just laura

Anyone want to join me? We’ve all read the news stories. I’m ready for the documentary…

THE GITS
WHAT: Documentary film
WHEN / WHERE: 7 and 9 p.m. Friday through Thursday, Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave.;
8 p.m. Monday, Metro Cinemas,
4500 Ninth Ave. N.E.
TICKETS: NWFF $8.50 general, $6 children and seniors and $5 members, nwfilmforum.org and thegits.com; Metro $11, landmarktheaters.com

Film about The Gits keeps singer’s memory alive
Last updated July 2, 2008 5:18 p.m. PT
By GENE STOUT
P-I POP MUSIC CRITIC

Two weeks before she was raped and murdered in July 1993, singer Mia Zapata of The Gits penned these chilling lyrics for the song “Sign of the Crab”: “Go ahead and slice me up/ Spread me across this town/ ‘Cause you know you’re the one that won’t be found.”

Prophetic? Zapata’s mysterious killer, Jesus Mezquia, wasn’t caught until 10 years later, when DNA tests connected him to a saliva sample found on Zapata’s body.

“It’s pretty gruesomely accurate,” drummer Steve Moriarty said of the song Zapata wrote during a recording session for the band’s second album.

“But I think it was mostly focused on the culture of slasher films and how violent Seattle was at that time. Seattle was just coming out of a recession. We’d hear gunshots at night. And Mia had friends who had been raped. I think (the song) was more a reflection of what could happen as opposed to what was going to happen.”

The charismatic singer’s death devastated the band’s growing brigade of admirers and cast a pall over an exploding rock scene that spawned Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and other famous bands. Mourners brought yellow roses to her funeral, and friends were moved to form Home Alive, a non-profit, anti-violence organization.

But Gits fans weary of the lurid details of Zapata’s violent death can rejoice in a new full-length film, “The Gits,” making its Seattle debut Friday through Thursday at the Northwest Film Forum and Monday at Metro Cinema. The film and DVD, which will be released Tuesday by Liberation Entertainment, coincide with the 15th anniversary of Zapata’s death.

The 81-minute film, which began life a few years ago as a short documentary, is packed with music and rare performance videos, as well as the recollections of Zapata’s friends, among them Selene Vigil of 7 Year Bitch and Ben London, a friend from the band’s early days at Ohio’s Antioch College and now executive director of the Northwest chapter of the Recording Academy.

Band members Moriarty, bassist Matt Dresdner and guitarist Andrew Kessler (aka Joe Spleen) help tell the story of the band’s short but meteoric career and of Zapata’s exceptional gift as a punk singer and lyricist who recalled blues legends Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.

The band’s formidable talent comes through in such gritty, powerful songs as “Guilt Within Your Head,” “Another Shot of Whiskey,” “Wingo Lamo” and “Second Skin.” If you never saw The Gits perform live, the film offers a glimpse into a world that is now Seattle legend.

The film details life in the band’s fabled rental house, formerly occupied by a self-proclaimed warlock. “The Rathouse” was the site of frequent parties and jam sessions.

“It definitely had a communal spirit,” Moriarty said in a phone interview this week from Oakland, Calif., where he was dealing with the aftermath of a wildfire that nearly destroyed his house.

Moriarty and his bandmates were wary of filmmakers in general and reacted with skepticism when Jessica Bender and Kerri O’Kane approached them about making a film. No one wanted another crime show about Zapata’s death. Moriarty’s first encounter with them was via eBay, where the two aspiring filmmakers were bidding up prices on Gits merchandise.

“I said, ‘Well, if you really want to talk about it, then come up and meet us,’ ” Moriarty said. “I just wanted them to spend money on a plane ticket to prove it.”

The band had two criteria in making the film.

“I think one of the conditions we had is that it had to have a lot of live footage of The Gits,” Moriarty said. “Because so many of the people who are into The Gits today never, ever saw us live.”

The other condition?

“It had to have a sense of humor,” Moriarty said, “or it wouldn’t be anything like what the band was all about.”

In one film clip, the band performs in medieval costumes, hamming it up like guests at a Halloween ball.

Another segment recalls Zapata’s droll wit. On van tours, Zapata would point at a pasture and say, “Those cows are outstanding in their field.” The singer was dubbed “Chicken Woman” because of her knock-kneed stance.

Even the band’s name was a joke, inspired by a Monty Python sketch about a family named Git, which is a British slang term for a contemptible fool.

When people came forward with previously unknown film footage, the project’s scope began to expand. Once the band became convinced the documentary had merit, Moriarty encouraged friends and associates to participate.

The documentary conveys the band members’ close relationship.

“It was a real tight-knit family,” Moriarty said.

That friendship played an important role when Zapata was struggling with alcohol. Realizing that record labels were interested in signing the band, Moriarty, Dresdner and Kessler considered breaking up in order to force Zapata to deal with her alcohol abuse.

“We were willing just to say, ‘No, we’re going to end the band,’ to encourage her to get help,” Moriarty said.

“And that’s what happened in the end. She had quit drinking entirely for the last tour and was getting help. And it was when she came back that she relapsed. That’s when she was killed.”

Zapata had been out drinking the night of her death and headed home by herself.

Moriarty was in shock when he heard the news.

“I knew rationally that it probably was true, but I couldn’t accept it,” he said. “I found I needed to get with my family of people, so I picked up Andy (Kessler) and we went back to where Mia lived, to see if she was in her room and what was going on. And we found that she wasn’t in her room and indeed hadn’t been there for 24 hours or so.”

Soon, the anger set in.

“I got in The Gits van and drove around where her body was found every night for about two months with a baseball bat, hoping to run into somebody who was abducting women there,” he said.

“I don’t know what I was thinking that I would do. But I felt like I was so angry that nothing would stop me if I found someone trying to do that to someone. I thought I would literally see someone abducting women on the street.”

Then anger turned to paranoia.

“I thought, ‘Someone’s going to attack me because they know I’m after them.’ They’re going to try to kill the rest of the band before we can catch them.”

His mind was spinning.

“Not only was our best friend, singer and college friend gone, but my entire career and future goals were just wiped out by one person, and we didn’t even know who it was, this ghost.”

Dealing with his grief and pain eventually led Moriarty to social work. Today, he’s a psychiatric social worker at San Francisco General Hospital, where he works with the acutely mentally ill.

“I think it had more to do with my issues dealing with my own personal grief and loss when Mia was killed, as well as being a sort of advocate for Mia’s family, with the media and the cops and other people.”

Moriarty is still amazed by the enduring, universal appeal of Zapata’s songwriting.

“You listen to a song and you think, ‘Oh, my God, she wrote that about me.’ But you know she didn’t. She wrote it about life, and I think that’s what makes a good pop song — and especially a good punk song.”

