Diatribes by Joah

Southern Comfort

Recently returned to DC from a roadtrip down South with Althea. Here are the highlights:

B&B in Charleston, SC.

Rainbow Row, the most famous street in Charleston, where all the multi-million dollar homes are colored in wonderful pastel blues, pinks and yellows.

Awesome double rainbow I caught walking along the Battery before heading over to Jestine's for dinner.

Cooper River Bridge, one of the coolest bridges in the entire country if you ask me.

Middleton Place, one of the historic plantations in Charleston.

 Folly Beach, the coolest beach in Charleston where college kids spend summer days.

Stone Mountain outside of Atlanta, Ga.

 

The Waterfall in Pisgah National Forest outside of Asheville, NC.

 

 

Sliding Rock, also outside of Asheville, NC.

 

Furman Univ. Clock Tower, Greenville, SC.

Falls Park in Downtown Greenville.

The Gaffney (SC) Peach.

On the road, for work and for fun

I've been in the South on travel for work for the last few days and I'll be on vacation, also in the South, starting tomorrow so I probably won't have an update until early next week. In the meantime, enjoy this innovative video from Radiohead. According to Kanye, "No cameras or lights were used. Instead two technologies were used to capture 3D images: Geometric Informatics and Velodyne LIDAR. Geometric Informatics scanning systems produce structured light to capture 3D images at close proximity, while a Velodyne Lidar system that uses multiple lasers is used to capture large environments such as landscapes. In this video, 64 lasers rotating and shooting in a 360 degree radius 900 times per minute produced all the exterior scenes."

Boston, Better than Usual; City Ratings Upgrade

I think many of you know I'm not the biggest fan of Boston. I've written about this in the past and let's just say the Celtics' win over Kobe and the Lakers didn't smooth things over. Nevertheless, I went to Boston last weekend with an open mind or at least my best attempt.

Once I got there after two hours stuck on the runway at Reagan thanks to some thunderstorms, it was a pretty chill weekend. I've been to Boston enough to not need to do touristy stuff every trip up the coast. And the laid-back nature of the weekend made it, quite possibly, my most realistic visit to the city they call Beantown. Oh, and by realistic, I mean I felt less like an outsider visiting the city and more like a local who'd been away for awhile, but was coming back to somewhere that I realized had changed a lot since my last visit. If that makes any sense at all.

Mostly I hung out with my good friend Peter and his girlfriend Kristie. We played some tennis. We went to Bodega, a really fresh store with old school Nike dunks and windbreakers. Althea was in town for a work conference, which was awesome, so we met out at Red Line and danced a good bit. We ate at The Mission, where I had probably the best meal I've ever had in Boston (pork chops, sweet potatoes and spinach), and The Pour House for brunch. We went to a barbecue at one of Kristie's friend's house. Althea and I met up with Nadya and her family in town from New Mexico and had a nice brunch at some half-decent place in Beacon Hill. Then Althea and I went up to the Arboretum and walked and talked, which was nice. Then we went back to Peter's place and watched the Euro Cup final. Then Althea and I spent an extra hour in Logan (those storms again) and made our way back to DC.

The whole weekend felt a lot different than my other trips to the city. I can't really explain it, but I felt a lot more comfortable in Boston this time around. The neighborhoods looked more interesting. The people seemed a little less exclusive. The city felt a lot less unfriendly.

Before this weekend, if someone asked, I would've given Boston a 6 on the city ratings scale I created for myself, but I think they've moved up to at least a 7, and could move up to an 8 if the Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics start losing again so their fans are more tolerable.

Here's how I rate some other cities:

Atlanta - 7, the '96 Olympics really introduced this city to the world, but they've failed to keep up with that level of momentum and prestige in the last decade or so...still I love the nightlife, the Braves and its proximity to both the South and the East Coast is preferable...

Austin - 8, fast population growth and strong economy have helped this city buck the housing crisis, but there's another housing crisis in the city - segregation...the underrated food scene, the nightlife, the college sports (and UT), the music festivals and of course the lakes...no public transportation, bad school system (and outlook) and lack of strong neighborhoods...

Boston - 7, the racial components aside, my major gripes are that city really shuts down early (stores at 7, bars at 2) compared to other East Coast cities and the locals put a lot of pressure on outsiders to assimilate ("like the Sox or else")...but I love the neighborhood feel, the runners (Althea pointed this out) and the sports fervor...and I like seafood...

Charleston, SC - 6, too small and not enough to do...its more of a weekend trip than a week's vacation...too segregated and Old South-y...but love the beach and the seafood and the bar scene and the hospitality and the women (if I were single, it'd be a solid 8)...

Chicago - 9, the arts scene is unmatched outside of New York and LA, the food is both diverse and delightful (and way cheaper than D.C.), and this may be the only city that can rival Austin in terms of where I'd rather be in the summer...downside is that the city politics have been corrupted by the elbow rubbing of business and politics (worse than DC) and the cold ass winters...

Dallas - 5, way too much sprawl, way too much "have/have-not"-ness, and not enough going on in the downtown area, I love the Cowboys though, and the dry heat isn't bad, and its not that long of a drive to Austin...

Houston - 6, much more to do than in Dallas, but the same problems with lack of connectivity within the city, bars charge covers in an effort to be more like LA, too much brand-shopping without actual fashion savvy, and no good public transportation...and the humidity (yuck)...pluses are that its easy to fly from Houston to anywhere, thanks to Continental and Southwest, and I have family and friends there...

Los Angeles - 7, way too dirty and big for my taste...it takes forever to get anywhere unless you plan it perfectly, people seem to put more value on connections than friendships and profession ("I'm a producer") than purpose ("I make good films"), and you don't get four seasons...I love the Lakers/Kobe and the drive to Vegas isn't all that bad, and I LOVE movies...

Minneapolis - 7, only visited for a weekend, but liked the outdoorsy/laid-back feel to it, reminded me of Austin in a way...I love lakes...I like that its not far from Chicago...I don't like the cold winters (I mean really cold) and the lack of a true bar/club scene...and you wouldn't exactly call it a fashion mecca...

