The first blog is always the hardest.... right?

I hope so, because suddenly, staring at this blank screen is quite intimidating. I mean, what do I have original to say? My life is boring. I watch too much TV, spend most of the work-day reading newspapers and scouting my favorite web sites. I don't have very many friends in LA yet and am short on story-telling ability. I don't even enjoy gettin crunk...

I just moved to Los Angeles in October. Came out here with my love with little more than a whim that new places and spaces were in order. Even though my heart will remain in Chicago, I view it as a tradition for us to leave (Benny Goodman, Quincy Jones, Sun Ra, Jordan, Common, Upski, Keith Foulke... hell, even the Art Ensemble of CHICAGO took off for Paris when things were getting too raw in the "wild onion.")

I study cities by trade and Los Angeles embodies much of the future of cities around the world, whether we like it or not. Even with its disjointed sprawl, this place is is hard not to enjoy.... the weather, mountains, ocean, architecture, music scene and vastness will keep me occupied for a while.

I (quite fortunately) found work as a City Planner for the City of LA and have been assigned to work mostly on historic districts. It's dignified work but not exactly going to save the world. I tried that in my previous job working with community development non-profits, but came to the realization that to affect power you have to actually have the ear of power and know its weaknesses.

I find solice in beatiful places, works of art connected to the real world struggle, diverse people coming together, my love and music - sweet music. Mostly, I feel good that things are finally getting better in the world, the evidence is there: good production (neptunes, kanye, timbaland, dre) is running pop radio, documentaries are back, Latin America's left is making up for the fall of Communism and America's brand of policy is becoming ever more isolated...

10 I'm steppin' to at the moment:
Kanye West - Spaceship
Obie Trice - the Set Up
Lord Finesse - Ghetto
4HERO - Action f/ Ish.. aka doodlebug (visioneers remix)
new Stereolab
Ludacris - Splash Waterfalls (inst. or remix)
Cee-Lo - Sometimes
Hu Vibrational LP
Roy Ayers _Virgin Ubiquity_ LP
Genesis - No Reply at All