Music | Pop Culture: #4 - Top Ten of 2010 - Concerts

Spokane doesn't offer a lot of opportunity for to see great live shows, but every so often it surprises you. Most times as you would assume if you want to see a great show you have to trek over to Seattle or Portland which offer other great perks beyond the music (Pike Place Market: Seattle, the BEER: Portland). Each of these will actually have a brief explanation of why they were so great.

1. Josh Ritter at the Knitting Factory - Spokane (November 5th): Ritter was in top form for a near hometown crowd. Many people from Moscow, ID were in attendance including his parents and many family friends. This made him more chatty than usual, and he brought out the big guns and even more enthusiasm. Ritter and his band tore through classics that I had never heard live and in person. Highlights for me were "Kathleen", "Harrisburg", and "Folk Bloodbath". When you see a Josh Ritter show it changes you. Two of my closest friends from Spokane came to this show with me, having never really listened to a JR song. They walked away different men. They told me so. Ritter and his band's enthusiasm and charisma during those two hours you spend with them makes you forget about everything outside the walls of the venue. For two hours your life is really fucking good.

2. Frightened Rabbit at Neumo's - Seattle (May 16): I know the lyrics to most of their songs, so there were several moments of all out screaming along with moments that bystanders would have thought I was having a seizure. The band put everything they had into each song. There was power behind the meloncholy in each lyric. It also helped greatly that Ashley was there with me to see one of my favorite bands of the past five years.

3. Arcade Fire at Key Arena - Seattle (September 29th): MIND BLOWING!!!!! Everytime I hear "Wake Up" or "Sprawl II" now, I become one giant goosebump. Would be Number 1, but it was in a basketball arena, so the sound wasn't always there.

4. Avett Brothers at the Bing Crosby Theater - Spokane (July 20th) Raucous is the only word I can use that best describes a ABs show. Harmonies and stomping of feet fill your ears while camaraderie and beards fill your vision. Highlight for me was "Murder in the City".

5. Josh Ritter at the Wonder Ballroom - Portland (June 18th): First concert in my new favorite city. The Wonder Ballroom is a great place to see a show, and JR and his Royal City Band were really happy to be there. Show was heavy in newer tunes from the exquisite So Runs the World Away, but he did play many classics as well. Highlights of the night for me was "Last Temptation of Adam" as well as Josh and Zack Hickman taking the time to talk to the stragglers after the show for 15 minutes about life, love, and beer.

6. Main Stage of Sasquatch Music Festival - George, WA (Monday, June 1st) - She & Him, Band of Horses, Drive by Truckers, Passion Pit, MGMT, Temper Trap, Mayer Hawthorne, & the Heavy: I spent the last day of the festival directly in front of the stage. I can't explain what it is like to be surrounded by 20,000 people, but it was surreal and rather amazing. Throw in a group of musicians that produce some of the music that has soundtracked the past 3 or 4 years, and you have an unbelievable day. Highlights for me would be all of it, but Passion Pit really jumped out to me. I had never really listened to them, and didn't get it when I did. Seeing them live changed everything. It was also quite a pleasure to see Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward together. She is a real musical talent.

7. Tallest Man on Earth at Sasquatch Music Festival - George, WA (Sunday, May 30th) - Yeti Stage: Never heard this guys music until this day, and I was blown away and floored by the rawness of the lyrics and guitar picking. Amazing.

8. LCD Soundsystem at Sasquatch Music Festival - George, WA (Sunday, May 30th) - Main Stage: Have you ever seen 20,000 people move like an ocean. That is what LCD Soundsystem does. James Murphy and his backing band and doo-wop singers were the highlight of Sunday for me. Even more than the band I really came to see, Pavement.

9. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists at the Blvd - Spokane (March ?): I had only heard one record of Leo's and I knew I liked it, but wasn't blown away at first. To have such a talent play a dive bar especially in Spokane was a real treat, and it was definitely the right venue for the great punk tunes that Leo produces. His set was only an hour long, and I bet we still heard 20 songs. He was very chatty with the crowd and the crowd was very receptive to his musings. Highlights of the night was his solo cover of Big Star's "Ballad of El Goodo", and "One Polaroid a Day".

