Flash

It is afternoon and I complete my work early.

All the blocks of green on my electronic calendar have collapsed into thin slivers, cheerful reminders of tasks turned away.

I try not to look ahead to the next day. Now is enough.

I will go out for a walk, to get some coffee.

It is chilly.

The sun shines distantly.

I begin to cross the path of a parked bus. The engine churns, pulsating against the asphalt.

I scan warily around the corner to search out racing cars.

One of my deep fears is being hit by a car.

My gaze focuses to my left.

A flash. A burst of movement. Toward me, straight ahead on the crosswalk. My heart pounds. Everything telescopes. Eyes. At first I only see wide eyes flashing. A smile, open and round. Waving hands, twirling. A young woman. My pulse rushes. The distance between us nearly collapsed. I vaguely recognize her. I think I do. Someone I used to trust but no longer see. Is that smile for me? Her eyes dart past, her stare focused further in the distance. I've affixed a smile on my face, anticipating some meeting.

But it is not for me,

that smile.

She is racing

to catch the bus.

Starbucks "Value Menu"

In a February 9, 2009 Wall Street Journal article, Janet Adamy reports that Starbucks is offering a sort of "value menu" to banish its persona as a pricey extravagance in an era of economic uncertainty. Here's a snip:

"I strongly believe we are going to be in this environment for years," Howard Schultz, chief executive of Starbucks, said in an interview. "It is a reset of both economic and social behavior."

No longer an "affordable luxury," Starbucks must now work even harder to compete with the likes of McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts.

Read the entire story: Starbucks Plays Common Joe

Also, for more Starbucks news from the past few weeks, point your browser here: http://www.tinyurl.com/starbucksnews

It's a Commercial World After All

Well, I guess I've spotted my cue to be shocked once more that Disney would reveal itself to be motivated primarily by commercial interests.

The culprit this time? The "Small World" attraction, a childhood rite since its introduction at the 1964-5 New York World's Fair, beloved by all except those who'd prefer to stick a screwdriver in their ear rather than hear that damned song again.

Now Disney is reopening the Anaheim version of the ride after a hiatus with a little more "magic": the addition of movie characters like Ariel, Stitch, and Aladdin.

What was that? Did I hear your childhood-self cry out through the interwebs?

Yeah, I think it sucks too. But I can hardly profess to be surprised.

Reading an article about the creeping commercialism into what had once been known as an irony-free Model United Nations for kids, I came across a nearly omnitopian quote:

"What message are they actually saying about the world?," said Jerry Beck, an animation historian who runs the blog Cartoon Brew. "That you can go anywhere and there will be a Disney theme park?"

Here's another one:

"Disney wants to brand the diversity of the entire world and somehow say that it's Disney derived," said Leo Braudy, a cultural historian at the University of Southern California.

Sad, but hardly shocking.

Am I disappointed? Yes. Will I go to see for myself?

Of course.

Read the entire article: MSNBC, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29019618

Shameless Media Plug - Santa Cruz Sentinel

City Ubiquitous (due out later this month) has been featured in today's Santa Cruz Sentinel.

It appeared in an article written by Stephanie Pappas, "SJSU professor looks to burst the bubble of omnitopia with new book."

I enjoyed the piece, particularly her introduction about our family's tradition of "silent walks." You've got to like an article that starts this way:

"Andrew Wood has an unusual approach to road trips: Whenever he drives through the desert, he kicks one of his family members out of the car."

Here's a snip about the piece's larger emphasis:

Wood wants people to burst the bubble of omnitopia "as often and as frequently as possible" by seeking out places where human connection is more important than convenience or commerce.

"Get out! As quickly as you can," Wood said. "Get off the interstate, turn off the mobile phone, get out of the chain restaurants and be where people are who they are."

Read the entire article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_11632221

1981's Newspaper of the Future

This video has gone viral over the past few days, but I had to share it anyway.

It's a news story about a not-too-far-off future when people will get newspaper content from - wait for it...

Their computers!

These denizens of the brave new world will use Tandy TRS-80s to print off their favorite articles (minus pictures, ads, and comics, of course).

In the story, a San Francisco Examiner editor opines hopefully, "We're not in it to make money, [but] we're probably not going to lose a lot..."

An anchorperson at the end of the piece adds that it takes two hours to receive the text of the paper over the phone, and the price to access content is five bucks per hour of use. She sounds kind of snarky about it, but I think the paper-of-the-future is a bargain.

After all, we're told, you can print your favorite stories... on paper.

Return with me now to the future of newspapers as it was envisioned in the year:

Nineteen Eighty One!

Read the story (thanks to TechCrunch) and see the video: How the Future of Online News Looked in 1981

(Image from YouTube video)

Animated Neon: Monty's Log Cabin

Monty's Log Cabin is often mislabeled a "dive bar." It's much more cheerful and friendly than that. Even my wife, an unwavering teetotaler, enjoyed the vibe (except for the creepy guy checking her out). Nestled among the Redwoods, the Log Cabin is classic old school Felton (CA). And it's got a fine neon sign.



Difficulty seeing this video? Point your browser to the following link (and select "watch in high quality"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbIU4zEf7dY

Like this video? Visit my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/hatless089

Flickering Neon: Santa Cruz VCR Repair

Particularly as media-geeks forecast the imminent decline of DVDs, I think it's swell that this VCR repair sign continues to flicker - another one of William Gibson's "semiotic ghosts" - in Santa Cruz.



Difficulty seeing this video? Point your browser to the following link (and select "watch in high quality"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1NLZHREB38

Like this video? Visit my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/hatless089