New York - 8, there's something for everyone here; art, food, music, nightlife, sports, you name it, and people would always be willing to come visit you and its the fashion capital of the US...of course most of that stuff costs an arm and a leg, even the art, and it's cold in the winter and way too hot in the summer (on the Subway) and way too expensive to live anywhere in Manhattan and be truly happy with your job...

San Francisco - 8, some of the same reasons that I like New York, only it's a lot smaller=more manageable and accessible...weather is better...there's more to do outdoors...the shopping is almost just as good...there's a good mix of collegial/artsy/politically-driven/musically-inclined people there which is awesome...just too damn expensive to buy anything housing-wise that wouldn't require a drive...and too far from the next closest cool city, even Portland and LA are long drives away...

Seattle - 7, I definitely think this could be an 8 if I spent more than one weekend here, I loved Queen Anne  (not that I could afford to live there yet) and Safeco FIeld and the city offers a cool mix of local-feel and tourist-to-dos...good music scene...diversity issue isn't as glaring as Boston or Minneapolis or other cities that owe most of their diversity to academics and immigration moreso than inclusion...the rain would get a little boring and so would the long flights to Austin, New York or DC...

Washington, D.C. - 9, I'm a political nut so that helps, the music scene is very underrated with some great venues and local acts...the arts/touristy stuff is all here...it's very accessible to the South and Northeast...flights are easy to get...neighborhoods are thriving and gentrifying...new mayor is putting an emphasis on good schools...government keeps the economy and job market strong...only downsides are that you can't ever get away from politics (even I have to sometimes) and, like LA, people put more emphasis on profession than purpose...

My Peak Performance and Then Some

Two hours and forty-five minutes never felt so long. Thirteen and two-tenths of a mile never felt so painful. Twentieth place never felt so rewarding. These are the simple truths behind the most daunting, mentally-challenging and physically-tasking endeavor I have ever embarked upon. The North Face Endurance Challenge was just that, an endurance challenge. Testing both one's ability to succeed with one's ability to survive, this race proved tougher than any of the hundred-plus races I have run over the last 13 years.

But before I tell you more about the race, I have to tell you a tidbit about my trip to Vancouver and Seattle, which the race was sandwiched between. For starters, I've wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest for years. I went to San Francisco - another city I'd been dying to visit - earlier this year and have continued to make good on an '08 promise to myself that I'd get more serious about my running, travel more and get out of the country, even if just for a hundred miles...err, kilometers. And, to top it all off, I had Althea with me to make the trip all the more memorable. She's awesome.

So...here's the trip recap:

Thursday 10:00 a.m. - After flying into Seattle the night before, we wake up and get on the road to Vancouver about three hours up I-5.

Althea giving me directions.

11:30 - Pit stop in Bellingham, WA, to get my race packet with free North Face goodies (yes, my $70 registration fee did get me something!) and some Starbucks. Our first of many trips to Starbucks.

1:30 p.m. - Arrive in Vancouver to the sight of what seems to be 1984 in Miami...just about every building is gray with blue or white glass from top to bottom, this is odd.  Thankfully our hotel, the Executive Hotel Vintage Park, is not so ugly and outdated. [I highly recommend this hotel based on its proximity to downtown shopping and Stanley Park and two nice restaurants, a Sushi place next door and II Giardino, which I'll mention later.]

Is this Vancouver, Miami or Seoul, either way, it's 1984?

5:00 - Althea and I visit the wonderful Stanley Park, which includes a fun walk through the Vancouver Aquarium. The weather is gorgeous so far, mostly sunny and low 60s by the feel of it.

The aquarium was awesome...especially the dolphins!

10:00 - Late dinner at II Giardino...probably the best Italian food I've had in two years and the bottle of Deen de Bortoli "Vat 8" was probably the best Shiraz I've ever had. I LOVE Australian wine. Or maybe it was just that the food was so good, it even made the wine incredible. [Earlier in the night we had a bottle of Adobe Carmenere, another great pick, from Chile.]

Friday 11:00 a.m. - Drive over the Lions Gate Bridge to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge, a walkers-only bridge that was built a hundred years ago and can now support the weight of two jumbo-jets. Fantastics views up there...as was true for the entire trip.

The view from the Capilano.

3:00 p.m. - After a breathtaking two-hour drive up to Whistler, Althea and I stop for lunch at a nice little market restaurant in Whistler, home to some of North America's best skiing and snowboarding slopes and sight of Alpine skiing in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

One of the many awesome views on the drive to Whistler.

6:30 p.m. - Back in Vancouver, we stop to do a little window shopping (well, I did buy two t-shirts at Band On) on Robson Street...their shopping version of Georgetown (DC) with more flair like Haight & Ashbury in San Fran...

My recap of Vancouver is that it seems like a medium-sized city...small enough to be very clean and easy-to-navigate while big enough to have a good fashion scene (I credit the Japanese/Korean influences)...oh, and all the tourist stops were over-priced, but I should be used to that since I live in D.C. and everything, especially the stuff for the city residents, is over-priced.

10:00 p.m. - Althea and I get into a bit of an argument about God knows what...I blame it on the Lakers for losing that night. We still manage to work out last minute details for the next morning, race day, which we're both a bit antsy about.

Saturday 7:45 a.m. - We arrive at Lutherwood Camp, a cozy little campsite off of Lake Samish and leading up to some private forest land. I'd learn all about that forest land in a bit. After having been in one outdoor community, Whistler, Althea and I quickly immerse ourselves in another...the runner's community. I'm used to the scene of race sponsors, free snacks and runner's glares ("I wonder if that's the guy who's here to win?")...this is all new to Althea and she handles it gracefully, helping me stretch and giving me an abbreviated back massage, holding my excess clothes and helping me stay relaxed.

I was as relaxed as possible thanks to the photographer, Althea. Luckily, I went through the rain-free race with no back spasms, no ankle sprains, no cramps and no shins flaring.

9:00 - The half-marathon race begins. I take off with the other 140 or so runners and I'm immediately realize who I'll be running with for the next 13 miles. There's a big gap between serious runners and casual runners and I'm proud to say, at least for this race, I proved to be amongst the faster group. We quickly broke up, there was probably a group of 6-8 in the "lead" pack, then my group of 6-10 in the "chase" pack, then the others. Within the first 15 minutes of the race, I knew I could finish amongst this group if I just maintained my energy and pace, well not so much pace.

