Rest in peace, Donald Shoup. Very strange for me that I just finished his book The High Cost of Free Parking a few days before his passing.
If they really want less government, we can start by merging all of their little exurban fiefdoms with the central cities they surround, followed by billing them for the true cost of their horizontal infrastructure the rest of us subsidize.
Man, I am exhausted.
And here we goooo… Currently reading: The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro 📚
Finished reading: Essentialism by Greg McKeown 📚. I don’t think I have what it takes to be an essentialist tbh.
I don’t like the 5 star rating system because there are far too many C- movies, books and restaurants.
Checking out the new #Apple Invites app. Curious how the RSVP process will look for people on other operating systems.
I’m not a praying man, but Portland weather gods: I need a snow day.
Off to see Dog Man with my eldest, then to our THIRD birthday party this weekend.
We’re in for a bumpy ride. I’m not even going to look at my 401k.
AI has its pros and cons, but lately I’ve been using it for mundane tasks that have been making my stressful life a little easier. For example, I’ve been recording long trainings related to a big grant app I’m working. Taking the transcript and having AI summarize notes for me has been huge.
Great Lakes Compact states should be on high alert. At his current pace, he’ll be building a pipeline to feed the deserts of the Southwest.
Currently reading: Essentialism by Greg McKeown 📚
I’m rarely vindicated in my e-junk keeping, cable-hoarding ways—but when I am, it only makes it harder to break the habit.
Finished reading: High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup 📚 Surprisingly enjoyable for an 800+ page book on parking. Essential reading for planners and engineers.
“The first revolution is when you change your mind.”
— Gil Scott-Heron. Illustration by Nina Montenegro.
While I haven’t been keeping up with it as much as I’d like, I wrote another piece for my blog titled The Myth of the Corner Store. Greatly appreciate any feedback as I work to improve my writing in this format. #urbanism
My son turned 6 on Sunday and it got me thinking about my own 6th birthday party where all the parents of my friends just dropped off their kindergartners at our house in a seedier part of town and then left. Their parents had never even met my mom. Man, how times have changed!
20 years ago, ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’ and ‘Digital Ash in a Digital Urn’ by Bright Eyes came out. Feeling older every day.
At a concert at Mississippi Studios in Portland between sets, and honestly, I’m kind of floored. It hit me earlier that the last time I saw Lady Lamb perform here was back in 2019. That was almost six years ago, but with two kids, COVID, and the general whirlwind of life, time has felt like a strange, elastic blur.
It’s as if part of my life paused when I became a parent. Life hasn’t stopped being fun. I make a point of doing things I love and getting out as much as I can, especially now that my kids are no longer babies. But it sure is different these days. What a trip.