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Armstrong Cork

Mark sent me sad news today. One of my favorite buidings anywhere is about to be converted into lofts. I’ve been obsessed with the Armstrong Cork Factory since my first visit to Pittsburgh eight years ago. I’m sorry to see it go…

While the capitalist in me is happy to see such a potentially valuable piece of property no longer going to waste, the urban aesthetician (is that even a word?) in me is terribly depressed to know this amazing building is about to be cleaned and sanitized to make cute little hipster condos which will strip away every bit of its character and context…

Oh well. I guess it couldn’t stand forever in that magnificent state of neglect and decay…

Wal-Mart vs. Target

Interesting article from the Boston Globe on why Wal-Mart is perceived as pure evil while Target is seen as pure virtue by so many urban sophisticates snobs, even though both companies have similar business practices…

Forget It

Um, never mind what this entry originally said. I really should read more carefully before I babble sometimes…

The Landmark

I love the Landmark. I never ate there much when I lived in Charlotte before, perhaps because it was too much the “upscale” version of a diner, where everything was (gasp) about a dollar more than it was at Athens or San Remo…

This time around, though, I’m a definite convert, and I’ve decided that it’s only partially about the food, although the food is quite good. What I really like is the fact that, even though this is pretty much nothing more than a high volume diner, the service is remarkably professional. They make you feel rather special while you’re eating your eight dollar meal, more so than many places make you feel even when you’re chowing down on a twenty or thirty dollar meal. I like that a lot…

There are a lot more things I like about Charlotte. Almost enough, you might think, to start a whole different website…

Rejection

Job Quest ’05 continues. I seem to be getting both more nibbles and more rejection notices lately. I assume the latter has something to do with the fact that I’ve lately been submitting fewer emailed or faxed resumes and more online applications, which are more conducive to automated responses…

It’s slightly more pleasant to be turned down by a computer than to be ignored completely by an HR person, I guess…

Parking

Reason I like Charlotte better than San Francisco #42,348:

Parking my car in the long-term airport lot in Charlotte for FIVE days will cost about the same as parking it in the long-term airport lot in San Francisco for ONE day would…

Geezerdom

Maybe it’s a big sign that I’m becoming the old codger I’ve always tried so desperately to be, but the thought of paying fifty to a hundred bucks to see a band play for an hour or two just doesn’t have the appeal it once did for me. Of course, the thought of paying more than a hundred bucks to see some sucktastic spectacle like the Rolling Stones NEVER had much appeal…

If I were ever going to be tempted by such a splurge, though, it would defintely be by Bauhaus on Hallowe’en…

People Are Human Too

Maybe it’s a big sign that I’m becoming the old codger I’ve always tried so desperately to be, but the thought of paying fifty to a hundred bucks to see a band play for an hour or two just doesn’t have the appeal it once did for me. Of course, the thought of paying more than a hundred bucks to see some sucktastic spectacle like the Rolling Stones NEVER had much appeal…

If I were ever going to be tempted by such a splurge, though, it would defintely be by Bauhaus on Hallowe’en…

Look Away

Only rarely do you walk out to your car in the morning, start it up, and hear Elvis Presley singing “Dixie” on the radio. You know what would make life even better? Replacing the “only rarely” in that first sentence with a “never”…