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Category Archives: Places
Reflections in Transit. Projections in Public.
2013 February 9 I rode light rail into downtown to catch a bus to roller derby. As we pulled into Westlake, I stood at the doors and caught a reflection of myself. I was dressed pretty casually: a zipped top … Continue reading
Posted in Places, Space, Trans
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Taking Over Space
In the spirit of Space Insurgency, our summer Digital Ethnography class took over a public space. The assignment was to: 1.design a creative and generous situation in a public space in downtown Olympia, WA 2.to observe the human interactions during … Continue reading
Posted in Places, Student Projects
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reg penna dept agr
January 10-13, 2008
phila., penna.
I’ve always loved the old, non-standard state abbreviations. Since they were somewhat arbitrary, I remember –though I couldn’t pinpoint it to a year– when the Postal Service mandated the current and horribly bland two letter abbreviations. What with zip codes being the parts that really matter, I don’t understand why they cared anyway.
In any case, the abbreviation Penna for Pennsylvania was always my favorite, precisely because it made no sense. Abbreviating Illinois as Ill, for example, made intuitive sense. But Penna was just silly.
I first became aware of Penna’s power during the consumerist act of shopping, Mandrake. Every Friday night as a young child, my dad and I went grocery shopping for the week. I would often read labels to amuse myself. Many labels, especially those for canned goods, featured the text Reg. Penna. Dept. Agr. which was short for Registered with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Just like the Free Masons and the Post Office, Pennsylvania seemed to exert a disproportionate pull on the world. It must be due to the influence of Ben Franklin –a noted Pennsylvanian, Postmaster, and Free Mason.
astorian charm and solitude
…still life at 11:L4 pm october 6-8, 2007 astoria, oregon There was a sign in the B&B warning us that we were in a remote area of the coast. I’ve never thought this area to be particularly remote seeing that … Continue reading
chicago pol-mex fusion
One thing that has frequently dismayed me about some of my first-generation Polish family, quasi-family, and acquaintances in Chicago has been their xenophobia. A geography professor at UIUC once stated that many immigrants arrived in the U.S. exposed to one … Continue reading
from blue haus to pink haus
So after nearly 5 years at the Blauhaus (above), I have moved out of the University District. I’ll miss walking by Scarecrow and Fire Station 17, for certain, but what with Tubs having gone under, is it worth it anymore? … Continue reading
a bottle of place
Editor Dan posted a piece today about water and, essentially, the cult of bottled water. The subject was covered nicely by a very good Fastcompany article. The article delves into the history of bottled water, stating that the phenomenon is … Continue reading
boots and badgers and commercial archaeology
During one of my very first photographic outings to Pioneer Square, I shot the following ghost sign. Notice the sign underneath the brown Duncan & Sons sign. Duncan & Sons is apparently still in business though they have moved further … Continue reading
Posted in Commentary, Places
Tagged badger meter, duncan & sons, seattle, washington
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tears, dust, rubble, and the future in georgetown
The following was originally published on January 23rd, 2008 at Seattlest.com. We hope this isn’t a growing trend. From the Croc to the Sunset Bowl to all of Seattle’s bars, it seems as though any place of which beer is … Continue reading →