P-I pop music critic Gene Stout can be reached at 206-448-8383 or genestout@seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

We rarely get thunder or lightening in Seattle, but it seems like tonight’s the night for all kinds of trouble. I’m skipping dancing with the girls. Skipping Wall-E with my Sunday brunch crowd. And just turned down a free ticket to the Mark Knopfler show happening tonight at the winery (and we all know I want more music in my life!). However, M heads to Rainier tomorrow so tonight is the night to talk. And taking is a good thing. Hope y’all are well. More from me later…

The view from our offices on 4th floor. The bank robber was shot and this is them loading the body into the ambulance. The SUV escape car was also shot… but that wasn’t taken away till almost 5pm.

The big craziness at work Monday, and equally big distraction, was a bank robbery and shootout that occurred right on the block outside my office. Apparently there was a bank robbery in West Seattle and the gold SUV escape car decided to try downtown for a getaway route. Police blocked him off on my street, on my block, and then the police cars started showing up by the dozens. As did SWAT trucks and SWAT members, not to mention a few helicopters overhead, fire trucks, and ambulances too. We work on the 4th floor and had a clear view of the entire scene… including the SWAT guys with their automatic rifles and riot gear, hiding behind delivery trucks, hiding in the parking garage, hiding behind police motorcycles, etc. The was a bunch of gunfire, a couple of different times. The PI says “Police estimate that officers fired 15 shots, striking Cox three to five times in the head and neck. Other rounds hit the vehicle.” And after a half hour or hour, they sent teams in to get the body. The driver’s legs were still moving when they loaded him into the ambulance. It was hard to tell from our office whether he was still alive or dead, but the PI says he’s alive and wounded. Craziness. Totally scary to have a big shootout right outside your building, right downtown on a busy intersection, with offices and pedestrians all around. Makes me think of Will, my police officer friend in TX, and how he and other officers put their lives on the line every day. Scary, scary.

Bank robbery suspect wielded a pellet gun
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Shot in head and neck, Cox is upgraded to serious condition

Thursday, July 3, 2008
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ, LEVI PULKKINEN AND CASEY MCNERTHNEY

The bank robbery suspect police shot Tuesday after a frantic pursuit was armed with a pellet gun, which he refused to surrender, the Seattle Police Department said Wednesday.

Three Seattle police officers and a King County sheriff’s deputy fired two volleys at the suspect, Douglas M. Cox. 50, after officers had surrounded him on Spring Street, between First and Second avenues. Police say that he waved the weapon in the air and that officers had no way to tell what kind of weapon it was.

Police estimate that officers fired 15 shots, striking Cox three to five times in the head and neck. Other rounds hit the vehicle.

Cox was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he was upgraded Wednesday to serious condition.

Only a few days earlier, Cox had bought the weapon — a steely black replica of a .45-caliber pistol — from a West Seattle sporting goods store, homicide Sgt. Gary Nelson said. Cox obtained it to rob a Wells Fargo bank in West Seattle with a man he’d befriended while in federal custody for previous bank robberies, Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz said during a news conference.

The weapon fires metal pellets propelled by compressed air. No criminal background check is needed to buy a pellet gun.

After being ordered repeatedly Tuesday to get out of his vehicle and drop the weapon, Cox waved it around with one hand while trying to restart his vehicle, which had stalled. Officers, concerned for the safety of themselves and onlookers, opened fire.

“They believed he intended to use it as a real firearm,” Metz said.

Cox, who most recently lived in Burien, reportedly told his accomplice, Kevin Palmer, 43, that there was “absolutely no way he was going to go back to prison” and that he would do “what was necessary to keep from being apprehended by police,” Metz said.

He also once told a relative that he was hoping someone would shoot him during a robbery in 1997.

A cousin, Richard Joyal, said Cox hated prison. Cox had been incarcerated eight of the past 10 years after two bank robbery sprees. Joyal said the shooting of his cousin brought back memories of conversations they’d had after Cox’s first bank robbery arrest, in 1998.

Cox, a former sergeant in the Army, had failed alcohol treatment and was at rock bottom, Joyal said.

“It wasn’t the money. He’d just had it,” Joyal said from his Ridgecrest, Calif., home. “He said, ‘When I robbed the bank, I was hoping someone would shoot me.’ I honestly believe that’s what was going on this time.”

If convicted of Tuesday’s bank robbery, Cox could be sentenced to life in prison as a “three strikes” offender.

Meanwhile, bail was set at $2 million for Palmer, the suspected accomplice. Palmer initially was driving the getaway vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, police say.

He was arrested and booked into the King County Jail after jumping from the vehicle as the police pursuit Tuesday wound through Yesler Terrace.

The four officers who fired at Cox were placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard in officer-involved shootings, Metz said

The officers are Sgt. Joseph Bauer, 45, a 14-year veteran; SWAT Officer Jeff Geoghagen, 37, a 14-year veteran; patrol Officer Chriseley Lang, 46, a 10-year veteran; and sheriff’s Deputy William Kennemer, 40, a Metro transit officer and 10-year veteran, Metz said.

Cox has been convicted of bank robberies in Spokane and in the Seattle area. In the Spokane robbery, he had armed himself with a BB gun.

He was released June 6 from a federal halfway facility after serving time for robbing banks in Fife and Kenmore. In those robberies, Cox did not display a weapon.

According to police, a silent alarm summoned officers about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday to the bank in the 2300 block of California Avenue Southwest.

Just after the heist, two patrol officers spotted the suspects pulled over in the Cherokee in the 2600 block of Harbor Avenue Southwest, where they had stopped to air out the vehicle after red security dye packs had exploded in stolen cash, Metz said.

The officers, with guns drawn, ordered them to stop. The suspects instead sped off.

Cox asked Palmer to be the getaway driver for $500 to $4,000, according to court documents.

The 30-minute pursuit ended when a truck blocked Cox’s route on Spring Street, allowing police to block him in.

After officers fired the first volley, they waited for about 2 1/2 minutes for signs of movement. Then, Cox sat up, still holding the weapon, as he slid toward the driver’s side window, prompting officers to fire a second time, Metz said.

Metz said officers adhered to department policies in both the pursuit and the shooting and used “a great deal of restraint.” Officers had no choice but to confront the suspect after he stopped downtown because he was considered a “violent, dangerous felon.”

Officers tried to clear out bystanders as they shouted commands to the suspect, he said.

An internal shooting review board will examine the officers’ use of lethal force, Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said.

Palmer, the second suspect, didn’t appear at his bail hearing Wednesday afternoon. His mother, 82-year-old Barbara Hopson, defended her son in a King County Jail courtroom.

“I just don’t believe that my child would rob a bank,” she said.

P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 206-903-5396 or scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Today I woke up this morning with a throbbing headache and sore back. Also, I feel stuffy and my belly hurts like cramps. Me: age 31 and falling apart, apparently. I’m hoping I’m not getting another cold. I just had one after North Dakota last month. Not ideal if I’m supposed to go hiking twice this weekend. Guess this is one easy way for my body to force me to slow down. Admittedly, last weekend’s 8 party invites and one concert were a bit ambitious. (For the record, I only ended up going to 5 of the parties). Tonight, however, is First Thursday Art Walk so I plan to get out and about to enjoy my local arts community.

