Search Results for: palo alto

Atlanta Observations

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I’m a child of the deep south, and the culture here is no stranger to me. But I’ve been away from it for long enough that visiting Atlanta (not my native Louisiana, but close enough) allows me to have a few strong and swift impressions. I offer these up as naive points and nothing more:

+ Tubby Blubby – I know America isn’t populated with purely svelte people, but honestly, the sheer quantity of morbidly obese people around here dwarfs what I normally see. I guess if so many people are fat, these being obese loses its stigma. Not that I want these poor souls to be walking around hating themselves; it’s just interesting to me that a major metropolitan city with plenty of knowledge floating around about good nutrition is packed with so many porkers.

+ White Like Me – Let me go about this delicately – – – I’m not as surprised at the percentage of black people here, but the lack of them in Palo Alto. I mean, look, Palo Alto is ostensibly a liberal, diverse, sophisticated college town – – but as I’m walking around Atlanta (and keep in mind, this is in a fairly upscale area), the black population makes Palo Alto feel like the most whitebread city on the planet.

+ Jesus! – And, of course, Christianity is far, far, far, farrrrrrrr more pervasive here, in the form of mega-churches, billboards, and everything else. When I picked up my oversized bag at the Delta counter, the woman giving it to me asked me to “Have a blessed day.” Later, I saw an enormous billboard that proclaimed in huge letters: “YOU ARE FORGIVEN!” I then noticed the billboard was for a Ford dealership that offered liberal credit terms, even to those with lousy record. So I guess Mr. Christ doesn’t let a low FICO score foreclose anyone from personal salvation (or a late-model truck from Detroit).

Anyway, I remain here through Sunday. I’ll try my best to stay on top of the wonderful world of Slope in the midst of my familial obligations.

Clinkle is the New Color

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Greetings from Palo Alto. Over three years (and thousands of posts……) ago, I wrote Color and the Mania in This Valley. The thrust of my post was:

+ Color.com had received $41 million to develop an app;
+ The app sucked out loud;
+ The company deserved to fail.

Well, fail it did (as I announced in the 4th post I did about the stupid place), and in those three+ years, the bubble has just continued to inflate. 2014 makes 2011 seem downright sensible. (more…)

Kompletely Klueless

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My feelings about celebrity culture are identical to those of the late George Carlin, esteemed patron saint of the Slope of Hope: he couldn’t stand it. As I was thumbing through the Palo Alto Daily Post this morning, there was a headline – “Kardashian mom files for divorce.”

The “mom” is that cow-like woman Kris Jenner who, after her own failed marriage to a sleazy lawyer that managed to get OJ to walk after a double-murder rap, married a man who, in the 1970s, was a big hero (Bruce Jenner) who had a failed marriage of his own. Now these two misfits have a 2nd wrecked marriage to add to each of their scorecards.

What made me heave is when I read the names of the various and sundry spawn from their marriages: Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall, and Kylie. When George ranted about his dislike of “couples whose children’s names all start with the same initial”, I didn’t quite know what he meant…until now. The entire topic is a big load of Krap.

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

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For a price not much higher than that of the Six Million Dollar Man, you can come hang with me here in drought-sticken Palo Alto! In this morning’s paper, there is a property featured in my neighborhood for the low, low price of $6.5 million, which is a cinch if you happen to be one of Facebook’s earlier employees. And the lot size – simply massive – a full .172 of an acre (and I am not making that figure up – less than one-fifth of a single acre). Must be pretty magnificent building, though, eh? Here ya go! (more…)

My Eastern Bloc Tour

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As most of you know, I was away for nearly two weeks on “vacation”. Typically, when I go photo 1somewhere new – – – even something minor, like walking into a new store – – I can typically write up some impressions I had about the place. One would think that a tour of Prague, Poland, and Berlin would evoke all kinds of prose. Strangely, virtually nothing came to mind, and I wasn’t even sure I could muster up a “post-travel” post.

A few folks asked me if I would write one, however, and I do have a few things to say, including one conclusion that surprised me. For those who don’t know me so well, an important preface is that I’m not that keen on traveling. I’m a notorious homebody, and the nuisance of planes, passports, and expensive hotels really isn’t my cup of tea. I’d rather just stay home with my dogs. But occasionally I am wrested lose from the snug of Palo Alto. (more…)