10. tie: Shout Out Louds at Neumo's - Seattle (May 15th) & Local Natives at Empyrean Coffee House - Spokane (May 26th): SOL were right on for the night. They grooved through their poppy Swedish rock with precision, but the reason it makes the top 10 is because Ashley was with me. She loves SOL, and we were able to set her up for a visit so that she may see them. It was a great night.

The Local Natives show was just awesome. I introduced three friends to their harmonies and unbelievable percussion, and it was great to see the small crowd really get in to the tunes. Highlight of the night was the crowd involvement during my favorite tune, "Sun Hands".

Just missing the cut:

the Swell Season at the Knitting Factory - Spokane (July 22nd)

Caribou at Sasquatch Music Festival - George, WA (Sunday, May 30th)

Hockey at Empyrean Coffee House - Spokane (August ?)

Movies | Pop Culture: #1 - Top Ten of 2010 - Films/ Movies I Viewed

Just as I stated in my Albums post, I will not go in to why I enjoyed these movies over others. I will say that Inception became my second favorite movie of all-time just behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. So if you haven't seen some of these, fire up your Netflix account or visit your RedBox (Blockbuster is gone for the most part, folks) and get your popcorn and orange soda and fall for some great films.

1. Inception (Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ellen Page)

2. Social Network (Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield)

3. Toy Story 3 (Tom Hanks, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen)

4. The Kids are All Right (Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo)

5. Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (Michael Cera)

6. Kick-Ass (Nick Cage, Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz)

7. Greenberg (Ben Stiller, Greta Gerwig)

8. Never Let Me Go (Kiera Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield)

9. Youth in Revolt (Michael Cera)

10. Valhalla Rising (Mads Mikkelsen (villian in Casino Royale))

Just missing the cut:

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

Despicable Me

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Hot Tub Time Machine

Alice in Wonderland

Note: I am sure True Grit, Black Swan, and 127 Hours would be on this list rather than a few of the ones listed here, but as the posts title states "Films/ Movies I Viewed".

Music | Pop Culture : #3 My Top Ten of 2010 - Albums

**Corrections have been made to this since the original posting. Author failed to realize that two very important records to him in 2010 were actually released in 2010. No offense to Girl Talk and Vampire Weekend, but they should know themselves that the Local Natives and Morning Benders put out far better records than they did this year.**

I am not going in to why I chose these 10 records because that would be a lengthy and rather boring blog for you my readers. If you know me, you know that I love music and that I don't listen to undesirable music. If you don't have any of these records (or can't afford to purchase records these days), and you would like to listen to them or like a copy contact me, and we can work out something.

1. So Runs the World Away by Josh Ritter

2. Suburbs by Arcade Fire

3. Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit

4. Transference by Spoon

5. Wild Hunt by the Tallest Man on Earth

6. Big Echo by the Morning Benders

7. High Violet by the National

8. Gorilla Manor by the Local Natives

9. American Slang by the Gaslight Anthem

10. Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons


Just missing the cut:

Astro Coast by Surfer Blood

Work by Shout Out Louds

Brothers by the Black Keys

This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem

Infinite Arms by Band of Horses

The Brutalist Brick by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Note: Kanye's record would be on this list probably if I had heard it before this publishing, so don't ask me how I forgot to put it on this list. I still don't think it will crack my top five.

AmeriCorps VISTA 2010-2011: #4

I have been with Community Frameworks for over two months now, and one thing I have learned a great deal about the non-profit world is that projects can move quite quickly, or, as is the case of my manufactured home project, they can move at a snail's pace.

A project that is moving along rather quickly is an apartment building in Spokane Valley. Community Frameworks (CF) is currently put out a request for qualifications (RFQ) to the construction world, and are interviewing five companies over the next few days. The project they are all fighting for involves the renovation of an low-income apartment building. CF is closing on the building currently, and using Washington Works (only two projects were funded this year through this fund due to the ever growing deficit) funds to complete the renovation. The building was built in the 70s and has not been updated since that time and deferred maintenance has taken its toll on it as well. CF and the chosen construction team will go in, four units at a time, and remodel each apartment over the next year. The current residents will be moved to vacant units while their unit is being renovated. The goal is to have the mortgage paid off in the next 5-10 years, and once this occurs CF will lower the rent to further their cause of providing safe and healthy housing for low-income families. It is a very exciting project for Community Frameworks and has kept Chris Venne, my advisor, very busy for the past month.