Yesterday M and I got dinner and talked. We’re still alive and well, just more cautious it would seem. He thinks his next freak out won’t be for another few months (I’m not entirely convinced, but I am hopeful). So there you go. Side note: We ate Indian food, first time in 9 months, and I was super excited. Till it arrived. And then it was kinda impossible to eat. At least the samosa was of a seriously tasty garam flour, even if a bit dry.

Tuesday night Blaque and I went out for sushi at Ototo in Queen Anne (it was modern and even had AC). Pretty yummy, and a good number of veggie options. Added bonus: their mushroom asparagus appetizer was outstanding! I generally casually avoid mushrooms, but these were almost as good as the mushrooms at the Silent-Heart-Nest type veggie place in Queens. Awesome. Good conversation. Fun times.

Monday was dinner with my vegetarian photography friends. I think we’ve been doing these dinners for 4-5 years now? Kinda funny, and always fun. John still uses his darkroom and recently had one of his pictures on the front page of the Seattle PI. Phil’s apparently doing mostly painting these days. Caroline’s moved on to film. And me? Let’s not talk about me, shall we? Dinner was at Johnjay… the entirely vegetarian Thai place in Wallingford… yum! No AC and we were sweating through the meal. Ice cream afterwards was at Molly Moo’s… the new all organic, local, delish ice cream joint in Wallingford. I had the sea salt caramel flavor (to die for! almost too rich), and also tried the balsamic strawberry and the Thai ice tea. Added bonus: all of their cups, spoons, and water glasses are compostable! Sweet deal!

To, to recap… I’m surviving. Wishing my head and back weren’t hurting. Wishing my brain would slow down for a while. Feel like just connecting to friends for a while. Low key. Hope y’all are well.

Ototo Sushi Restaurant
www.ototosushi.com
7 Boston St, Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: (206) 691-3838

“This is not a cozy, snuggle-up kind of place, and it certainly doesn’t blend into Queen Anne’s otherwise low-profile restaurant row. It’s clean, bright and starkly decorated; the outdoor chairs are an almost Day-Glo shade of red. But welcoming and attentive service, as well as a few sips of sake, provide sufficient warmth.

Presentation is lovely, doing the bright, fresh sashimi justice–the soft, silken amoebi (sweet raw shrimp) and delicate hotate (scallop) stand out. The spicy tuna roll is one of the best in the city, but also the simple Negitoro (fatty tuna with green onion) is equally impressive. The lobster roll, when it’s on the menu, is fine, but not worth the extra money. Among the entrees, the miso-marinated salmon is excellent, as is the monkfish in sweet mango sauce. Desserts are tempting, especially the large chocolate calzone, but can be overkill after such a delicate dinner.” -CitySearch

I didn’t go in to the office till 2pm and ended up staying working pretty late. Eventually I left and met Rod for some last minute food and a trek to First Thursday Art Walk. You’d think summer would bring big crowds, but I think perhaps the holiday weekend kept some people away. I enjoyed the people watching, and spent most of my time in 619 Western (as usual), on one hall of the 4th floor. This month my friend Thomas was showing his photos so we went to see his stuff and then ended up hanging there most of the night. More and more friends showed up and passed through, providing a constant stream of entertaining conversation and art critique. Was fun to see Alison, Stuart, Scott, Sumit, Marta, Gary & Jaime, Jim, Rakesh, David, and others. Awesome.

After art walk I was delighted to see a missed message from Antoun who was back yet again visiting from Boston/SF. He’s been in Seattle three weekends in one month’s time… and he’s winning points as one of my favorite new people. Was fun to have time to hang out with him before he left again for SF today. Seems he’s even willing to let me hitch a ride to Burning Man with him from SF… making him even more totally awesome than he already was. Yay new over achieving friends… gotta love those sexy compassionate lawyer burner types!

And today is Independence Day. As it happens, I’ve actually been thinking about independence quite a bit lately… but have no good conclusions yet. For now I’m off to 4th parties. Happy Independence y’all!

On the Fourth of July I was debating which parties to hit and in what order, and in the end decided uncharacteristically not to party hop. I was going to go to one, and only one, party and then call it a night. Who knew it’s have such a profound effect on me? Guess it’s a statement on how often I party hop. (It’s not that I’m oh so popular… it’s more that parties seems to always happen on the same day as three or four other parties). So for the 4th I went over to Susie and Duff’s rooftop deck and stayed all afternoon and night. Good times. I had time to talk to pretty much anyone I wanted to. Lovely concept! And then there’s more time left to meet new folks and talk to strangers. (Like 23 year old Matthew who looks astoundingly like Droopy looked when we dated in college). Ah young’uns. And as some people left, others arrived, and I had time to talk to all of them. I didn’t miss anyone. I recognize this may not be a fascinating story for you, but the event really did put me in a different head space.

Saturday Clare and I met up for some Burning Man shopping and then I resumed my party hopping norm. First was Thanksgiving at Tinka’s place, where we had a large crowd and an even larger pile of food. Got to see Joe, Beth, Craig, Joy, Marty, Tinka, Daniel (didn’t recognize him at first, eep!), David, Adele, Jed, Yohanna, Rod, and Clare. (And maybe I’m missing folks?).

After gorging ourselves on unhealthy yummies like bacon and butternut squash and mint cheesecake, most of us headed over to Barry’s house for more partying. We got the party started in early evening, and many more folks continued to arrive even around midnight when I was heading out. Enjoyed good conversations with Jason, Leo, Mae, Candance, and Mars (among others). Mae and Leo invited me over for a movie after the party and I happily accepted. The movie wasn’t so great (“Akeelah and the Bee”) but it was very good to hang out with them outside of the larger party scene.

Sunday M and I spent a long day together, alternating talking and fun exploits. The conversation felt raw and honest and powerful, and still manageable and hopeful overall. And we had lots of fun on a lazy Sunday. I’m sure I could say more, but I’ll just leave it at “It was a really good day.” We’re still dating. We’re even more open that before. And life is a bit complicated, perhaps, but such is the way these things work.

Sunday evening I took a quick break from M to go with Rose to go visit Angelica and see babies Stella and Fiona. I hadn’t been to visit in over a month and it was long overdue. I got to hold and bounce Stella for a long time till she finally crashed out. Hanging with them was fun as always. (Was a bit surprised to notice that my arm was sore immediately after leaving there… I couldn’t imagine the energy required having twins and doing all that twice!).

Monday the storm clouds went away and the sun returned… just in time for me to return to work. Such timing. I did manage to go to the gym, return a billion emails, work late, and have a quick visit with Clare. I also managed to accidentally leave half my groceries at the market… guess I was tired?

