AltWeeklies Wire
Can California's Wineries Survive When Everyone's Buying Cheap Imports?new
Once the money flowed freely, but economic struggles and shrinking distribution are becoming a huge buzz kill for Northern California's acclaimed wine country.
Metro Silicon Valley |
Jessica Fromm |
01-09-2009 |
Food+Drink
The World's Best Distance Runners are from East Africa, but They Train in Santa Fenew
Since 2002, 20 runners from around the world have paid nearly $1,000 to train for a week in the high, dry air of Santa Fe, at the beginning of each August, at Dr. Jon Woo's high-altitude running school, Camp Marafiki.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Charles Bethea |
01-08-2009 |
Sports
How 'Douchebag' Became Everyone's Favorite Insultnew
James Matisoff, an emeritus professor in UC Berkeley's linguistics department, concurs that douchebag's pejoration -- its change from neutral to negative meaning -- has snowballed in recent years. The culprits: Jon Stewart and his comedic brethren.
SF Weekly |
Joe Eskenazi |
01-07-2009 |
Commentary
People Who Died: Our Annual Alt-Obitsnew
Death took its usual toll this year, and seemingly then some. Genocide, war, terrorist attacks, disease -- yikes. But for the purposes of City Paper's annual tribute to influential cultural notables whose deaths deserve a little extra note, it was a terrible harvest.
Baltimore City Paper |
Staff |
01-06-2009 |
Commentary
The Kresge Foundation Fends Off Artist Starvation and Fuels the Creative Classnew
The Kresge Artist Fellowships -- which will annually award 18 local artists $25,000 -- are one part of an $8.8 million overall commitment to arts and culture in the Detroit area made by the foundation.
Metro Times |
Kelli B. Kavanaugh |
01-06-2009 |
Art
Handling the Hangovernew
Here are some preventative techniques for handling the day-after doldrums.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Taylor Eason |
01-02-2009 |
Food+Drink
North Carolina Musicians Celebrate the Other New Yearnew
Every year a crew of Western North Carolina-based musicians heads to Negril, Jamaica, for a week of community-building, service work and jamming. The unlikely occasion? Chinese New Year.
Mountain Xpress |
Alli Marshall |
12-31-2008 |
Travel
Forget That 'Happy Chanukah' Schlock ... Christmas is Where It's Atnew
Most folks seem to think Chanukah is the Jewish Christmas. It is not. Christmas is the Jewish Christmas.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Caralyn Green |
12-29-2008 |
Commentary
2008: The Year of the Nerdnew
Barack Obama collects Spider-Man comics and knows how to communicate with Vulcans. But in a year when many a dashing high-school quarterback and perfect prom queen got wedgies from the freaks and geeks, its really no surprise he was elected.
Boston Phoenix |
Ryan Stewart |
12-29-2008 |
Commentary
Hog Huntin' in Florida's Evergladesnew
As the state moves closer to closing a $1.3 billion deal to buy 181,000 acres of private land — mostly hog habitat — the ancient art -- or horrible slaughter, depending on how you see it -- seems poised to disappear.
Miami New Times |
Natalie O'Neill |
12-29-2008 |
Recreation
Embracing Skepticism in a World of Networked Identitynew
The real purpose of networking sites, we think, is to make it easier to stay close to the people you want to be close to, rather than perform for the world, and for that reason I actually Facebooked up last week. And will not, after consideration, blog next year. Facebook will work if I do nothing to it -- a blog entry is obsolete immediately.
Boulder Weekly |
Dave Kirby |
12-29-2008 |
Commentary
The Gundersons Get Us Ready for Basil, the Robot of Our Dreamsnew
The Gundersons claim to have possibly solved one of the most challenging problems in robotics, and just a few weeks ago, they published an entire book, Robots, Reasoning and Reification, about it.
Seattle's New Way to Fetishize Coffeenew
As a marketing strategy, "cupping" is straight from the wine-industry playbook. As a means of enjoying coffee, it's mostly hot air.
Seattle Weekly |
Jonathan Kauffman |
12-22-2008 |
Food+Drink
Don't Let the Holidays Trap You in Old Family Scriptsnew
Family. Merrymaking. Gift giving. It ought to be so cozy and fun, just like an old postcard. But making it through the next few weeks definitely has its challenges.
NOW Magazine |
Elizabeth Bromstein |
12-22-2008 |
Advice
Eco Hustle: You'll Tide Edition
Revisiting Dickens' A Christmas Carol brings up some uncomfortable comparisons to go with our holiday cheer.
Flagpole Magazine |
Alan Flurry |
12-22-2008 |
Commentary