9:30 - We come through the first 5k (3.1 miles) in 30 minutes...I haven't run a 5k that slow since...never.  The course is muddy from the overnight precipitation and getting worse by the runner...the 10k runners are only making it worse. My shoes, bought by Althea, were already covered in mud and it was only a matter of time before my legs and hands were as well.

10:05 - We come through the first 10k in more than an hour...I've already thrown out the idea of running this thing in close to 2 hours, but I'm still hovering in the top 15 or 20 runners and not far off the leaders' pace. The mud has only gotten worse though...every third step is ankle deep. I've fallen a couple of times, nearly decapitated myself on a couple of tree branches and have had some close calls with severe ankle injuries. I get a small glass of water on my 2nd trip by the start/finish location where I hear and see Althea telling me I'm doing a good job. By this point, I had a couple of cuts and scrapes on my hands and legs from broken tree branches and rocks, but was feeling okay for the most part. Even at this point, there was already some serious fatigue setting in...the terrain was treacherous and even the best runners had to walk in the tough trails and muddied sections of the course.

10:35 - I've spent the last half hour running just a little over one mile in distance, but it feels like I just ran a gauntlet. Imagine running up a hill. Now imagine running up a hill for 30 minutes after having run up and down hills for an hour. It sucked. I did nothing but think about how much was left and how good it'd feel to reach the top and how embarrassed I'd feel if I quit (trust me, I wanted to...it sucked that bad) and how great Althea is and how much I wanted to see her at the finish line and how much further could the hill possibly be and WHERE THE F*CK IS THE NEXT WATER STATION??? I ran with one guy for a few miles and he and I took a couple of wrong turns, but were able to stay on the course, marked with yellow ribbons.

11:00 - I've made it! No, not the finish line...I've made it to the third and final aid station where I get a couple gulps of water and keep moving my legs like a steam engine...a really slow, exhausted one with little-to-no coal to burn...I still have 3.5 miles to go. I could hear streaming water, like a nearby waterfall, but I never actually saw anything. I was hoping that meant I was getting closer to the lake, but I don't think that was the case.

11:30 - I can't believe it's taking me this long to run a half marathon, but for anyone that hasn't run this kind of race before they wouldn't understand...it's like I told a reporter after the race “it’s not like running. It’s climbing, it’s pushing, it’s pulling...it’s both brutal and incredible." I still have no idea how much I have left, all I know is I'm still somewhere in the top 15 or 20 and I have no energy left. None. Empty. Zilch.

11:37 - I see a race volunteer and I'm guessing and dreading that he's going to tell me I have another mile and a half or two left. I guessed wrong!!! I only have "three-quarters of a mile left..." I summon the last bit of energy I have...through prayers.

Finally! I made it!

11:45 - I cross the finish line in 20th place and just outside my goal of finishing 20 minutes outside the winner...I'll let the reporter tell the rest:

Water...I need water!

Participants in The North Face Endurance Challenge crossed the finish line near Lake Samish Saturday, short of breath with shoes and legs caked in mud.

Bent over with his hands on his knees and the sweat still dripping from his brow, half-marathon runner Joah Spearman described the 13-mile race.

...Spearman, who traveled from Washington, D.C., to participate in the half marathon said that no matter how much anyone trained for the race, no one could have been prepared for it.

12:05 p.m. - After stuffing something like four peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, a Luna bar, two bottles of energy drink and a bottle of water down in 10 minutes, I'm ready for my post-race massage/stretch. Thank God because my muscles are about to join forces and kill the rest of my body.

1:30 - We're back at the hotel, checked out and ready to hit the road to Seattle. After yet another trip to Starbucks.

4:30 - Up and up, on an elevator though, to the top of the Space Needle! Thankfully, the weather was still pretty clear (by Seattle standards) and we got some decent pics.

Just before we made our way up.

7:30 - With garlic fries, fried mushrooms and a couple of beers in hand, we sat for a ballgame between the Mariners and the White Sox. The Sox led most of the game, but the Mariners did get some runs on the board and it was Washington State Employee Night, which apparently meant all of Washington's government employees could get drunk with their co-workers and do the wave. Good times.

Like all the Seattle fans...I came to see Ichiro!

11:30 - Althea and I go to a cool, cocktail lounge in downtown Seattle called Viceroy. I leaned, through researching local bars and clubs, that Seattle is a big cocktail city...just about every bar description included something about martinis, which is surprising given the music scene (i.e. grunge) would lead you to believe everyone drinks out of the keg or straight from the bottle. Or just gets stoned.

Sunday 11:00 a.m. - We have an Austin-like TexMex breakfast at Peso's. It was the second-best meal of the trip and my first BIG meal since the race. Speaking of...I'm sore as all hell and am walking like a 82-year-old man who just had hip-replacement surgery.

Yeah...I ate a huge burrito and three pancakes...I was starving.

1:00 p.m. - The Experience Music Project is pretty badass. There's nothing like it. Kinda like how there's no one like Jimi Hendrix. The best part was when Althea and I got to sing together. Let's just say we won't be asking you to download our track onto your iPod.

Sorry if it's hard to see, but this is the cool guitar installation (that actually plays music) in the EMP.

6:00 p.m. - We head down to Pike's, the famous market where you can have a 20-pound King Salmon thrown at you. It's also home to the original Starbucks. We went there, of course.

Anyone want some salmon? There's plenty here.

7:30 - Althea and I ride around in the beloved Queen Anne neighborhood where homes have a nice 1920s look with big steps, lovely gardens and great views of the city down below. Wealthy people love their hills don't they? Beverly Hills, Westlake Hills...I could name plenty others. Anyway, we end the Seattle trip with a nice Italian dinner (I had three different meals with prawns during the trip) in Queen Anne.

The skyline from a Queen Anne street.

11:40 - In the air and on our way back to D.C. Both Althea and I are impressed with Seattle's mixture of city coolness and community coziness. She thinks she could consider living there...I'd probably have to visit in the winter to be certain, but I will say it made a really good first impression...good seafood, good sports city, nice arts and music scene, what appeared to be a thriving nightlife and close proximity to outdoor adventures. And the houses were nice...and I haven't written off the possibility that I'll be able to afford West Coast living yet.

