Google to Introduce Streetview Advertising.

Most people loathe advertising, and generally with good reason. It's annoying, time-consuming, distracting and frankly a major deterrent to most forms of media. However, you have to admit Google's recent patent to advertise using streetview is just damn brilliant.

According to a new patent that was just granted to Google, the company could soon extend the reach of its advertising program in Google Maps to Street View. This patent, which was originally filed on July 7, 2008, describes a new system for promoting ads in online mapping applications. In this patent, Google describes how it plans to identify buildings, posters, signs and billboards in these images and give advertisers the ability to replace these images with more up-to-date ads. In addition, Google also seems to plan an advertising auction for unclaimed properties.

In Google's example, the software could identify the marquis and individual window posters on a theater property and replace them with new information. Through this, a theater could promote a new play in Street View, even if the actual Street View image is completely out of date.The patent describes a two-step process for identifying potential advertising real estate in these images. Google's software first identifies interest points in the image (e.g. the edges or corners of an object) and then generates features around these interest points. Google can then augment this region of the image with a link or replace a part of the current Street View image with a new image.

It's genius. Sure, advertising is still annoying, but if done correctly this could be a milestone in how marketers convey products to their customers. Think about the future generations of this--will movies that show Coke cans or other subtle branding be able to manipulate this as the years go by? Will TV shows be able to change their characters clothing to reflect current trends? Whatever the outcome, Google continues to lead the forefront in technology and innovation, and its a trend that seems to have no end in sight.

Conan: Stick That Time Slot Up Your (gasp!)

In the spirit of the battle between Conan and Jay Leno, it's time to consider the life-span of talk shows. Remember the awful "Dennis Miller Show"? Or "The Magic Show" featuring once-famous basketball star, Magic Johnson? Let's not forget that the winner of celebrity apprentice also was a loser when she hosted the short-lived "Late Night Show with Joan Rivers". Arsenio Hall had a run at a talk show, as did Chevy Chase, Pat Sajek, Rosie O'Donnel and even Keenan Ivory Wayans. And you know what? They all failed.

But what's different about this battle is that Conan and Jay Leno are not fighting over a new start-up--this is over a piece of history. "The Late Show" has been on for over 60 years and has always aired immediately after the 11 o'clock news. Pushing it back to a time slot of 12:05 will dramatically change its audience and will effectively push away the people who have grown to love what the show delivers.

I fully support Conan's stance on the issue, and I hope NBC listens to him and the viewers.

"I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction," he said in a blistering attack on the network's execs. "I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004, I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future," he wrote. "My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work."

Well-spoken, and you gotta give the man credit for sticking by what he has worked towards for so many years.

The Settling of America.

Did you know that in 1950 nearly one-fifths of Americans moved every year? Considering the housing market of then and the market as it is now, it makes sense. Our men had been off to wars for many years and only recently had they returned to a home of seemingly endless opportunity. But when our boys returned from war, we were missing something fundamental--houses. So our boys either shacked up with the parents or moved in with friends until a house was built.

These lack of constraints provided an opportunity for men and women to go to anywhere in the country. Without responsibilities--or even home--to tie them down, they were very easily able to re-create a new life in a different part of the country.

Right now the nation's mobility rate is the lowest it's been since pre-World War II, indicating that there has been a huge change in how our culture is operating. What will the long-term implications of this new mentality mean upon society? What does this mean from an economic standpoint? Some of the leading sociologists and economics have provided their commentary on such topics, and here is a snippet of their thoughts. The full article is available here.

• Katherine S. Newman, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University, is author of “The Missing Class.”

One of the virtues of being stuck is that we can continue to rely on the friends and family nearby to help us get through hard times. “Social capital,” the stock of trust and support we draw on in daily life, is especially important when families are under stress. A child care emergency can be patched up if grandma is next door rather than 2,000 miles away. Borrowing $50 to get by is easier if you have someone close to turn to and much harder if you are a newcomer.

Crime tends to be lower in communities where people know each other well enough to intervene when they see something amiss on the street. This may help to explain why, despite very high unemployment and a great deal of social stress, we are seeing record low crime rates. Divorce often declines as well because people just cannot afford to stretch the same income over two separate households. Staying put may mean that we retain the strength of our ties to one another.

Of course if staying put means doubling up -– packing in relatives who have nowhere else to go -– frayed tempers can be combustible. Americans at the bottom of the income structure lack the reserves needed to hold tight, so they have to move in with the (only slightly more) fortunate members of their families.

