a new regime, the rise of machines, this is a pixel revolution

These bikes came up in my Google Reader today, via Design Sponge. Usually I’m not one for cruisers but these bikes are too irresistable to well… resist! They remind me of bikes used as transportation in old European cities, the kind with cobblestone streets that you can ride down with bike baskets filled with Italian food or French fromage. The kind of streets that are wide enough for about one and a half cars. Where said cars park a little on the street and a lot on the sidewalk. The kind of streets where tiny old ladies walk around carrying baskets of bagguettes or flowers with lace scarves covering their curly grey hair. 

I then started thinking about my own city in this way, Los Angeles. I’m pretty sure it would take nothing short of a miracle for Los Angeles to become European Cityesque, but what if it did? What would that look like? What if Los Angeles: VAST AND WIDE FRONTIER OF THE WEST was more like Los Angeles: the city of cities? 

I wonder if we could ever learn to put the cars away, take the bikes out and use them as our main mode of transport? The less we have to carry around the better. In my mind there are two main parts of LA, The East Side and The West Side. The East side consists of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, and Hollywood. The West Side is Venice, Santa Monica and Culver City. Imagine each of these neighborhoods or groups of neighborhoods operating as self sufficient towns. They each have their own entertainment, their own restaurants and markets, they have their ownThen connect east side and west side with trains.

Would streets be more or less crowded? People would probably be happier. Communities would be more tight knit as you would see members of your community every day out on the street. I wonder what this would do for crime and racial segregation. I’m sure a lot of Americans would see this as a step backward. They  would never want to get rid of their cars. I wonder if there is a particular neighborhood that would be willing to carry out this kind of experiment.

Oy, the upstairs shared bathroom in my parents house flooded earlier this week and leaked down to the lower level of the house. Thus beginning ASBESTOS REMOVAL SHENANIGANS of 2010! Not really, it’s not quite as fun as that. It’s more like LOUD AND INCONVENIENT WEEKEND OF APRIL! There’s a clean up crew here right now and my uncle is moving out of his room. They’re pretty much going to be tearing everything out.

Pictures to follow.

Quick and to the point update!

A health care bill was passed this weekend and was signed by President Barack Obama into law. There are a lot of things to work on and a long time before it’s going to work well but HOLY SHIT THIS IS, as VP Biden said, A BIG FUCKING DEAL.

One part of the health care bill that I particularly enjoy is that restaurants will now be required to print calorie counts on their menus. Pretty cool.

In related news, I don’t know what the fuck is up with elected officials nowadays. Republicans are being really offensive IN the House. I feel like the past 8 years democrats have been politely complaining, and certainly not calling for Bush’s assassination. I don’t get where these people get the idea that they can act like this. When did become acceptable behavior for people who are supposed to represent America? Could we take a step back and look at these people are doing? I wonder if governments of other first world countries act like this in legislative houses. I wonder if Canadians or the English are like this.

I guess I’ll get to find out later this year… ’cause I’m planning a trip to London! Woooooooo! Yeah so I’m finally in a place where I’m financially stable enough to save up money to go on a trip like this. I’ve gotten pretty excited looking at vacation packages and what not. I think I want to stay for a whole week. Eee! I also just found my passport tonight and luckily it doesn’t expire until next May so I don’t have to worry about paying for a renewal. Huzzah! In the meantime I have trips to SF and Seattle booked. I’ll also be going to Laughlin in August and Oregon in September for Sarah’s wedding.

Finally, I just discovered Google Books! Look how cool it is!