friend of the built environment

The best article I’ve read in a real long time on the state of Urban America:
Urban Legends
One quote:
“The American metropolis can be more than a way station for the wealthy young and part-time destination for the nomadic rich. It can be a place where average people live, thrive, and build communities across lines of race [...]

It’s a long way off, but I’ve managed to reserve time off for my vacation.Here’s a (very) tentative itinerary:

14-15 Oct: Somewhere in Ohio
15-20 Oct: Chicago
20-22 Oct: Detroit
22-26 Oct: Toronto
26-27 Oct: Somewhere in New York or Pennsylvania
27-28 Oct: Somewhere in Pennsylvania or West Virginia or back home

The agenda: eat. Take pictures. Drive a lot. Maybe meet [...]

One of the real casualties of the changes in the consumer market of the past decade or so has been the good used book or record store. They don’t really exist anymore, as far as I’m concerned, and here’s why:I’m a ‘list shopper’. I have limited resources and thus must choose those things I intend [...]

I was actually in the air somewhere over the deep south when the TSA discovered yet another way to make air travel the most unpleasant travel experience of all…I’m having little panic attacks these days thinking about all the 5-6 hour transcontinental flights I have yet to make this year, and the fact that I [...]

… Working at 56k at the hotel room…sigh…

Pumpkin Spice Lattes have come early this year. I have the feeling it’s going to be a sp00kier than average season. Yay.