Monday, September 29, 2008

front yard gardens


Went walking around the block this weekend and noticed a garden in the front yard of a neighbor. Once I noticed theone they seemed to pop out of everywhere. In a half hour walk there were 4 front yard gardens. After todays 778 point drop in the stock market I wonder how many brokers are seriously considering the same.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

grab a bucket and start bailing

I feel somewhat removed from the crisis right now. Most others know little about the bailout as it applies to them. Currently I'm not trying to get a loan for a house, car or boat. Don't own much risky stock. And I certainly don't do any housing or market speculation. Right now I'm sitting in the life boat that is about to be hit by a rouge wave. I made it out of the realm of bad decisions but now those that have are sending a tidal wave of hurt and financial uncertainty for the futures of generations to come. This really feels like a bad night in Vegas here the high rollers hit all the wrong numbers and spent a lot of money but end up comped in the Bellagio Presidential Suite. I think the American people deserve numbers and names of all of who's getting what!!! If we don't do that then this money will never be held accountable. The masses will pay for it...last i heard the average American's share of 700 billion is about $30,000 each. Thanks, I could have used a down payment on a house.

There is cycle of eggs and baskets, where companies make risky moves toppling the one basket we trusted. Why is a market allowed to grow superficially unchecked and unguided? Is that capitalism or is that just greed? I think greed is capitalism. At what pint though is it OK for CEOs and money market managers and housing speculators to make the decisions far beyond that of what we signed on for. Is that not then a dictatorship? Are we then not ruled but the whims of greed held in the hands of so very few? I say we are. The Great Urban Movement now begins to localize our investments and take pride in the returns of our collective communities. The Geeks emphasized that democracy can only be effective at a maximum city size of 10,000 people. I say it is the same for our investments as well.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Fight Club Ideology

Having seen the movie Fight Club the plot becomes clear near the end that if you blowup all the credit card companies you reset the debt record back to zero. This, according to the movie, will cause a new world order and I quote, "the world I see - you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." Is this the dream of every Urban planner at their core? I mean personally I've heard from more than one instructor that they wishes gas prices would keep going up in order for people to walk or ride a bike, and to make cities and town shrink for the rewards of sustainability. I just read an article that was talking about food prices and well I realized that to really be honest planners should just admit what they want...a progressive apocalypse.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Great Helmet Debate


It has been a constant struggle between my wife's guilt trips and the need to look cool. Wearing a helmet when I ride my bike would indeed save my life but a bandanna will keep the sweat out my eyes and my hair in place. I even purchased a cool new helmet and have worn it intermittently but profess the need to hear the road and the wind rushing as a speed away at 30+ mph.

I have been in a severe motorcycle accident that hospitalized me for 3 days, which should have been longer and at the loss of my spleen had it not been for my superior healing ability. Somehow though its in my thought process that I made it out alive and fine in that crash with no helmet so it should be no contest riding a bike at half the speed.

This is all ego meets self image issues and as of recently I have put those aside to make better use of my helmet. I have noticed the increasing number of bikes on the road in the last year and am aware that amid certain culture-riders there is no regard for safety. Who I speak of is not the mighty clans of spandex clad road bikers, but of the "fixie" kids. These kids range from high school freshman to 38 year old enthusiasts that want a simple one gear ride with virtually no maintenance. The problem though is that there is a fashion statement associated with the riders that make it near impossible to wear a helmet. The ego of eco is sometimes more reclase to human life than the environment when fashion is the ruling factor.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Salt Lake Bike Collective

1.801.fat.bike 2350 S. West Temple. Nothing cures the stress of a day like working with your hands for a couple of hours and fixing something that was once broke. I took my bike in to the collective to use there tools and bench to straighten out my bent rear tire and put a new chain on. Friendly people all helping each other makes for a very enjoyable experience. It's great because the place is like a living bike manual for every bike, I learn something every time I'm there.

I talked to the owners of one of mmy other favorite bike shops that had recently moved behind the old Guthrie's on 2nd and 2nd about making a portion of their shop a non profit. They already donate and partner with the bike collective so a natural fit would be to provide a downtown extension of the collective. I wonder if alot of businesses can in part deticate space as a non-profit?

Monday, September 22, 2008

addendum


I posted earlier that there were other areas that were marked with green car/bike share lanes. I am wrong and confused other green markings as the new share lane markings. I recently road on the new lanes and was pleasantly surprised. Especially that area between main st. and 2nd east where Galvan plaza takes up two usable lanes with n underground parking lane. I'm sure though that the casual biker will be intimidated by this action of frequenting the middle of the street. There is a certain level of confidence that most do not have that would allow them to back up their actions amid motorists. Offensive driving is far safer than defensive when thrown in the mix with motorists. To put it simple the faster you go the less likely you'll piss off a motorist, who will then try to past you with the emphasis of volting the number one. The lane is a big step toward integration between the two sects of transportation. The only step left is to educate and integrate the rest of downtown Salt Lake.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

i think i canyons

My wife and I volunteered this weekend for the charity bike ride benefiting the 4th street clinic. Last minute thing but it was very encouraging to meet the people in the race. Everyone of them were in it for two reasons and those reasons only. First, donations and advertisement of the 4th street clinic which helps destitute individuals receive various medical care for free, and second, self betterment. This is a small organization of people that decided to do what they love to benefit those with less. A small act of charity that has grown in it's second year by about 30%. 4 canyons in one day is unbelievable and the charity renewing. Utah should put more of emphasise around a larger database for these types of opportunities where people donate money to be a part of something fun and larger than themselves. It almost sounds like a fractured fraternity as people pay for casual friendship and interaction but for a good cause.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Die cell phone