All in all, I think this trip was yet another accomplishment and job well done for 2008 so far...I ran/hiked pretty well in the toughest race in my life, I went out of the country for the first time in years, and I made even more great memories with Althea while visiting another great American city. Kurt Cobain sang "Come As You Are" and I'm happy to say both Vancouver and Seattle (and everywhere in between) were okay with that.

San Francisco Treat? Damn, Right

Since Althea had to go to San Fran for work, I packed my bags and made my first-ever trip to the Northern California metropolis. Sure, I've been to LA (you can't spell glam without LA), but I couldn't say I'd truly experienced Cali country until I checked out some of the Bay, or the Yay as my buddy Artie called it.

With my bags packed - I must note that I didn't have to check my suitcase since I am a reformed over-packer - I boarded my US Airways flight (shout out to Airbus) and made my way across the country. My Brazil trip isn't until the summer and I've never flown on a plane longer than four hours, so this was a great warm-up flight. Six or so hours later, I arrived.

San Francisco makes a big impression upon arrival. It's not unlike New York in that regard, even though I'm not supposed to compare the two cities. Sure, the city is known for tourist attractions (I'll get to that later), but it's the neighborhood and communal feel that radiates once you get inside the bosom of the city. While LA is more akin to a plastic-surgery enhanced bombshell (think Pamela Anderson), San Fran gives off a Natalie Portman vibe...not the most outgoing or outrageous, but has a ton of character and culture.

But I didn't get all that in the drive up to the Parc 55 near Union Square. I got most of that in the combination of doing all the touristy things San Fran has to offer, while also settling into the idea of being an actual resident of the city.

I checked out Alcatraz, spent time in the Haight shopping area (and bought new Dior and de la Renta ties), and saw Muir Woods. But I also went for a 15-mile run along the shore (including going over the Golden Gate), experienced - for lack of a more encompassing term - an Andre Nikitina show and went to a Giants-A's game. Perhaps more importantly, I was able to enjoy the city with some new and old friends. I hung out (at the show and game) with Artie, who I haven't seen in nearly seven years, met one of Althea's college friends, and met her aunt and uncle for dinner (we got to drive their Porsche to Muir Woods!)

Through all the activities, jam-packed into 72 hours, I honestly believe I got a fairly good feel for the city and why someone would fall in love with it, as both Althea's and my older siblings have. I even found myself wondering why I hadn't seriously considered San Francisco as a post-college destination. But then I remembered why I'm in D.C. now, why I love Austin, and why I prefer the Eastern half of the US.

The pace of San Francisco lacked urgency. The people seemed open and diverse, but the neighborhoods did not. As I ran through these neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday morning, I didn't get the sense that San Francisco was offering the same amenities and 'feel' to all of its residents. Perhaps it's a class issue and the real estate prices make it impossible to have true diversity. But I also felt a strange twinge of coolness that bordered on...too cool for school-ness. Again, this is not unlike New York. The main difference is that New York residents are too cool because they feel like they're living in the best place on earth whereas the San Francisco residents felt more like they were in the only place on earth they'd want to live. Catch my drift?

I guess what I'm saying is that while the saying is that "if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere," my feeling was that the people thriving in San Francisco aren't the types to a) try to make it anywhere else or b) ever want to make it anywhere else.

In saying that, maybe I shouldn't use the comparison of Pamela Anderson and Natalie Portman. After all,  San Francisco, if it were an actor, shouldn't be expected to pack as much punch as LA or New York which is more like a tall, dark and handsome type like Denzel Washington. Mostly because there's far more intrigue in the Bay Area hub.

And maybe those people are better off in San Francisco than anywhere else in the country (or world) and maybe they shouldn't have to "make it" anywhere else. If that's the case, San Francisco is a lot like Don Cheadle. Well remembered for its uniqueness, a la Cheadle's Boogie Nights character. Well respected for its talent, think Traffic. And well connected to culture in the form of a movie like Crash.

Funny thing is, Don Cheadle is my favorite actor.

San Fran pics

Alcatraz.

The TransAmerica building.

The view from Alcatraz.

A cool house I walked by.

The Golden Gate, driving over.

Althea and I at Muir Woods.

I got to drive Althea's uncle's Porsche!

The view from our seats.

Artie and me at the game.

Boston ... You Got Some Explainin' To Do

I went to Boston to see my great friends Peter and Nadya this past weekend. I've been to Boston a couple of other times to see Nadya, but this is the first time I've been up since Peter moved to Beantown. And it just so happened to coincide with the week he moved into a new (sweet industrial-styled) apartment with his lady friend. So I had plenty of reason to make it up to Boston without even having to think about the scant possibility of seeing fellow Greenville, South Carolina-native and new Celtic, Kevin Garnett walking down Newbury Street.

Anyway, that's just background, what really went on this weekend can't be summed up with "I went to Boston to visit my friends". Honestly, I went to Boston hoping to figure out if I could start liking the New England hub. My past trips to the city have been fun, but I've always left with a bad taste in my mouth...something along the lines of "fun to visit, not to live."

I have a few, if not dozen, friends and colleagues that have grown up or lived in Boston and it's pretty consistent: people from the area love it, people not from the area don't. This may not be universal, but it's very true within my inner circle. But why is that? What is it about Boston that rubs "outsiders" the wrong way? What is it about Boston that won't let me get over the hump and appreciate it the way I appreciate places like Chicago and New York and D.C. (Austin's on another level, by itself)?

First, let me tell you what I like about Boston. Fenway Park. It's a major sports city. Newbury Street. Boston Common. Good fashion. The way the neighborhoods each have unique personalities.

But I'm not as big a fan of Fenway as Camden Yards as far as traditionally-themed baseball stadiums go. To some extent Dallas, Houston, New York and Chicago are all as good, if not better, sports cities as Boston. Newbury Street is only cool during the day before everything starts to close. New York, Chicago and L.A. are much better places if you're into fashion. The neighborhoods also have distinct racial and socio-economic characteristics as well (not that this makes it any different than any other major US city, but more on the racial part later).

Regardless, I still like those things about Boston. It's not the best at any one thing - no matter how many New Englanders will tell you their seafood is better than that of New Orleans or Charleston, SC - but it's pretty damn good at a lot of things.