During this time, I have been working as best I can on developing some sort of plan or system for CFs use of manufactured homes in their Home Starts program. As I have stated in previous conversations, I am here to research the viability of using manufactured homes in the low and moderate income housing market. We know it can work, but we need to know if it will work in the communities that we work in. There are several questions that need to be asked. How does the cost of a unit compare to a stick-built home? Can a manufactured home be used in typical residential neighborhoods and developments? What are the financing options for our clients? Etc. Etc. Etc.

I had a dinner meeting with four of the lead staff of Community Frameworks last night, and we began working out a more definitive plan for the remainder of the year. Many tasks were handed out to each member of the meeting. I was tasked with finding out the sales of manufactured homes in the state of Washington over the past 5 years. I am also tasked with finding those markets that would best suit this new program we are attempting to begin. From recent conversations with dealers in the Spokane area sales have been really slow over the past two years, which can be expected. I will be creating graphics and diagrams to display my findings which I will share on here.

As for the mobile home parks in Airway Heights (here) that project has stalled indefinitely. The project is a very touchy subject. Any time you want to move people from their homes to somewhere new can lead to a massive implosion. The political powers-that-be are not willing to back us on the project. They are not willing to get themselves dirty, especially if no other jurisdictions that rely on Fairchild Airforce Base, are willing to step in and help as well. This project is going to be a long and drawn out process. The situation is troublesome all around. If something occurs, I will post it here for all.

I have scheduled courses and my travel arrangements have been made for me to spend 5 days in Washington DC for the NeighborWorks Training Institute. The trip will begin December 5th and I will return on December 10th. This will be my first visit to DC, and I am really excited. I will be learning from instructors who have been in the affordable housing and community building field for 10+ years. It is going to be quite a week. I do have a full day free, so I expect to do some sightseeing and exploring. There will be a post to follow as well as photos.

Thank you to those that read these long-winded entries. I hope you take something from them. Please leave comments to let me know.

It's Kind of a Funny Story...Carrie Furnace - Braddock, PA

This post is one part photo essay of the Carrie furnace in Braddock, Pennsylvania; one part conversation about why the photos are important; and one part a story of how I came to be in Braddock and what ensued.

A month or two back my dear friend Lindsay posted some photos on the "book-of-face" giving her friends a look at the abandoned Carrie furnace along the Monongahela River in Braddock, Pennsylvania. I pretty much thought they were awesome. The furnace has been out of commission since the early 70s and is a symbol of the once prosperous steel industry and also their demise. Braddock has been in the news in past few years with their unconventional mayor and his hopeful goals to bring his town back from the depths of despair. You may have also seen flashy images of Braddock in Levi's latest advertising campaign using the town as a backdrop for hard work and sort of a phoenix rising from the ashes sort of metaphor. There are a lot of towns and even metropolises that are in a similar state as Braddock, and over the past few years of the economic recession their images have been splashed upon the news. Abandoned factories, homes, and neighborhoods have become hot spots for photographic explorers to adventure. Lindsay's photos filled my need to see the Carrie Furnace and were the beginning of a strange little adventure.

My girlfriend, Ashley, and I got a late start on Tuesday (Oct. 26) . We got into the Pittsburgh metro area around 12:30, and made a reasonably quick stop at IKEA (less than two hours is an amazing feat). After getting our fill of Swedish design and furniture with silly names we were on our way to Braddock.

With my phone's trusty GPS capabilities we were speeding on the edge of the city and the Monongahela. Unfortunately, I did not have a real address for the furnace, so once we got to the center of Braddock I was sort of blindly driving around. We did this for about 30 minutes before I just stopped in a rather shady neighborhood and made my phone tell us how to get to the furnace. It really tried. It got is to the Rankin Street Bridge, but it hadn't anticipated the inability to turn left before crossing the bridge due to the construction. Needless to say it rerouted the trip across the bridge, across another bridge, and back to 376, to do it all over again. It was now about 3:30pm, and we were getting rather frustrated.