During the Great Depression, my grandfather was the only person in an extended family of 13 who had a job. They piled in with one another and were fortunate they could lean on him, but nobody remembers that time as a joyous reunion of a big happy family. It was hard on everyone, just as it is hard on poorer Americans now.

• Lawrence F. Katz is a professor of economics at Harvard University. He is the author (with Claudia Goldin) of “The Race between Education and Technology.”
  

Relative to those in other nations Americans have always been highly mobile and their moves in pursuit of new opportunities have enhanced U.S. economic dynamism. High rates of geographic labor mobility have allowed the United States to recover more rapidly from adverse economic shocks and to have smaller regional unemployment differences than European nations with less mobile work forces.

But American geographic mobility has declined over the last two decades and has fallen sharply in the Great Recession since 2007. Part of the decline is a natural consequence of the aging of baby boomers. In addition, geographic moves can be expected to decrease temporarily in a deep recession. Nevertheless, several factors make the decline in mobility in this recession worrisome and may contribute to an extended jobless recovery.

First, large declines in housing prices in many regions generate a lock-in effect, causing homeowners with negative equity to hesitate to sell their houses, thereby reducing mobility from distressed areas.

Second, the subprime crisis has created economic distress in typically fast-growing areas, such as Florida, California, and Nevada, further slowing the labor mobility to expanding regions that ordinarily helps drive U.S. job recoveries. Third, lingering credit market problems, especially for potential new start-ups, hinder job creation in economically vibrant locales slowing labor mobility to these areas.

Finally, greater educational attainment has been the traditional way young Americans acquire the skills demanded by growing occupations and regions. Greater federal aid to higher education may be necessary, given the budgetary problems of most states and many families, to maintain access and allow young Americans to gain the skills to move in pursuit of their American dreams.

• William H. Frey is a demographer and a senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution.

America has long been one of the most mobile countries on the planet. There is no doubt in my mind we will return to more normal migration levels, though I don’t foresee it anytime soon. The return will be especially delayed for long-distance migration, which has plummeted so low that Florida and Nevada are now attracting fewer in-migrants than those moving out. Long distance migration has sunk to historic lows because it is facing a double whammy — downturns in the job market and a near frozen housing market.

I have always imagined myself as an adventurer hoping to experience life in cities all over the world. But if the economics are not in place for such a lifestyle, what is the alternative like?

I don't particularly think living in one area for your entire life is necessarily bad, I just feel it can be somewhat limiting. The best way to develop yourself is through exposure, and seeing the world through the eyes of someone else is significant for developing your own personal understanding of the world. That is why traveling and city planning are so important to me. I want to see the world through the eyes of the Japanese, the Russians, the Canadians...I want to see the world they see and pose it against the world I see. What are the differences? What do they value that I overlook? What do I value that has little-to-no importance to them?

To me, this is the best way to grow and develop.

Avahontas.

I don't care! I still loved the movie!



(Via Joe.My.God and Boing Boing)

Dubai: A City Planner's Nightmare.

Planning is a process. New York City did not spring up over night. In fact, parts of the city began as a putrid quagmire that few thought ever would turn into a livable conditions--much less one of the world's premier cities. But that's what good city planning is about: creating a plan so that the world will transform from where it is to where it ought to be.

Dubai, however, is an example of a city that has taken the planning process and thrown it out the window. To hell with conventions, we'll dazzle 'em with big architecture and no one will ever notice the abysmal transportation system... Well, now that the Burj Dubai (renamed the Burj Khalifa) towers over the UAE like a might trophy for all to see, people are beginning to notice Dubai--and what a disaster it is.

Your polite, epaulette-wearing cabdriver screeches down a 12-lane highway and -- with the tower in plain sight -- he goes miles past it, leading you to wonder whether he's lost his way or is ripping you off. Only when he finally reaches an interchange and then doubles back to the tower do you realize what's going on: Dubai wins no medals for urban planning.

A tour of this once-booming Persian Gulf city-state, which has shifted into low development gear from hyper-drive, reveals a disturbing disconnect between its architectural spectacle and its short-sighted development practices. Dubai's ultra-modern transit line, which opened last year, is a significant exception. Yet the emirate and its leaders appear obsessed with architectural superlatives at the expense of the fundamentals -- or even the fine-grained art -- of making livable cities.

