I’m currently living in Portland, Oregon — without internet access, a desk, or a bed!  It is quite an experience moving to a new city, and it’s only starting to sink in.  I appreciate all the friends who have been checking in and updating me on what you all are doing.  Living in a new place with few friends is exciting, daunting, lonely, challenging, but perhaps the greatest feeling is that of new opportunity and new beginnings.

I’ve been continuing to ‘dig’ stories and update my ’status’, which is all syndicated on the right column.  Until then, I’ll be trying to put together a desk, try to get some internet going (WHY, oh WHY, do we not have more than 2 options when considering high-speed internet?!), and get back to some writing.

Please remember to vote!  We recently stayed with some new friends in Missoula, Montana, who are supporting Sponge-Bob Squarepants for president.  I’ll leave you with Gene’s news alert:

Since you’ve been here I’ve taken over the regional directorship of the write in campaign for Mr. Squarepants. Perhaps you can spread the word a bit via your connects?

I recall the Presidential campaign of 1952 when Pogo, (the opossum from the Walt Kelly strip), ran against Ike as a write in. Pogo garnered over 250,000 votes! Sponge Bob can surpass that amazing record, even though he is no match for Pogo’s extraordinary depth and insight. I admit Sponge Bob is the very definition of insipid. But he’s my candydate and I’ll dive the seas for him.

I’m currently traveling across the country for about 2 weeks.  You can follow along with my ’status’ updates on the right-hand column.  Here’s our planned trip route:

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We should arrive in Portland right at the beginning of Fall. See it through, today.

UPDATE: SEPT 12 - You can see photos, updated every few days, at Colleen’s flickr site.  I’m also doing some field recording, hopefully for an audio collage.  Combine that with facebook status updates via cell phone, and we make a badass media-making team!

Where we’ve stopped so far:

White Plains, NY - Punxatawney, PA - Pittsburgh, PA - Barkcamp State Park, OH - Columbus, OH - Cambridge City, IN - Indianapolis, IN - Lieber State Park, IN - Cloverdale, IN - Alton, MO - St. Louis, MO - Warrensburg, MO - Lawrence, KS - Lincoln, NE - Grand Island, NE - Kearney, NE - Gothenburg, NE - Sterling, CO - Denver, CO - Fort Collins, CO - Glendo State Park, WY - Custer, SD - Keystone, SD - Black Hills National Forest (Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Devil’s Tower) - Deadwood, SD - Gilette, WY - Billings, MT

In the days prior to leaving Philly, I noticed myself complaining a lot more about my home of the past 4 years.  I guess it’s easy to be discontent when you’re about to leave, it can be a coping mechanism.  Complaining does seem to be a hallmark of Philadelphians, so perhaps I’m finally getting in touch with my Philly state-of-mind.

I hope the Complaints Choir comes to Portland. Shelley Spector & First Person Arts are bringing it to Philly this year.  Here’s the Choir from Birmingham:

My submissions for Philadelphia:

• Why does the announcer, at the organized basketball games right next to my house, have to blare the sound system and blurt out his obnoxious, opinionated babble for the entire neighborhood to hear all summer long?
• Why is there no accountability for police officers in Philadelphia?
• Why is there no accountability for bad parenting in Philadelphia?  Our youth are practically guaranteed to fail when their guardians do not care for them.
• Why are traffic laws never enforced? I hate risking my life every time I walk, bike, or drive in this city!
• Why is SEPTA absolutely the dumbest, most unfriendly and inefficient transit agency in the United States?

Complaining about SEPTA is my favorite, sub-complaints of this are:

• Why is there no schedule information at bus stops?
• Why is there no schedule information on buses, or trains?
• Why do trolleys run on the same roads as cars?  It’s generally faster to drive or bike than to take a bus or trolley in Philly.
• Why do the under-serving subways stop running at midnight? PATCO runs 24 hours from Philly to New Jersey, why can’t SEPTA?
• For 90% of my trips in Philly, if I were to take transit, I’d have to transfer 2-3 times (and pay for each transfer) just to get somewhere 20 blocks away.  Why God, why?
• Why are practically all SEPTA staff disempowered from giving you change, a transfer, a token, some help, or even a smile?  There’s a gentleman standing in a booth in the subway and I can’t buy a token from him, yet there’s no token machine at the stop?   WHAT?!?!
• Why does SEPTA continue to charge exorbitant on-board service charges for buying a ticket on the train, WHEN MOST STATIONS DO NOT HAVE FUNCTIONING TICKET MACHINES.  WHAT THAT HELL IS THAT?!?!?!

That was cathartic!  Philly, I love you, but there are some things I just won’t miss.  Onward to Portland!

After spending time in Portland and London, I’m convinced Critical Mass is unproductive and reduces respect for bicyclists on the streets.  HOWEVER, the type of state-sponsored violence depicted in this video, is completely unnecessary. It offers further proof the NYPD, and police agencies around the United States, are a modern day hit-squad.

As we bicyclists continue to violate the rules of the road, we contribute to the criminalization and elitism of bike culture.  As Alina Josan put it yesterday, “I’d give up reading red lights and stop signs tomorrow, for respect.”  Philadelphia, while touted as a bike-friendly city, is still a stressful place to ride a bike.  The same can be said for New York City.  Once we double and triple the number of riders in the streets and on mass transit, we can start to enjoy more livable cities.

Guess I’ll be stopping at reds, a hard habit to break!

Some folks may know I’ve been pondering a move to the West Coast, and more specifically, Portland, Oregon. There are things which specifically attract me to Portland, including good transit and bicycle-friendliness. Mike Spina, a friend who is an advocate of smart, pedestrian-centered urban design, pointed me to Streetfilms. Here is a sampling of videos about some exciting movement in Portland:

The Towards Carfree Cities VIII kicked off Monday in Portland, Oregon with an exciting community event. Hundreds of conference participants helped break and remove asphalt from a 3000 square foot parking lot. Depave.org is the mastermind behind the Fargo Garden Project. They promote the removal of unnecessary concrete and asphalt from urban areas. Depave.org will continue to work with Goldsmith Properties to transform this now asphalt-free site into a community greenspace. Once completed, the site will be used to educate the public about pavement removal and storm water drainage management.

City Repair in Portland, Oregon hosts an annual Village Building Convergence where hundreds of people come together to build diverse projects for the benefit of their communites and to take back their streets via a process known as the Intersection Repair.

This involves painting streets with a high-visiblity mural that creates a public square for residents to gather and one which gently encourages drivers to slow down when approaching these spaces.

I am overwhelmed. To hear a private developer say turning the property into greenspace rather than build a triplex was a no-brainer makes me giggle. Portland seems like a great opportunity and place to get some real work done. I also wonder if it will be too easy, too safe. How much do projects like building parks and painting murals seep into greater concerns of poverty and modern slavery?