Lindsay had provided us with a nice little map and instructions, but due to our GPS we weren't initially able to use them. So we tried to improvise off of Lindsay's instructions and found what we thought was direct access to the furnace by way of a baseball field parking lot and a short hike down a hillside. Fail. The hillside was more like a cliff down to the railroad bed. We lost another 30 minutes learning this. From here we just started finding anyway to get under the Rankin Street Bridge. To make this a shorter story, we finally figured it out after some hit and miss driving.

Upon our arrival under the bridge and in the neighborhood and industry that surrounded it we were faced with the warnings that Lindsay and others had mentioned. It was shady and a little scary, but it was a small price to pay for what we were about to see. Lindsay stated in her instructions we would need to park across from "the shady bar" and hike to the furnace along the tracks. Ashley was not keen on this, and it was getting late in the day, so we did some investigating and found that a construction company's staging area was our only obstacle to us driving directly back to the furnace. As we approached the company's gates a car came through toward us, and Ashley says to me: "Don't slow down, just act like you know what you're doing." I pushed through the gate past a few guys working and continued on past their trucks and construction trailers. You should also know we are not in a truck or a sizable vehicle. We are in Ashley's two-door Hyundai Accent which is lovingly called "The Egg". So, though I drove like I belonged there, bystanders would definitely know we did not.

Once you are past the construction company's staging area the road to the furnace is not necessarily a road, but more like a concrete tarmac overtaken by nature. I bobbed and weaved the tiny car around potholes, rutted concrete, and overgrowth. After just five minutes we were directly in front of the furnace and its hulking mass of rust and dilapidation. It was beautiful.

There were posted signs scattered around the fence that surrounded the structures, but it did not deter us from finding a way in. Lindsay's instructions stated there is a hole in the fence to the first major building. Lindsay there was hole, but you must remember I am a very large man. Thankfully, after walking the perimeter we found a sizable opening in the fence and made our way inside the first of two large halls. It was mesmerizing, in my opinion.

Lindsay and my photos, as thought provoking as they are, cannot provide you with the feeling that you get when you are inside these spaces. An old office chair sits stagnant in the middle of one towering space, while trees grow within another. Sunlight filters through stained windows and down through the holes in the roof. The floor of one hall is littered with what was once its roof and the remnants of others who used to sweat in the heat of the furnace and those who have come to explore just as Ashley and I have.

Rust and patina mix with the colors of vibrant graffiti and the green and golds of the grasses that have invaded the structures. Nature is reclaiming what was once its place along the river. There are massive steel tanks and winding pipes running here and there creating a maze. The catwalks above your head are like rusty lace and seem just as fragile. Everything seems to be in a state of fragility. You feel that if a decent gust of wind came through it would all topple down upon you. It is gorgeous.

Anyway, after we explored for about an hour and a half the wind really started to pick up and we could see a storm brewing to the north of the furnace. The wind was howling through the tanks and the catwalks kicking up dust and rust. It was like something was telling us to leave. It was like the ghosts of the furnace's past were telling us we did not belong. We took the hint. We ran across the yards and through the opening in the fence just as the rain came down upon us. We were laughing with joy and happiness to have seen such a piece of history and escaped the weather that could easily have brought it down.

It was 5:30 by the time we drove off from the furnace. We were rehashing what we saw and just how cool it was while I weaved across the tarmac through the downpour. As we got closer to the construction company, I began to get a sinking feeling. That sinking feeling became shear dread as we came to the gate we not two hours had driven through. It was closed and locked with four Master Locks. The job site was empty of any other life. Job trailers had lights on, but for security purposes only. Trucks and equipment sat empty and dark. The rain continued to fall, and Ashley is laughing. I was not. Would we have to spend the night in the aforementioned Egg? If so, how dead would Ashley's Mom make me?

After I slammed my hands and head against the steering wheel a few hundred times and said pretty much every four letter word available, Ashley continue to laugh about it. I calmed down enough to check every trailer and truck for contact information for the construction company. Who ever thought that putting your phone number on your company vehicle was a bad idea? This company thought it was. Thankfully I had signal with my phone and Internet capabilities. After some Googling, we were able to get a contact number. Of course no one was in their offices, but there were two emergency numbers, one for the construction company and one for their development company. The construction company number did not work, and all I could do was leave a message with the development side. All I can remember about the message that I left was that there was a lot of me saying that we were stupid and that we were very sorry. Ashley is still laughing.