Take the palm-shaped, artificial island (above) that adds to Dubai's short supply of lucrative coastal real estate and forms one of the emirate's iconic images. The island is a miraculous engineering achievement, formed by dredged sand and constructed with the aid of a global positioning system. Yet the only way to get a pleasing overview of its thin, frond-like strips of sand is to look at a map or charter a helicopter

At ground level, the fronds are packed with high-priced villas while the stemlike road leading to them is lined with monolithic rows of hulking apartment buildings. These look as though they were designed by architectural refugees from East Germany who added a few Islamic touches.

Multiply this gap between image and reality a hundredfold and you have the Dubai that was taking shape before the global recession of 2008 and the emirate's debt crisis. It is a city of isolated enclaves, lacking convenient connections to one another, and brutal linear strips, exemplified by the eyesore high-rises along the emirate's main drag, a superwide highway called Sheikh Zayed Road.

...

It is not as though Dubai doesn't know how to make good cities. Its old downtown, located along the creek that bespeaks the emirate's fishing village and trading post origins, is a charmer, with arcaded old marketplaces, or souks, and picturesque wooden water taxis ferrying Dubaians back and forth across the creek.

Here are age-old lessons of walkable streets, mixed uses and the use of aged buildings that form still-relevant models for planning cities. The trouble is that these models have been trampled upon in the rush to create the ugly, Houston-style, car-oriented city of office parks and commercial strips that stretches for mile after mile along Sheikh Zayed Road. The patches of the urban quilt desperately need to be stitched together.

Dubai has fascinated me for years, but I have never had the yearning desire to see it for myself. Perhaps it's because a gay atheist won't fit well in a country where Islam is the official religion and homosexuality is punishable with prison time. That might have something to do with it. But even more so, I've wondered for a few years now--is it sustainable? As Dubai has soared up in the past decade, can it take a turn like a bell curve and crumble at the same speed it went up?

The Act of Praying is Simply Bizarre.

So it goes kind of like this. You close your eyes, sway your head around, and it seems like the more emotion you flesh out in your verbiage the more likely "god" will answer your appeal. But to me, it just looks like utter insanity. I haven't said a prayer once in the past four years, and yet my life maintains itself in the same way as it did when I prayed to "god" incessantly. Actually, I may argue that in fact it's gotten better. Instead of waiting on some invisible man in the sky to fix my problems, I realize that I am in control of my life, my actions and my destiny, and thus it is up to me to get shit done, not some invisible deity who feels like playing his interactive version of The Sims.

Anyway, all this to say, here is our American Government hard at work...praying. They've forgone actual debate and thrown their hands up to the heavens begging "Father God" to annihilate health care reform. Because, of course, Jesus wouldn't want the poor and disadvantaged to receive treatment and care for their illnesses. Nope, that's just not Christian.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I Broke Down...

...and finally gave into technology. Say hello to my new cell phone, Sylvia, the Google Phone Nexus One.



I just hope I don't lose this...I have a bad habit of losing EVERYTHING....

Oh, and it arrives tomorrow. One more day of using a retro cell phone!

Columbus: The Home I Never Expected.

Usually a 3 AM post is an enormously terrible idea. But I'm going for it.

For years I have loathed and lamented about Columbus. I've said it's too small, too homogeneous, too close-knit, too commercialized, etc. etc. But as my days come to an end here, I'm beginning to realize that perhaps Columbus isn't that bad. I mean, yes, it is lacking in certain big city aspects, but at the same time it's a city that functions so well as a small city with the amenities of a big city. From strictly a city planning perspective, Columbus is great as a place to get around. Pretty much the entire city can be reached within a 20 minute drive of anything that is going on. The downtown and surrounding neighborhoods are easy to navigate, yet they still have a distinctive charm. The city fulfills the necessity of a big city--major sports teams, great restaurants, unique and lively nightlife, culturally-diverse museums--yet it still maintains the charm of a city that is approachable.

Over my years here, I have overlooked this. I have only looked towards the next step; that is, getting out of here. But as that day approaches, I'm beginning to appreciate Columbus more. I'm realizing that it may not be my dream city, but it certainly could be worse. Memphis has nothing on the C-bus.