Today my highlights were taking a walk with Sus during the work day, eating lunch outside on the balcony at work, and then heading to Eastlake Bar & Grill to celebrate Kerry getting another year older and more fantastic. Kerry has much to celebrate right now including her engagement to John (I seriously think my jaw dropped at the 4th when I spotted the ring on her finger!), the upcoming move to St Louis, and all kinds of new adventures to follow. Tonight it was great to have girl talk at the birthday celebration… and I was excited to hear where Kim is at in life. (Divorce followed by travel… that’s a lot to fit in any one head). Common theme today: spending time in the gorgeous weather soaking up the sun! I stayed in the sun till I watched it set over the Olympics, and then decided I was willing to head home.

It’s now dark and I’m ready for bed. Think I need to start getting to bed earlier if I’m going to hit the gym regularly, but that just doesn’t seem to happen yet.

Unrelated… Count down to my parents visit: 2 weeks!

Hope y’all are well!

Tennis Pro played the free Out to Lunch summer concert series today in Occidental Park. They were pretty rockin’!

The crowd, on the other hand, was largely the stereotypical drunk homeless guys who hang in Pioneer Square. There were a handful of business folks like me and a few moms with kids. Kind of a mixed bag. Luckily, Crazy Scarf Guy was there to round out the bizarre nature of the audience, as was a shirtless Jeff Bridges look alike who danced the whole show.

Don’t give up, Tennis Pro! Y’all are rock stars in my book, even if this wasn’t your highest turn out ever.

Dean and Samantha

Imagine my surprise and delight when I found out Samantha’s new boy is not only from Austin, he also goes to Burning Man! If that wasn’t enough, he’s also lived overseas for a few years in Indonesia and is also ridiculously sweet on Samantha, which trumps pretty much everything else. I whole heartedly approve. Yay dating coworkers!

Cat and Caroline

The plan was to go dancing, but that never really happened. Can’t blame us since we hadn’t gotten together to catch up in a month or more. I wore my new entertainingly short and fluffy zebra skirt (to which Samantha promised to next time wear her green giraffe print dress, and Caroline promised khakis and binoculars). Ah, silliness. The big silliness of the evening was a constant stream of men coming to sit down in our booth as soon as Dean was out the door. We had drunks, film makers, actors, a cook from Linda’s, drunk dude in polo shirt who fell out of the booth once but never spoke, and a couple of very bizarre, socially awkward mustached men.

The steady stream of men approaching us in bars doesn’t seem to happen to any of us solo or when we’re out in other crowds, but when together, the three of us definitely bring in the crazies. Go us!

Where eco-friendly meets hip, fuctional, and cheap. Gotta love it! Austin had the free yellow bike program back in the day. Maybe Seattle will get an equivilent of Velib? It’d be cool! From the New York Times:

A New Fashion Catches On in Paris: Cheap Bicycle Rentals
By STEVEN ERLANGER

PARIS — They’re clunky, heavy and ugly, but they have become modish — and they are not this season’s platform shoes.

A year after the introduction of the sturdy gray bicycles known as Vélib’s, they are being used all over Paris. The bikes are cheap to rent because they are subsidized by advertising, and other major cities, including American ones, are exploring similar projects.

About 20,600 Vélib’ bicycles are in service here, with more than 1,450 self-service rental stations. The stations are only some 300 yards apart, and there are four times as many as there are subway stations, even in a city so well served by its metro system.

In the first year, the city says, there have been 27.5 million trips in this city of roughly 2.1 million people, many of them for daily commutes. On average, there are 120,000 trips a day. And on July 27, at the conclusion here of the Tour de France, 365 lucky Vélib’ riders will be chosen to ride along for a while and cross the finish line.

There are a Vélib’ Web site, Vélib’ fashions and a Vélib’ blog (http://blog.velib.paris.fr/blog); one recent posting discussed the best way to ride with a skirt. A kind of Vélib’ behavior has emerged, especially at the morning rush, with people swiftly checking for bikes in the best condition: tires inflated, chains still attached, baskets unstolen.

Natallya Ghyssaert, a 34-year-old doctor, has an annual subscription for 29 euros (about $46), which lets her use a bike whenever she wants for 30 minutes at a time without extra charges. She uses a Vélib’ two or three times a day, saying, “I love it; you can see Paris, you can exercise and stay out in the light of day.”

The Vélib’ — a contraction of vélo for bike and liberté — can also be rented for a day or for a week, with a 150 euro (about $239) deposit taken from the user’s credit card if the bike is not returned. Usage fees over 30 minutes can rise steeply: two hours costs 7 euros (about $11). But 96 percent of all rides are less than 30 minutes, because bikes can be returned to any station.

No one knows quite how many trips by car or taxi are thereby avoided, but the “eco-friendly” nature of the Vélib’ has been much promoted in a country where juice companies warn of the risks to “our fragile planet” in lavish brochures on thick paper.

Benjamin Tomada, 30, a cook parking his Vélib’ near the Music Hall restaurant where he works, said: “I have a car but I don’t use it. It’s always better to take a bike than the metro.”

Still, there have been significant problems with traffic congestion and safety, vandalism and theft. At least 3,000 of the bikes have been stolen — nearly 15 percent of the total, and twice original estimates. Some have been seen in Romania or found in shipping containers on their way to Morocco.

Wearing helmets is not compulsory in France, and three people have died on their rented Vélib’s, hit by buses or trucks.

The Vélib’ program in Paris was conceived by the Socialist mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, and the 10-year contract was won by JCDecaux, a major French public relations and advertising company with good political contacts, after defeating a rival bid from Clear Channel.

The deal is supposed to be good for Paris, but it promises to be extremely lucrative over time for JCDecaux.

Decaux got to erect 1,628 billboards to rent; it invested nearly $142 million to set up the rental bike system and the billboards, and must provide maintenance and replace stolen bikes; the city of Paris gets the proceeds from the usage of the bikes plus some royalties from Decaux.

So far, according to Rémy Pheulpin, the company’s executive vice president, it has put up 1,500 billboards in a year and expects to make about $94 million a year from them. The company stands to begin turning a considerable profit if not next year, then in the third year of its 10-year contract.

The city has received $31.5 million from subscribers and users of the bikes, plus an additional $5.5 million a year, fixed in the contract, from advertising royalties, according to Céline Lepault, the Vélib’ project manager for City Hall.

Mr. Pheulpin, whose company built similar but much smaller programs in 10 other cities, like Lyon and Rouen, said the company had learned that there were several keys to success: allowing subscriptions, so people get the sense that the bikes are free once they have paid their up-front fee; making sure the bike stations are ubiquitous and keeping the system “user-friendly.”

In fact, the system is easy to use, with instructions in various languages, and bikes can be taken and returned quickly — so long as there are bikes available in good repair. But as many American tourists have discovered, only credit cards with built-in chips, common in Europe but unusual in America, are accepted by the terminals.

