Bad City Planning is a BFD AKA Don’t Build A Mall There

Realistic look at city planning challenges

I know that we live in a nation in which taxes going to the unemployed and “death panels” are grave fears held large swaths of the population, but in reality regulation should have a place in the hearts of even the most fiscally conservative/greedy when to comes to city planning decisions. It doesn’t, of course, but, it ought to.

A New Medium

Hello Lima Beans!

Expect some new content here later this week, but in the meantime, friend-of-the-blog Brent and I have just begun recording our weekly podcast series, “Brain Trust Live!” We’ll be discussing the hilariousness that is the current election cycle and posting every Monday, so head over to iTunes and subscribe!

The first episode is posted HERE.

Happy Monday!

Lila

Lowbrow Books For Highbrow People

"Serious" writer with "serious" glasses.

In the course of internetting regarding mass market books for my last post, I came across several articles that mentioned “Franzenfreude.”  This non-word was created as part of a Twitter campaign waged by mass market faves Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner.  The two were questioning why “chick-lit” books, books that deal with women-centric themes, get ignored by the literary establishment while similar books written by men get considered serious works of fiction.  Men like Jonathan Franzen, author of The Corrections, Freedom, and every other books that “teaches us about ourselves.”  Franzenfreud.

An Explanation of Why My Book Is Cuter Than Yours

A few years ago I walked into a Barnes & Noble with a question.  I was looking for the cheapest possible edition of “Dreams of My Father,” the Obama autobiography.  Yup, guilty.  I knew on some level that I would never actually read this book, but while travelling I had seen a teeny-tiny sized $8 copy and thought, “Yeah, I could buy that.  It’s cute.”  I didn’t, but I thought maybe the book would be available next to the mysteries and romance novels in the little paperbacks’ section.  It was worth $8, I thought, but, like, only that much.

Untrustworthy

When I asked customer service whether they had this edition, I got a surprising response.  Not only did they not carry it, but they assured me in their obnoxious bookseller voice that the publisher had “never released the book in mass market size.”  Like, at all.

I’ll Meet You At Claire’s And Then We Can Go To Starbucks

Buy Things!

You know the mall, right? It’s like a 15 minute drive from you. Located on Rt. NUMBER right next to Lowes? The fluorescent-lit indoor garden filled with palms? Food court full of fast-food stalls and chain coffee shops? Modern world’s answer to the need for public restrooms and enforced civility? To the right is a visual reference.

This picture is of the ABC Mall in Beirut, Lebanon, not AWESOME BUYING CENTER in SUBURB, SoCal, but I forgive you for the mistake. Mall architecture is pretty much the same everywhere. And by that I mean that all malls feel vaguely desolate despite being optimistically lavish and somehow simultaneously Midwestern-looking.

This uniformity is intentional.

A Note Of Explanation + A New Huffington Post Link = Good Things

Well friends, you may have noticed that Tania and I are on a bit of a blogging vacation.  The reason is twofold:

1. We are lazy.

2. Holiday stuff.

BUT DO NOT STRESS!  This drought will not go on much longer because, believe me, I am having THOUGHTS and I’m certain Tania is too.  Contrary to popular belief, we can’t just turn it off because Santa is coming to town.  We are stuck with these thoughts all year.

Until we get the energy to commit those thoughts to paper, however, we have you covered.  Here, for example, is a new Huffington Post essay I wrote on a topic irrelevant to this blog.  Surely it will tide you over.  Or not.  Whatever.

LINK CLICKING OPPORTUNITY RIGHT HERE: Healthcare and the Marcellus Shale — Fracking’s Consequences in Upstate New York

Happy Holidays from DWG!

Today’s News, As Told By Huffington Post (12/8 Edition)

Recession Specials For "Special" People and More!

Friends, countrymen, patriots, traitors, and lima beans, it’s another edition of Today’s News!  Contained within is important information about science, health, culture, weddings, and more…

As always, past editions are archived here and the present edition is available to all below the jump (Now with new 10pm addendum)!