But then I get to the bad. These are the things that have turned me off to Boston over the years.

First and foremost, the racism and prejudice in the city must be discussed since I'm a black man and Boston isn't exactly the capital of places for black men to enjoy life (unless you're Kevin Garnett or any other Celtic). The Red Sox aren't as bad as say the Houston Astros or Atlanta Braves (who somehow missed the memo on having a black player on their teams even though some of the best players of all-time are black (Robinson, Mays, Aaron, Bonds, Griffey)), but did you know they only have one African-American player on their entire roster? I find myself thanking Theo Epstein for keeping Los Angeles-native Coco Crisp on the roster this year.

Even before I went to Boston, I heard it wasn't a good city with regard to black-white relations. This was something I've heard in interviews, read in magazines, and seen in movies and on TV (think Departed when the word "nigger" is used casually by non-blacks). Before KG finally OKed the trade to the Celtics, it was rumored he didn't want to play in Boston because of the city's reputation for not being good for black athletes (Allen Iverson nixed a potential Boston-Philly trade years ago for the same reason).

On my last visit to Boston, last October, a friend of a friend who had recently moved to the city noted that there really aren't many places, if any, for young African-American professionals to go and be around other African-American professionals...unlike say, U Street in D.C.

And last weekend, while walking to the T, a white woman told a Latina to "go back to Mexico" simply because she was walking down the wrong side of the stairs to enter the T stop. I apologize if I'm sensitive to any sentence that begins with "go back to..." because I've seen too many documentaries and read too many books about the Civil Rights Movement where Southern whites were saying the same thing, only telling my predecessors to "go back to Africa."

Okay, so that's enough for the racial aspect. Honestly, Austin isn't much better. I've heard too many stories of Austin police officers profiling...and I myself have been profiled on more than one occasion in just about every major city between Los Angeles and Boston. But something about Boston being one of America's oldest cities that makes me believe it's also going to be one of the last to figure out that segregation and racism, albeit closeted, isn't exactly a good thing for America.

The next reason, of only slightly less importance, is the lack of friendliness/hospitality among the locals. On the flight up, the pilot was sounding very chipper when he said "welcome to Boston, the temperature is 86 degrees and I hope you enjoy your stay here...". Fittingly, a Boston local sitting behind me chimed in and said "he's definitely not from Boston." Even the locals know their city's reputation as not being a warm place and I'm not talking weather.

To my surprise, I did have a few good experiences with customer service while in Boston. A cashier at CVS was as friendly as a South Carolinian and the parking attendant at the pool in Manchester went out of his way to be kind to us in saying that the lot was reserved for club members. But then I get on the beach or go to a bar and notice that people just feel and look cold as ice. This may be because I was just-about the only black person in sight, so there could be feelings of "what are you doing here?", but I don't want to play the race card here so I'll just attribute it to the city's (and the area's) lack of hospitality toward "outsiders."

And I keep bringing this word - "outsiders" - up because that's what kills me about Boston. Here you have this history-rich, academically-infused and metropolitan region where people come from all over and it's still a place that can make newcomers and non-natives feel like they don't belong. It's not like the South where everyone, even racist people, say hello or pretend to be friendly. It's not like the Midwest where people move at a slower pace so they're willing to take some time to get to know you. It's not like the West Coast where people are so laid back they'll let you be yourself.

Instead, whenever I go to Boston I get the feeling that I have to rush to a decision. Either assimilate and become a die-hard Red Sox/Patriots fan, hate New York, love the Kennedys and aristocracy, have a private-school degree or two, wear Brooks Brothers sweaters and drive a Volvo. Or finish your visit and hurry back to where you were (belong).

I must also note a few smaller things that I don't like about Boston: 1) everything closes early, it's not at all a night city like D.C. where all the shops in Georgetown and DuPont stay open past 6 or 7; 2) the cold, long winters; 3) the elitism that comes from an old, segregated history; 4) as good as the academic scene is, like D.C., there is a predisposition to frown upon public schoolers; and 5) the roads/highways...everyone in Boston has a GPS so they won't get lost.

I'm sure there are some friends/colleagues of mine - from Boston, no doubt - that will defend the city and refute each of my points until the end of their lives, but until I meet a single person that wasn't born in Boston or the New England area that tells me they a) love Boston, b) would raise kids in Boston, and c) think Boston does not suffer from major racial problems, I refuse to qualify the city as one of my top US favorites (Austin, DC, Chicago, New York) or a place I could live.

In all honesty, it may just be the racial thing that is making me so unfavorable toward an otherwise great US city. On that note, I've started thinking about the possibility of moving to Boston for a year or two and writing a book called "The Black Man's Guide to Boston" based on my experiences. I bet Kevin Garnett would buy this book in a New York minute.

*I look forward to any and all of your comments.*

Prime Interests...no, I'm not talking money

(Update: Sorry it's so long.)

A friend recently asked if I wanted to go to a bar that was having a drink special and I replied that I couldn't because I'd be home watching the NBA Draft. Not being a huge sports fan, like myself, he was astonished.

Now, this is perfect timing because just the other day another friend who is new to D.C. asked me how to make new friends. And my reply was "do things you're interested in and that's where people you can be friends with are."

The way I see it, drinking at a bar can happen any day of the year. Well except Sundays in 'blue law' places like South Carolina, but just about everywhere else. Drink specials happen a few days a week. Or, better yet, I have a near-full bar at home if I want to get plastered. And I have very few instances where I've made lasting friends (and definitely not girlfriends) from bars.

But the NBA Draft...especially one that includes sure-fire studs like Kevin Durant and Greg Oden (not to mention the Florida Gators), is an evening in front of the TV that cannot be missed. Not because I'm getting any closer to dating someone out of it, but because it's just too interesting to not watch.

But this same friend who asked if I wanted to hit a bar is probably also thinking, "Joah watches a lot of TV." Because he's noted that on multiple occasions, I've made references to needing to watch The Wire or Sopranos or Entourage or 24 or Heroes. And he'd be exactly right. I do watch a lot of TV.

TV/Entertainment and sports are prime examples of what I call "prime interests". In other words, if you don't like these things, we sure as hell better have a lot of other things in common to be friends. And my future wife will hopefully at least tolerate watching my favorite shows and going to the occasional baseball game. These are deal breakers.