A Decaux subsidiary repairs the bikes — some 1,500 a day. The bikes are heavy, to try to prevent theft of key parts like gears, chains and electronic sensors, which measure time of rental. While an average bike weighs 33 pounds and is used for 124 miles a year, Mr. Pheulpin said, the three-gear Vélib’, specially designed and built by a French company in Hungary, weighs nearly 50 pounds and is built to be used more than 6,000 miles a year. Each bike costs $3,460.

As for safety, both the city and Decaux argue that bicycle accidents in Paris have risen only 7 percent compared with a 24 percent increase in bicycle use since early 2007. “Bicycles become fashionable, and the more bikes there are in a city, the safer it is, and the more the city will give space to bicyclists,” Mr. Pheulpin said.

The city and Decaux, after criticism following the latest death on June 23, say they will start a new safety advertising campaign in September. Vélib’ users are supposed to follow road rules, stop at red lights and stay off the sidewalks, but many do not.

Drivers in already congested Paris, never particularly bike-friendly, are not particularly happy with the bikes that further clog the streets or with Mr. Delanoë’s effort to reduce car traffic by 40 percent by 2020. In 2001, Yves Contassot, then deputy mayor for the environment, said of motorists: “It is only by making them live in hell that we’ll get drivers to renounce their cars.” Motorists remember.

Wide bus lanes were set up on major through streets like the Boulevard Montparnasse — considered too wide, termed “XXL” in the press. While nothing like Amsterdam, Paris is also building more bike lanes, as well as reducing parking spaces by putting Vélib’ stations in their place.

“This is what the French call a ‘false good idea,’ ” said Ronald Koven, who drives a car here. “The traffic jams are far worse, and because of them, the pollution is, too.”

Ms. Ghyssaert, the doctor, says she feels safe on the bicycles, “except in some bustling neighborhoods where there are too many cars.” She is not always so careful, she admitted. “I use the bike to dodge in and out of traffic, and I know that the drivers are irritated to see so many Vélib’s.”

Helmets would be a good idea, she said, offering a very French solution: “The city should get further subsidies and give Vélib’ subscribers vouchers to get helmets from big stores.”

Maia de la Baume and Basil Katz contributed reporting.

I love Shakespeare in the Park. I used to go a ton in Austin, and even more in Dallas since they had huge shows! Today I’m heading to see my favorite Shakespeare: Twelfth Night. Yay! It’s at 2pm for anyone interested in joining me!

Twelfth Night
July 11 – August 16, 2008
Cost: Free
“If music be the food of love, play on!”

Shipwrecked in the land of Illyria, her brother lost at sea, Viola finds herself in the middle of a bizarre love triangle. Employed by Duke Orsino, and disguised as a boy, she is sent on an embassy of love to Countess Olivia, who finds herself smitten by this intriguing messenger. Love, mistaken identities, disguises, revenge, tomfoolery, sword fighting, passion, and music – sweet music, make Twelfth Night one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most complete comedies.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
* Friday, July 11 – 7pm – Volunteer Park
* Saturday, July 12 – 3pm – Lincoln Park
* Sunday, July 13 – 2pm – Volunteer Park- SOTF

* Friday, July 18 – 7pm – Woodland Park
* Saturday, July 19 – 3pm – Woodland Park
* Sunday, July 20 – 3pm – Woodland Park

* Friday, July 25 – 7pm – Redmond City Hall
* Saturday, July 26 – 7pm – Camp Long
* Sunday, July 27 – 3pm – Discovery Park

* Friday, August 1 – 7pm – Lincoln Park
* Saturday, August 2 – 7pm – Dottie Harper Park, Burien
* Sunday, August 3 – 3pm – Lincoln Park

* Thursday, August 7 – 7pm – Lynndale Park, Lynnwood
* Friday, August 8 – 7pm – Fall City Park
* Saturday, August 9 – 3pm – Magnuson Park
* Sunday, August 10 – 7pm – Magnuson Park

* Friday, August 15 – 7pm – Seward Park
* Saturday, August 16 – 3pm – Seward Park

Sus and Cat chillin’ on the rooftop deck. I decided not to party hop and just enjoyed a lazy day with friends… quite lovely!

Alexandra actually followed the rules and tried to look patriotic. Nice Texas pin!

Jeff started the faces… I was only playing along

Duff and Sus… the hosts with the most

Booze Cake, a Duff tradition

I’m excited that Kerry’s getting married, but will be sad to have her move away in Sept…

Met 23 yr old Matt who works at Microsoft and lives in Wallingford. He’s an engineer like ex-boyfriend Eric and also looks crazily similar to what ex-boyfriend Eric looked like at age 23.

For comparison: This is me with my college boyfriend Eric, upon returning from Kenya last year (both of us age 30).

Maggie, Ian, and Jim (all sportin’ their red, white, and blue from the kids parade earlier in the day!)

Momma Mags is happy when RumBob is full :)

Almost spit up my coffee just now when I took a sip, dialed the phone at work, and then got a really loud fax beeping on the other end of the line. I was distracted, drinking, and totally startled when I head the blaring noise… enough to almost choke me when I started laughing super hard while trying not to spew coffee. Just the important kind of daily recap I offer to you, kind readers. Yes, I think I’m nearly delirious today with so many phone calls. In other news, my quirky office mate is out of the office for the next month… which means I can nearly lose my coffee (and composure) and no one is here to see me in my silliness. Wahoo! Yay Mondays!

I totally shouldn’t admit to this. I’m a grown woman and a respectable adult. Regardless, one of my new favorite things is being snarky. I’ve always been kind, patient, and way too forgiving. Being snarky, especially with other snarky women, is totally new to me, wildly inappropriate, and oh so much fun. Lovin’ it.

Seattle Great City Initiative Summer Street Scene Party
When Jul 17, 2008 from 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm
Where South Lake Union Discovery Center, 101 Westlake Ave N
Contact Phone 206.905.6940

Please join Seattle Great City Initiative for a party to celebrate our work with food, drink, music and a street transformation.

Planned Activities include:
* Food and Drink from local companies
* Local musicians
* An “Urban Design Corner” featuring great locally designed sustainability projects.
* Exhibitors on alternative energy and transportation choices
* And, the “Streets for People” competition – see how local teams compete to transform a section of John Street into an inviting places for people, and help choose the winner.

Come meet new people, learn, eat drink and enjoy, and most of all — be inspired to help build a Great City for all of us. Suggested donation of $10.00.

Susie is a volunteer with Sustainable Capitol Hill, “a neighborhood organization which, since its inception one year ago, has worked to be a catalyst for the community to move forward on issues of sustainability and carbon neutrality.” Their big community event is this Sunday from 11am-4pm. I’ll be there and hope you can make it too!

In Susie’s own words:

We’re throwing a bit of a party, and you should come. The City of Seattle awarded our organization a $15,000 grant to hold a first-time event, which we’re calling Imagine Capitol Hill. Imagine will be a one-day outdoor street festival designed to inspire participants to imagine what Capitol Hill could be like as a more sustainable community. Our event will spotlight local businesses, musicians, artists, food producers, and educational organizations, celebrate current sustainable practices in the neighborhood, and showcase attainable action steps to moving the community towards sustainability.

