samantha levy

a friend of mine sent me this article, and its a list of the "top ten most hipster campuses" across the country. The schools on the list aren't particularly surprising, but what struck me was how encompassing their standards of hipsterdom are--so broad that practically anyone can be considered a hipster. Which only confirms my belief that of all the sub-cultures we studied, hipsterdom isn't sub at all. Hipsters are popularly defined by their anti-conformist nature, but does listening to the radio or wearing flannel or being interested in art really count as non-conformist? My father begs to disagree.

http://collegemagazine.com/editorial/1911/The-10-Most-Hipster-Campuses

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The Power of Four

I came across this speech by Tom Hanks a few years ago. It is his address to the 2005 graduating class at Vassar College. While its opening metaphor of gridlock made me think of traffic and the rush and occasional inconvenience of urban life, its underlying message made me reflect on urban isolation. If there was a movement to help, in whatever way that may be, I feel like a sense of community would be more prone to develop even in the most rat-invested and depressing urban environments. The two things I noticed when I came from California, was that people actually smoke cigarettes, and people actually hold the door. I do not know if the phenomenon only exists in the northeastern community or at the entrances of Snell, Rebecca’s, and my dorm, but it was a pleasant surprise and certainly a help when my hands were full. That simple action made me feel like I was part of the Northeastern community, and the Boston community by proxy. That simple action of holding the door for someone could combat the harsh life and the dreary nature of life alone in the concrete jungle. The same concept could be applicable to the beautification of the urban (guerilla gardening). If just four out of one hundred people took it upon themselves to plant a flower, there would be 21,704 more flowers in the city (according to the 2010 census). I think that is amazing. Although the last third of the speech is a slightly more applicable to those graduating soon, the part about “what the hell do I do now?” caused me to reflect on the comments made about Anthropology as a major. “What the hell do I do now?” I believe it was eloquently stated by someone, “whatever you want to do.”  I encourage everyone to what his speech and take the message to heart, the first link is the first 9min and 30 sec of his speech and the following link is the last two and half min.


Helen

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Food & the City

My roommate's mother is as poignant as she is beautiful. When asked about navigating Boston, she shrugs lightly and says, "All roads lead to Chinatown." A month later her words are still floating around in my head.

Food is a tragically overlooked indicator of a global city. In fact, the integration of new styles of cooking and food is, in my mind, a necessary element of any city that claims global status. Perhaps, the most important necessary facet, far above development and wealth which only effect a limited number of individuals and as we've read cannot be considered the only attributes of global city status.

In particular, the presence of Asian inspired alterations to menus inside and out of restaurants all over a city, say Boston, radiate from the establishment of Chinatown, whichever city you may be in. (Or for that matter, any ____town or Little____ which may vary from city to city.) People move in, new foods become available, new restaurants open, things are shared and adopted. 

In my mind mixing and blending of taste and style is always a good thing. Anthony Bourdain, (one of the main players in the food-anthropology trend which has been made increasingly accessible by the Travel Channel) shares my sentiment that in terms of local food, global influence can only make things better. The clip shows the range of influence which can be seen through food in cities from Lebanese to Szechuan in this specific example. Yet most importantly for this discussion, towards the end of the clip featured, about 13:00, there's a conversation about how the surge of immigration after strict limits where lifted in Melbourne and the effects of a developing Chinatown on the local preference for food. Within the episode, No Reservations: Australia, which if you have Netflix you can watch, you can see how more and more restaurants (and thus people) are adapting Asian inspired dishes from cooking style to ingredient choice. Is this an occurrence symptomatic of a global city? Have all food trends (the growing popularity of sushi is another different but intriguing example of global food influence) originated from global cities in some way?
  
Perhaps in the debate between global or not we should look at food as primary source of information since it is the ultimate reflection of the people who inhabit the city and the global connections and networks within.

- Alexis Brinkman 

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A good chuckle

I found this online, and I thought it had alot of great humor in it and I hope you guys enjoy it!

Helen


If you're from Boston:

You'll know who the cahdnal is, how to take the T to JP and what the blinking red light atop the old Hancock Building means in the summer (in winter it means snow is due).

If you're smaht, you'll never get cahded at the packie (liquor,or packagestore).

You only eat italian sausage outside Fenway Pahk before a Sox game with mustid, peppahs-n-onions.




You might be from Boston if...

You think of Philadelphia as the midwest.

You think it's your God-given right to cut someone off in traffic.

You think there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's).

You think three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.

All your pets are named after Celtics or Bruins.

You refer to 6 inches of snow as a "dusting."

Just hearing the words "New York" puts you in an angry mood.

You don't think you have an attitude.

You always 'bang a left' as soon as the light turns green, and oncoming traffic always expects it.

Everything in town is "a five minute walk."

When out of town, you think the natives of the area are all whacked.

You still can't bear to watch highlights from game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

You have no idea what the word compromise means.

You believe using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.

You don't realize that you walk and talk twice as fast as everyone else.

You're anal, neurotic, pessimistic & stubborn.

You think if someone is nice to you, they must want something, or are from out of town.

Your favorite adjective is "wicked."

You think 63 degree ocean water is warm.