But they're not just deal breakers, they're also things of interest that allow me to connect to people. They help me maintain connections with people and develop friendships. I can't tell you how many friends I've made and people I've met because we both LOVE the Dallas Cowboys (here in Redskins territory) or we both like going to concerts or we both like running.

A perfect example is my buddy at work, Will, who never stops arguing with me about something. But in the end, we both realize we're only arguing because we're both pretty passionate about some of the same things. This is a guy I consider a friend because we have mutual respect even in disagreement. My brother and I will be probably grow old being the same way. Arguing about Tim Duncan and the underrated, but non-dynasty, Spurs for decades.

So while 24 and the NBA Draft aren't "prime interests" they fit into categories that are. I've found maximizing the time I spend on my "prime interests" makes each day very engaging. Mostly because I know - over the course of the average day when I'll talk to any combination of my best friends, my family members, and my co-workers - that the things I'm interested in will be discussed in an engaging conversation.

Now, some people think watching TV is about the least engaging thing anyone can do, but not me. TV, to me, is right up there with all the other things I do to make each day interesting and worth mentioning or remembering. Ultimately, each day becomes 365 days.

These are my "Prime Interests":

Sports - On a 1-to-10 scale, I'm at about a 10 for being a sports fan. NFL, NCAA, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, PGA, ATP, you name it. I subscribe to Sports Illustrated and ESPN the Mag and I'm an Insider. I won my fantasy football league last year. I'm typically very good at predicting the Final Four. And I'm not just a fan when it involves my favorites like the Dallas Cowboys or the L.A. Lakers or the Atlanta Braves or Jeff Gordon or Tiger Woods or the Texas Longhorns, I'm a fan of it all. My brother is the only person I've ever met that categorically knows more about sports than I do. I grew up in a neighborhood where about 30 kids played basketball and football and baseball for hours on end. And an older brother that is worthy of being on ESPN.

Music - On a 1-to-10 scale, I'm at about a 9. I have a one-concert-per-month rule. I watch music videos when I get dressed for work in the morning. I listen to music when I go to bed at night. I talk about music with the Vice Chairman of the company I work for. I dream of one-day being a presenter at the Grammys and I've met Pharrell and Fergie and Kanye. I'd like to know a bit more about world music, but I haven't traveled enough to really take it all in. One of the main reasons I love hardwood floors, which I refuse to live without, is so I can have open dancing space in my home. I grew up with music and dancing going on in my home and my grandmother's home. My children will too. And another older brother that dreams of being the next Kanye West, athough he wouldn't make that direct reference.

Entertainment - On a 1-to-10 scale, this one is about a 9. Most of my friends can tell you when it comes to TV, movie or entertainment news, I'm the one to ask. I watch HBO like an addict. I absolutely love knowing about upcoming TV shows and movies before everyone, so I can share the scoop. I read and subscribe to about a zillion magazines a week. I've even done a movie preview for the last two years to update friends on what good movies to look forward to each year. And this year, I've been about 90 percent accurate. I don't keep up with gossip though, so I'll never be a 10.

Politics - On a 1-to-10 scale, I'm at about a 8. Politics is one of those things that has many audiences. Some of my friends like to talk foreign policy, but know nothing of campaigning. Some know campaigns, but nothing about Congress. Others know the Hill, but not local government. I put myself at a 8, and not higher, mostly because I can admit that I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as I one-day hope to be about politics. But I do put myself around people that know about foreign policy and campaigning and Congress and all the other stuff. I learn by proxy. Even right now, I know I'm more engaged and informed than most 24-year-olds, but that's not saying much because a vote doesn't have an age and I want my vote to be based on as much information as a 48-year-old that's interested in politics knows. A year from now, I'd like to say I'm at about a 9.

Information - I was going to call this "books" or "learning", but I think information sums it up better. I'm about an 8. I absolutely LOVE getting new information. Even when I think I know everything, I quietly go about finding out more about that topic or issue or arena. I read biographies religiously. I already mentioned all the magazines - and I'm talking Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, not Entertainment Weekly all the time. I visit too many Websites to list. Most of all, I meet a lot of new and smart people. I think that's the single-most important way to get information. Not to believe everything you hear, but to listen enough to know what's being said. I have a lot of friends and colleagues who I've never thanked for helping me know more about so many things like foreign policy and music and sports and politics and business. Thank you all. When I talk to people about networking, I'm really talking about information gathering.

Business - I'm at about a 6, going on a 7. I love following business. Not just business trends, but business. Business practices that relate to hiring, leadership, investing, entrepreneurship, mergers and acquisitions, marketing, and all kinds of other relevant business elements. I dream of someday owning my own business. Preferably something that combines food and music and education. Not sure what exactly, but I have some thoughts that I look forward to fleshing out. And whenever my friends come to me with business ideas, even when I'm skeptical of their abilities to foster that idea into a success, I offer whatever I can because the best businesses start with ideas and honest friends. Ask Bill Gates and Paul Allen. At least, that's what I think.

Being Active - I'm at about a 9. I love the outdoors even more than I love TV. I love running and wakeboarding and thrill-seeking and finding new places. Just last night my friend and I embarked on a park I've never been to before here in Washington. I love walking places. I love road trips. When I travel, which I include in "being active", I like going places that allow me to quickly begin taking in the surroundings like a resident and not a tourist. That's one of the reasons I haven't been overseas yet. And don't get me wrong, I love going to bars and partying. I've been to most of the bars here in D.C. (and in Austin before that) before most people I know have largely because I'm not too proud or afraid to try a new place by my lonesome on occasion. On my list of "things to do before I die" are: run a marathon in under 2 hours and 45 minutes, do a backflip while wakeboarding, skydive over the Amazon, and go to every major music (i.e. ACL) and film (i.e. Sundance) festival in the world. Oh, and if anyone is in the D.C. area and needs a tennis partner, I'm game. It's also important to note that I can't date a girl that doesn't share this.