So with my last days here in Columbus before me, I am trying to make the most out of it. I am enjoying the friends I have made here (they are GREAT!) and embracing the city as it is. I am trying out not restaurants and experiencing neighborhoods I have never indulged in before. And you know what? I'm finding out that Columbus really isn't that bad. While I'll still never laud it as a world-class destination, I will always look back on it as a place that allowed me to succeed. I mean, how many other cities feature a top-ranked school with a ridiculously low cost of living? Very few, that's for sure. But Columbus provided that for me. It allowed me to receive one of the best logistics education in the world, yet I was able to do so without breaking the bank. And believe me, in this day and age, that almost means more than the education itself.

Chicago will be good for me. I am thrilled and excited to start a new life there. But, still, Columbus will always be the place where I become an individual, the place I grew up. It will always be the home that I never expected.

Badder Romance.

This was wildly entertaining.

The State of Downtown Columbus.

America's Top Ten Transportation Topics for 2010.

I did not write this, but the author's name is not mentioned.

(Washington, D.C.) As America enters a new decade, what will be the buzz about transportation? Clearly a safe, efficient, and viable transportation network should be at the forefront of issues facing policymakers at all levels of government and in all areas of our society in the coming months.

"In the year 2010, we'll be seeing more job-creating construction zones on our highways, but we will still need a long-term solution to address everything from fixing potholes to making needed repairs to our aging infrastructure," said Larry "Butch" Brown, president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. "Even more critically for the long-term health of this nation, 2010 must also be about how smart we become at enabling goods and products to get from one point to another with speed and efficiency."

Looking ahead, AASHTO has developed a list of the top ten transportation topics that it forecasts will be part of the national conversation in 2010 - in the media, in government and around the dinner table.

1) Adopting a long-term transportation funding bill
The current legislation that establishes funding levels and policy priorities for highways and transit expired on September 30, 2009. Since then, there have been four extensions - the most current being a short-term surface transportation authorization that will allow state departments of transportation to continue to use federal funds for highway, transit, and other projects until Feb. 28. Stop-gap extensions create difficulties for state departments of transportation since they cannot make long-term plans and commitments for more ambitious projects. In addition, without action by the Congress by March 1, state DOTs will lose $12 billion in 2010 for their highway programs. State DOTs need program continuity and stability through an extension of at least a year to adequately plan, execute and manage transportation capital programs.

2) Adopting a New Jobs Creation bill
The Senate is expected to begin debate on a jobs creation bill in mid-January. The House bill, Jobs for Main Street Act, contains several important transportation provisions including an extension of surface transportation authorization through Sept. 30, 2010. Funding would include $27.5 billion for highways and $8.4 billion for mass transit; Amtrak would receive $800 million while airports would get $500 million and shipyards $100 million. States have identified more than 9,500 ready-to-go projects that can fund projects quickly and put people to work. A jobs bill will enable states to build on last year's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) projects and keep the momentum going.

3) Deterring Distracted Driving
Nearly 6,000 people lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes involving some form of driver distraction during 2008. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia prohibit drivers from text messaging while driving; 12 of those laws passed in 2009. Florida and Kentucky have already pre-filed texting ban bills for the 2010 legislative session, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. President Obama has banned texting by federal government employees while on official business or using government property and AASHTO has passed a resolution encouraging employers and state departments of transportation to enact similar bans. The year ahead will offer more public information campaigns and driver education, more sanctions and additional research to determine the extent of the problem, whether hands-free devices are an effective solution, and whether effective enforcement strategies can be developed and/or implemented. See http://safety.transportation.org for information.

4) Ensuring Safer Roads
In Spring 2010, AASHTO will publish the Highway Safety Manual. This manual will assist highway agencies as they consider improvements to existing roadways or as they are planning, designing, or constructing new roadways. AASHTO is working with the Federal Highway Administration and the Transportation Research Board to develop training, information sessions and other implementation tools that will be made available to states and others in the highway industry. AASHTO's goal: cut today's 38,000 highway fatalities 50 percent in 20 years.

