love everything, except the perpetual drizzle)
3. Venice, Italy (No cars!!!! A total dream for me)
4. Seattle, WA (Love everything, except the perpetual drizzle)
5. Savannah, GA (Public squares everywhere, oh and a cool cemetery)
6. Charleston, SC (Great downtown--shoppes, restaurants, historic buildings, homes)
7. St. Augustine, FL (Narrow, winding streets)
8. Charlottesville, VA (UVA campus, history, architecture, site planning by Jefferson)
9. Richmond, VA (Hmm, okay, pretty much just Bill's BBQ)
10. St. Petersburg, FL (Some great architecture, brick roads, and pink streets--that's right, pink streets!)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Parking Lot as Civic Space: The Collapse of the Public Realm
Admittedly I've been witness to a number of disturbing trends recently, including (but not limited to) beautiful people wearing trucker hats, sporting the porn stache, and wearing mom-jeans; and all irony free, beautiful people mean business. Who needs irony with cheekbones like that?
But in seriousness, I can handle the cosmetic crap. A far more grave, sinister, black, horrid threat exists (and if I can accurately be labeled as anything, it's an alarmist). Ask yourself these questions:
Where were you the last time you bought a box of girl scout cookies? Were solicited for spare change? Were approached by a Mormon missionary?
If you were me your answer to all three would be "a parking lot." What the hell happened to the street, the park, the square as civic space humans were welcome to inhabit? Oh dear, the end is near. Plug it in, pack it up. What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Stop using your car and start using intuition?
Some days this whole arrangement is just exhausting. Two weeks ago I was asked for spare change twice in one day, in different parking lots. The guy in the morning got the shaft--I only had 15 cents in cash; the guy in the evening did much better--I'd made change at the post office and had five bucks. He was carrying a toddler--whether for real or a prop doesn't matter.
What does matter is the disconnect between fellow citizens--our public forum consists of bitumen, line striping reflective chemicals, wheel stops and towing signs, motorized vehicles, shopping carts complete with dispatch and holding cells, the guy in the orange vest, cameras may be monitoring this property for your protection, landscaped mulch islands teaming with empty miller high life and big gulps, with pigeons and seagulls there to dine. Country meets city, ah, the good life. We're all so deserving.
But in seriousness, I can handle the cosmetic crap. A far more grave, sinister, black, horrid threat exists (and if I can accurately be labeled as anything, it's an alarmist). Ask yourself these questions:
Where were you the last time you bought a box of girl scout cookies? Were solicited for spare change? Were approached by a Mormon missionary?
If you were me your answer to all three would be "a parking lot." What the hell happened to the street, the park, the square as civic space humans were welcome to inhabit? Oh dear, the end is near. Plug it in, pack it up. What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Stop using your car and start using intuition?
Some days this whole arrangement is just exhausting. Two weeks ago I was asked for spare change twice in one day, in different parking lots. The guy in the morning got the shaft--I only had 15 cents in cash; the guy in the evening did much better--I'd made change at the post office and had five bucks. He was carrying a toddler--whether for real or a prop doesn't matter.
What does matter is the disconnect between fellow citizens--our public forum consists of bitumen, line striping reflective chemicals, wheel stops and towing signs, motorized vehicles, shopping carts complete with dispatch and holding cells, the guy in the orange vest, cameras may be monitoring this property for your protection, landscaped mulch islands teaming with empty miller high life and big gulps, with pigeons and seagulls there to dine. Country meets city, ah, the good life. We're all so deserving.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Top Ten Shows I've Attended
The Format is as Follows: Band(s), Location, Date, Reason (Enjoy!)
10. The Descendents, Portland, April 1997, I want to be stereotyped!
9. The Skatalites w/ the Toasters and the Mad Caddies, Portland, September 1997, Appetizer: ska, Main course: ska, dessert: ska.
8. The Bouncing Souls w/ Flogging Molly, Seattle, November 2001, Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! (With some bagpipes on top).
7. The Specials w/ Buck-O-Nine, Portland, June 1996, At the time, my two absolute favorite bands.
6. Of Montreal w/ The Fiery Furnaces, Ybor City, December 2008, Music + theatrics = Now that's entertainment.
5. Sonic Youth w/ The Amps and Bikini Kill, Portland, November 1995, Again--Kim Deal (plus, Sonic Youth had my ears bleeding from the feedback by the end--an early Christmas gift for any 15-year-old).
4. Rancid w/ AFI and The Distillers Salt Lake City, Spring 2001, Cruise Control!
3. The Stokes w/ Hello Amsterdam, Salt Lake City, September 2006, Completely flawless.
2. The Faint w/The Show is the Rainbow, St. Petersburg, October 2008, Amazing energy--danced the night away.
1. The Breeders w/ Lutefisk and Paleface, Portland, May 1997, I love Kim Deal!
10. The Descendents, Portland, April 1997, I want to be stereotyped!
9. The Skatalites w/ the Toasters and the Mad Caddies, Portland, September 1997, Appetizer: ska, Main course: ska, dessert: ska.
8. The Bouncing Souls w/ Flogging Molly, Seattle, November 2001, Ole! Ole! Ole! Ole! (With some bagpipes on top).
7. The Specials w/ Buck-O-Nine, Portland, June 1996, At the time, my two absolute favorite bands.
6. Of Montreal w/ The Fiery Furnaces, Ybor City, December 2008, Music + theatrics = Now that's entertainment.
5. Sonic Youth w/ The Amps and Bikini Kill, Portland, November 1995, Again--Kim Deal (plus, Sonic Youth had my ears bleeding from the feedback by the end--an early Christmas gift for any 15-year-old).
4. Rancid w/ AFI and The Distillers Salt Lake City, Spring 2001, Cruise Control!
3. The Stokes w/ Hello Amsterdam, Salt Lake City, September 2006, Completely flawless.
2. The Faint w/The Show is the Rainbow, St. Petersburg, October 2008, Amazing energy--danced the night away.
1. The Breeders w/ Lutefisk and Paleface, Portland, May 1997, I love Kim Deal!
The Top Ten
I'm horrible at this blogging thing, so instead I've decided to just make top ten lists. I was never adept at keeping a diary either, so this could have been predicted.
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