Writing - While I love reading, writing is so much more fulfilling. Even when people look at my writing and judge me incorrectly, which happens a lot because I'm uncompromising and candid and brash, I love it. Easily, I'm at an 11 for this one. Beyond these diatribes, I love to write poetry. I have plans to write a book-per-year for the rest of my life, even if my future wife has to do the writing and I talk like Bruce Lee. I would love to write for magazines or newspapers or blogs or TV shows or movies someday. In general, I just like the feeling - call it ego if you want - of writing down something I'm thinking about and someone saying they found it insightful or interesting. Those words are much more important than if you think I'm good or not.

Other things worthy of mention include: fashion, food/wine, visiting friends or having friends visit me, throwing parties, nonprofit involvement (this could go up there in between politics and information in some cases), predicting anything, landscaping.

In closing, I guess that's the reason I choose the NBA Draft over drinks at a bar. Or why I choose to watch Entourage instead of talk about what CNN is telling me. Because I find those things more insightful and interesting. Not necessarily because they make me smarter, but more so because they make the days more memorable.

Out of 365 days a year, just about all of them involve sports, music, politics, business, information, being active and writing. If drinking replaced even just one of those things, I'd be an alcoholic within a week.

And I'd really have a problem keeping friends outside of the ones I'd make in AA.

Vegas...A Numbers Game

For those of you familiar with the stock market, you know the term I.P.O. or Initial Public Offering, which refers to the unveiling (to stock holders) of a publicly-traded company . Well, since this is the public unveiling of Diatribes by Joah, I figured I'd do an I.P.O. of sorts by talking about my trip to L.A. and Vegas.

I could do the normal thing and tell you about how great the weather was in L.A. and how much fun it was to tour the Fox Studio (thanks Kent) and drive Sunset Boulevard, but I'd much rather talk about Vegas. (Also, see the pics on the left toolbar.)

And Vegas is all about numbers. 3-Card Stud Poker. 21 is BlackJack. Dice games. Wheel games. Card games. It all comes down to how the numbers work out. So I'm going to tell you about my trip to Vegas with numbers in mind.

($250) - Yes, for those of you familiar with financial statements the () means I ended up $250 in the hole. I started out winning $90, thanks to back-to-back splits (2s and 10s). Then the numbers caught up to me. At one point, I lost 6 straight BlackJack games because the dealer had 21 and I had 18, 19 or 20. I went to the ATM in New York/New York and promptly lost $100 in three-consecutve BlackJack tables.

2 - Number of girls that made the trip with about a dozen of my frat bros. One was my good friend from high school, Sheena, and the other was my friend/frat bro's more-attractive half, Caren. Needless to say, they got a little more sleep than us guys did over the weekend.

180 - Consecutive minutes I danced at Drais...a place tucked inside Bill's (Crappy) Casino...somehow, Drais was the best after-hours spot in all of Vegas. This was damn-near the highlight of the entire weekend...I think my friends Chris and Joe can confirm that I'm the best dancer alive.

2.5 - Hours of sleep I got on Saturday after I went to bed at 7 a.m. and woke up at 9:30 after a night of losing money.

3.5 - Hours of sleep I got on Sunday after I went to bed at 7 a.m. and woke up at 10:30 after a night of dancing.

$150 - How much I paid for Sheena and I to have dinner at Delmonico in the Venetian for my friend Maggie's birthday. Those lamb chops were fantastic, but $13 for a martini...get serious!

600 - Total minutes spent in the car driving to and from L.A. and Vegas.

900 - Total minutes spent in airports and airplanes traveling to and from L.A. and D.C.

3 - Number of men in Blue Man Group. Saw them Saturday night at the Venetian...this was definitely one of the weekend's highlights.

.750 - Liters of Grey Goose I drank. Well, I probably didn't drink the whole bottle myself, but I know I drank at least half the bottle Saturday late night before the aforementioned dancing at Drais.

15 - Estimated mileage of walking up and down the strip for three days.

$10 - Amount of money I paid for my roundtrip flight from D.C. to L.A. thanks to my status as a US Airways Dividend Miles member.

50 - Approximation of homo-erotic statements and/or actions by my frat bros over the weekend...there was definitely a lot of "broin' out" going on.

120 - Seconds spent on a fake motorcycle with Sheena, Kent, Caren, and Bobby outside Treasure Island...this made for a YouTube-worthy DVD...I'll try to post it soon.

7027 - Our room number at Bally's... some reason although we were only on the 20th floor.

7033 - The room number at Bally's for my frat bros, about eight of them...this was either a really good thing, or a really bad idea. I'm still not sure.

364 - Number of days it'll take my body to recover from Vegas before I can go back.

Let me close by thanking Sheena for tagging along with me on this awesome trip, and Kent and Caren for being great hosts in L.A. and Bobby for getting us all together in Sin City.

Chicago...A Mayor's Dream

This past weekend, I visited the great windy city of Chicago, Illinois. It wasn't my first time to Chicago, but I'd never been to the Art Institute of Chicago, which I would consider the best art museum I've been to (mainly because the MOMA in New York cost $45-some-odd to get in).

Now, my best man Colby (though I'm not getting married anytime soon) can attest to this, I'm no art nut. In fact, it's one of the few areas, I completely defer to others when discussed, though I can tell you it's not called the Sixteen Chapel! Regardless, I do enjoy art and I spent considerable time viewing the paintings and sculptures of the Impressionism period.

Degas, Duchamp, Pissarro, Renoir, Sisley and, of course, Monet who basically started the Impressionism art movement (check out the painting Impression, Sunrise for a quick reference) were all among the greats with work in the Art Institute. In fact, some of Renoir's, Sisley's and Degas' most notable works are in Chicago.

Being there, in front of some of the most magnificent and well-recognized pieces of art in the world, was something I felt deep down. Something Kodak couldn't capture. So standing in those halls, walking from classic to classic, masterpiece to masterpiece ... I got to thinking about the city of Chicago. And about that city's leaders.

Sure, longtime Mayor Richard M. Daley (first elected in '89, still in office) has a mixed bag (good = CTA is better than Subway in New York; bad = poverty and crime in South Side) as the nation's third-largest city's top official, but you just can't minimalize his impact, along with that of his father Richard Daley, who held the same title from 1955-76 and helped get the Sears Tower built along with Chicago's O'Hare Airport, which is still one of the nicest airports in the country.