5) Moving on High-Speed Rail Grants
Early in 2010, a new era in U.S. intercity passenger rail service will be launched with the announcement of $8 billion in ARRA grants for state projects to initiate or improve high-speed and intercity passenger rail service. Later in the year an additional $2.5 billion will be awarded through the State Capital Grants Program of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act to carry out President Obama's strategy for passenger rail. http://www.aashtojournal.org/Pages/110609transit.aspx

6) Taking Action to Address Climate Change
With autos and light-duty trucks contributing approximately 17 percent of the greenhouse gases (GHG) in the United States, state and local governments are developing climate change action plans and looking at the best ways to reduce emissions through technology, research, smarter travel, better cars and fuels, and improved efficiency and operation of our roads. In the year ahead, Congress will address this issue in both climate change and transportation authorization legislation. AASHTO's Climate Change Steering Committee is working to provide technical expertise and assistance to state DOTs to reduce GHG emissions. http://realsolutions.transportation.org/Pages/default.aspx

7) Responding to Increased Congestion Due to Capacity Issues
In 2008, high gas prices drove thousands of commuters from their cars and onto buses, subways and other transit options. As gas prices moderated, however, many of these riders went back to their vehicles. In fact, despite the economic downturn, 64 of the 100 most populated cities saw increased congestion in the first six months of 2009. This congestion will only continue to worsen as more people move to metropolitan areas and little is done to increase the capacity of the overall transportation system. In early 2010, AASHTO will issue a new report that outlines a four-point plan to address the urban mobility challenge. Other reports on the transportation needs of rural and underserved areas as well as freight will follow.

8) Adopting Social Media to Provide the Latest Traffic and Travel Information
Eighty percent of state departments of transportation are now using Twitter as well as an array of other "social media" to release information on traffic incidents, road closings, weather emergencies and other transportation-related information. Thousands of travelers have signed up to use this service. In Mississippi, Twitter sites have been set up to guide drivers through hurricane evacuations. Other media being accessed by states to educate their publics include Facebook, weekly news webchannels, podcasts and RSS feeds to spread their message. States are encouraging the use of these media "before they go" to avoid distracted driving.

9) Enhancing Safety through Roadway Improvements
On two-lane rural roads and major highways, rumble strips are now being installed to warn drivers when their vehicles start to leave the travel lane. On divided highways, cable median barriers are being installed to prevent fatal crashes in which vehicles run off the road into the median and cross over into oncoming traffic. With more than half of the highway fatalities occurring on rural roads, highway agencies are focusing on installing these types of lower-cost treatments to reduce these crashes. As additional studies are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of these treatments, they will be installed on more roads across the country.

10) Creating more livable communities
The Administration has made livable communities a key aspect of their agenda. In June of 2009, EPA, HUD and USDOT entered into a Sustainable Communities Partnership to help improve access to affordable housing, provide more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide. Efforts by state DOTs in the coming year will include building transportation enhancement projects such as bikeways, pedestrian walkways, historic restoration and beautification projects; improving metropolitan mobility; ensuring more transit services are available in rural areas and to serve aging populations; and adding capacity to our transportation network to reduce congestion and the amount of time commuters, truckers and other drivers are stuck in traffic and so have more time with their families.

Mariah is CRUNK!

This is how I hope to be the night of my college graduation...

Hardest and Easiest Cities to Find Jobs.

Everyone knows the job market is difficult right now. However, depending on what part of the country you are in, the market could be in a completely different condition than the general 10% unemployment rate the United States is facing. Job Search Engine JuJu has done the research and shown what particular cities have been hit worst--and which have had the softest fall.

Hardest Cities to Find a Job:

10) Orlando, Florida (Unemployed per advertised job: 8.92%)
9) Providence, Rhode Island (9.23%)
8) Birmingham, Alabama (9.62%)
7) Los Angeles, California (10.43%)
6) Sacramento, California (10.97%)
5) Las Vegas, Nevada (11.85%)
4) Riverside, California (12.35%)
3) Miami, Florida (14.47%)
2) St. Louis, Missouri (17.98%)
1) Detroit, Michigan (20.76%)

Easiest Cities to Find a Job:

10) Austin, Texas (Unemployed per advertised job: 4.30%)
9) San Antonio, Texas (3.84%)
8) Denver, Colorado (3.81%)
7) Hartford, Connecticut (3.60%)
6) Salt Lake City, Utah (3.35%)
5) New York City, New York (3.35%)
4) Boston, Massachusetts (3.11%)
3) Baltimore, MD (2.91%)
2) San Jose, California (2.68%)
1) Washington, DC (1.87%)

What is striking to me is that it's not the rust belt that is dominating the worst job markets, it's the sun belt. Perhaps it's because the rust belt has had its share of difficulties for quite some time and has already taken strides to reinvent new economies for their cities (Cleveland as a healthcare city, Pittsburgh as an insurance city, etc.). The sun belt cities have enjoyed extreme growth over the past few decades, and much of that growth is founded on tourism and travel. But with the economy tightening people's extravagant expenditures, suddenly these areas are hit--and hit hard, too.

