Tag Archives: writing

Three superb and fresh reads about Los Angeles

Posted on January 15, 2023 by problogic

“These three books will certainly introduce readers to the width and breadth of mighty Los Angeles. If that entity, however you define it, resists a simple explanation, then so be it. For that may be one of the LA’s most endearing and enduring qualities.” Continue reading →

Posted in art, book reviews, books, business, Cars, cities, culture, diversity, downtown, economics, entertainment, environment, fun, geography, government, Highway displacement, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, humanity, immigration, inclusiveness, industry, infrastructure, injustice, land use, literature, mountains, movies, Music, natural history, nature, new urbanism, placemaking, planning, pollution, racism, rail, recreation, Renewable Energy, revitalization, skylines, social equity, songs, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, sustainability, technology, Television, third places, topography, tourism, Trade, traffic, trails, transit, transportation, Travel, trucking, urban design, urban planning, walking, weather, Wildlife, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Finding “Los Angeles” amid the aura of “LA”

Posted on January 11, 2023 by problogic

Downtown Los Angeles with the San Gabriel Mountains in the background – Source: unsplash.com Every city is unique unto itself. Just like human beings, cities have their own character, appearance, identity, flaws, attributes, and aesthetics. As a result, no single … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Alternative transportation, architecture, art, bicycling, Biking, books, branding, business, Cars, cities, civics, commerce, culture, diversity, downtown, economic development, engineering, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, film, fun, geography, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, land use, literature, Love, mountains, movies, Music, nature, new urbanism, Passenger rail, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, politics, rail, Railroads, recreation, skylines, skyscrapers, songs, spatial design, sprawl, technology, Television, theaters, third places, topography, toponymy, tourism, Trade, traffic, trails, transit, transportation, Travel, urban design, urban planning, walking, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “unity of drought” must supersede myths and self interest

Posted on July 25, 2022 by problogic

*A small commission is earned from purchases that are made using the above links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. _______ The book Water is for Fighting Over: and Other Myths About Water in the … Continue reading →

Posted in art, book reviews, books, cities, civics, civility, climate, climate change, economic development, ecosystems, education, engineering, environment, futurism, geography, Geology, government, health, history, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, injustice, land use, landscape architecture, literature, Maps, Native Americans, natural history, nature, opinion, planning, politics, reading, recreation, rivers/watersheds, Science, social equity, spatial design, Statistics, topography, urban planning, water, water conservation, weather, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Working list – Favorite spy sagas based on true events

Posted on May 4, 2022 by problogic

To this blog author, spy stories are among the most thrilling and intriguing literature that can be read. This is especially the case for those stories that are based on actual historic events. The working list below identifies my favorite … Continue reading →

Posted in art, book reviews, books, cartoons, Communications, entertainment, government, historic preservation, history, literature, movies, politics, spying, technology, Television, theaters, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

15.3 million footsteps from Istanbul to Xian!

Posted on February 7, 2022 by problogic

Over the course of four years (1999-2002), author and retired journalist Bernard Ollivier trekked the ancient Silk Road on foot from Istanbul, Turkey to Xian, China. He accomplished this monumental 7,500 mile (12,000 km) feat by overcoming aches, pains, illnesses, … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, Advocacy, archaeology, architecture, art, Asia, book reviews, books, China, cities, civics, civility, commerce, Communications, Cuisine, culture, diversity, education, entertainment, environment, family, fun, geography, health, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, human rights, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, injustice, land use, Language, literature, Maps, military, natural history, nature, opinion, pictures, place names, placemaking, politics, pollution, reading, recreation, Religion, Statistics, topography, tourism, Trade, traffic, trails, transportation, Travel, walking, weather, Wildlife, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“RESET” – Where planning intersects sci-fi and John Lennon

Posted on September 14, 2021 by problogic

Imagine if you will, a place and time where society has barely survived nuclear armageddon (the Last War) and reestablished itself in four (4) distinct, unique, climate-controlled, and self-sustained cities in the Mojave Desert – Callisto, Lysithea, Europa, and Elara. This utopian society was founded by an omnipotent Planner by employing wisdom derived from the lyrics of John Lennon’s most enduring song – “Imagine.” Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, art, atomic age, book reviews, books, cities, Civil Rights, civility, culture, entertainment, futurism, government, health, history, Housing, human rights, humanity, literature, Love, planning, reading, Science, Science fiction, songs, spatial design, sustainability, urban planning, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Project Hail Mary” – Science fiction at its very best!

Posted on July 18, 2021 by problogic

I cannot express enough accolades about Andy Weir’s newest novel, Project Hail Mary. The book is simply outstanding. It’s one of those books that is hard to put down and you never want to end. I don’t want to give … Continue reading →

Posted in aerospace, art, Astronomy, aviation, book reviews, books, Communications, culture, entertainment, environment, fun, futurism, geography, Geology, humanity, inclusiveness, literature, nature, Outer Space, place names, product design, reading, Science, Science fiction, Statistics, technology, transportation, Travel, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Memphis – “The Cradle of American Music”

Posted on February 3, 2021 by problogic

  Yes, Nashville may bill itself as “Music City” and Austin claims to be America’s “Live Music Capital,” but if there is one city in the United States that has truly given birth to the greatest variety of music genre … Continue reading →

Posted in air travel, architecture, art, aviation, branding, business, cities, civics, Civil Rights, Communications, culture, demographics, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, entertainment, entrepreneurship, fun, geography, globalization, historic preservation, history, humanity, inclusiveness, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Maps, music, music reviews, placemaking, planning, Radio, rivers/watersheds, social equity, songs, Statistics, theaters, third places, tourism, Trade, transportation, Travel, urban planning, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers packs a powerful punch!

Posted on June 20, 2020 by problogic

I became a big fan of Phoebe Bridgers when I first heard and then bought her joint album with Conor Oblerst under the band name of Better Oblivion Community Center in 2019. This led me to all kinds of fabulous … Continue reading →

Posted in art, entertainment, Music, music reviews, video, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Tasty Slice of “Tibetan Peach Pie”

Posted on June 1, 2018 by problogic

* A small commission is earned from purchases that are made using these visual links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you want to read a book that will put a smile on your … Continue reading →

Posted in book reviews, books, culture, fun, history, humanity, Language, literature, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments