NYGeog

Geography, GIS, Geospatial, NYC, etc.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Death-Media: on Indie Rock vs. Jam Bands

While on my own I've debated the merits of indie rock vs jam bands, the blog Death-Media has also commented on this topic drawn from Todd P. Roosevelt Island concerts and Animal Collective concerts. Summer is a time of the rare road trip for us New Yorkers. We embrace the chance to load up a car and move at speeds much faster than a subway train into the great greenery and explore rural geographies while shuffling through road trip mixes to help unwind.

Yet, at such times of real release, not the instantaneous sonic and/or olfactory vacation required when jamming into a packed summer subway, it is not the indie music or valued Brooklyn bands that I turn to but classic Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Phish or Tom Petty, classic rock, Wilco, Califone, older Modest Mouse, and the darlings Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes (either def. not from Brooklyn) or anything else that reminds me of the American musical landscape. You can't get into this stuff in 2 minute listens or listen to the last 17 minutes of a Dark Star jam without that first 10 minutes. Perhaps it is just that point why the Brooklyn scene (if it can be classified as a scene, ie hipsterdom, ie indie music - all of which have their merits but combined yield highly image-conscious snootyness towards the jam band scene, of which has also transformed in the years after the Grateful Dead and/or Phish's hiatus's) is more orchestrated into short songs. City dwellers need quick immediate releases from daily inconviences while the rest of the country is capable of absorbing sounds, not from earbuds or designer headphones, from their car stereo over their more relaxing and spacious commute.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Wilco (the album reviews)

Reviews are starting to roll in for Wilco's 7th effort Wilco (the album). I'm hoping to get my copy on vinyl sometime this week. I've been listening to this album a lot more than when the first mp3's were posted. Its a slow burn that creeps up on you. I can't deny liking Sky Blue Sky and find that Wilco, while not blowing me away as much anymore, is consistantly releasing solid albums while other bands come and go in one or two albums.

Professional reviews

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

USWTR Submarine OEIS is finally completed

My Environmental group has been working on the Undersea Warfare Training Range OEIS/EIS for supposedly 14 years and the final version is online here (USWTR Site). Keep in mind this website was started in like 1990. The design is very old school.

When working on large federal environmental projects there is such a disconnect between the day-to-day work and the final product that its hard to conceptualize how your work affects the big picture. Ultimately, the US Navy deemed it necessary to build an Undersea Warfare Training Range somewhere near the Atlantic coastal shelf. Along with a variety of consulting agencies, from both environmental and practical backgrounds, we completed an offshore environmental impact statement for the range.

Here's what Wikipedia explains about the EIS process components:
  • Scoping: When a project is first proposed, the agency announces it with a notice in the Federal Register, notices in local media, and letters to citizens and groups that it knows are likely to be interested. Citizens and groups are welcome to send in comments helping the agency identify the issues it must address in the EIS (or EA).
  • Draft EIS: Based on both agency expertise, and issues raised by the public the agency prepares a Draft EIS with a full description of the affected environment, a reasonable range of alternatives, and an analysis of the impacts of each alternative. The public is then provided a second opportunity to provide comments.
  • Final EIS and Proposed Action: Based on the comments on the Draft EIS, the agency writes a Final EIS, and announces its Proposed Action. The public is not invited to comment on this, but if they are still unhappy, or feel that the agency has missed a major issue, they may protest the EIS to the Director of the agency. The Director may either ask the agency to revise the EIS, or explain to the protester why their complaints are not actually taken care of.
  • Record of Decision: Once all the protests are resolved the agency issues a Record of Decision which is its final action prior to implementation. If members of the public are still dissatisfied with the outcome they may sue the agency in Federal court.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Summer and Murders in New York & Artie Lange: Too Fat To Fish

The New York Times released a great investigatory piece on the correlation between summertime and murders in New York City. There is also a really interesting interactive map that maps all the homicides from 2003 - 2009. Central Brooklyn, Bed Stuy and Crown Heights looks to have the highest concentration of murders but the article states that per capita, the Bronx has the highest murder rates.

Fresh Air recently interviewed comedian Artie Lange in regards to his new book Too Fat To Fish. The interview was hilarious and insightful into Artie's depression as well as his memories of childhood with his dad.