My cell phone died this past weekend and was left in the armrest tomb in my car. It sat their while I found myself really disconnected from everyone. The best part was the silence of the extra work activities. Just because I make myself availiable out of happen stance from owning a phone that does not make it ok for people to call me after work hours for things that can be taken care of on monday. I enjoyed my weekend and actually visited people by stopping by. Its been forever since I've done that. You'd be surprised at how many poeple arn't used to that...even close friends. I remember as a kid alway going to my friends houses and asking if Jimmy or Scott could come out to play. No one is at the door anymore. Its' great and makes me work at starting a conversation rather than prequaling it with a phone call or worst yet a text.

Friday, September 19, 2008

rain rain go away


The surprise to me was my attitude. This morning was raining fairly heavy at times but unrelenting. Normally I love the rain and any other inclement weather condition, but today I looked at the rain from the perspective of transportation. I immediately thought that I would have to take my car to work. The problem with that would be when it came time to go to school and I would either have to pay for parking up at the U or risk getting a ticket. Biking as my main source of transit works well almost all the time as far as ease of use and convenience but today i just didn't want to be soaking wet and cold. Granted their are special clothing I could have worn but my poor college student persona has always prevented me from doing so. I ride all winter and am not unfamiliar with inclimate weather conditions its just when the rain is actually falling that makes the difference. Are people really sacrificing comfort and possibly their health when getting to transit in inclimate weather? Bus stops are hardly ever covered and I can see that the state has probably done a cost benefit analysis determining that the 300+ sunny days in Utah outweigh the infrastructure costs of covering all the bus stops. In the end though it made me ditch the bike for today!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

shared bike/car lanes



http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4286822 I've been riding my bike around town and it seems as though there are more green lines than what they have listed in this report. Along 9th east from main to liberty park there are these green stripes separating in a bike lane fashion but more dangerous. I say dangerous because these lines are not eye popping like the thick white lines of traditional bike lanes. Motorists are definitely going to have a hard time viewing the lanes. The article goes on to paraphrase Ralph Becker as saying, "these shared car/bike lanes are for the smaller downtown streets where traditional bike lanes are not feasible." My question then is why are there stretches of these lanes in areas where there is obviously room enough for a bike lane? Not that that wouldn't be a step in the right direction but if it were to turn into something that would be viewed at as good enough I would disagree.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

the generosity of IKEA


I was the lead on a recent service project by the Commission on Volunteers for displaced youth of Utah. We decided to use some service project earmarked money to create a tote for kids between the ages of 11 &16. These kids all have different situations that range from abuse to new adoption which causes a transition. We hoped that with these totes we would help ease this transistion in some small way. The care packages included a personal radio with light, sudoku puzzle book, pencil, pencil sharpener, deck of cards, candy, personal tissues and a college ruled pad of paper wrapped in a trendy IKEA tote bag. We partnered with DPS to disperse on a needs basis. We created 400 totes through the generous donations of IKEA and the Commission on Volunteers itself.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Holliday wedding


I was the photographer for the wedding of a friend this past weekend. The wedding was held on the grounds of an enormous house on Holliday Blvd. The bride and groom, of wealthy decent, were lucky enough to have it offered to them as a gift. Never had I seen first hand nor experienced the amount of money that was involved at this wedding. We parked outside of the compound and were met by a stretched golf cart to take us down the half mile driveway through densly wooded yet highly manicured forested acrage. I found out later that the owners have 10 gardeners on staff. 10! This whole unfolding of hidden beauty reminded me of a line from a movie where a little girl, the daugehter of a maid in California, is taken to the employers summer beach house. The little girl says, "I had no idea that the most beautiful beaches are owned and fenced off."

Saturday, September 13, 2008

a 2 hour walk to Harvard, Yale & Princeton







My wife and I took a long walk with our dog Diesel from the ninth and ninth area to 13th east weaving back and forth from the streets of Harvard, Yale & Princeton. The weather was amazing, one of Utah's 300 sunny days a year, and we talked not only to each other but it seemed everyone that we cam into contact with. Those quite days where the people that are out are the ones pruning the hedges, washing their cars, or sending their kids of to school. There was a specific pattern to those we felt as though we could talk to and those that we more unapproachable. Any street with a major traffic flow acted as though it was the neighborhood bully and everyone that would walk or stand on it had to put on an intimidating face and divert their attention to it in the event that at any second it might try to strike. A casual stroll for us brought us closer to a number of individuals to the community as a whole for as soon as we got home we wanted more. The neighborhood is addictive.