The fair will have interactive, hands-on activities such as green cooking demos from local chefs (using produce from the farmer’s market), a recycled clothing fashion show, craft projects using recycled materials, and neighborhood walks. Imagine will be free and open to the public. The fair is scheduled for 20 July 2008, and will be held in proximity to the Broadway Farmers Market. Fun for adults, fun for kids (chalk art and face painting included), and we already have a sweet list of partners and entertainers on board (think the likes of Office Nomads, Madison Market, Remedy Teas, Cedar Grove Composting, and many many more).

I hope many (or all!) of you can join in the fun and come spend the day on Capitol Hill with me. The event will last from 11 am – 4 pm, held in close proximity to the Broadway Farmers Market (we’ve got 10th Ave & Thomas Streets closed for us for the day). This is a big community effort and is going to be a grand celebration – hopefully the first of many! I hope to see you out there on Sunday, July 20!

Did you know California’s quite progressive in their environmental policy, and are perhaps the most environmentally progressive state? Hence our high number of clients down there. My third business trip to the Bay Area is coming up around August 17th.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, AB939 became law on January 1, 1990. AB939 shifted the statewide planning focus from development of landfill capacity to development and implementation of alternatives to landfill disposal. Under AB939, cities and counties were required to develop Source Reduction and Recycling Elements (SRREs) describing specific programs they will implement to reduce waste by 25% by 1995 and 50% by the year 2000. The law provides for the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) to assess penalties of up to $10,000 per day for a jurisdiction’s failure to develop or implement a plan.

In the past week and a half, I’ve seen 2 concerts (Tennis Pro and Gutter Twins), 2 plays (one musical, one Shakespeare), hung out with old coworkers from various AmeriCorps years, hung with old friends (Samantha, Jess, etc), newer friends (Gabriel, Craig, Heather, Phil), and am enjoying getting to know others better with each passing month (Mars, Lars, Simon, Leo and Mae, etc).

It’s been over a week since I posted the basics… and it’s taken me a while because I’ve been busy. If only I was independently wealthy… it’d be so much easier to fit in all of the good stuff without having to worry about 40-50 hours of billable work a week. :) It’s been a fun couple of weeks… lots of great stuff happening, too much almost. Hate having to turn stuff down and say no… but have missed out of some good people regardless. (Was totally bummed to miss out on Camp Casey with Clare and crowd… but Jess was in town so that made the decision easier). So much to do, and so many good people. Not a bad problem to have!

Here’s the recap…

• Saturday: Hiking 8 mile easy/moderate hike at Denny Creek and quality time with M and Gabriel. Lots of sun. No switchbacks. Just gorgeous valleys and waterfalls the whole way up and back. Just what I needed. Rat City Roller Girls roller derby bout 4 with Heather, Phil, Jeff R, and Megan. Always entertaining. Dancing at LoFi with Jess, Caroline, and Fester. Apparently it was Dollhouse, their monthly lesbian night. Meant no sleazy men hitting on us, which worked out well.
• Friday: Happy hour at Chapel with Alexandra, C-E, Paige, Susie, Alexis, Sarah, Jeff R, and Megan. Dinner afterwards at Zoe with M, followed by a midnight showing of The Dark Knight at the Cinerama with M, Leo, Mae, Kevin, Brady, Serena, and Natalia.
• Thursday: GroovLite BBQ with Barry, Lars, Richard, Geoff, Laura, Mike, Alissa, Michael, Eva, et al. Hanging at Phil B’s and seeing his brand new house… less than a mile from me! Yay neighbors!
• Wednesday: Visiting Angelica, Stefan, and the twins. Dinner with Angelica and Caroline at Smith in Capitol Hill (avoid the $10 “drink special” sangria… not good, not worth it). Drinks with Jess, Lee, and Caroline at Five Spot in Queen Anne.
• Tuesday: Run Greenlake! Date night with M. Lazy night, good conversation, dinner with M and Mars at The Cactus in Madison.
• Monday: Gym! Late dinner in Capitol Hill.
• Sunday: Shakespeare in the Park “Twelfth Night” with Lauren, Jacob, and Katie, followed by coffee and catch up conversation. Afternoon gathering at Leo and Mae’s for gazpacho, grilled corn, cherries, and lovely people like Nathan, Miller, Mabry, Laura, Candace, and others. Cook dinner (banana curry) and hot tub with Heather. Late night with M.
• Saturday: Sunning at Heden. Gelato with Jess, in town from SF! Dinner with Simon at his brand new house off MLK… great to catch up, great to sit on deck with great views of Rainier! SubPop 20th anniversary show at the Showbox: saw Gutter Twins with Craig F. Opening bands were Skullbot (hard rocking high school boys) and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (fronted by Tad Doyle… best known for his earlier metal-inspired grunge band “Tad”). After the show was drinks at the NiteLite for Fester’s 30th birthday. She was pretty drunk upon arrival, super friendly, so excited to see us.
• Friday: Rocky Horror Show in Olympia at the State Theatre w/ Erin D. Live cast musical production. Was not excited about the drive to Olympia or about missing Barry’s birthday formal at the park, but had a really great time at the production. Left me full of memories from my youth… so many good people on the Austin Rocky cast and so many good times over the years… After returning to Seattle at midnight, met up with Fester, Jess (in from SF!), and Caroline at the Kangaroo and Kiwi for birthday drinks and a rugby match.
• Thursday: Dinner with Sarah Kim. Art opening for Thomas, Stuart, Michael, and Evginia at Tuogo in Capitol Hill. Hanging with Stuart and Noah. Date night with M.
• Wednesday: Gasworks park in the sun! Photo meetup at Uptown with Rod, Michael, Jim, Ben, Skye, et al. Girls night at the Satellite with Caroline, Samantha, Dean, and lots of misc men in mustaches.

Needless to say, I’m double or triple booked most nights. Am surrounded by an ever increasing number of good people in my life. Feeling a little stretched thin, but having a great time spending time with all kinds of fabulous folks from different circles of friends.

Restaurant Zoe
www.restaurantzoe.com
2137 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 256-2060

“The menu emphasizes the Northwest, but the room feels European: The space is classy but not flashy, the service helpful but not obtrusive, and the clientele is mixed in age, style and clique. The food, like that at fine French bistros, combines the classic with the intriguing.” —Seattle Weekly

Smith
332 15th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: (206) 709-1900

“Rustic in style and rich with Linda Derschang’s signature scene-making ambience, the Capitol Hill pub evokes a distinct Anglophile angle. Modeled after classic British pubs, with long communal tables, roughly finished wood plank floors, and an exhaustive European beer selection, the space manages to give off both a working class welcome and a upwardly mobile urban energy.