You think the Kennedy's are misunderstood.




Dumb Massachusetts Laws


  • At a wake, mourners may eat no more than three sandwiches.

  • Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.

  • An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.

  • Taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of their taxi during their shifts.

  • All men must carry a rifle to church on Sunday. (Repealed)

  • Hunting on Sundays is prohibited.

  • It is illegal to go to bed without first having a full bath.

  • It is illegal to reproach Jesus Christ or the holy ghost. (MGL Chapter 272 section 36)

  • It's illegal to keep a mule on the second floor of a building not in a city unless there are 2 exits. (MGL Chapter 272 section 86)

  • It's illegal to sell fewer than 24 ducklings at a time before May 1, or to sell rabbits, chicks, or ducklings that have been painted a different color. (MGL Chapter 272 Section 80D)

  • It's illegal to allow someone to use stilts while working on the construction of a building. (MGL Chapter 149 Section 129B)

  • It's illegal to drive Texan, Mexican, Cherokee, or Indian cattle on a public road. (MGL Chapter 129 Section 35)

  • No gorilla is allowed in the back seat of any car.

  • Tattooing and body piercing is illegal. (Repealed October 2000)

  • Children may smoke, but they may not purchase cigarettes.

  • Tomatoes may not be used in the production of clam chowder.

  • Quakers and witches are banned.

  • Bullets may not be used as currency.

  • Massachusetts liquor stores can only open on Sundays if they are in Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Middlesex or Worcester counties and are within 10 miles of the Vermont or New Hampshire borders.

  • Alcoholic drink specials are illegal.

  • Affiliation with the Communist party is illegal.

  • Public boxing matches are outlawed.

  • It is unlawful to injure a football goal post, doing so is punishable by a $200 fine

  • Defacing a milk carton is punishable by a $10 fine.

  • It is illegal to frighten a pigeon.

    Boston


  • It is illegal to play the fiddle.

  • Two people may not kiss in front of a church.

  • No more than two baths may be taken within the confines of the city.

  • No one may cross the Boston Common without carrying a shotgun in case of bears.

  • Anyone may let their sheep and cows graze in the public gardens/commons at any time except Sundays.

  • It is illegal to eat peanuts in church.

  • An old law prohibits the taking of baths on Sunday.

  • Duels to the death permitted on the common on Sundays provided that the Governor is present.

  • Women may not wear heels over 3 inches in length while on the common.

  • No one may take a bath without a prescription.

  • It is illegal for any citizen to own more than three dogs.
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    Urban play

    http://oakoak.canalblog.com/


    This is the website of OakOak, "a French artist who likes to play with urban elements."

    OakOak's work is very minimalist--only adding a small element here and there--but it creates very powerful and amusing images! Below are some of my favorites on the website:





    - Rebecca Willett

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    "Gated Communities: Building Social Division or Safer Communities?"

    http://uam-antropologia.info/web/articulos/goglia_gated_communities.pdf

    This study takes a look at gated communities in Mexico City, home to people ranging from lower-middle class to higher-middle class, and how inclusion/exclusion of gates and fences work to sometimes provide more safety, sometimes not, and how they contribute to the residents' identities and perceptions of themselves, their neighborhoods, and the rest of the world. An interesting question posed by the authors is what people's perceptions of security and insecurity are, and what about these communities attracted people to live in them (they are the "non-urban" amidst the "urban").

    - Rebecca Willett

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    "Disappearing in New York", or-- How to Be a Modern-Day Flaneur?

    http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/disappearing-in-new-york-city/

    I found this article, and was reminded of our discussions about the flaneur and the possibility of a modern day one. Here, Ryan O'Connell makes an impressive case for it!

    - Rebecca Willett

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    Much of the discourse about "slum cities" regards them as failures, and dismal, miserable places. This article (from Boston.com) talks about slums in a different light, and how out of necessity, they have actually formed some innovative solutions to the problems of urban poverty.

    http://www.contemporaryurbananthropology.com/pdfs/Tuhus-Dubrow,%20Learning%20from%20Slums.pdf

    - Rebecca Willett

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    Creative vs. Controlled Space

    On the green line at Arlington recently I saw an interesting sign on the wall of the platform. (Unfortunately I didn't see it until we had started pulling away from the station, and was therefore unable to snap a quick picture.) The sign read "Performance Area: MBTA Permit Required." At first I thought well that's nice, that the MBTA is allowing street performances to take place in the subway as the weather gets colder. However, as I thought about it a bit longer I noticed the dilemma lying beneath the surface. By allowing a particular space to perform, is the MBTA allowing creative space or controlling it? Is the presence of this performance area a step forward or just another way the authorities are controlling space? Just a thought.

    -- Jillian

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    Julie Giles

    One of my favorite singers, Lily Allen, sings a song called LDN. The lyrics are clever and reflect her feelings of city life in London. She says in the chorus "When you look with your eyes / Everything looks nice. / But if you look twice, / You can see it's all lies." I think this verse reflects a lot of what we (or I, at least) learned in this course: from housing segregation, to the effects of gentrification, to the cause that led the movement of Occupy Wall Street and Boston. The city is usually glamorized by movies and the media, but when you look deeper, there is a whole other world that is not so flashy. However grim these realities may be, there are always hundreds of other reasons to love the city and the diversity within it. As Lily says "Sun is in the sky oh why, oh why would I want to be anywhere else." :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfD6jAoJrJg

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    Bringing the Suburbs to the City - Tom Burkland

    I came across this on StumbleUpon a few days ago and it caught my eye.  In contrast with one of my previous posts about people living in extremely small apartments in New York City, it appears that some people have built full-size homes on top of existing buildings in the city.

     NYC Rooftop Houses

    -Tom

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    Prehistoric Graffiti - Tom Burkland

    In September of this year CNN published the findings of a study of cave drawings estimated to be about 13,000 years old.  Thousands of years before people began tagging their names on subway cars, children as young as three years old were making art on cave walls with their fingers.

      Cave Art the Work of Prehistoric Pre-schoolers

    -Tom

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    The Gypsy Gentleman - Tom Burkland

    Veteran tattoo artist, Marcus Kuhn recently began producing "webisodes" exploring the tattoo scene in cities throughout the world.  In this episode Kuhn discusses how the tattoo subculture emerged in New York City in the 30's and has evolved over time.  Tracing the history of tattooing has led me to realize that like many other subcultures, tattooing in its truest form is the product of an urban environment.  New York City has recently become some what of a focal point in the tattooing community.  If you walk into any of the reputable shops in NYC you'll find artists from all over the world.

    Enjoy!

      

    The Gypsy Gentleman - Episode 01: New York City from Marcus Kuhn on Vimeo.

    -Tom

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    Time Magazine's Person of the Year: The Protester - Tom Burkland

    It seems that 2011 will go down in the history books as the year people all over the world organized for change.  Although multiple Occupy movements throughout the country have recently been evicted, it seems that they cannot be deemed failed attempts.  The Occupy movements have forced officials to acknowledge the fact that people are unhappy with the direction this country has been moving.

    The Protester - Time Magazine Person of the Year 2011

    -Tom

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    Life Expectancy Gaps Within Cities - Tom Burkland

    A few weeks ago in other of my other classes my professor shared a news article that showed a significant gap in the life expectancy of people living in Glasgow, Scotland (if i remember correctly).  This study ultimately showed that people in wealthier neighborhoods had a greater life expectancy than people living only a few miles away in poorer neighborhoods.  While i was trying to locate this news article i found that a similar scenario exists in Baltimore, Maryland.

    In 2008, the results of an 11-month-long study showed that there was 20-year life expectancy gap between the West Baltimore neighborhood of Hollins Market and the wealthy Roland Park neighborhood. I am not very familiar with the Baltimore area, but perhaps some of you may be from the general area and may be more knowledgable about these neighborhoods.  While discussing the article about the life expectancy gap in Glasgow, my class had identified a number of variables that may contribute to the life expectancy gap.  Overall, it seems that residents of more wealthy neighborhoods have greater access to quality education, employment, and healthcare.  I don't recall how large the life expectancy gap is in Glasgow, but seeing that a 20-year gap existed in Baltimore was really surprising to me.  A gap this large is generally something one would expect when comparing developed and underdeveloped nations.

    20-Year Life Gap Separates City's Poorest, Wealthy - The Baltimore Sun

    -Tom

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    The Suburbanites

    One of the most intriguing items we looked at in this class was the film "In the Suburbs." From the photos hanging on the walls in my grandparent's house, I can see the exact same transition from apartment to two-story house, city to suburb. Below is a photo for reference, and mostly because I can't resist...







    Ah yes, now unfortunately, I do not have a scanner otherwise you could see my grandfather in a pressed suit (pens still in pocket) and my grandmother with a beehive hairstyle in an apron trying to serve the camera a hot toddy. Just subtract fifty years and squint really hard.


    One of my many occupations as of late happens to be a driver for my grandmother. I used my time with her to record a brief conversation about what living in New York City was like and why she moved to the suburbs. Now please, if you could, imagine my grandmother's voice in the transcript below as a combination of stereotypical Italian grandmother and a girl from Queens, it will just add so much more to the reading and proves that somethings cannot be erased by the suburbs. I tried my best to capture her essence in the translation. (Which is hard, her "accent" is unlike anything I've ever heard before, let alone something I could depict with a written transcript.) She is not one for hardcore analytical conversation in the conventional sense,  but her words shed a more accurate light on the situation than I could ever formulate myself.

    Alexis: Nans, did you like living in the city?
    Margie: Oh yes, I mean, well, it was different then, you know. Things were different in the boroughs, Queens, the houses look the same but the people are different. All my friends started moving upstate (the suburbs) and geez I think-uh only Fran lives down there now.
    Alexis: Do you know if it's still a family neighborhood though, that's kind of like the suburbs, in a way, right?
    Margie: I guess, I don't know. Last time I talked to Fran you know she's older she's worried about the crime she wants to move I think. Families will-well-will always live in the larger apartments and the boroughs won't ever be like were I used to work.
    Alexis: As a secretary? How so?
    Margie: Uptown's even busier. It's no place for a family, that's why Queens is still an OK place to be, but I like it here better, I get to drive my car, with you!
    Alexis: So you moved to the suburbs because you thought it would be a better place to raise a family?
    Margie: Well yes, everyone was doing it too, it was more convenient, cars here, less stress. Fran's only ever had one son and all those yippy dogs. I think that's why she stayed, and she could never sell her father's house.
    Alexis: But, you and Pops sold a house, for the one you have now, and you did it for family and less stress?
    Margie: I guess that's right, I couldn't be there now, too loud, and the kids, it worked out better here, you must like it here better than the city, Boston's alright, not to many people, but I wouldn't want you working in New York with all that crime, there isn't enough space for everyone, that's why they fight all the time.

    In her dialogue you see trends of convenience and family that the video depict. Yet, what caught me most off guard was how "everyone was doing it" was used as justification in some way. She's lived both lives, city girl, suburban wife, and I think being a member of the "initial" transition during the "prime era of suburbanization" (the 50's) make her a valuable source of information I'll have to tap if I revisit the subject in future research.   

    -Alexis Brinkman

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    Cut from a different cloth?

    I stumbled upon this photo and I couldn't help but think of the article we read about the Indonesian family, their clothes, and their lifestyle. I had my doubts about whether that article was really about clothing and identity or whether clothes in fact said much about a person but after some rereading and reflection I realized even if clothes do not exemplify a person's "true self" they are a conscious choice and therefore reflect what the person desires to be perceived as. Whether that be "trendy and cool" or a devote Muslim, the application of desired identity onto clothing still stands.

    Today a co-worker of mine had to write a paper arguing for or against school uniforms and I found myself advocating ferociously for free choice in clothing. (This is partly because I think saying uniforms make kids the same and less prone to teasing each other is a weak argument, and does not at all mirror the images of my catholic elementary school past.) I got caught up in the idea of expression. We wake up, we choose what we wear. I can't believe I somehow overlooked my strong anti-uniform feelings when reading the article! To me clothing choice is a fundamental piece of my identity that I look forward to expressing. Look world, see my yarn tangled sweaters, my eclectic t-shirts, my off-beat boots and know that although I may be an ant in a throbbing city I am at least, a funk-ily dressed ant who you might potentially want to talk to. I hope my clothes do the job of expressing to people what I cannot surmise when I pass by, that I'm friendly, open to conversation, young, and adventurous. Maybe that's too much to hope for... 

    - Alexis Brinkman

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    A Community on the Cliffs - Tom Burkland





    The New York Times recently put together a slideshow of pictures taken of a shanty town that has sprung up in the cliffs of Union City, New Jersey.  Having grown up right out side of New York City i have often seen similar sights alongside train tracks on my way into the city.  Some of the captions indicate that a few of these individuals have ended up in this scenario after seeking to improve their lives by coming to the united states.  Right away this made me think of the west african merchants from "Money Has No Smell." It was extremely hard for me to imagine what it would be like to leave my family and friends behind and move to a different part of the world in order to make ends meet.

    A Community on the Cliffs - NYTimes

    -Tom
     

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    The things people will endure to live in NYC - Tom Burkland

    I came across this news article on StumbleUpon and as crazy as it is, it does not seem to shock me.  The cost of living in New York City has become so outrageous that people have gone to extremes to save a buck without adding time onto their morning commute.


    Cozy-crazy couple makes tight all right in the city's tiniest studio


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    holiday decorations

    My walk back from work has recently been updated with some holiday festiveness. The trees around the reflection pool have been adorned with holiday lights, and the small street that I turn on right on before my dorm, has all the trees uniformly decorated. The trees that surround the reflecting pool had me thinking about public space during this season. It’s hard to argue that public space does not become more festive during the holidays. There is conscious and unanimous public effort toward beatification that occurs during this time. In fact, space in general becomes more habitable. It is fascinating that this phenomena occurs throughout the December month that suddenly encourages people to take charge of their habitat and make it more welcoming(the rare scrooge is excluded). I was also wondering who makes the decision or provides the means for the trees on this street to be decorated, because they are all on private property, yet decorated in an identical manner. The city could be responsible, but it is only on this street, making be suspect that private effort must be involved. In addition, most of the trees are on personal property.  I thought it was a great example of the privatization of the public space. Another interesting thought is if the Christmas decorations work to create an inner(the Christmas celebrating) circle and outer( non-Christmas celebrating) circle. Being raised Christian, but being more or less religiously neutral, I have never felt excluded from a community due to Christmas lights. I am good friends with several people of the Jewish faith, and while most of the time they are just happy to be in the holiday spirit, more than one public school sponsored “holiday party” or “holiday performance” has made them feel excluded. So the question then becomes, are the cheerful holiday decorations actually functioning as a gated community of Christmas-celebrators? Probably not. Nevertheless, it is an interesting American society bias to examine.

    helen

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    Banksy's New Piece

    This is an alleged new Banksy piece in London. I liked it immediately because of it's play off of a street sign that oen could pass without noticing it. My interpretation of this is that Banksy is making a statement about the fast paced, rat race lifestyle of the city, where no stopping is allowed. The text below implies that people may only truly stop on Sundays, the semi-universal day of rest. During 8-6 on the other days, however, 5 of which of the most common work days, people must keep working relentlessly. The circle the rat is in is representative on running but getting nowhere.  This reflects the fast, stressful pace of the city, where though people are always rushing, it's work asking oneself if they are truly getting anywhere by doing so. Ironically, the people who need this message most probably won't stop long enough to see it when they race by on the street. 

    Hana Nobel

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    Pearls Before Breakfast - Tom Burkland

    On the morning of January 12, 2007, world renowned violinist Joshua Bell performed 6 intricate classical pieces as hundreds of people made their way through Washington D.C.'s L'Enfant Plaza on their way to work. This performance was arranged by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment on people's tastes, perceptions, and priorities.  A few evenings prior to this experiment, Bell played to a sold out crowd at Boston's Symphony Hall; tickets sold for around $100. Out of the hundreds of people that passed through the station that day only a handful stop to appreciate the performance.          




    This experiment reminded me a lot of the discussion in the Simmel reading of how the modern mind operates through calculation. Many of the people who chose to pass by Bell's performance that morning most likely made up their minds in a matter of seconds as to whether or not they would stop and listen.  Aside from the handful of people who stopped to a appreciate the music, people generally felt it was more important to arrive at their destination in a timely manner. This experiment exposes a part of the urban lifestyle that I have always disliked; that people are often too preoccupied with the monotony of their daily routines to stop and appreciate the little things.

    Pearls Before Breakfast - Washington Post

    -Tom  

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    In London, Riding the Underground Turns Into a Game

    In returning to a theme we discussed at the beginning of the course, the stereotypical image of the "urbanite," I found this interesting article on the website GOOD, a platform that bill itself as "for people who give a damn." Opening with a playful dig at popular apps such as FourSquare, which are useful for remember where you've been but offer little information in terms of how you got there, the article discusses a new app called Chromaroma that tracks the movement of individuals and then reinterprets these movements in the form of a technicolor map. I think that this is a great way to make any commute more fun, and it definitely suggests that there a market out there for consumers who live in London but don't want to be defined by typical London stereotypes.

    Below is a short video about the app along with a link to the full article. It's short, so enjoy!


    Chromaroma from Mudlark on Vimeo.

    In London, Riding the Underground Turns Into a Game

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    Improving Slums

    I found out about this organization, that works through MIT that works to improve the lives of people in city sulms and the slums themselves. I was really inspired by the effects of their efforts. I thought this was a great  piece about their mission statement and progress.

    Helen


    http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/sponsor/ActionPlan.pdf

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    Double Standards

    Today on the T I sat next to a fairly stereotypically angry old man. He was ranting about how he didn't believe in racism, but rather "keeping it in his own race." He talked about how he would never procreate with someone of another skin color. He got onto this topic by telling the girl across from him how beautiful she was and how at his age he had finally come to understand how important it was to only "procreate with your own" and how she should always remember that.

    As a white girl sitting next to this black man, I was incredibly offended. It was literally all I could do to not turn to him and inform him how his blatant racial statements were absurdly hypocritical, and that if I made even one similar statement I would be considered not only a racist, but a white supremacist.

    We talked about race very little in this class, but I thought that this display of the double standard of race is an interesting one in relation to the city. Racism is, unfortunately, everywhere in our society, but I think it's particularly interesting to think about in an urban setting. Does racism blossom in the city, as urban settings are generally home to more minorities? Or does it diminish, for the same reason? While it's a touchy topic, I think it's fascinating to think about, and I do wish we had had more time to discuss this incredibly influential part of urban life.

    -- Jillian

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    Why You Should Never Be Profiled by The New York Times Style Section

    http://gawker.com/5864214/


    The link above is in response to the article we read in class about The New Inquiry literary journal.

    Gawker, a gossipy kind of website, claims that the New York Times is celebrating "pretentious, literary 25-year-olds who want to spend time with similarly pretentious, literary 25-year-olds."

    It also claims that the Style section of NYT is meant either for "people who see nothing problematic with being told by The New York Times what's cool, and think of the Style section is a straight-ahead, unironic record of hip trends and cool people" or  "This audience [that]  reads the Style section, week after week, and thinks "what the fuck is wrong with rich people?" 

    Gawker claims that NYT Style uses tactics such as:
    • Breathless descriptions: "[S]helves of yellowing volumes of Dostoyevsky and Camus reaching to the ceiling and air thick with the musty smell of stale tobacco and old paperbacks"
    • Frequent references to clothes and and other cultural signifiers: "[D]ressed in untucked oxford shirts and off-brand jeans, mingled around a rickety table packed with half-empty Jim Beam bottles"
    • Required mention of Ivy League degrees: "REBECCA CHAPMAN, who has a master of arts in English and comparative literature from Columbia University"; "Willie Osterweil, 25, an aspiring novelist who graduated magna cum laude from Cornell in 2009"
    • Concern about attractiveness of subjects: "Despite the fact that everyone was young and attractive, no one seemed to flirt"
    I didn't even notice this came from the Style section, nor do I really care. I just found this on a friend's blog, and remembered we had read it in class. Gawker seems to have some resentment toward the people featured and the group featuring the article. I doubt the group meant to come off that way, it wasn't their fault they were portrayed in a way that made them seem pretentious.

    Hana

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    Urban Housing

    Massachusetts is changing to housing first, they are concentrating more on helping homeless people find a permanent home before helping them with jobs, food, etc. This relates to the articles we read on urban violence and parallel society/economy because I think it will help to reduce the large separation between rich and poor by creating more of a stable middle class. Especially when the economy is not doing very well now, I think this is a great step by the government to help clean up the city by reducing the number of people out on the street who contribute to violence, drug culture, and inequality. Through permanent housing these people can have government support and eventually find jobs to support their families instead of remaining on the street.
    This is a little bit about what the MHSA aim to do...
    The Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA) is a non-profit public policy advocacy organization with the singular mission of ending homelessness in the Commonwealth. Founded in 1988 by a dedicated group of “first responders” working with unsheltered adults in Greater Boston, MHSA initiates solutions to move people out of crisis to permanence throughout Massachusetts.
    MHSA is committed to ending homelessness by decreasing the dependence of homeless people on the government and creating options for exercising their self determination. MHSA persists in raising a sense of moral indignation that any person should be without a decent place to live. Through strategic partnerships formed with government, private philanthropy, service providers, homeless individuals, and businesses, MHSA works to ensure that homelessness does not become a permanent part of the social landscape.
    Homelessness is a housing crisis that affects thousands of poor working people and those with disabilities, mental illness and addiction who cannot afford a place to live. As a result, the moral, social and financial costs of this crisis have soared as people rely on expensive emergency room and hospital visits, the correctional system and the streets. Emergency shelters are not an adequate response to this problem. Thus, MHSA and its partners seek to create permanent residential solutions to end this social disgrace.

    -Katie

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    Enthincity

    My friend from home is majoring in anthropology at University of Michigan. Next semester she is supposed to start researching for 8 hours a week with her professor on the effects of illegal immigration. She sent me this article that has a bit of information on her professor and his work.

    http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture/viewing-illegal-immigration-through-desert-debris-36731/

    helen

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    Ironic irony

    Going back to our discussions about hipsters way back when, I found a post I thought you all mind find amusing. On my feed this afternoon was this status update:

    "Not a huge fan of the following:
    Twilight
    Starbucks
    iPhones and super sweet f***in' apps
    Twitter
    ... Harry Potter movies
    people who label themselves
    Labels
    Malls
    Politics
    Religious Zealots
    my Stepmother
    Pop-punk and/or modern hardcore
    Improper spelling and poor usage of the English Language

    ...among many other things. If this is a problem with you, then by all means remove me from your Friends List. That is all"
    (The "f***" edit was mine)

    I find this post to be incredibly ironic. Here my friend (who is, by the definitions we've set down, a sort of grunge hipster) is lashing out against major corporations and "main stream" ideas. Of course...the post was on his (very actively used) facebook. While I don't think this is the irony he was going for (he later commented that his goal in posting this was to "enrage people enough to delete" him because he was "far too lazy" to go through his friends list and delete people himself), I definitely feel like his medium clashes with the ideals he is throwing out there.

    That brings into question the identity of a hipster. To be a true hipster does one have to give up all "main stream" things, like facebook? Or is there a balance to be found? Are there different levels that make one "more" or "less" of a hipster? This particular friend blatantly expresses hatred for twitter, yet uses facebook on a daily basis. Where are the lines drawn?

    Just a thought.
    -- Jillian

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    samantha levy

    found this article in the New York Times about reshaping communities to make them more user friendly. The goal is to make communities more walkable, increasing pedestrian traffic and safety. Speaking specifically about Long Island, the article suggests that a new type of city is on the rise--one that is much more accessible and accommodating to its inhabitants.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/realestate/long-island-in-the-region-walkable-steps-into-the-spotlight.html?_r=1&ref=realestate

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    Daniel Hewes- Ho Chi Minh Traffic Time Lapse

    Just when I thought Times square was crowded....

    I came across this video of Ho Chi Minh and was actually stunned by the visuals and sights. Its a time lapse video of traffic and daily activity in this city. It really makes you think about how small we are, and how small our every day actions are in relations to the total activities of a city. Ive posted a few other videos on traffic in major cities, but you can really get a sense of the almost beautiful motion that a city has; living and breathing just like the people in it.

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6f8_1323070255

    (its the bottom video below the text)

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    samantha levy

    While I was walking to have lunch with a friend in the South End, I came across this public park and realized that it is the closest thing to a truly public public park I have seen in this city. I'm not sure how it works, who is responsible for maintenance or what "rules" it tries to uphold, but I was pleasantly surprised to find this garden tucked into a very commercial area on Washington St.



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    Urban Oufitters is right wing?

    This article points out the irony of hipsters. Hipsters are mainly definable to the common person by their consumption patterns and their political/ideological beliefs. One can identify a hipster if they are wearing an Obama t-shirt from urban outfitters and shopping for organic produce at Wholefoods Market. Those things together are automatically cultural markers that define that person as a hipster. Hipster shop at those stores because they believe them to fall into line with their political and ideological beliefs. Urban outfitters provide unique, subculture clothing; Wholefoods provides organic and responsible produce and groceries. However, ironically, these stores actually do not fall into line with hipster beliefs. Urban outfitters in fact donated 13,000$ to Rick Santorium’s (republican, anti-gay rights) political action committee and whole foods speaks out against universal health care. I’m sure that it would shock most hipsters that Old Navy carries gay pride apparel while Urban Outfitters pulled all their gay pride apparel from their shelves. Old Navy does not seem the off kilter, subcultural kind of store that would be linked with progressive values. Truth is, large corporations such as Urban Outfitters have realized that ‘cool’ youth subcultures (hipsters) sell and have latched onto that market. Just because a corporation has managed to craft a certain image does not mean that it actually stands behind it. Hipsters had better be careful about where they shop from, if they continue to define themselves through their consumption patterns but do not look carefully into what they are consuming, they may soon find what they believe they are supporting to be completely opposite of what they are, in actuality, supporting through their business.

    http://www.good.is/post/miley-cyrus-outs-urban-outfitters-for-donating-to-anti-gay-candidates/


    -Hannah A

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    Police Training Alongside Military Forces: Prudent or Too Far?

    Throughout this course, the question of the state's roll in regulating and patrolling the city has come up consistently. No where does this issue come to a head quite like the forced evictions of the Occupy protests that have taken place around the country. One of the campsites marred most severely by violent police action in Oakland, CA. Recently, Beirut-based al-Akhbar published an article detailing how the Oakland Police Department trained alongside the Bahrain military and Israeli forces as part of an operation known as Urban Shield 2011. Urban Shield 2011 was an event that took place on the UC Berkeley campus that brought the aforementioned groups, along with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, together with the Oakland Police Department. According to the article, “Law enforcement agencies responding to…Occupy protesters in northern California credit Urban Shield for their effective teamwork.”
    I think there are a lot of noteworthy points in the article, namely that it really does a good job of examining the militarization of the United States police force and the problematic nature of interchanging "crime" with "terrorism," as occurs in today's media. The issue of whether or not the beefing-up of US police forces actually does anything productive in dealing with crime and terrorism (My statistics say absolutely not, but I'm not looking to start an argument) is certainly debatable, but it should not go unobserved that in order to find this story, I had to look through a publication based in Lebanon.Nevertheless, with this type of information, it is not hard to understand why police trained in this way might be more likely to chose excessive force in these types of situations.  


    To read an abridged version of the article, click here.
    To read the article in its entirety, click here.

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    Paul Collier on the "bottom billion"

    Given my propensity to watch TED talks while I'm at work, I found this one that I thought tied back into our reading for Monday's class. Simone discusses the implications of an economy and culture that arises organically out of the circumstances of poor cities around the world. Economist Paul Collier addresses a similar issue when he spoke about the "bottom billion," otherwise known as the one billion people trapped in countries whose economies have been largely stagnant for the past forty years or so. He argues that the "two forces that can change the world for good" are "compassion and enlightened self-interest," a concept that I think Simone would find amenable. While the data is a little dated, as he gave the talk at a TED conference in 2008, I think his insight is useful still in helping us to understand what needs to be done to combat the negative consequences of poor urban life.







    - Erin

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    New York Times - "The Subway in Pictures." Tom Burkland



    The New York Times recently put together a collection of photographs from the past 100 years that depict the New York City subway system in the form of an interactive timeline.  I found this very interesting because it not only shows how public transportation has evolved over the years, but it also shows how subway riders have evolved over the years.  Additionally, almost every photograph tells a little story of what was going on in New York City at the time it was taken.  Graffiti makes its first appearance in the timeline at the 1974 mark and can be found in most of the pictures from the 70's and 80's.  The more recent photographs even seem to show the emergence of "the hipster," in Brooklyn.  Either way, it would be well worth your time to check this out.

    The New York Times - "The Subway in Pictures"

    -Tom

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    A rose by any other name…


    http://www.thepolisblog.org/2010/10/shifting-urban-development-towards.html
    http://www.villageforum.com/

    This article I stumbled across in the somewhat addicting Polis blog is about the logical but scary next step after gated communities. We discussed in class the idea of gated communities within gated communities but the VillageTown takes us straight to Stepford. I’m also including the website dedicated to making these village towns a reality, note the particular creepiness that is the section labled “You and Us”
    “We call ourselves Stewards because we are here to serve. There is no developer. Instead the VillageTown Stewards and Company establishes an organizing company whose role is to enable and empower you. Our success will be measured on how well you do; on how many VillageTowns are built. The net profits of your VillageTown stay with it to provide for your long-term economic, social and cultural wellbeing.”
    Technically, these are not gated communities or suburbs, supposedly they are an alternative built on “the natural process of human growth” but in reality they are really just the next step up. The VillageTown actually removes the need to interact with anyone outside the village town, not even the money escapes.
    In addition to the sheer creepiness of it all the Polis article mentions worries about what will happen to the already existing built environment when everyone moves to their own little stepford communities as well as how diverse a community can be when the starting cost on a proposed house in these areas is $250,000. Unfortunately I think the VillageTown simply expands on the current ideas behind gated communities and exists only because of the growing paranoia as it is shown that the outside world can make it past the gate. The question is, will the outside world still be able to make it past 325 acres of greenbelt without a car?

