Our life is a litany of interesting news articles, of news chum, ripe for the discussion. Shall I enumerate? I shall.
- A is for Apple. Apple turned 40 this week. Amongst the various articles out there commemorating the occasion was this one, which explored why the iPod was Apple’s definitive invention.
- B is for Bagel. LAist attempted to list the 11 best bagels in Los Angeles. They were smart enough to include my favorite on the list, Western Bagel.
- C is for Cabrillo. Here’s the first part of an interview with Lewis Wilkenfeld, the Executive and Artistic Director of Cabrillo Music Theatre, which just announced it is closing down at the end of the season. What’s interesting are the reasons for the demise: a shrinking large donor base, lack of broad community support, and problems with the attitude and management at the Civic Arts Plaza. There was one telling line: the large donors didn’t want to feel that they were the only ones supporting Cabrillo. That echos what I’ve heard at shul. Hence, I’ll emphasize the importance of giving — even if it is only $5 — to those groups you believe in. They need to know the community is there for them. Here’s the second part of the interview.
- D is for Downtown. In this case, downtown San Diego, and an interesting article on wayfinding signage. The notion is that people should look up and feel comfortable that they’re going in the right direction and have the sense that they can explore and experience the city (without looking down at a map or a phone).
- E is for Education. Here’s a map of 169 preschools that are (supposedly) too close to a freeway. This list concerned me, as our synagogue pre-school was one the list (we’re next to a freeway), and that could have an impact on the opening of the infant toddler center. First the Porter Ranch gas leak, and now this.
- F is for Frugal, as in Frugal Cooking. Here are a list of 10 Frugal Cooking Blogs: blogs that help you cook on a budget.
- G is for Gun. Here’s the stupid (or, I guess, brilliant) idea of the day: Let’s invent a gun that looks like a cell phone. Just what we need: an easier way for people to bring weaponry into inappropriate places.
- I is for Ivory. When I first went to Hawaii as a teen, I picked up some small pieces of scrimshaw, a traditional Hawaiian whaling art. But thanks to the misuse and crimes in the acquisition of ivory, scrimshaw may become an endangered art. There are plans to prohibit the sale of any ivory, even that acquired when it was legal. I’m sure it will be possible to have a synthetic substitute, but what about the existing items?
- J is for Jumping Ship, as a number of people have threatened to do if Trump (Clinton) wins. Here’s an article that shows why that is a bad idea, from the viewpoint of an American living abroad.
- L is for Los Angeles, and an exploration of how Los Angeles can shape politics. In this case, it is how Los Angeles shaped the politics of folksinger Woody Guthrie.
- M is for Money, specifically in the form of Student Loans. Here’s are some suggestions of what to do when paying your student loans is difficult.
- N is for Nipper, as in Little Nipper, the mascot of RCA. Nipper, famously, listened to “his master’s voice” on the records and radio. The article explores that history, as well as how voice commanding as moved to applications like Siri.
- P is for Park-ing. Two items here: First, how the city of LA wants to use giant paper airplanes to shade downtown’s Grand Park. Before you go WTF?, it is actually an interesting artistic idea. The second concerns the other end of the MetroRail from downtown: the various lots such as North Hollywood, which will soon no longer have free parking. Good idea, but they could have done the execution better (such as just tap and go (or take a ticket) when you enter, and when tap and go when you leave).
- R is for Radio. AM and FM radio is collapsing, thanks to folks like me who listen to their iPods, and folks like you who listen to streaming music. iHeartMedia is on the verge of collapse, and radio in San Francisco is undergoing a bloodbath with the decimation of the news team at KGO. [ETA: And the other shoe has dropped in San Francisco, with KFOG’s evisceration on the FM dial by the same owners. (h/t to Gary Cohn from camp for the link)]
- S is for Solar. For years, I’ve been getting talks to convince me to put in solar; just got one 10 minutes ago. I’ve generally felt it was a rip-off, due to the problems with the lease terms and the power companies. However, one of my credit unions had an interesting offer; might be worth exploring.
- T is for Theater. StageLA has an interesting exploration of the problems facing the mid and large theaters in Southern California. Actors Equity believes that their approach of making it economically impossible for the intimate theatre to survive will make mid and large theaters grow. Will it happen? Not when such theatre are dying on their own due to lack of support.
- U is for Underwear. Here’s an interesting exploration of how new underwear companies are trying to find a niche between granny panties and thongs. I find this an interesting economic and stylistic exploration.
- V is for Vegas. Plans have been announced for the implosion of the Riviera. Perhaps I should say two implosions, as they are doing it in two pieces. In a related note, a historic sign collector (not the Neon Museum) plans to restore the Riv’s spectacular neon (or at least some of it)
- W is for White Rage. Lastly, a very interesting article on der Trumpster. Trump has created an outlet for pent up “white rage”: the rage of the former powerful and privileged, or at least socially supported, majority in this country, who have been increasingly rankled at the ascendance of minority power and attempts to do away with privilege inherent in the system. They’ve turned to Trump, who has bluntly expressed their views. Where will that rage go when (note I don’t say “if”) Trump does not win? It may not be pretty; the civil war didn’t end at Appomattox.
- Y is for Year, as in Ugly Political Year (or You Can’t Win). In related news: Donald Trump is now the least popular politician in three decades. Less popular than Obama (who actually is at peak popularity), less popular the GW Bush, less popular than Chaney, less popular than Clinton (either), and probably less popular than even Nixon or Carter. Mind you, this is not likely to significantly change to “popular” before November, and this is that man that the Republicans will likely nominate for November. Further, if they somehow don’t nominate him, there is likely to be a party split, as he and his followers are unlikely to unite behind whomever the RNC chooses. Given that you’ve got similar splitting between Sanders and Clinton supporters, and the presumptive nominee Clinton doesn’t have strong popularity either, this is going to be an ugly ugly political year.
Last night we saw our penultimate show for this season at the