Half an hour went by after leaving the message before someone called us back. His name was Joey and he was a very nice about the whole thing. We were not the first fools to do this. He stated he had to call around to find someone who could help us, but he wanted to let us know someone knew we were there. He called back 15 minutes later, sounding less hopeful.

Can you cut the lock off? Joey asks.

Uh...No. All I have is a camera and a really small car? I respond.

Just thought I would ask. I don't really work with the construction guys, so I am not sure who I need to contact. Let me call a few others and see what I can do. Joey states with a slight hesitation in his voice.

I say, Thanks with a slight amount of fear.

Joey did finally come through for us. About fifteen minutes later a guy with the construction side of the operation calls us to let us know that he is sending a guy down in about 15-20 minutes. He also proceeded to tell us that we are some very brave fools for being in that particular area of town at night. I tell him, Well at least we are locked behind the fence. He recommends as soon as his guy get there to get out as quickly as possible. Twenty-five minutes go buy and we see a guy ambling toward the gate with a lunch pail in his hand. I assume it is our savior, but I was surprised he walked to the site.

Carefully, I get out of the car and meet him at the gate. He is a rough looking guy with a few missing teeth, but a very friendly guy. He asks if we are safe and if we are doing well. He then proceeds to tell me how we can get out. He points to a yellow Ryder truck just behind the Egg. He states that there is a ramp that extends from the trucks bumper, and if I reach my hand in on top I will find the key to the lock. All this time, it was there. Ashley does not know what is going on as I run past her as she is sitting in the car. She was thinking, she tells me later, Son of a Bitch the fucking key was inside the truck all along. It was, but who would have ever thought to reach inside the bumper.

We were free. The rain started up again, as the gentleman swung the gate open for us. He tells us he rode down on the bus and that it was no big deal. We try to compensate him for his trouble, but he refuses. He just left us with a handshake, a wave, and wish for us to be safe. Needless to say after we pulled away from him, it made me really consider leaving the Northwest and join other dear friends like Lindsay and become a Pittsburghian (though I would never root for any of their beloved sports teams).

Music | Pop_Culture: #2 - Kings of Leon's Come Around Sundown

Gus-

This record is like that girl you date for a extended period of time but you can never really tell her you love her or commit to her. You really like her, but she just isn't doing it entirely for you. You like hanging out with her, but you could never really settle down with her.

These are my words to a friend describing my feeling of the most recent release by the Followill Family Band (aka. Kings of Leon). KoL have a new record coming out on October 19th, and thanks to my friend Justin(aka. Gus), I was able to get an advance copy of it. The record is titled Come Around Sundown, and it is a very fitting title. After listening to it exclusively since receiving it in my email, I can say that I really like it, but I don't love it.

I wish I could say I love it, but I haven't loved a record of theirs since Aha Shake Heartbreak (2005)*. This is a really good album. I feel it is one of those records that you and your friends listen to while sitting out near a bon fire just drinking beer and shooting the shit. There isn't a song that really has that whiskey or tequila drinking feel to it like you will find on Youth and Young Manhood (2003) or Aha Shake. It is a rather mello record, which is not a bad thing. The highlights for me are "Radioactive", "No Money", and "Birthday", and as cheesy as it may be I really love "Back Down South". All in all it is a solid record.

I just hope some day soon they make a record like the Stones' Exile on Main Street. I want them to go back in some home studio in Tennessee or Kentucky and make a record again. I want them to bring Rick Rubin (Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash) or T-Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart soundtrack, Elvis Costello) in to produce and help them find that original sound again. I will still buy this record and continue to buy their records just as I did with Oasis. I relate the two bands in a way. I see them making two amazing records in the beginning then a handful of misses or not so great records and then coming back with a few awesome records again. I just hope that KoL don't break up in a stupid brotherly battle.

After the success the guys have had over the past two records with filled arenas, massive music festivals, and a pair of Grammy's, I expect them to ride this wave for a while. I just hope the millions of new fans are going back to listen to Youth... and Aha Shake. The previous two records (Because of the Times, Only By the Night) were good but they don't match up to the dirty-gritty-sweatiness that their first two records provided.