The menu is suitably hearty fare: fried duck leg, pork sandwiches, and plenty of sinful small plates, including poutine (French fries with gravy and cheese curds) and “Devils on Horseback” (dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon). If quiet conversation is on your agenda, this won’t be an ideal destination—the high-ceilinged space’s acoustics are booming.” -CitySearch

Yesterday I wore one of my old housewife dresses and got tons of compliments. Gotta love those crazy vintage Goodwill finds! Mega kudos to memory rock star Mags who remembered it from years ago when I apparently wore it to a Mom themed Sunday dinner. Awesome! Sadly, I now have a triangle sunburn on my chest from the halter top. No complaints from me though… the day was gorgeous, the friends were in abundance, and life is good.

• Started the day at Imagine Capitol Hill and enjoyed the agencies present. Hung with Jacob and Susie in their swank lounge, and saw Kelly, Jim, Maggie, Ian, Caroline, Jess, Jeff, Lauren, Jessica, and many great others.
• Continued the sunny day on Katie’s back deck with an amazing view of the entire town and Mt Rainier. Stayed at her BBQ for a while and got to chat with Zach, John, Matt, Bobby, and see many others like Maly and Carly.
• Went to a photo shoot at 5pm with John C and maybe I’ll even consider posting a picture or two someday. He does such great work!
• Headed to date night with M in the evening. Think I’m quite spoiled this week getting to see him last Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and again last night on Sunday. He’ll be splitting time between Seattle and SF for the next six months and while it’s an exciting work opportunity for him, I know commuting will be a little tiring for him and I know I’ll be sad to see him a bit less. Either way, I still feel very lucky to have him in my life!

Now is the time to live your ideal life.

I’ve been back in Seattle for exactly one year now! A year ago I was homeless, unemployed, single, and trying to find my place in the world. News of Africa brought tears to my eyes regularly and I thought about aspects of Africa every single day. I knew things would change upon return to my old Seattle hometown, but I never would’ve been able to predict all that’s changed in the last year. So many great new friends in a crazy new community, reconnecting with so many great old friends in increasingly overlapping communities (the world seems to get smaller every day), new relationships (including M!), new experiences (countless!), new and different health complications, new job (entirely different field/career path), and a bunch of new living situations (first with Jess, then on my own in the treehouse studio, and now back in Fremont with a roomie). I’m still trying to find my place in the world, but I don’t think that’s ever going to change.

I could go on and on, but for now I’ll just express my love and gratitude for the experiences I had while traveling and my love and gratitude for the kind, gentle, patient souls who loved me, welcomed me home, and took care of me upon my return over this past year. To everyone who’s been in my life and come into my life over this past year, spread out across town, states, and various countries, thank you for being exactly who you are to me. :)

My parents are here… on their third trip to Seattle. They came my first year twice (once in June staying with me in my tiny efficiency apartment in Capitol Hill and once in January for the 2002 Olympic Torch Run staying who knows where… our collective memory seems to have faded and jumbled… neither my parents nor Dieter or I seem to know, but they all remember his apartment). This visit the weather’s rather chilly, especially compared to Texas’s 100 degree heat wave, and upon arrival my parents were relieved and said “Oh! This can be our winter!”

This time around they’re staying with me in Fremont. Yesterday we did Thai food, Pike Place Market, Recycled Cycles, and dinner in the U-District. Today they’ll visit Ballard, see the Nordic Heritage Museum (Mom’s family is Swedish), and hopefully hang out at the Ballard Locks. Tonight we’re having a little BBQ so they can meet my friends and friends can meet my parents, despite the face that BBQ weather seems to have gone out the window. Why it’s 62 degrees and cloudy in the middle of July I have no idea. Alas…

Q: How many Bro’s does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: IS THERE A PROBLEM, BRO?

Awesome. And this youtube music video is ridiculous too.

The BBQ for my parents at M’s on Wednesday went well and he was a gracious host. My parents generously brought up fajita meat from Texas and grilled it up for a group of friends. I tried to mix and match a few circles of friends… a chance to meet my parents and a chance to meet other people I care about. We had people from my Sunday dinner crowd, Sunday brunch crowd, Africa crowd, photo crowd, Sound Youth coworkers, and a few of my newer friends from M’s crowd. Love it. In attendance: Clare, Susie, Nancy and guest, Jen, Caroline, Heater, Lesley, Lars, Mars, Leo, Theo, Kevin, Bri, Fiona, me, Mom, Dad, and M. I tried to keep it a small crowd for ease of conversations, though it felt a little strange/empty in M’s spacious house that accommodates parties for 100-200 people. All in all, I was lucky to be surrounded by good people and yummy food. :)

Thursday they wandered around Seattle via car and then we met up for dinner and a show downtown. We did dinner at McCormicks and Scmidt’s, got a tour of my office and company, and then went over to the Triple Door to meet up with Jen, Sus, Lars, and Sarah B. A band from Zimbabwe was playing (Mawungira Enharira) and it was a pretty entertaining show. The music wasn’t bad (though not as dear to my heart as zilizopendwa). The dancing crowd was pretty entertaining, as were the antics of the band members. They were all in jerseys and t-shirts pre-show, then put on furs for the show, and we even caught two of them sniffing white powder stage right during the show. Not too discreet, guys.

For the weekend we headed up to Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Long name for a cute, small town. :) We spent a couple of days there, then returned to Port Angeles, then back to Seattle on Sunday evening. Will post pictures someday when I have free time (free time? ha ha ha!).

Sunday night I left Mom and Dad for some alone time when I ducked out to see M. Yesterday they did dinner with Kandy, Brian, and Colin, and this morning I dropped them at the airport at 5:15am. It was great having them here, very low key and quiet, relaxed and mellow. I’ll post more details and pics later, but have to run right now.

Mom pointed out the last my blog mentions was the fight or big discussion M and I had almost a month ago after Heden High when I was scared we were going to break up. Guess there are updates to share on that front… so I need to get around to that one of these days as well. He already posted on his FaceBook profile that we’re “in a relationship,” so most of the world seems to know and is sending sweet, funny, and entertaining notes. I guess if he’s posted there, I should post here too. For now, you should know we’re well, better than ever, even great. M and I hit 10 months this week and had some kind of breakthrough a few weeks ago during the big discussions where we both admitted we’re attached and now we seem to be admitting we’re in love. Aww. And we now actually embrace boyfriend/girlfriend labels and all of the power that comes with them. Aww. Sweet and giddy and crazy and exciting, but also honestly a little terrifying to know the deeper I/we fall, the greater potential for monumental heartbreak. Do I sound like a commitment-phobe, more easily attached to detached, inaccessible boys? Or do I sound like I’m just scared of getting hurt, or not deserving this kind of love? He’s generous in every possible way, and isn’t holding back his love, and for maybe the first time in my life I’m terrified. I’ve never been tempted by conflicting “embrace it” or “run like hell” instincts before. Kinda scary, and super exciting and beautiful all at the same time.