Still, Chicago has benefited largely from the creativity, consistency and, at times, carte blanche its City Hall leadership - led by Daley (and Daley) - have been allowed for close to four decades in office. In other words, the people of Chicago have entrusted the future of their city in elected leaders. No wonder even the people of South Side can't complain about their long-term prospects when a guy like Sen. Barack Obama is storming up the presidential prospect lists.

How Mayors and Monets connect, you ask? Simple. Without strong and capable city officials, namely Mayors, your city lacks vision and, subsequently, long term prospects of both commercial and industrial growth, tourism and trade, and culture. Look at Gavin Newsome in San Francisco or Luke Ravenstahl in Pittsburgh and tell  me those city's aren't already reaping the benefits from sound, visionary mayoral leadership.

With vision, Monet's paintings represent more than a donation from a wealthy donor or corporate sponsor. Those paintings become symbols of pride and prestige, beauty and balance, grace and good will. Symbols become language; language helps form culture; culture encourages inspiration.

In a city like Chicago...excuse me ... in Chicago, you can't help but be inspired to achieve great things when you have leaders that are committed to both aesthetic and practical achievement. When building the world's tallest building is matched with the idea to build the nation's best railway system and when corporate sponsors are as likely to donate a million dollar painting as they are to pay a CEO a million dollars.

Someday, maybe I'll have a Monet or Renoir in my own home, but hopefully I'll be able to have great leadership and vision in my hometown or resident city. One day, you might catch me doing my best Monet, I mean Daley impression...

Why I love Austin, Texas

Some cities are easy to figure out.

New York is a city of hard-knocks and hustle-and-bustle, built from the mixture of Wall Street elitism (a la Gordon Gekko) to 5th Avenue's fashion savvy to Brooklyn's swagger (think Jay-Z).

L.A. is a city of dreamers and the land of opportunists.  Every aspiring actress or singer or director is actually a "waiter" or "bartender" or "bouncer."

Miami is a city of contrast ... just listen to the lyrics of Rick Ross' "(Everyday I'm) Hustin'" - "I know Pablo ... Noriega, the real Noriega, he owe me a hundred favors" - to Will Smith's "Miami" - "welcome to the city where the heat is on, all night in the city 'til the break is on."

Austin, Texas, isn't one of those easily-observable/describable cities.

Sure they have that whole "Keep Austin Weird" thing goin' on, but that slogan only exist for those people living South of Anderson Lane, North of Riverside Drivem, East of 360 and West of 1-35.

Then they have that "Live Music Capitol of the World" moniker, but I could probably name a few cities in Europe that have earned that distinction.  Oh, and there's New York.  Austin can't quite match places like CBGB or Madison Square Garden for a concert.  And I've seen weirder people and things on one subway ride in Manhattan than four years in Austin.

Frankly, Austin isn't that weird and the world is much bigger than the Texas or the U.S.

What interests me about Austin, though, is the youth.  It doesn't have the history of San Antonio (Alamo), or the money bags of Houston (big oil) or the stagnation of Dallas (it looked the same in 1996).

Perhaps it's because the best college in the land, The University of Texas.  Perhaps it's because of the music scene, thanks to places like Stubb's and Emo's and Antone's and La Zona Rosa.  Still, perhaps it's because Sixth Street is the best college bar scene in Texas (take that Lower Greenville).

Either way, Austin is a young city.  Only in Austin can college dropouts become billionaires a la Michael Dell.  Only in Austin can the next Stevie Ray Vaughn be black (www.GaryClarkJr.com).  Only in Austin can you catch some of the best lake water (and wakeboarding) south of the Ozarks.

Austin just feels like a city that isn't done growing or improving yet.  I'm not sure someone can say the same about any other city in Texas over the last 5-10 years, no matter how much development is underway (Houston) or how many malls are being revamped (Dallas) or how many people visit the Riverwalk (San Antonio).

The city has grown immensely since 1990 and Round Rock and San Marcos keep getting closer and closer.  As more money comes into Austin, from the music and restaurant scenes to the high-tech and development industries, more people will flock to Central Texas.

Various publications have named Austin one of the best cities for young families, education, environment, dating, eating, weekend getaways, intellects, small business and, last but not least, concerts.

From the soon-to-be-completed/state-of-the-art Dell Children's Medical Center to the annual Austin City Limits and South by Southwest Festivals, Austin is making a name for itself beyond the Texas borders.  And if you're into politics, Austin ranks closely with both Manhattan and Los Angeles for political power thanks to a big Texas-voice in Washington (whether you like him or not).

True, Austin doesn't have any major pro sports teams, but you hardly notice it thanks to the Texas Longhorns and their first-rate athletic program, which has produced All-American and first-round draft picks out of T.J. Ford in basketball, Huston Street in baseball and Vince Young in football.  And Cat Osterman (softball) and Sanya Richards (track) each have Olympic gold medals.

And the restaurants in Austin - Magnolia, Driskill, Hudson's on the Bend among others - are to die for.  And that's before I get to the drinks - Trudy's, Z Tejas, etc.

If you're the water/outdoor type, like myself, then Lake Austin for water sports, Lake Travis for Memorial Day/Fourth of July/Labor Day partying, Barton Springs for relaxing, Town Lake for biking, running or walking and Mount Bonnell (the view) each have something to offer.

Generally speaking, Austin is a great city for 18-29 year-olds.  It has a mix of nightlife and outdoorsy-ness and aesthetic beauty and Southern-comfort that no city west of Atlanta can offer (no disrespect to New Orleans).

Of course, Austin has it's downfalls.  Starting with the lack of diversity.  Only in Austin is there a weekend - Texas Relays - that black people "officially" come out and white people prefer to "stay away from 6th."  Only in Austin can people living on one side of the Interstate be completely blocked off from the opportunities and offerings to those on the West side of 35.  Only in Austin can the police be so blatantly prejudiced (seriously, it's worse than Houston and Dallas combined).

Still, even with all those detriminental factors, Austin is my city of preference.  I've lived in D.C. for a year now, I've spent dozens of weekends in New York and I've visited every major city between L.A. and Boston.  Austin is still my pick.

The campus, the concerts, the culture, the cops and all ... I've "figured" Austin out.  On that note, I'll be headed back very soon.

Is it too early to start drumming up support for my City Council '10 campaign?