I guess I am a little selfish when it comes to the Kings. Having seen them play at the seriously missed Odeon in Cleveland for $20 and a the Foundry in Dayton for $15, I have a feeling of disgust now that I have to pay $50+ to see them play at an arena. Nostalgia is a bitch.

I would go into a more in depth breakdown of each song, but that isn't me. You can go to the bands website and listen to the record in its entirity, and form your own opinion. If you have never listened to a KoL record or song, you may not listen to the radio (they have been everywhere from the radio to primetime television shows), but this record could be a good place to start. If I were you though, I would go back to the beginning.

Overall grade: B

*nostalgia moment: Aha Shake Heartbreak came out in the spring of 2005 in the U.S. At that time I was in Italy studying architecture with Kent State. I knew the record was coming out, but I had no idea how to get my hands on it in Italy. I really wanted it. So I went to every record store in Florence the day I learned the record was being released in Europe. The chain stores didn't have it. The few independent record stores did not have it either. I was losing hope. Then I took a chance at a shady record store under the train station. Nothing was labeled or in any real order, but after two hours of digging through their new releases box, I found it. One single copy of the minimal white cover with the blooming orchid. I think I whooped outloud causing hundreds of Italians and gypsies to stare. I took it to the sales clerk to learn that it would become the most expensive CD I had ever purchased. It was an import. It wasn't the actual European release. It was 38 euros, so with the exchange rate it came out to just over $50. Needless to say I listened to it a lot for the remainder of my time in Italy and Europe. I introduced several of my classmates to the Kings which led to a handful of us seeing the band the following fall in Cleveland at the now defunct Odeon.

AmeriCorps VISTA 2010-2011: #3

It is coming up on the end of my fourth week at Community Frameworks and fourth week as an AmeriCorps VISTA. As stated in the previous post there has been a lot of settling in and getting to know people in the office. I feel I am getting pretty comfortable with things and have even brought in a few things to make my office seem a bit more homey.

Beyond this I have actually done some work. In the second week the previous VISTA (Liza) and I went out to a neighborhood in Airway Heights, WA (a suburb of Spokane). The neighborhood is made up of twelve different mobile home parks and roughly two hundred total single wide and modular homes. Liza and I spent the day walking around the parks and completing a conditions assessment of each home as well as the condition of each mobile home park.

Before I go into what we found, I should mention that in no way do I have a problem with mobile and modular homes. I spent my childhood living in three different mobile homes and even the first year after I left home. I know what it is like to live in a single-wide trailer, and I also know the stigma that they carry. Many consider them to be substandard living, but if you take care of a mobile home, just as you would a stick-built home, then they are no less of a home.

The mobile homes that Liza and I encountered represent and magnify the stigma that is applied to most mobile homes. A majority of the homes have warped siding as well as broken windows and substandard roofing. A majority of the homes are forty years or older which puts them into a designation by HUD that labels the mobile homes substandard living due to heating and cooling inefficiency as well as unsafe for moving (any mobile home manufactured prior to 1976 falls into this designation). Many of these homes in Airway Heights have not been taken care of and have years and years of deferred maintenance and are in various states of dilapidation. Four homes were burned and their empty carcasses sit rotting allowing for a place for vermin to gather and to further the blight that plagues the neighborhood.

A large portion of the homes are owned by landlords and are rented to low-income families. They collect their rents and do nothing to maintain the homes or lots. A few of the landlords don't even live in Spokane or even the state of Washington. Further more, the families seem to have fallen victim to the stigma and overlook such discrepencies in maintenance. Upon speaking with a few of the community members they choose to live in such substandard homes because they don't feel they can afford or deserve any better. A lot of the residents have lived in the parks for over twenty years, and many of the younger families are second and third generation residents. I am not here to judge anyone, but it astonishes me.

Needless to say we received a lot of questioning looks and a lot of "Whatcha doin'?". Many of the residents seemed very leery of people looking at their homes and taking photos (rightfully so). A few of the residents spoke out against their neighbors and the illegal activities that occur in the neighborhood while also speaking of the good memories they had living in the area. We've all seen these types of places and neighborhoods, and for the most part we steer clear. Liza and I, along with our supervisors, felt the neighborhood represented some of the worst housing conditions in Spokane County. We also consider the landlords as more slumlords. It is our goal at Community Frameworks to change this.

