Boston Phoenix Gets It Done

I have been hopeful that the journalism for the Boston Phoenix (and Portland Phoenix by extension) would become steady and constant. With the front page article in the most recent issue (5/28/09) they get it done. Legalize Pot Now delves in to not only the most recent battles of the speed bumps decriminalization and legalization advocates have experienced.

While the story fell slightly short of the goal line in my opinion by not exploring the possibility that since Mexican drug traders make up to 75% of their profits from illegal marijuana sales, there may be some extra pressure being put on those in power to keep marijuana on the books. Extension perhaps more for a book on the subject (there are many and I'm sure many more to come) but it was the cutting edge of the article I craved.

Mike Miliard did a great job at getting to the heart of the story and gave good supposition for what to expect in the future.

Whathaveyous Of The Week

Plans coming to fruition...everything congealing like a nice soft cheese.

And verily I say unto you: If I speak gangsta to my fish is that, in fact, animal abuse or just an obscene hobby?

Short list of great whathaveyous from the week:

Steal Our Ideas
Jay Walker (yes, his real name) on the world's English mania

Digging For Dirt just got added to my to-read list.

Things Magazine

F My Life - Sample:

Today, I was standing around looking out the window at work when it became really dark and windy and started to pour. I watched a shopping cart fly across the parking lot thinking how funny it'd be if it hit someone's car. It hit mine. I need a new headlight. FML

And finally, a classic. Makes me want to play pool by the pool.

Tired of hearing me talk about 826? Tough shit.

One good design for @826michigan. Really digging the typography I hit up the 826 with.


And another idea I put together for @826national


Got some spare time in your day? Donate it.

Got some spare change? Donate it.

Got some perfectly good pens and pencils in your office that you will never, ever use, because you know you only use the one kind - you've always used that kind - and you already have plenty of them to begin with. I mean really, how many pens do you actually use up in a year? Maybe a dozen? Maybe? If you don't keep losing them. If you've got 'em (and anything else you think might help a kid learn) donate them.

A recount of the past few weeks is in order. After this there will be a much more cohesive plan toward this blog. I'm feeling a new direction, a new focus, shooting through my fingertips to your inverted retinas.

Let's begin:

On Saturday, April 25th I was married to the beautiful Carol at Gibbet Hill in Groton, MA

After no sleep for a day or two and several plane rides down to Central America we landed in Costa Rica and began a week of hammock naps and pinto. And pina coladas....and more pina coladas.

On our second morning in Manuel Antonio, during the iced coffee portion of our show, we saw monkeys taking over the jungle outside of our place. Chewing breakfast bananas and mangoes, one monkey became a bit too frisky and decided that coming in to get a closer look was a good idea. This picture of our friend was taken after I told him that coming onto our porch was a bad idea.

He approached carefully atop the roof, the sneaky ninja that he is, and swung down over the edge to say hello.

"Monkey, no." I said, bracing my bride back toward the safety of the door. I soon realized that the monkey did not speak English as well as I had hoped - not nearly as well as most of the bartenders in the area. This was a Costa Rican monkey, and thus I needed to speak to him in his native tongue.

"No, mono! No!" Seemed to do the trick. He went next door to see what was going down over there.

While we were away, the media terror that is swine flu attacked the sensibilities of all around. Coming back into the states from Central America I was sure we would have a hard time at immigration in Miami. The several people in San Jose wearing face masks confirmed this.

Having sourced out a pharmacy in San Jose which sold prescription allergy medication by the pill (for which I had no prescription) I made sure neither I, nor my beautiful bride would give so much as a sneeze or cough on our way back to the Northeast. Although I had a sneezing fit at Miami International, luckily we were already cleared.

We are now safe and sound in the comfort of South Boston and life is working on getting back into a rhythm. Thank you to everyone who lent a hand in the ceremony and showed up to help us celebrate.

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I've talked several times about all of the good things that 826National and the rest of the chapters do for kids and now they've let me become part of the help. While I am an approved volunteer for 826Boston, I find it difficult to make it into Roxbury at a time during the week when i would have the ability to work with the kids.

I sent some emails. Actually, I sent all of the emails I could to every 826 chapter, asking if they could use a hand with some design work ffor their Twitter pages. The way I'm seeing social media evolving, it may be the absolute perfect tool for non-profits. The only overhead they really have is time. So I lent a hand and designed backgrounds for 826LA and their store, the Echo Park Time Travel Mart.

I'm also currently working on a similar project for 826michigan. It's a robot thing - you wouldn't understand.

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Random cool shit:

What's a BBQ without bacon-wrapped-bacon? A crappy BBQ.

Fish Slaps A Baby: Missing Dodgeball

Student suggest building organic wall to contain the ENTIRE Sahara Desert. (That's really, really big for those who don't know.)

Smashing Magazine: 40 Stunning & Creative Graffiti Artworks

20 Of the World's Most Kickass Libraries

FOOD, Inc. (poached from Acme Cocktail Co.)

From the back shelf - the Arcata Eye :: Police Log