In case you’re wondering, yes M does read the blog. Yes, he laughs that I call him M and don’t use his name. And yes, I’ve told him all of these fears already and he loves me anyway. It’s been a while since I’ve had a normal boyfriend (as if you could describe M as normal!), and he’s an astoundingly impressive human, friend, and lover. I’m sure I’ll read this in a week or month and laugh at myself for sounding so melodramatic, but for now just give me some leeway to alternate between freaking out and gushing. :)

And on a side note, I may join him for his upcoming adventure biking across Vietnam. It’d be time with the man that I love, international travel, and an excuse to make myself healthier. Seriously… what could be better?

Source: http://www.climatebiz.com/column/2008/07/14/do-food-miles-matter

Do Food Miles Matter?
By Marc Gunther
Published July 14, 2008

There’s no doubt that buying and eating local food is a hot trend. But is it good for the environment?

Recently, I got a press release from Wal-Mart saying that partnerships with local farmers have grown by 50 percent over the past two years—one example of the company’s efforts to support local economies, cut shipping costs and provide fresh food offerings.

For the 4th of July, a Wal-Mart Supercenter in DeKalb County, Ga., featured Georgia-grown Vidalia onions for burgers, Georgia cantaloupes and watermelons for fruit salad and Georgia peaches for cobbler, the company said.

Meanwhile, Chipotle Mexican Grill reports that it has stepped up its efforts to buy local produce. The fast food chain says it is the first and only national restaurant company committed to buying local on a significant scale:

Chipotle will purchase 25 percent of at least one of its produce items for each of its 730-plus restaurants from small and mid-sized local farms. The produce, which includes romaine lettuce, green bell and jalapeno peppers, and red onions, will arrive from local farms when seasonally available.

What’s more, locally grown produce was voted No. 2 on a list of nearly 200 hot trends for 2008 in a survey of more than 1,200 professional chefs conducted by the Natural Restaurant Association. (Bite-sized desserts led the list.) A week or so ago, my wife and I tried a brand-new restaurant called Redwood in Bethesda, sure enough the menu is filled with beef, cheese and produce from the mid-Atlantic states.

Last week, too, The New York Times ran a story about community-supported agriculture on its front page—a reliable lagging cultural indicator, as ever.

Now, I’m a fan of local eating. Since joining a CSA last year, I’ve consumed a lifetime’s worth of Swiss chard. Buying local food supports the local economy, cuts down on shipping costs and greenhouse gases, encourages (or requires) consumers to broaden their palette of food choices (i.e., the chard) and gets fruits and vegetables to the table when they are fresher. That’s all laudable.

But before we get carried away, let’s keep a couple of things in mind. The first is that being a locavore is utterly impractical for the vast majority of people. It’s no surprise that the local-food movement is most popular in northern California, where you can get fresh produce year-round. I’m currently on vacation in Alaska where, as best as I can tell, they grow berries, catch a lot of fish and kill caribou. Not exactly a balanced diet—in fact, it makes me wonder how the Native Alaskans survived for as long as they did without imports. I enjoy a banana on my cereal or in a smoothie, and they don’t grow in the continental U.S. (Pity the farmers of Costa Rica and Ecuador if we were all to become locavores.)

The other thing to remember is that what we eat, and how it’s produced, matters a lot more to the planet that where our food is grown. As I’ve written before, the single easiest thing any of us can do to help prevent global warming is to eat less meat. This is confirmed by a life cycle assessment by Christopher Weber and Scott Matthews of Carnegie Mellon University, who found that when it comes to greenhouse gases, food miles matter a whole lot less than agricultural production:

They found that transportation creates only 11% of the 8.1 metric tons (t) of greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) that an average U.S. household generates annually as a result of food consumption. The agricultural and industrial practices that go into growing and harvesting food are responsible for most (83%) of its greenhouse gas emissions

Small changes in dietary habits can have significant environmental impacts, they report:
Replacing red meat and dairy with chicken, fish, or eggs for one day per week reduces emissions equal to 760 miles per year of driving. And switching to vegetables one day per week cuts the equivalent of driving 1160 miles per year.

That’s because everything we eat comes from plants, whether we eat the plants directly or rely on an inefficient animal intermediary to process them for us, as the excellent new website of the Peanut Butter and Jelly campaign points out: The basic problem is that animals are inefficient at converting plants into meat, milk, and eggs. Relatively little of what they eat ends up in what you eat because animals use most of their food to keep them alive – to fuel their muscles so they can stand up and walk around, to keep their hearts beating, to keep their brains working.

That cow, pig, or chicken has to eat a lot more protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients than it yields in meat, eggs, or milk. The result is that it takes several pounds of corn and soy to produce one pound of beef, or one pound of eggs, one pound of milk, etc. This holds true even if we’re measuring calories or protein; it takes several times the calories or protein in livestock feed to produce the calories or protein we get from the meat, eggs, or milk.

Check out the PB&J campaign. It’s the creation of a young Wesleyan graduate who we will call Bernard Brown. (He has a day job, and isn’t sure how his employer feels about his campaign on behalf of peanut butter sandwiches). “If you have a PB&J instead of a red-meat lunch like a ham sandwich or a hamburger,” he says, “you shrink your carbon footprint by almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Bernard’s little web startup, launched early 2007, has generated some interesting ripples, including coverage in Good Housekeeping magazine and support from, of all places, the giant food services company Sodexho which worked the PB&J campaign message into Earth Day events on several college campuses. He’s even designed a PB&J campaign T-shirt (made with organic cotton, natch) and baby bib.

No offense to the locavores, but I’ll take a PB&J sandwich over a plate of Swiss chard any day.

I’ve been missing live music and decided it’s high time to add it back into my life. I love dinners and parties, but I think there’s room to add music back in as well. So, with that resolution last month, here’s my update.

CONCERTS SEEN IN JULY:

1. Tennis Pro play in Pioneer Square.
2. The Gutter Twins for the SubPop 20th Anniversary party.
3. MAWUNGIRA ENHARIRA, a Zimbabwean band, at the Triple Door.

CONCERT TICKETS PURCHASED:

1. Sky Cries Mary next weekend.
2. Counting Crows in September.

CONCERTS PLANNED:

1. Reckless Kelly – Texas band I’m hoping to see again in a few weeks at the Tractor (though I might bail since life’s getting too hectic again, and when I admit it’s too hectic, I kinda think that’s saying something).
2. Delerium – On the tentative list in September (they’re the week before Counting Crows which is also the same week M is going to be in NYC speaking at a conference. He’s invited me to join him for the trip, not sure I can steal away for a few days though I do love NYC and would love to go. Either way, it’s a hectic week with concerts both the weekend before and after, hence the placement on the tentative list).
3. Blues Scholars – They’re on the “planned but don’t have tickets yet” list. Sept 25-26 at the Showbox. Potential concert goers include Mae, Caroline, and Amy. Awesome! Who else wants to join us?

If you have concerts in mind you’d like to see, do let me know and maybe I can join you! In general, I’m swamped, but you never know when a free night opens up and the perfect opportunities presents itself. :)