Anyone surprised to see that the capital has the lowest unemployment? There will always be the government, no matter how much we may dismay about it. Regardless, what needs to be remembered is the old adage, "This too will pass". While it is difficult right now, and the whole country is feeling it, what should be noted is that this current economic time is cultivating a new society for us. How many of you spent thousands on Christmas presents this year? Probably very few. While in the past the focus was on consumerism and stuff, this year I noticed with all of my holiday interactions the focus was on people. I received more cookies, food and cards than I have ever received before. And I hope this trend continues. I hope our society shifts to people-focused rather than stuff-focused.

It only takes an economic recession to get the American people to finally make a much needed change.

Blind Side: The Take Home Theme.

I rarely have time for movies, much less do I have time to review them. But I saw Blind Side on a whim yesterday, and it left me with a strange ambivalence of emotions. While most people walked out of the feel-good movie inspired and hopeful, I walked out thinking about the deeper implication of the movie's message. (*Just so you know, this entire entry will be a spoiler. Don't read it if you plan on seeing the movie and want to be surprised.*)

Blind Side follows a disadvantaged youth known as Michael Oher, or "Big Mike". He is a quiet boy with almost no formal education and seemingly no personality. His story is that he came from a crack Momma who had at least 12 kids and abandoned most of them. He was taken from her and put into foster care, but he would always run away and come home to her. We don't find this out until the middle/end of the movie, but it's important to theme and the overall story.

The movie begins with a black man bringing both his son and Big Mike to a private Christian school. He talks the coach into letting both boys in because Big Mike can play ball and could be an asset to the football team. After some fighting with the educated white folk, they let the boys in. Moments later, the same Black Man is heard fighting with his girl about letting Bike Mike stay with them--and suddenly Big Mike is on the street.

Then comes to the rescue Sandra Bullock, the educated designer whose family is incredibly well-to-do from their 85 different Taco Bells and KFCs they own. She brings Big Mike into their home and eventually gets him to come out of his shell as he becomes part of the family. Everything is as predictable as it could be spoon fed to an audience of Americans--he gets his first bed, his white momma reads him a children's book, he suddenly makes the football team the best in the league, and suddenly colleges want him.

I'll save you the rest of the story. You know what you need to know. In the end, he becomes successful, makes it to the NFL and he has his happy white family to thank for the opportunity. But that's the problem. To me, the take-home message of the movie is given away within the last few seconds of it. They show an article where one of Big Mike's homeboys is shot back in his neighborhood, and they discuss how he, "...was very talented at sports". What is the implication of this? Why did the director do this? In a subtle way, it's almost as if they are saying, "There are a lot of talented black people out there. Let's get rich white people to round them up, give them an education and make them go entertain us with sports!"

I'm aware that that is not the goal or purpose of this movie. And I'm certain that the real Michael Oher (since this was based on a real story) and his family were very genuine in their relationship. But the movie makes it seem like black people are useless to society and will ever be stuck in a rut unless a rich white woman comes along and picks one of them up. I'm sorry to say it like that, but that's how it is.

Further problems with the movie include the juxtaposition of black culture and white culture. When they show white culture, they show a fun and exciting football team supported by cute white cheerleaders rooting for their school. When they show black culture, it's hoodlums on the street carrying guns and making inappropriate passes at women. Where were the black role models? Why was it that every portrait of white culture in this movie was shown in a progressive light, whereas every painting of black culture was as if they are a diseased and filthy kind of people? When did they ever show the camaraderie of black communities, the lively churches, the caring barbershops, the groups of black men and women that lovingly spend time together? In every scene where there was a black person, there was a negative stereotype: a laundromat, the projects, the crime scenes, etc. And that just ain't right.

There are without-a-doubt enormous problems with our society and its view on racism. The other day, one of my co-workers boldly declared, "Today, racism really does not exist anymore." I almost spit out my coffee. This is simply not true--where you are born and what color you are are both incredibly indicative of the life you will have. Our society needs to stop playing as if this is not true. We like to sweep the millions of disadvantaged minorities under the rug and go see a movie like Blind Side to feel good about ourselves. Instead of seeing movies about the mixing of classes, we ourselves need to step up to the other side and start mingling with people who are different from us.