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    Metropolitan Diary: A Surprising Conversation

    I stumbled across this New York Times piece. I'm not exactly sure what it is, or if it's reoccurring, but it seems to be a section that people can write in and submit short, fun interactions with strangers in the city.  Click here to see all the stories The last one is the one I like the best (read below). A lot of our discussion this semester has revolved around a lack of connection and alienation in the city. Though  these people have lived in the same building for seven years, they never knew each other. We've discussed this in class, and many of us don't know our neighbors. This short snippet provides some hope of finding connection and becoming less of a stranger in the urban jungle. At least for this moment, a city is a place of potential connection.


    Setting: A yoga room at a gym on Columbus Avenue, with 25 students.
    Daniella: “I know you!”
    Me: “Really? I live on the Upper West Side.”
    Daniella: “Oh, sorry. I live in Chelsea. You look like someone else.”
    Harriet (standing nearby, overhearing conversation): “Where on the Upper West Side?”
    Me: “Seventieth Street.”
    Harriet: “I live on the Upper West Side on 70th Street.”
    Me: “Which building?”
    Harriet: “205.”
    Me: “Me, too!”
    Harriet: “What floor?”
    Me: “Seventh.”
    Harriet: “Me, too!”
    Me: “How long have you lived in that building?”
    Harriet: “Seven years.”
    Me: “Eight years.”
    Harriet: “I never saw you before in my life.”
    Me: “I never saw you before in my life.”
    Harriet and me: “Let’s do lunch!”

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    Dharavi Skyscraper

    inhabitat.com/massive-pixilated-porocity-transforms-worlds-largest-slum/

    I came across an interesting new idea for a sky scraper that is proposed to be built on the outskirts of Mumbai. This sky scraper was designed to hold the population Dharavi, India's largest slum. Having the slum contained in one building, instead of spreading across the outskirts of Mumbai could help create more room for the people that are flooding into the urban centers of India. It is suggested that the dense design of this building would allow for the cottage industries and connecting relationships that define Dharavi to flourish. It is proposed that this building would create a cleaner and more organized version of Dharavi. I personally think that this will never be built  and if it was it would never be maintained properly because in general the urban poor are neglected and money is not heavily spent on them. However, i do think that it is an interesting idea to explore. As more and more of humanity is centered in urban areas it is becoming increasingly important to figure out solutions to organizations, sanitation, safety, housing etc. We are entering a new age of urban planning which needs new ideas for managing enormous urban populations. Perhaps soon a sky scraper built especially to hold a slum will not seem so far fetched.

    -Hannah A

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    The Super Rich in Indonesia

    When we read the most recent article on the extremely extravagant lifestyle of Lila's Indonesian family, I questioned whether this family was the exception or if there were any other families like them in Indonesia. I supposed that this was a unique family, an Indonesian version of the Kardashian's perhaps. However, i was surprised to find this video which says that the number of super rich Indonesians has shot up in recent years. One way that they measure this growth of the super rich is by keeping track of how many people have private jets. 5 years ago there only ten Indonesians who owned a plane and now in excess of fourty own one or more planes. Indonesia has the fastest growing south east Asian market and this is leading to more and more Indonesians becoming super rich (although most of Indonesia remains poor). It was semi-shocking to me but it seems that Lila's family is not unique.

    http://www.mefeedia.com/news/45547730

    -Hannah Andrew

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    The video is about the Burmese military junta General Than Shwe daughter’s wedding back in 2007. People will notice that the wealth gap in Asian communities such as Southeast Asia is really huge. Almost all of the Southeast Asian nations are known for economic inequality, for instance, some of the people are offered with special socio-economic privileges. In fact, Southeast Asian economies are all about the social network because in the end, it’s all about who you know. Hence, it explains the reason why some people are really well-off .The ‘high-so’ people in Southeast Asia must maintain a strong relationship with the government officials or the generals because it is the only way that one can achieve privileges and benefits. High-so people create secluded community for the elite and the super rich and thus, most of the ordinary working class, the middle class and the poor are barred from the community. Hence, it creates the gated communities and the social restrictions. Southeast Asian societies portray the concept of gated communities because the societies are the result of the economic inequality.


    Moe Moe

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    Last week, we talked about being super rich in Asian countries. In fact, some of the students have doubts regarding the lucrative and luxurious life of rich elites in Asia especially in Southeast Asia. Some of the students do not believe that such people from developing world can lead such a splendid and lavish life but in fact, a lot of people from Southeast Asia are really wealthy. I am Burmese so I would like to share this article with everyone because we really have a billionaire in our country. Usually, a lot people don’t know Burma or Myanmar and people often think that the country is struck by poverty. In fact, Burma has a couple of billionaires and a lot of millionaires. Only 10% of the population in the country is wealthy and the remaining population is made up of middle class or those who live under the poverty line. But what I would like to say is that we should not judge people from their origin such as country because some of the Southeast Asians are really wealthy. 


    Moe Moe

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