2009 has proved to be the year of sick.
It feels like every month I’ve had a minor cold all the way up to an organ that was rebelling against me and warranted removal.
It’s Christmas Eve and the trend continues. I’m at work (of course) and I’m sick. My throat is sore and I’m congested. It appears all of the makings of a good ol’ upper respiratory infection. I usually get a couple of these throughout any given year. I think I’ve had 5 or 6 this year.
So, what do I want for Christmas? Mucinex, Biaxin, NyQuil and a heapin’ helpin’ of Four Roses.
I’m making a trip across the street to Walgreen’s in a second. Now, if I could just find a doctor that is working today to get me the Biaxin.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Maybe This Year Will be Techier Than the Last
The fact that I was in a kind of upscale local bar is not at all surprising. The fact that I was there helping people understand how to use Google Wave, now that should give Lucifer space to work on his triple Lutz.
It’s perfectly acceptable to refer to me as a Luddite. I don’t care for technology. Technology scares me and I consistently break it. However, in the past year I’ve managed to get a Twitter account, upgrade to a BlackBerry, begrudgingly get a Facebook and I’ve started a flippin’ blog.
You will see that the blog is terribly low-tech as these things are concerned. I’ve tried making the font uniform, but it doesn’t work. I have no idea how to create a link within my text and not the foggiest how to had a photo. Y’all that can add video frickin’ blow my mind.
That being said, I’ve came pretty far in less than a year. This hadn’t occurred to me until I was at aforementioned bar last week. One of the guys there actually made the comment about my “progress” and how I seemed to be embracing the 21st Century. However, I wouldn’t say that I’ve been converted. (See above).
I will say though, that this year has been one of the best that I’ve had in awhile. I also have to concede that has largely been a product of my getting with the times. I definitely had some hard things to cope with in 2009, but I’ve also really started finding some happiness, too. I’m writing again (though y’all can see I’m kind of out of practice) and I’ve met some really fantastic people. I’ve found several people who have welcomed me into their fold, into their homes and have been willing to just sit down and have a drink and a good time with me. And just about every bit of this started when I named myself Jupiter and sent my first tweet.
Through my Twitter (btw, is that supposed to be phrased my Twitter account, my Twitter Feed, my Tweets, my personal, virtual aviary in the ornithological section of the Internets?) I’ve found ways to get involved and more in touch with my city. I know more about what is going on in our local arts scene than ever before and I find myself with something to do just about every night of the week. I feel like my creative juices are flowing a bit more and my political passion/interest is getting some attention as well. I’ve even started getting accustomed to people calling me Jupiter.
A quick note about that: I will say that I’m still weirded out (not in a bad way) when I meet people for the first time and a) they call me Jupiter b) know WAY more about me than a stranger should c) refer to stuff I’ve written. It’s obviously great that people read my tweets and the blog, but I’ve yet to realize the true openness of what I write here. I also am kind of amazed that people even read it. This whole thing is very self-centered. Also, my non-techie self feels a bit of detachment from words that I type and words that people read.
However, I’m embracing my little tiptoe into technology and can only see more good things coming of it. So, here’s to 2010 and to *gulp* technology and to inadvertently renaming myself Jupiter. But you can call me, Jupe.
It’s perfectly acceptable to refer to me as a Luddite. I don’t care for technology. Technology scares me and I consistently break it. However, in the past year I’ve managed to get a Twitter account, upgrade to a BlackBerry, begrudgingly get a Facebook and I’ve started a flippin’ blog.
You will see that the blog is terribly low-tech as these things are concerned. I’ve tried making the font uniform, but it doesn’t work. I have no idea how to create a link within my text and not the foggiest how to had a photo. Y’all that can add video frickin’ blow my mind.
That being said, I’ve came pretty far in less than a year. This hadn’t occurred to me until I was at aforementioned bar last week. One of the guys there actually made the comment about my “progress” and how I seemed to be embracing the 21st Century. However, I wouldn’t say that I’ve been converted. (See above).