This story is a diamond in the rough, a million in one odds. While truly a great story of how one family believed in a person when he didn't believe in himself, it only highlighted the deep problems we have in this country--we are a country of feel-good people that would rather watch a movie about people doing great things instead of actually doing great things ourselves. And unless we change this mindset, racism will always exist in this country.

Demolition Fail (s).

We're American. (Well, it's likely American if you're reading this.) WE LIKE BLOWING THINGS UP! It's what we do. We build, and we destroy. 'Tis part of our culture.

So here are a bunch of building demolitions. Fun, right? Well, it's even more fun since they all go disastrously wrong. Enjoy.

Stadiums: Not So Good.

Ever driven down 71 through Cincinnati and noticed the side-by-side stadiums? Well it'd be hard not to, but with the promise of money for the schools and increased property values--at the expense of aesthetics--it was a hard bargain for tax-payers to pass up. Problem is, the benefits have not only been undelivered...they're actually making it worse!

CINCINNATI — Years after a wave of construction brought publicly financed stadiums costing billions of dollars to cities across the country, taxpayers are once again being asked to reach into their pockets.

From New Jersey to Ohio to Arizona, the stadiums were sold as a key to redevelopment and as the only way to retain sports franchises. But the deals that were used to persuade taxpayers to finance their construction have in many cases backfired, the result of overly optimistic revenue assumptions and the recession.

Nowhere is the problem more acute than in Cincinnati. In 1996, voters in Hamilton County approved an increase of half of one percent in the sales tax that promised to build and maintain stadiums for the Bengals and the Reds, pay Cincinnati’s public schools and give homeowners an annual property tax rebate. The stadiums were supposed to spur development of the city’s dilapidated riverfront.

But sales tax receipts have fallen so fast in the last year that the county is now scrambling to bridge a $14 million deficit in its sales tax fund. The public schools, which deferred taking their share for years, want their money.

The teams have not volunteered to rewrite their leases. So in the coming weeks, the county plans to cut basic services, lower its legal bills and drain a bond reserve fund with no plan for paying it back.

“Anyone looking at this objectively knows it’s a train wreck,” said Dusty Rhodes, the county auditor. “I told them they were making a big mistake, but they didn’t want to hear me.”

I have mixed feelings about stadiums. While they do encourage city pride and really elevate a city into a national scene, they come with an enormous price tag. They do spur economic activity, but often without prolonged sustainable business opportunities And it's pretty hard to argue that they are somehow environmentally friendly...regardless, this should just be a lesson to not roll with campaign promises and vote out of desperation.

The Past Decade in Architecture.

You've read about Art Deco. You've experienced Post Modernism. But right now you're living in a new era of architecture...but what is it? Well as the first decade of the new Millennium comes to a close, here is a slideshow of the decade in review. It's fascinating to see how far we can come in just ten years; or how far back we can go.

On Twitter!

Follow me on Twitter!

http://twitter.com/WordsOfaHooker

Oh, the hooker reference is to my last name...I swear...

Returning Again!

Ok, I'm back. I know--I'm the most inconsistent blogger ever. Well, actually, that's probably not true...I inconsistently forget to update! mwahahaha...

ANYWAY.

Life is good! Done with finals, which is a relief. And I decided on a job in Chicago!

...shocked?

Well, here's the story. I had opportunities in multiple cities (Houston, New York City, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Chicago), and so I had to weigh out the options. While my love for the Twin Cities isn't quite dead, I just know the opportunity I am pursuing is the best for me and my career. It's a very challenging position that will best utilize my Supply Chain knowledge. Score.

Good thing is I don't graduate until June, so I have plenty of time to live out my final days in Columbus. So this is an open forum to suggestions! What should I do with my last days in Columbus? Here is the beginning of my list:

1. Go to a Blue Jackets game
2. Go to COSI
3. Go to Schmidt's in German Village.
4. See a performance in the Southern Theatre (the only theatre I have not seen a performance in)
5. Go to Hocking Hills (again).

And, well...I can't think of anything else. I mean, I've been here five years, and there's only so much to take in throughout Columbus. But if you have any suggestions, feel free to comment and let me know! I only have 187 days left so I gotta make the most of them :-P

I Could Be Moving Here...

I received a job opportunity in Houston. I don't graduate until June, but it's cool knowing that I have this possibility. While not Minneapolis, it's certainly still a great city. :-)