Monday, September 8, 2008

to be destroyed...


There seems to be some unopposed justifiable destruction of culture and the arts. It starts at schools with administrators cutting corners and letting the hatchet fall upon "extemporaneous" arts and music programs because of budget constraints and the pressure to preform in a standardized way. This concentration on the practical and immediate pandering to the skewed performance of a human being eliminates the human experience and joys of life.

Recently our group of urban planning students has been redesigning a section of third west from main street to 4th south. Immediately the idea came to us to provide a destination of walkable connectivity. The solution was simple and integral, revive a downtown with the arts. Even though the arts and artisans themselves are being systematically torn out of places like downtown Sugarhouse and Peirpont Avenue a place of culture is an anwser to attract the masses. Only when we learn the value of harmony and balance within our basic sturctures of achedemia will we also stande behind the reasures of liturate, art, cinema and music.

Now a group of planners of an activist generation are clinging together to designate a space for the these things to be preserved. The establishment of validity is all that matters to those that are making the money. The preservasation of a culture within the established environments is our goal.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

street garbage day


All weekend the constant stream of pickup trucks screech to a halt over and over again at the sight of one mans trash becoming their treasure. My thoughts thoughs gravitate towards the number of piles in front of my house then to the multiple piles down my street then to the hundreds of piles on my block and then the thousands in my neighborhood. What would those thousands of piles multiplied by the average poundage of a single pile. Where on earth is all this going to go and is this one of the biggest days of the year for the sanitation department. What are the hirings like and is this the season unlike the seasonal help that they get for black friday in retail stores. What is the practice of recycling in this mess? What about the trees and organic waste, is that shredded for future compost use? Are there a series of trucks?

Saturday, September 6, 2008

morgan valley


Some friends own a few acres in a canyon outside of Morgan. We were up there this weekend cleaning and refurbishing the small cabin for the hunt in October. I was talking to the owner bill for a while about where we could take the atvs. Quite a few years ago Bill made a deal with the major land owners surrounding his cabin to be able to hunt perpetually. The deal is that he and four others are allowed to hunt and take one deer.

The landowners act as a sort of collaborative entity for a huge geographical area. The latest ruling they passed down onto the land was to forbid any landowner from running sheep. This was serverely eveident when we started the cleanup. Sheep are partial to thistles and the large herds, under normal cirrcumstances, eat the thisles, keep the trails visible, the valleys clear espescially around the cabin itself.

The times they are a changin. There was a sign down the road that said some land near the cabin was for sale. It is rumored to be going for 36 million. Hopefully this is the last land to be developed after everything else. That might be a juvinille and optimictically nieve thought but the water table is so incredibly low that that might be the secret weapon.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

tire repair


My tire blew out this morning on my way to work at 6:55am. I walked my bike to the nearest bike shop which was Wasatch Touring on 1st S. and 7th E. The walk from where my tire had blown was about 8 blocks. I chose this store because it was on my way to downtown where I worked and that it might be open early. I got to the doors and realized that they didn't open for another 2 hours at 9am. So I tried mt best to replace the tube but because of the large gash through the tire it would be wasting a tube since it would blow soon afterI would replace it. I was set to head off when I noticed the shop owner through the window getting ready for the day. I knocked on the door and with a smile let me in the back. With surprising helpfulness for that early in the morning we repaired and assembled the new tire. I asked him why he was there so early and willing to help me. He responed by saying I own this place. I have never in my life had a dirrect link to why chains and bigbox retailers could never replace the small businnes owner untill now. the ways in which that man binded me to his store as a customer and as a part of my neighborhood was fanstastical. I felt as if this man had watched me grow up and was always there for the off chance I might be in need of a bicycle repair.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

defend or get pushed aside..aka the death of an idea

I hae been feverishly working on a proposal for a sub committee of the commission on volunteers to reorganize and establish a working committee. After several meetings this morning was one to basically polish things off and start on verbiage, boy was I wrong. The person I went in to see was the head of a very large organization for national service in Utah and had at our previous subcommittee meeting gone into a tyrate with an opposing view point with which I happened to agree. So now two weeks later I realized that the common ground they came to was more of a farce than anything. I had planed a version of the process that comprised a working chart of initiatives and programs from which committe members could select and by then being involoved with their chosen groups or initiciatives would fulfill their legislative mandate. The other person in the room had seniority, superior experience, and was knowlegeable beyond that of my own capability when it came to the commission. In my opinion I was treated initially with a sense of unmittigating contempt that my ideas were more valid than hers. I was put in a tough spot and realized I needed to ask her questions about her solutions instead of taking question after question from her in a deffensive posture. After a heated debate for over two hours we concluded with a better understanding of each others view points. A flow chart was a joint venture that will serve the commission well. I just hope people start remembering the day to day compromises they make for a better union of ideas.