I will say though, that this year has been one of the best that I’ve had in awhile. I also have to concede that has largely been a product of my getting with the times. I definitely had some hard things to cope with in 2009, but I’ve also really started finding some happiness, too. I’m writing again (though y’all can see I’m kind of out of practice) and I’ve met some really fantastic people. I’ve found several people who have welcomed me into their fold, into their homes and have been willing to just sit down and have a drink and a good time with me. And just about every bit of this started when I named myself Jupiter and sent my first tweet.
Through my Twitter (btw, is that supposed to be phrased my Twitter account, my Twitter Feed, my Tweets, my personal, virtual aviary in the ornithological section of the Internets?) I’ve found ways to get involved and more in touch with my city. I know more about what is going on in our local arts scene than ever before and I find myself with something to do just about every night of the week. I feel like my creative juices are flowing a bit more and my political passion/interest is getting some attention as well. I’ve even started getting accustomed to people calling me Jupiter.
A quick note about that: I will say that I’m still weirded out (not in a bad way) when I meet people for the first time and a) they call me Jupiter b) know WAY more about me than a stranger should c) refer to stuff I’ve written. It’s obviously great that people read my tweets and the blog, but I’ve yet to realize the true openness of what I write here. I also am kind of amazed that people even read it. This whole thing is very self-centered. Also, my non-techie self feels a bit of detachment from words that I type and words that people read.
However, I’m embracing my little tiptoe into technology and can only see more good things coming of it. So, here’s to 2010 and to *gulp* technology and to inadvertently renaming myself Jupiter. But you can call me, Jupe.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Visions of Boards Dance in My Head
I’ve been told by someone whose judgement I trust that what I need is a vision board.
I agree. I did exactly the same thing. I rolled my eyes and thought, “Yes, that’s exactly what I need. That along with a Pure Moods cd, a stick of incense and a copy of the ‘The Secret.’”
However, I had another conversation with a friend this morning which helped me realize that the whole concept kind of makes sense. I’ve been having a difficult time focusing my attention on answering the “What do you want to do” question. A place where I could throw all of the ideas that occur to me over the course of a day for more careful, organized consideration later wouldn’t be the worst thing.
I feel like there are so many interests. I like writing (but as you can tell, it isn’t my forte), I like politics, I like music and I like meeting and talking to people. I get overwhelmed with all of my little interests and a way to get any overarching themes into one place would have to be helpful.
So, to the craft store (or maybe just Target) to get myself a vision board.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
A Voice in the Downtown Wilderness
Yep, you’re right. Nobody asked me. I’ll also agree that it’s way too easy for anyone to just jump into the discourse, but oh well, here’s my swan dive.
I love Lexington, KY. I want to just get that out of the way. I really flippin’ love this place. Yes, there are bigger cities that are tempting. Atlanta struck a chord with me and let’s not even get into what my semester in London did for me. However, I’ve made a home and a little bit of a niche for myself here. It’s both close and far enough from family, plus nobody is gonna look at me funny if a little Harlan County accent slips out every now and then.
I also feel like we are on the verge of doing some really great things here. We just got some funding (though not without controversy) for the Distillery District. I couldn’t possibly be more excited about this project. It reminds me of other reclaimed areas like The Flats in Cleveland, Atlantic Station in Atlanta, or even the Riverwalk in San Antonio It’s exciting to see something unique and exciting on its way to the city I love.
However, here’s my concern. We are spending quite a lot of borrowed money without laying the groundwork to make this and other developments (like the Angliana project or whatever becomes of CentrePointe) successful.
First, we have to have a population that will patronize the restaurants and bars, live in the new housing and shop in the retail establishments that will be built. And let’s just be honest, downtown and its immediate surroundings haven’t been a hub of economic activity for a long time. Right now, the population that will patronize these places is fairly finite in Lexington. Yes, Buster’s is drawing a crowd, but how many of those are people who wouldn’t be downtown already? I’d venture to guess a precious few.
I’ll concede that the Distillery District and other projects could certainly be a draw to get people to come to Lexington, however I’d argue that we have to get our existing citizenry engaged in order to get these projects off the ground and successful before we can count on their bringing in enough money to sustain them. There are just too many Lexingtonians who don’t care about what’s going on downtown. They are perfectly content to live in their neighborhoods outside the Circle and venture into downtown as infrequently as possible. How many times have we all heard someone mention “the mess downtown”?
And how do you get your average Andoverian, Palomarian or Masterson Stationite to care about downtown? You make sure you include them in the process. You build things that are going to bring them out of their neighborhood and into downtown. You stop thinking only about people that can or will spend $200,000 or more on a 1000 square feet condo and start thinking more about those that maybe want a decent, affordable meal and good way to kill a Tuesday night.
Speaking of that condo, let’s also be sure that we are building residences that are actually affordable. I’ve seen precious little of that in our downtown development. Instead, we want to build second homes for UK basketball fans, luxury penthouses and student apartments. This will not revitalize downtown, nor will it attract anyone new to consider living there.
I called in to a local radio show once to ask a developer why downtown housing is touted as catering to my demographic (young, probably single, professional who wants to be near what’s happening in the city), but is priced such that we are kept out of the market. His answer: “Just like any advertising, you market to the young to make it look attractive”. We have to avoid this kind of thinking in order to be successful. We can’t say one thing, but want something else. If we truly want to revitalize downtown and use it as a magnet for the Creative Class, then we are going to have to give them/us a place to live that we can actually afford. And I’m not talking about what we could “afford” in 2004 with an adjustable rate mortgage and no down payment.
The average income of a household in Lexington is around $50000 a year. Now imagine that a 20 or 30 something wants to live downtown. There is a fairly good chance that they are making either right around or even less that that. How are they going to afford a condo at Main + Rose or in the 500s on Main? Yes, those buildings look really cool (I’d live there in a second!), but it isn’t in my budget. And I’d imagine it isn’t for most of us with a car payment and student loans. So let’s engage some of us as well. Let’s find a way to create housing that works on all income levels and that will let some of us pioneer the effort of a young, middle class, professional downtown resident.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like the direction we are headed. I really feel like Lexington is on its way to something great. I just worry that we aren’t paying attention to the details that are going to make all of these great ideas and projects successful. We can’t keep paying lip service to what we want to create, but then getting bogged down with the same old voices and ideas that have kept us in a rut. Maybe there are too many outlets for people to air their opinions and concerns, but at the end of the day, even if it’s not my voice, there are probably a few worth listening to.
I love Lexington, KY. I want to just get that out of the way. I really flippin’ love this place. Yes, there are bigger cities that are tempting. Atlanta struck a chord with me and let’s not even get into what my semester in London did for me. However, I’ve made a home and a little bit of a niche for myself here. It’s both close and far enough from family, plus nobody is gonna look at me funny if a little Harlan County accent slips out every now and then.
I also feel like we are on the verge of doing some really great things here. We just got some funding (though not without controversy) for the Distillery District. I couldn’t possibly be more excited about this project. It reminds me of other reclaimed areas like The Flats in Cleveland, Atlantic Station in Atlanta, or even the Riverwalk in San Antonio It’s exciting to see something unique and exciting on its way to the city I love.
However, here’s my concern. We are spending quite a lot of borrowed money without laying the groundwork to make this and other developments (like the Angliana project or whatever becomes of CentrePointe) successful.
First, we have to have a population that will patronize the restaurants and bars, live in the new housing and shop in the retail establishments that will be built. And let’s just be honest, downtown and its immediate surroundings haven’t been a hub of economic activity for a long time. Right now, the population that will patronize these places is fairly finite in Lexington. Yes, Buster’s is drawing a crowd, but how many of those are people who wouldn’t be downtown already? I’d venture to guess a precious few.
I’ll concede that the Distillery District and other projects could certainly be a draw to get people to come to Lexington, however I’d argue that we have to get our existing citizenry engaged in order to get these projects off the ground and successful before we can count on their bringing in enough money to sustain them. There are just too many Lexingtonians who don’t care about what’s going on downtown. They are perfectly content to live in their neighborhoods outside the Circle and venture into downtown as infrequently as possible. How many times have we all heard someone mention “the mess downtown”?
And how do you get your average Andoverian, Palomarian or Masterson Stationite to care about downtown? You make sure you include them in the process. You build things that are going to bring them out of their neighborhood and into downtown. You stop thinking only about people that can or will spend $200,000 or more on a 1000 square feet condo and start thinking more about those that maybe want a decent, affordable meal and good way to kill a Tuesday night.
Speaking of that condo, let’s also be sure that we are building residences that are actually affordable. I’ve seen precious little of that in our downtown development. Instead, we want to build second homes for UK basketball fans, luxury penthouses and student apartments. This will not revitalize downtown, nor will it attract anyone new to consider living there.
I called in to a local radio show once to ask a developer why downtown housing is touted as catering to my demographic (young, probably single, professional who wants to be near what’s happening in the city), but is priced such that we are kept out of the market. His answer: “Just like any advertising, you market to the young to make it look attractive”. We have to avoid this kind of thinking in order to be successful. We can’t say one thing, but want something else. If we truly want to revitalize downtown and use it as a magnet for the Creative Class, then we are going to have to give them/us a place to live that we can actually afford. And I’m not talking about what we could “afford” in 2004 with an adjustable rate mortgage and no down payment.
The average income of a household in Lexington is around $50000 a year. Now imagine that a 20 or 30 something wants to live downtown. There is a fairly good chance that they are making either right around or even less that that. How are they going to afford a condo at Main + Rose or in the 500s on Main? Yes, those buildings look really cool (I’d live there in a second!), but it isn’t in my budget. And I’d imagine it isn’t for most of us with a car payment and student loans. So let’s engage some of us as well. Let’s find a way to create housing that works on all income levels and that will let some of us pioneer the effort of a young, middle class, professional downtown resident.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like the direction we are headed. I really feel like Lexington is on its way to something great. I just worry that we aren’t paying attention to the details that are going to make all of these great ideas and projects successful. We can’t keep paying lip service to what we want to create, but then getting bogged down with the same old voices and ideas that have kept us in a rut. Maybe there are too many outlets for people to air their opinions and concerns, but at the end of the day, even if it’s not my voice, there are probably a few worth listening to.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Look Away, Look Away, Gipper
I know it’s better to look forward instead of backwards. I know that it doesn’t help push a conversation or argument towards any kind of resolution to dwell in the past. However, I have a really difficult time tolerating Reagan loving Conservatives.
Granted, I have a whole slew of political differences with Reagan and with the neo-Cons who have adopted him as their hero, but the thing that most sickens me is giving reverence to a president who looked the other way while thousands of his “fellow Americans” were dying of AIDS. Especially since it seems that his silence was in deference to the Radical Right that had just begun hijacking the Republican Party in the 80s. Reagan didn’t speak the word AIDS until 1985 and seemed to only begin to acknowledge its impact towards the end of his administration. This was after thousands of Americans had died and thousands more were diagnosed
So, while we do have to look forward towards a cure on World Aids Day, I feel like it doesn’t hurt to wander if we couldn’t have been further along and how many might have been saved if Reagan hadn’t listened to those who told him AIDS was a “gay” disease and had instead given the full force of federal funds towards helping to find a cure when the first few were diagnosed.
Granted, I have a whole slew of political differences with Reagan and with the neo-Cons who have adopted him as their hero, but the thing that most sickens me is giving reverence to a president who looked the other way while thousands of his “fellow Americans” were dying of AIDS. Especially since it seems that his silence was in deference to the Radical Right that had just begun hijacking the Republican Party in the 80s. Reagan didn’t speak the word AIDS until 1985 and seemed to only begin to acknowledge its impact towards the end of his administration. This was after thousands of Americans had died and thousands more were diagnosed
So, while we do have to look forward towards a cure on World Aids Day, I feel like it doesn’t hurt to wander if we couldn’t have been further along and how many might have been saved if Reagan hadn’t listened to those who told him AIDS was a “gay” disease and had instead given the full force of federal funds towards helping to find a cure when the first few were diagnosed.
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