Besides the overall condition of the neighborhood and the homes the other reason we were out there is Fairchild Air Force Base. A prime employer for the residents of Airway Heights, Fairchild represents a major priority to the governing officials of the city, so the possible closure of the base would devastate the city as well as the region. How does the mobile home parks affect this? Well, the mobile home parks are in a secondary crash zone for the base. You can build in the secondary crash zone, but it is not recommended. So, the city is afraid that if the Department of Defense decides to close more bases that they will use these mobile home parks as a downside for the base.

This is going to be a long process, and it won't be easy. It is our goal as a developer to get the residents of the parks to move and get them into healthier low-income housing. We don't want to force them out. We want to educate them and let them know that they have options. We know there will be backlash and outcry, but with help from Habitat for Humanity and the City of Airway Heights we feel we will be able to convince the residents that it will be best for them and their families.

As I continue working on this, I will provide you with updates. I understand that these posts can get very lengthy, and I apologize. There is a lot of information being gathered, and I feel that it is important to present it to you, so you get a better understanding of what I am doing for $800 a month and health care benefits, as well as what it means to be an AmeriCorps VISTA.

Music | Pop_Culture: #1

Over the past few weeks I have been reading a lot (5 books in four weeks is a big deal for me). If I sit in just the right seat on the bus, I don't have to worry about motion sickness. Doing so allows me to read a great deal more than I have been able to since I began my patronage of Spokane Transit.

Three of the books were related to music and pop culture. Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About AA Boy, Fever Pitch) was in there writing about an aging former singer-songwriter who disappeared into a reclusive haze somewhere in Pennsylvania only to be discovered by an English museum curator in a small seaside town in England (Juliet, Naked). There was another English writer (Tim Thorton) in there writing about an obsessive writer who discovers his all-time favorite lead singer lives three buildings down from him and he does everything in his power to find out why the band, he obsessed over for years, imploded (The Alternative Hero). Both books were fun and gave me fits of laughter. Hornby will always be one of my favorite novelists because he seems to be as much of a pop culture nut as I am. As for Thorton's book, I related to the narrator due to the probability if I was in the same situation I would probably act in the same manner. I feel I would engage in many of the same stalker-esque actions if say Noel Gallagher of Oasis lived three houses down from me. Both books made me laugh and both made me think about their possibilities as screenplays.

The third book, Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life by John Sellers, is an autobiographical telling of how Sellers' music taste evolved from his Grand Rapids, Michigan upbringing to the die-hard fandom of 90s indie rock stalwarts Guided By Voices. Sellers tells us of how Grand Rapids was not the best place to hear new a progressive music growing up in the late 70s and 80s. He discusses how a girl or woman usually lead to him finding music he had never heard, because he was trying to impress them. There is the true awakening when he first became stuck on watching MTV and when he went to college in Lansing and Ann Arbor. There are chapters dedicated to the Smiths, Morrissey, the Cure, and Joy Division (all amazing bands). There are discussions of how great David Lee Roth is compared to many other front men. It is one man's musical discovery tour.

I felt I could write the book myself but mine would begin ten to fifteen years later, but the same obsessiveness for new bands and music would still be there. My only question for Sellers is; How did you get someone to pay you to write a book about your love of indie rock?

The thing I found most interesting was Sellers admittance to making lists. Lists of favorite songs, albums, guitarists, etc. I do this! Maybe not to the extent that he does, but I do. He began the book by discussing his purchase of an iPod and the use of iTunes. With these two music listening media he was able to determine his listening background by viewing his 25 Most Played. He was very surprised to learn the results (I won't ruin it for you, just in case you decide to give it a read). I went to my list as well, and was very surprised by the most listened to song of the 15,000+ songs I have on my hard drives.

Top 5 Most Played Songs:

1. Donde Esta La Playa: the Walkmen = 151

2. Keep the Car Running: Arcade Fire = 122

3. Mr. November: the National = 90

4. Keep Yourself Warm: Frightened Rabbit = 84

5. Tonight I Have to Leave It: Shout Out Louds = 81

Sellers was surprised by his top 25, because it showed that his obsession with Guided By Voices was real. My 25 were a surprise to me, but after considering the list, the reasoning became clear. The reasons follow as well as the end to this nonsense:

1. Now you may think that the Walkmen are my favorite band from this listing. Not so. I actually used to listen to the Walkmen's album You & Me to fall asleep while I was camped out in design studio at Washington State. I listened to the album a lot but none of the other songs made the top 25. I am guessing it is no. 1 because it is the first song on the record, and my sleep would be interrupted numerous times during the semester, and I would start the album over again.

