May 21
gi commented on Amazon Wants to Build Biodomes in the Denny Triangle.
They've got the land. They're gonna build there anyway. These things look pretty cool and I hope they do it.
May 13
gi commented on Meanwhile, in Downtown Everett.
Downtown Everett has a few cool spots. Don't know how they're doing financially-- they may, indeed, be about to close-- but I like Tony V's, Zippy's Java Lounge, Anchor Pub and the Co-Op is great.
Apr 29
gi commented on What You're Not Wearing: Portland Edition!!.
leather jacket and white shirts tie for the dudes. sundress all the way for the ladies.
also: there are things about portland that are lame. there are also lame people there. there are similar, but slightly different lame things and people in seattle. SHOCKERS!!!!
also: there are things about portland that are lame. there are also lame people there. there are similar, but slightly different lame things and people in seattle. SHOCKERS!!!!
Apr 8
gi commented on Today in the Only City in Seattle: Making Connections at Mount Baker Station.
They're building Artist Lofts and housing next to Mt. Baker light rail. That seems like (provided it fills) something that would be an "engine of urbanism" or whatever you want to call it.
I think for whatever bad ideas they had at their outset, it's probably better for Lynwood and Federal Way (and Kent, and Everett, and, and, and) to attempt transit, density, etc than forever resign themselves to sprawl. Saying something is "never going to change" seems fairly shortsighted.
I think for whatever bad ideas they had at their outset, it's probably better for Lynwood and Federal Way (and Kent, and Everett, and, and, and) to attempt transit, density, etc than forever resign themselves to sprawl. Saying something is "never going to change" seems fairly shortsighted.
Apr 1
gi commented on What Is Lake City's Biggest Selling Feature?.
I like The Breakfast Club and some of the antique stores. Bean City is a great little coffee shop. I don't mind that it feels less Seattlish in many ways. It's one of what? Two and a half real blue collar neighborhoods, three if you're generous?
Mar 27
gi commented on Win Tickets to Next Month's Local H Show.
Hallelujah I'm a Bum! was a pretty good record. They still hold it down live.
Mar 12
gi commented on The Canterbury Is Closing at the End of the Year, But....
plenty of good neighborhood spots off the hill, guys.
I mean, yeah. this sucks. the canterbury rules and it's a shame to see them go. but everyone seems to think that Seattle= Capitol Hill.
I mean, yeah. this sucks. the canterbury rules and it's a shame to see them go. but everyone seems to think that Seattle= Capitol Hill.
Mar 7
gi commented on In 3,228 Words John Roderick Tries to Kill Punk—In 30 Words He Validates Its Existence Instead.
My thoughts, briefly, as someone who both loves and identifies with punk and a lot of it's ethics, but also was never, ever orthodox about it:
1) he presented a lot of arguments, not a lot of evidence. If this had been one of my students, I would have dinged him for making huge claims without much support.
2) There is a lot of gleeful trolling going on here. And maybe a few sour grapes, as he seems to attack most of the guitarishy music from the NW that falls outside of his indie pop genre.
3) Some of his points about self-sabotage and scene sniping were/are true. Some of the things he says about it having grown from something liberating into something limiting are also true.Though I think you could find that sniping anywhere, and you can find the same suspicions of success in a lot of artforms (see Kafka, protest folk of the '30s, etc) though punk maybe codified it a bit.
4) The idea that because a place is small, or a "backwoods" it can't produce interesting, valid culture is, to me, the most problematic idea in this essay for many reasons, and he slips it in fairly surreptitiously with his "so far from places that produce Actual Culture" comment.
5) Someone should go back and tell Voltaire that punk invented Irony, and that Irony never achieves anything or creates any lasting art.
6) There also seems to be a lot of projecting of motivations here.
More...
1) he presented a lot of arguments, not a lot of evidence. If this had been one of my students, I would have dinged him for making huge claims without much support.
2) There is a lot of gleeful trolling going on here. And maybe a few sour grapes, as he seems to attack most of the guitarishy music from the NW that falls outside of his indie pop genre.
3) Some of his points about self-sabotage and scene sniping were/are true. Some of the things he says about it having grown from something liberating into something limiting are also true.Though I think you could find that sniping anywhere, and you can find the same suspicions of success in a lot of artforms (see Kafka, protest folk of the '30s, etc) though punk maybe codified it a bit.
4) The idea that because a place is small, or a "backwoods" it can't produce interesting, valid culture is, to me, the most problematic idea in this essay for many reasons, and he slips it in fairly surreptitiously with his "so far from places that produce Actual Culture" comment.
5) Someone should go back and tell Voltaire that punk invented Irony, and that Irony never achieves anything or creates any lasting art.
6) There also seems to be a lot of projecting of motivations here.
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