This video feature was on NBC4i yesterday evening. Good stuff! Thanks NBC4! (The written version can be found here).
My Top 25 Songs of 2009
Yeah yeah yeah… everyone is doing it, right? Counting down their favorite songs of the year, or favorite songs of the decade. I don’t know if I have the energy to review a whole decade worth of music, and I think it would be way too easy to overlook something I liked 7 or 8 years ago… but thanks to the magic of iTunes, it’s pretty simple for me to browse through the tracks that I listened to the most in 2009, and with a bit of rearranging, I managed to get them into a pretty decent order for a countdown.
If I had to describe my taste in music in one word, it would probably be “electro”. Not quite as generic as “techno” or “electronica” or “edm”. Electro has been used for genre-blending with more frequency over the past few years with everything from hip-hop to indie rock to mainstream pop, so it has become quite a versatile sound if anything. Of course, there’s a few tracks in my list that stick out quite a bit… but what can I say… sometimes you get into a certain mood to listen to very specific songs.
Anyway… here we go… Top 25 songs of 2009: Continue reading →
The New Office
Got my desks & chair assembled yesterday. Give it two weeks and all of the surface space will be complete buried under papers, cables, receipts and empty cans of Red Bull.
All Sides With Ann Fisher - Audio Download
If you weren’t able to tune into my radio interview with Ann Fisher yesterday, the audio can be found in MP3 Format HERE. We discussed a variety of topics including the history of Columbus Underground, and where the future of the company is headed, as well as ongoing local issues that CU covers such as the Columbus Casino, the recent Parking Meter ordeal, Downtown development, and the future of the Short North.
I’m Going to be on All Sides with Ann Fisher Tomorrow
Just wanted to give everyone a heads up! I’ll be on Ann Fisher’s WOSU Show “All Sides” on Monday December 28th between 10am and 11am.
You can tune in on the AM Radio (820AM) or tune in online here:
More details about All Sides (along with audio of show archives) can be found here:
What will Columbus look like in the Year 2020?
An interesting look at the future - From In Search of a City:
At a recent Columbus Metropolitan Club evening forum on the future of Columbus, I asked panelist Michael Wilkos to describe Columbus in the year 2020. He gave a startling answer that, upon reflection, made perfect sense.
ColumbusUnderground.com is Moving to Gay Street
Press Release:
ColumbusUnderground.com Relocating to New Office Space Downtown on Gay Street
To continue ColumbusUnderground.com’s commitment to the growing vibrancy of Downtown Columbus, Walker Evans is moving the company’s office to a space on one of the city’s most vibrant areas - Gay Street. Since the recent completion of the two-way conversion and beautification projects, Gay Street has seen many new entrepreneurs opening their businesses. Continue reading →
Parking Meter Rate Increase Halted For Study
Originally posted HERE on ColumbusUnderground.com:
The previously approved 50% parking rate increase throughout Downtown and The Short North has been halted for six months pending further study and additional recommendations by the parking meter working group assigned to oversee rate adjustments. The resetting of the meters will begin as early as tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who helped to support the online petition and who voiced their concerns with this issue. Please take a moment to contact The Mayor’s Office and the Public Service Department and thank them for addressing this issue.
Online Petition for Parking Meter Rate Increase
This was originally posted HERE on CU by John Angelo of the SNBA:
In November, Columbus’ Director of Public Service imposed a unilateral 50% parking meter rate increase throughout Columbus. The policy was approved by the mayor. Due to the way Columbus’ policies are written, neither city council nor the general populace were invited to weigh in on the final plan, muchless question its validity. Every parking meter in Columbus is now slated to be reprogrammed to be 50% more expensive before the end of the year.
Many voters have expressed great opposition to the initiative, and moreso to the manner in which it was implemented. In response to the move, the Short North Business Association has drafted an open letter to the mayor outlining a variety of requests from the community.
If you would like to read the letter and add your name to the growing petition endorsing the letter, please do so by following this link: Citizens for a Collaborative Columbus Government
Please feel free to pass this link along to other concerned citizens!
OSU Students Showcase Innovative Ideas for Columbus
Yesterday afternoon, students in OSU’s City and Regional Planning Program presented their “Planning Innovations” class project to a community panel of judges consisting of Mike Brown, Elizabeth Lessner and myself. We were tasked with reviewing video presentations created by 20 students, quizzing them with a bit of Q&A about their project concepts, and then selecting three winners. Their instructor, Kyle Ezell, tasked them with seeking inspiration from around the globe, yet adding their own innovative twist to make their project something unique for the city of Columbus.
The level of quality put into some of these presentations made selecting the winners a difficult decision. The three winners were chosen based on their video presentations, their verbal presentations, how realistically their ideas could be implemented, and how well they handled their Q&A sessions. Below are the three video presentations of the projects that stood out the most to the three judges. All of the videos can be viewed online at youtube.com/user/knowltonosu.
First Place - James Ramey - “Eco-Hood”
Second Place - Christin Doyle - “Bicycle Blue Lights”
Third Place - Matt Martin - “Learning to be Urban Again”
Honorable Mention - Benjamin Kent - “Oh Art”