2. Now the Arcade Fire are my favorite band currently. This list would be a whole different if I would have had iTunes counting back in the 90s (OASIS would rule and they still do in my heart). This song was also on a playlist I made for my girlfriend, Ashley, and was the first song. I also like it a great deal.

3. Mr. November was my anthem during the 2008 presidential campaign. The National actually designed a t-shirt for the Obama campaign with Mr. November under a pixelated image of the would be president. I also feel it is one the best songs in the past 10 years.

4. Frightened Rabbit rule and that is all I am going to say about it.

5. Shout Out Louds' Tonight I Have to Leave It used to be the number 1, because my old iPod would for some reason turn itself on at random times, run the battery down, and always play this album. My old iPod really loves Swedish indie-pop.

So there you go. Maybe you will get the urge to look at your own list, or maybe want to read something new. Good luck.

Alright, this is the end. Goodnight.

AmeriCorps VISTA 2010: #1

I, Timothy Dickerson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.

I said those words on August 27th, 2010 in a hotel ballroom in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was all pretty surreal. There were over 200 people from all different walks-of-life and from every corner of the country. There were kids right out of college trying to extend the party for a little longer and men and women in their 50s trying to find a way to save their communities that are falling down around them. Most were trying to start fantastic and adventure filled lives and others had already lived a lifetime. That day though, we were all there for the same reason.

We were there to become soldiers in a war that has gone on longer than all the military wars the US has ever been part of, combined. We have all seen it. We've seen it on the corners of our towns. You've seen it on your television and in the movies. You've seen it within your own family. We were there to begin a fight against Poverty.

So begins our year as AmeriCorps VISTAs aka: Volunteer in Service to America. I could try to explain what it is that AmeriCorps VISTAs do, but it would just be an attempted paraphrasing of what the organizations website states. Visit the website and learn. Maybe you will be inspired just as I was.

http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp

I will finish this first post, of my year long adventure, with a few words from the man who brought national service to life through the creation of the Peace Corps and who inspired Lyndon Johnson to launch the "War on Poverty".

...Now the trumpet summons us again -- not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need -- not as a call to battle, though embattled we are -- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation" -- a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself...

...And so, my fellow Americans: Ask not what your country can do for you -- Ask what you can do for your country... - President John F. Kennedy_01/20/1961

AmeriCorps VISTA 2010-2011 - #2

Buona sera!!!

It has been three weeks since I began my post here at Community Frameworks (CF) in Spokane, Washington. It has been your basic settling in process of getting to know the names of the people in the office; trying to figure out what to do with the blank walls in my personal office; and learning more about what the organization really does.

http://www.communityframeworks.org

I am not going to repeat what is said on the website. If it interests you, then I recommend visiting the site. You will see as I did when I chose to take the position that CF is doing something special and as you read through it, they are not the only one's doing so.

CF is a charter member of a national organization called NeighborWorks (NW). http://www.nw.org

NeighborWorks is a national non-profit organization created by Congress to provide financial support, technical assistance, and training for community-based revitalization efforts. Together with national and local partners, NW creates new opportunities for residents while improving communities. Community Frameworks is one of those local partners. Together with NW and several other smaller organizations, Community Frameworks is attempting to provide affordable housing for the city of Spokane as well as communities all over Washington, Eastern Oregon, Idaho, and Western Montana.

Fortunately as a part of NeighborWorks, Community Frameworks is permitted to send its VISTAs (which if you remember from the previous post, I am a VISTA) to the NW Training Institute in Washington DC, in December. So finally after 32 years I will see our nation's capitol.

Anyway, go to the websites, click on the About Us and you can learn a great deal more about each organization. There may be some information in there for those looking to buy their first home but just can't seem to get the down payment together.

That is all for now. In our next posting, I will discuss what I have been really doing the past three weeks.

Pace.