TexTT (Texas Takes Trips)

Lately...

Big city, big problems

There’s a story in the times today about a building on my street in the East Village. It’s a classic housing dispute and I find it hard to pick a side. On the one hand you have people who really do give character to the neighborhood and have been living here for over three decades, but on the other side you have owners who legally bought a building and should be allowed to adjust their private property as they wish.

It seems in general that the city is heading in the direction of the building owner and to what end? When everyone in downtown Manhattan is rich and has a squeaky clean modern apartment with perhaps an older looking facade for character, what will separate the experience of here from any other commodified part of America/Generica?

I have no answers but I only see more problems as the unquestionable  economic manifest destiny of this city proceeds.

Minimum Standards

I’m about to hop on a flight and I was thinking back to the last time I flew a couple of months ago.

I sat in the emergency exit row and enjoyed the extra leg room. Next to me sat a woman probably in her mid thirties. Soon after take off we were all given water bottles. I opened mine and sipped some water when she leaned over and asked if I would mind opening her water bottle as the cap was on too tight for her to undo. I quickly did so and gave her back the bottle.

Then I thought to myself whether this woman should be allowed to sit in this row with all it’s expectations and responsibilities in case of emergency. If you can’t open a water bottle by yourself are you going to be able to unlatch and move a 70 pound door when passengers need to evacuate?? Hmmm…