Saturday, January 31, 2009
I planned some posts about Obama’s unmanned drones, how Updike made adulthood seem so lousy to me as an adolescent, why I feel embarrassed for Michael Steele, and how in just four days, Facebook has decimated my productivity (Scrabble anyone? No really: ANYONE?). Maybe later. The fam is at a puppet show this morning, affording [...]
After a three-day weekend, I expect to come home to stuff that urgently needs my attention. This time, there’s just one voicemail. From Kevin: Can you make an invitation for the 1st Annual Phoebe Cates Film Festival next Saturday? Let me know. With this simple request, my week is redeemed. PROJECT UPDATE, 1/27/09: Turns out [...]
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Links: 1) Soft Drink Generator: Can do 2) Fuck You, Penguin: Cute abuse 3) World country quiz: I’m not even going to say how bad I did 4) David Lee Roth soundboard: Oh God 5) Nothing Is New: Unexpected aesthetic finds Listens: 1) Marbles – Red Lights Featured in the upcoming Brain Lapse, issue 1 [...]
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Central Corridor Light Rail, when it opens, will be a triumph of civic cooperation and long-term thinking. Creating this kind of infrastructure is never easy (they were nutting out details of a more modest light rail line in Seattle in the mid-90s; that line finally opens this year). Neighborhood advocates, businesses on University, the U [...]
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
I’m someone who doesn’t buy much, which could be seen as a liability in my profession. How am I supposed to persuade anyone to purchase things if I can’t persuade myself? I think of it more as an occupational side effect. Thinking and writing about products is my 9-5, so it’s “happy hour” when I [...]
Thursday, January 8, 2009
It took a decade, but I’ve adjusted to mobile phone culture. I’m less outraged by loud, public/private conversations. But here at the café this morning, there’s a dude talking to his Mom at full volume about being visited by her spirit, how he feels God when he hugs her, and other excruciating details of his [...]
The off-handed “How’s business?” has taken on urgency lately. Demand feels steady around here (knock on wood), but that only underscores a nagging realization: while we brace for economic calamity, nobody seems to know how hard it will hit, what it will feel like or how to soften the blow. The Worst Hard Time, Timothy [...]